we look we are in strong pangs and agonies of soul The Devil also taketh his opportunity then to cast in all his fiery darts Thus when the soul of a man is filled with fear doubts seeing no way but hell and damnation at such a time God comes in with his best wine then God delights to speak to the heart of such Psal 94. 19. In the multitude of my thoughts within me thy comforts delight my soul The Hebrew word signifieth perplexed thoughts like boughs on a tree intangled one with another that a man cannot part them such were his thoughts so intricate so enfolded one within another that he knew not what to resolve on what to determine yet the comforts of God did refresh his soul Thus new converts have many times more comfort then ever they shall have all their life time they needed them most then Again When the people of God have any great props and supports of comfort and joy taken away from them then commonly God comes in with more than ordinary comfort This makes him to be styled The Father of the fatherlesse and Judge of widows such who need help and comfort most When David was in danger of losing his life and Kingdom and that by his unnatural rebellious sonne Absolom when Shimei reviled him when he fled up and down with his Army with ashes on his head weeping and wailing as he went up the hill yet even at that time Psal 4. 6. he saith God had put more gladnesse into his heart then they could have in their harvest joy So the Disciples when they were to be parted from Christ he was not to be corporally present with them upon this how greatly did sorrow fill their hearts What should the sheep do without their Shepherd the Chickens without their Hen Yet saith our Saviour I will not leave you comfortlesse John 16. Christ would send his Spirit a Comforter in his room Thus you see Gods way when he taketh away the comfort of an Husband a Father a Friend he will be in stead of all these to us Those conditions which we thought would have broken our hearts he made even joyfull to us Lastly When God calleth his people to any high degrees of self-denial even to Martyrdome it felf then as their grief and fears would superabound so also their joyes ond comforts will be above them The Martyrs never felt such joy and delight in all their lives time as they did in a dark dungeon and in the flames of fire Therefore Gods children should not sinfully torture their souls with thoughts what if God should call them out to suffer to be imprisoned to be burnt at the stake Oh they should deny Christ over and over again prove wretched Apostates They must not judge thus according to their present disposition but remember that God will proportion strength and comfort to their exercises and give them Giants strength if he lay a Giants burden on them Fourthly God doth not only do good to his people in giving them joy but to shew how ready and willing he is the Scripture saith That it is a joy to God to do any good for us he rejoyceth to bestow his mercy upon us This is spoken after the manner of men to denote with what willingnesse he vouchsafeth his favours to us See what a wonderfull expression the Prophet useth Zephan 3. 17. while God is said to be in the midst of his people saving of them even because he doth thus he is said To rejoyce over them with joy to rest in his love and to joy over them with singing By this we see that while God giveth us grace and other mercies whereof joy is a chief one he himself rejoyceth therein Even as Aristotle observeth of a liberal man That he takes more joy in giving than he that receiveth the benefit can do in receiving of it God then giveth thee grace and joy not unwillingly not difficultly but he himself rejoyceth in making thy heart joyfull See a sweet place to confirme this also Isai 61. 5. At the Bridegroome rejoyceth over the Bride so shall thy God rejoyce over thee Fifthly This joy God giveth believers is a spiritual joy Worldly joy is like the culinary fire which goeth out if it have not daily fuell but this is like the elementary that needeth no pabulum but continueth of it self without such additaments Though friends die though the creatures break under us yet this joy abideth the same still It is a spiritual joy because seated in the spiritual part of a man most So that we do not speak here so much of a sensible bodily joy but of that which is rational and seated in the soul It is true when the soul is greatly affected by way of sympathy and redundancy it doth overflow even to the bodily part of a man also but the Subject wherein this joy is immediately and properly seated is in the soul and heart of a man Hence it is that the heart is so often said in the Scripture To rejoyce in the Lord which is the mind and the will Therefore as a godly soul may truly repent when yet it cannot shed bodily tears so it may truly rejoyce when it hath not a bodily gladnesse upon it So that as the Wiseman saith of carnal laughter that even in that the heart may be sad So also though in bodily sadnesse yet the conscience of a man may have great tranquillity and joy It is also a spiritual joy because the motives of it are chiefly from spiritual objects It 's joy in the Lord and joy in the holy Ghost Luke 10. 10. Our Saviour commanded his Disciples Not to rejoyce in that they could work miracles and cast out Devils but because their name was written in Heaven It 's spiritual also in its operations For whereas worldly joy enters into men as the Devils did into the Swine hurling them headlong into Hell This makes the heart more active more fruitfull It 's like the Spirit to Ezekiel's wings like the wind that made the dry bones gather together and live It 's like Elisha's fiery chariot mounting him up into Heaven whereas grief and sorrow are like the wormes that eat into the wood and devour the strength of it Lastly This joy is given by God to believers though formerly great and grievous sinners For we might think such as have been the chiefest of many thousands in sinning and blaspheming against God though God should have pity and mercy upon them yet he should never give them any comfort in this life You would think their former lusts pride uncleannesse and excesse of riot should be like a mill-stone alwayes about their neck They should go mourning to the grave never able to remove their sinnes out of their sight but thinking they pursue them as close every moment as Asahel did Joab to damn us Yet even to such after God becomes reconciled with them God it may be giveth more comfort than to others Great
in Christ and submission unto his will For a Church being a visible Society there must be some external and visible sign whereby we may demonstrate our selves to be of the Church Hence Rom. 10. it 's said That with the mouth confession is made to salvation There may be many secret and hidden Atheists in the Church of God yet because they do externally profess the Christian Religion therefore it is that they are of the Church in respect of the external and visible state of it Thus Simon Magus and others while they did profess their faith in Christ they were under the name of a Church and believers and so of Saints 4. There is yet a further degree in this Church-Saintship and that is When besides this sacramental and external holiness there are some workings of Gods Spirit upon their souls So that the Christian Religion hath some kind of influence upon them They are not only titular Saints but they have some kind of inchoate and imperfect workings of Gods Spirit upon their souls which have a tendency to godliness or at least a resemblance and shew of it So that in the opinion of others and many times in their own perswasions likewise they are true Saints Now these may well enough be stiled Saints because the Scripture attributes to them such acts as have the name of holiness So Mat. 13. the temporary believer likened to the thorny ground is said to have faith and to receive the Word with joy Some are said in 2 Pet. 2. To escape the pollutions of the world Yea Heb. 6. some are said to be enlightned to have tasted the good Word of God to partake of the holy Ghost c. and yet for all that such were never true Saints For such that are so can no more finally apostatize than true starres can fall from the Heavens Comets and blazing Stars may have a great lustre for a while but being composed of terrestrial exhalations at last they fall into the womb of that Earth from whence they sprang Thus those who have only some imperfect common works of Gods Spirit abounding in gifts and many admirable abilities these may seem in Saintship to exceed many that are truly so but because there was never true and deep rooting when the storms and tempests shall arise this glorious building will not have so much as a stone left upon a stone Those uncomfortable Teachers injurious to the grace of God that do so peremptorily dogmatize the Apostasie of the Saints do yet never bring such Texts of Scripture or instances that do necessarily prove those to be true Saints that are spoken of Saul was never a true Saint Judas was never a true Saint and so no wonder of hopefull beginnings degenerated into such tragical and horrid beginnings Now whereas the former mentioned viz. those that are only baptized that give an external submission to Christs Laws especially if as too many do wallowing in all the wayes of the flesh and carnal excess if these I say may by all be proclaimed to be no real but nominal Saints all the world seeth they are Christians in name but beasts and devils in respect of real Saintship Yet the great difficulty and the constant wisdome of a Christian is exercised about the discerning this later holiness from that which is true To know when I am gone further than any hypocrite or reprobate can attain unto This as we are greatly to study and examine our selves in so we are to know that it is better to be deceived in any worldly matter than in this Lastly The ultimate and most compleat step of Church-Saintship in this life is When we go beyond all the former and are made partakers of the Spirit of God in the powerfull renovation of us so that from that holy and new creature within us our lives and actions are made really and solidly holy And this is indeed the true and proper Saintship to which only the promise of Justification and Glorification is made So that if thou didst enjoy the greatest Church-priviledges yea and the most admirable gifts therein yet if destitute of this Saintship thou art but a tinkling cymbal and the hottest place in hell will be filled with such seeming Saints SERM XX. External Holiness is not enough to bring us to Heaven without the inward renovation of the Heart 2 COR. 1. 1. With all the Saints that are in all Achaia VVE have heard what is the last and ultimate step in Church-Saintship without which all the former though they be in themselves great mercies yet because we take them in vain do become in some respect in the number of those whom God will not hold guiltless They are I say in themselves great mercies For when we are thus called by God unto the external means of holiness there is some hope and a possible way for salvation whereas without this there is necessary destruction It is here as in blind Bartimeus his case Mark 10. 49. for when Christ commanded him to be called to him presently some said to the blind man Be of good comfort he calleth thee that was a good encouragement Christ called him so whereas there are many thousands in the world that are left alone in their state of darkness but he vouchsafeth the means of grace to thee We may say Be of good comfort there is some hopes Christ calleth thee yet because many are called and of those many called few are chosen therefore this external holiness and Saintship is not enough unless there be the inward renovation of the whole man Unless thou art holy inwardly as well as outwardly this will make to thy greater condemnation That therefore which is the essential form and gives a constrtutive being to Church-Saintship is Regeneration or the work of grace upon a mans heart Indeed to an external state and visible condition of Church-holiness a profession of faith with submission unto Christs wayes is enough but that which maketh us indeed members of the body of Christ and invests us with right to all saving benefits that is only this inward real Saintship And to clear this more you must take notice First That even in real Saintship there is a great latitude and difference All are not Saints alike The Scripture speaks of babes of young men of old men It speaks of some that are spiritual and perfect others are imperfect and even carnal 1 Cor. 3. comparatively so that we must alwayes distinguish between the truth of grace and the degrees of it A Saint is a Saint though but a bruised reed and a smoaking flax This is good to be observed that we may not judge of Saintship by such degrees and high attainments but by truth and sincerity No there will be alwayes difference both in Illumination and Sanctification and that amongst the Saints themselves And this should teach a mutual bearing and forbearing of one another Let not him that is strong who doth farre surpass others though
fears and of all doubts they question their own sincerity and what Rock they are built upon hereupon they are pierced thorow with many wounding apprehensions and have no rest in their bones but when this peace from God doth begin to stirre in their hearts then all these fears vanish They see peace with God and remainders of corruption may stand together so long as they do not make provision for the flesh or give themselves up to sinne willingly but are captivated therein so long Gods favour and love is not removed from them This peace they now see is not bottomed upon a pure and perfect heart free from any evil at all for then no David nor Paul could have peace but from the grace of God through Christ mercifully forgiving those failings and imperfections which we are burdened with Lastly The godly mans peace is many times greatly interrupted from without because of the hatred and malice of the world But Christs peace is an excellent antidote against that also John 14. 27. John 16. 33. Christ there bequeaths his peace to them and from this ground Because in the world they shall have trouble Let the winds and clouds be never so impetuous yet they cannot molest the upper region that is above their reach So it is here Let men and Devils set themselves against the godly with all their rage and madness Let them revile them imprison them yea kill them yet they cannot take away their peace from them So that unless they could as Black would have done get God to curse his children All the curses and violent oppositions of the world are so farre from weakning that they rather increase and strengthen their peace Thus you see what large territories this peace of God hath that it doth extend it self into large dimensions And oh how blessed and happy is that man who hath this peace compassing him about in every respect This is not only Peace peace as Isa 26. 3. but three or four times Peace peace from every side from within and without Why then is not the true believer more folicitous to possess himself of this crown of mercies Thirdly This peace of God arising from Gods favour in Christ hath admirable and sovereign effects which may move us to the attainment thereof As 1. Where this peace of God is it will wonderfully compose and settle the soul This is the genuine and immediate consequent of Gods peace in the soul it putteth the whole soul into an excellent harmony There are not those waves and tumults those divisions and distractions of soul which many times do greatly perplex the godly Do we not see an universal want of this peace generally amongst believers Whence arise those troubles those concussions of soul Why doest thou need so often to chide and rebuke thy self saying Why art thou cast down O my soul and why art thou so disquieted within thee Do not all these things arise because thy heart is not at rest and quietness within thee The Heathens speak much of their Socrates because he was noted to be alwayes Eodem vultu of the same countenance if this were true it did not arise from this Christian peace but from some Stoical or other Philosophical principles which did speak much to this tranquillity of mind but yet pleased themselves with the shadow never enjoying the substance David doth notably express the effects of this peace Psal 48. I will both lay me down in peace and sleep because thou Lord alone makest me dwell in safety Likewise Psal 23. we have a large description of a serene and pacified mind without any dividing cares of soul As also Psal 112. 3. his Heart is fixed trusting in the Lord. Thus this peace of God keeps all quiet and subdueth all troublesome insurrections and motions of soul Hence Colos 3. 15. Phil. 4. 17. this peace of God is said to rule in our hearts and to keep our hearts as an Army Garison a Strong-hold so that none dare make any opposition or resistance Thus doth the peace of God it is of such sovereign dominion in our hearts that it keeps down unbelief and all unruly passions of soul Doe not then be a Magor-missabib to thy own self when God calleth thee to peace doe not thou set all at variance and discord within thy self 2. This peace of God worketh as a consequent from the former a gracious contentation of soul under all conditions and estates So that whatsoever befall him he is the Lapis quadratus he is built on a Rock nothing can overwhelm his peace grieved he may be sadded he may be because of some passages even from God against him yet his peace he is never to let go for that alone makes the soul contented Though his conditions alter and he is tossed up and down several wayes yet because of peace with God he can follow the Apostle Paul and though with disproportion say I know how to abound and how to want I can do all things through Christ that strengthens me Phil. 4. 12. Whereas if this peace of God be taken from the soul then is the heart of a man like one burning in an hot feaver tossing from one place to another hoping to find some ease but can obtain none 3. This peace of God filleth the heart with joy and boldnesse at the throne of grace For as when the Sunne ariseth the dark clouds they are scattered Thus when the peace of God doth shine into our souls then the heart is filled with joy in the holy Ghost 1 Pet. 1. 8. it is called unspeakable joy and full of glory Insomuch that such who live in this manner have Heaven and eternal life already begun in their souls It is not according to the Spirit of God that thou shouldst be heaping up sad thoughts against thy self Gods Spirit is a comforting Spirit as it doth all in us for holiness so also for consolation It is not Spiritus Calvinianus but Papisticus that may be truly called Melancholicus for the Calvinist Doctrine preacheth and presseth the assuring work of Gods Spirit to the soul the certainty of perseverance to such who have been partakers of the least true grace but Popish Doctrine and others commend doubtings deny certain perseverance of the true Saints and therefore upon this account as well as for other reasons they may be rejected because they tend to the utter overthrow of the consolation of Gods children Oh then know that a spiritual life is a life sutable to the Spirit of God is a comfortable glad walking as well as an holy and a sanctified one Lastly Where this peace from God is there is a greater incentive and quickning to all holinesse and godlinesse There the soul is carried out with more fervency and activity scruples and dejected thoughts they are like the taking off the Chariot-wheels there cannot be such improved godliness such zealous and laborious expressions of love and thankfulness to God as when this peace of
