of God except thou canst prove thy pedigree by this heroick spirit to dare to be holy in spite of men and devils The Eagle tries her young ones by the Sun Christ tries his children by their courage that dare look on the face of death and danger for his sake Mark 8.34 35. O how uncomly a sight is it a bold sinner and a fearful Saint one resolved to be wicked and a Christian wavering in his holy course to see guilt put innocency to flight and hell keep the field impudently braving it with displayed banners of open profanenesse and Saints to hide their colours for shame or run from them for feare who should rather wrap themselves in them and die upon the place then thus betray the glorious Name of God which is called upon by them to the scorne of the uncircumcised Take heart therefore O ye Saints and be strong your cause is good God himself espouseth your quarrel who hath appointed you his own Son General of the field called The Captain of our salvation He shall lead you on with courage and bring you off with honour He lived and died for you he will live and die with you for mercy and tendernesse to his souldiers none like him Trajan 't is said rent his clothes to binde up his souldiers wounds Christ poured out his blood as balm to heal his Saints wounds teares of his flesh to binde them up For prowesse none to compare with him he never turn'd his head from danger no not when hells malice and heavens justice appeared in field against him Knowing all that should come upon him went forth and said Whom seek ye John 18.4 For successe insuperable he never lost battel even when he lost his life he wan the field carrying the spoiles thereof in the triumphant chariot of his Ascension to heaven with him where he makes an open shew of them to the unspeakable joy of Saints and Angels You march in the midst of gallant spirits your fellow-souldiers every one the Son of a Prince Behold some enduring with you here below a great fight of afflictions and temptations take heaven by storme and force Others you may see after many assaults repulses and rallyings of their faith and patience got upon the walls of heaven Conquerours from whence they do as it were look down and call you their fellow-brethren on earth to march up the hill after them crying aloud Fall on and the city is your own as now it is ours who for a few dayes conflict are now crowned with heavens glory one moments enjoyment of which hath dried up all our teares healed all our wounds and made us forget the sharpnesse of the fight with the joy of our present victory In a word Christians God and Angels are Spectatours observing how you quit your selves like children of the most High every exploit your faith doth against sin and Satan causeth a shout in heaven while you valiantly prostrate this temptation scale that difficulty regain the other ground you even now lost out of your enemies hands Your deare Saviour who stands by with a reserve for your relief at a pinch his very heart leaps within him for joy to see the proof of your love to him and zeal for him in all your combates and will not forget all the faithful service you have done in his wars on earth but when thou comest out of the field will receive thee with the like joy as he was entertained himself at his return to heaven of his Father Now Christian if thou meanest thus couragiously to bear up against all opposition in thy march to heaven as thou shouldest do well to raise thy spirit with such generous and soul-ennobling thoughts so in an especial manner look thy principles be well fixt or else thy heart will be unstable and an unstable heart is weak as water it cannot excel in courage Two things are required to fix our principles First an established judgement in the truth of God He that knows not well what or whom he fights for may soon be perswaded to change his side or at least stand Neuter such may be found that go for Professours that can hardly give an account what they hope for or whom they hope in yet Christians they must be thought though they run before they know their errand or if they have some principles they go upon they are so unsetled that every winde blowes them down like loose tyles from the house top Blinde zeale is soon put to a shameful retreat while holy resolution built on fast principles lifts up its head like a rock in the midst of the waves Those that know their God shall be strong and do exploits Dan. 11.32 The Angel told Daniel who were the men that would stand to their tackling and bear up for God in that houre both of temptation and persecution which should be brought upon them by Antiochus not all the Jewes some of them should be corrupt barely by flatteries others scared by threats out of their Profession only a few of fixed principles who knew their God whom they served and were grounded in their Religion these should be strong and do exploits that is to flatteries they should be incorruptible and to power and force unconquerable Secondly a sincere aime at the right end in our Profession Let a man be never so knowing in the things of Christ if his aime be not right in his Profession that mans principles will hang loose he 'll not venture much or far for Christ no more no further then he can save his own stake A hypocrite may shew some mettal at hand some courage for a spurt in conquering some difficulties but he 'll shew himself a jade at length He that hath a false end in his Profession will soon come to an end of his Profession when he is pinch't on that toe where his corn is I meane called to deny that his naughty heart aimed at all this while now his heart sailes him he can go no further O take heed of this squint eye to our profit pleasure honour or any thing beneath Christ and heaven for they will take away your heart as the Prophet saith of wine and women that is our love and if our love be taken away there will be little courage left for Christ How couragious was Jehu at first and he tells the world it is zeale for God but why doth his heart faile him then before half his work be done his heart was never right set that very thing that stirr'd up hâ—s zeal at first at last quench't and cow'd it and that was his ambition his desire of a Kingdom made him zealous against Ahabs house to cut off them who might in time justle him besides the throne which done and he quietly setled he dare not go through-stitch with Gods work lest he should lose what he got by provoking the people with a thorough information Like some souldiers when once they meet with a rich
All is done at Christ his cost with whom God indented and to whom he gave the promise of eternal life before the world began as a free estate to settle upon every believing soul in the day they should come to Christ and receive him for their Prince and Saviour so that from the houre thou didst come under Christs shadow all the sweet fruit that grows on this tree of life is thine with Christ all that both worlds have falls to thee All is yours because you are Christs O Christian look upon thy self now and blesse thy God to see what a change there is made in thy state since that black and dismal time when thou wert slave to the Prince of darknesse how couldest thou like thy old Scullions work again or think of returning to thy house of bondage now thou knowest the priviledges of Christs Kingdomes Great Princes who from basenesse and beggery have ascended to Kingdomes and Empires to adde to the joy of their present honour have delighted to speak often of their base birth to go and see the mean cottages where they were first entertained and had their birth and breeding and the like And 't is not unuseful for the Christian to look in at the grate to see the smokie hole where once he lay to view the chaines wherewith he was laden and so to compare Christs Court the divels prison the felicity of the one and the horror of the other together But when we do our best to affect our hearts with this mercy by all the inhancing aggravations we can find out Alas how little a portion of it shalwe know here this is a nimium excellens which cannot be fully seen unlesse it be by a glorified eye how can it be fully known by us where it cannot be fully enjoyed thou art translated into the Kingdome of Christ but thou art a great way from his Court That is kept in heaven and that the Christian knows but as we far countreys which we never saw only by map or some rarities that are sent us as a taste of what grows there in abundance Vse 3 Thirdly this Christian calls for thy loyalty and faithful service to Christ who hath saved thee from Satans bondage Say O ye Saints to Christ as they to Gideon Come thou and rule over us for thou hast delivered us from the hand not of Midian but of Satan Who so able to defend thee from his wrath as he who broke his power who like to rule thee so tenderly as he that could not brook anothers tyranny over thee In a word who hath right to thee besides him who ventur'd his life to redeem thee that being delivered from all thine enemies thou mayest serve him without feare in holinesse all the dayes of thy life And wee it not pity that Christ should take all this pains to lift up thy head from Satans house of bondage and give thee a place among those in his own house who are admitted to minister unto him which is the highest honour the nature of men or Angels is capable of and that thou shouldest after all this be found to have a hand in any treasonable practice against thy dear Saviour surely Christ may think he hath deserved better at your hands if at none besides Where shall a Prince safely dwell if not in the midst of his own Courtiers and those such who were all taken from chains and prisons to be thus preferr'd the more to oblige them in his service Let devils and devillish men do their own work but let not thy hand O Christian be upon thy dear Saviour But this is too litle to bid thee not play the traitour If thou hast any loyal blood running in thy veines thy own heart will smite thee when thou rendest the least skirt of his holy Law thou canst as well carry burning coales in thy bosome as hide any treason there against thy dear Soveraign No 't is some noble enterprise I would have thee think upon how thou mayest advance the Name of Christ higher in thy heart and world too as much as in thee lies O how kindely did God take it that David when peaceably set in his throne was casting about not how he might entertain himself with those pleasures which usually corrupt and debauch the Courts of Princes in times of peace but how he might shew his zeal for God in building a house for his worship that had rear'd a throne for him 2 Sam. 7. And is there nothing Christian thou canst think on wherein thou mayest eminently be instrumental for God in thy generation He is not a good subject that is all for what he can get of his Prince but never thinks what service he may do for him Nor he the true Christian whose thoughts dwell more on his own happinesse then the honour of his God If subjects might chuse what life stands best for their own enjoyment all would desire to live at Court with their Prince But because the Princes honour is more to be valued then this therefore noble spirits to do their Prince service can deny themselves the delicacies of a Court to jeopard their lives in the field and thank their Prince too for the honour of their employment Blessed Paul upon these termes was willing to have his day of coronation in glory prorogued he to stay as companion with his brethren in tribulation here for the furtherance of the Gospel This indeed makes it opera pretium vivere worth the while to live that we have by it a faire opportunity if hearts to husband it in which we may give a proof of our real gratitude to our God for his redeeming love in rescuing us out of the power of the Prince of darknesse and translating us into the Kingdome of his dear Son And therefore Christian lose no time but what thou meanest to do for God do it quickly Art thou a Magistrate now it will be soon seen on whose side thou art if indeed thou hast renounced allegiance to Satan and taken Christ for thy Prince declare thy self an enemy to all that bear the name of Satan and march under his colours Study well thy commission and when thou understandest the duty of thy place fall to work zealously for God Thou hast thy Princes sword put into thy hand be sure thou use it and take heed how thou usest it that when call'd to deliver it up and thy account also it may not be found rusty in the sheath through sloth and cowardise besmeared with the blood of violence nor bent and gap't with partiality and injustice Art thou a Minister of the Gospel thy employment is high an Ambassadour and that not from some petty Prince but the great God to his rebellious subjects A calling so honourable that the Son of God disdained not to come in extraordinary from heaven to perform it call'd therefore the messenger of the Covenant yea he had to this day stay'd on earth in person about it
on the sweet priviledges thou art interessed in by thy marriage to him Doest thou not bewray some of this spiritual pride working in thee O if thou couldest pray without wandering walk without limping believe without wavering then thou couldest rejoyce and walk chearfully It seems soule thou stayest to bring the ground of thy comfort with thee and not to receive it purely from Christ O how much better were it if thou wouldest say with David Though my house my heart be not so with God yet he hath made with me a Covenant ordered in all things and sure and this is all my desire all my confidence Christ I oppose to all my sins Christ to all wants he is my all in all and all above all Indeed all those complaints of our wants and weaknesses so far as they withdraw our hearts from relying chearfully on Christ they are but the language of pride hankering after the Covenant of works O 't is hard to forget our mother-tongue which is so natural to us labour therefore to be sensible of it how grievous it is to the Spirit of Christ What would a husband say if his wife in stead of expressing her love to him and delight in him should day and night do nothing but weep and cry to think of her former husband that is dead The Law as a Covenant and Christ are compared to two husbands Rom. 7.4 Ye are become dead to the Law by the body of Christ that ye should be married to another even to him who is raised from the dead Now thy sorrow for the defect of thy own righteousnesse when it hinders thy rejoycing in Christ is but a whining after thy other husband and this Christ cannot but take unkindely that thou art not as well pleased to lie in the bosome of Christ and have thy happinesse from him as with your old husband the Law Secondly a self applauding pride when the heart is secretly lift up so as to promise it self acceptation at Gods hands for any duty or act of obedience it performes and doth not when most assisted go out of his own actings to lay the weight of his expectation entirely upon Christ every such glance of the soules eye is adulterous yea idolatrous If thy heart Christian at any time he secretly enticed as Job saâ—th of another kinde of idolatry or thy mouth doth kisse thy hand that is dote so farre on thy own duties or righteousnesse as to give them this inward worship of thy confidence and trust this is a great iniquity indeed for in this thou deniest the God that is above who hath determined thy faith to another object Thou comest to open heaven-gate with the old key when God hath set on a new lock Doest thou not acknowledge tnat thy first entrance into thy justified state was of pure mercy thou wert justified freely by hit grace through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ Rom. 7.24 And whom are thou beholden to now thou art reconciled for thy further acceptance in every duty or holy action to thy duty thy obedience thy self or Christ The same Apostle will tell you Rom. 5.2 By whom we have accesse by faith into this grace wherein we stand If Christ should not lead thee in and all thou doest thou art sure to finde the door shut upon thee there is no more place for desert now thou art gracious then when thou wert gracelesse Rom. 1.17 The righteousnesse of God is revealed from faith to faith for the just shall live by faith We are not only made alive by Christ but we live by Christ faith sucks in continual pardoning assisting comforting mercy from him as the lungs suck in the aire Heaven way is paved with grace and mercy to the end Be exhorted above all to watch against this play of Satan beware thou restest not in thy own righteousnesse thou standest under a tottering wall the very cracks thou seest in thy graces and duties when best bid thee stand off except thou wouldest have them fall on thy head the greatest step to heaven is out of our own doors over our own threshold It hath cost many a man his life when his house on fire a gripplenesse to save some of the stufte which venturing among the flames to preserve they have perished themselves more have lost their soules by thinking to carry some of their own stuffe with them to heaven Such a good work or duty while they like lingring Lot have been loath to leave in point of confidence have themselves perish't O Sirs come out come out leave what is your own in the fire flie to Christ naked he hath cloathing for you better then your own poor to Christ and he hath gold not like thine which will consume and be found drossy in the fire but such as hath in the fiery trial past in Gods righteous judgment for pure and full weight you cannot be found in two places at once choose whether you will be found in your own righteousnesse or in Christs Those who have had more to shew then thy selfe have thrown away all and gone a begging to Christ Reade Pauls Inventory Phil. 3. what he had what he did yet all drosse and losse give him Christ and take the rest who will So Job as holy a man as trod on earth God himself being witnesse yet saith Though I were perfect yet would I not know my own soule I would despise my life He had acknowledged his imperfection before now he makes a supposition indeed quod non est supponendum If I were perfect yet would I not know my own soule I would not entertain any such thoughts as should puffe me up into such a confidence of my holinesse as to make it my plea with God like to our common phrase We say Such a one hath excellent parts but he knows it that is he is proud of it Take heed of knowing thy own grace in this sense thou canst not give a greater wound both to thy grace and comfort then by thus priding thy self in it SECT III. First thy grace cannot thrive so long as thou thus restest on it A legal spirit is no friend to grace nay a bitter enemy against it as appeared by the Pharisees in Christs time Grace comes not by the Law but by Christ thou mayest stand long enough by it before thou gettest any life of grace into thy soule or further life into thy grace If thou wouldest have this thou must set thy self under Christs wings by faith from his Spirit in the Gospel alone comes this kindly natural heat to hatch thy soul to the life of holinesse and increase what thou hast and thou canst not come under Christs wings till thou comest from under the shadow of the other by renouncing all expectation from thy own works and services You know Reubens curse that he should not excel because he went up into his fathers bed when other tribes encreased he stood at a little number By trusting in
