why to Believe and what things are reveal'd as objects of Faith To believe and not to understand the reason of our belief is to turn Faith into Folly and Extravagance The Men of Samaria were first induced to believe in Christ for the testimony of the woman that told them Come and see the man that has told me all that ever I did but when they heard Christ speak they said Now we believe not for thy words for we have heard and know that he is the true Saviour of the World The Understanding is convinc'd by reason of the Divinity of the Scriptures and as a pole supports a Vine but does not give Life and Vertue to its Root so Reason assists Faith in directing it to the Scriptures the Rule of it but Faith in the Mysteries of the Gospel derives its Life from God the Author of them By Reason we discover the relation order distinction and dependence of Reveal'd Truths and reject the vain opinions of Men when propos'd as Divine Oracles and the fruits of Fancy that are propos'd as Mysteries of Faith 4. God reveals himself to us in Scripture by Humane Expressions according to our Capacity of receiving the Knowledge of Divine things and we are to understand them in their apparent sense unless the precise litteral sense contains an evident Contradiction to what is certainly known by Reason and disparaging the Divine Perfections The sure Rule of interpreting them is to separate whatever is defective in them and apply them to God in the highest degree of Perfection We read of the Hands and Eyes of God in Scripture which signifie the perfection of God's Knowledge and Power they are the Organs by which Men do and know things but 't is Infinitely unworthy of God to think that the Divine Operation has need of such Instruments Thus the Communicating of the divine Nature from the Father to the Son is express'd by Generation which is the most Noble Production of one Living Creature from another especially of an Intelligent Creature with all its properties but who can declare his generation We must not conceive it with the Imperfection of Humane Generation wherein the Effect is separate from the Cause and successive to it For 't is a contradiction that God should beget a Son in his most perfect Image but he must be Eternal as the Father otherwise he would be defective in the resemblance of the first perfection of the Deity All resemblances of God in Scripture have their disparity and defects which must be separated from him But excepting such Cases the Word of God is to be understood in its proper sense For we must suppose that God speaks to us with an intention that we should understand him otherwise it were not Just to require us to believe it Our Minds could not firmly Assent to his Word but would be floating between Faith and Doubts And if God intends we should understand his Meaning how can we reconcile his Wisdom with his Will if he does not speak to us in the same sense as Men do to one another 5. We are obliged to believe supernatural Doctrines no farther than they are reveal'd God does not require our Assent to an Object beyond the Merit of it that is the degrees of its Revelation We cannot see an Object more fully than 't is visible The truth of Evangelical Mysteries is clearly reveal'd the manner of them is not discover'd To attempt the Comprehensive knowledge of them is perfectly vain for 't is Impossible Impertinent and of Dangerous Consequence 1. 'T is Impossible Supernatural Truths cannot be primarily and immediately discover'd by Reason but are only known to the Divine Mind and communicated to Created Understandings according to the pleasure of God No man hath seen God at any time the only begotten Son who is in the bosom of the Father has declar'd him The Gospel is called the Mystery of Christ the mystery of God the Father and of Christ. Because God and Christ is the Author and Revealer of it God Contrived in the secret of his Eternal Wisdom the design of our Redemption and reveal'd it in his own time 'T is therefore call'd the Mystery of his will 'T is call'd the Mystery of Faith that is 't is received by Faith 'T is call'd the Mystery of the Kingdom of God conceal'd from the World and only known in the Church The sublime Doctrines of the Gospel it is impossible for the clearest spirits of Men to discover without special Revelation were they as pure as they are corrupt and as sincere as they are perverse This Word Mystery is never applied to the Revelation that God has made of his Wisdom in the Framing the World and in the Effects of his Providence because since the Creation it has been expos'd to the sight of all Reasonable Creatures Men were not commanded to believe in order to Salvation till by Experience they were Convinced of the Insufficiency of Reason to direct them how to be restored to the Favour of God The Apostle declares for after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe The Doctrine of the Trinity is purely supernatual for the internal distinction of the Persons in the Divine Nature by their incommunicable Characters is only proper to God The Counsels of the Divine Will are above any Created Understanding Who knows the things of a man but the spirit of a man so none knows the things of God but the Spirit of God The Angels are superior Spirits to us and excel us in sublimity and perspicacity of Understanding but they could never know the Decrees of God though in his immediate Presence but as gradually reveal'd 't is said of the Mysteries of his Counsels they desire to look into them We cannot form a Conception in our Minds but what takes its rise from sensible things 2. The attempt is Impertinent for God has reveal'd those great Mysteries sufficiently for saving Faith though not to satisfie rash Curiosity There is a knowledge of curiosity and discourse and a knowledge of doing and performance The art of Navigation requires a knowledge how to govern a Ship and what Seas are safe what are dangerous by Rocks and Sands and terrible Tempests that often surprise those who Sail in them but the knowledge of the Causes of the Ebbing and Flowing of the Sea is not necessary To believe savingly in Christ we must know that he is the Living and True God and True Man that dyed for our Redemption but 't is not necessary that we should know the manner of the Union of his two Natures 'T is prudent to Confine our inquiries to things which are possible and profitable to be known The discovery of the manner of Divine Mysteries is not suitable to the nature of Faith for 't is the evidence of things not seen the obscurity of the Object is