as the Spirit of God doth sanctifie them But naturally the hearts of all men are deceitfull full of lies and falshoods towards God as if they loved him as if they repented when yet self is the motive that setteth all on work and no lesse false is it to man also It is true indeed commonly it is interpreted by good Expositors as if this speech did come from David in unbelief that it was the weaknesse of his faith thinking as if Samuel and other Prophets had deceived him about the Kingdome But in this sense there would have been a falshood in the speech neither would the Apostle then have made that use of it as he doth Besides at the verse before he saith I believed therefore have I spoken which the Apostle also maketh use of 2 Cor. 4. 13. for freedome and boldnesse in the profession of our faith therefore it may very well be that David from the strength of his faith now in his persecutions for that haste he speaketh of is to be understood of his flight and running from place to place doth encourage himselfe from the truth of God and is not dismayed to see Absolom and all his people prove false and perfidious for the corrupt nature of man inclineth him to no better If then the heart of a man be so naturally prone to be false towards God and man to be mercenary to seek our selves to be hypocrites This is the excellency of sincerity that it eateth away the rotten flesh at the bottome Hence In the third place It is because of this sincerity that the way to Heaven is such a streight and narrow way That Godlinesse is so rare a Jewel That many are called but few are chosen because though there be many duties many religious professions yet little sincerity of spirit Oh if there were no more required to goe to Heaven than to hear pray keep up an external forme of Religion different from the course of the world How easie and broad would the way to Heaven be Many thousands more would goe to Heaven than doe But this is that which makes it so difficult a thing to be saved because no duty no religious performances are entertained but rejected by God which come not from a sincere and true principle of grace within It is not then praying but sincere praying It is not hearing but sincere hearing Yea Martyrdome without sincerity is but the Devils Sacrifice So that experience will teach thee to set upon religious duties from principles of sincerity is a farre more difficult task then thou ever thoughtst of while going on in a formal customary way Heaven could never be so difficultly obtained neither could those Texts of Scripture which speak of the holy violence and agonies that must be in the way to Heaven were the externals of Religion enough but it is sincerity in these actings that maketh the streights When we set upon that then we see how far nature education custom and formality may carry us and yet want the soul and life of all Therefore Fourthly Sincerity is the proper characteristical difference between a temporary in Christianity and a true convert It is one of the greatest practical Questions in Divinity that is What is that which differences between the common graces of Gods Spirit and the special Or What are the bounds and limits whereby we may know to distinguish between an enlightned hypocrite fervent in all external religious duties and he who is cordially and truly so The Question is Whether it be a specifical or gradual difference And what is that which the truly godly doth And the foolish Virgin or foolish builder cannot do And if we descend not to particulars but speak in the general then we must say Sincerity is the essentiall difference So that as rationality maketh the essential difference between a man and a beast so doth sincerity between the truly godly and the seeming so onely This made the difference between Saul and David between Peter and Judas between many Kings recorded in the Old Testament who did very much in the wayes of the Lord and those who did seek God with all their heart So that by this you see how much it lieth us upon to look after sincerity in duties more than duties after sincerity in gifts and religious abilities more than gifts for this maketh the Christian The other are but as the body and garments this is the soul All thy glorious building must be pulled down if this be not the foundation It is no matter what standing thy Discipleship to Christ is of nor how famous thy gifts and parts are nor what an interest thou hast in the thoughts of Professours nor what a stricter way of Church-order thou mayest seeme to set upon if sincerity be not the salt to season all Oh then that Christians would study more in this point meditate about it read about it knowing that this is all in all If this be not the first stone laid in thy spiritual building when stormes arise thy building will fall and thy fall will be the greater by how much the appearances of holinesse have been the greater Therefore it is that sincerity is usually called by Divines the Gospel-perfection when many are said To seeke God with a perfect heart the meaning is not as if there were no sinnes or imperfections cleaving to them but because they were upright and sincere Though weak faith yet if sincere faith Though imperfect love yet if sincere love this hath a kinde of Gospel-perfection Hence of all the deceits in the world none is more dangerous and pernicious then when we take our selves for upright and sincere but are not Fifthly Sincerity doth carry a man on in religious wayes from principles of voluntarinesse and delight within Outward motives may make false hearts towards God set upon many notable services as we see in Iehu and Iudas c. But here was no voluntary and delightsome principle within For a man will never sincerely leave the sweetnesse of his lusts and profits he had in a carnal way till he finde infinitely more sweetnesse and delight in heavenly things So that this doth necessarily accompany sincerity that it maketh a man voluntary and willing with joy and delight in the whole work of God Psalm 110. 3. Thy people shall be willing willingnesses in the day of thy power It is true even the most upright doe sometimes finde much deadnesse and unwillingnesse to ho y things there is a wearisomnesse and aversnesse they sometimes feele but this is an heavy burden to them They cry out to God to quicken them to draw them to enliven them whereas the insincere man is carried out by external motives Even as when the water maketh the Mill runne round that of it self would never move because it wanteth life within Therefore that expression of Iob is observeable Iob 27. 10. Will he delight himselfe in the Almighty Will he alwayes call upon God The
concerning me We may very well take in both together for the latter doth necessarily suppose the former they could not continue in their acknowledgement of his integrity unlesse Paul also did persist in his uprightnesse Now in that Paul saith He trusteth viz. in God that he shall be thus preserved you see the humble and holy frame of his heart he doth not put confidence in his own strength in his own gifts and graces but alone in God which might teach us That though never so godly yet we are to depend upon God alone for our perseverance in the way to Heaven But we have already spoken to this in the general That it 's the property of the godly to acknowledge the grace of God towards them in all things We shall therefore pitch upon another which floweth from both the interpretations joyned together viz. That hopefull beginnings in the wayes of Religion are not enough without a faithfull perseverance therein It is not enough for a man that runneth a race to set out at first with all speed and swiftnesse unlesse also he hold out to the end Neither doth it avail a Traveller to get up betimes and to beginne his journey with all haste if afterwards he loiter or come back again Now this falleth out too often very sadly in our course of Christianity many that were once first are now last Yea are now nothing at all but turned clear out of the narrow way into the broad way that leadeth to Hell and destruction Thus the Apostle upbraideth the Galatians Galat. 3. 3. For ginning in the Spirit and ending in â—he flesh are you so foolish saith he It is the greatest folly that can be For hereby all our former zeal all our by-past activity for God is forgotten all is in vain Have ye suffered so many things in vain as it followeth in the next verse And again it is extreame folly because we part with God for sinne with Heaven for Hell with honey for gall we lose our sweetnesse and fatnesse to become briars and brambles that are fit for nothing but to be burnt To enlarge this consider First That a man who doth first set upon the way of Religion who will become a Disciple of Christ must above all things look to his foundation well He must have a special care that he layeth a good beginning otherwise though he may make a glorious shew for a while his fall at last will be very great and terrible Therefore our Saviour knowing the hypocrisie and inconstancy of mans heart doth much presse this point and that to such hearers who did shew exceeding great zeal and forwardnesse in following after him witnesse the Parable of the several kinds of grounds that received the good seed Matth. 13. and Luke 8. The difference between the good and bad lay in this that one had a good and honest heart wherein the word of God had deep rooting The other had onely a superficial worke and therefore when hardship came could not endure So likewise the Parable of the foolish and wise builders Luke 6. 47. is expresly to this purpose that none should please themselves in hearing of the Word in publick duties and profession but look to their foundation to observe what all their duties and expressions are built upon For what is built only upon a Rock will endure when stormes and tempests shall arise It is necessary to instance in some of those particulars that will thus qualifie our beginnings For as in diseases yea and in sinnes the Rule is To looke to the beginnings So in another sense it is good counsel to observe what was the first beginning that ever brought you into the wayes of God How came you to leave off what was formerly done by you and to appear in a contrary way For in some sense we may say here not dimidium but principium est plus toto And First We are to look to our motives whether they were temporal external upon some outward advantages or whether holy and spiritual Christ had many followers because of the loaves There are many that know Christ after the flesh that come with the petition of Zebedee's children Grant that we may sit in thy Kingdome one on the right hand and another on the left thinking Christs Kingdome would be outward and glorious Now such as these will never continue It is but painting and near the fire it will melt It is but the morning-dew when the Sunne ariseth it will vanish away Oh then above all things look to thy motives Consider what it was that brought thee off from thy former wayes Was it from beholding a spiritual excellency in Christ and holy things Was it for godlinesse sake Then because Christ is the same and godlinesse is the same thou wilt also be the same but if to get the favour of men to get wealth to obtaine paces of credit and profit then thou art but a meteor compounded of terrestrial materials and so wilt be tossed up and down as any winde driveth thee A second thing necessary to look to in thy beginnings is to see That the workings of Gods Spirit make impressions deep enough that it have full rooting For Matth. 13. and in many other places we read of many common gifts of Gods Spirit bestowed upon men whereby they may make very hopefull beginnings they may be furnished with excellent gifts and abilities so as to be able to work miracles they may taste of the good word of God they may be enlightned they may believe they may receive the Word with joy and are not these great and rare things How few are there that attain to thus much They have not that common illumination nor those transitory affections whereby we may say they do for a season rejoyce in the light When therefore we begin to take the first step to Heaven we are to consider whether we have any more than the common breathings and inspirations of Gods Spirit whether we have more than gifts or abilities more than some bodily ravishments or extasies For all these do not necessarily inferre the new creature oâ— a divine nature within us Indeed we could not have these things without the assistance of Gods Spirit and therefore when carnal and natural men are partakers of these they admire them they take these for grace they never had such workings upon their souls before there is a vast difference in themselves as they find between what they were once and what they now feel and this maketh them very secure and confident but because a good foundation was not at first laid therefore many of such a frame of spirit going no further do greatly apostatize and are more taken with their opinions experiences and apprehensions than Christ dwelling in them they are affected with them and not renouncing all go out of every thing that Christ may be exalted and they debased Thirdly And I will instance in no more It behoveth those who are
true but because it is the spirit that doth apply the promises to the soul and make us assured of them as he is called the holy spirit because he is the authour of holinesse But then Eph. 4. 30. there we are said to be sealed by the spirit denoting the spirit of God to be the efficient cause of it So that it is a blasphemous wresting of the Scripture by a Socinian when by the holy Ghost thus sealing unto us is saith he Smal. disp de promisso spiritus sancti meant no more than a sure hope of eternal life He denieth the holy Ghost to be God and a Person it is only saith he a sure hope within us but this is to confound this effect with the cause faith and love and hope are the effects of Gods Spirit they are not the spirit it self So that from hence viz. because the spirit of God doth seal us we may gather a sure argument that he is truly God for the spirit is said to confirm us and God is said to confirm us whereby it is implyed that to confirm our hearts is a divine operation as well as to sanctifie it It is true how the spirit of God is God and how it proceedeth from the Father and Sonne cannot be comprehended by reason It is enough that by faith we are to beleeve so for no wonder the doctrine of the Trinity is inexplicable seeing the nature of God is ineffable To this purpose Austin having discoursed about the Trinity concludeth that he perceived only he had spoken something of God Si autem dixi non est hoc quod dicere volui hoc unde scio nisi quia Deus ineffabilis est Quod autem a me dictum est si ineffabile esset non esset dictum ac per hoc ne ineffabilis quidem dicendus est Deus quia hoc cum dicitur aliquid dicitur fit nescio quae pugna verborum quoniam si illud est ineffabile quod dici non potest non est ineffabile quod velut ineffabile dici potest De Doctrinâ Christianâ lib. 1. But that by the way Lastly Here is the subject wherein and that is said to be in our hearts So that as God doth write his Law in our hearts Thus he doth also infuse his comfort and assurance which doth demonstrate the soveraign power of God over our hearts he can make them holy when he pleaseth he can comfort them when he pleaseth No Potentate in the world can do thus That heart of thine which is not in thy own power which no man can tame the grace of God can tame it that heart which thou desirest may be filled with holinesse and consolation God alone can do it The Observation is That grace wrought in the heart is a sure earnest of glory hereafter He that is holy here must needs be happy hereafter If thou canst finde grace in thy soul thou hast found the Pearl thou maist rejoyce not doubting but heaven will be thine hereafter The people of God are not only to look upon grace as grace but as it is an earnest of a greater happinesse yet how often do the children of God consider it without thiis respect what courage joy and holy boldnesse would it work in thee to think thou hast within thee that which assureth of eternal glory as if thou wert already in heaven This is a reviving truth that grace is an earnest of glory thou mindest grace as it subdueth thy corruptions as it maketh thy heart to be carried out more holily and delightsomely to God but then thou dost not attend to it as an earnest There is a great deal of difference between a shilling as a single peece of money and as an earnest it may be of twenty pound more to come Thus it is very much rejoycing to finde grace at all in thy soul as it is grace but it doth much more rejoyce as it is an earnest of more fulnesse Adam had grace the angels had grace but grace was not given them as part of an inheritance for they fell from it Let us consider two Texts of Scriptures where we have this earnest spoken of The first is by our Apostle in this Epistle cap. 5. 5. Now he that hath wrought us for the self same thing is God who also hath given unto us the earnest of his spirit What is that self same thing he speaketh of it is a groaning and an earnest desire after immortality we would gladly be out of this burden here and in heaven yea as we groan and desire so we are assured and know that when we shall dye we shall go to heaven But now because these are things far above the power of nature we naturally are afraid of death we are unwilling to be taken from our relations we have not such assurance of heaven Therefore saith the Apostle He that doth work us frame and polish us for this great thing it is God We could never do it without his supernatural assistance But then how doth God work this admirable frame of heart it is by the earnest of his spirit we have the beginnings of heaven already So that as the Israelites by the bunches of raisons had some foretast of Canaan so have beleevers some taste of heaven by what they feel already and as Moses from Mount Pisgah could behold Canaan though he did not enter into it thus thou hast a sight of heaven and an entrance into it by the grace begun in thee The other Text is Eph. 1. 14. where the Apostle having said That we were sealed by the spirit of promise he addeth which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession We are not yet brought into heaven into Canaan We are yet in the wildernesse we meet with many dangers and temptations threatning us that we shall never come there but only this earnest doth assure us and satisfie us So that as among the Israelites an inheritance was not to be alienated from the Tribe in the year of Jubilee it would return again to the true owner Thus this inheritance of heaven will never be taken from thee Thou maist be in some dangers and fears of losing of it by thy unwise carriage but shalt not be deprived of it Before we enlarge on this subject it is good to take notice of the dissimilitude as well as the similitude for though grace wrought in us be compared to an earnest in this respect as it doth assure us of future glory yet in other respects it greatly differeth from earnest among men As in the first place An earnest in bargains is to assure the buyer that giveth it as well as the seller they mutually hereby are confirmed so that the buyer cannot honestly fly off any more than the seller But now when the spirit of God worketh this earnest in us it is only for our good it is that we may be assured and
the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the few things or briefly as added for Modesty sake and indeed if it were related to Sylvanus it would not commend his fidelity but rather give occasion to doubt of it But if we attribute it to Sylvanus the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it signifieth a firm and undoubted judgment upon good consideration therefore our English word suppose doth not so well answer it Therefore in the third place That distinction of a Saint by external profession or dedication to God thereby and by internal and spiritual renovation is the most genuine to answer this doubt Some were Saints by inward regeneration Others were Saints by external profession and outward submission so that they had not as yet renounced their Christianity and this sense the Apostle plainly makes when he gives that opposition between Heathens and Saints as 1 Cor. 6. 1. Dare any of you go to law before the unjust that is the Heathens and not before Saints where Saint is opposed to an Heathen So vers 6. a brother which is all one with a Saint is opposed to an unbeliever All that came out of the world to profess Christ are called Saints and believers though even amongst them all were not godly Now you must know that there are degrees of godliness 1. There is that which is supream and infinite and thus God is holy holy holy 2. There is created boliness and that either perfect such as the humane Nature of Christ the Angels and glorified Saints in Heaven have or else imperfect subject to many imperfections and weaknesses Hence saith Salmeron We dare not call any man a Saint while be liveth on this earth till he be consummated but that is absurd for to be a Saint is no more than to be holy so that if we may call any holy we may also call them Saints as our Translators do for the most part render the word The Papists indeed they call only those that are canonized Saints who are already in Heaven therefore those that lived in the Old Testament because of their opinion of their being in Limbo Patrum they are never in the Roman Church called Saints they never say Saint David or Saint Isaiah Salmeron also observeth from this title of Saints given to all believers That in the Infancy of the Church saith he all were called Saints in the Adolescentiâ only the Bishops and Officers in the Church but in Senectute only those that are translated into Heaven But we must conform to Scripture not humane speculations The Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 answering the Hebrew Kodesh for the Septuagint seldom translate it by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but generally by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is by some said to be as much as sine terrâ without earth or any worldly pollution But the best Grammarians derive it from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to reverence and respect as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to desire because all holy things are with much reverence to be regarded Whereas then to be holy hath a two-fold principal signification 1. To be dedicate and set apart to God 2. To be inherently sanctified and both these applicable in the Text. We may observe That all those who are of Gods Church are Saints by profession and dedication and ought to be Saints by their lives and conversations Hence Rom. 1. 7. we have that expression called Saints that is either called to be Saints holiness being the term to which of their vocation or Saints by calling as Paul was by his calling an Apostle Both these tend to the same thing and all oblige to holiness First Let us consider how much this Church-Saintship doth comprehend what degrees and steps it hath And 1. It doth imply Their being under the external dispensation of Gods Covenant of Grace All that are under the Covenant administration are thereby Saints and holy though all are not regenerated Upon this account it is that the children of one or more believing Parents are called holy 1 Cor. 7. 14. where to be under the Covenant is enough to give this denomination of holy And hence it is that all the people of the Jews among whom there were many prophane and unholy persons in respect of inward Sanctity are yet called all of them Saints because the Covenant-dispensation was towards them Psal 77. 2. The Psalmist complaineth That the enemies had given the flesh of his Saints to the beasts of the earth where the Nation of the Jews destroyed by their enemies are all called Saints So Psal 89. 5 7. the assembly of the Israelites wherein also David did meet to praise God is called the Assembly of the Saints Now we cannot think that every Israelite who came to sacrifice and serve God was truly holy Yea Psal 50. God complaineth of such Who came and took his name into their mouth and yet hated to be reformed Therefore they are called Saints because they are all under the Covenant of Grace 2. Church-Saintship consists in a dedication and consecrating our selves unto God For our Baptism is the initial Sacrament and by it we are externally sanctified and set apart to God from the Devil sinne and the world For as in the Old Testament there were by certain ceremonial Rites dedicating of persons and things to God which thereby had a relative holiness and so were called holy because dedicated Thus though with some dissimilitude by the Sacrament of Baptism we are baptized into the Name of the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost which amongst other things signifieth this also that we are given up to God from the world and the Devil to be no more theirs not to live according to their course and way And for this reason it is that those who are not of the Church are said to be without 1 Cor. 5. and the world is distinct to the Church when therefore of the Church we are not of the world we are not without under the kingdom of Satan but we are of the body of Christ of his house and our Baptism doth sacramentally denote our communion with Christ Now although all that are baptized do not in deed and in truth put on Jesus Christ yet as long as they do not renounce their Baptism so long by that there is an outward dedication of them to God And thus that Apostate spoken of Heb. 10. 29. who never had true grace yet is said to be sanctified by the bloud of the Covenant whereof the Sacraments are seals So that our sacramental relation doth give an outward denomination of a Saint or an holy person though if there be no inward holiness the condemnation of such will be farre more dreadfull and intollerable than of the vilest and worst of Heathens 3. This Church-Saintship goeth a further step and that is An external profession of our faith