hast had against them some of them thou wilt finde poor and persecuted yet Christ is not ashamed to call them brethren neither must thou If thou findest thy heart now in such a disposition as suits these Interrogatories I dare not deny the banes yea I dare not but pronounce Christ and thee Husband and Wife Go poor soul if I may call so glorious a Bride poor Go and comfort thy self with the expectation of thy Bridegrooms coming for thee and when the evil day approaches and death it self draws nigh look not now with terrour upon it but rather revive with old Jacob to see the chariot which shall carry thee over unto the embraces of thy husband whom thou hearest to be in so great Honour and Majesty in Heaven as may assure thee he is able to make thee welcome when thou comest there Amongst the all things which are ours by being Christs the Apostle forgets not to name this to be one Death is ours And well he did so or else we should never have look't upon it as a gift but rather as a judgement Now soul thou art out of any danger of hurt that the evil day can do thee Yet there remains something for thee to do that thou mayest walk in the comfortable expectation of the evil day We see that gracious persons may for want of a holy care fall into such distempers as may put a sting into their thoughts of the evil day David that at one time would not feare to walk in the valley of the shadow of death is so affrighted at another time when he is led towards it that he cries Spare me O Lord that I may recover my strength before I go hence Psal 39. The childe though he loves his father may do that which may make him afraid to go home Now Christian if thou wouldest live in a comfortable expectation of the evil day First labour to die to this life and the enjoyments of it every day more and more Death is not so strong to him whose natural strength has been wasted by long pining sicknesse as it is to him that lies but a few dayes and has strength of nature to make great resistance Truly thus it is here that Christian whose love to this life and the contents of it hath been for many years consuming and dying will with more facility part with them then he whose love is stronger to them All Christians are not mortified in the same degree to the world Paul tells us he died daily He was ever sending more and more of his heart out of the world so that by that time he came to die all his affections were pack't up and gone which made him the more ready to follow 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I am ready to be offered up 2 Tim. 4.6 If it be but a tooth to pull out the faster it stands the more pain we have to draw it O loosen the roots of thy affections from the world and the tree will fall more easily Secondly be careful to approve thy self with diligence and faithfulnesse to God in thy place and calling The clearer thou standest in thy own thoughts concerning the uprightnesse of thy heart in the tenure of thy Christian course the more composure thou wilt have when the evil day comes I beseech thee O Lord saith good Hezekiah at the point of death as he thought remember now how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart and have done that which is good in thy sight This cannot be our confidence but it will be a better companion then a scoulding conscience if the blood be bad the spirits will be tainted also the more our life has been corrupted with hypocrisie and unfaithfulnesse the weaker our faith will be in a dying houre There is great difference between two children that come home at night one from the field where he hath been diligent and faithful about his fathers work and another that hath played the Truant a great part of the day the former comes inconfidently to stand before his father the other sneaks to bed is afraid his father should see him or ask where he hath been O Sirs look to your walking These have been trying times as ever came to England It has required more care and courage to keep sincerity then formerly And that is the reason why it is so rare to finde Christians especially those whose place and calling hath been more in the winde of temptation go off the stage at death with such a Plaudite of inward peace in their bosomes Thirdly familiarize the thoughts of the evil day to thy soul Handle this serpent often walk daily in the serious meditations of if do not run from them because they are unpleasing to flesh that is the way to increase the terrour of it Do with your souls when shy of and scared with the thoughts of affliction or death as you use to do with your beast that is given to bogle and start as you ride on him When he flies back and starts at a thing you do not yield to his fear and go back that will make him worse another time but you ride him up close to that which he is afraid of and in time you break him of that quality The evil day is not such a scareful thing to thee that art a Christian as thou shouldest start for it Bring up thy heart close to it Shew thy soul what Christ hath done to take the sting out of it what the sweet promises are that are given on purpose to overcome the feare of it and what thy hopes are thou shalt get by it These will satisfie and compose thy Spirit whereas the shunning the thoughts of it will but increase thy feare and bring thee more into bondage to it CHAP. VIII The second Argument with which the Exhortation is pressed drawn from the assured victory which shall crown the soules conflict if in this Armour where several Points couched in the Argument are briefly handled WE come now to the second Argument the Apostle useth further to presse the exhortation and that is taken from the glorious victory which hovers over the heads of believers while in the fight and shall surely crown them in the end this is held forth in these words And having done all to stand The phrase is short but full SECT I. First observe Heaven is not won with good words and a fair Profession Having done all The doing Christian is the man that shall stand when the empty boaster of his faith shall fall The great talkers of Religion are oft the least doers His Religion is in vaine whose Profession brings not letters testimonial from a holy life Sacrifice without obedience is Sacriledge Such rob God of that which he makes most account of A great Captain once smote one of his souldiers for railing at his enemy saying that he called him not to raile on him but to fight against him and kill him 'T is
own Thus do thou consider what thou standest engaged to thy worldly credit profit slavish feare of God and selfish desire of happinesse and when thou hast allowed for all these see then what remaines of thy feare of God love to God c. if nothing thou art nought if any the lesse there be the weaker Christian thou art and when thou comest to be tried in Gods fire thou wilt suffer losse of all the other which as hay and stubble will be burnt up SECT V. Every soule clad with this Armour of God shall stand and persevere Or thus true grace can never be vanquish't The Christian is borne a Conquerour the gates of hell shall nor prevail against him He that is borne of God overcometh the world 1 John 5.4 Mark from whence the victory is dated even from his birth There is victory sowen in his new nature even that seed of God which will keep him from being swallowed up by sin or Satan As Christ rose never to die more so doth he raise soules from the grave of sin never to come under the power of spiritual death more These holy ones of God cannot see corruption Hence he that believes is said in the present tense to have eternal life At the Law that came foure hundred years after could not make void the promise made to Abraham so nothing that intervenes can hinder the accomplishing of that promise of eternal life which was given and passed to Christ in their behalf before the foundation of the world If a Saint could any way miscarry and fall short of this eternal life it must be from one of these three causes 1. Because God may forsake the Christian and withdraw his grace and help from him Or 2. Because the believer may forsake God Or lastly because Satan may pluck him out of the hands of God A fourth I know not Now none of these can be First God can never forsake the Christian Some unadvised speeches have drop't from tempted soules discovering some fears of Gods casting them off but they have been confuted and have eaten their words with shame as we see in Job and David O what admirable security hath the great God given his children in this particular First in Promises He hath said I will never leave thee nor forsake thee Five negatives in that promise as so many seals to ratifie it to our faith he assures us there never did or can so much as arise a repenting thought in his heart concerning the purposes of his love and special grace towards his children Rom. 11.29 The gifts and calling of God are without repentance even the believers sin against him their froward carriage stirs not up thoughts of casting them off but of reducing them For the iniquity of this covetousnesse I was wroth and smote him I hid me and was wroth and he went on frowardly in the way of his heart I have seen his wayes and will heal them Isa 57.27 28. The water of the Saints failings cast on the fire of Gods love cannot quench it Whom he loves he loves to the end Secondly God to give further weight and credit to our unbelieving and mis-giving hearts seals his promise with an oath See Isa 54.9 10. With everlasting kindnesse will I have mercy on thee saith the Lord thy Redeemer this is as the waters of Noah unto me for as I have sworn that the waters of Noah should not return over the earth so have I sworn that I will not be wroth with thee Yea he goes on and tells them The monntaines shall depart meaning at the end of the world when the whole frame of the heavens and earth shall be dissolv'd but his kindnesse shall not depart neither shall his Covenant of peace be removed Now lest any should think this was some charter belonging to the Jewes alone we finde it v. 17. setled on every servant of God as his portion This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord and their righteousnesse is of me saith the Lord. And surely God that is so careful to make his childrens inheritance sure to them will con them little thanks who busie their wits to invalid and weaken his conveyances yea disprove his will if they had taken a bribe they could not plead Satans cause better Thirdly in the actual fulfilling these promises which he hath made to beleevers to Christ their Attourney As God before the world began gave a promise of eternal life to Christ for them so now hath he given actual possession of that glorious place to Christ as their Advocate and Attourney where that eternal life shall be enjoyed by them for as he came upon our errand from heaven so thither he returned again to take and hold possession of that inheritance which God had of old promised and he in one summe at his death had paid for And now what ground of feare can there be in the believers heart concerning Gods love standiog firme to him when he sees the whole Covenant performed already to Christ for him whom God hath not only called to sanctified for and upheld in the great work he was to finish for us but also justified in his Resurrection and Jayle-delivery and received him into heaven there to sit on the right hand of the Majesty on high by which he hath not only possession for us but full power to give it unto all believers A second occasion of feare to the believer that he shall not persevere may be taken from himself He has many sad feares and tremblings of heart that he shall at last forsake God The journey is long to heaven and his grace weak O saith he is it not possible that this little grace should faile and I fall short at last of glory Now here there is such provision made in the Covenant as scatters this cloud also First the Spirit of God is given on purpose to prevent this Christ left his mother with John but his Saints with his Spirit to tutour and keep them that they should not lose themselves in their journey to heaven O how sweet is that place Ezek. 36.27 I will put my Spirit in you and cause you to walk in my statutes and ye shall keep my judgements and do them He doth not say they shall have his Spirit if they will walk in his statutes no his Spirit shall cause them to do it But may be thou art afraid thou mayest grieve him and so he in anger leave thee and thou perish for want of his help and counsel Answ The Spirit of God is indeed sensible of unkindnesse and upon a Saints sin may withdraw in regard of present assistance but never in regard of his care as a mother may let her froward childe go alone till it get a knock that may make it cry to be taken up again into her armes but still her eye is on it that it shall not fall into mischief The Spirit withdrew from Samson and he fell into the
an houre of temptation 97 Death to be thought of 362 370 Decay Grace subject to decay 78 Declining Saints subject to decline in grace 334 And to take care to recover ib. The wrong a declining Christian doth to God 335 To his brethren ib. To himself 336 How to know whether grace be declining 337 338 How to recover declining grace 343 344 Degrees Further degrees of grace denied that Saints may stir up what they have 45 Despair Temptation to despair from defects of humiliation 121 Devil The devils nature spiritual 250 And what a dreadful enemy he is 252 Distrust To distrust Gods willingnesse lames faith to distrust his power kills it 26 Doctrine Strange doctrine not hastily to be embraced 272 Doing Doing required of Christians 317 Duty When duty too great for us we should not run from it but by faith lay it on God 41 How we do the duties God appoints not as he hath appointed in three particulars 65 Three rules to know whether we eye God in a duty or not 66 Satan cavils at the Saints duties 118 Constant and diligent performance of duty required of Christians notwithstanding they be sure never to fall away 388 Thoughts of heavens glory should quicken to duty 394 E. Earth Earthly Many professe heaven and practise earth 314 Earthly things to be improved for an heavenly end 317 To be pursued with an holy indifferency 318 How to keep earthly things 319 Arguments to call men off from earthly things to heavenly 322 Earthly things are uncertain 325 Election Satan pusles Saints about their Election 130 How to evade his sophistry therin 131 Endeavours God accepts weake endeavours with sincerity as full obedience 373 Envy Envy of others gifts how to get victory over it 282 The evil of envying gifts of others in three particulars 283 Enemy Satans policy to make God and the Saints enemies 146 How God defeats him therein ib. Errour Errour indulgent to the flesh 107 Three lusts from whence most errours spring carnal reason pride and fleshly liberty 108 Satan labours to corrupt the Saints with errour 267 His design therein 268 What need Christians have especially in this age to watch against errour 270 Foure preservatives against errour 271 Evidence Old evidences for our spiritual state carefully to be kept 135 What to do when they are out of the way 136 Evil day How afflictions are called an evil day 373 The evil day to be thought of and provided for 358 362 363 How to provide for the evil day 367 369 Vprightnesse in a Christian course a comfort in the evil day 370 Exercise Why we ought to keep grace in exercise 82 83 Grace must be exercis'd or sinwil 90 Expectation The expectation of believers shall never be disappointed 31 F. Fall Saints falls end in the advance