Spiritual Perfection Unfolded and Enforced FROM 2 COR. VII 1. Having therefore these Promises dearly beloved let us cleanse our selves from all filthiness of Flesh and Spirit perfecting Holiness in the fear of God By WILLIAM BATES D. D. LONDON Printed for Jonathan Robinson at the Golden Lyon in St. Paul's Church-Yard and Brabazon Aylmer at the Three Pigeons in Cornhill 1699. Gulielmus Batesius S. S. Theol Prof Aetat 73. Nov 1608. THE PREFACE THE great Design of God in his saving Mercies is to transform us into the Image of his unspotted Holiness We are elected to be holy redeem'd to be holy call'd to be holy and at last we shall be receiv'd into Heaven and made glorious in Holiness without spot or blemish It was worthy of the descending Deity into this lower World to instruct and perswade Men by his perfect Rules and Example to be holy as God is holy in all manner of Conversation The Enemy of Souls in combination with the Carnal Mind use all their Arts to cool our endeavours in following Holiness and raise an army of Objections to dismay us and stop our progress to Perfection Sometimes the Deceiver inspires a Temptation with so soft a Breath that 't is not discern'd He suggests the Counsel of Solomon Be not Righteous over-much The intention of the wise Preacher is to direct us in the exercise of compassionate Charity towards others and not to censure them with Rigor and Severity for humane Frailties the Tempter perverts his meaning to make us remiss in Religion and shy of strict Holiness Moral Men value themselves upon their fair Conversation they are not stain'd with soul and visible Pollutions but are externally sober and righteous and they will advise that Men should not take a surfeit of Religion but rise with an appetite that 't is Wisdom to use so much of Religion as may quiet the Clamours of Conscience secure Reputation and afford some colour of Comfort But 't is a spice of Folly to be over-religious and justly exposes Persons to derision as vainly nice and scrupulous They commend the golden mean and under the pretence of temper luke-warmness The Objection in some part of it is specious and apt to sway the Minds of Men that do not attentively consider things To discover its false Colour and to make a true and safe Judgment of our Duty it will be useful to consider 'T is true there is a mediocrity between vicious extreams wherein the essence of inferiour Moral Vertues consists for they are exercised upon Objects of limited Goodness and must be regulated both in our Affections and Actions correspondently to the degrees of their Goodness Thus Fortitude is in the middle between base Fear and rash Boldness and the more firm and constant the habitual quality of Fortitude is the more eminent and praise-worthy it appears But in spiritual Graces that raise the Soul to God whose Perfections are truly infinite there can be no excess The divinest degrees of our Love to God and fear to offend him our endeavours in their heigth and excellency to obey and please him are our Wisdom and Duty That part of the Objection That strict Holiness will expose us to Scorn is palpably unreasonable Did ever any Artist blush to excel in the Art that he professes Is a Scholar asham'd to excel in useful Learning And shall a Christian whose high and holy Calling obliges him to live becoming its dignity and purity be asham'd of his accurate Conversation Can we be too like God in his Holiness his peculiar Glory Can that be matter of Contempt that is the supreme honour of the intelligent Creature A Saint when despised with titles of Ignominy by the Carnal World should bind their Scorns as a Diadem about his Head and wear them as beautiful Ornaments The Apostles rejoiced that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for the name of Christ. What Reproaches did the Lord of Glory suffer for us And what Pride and Folly is it that we should desire to be glorified by his suffering Reproaches and not willingly endure Reproach for his Glory Our continual and ardent endeavours to rise to Perfection commend us to our Soveraign and Saviour A cold-dead Heathen is less offensive and odious to him than a luke-warm Christian. It is a common Objection That to live in all things according to Rule to walk circumspectly and exactly to be confin'd to the narrow way will not only infringe but destroy our Liberty This is so precious a possession that Men will defend their Liberty with their Lives An ingenuous Person will rather wear a plain Garment of his own than a rich Livery the mark of Servitude But if Men will appeal to their Understandings they will clearly discern that the word Liberty is abus'd to give countenance to Licentiousness There is a free subjection and a servile liberty The Apostle tells the Romans When ye were the servants of Sin ye were free from Righteousness and being made free from Sin ye became the servants of Righteousness The Soul has two Faculties the Understanding and Will The Object of the Understanding is Truth either in it self or appearance the Object of the Will is Goodness either real or counterfeit Liberty is radically in the Understanding which freely deliberates and by comparative Consideration directs the Will to choose Good before Evil and of Good the greater and of Evil the less When the Understanding is fully illuminated of the absolute Goodness of an Object without the least mixture of Evil and represents it to the Will it is an act retrograde in Nature and utterly repugnant to the Rational Appetite to reject it The indifference of the Will proceeds from some defects in the Object or in the apprehension of it but when an infinite Good is duely represented to the Will the choice is most clear and free Of this there is an illustrious Example in the Life of Moses He refused to be called the Son of Pharaoh's Daughter choosing rather to suffer Affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of Sin for a season Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater Riches than the treasures of Egypt For he had an Eye to the recompence of Reward His inlightened Mind considerately ponder'd the Eternal Reward with the transient pleasure of Sin and his Judgment was influxive on his VVill to choose the glorious Futurity before the false Lustre of the Court VVhat is the goodly appearance of the present tempting VVorld but like the Rainbow painted Tears The heavenly Felicity is substantial and satisfying Where the Spirit of the Lord is there is Liberty He dispels the darkness of the Mind and by its illuminating guidance turns the VVill to accept and embrace those Objects that exceedingly satisfie its vast desires and capacity This is an eminent part of the divine Image engraven on the Soul in its Creation For God is soveraignly free and does all things according to the Counsel of his Will Our Servitude