least cranny in his soul wherein the least glimpse of Gods favour can approach unto him Thirdly Such are capable subjects of Gods grace that are affected thankefully with the least discoveries and manifestations of it to the soul The Sunne is not more welcome to the world than the grace of God to a broken contrite heart If then the soul come to taste of the sweetness of it both heart and mouth will overflow in the acknowledging of this grace And indeed therefore doth the Lord do all out of grace to us that as the Apostle saith We might be to the praise of the glory of his grace Ephes 1. 6. And that we should shew forth the praise of him who hath called us out of darkness into his marvellous light 1 Pet. 2. 9. So that there is nothing so comely and beautifull for a soul partaking of this grace as to be calling upon his soul and all within him to praise God Yea because he cannot do it enough to call upon all other creatures Angels and Saints that they would joyn with him in this work And certainly the dullness and negligence of the godly is much to be lamented in this very particular David discovered this when Psal 103. he cals upon his soul to blesse God and in other places Psal 18. 2. Awake psaltery and harp I my self will awake early Why then is it thus with thee that in temporal mercies and deliverances thou art so cordially sensible of them If God of weak and sick make thee healthfull if he recover thee from the gates of death if he bless thy outward estate so that thou art freed from the former streights and perplexities thou wert in If I say God do thus for thee thou lovest to take notice of it thou canst with tears and joy speak of Gods goodness to thee herein but for those great and unspeakable riches of his grace in calling of thee and justifying of thee in beginning of grace in thy heart these things thou dost not meditate of so affectionately as thou oughest to do How farre otheawise was it with Paul whose heart was like a fountain never dry but did alwayes stream forth abundantly in blessing of God for those spiritual mercies Certainly were this grace of God rightly considered by us it would put us into holy ravishments it would take us off from all worldly comforts or discontents The soul possessed with thankfull thoughts about this grace of God will be even in Heaven it self Indeed we should account this our meat and drink and our only blessedness Oh then abhorre thy self for not being ravished more with this grace of God to thee Say Lord what a stone what frost and ice am I yea worse than they for David calleth upon them to glorifie and praise God and they do it in their kind but I am forgetfull and dull in this blessed work which is the only duty to be done to all eternity It may be then thou feelest no more of this grace of God because thou are no more thankfull for the present enjoyments of it and it argueth thy heart not only too dull and sluggish but too earthly and worldly that thou dost not bless God in the first and chiefest place for the workings of his grace towards thee Lastly Such only are capable of the benefits of this grace who do not abuse it or turn it into occasion of sinne The Apostle Jude 4. complaineth of some who did turn the grace of God into wantonnesse And the Apostle Paul Rom. 6. 1. speaketh of some who encouraged themselves to sinne because of Gods grace Oh take heed of falling into this Libertinism and licentiousnesse As the sweeâ— and comfortable showrs of April breed frogs and other vermine as well as pleasant flowers Thus the grace of God when falling into a broken humbled soul makes him more godly and holy but dropping on the wicked and carnal heart it pampereth him and nourisheth him the more in his sinnes How many spiders get poison out of these sweet flowers How many do encourage themselves in their prophaneness and go boldly on in their manifest impieties hardening themselves with the thoughts of Gods grace Thus whereas bitter pils the judgements of God would have consumed their lusts those sweet and comfortable things of Gods grace do more confirm them in their impieties Oh take heed of being wicked because God is gracious For thou wilt find though he be infinitely gracious and that to great sinners when repenting and humbling themselves yet to such as abuse and turn his grace into an occasion of sinne the hottest flames of his anger will fall upon such In the next place Consider some Rules how rightly to understand and judge of this grace of God And First You must know that there are those who extreamly erre about the grace of God and yet are directly opposite to one another The Pelagian the Papist Arminian and Secinian all these do more or lesse diminish and nullifie the grace of God For howsoever they have many plausible and specious distinctions by which they would evade to be thought enemies to Gods grace yet unless we give all to grace we make it no grace at all Austin's known assertion is very true Gratia non est gratia ullo modo nisi sit gratuita omni modo The Pelagians of old did deceive the Eastern Church by granting That all those were to be anathematized who did not hold the grace of God necessary to every good work And the Papists with the Arminians do carry it so speciously as if they indeed did set up grace more than their Adversaries Let not therefore every one that speaketh of grace be presently accounted Orthodox and to endure the Scripture-proof and trial Again on the other side there are Antinomians who do erre grievously though they only would be thought to admire free grace condemning all as Legal Preachers and of an Old Testament spirit that do not speak of grace as they do Now God is so gracious these tell us to his people That he seeth no sinne in them that he doth not afflict for sinne They tell us of such a grace That God looketh upon us as if we were Christ himself and that he doth this from all eternity That Paul before his conversion while a persecuter and blasphemer was as much in the love and grace of God as after his conversion That the vilest and most wicked of men even while they are so are to receive Christ as a Saviour That neither sinnes or good works do at all marre or make our peace That faith justifieth only declaratively by manifesting unto us That God did from all eternity justifie us These and such like poisonous tenents they affirm and this they say is to preach free grace Thus you see the grace of God may be opposed on the right hand and on the left Therefore in the second place take this Rule That we must not exalt grace according to our own
experimental knowledge which may be accompanied with some kind of sensible affections Mat. 13. the temporary believer received the word with joy You see then that some may have joy and that from the Word yet this not be the true saving knowledge or faith Heb. 6. some are there also said not only to be inlightened but to have tasted the good word of God Here you may observe that some may tast may have joy all which do inferre some affectionate inward experimental workings on the soul and yet not attain to have the true and honest heart And the reason is because these affectionate workings they are but transitory they quickly vanish away There is no setled constancy or permanency in them So that we are not to give credit to all the affections nor to all inlargements that we may find in our selves even about holy things but we are to be sure that there be deep rooting enough Hence Fourthly All experimental workings of the soul are to be judged and tryed by the Scripture Our hearts being full of guile and imposture the devil also transforming himself into an Angel of light hence it may come about that we may have the experience of much joy of many inlargements and yet all the while be in the devils waies Hence it is that all Sectaries almost will tell us of the great support and comfort they have had and that ever since they embraced those new waies yea some make themselves to be the only spiritual men that all other are in the flesh as Tertullian wrote a Book against the Orthodox stiling it Contra Psachicos as those that were meerly natural in the mean time he pretended to private revelations The experiences therefore which we find in our souls we must examine and try lest we make that to be of God which is indeed of the devil No doubt many deluded souls in dangerous and damnable waies comfort others of the same way with them by that comfort wherewith they are comforted not of God but of the devil Therefore let our experiences especially of comfort be judged by the Word in these Particulars First In the manner and way how thou comest by them Are they by the Scriptures truly understood I say truly understood For if thou abusest Scripture putting thy own sense upon it and thereby receiving comfort it is no longer then Verbum Dei but verbum tuum thou wrestest it and makest it thy own or the devils and not Gods If therefore thy experience of comfort be grounded on the Word if thy consolation flow from hence then this will abide That we through comfort of the Scriptures might have hope Rom. 15. 4. The Spirit of God doth first lead into all truth and then into all comfort Secondly In the original and the efficient cause is it from God from the Spirit of God Or from the devil who may harden thy heart and make thee have such joy as mad men have not feeling their own misery The comfort and the joy that is truly so is still attributed to God and the Holy Ghost as the fountains thereof Thirdly Doth thy experience of Consolation make thee more humble and empty Doth it drive thee out of all thy vain carnal confidences This argueth it cometh from God if with the Centurian when Christ cometh to thy soul thou sayest Lord I am unworthy this joy this consolation should enter into me And therefore the more comfort the more lowly and debased in thy own eyes And never more then when the most joy This is a good experience of comfort as coming from God So also if this comfort be conducing to holinesse if by this thou art more quickned to mortifie sinne to subdue the corruptions that remain if this be like oyl to the wheeles thou art more fervent more zealous in all holy duties then make much of this comfort for it cometh from Heaven If then we have the experience of Gods working upon our souls both in the way of grace and the way of comfort then and never till then are we fitted to deal with the souls of others And there are these Reasons First None can wisely be a Physician to heal a disease in another unlesse he have skill and understanding in the nature of it and the fit remedy for it Now while a man hath no experimental knowledge of Gods workings upon his own soul he hath no skill no heavenly heart about the diseases in others souls Bring a poor wounded soul that is burdned with sinne that would be directed into Evangelical comforts to a Pharisaical self-righteous Doctor and alas he will as Ely thought the poor weeping woman bitter in soul and praying to God to be drunk so will these think such an one mad and foolish Hence you heard Christ would be tempted as we are that he might succour those that are tempted that he might have the tongue of the learned to speak to such who are weary Those that have not been thus humbled thus exercised thus comforted they are no waies able to be any helpfull comforters but like the Priest and the Levite will passe by those who are thus wounded Secondly As such can have no skill or understanding so they cannot have any sutablenesse of pity and compassion to those that are so afflicted in spirit and needed comfort She said Non ignara mali miseris c. The experience she had of miseries made her pity those that were in the like God would have the Jews be kind to strangers because they had once been strangers themselves Thou that hast been in the deep waters of Gods wrath thou that knowest how insupportable it is to feel the frowns and wrath of God for sin with what melting bowels with what pittifull affections wilt thou be like the good Samaritan Hence it is that as the Lord Christ himself did conflict with the wrath of God being in unspeakable agonies so also many of the choicest servants of God especially Ministers have been under the harrow and hammer of these desertions that they may be more polished for Gods building Luther doth manifest in several places what the great works of God were that he felt on himself so that though of a stout and undaunted spirit yet the anger of God did beat him to powder and finding no help for his afflicted soul in any Popish Principles no more then the Dove could place of abode while the waters did overflow at last when it pleased God to comfort him by Evangelical comforts through a right understanding of Christ and righteousnesse what a tree of life did his tongue become to others How many did he comfort by those comforts God had comforted him Calvin also it 's noted of him that he was a man of deep and retired thoughts within yet did retain them much in his own brest and no doubt by this he was the more prepared to be an excellent Instrument in the Church of God We see
then he only that hath the experimentals either of the bitternesse of sinne or the sweetnesse of the Gospel is only able with a tender heart and hand to cure a wounded soul And certainly if the Apostle make this an Argument Gal. 6. 1. to rejoynt as it were one that is overtaken in a fault because the most spiritual may be tempted how much rather when thou hast been tempted So that this experimental way in holy things worketh much commiseration and sympathizing with those who groan under the hand of God upon them When Judas was in that perplexed agony crying out I have sinned in betraying the innocent blood with what stony and seared hearts did the Pharisees reject him saying What is that to us look thou to that It 's a mercy for broken-hearted sinners to fall into the hands of a tender experienced Believer who hath felt what they feel and so is able to conceive of their sad estate And indeed even as for instruction of the ignorant there needeth much patience so there doth also pitty which will put thee upon unwearied diligence to comfort the dejected For it is not a work soon done they must bear with many infirmities they are full of subtile objections and when they are for a while comforted they loose all presently again insomuch that he must have tender bowels who is not wearied out with their weaknesses Thirdly Such experienced ones are only able to deal with tempted souls to instruct and comfort them because the afflicted find such only reall Such are in earnest He that hath experimentally felt the bitternesse of sinne maketh it manifest to others that it 's not meer Oratory or Eloquence that sets him against sinne but something within that he feeleth burning like fire within The very Heathen could say Si vis me flere dolendum est primo tibi A man that hath not inwardly felt the power of truth upon his heart he is so cold so formall so lazy that you cannot tell whether he believeth the things he preacheth to be true or no. And so also for comfort must it not much satisfie the dejected soul to meet with one under the same temptations under the same fears and yet now prayeth with joy heareth with joy Thou canst find all thy heart as it were in him and yet he is delivered he is comforted who thought it as impossible as I do Whereas if a man be a stranger to these workings of God the tempted soul flyeth off saying He knoweth not how to judge of these things I can give no credit to him Fourthly Such are only able because they alone are faithfull They dare not flatter them they dare not sooth them They will give them no comfort if there be no cause for it Now the truly broken soul loveth this faithfull dealing better then flattery There is a woe to those that made the heart of those merry whom God would have made sad And there are many in the ministerial Office that are unworthy and flattering in this case comforting every one that lyeth a dying though never so prophane Now he that is truly humbled careth not for such a mans comfort he knoweth he will not deal faithfully he will send me to hell with comfort And whereas it is one rule that experienced Divines give to tempted souls That under their fears and doubts they must believe the judgment of the Ministers of God about their condition rather then themselves this must be understood of sound faithfull and experienced Ministers otherwise it is a most dreadfull thing to fall into the hands of fawning flattering Ministers who will encourage them and send them to Heaven when they themselves know not either what true sorrow for sinne or true Evangelical comfort meaneth Use 1. Of Exhortation to the Ministers of Gods Word not to think learning study reading of Books enough to qualifie thee for a Ministerial employment but implore much the work of Gods Spirit herein A good heart a gracious heart will help as well as good Books Do not rest only upon studied and acquired gifts but pray also for infused and inspired Use 2. Of Instruction to the people of God How usefull it is to communicate their gracious experiences one to another much edification much consolation may come hereby Whose sadnesse hast thou comforted Whose deadnesse hast thou quickned It may be thou hast learned a precious receit how to cure such a sinne such a temptation and why doest thou not help others SERM. XLIII It is a special Duty incumbent upon every one both Minister and Christian to apply comforts to the Afflicted in a right manner 2 COR. 1. 4. That we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble IN this final cause we considered the Subject who are fit for this comfort and they are said to be such who are in any trouble Those that abound in mercies need no comfort we are not to give honey to such full stomacks But the troubled the afflicted these are they whose condition we are to commiserate From whence observe That it is a special duty in a right manner to comfort those that are in trouble We are not only to seek the conversion of such who go astray but also to regard the consolation of those that lack it Hence Lam. 1. the Church complaineth That she had none to comfort her The Apostle speaketh of this duty often 1 Thess 4. 18. Comfort one another with these things 1 Thess 5. 11 14. Comfort the feeble minded You see by this pressing this duty so often that we are seriously and diligently to practise it lest as God will judge for neglect of corporal alms to fit objects of charity so also he will call to account for the not dispencing of these spiritual alms Thou hast not visited those who were spiritually imprisoned by the guilt of their sins neither fed those with the bread from Heaven who were hungry Hence it is that the Apostle speaking concerning the incestuous person who was now deeply humbled for his sinne 2 Cor. 2. 7. exhorts them to comfort him lest he be swallowed up with too much sorrow We have a notable instance for this in Jobs friends Job 2. 11. who when they heard of all the evil that was come upon him they made an appointment together to come and mourn with him and to comfort him Thus you see that it is a special duty we are carefully to discharge to refresh the souls of others who are cast down That as the custom was among the Jews and Solomon he giveth a precept about it Prov. 31. 6 7. Give wine unto those that are of an heavy heart that he may drink and remember his misery no more So we are in a spiritual consideration to give the wine of the Gospel to such as mourn for their sins To discover this truth Consider First The troubled as you heard formerly are of two sorts Those who are afflicted in soul as the