of their grace 144 Gods love to Saints after their fals no encouragement to sin and why 147 c. Why God communicates his love to such 149 Final falling away This doctrine of the Saints final falling away crosseth Gods designe in the Gospel reflects on Christs honour wounds the Saints comfort 385 c. Faith Satan in tempting strikes at the faith 149 How he is disappointed ib. Feare Feare makes uncapable of counsel 3 Of distrustful feares how we shall bear affliction 131 Satans policie in them 132 Three considerations to quiet the heart tempted with them ib. The sin of fearing man because flesh 177 How we may come not to feare flesh 178 A soveraign cordial to weak believers against feare of not holding out to the end 387 Flesh Why sin is called flesh 172 We conflict not with flesh singly but back't by Satan ib. Best policy to disarme our flesh before Satan comes 173 Man is flesh 174 We must not be proud of flesh 175 Nor trust in man because flesh 176 Nor feare flesh 177 G. Grace Gifts are ornaments but grace is armour 60 Grace how it depends on God and why 17 18 Grace left weak that supporting power may be great 47 Better no grace then counterfeit in two respects 68 The concatenation of graces where the whole chaine in 2 Pet. 1.6 7. is drawn out 74 75 Grace to be exercised 82 83 Grace in the Saints lives not endured by those that like a Profession 88 When a soul is proud of his grace 285 'T is no excuse that its grace we are proud of 286 Grace not to be rested on for our acceptance with God 289 Resting on grace hinders its thriving 296 And hinders the soules comfort 297 Grace subject to decline See Decline Without true grace no perseverance 377 Where true grace is that soule shall persevere 381 Gifts The variety of the gifts of the Spirit 275 A double evil of pride in gifts ib. Great gifts without grace yield no solid comfort 277 Saints not to be troubled at the meannesse of their gifts 277 Reasons against pride of gifts 278 Wherein it discovers it self 280 Glory See Heaven Gospel The reason of Satans spight against the Gospel 58 Government See Rule H. Heare People should not be weary of hearing the same truthes often 333 Heart The more of the heart in a sin the greater the sin 262 No sins more made of then heart sins 263 The root of final Apostasie want of a through change of the heart 380 Afflictions discover the naughtinesse of the heart 354 Heaven Heavenly The Saints wrestling life should make him long for Heaven 170 No easie matter to get Heaven and why 203 371 Satans designe to plunder the Christian of what is heavenly 307 How the Christian is heavenly 308 A check to men for refusing Heaven 312 They are the devils agents that hinder from what is heavenly 313 Trials whether we are heavenly 315 To be with God in heaven the highest preferment 394 Thoughts of Heaven how profitable 395 Heresie Heresie why rank't among the deeds of the flesh 271 Holinesse Holinesse in a Saint awful to the wicked 91 Hopes False hopes very dangerous 365 Humble Humility Saints dependance on God a ground of humility 22 To be humble when most afflicted necessary 49 Two particulars discover whether we be so or not ib. Satans arguments to prove a soul not humbled 122 The fallacy of them 124 I. Ignorance Ignorance enslaves a soul to Satan 227 It lets sin in by troops 228 Locks them up in the heart ib. Shuts out the means of recovery 229 The misery of an ignorant state 238 Instrument Why Satan chooseth to tempt by instruments 103 Foure sorts of instruments he useth to seduce others 104 105 Day of Judgement The day of judgement a day of justification to the godly 392 Justification Ignorance in the doctrine of justification the cause of long troubles of conscience 129 K. Knowledge How the knowledge of a natural man differs from a Saints 56 What is required to get divine knowledge 242 243 Three things to be observed in our search after knowledge 245 L. Lazy Against lazy Preachers 333 Light Sinners hate
the light 214 Love Saints the object of Gods love in a threefold respect 30 31 The best way to quench our love to the creature is to set it on Christ 79 Satan ambitious to tempt after manifestations of Gods love and why 96 Why God communicates his love to Saints after their falls 149 Saints love to Christ advanced by their temptations 150 How this comes to passe 151 Gods love to the soul sometimes an occasion of pride 302 Saints should watch against this 303 How to prevent it ib. M. Man Man is flesh 174 Why seeing his better part is a spirit is he called flesh 175 Man not to be trusted in 176 Memory How to remember what we hear 248 Ministers Ministers duty towards the ignorant 235 Four wayes they may be guilty of their peoples ignorance 236 Ministery Ministery of the Word the means to get knowledge 246 Motions Satan annoyes Saints with sinful motions 260 Saints should resist thsee motions for three reasons 262 Helps against them 26â— O. Obedience Obedience strong or weak as our faith is on the power of God 34 Weak endeavours with sincerity accepted by God as full obedience 373 Old-age The misery of old-age yoked with ignorance 241 P. Parents Parents duty to instruct their children and why 229 230 Parts What fooles men of the greatest parts are without grace 55 Perfection Perfection of grace to be prest after and why 77 78 How God confutes those that dream of perfection here c. 80 Persecute When wicked men persecute us we should pity them and save our wrath for the devil 181 Perseverance See falling away Perseverance necessary 9 How to persevere in our Christian course against all opposition 12 Without true grace no perseverance 377 Where true grace is that soul shall persevere 381 The doctrine of perseverance not to be abused 388 Pity God's pity to the fraile nature of his children in three particulars 178 Pleasure The sinners pleasures but short 209 Policy Sinful policy thrives not with Saints 105 It makes men like the devil 110 Poverty Not poverty but ignorance makes miserable 241 Power Satans power discovered in five particulars 196 Saints not to be dismayed at his power and that for three reasons 204 205 Prayer Prayer sometimes answered when it is not perceiv'd and in what cases this is 43 44 Preach What truthes are to be preached often 331 Against lazy Preachers 333 Preferment To stand before God in Heaven the highest preferment 394 Prevent God to be admired for preventing mercy 258 Pride Pride makes use of good and evil to draw her chariot 273 Pride double carnal and spiritual The Saint commonly in most danger of the latter and why 274 Pride of gifts See Gifts Pride of grace See Grace A mannerly pride how it hinders from Christ 290 291 It hinders from peace 292 A self-applauding pride what it is and the evil of it 294 Pride of priviledges what 299 Prince Satan a great Prince 183 How he obtained it 185 Trialls whether Christ or Satan be our Prince 187 188 The blessednesse of those that have Christ to be their Prince 193 See Christ Prison How Paul spent his time in prison Profession Heaven not won by good words and a faire Profession 371 Profit How to profit by the Word 247 248 Promise The end of the Promises to give security to the Saints faith 34 Not to endeavour an establish't faith on them is to undervalue them ib. In claiming the benefit of the Promise we must keep close to the condition 41 When absolute Promises stand the soul in great stead 136 Protection An unregenerate soule cannot claim Gods protection 55 Providence Dark Providences used by Satan to trouble Saints 133 Q. Question Satan pusles the Christian with nice questions 130 R. Reserve Satan hath his reserves to fall on when former temptations are beaten back 101 Retreat Satans politick retreats 102 Rich. Rich men poore with knowledge 242 Rule The time when Satan rules 209 The place where 211 The subjects whom he rules 212 Now to get from under Satans rule 221 His policy to keep sinners under his rule 222 S. Satan The reason why Satans conquests are so great 97 Of Satans rule 209 Of Satans wiles See Wiles Scripture Obscure Scriptures most mused on by tempted soules 102 Satans policie therein and what is to be done 133 Security The danger of security 363 Sense Affliction grievous to sense 353 Sincerity Sincerity a comfort in the evil day 370 Sinne. In troubles of conscience for the greatnesse of sinne what to do 39 Satan hath a strange Art in aggravating the Saints sins 116 How he fathers his own sin upon the Christian 115 Satans method to tempt to sin before he troubles for sinne 128 Why sin is call'd flesh 129 The state of sin a state of misery 217 The devils design in tempting to sin an argument to hate it 258 Sin hardens the heart 305 Sins against rebukes of conscience very grievous 365 We must not take liberty to sin because if true Christians we shall not fall away 389 Sinner The sinner and Satan friends when they seem to fight 57 Every sinner under Satans rule 213 The sinner an unserviceable creature 215 Singularity How it is necessary in the Saints 7 Sloth The difficulty of recovering a soule out of spiritual sloth 83 Solicitour Christ in heaven the Saints Solicitour and his faithfulnesse therein 32 33 Spiritual Of spiritual sins and how Satan annoyes the Saints with them 259 How to know our spiritual state 251 Stability The stability of the Saints not from their grace but from God reinforcing their grace 20 Strength A Christians strength in God not in himself 13 God takes it kindly we will make use of his strength 42 Lesse assisting strength given to advance accepting grace 46 The sweetnesse of being at Gods finding for assisting and comforting strength 19 A Christian when foiled stronger then another when a seeming Conquerour over the same temptation in two respects 71 72 Subtilty Satans subtilty in drawing to sin 98 Suffering No reason to be proud of our suffering for God 300 T. Tempt Temptation Satan chooseth the best season to tempt 93 How the presence of the object gives force to the temptation 96 Satans subtilty in tempting 98 His approaches in tempting are gradual 100 The same sin Satan tempts to purged by the temptation 143 Satan in tempting one Saint hath a designe against others 144 How God disappoints him 144 145 Why God suffers his Saints to be tempted 152 Temptation to one sin God orders to prevent another 143 Thoughts How thoughts good for the matter may be sinful 266 Trouble Satan the troubler of the Saints for sin 114 Troublers of the Saints thereby prove themselves Satans children 125 Foure wayes wicked men may trouble the Saints spirits 126 The mercy of being kept out of Satans hands as a troubler 127 It s dangerous in temptation to keep our troubles secret 137 The Saints troubles but short 211 The Christians life in this world full of trouble 349 Trust To trust God when he withdraws yea frowns very hard 8 The evil of trusting to the strength of grace 286 287 U. Unregenerate Unregeneracy a state of ignorance 50 Unthankfulnesse Unthankfulnesse for what we have hinders our receiving what we would have 48 Uprightnesse See Sincerity W. Waiting Waiting on God under discoucouragements a signe of strong grace 50 Such are assured to speed well at last 50 51 War How hard to war with bosome-sins 5. Weak Encouragements to the weake in grace to presse for more 80 Weak endeavours with sincerity accepted by God through Christ as full obedience 373 A cordial to weake believers 387 Wicked Wickednesse The attempts of the wicked against the Saints are folly and why 16 Wicked men trouble the Saints 180 The devils wickednesse 253 The wickednesse of mans nature 256 Wicked men the worse for affliction 356 Wiles Christians should labour to know Satans wiles 112 How we may know them ib. Wisdome The Wisdome of God in baffling Satan 140 Great wisdome to provide for the evil day 360 Word How to profit by the Word 247 248 Wrath. The devil is in the wrath of wicked men Wrestling The Saints life is a wrestling 159 It s dangerous wrestling with God 161 How sinners wrestle against the Spirit 162 163 How against Providence in two particulars 164 165 Several sorts that wrestle against sin but not lawfully 166 167 How we are to wrestle against sin 168 Y. Youth Youth the best time to get knowledge 240 FINIS 2 Tim. 2.4 Doct. Gen. 22 1â— Judg. 17. v. 2 37. Joh. 7.13 2 Sam. 2.22 Job 13.15 Heb. 2. Doct. John 17. Rom. 8. Ps 138.2 Act 16.14 Isa 48.17 Rom. 9.16 Doct. Mat. 8.2 Doct. Zech. 3. Psal 91.1 Observ Observ Jer. 23.32 Gen. 3.21 Jude 20. 1 Pet. 1.3 Tit. 1.1 Eph. 4.24 Vse Heb. 12.1 Acts 1.4 Ioh. 15.2 Rom. 5.3 Vse Doct. 1 Thes 5.16 17. 1 Pet. 1.13 Luke 4.13 Ps 119.99 2 Pet. 1.11 Doct. Ezek. 1.2 6 8. 1 Sam 24 1. 1 Sam. 13.3 Mat. 4 4 5 Pro. 30.19 Deut. 18.17 Numb 16 2 19. Numb 16 3 19 2. Cor. 10.10 Answ 1. Pro. 19.22 2 Cor. 2.11 2 Chro. 33 12. Acts 5.31 Zech. 12.10 Acts 2.37 2 Co. 5.11 1 Joh. 3.21 1 Sam. 16.7 Deut. 25.19 Psal 77. Answ 1. Joh. 14.30 Ps 19.13 1 Kings 22.35 Rom. 3.24 Rom. 4.5 Rom. 14.1 Heb. 13.5 Judg. 5.25 Doct. 2 Cor. 12.9 Jam. 5.11 Peâ—s 1. Isa 10.5 Ps 17.13 Isa 10.15 Joh. 21.15 2 Sam. 21. Doct. Acts 7.51 Ezek. 2.5 Isa 44.25 * Mic. 6.9 Heb 12 1â— Vse Doct. Mal. 3.1 2 Sam. 3.26 Isa 10.7 Tit. 2.12 1 Cor. 15.24.25 Doct. 1. Vse Mat. 11.28 Iâ—… 11.10 Heb. 2.14 15. Heb. 4.15 Phil. 1.29 Heb. 11.3 Luke 15. Doct. 2. Job 36. Prov. 1.21 22 23. Doct. 2. Heb. 3.10 Vse Job 33.17.19 1 Sam. 17.28 Vse Job 9.21 Luke 10.12 * See Dr. Gouge oâ— the place Doct. Gen. 33.9 11. Doct. Ezek. 18. Doct. Heb. 12.11 Jud. 2.15 Dan. 4.31 33. Doct. 2. Doct. 1. Rom. 13.10 Vse Doct. 2. Vse Doct. 3. Heb. 13.5 2 Cor. 2.17 Jer. 37.10 Lev. 26. Dan. 11.25 Cant. 1.12
must dance after Nebuchadnezzars pipe or burne This was the plot laid to ensnare Daniel who walk't so unblameably that his very enemies gave him this testimony that he had no fault but his singularity in his Religion Dan. 6.5 'T is a great honour to a Christian yea to Religion it selfe when all their enemies can say is they are precise and will not do as we do Now in such a case as this when the Christian must turn or burne leave praying or become a prey to the cruel teeth of bloody men how many politick retreats and self-preserving distinctions would a cowardly unresolved heart invent The Christian that hath so great opposition had need be well lock't into the saddle of his Profession or else he will be soon dismounted Thirdly the Christian must keep on his way to heaven in the midst of all the scandals that are cast upon the wayes of God by the Apostasie and foul falls of false Professors There were ever such in the Church who by their sad miscarriages in judgement and practice have laid a stone of offence in the way of Profession at which weak Christians are ready to make a stand as they at the bloody body of Asahel not knowing whether they may venture any further in their Profession Seeing such whose gifts they so much admired lie before them wallowing in the blood of their slaine Profession of zealous Professors to prove perhaps fiery persecutors of strict Performers of religious duties irreligious Atheists no more like the men they were some yeares past then the vale of Sodom now a bog and quagmire is to what it was when for fruitfulnesse compared to the garden of the Lord. We had need have a holy resolution to bear up against such discouragements and not to faint as Joshuah who lived to see the whole Camp of Israel a very few excepted revolting and in their hearts turning back to Egypt and yet with an undaunted Spirit maintained his integrity yea resolved though not a man beside would beare him company yet he would serve the Lord. Fourthly the Christian must trust in a withdrawing God Isa 50 v. 10. Let him that walks in darknesse and sees no light trust in the Name of the Lord and stay upon his God This requires a holy boldnesse of faith indeed to venture into Gods presence as Esther into Ahashuerus when no smile is to be seen on his face no golden scepter of the promise perceived by the soule as held forth to embolden it to come near then to presse in with this noble resolution If I perish I perish Nay more to trust not only in a withdrawing but a killing God not when his love is hid but when his wrath breakes forth Now for a soule to make its approaches to God by a recumbency of faith while God seemes to fire upon it and shoot his frownes like envenomed arrowes into it This is hard work and will trie the Christians mettal to purpose Yet such a masculine spirit we finde in that poore woman of Canaan who takes up the bullets Christ shot at her and with an humble boldnesse of faith sends them back again in her prayer Fifthly the believer is to persevere in his Christian course to the end of his life his work and his life must go off the stage together This addes weight to every other difficulty of the Christians calling We have known many who have gone into the field and liked the work of a souldier for a battel or two but soon have had enough and come running home again but few can bear it as a constant trade Many are soon engaged in holy duties easily perswaded to take up a Profession of Religion and as easily perswaded to lay it down like the new Moon which shines a little in the first part of the night but is down before half the night be gone the lightsome Professors in their youth whose old age is wrapt up in thick darknesse of sin and wickednesse O this persevering is a hard word this taking up the crosse daily this praying alwayes this watching night and day and never laying aside our clothes and armour I mean indulging our selves to remit and unbend in our holy waiting on God and walking with God this sends many sorrowful away from Christ yet this is the Saints duty to make Religion his every day work without any vacation from one end of the yeare to the other These few instances are enough to shew what need the Christian hath of resolution The application followes Vse 1 This gives us then a reason why there are so many Professors and so few Christians indeed so many that run and so few obtain so many go into the field against Satan and so few come out Conquerours because all have a desire to be happy but few have courage and resolution to grapple with the difficulties that meet them in the way to their happinesse All Israel came joyfully out of Egypt under Moses his conduct yea and a mixed multitude with them but when their bellies were a little pinched with hunger and their greedy desires of a present Canaan deferred yea instead of peace and plenty war and penury they like white-liver'd souldiers are ready to flie from their colours and make a dishonourable retreat into Egypt Thus the greatest part of those who professe the Gospel when they come to push of pike to be tried what they will do deny endure for Christ grow sick of their enterprise alas their hearts fail them they are like the waters of Bethlehem but if they must dispute their passage with so many enemies they will even content themselves with their own Cistern and leave heaven to others that will venture more for it O how many part with Christ at this crosse-way like Orpah they go a furlong or two with Christ while he goes to take them off from their worldly hopes and bids them prepare for hardship and then they fairly kisse and leave him loath indeed to lose heaven but more loth to buy it at so dear a rate Like some green heads that childishly make choice of some sweet trade such as is the Confectioners from a liquorish tooth they have to the junkets it affords but meeting with soure sauce of labour and toile that goes with them they give in and are weary of their service the sweet bait of Religion hath drawn many to nibble at it who are offended with the hard service it calls to It requires another spirit then the world can give or receive to follow Christ fully Vse 2 Let this then exhort you Christians to labour for this holy resolution and prowesse which is so needful for your Christian Profession that without it you cannot be what you professe The fearful are in the forelorne of those that march for hell Rev. 21. the violent and valiant are they which take heaven by force Cowards never wan heaven Say not thou hast royal blood running in thy veins and art begotten