is transplanted from the Body to the Soul The intemperate Person remembers with delight the wild Society wherein he has been ingaged the rich Wines wherein he quench'd his Cares the ungracious Wit and Mirth that made the hours slide away without observation Now 't is a Rule concerning Remedies applyed for the recovery of the Sick that Physick is ineffectual without the assistance of Nature but the case of the Sick is desperate when the only Medicine proper for his Cure increases the Disease and brings Death more certainly and speedily Those who are defil'd by Carnal Lusts have a special Curse they provoke God to withdraw his Grace according to that fearful Threatning my Spirit shall not always strive with Man for he is Flesh and after so desperate a forfeiture they are seldom redeemed and released from the Chains of Darkness wherein they are bound Accordingly Solomon frequently repeats this Observation The strange Woman flatters with her words Her house inclines to the dead and her paths to the dead None that go unto her return again neither take they hold of the path of Life The mouth of a strange Woman is a deep pit he that is abhorred of the Lord shall irrecoverably fall therein If it be said that this representation of the deplorable state of the unclean seems to cut off all hopes of their reclaiming and Salvation and may induce Despair I answer with our Saviour in another instance With Men it is impossible and not with God for with God all things are possible He can open and cleanse adorn and beautifie the most obstinate and impure Heart He can by omnipotent Grace change a Brutish Soul into an Angelick and plant a Divine Nature that abhors and escapes the Corruption in the World through Lust. Notwithstanding the Severity of the Threatning yet the Divine Mercy and Grace has been exercised and magnified in the renewing such polluted Creatures The Apostle tells the Corinthians they were Fornicators and Adulterers but they were washed sanctified and justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. 1. Let them address their Requests to God that he would cleanse them from the guilt of their Sins in the Blood of Christ the only Fountain of Life and baptize them with the Holy Ghost as with Fire to purge away their Dross and Pollutions An unholy Life is the off-spring of an unclean Heart The loose vibrations of the impure Eye the inticing words of the impure Tongue the external caresses and incentives of Lust are from the Heart The Heart must be purified or the Hands cannot be cleansed 2. Suppress the first risings of Sin in the Thoughts and Desires Sins at first are easily resisted but indulged for a time are difficultly retracted 3. Abstain from all Temptations to these Sins As Wax near the Fire is easily melted so the Carnal Affections are suddenly kindled by tempting Objects The neglect of this Duty fills the World with so many incorrigible Sinners and Hell with so many lost Souls Men venture to walk among snares and serpents without fear and perish for the neglect of circumspection 4. Do not presume that you will forsake those Sins hereafter which you are unwilling to forsake at present There is in many a Conflict between Conviction and Corruption They love Sin and hate it they delight in it and are sorry for it they cannot live without it nor with it in several respects Now to quiet Conscience and indulge their Lusts they please themselves with resolutions of a future Reformation The Tempter often excites Men to consent for once and obtains his aim But 't is a voluntary distraction to think Men may without apparent danger yield to a present Temptation resolving to resist future Temptations For if when the Strength is intire a Temptation captivates a Person how much more easily will he be kept in bondage when the Enemy is more tyrannous and usurping more bold and powerful and treads upon his neck and he is more disabled to rescue himself The inlightned natural Conscience is arm'd against Sin and if Men regarded its dictates if they believed and valued Eternity they might preserve themselves from many Defilements But God has never promised to recover Sinners by special Grace who have neglected to make use of common Grace In short consider what is more tormenting than all the Pleasures of Sin that are but for a season can be delightful the reflection of the guilty accusing Conscience and the terrible impression of an angry God for ever CHAP. II. Anger is a Lust of the Flesh. No Passion less capable of Counsel Directions to prevent its rise and reign Motives to extinguish it The Lust of the Eyes and Pride of Life are joined with the Lusts of the Flesh. Covetousness consider'd 'T is radically in the Understanding principally in the Will vertually in the Actions The love of it produces many vicious Affections 'T is discovered in getting saving and using an Estate The difficulty of curing Covetousness made evident from the Causes of it and the unsuccessfulnss of Means in order to it 'T is the root of all Evil. Excludes from Heaven 'T is the most unreasonable Passion The present World cannot afford Perfection or Satisfaction to the Immortal Soul The proper Means to mortifie Covetousness 2. ANger is another Lust of the Flesh. Of all the Passions none is less capable of Counsel nor more rebellious against the Empire of Reason It darkens the Mind and causes such a fierce agitation of the Spirits as when a Storm fills the Air with black Clouds and terrible flashes of Lightning It often breaks forth so suddenly that as some acute Diseases if check'd at first become more violent there is no time for remedy nor place for cure so there is such an irrevocable precipitancy of the Passions that the indeavour to repress their Fury inrages them 'T is astonishing what enormous Excesses and Mischiefs are