it was with Paul this trouble though so exceedingly presting though for the present above his strength yet see how much strength he feeleth at the latter end This trouble did not overcome him but he overcame by the trouble by the grace of God For by this he was brought not to trust in himself but in God who did deliver him and thereupon he concludeth he doth and will deliver him So that God never suffereth any trouble though it be for the present never so heavy and burdensom totally and finally to overcome a man but at last he proveth even more than a conquerour These things thus explained Observe That it 's not the natural strength of any man no not of Paul that is able to carry a man through such afflictions that God may exercise him with Paul saith here It was above his strength not to complain not to accuse God as if he were too severe but thereby to debase himself and to give all glory to God Thus Isai 40. 28 29. when the Church began even to despair under her long calamities saying Her way was hid from God he took no notice of her condition With what incouragement doth God speak and that from this property in him The Creator of the earth fainteth not neither is weary God sinketh not under the government of the world nor the preservation of the Church For if the Sunne that hath runne its course so many years is not weary but can perform it as swiftly as ever Do we think God will be weary But this is not all the comfort As he hath this power so he communicateth it to his weak people To them that have no might he increaseth strength So that the more sensible we are of our own impotency the more ready is God to put forth his power To explain this Let us consider First That the sense of the Doctrine is That no man can bear any burden of affliction in a gracious manner without divine assistance from Christ Men may be naturally patient under great troubles yea they may have that fortitude as to be able to despise death it self but all this is not done in a godly way There is not the least temptation or affliction that cometh upon thee but if God should leave thee to thy self thou wouldst be broken under it nothing but sinne and corruption would manifest it self therein Peters case is abundantly known a temptation did befall him that was more than he could bear for the present though he had a good issue out of it Now this was a very little one in it self Peter had not yet resisted to blood It was but a Damsel and some others that told him he was of Christs company Here was no arraigning of him no impleading of him Here is no sentence of death pronounced against him and yet for all that he falls under it and in a most dreadfull manner denieth Christ What will any one say here Peter was pressed above measure No but from hence we may gather That there is not the least or most inconsiderable trouble that is but falling upon thee in thy own strength as Sampson with his hair cut off but it is able to overwhelme thee Therefore in all thy exercises consider thy infirmity Know that to bear the least burden as a Christian thou canst not do it unlesse it be given thee from above For if Iohn 15. We are not able to do any good separated from Christ if we cannot performe any holy action without the help of grace then much lesse are we able to bear any affliction graciously Conclude then on this That so great is thy sinfull infirmity and impotency that thou canst no more in a godly manner bear thy burden then the lame Cripple could rise up and take his bed and walke till Christ bid him and gave him power to do it Hence in the second place All those opinions which hold That a man is able to resist the tentations of sinne whether by prosperity or adversity so that they be not very extream and grievous without grace and strength from Christ are very injurious to the glory of God though never so much coloured with specious distinctions A man cannot do the least good or beare the least evil without Gods power in an holy manner And besides many Texts in Scripture the reason is plain Because the power of man and supernatural objects have no proportion or habitude between them Ordo Naturae and Ordo Gratiae differ as much as Heaven and Earth For this reason the people of God are so earnestly to pray to God that they be not lead into temptation For let what temptation soever arise if God leaveth thee to thy self it will be to thy ruine Therefore in the third place Experience doth confirm it That many men through the natural strength they have are able to beare up themselves under extream troubles Therefore we must acknowledge a vast difference between a Natural bearing and a Spiritual bearing of troubles And it is the duty for every one to examine whether Nature or Grace doth support Rom. 4. 18. it is there said of Abraham That against hope he believed in hope against natural hope he believed in divine and supernatural hope Thus the godly they do above strength with strength endure afflictions above natural strength with divine But because many men naturally have patient dispositions others stout and strong stomacks it is good to know whether Nature or Grace support thee When Solomon saith Prov. 18. 14. The spirit of a man will sustain his infirmities but a wounded spirit who can bear He doth by that give us a distinction of two sorts of troubles The former External such as fall upon our Body Estate or good Name And now under these many a man hath so much natural courage and boldnesse that he will not shrink under them But then The second sort is Internal because of the guilt of sinnes when the wrath of God falleth upon the conscience being now awakened and made tender this he calleth a wounded spirit and concerning this he saith None can bear it So that although for outward troubles many men do with their natural power and strength go through them yet a troubled conscience no humane power is able to bear if God withdraw his helping hand Cain cried out It was greater than he could bear Iudas was so overwhelmed with it that he destroyed his own self Oh then take heed of bringing a burden upon thy conscience that is heavier than any weight Poverty may be borne misery and streights may be borne but a wounded conscience who can beare In the fourth place There is not only a great difference between the natural spirit of a man to bear infirmities and a gracious but also that moral vertue called Fortitude by Philosophers which is so commended by them They make Fortitude as a vertue to lie in attempting difficult things or bearing great evils for vertues
God as that known expression of Luthers Fiat voluntas mea Domine In Savoâ—â—râ—la likewise even Machiavil did acknowledge a Divine Spirit in him Many things he fore-told which came to passe and had bold accesse to the throne of grace as if he had been another Moses speaking to God face to face In his Homilies upon Micah he hath wonderfull assertions about his predictions But extraordinary priviledges and that in some cases onely must not be extended to all When the glory of God and the good of his Church is concerned God doth come with more familiar discoveries of himthan at other times But though this be so yet the godly are many times deceived in themselves and about others and that because they judge according to outward appearance Fourthly Then are the people of God apt to be deceived about themselves When they yeeld too much or give too much credit to the strong affections and raised zeale as they thinke for the glory of God In such particulars they have many times failed as men yea so as they have sinned thereby and offended God Thus Peter did exceedingly fail Matth. 16. 23. when out of his great affection to his Master he said Master save thy self What a severe reproof did his humane affections meet with Get thee behind me Satan for thou savourest not the things of God but of man Little did Peter expect such words for that which he thought was his good will if not piety to Christ The like also we find in those Disciples Luke 9. 55. when they would have fire come from Heaven to be avenged on the Samaritans because they would not receive Christ for there Christ gave them a check saying Ye know not what spirit ye are of They thought that to be a Divine Spirit they thought the same heavenly breathing and motion to be upon them as was upon Elias but alas they did not know what spirit it was We find also Paul deceived or at least forbidden in some passages which he thought greatly promoting the glory of God Act. 16. 6. Paul was forbidden to preach the Word in Asia which implieth a desire and an attempt in him to do it And vers 7. Paul essayed to go into Bythinia but the Spirit suffered him not And often he purposed to come to the Churches he had planted And although he saith in one place 1 Thess 2. 18. I Paul would have come to you once and again but Satan hindered yet Satan could not have hindered had not God permitted him So that though Satan hindered Paul sinfully yet God did hinder him justly and for wise ends Which instances shew what vehement affections the godly may have and that as they think for Gods glory when yet God disposeth farre otherwise So that as God may sometimes for just and holy ends let false prophets speak truth as Deut. 13. 1. a false prophet or dreamer may tell a thing which may come to passe and the Lord suffer this to tempt and try his people Thus Balaam though a wicked man and a Sorcerer did prophesie of the happy things that were long after to come upon Israel Yea the Philistims Priests and Diviners did by Gods special permission 1 Sam. 6. direct to such means about the Ark and order strange wayes about the milch Kine to discover whether their evil was of God or not and all this proved successefull As I say God may for wise and just ends suffer the Devils instruments to foretell that which is true and speak aforehrnd of things that shall and will come to passe so on the other side God may sometimes hide things from his own people yea his own Prophets so that they may not know them As Elijah told Gehezi The Lord had hid from him what the Shunamites grief was The people of God then are to walk in all humility and as they are not to believe every spirit but try the spirit of others so also they are not to believe their own spirit but to try that Fifthly The people of God are apt to be deceived about themselves thinking otherwise than indeed it is and that about the frames of their heart in respect of the workings of grace As Paul received a sentence of death upon himself so sometimes the children of God a more terrible sentence upon themselves even that they are damned that they are cast-awayes that God hath forsaken them that they have no true grace that all their Religion is but hypocrisie Even these sad decrees the godly in their temptations do receive in themselves but God doth not passe this sentence upon them neither doth the word of God it is their deceived and tempted heart Thus also it is for grace they many times are deceived thinking they can do those things for God which when put upon the trial they cannot As Peter thought Though all men should for sake him yet he would not Oh how little do the godly know of their hearts how mutable how contradictory to themselves And all because they think that is not in them which indeed is As there are dangerous Rocks in the Sea when you would think by the waters that cover them all were safe and harmlesse It was this made David so affectionately cry out Psal 19. Who can understand his errours Cleanse me from secret sins and thereupon prayeth Keep back thy servant from presumptuous sinnes Remember that in thy heart there are secret concavities and windings that it will put on many shapes and forms seeming an humble heart when it is proud an heavenly heart when it is earthly SERM. LXVII The People of God often pass false judgement upon the dispensations of God towards them The Reasons from whence this false judgement proceeds with Rules to prevent it 2 COR. 1. 9. But we had the sentence of death in our selves that we might not trust in our selves WE have observed from the first part in this Verse That even the godly themselves are apt to be deceived about Gods dispensation towards them They make false conclusions because they erre in some premisses It remaineth that after some generall and remote instances we come to insist on that which the Text affordeth viz. That then the People of God are deceived when they judge of Gods dealings according to sense and humane helps not according to Gods power and his promise And with this deceit the Children of God are frequently overtaken How often do we find David in many of his Psalmes thus deluded what false conclusions doth he many times make about himself and his affaires and all this did arise because he limiteth God to his own thoughts and expectations if God remove not such impediments if his helps come not in before such a time then they conclude all is hopeless It is said of the people of Israel that they limited the holy one of Israel Isa 78. 41. And wherein did this appeare The Psalmist spake of it before viz. Can God furnish a Table in the
do attain it They take civility for godliness they take the outward performance of religious duties for godliness they take some sudden pangs and fits of devotion for godlinesse Thus they judge copper to be gold But In the next place if they do understand what it is to be regenerated how great a matter it is to be a New Creature then such is their self-love that they presently apply it to themselves and do believe they are such ones For this end is that duty so often commended To commune with our own hearts to try and search our own hearts For this end we are informed of the deceitfulnesse and desperate wickednesse of the heart that no man knoweth it that God only knoweth it Thou boastest of thy heart thou trustest in thy heart Ah poor deluded wretch thou knowest not what a sea of evil thy heart is till grace shine into that dark dungeon thou canst never perceive the loathsome lusts that crawl there Pray therefore to be delivered from this heart-trusting as from hell it self It is this that is the Beelzebub sinne This maketh thee shut thy eyes stop thy ears harden thy heart and therefore till this root be pulled up no preaching no Ministry can do thee any good For the first thing done by converting grace is to take away this trusting in our selves and in stead thereof to work an holy despair in our selves This the Spirit of God doth by convincing of sinne through the Law by this we see our selves a sinfull people and a cursed people we are also convinced of our impotency and insufficiency to help our selves By this we are convinced that it must be the righteousness of another even of Christ himself and not our own that we must appear in when we approach unto God Till therefore thou art in this heart-trusting way as long as this good perswasion and secure thoughts are in thy self thou art wholly out of the way to Heaven This is not the way to Christ if thou art not wounded the good Samaritan will pour no oil into thee if thou doest not judge all things husks and seest thy self ready to famish there will no entertainment be given to thee at thy fathers house Oh then that the Spirit of God would in a mighty and powerfull manner fall upon such sinfull considers that he would shake the very foundations of their souls For as long as this self-trusting a bideth in thee thy condition is incurable if the heart be deceitfull above all things why doest thou believe it above all things Thou believest thy own heart more than Gods word more than the Ministers of God No man doubteth of his heart none questioneth or examineth his heart and therefore cometh not to the Word preached to have that purged to have that cleansed but takes it for an undoubted principle that his heart is good already But how cometh it to be good When was it made good by nature it is full of evil and therefore it can never be sanctified but by the grace of God effectually working by the Ministry Secondly The Scripture instanceth in another object of sinfull trusting that is secret and close but also very dangerous and that is in the righteousnesse we conceit we have and this was the great pharisaical sinne This was the Camels bunch this made them stand in such immediate opposition to Christ that they rejected his Person and Offices They did not look upon themselves as sick and therefore would not admit of a Physician And oh that this sinne had been like Jonah's gourd that sprang up for a day only and presently was consumed but it is a sinne that passeth from one generation to another to put confidence in their own righteousnesse to seek to be justified by the works they do Doth not this reign in Popish spirits in all formalists in civil and moral men Do they not look to be saved to be justified by their works of righteousnesse and charity How often doth the Scripture thunder against this sinne And indeed well it may for it maketh our selves our own Christs our own Saviours It maketh Christ to die in vain Now how natural and imbred a sinne this is appeareth by the Jewes Rom. 10. 3. They went about to establish their own righteousnesse and would not submit themselves to the righteousnesse of faith Hence because this sinne did so reign in the Pharisees our Saviour spake that excellent Parable Luke 18. 9. concerning a Publican humbling himself and sensible of his unworthiness as being justified rather than a Pharisee He spake this saith the Text to certain who trusted in themselves that they were righteous And why doth our saviour make those blessed that mourn that are poor in spirit that hunger and thirst after righteousnesse but to shew in what a blasted and cursed estate they are who put any trust in the good works they do to be justified by them You see then by this how dangerous and damnable a thing that common sinne is which every civil every just and righteous man is apt to lean upon if his eyes were opened and his heart made tender he would not dare to eat or sleep or stay one night in it as good and safe as now he believeth it to be Thirdly Another object of this sinfull secret trusting is in spiritual or Church-priviledges or Ordinances that we have more than others This is also like the Psalmists plague which destroyeth at Mid-day thousands fall dead into hell because of this religious trusting in priviledges and Ordinances They trust in them not regarding what holinesse and godlinesse God doth require of them How palpably did the Prophet Jeremiah reprove this in the Jewes Jer. 7. 4. Trust ye not in lying words saying The Temple the Temple of the Lord are these but amend your wayes and your doings as vers 3. When the Prophet exhorts them to repentance and reformation then they plead The Temple of the Lord and the Ordinances This is so enticing a sinne that in the Christian Church many were perswaded by false Teachers That unlesse they were circumcised and kept up the Rites of the Ceremonial Law they could not be justified Therefore the Apostle speaketh excellently Phil. 3. 3. We are the circumcision which rejoyce in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh When it cometh to this that thou doest not trust in Duties or in Ordinances but in Christ in them then art thou a true worshipper of God in the Spirit In the same Chapter Paul layeth upon his own heart what trust and confidence he once had in his being a Jew in being circumcised in his legal righteousness But when it pleased God to reveal Christ to him What doth he trust in these priviledges any longer No by no means for he accounts all things but dung and losse in comparison of that righteousnesse which is by faith in Christ Is not this likewise an universal predominant sinne amongst Christians Do they not
