of thy childe and the blood of thy servant at thy hands one day Dost thou love thy childe a Heathen will teach thee thy duty To love saith hee Arist Ethic. l. 2. c. 4. is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to desire good things for such and according to the utmost ability to endeavour to accomplish them There i◠but one good thing that is absolutely necessary for thy childe and that is a happy union to God What hast thou yet done to the effecting of that Many are eagerly bent upon those designs how their children Sueton. in Calig c. 42. like Caligula in the Historian may tumble in a room full of gold but take little pains for the gold of Ophir Prov. 3.14 15. and that wisdome which is far above Rubies Know that all the sins of Relations under your charge that are not reproved and corrected for will become yours Every drunken fit of thy servant will be counted thine to answer for Every turn of pleasure that thy children and servants take in the fields upon Gods holy day with thy approving connivance Isa 58.13 2 Ep. Ioh. 11. will turn to thy account at the great Tribunal If thou wouldest finde favour with God labour to divert them from the waies that lead to the chambers of death He that neglects his duty herein does what in him lyes to damn his childe and himself too As if he were in league with death in covenant with Satan Isa 28.15 and with Hell were at an agreement as if it were a laughing matter for himself and all his Relations to fall into the bottomless pit of fire and brimstone Oh how many families are the filthy cages of unclean birds like so many hog-styes and sinks of all manner of abominations Wee can scarce walk the streets but we shall hear swearing and cursing and polluting Gods holy Name and many obscene and filthy speeches and see great wickedness committed even by young striplings and this is because they are not instructed and taught the fear of the Lord at home by their Parents and Rulers There be many ruffling Gallants in our times that look upon holiness as a crime and count it their bravery to go towards Hell with open mouth with a full swinge that swim down the Rivers of Riot and Luxury into the dead Sea 1 Pet. 2.13 That are so far from reproving others for sin that they commend and incourage them rather that have much ado to bear with servants that perform excellent service 1 Pet. 4.4 Sueton. in Nerone c. 5. if they will not drink healths and be debaucht as well as themselves more like Nero than Christians If their children serve Satan never so much they matter it not so they do not ruine their Patrimony No wonder that their children be profligate and vile that have such sad examples The Spirit of God takes notice that Ahaziah was a wicked man 2 Chron. 22.3 and gives this for the reason His Mother was his counsellour to do wickedly Such as will be angry rather if their Relations do not walk in the waies of sin Aelian de animal l. 5. c. 16. Rom. 3.13 like the Wasps in the Naturalist that dip their stings in the poison of Vipers Their angry tongues are tinctured in the venome of sin Oh how much good might a Theophilus do when greatness and holiness run in a blood how would the generations to come rise up and bless them how much honour might they bring to God how would Religion flourish how would our fields bring forth peace and our streets run down with rivers of Righteousness 3. Hence we learn the horrible sin of such that cause others to do wickedly that egge on others to the commission of sin that encourage children to prophane the Sabbath to lye and swear and seem to approve of delight and rejoyce in it Who knowing the judgement of God that they which commit such things are worthy of death not only do the same Rom. 1.32 but have pleasure in them that do them 4. Hence we may infer what great wisdome is requisite in managing those means that are proper and useful in order to the salvation of our Relations what integrity of heart what sincerity what holy contempt of the scorns of this wicked world Dost thou take upon thee the study of wisdome Epictet c. 29. saies the Stoick prepare thy self speedily 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be laught to scorn and expect that many should mock at thee how much greater is the depravation of mens hearts since the fall in opposition to true holiness Many a bitter taunt and scoff must thou go under but in wisdome pass it by regard it not you work for souls One soul begotten to God is better than the gaining of whole Kingdomes and Empires 5. To such as live under holy Rulers and Governours of families that you would highly esteem them for their labour of love that you would count it a singular mercy that God hath given any of you a holy Father or a holy Mother such as have spent many an hour in secret for thy good that have sought it earnestly at the Throne of Grace that thy life might be hid with God in Christ Look upon their instructions as so many Pearls Prov. 1.9 their Reproofs as so many Rubies to wear about thy neck Not to be reproved in the way of sin is a great judgement Hos 2.6 To have these Thorns and Briars cast in the way to our sinful lovers is a great mercy Oh how many blessings do children injoy by means of praying-parents count it a great and an admirable favour from God 6. To such as are employed and exercised in this excellent duty and study to perform it conscientiously Who seriously endeavour that their yoak-fellows may be the Spouses of Christ their posterity the children of our heavenly Father their servants the freemen of Christ their kindred of the Blood-Royal of Heaven Let mee say as our blessed Lord to Zacheus This day is Salvation come to this house This day hast thou fellowship with the Father and with the Son The God of Heaven goes along with thee Though thou dost not see the desired fruit of thy labour at present do not despond the work is Gods It is like to some of those seeds which sown in the earth will not come up till the second Spring Iames 5.7 The husband-man waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth and hath long patience for it until hee receive the early and latter rain It is often seen that there is a mighty Power of God going along with such constant endeavours at length the diligent hand may make thee rich The Grace that dwelt in the Grandmother Lois in the Mother Eunice dwelt afterward in their little Son Timothy Though God is not tied by any bond of nature 2 Tim. 1.5 yet fervent prayer is of a high esteem in the sight of God The use
but the drooping distressed Christian also questioneth all this because of the deceitfulness of the heart Alas the Scripture tells us that the heart of man is desperately wicked and deceitfull above all things o From Jer. 1.9 The Papists cavils the drooping Christian doubts who can know it and if the heart of man cannot bee known how can wee say wee beleeve or love God For this consider these four things 1. Another man cannot know it I cannot certainly and infallibly know whether another man be sincere or what his heart is for it is the prerogative and excellency of God to bee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one that knows the hearts of all men Act. 1.24 2. A wicked mans heart is so wicked and there is such a depth of wickedness in his heart that hee cannot come to the bottome of it 3. If a man cannot know all the secret turnings and windings of his heart yet hee may know the general scope and frame of his heart 4. If hee could not do this of himself yet assisted by the spirit of God which all beleevers have received hee might know the frame bent scope inclination of his own heart Thus far the first proposition that a man may know that hee hath sincere faith in Christ and love to God Now wee proceed to the second 2 Proposition which shews the connexion between grace and glory Second Proposition is this that there is an infallible connexion between justifying faith unfeigned love and eternal glory The Apostle tells us of some things that may bee called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 6.9 things that accompany salvation Having or containing Salvation that are contiguous to salvation that the one toucheth the other this must bee proved for else though I know I do beleeve and love God sincerely to day I can have no infallible assurance of salvation because this may bee lost before to morrow or before I dye Now this I shall indeavour to prove by these three following particulars 1 From the verity of Gods promises 1. The undoubted verity of Gods promises proveth an inseperable connexion between sincere grace and eternal glory Faith is the eye of the soul with it through a promise as through a perspective-glass can the soul have a view of Heaven and glory What greater certainty or security can a man have than the infallible promise of that God who is truth it self who will not deny his Word but the same Love and free Grace that moved him to infuse Grace into thy heart and to make the Promise will move him also to give the thing promised Joh. 3.16 God so loved the world that hee gave his onely begotten Son that whosoever beleeveth on him should not perish but have everlasting life Joh. 5.24 Hee that beleeveth hath everlasting life Hee hath it in the Promise hee hath it in the first-fruits Rom. 8.23 But wee our selves also which have the first-fruits of the Spirit The Jews by offering their first fruits did testifie their thankfulness to God for what they had received and hopes of the full crop in due time Hee hath everlasting life then it must not end Mark 16.16 Hee that beleeveth and is baptized shall bee saved Hee that beleeveth not shall bee damned As certainly as the unbeleever shall be cast into outer darkness so certainly shall the beleever be partaker of the glorious Inheritance of the Saints in Light The Promise is as true as the Threatning Act. 16.30 31. There you see a poor convinced wounded sinner under the load of guilt that had a sight of his lost undone deplorable condition coming to the Apostles and speaking after this manner Yee men of God yee servants of the Lord if there bee any way for mee who have been so great a sinner that have done enough ten thousand times over to damn my own soul if there be any certain way to avoid damnation I beseech you tell mee if there be any means by which I might certainly be saved as you pitty my sinful soul my bleeding heart my wounded conscience tell mee what it is declare it to mee What is the Apostles answer Beleeve on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved The Apostles speak not doubtingly perhaps thou shalt be saved perhaps thou mayest be damned If thou get Faith it may be thou mayest get Heaven Alas what relief peace satisfaction would this have been to his wounded conscience But they speak peremptorily beleeve and thou shalt be saved So that prove thou that thou hast Faith and these Scriptures prove thou shalt have salvation The Connexion therefore will not be questioned if I beleeve I shall be saved this God hath promised but shall not a beleever lose his Faith in Christ and lose his Love to God for the Remonstrants grant that a beleever qua talis as a beleever cannot fall away not come short of glory but qui talis est Hee that is a beleever may fall away totally and finally and so cannot have assurance of salvation because hee hath no assurance that hee shall persevere in his beleeving and state of grace To this I oppose these places of Scripture 1 Thes 5.23 24. And the very God of Peace sanctifie you wholly and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body bee preserved blameless therefore preserved from Apostacy which is exceedingly blame-worthy till when till the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ is this a prayer and not a promise yea it is a prayer indited by the Spirit of God and hath a promise following it if you will read on Faithful is hee that calleth you who also will do it Here the Apostle that had the Spirit prayeth for perseverance and the Apostle that had the Spirit promiseth perseverance Certainty then of perseverance doth not make men careless in the use of means not prayers needless by praying a man obtains the thing promised and the certainty that hee hath by the promise of obtaining puts life into his prayers Phil. 1.6 Being confident of this very thing that hee which hath begun a good work in you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 denoteth more safety than 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 will perform it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 will finish it will perfect it until the day of Jesus Christ 1 Pet. 1.5 Kept garrisoned by the power of God through Faith unto Salvation Joh. 10.28 30. 1 Cor. 10.13 But will with the Temptation make a way to escape therefore they shall persevere for to enable the beleever to persevere in all tentations is to make a way to escape the destruction and hurt the tentation tendeth to God doth promise this absolutely Jer. 32.38 40. And they shall bee my people and I will bee their God and will make an everlasting Covenant with them that I will not turn away from them to do them good but I will put my fear into their hearts that they shall not depart from mee They shall not forsake God because God will not