God yes they hope they are not infidels but what it is how they come by it or whether it will hold in an evil-day this never was put to the question in their hearts Thus thousands perish with a vain conceit they are arm'd against Satan death and judgment when they are miserable and naked yea worse on it then those who are more naked those I mean who have not a rag of civility to hide their shame from the worlds eye and that in a double respect First it is harder to work on such a soul savingly because he hath a forme though not the power and this affords him a plea. A soule purely naked nothing like the wedding garment on he is speechlesse the drunkard hath nothing to say for himself when you ask him why he lives so swinishly you may come up to him and get within him and turn the very mouth of his conscience upon him which will shoot conviction into him But come to deal with one that prayes and heares one that is a pretender to faith and hope in God here is a man in glistering armour he hath his weapon in his hand with which he will keep the Preacher and the Word he chargeth him with at armes length Who can say I am not a Saint what duty do I neglect here 's a breast-work he lies under which makes him not so faire a mark either to the observation or reproof of another his chief defect being within where mans eye comes not Again 't is harder to work on him because he hath been tamper'd with already and miscarried in the essay How comes such a one to he acquainted with such duties to make such a Profession was it ever thus No the Word hath been at work upon him his conscience hath scared him from his trade of wickednesse into a forme of Profession but taking in short of Christ for want of a through change it is harder to remove him then the other he is like a lock whose wards have been troubled which makes it harder to turn the Key then if never potter'd with 'T is better dealing with a wilde ragged cole never back't then one that in breaking hath took a wrong stroak A bone quite out of joynt then false set In a word such a one hath more to deny then a profane person the one hath but his lusts his whores his swill and draffe but the other hath his duties his seeming graces O how hard is it to perswade such a one to light and hold Christs stirrup while he and his duties are made Christs foot-stool Secondly such a one is deepest in condemnation None sink so far into hell as those that come nearest heaven because they fall from the greatest height As it aggravates the torments of damned souls in this respect above devils they had a cord of mercy thrown out to them which devils had not so by how much God by his Spirit waits on pleads with and by both gains on a soul more then others by so much such a one if he perish will finde hell the hotter these adde to his sin and the rememberance of his sin in hell thus accented will adde to his torment None will have such a sad parting from Christ as those who went half-way with him and then left him Therefore I beseech you look to your armour David would not fight in armour he had not tried though it was a Kings perhaps some thought him too nice What is not the Kings armour good enough for David Thus many will say Art thou so curious and precise such a great man doth thus and thus and hopes to come to heaven at last and darest not thou venture thy soule in his armour No Christian follow not the example of the greatest on earth 't is thy own soul thou venturest in battel therefore thou canst not be too choice of thy armour Bring thy heart to the Word as the only touch-stone of thy grace and furniture the Word I told you is the Tower of David from whence thy armour must be fetch 't if thou canst finde this Tower-stamp on it then 't is of God else not Try it therefore by this one Scripture-stamp Those weapons are mighty which God gives his Saints to fight his battels withal 2 Cor. 10.4 The weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty through God The sword of the Spirit hath its point and edge whereby it makes its way into the heart and conscience through the impenitency of the one and stupidity of the other wherewith Satan as with buffe and coat of male armes the sinner against God and there cuts and slashes kills and mortifies lust in its own Castle where Satan thinks himself impregnable The Breast-plate which is of God doth not bend and break at every pat of temptation but is of such a divine temperament that it repels Satans motions with scorne on Satans teeth Should such a one as I sin as Nehemiah in another case and such are all the rest Now try whether your weapons be mighty or weak what can you do or suffer more for God then an hypocrite that is clad in fleshly armour I 'le tell you what the world faith and if you be Christians clear your selves and wipe off that dirt which they throw upon your glistering armour they say These Professors indeed have God more in their talk then we they are oftner in the mount of duty then we but when they come down into their shops relations and worldly employments then the best of them all is but like one of us they can throw the Tables of Gods Commandments out of their hands as well as we come from a Sermon and be as covetous and griping as peevish and passionate as the worst they shew as little love to Christ as others when it is matter of cost as to relieve a poor Saint or maintain the Gospel you may get more from a stranger an enemie then from a professing brother O Christians either vindicate the Name of Christ whose Ensign you seem to march after or throw away your seeming armour by which you have drawn the eyes of the world upon you If you will not Christ himself will cashiere you and that with shame enough ere long Never call that Armour of God which defends thee not against the power of Satan Take therefore the several pieces of your armour and try them as the souldier before he fights will set his helmet or head-piece as a mark at which he lets flie a brace of bullets and as he findes them so will weare them or leave them but be sure thou shootest Scripture-bullets Thou boastest of a breast-plate of righteousnesse ask thy soul Didst thou ever in thy life perform a duty to please God and not to accommodate thy self Thou hast prayed often against thy sin a great noise of these pieces have been heard coming from thee by others as if there were some hot fight between thee and thy corruption but canst thou
men would beleeve it to quench this thirst to the creature were to enkindle another after Christ and Heaven Get but a large heart vehemently thirsting after these and the other will die alone As the Fevourish thirst doth when nature comes to her temper Secondly others labour not thus to perfect grace because they have a conceit they are perfect already and upon this fancy throw away praying hearing and all other Ordinances as strings for those babes in grace to be carried by who are not arrived to their high attainments O what fooles does pride make men Truly Heaven were no such desirable place if we should be no more perfect then thus a sort of people that are too high for this world and too low for another The way by which God cures this phrensie of pride we have in these days seen to be something like that of Nebuchadnezzar To give them a heart of a beast I mean for a time suffer them to fall into beastly practices by which he shewes them how far they are from that perfection they dreamed of so vainly Thirdly others who have true grace and desire the advancement of it yet are discouraged in their endeavour for more from too deep a sense of their present penury Bid some such labour to get more power of corruption more faith on and love to God that they may be able to do the Will of God chearfully and suffer it in the greatest afflictions patiently yea thankfully and they will never believe that they whose faith is so weak love so chill and stock so little in hand should ever attain to any thing like such a pitch You may as well perswade a beggar with one poor penny in his purse that if he will go and trade with that he shall come to be Lord Major of London before he die But why poor hearts should you thus despise the day of small things Do you not see a little grain of mustard seed spread into a tree and weak grace compar'd to it for its growth at last as well as littlenesse at first Darest thou say thou hast no grace at all If thou hast but any though the least that ever any had to begin with I dare tell thee that he hath done more for thee in that then he should in making that which is now so weak as perfect as the Saints grace is now in heaven First he hath done more considering it as an act of Power There is a greater gulfe between no grace grace then between weak grace and strong between a Chaos and nothing then between a Chaos and this beautiful frame of heaven and earth The first days work of both Creations is the greatest Secondly consider it as an act of grace it is greater mercy to give the first grace of conversion then to crown that with glory It is more grace and condescent in a Prince to marry a poor Damosel then having married her to cloth her like a Prince he was free to do the first or not but his relation to her pleads strongly for the other God might have chose whether he would have given thee grace or no but having done this thy relation to him and his Covenant also do oblige him to adde more and more till he hath fitted thee as a Bride for himself in glory CHAP. V. Of the use of our spiritual Armour or the exercise of grace THe fourth and last branch in the Saints furniture is the use they are to make thereof 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Put on the whole Armour of God Briefly what is this duty put on These being Saints many of them at least he writes to 't is not only putting on by Conversion what some of them might not yet have but also he means they should exercise what they have It is one thing to have armour in the house and another thing to have it buckled on to have grace in the principle and grace in the act so that the instruction will be It is not enough to have grace but this grace must be kept in exercise The Christians Armour is made to be worne no laying down or putting off our Armour till we have done our warfare and finished our course Our Armour and our garment of flesh go off together then indeed will be no need of watch and ward shield or helmet Those military duties and field-graces as I may call faith hope and the rest they shall be honourably discharged In heaven we shall appear not in armour but in robes of glory but here they are to be worne night and day we must walk work and sleep in them or else we are not true souldiers of Christ this Paul professeth to endeavour Acts 24.16 Herein do I exercise my self to have alwayes a conscience void of offence towards God and towards man Here we have this holy man at his armes training and exercising himself in his postures like some souldier by himself handling his pike and inuring himself before the battel Now the Reason of this is SECT 1. First Christ commands us to have our Armour on our grace in exercise Luke 12.35 Let your loines be girded about and your lights burning Christ speaks either in a martial phrase as to souldiers or in a domestick as to servants If as to souldiers then let your loynes he girded and your lights burning is that we should be ready for a march having our armour on for the belt goes over all and our match light ready to give fire at the first alarm of a temptation If as to servants which seems more natural then he bids us as our Master that is gone abroad not through sloth or sleep put off our clothes and put out our lights but stand ready to open when he shall come though at midnight 'T is not fit the Master should stand at the door knocking and the servant within sleeping indeed there is no duty the Christian hath in charge but implies this daily exercise Pray but how without ceasing Rejoyce but when evermore Give thanks for what in every thing The shield of faith and helmet of hope we must hold them to the end The summe of all which is that we should walk in the constant exercise of these duties and graces Where the souldier is plac't there he stands and must neither stir nor sleep till he be brought off When Christ comes that soule shall only have his blessing whom he findes so doing Secondly Satans advantage is great when grace is not in exercise When the devil found Christ so ready to receive his charge and repel his temptation he soon had enough it is said He departed for a season as if in his shameful retreat he had comforted himself with hopes of surprising Christ unawares at another season more advantagious to his designe and we finde him coming again in the most likely time indeed to have attained his end had his enemy been man and not God Now if this bold fiend did