assemble themselves together You see even in the Apostles dayes the Devil tempted some in this kind yet they are reproved though private Christians in those dayes had greater gifts and abilities then now ordinarily men have yea they are reproved though some think the cause was not voluntary but that it was fear of danger and persecution It was criminal to meet together and therefore fear of death and other miseries might make some forbear to assemble themselves yet for all this they are censured by the Apostle Let this then be laid to heart by thee look that no reason keep thee from this publick worship of God but what God himself will allow of For in some cases God hath condescended that his own worship shall rather be omitted then mens necessities not supplied Secondly As God is more honoured so hereby The love and charity of the people of God is greatly quickened to one another This publick and holy meeting together is a special means to enflame the affections of one believer to another Hence you have it so often noted That the Disciples met together with one accord and they had one heart And therefore diversities of opinions and alienation of affections do cause commonly a publick rent and division in Church-societies David doth with affection expresse the advantage of the publick Ordinances We went to the house of the Lord and we took sweet counsel together Psal 55. 14. This is the visible communion of the Saints wherein as members of the same body they are so firmly and nearly compacted together There is nothing that the Devil doth so much design as rents schismes and differences in the Church of God knowing that these if not healed will certainly destroy all at last Now a right and orderly meeting in these publick Assemblies are a special means to preserve love How shall those mouths speak against one another that joyned together to pray to God and to praise God You that called upon one Father as Brethren How shall ye disagree as if one had not the same God and the same Father with another Therefore our Saviour directs to say Our Father not my Father hereby commanding our publick meetings together and also our union and brotherly love Thirdly Therefore are these publick duties to be the more prized Because of Gods special presence and power there Mat. 18. You have a peculiar promise for two or three meeting together in Christs name even as by way of type God had promised his peculiar presence in the Temple And for this reason you have David with such ardent and passionate affections expressing his esteem of the Ordinances of God Psal 63. 1 2. My soul thirsteth and my flesh longeth as in a dry land where no water is to see thy power And at another time How amiable are thy tabernacles O Lord of hosts And As the Hart panteth after the brooks so doth his soul after God in the Ordinances Though David when he was banished and by force could not come to the publick Congregation no doubt did enjoy God in a most comfortable and full manner yet still he is not satisfied but breaths for his presence in those Ordinances And therefore for thee to think that thou mayest meet God as well at home is as if a cripple should have looked to be healed by going into some other water then that of the pool of Bethesda Lastly These publick Ordinances are therefore to be highly esteemed Because those who are quickened and enlivened may prevail for those who are indisposed and unfit for prayer So that the coldnesse and dulnesse of one man may be supplied by the zeal and fervency of another Insomuch that happily the prayer which if performed by thy own self would not be successefull being now joyned with others doth obtain its desired effect yea it may be in that publick service when thou through temptations canst or darest not pray for thy self others accompanying of thee do put up thy own thoughts and speak the desires of thy own heart So that thou art even astonished to see how God ordereth the gracious gifts of others to be helpfull unto thee As it was with Job his whole body though full of ulcers and pains yet because his mouth was free that could plead with God in behalf of the whole body Thus it may be when many are gathered together that Christian who could not speak for it self which could not pray for it self findeth the hearts and mouths of others opened in his behalf So that as when many coals are laid together some live ones may revive those that are ready to decay Thus the zeale of others may helpe thy coldnesse The life of others may quicken thee up against deadnesse and thou find that spiritual heat come upon thee from others which thou wouldst not have had alone Use of Exhortation To prize these publick Assemblies more than thou hast done Pray for such strong and earnest affections as thou findest David manifesting after them Oh let these publick meetings raise up thy heart as if thou were in Heaven The beholding of the faces of the affections and of the graces of others let it assimilate thee also into them As when Saul came among the Prophets the spirit of prophecy fell upon him likewise Oh let the Congregation of those who feare God worke upon thee also Be in these Assemblies as Peter on the Mount of transfiguration saying in an holy excesse of spirit It is good to be here What high expressions are those of David in reference to the solemne Ordinances Psal 65. 4. Blessed is the man thou choosest and causest to approach unto thee that he may dwell in thy Courts we shall be satisfied with the goodnesse of thy house even of thy holy Temple Here is sweetnesse and fullnesse that the people of God find in these publick approaches All the merry meetings all the fairs and markets are nothing to this spiritual society And Psalm 84. 10. A day in thy Courts is better than a thousand otherwhere Hence he had rather be a door-keeper in the house of God then dwell in the tents of wickednesse Oh heavenly and gracious frame A Sabbath day is better than all the dayes of the week he hath more rejoycing there then a thousand dayes can afford that are spent in worldly affaires But when these publick duties are thus advanced as you hear you must alwayes look that they be done holily spiritually fervently that they be not turned into a meer custome and external fashion as it too often falleth out in Church-assemblies their bodies are present but their souls are absent and therefore they have no more than the carkasse and out-side Such prayers and praises God will not accept The third and last particular is to be spoken to in a word and that is In whose behalf these publick prayers and praises are and that is said In our behalfe Some Copies have read it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but
is it How slavish and unbelieving Hence is it that the people of God need so many instructions and informations Hence is it that they are often in prayers and groans unutterable ere they can truly and cordially call God Father They fear him as a Judge and flie from him rather as an enemy Even as if there be never such glorious and delightfull objects to refresh the eyes with yet if a man be in the dark he cannot take any pleasure therein Thus many of Gods dear children who walk with a tender conscience who are diligent in all the wayes of holiness yet have not this testimony of conscience to comfort them it is hid from their eyes only because the Spirit of God doth not enable them thereunto Now the Apostle telleth us 1 Cor. 2. 17. It is the Spirit of God whereby we know the things that we have freely received of God 2. The Spirit of God doth witness unto us Objectively as I may so call it and that is by some effects and fruits of his grace upon our hearts by which we gather as by so many sure signes that we are in the state of grace and not hypocrites But because this will come in more fully in the ensuing particulars I shall only touch upon those effects by which the testimony of our conscience is rightly guided in witnessing to us And First By having a full and serious purpose to avoid all sinne as it shall become manifested to us As David professed That he did hate every evil way Psal 119. 104. He that doth allow and indulge himself in any known sinne cannot have the testimony of this good conscience It is true as is to be shewed there is no man living though never so holy but his conscience convinceth him of much sinne and many infirmities and this maketh him so highly esteem Christ and a Gospel-righteousness but yet it doth not witness to him that he liveth in the customary acting of grosse sinnes if it doth the Spirit of God never witnesseth with such a mans conscience that he is the child of God No if thou livest quietly without the smitings and condemnations of conscience it is because it is stupid and the Devil hath deluded and hardened thee for Gods Spirit witnesseth with our conscience and by this effect that we have a tender respect to avoid all known sinne Secondly Another effect is A zeal for the glory of God to honour him to magnifie Christ and to set up his Kingdome as much as we are able The more zeal and fervency men have had for Gods honour the more powerfull testimony of a good conscience they alwayes enjoyed As we see in this Paul in his whole ministerial course with what burning zeal did he flame forth continually and on the contrary so much remisness so much negligence and lukewarmness so much is the abating of consciences testimony Thirdly An holy confidence and boldnesse in our approachings to God And of this the Apostle speaketh Rom. 8. The Spirit of Adoption removing our fears our unbelief and dejection raising us up also with an holy confidence and humble boldness doth hereby testifie with our consciences that we are the children of God Hence the more distrustfull fears the more tormenting doubts that we groan under the weaker and more feeble is the witness of our conscience yea if those prevail and are predominant then our conscience is set against us and witnesseth against us and then the child of God is in sad desertions when his heart witnesseth against him that he is an hypocrite that he did serve the Lord without integrity For though this be false yet till Gods Spirit remove this darknesse and fill thee with an Evangelical confidence thou art not able to hold up thy head Fourthly Another effect by which Gods Spirit witnesseth with our conscience is An unfeigned love to the brethren a delight in all those that love God Where this is that thou lovest godly men for their godliness sake this demonstrateth thou art born of God and hast the same Image in thee as they have And if thy love also extend to thy enemies if thou findest that thou canst pray for them that curse thee do good to them that revile especially thou pitiest their souls and wouldst be helpfull to them in the way to Heaven though they are enraged adversaries to thee and that without cause By this frame of heart the conscience doth give a full and precious evidence Fifthly In daily and faithfull exercises of self-denial in the wayes of God doth the Spirit of God greatly assure the conscience In sufferings for Christ in enduring the losse of name liberty and liâ—e it self for Gods cause is the clearest testimony of our conscience Hence the Martyrs had so much serenity of spirit such unspeakable consolations because they found they loved Christ better than all things As they gave a testimony to the word of God called therefore Martyrs so God also gave them a testimony within whereby they did glory in tribulations and triumph over all aduersaries We see that if men suffer in false wayes if they be Martyrs for the Devil if they die for that which is highly offending God they many times glory in the comfort they have from the testimony of their conscience Now if a deluded conscience if deluded joyes can do so much what shall not the Spirit of God do sealing and confirming his love to us by our patient sufferings for him Thus when happily the world doth witness against thee wicked men they condemn thee and lay many heavy accusations against thee as the false Apostles did here concerning Paul yet this testimony with in will answer all and God doth come in with fuller evidences of his love in such passages of self denial Lastly The Spirit of God doth witness to our spirit in this blessed effect viz. When we do with delight and joy meditate think and speak about heavenly things when the Ordinances of God are matter of pleasure to us David doth often proâ—efs what delight he had in the Ordinances of God how the word of God was more precious than gold more sweet than the honey-comb Now when the heart is thus affected to holy things that they find more joy as David professeth Psal 4. in the things of God then worldly men do in their corn and wine when these increase By this excellent heavenly temper the Spirit of God witnesseth with our conscience that we are the children of God But I shall enlarge no more on this because the Doctrine of Assurance will follow upon the next words We shall now lay down some distinctions to clear this truth to you because it is plain That many times the people of God being cast down with black thoughts that cannot say with Paul The testimony of our conscience is our rejoycing And on the other side many heretical pharisaical and self-deluded persons will at least outwardly boast
all things to all men for that is to save one not to save but rather destroy others he did not sinfully comply with mens sinnes but he did prudently accommodate himself to mens weaknesses not defiling himself thereby that to he might 〈◊〉 them out of their weaknesses Lastly The grace of God acknowledged by Paul is The successe he had in his ministerial labours For though Paul was inabled to doe many miracles to cure many diseased bodies yet he could not open the eyes or change the heart of any one man whensoever therefore an effectual door was opened to him in any place this was Gods work not Paul's 1 Cor. 3. For though Paul planted and Apollo watered yet it is God that giveth the increase Alas it is not for a Minister to thinke his parts his gifts his learning his diligent and zealous preaching shall bring men off from their wicked wayes For though the Minister is to do his duty yet his successe is of Gods grace onely And therefore wonder not if Paul triumph over all the learned and potent enemies of the Gospel if Paul's contemptiblenesse overcome the Grecians wisdome and excellency for it 's not Paul but the grace of God with him that doth these wondrous things Use of Admonition to us who are the Ministers of God as we would have our studies our labours our ministerial imployments have successe to goe out of our parts and studies and to importune the grace of God more Thou art apt to thinke such expressions such moving compassionate exhortations such quick and penetrating arguments will make men leave all their sinnes and follow Christ but looke up to Gods grace more and take heed of any thing that may provoke God to withwithdraw his gracious presence from thy studies and ministeriall labours Use 2. Of Instruction Whence it is that the faithfull Ministry of God hath been upheld in all ages when the Governours of the world have frowned on them when endeavours have been to root it out as a bitter plant not to be endured when they themselves have been poor and weak having neither outward greatnesse or earthly policy to maintaine them This is wholly from the grace of God As the Arke was not overwhelmed in the waters though it had no Pilot to guide it because God took care of it SERM. XCVII Of a Good and Godly Conversation in the World 2 COR. 1. 12. We have had our conversation in the world WE are come now to the thing testified it self which is this We have had our conversation in the world So that herein is expressed the ground of his comfort and that in two particulars 1. It was his conversation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This word is used to signifie the way as the Scripture calleth it or the life and constant customary practice of man Sometimes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is added to it not that it can be our conversation unlesse it be universal and every where so But for further aggravation as 1 Pet. 1. 15. But as he that hath called you is holy so be ye holy in all manner of conversation If a man be holy at some times or in some fits but not constantly he doth not resemble God for God is holy in all his wayes In every action and all times God doth manifest his holinesse he is a God and changeth not is alwayes like himself Thus it ought to be with the godly No company no condition no temptations should make them change that holy way of life they are to exercise themselves in Hence also 2 Pet. 3. 11. we have it rendred in the plural number 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 What manner of persons ought we to be in godly conversations signifying that the day of judgement powerfully believed would have a strong influence upon every thought word or action that there cannot be any kind of godlinesse though never so contrary to flesh and blood but we should be thereby provoked to the accomplishment thereof Varinus maketh the synonimous words to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that which is our perpetual exercise and life as it were Indeed there is the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rendered conversation Phil. 3. 20. and so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is used Act. 23. 1. as also Philip. 1. 27. Let your conversation be as becometh the Gospel but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Philip. 3. 20. is observed to signifie rather our freedome and prerogative which we have as Citizens of Jerusalem Our priviledges are in that spiritual corporation which indeed doth also by consequence denote that our lives and conversations ought to be answerable to such glorious advantages The second word expressive is In the world It is not at one place or in some company onely that Paul doth thus sincerely behave himself but in the world every where in all places where he cometh Locum non animum he may change his place and his company but never his godly life Whereas then we see Paul gathering his comfort not from some particular actions done at some time or in some place but from the whole carriage and constant deportment of himself We may observe That it is not so much some good actions done at some times as the universall carriage of our selves in holy things that doth bring solid comfort This Doctrine is of special use For who will not be godly Who may not be thought to belong to the Kingdome of Heaven If you look upon them in some fits while under some dangers while some sudden pangs are upon them but God will judge thee not according to these particulars but the whole course of thy life It is true sometimes thou hast prayed sometimes thy heart hath been smitten under the guilt of thy sinnes but how quickly have these passed over again These are not thy daily exercise The harmony of thy life is not holy and godly There are innumerable instances of men who in some streights and imminent dangers have appeared penitent and reformed but all hath been forced and compelled as it were their constant habitual inclination was otherwise Did not Pharaoh in some extremities cry out He had sinned and desired Moses to pray for him Did not Ahab under Gods judgements humble himself in sackcloth Yea was it not the complaint of the Prophets concerning the people of the Israel That in their tribulations they did call upon God But then afterwards would return to their proper course again Psalm 78. 34 35 36 37. When he slew them then they sought him they returned and enquired early after God These words declare much activity and solicitude in them for a while at least to become reconciled with God But then what followeth They did flatter with their mouth for their heart was not right with him neither were they stedfast in his Covenant And before at vers 8. they are said To be a generation that set not their heart aright and whose spirit was not stedfast