praise to God for all or any of his benefits promised or bestowed and that with our hearts Filliucius out of Aquin We praise God for all his perfections we thank God for his benefits lips and lives Some affirm that much of Religion is seen in piety to parents observance to our betters and thankfulnesse to our benefactors God is indeed all these to us Yet the proper notion of our thankfulnesse refers to God as our benefactor every benefit from God makes the receiver a debtor thankfulnesse is rather the confessing of our debt then the paiment of it and for as much as we are bound alwaies to be thankfull it doth acknowledge we are alwaies beholden to God and allwaies insolvent Now a child of God is bound to be thankfull to God above all men because 1. He is more competent then any other 2. He is more concerned then any other I. More competent by acts of reason and grace too All that the Scripture speaks as to the duty of thankfulnesse may be referred to these Heads 1. To know and acknowledge the Lords mercies 2. To remember them i. e. to record and commemorate them 3. To value and admire them 4. To blaze and proclaim them In all which a gracious soul is much more competent then a meer natural man though indued with quick understanding strong memory and great eloquence For the Spirit of God hath inlightened his soul and taught him this lesson he is principled for it he is a well tuned instrument his heart boyleth with good matter and his tongue is as the pen of a ready writer Psal 45.1 as David speaks on this occasion when he spake of the praises of the King in his Song of Loves This Spirit of God in a thankfull soul is as the breath of the Organ without which the pipes make no sound yea as the breath of the Trumpetter by which the Trumpet gives a certain and melodious sound This is it that makes that noble Evangelical spirit yea that heavenly Angelical spirit in Christians See a place for it Eph. 5.18 19 20. Be not drunk with wine wherein is excesse but be filled with the spirit speaking to your selves in Psalms and Hymns c. giving thanks alwaies for all things unto God and the Father in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ shewing that what wine doth in Poets and good fellows it makes them sing and roar out Catches by which they make musick to the devil so the Spirit of God in Saints is the principle of all true thankfulnesse and holy joy towards God and indeed there was a very gracious frame of spirit this way in Primitive Christians II. More concerned as hâ—â—ing received more then others to whomsoever much is given of them much is required Luke 12.48 a proportion of duty according to the degree of every portion of mercy whether you consider what is given or what is forgiven you There are two things which every gracious soul will acknowledge No man saith he in the world hath deserved less of God than I and none hath received more of God than I how much then am I concerned to be thankful I have read of a holy man that was seen once standing still with tears in his eyes and looking up to heaven and being asked by one that passed by why he did so said I admire the Lords mercy to me that did not make me a Toade that Vermine being then casually at his feet The least common mercy affects a gracious soul that knows his desert nothing but misery 2 Sam. 9 8. Mephibosheth bowed himself and said What is thy servant that thou shouldst look upon such a dead dog as I am When David had told him he should have his Lands and eat bread at his Table When the Lord spares our lives and gives us common mercies we must admire and adore his goodness And this leads me to the second general Question Quere 2 Why and upon what grounds Christians are bound to give thanks in every thing Answ 1 It is the will of God in Christ Jesus The will of God in Christ Jesus is the clearest Rule and the highest Obligation to any soul for the performance of any duty O that men would now adaies study more act by and hold fast to this rule And ask conscience in the performance of every duty is this the will of God in Christ Jesus It was meet that this duty of thankfulness should be prest and practised under the Gospel because it argue a spiritual and noble frame of Soul the highest pitch of grace which is a true Gospel frame David under the Old Testament had a New Testament heart in this particular his Psalms which were all penn'd upon emergent occasions are all Tehillah and Tephillah Prayer and Praise his Heart and Harp were so tuned to the Praises of God to Psalms of Degrees to Hallelujahs that some have thought the Lord is praised with those Psalms in Heaven Zach. 12.8 Greg. Hom. 20. in Ezek. Yet is it promised under the Gospel that he that is feeble shall be as David which some understand as to Praise and Thanksgivings upon the account of Gospel grace More punctually this is the will of God in Christ Jesus i. e. Jesus Christ shews us the duty of thankfulness both by Pattern and by Precept for he was not only usherd into the World with Songs of Thanksgiving by Angels Luk. 1.46 68. Luk. 2.13 14 20 29. by Zachary by Mary by Simeon by the Shepherds c. but the Lord Jesus himself was a great Pattern and President of Thankfulness all his life long and in this also was a true Son of David He thanked God frequently and fervently I thank thee O Father Lord of heaven and earth because thou hast hid these things from the Wise and Prudent Matth. 11.25 and hast revealed them unto babes when his Disciples preached and cast out devils Thus also when he raised Lazarus Father Joh. 11.41 I thank thee that thou hast heard me When he was to eat common bread Mark 8.6 Luk. 22.19 he blessed it with giving of thanks Much more consecrated bread Thus was he a Pattern of thankfulness he did in every thing give thanks In like manner we find him reproving the nine Lepers for their unthankfulness which shews that he held out thankfulness as a duty Luk. 17.16 17. personally he gave a Pattern and Precept for it Now though this were enough to shew it the will of God in Christ Jesus yet these words reach further namely to shew that is the strain of the Gospel in the Apostles Doctrine and Practice for they through their Commission and the great measure of Gods Spirit in them declared the will of God in Christ Jesus They worshipped Luke 24. ult and returned to Jerusalem with great joy and were continually in the Temple praising and blessing God Amen What the Apostle Pauls spirit was in this by whom so
as such they are the stroaks of Gods vindictive Justice the fruit of sin and destructive to the creature in which sense they have not rationem beneficii sed supplicii they are not benefits but punishments But whereas the Lord hath so ordered that all things shall work together for good to them that are good and crosses are some of those things they are hereby sanctified and become the matter of thanksgiving to a child of God And this was that noble primitive frame of spirit among Christians under what providence soever dark or light sweet or sour they were thankful in all alwaies thankful St. Augustine upon the 132 Psalm commendeth that ancient custome among Christians Aug. Epist 77. Quid melius animo geramus ore promamus calamo exprimamus quam deo gratias hoc nec dici brevius nec audiri latius nec intelligi grandius nec agi fructuosius potest Deo gratias in whose mouths you should alwayes hear these words Deo gratias thanks be to God when they met and saluted one another Deo gratias God be thanked when they heard any tidings of persecution or protection favour or frown gain or loss cross or comsort still Deo gratias the Lord be thanked at which custome the Circumcellians pick quarrels but St. Austine defends it as laudable and religious what saith he shall brethren in Christ not give God thanks when they see one another What better thing can we speak or think or write than this God be thanked nothing can be more compendiously spoken nor more gladly heard nor more solemnly understood nor more profitably acted then this God be thanked Thus he Such a frame of heart had holy Job the Lord giveth and the Lord taketh blessed be the name of the Lord. Psal 34.1 On Psal 115. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Hieron And such a one wâ—s in the sweet singer of Israel I will bless the Lord at all times Notable is that of Chrysostome there is nothing saith he nothing we can study more pleasing to God than to be thankful not only in good dayes but when things likewise fall out cross this is the best Sacrifice and oblation we offer God of a like spirit was famous Mr. Bradford Martyr speaking of Queen Mary at whose cruel mercy he then lay If said he she will release me I will thank her if she will imprison me I will thank her if she will burn me I will thank her c. So saith a believing Soul let God do with me what he will I will be thankful This made one of the Ancients to say it is peculiar to Christians to give thanks in adversity To praise God for benefits this Jew and Gentile can do but to give God thanks in dangers according to the Apostles sense and in miseries and alwayes to say blessed be God this is the highest pitch of Virtue for a true Christians language is this I cannot tell how I should suffer less these things are but little to my sins I deserve much more at the Lords hands here is your Christian such a one takes up his cross and follows his Saviour no loss or cross can dishearten him but as the Poet saith if the World break and fall about his ears he would not be afraid Thus St. Hieron By whom it should seem that to give God thanks for crosses and afflictions is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be numbred among those singular things which Christians are bound to excel in beyond Heathens and Publicans as to love enemies to blesse them that curse c. to which our Saviour exhorts and commands Matth. 5. Papists indeed tell us they are Counsels and not Commands and therefore required only of perfect ones in order to merit and supererrogation which is a blasphemous fancy those duties and so this of thankfulnesse in every thing is required of every Christian virtute precepti this is the will of God concerning you saith my Text. Why and how do we give thanks in and for afflictions Quere 4 I. We must give thanks for good afflictions are not evil but good Psal 119.67 68 71. Biel others David tells you so and wherein which every child of God also finds To this agrees that of the Schooles that crosses are not evil but good 1. Because inflicted by the Lord who is the chief good 2. Because suffered by the Lord Jesus who is the chief good 3. They conform us to the Lord who is the chief good 4. They prepare us for communion with the Lord in Heaven which is our chief good therefore be thankful for crosses II. We must thank God for every token of his Fatherly love Heb. 12.6 but now crosses and troubles are such Fatherly love tokens Whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth therefore give thanks for them as well for the rod as for bread This is thank-worthy this is acceptable to God 1 Pet. 2.19 20. God will thank us for suffering patiently therefore we must thank him for inflicting it as a tender Father on beloved sons Would you be counted bastards Alexander cashiered one of his name that would not fight Et cum blandiris pater es cum caedis pater es Aug. in Psal 98. the Eagle is said to cast off those young ones that cannot bear the sight of the Sun and some Germans counted such children spurious brats that could not swim So our Heavenly Father will never own them for his children that will not submit to his rod and kisse it too Lord when thou stroakest and when thou strikest thou art alike a Father saith St. Austin III. The Lord by afflicting his People doth prevent sin and purge it Therefore give thanks for it for thâ—s is good because it frees us from the greatest evil 2 Cor. 12.7 1. He prevents sin by it lest saith Paul I should be exalted above measure there was given to me a thorn in the flesh a messenger of Satan to buffet me 2. He purgeth sin by it by this saith the Prophet shall the iniquity of Jacob be purged Isa 27. Chrysost Now do we not thank and pay the Chirurgeon that lets out our bad blood that launceth our festred sores that cuts out our proud and rotten flesh yes surely we do thank him do we not also thank the Physician that keeps us to a strickt diet confines us to our chamber gives us bitter pils and potions and crosses our appetites yes we do thank him for hereby he cures a disease defends and preserves both our health and life Now what else I beseech you doth the Lord do more or lesse by all that we suffer at his hands and doth not he deserve our thanks as well as the Physician and Chirurgeon When we are vexed and pinched then ought we more especially to give the Lord thanks who as a most indulgent Father will not suffer our corruptions to spread further