choice notions and excellent truthes Arrius himself and other dangerous instruments of Satan were too wise to stuffe their discourses with nothing but heterodoxe matter precious truths dropt from them with which they sprinkled their corrupt principles yet with such Art as should not easily be discerned This as one observs our Saviour warns his disciples of when he bids them beware of the leaven of the Pharisees that is of their errours But why leaven for the secret mixture of it with the wholesom bread you do not make your bread all of leaven none would then eate it but crumble a little into a whole batch which sowers all thus Christ doth tell the disciples that the Pharisees among many truths mixe their errours and therefore it behoves them to beware lest with the truth the errour goes down also Again leaven is very like the dough of the same grain with it only differs in age and sourenesse thus Christ intimates the resemblance of their errours to the truth scraped as it were out of the Scriptures but sowered with their own false glosses This indeed makes it easie for Christs sheep to be infected with the scab of errour because that weed which breeds the rot is so like the grasse that nourisheth them Thirdly their subtilty appears in holding forth such principles as are indulgent to the flesh This brings in whole shoales of silly soules into their net the heart of man loves of life to shape a Religion according to its own humour and is easie to believe that to be a truth which favours its own inclination Now there are three lusts that Satans instruments labour to gratifie in their doctrine Carnal Reason Pride and steshly Liberty First Carnal reason this is the great idol which the more intelligent part of the world worship making it the very standard of their faith and from this bitter root have sprung those Arrian and Socinian heresies And truly he that will go no further then reason will carry him may hold out in the plain way of the Moral Law but when he comes to the depths of the Gospel must either go back or be content that faith should help reason over Secondly another lust that Satan cockers is pride Man naturally would be a god to himself though for clambering so high he got his fall and whatever doctrine nourisheth a good opinion of man in his own eye this is acceptable to him and this hath spawned another fry of dangerous errours The Pelagian and semi-Pelagian which set nature upon its own legs and perswade man he can go alone to Christ or at least with a little external help of an hand to lead or argument to excite without any creating work in the soule O we cannot conceive how glib such stuffe goes down If one Workman should tell you that your house is rotten and must be pull'd down and all new materials prepared and another should say no such matter such a beam is good and such a sparre may stand a little cost will serve the turne it were no wonder that you should listen to him that would put you to least cost and trouble the faithful servants of Christ tell sinners from the Word that man in his natural state is corrupt and rotten that nothing of the old frame will serve and there must needs be all new but in comes an Arminian and blows up the sinners pride and tells him he is not so weak or wicked as the other represents him if thou wilt thou mayest repent and beleeve or at least by exerting thy natural abilities oblige God to superadde what thou hast not This is the Workman that will please proud man best Thirdly Satan by his instruments nourisheth that desire of fleshly liberty which is in man by nature who is a son of Belial without yoke and if he must wear any that will please best which hath the softest lining and pincheth the flesh least and therefore when the sincere teachers of the Word will not abate of the strictnesse of the command but presse sincere obedience to it then come Satans instruments and say these are hard task-masters who will not allow one play-day in a yeare to the Christian but tie him to continual duty we 'll shew you an easier way to heaven Come saith the Papist confesse but once a year to the Priest pay him well for his paines and be an obedient son of the Church and we 'll dispense with all the rest Come saith the Familist the Gospel-Charter allows more liberty then these legal Preachers tell you of they bid you repent and believe when Christ hath done all these to your hand What have you left to do but to nourish the flesh something sure is in it that Impostors finde such quick return for their ware while Truth hangs upon the log and is it not this that they are content to afford heaven cheaper to their disciples then Christ will to his He that sells cheapest shall have most customers though at last best will be best cheap Truth with self-denial a better penny-worth then errour with all its flesh-pleasing Thirdly Satan makes choice of such as have a great name for holinesse none to a live bird to draw other birds into the net But is it possible that such should do this work for the devil yes such is the policy of Satan and the frailty of the best that the most holy men have been his instruments to seduce others Abraham he tempts his wife to lie Say thou art my Sister The old Prophet leads the man of God out of his way 1 Kings 13. the holiness of the man and the reverence of his age 't is like gave authority to his counsel O how should this make you watchful whose long travel and great progresse in the wayes of God have gained you a name of eminency in the Church what you say do or hold because you are file-leading men and others look more on you then their way Fourthly Satan chooseth such as by relation or affection have deep interest in the persons he would gain Some will kisse the childe for the Nurses sake and like the Present for the hand that brings it 'T is like David would not have received that from Nabal which he took from Abigail and thanks her Satan sent the apple by Eves hand to Adam Delilah doth more with Samson then all the Philistines bands Jobs wife brings him the poison Curse God and die Some think Satan spared her life when he slew his children and servants though she was also within his Commission as the most likely instrument by reason of her relation and his affection to lead him into temptation Satan employes Peter a disciple to tempt Christ at another time his friends and kinsfolk Some Martyrs have confest the hardest work they met withal was to overcome the prayers and tears of their friends and relations Paul himself could not get off this snare without heart-breaking What mean ye to weep and to
in their holy course by the scandal he hath given but God here befooles him First making the miscarriages of such a seasonable caveat to others to look to their standing Doest thou see a meek Moses provok't to anger what watch and ward hast thou need keep over thy unruly heart though loud winds do some hurt by blowing down here a loose tyle and there a turret which was falling before yet the common good surmounts the private damage of some few these being as a broom in Gods hand to sweep and cleanse the aire so though some that are wicked are by Gods righteous judgement for the same hardened into further abominations by the Saints falls yet the good which sincere soules receive by having their formality and security in a further degree purged doth abundantly countervaile the other who are but sent a little faster whither they were going before Secondly God makes his Saints falls an argument for comfort to distressed consciences This hath been and is as a feather when the passage seems so stop't that no comfort can be got down otherwise to drop a little hope into the soule to keep the creature alive from falling into utter despair some have been revived with this when next door to hell in their own feares Davids sin was great yet found mercy Peter fell foully yet now in heaven Why sittest thou here O my soul under the hatches of despair up and call upon thy God for mercy who hath pardoned the same to others Thirdly God hath a design in suffering Satan to trounce some of his Saints by temptation to train them up into a fitnesse to succour their fellow-brethren in the like condition he sends them hither to school where they are under Satans ferular and lash that his cruel hand over them may make them study the Word and their own hearts by which they get experience of Satans policies till at last they commence Masters in this Art of comforting tempted soules It is an Art by it self to speak a word in season to the weary soule 't is not serving out an Apprenticeship to humane Arts will furnish a man for this great Doctors have proved very dunces here knowing no more how to handle a wounded conscience then a Rustick the Chirurgions instrument in dissecting the body when an Anatomy-Lecture is to be read 'T is not the knowledge of the Scripture though a man were as well acquainted with it as the Apothecary with his pots and glasses in his shop able to go directly to any promise on a sudden will suffice No not grace it selfe except exercised with these buffetings and soul-conflicts Christ himself we finde trained up in this school Isa 50.4 He wakeneth mine eare to heare as the learned Even as the Tutor calls up his Pupil to reade to him and what is the Lecture which is read to Christ that he may have the tongue of the learned to speak a word in season to the weary soule see vers 5. The Lord hath opened mine eare and I was not rebellious neither turned I away my back I gave my back to the smiters c. His sufferings which were all along mingled with temptations were the Lecture from which Christ came out so learned to resolve and comfort distressed soules So that the devil had better have let Christ alone yea and his Saints also who do him but the greater disservice in comforting others none will handle poor soules so gently as those who remember the smart of their owne heart-sorrowes none so skilful in applying the comforts of the Word to wounded consciences as those who have layen bleeding themselves such know the symptomes of soul-troubles and feel others pains in their own bosomes which some that know the Scriptures for sack of experience do not and therefore are like a novice Physician who perhaps can tell you every plant in the Herbal yet wanting the practick part when a Patient comes knowes not well how to make use of his skill The Saints experiences help them to a soveraign treacle made of the Scorpions own flesh which they through Christ have slain and that hath a vertue above all other to expel the venome of Satans temptations from the heart SECT III. Thirdly Satan in tempting the Saint to sin labours to make a breach between God and the soule He hates both and therefore labours to divide these dear friends If I can thinks he get such a one to sin God will be angry and when angry he 'll whip his childe foundly this will be some sport and when God is correcting the Saint he 'll be questioning the love of God to him and cooles in his love to God so though I should not keep him from heaven at last yet he shall have little joy thither in the way In this case God and the soul will be like man and wife fallen out who neither of them look kindly one upon another Now see how God befooles Satan in both these First God useth his Saints temptations as his method by which he advanceth the communications of his love unto them The devil thought he had got the goale when he got Adam to eate the forbidden fruit he thought now he had man in the same predicament with himself as unlikely ever to see the face of God as those Apostate spirits but alas this was by God intended to usher in that great Gospel-plot of saving man by Christ who assoon as this Prologue of mans fall is done is brought upon the stage in that grand Promise of the Gospel made to Adam and at Gods command undertakes the charge of recovering lost man out of Satans clutches and re-instating him in his primitive glory with an accesse of more then ever man had at first so that the meanest lilly in Christs field exceeds Adam in all his native Royalty And as Satan sped in his first temptation so he is still on the losing hand what got he by all his paines upon Job but to let that holy man know at last how dearly God loved him When he foiled Peter so shamefully do we not finde Christ owning Peter with as much love as ever Peter must be the only disciple to whom by name the joyful newes of his resurrection is sent Go tell my disciples and Peter As if Christ had said Be sure let his sad heart be comforted with this newes that he may know I am friends with him for all his late cowardise Quest But doth not this seem to countenance sin and make Christians heedlesse whether they fall into temptation or no If God do thus shew his love to his Saints after their falls and foiles why should we be so shy of sin which ends so well at last Answ Two things will prevent the danger of such an inference First we must distinguish between a soules being foiled through his own infirmity and his enemies subtilty and power over-matching him and another who through a false heart doth voluntarily prostrate himself to the lust of
had he not been call'd to reside as our Ambassadour and Advocate in heaven with the Father and therefore in his bodily absence he hath intrusted thee and a few more to carry on the Treaty with sinners which when on earth himself began And what can you do more acceptable to him then to be faithful in it as a businesse on which he hath set his heart so much As ever you would see his sweet face with joy you that are his Ambassadours attend to your work and labour to bring this Treaty of Peace to a blessed issue between God and those you are sent to And then if sinners will not come off and seal the Articles of the Gospel you shall as Abraham said to his servant be cleare of your oath Though Israel he not gathered yet you shall be glorious in the eyes of the Lord. And let not the private Christian say he is a dry tree and can do nothing for Christ his Prince because he may not bear the Magistrates fruit or Ministers Though thou hast not a commission to punish the sins of others with the sword of justice yet thou mayest shew thy zeal in mortifying thy own with the sword of the Spirit and mourne for theirs also though thou mayest not condemn them on the bench yet thou mayest yea oughtest by the power of a holy life to convince and judge them Such a Judge Lot was to the Sodomites Though thou art not sent to preach and baptize yet thou mayest be wonderful helpful to them who are The Christians prayers whet Magistrates and Ministers sword also O pray Christian and pray again that Christs Territories may be enlarged never go to heare the Word but pray Thy Kingdom come Loving Princes take great content in the acclamations and good wishes of their subjects as they passe by A vivat rex Long live the King coming from a loyal breath though poor is more worth then a subsidy from those who deny their hearts while they part with their money Thou servest a Prince Christian who knowes what all his subjects think of him and he counts it his honour not to have a multitude feinedly submit to him but to have a people that love him and cordially like his government who if they were to chuse their King and make their own lawes they should live under every day would desire no other then himself nor any other lawes then what they have already from his mouth It was no doubt great content to David that he had the hearts of his people so as Whatever the King did pleased them all And surely God took it as well that what he did pleased David for indeed David was as content under the rule and disposure of God as the people were under his witnesse the calmnesse of his Spirit in the greatest affliction that ever befell him 2 Sam. 15.26 Behold here am I let him do to me as seemeth good unto him Loyal soule he had rather live in exile with the good Will of God then have his throne if God will not say 't is good for him CHAP. IV. Of the great power Satan hath not only over the elementary and sensitive part of the world but intellectual also the soules of men SECT I. THis is the Second Branch of the Description wherein Satan is set forth by his might and Power This gives weight to the former were he a Prince and not able to raise a force that might dread the Saints the swelling name of Prince were contemptible but he hath power answerable to his dignity which in five particulars will appear First in his names Secondly his nature Thirdly his number Fourthly his order and unity Lastly the mighty works that are attributed to him First for the first he hath names of great power called the strong man Luke 11.21 so strong that he keeps his house in peace in defiance of all the sons of Adam none on earth being able to cope with this giant Christ must come from Heaven to destroy him and his works or the field is lost He is call'd the roaring lion which beast commands the whole forrest If he roares all tremble yea in such a manner as Pliny relates that he goes amongst them and they stand exanimated while he chooseth his prey without resistance such a lion is Satan who leads sinners captive at his will 2 Tim. 3.26 He takes them alive as the word is as the Fowler the bird which with a little scrap is enticed into the net or as the Conquerour his cowardly enemy who has no heart to fight but yields without contest Such cowards the devil finds sinners he no sooner appears in a motion but they yield They are but a very few noble spirits and those are the children of the most High God who dare valiantly oppose him and in striving against sin resist to blood He is call'd the great red dragon who with his taile wicked men his instruments sweeps down the third part of the stars of Heaven The Prince of the power of the aire because as a Prince can muster his subjects and draw them into the field for his service so the devil can raise the posse coeli aërii In a word he is call'd the God of this world 2 Cor. 4.4 because sinners give him a God-like worship feare him as the Saints do God himselfe Secondly the devils nature shewes his power 'T is Angelical Blesse the Lord ye his Angels that excel in strength Psal 103.20 Strength is put for Angels Psal 78.25 They did eat Angels food Heb. the food of the mighty In two things the power of Angelical nature will appear In its Superiority and in its Spirituality First its Superiority Angels are the top of the Creation man himself made a little lower then the Angels Now in the works of Creation the Superiour hath a power over the Inferiour the beasts over the grasse and herb man over the beasts and Angels over man Secondly the Spirituality of their nature The weaknesse of man is from his flesh his soule made for great enterprizes but weighed down with a lump of flesh is forced to rowe with a strength suitable to its weak Partner but now the devils being Angels have no such incumbrance no sumes from a fleshly part to cloud their understanding which is clear and piercing no clog at their heele to retard their motion which for swiftnesse is set out by the winde and flame of fire Yea being spiritual they cannot be resisted with carnal force fire and sword hurt not them The Angel which appear'd to Manoah went up in the fire that consumed the sacrifice though such hath been the dotage and is at this day of superstitious ones that they think to charme the devil with their carnal exorcismes hence the Romish Reliques Crosse holy water yea and among the Jewes themselves in corrupter times who thought by their phylacteries and Circumcision to scare away the devil which made some of them expound that Cant.