too light and wanting But oh the horrible neglect herein who mattereth what the Scripture saith Who ordereth his life according to that Canon What art thou a drunkard by Scripture a swearer by Scripture Know assuredly that he which learneth not holinesse from the Scripture shall never find comfort from the Scripture that hath precepts as well as promises and without obedience to one we cannot reap any comfort from the other Secondly The other principle of a godly mans but efficiently is the Spirit of God enlightning and sanctifying by the Scripture The Word is the Rule the Spirit of God is the efficient cause The Scripture is like Christs garment the Spirit is the virtue and power of God communicated to the soul thereby Hence are those descriptions of a godly man that he is in the Spirit that he liveth in the Spirit walketh in the Spirit is led by the Spirit which must not be wrested to any immediate Revelations and Enthusiastical motions and thereby opposed to the Word but the Word is subordinate to the Spirit This is the pool wherein the Spirit of God descends and vouchsafeth healing to the soul therewith Now Chrysostome maketh this a great part of Paul's meaning he did not purpose according to the flesh that is he could not dispose of himself and his journeyes to come and go whither he desired because he was wholly at the command of the Spirit to be directed thereby For we read when Paul had a mind to preach the Gospel in some places he was hindered by the Spirit and so could not go but those directions of the Spirit and Revelations were extraordinary and for that present age of the Church and are not now to be expected The Spirit doth now enlighten sanctifie direct and guide us by Scripture-rules And hereupon it is that the godly are said to be led by the Spirit and to walk by the Spirit and this should provoke the godly to all holiness Oh is pride from the Spirit of God Is worldliness is envy is passion from the Spirit of God Remember alwayes from what Spirit it is that thou doest things The Apostles thought it a good zeal when they would have fire from Heaven to come and destroy the Samaritans Luk. 9. 55. but Christ rebuked them saying Ye know not what manner of Spirit ye are of Take heed then thy own Spirit or a deluding spirit be not the principle that moveth thee instead of Gods good Spirit Thus you see the two general Rules that we should order our lives by the Word and the Spirit whatsoever is not according to these is not suitable to Christianity Besides these general principles we may instance in some particulars that a godly man doth walk by and against which he dare not sinne As 1. To keep a good conscience towards God and man Paul professed he exercised himself herein Act. 24. 16. towards God therefore he taketh heed of any thing that may make his heart smite him he had rather have his peace of conscience than all the advantages in the world Hence in all things his Question is Will not this trouble my conscience Will not this disturb the peace of my conscience This is a blessed principle he keepeth close unto And then again in respect of man he keepeth an inoffensive conscience he lieth not he defraudeth not he injureth not he looketh to righteousness as well as Religion his principle is to be holy towards God and just towards man and in following this principle he aboundeth with joy in his heart he liveth chearfully and fruitfully and withall doth awe the hearts of the most desperate enemies to the wayes of God 2. Another principle is To make sure of his ultimate end for which God made him and the necessary means conducing therunto His end is glory and salvation hereafter The necessary means therunto is grace and godlines here while we are in this world so that while other men walk according to their several principles some will be rich some will have their honours others their profits his principle is to be godly here and saved hereafter Hence he giveth all diligence to these two things So that if you ask him Why are you sollicitous Why are you so carefull Why so often in praying so often in hearing It is he saith to obtain grace here and glory hereafter This I must have I dare not live and die without it for want of this principle men have such sluggish and dull affections to heavenly things A third principle is To live and walk with daily expectations of death and the day of judgment as if he heard alwayes that voice sounding in his ears Arise and come to judgement He desireth to have such thoughts of sinne as a man dying as a man arraigned at Gods tribunal would then have Death is certain nothing can exempt him from it and therefore he desireth to die daily to be preparing for these great changes In morte solâ non est fortassis as Austin observed In all things in the world there is a fortasse a may be Thou mayest be a rich thou mayest be a great man but we cannot say It may be thou mayest die it may be the time will come when thou shalt fall into the grave No this is without all doubt hence the godly mans principle is so to live that death and the day of judgement may be no new thing or terrible dreadfull thing to him A fourth principle is To judge sinne the onely or the greatest evil and godlinesse the greatest good If this were a principle in mens hearts to live by what reformed persons should we see every where This principle in thy heart would be like fire there if sinne be thought worse than any evil then poverty shame misery yea and hell it self better be any thing than a sinner How couldst thou give thy self up a servant thereunto Though it were a pleasing sinne a profitable sinne yet because it is a damning sinne thou wouldst runne from it thou wouldst say Oh this sinne though I love it though I am used to it yet it can never be good for me it will be the poison of my soul And then on the other side a godly mans principle is That godlinesse is more worth than all the great and glorious things of the world His soul longeth for it more than silver and gold he thinketh every rich man every great man a miserable man if he be not godly As Rachel cried Give me children else I die so give me godlinesse Lord else I am damned As Abraham did not so much rejoyce in his wealth and outward mercies because he was still childlesse so saith this man It is not earthly comforts Lord but grace that refresheth my heart let me be poor contemned rather than not godly Use of Exhortation To examine what are the principles you walk by There are but these two and they are contrary one to the other the principle
exhorteth all that hope in God Psal 31. 24. To be of good courage and God shall strengthen their hearts Of all temptations none are so grievous to be born as those which arise from Gods withdrawing of himself and hiding of his face from us then we apprehend no promises do belong unto us then we question very principles and so are like a ship tossed in the Sea without Pilot or Anchor Therefore spiritual fortitude to withstand these strong assaults is above all required How many have sunk irrecoverably into this pit of destruction So that unlesse Gods power settle us unlesse that compose our hearts we can as well remove mountains as this sad and sainting spirit of ours Lay then fast hold on Christ thou canst not sink in these waters if his arm doth uphold thee Thus Timothy is exhorted To be strong in the grace that is in Jesus Christ 2 Tim. 2. 1. there is his duty to be strong but how must he come to have this strength It is by Jesus Christ you would think the exhortation were superfluous for why must I be strong if it be the grace of Christ that must enable me But the exhortation is usefull howsoever for hereby we are taught our duty as also to go out of our selves renouncing our own strength and laying the faster hold upon Christ himself To this purpose we have the like exhortation Ephes 6. 10. Finally my brethren be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might when he had before laid down several precepts then knowing how impotent and unable we are he saith Be strong in the Lord. Here you see what we are commanded but it is the power of his might that is his mighty power that must confirm us and where this is present then we wonder how we are carried through such temptations led through such wildernesses as we have been we stand and admire to see what red Seas we have gone thorow and how the waters have yeelded unto us Thus Paul I can doe all things through Christ that strengthens me Phil. 4. 13. Fourthly Divine hope doth exceedingly conduce to stablish the soul upon the promises as you heard from those admonitions of David to his soul Hope thou still in God Faith is carried out to the truth of God and hope to the mercy and power of God and therefore he that hopeth in God is got into the Ark while others float in the waters Heb. 6. 19. it is compared to the Anchor of the soul both sure and stedfast and which entereth within the vail By this we see that hope doth notably settle the soul Faith indeed and hope are two sisters and twins and look so like one another that we can hardly make the difference yet faith establisheth the soul upon the promises by apprehending them as present so that the soul is in as holy a manner secure as if it were already in Heaven But hope doth settle the soul on Gods promises as the things promised are future and to come For seeing between Gods promises and the accomplishment of them there happen so many crosse providences in appearance yea so many difficulties and seeming impossibilities are in the way we need some divine grace to overcome all these and that is hope compared excellently to an Anchor for as that doth fasten the ship which otherwise would be tossed up and down and in danger of splitting upon every Rock so the soul of the most godly man is tossed up and down with such sad temptations that did not this hope bear up the heart all would fail within us But this spiritual anchor exceedeth all material ones for this is sure and stedfast Sure so that no outward violence of storms can break it and stedfast in respect from within there is nothing without or within that can disanuâ—l this But then whereas other anchors are fastened into the earth this is in Heaven in God and invisible things A godly mans hope cannot be seen by the bodily eye Take heed then of weakning this grace of hope it 's an excellent corroborater of the soul staying it up with that glory which will be revealed hereafter Lastly Another habitual principle whereby God doth exceedingly establish the heart on the promises is Spiritual joy and heavenly consolations This is one great reason say Divines why Angels and Saints in Heaven are so confirmed in that estate that nothing can tempt them off from God they never will be weary of the presence of God even because they are filled with so much infinite delight and joy that they cannot desire any better thing than God Now the godly they have the beginnings of these consolations here upon earth for by the spirit of adoption they are so filled with joy and delight that all the world is no more than an husk unto them they look upon the world as a wildernesse and Heaven as the Canaan So that spiritual consolations when wrought in the soul are like a mighty pillar to bear up the heart Hence the Apostle prayeth 2 Thes 2. 17. That God would comfort their hearts and stablish them First Comfort and then establish How hardly is the heart dejected and full of despondent thoughts established But comfort and joy is oil to the wheels Thus Nehemiah spake Neh. 8. 10. Be not ye sorry for the joy of the Lord is your strength So much sinfull grief as thou lettest in it is like the letting in of waters at some leak in the ship it may sink the ship at last Blesse God therefore for any gladnesse of heart for any consolations of soul through the Spirit of God these support the soul these make it rejoyce in the midst of all afflictions It is true sometimes the people of God for wise and holy ends are deprived of them but when they are vouchsafed they come like pleasant gales of winde to carry the ship to its Haven In the next place As God doth positively establish by these habitual principles so also by the actual motions of his Spirit upon us There is not only habitual grace but efficacious grace whereby the Lord worketh in us both to will and to do How many times do the principles of grace like Christ in the ship lie asleep in us insomuch that till they be awakened we are in danger of shipwrack Therefore when the Apostle exhorteth us To work out our salvation with fear and trembling Phil. 2. 13. he giveth a wonderfull reason for it 's God that worketh in you to will and to do and that of his good pleasure So that the confirming power of God lieth chiefly in this in actuating those habitual principles within us whereby we depend upon God continually as the beams of the Sun do upon the Sun This Doctrine Pelagians and Papists cannot relish but certainly if God come not with efficacious actual help as well as habitual the instances of the fals of Gods people in all ages will palpably declare they are undone
them So that they were not afterwards to be converted to any common use neither might any take of the ointment that the Priest was anointed with and apply it to other matters Now this denoteth both the Dignity and Duty of all true believers The Dignity they are Gods anointed ones therefore touch them not for God will avenge their quarrel by this we are both Kings and Priests Kings spiritually conquering the world as also our owne lusts and sinnes Shalt thou who art a King over thy passions be a slave to them And then we are also Priests because we are to offer up soule and body as a Sacrifice unto God we are not to live to our selves but to him Againe here is our Duty for we being thus Gods anointed ones his consecrated ones we must not apply our selves to lusts and sinnes or defile our selves with the pitch that is in the world Shall a man with this spiritual anointing roll himselfe in the mire and vomit of sinne What pride and curiosity hath been used about ointments for smell and beauty Insomuch that the very Poet could say Male olet qui benè olet May not this shame every godly Christian to think how much vain and proud persons do regard such precious ointments that are for the body only above what thou doest for soul-ointment and the spiritual excellency thereof Secondly Oyle was used to comfort the heart of a man and beautifie the countenance Therefore Psalm 45. it is called The oile of gladnesse Hence it was that in their Feasts and Nuptial banquets they anointed themselves The oyle of gladnesse is opposed to mourning and in this sense the Spirit of God may well be compared to oyle for he is the Comforter as well as the Sanctifier And this is part of the meaning in the Text at least by way of consequent For where the Spirit of God doth witnesse and seale to the true believer that is many times accompanied with great joy and consolation Ointment and perfume rejoyce the heart saith Solomon Prov. 27. 9. How much more will those inward and effectual operations of Gods Spirit It is true joy and reall godlinesse are many times separated from one another The chariots of a godly soule many times goe heavily for want of this oyle in the wheeles Onely we are to know that there is an aptitude and fitnesse in the connexion betweene grace and consolation godlinesse and delight Pray therefore for this anointing of Gods Spirit even to fill thy heart with joy unspeakable For this will make thee like Elijah goe to Heaven in a fiery Chariot Thy duties thy performances these will have more vigour and activity in them Thirdly Oyle was used to refresh those that were weary The Jewes did use it to those who travailed by way of restauration as it were to them Thus Luke 7. 46. that woman anointed Christs feet with ointment This was done for refocillation after lassitude And thus also the Spirit of God with his gracious effects doth wonderfully exhilarate and cheer the heart after many wearisome labours and temptations The body is not so much subject to wearinesse and restlesnesse as the soule is The way to Heaven is a streight and narrow way Hence the Spirit of God is like ointment to refresh us in these laborious exercises arguments taken from the nature of the Gospel from the excellency and usefulnesse of Gods promises these doe administer much spiritual ease and content to the soul Fourthly Oyle was used to those who were wounded as being of special operation to heale their wounds Therefore Luke 10. 34. the good Samaritane tooke oyle and poured it into the wounds of that man of Jericho And now that man was but once wounded whereas the godly man receiveth many wounds several wayes sometimes through his owne carelesnesse and negligence he wounds his owne heart sadly sometimes God for special ends seemeth to wound him with the wounds of an angry one Oh then how blessed is it to have oyle poured into these bleeding wounds Yet of such suppling and mollifying efficacy is the Spirit of God to afflicted consciences for sinne And if you aske What is this oyle that is to be poured into such wounds I answer It is the balme of Gilead the oyle of the Gospel the precious promises that are in Christ The Spirit of God doth anoint the soul with this oyle and thereby the heart recovereth of those sad and deadly wounds which the Law and the guilt of sinne had made upon it Fifthly Oyntment hath its peculiar smell and fragrancy it recreateth the nostrils of others Not onely they that have the ointment but others that are in company partake of the smell thereof Therefore we reade of the Church Cantic 1. 3. Chap. 4. 10. so greatly affected with the smell of Christs ointments What is that but onely the lovelinesse and excellency in the Lord Christ which a gracious soul is so deeply affected with For this it is that the Virgins are said to love him By Virgins are meant sincere and upright persons these follow Christ because of the savour of his ointments It is not any carnal advantage or worldly respect but the meere preciousnesse that is in him as a Mediatour and as the husband of the soule that maketh the godly thus presse after him Now as it is thus with Christ so it ought to be with Christians As a man cannot hide the smell of his ointments but others will be refreshed with it so it ought to be with a Christian all his whole life should be a sweet savour and a precious odour there should be that in his conversation which should make every one that beholdeth him to be in love with him They should love to be in his company in his presence As they say of the Dove when it hath any precious ointment poured on it it maketh all the rest flocke after it Especially this should make all the godly take heed of those things that will make Religion to stinke or their persons to be vile and abominable before others Solomon saith A dead flie falling into a box of ointment will make it to stinke Eccles 10. 1. If a dead flie what then will a dead toad or a piece of a dead dogge Such carrion must needs make a man to be abhorred The very consideration that thou art anointed ought to work upon thee so farre as to do nothing that may make thee to be abhorred Sixthly Oyle was used to mollifie and soften things that were harsh and stiffe So Isaiah 10. 27. the yoke is said to be destroyed because of the anointing Thus the graces of Gods Spirit are to the soule they soften and mollifie the hardnesse of thy heart How often doth it melt thy stubborne soule and make thee kindly relent under all that subbornnesse and disobedience which thou hast shewed to God Seventhly Oyle was used to comfort and strengthen men in their limbs And therefore those who