their great and supream Oracle in their mishapen apprehensions of their need of mercy they are willing to be flattered that it may be had without such severities in Religion u Quà m minu tatum pede tentim decline à deo itaâ— profundum de scendat ut super eam urgeà puteus oâ— summ mundi prospiritas alludit illudit cum laudetur peccator in desideriis animae suae cum peccantium favor peccâ—re nolentium pavor nolens dolens arridet ei c Bern. l. de consc p. 1109. as they are unwilling to undertake Why should they be wiser then their Neighbours all men are not fools Men as wise and as learned neither press nor practise such strictness and do you think they have not a care of their souls they do not doubt but they shall do as well as the best Though poor souls they know that wide is the gate and broad is the way w Mat. 7.13.14 that leadeth to destruction and many there be which go in thereat because strait is the gaâ—e and narrow is the way that leadeth unto life and few there be that finde it Mark that that find it he doth not say x Non dicit pauci ingrediuntur quod difficillimuÌ„ sed pauci inveniunt Par. in loc that enter into it but that find it Those that do not walk in the way of holinesâ— y vide Auth. imperfec oper Hom 18. p. 72. 't is impossible they should ever find it The gate doth not lead to the way but the way to the gate Do not think to get to heaven first and learn heavenly mindedness after yea heaven must now suffer z Mat. 11.12 violence striving is the condition a Luk. 13.24 vide Stell in loc of entring Rouze up therefore and shake off your worldly wisdome b See Abernethy's physick for the soul c. 7. p. 92. c. your ignorant self-love your abuse of mercies your contempt of God and your forgetfulness of death and judgement But how shall we do this 1. The first remedy I shall commend is Consideration Cure Let the subject of thy consideration be with thou wilt only I could wish it may relate to eternity whither thou art posting and I shall not doubt of the success Let me for once insert a relation I heard between the preaching and the transcribing of this Serm. The Father of a Prodigal left it as his death-bed charge unto his only Son to spend a quarter of an hour every day in retired thinking but left him at liberty to thinke of what he would onely engaged him to spend a quarter of an hour in thinking The son having this liberty to please himself in the subject sets himselfe to the performance of his promise his thoughts one day recall his past pleasures another contrive his future delights but at length his thoughts became inquisitive what might be his fathers end in proposing this task he thought his father was a wise and good man therefore surely he intended and hoped that he would some time or other think of Religion when this leaven'd his thoughts they multiplyed abundantly neither could he contain them in so short a confinement but was that night sleepless and afterwards restlesse till he became seriously religious O that I could perswade you to go and do likewise 2. Observe what means thou shunnest as too startling and make use of them for thy awakening This with the blessing of God will savingly awaken thee O how often hath thy Conscience whimper'd thou hast husht it to sleep again What doth thy sleepy Conscience most dread an awakening Ministry So far cross thy Conscience as to attend no other In stead of lullaby notions improve cutting c Tit. 1.13 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 redarguito praecitè Bez. Generalis cujusdem religiosi ordinis qui ut suos hortaretur ne minus conscientiae studerent quam scientiae dixit majores suos se vitamque suam direxisse conscientiâ nunc autem abbreviatam videri verbum istud ac mutilatum primâ syllabâ viz succedente illi scientiâ verendum deinceps ne hoc verbum mutiletur primâ syllabâ adeóque relinquatur sola entia rationis circa quae versatur saepè speculativa tantum scientia ac nudae speculationes Brester de consc l. 1. c. 7. p. 28. Sect. 57. convictions The scared Conscience II. The second kind of Conscience proposed is the seared Conscience Such is theirs who have given up their names to Christ but lift up their heel against him of which the Apostle speaks a 1 Tim. 4.2 having their consciences seared with an hot iron i. e. having a corrupt and b Corruptam putrifactam atque putredinem cum foetore semper emittentem Anselm in loc putrified conscience that have the Devils brand mark c Cauterio d'aboli penetratam esse ut indelebiliter eandom retineant conscientiam c. Cajet in loc upon it Plainly a seared Conscience is a rotten d Abern ibid. c. 8 p. 109. venemous ulcerate pestilent filthy gangrenate Conscience that doth not perform any of it's offices but is even past feeling that is or might have been in Christs Hospitall under cure of soul-distempers but through indulging of sin not being able to endure the sharp e Jer. 44.16 c. convictions bitter reproofs and cloâ—e exhortations of the word he deadens his Conscience unto an insensible senslesnesse to this rank of profligate sinners I refer all those that frequent as well as those that reject Ordinances that make a profession as well as those that hate the profession of Religion yet have a reserve of sin which they will not part with Searing you know is of that part which needs cure The causes Cause of a seared Conscience are Conscience-wasting sinnes on mans part procuring it and divine withdrawing from the sinner on Gods part inflicting it As there are are some f Morbus venenereus bodily diseases that follow bodily wickednesse so this Soul-disease is the peculiar punishment of sins against knowledge Methinks that Text is dreadfull g Rom 1.28 See also v. 21.24 26. As they did not like to retain God in their knowledge God gave them over to a reprobate minde c. 'T is observable h Ecce quotiens vindicat Deus ex eadem vindâ—cta pâ—ura graâ—iora peccata consurgunt Bed in loc the oftner they rebelled against the light the more severely God punished them with that which they counted impunity viz. he gave them up to their swinge i Tradidit Deus substractione gratiae traditione in potestatem Satanae 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in mentem reprobâ—m actâ— vè passivè intelligendo c. And aâ—l this to be such a recompence of their errour 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quam oportuâ—t i. e. quam ex ordine justitiae suae Deus ipsis dehabeat retriâ—uâ—re Par. in loc of 1.
did to the King before he opened his mouth to give the sense of his Ominous Dream Dan. 4 19. The Dream be to them that hate thee and the Interpretation to thine enemies yet shall I not wish so much ill to our worst enemies but the Text be to them that hate God and the Interpretation only to the enemies and despisers or despitors of his grace It is one of the most startling Scriptures in all the Bible and one of the most Terrible flying fiery Roules in all the Book of God utterly consuming the house of the hypocrite Apostate with the timber thereof and the stones thereof and dreadfully affrighting his truly Religious neighbour who trembleth at Gods Word The Novatians or Cathari abused this place of old Gen. 40. to shut the Church-doors and gate of grace upon such as had fallen after their profession of Christianity And many poor souls and troubled consciences have as often quite perverted or misunderstood it to the shutting up the gate of heaven and door of hope against themselves after their bitterly bewail'd falls or slips but both unjustly But as Josephs Interpretation once of the same nights dream when rightly applyed did rid the Butler out of his misapprehended fears and onely left the more secure Baker under that execution which the other apprehended but himself never dreamt of so neither this nor any other Scripture speaks a word of terror to any sin-troubled soul that trembles at Gods threats But all the Prophets Prophesie good with one consent to these and my word shall be like one of theirs It was indeed once a joyfull sight which Jacob beheld at Bethel Gen 28.12 A ladder whose foot stood on the earth and the top reached to heaven and Angels ascending and descending upon it But here we see a Ladder whose top spires toward heaven but the foot resteth in hell where seeming Angels of light ascend or such new strange Gods ascend as the Witch once saw out of the earth but black Apostate Angels descend Intrat Angelus Exit daemon 1 Sam. 28.13 I am to speak of the Case of Relapses and my Text is the fairest glass to discover so foul a sight as I know Here we have the rise and fall the first and the last the better and worse part of an Apostate-hypocrite described 1. The former his Rise his first and Better part set out in five Particulars 1. Enlightening 2. Tasting the heavenly gift as of some common faith or repentance or the like 3. Partaking of the Holy Ghost which is not to be understood of the sanctifying graces of the Holy Ghost but the common or extraordinary gifts as of Tongues c. of the sanctifying Spirit 4. Tasting the good word of God 5. And the powers of the life to come He saith not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ut cum edificium male sartum prorsus corruit Paroe in loc Had they had to these five steps two other more sincerity at the bottom of the Ladder and perseverance at the top they had been safe 2. The later his fall his last and worse part is set out in four Things 1. His fall is a break-neck fatal down-fall They fall away It is not an ordinary slip or stumble but a down-right not fair fall but a foul given them by Satan such a fall as his own was at first 2. The irrecoverableness of that fall they are past grace and grace and mercy hath done with them They cannot be renewed to repentance as is said of Esau there is no place for their repentance though he sought for the blessing with tears Heb. 12.17 3. The certainty of that irrecoverableness in that it is said to be impossible c. he doth not say it is hard or unlikely or seldom seen but is absolutely impossible 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it was never seen or ever shall be Impossible not so much ex natura rei as some things are utterly impossible which imply a contradiction as that true should be false good evil light darkness these impossible because inconsistent with the nature of the things themselves But impossible ex instituto Dei because inconsistent with Gods decree and declared will as impossible as we say An elect or true believer should perish or an impenitent person be saved so we