3.8 of Circumcision Every man hath his sword on his thigh because of feare in the night By sword on the thigh they expound Circumcision which they will vainly have given as a charme against evil spirits that affright them in the night But alas the devil cares for none of these no not for an Ordinance of God when by fleshly confidence we make it a spell he hath been often bound with these fetters and chaines as is said of him in the Gospel and the chaines have been plucked asunder by him neither could any man thus tame him He esteems as Job saith of the Leviathan iron as straw and brasse as rotten wood It must be a stronger then the strong man must binde him and none stronger but God the Father of spirits The devil lost indeed by his fall much of his power in relation to that holy and happy estate in which he was created but not his natural abilities he is an Angel still and hath an Angels power Thirdly the number of devils addes to their power What lighter then the sand yet number makes it weighty what creature lesse then lice yet what plague greater to the Egyptians How formidable then must devils be who are both for nature so mighty and for number such a multitude there are devils enough to beleaguer the whole earth not a place under heaven where Satan hath not his troops not a person without some of these cursed spirits haunting and watching him where-ever he goes yea for some special service he can send a legion to keep garrison in one single person as Mark 5. and if so many can be spared to attend one to what a number would the muster-rolle of Satans whole army amount if known And now tell me if we are not like to finde our march difficult to heaven if ever we mean to go thither that are to passe through the very quarters of this multitude who are scattered over the face of all the earth When armies are disbanded and the roads full of debautch't souldiers wandering up and down it 's dangerous travelling we heare then of murders and robberies from all quarters These powers of hell are that party of Angels who for their mutiny and disobedience were cashier'd heaven and thrust out of that glorious host and ever since they have stragled here below endeavouring to do mischief to the children of men especially travelling in heavens road Fourthly their unity and order makes their number formidable We cannot say there is love among them that heavenly fire cannot live in a devils bosome yet there is unity and order as to this they are all agreed in their designe against God and man so their unity and consent is knit together by the ligaments not of love but of hatred and policy Hatred against God and his children which they are filled with and policy which tells them that if they agree not in their designe their Kingdome cannot stand And how true they are to this wicked brotherhood our Saviour gives a faire testimony when he saith Satan fights not against Satan Did you ever heare of any mutiny in the devils army or that any of those Apostate Angels did freely yield up one soule to Christ They are many and yet but one spirit of wickednesse in them all My name said the devils not our name is legion The devil is call'd the Leviathan Isa 27.1 The Lord with his strong sword shall punish Leviathan from their cleaving together of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 compact or joyned together used for the Whale Jeb 4. whose strength lies in his scales which are so knit that he is as it were covered with armour Thus these cursed spirits do accord in their machinations and labour to bring their instruments into the same league with them not contented with their bare obedience but where they can obtain it do require an expresse oath of their servants to be true to them as in witches Fifthly the mighty works that are attributed to these evil spirits in Scripture declare their power and these either respect the elementary sensible or intellectual part of the world The Elementary what dreadful effects this Prince of the power of the aire is able to produce on that see in the Word he cannot indeed make the least breath of aire drop of water or spark of fire but he can if let loose as Reverend Master Caryl saith on Job 1. go to Gods store-house and make use of these in such a sort as no man can stand before him he can hurle the sea into such a commotion that the depths shall boile like a pot and disturb the aire into stormes and tempests as if heaven and earth would meet Jobs children were buried in the ruines of their house by a puffe of his mouth yea he can go to Gods magazine as the former Author saith and let off the great ordnance of heaven causing such dreadful thunder and lightning as shall not only affright but do real execution and that in a more dreadful way then in the ordinary course of nature If mans Art can so sublimate nature as we see in the invention of powder that hath such a strange force much more able is he to draw forth its power Again over the sensitive world his power is great not only the beasts as in the herd of swine hurried by him into the deep but over the bodies of men also as in Iob whose sore boiles were not the breakings out of a distempered nature but the print of Satans sangs on his flesh doing that suddenly which in nature would have required more time to gather and ripen and the demoniacks in the Gospel grievously vexed and tormented by him But this the devil counts small game his great spite is at the soules of men which I call the Intellectual world his cruelty to the body is for the soules sake As Christs pity to the bodies of men when on earth healing their diseases was in a subserviency to the good of their soules bribing them with those mercies suitable to their carnal desires that they might more willingly receiv mercies for their souls from that hand which was so kind to their bodies as we give children somthing that pleaseth them to perswade them to do something that pleaseth them not go to school learn their book so the devil who is cruel as Christ is meek and wisheth good neither to body nor soule yet shewes his cruelty to the body but on a design against the soule knowing well that the soule is soon discomposed by the perturbation of the other the soule cannot but lightly heare and so have its peace and rest broken by the groanes and complaints of the body under whose very roof it dwells and then it is not strange if as for want of sleep the tongue talk idly so the soule should break out into some sinful carriage which is the bottom of the devils plot on a Saint And as for other poor silly soules he gaines little
thy own works thou doest worse by Christ and shalt thou excel in grace Perhaps some of you have been long Professours and yet come to little growth in love to God humility heavenly-mindednesse mortification and 't is worth the digging to see what lies at the root of your Profession whether there be not a legal principle that hath too much acted you Have you not thought to carry all with God from your duties and services and too much laid up your hopes in your own actings Alas this is as so much dead earth which must be thrown out and Gospel-principles laid in the room thereof try but this course and see whether the spring of thy grace will not come on apace David gives an account how he came to stand and flourish when some that were rich and mighty on a sudden withered and came to nothing Lo saith he this is the man that made not God his strength but trusted in the abundance of his riches But I am like a green olive-tree in the House of God I trust in the mercy of God forever and ever Psal 52.7 8. While others trust in the riches of their own righteousnesse and services and make not Christ their strength do thou renounce all and trust in the mercy of God in Christ and thou shalt be like a green olive when they fade and wither Secondly Christian you will not thrive in true comfort so long as you rest in any inherent work of grace and do not stand clear of your own actings and righteousnesse Gospel-comfort springs from a Gospel-root which is Christ Phil. 3.3 We are the circumcision which worship God in the Spirit and rejoyce in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh Now a soule that rests on any holinesse in himself he graffs his comfort upon himself not Christ he sucks his own breast not Christs and so makes Christ a dry nurse and what comfort can grow on that dry tree The Spirit is our Comforter as well as our Teacher and Counsellour Now as the Spirit when he teacheth comes not with any new or strange truth but takes of Christs owne what he findes in the Word so where he comforts he takes of Christs own his righteousnesse not our own Christ is the matter and ground of his comfort all cordials are but Christ distill'd and made up in several promises his acting not ours his suffering not ours his holinesse not ours he doth not say Soul rejoyce thou art holy but Soule triumph Christ is righteous and is the Lord thy righteousnesse Not Soul thou prayest sweetly feare not but thou hast an Advocate with the Father Christ the righteous so that the first step to the receiving of comfort from the Spirit is to send away all Comforters of our own As in learning of the Spirit he that will be taught by him must first become a fool that is no way lean to his own understanding so he that would be comforted must first be emptied of all self-supports must not lean to his owne comforts As a Physician first bids his Patient cast off all others he hath tampered with he asks what Physick he hath had from them takes off their plaisters throws away their Physick and goes about the work de novo So the Spirit when he comes to comfort a poor soul First perswades the soule to send away all its old Physicians O saith the soule I have been in the hand of such a duty such a course of obedience and have thought sure now I shall be well and have comfort now I do this duty set upon such a holy course Well saith the Spirit if you will have me do any thing these must all be dismist in point of confidence Now and not till how is the soule a subject fit to receive the Spirits comforts And therefore friends as you love your inward peace beware what vessel you draw your comfort from Grace is finite and so cannot afford much 'T is leaking and so cannot hold long thou drinkest in a riven dish that hast thy comfort from thy grace 'T is mixt and so weak and weak grace cannot give strong consolation and such thou needest especially in strong conflicts Nay lastly thy comfort which thou drawest from it is stollen thou doest not come honestly by it and stollen comforts will not thrive with thee Oh what folly is it for the childe to play the thief for that which he may have freely and more fully from his Father who gives and reproacheth not that comfort which thou wouldest filch out of thy own righteousnesse and duties behold it is laid up for thee in Christ from whose fulnesse thou mayest carry as much as thy faith can hold and none to check thee yea the more thou improvest Christ for thy comfort the more heartily welcome we are bid to open our mouth wide and he will fill it CHAP. XI The third kinde of spiritual Pride viz. Pride of Priviledges THe third kinde of pride spiritual pride I mean is pride of Priviledges with which these wicked spirits labour to blow up the Christian to name three First when God calls a person to some eminent place or useth him to do some special piece of service Secondly when God honours a Saint to suffer for his truth or cause Thirdly when God flowes in with more then ordinary manifestations of his love and fills the soule with joy and comfort These are Priviledges not equally dispensed to all and therefore where they are Satan takes the advantage of assaulting such with pride SECT I. First when God calls a person to some eminent place or useth him to do some special piece of service Indeed it requires a great measure of grace to keep the heart low when the man stands high The Apostle speaking how a Minister of the Gospel should be qualified 1 Tim. 3.6 saith he must not be a Novice or a young Convert lest he should be lift up with pride and fall into the condemnation of the devil as if he had said this calling is honourable if he be not well ballast with humility a little gust from Satan will tople him into this sin The Seventy that Christ first sent out to preach the Gospel and prevailed so miraculously over Satan even these while they trod on the Serpents head he turn'd again and had like to have stung them with pride which our Saviour perceived when they return'd in triumph and told what great miracles they had wrought and therfore he takes them off that glorying left it should degenerate into vain glory and bids them not rejoyce that devils were subjest to them but rather that their names were writ in Heaven As if he had said It is not the honour of your calling and successe of your Ministery will save you there shall be some cast to the devils who shall then say Lord Lord in thy name we have cast out devils and therefore value not your selves by that but rather evidence to your soules
Pauls was in which they suffered so much losse and this indeed very often he obtains in such a degree that by his violent impetuous temptations beating long upon the Christian he makes him throw over much precious lading of his joyes and comforts yea sometimes he brings the soul through stresse of temptation to think of quitting the ship while for the present all hope of being saved seems to be taken away Thus you see what we wrestle with devils for We come to Application SECT IV. Vse 1 This is a word of reproof to foure sorts of persons First to those that are so far from wrestling against Satan for this heavenly prize that they resist the offer of it In stead of taking heaven by force they keep it off by force How long hath the Lord been crying in our streets Repent for the Kingdome of Heaven is at hand how long have Gospel-offers rung in our ears and yet to this day many devil-deluded soules furiously drive on towards hell and will not be perswaded back who refuse to be called the children of God and choose rather the devils bondage then the glorious liberty with which Christ would make them free esteeming the pleasures of sin for a season greater treasures then the riches of heaven 'T is storied of Cato who was Caesars bitter enemy that when he saw Caesar prevail rather then fall into his hand and stand to his mercy he laid violent hands on himself which Caesar hearing of passionately broke out into these words O Cato cur invidisti mihi salutem tuam O Cato why didst thou envie me the honour of saving thy life And do not many walk as if they grudged Christ the honour of saving their soules what other account can you give sinners of rejecting his grace Are not heaven and happinesse things desirable and to be preferr'd before sin and misery Why then do you not embrace them or are they the worse because they come swimming to you in the blood of Christ oh how ill must Christ take it to be thus used when he comes on such a gracious ambassage may he not say to thee as once he did to those officers sent to attach him Do you come out against me as a thief with swords and staves If he be a thief 't is only in this that he would steal your sins from you and leave heaven in the room O for the love of God think what you do 't is eternal life you put away from you in doing of which you judge your selves unworthy of it Acts 13.46 Secondly it reproves those who are Satans instruments to rob soules of what is heavenly Among thieves there are some ye call Setters who enquire where a booty is to be had which when they have found and know such a one travels with a charge about him then they employ some other to rob him and are themselves not seen in the businesse The devil is the grand Setter he observes the Christian how he walks what place and company he frequents what grace or heavenly treasure he carries in his bosome which when he hath done he hath his instruments for the purpose to execute his designe Thus he considered the admirable graces of Job and casts about how he might best rob him of his heavenly treasure and who but his wife and friends must do this for him well knowing that his tale would receive credit from their mouths O friends ask your consciences whether you have not done the devil some service of this kinde in your dayes Possibly you have a childe or servant who once look't heaven-ward but your brow-beating of them scared them back and now may be they are as carnal as you would have them or possibly thy wife before acquainted with thee was full of life in the wayes of God but since she hath been transplanted into thy cold soile what by thy frothy speeches and unsavoury conversation at best thy worldlinesse and formality she is now both decayed in her graces and a loser in her comforts O man what an enditement will be brought against thee for this at Gods bar you would come off better were it for robbing one of his money and jewels then of his graces and comforts Thirdly it reproves the woful negligence most shew in labouring for this heavenly prize None but would be glad their souls might be saved at last but where is the man or woman that makes it appear by their vigourous endeavour that they mean in earnest what warlike preparation do they make against Satan who lies between them and home where are their armes where their skill to use them their resolution to stand to them and conscionable care to exercise themselves daily in the use of them Alas this is a rarity indeed not to be found in every house where the Profession of Religion is hang'd out at the door if woulding and wishing will bring them to heaven then they may come thither but as for this wrestling and fighting this making Religion our businesse they are as far from these as at last they are like to be from heaven They are of his minde in Tully who in a Summers day as he lay lazing himself on the grasse would say O utinam hoc esset laborare O that this were to work that I could lie here and do my day-labour Thus many melt and waste their lives in sloth and say in their hearts O that this were the way to heaven but will use no means to furnish themselves with grace for such an enterprise I have read of a great Prince in Germany invaded by a more potent enemy then himself yet from his friends and Allies who flock't in to his help he soon had a goodly Army but had no money as he said to pay them but the truth is he was loath to part with it for which some in discontent went away others did not vigourously attend his businesse and so he was soon beaten out of his Kingdome and his coffers when his Palace was rifled were found thrack't with treasure Thus he was ruined as some sick men die because unwilling to be at cost to pay the Physician It will adde to the misery of damned soules when they shall have leisure enough to consider what they have lost in losing God to remember what means offers and talents they once had towards the obtaining of everlasting life but had not a heart to use them Fourthly it reproves those who make a great busle and noise in Religion who are forward in Profession very busie to meddle with the strictest duties as if heaven had monopolized their whole hearts but like the Eagle when they tower highest their prey is below where their eye is also Such a generation there ever was and will be that mingle themselves with the Saints of God who pretend heaven and have their outward garb faced and fringed as it were with heavenly speeches and duties while their hearts are lined with hypocrisie whereby they deceive