caused by it How many Houses are turned into Dens of Dragons how many Kingdoms into Fields of Blood by this fierce Passion To prevent its rise and reign the most necessary Counsel is if possible to quench the first Sparks that appear which are seeds pregnant with Fire But if it be kindled do not feed the Fire by exasperating Words A prudent silence will be more effectual to end a Quarrel than the most sharp and piercing reply that confounds the Adversary Julius Caesar would never assault those Enemies with Arms whom he could subdue by Hunger He that injuriously reviles us if we revile not again and he has not a word from us to feed his Rage will cease of himself and like those who dye with pure Hunger will tear himself Hezekiah commanded his Counsellors not to say a word to Rabshekah 2. Try by gentle and meek addresses to compose the ruffled Minds of those who are provoked 'T is the observation of the wisest of Men that a soft Answer breaks the Bones 'T is usually successful to
what beautifies the Soul Now 't is our Duty to increase in Knowledge both in the extent and degrees and in the quality and efficacy of it 1. In the extent and degrees There is a mutual dependance of Divine Truths one illustrates and infers another There is an harmonious agreement between them one supports another and 't is our Duty to apply our Minds intensely to understand them How many that have the Revelation of the Gospel are mean proficients in the School of Heaven Of these the Apostle speaks with reprehension They needed to be taught again the first Principles of the Oracles of God and are become such that had need of milk and not of strong meat Whereas others were come to full age and had their senses exercised to discern more perfectly good and evil How many Professors need the first Principles of Religion to be planted in them They pretend to exempt their Ignorance from discredit that it only belongs to the Ministers of the Word to study the Mysteries of Religion But 't is of infinite consequence they should be wise to Salvation Our Saviour tells us This is Life Eternal to know thee to be the only true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent The dispensation of the Gospel is a state of Perfection 'T is the full and final declaration of God's Will in order to our future Blessedness 'T is not a provisional establishment as the Levitical Law There is no other alliance to be made between God and Men no other Sacrifice to be offered for Sin All the Types and Prophesies are compleatly fulfilled in Christ. Now some understand more clearly and distinctly the contrivance and parts of our mysterious Redemption and are comparatively perfect All the Treasures of the World are in real value infinitely inferiour to saving Truths There may be Knowledge without saving Grace but no saving Grace without Knowledge The Understanding is the leading Faculty Conversion begins in the renewed Mind Ye were darkness now ye are light in the Lord. The Gospel cannot be profitable for our Holiness and Comfort but by the intervening of the inlightned applicative Understanding the Conscience that discovers the Will of God to us from whence our immediate obligation arises to obey it 'T is true some Doctrines of the Gospel are fundamental and some are perfective Some are not of that consequence and clearness as others and the Ignorance of them is not damning not the Knowledge of them saving But every Divine Truth is worthy of our attentive Consideration according to our Capacity for they contribute to our Perfection We should strive to advance in Knowledge that as the Sun gradually ascends the Horizon till it gives Light to the Day and Day to the World so our knowledge of Christ should be more clear and extensive till we are compleatly transformed into his glorious Image When we shall see him as he is we shall be intirely like him 2. As our Knowledge is more vital affective and practical 't is more perfective of us Divine Truths have a Goodness in them and are not duely known without a stedfast belief of their Truth and a just valuation of their Goodness when the conviction of the Mind and the consent of the Will is influential upon our Lives The knowledge of some things is merely speculative One knows that the Eclipse of the Sun is from the interposing of the Moon between that globe of Light and our sight and the Mind acquiesces in the Theory for 't is of no practical use But the knowledge that Sin separates between God and us and intercepts the Light of his Countenance from shining upon us is infinitely profitable to make us fearful to offend him that we may not be deprived of the joyful sense of his Love Spiritual Knowledge includes a correspondent permanent impression upon the Heart and in the Life to the nature of sanctifying Truths In civil matters there is a knowledge of discourse and direction and a knowledge of performance And in holy things there is a knowledge of apprehension and in words and a knowledge that orders the Conversation aright The first is not onely fruitless but accidentally pernicious according to Solomon's Expression he that increases knowledge increases Sorrow A smaller degree of knowledge of God and Christ that is productive of Love and Obedience is far more valuable than a more large and accurate knowledge of the Divine Attributes of the union of the Natures and Offices of Christ that is not fruitful in Good Works as a spot of Ground Cultivated according to its quality is more profitable than a large Field that lies Waste 2. Moral Perfection is evident by a Threefold Comparison 1. Of the Saints with visible Sinners 2. Of the Saints among themselves 3. Of some eminent acts of Grace with lower acts in the same kind 1. The Comparison of Saints with visible Sinners makes them appear as perfect 'T is true there is a mixture of Principles in the best here of Flesh and Spirit inherent Corruption and infus'd Grace and the operations flowing from them accordingly are mixt But as one who has not the brightest Colours of white and red in the Complexion appears an Excellent Beauty set off by the presence of a Blackmoor so the Beauty of Holiness in a Saint though mixt with blemishes appears complete when compar'd with the foul deformity of Sinners Thus the opposition between them is express'd He destroys the perfect and the wicked 'T is Recorded of Noah that he was a just and perfect man in his