mean impossible by reason of Gods irreversible decree concerning such 4. The cause that makes all this dead-sure and seals the stone of this certainty Seeing they crucifie to themselves afresh the Son of God and put him to open shame and make no account of the bloud of Christ and the grace and promise of the Gospel and of the comfort of the Holy Ghost and are therefore said to sin against the Holy Ghost because they directly slight resist and oppose the gracious office and workings of the holy Spirit But I must stay no longer upon the words by reason of that brevity expected in this Exercise Doct. Our Observation is It is the most fearful and dangerous condition in the world to begin in the Spirit and end in the Flesh to rise and fall in Religion to decay and Apostatize from grace To have had some work of the Spirit and the Word upon their hearts so as to have light and love and taste and gifts and savour and seriousness and hopes and fears and after all to cool and give over Oh how desperate is such a case To go to hell with so much of heaven Oh what a hell is that Heb. 10.26 27. For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth there remaineth no more sacrifice for sin But a certain fearfull looking for of judgâ—ment c. 2 Pet 2.20 21 22. For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ they are again intangled therein and overcome the latter end is worse with them then the beginning for it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness then after they have known to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them c. Such a thing there may be possibly the Text supposeth it that such may fall and fall away totally and finally only pronounceth an impossibility of their rising again Some are said to fall from grace Gal. 5.4 the stony and thâ—rny ground did so in a parable Demas Judas Saul Hymenaeus did so in good earnest A great Apostacy was foretold in the first days to let in Antichrist 2 Thes 2.3 And in the reign of Antichrist more 1 Tim 4.1 all are warned Let him that standeth take heed lest he fall 1 Cor. 10.12 Heb. 12.15 Look diligently lest any fail of or fall from the grace of God Some of Johns hearers after a while left him Joh. 5.35 Many of our Saviours hearers quite left him Joh. 6.66 Many of Pauls supposed converts were turned away all they of Asia 2
〈◊〉 brief and compendious So much more for youth Long Orations burden their small memories too much and through such imprudence may occasion the loathing of spiritual Manna considering their being yet in the state of nature As Physicians in their diaeretical precepts prescribe to children little and often so must we deal with beginners in the things of God A young plant may quickly be over-glutted with manure and rotted with too much watering Weak eyes newly opened from sleep cannot bear the glaring windows Isa 28.20 scarce a Candle at the first Line upon line and precept upon precept here a little and there a little You must drive the little ones as Jacob did Gen. 33.13 very gently towards Canaan Entertain their tender attentions with discourses of Gods infinite greatness and amiable goodness of the glories of Heaven of the torments of Hell Things that affect the senses must be spiritualized to them catch their affections by a holy craft Deal as much in similitudes as thou canst If you be together in a garden draw some sweet and heavenly discourse out of the beautiful flowers If by a river side treat of the water of life and the rivers of pleasure that are at Gods right hand If in a field of Corn speak of the nourishâ—ng quality of the bread of life If you see birds flying in the air or hear them singing in the woods teach them the all-wise providence of God that gives them their meat in due season If thou lookest up to the Sun Moon and Stars tell them they are but the shining spangles of the out-houses of Heaven oh then what glory is there within If thou seest a Rainbow to diaper some waterish cloud talk of the Covenant of God These and many more may be like so many golden links drawing divine things into their memories Hos 12.10 I have used simâ—litudes by my servants the Prophets saith God Moreover let young ones read and learn by heart some portions of the Historical books of holy Scripture But above all the best way of institution especially as to the younger sort may be performed by Catechisms Plat-forms of sound words 2 Tim. 1.13 by Question and Answer in a short compendious method whose terms being clear and distinct might be phrased out of holy Scripture and fitted to their capacities by a plain though solid stile and to their memories by brief expressions Obj. But some may object that children not well understanding what they repeat do but prophane the Name of God Answ To this I answer That our reasonings ought not to countermand or contradict Divine Injunctions Wee are commanded by God in the Book of Deuteronomy Deut. 6.7 Prov. 22. to whet the Law upon our Children Train up a childe in the way hee should go and when hee is old hee will not depart from it By the bending of young trees and putting young fruit into glasses you may form them into what shape you please The Apostle commends the president of Timothy to the whole Christian world 2 Tim. 3.15 Jer. 1.5 Luk. 1.41 44. that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from a little sucking childe as the word imports hee had known the holy Scriptures Some children have been sanctified from the birth as is evident in Jeremy and John Baptist Now wee being ignorant who are under the election of God must use the means to all especially such as are under the faederal stipulation between God and us such as are the children of beleeving Parents They are commanded to remember their Creator in the daies of their youth Eccles 12.1 And who should make such impressions of God upon their hearts but those that are over them by Divine Appointment who ought to bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Ephes 6.4 As Seals are to be imprinted upon the wax while it is tender 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so teaching and instruction will best fix upon their minds while yet they are children Plut. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 5. So soon as ever reason begins to sprout forth yea as soon as they are drawn from the breasts Isa 28.9 begin to season younglings with the sense of Gods Maâ—esty and Mercy Gardiners begin to graft so soon as ever the sap begins to arise in the spring and the bud of the stock to swell and inlarge Colts must be backt before their mettle grows too high and Heifers must be used to the yoak before they attain to their full strength or else they will prove unserviceable God commanded in the old Law more Lambs Kids and Bullocks young Turtles and Pidgeons to bee offered upon his Altar than those of elder growth Levit. 2.14 first-fruits and green-corn must be presented to the Lord. To intimate the dedication of our children those reasonable Sacrifices unto the Temple and service of God while they are young and tender Rom. 11.1 The sooner you sow the sooner you may reap Sow thy seed in the morning Eccles 11.9 saies Solomon The benefit of timely instruction is scarce imaginable But I come to the third 3. Add to thine Instructions preceptive Injunctions lay it as a charge upon their souls in the Name of God that they hearken to and obey thine Institutions Every house is under a kinde of Kingly Government 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arist Pol. l. 1. c. 1. c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and a Ruler gives Laws to wife and children An instance wee have in the case of Solomon Prov. 4.30 4. who acquaints us that hee was his Fathers Son tender and onely beloved in the sight of his Mother Hee taught mee also and said unto mee Let thine heart retain my words keep my Commandements and live When David was ready to dye Solomon 1 Chron. 22.5 29.1 1 Chron. 28.9 c. 1 King 2.1 the text saies was Yet young and tender and notwithstanding that his Father instructs him in many grave and excellent lessons and in the Book of Kings 't is remarkable that when Davids decease drew nigh hee charged Solomon his Son saying c. Now when Solomon came to the Crown hee was but eighteen years old or nineteen at the most Usser annal pt 1. p. 56. as the learned seem to evince from several passages of Davids Reign Rawleigh hist pt l 2. c. 18. ss 4. How young then was hee when his Father David and his Mother Bathshebah began to instruct him and lay their preceptive charge upon him This charging of obedience upon young ones is like the tying and claying on of the graft upon the stock Senâ—c Epist 38. Non multis opus est sed efficacibus efficacious words rather than many are to bee sought studied and used Nay women have both president and precept also for this work as who do move frequently converse with their children in their tender age Wee have an excellent example in Bathshebah teaching her Son P ov 1.8
towards the poor and necessitous ingenuity towards the ignorant and unskilful moderation towards all men 7. Where you have any doubt about the equity of your dealings chuse the safest part and that which will certainly bring you peace For not only a good conscience but a quiet conscience is to bee valued above gain Therefore in matters of duty do the most in matters of priviledge and divisions of right and proportions of gain where there is any doubt chuse the least for this is alwaies safe Thus I have layed down the Rule and explain'd it and have given as particular directions as I could safely adventure to do I must now leave it to every man to apply it more particularly to himself and to deal faithfully with his own conscience in the use of it Circumstances which vary Cases are infinite therefore when all is done much must bee left to the Equity and Chancery of our own breasts I have not told you how much in the Pound you may gain and no more nor can I A man may make a greater gain at one time than another of the same thing hee may take those advantages which the change of things and the providence of God gives him using them moderately A man may take more of some persons than of others provided a man use all men righteously hee may use some favorably But I have on purpose forborn to descend to too many particularities among other reasons for the sake of Sir Thomas Mores observation concerning the Casuists of his time who hee saith by their too particular resolutions of Cases did not teach men non peccare not to sin but did shew them quà m prope ad peccatum liceat accedere sine peccato how near men might come to sin and yet not sin The Uses I shall make of all this are these two 1. Use Let us not revenge our selves The rule is not wee should do to others as they do to us but as wee would have them to do to us as if it were on purpose to prevent revenge Saint Luke forbids revenge from this rule Luke 6.31 32. For if you love them that love you c. But love your enemies Revenge is the greatest offence against this rule for hee that revengeth an injury hath received one hee that hath received one knows best what that is which hee would not have another to do to him the nature of evil and injury is better known to the patient than to the agent men know better what they suffer than what they do hee that is injur'd feels it and knows how greivous it is and will hee do that to another 2. Use Let mee press this rule upon you Live by it in all your carriage and dealings with men let it bee present to you Aske your selves upon every occasion would I that another should deal thus with mee and carry himself thus towards mee But I shall press this chiefly as to justice and righteousness in our Commerce It is said that Severus the Emperour caused this Rule to bee written upon his palace Lampridius and in all publick places let it bee writ upon our houses and shops and exchanges This exhortation is not altogether improper for this Auditory you that frequent these exercises seem to have a good sense of that part of Religion which is contain'd in the first Table do not by your violations of the second marre your obedience to the first do not prove your selves Hypocrites in the first Table by