me again and shew me both it and his habitation Mark not shew me my Crown my Palace but the Ark the House of God Secondly a gracious heart pursues earthly things with a holy indifferency saving the violence and zeal of his spirit for the things of heaven he useth the former as if he used them not with a kinde of non-attendency his head and heart is taken up with higher matters how he may please God thrive in his grace enjoy more intimate communion with Christ in his Ordinances in these he spreads all his sailes plyes all his oares strains every part and power thus we finde David upon his full speed My soul presseth hard after thee Psal 63. And before the Ark we finde him dancing with all his might Now a carnal heart is clean contrary his zeal is for the world and his indifferency in the things of God he prays as if he did not pray c. he sweats in his shop but chills and growes cold in his closet O how hard to pully him up to a duty of Gods worship or to get him out to an Ordinance No weather shall keep him from the market raine blow or snow he goes thither but if the Church-path be a little wet or the aire somewhat cold 't is apology enough for him if his pue be empty when he is about any worldly businesse he is as earnest at it as the idolatrous Smith in hammering of his image who the Prophet saith worketh it with the strength of his armes yea he is hungry and his strength faileth he drinketh not and is faint Isa 44.12 so zealous is the muck-worme in his worldly employments that he will pinch his carcase and deny himself his repast in due season to pursue that The Kitchin there shall wait on the shop But in the worship of God 't is enough to make him sick of the Sermon and angry with the Preacher if he be kept beyond his houre here the Sermon must give place to the Kitchin so the man for his pleasures and carnal pastime he tells no clock at his sports and knows not how the day goes when night comes he is angry that it takes him off but at any heavenly work O how is the man punish't time now hath got leaden heels he thinks all he does at a Sermon is to tell the clock and see how the glasse runs if men were not willing to deceive themselves surely they might know which way their heart goes by the swift motion or the hard tugging and slow pace it stirs as well as they know in a boat whether they row against the tyde or with it Thirdly the Christian useth these things with a holy feare lest earth should rob heaven and his outward enjoyments prejudice his heavenly interest he eats in feare works in feare rejoyceth in his abundance with feare as Iob sanctified his children by offering a sacrifice out of a feare lest they had sinned so the Christian is continually sanctifying his earthly enjoyments by prayer that so he may be delivered from the snare of them Thirdly the Christian is heavenly in his keeping of earthly things The same heavenly Law which he went by in getting he observes in holding them As he dares not say he will be rich and honourable in the world but if God will so neither that he will hold what he hath he only keeps them while his heavenly Father calls for them that at first gave them If God will continue them to him and entaile them on his posterity too he blesseth God and so he desires to do also when he takes them away Indeed Gods meaning in the great things of this world which sometimes he throwes in upon the Saints is chiefly to give them the greater advantage of expressing their love to him in denying them for his sake God never intended by that strange Providence in bringing Moses to Pharaho's Court to settle him there in worldly pomp and grandure a carnal heart indeed would have expounded Providence and imported it as a faire occasion put into his hands by God to have advanced himself into the throne which some say he might in time have done but as an opportunity to make his faith and self-denial more eminently conspicuous in throwing all these at his heels for which he hath so honourable a remembrance among the Lords Worthies Heb. 11.24 25. And truly a gracious soule reckons he cannot make so much of his worldly interests any other way as by offering them up for Christs sake however that Traitour thought Maries ointment might have been carried to a better market yet no doubt that good woman her self was only troubled that she had not one more precious to poure on her dear Saviours head This makes the Christian ever to hold the sacrificing knife at the throat of his worldly enjoyments ready to offer them up when God calls over-board they shall go rather then hazard a wrack to faith or a good conscience he sought them in the last place and therefore he will part with them in the first Naboth will hazard the Kings anger which at last cost him his life rather then sell an acre or two of land which was his birth-right The Christian will expose all he hath in this wotld to preserve his hopes for another Iacob in his march towards Esau sent his servants with his flocks before and came himself with his wives behinde if he can save any thing from his brothers rage it shall be what he loves best If the Christian can save any thing it shall be his soule his interest in Christ and Heaven and then no matter if the rest go even then he can say not as Esau to Iacob I have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a great deal but as Iacob to him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I have all all I want all I desire as David expresseth it This is all my salvation all and my desire 2 Sam. 23.5 Now try whether thy heart be tuned to this note does heaven give law to thy earthly enjoyments wouldest thou not keep thy honour estate no not life it selfe to prejudice thy heavenly nature and hopes which wouldest thou choose if thou couldest not keep both a whole skin or a sound conscience It was a strange answer if true which the Historian saith Henry the fifth gave to his Father who had usurped the crown and now dying sent for this his son to whom he said Fair Son take the crown which stood on his pillow by his head but God knowes how I came by it to whom he answered I care not how you came by it now I have it I will keep it as long as my sword can defend it He that keeps earth by wrong cannot expect heaven by right CHAP. XIII An Exhortation to the pursuit of heaven and heavenly things Vse 3 THirdly Is it heaven and all that is heavenly that Satan seeks to hinder us of let this provoke us the more earnestly to contend for them
Had we to do with an enemy that came only to plunder us of earthly trifles would honours estates and what this world affords us stay his stomack it might suffer a debate in a soule that hath hopes of heaven whether it were worth fighting to keep this lumber but Christ and heaven these sure are too precious to part withal upon any termes Ask the Kingdom for him also said Solomon to Bath-sheba when she begg'd Abishag for Adonijah What can the devil leave thee worth if he deprive thee of these and yet I confesse I have heard of one that wished God would let him alone and not take him from what he had here Vile Brute the voice of a swine and not a man that could chuse to wallow in the dung and ordure of his carnal pleasures and wish himself for ever shut up with his swill in the hogs coat of this dunghil earth rather then leave these to dwell in Heavens Palace and be admitted to no meaner pleasures then what God himself with his Saints enjoy It were even just if God gave such brutes as these a swines face to their swinish hearts But alas how few then should we meet that would have the countenance of a man the greatest part of the world even all that are carnal and worldly being of the same minde though not so impudent as that wretch to speak what they think The lives of men tell plain enough that they say in their hearts it is good being here that they wish they could build Tabernacles on earth for all the mansions that are prepared in heaven The transgression of the wicked said in Davids heart that the feare of God was not before them Psal 36.1 and may not the worldlinesse of a muck-worm say in the heart of any rational man that heaven and heavenly excellencies are not before their eyes or thoughts O what a deep silence is there concerning these in the conversations of men Heaven is such a stranger to the most that very few are heard to enquire the way thither or so much as ask the question in earnest what they shall do to be saved The most expresse no more desires of attaining heaven then those blessed souls now in heaven do of coming again to dwell on earth Alas their heads are full of other projects they are either as Israel scatter'd over the face of the earth to gather straw or busied in picking that straw they have gathered labouring to get the world or pleasing themselves with what they have got So that it is no more then needs to use some arguments to call men off the world to the pursuit of heaven and what is heavenly First for earthly things it is not necessary that thou hast them that is necessary which cannot be supplied per vicarium with somewhat besides it self Now there is no such earthly enjoyment but may be so supplied as to make its room more desirable then its company In Heaven there shall be light and no Sun a rich feast and yet no meat glorious robes and yet no cloathes thete shall want nothing and yet none of this worldly glory be found there yea even while we are here they may be recompenced thou mayest be under infirmities of body and yet better then if thou hadst health The Inhabitant shall not say I am sick the people that dwell therin shall be forgiven their iniquiâ—y Isa 33.34 Thou mayest misse of worldly honour and obtain with those Worthies of Christ Heb. 11. a good report by faith and that is a name better then of the great ones of the earth thou mayest be poor in the world and yet rich in grace and Godlinesse with content is great gaine In a word if thou partest with thy temporal life and findest an eternal what doest thou lose by the change but heaven and heavenly things are such as cannot be recompenced with any other Thou hast a heavenly soul in thy bosome lose that and where canst thou have another There is but one heaven misse that and where can you take up your lodging but in hell One Christ that can lead you thither reject him and there remains no more sacrifice for sinne O that men would think on these things Go sinner to the world and see what it can afford you in lieu of these may be it will offer to entertain you with its pleasures and delights O poor reward for the losse of Christ and heaven Is this all thou canst get doth Satan rob thee of heaven and happinesse and only give thee this posie to smell on as thou art going to thy execution will these quench hell-fire or so much as cool those flames thou art falling into who but those that have foredone their understandings would take these toyes and new nothings for Christ and heaven while Satan is pleasing your fancies with these rattles and bables his hand is in your treasure robbing you of that which is only necessary 'T is more necessary to be saved then to be better not to be then to have a being in hell Secondly earthly things are such as it is a great uncertainty whether with all our labour we can have them or not The world though so many thousand years old hath not learn't the Merchant such a method of trading as that from it he may infallibly conclude he shall at last get an estate by his trade nor the Courtier such rules of comporting himself to the humour of his Prince as to assure him he shall rise They are but few that carry away the prize in the worlds lottery the greater number have only their labour for their paines and a sorrowful remembrance left them of their egregious folly to be led such a wilde goose chase after that which hath deceived them at last But now for heaven and the things of heaven there is such a clear and certain rule laid down that if we will but take the counsel of the Word we can neither mistake the way nor in that way miscarry of the end As many as walk by this rule peace be upon them and the whole Israel of God There are some indeed who run and yet obtain not this prize that seek find not knock and find the door shut upon them but it is because they do it either not in the right manner or in the right season Some would have heaven but if God save them he must save their sins also for they do not mean to part with them and how heaven can hold God and such company together judge you As they come in at one door Christ and all those holy spirits with him would run out at the other Ungratful wretches that will not come to this glorious feast unlesse they may bring that with them which would disturb rhe joy of that blisseful state and offend all the guests that sit at the Table with them yea drive God out of his own mansion-house A second sort would have heaven but like him in Ruth
ch 4. v. 2 3 4. who had a minde to his Kinsman Elimelechs land and would have paid for the purchase but he liked not to have it by marrying Ruth and so missed of it Some seem very forward to have heaven and salvation if their own righteousnesse could procure the same all the good they do and duties they performe they lay up for this purchase but at last perish because they close not with Christ and take not heaven in his right A third sort are content to have it by Christ but their desires are so impotent and listlesse that they put them upon no vigourous use of means to obtain him and so like the sluggard they starve because they will not pull their hands out of their bosome of sloth to reach their food that is before them for the world they have mettal enough and too much they trudge far and near for that and when they have run themselves out of breath can stand and pant after the dust of the earth as the Prophet phraseth it Amos 2.7 But for Christ and obtaining interest in him O how key-cold are they there is a kinde of cramp invades all the powers of their soules when they should pray hear examine their hearts draw out their affections in hungrings and thirstings after his grace and Spirit 'T is strange to see how they even now went full soop to the world are suddenly becalm'd not a breath of winde stirring to any purpose in their soules after these things and is it any wonder that Christ and Heaven should be denied to them that have no more mind to them Lastly some have zeal enough to have Christ Heaven but it is when the Master of the house is risen and hath shut to the door and truly then they may stand long enough rapping before any come to let them in There is no Gospel preached in another world but as for thee poor soul who art perswaded to renounce thy lusts throw away the conceit of thy own righteousnesse that thou mayest run with more speed to Christ and art so possest with the excellency of Christ thy own present need of him and salvation by him that thou pantest after him more then life it self In Gods Name go on and speed be of good comfort he calls thee by name to come unto him that thou mayest have rest for thy soul There is an office in the Word where thou mayest have thy soule and its eternal happinesse ensured to thee Those that come to him as he will himself in no wise cast away so not suffer any other to pluck them away This day saith Christ to Zaccheus salvation is come to thy house Luke 19.9 Salvation comes to thee poore soul that openest thy heart to receive Christ thou hast eternal life already as sure as if thou wert a glorified Saint now walking in that heavenly City O Sirs if there were a free trade proclaimed to the Indies enough gold for all that went and a certainty of making a safe voyage who would stay at home But alas this can never be had all this and infinitely more may be said for heaven and yet how few leave their uncertain hopes of the world to trade for it what account can be gi-given for this but the desperate atheisme of mens hearts they are not yet fully perswaded whether the Scripture speaks true or not whether they may relie upon the discovery that God makes in his Word of this new-found land and those mines of spiritual treasure there to be had as certain God open the eyes of the unbelieving world as he did the Prophets servants that they may see these things to be realities and not fictions 't is faith only that gives a being to these things in our hearts By faith Moses saw him that was invisible Thirdly earthly things when we have them we are not sure of them like birds they hop up and down now on this hedge and anon upon that none can call them his own rich to day and poor to morrow In health when we lie down and arrested with pangs of death before midnight Joyful Parents one while solacing our selves with the hopes of our budding posterity and may be ere long knocks one of Jobs messengers at our door to tell us they are all dead now in honour but who knows whether we shall not live to see that butied in scorn and reproach The Scripture compares the multitude of people to waters the great ones of the world sit upon these waters as the ship floates upon the waves so do their honours upon the breath and favour of the multitude and bow long is he like to sit that is carried upon a wave one while they are mounted up to heaven as David speaks of the ship and then down again they fall into the deep We have ten parts in the King say the men of Israel 2 Sam. 19.45 and in the very next verse Sheba doth but sound a trumpet of sedition saying We have no part in David no inheritance in the son of Jesse and the winde is in another corner presently for it 's said Every man of Israel went up from after David and followed Sheba Thus was David cried up and down and that almost in the same breath Unhappy man he that hath no surer portion then what this variable world will afford him The time of mourning for the departure of all earthly enjoyments is at hand we shall see them as Eglons servants did their Lord fallen down dead before us and weep because they are not What folly then is it to dandle this vaine world in our affections whose joy like the childes laughter on the mothers knee is sure to end in a cry at last and neglect heaven and heavenly things which endure for ever O remember Dives stirring up his pillow and composing himself to rest how he was call'd up with the tydings of death before he was warme in this his bed of ease and laid with sorrow on another which God had made for him in flames from whence we hear him roaring in the anguish of his conscience O soule couldest thou get but an interest in the heavenly things we are speaking of these would not thus slip from under thee heaven is a Kingdom that cannot be shaken Christ an abiding portion his graces and comforts sure waters that faile not but spring up unto eternal life The quailes that were food for the Israelites lust soon ceased but the rock that was drink to their faith followed them this rock is Christ make sure of him and he will make sure of thee he 'll follow thee to thy sick-bed and lie in thy bosome chearing thy heart with his sweet comforts when worldly joyes lie cold upon thee as Davids cloathes on him and no warmth of comfort to be got from them When thy outward senses are lock't up that thou canst neither see the face of thy dear friends nor hear the counsel and comfort they would give
thee then he will come though these doors be shut and say Peace be to thee my dear childe feare not death or devils I stay to receive thy last breath and have here my Angels waiting that assoon as thy soule is breathed out of thy body they may carry and lay it in my bosome of love where I will nourish thee with those eternal joyes that my blood hath purchased and my love prepared for thee Fourthly earthly things are empty and unsatisfying We may have too much but never enough of them they oft breed loathing but never content and indeed how should they being so disproportionate to the vast desires of these immortal spirits that dwell in our bosomes A spirit hath not flesh and bones neither can it be fed with such and what hath the world but a few bones covered over with some fleshly delights to give it The lesse is blessed of the greater not the greater of the lesse These things therefore being so far inferiour to the nature of man he must look higher if he will be blessed even to God himself who is the Father of spirits God intended these things for our use not enjoyment and what folly is it to think we can squeaze that from them which God never put in them They are breasts that moderately drawn yield good milk sweet refreshing but wring them too hard and you will suck nothing but winde or blood from them We lose what they have by expecting to finde what they have not none find lesse sweetnesse and more dissatisfaction in these things then those who strive most to please themselves with them The cream of the creature floats a top and he that is not content to fleet it but thinks by drinking a deeper draught to finde yet more goes further to speed worse being sure by the disappointment he shall meet to pierce himself through with many sorrows But all these feares might happily be escaped if thou wouldest turn thy back on the creature and face about for heaven labour to get Christ and through him hopes of heaven and thou takest the right road to content thou shalt see it before thee and enjoy the prospect of it as thou goest yea finde that every step thou drawest nearer and nearer to it O what a sweet change wouldest thou finde As a sick man coming out of an impure unwholesome climate where he never was well when he gets into fresh aire or his native soile so wilt thou finde a cheering of thy spirits and reviving thy soule with unspeakable content and peace Having once closed with Christ first the guilt of all thy sinnes is gone and this spoil'd all thy mirth before all your dancing of a childe when some pin pricks it will not make it quiet or merry well now that pin is taken out which robbed thee of the joy of thy life Secondly thy nature is renewed and sanctified and when is a man at ease if not when he is in health and what is holinesse but the creature restored to his right temper in which God created him Thirdly thou becomest a childe of God and that cannot but please thee well I hope to be son or daughter to so great a King Fourthly thou hast a right to heavens glory whither thou shalt ere long be conducted to take and hold possession of that thy inheritance for ever and who can tell what that is Nicephorus tells us of one Agbarus a great man that hearing so much of Christs fame by reason of the miracles he wrought sent a Painter to take his picture and that the Painter when he came was not able to do it because of that radiancy and divine splendor which sate on Christs face Whether this be true or no I leave it but to be sure there is such a brightnesse on the face of Christ glorified and that happinesse which in heaven Saints shall have with him as forbids us that dwell in mortal flesh to conceive of it aright much more to expresse 't is best going thither to be informed and then we shall confesse we on earth heard not halfe of what we there finde yea that our present conceptions are no more like to that vision of glory we shall there have then the Sunne in the Painters table is to the Sunne it self in the Heavens And if all this be so why then do you spend money for that which is not bread and your labour for that which satisfieth not yea for that which keeps you from that which can satisfie Earthly things are like some trash which doth not only not nourish but take away the appetite from that which would Heaven and heavenly things are not relished by a soule vitiated with these Manna though for deliciousnesse called Angels food yet but light bread to an Egyptian palate But these spiritual things depend not on thy opinion O man whoever thou art as earthly things in a great measure do that the value of them should rise or fall as the worlds exchange doth and as vain man is pleased to rate them think gold dirt and it is so for all the royal stamp on it Count the swelling titles of worldly honour that proud dust brags so in vanity and they are such but have base thoughts of Christ and he is not the worse slight heaven as much as you will it will be heaven still and when thou comest so far to thy wits with the Prodigal as to know which is best fare husks or bread where best living among hogs in the field or in thy Fathers house then thou wilt know how to iudge of these heavenly things better till then go and make the best market thou canst of the world but look not to finde this pearle of price true satisfaction to thy soul in any of the creatures shops and were it not better to take it when thou mayest have it then after thou hast wearied thy self in vaine in following the creature to come back with shame and may be misse of it here also because thou wouldest not have it when it was offered VERSE 13. Wherefore take unto you the whole Armour of God that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day and having done all to stand THe Apostle in these words re-assumes his former Exhortation mentioned verse 11. and presseth it with a new force from that more particular discovery which he gives of the enemy verse 12. where like a faithful Scout he makes a full report of Satans great power and malice and also discloseth what a dangerous design he hath upon the Saints no lesse then to despoil them of all that is heavenly from all which he gives them a second Alarm and bids them Arme arme Wherefore take unto you c. In the words consider First the exhortation with the inference Wherefore take unto you the whole Armour of God Secondly the argument with which he urgeth the exhortation and that ss double First That ye may be able to withstand in the evil