generation in an Age when Wickedness reign'd when Chastity was expell'd from the number of Vertues and Modesty was censur'd as a Vice when Impiety was arriv'd at the highest pitch and the Deluge was necessary to purge the World from such Sinners then the sanctity and piety of Noah shin'd as brightness issues from the Stars He appear'd perfectly good compar'd with the prodigiously bad 2. In comparing the Saints among themselves some are stil'd perfect There are different degrees among Sinners some are so dispos'd to Wickedness that they may be denominated from as many Vices that possess their Souls as the Evil Spirit in the man spoken of in the Gospel answer'd his name was Legion from the number of Devils that possess'd him They drive through all the degrees of Sin so violently and furiously that compar'd to them other Sinners seem Innocent and are far less obnoxious to Judgment Thus there are singular Saints whose Graces are so Conspicuous and Convincing and a universal Holiness appears in their Conversation as makes them venerable among the vicious Their presence will restrain the dissolute from Excesses either in Words or Actions as effectually as a Magistrate by the terror of his Power Other Saints though sincere yet there is such a mixture of Shades and Lights in their actions that they are in low esteem Compare meek Moses with the passionate Prophet Jonas who justified his anger to the
and of different degrees of Goodness the Vine the Fig-tree the Apple-tree if an Apple-tree produce the best Fruits in its kind though not equal to the Fruit of the Vine 't is perfectly good Thus in the World there are several Conditions of Life among Men some are in places of Dignity and Superiority others of subjection and service A Servant that is faithful and diligent adorns the Gospel and excels in that Relation and is equally accepted of God as others in a higher order He that gain'd two Talents was esteem'd as faithful as he that gain'd five because the profit resulting from the improvement was in proportion to the stock entrusted with him There is a Perfection Relative to the various Spiritual States of Christians here St. John addresses his Counsel to Christians under several Titles to Children to Young Men and Fathers with respect to their different Ages in Christianity A Child is perfect in the quality of a Child when he has the stature the strength the understanding that is becoming his Age though he is distant from that compleat state to which he will arrive in his mature Age. A young Man has the Perfection proper to his Age. A new Convert that has such degrees of Knowledge and Holiness as are suitable to the Means and his Time of advancement by them is esteem'd Compleat in that state of Grace Some are enter'd into the School of Heaven and are in the first Lessons of Christianity others have made a higher progress in it to the fulness of the Stature Beyond the Perfection attainable here there is an absolute Perfection of Holiness in the extent of its parts and intention of degrees 'T is our present Duty to aspire and endeavour after this but attain'd only in Heaven where every Saint is renewed into the perfect Image of God and made glorious in holiness the great end of our Saviour's Love in dying for us By gradations Christians ascend to that Consummate state the period of Perfection CHAP. VI. Particular Graces Consider'd the internal Principles of Perfection Divine Faith Doctrinal Justifying and in the disposal of Providence Doctrinal Faith is not Imagination nor Reason The Objects of it The Motives consider'd The Essential Perfections of God Faith a divine Revelation is the most reasonable Act of the Humane Mind God's Truth a Principle immediately evident His Jurisdiction reaches to mens Understandings God never requires our Assent to supernatural Truths but he affords sufficient Conviction that they are reveal'd by him God reveals himself in Scripture by humane expressions according to our Capacity We are obliged to believe supernatural Doctrines no farther than they are reveal'd To attempt the Comprehensive knowledge of them is perfectly vain 't is impossible impertinent and dangerous Curiosity often fatal to Faith An Answer to Objections that supernatural Doctrines are not reconcileable to Reason That when men use all means sincerely to know the truth of them and are not Convinc'd of it they shall not be Condemn'd for involuntary speculative Errors I Will now particularly Consider those Graces that are of a more Excellent Nature and have a more powerful Causality and Influence in the lives of Christians Faith and Love Hope and Fear are the internal Principles of Christian Perfection I will first discourse of Divine Faith the first principle and foundation of Religion as the Apostle declares He that comes to God must believe that he is and the rewarder of them that diligently seek him The belief of his Being and Bounty is the Motive of Holy Worship This Grace is most Honourable to God and beneficial to us The understanding is our Supreme Faculty and by submitting it to divine Revelation we pay the most humble Homage to him By Faith we Conceive of God becoming his divine Perfections in believing the Revelation he has made of his Nature which is as Incomprehensible as 't is Invisible and the declaration of his Will though the things promis'd are encompass'd with opposition and seeming impossibilities we glorifie his perfect Veracity and Omnipotence in the highest manner He that believes the divine Testimony sets his Seal that God is true ratifies his word in the most solemn manner Faith is most beneficial to us 'T is the root of the Spiritual Life from whence all other Graces derive their flourishing and fruitfulness 'T is not only productive of its own acts but excites and animates every Grace in its distinct exercise Like the animal Spirits that give motion and vigour to all the Senses Faith in Christ conveys to a weak Christain a kind of Omnipotence The Apostle declares I can do all things through Christ that strengthens me The most eminent effects of other Graces either active or suffering Fortitude Zeal Self-denyal Patience are attributed to Faith as the Honour of a Victory is ascribed to the General by whose Conduct and Courage the Battle is managed though 't is obtained by the Valour of the Soldiers By Faith we are justified from the guilt of our many and mighty Sins We