being wicked in the second give not the World just cause to say that you are ungodly because they finde you to bee unrighteous but manifest your love to God whom you have not seen by your love to your Brother whom you have seen and if any man wrong his Brother hee cannot love him Do not reject or despise this exhortaton under the contemptuous Name of Morality Our Saviour tells us this is a cheif part of that which hath ever been accounted Religion in the World It is the Law and the Prophets and hee by injoyning it hath adopted it into Christianity and made it Gospel Wee should have an especial love to this precept not only as it is the dictate of nature and the Law of Moses not only as it is a Jewish and Gentile principle but as it is of the household of Faith When the young man told Christ that hee had kept the Commandements from his youth it is said Jesus loved him Mark 10.20 21 where-ever wee have learned to despise morality Jesus loved it when I read the Heathen writers especially Tully and Seneca and take notice what precepts of morality and Lawes of kindness are every where in their writings I am ready to fall in love with them How should it make our blood to rise in many of our faces who are Christians to heare with what strictness Tully determines Cases of conscience Offic. Lib. 3. and how generously hee speaks of equity and justice towards all men Societatis arctissimum vinculum est magis arbitrari esse contra naturam hominem homini detrahere sui commodi causâ quà m omnia incommoda subire This is the strongest bond of society to account it to bee more against nature for any man to wrong another for his own advantage than to undergoe the greatest inconveniences And again Non enâ—m mihi est vita mei utilior quam animi talis effectu neminem ut violem commodi mei gratiâ Nor is my life more dear and profitable to mee than such a temper and disposition of minde as that I would not wrong any man for my own advantage Again Tollendum est in rebus contrahendis omne mendacium No kinde of lying must bee used in bargaining And to mention no more Nec ut emat melius nec ut vendat quicquam simulabit aut dissimulabit vir bonus A good man will not counterfeit or conceal any thing that hee may buy the cheaper or sell the dearer And yet further to check our proneness to despise moral Righteousness I cannot but mention an excellent passage to this purpose which I have met with in a learned man of our own Nation Two things saith hee make up a Christian a true faith and an honest conversation Mr. â—ales and though the former usually gives us the Title the latter is the surer for true profession without an honest conversation not only saves not but increaseth our weight of punishment but a good life without true profession though it brings us not to Heaven yet it lessens the measure of our Judgement so that a moral man so call'd is a Christian by the surer side And afterwards I confess saith hee I have not yet made that proficiency in the schooles of our age as that I could see why the second Table and the Acts of it are not as properly the parts of Religion and Christianity as the Acts and observations of the first if I mistake then it is St. James
matter Good Lord what sloth stupidity negligence hath possessed our hearts surely if thou didst beleeve that thou mightest bee in thy grave to morrow wouldest thou not make sure of heaven to day if the lease of thy house be almost expired and the Land-lord hath given thee warning to provide thee another Habitation for hee will not suffer thee to renew it any more dost thou not presently enquire of thy friends and of thy neighbours Sirs can you tell mee where I may have a convenient dwelling I have but a little time in the house where I am and I have had warning to go out by such a day art thou not careful to have an house ready to go to upon the very same day thou leavest the former Alas man dost thou not know the lease of thy life is almost out nay dost thou not know that thou art only a tenant at will and God may turn thee out at an hours at a moments warning and yet dost thou not make sure of an house not made with hands eternal in the Heavens hath not God given thee warning did thy head never ake was thy heart never sick surely if thou didst not forget thy own mortality thou wouldest be more careful painful diligent in thy business I see frequently men upon their sick-beds when they think they must dye begin to inquire after Heaven and how they may know their sins are pardoned and whether their souls shall be saved because the apprehension of the neerness of the grave doth rouze them and for all thou knowest thou though now in health mayest be as soon in thy grave as hee that lieth sick God can stop thy breath when hee pleaseth Art thou mortal look then after thy soul 4. Is not this too great a sleighting of the comforts of the Spirit of God of Christ and Happiness is there not so much excellency in all these and sweetness in discerning thy propriety to them as to provoke thee to diligence in making sure of them 5. Dost not thou know that others have looked long after it and dost thou think thou shalt come so easily to it others have prayed much and searched themselves often and yet have not been able to satisfie all their own doubts whether they have gone farther than ever any hypocrite went and dost thou think it will be so easily discerned whether thy heart be sincere with God many finde it a hard thing to distinguish betwixt the highest degrees of common grace in hypocrites and the lowest degrees of saving grace in a true beleever 6. Dost thou think that conscience will never be awakened to disquiet thee when thou canst not satisfie it about thy salvation will it alwaies be in this spiritual slumber dost thou think that sickness will never come and that death will never come and that trouble will never seize upon thee when thy conscience shall be so alarmed that thou wouldest give all thou art worth to know what shall become of thy soul oh then for an infallible evidence of Gods Love oh then that thou mightest know whether God will pardon thy sin and save thy soul oh dreadful case when thou comest to dye and conscience shall accuse thee for thy sloth when thou feelest thy spirit begin to fail and apprehendest thy self neer the grave and conscience rageth and is not at peace because thou dost not know whether thou shalt go to Heaven or Hell It is dreadful doleful sad to hear these complaints from a dying man oh woe is mee that I must take my farewell of all my friends and death is impatient of delay and yet I cannot say my sins are pardoned oh woe is mee though I lye a dying I cannot say my sins are pardoned within a little while my body must be carried from my bed to my grave but oh it breaks my heart that I cannot tell whether my soul my precious and yet too much neglected Soul shall be carried to Heaven by holy Angels or dragged down to Hell by cursed devils oh that God would grant mee a month or two a little longer that I may work out my salvation but thy conscience shall tell thee thou hadst time but thou didst mis-spend it thou hadst it but thou didst not improve it in getting this grand Question resolved Whether thou hadst made thy peace with God Consider now how dreadful it will be when conscience is awakened and thou in this case unresolved 7. If thou be a true Christian yet herein dost thou not act too much like the careless ungodly world they take no care to make sure of Heaven and wilt thou justifie their practice and harden them in it There are some carnal ones in the family a carnal husband or a carnal wife or ungodly children or graceless servants that minds not God nor care for their souls that look not after Heaven and wilt thou be guilty of incouraging them in their carelesness and hardening them in their forgetfulness of God by thine own remisseness but if thou wast serious in the use of means pressing following hard after God thy strictness might shame them out of their wickedness and might reflect upon themselves if such a one that lives so circumspectly and taketh such pains in duties and yet doubteth and fears and would fain be resolved what a careless wretch am I never to regard my own soul they are ignorant of God and his excellency of Christ and his beauty of Grace and its necessity and therefore desire them not nor care to make sure of them but God hath opened thine eyes to see all these Stir up thy self then to get a certainty of thine interest in them 8. Art thou not too much guilty of hypocrisie when thou goest to the table of the Lord and yet dost not give diligence to make thy calling and election sure nor to have the certain knowledge of the pardon of thy sin and of thy peace with God is not the Lords supper an ordinance for the helping the right receivers to assurance of the pardon of their sin in the blood of Christ is it not for that end a seal of the covenant of grace if thou sayest thou usest it for this end why then dost thou look after it no more when thou returnest from that Ordinance Having premised these things to awaken you and rouse you out of your sloth supposing that now you are resolved to take any course that can bee prescribed from the word of God That thou art one who weepest mournest complainest because thou dost not discern thy spiritual condition I shall lay down my advice to thee in these following directions 1. Direction 1. Get some Characteristical distinguishing signs of true saving grace by thy serious searching the word of God Directions to get assurance God hath told thee in his word who shall bee damned and who shall bee saved though not by name yet by the qualifications by which they are described In the Bible there are the statute laws of
6. Prize the society of the people of God that are acquainted with the workings of Gods Spirit upon their heaâ—ts Be much in communion with the Saints When they have been unfolding their doubts they have been in some good measure resolved this hath quickned their hearts when they have been dull and blown up the sparks of love in their souls to God that they have felt their hearts to burn within them s Luke 24.32 Psal 66.16 Mal 3.16 with love towards God 7. Direction 7. Keep a Record of all the experiences thou hast had of Gods goodness to thee and what thou hast formerly found t Psa 77.10 11. make it a means for the supporting of thy soul for the present and the future Such a time thou canst remember thou wast upon thy knees bemoaning thy self loathing thy self full oâ— sorrow and complaints and God took thee up in the arms of his love and spake like a friend words of peace and comfort to thy soul and bid thee be of good chear hee was reconciled to thy soul Hee filled thee full of sorrow and afterward filled thee full of joy hee cast thee down and raised thee up hee broke thy heart and bound it up hee came to thee as to Mary expostulating with thee sinner why weepest thou what aileth thee thou weepedst for thy Saviour and hee was by thee and shewed himself unto thee So much for the means to obtain this certain knowledge of eternal life but if by the use of these and the like directions the soul cannot get this assurance and though hee search and pray and grieve because hee hath not the light of Gods countenance shining upon him followeth the means and longs to know his estate and all things hee enjoyeth are lessened in his esteem because hee cannot see his interest in Christ whom hee doth most esteem To thee I will give these Directions Counsel to those that by these directions cannot yet obtain this assurance First Though thou canst not say thy condition is good yet do not say that thy condition is bad Though thou canst not affirm thou hast the faith of Evidence yet do not peremptorily say thou hast not the faith of Adherence though thou hast not the witness of the spirit for thee yet do not bear false witness against thy self canst not thou say thou art sure of Heaven yet do not say there is no hope of Heaven though thou canst not own Heaven as thine do not disown it if thou canst not prove it do not disclaim it It is strange yet ordinary to see many doubting Christians dispute against themselves and reason against their own comfort tell them of their longing