speak to this sealing of Gods Spirit upon the hearts of beleevers though in other terms This I have mentioned is pregnant for having said that he who keepeth Gods Commandements dwelleth in him and he in him Whereas it might be said how shall we know that he dwelleth in us May we not be deluded and deceived No saith he hereby we know that he abideth in us by the spirit which he hath given us and lest any man though living loosely and carnally should pretend to this spirit he saith They that have it keep his Commandements Thus doubtings and sinnefull diffidence is excluded on one hand and all carnal presumption on the other hand The last Text to bring in assistance to this truth shall be 1 John 5. 8 9 10. where the Apostle speaketh of three Witnesses on earth as he had before in heaven viz. water and the bloud and the spirit Now although there be many perplexed controversies about this passage yet I shall pitch upon that which is most probable without further disquieting of you It seemeth to be without doubt that the Apostle alludeth to the legall administrations wherein there was bloud for expiation and water for cleansing by which is represented justification and sanctification and these being wrought in us do evidently witnesse that Jesus is the Christ and Sonne of God We finding these glorious effects upon our souls cannot but acknowledge that Doctrine but because these are not enough of themselves seeing that sanctified and justified persons may be under great discouragements therefore he addeth the Spirit also It is true the same spirit is said to be a witnesse in heaven but that was because of the extraordinary and visible Testimony that it gave to Christ but here it speaketh of the witnesse it giveth on earth and that must be the sealing spoken off in other places for he saith verse 6. It is the spirit that beareth witnesse because the spirit is truth having there also mentioned water and bloud Verse 10. he seith He that beleeveth on the Sonne of God hath the witnesse in himself Thus you see that as God hath abundantly provided for the holinesse of his people by his spirit to quicken them up therein so also for the assurance and consolation of his children to establish them therein Oh how greatly are we indebted unto the Lord Jesus Christ who giveth us his Spirit not only to leade us into the truth and mortifie the deeds of the flesh but also to fill us with comfort and to assure us that we are the children of God So that it is the duty of the Ministers of the Gospel not only to improve the former truth but this also and to presse you upon the sealing work of Gods Spirit as well as the sanctifying Hath not the Spirit of God this Name given it to be called the Comforter John 14. and shall we divide the operations of Gods Spirit minding him as he is an holy spirit but not a comforting Spirit Having thus informed you what the Scripture declareth in this matter I shall give you a large and popular description of the nature of this sealing and the opening of the several parts touched therein will much conduce to the knowledge thereof The sealing of Gods Spirit may be described after this manner It is a supernaturall and gracious work of Gods Spirit upon the hearts of sanctified persons in a secret and unspeakable manner whereby they are confirmed and established in the Covenant of grace as belonging to them in particular by such means which God hath appointed thereunto that through the sence thereof they may daily walk more and more boldly joyfully and thankefully notwithstanding all discouragements to the contrary till they be made compleatly happy in heaven I have made this description the larger because I would take in every particular considerable about it as much as may be And First I give two Qualifications or Adjuncts to this work of Gods Spirit It is supernatural and gracious Supernatural and that if we respect either rectified nature or corrupted nature Rectified nature for Adam in the state of integrity though he was made perfectly holy yet he had not this Gospel-sealing no more then he was in Christ as a Mediatour for had he been thus sealed he would certainly have persevered and although Adam was partaker of the holy Ghost yet it was as he is the third person not as the spirit of Christ viz. purchased by his death for those that are his so that in this respect we may say this sealing is a priviledge above the nature of Adam while considered before his apostacy but then I call it supernaturall chiefly in respect of corrupted nature for as man naturally of himself hath no power to that which is gracious so neither to that which is comfortable and joyfull All the world all Ministers and Angels cannot powr one drop of this assurance and joy into thy soul unlesse the Spirit of God inable thee thereunto As it is supernaturall so it is gracious for this floweth from the former There is nothing in thee to deserve this establishing as Gods grace sanctifying found thee dead in thy sinnes so his sealing and comforting findeth thee in a guilty despairing way and therefore as God might leave every prophane man to wallow in his lusts and so let him perish thus also might he forsake every guilty conscience under the burthen of thy sinnes and suffer thee to be a Cain to be a Judas even to fall from an hell here into an hell hereafter So that not only by grace we are sanctified but by grace we are healed Blesse God for any establishment of soul against fears and doubts as well as for victory against any lusts It is meerly of Free-grace that we are thus sealed In the next place Secondly we have the generall nature of it with the efficient cause The work of Gods Spirit It is true in the Text it is said That God doth seal us and so whatsoever works there are ad extra from God to the creature they are all common to the three Persons yet there is a peculiar order and appropriation which the Scripture taketh notice of So that it is made the work of the Father to send his Sonne into the world It is made the work of the Sonne to offer up himself a Sacrifice for our sinnes And it is made the proper work of Gods Spirit to apply the benefits of Christs death to our souls therefore sanctification is attributed to the Spirit so also consolation and sealing thereunto Thus the Texts we mentioned formerly give all this work to the Spirit of God as in an appropriated manner doing this for us It is not then of our selves or of our own power that we can obtain this priviledge but it is wrought alone by Gods Spirit As we have no free-will to the grace of God so neither to the comforts God as he is called a God of all
if you ask Have all the sanctified persons of God this sealing Have none the sanctification of the Spirit but they must also have the witnessing of the Spirit I answer this Question because of great practical importance shall God assisting be handled by it self after the description hath been explained That which I shall here take notice of is That sanctification is necessarily presupposed to this sealing A great Prince will not set his seal to dung to make an impression there neither will God to an heart unsanctified For as in matter of Doctrine God will not vouchsafe miracles to confirm that which is a lie neither in practicals will the Spirit of God witnesse to that heart which is not made holy For indeed it should witnesse a lie in such a case informing such they are the sonnes of God when indeed they are the children of the Devil This order of Gods Spirits first sanctifying and then sealing is clear Ephes 1. 13. In whom after ye believed ye were sealed Those eminent Divines who defined faith to be assurance making it the same with the sealing of Gods spirit are gravelled at this Text and therefore make this Objection If faith be assurance be the sealing how doth the Text say After we believed we were sealed To this therefore Piscator answereth not yeelding that the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 should be rendred Having beleeved as of a thing past but beleeving as in the present but there is too much forcing in this interpretation Others they consider of faith as it hath two parts Illumination of minde and fiducial assurance Now say they the Apostle meaneth by faith the former work of faith and so the meaning is After you were enlightned to know the truth you were confirmed and assured but that opinion making faith justifying to be an assurance that Christ is mine is justly refused It is plain then that when the Spirit of God hath in order of nature for in time they may be both together sanctified a man throughout whereby he is made a new creature then the Spirit of God maketh this glorious stamp upon him then he giveth him this seal as an honourable priviledge whereby he may know himself to be the Lords Even as in antiquity none might have seals but persons of honour and dignity So that the natural and unregenerate person is to stand aloof off thou hast nothing to do in this priviledge thou art not the man whom the great King of Heaven and earth doth purpose thus to honour We proceed in the Description and there we meet with the formal Nature of it wherein it doth essentially consist with the object thereof The Nature of it is In confirming and establishing the heart of a man For this is the chief and usual end of seals to ratifie a thing and to make it no longer uncertain and doubtfull And to this property doth the Scripture chiefly attend For whereas the soul though sanctified is apt to be in daily fears and doubts about Gods favour and grace towards it it fluctuateth up and down having no subsistency the Spirit of God cometh and consolidateth the soul inabling it to rest satisfied in this that God is his God that his sinnes are pardoned that he is become a reconciled Father in Christ And if you say Why do we not need the Spirit of God to do this Cannot we by our graces by our repentance and holy life sufficiently establish our own souls in peace No by no means we need the Spirit of God to comfort as you heard as well as to sanctifie and that for these Reasons First It is very hard for a man whose guilty conscience doth presse him and condemn him daily telling him that he hath deserved at Gods hands to be eternally tormented in hell not to thinke because God may doe thus that therefore he will do so In such terrours and affrights we look more to what we have deserved we look more to what God may do then what he will we are naturally suspicious and think the worst of God even as we doe to man If we have offended a man greatly and it lieth in his power to undo us we are never quiet we cannot but think when ever the opportunity is he will be avenged and therefore we dare not trust him Yea though we have given no just cause if others have taken up an unkind spirit towards us we expect nothing else from them but our ruine when it is in their power Therefore for all Saul's tears and good works to David yet he would never trust him Now although there be no cause for us to have such suspicious thoughts about God for he hath graciously promised that he will receive us insomuch as not to believe him herein is to give more credit to a man whose words many times satisfie us than to God who is truth it self yet the heart being guilty and full of fears doth work in this doubtfull manner about God How hard is it to bring the afflicted sinner to good perswasions about God and that though by promises and other wayes God hath so abundantly provided against such distrust Here then is the reason why we need the sealing of Gods Spirit we cannot perswade our selves but God will doe what he may do and what we have deserved And A second Reason followeth upon the former We can hardly be perswaded that the great and good things which we stand in need of God will ever bestow upon us who are so unworthy of them Can a beggars daughter be perswaded that a great King will marry her But here is a farre greater disproportion What will the great God of Heaven so holy so full of majesty look graciously upon me and not only forgive me my sinnes but advance me to eternal glory These things are very improbable Shall Joseph be freed not only from the prison but promoted to the greatest honour in the Land next to the King Who would have believed it And thus it is here the soul having low and humble thoughts of it self cannot be perswaded that the great God of Heaven will look upon such despicable wretches as they are 3. The way of evangelical confidence with the comfortable effects thereof are wholly supernatural And therefore no wonder if we need the Spirit of God to help us therein Not only holinesse and grace is supernatural but assurance and joy are likewise supernatural As we cannot pray without the Spirit helping our infirmities so neither are we able to call God Father If faith in Christ by which we are justified be supernatural then also is the comfort and peace flowing from the knowledge thereof As the Doctrine of the Gospel is by divine revelation flesh and blood hath not revealed this unto us that Christ is the Sonne of God so neither can flesh and blood enable us to the perswasion of this Mediator as loving me and giving himself for me Certainly if it be the gift of
in his heart in somuch that an Angel was sent to comfort him This might make us wonder that God should not spare his own Sonne but it was necessary for our redemption for as he could not have wrought our reconciliation for us unlesse he had a passible body that could suffer death so neither unlesse he had a suffering soul by fears and grief though all without sinne It was Jobs case likewise to be without sealing for he could have no comfort in his heart while he complained the Arrows of the Almighty did stick fast in him while he was terrified with dreams and visions in the night Thus the Lord still doth exercise his soveraignty therein he withdraweth the light of his favour from many choice sanctified ones They wander in a wildernesse their lives are a burthen to them they cannot meet God in any ordinance as if they were become like so many rejected Sauls when yet the favour of the Lord is exceeding great to them only they perceive it not But then secondly On our part many times yea too often when the cause is that we have not this sealing We may thank our selves for bloaching the Paper so that no comfortable thing can be written upon it I shall instance in one or two waies how we come to keep off this sealing And the first is by falling into some grievous and grosse sinnes if such do drive away the naturall peace of a meer natural conscience as is plain in heathens how much more the supernaturall peace of a tender enlightned conscience Davids penitentiall Psalm 51. doth fully speak to this he there complaineth of his broken bones he prayeth to have joy restored to him all which argueth that by sinne he had lost all comfortable enjoyment of God That he was in a chaos and dark confusion and truly if there were no hell no damnation to threaten the people of God with to keep them from grosse sinnes This of Gods iron turnace to be cast into is enough to make our hearts tremble Oh the wofull condition that godly manis in who in stead of the spirit of Adoption he once enjoyed is now delivered up to Satan to be under his fears his black temptations No outward comfort in the world can then give him a drop of case Oh then come not near any grosse sinnes fly from the appearance of it for this sealing cannot consist with that Secondly Any carelesse and remisse walking though we do not fall into grosse sins is enough to put this Sunne into an Eclipse Any angry and bitter words to another will do it Any loose and wanton discourse may bring thee into this deep dungeon For so you may see Eph. 4. 30. Grieve not the spirit by which yeare sealed But how is that done for so you may see the verse before by corrupt communications by unsavoury gracelesse words and then see the subsequent Verse Let all bitternesse all wrath and anger be put away Dost thou then complain thou hast not this sealing how can it be otherwise How many frothy foolish speeches hast thou How many angry bitter words come from thee If you hereby grieve Gods spirit no wonder that he leave thee to thy grief Thirdly By any inward security and secret self-confidence we may deprive our selves of this sealing For seeing this is a Gospel-privi edge a ray from the Sunne of righteousnesse it is only conveighed in an Evangelicall method Now all Gospel-dispensations are to the broken in heart to the poor in spirit to the humbled sinner renouncing all righteousnesse and worth of our own so that as it is in the work of sanctification no sooner hath a man any secret confidence in his own power but sanctifying grace in some measure leaveth him As we see in Peter when he said Though all men should for sake Christ yet he would not Thus it is also in the way of consolation no sooner doth a man begin to be lifted up within because he hath these comfortable refreshments but presently they are substrated from us Thus David did but say his mountain was established that he should not be moved and immediately God hid his face and he was troubled Psa 30. 6 7. Therefore that man who would enjoy this desirable priviledge must walk with a tender humble and yet an Evangelicall fiducial frame of heart Fourthly When we speak of Gods sealing you must rightly understand the meaning of it It is not as if thereby such a certainty were wrought in the soul that it doth exclude all fears and doubts No that is a proper priviledge to heaven as the flesh lusteth against the spirit in matter of sanctification so it doth also in consolation As therefore when the spirit of God sanctifieth on the spirits part grace is pure and perfect but on the subjects part which doth receive it so it hath much drosse and imperfection cleaving to it Thus it is also in this sealing though the testimony and witnesse on the spirits part be infaliible and undoubted yet as we receive it so there is much unbeleef and doubting adhering to us This sealing therefore and many fears and doubts may consist together because it is not absolutely predominant and prevalent only here is a conflict we are to strive against these doubts we are to pray against these fears till the Lord cause light to arise out of this darkness Therefore the godly may have this sealing and yet not attend to it nor perceive it because the corruptions of our heart are most perceived by us and we are so exercised by them that we do not consider what the spirit of God doth witnesse at that time This then maketh the godly think they have not this sealing at all because they have it not with that dominion as they desire to exclude all conflicts and troubles within and so as in respect of sanctification there is some grace under much corruption so there is also this certainty under many fears And if you say that it is a contradiction that a man should be assured and doubt also I answer No no more than that a man should be sanctified and yet have some corruption in him for they do not respect the same thing Certainty ariseth from the Promises of God set home by his spirit upon us ahd fears arise from the sence and feeling of our own weaknesses So that what the holy Apostle speaketh concerning the work of grace in him with the oppositian thereunto the good he would do he doth not and he findes evil present with him Thus it is here the sealing the assurance the comfort he would have he cannot obtain but the doubts and slavish fears which he hateth they carry him away captive Lastly Suppose a godly man hath not this sealing yet let him not limit God to the times and seasons he would but leave all to the merciful dispensation of a wise and righteous God Thou hast not assurance yet no more thou hast
not perfect grace yet thou hast not perfect holinesse yet but thou waitest upon the Lord till it be accomplished and so do here Oh but I am afraid I shall never have it I shall dye without it that is more than thou knowest how suddenly and graciously doth God use to rebuke these windes and waves when we little think of it yet know thy interest to heaven is not shaken Thou wilt indeed want much comfort but not thy title to heaven Thou art as sure to go to heaven as if thou wert assured of it And withall remember that the faith of dependance and recumbency upon Christ only is more noble than assurance in that thou givest God most glory In this thy own interest is satisfied And lastly know that heaven is coming to thee and thou going to it when not only sin but all fears shall be removed away Thou shalt then dispute thy condition no more thou shalt not then question thy graces or Gods grace to thee but shall put on the Crown of glory never to be molested and disquieted any more SERM. CXXXVIII Of Grace as it is the Earnest of Eternall Glory 2 COR. 1. 22. And given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts THis is the third and last similitude by which that gracious confirmation of beleevers in Gods promises is declared and if we consider them relatively to the discourse precedent we shall easily see what great reason there is that the promises should not be only yea and Amen in themselves but in bs also Seeing we have this special work of Gods spirit anointing sealing and giving us an earnest of the things that are promised Now as you heard though the same prividedge be meant under this threefold similitude yet every one hath its proper notion and therefore the earnest here spoken of may differ from sealing thus That the sealing of Gods Spirit doth assure of us that which is already wrought in us as seals confirm contracts that are already made though hereby also is implyed a certain continuance and perseverance in that state which is sealed but the earnest spoken of in the text doth principally relate to the future So that whereas the childe of God might object what if I be sealed and assured for the present of my good condition yet who knoweth what may fall out thereafter I may apostatize I may provoke God to leave me and so this seal be as it were defaced But though the word sealing doth also imply continuance for it is till the day of redemption yet the word earnest doth more properly speak to that Objection Thou hast the earnest given thee of that inheritance which shall be hereafter So that in the words we may take notice of the mercy it self the efficient cause of it and the subject receiving it The mercy it self is said to be an earnest 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is used in two other places in the New Testament as is to be shewed It is properly an Hebrew word though from the Hebrews communicated to the Phenicians which being great Merchants brought it into Greece so that the Grecians adopted it for their ordinary wood yea some Latinists as Plautus and Terentius do use it as Grotius on the place affirmeth Varro speaketh of it lib. 4. de ling. latinà where he saith the same mony for divers respects may be called dos merces arrabo and corollarium and addeth the word arrabo is brought from the Grecians but Scaliger in his Notes upon the place correcteth him for that saying Ne graecum verbum quidem sed merum Syriacum The Hebrew root from whence it groweth is gnarub to mingle and so by a metaphor it signifieth to buy and sell to make contracts and to assure them by earnests because in this action the buyer and the seller are as it were mingled together Some have translated it pignus which the Grecians call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a pledge pignus It is so called either à pugno say some because the pledge is delivered by the hand or else as Martinius Lexi pignus from pago or pango because in such covenants and contracts there is an agreement established But Hierom of old and others of late do no waies approve of rendring it a pledge but an earnest for there is this difference in the civil law between arra and pignus an earnest and a pledge an earnest is part of the price that is to be paid down and so goeth to make it up but a pledge is given for security by the debtor to the creditor and taken away again when the debt is paid Now this metaphor doth no waies hold in this case for God is not a debtor to us when he giveth us his grace he doth not borrow of us neither when the promise is fullfilled is this grace taken away for in heaven grace is not abolished but perfected Indeed Aquinas upon the place maketh this Observation That as a pledge must be saith he equivalently worth to the debt so it is here grace wrought in us especially the Spirit of God bestowed upon us is equivalent to glory But that is false that in our graces wrought by Gods Spirit there is an intrinsecall condignity and equality to everlasting glory It 's therefore more proper and suitable to call it an earnest which was commonly used two waies either in civill commerce or matrimoniall contracts called therefore in the latter subarrhatio The end and use of it was to secure the full payment of the debt or fullfilling of any promise made and in this sense it is true in the Text God knowing our pronenesse to doubt about his promises as also how uncertain and fearfull we are doth give us his grace here as a sure earnest of our eternal happinesse So that by this earnest we are not to understand extraordinary and miraculatous gifts of Gods Spirit for many had them who yet never could enter into glory but the special works of grace sanctifying These are fitly called an earnest though there be also some dissimilitudes as is to be shewed insomuch that he who findeth he hath grace here may certainly conclude he shall have glory hereafter for though there be some who hold that some may have true faith and yet totally fall off and that only the elected beleever shall persevere yet that is built upon a sandy foundation In the second place you have the efficient cause of this and that is the spirit of God Some indeed make this by way of apposition The earnest which is the spirit as if the spirit it self both in this and the other Text were the earnest which may be received provided that by the spirit we mean not only the person of the spirit but the gracious operations thereof for the people of God partake of both Eph. 1. 13. They are said to be sealed with that holy spirit of promise called so not because it is the spirit promised for that is too frigid though it be