are purified from their deep Pollutions We are adopted into the line of Heaven and are saved from misery extreme and eternal I will consider Divine Faith under three Heads 1. Doctrinal Faith 2. Justifying Faith 3. Faith in the disposal of all things by the ruling Providence of God Doctrinal Faith I will consider 1. In its nature 2. The objects of it 3. The motives 4. The efficacy 1. The nature of it All the notions of Faith agree in this 't is a dependance upon the truth of another Thus Trust is called Faith because it relies upon the truth of a Promise And one is said to keep his Faith inviolate when he performs the Promise that another relyed on Faith in the propriety of expression is an assent for the veracity of the speaker Accordingly Divine Faith is a firm assent of the Mind to things upon the authority of Divine Revelation 'T is distinguish'd from Imagination and from comprehensive Reason Fancy draws a Copy of those Objects that are perceived by the external Senses or compounds many Copies together but creates no images of things not perceptible by the Senses We can imagine Mountains of Gold because we have seen Gold and Mountains We conceive monstrous mixtures in Dreams but no actors can appear on the theatre of Fancy but in borrowed habits from sensible things But the Objects of Faith are such things as Eye hath not seen nor Ear heard and transcend the capacity of the Imagination to conceive and of the external Senses to represent Yet Infidels blaspheme the Eternal Truths of Divine Things as the fictions of Fancy 2. Faith is distinguish'd from Science acquired by Study and from Reason Reason implies a progress from one degree of Knowledge to another by consequences drawn from the first to the second But Faith asserts to things upon the account of superiour Authority that reveals them and commands us to believe them The same things may be
temptations from the prevalency of these motives upon Men in all places and times If these Methods are unsuccessful to turn Men from God he tryes to make terrible Impressions upon the Minds of Men by afflicting Evils by the rage of the perverse World Now Faith is the victorious Principle that defeats all his designs and overcomes all his strength In Mechanical Operations we judge by the force of the Mover how easily a weight will be moved Thus when Eternal Realities are by Faith put into the Scales against Temporal Vanities they infinitely outweigh them The Apostle makes a judicious comparison Our light Afflictions that are but for a moment work out for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of Glory He extreamly vilifies things present and magnifies things future All that is pleasant or painful here is but for a moment and in true value is infinitely inferiour to the good things and the evil to come I count saith the Apostle the Afflictions of the present time are not to be compared with the Glory that shall be revealed And since the impressions of Pain are incomparably stronger and more affecting Humane Nature than impressions of Pleasure one sharp Pain deads the sensitive Faculties to the most vehement Pleasures We are assured by irresistible evidence that the Happiness of this World is in true value infinitely inferiour to the Happiness of the next The most pleasant things here cannot satisfie the narrow Faculties of Sense The Eye is not satisfied with seeing nor the Ear with hearing but the Favour of God and the blessed effects of it pass all Understanding our most comprehensive Faculty There is more Shadow than Light in our brightest Condition more Gall than Honey in our sweetest Fruitions But suppose the appearance of Worldly Happiness gilded with specious tinctures were truly great and goodly joyful and satisfying according to the Fancies of Carnal Men yet the Price would extreamly fall by considering they are of no longer continuance than the flight and expiring Breath of our present Life The Glory of this World is like a flash of Lightning in its appearing and vanishing The longest Line of Time from its first rise to its last period is but a point to Eternity Now that Happiness which is fading is not true Happiness in its own Nature nor correspondent to our reasonable Desires For the apprehension of its approaching end will imbitter the relish of the present enjoyment But the Happiness of the next Life is doubly infinite in the degrees and duration The least part of that Happiness is a perfect freedom from any touch or shadow of Evil. Humane Language has not words worthy or fully significant to describe it God who is an infinite Good and Goodness communicates himself to the immortal Soul according to its utmost Capacity and Desires It seems impossible for Men to offer such violence to their Understandings as calmly considering and in cold blood to prefer the Fashion of this World that passes away before the perfect and unchangeable Happiness in the next World 2. According to the degrees of our assent to future eternal things such is their victorious power in our Souls The objective efficacy of things is not from their existence but from their evidence to our Minds Now according as our Apprehensions are more clear and our Belief more stedfast of things future such impressions are made either of terrour or desire in our Breasts The Apostle defines Faith to be The substance of things hoped for the evidence of things not seen It represents things future and distant as present and in our actual possession A superficial fluctuating belief of the good or evil things in the next state is of no force to encounter present Temptations and vanquish the Carnal Affections The report of the Senses concerning things present will preponderate the Authority of God's Word that declares things future infinitely to exceed them All Fire has Heat but not strong enough to melt down Gold and Silver There is an assent in every degree of Faith but not able to overcome the World A radicated firm belief of the infallible Truth the transcendent Goodness and our sure right in Heavenly things will cause all the false colours of this World the shadows in masquerade to disappear The evidence and importance of things fixes our Resolutions to adhere to them The Son of a King and Heir of a Kingdom will invincibly assert the truth of his Relation and Title A sincere Believer of the Heavenly Glory and his Eternal Interest in it will live in that Faith