after Christ their weeping and mourning for him they doubt it is not in truth if you say to them if you do not truly love him then let him alone and follow no more after him why do you grieve for him because you cannot finde him if you do not truly love him they will reply conscience will put a man on to do something when yet it may not bee done out of love to God if you aske can you take up with any thing short of Christ though indeed they cannot yet they will reply the heart is deceitful and they know not what they should do Frame not arguments against thy self when thou canst not frame them for thy self live by faith when thou canst not live by sense and comfort Take heed here of judging thy condition to bee bad by trying thy self by rules not so suitable to finde out the being and truth of grace as the growth and increase of grace And here 1. Say not thou hast no grace because thou hast not so much as thou seest others to have to take notice of the eminent degrees of grace in others to provoke our selves to labour after the same proportion is good but to argue for a nullity of grace because thou hast not such a quantity of grace as thou discernest in others is not rational Is there no water in the brook because there is not so much as in the river is there not light in a candle because there is not so much as in the sun wilt thou say thou art a begger because thou art not so rich as thy neighbours that have a full estate or that thou knowest nothing because thou knowest not so much as the greatest scholar Observe Peter in this case John 21.17 hee did not say when Christ asked him lovest thou mee more than these I love thee more than John or any of thy Disciples love thee but I love thee thou must love Christ more than thou lovest any thing in the woâ—ld besides or else thou dost not sincerely love him but thou must not conclude that except thou lovest him as much or more than others loâ—e him that thou hast no love at all unto him Yet this is ordinary I never was humbled so much as others have been I cannot mourn as others do enquire now after the truth rather than after the degrees and know thy humiliation is true First when thou art broken for and from thy sin so much bitterness upon the breast as weaneth the Châ—lde from it is sufficient Secondly that makes thee see a necessity of Christ and willing to close sincerely with him 2. Say not thou hast no grace because thou hast not grace proportionable to thy desires but rather hope thou hast it because thou hast such enlarged desires after it is not hee a froward unthankful Childe that saith his Father hath given him nothing because not so much as hee desireth 3. Say not thou hast no grace because thou seest corruption in thee more than before they were in thy heart before though thou didst not discern them the house is full of filth but while the shuts are up it is not perceived but take them down and you see it plainly not because there is more filth but because there is more light 4. Nor because of the indisposedness of thy heart to and dulness of thy affections sometimes in the time of holy duties Secondly When thou canst not get assurance make as much improvement of the grounds upon which thou mayest build u Psal 33.18 Psal 148.11 hopes of salvation The probable grounds thou hast thou wouldest not part with for all the world if thy heart is not full of joy through sense of Gods love yet thine eyes are full of tears and thy soul of sorrow through the sense of thy sin wouldâ—st thou change thy condition with any hypocrite whatsoever with the richest man that hath no grace I would not have thee rest satisfied with a probability but yet bless God for a probability of salvation is it nothing that one that hath disserved hell most certainly should have a probability that hee should escape it would not this bee a little ease to the torments of the damned if they had but a strong probability that they may bee saved but no hope
of Creature-comforts Suppose a Believers d Psal 144.12 13. sons as plants grown up in their youth and his daughters as corner stones polisht after the similitude of a Palace suppose his garners full affording all manner of store His Oxen strong to labour and his sheep bringing forth thousands and ten thousands in the streets though the blear-eyed World should pronounce him e Ver. 15. happy that is in such a case how would the Believer immediatly reply with the Psalmists Epanorthosis or in express contradiction rather to so gross a mistake yea blessed are the people they rather or they only are blessed which have the Lord for their God Thus Faith concludes Negatively 2. Positively That Divine Lesson which Solomon the wisest of meer men had by such difficult and costly experiments at length learnt Faith hath got by heart and in the face of the World concludes with him f Eccl. 1.2 Vanity of Vanities all is Vanity The assertion is repeated as in Pharaohs dream to shew its certainty and the Term of Vanity doubled to manifest the Transcendency and multiplicity of this Vanity There is a fivefold Vanity which Faith discovers in all its Creature enjoyments viz. in that they are 1. Unprofitable Thus the Preacher What g Eccl. 1.3 profit hath a man of all his labour which he hath taken under the Sun What profit Why he hath filled his hands with Air he hath laboured for the Wind Eccl. 5.16 Just so much and no more than Septimius Severus got who having run through various and greâ—t employments openly acknowledges Omnia fui sed nihil profuit Creature comforts are not bread Isa 55.2 3. They profit no more than the dream of a full meal doth an hungry man or that Feast which the h Corn. a Lap. Comment in Isa 55.2 Magitian made the German Nobles who thought they fared very deliciously but when they departed found themselves hungry In a day of wrath sickness death can riches profit Prov. 11.4 Ezek. 7.19 Just as much as a bag of gold hung about the neck of a drowning man 2. Hurtful and pernicious Solomon observed that Riches were kept for the Owners thereof to their i Eccl. 5.13 hurt Hence it is that k Pro 30.8 9 Agur prayes against them Give me not riches lest I be full and deny thee as if abundance made way for Atheism in those that know not how to manage it Maximilian the Second was sensible of this who refused to hoard up a mass of Treasure fearing lest by falling in love therewith of a soveraign Lord he should become a servant to the Mammon of unrighteousness Now the hurtfulness of Creature-comforts shews it self in several particulars 1. Faith knows that they are apt to puff up and swell the heart with the Tympany of pride Hence that great Caution Deut. 8.10 to the end The usual Attendants on riches are Pride and Confidence Hence Paul to l 1 Tim. 6.17 Timothy charge them that are rich in this world that they be not high minded How apt are men to be lifted up with the things of this lower World Riches at once sink the mind downward in covetous Cares and lift it upward in proud conceits To see a man rich in purse and poor in spirit is a great rarity 2. Faith knows that great enjoyments are great snares and powerful temtations to many other lusts such as are Covetousness Lust Luxury Security c. The plenty of places oft occasion much wickedness in persons Rich Sodom was a nursery of all impiety Jesurun when he waxeth fat is apt to kick Deut. 32.15 And when Israel is fed to the full m Ezek. 16.39 â—0 then she commits abomination 3. Faith is sensible how apt temporal comforts are to make us sleight spiritual graces and heavenly Communion 1. Spiritual graces Our digging for silver and searching for gold makes us too too apt to neglect that which is better than thousands of gold and silver even durable substance The radiant-splendor of these things here below dazzles our eyes to those things above Whiles Martha is much * Luk. 10.41 cumbred about many things she forgets to act Maries part and to pursue that one thing necessary How often do outward comforts entangle the spirits weaken the graces strengthen the corruptions even of good men There was a serious truth in that Atheistical scorn of Julian who when he spoyled the Christians of their outward estates told them He did it to make them more ready for the Kingdom of heaven Many really godly lose much in spirituals by gaining much in temporals they have been impoverish'd by their riches They are indeed rich in grace whose graces are not hindred by their riches whose soules prosper when their bodies prosper To see the daughter of Tyre come with her gift to see the n Psal 45.12 rich among the people entreat Christs favour and give up themselves to Him This indeed is a rare sight To be rich or great in the World is a great temptation When we flourish in the flesh we are apt to wither in the Spirit The scorching Sun-beams of prosperity too too often cause a drouth and then a dearth a Famine in the soul and make us throw off those robes of righteousness which the wind of affliction makes us to gird on the faster The World is of an encroaching nature hard it is to enjoy it and not come into bondage to it Let Abraham cast but a litttle more than ordinary respect on Hagar and it will not be long ere she begin to contest with yea crow over her Mistress 2. Spiritual Communion with God Worldly comforts are alwaies dogd with worldly business and this too often eats up our time for Communion with God It is a very difficult thing to make our way into the presence of God through the throng of worldly encumbrances Worldly employments and enjoyments are exceeding apt not only to blunt but to turn the edge of our affections from an holy commerce with God Faith knows what a Task what an Herculean labour it is after it hath past a day amidst worldly profits and been entertained with the delights and pleasures a full estate affords now to bring an whole heart to God when at night it returns into his presence The World in this case doth by the Saint as the little child by the mother if it cannot keep the mother from going out it will cry after to go with her If the World cannot keep us from going to Religious duties it will cry to be taken along with us and much ado there is to part it and our affections Thus Faith discovers the danger and hurtfulness of Creature-enjoyments But more than this 4. Faith knows that these outward things are perishing as well as unprofitable and hurtful Mutable inconstant fading * Faelicitas umbratilis Vanities Bubbles Pictures drawn on Icy Tablets grass growing on the tops of houses Faith hath seen and heard