confirmed As for God he doth it not to assure himself of us but that we may be assured of him Indeed by consequent this assureth us to God for having this earnest we are preserved from Apostacy but the chief end is to confirm our faith in God that we may be able with Paul to triumph because nothing shall separate us from the love of God in Christ It is then Gods gracious goodnesse to condescend to us he knoweth our temper and our temptations he seeth how one doubt ariseth up after another he taketh notice how apt we are to perplex our selves about the future and therefore he giveth us this earnest not for his own security but ours This is more than his meer promise therefore the Civilians define an earnest to be a reall security in opposition to that which is verball or conventionall only Gods promise is enough to secure us but because we walk much according to sense therefore he doth indulge thus farre as to work in us while in this valley of tears the beginnings of eternall glory hereafter In which respect we are already said to sit down with Christ in heavenly places Eph. 2. 6. and certainly if to a godly mans sence and experience the foretasting of heaven be so great and refreshing what is heaven it self If an earnest be so wonderfull a matter what is the possession and inheritance it self Secondly This heavenly earnest differeth from a worldly one because amongst men this is done in a commutative way of justice There is a strict equality between the payment to be made of which the earnest is part and the thing purchased thereby So that in humane contracts an earnest is given as part of that payment which is equivalent to the thing purchased thereby So that this whole way of commerce belongs to the common place of justice Thus those who write de Jure and justitia do under that treat De pignoribus hypothesis but alas in this earnest God giveth us here is no bargain here is no justice all is of free-grace God doth bestow both the earnest and the whole sum as it were hereafter upon us freely Both grace here and glory hereafter do alone proceed from the sole bounty and free-love of God Insomuch that the childe of God is both begotten nourished and perfected by free-grace alone Thirdly There is another dissimilitude flowing from the former for he who giveth an earnest intending thereby a full payment for something he would have doth thereby purpose to advantage himself He would not give an earnest but because he needeth the thing he buyeth and thereupon would profit himself but it is farre otherwise with God and us in this respect God giveth us not this earnest this grace no nor glory hereafter because he needeth us but it is only for our good and consolation It is true that Christ gave no lesse than his own blood as a price to purchase us for a people to himself But why was this Was this to advantage himself Was it such purchasings as when men buy houses and lands to inrich themselves and their posterity No but only to do us good thereby So that herein is the goodnesse of God exceedingly commended unto us that both the purchasing of us and giving us an earnest to secure us of future glory all is from his own munificence In all this we are unprofitable and uselesse as to him Lastly Here is this dissimilitude and that is a great one Amongst men when the earnest is given yet there is sometimes upon a just cause and more often upon unjust grounds a breaking of the bargain They will lose the earnest rather than pay the whole sum So that the Casuists dispute to whom the earnest in conscience belongs if the covenant be not made good Thus because man is a lyar and deceitfull an earnest is not such security that we may absolutely depend upon it Men are mutable and are apt to break their engagements but it is farre otherwise in this particular God that hath given the earnest is not as man to repent and to change his minde No this is given us on purpose to assure us that he will never alter and if it be said though God doth not alter yet we may We may abuse this earnest yea we may lose it all which the Arminians pleade It is more fully to be cleared that this earnest is to assure not only God to us but us to God whereby he will so preserve us that nothing shall deprive us of eternal glory SERM. CXXXIX What is implyed in Gods giving us the earnest of his Spirit 2 COR. 1. 22. Who hath also given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts THe Spirit of God with the graces thereof as we have heard received and perceived by a beleever are a sure earnest of future glory In the handling of which hitherto we have only treated of the dissimilitude that is between this heavenly earnest and an earnest amongst men our work is now to shew positively wherein the resemblance doth consist or what is comprehended in this metaphorical expression And First Hereby is declared Gods will and infallible purpose to bring us unto eternal glory of which this grace received is an earnest For as you heard it is not grace as grace but grace as an earnest that doth deserve an accent as it were upon it The emphasis lieth in this So that by these beginnings of Gods Spirit upon me I may unquestionably conclude my future glory And this Chrysostome upon the place doth well observe He doth not saith he singly and barely call it the spirit but an earnest 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that from this thou maist have boldnesse and confidence upon the whole for if he did not intend to give thee all saith he he would not have given thee this earnest in vain and so as to lose it Thus Macarius also an holy Writer from this similitude gathereth that such who have this earnest may rejoyce and be as confident as if they were already crowned with glory and reigning in heaven Homil. 17. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 oh then the unspeakable happinesse of such who do finde this earnest in their hearts God would be found unfaithful and to break his promise if as he hath begun so he should not also finish this work of grace in thee So that the Arminian exception is very frivolous and absurd saying It is true this is an earnest but we may lose it We may fall into such sinnes as shall wholly cast us out of the favour of God for this earnest is given us on purpose to assure us that God will so preserve us and by his grace so guide us that we shall never fall out of this ark into the waters What comfort and encouragement were in this expression if it did denote no more then a conditional security No it is a positive and absolute security Therefore that learned Vossius was
under some temptation surely when he wrote that Pelagian History for in that he hath this passage where speaking of some Ancients who from the metaphor of an anchor and earnest conclude the certainty of eternal life glosseth after this manner Histor Pelag. lib. 6. Thes 13. Certos nos dicunt quamdiu habemus arrhabonem spiritus sancti sed arrhabonem hunc siquis abjiciat hinc certitudinem simul salutis amittere We are certain of eternal life as long as we have this anchor this earnest but if we lose it we lose our certainty also of salvation How inexcusable is this though some learned men great friends to that excellent Authour say that he promised to review that History of Pelagian heresie in time For therefore is this earnest given us to take away our fears about the future Whereas in their sense we must needs be as uncertain as before and besides this earnest would need another earnest and so in infinitum The Scripture then by calling it an earnest would hereby inform us of Gods will that he who hath given us the first-fruits will in time also give us the lump or harvest it self he will so preserve us that not only any thing without as the devil and the world but also any thing within us our own hearts our own lusts shall not betray us and become our destruction and certanily that reason of Chrysostowe which is also grounded upon the Scripture is among others very remarkable If God of his free-grace did while enemies convert us and bestow his spirit as an earnest upon us will he not much rather do it for us since he hath received us into his friendship To this purpose the Apostle also argueth very strongly Rom. 5. 9 10. While we were yet sinners Christ dyed for us much more then being now justified by his bloud shall we be saved from wrath through him for if when we were enemies we were reconciled by death of his Sonne much more being reconciled we shall be saved by his lise If then God hath done the greater will he not do the lesse when we wallowed in our lusts when we tumbled in our filth even then the grace of God did speak unto us to live even then it did put comelinesse and beauty upon us and shall he not much more do it since he hath made us his own So that the same grace of God which received us though unworthy will preserve us though unworthy and as our rebellious heart did not finally withstand converting grace but was overcome by it so will the grace of perseverance watch over us that this earnest shall not be totally lost For this end we have many glorious promises to encourage us in this particular we must not then look upon our own dead womb but the power and promise of God concluding by this Lord I know thy will is that I shall be saved by this I am perswaded that nothing no not I my self shall separate my self from thy love for thy grace will alwaies prevent my will Secondly In that it is called an earnest there is implyed that grace here and glory hereafter are of the same nature that they differ only gradually Even as in an earnest amongst men that is part of the full payment and of the same nature with it Thus grace is nothing but glory begun and glory grace perfected for which cause it is called glory 2 Cor. 3. 18. We are changed into the same image from glory to glory that is from grace to grace till we come to inhabit glory For which cause also the Apostle compareth our state of grace here to the state of a childe and that of glory hereafter to a virile estate 1 Cor. 13. Now as a childe differeth from himself when made a man but gradually he is the same individuall person still Thus it is here thy grace will not be abolished thou hast here but perfected We do but think and understand in heavenly things as children only comparatively to what shall be done in heaven Even as these individual bodies shall put on immortality and incorruptibility They shall not be new bodies but changed bodies It is true there are some graces which suppose an imperfection in the subject while he is here in the way at least in their actings and so farre as there is imperfection it shall be abolished as 1 Cor 13. Thus saith as it justifieth as it is opposed to vision and hope as opposed to enjoying repentance likewise as it is sorrow for sin and patience which supposeth afflictions These things cannot be put forth in heaven but probably the habits of these graces may continue there as being an ornament and perfection of the soul it being extrinsecal only and by accident that the occasion of the exercise of those graces is removed Hence some say but not probably that the Spirit of God is a pledge in respect of faith and hope because they shall cease but an earnest in respect of charity which abideth for ever Salmeron in loc No wonder then if grace be an earnest of glory seeing they are the same thing in nature and differ only as perfect and imperfect yet when we say that grace is only glory begun that must be understood in a sound sense for some of the Papists make an inward condignity between grace and glory we are not then to think that grace of it self would in a naturall and necessary way spring up into glory as an Acorn would in a physicall manner breed up into an Oak being seminally and causally contained in it No but in a moral sense by the gracious appointment and order of God grace is glory begun otherwise such is the imperfection and drosse that is in our graces while in this life that when we have arrived to the highest pitch we might justly be deprived of glory Grace in the Apostate Angels formerly was not glory seminally and radically for then they had not missed it But if we do now regard the covenant of Gods grace he hath so appointed it that whosoever hath grace here that shall be preserved and kept so faithfully that it shall be perfected into glory hereafter And thus the earnest is of the same nature with the full payment it self Thirdly and lastly This similitude doth not only declare Gods purpose and effectuall will concerning us but it is also to assure and perswade us of heaven as if we were already in it and this is indeed one of the main ends of this similitude God will by this inform us of the transcendant excellency of the covenant of grace above that of works which he made with Adam Thus our Saviour saith Joh. 5. 24. He that beleeveth is passed from death to life he is already and therefore is sure of everlasting happinesse so that in this similitude there is not only the perseverance of the Saints denoted but also their assurance and certain perswasion of it And the truth is great is the
necessity of this doctrine for while a godly man looketh upon what is to come he seeth such a terrible wildernesse he is to go through such a Red Sea to passe over such Anakims in the way to be destroyed that had he not this certain perswasion that he shall overcome all these difficulties and that God would daily hold him in his arms of grace that he shall not fall his doubts and fears would wholly dishearten him And thus much is comprehended in the metaphor of an earnest It is not my purpose at this time to lanch into that ocean of the doctrine of perseverance as also the certainty of it I shall therefore amplifie this doctrine with some few propositions and so conclude it for the excellency and comfortablenesse of it will not let us wholly passe it by This precious flower can be found only in the paradise of the Scripture Therefore Austin was weary of Platonical Books because they had not these excellent things in them the Scripture hath whereof this arra spiritus the earnest of the spirit is one he instanceth in lib. confes cap. 7. As first We must know that comfort of perseverance is only improved by those that are certain of the present work of grace in their souls He that findeth grace for the present in his soul may undoubtedly conclude of his salvation hereafter but if a Christian do lie in doubts whether he hath grace or no this doctrine will not be as the honey-comb to him for he hath not laid the foundation that this must be built upon but if his thoughts about the present work of grace be hopefull only in him then also are his thoughts about perseverance hopefull only He may have some comfort but not such a certainty as the Scripture propoundeth Neither can he use those triumphing expressions of holy confidence which Paul Rom. 8. speaketh not of himself by any peculiar revelation but of all the children of God that nothing shall separate him from the love of God in Christ Secondly There are some Doctors and Teachers who make the certainty of our present grace and of perseverance therein two distinct yea and separable things They will grant that a man may be certain of the present grace he hath but then they deny he is to be certain that he shall continue and persevere in this for they affirm that a man may have true grace and yet totally and finally fall from it others say that a man may have grace and not be elected and such may lose it but he that hath true grace and elected that man shall never lose his interest in heaven Nay some of these Teachers do not only deny any such certainty of perseverance in our present grace either ordinarily possible or necessary But say such a certainty would be very dangerous and destructive to all vigilancy and carefulnesse in an holy life for what a man is assured of he cannot fear he shall lose let him live how he will but this upon another account is in time to be more largely debated Therefore for the present I only adde this third Proposition viz. That the certainty which the godly have is not such an absolute abstracted one as that it doth not include the means leading to salvation but rather doth necessarily connote them Insomuch that if any godly man should be left to such a desperate frame of heart as to say I am sure of heaven let me fall into the most abominable impieties that are these shall not hinder salvation such an one would certainly be damned but that is not to be supposed that such who have the true seed of grace will ever be given up to such a prophane spirit The certainty then that a beleever hath is in the use of means to attain their desired end So that it 's like the assurance that Paul had concerning the preservation God would vouch safe to all his fellow-passengers in the ship with him which yet did relate to the necessary use of means as Paul exhorteth them or like that of Hezckiah to whom God promised the addition of fifteen years longer to his life Now he was assured of this God could not lye yet he did not neglect to eat and drink he knew Gods promise implyed the use of the means so that the adversaries to this Truth do fully mistake when they say we preach such a certainty of perseverance that though a man fall into any enormous crimes yet he shall enjoy this still This is oppositum in apposito to suppose that if fire be water it will refrigerate Fourthly We are further to distinguish of a two-fold certainty in this matter of salvation and perseverance in the way therein The first I call a dogmaticall certainty and that is when a man is fully convinced out of the Scripture of this truth in the generall that whosoever hath once had true grace shall never fall from it but certainly shall be saved and he that hath this differeth from those corrupt and erroneous Teachers that affirm the contrary as the Arminians and their complyers in this respect for there is no more reason to doubt of this doctrinal point than others that are maintained by the Orthodox against that party so that there is no more reason to make this a problematical point wherein learned men may dissent from one another then any other in the Arminian controversies But 2. there is a personal or reflexive certainty and that is when a man doth not only beleeve this position as a truth that he who hath true grace cannot fall from it but also is perswaded that he hath true grace in his own heart and therefore that he is built upon such a rock that no storms or tempests shall be able to overthrow him and this is that every godly man is to presse after This text is a speciall furtherance in this work for the spirits fealing perswadeth of the grace already wrought in us and the earnest doth assure us of that which is to come If you ask what grounds there are why he who findes grace in himself may thus conclude infallibly for heaven hereafter I shall amongst many give three only which is such a threefold cord that can never be broken As first That all true grace is the proper effect of predestination so that whosoever is effectually called in time is thereby declared to be predestinated before the world began Thus the Apostle Rom. 8 30. whom he did predestinate he called and those he justifieth and those he glorifieth You see it 's a chain of Gods making and so cannot be dissolved therefore Tit. 1. 1. it 's called the faith of Gods elect so Eph. 1. 4. he hath chosen us before the foundation of the world that we should be holy We see then that holinesse and true faith is proper to the elect only and therefore to distinguish of a two-fold Sonship of God some by present grace only and