and dye in it and dye for it if necessity require The belief of it has a vital taste a Joy sincere and sweet that makes the pleasant temptations of the World nauseous As Faith is the foundation and basis of Hope 't is the substance of things hoped for so Hope is reciprocally as a strong Pillar that establishes the basis upon which 't is fix'd For one voluntarily and stedfastly believes that which is for his advantage and comfort The serious belief of the prepared Plagues for those who are unfaithful to God and their Souls hereafter will make all the Evils threatened and inflicted upon the godly here to be contemptible If we are surrounded with an army of Evils let Faith draw forth the Powers of the World to come we shall be more than Conquerors There are many Temptations we cannot avoid there are none but we may vanquish by the Power of Faith The Fear of God like Aaron's Rod turned into a Serpent that swallowed up the Rods of the Magicians will over-rule the Fear of Men and make those Evils that to naked Nature are invincible easily endur'd This is evident from the Courage and Constancy of the Martyrs who despised the proudest Tyrants upon their Thrones and the most cruel Executioners upon the Scaffold The effects of Faith in the time of its triumph If the same Objects have not the same efficacy in the Minds of Men 't is for want of Faith If Faith declines we shall faint and dye away Peter walk'd on the Sea while he relyed on the Word of Christ but when a blast of Wind shook his Faith he presently sunk The Apostles doubted of Christ's Power when a Storm fell upon the Ship Our Saviour first rebuk'd their Fear before he laid the Storm Why are ye afraid O ye of little Faith as a danger more near and of worse Consequence Let us try the singular efficacy of Faith by exercising of it upon eternal Objects Let our Faith represent to us in as lively a manner the eternal Judgment as Enoch had a prospect of it Behold the Lord comes with ten thousand of his Saints to judge all the ungodly Let Faith direct its view to him rending the Heavens and coming in his own Glory as the Son of God and in his Father's Glory as constituted by him to be Judge of the World and in the Glory of the mighty Angels his Attendants Let
Contemplation of its Goodness and Equity constrains the Mind to assent to it From hence we may infallibly inferr that the radical difference and distinguishing character between a Saint and one in the state of polluted Nature is the affection of Love with respect to its objects and degrees Love to God as our sovereign Happiness is the immediate Cause of our Conversion and Re-union with him Love to vicious Objects or when with an intemperate current it descends to things not deserving its ardent degrees alienates the Heart from God Holiness is the order of Love The excellency of holy Love will appear in the following Considerations 1. Love has the supremacy among all the Graces of the Spirit This in the most proper sense is the Fire our Saviour came to kindle on the Earth The Apostle declares that Charity is greater than Faith and Hope which are Evangelical Graces of eminent usefulness For 1. 'T is the brightest part of the Divine Image in us God is Love 'T is the most adequate Notion of the Deity and more significant of his blessed Nature than any other single Attribute The most proper and honourable Conception we can form of the Deity is Love directed by infinite Wisdom and exercised by infinite Power Faith and Hope cannot be ascribed to God they imply imperfection in their Nature and necessarily respect an absent Object Now all things are present to the Knowledge of God and in his Power and Possession But Love is his Essential Perfection the productive Principle of all Good Love transforms us into his likeness and infuses the divinest temper into the Soul In the acts of other Graces we obey God in the acts of Love we imitate him This may be illustrated by its contrary There are Sins of various kinds and degrees Spiritual and Carnal Spiritual such are Pride malignant Envy irreconcilable Enmity delight in Mischief which are the proper Characters of the Devil and denominate Men his natural Sons Carnal Sins which the Soul immerst in Flesh indulges all riotous Excesses Intemperance Incontinence and the like of which a meer Spirit is not capable denominates Men the Captives and Slaves of Satan Now Spiritual Sins induce a greater guilt and deeper pollution than Carnal The exacter resemblance of the evil one makes sinful Men more odious to God 2. Love is more extensive in its influence than Faith and Hope their operations are confin'd to the Person in whom they are The Just lives by his own Faith and is saved by his own Hope without communicating Life and Salvation to others But 't is the spirit and perfection of Love to be beneficial to all Love comforts the afflicted relieves the indigent directs those who want Counsel 'T is the vital cement of Mankind In the Universe Conversation and reciprocal Kindness is the Blood and Spirits of Society and Love makes the circulation 3. Love gives value and acceptance to all other Gifts and Graces and their operations The Apostle tells us Though I have the gift of Prophestes and understand all Mysteries and all Knowledge though I have all Faith and could remove mountains and have not Charity I am nothing And though I bestow all my Goods to feâ—d the Poor and though I give my Body to be burned and have not Charity it profiteth me nothing Without Charity Faith is but a dead assent Hope is like a Tympany the bigger it grows the more dangerous it proves The most diffusive Beneficence without Love is but a sacrifice to Vanity 'T is not the richness of the Gift but the love of the giver that makes it accepted and rewarded in Heaven The Widows two Mites cast into the Treasury of the Temple were of more value in our Saviour's account than the rich Offerings of others For she gave her Heart the most precious and comprehensive Gift with them The giving our Bodies to be burned for the truth and glory of the Gospel is the highest expression of Obedience which the Angels are not capable of performing yet without Charity Martyrdom is but a vain-glorious blaze and the sealing the Truth with our Blood is to seal our Shame and Folly Sincere Love when it cannot express it self in suitable effects has this priviledge to be accepted in God's sight as if it were