the screech-owl to be heard instead of the voice of the Turtle It is the Lords mercies we are not consumed For what priviledge or Patent have we to be secured and indempnified above others How long ago had Divine Justice made short work with us if Divine Patience had not been stretched to long suffering if Mercy had not held back the hand of Gods Vengeance as the Angel caught Abrahams Knife when it was lifted up to kill his Son For surely methinks Mercy and Justice have been long wrestling and the Lord hath said long of England as he said of Ephraim How shall I give up England how shall I make thee as Admah and Zeboim as Sodom and Gomorrah Now consider this all ye that forget the Lords benefits lest he come not only as a Moth to you as he seems to do already in your Trade in your Health in your Food but as a Lion to teare and go away Wherefore would you value your mercies consider others miseries would you thank God for them consider your abuse and unworthiness of them would you continue and encrease them Haud quicquam ita proprie terris representat caelestis habitationis statum sicut alacritaâ— deum laudautium Bern. Ser. 1. in Cant. be thankeful for them would you taste sweetness in them get a sanctified use of them would you honour God in every condition make a holy improvement of every dispensation would you be Christians indeed In every thing give thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you Turn your hearts and tongues to it here and you shall be chosen into the Quire of Angels to perform it for ever in Heaven How may we get rid of Spiritual Sloth and know when our activity in duty is from the Spirit of God Psal 119.37 part ult Quicken me in thy way THis Psalm shines and shews it self among the rest Sicut inter ignes Luna minores A Star in the Firmament of the Psalms of the first and greatest magnitude this will readily appear if you consider either I. The manner it is composed in oâ— II. The matter it is composed of 1. The manner it is composed in is very elegant 2. The matter it is composed of is very excellent I. The manner it is composed in is very elegant full of art rule method Theological matter in a Logical manner a Spiritual Alphabet framed and formed according to the Hebrew Alphabet II. The matter it is composed of is very excellent full of rare sublimities deep mysteries gratious activities yea glorious extasies The Psalm is made up of three things 1. Praâ—ers 2. Praises 3. Protestations 1. Prayers to God 2. Praises of God 3. Protestations unto God My Text belongs unto the first and may fitly be stiled David's Letany where you have 1. His Libera Domine Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity 2. His exaudi Domine Quicken me in thy way In this these three parts are considerable 1. The Act Quicken 2. The Subject Me. 3. The Object thy way In the prosecution of which Scripture I shall do these three things 1. Explicate the Terms 2. Deduce a Corollary 3. Resolve the Cases I. For Explication Quicken There is a two-fold quickening 1. Proper and moral 2. Improper and metaphorical 1. Proper and moral which is two-fold 1. Total 2. Partial 1. Total Which is the raising a dead body to natural life thus was Lazarus raised Hist Ang. lib. 5. cap. 13. John 11.43 44. So was Drithelme of Northamberland raised if credit may be given to Bede 2. Partial which is the restoring a body declined and decaied with sicknesse or sorrow to Spirits and vigorous energies So was David whose body by grief and sorrow was made a meer Skeleton Psal 31.10 17. Hezekiah by sicknesse brought so low that he was become spiritlesse yet he was raised up again upon which he composes that rare Hymne or Canticle of praise to God Isai 38.10 II. Improper and metaphorical which is likewise two-fold 1. Total 2. Gradual I. Total which is the raising of a Soul stark dead in sin to Spiritual Life Ephes 1.2 and you hath he quickned who were dead in trespasses and sins II. Gradual which is the raising of a dull and drousie Soul from sloth and sluggishnesse to high yea highest degrees of vivacity and activity for this you have David praying here and in Psal 143.11 Quicken me O Lord for thy Names sake In this description it will be very necessary to explain sloth and activity 1. Spiritual Sloth is threefold 1. Resolving Sloth 2. Delaying Sloth 3. Disturbing Sloth 1. Resolving Sloth is when a Soul is setled upon it's lees and resolves to lie still and never to stir in that momentous concernment of its own eternal Salvation Solomon excellently deciphers this Prov. 26.14 As the door turns upon his hinges so doth the slothful upon his bed as the door turns upon the hinges and never stirs from his place so the slothful turns upon the bed of security and never turns from his purpose Jer. 44.16 17. they were resolved to worship the Queen of Heaven come life come death Such was the Souldiers resolution who had on his Target God and the Devil pictured under God si tu non vìs under the Devil iste rogitat 2. Delaying Sloth when a person doth intend to look after Soul-concernments but not yet they will borrow day a little time Much like that sluggard Prov. 6.10 Yet a little sleep a little slumber a little folding of the hands to sleep When the sluggard is cal'd to arise in the morning he resolves to do it only intreats one little one short nap more and then he will arise So when some are called to awaken arise and walk with God in his way in the morning of their age they crave one short nap more first and then they will do it give them leave to get such an estate to obtain such an honour to match such a child to satisfie such a lust and then will they be for God Such a sluggard was Austin a little longer O Lord a little longer presently presenly Matth. 25.10 Paululum paululum modo modo hoc erat sine modo Aug. lib. confess Plutarch in Moral the five foolish Virgins resolved to have oyl in their lamps and vessels only they would take a nod Oh how dangerous is delaying Sloth the Virgins deferring provokes Christ to denying Archias being merry at supper had a letter sent him that concern'd his life and though desired to read it puts it up into his pocket saying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I 'l mind serious things to-morrow but he lived not unto the morrow to mind those serious things Such another sluggard was the rich man Luke 12.20 Stulte hac nocte Tolle moras semper nocuit differre paratis Lucan Alexander being asked how he came to conquer the World replied Nunquam differre volens if you will overcome more than Alexander did not
inward enlargements that he comes off from his knees with a vicimus vicimus When he shall go to Worms to own the truth of Christ though all the tiles upon the houses were devils Of these Prayers and Practices and such like we may say as Protogenes of a curious Line none but Apelles could draw this none but the Spirit of God could enlarge and enable to do this 3. When we feel and find our hearts after duty silled and fraighted with spiritual joyes and heavenly comforts when our soul is like a Merchants ship returned from the Indies loaden as deep as it can swim with all variety of Spices and precious Commodities When we have such inward ravishings that our heart is a little Heaven fill'd up to the brim with joy as our Saviour prayed for us Joh. 15.11 Enjoying that joy unspeakable and full of glory 1 Pet. 1.8 Heaven antidated or Heaven before-hand when we have that joy which is the earnest of Gods love 1 Cor. 2.9 10. Eye hath not seen nor ear heard neither have entred into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared in this life for them that love him but God hath revealed them to us by his Spirit This joy is not only the fulfilling of Christs Prayer but also the fruit of the Spirit Gal. 5.22 When the King had brought his Spouse into his Bride-chamber after her prayer he ravishes her heart with joy Cant. 1.4 When David had been at Prayer Lord lift thou up the light of thy Countenance upon me Then comes that rapture Thou hast put gladness in my heart more than in the time that their Corn and Wine and Oyl encreased Psal 4.6 7. When we have greater joy after duty than Worldlings have after Harvest which is their greatest joy gaudium messis is messis gaudiu The joy of their harvest is all the harvest of their joy which this Worlds Earth-worms are likely to enjoy Luk. 16.25 Son remember that thou in thy life-time receivedst thy good things saies Abraham to Dives 4. When our activity in duty is constant like the motion of the fire in its Orb which Philosophers tell us is perpetual My soul breaketh for the longing that it hath unto thy judgments at all times Psal 119.20 The Spirit dwels in us as his Temple 1 Cor. 6.19 The body is the Temple the Soul the Late the Affections the Strings the Holy Ghost the Musician who in all our duties makes melody in our hearts Eph. 5.19 Where the Ship is alway sayling the Wind is alway blowing and we are sure that sayling comes from the Wind if the Wind lies still the Ship lies still is becalmed 1 Cor. 3.17 Where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 freedom and liberty are opposed to three things 1. Necessity 2. Co-action 3. Restraint Now the Spirit of God sets our heels ut aiunt our hearts at liberty not only from necessity co-action but also restraint Setting at liberty is freeing us from imprisonment and giving freedom to go whither we will The Spirit admits us to that liberty which is 1. The purchase of Christ Gal. 5.1 2. The Priviledge of our filiation Rom. 8.21 Per nomen libertatis non tantum intelligo a peccati carnis servitute manumissionem Sed etiam fiduciam quam concipimus ex adoptionis nostrae testimonio convenit cum Rom. 8.15 Calv. in 2 Cor. 3.7 The glorious liberty of the Sons of God The Spirit makes us act as it self Nescit tarda molimina spiritus sancti gratia Ambr. 2 Cor. 3.6 The Spirit quickneth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 makes lively Rom. 8.2 As the Spirit of life frees us from the law of sin and death so from the Law of sloth and deadness Object But some poor soul cries out Woe is me I am undone I find none of this Spirit in me I am none of those fixed Stars about the Aequinoctial that move many Millions in an hour but a slow-paced Planet that finishes not his course in many years whose motion is so dull that not discernable Sure I am cast out of the firmament of Gods favour and shall be a wandring Star to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever Jude v. 13. Answ It is the misery of Ministers that they cannot speak of the experimental sublimities of some but others are presently desponding and despairing I would not for a world quench the smoaking flax or break the bruised reed Mat. 12.20 Yea I would with all my soul put the lambs in my bosome which cannot go or but slowly and gently lead them that are with young Isa 40.11 I speak this to them that are upon the staves of Jacobs Ladder in their ascending to heaven to be a loadstone to draw them up not a milstone to drag them down But to answer more appositely 1. I intend it in opposition to them who live in a course of sin yet now and then in a duty do feel a flâ—sh of joy and thereupon presume of their good estate and not to those who with Zachary and Elizabeth walk in all the Commandments and Ordinances of God blameless Luk. 1.7 and yet do not obtain this constant favour 2. I lay it down a positâ—ve sign and inclusivè that those and all those that have constant activities though differing for the altitudes and degrees may be certain of the Spirit as those that have Trade winds from Port to Port may be sure they sail by the wind or as those thâ—t have the Organ medium and object rightly disposed may be sure they see Bellarmine tells a story of an old man that alwaies arose from duty with these words Claudimini oculi mei claudiminiâ— nihil enim pulchrius jamâ— videbitis Be you shut O my eyes be shut for I shall never behold any fairer Object than Gods face which I have now beheld But not a negative sign exclusivè as if those that repent of sin meditate on the Promises poure out Prayers walk with God wait on Ordinâ—nces who have it not were cast-awaies I am confident many that lye wind-bound in the harbour shall in due time get to the Haven 3. There are four things belong to a Christian 1. A habit 2. An Act. 3. Degrees of that Act. 4. Sense of all these He may have the three first and yet want the sense of them A ship may sail and yet the Mariner not sensible of it 4. There is no Rule but hath some Exception no Experience in one Believers heart but a contrary Experience may be found in anothers Various are the workings of Gods Spirit in the heart he blows when where how he pleases Joh. 3.8 He is called seven spirits Rev. 1.4 because of his various influences He doth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 blow in a duty if the ship be ready but to shew he is agens liberrimum he will sometime suspend his Act and leave the common Road. To conclude this take this counsel Stay