Fowler because she sees him not Thou art a faire mark for Gods vengeance he sees thee and is taking his aime at thee when thou seest not him yea thou puttest thy self under an inevitable necessity of perishihg by not thinking of this day The first step to our safety is consideration of our danger Vse 2 It reproves these who if they think of the evil day yet it is so far off that it is to little purpose They will be sure to set it at such a distance from them as shall take away the force of the meditation that it shall not strike them down in the deep sense and fear of it That cannon which if we stood at the mouth of it would shatter limb from limb will not so much as scare them that get out of its reach The further we put the evil day the weaker impression it makes on us 'T is true say sinners it cannot be help't we owe a debt to nature it must be paid sickness will come and death follow on that and judgement brings up the reare of both But alas they look not for these guests yet they prophesy of these things a great while hence to come Many a faire day they hope will intervene Thus men are very kind to themselves First they wish it may be long before it comes and then because they would have it so they are bold to promise themselves it shall be so and when once they have made this promise no wonder if they then live after the rate of their vain hopes putting off the stating of their accounts till the winter-evening of old age when they shall not have such allurements to gad abroad from the pleasures of this life O then they will do great matters to fit them for the evil day Bold man who gave thee leave to cut out such large thongs of that time which is not thine but Gods Who makes the Lease the Tenant or the Landlord or doest thou forget thou farmest thy life and art not an Owner This is the device of Satan to make you delay whereas a present expectation of the evil day would not let you sit still unprepared O why do you let your soules from their work make them idle and rest from their burdens by telling them of long life while death chop in upon you unawares O what shame will your whorish hearts be put to that now say your husband is gone afar off you may fill your selves with loves if he should come before he is look't for and finde you in bed with lusts And let me tell you sudden destruction is threatened especially to such secure ones Reade Matth. 24.48 50 51. where 't is denounced against that sort of sinners who please themselves with their Lords delaying his coming that the Lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him and in an houre that he is not aware of Indeed God must go out of his ordinary road of dealing with sinners if such scape a sudden ruine One is bold to challenge any to shew a President in Scripture of any that are branded for security that some remarkable yea sudden judgement did not surprise Sodom how soon after a Sun-shine morning did the heavens thicken and bury them in a few houres by a storme of fire in their own ashes Carelesse Laish cut off before they almost think of it Agag when he saw the clouds of his fears break and faire weather was in his countenance they return immediately upon him and shut him up in death he is presently hewen in pieces Amalek slaughtered by David before the triumph of their late victory was cold Nebuchadnezzar strutting himself in his Palace with this bravado in his mouth Is not this great Babylon that I have built and before he can get the words out of his throat there is another voice falling from heaven saying O King to thee be it spoken thy Kingdome is departed from thee and the same houre it was fulfill'd and he sent to graze with the beasts Dives blessing himself for many years and within a few houres the pillow is pluck't from under his head and you heare no more of him till out of hell he roare yea a whole world few persons excepted drowned and they not know till the day the flood came Mat. 24.29 and swept them all away And who art thou O man that promisest thy self an exemption when Kings Cities a whole world have been ruined after this sort Vse 3 This reproves those who indeed think oft of this evil day much against their will by reason of an awakened conscience that is ever pinching of them and preaching on Pauls text before Felix to them till it makes them tremble as he did yet such is the power of lust in their hearts that it makes them spur on notwithstanding all the rebukes conscience gives them and affrighting thoughts they have of the evil day yet they continue in their old trade of sin desperately These wretches are the objects of our saddest pity The secure sinner that has broke prison from his conscience is like a strong-brain'd drunkard he swallows down his sin as the other doth his drink with pleasure and is not stirr'd at all but here is a man that is stomack sick as I may so say his conscience is oft disgorging his sweet draughts and yet he will sinne though with pain and anguish O consider poor wretches what you do instead of arming your selves against the evil day you arme the evil day against your selves you are sticking the bed with pins and needles on which you must ere long be laid you are throwing billets into that fiery furnace wherein at last you shall be cast and all this in spight of your consciences which yet God mercifully sets in your way that the prickings of them may be as a hedge of thornes to keep thee from the pursuit of thy lusts Know therefore if thou wilt go on that as thy conscience takes from the pleasure of thy sin at present so it will adde to the horrour of thy torment hereafter Vsue 4 It reproves those who though they are not so violent and outragious in sin to make them stink above ground in the nostrils of others yet rest in an unarm'd condition they do not flie to Christ for covering and shelter against this day of storme and tempest and the reason is they have a lie in their right hand they feed on a shell and a deceived heart carries them aside from seeking after Christ It would make one tremble to see how confident many are with their false hopes and self-confidences daring to come up as Corah with his Censer as undauntedly as Moses himself even to the mouth of the grave till on a sudden they are swallowed up with destruction and sent to be undeceiv'd in hell who would not be beaten from their refuges of lies here whoever thou art O man and whatever thou hast to glory in were it
Philistines hands and this makes him cry to God and the Spirit puts forth his strength in him again Thus here indeed the office of the Spirit is to abide for ever with the Saints Iohn 14.16 He shall send you another Comforter that he may abide for ever with you Secondly it is one main businesse of Christe intercession to obtain of God perseverance for our weak graces I have prayed saith Christ to Peter that thy faith faile not But was not that a particular priviledge granted to him which may be denied to another O Sirs do we think that Christs love looks a squint doth he pray for one childe more then another such feares and jealousies foolish children are ready to take up and therefore Christ prevents them by bidding Peter in the very next words When thou art converted strengthen thy brethren Luke 22.31 that is when thou feelest the efficacy and force of my prayer for thy faith carry this good newes to them that their hearts may be strengthened also and what strengthening had it been to them if Christ prayed not for them as well as Peter does Christ pray for us yea doth he not live to pray for us O how can children of so many prayers of such prayers perish The Saints prayers have a mighty power Iacob wrestled and had power with God this was his sword and bowe to allude to what he said of the parcel of ground he took from the Amorite by which he got the victory and had power with God This was the Key with which Elijah opened and shut heaven And if the weak prayers of Saints coming in his Name have such credit in heaven that with them they can go to Gods treasure and carry away as much as their armes of faith can hold O then what prevalency has Christs intercession who is a Son an obedient Son that is come from finishing his great work on earth and now prayes his Father for nothing but what he hath bid him ask yea for nothing but what he is before-hand with him for and all this to a Father that loves those he prays for as well as himselfe Bid Satan avaunt Say not thy weak faith shall perish till thou hearest that Christ hath left praying or meets with a repulse Thirdly let us see whether Satan be able to pluck the Christian away and step betwixt him and home I have had occasion to speak of this subject in another place the lesse here shall serve Abundant provision is made against his assaults The Saint is wrap't up in the everlasting armes of Almighty power and what can a cursed devil do against God who laid those chaines on him which he cannot shake off when he is able to pluck that dart of divine fury out of his own conscicnce which God hath fastened there then let him think of such an enterprise as this How can he overcome thee that cannot tempt thee but in Gods appointed time And if God set Satan his time to assault the Christian whom he loves so dearly surely it shall be when he shall be repulsed with greatest shame Vse 1 Away then with that doctrine which saith one may be a Saint to day and none to morrow now a Peter anon a Judas O what unsavoury stuffe is this a principle it is that at once crosseth the main design of God in the Gospel-Covenant reflects sadly on the honour of Christ and wounds the Saints comfort to the heart First it is derogatory to Gods design in the Gospel-Covenant which we finde plainly to be this that his children might be put into a state sure and safe from miscarrying at last which by the first Covenant man was not See Rom. 4.16 Therefore it is of faith that it might be of grace to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed God on purpose because of the weaknesse of the first Covenant through the mutable nature of man makes a new Covenant of a far different constitution and frame not of works as that was but of faith and why the Apostle tells us that it might be sure to all the seed that not one soule who by faith should be adopted into Abrahams family and so become a childe of the promise should faile of inheriting the blessing of the promise which is eternal life called so Titus 1.2 and all this because the promise is founded upon grace that is Gods immutable good pleasure in Christ and not upon the variable and inconstant obedience of man as the first Covenant was But if a Saint may finally fall then is the promise no more sure in this Covenant then it was in that and so God should not have his end he propounds Secondly it reflects sadly on Christs honour both as he is intrusted with the Saints salvation and also as he is interessed in it First as he is intrusted with the Saints salvation He tells us they are given him of his Father for this very end that he should give them eternal life yea that power which he hath over all flesh was given him to render him every way able to effect this one businesse John 17.2 He accepts the charge ownes them as his sheep knowes them every one and promiseth he will give them eternal life they shall never perish neither shall any pluck them out of his hand John 10.27 28. Now how well do they consult with Christs honour that say his sheepe may die in a ditch of final apostasy notwithstanding all this Secondly as he is interessed in the salvation of every Saint The life of his own glory is bound up in the eternal life of his Saints It s true when Adam fell God did save his stake but how can Christ who is so nearly united to every believing soul There was a league of friendship betwixt God and Adam but no such union as here where Christ and his Saints make but one Christ for which his Church is called Christ 1 Cor. 12.12 As the body is one and hath many members and all the members of that one body being many are one body so is Christ Christ and his members make one Christ now is it possible a piece of Christ can be found at last-burning in hell can Christ be a cripple Christ can this member drop off and that 'T is as possible that all as any should and how can Christ part with his mystical members and not with his glory doth not every member adde an ornament to the body yea an honour The Church is called the fulnesse of him Eph. 1.23 O how dishonourable is it to Christ that we should think he shall want any of his fulnesse and how can the man be full and compleat that wants a member Thirdly it wounds the Saints comfort to the heart and layes their joy a bleeding Paul saith he did not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He did not dash the generous wine of Gods Word with the water of mans conceits No he gave them pure Gospel Truly this principle
that needs be to have a soul sharp set even to a ravenous hunger after sin but chain'd up where it can come at nothing it would have to satisfie its lost for a proud wretch that could wish he might dominere over all the world yea over God himself if he would let him to be kept down in such a dungeon as hell is O how it will cut for the malicious sinner whose heart swells with rancour against God and his Saints that he could pluck them out of Gods bosome yea God out of his throne if he had power to finde his hands so manacled that he can do nothing against them he so hates O how this will torment Speak O you Saints whose partial victory over sin at present is so sweet to you that you would choose a thousand deaths sooner then return to your old bondage under your lusts how glorious then is that day in your eye when this shall be compleated in a full and eternal Conquest never to have any thing to do more with sin or Satan Secondly to stand is here to stand justified and acquitted at the great day of judgement The phrase is frequent in Scripture which sets out the solemn discharge they shall have then by standing in judgement Psal 1.5 The wicked shall not stand in the judgement that is they shall not be justified Psal 130.3 If thou Lord shouldest mark iniquity O Lord who shall stand that is who shall be discharged The great God upon whose errand we come into the world hath appointed a day wherein he will judge the world by Jesus Christ a solemn day it will be when all that ever lived on earth high and low good and bad shall meet in one Assembly to make their personal appearance before Christ and from his mouth to receive their eternal doom who shall in his Majestick robes of glory ascend the awful seat of Judicature attended with his illustrious traine and guard of Angels about him as so many officers ready to execute and perform his pleasure according to the definitive sentence that he shall pronounce either to conduct those blessed ones whom he shall justifie into his glorious Kingdome or binde them hand and foot to be cast into hells unquenchable flames whom he shall condemn I do not wonder that Pauls Sermon on this subject did make an earth-quake in Felix his conscience but rather that any should be so far gone in a lethargy and dedolent numbnesse of conscience as the thought of this day cannot recover them to their sense and feeling O Sirs do you not vote them happy men and women that shall speed well on this day are not your thoughts enquiring who those blessed soules are which shall be acquitted by the lively voice of Christ the Judge You need not ascend to search the rolls of election in heaven here you may know they are such as fight the Lords battels on earth against Satan in the Lords Armour and that to the end of their lives These having done all shall stand in judgement And were it but at a mans bar some Court-Martial where a souldier stood upon trial for his life either to be condemned as a Traitour to his Prince or clear'd as faithful in his trust O how such a one would listen to heare how it would go with him and be overjoyed when the Judge pronounces him innocent Well may such be bid to fall down on their knees thank God and the Judge that have saved their lives how much more ravishing will the sweet voice of Christ be in the Saints eares when he shall in the face of men and Angels make publike declaration of their righteousnesse O how confounded will Satan then be who was their accuser to God and their own consciences also ever threatening them with the terrour of that day How blank will the wicked world be to see the dirt that they had throwen by their calumnies and lying reports on the Saints faces wiped off with Christs own hand they from Christs mouth to be justified as sincere whom they had call'd hypocrites will not this O ye Saints be enough for all the scorne you were laden with from the world and conflict you endured with the Prince of the world But this is not all Therefore Thirdly to stand doth here also as the complement of their reward denote the Saints standing in heavens glory Princes when they would reward any of their subjects that in their wars have done eminent service to the crown as the utmost they can do for them do prefer them to Court there to enjoy their Princely favour and stand in some place of honourable service before them continually Solomon sets it out as the greatest reward of faithful subjects to stand before Kings Heaven is the royal city where the great God keeps his Court. The happiness of glorious Angels is to stand there before God I am Gabriel that stand in the presence of God Luke 1.19 That is I am one of those heavenly spirits who wait on the great God and stand before his face as Courtiers do about their Prince Now such honour shall every faithful soul have Thus saith the Lord of hostes If thou wilt walk in my wayes and if thou wilt keep my charge I will give thee places to walk among these that stand by Zech. 3.7 He alludes to the Temple which had rooms joyning to it for the Priests that waited on the Lord in his holy service there Or to Courtiers that have stately galleries and lodgings becoming their place at Court allowed them in the Kings Palace they wait upon Thus all the Saints whose representative Joshua was shall after they have kept the Lords charge in a short lifes service on earth be called up to stand before God in heaven where with Angels they shall have their galleries and mansions of glory also O happy they who shall stand before the Lord in glory The greatest Peeres of a Realme such as Earles Marquesses and Dukes are count it greater honour to stand before their King though bare-headed and oft upon the knee then to live in the countrey where all bow and stand bare to them yea let but their Prince forbid them coming to Court and 't is not their great estates or respect they have where they live will content them 'T is better to wait in heaven then to reign on earth 'T is sweet standing before the Lord here in an Ordinance one day in the worship of God is better then many elsewhere O what then is it to stand before God in glory If the Saints spikenard sendeth forth so sweet a smell while the King sits at his table here in a Sermon or Sacrament O then what joy must needs flow from their near attendance on him as he sits at his table in heaven which when God first made it was intended by him to be that Chamber of presence in which he would present himself to be seen of and enjoyed by his Saints in