to live so many dayes as he obtained victories but David accounts himself to live more in one dayes communion with God than in a thousand dayes enjoyment of all earthly comforts Psal 84.10 yea in the midst of all his earthly confluences he looks upon all as nothing in comparison of communion with God Psal 73.25 Whom have I in Heaven but thee Non dicit niâ—il habeo sed nihil concâ—pisce Musc in loc and there is none upon earth that I desire besides thee Though he had a Kingdom he values not that and well might David be of this mind for could we adde Kingdom to Kingdom and world to world yet all these in comparison of the least smile or love-token from God are no better than nothing for thy loving kindnesse is better than life Psal 63.3 The ancient Philosophers distinguished betwixt bona 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and bona 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 some things good in their own nature thus onely God Matth. 19.17 There is none good but one that is God others good by way of opinion or estimation and thus all the comforts of this life whence that maxim of the Stoicks 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 life is but opinion and phancie and whatever good is in these things is but like those pictures of most deformed and monstrous creatures which the Poet tells us had no other beauty than what they owed to the Painters courtesie viz. the off-spring of our own phancies Those who were vertuous were onely by the Philosophers accounted to live others might degere but not vivere they might be but they could not live The onely true comfort of life consists in living in communion with God 't is his presence fills Heaven with all its glory and 't is his presence that fills every condition with all its sweetnesse But alas how can two walk together except they be agreed Amos 3.3 and what agreement can there be betwixt light and darknesse the glorious majesty of Heaven and sinfull dust but onely through a Mediator 1 Tim. 2.5 and the onely Mediator is Jesus Christ. What was it that enabled the blessed Martyrs to account the scorching flames to be beds of Roses What was it that enabled St Paul to triumph over all kind of adversaries Rom. 8.38 39. but only the love of God in Christ Jesus herein alone consists our comfort our happinesse Now Christ is All in this respect also 5. Christ is All in furnishing us with strength and assistance to persevere the way to Heaven is no smooth or easie way but beset with many difficulties 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Matth 7.14 and through many tribulations must we enter into the Kingdom of Heaven Acts 14.22 yea though the calmnesse of our passage through this world should be in a perfect serenity from all outward enemies yet can we not expect a totall freedom from the worst of enemies our own hearts our corruptions All the prejudices and mischiefs we either do or can suffer from others are nothing to what we suffer from our selves 't is not homo homini lupus but homo sibi lupus men are to none such wolves as to their own souls Now in as much as the Crown of happinesse is reserved for the head of perseverance Rev. 2.10 and in as much as perseverance in conflicting with such kind of adversaries as though we conquer them yet they are in us and though we vanquish them yet still we carry them about us Rom. 8.24 must needs require a greater strength than our own it cannot but be esteemed an eminent priviledge to be under the continuall supplies of Christ by his Spirit Luk. 9.62 Gal. 3.3 that after we have put our hand to Gods plough we may not look back and after we have begun in the spirit we may not end in the flesh I speak not this as doubting the perseverance of them who are sincere but as declaring the true foundation on which their perseverance is bottomed viz. not any inhaerent strength they have in themselves but those supplies of grace and strength they continually derive from Christ Non dicit parum petestis facere vel difficulter potestiâ— facere vel nihil potestis persicere sed nihil facere Aug. in loc Col. 2 10. there is a vast difference 'twixt the best of Christians considered singly in themselves and considered relatively in respect of their union unto Christ in themselves so weak and impotent that they can do nothing Joh. 15.5 not sufficient of themselves to think any thing as of themselves 2 Cor. 3.5 and yet what can be lesse than to think but in Christ mighty and powerfull able to do and bear whatever God would have them I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me Phil. 4.13 and thus is Christ the Christians All thus are they compleat in him 2. How Christ is all The resolution of this Quaere is therefore necessary because many there are who instead of sucking milk from this Doctrine are ready to sucâ— poyson but for prevention of all dangerous and unsafe inferences from this great truth consider 1. Negatively how Christ is not All not so as to excuse us from all endeavours in the use of means for working out our own salvation Christs sufficiency does not excuse but engage our industry for thus the Apostle argues Phil. 2.12 13. Work out your salvation with fear and trembling because it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do q. d. it is God does all therefore do you what you can 2. Positively or affirmatively and that in these two respects especially 1. Christ is All by way of Impetration in as much as our salvation was his purchase we may say of our hopes our helps our advantages as the Chief Priest said of the moneys which Judas had received for the hire of his persidiousnesse It is the price of blood Matth. 27.6 Eph. 5.25 26 27. Acts 20.28 Iohn 15.13 Whence is it that they who have brought themselves under the deserts of Hell may have hopes of Heaven enjoy the means of Heaven taste the first fruits of Heaven all are the price of Christs blood 't was by his own blood that he entred into Heaven himself and hath opened the door to Heaven for all that are incorporated into him Heb. 9.12 Heb. 10.19 20. 2. Christ is all by way of Application in as much as he brings home the blessings he hath purchased unto the souls of his he hath not onely purchased salvation for them but them for it not onely the possibility of Heaven but a reall propriety in it and certainly propriety is absolutely necessary unto the refreshment of every comfort What are all the treasures of either or both the Indies to him who onely hears of them but meer stories What all the glory of Heaven to him who is thrust from the enjoyment of them but meer torments There must be a propriety in all spirituall
understand it or 2. For an expression of the prolonging of his sojourning for so the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies to draw forth or to prolong and thus the Septuagint renders this place 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whom the Arabick Syriack and vulgar Latine versions follow with some others and the next verse seems to favour this sense ver 6. My soul hath long dwelt c. but either way gives us the same ground of complaint only the first sense doubles the ground of the Psalmists trouble and the other suggests the circumstance of the long continuance of his sojourning By Kedar is understood part of Arabia the inhabitants whereof are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bochart ut sup or dwellers in tents because they had no fixed and setled habitation but were robbers and lived upon the prey Now we are not to suppose that David did really sojourn and dwell among these barbarous people but he speaks this of his wandring about from place to place without any setled habitation and to set forth the cruelty and inhumanity of those among whom he dwelt he doth expresse it thus Woe is me that I dwell c. as if one living among professed Christians who deal with him more like savages than Christians should say Woe is me that I sojourn among Turks and Saracens And thus you see Davids present condition which he bewails is his absence from Jerusalem and the Tabernacle or place of Gods solemn worship and his converse with wicked and ungodly men and then these two truths lye plain before us in the words It is oftentimes the lot and portion of good men to be deprived of the Doct. 1 society of the godly and of opportunities of publick serving God and to dwell among and converse with wicked and ungodly persons It is a real ground of trouble and sorrow to a good man to be thus deprived Doct. 2 c. 'T was that which here made David proclaim himself in a state of woe and misery 'T was that which the Apostle tells us did vexe the righteous soul of Lot 2 Pet. 2.7 and which made the holy Prophet Elijah even weary of his life 1 King 19.4 You may easily imagine what a sad heart a poor lamb might well have if it be driven from the green pastures and still waters and forced to lodge among Wolves and Foxes where it must feed upon Carrion or starve and be continually in danger of being lodged in the bellies of its cruel and bloody companions unless lome secret over-ruling hand do restrain their rage and feed it with wholesome food and truly such is the condition of those that follow the Lamb of God in holy Lamb-like qualities when deprived of green pastures and still waters of Gospel Ordinances and forc'd to converse with wicked and ungodly men In handling of this Point I shall first lay before you the grounds of it and then adjoyn such practical application as may be usefull and profitable The grounds of this Truth do partly refer to God partly to wicked men and partly to the godly themselves if in such a condition a beleeving soul either look upwards or outwards or inwards he will see much cause of grief and trouble 1. With reference unto God and that upon a double account 1. It is a real ground of sorrow to a beleeving soul to be deprived of occasions of solemn blessing and praysing God the soul that is full of the sense of the goodness of God that knows how many thousand wayes the Lord is continually obliging it to love and bless him cannot but be afflicted in spirit to be kept from making its publick acknowledgements of divine goodness The Psalmist tell us Psal 65 1. that Praise waiteth for God in Sion that is in the publick Assemblies of the Church and truly 't is a grief to a believing soul not to wait there with his thank-offerings not to pay his vows unto the Lord in the presence of all his people Psal 116.17 Psal 66.18 in the Courts of the Lords house c. not to declare to all that fear God what he hath done for their souls 2. It is a real ground of sorrow to live among those that are continually reproaching and blaspeming the Name of God to see sinners despise the goodness of God and trample upon his grace and mercy and scorn his love and kindness and kick at his bowels and spit in his face and stab at his heart who is our God our Father our Friend our good and gracious Lord and King This must needs make the beleeving soul cry out Woe is me that I live among such Let us suppose a person that hath been hugely obliged by a Prince to love him and that indeed loves him as his life if this Prince should be driven from his Throne and an usurper get into his place would it not be great affliction and sadning to the spirit of such a person to live among those who every day revile reproach scorn and abuse his gracious Prince Why Sirs if you and I be true beleevers we know that the Lord is our Soveraign King Prince such a one who hath infinitely more obliged us to love him than 't is possible for any Prince to oblige a subject we do love the Lord as our lives nay better than our lives or else we love him not at all must it not then be matter of grief to hear ungodly sinners who have driven God away from their hearts souls where his Throne should be set up and who have let that grand usurper the Devil set up his throne within them and among them and who daily say unto God as those wicked ones Job 21.14 Depart from us for we desire not the knowledge of thy wayes to hear such curse and swear and blaspheme God and in their lives by wicked ungodly courses do him all the despight dishonor that they can bring his Name to the Tavern to the Stews upon the stage and there foot and defile the great and glorious Name of God with the worst of polutions Certainly Sirs he cannot account God his Friend his Father his good and gracious Prince whose eye doth not run down with Rivers of tears to see men so far from keeping Gods Law 2. It is a trouble to good men to sojourn c. with reference to those wicked ungodly persons among whom they live it grieves their souls to see sinners run into all excess of riot eagerly pursuing hell and damnation greedily guzling down full draughts of the venome of Asps and the poyson of Dragons it pities them to see sinners stab themselves to the heart and laughing at their own plague sores jeasting away God and heaven and eternal happiness If any of us should see a company of men so far besotted and distracted as that one should rend and burn the Evidences of a great Inheritance which others labour to deprive him of another should cast inestimable pearls