exuberant and evident in outward actions for God accepts the Will for the Deed If there be first a willing mind it is accepted according to what a Man hath and not according to that he hath not 4. Love is the perfection of the Law the sum and substance of every Precept All particular Duties though distinguished in the matter are united in Love as their principle and centre St. Austin observes That all other Vertues Piety Prudence Humility Chastity Temperance Fortitude are Love diversified by other names Liberal Love gives supplies to the Poor patient Love forgives Injuries Love is the end and perfection of the Gospel Now the end of the Commandment is Charity out of a pure Heart and a good Conscience and Faith unfeigned Some restrain the word Commandment to the Law thinking that the Gospel is only compounded of Promises But they misunderstand the difference between the two Covenants 'T is not in that the one commands and the other does not command but in the nature of the Duties commanded The Law commands to do for the obtaining of Life the Gospel commands to believe for Salvation This is the command of God that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ. The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is by the Apostle used for the Doctrine of the Gospel As the end of a Science or Art is the perfection of the Understanding in those things which are the proper subject of the Science The end of Philosophy is Knowledge and Moral Vertue the end of Rhetorick is Eloquence Thus the end of the Gospel the Divine Doctrine of our Salvation is Love a Coelestial Perfection Faith in the redeeming Mercy of God is the product of the Gospel not of the Law and Love is the end of Faith Now the end is more excellent than the means to obtain it In this respect Love is greater than Faith Briefly Love is stil'd the Bond of Perfection as it unites and consummates other Graces comprehends and fastens them Love to God draws forth all the active powers of the Soul in Obedience He that with a full and fervent Will applyes himself to his Duty will more easily pleasantly and exactly perform it The Love of God will form the Soul into a more entire conformity to his Nature and obedience to his Law and raise it to a greater eminency of Holiness than the clearest knowledge of all Precepts and Rules can do 4. Love never fails The Gifts and Graces of the Spirit are dispensed and continued according to our different states Some are necessary in the present state of the Church with respect to our Sins and Troubles from which there is no perfect freedom here Repentance is
the dear Memorial of his purchasing blessedness for us His precious Blood appeas'd the just Anger of God and shall it not Cool and Calm our Inflam'd Passions In imitation of God and Christ we must abstain from all Revenge of the greatest Evils suffered by us We must extinguish any inclination to Revenge Sin begins in the Desire and ends in the Action We must not take the least pleasure that Evil befalls one that has been injurious to us for the root of it is Devilish Though the reparation of an Injury may in some cases be necessary yet Revenge is absolutely forbidden To retaliate an Evil without any reparation of our Losses is to do Mischief for Mischiefs sake which is the property of Satan As on the contrary to do Good for Evil is such a Divine Perfection that the Devil does not assume the resemblance of it 't is so contrary to his cursed Disposition Some will conceal their Anger for a time waiting for an Opportunity to take Revenge without the appearance of Passion Their Malice like slow Poyson does not cause violent Symptoms but destroys Life insensibly Some have such fierce Passions that strike Fire out of the least Provocation their Breasts are changed into a Tophet Some inflame their Resentments by considering every Circumstance that will exasperate their Spirits But the Command is Be not overcome with evil but overcome evil with good The Duty is so pleasant in its exercise and attended with such comfortable Consequences that 't is recommended to our Reason and our Affections Love suffers long Love bears all things endures all things And what is more ingaging than the delightful disposition of Love The doing Good for Evil often gains the Heart of an Enemy If there be any vital spark of Humanity it cannot be resisted There is an Instance of it recorded in Scripture Saul the unrighteous and implacable Enemy of David yet being spar'd when he was entirely at his Mercy was moved and melted into tenderness Is this thy voice my Son David Before he in Contempt called him the Son of Jesse Thou art more righteous than I I will do thee no more evil How will some of the Heathens condemn Christians both as to the Rule and Practice of this Duty for whereas 't is esteem'd to be the Character of Pusillanimity or Stupidity to bear frequent and great Injuries unrevenged One of their Poets mixed this Counsel among other excellent Rules of Morality That Man is arrived at an heroick degree of Goodness who is instructed in a dispassionate manner to bear great Injuries And when Phocion who had deserved so highly of the Athenians was condemned unjustly to dye his Son attending him to receive his last Commands immediately before his Death he charged him never to revenge it on the Athenians CHAP. IX Divine Hope has an eminent Causality in the Life of a Christian. The nature of Christian Hope 'T is the Character of a Saint 'T is natural congruous and necessary to a Saint in the present state 'T is distinguish'd from carnal Presumption by its purifying Vertue Fear considered in its nature and cleansing Vertue The Attributes of God the motives of holy Fear There is a Fear of Reverence and of Caution 'T is consistent with Faith and the affections of Love Hope and Joy 'T is the fountain of Fortitude 3. DIvine Hope has an eminent Causality and Influence in the Life of a Christian. St. John speaking of the glorious likeness of the Saints to Christ in the Divine World inferrs from it Every Man that has this hope in him purifies himself even as he is pure Three things are observable in the words 1. The Character of a Christian by his Hope Every Man that has this hope in him 2. The distinction of this Hope from its counterfeit by its inseparable effect Purifies himself 3. The regulating of the effect by its Pattern Even as he is pure 1. Christian Hope is a firm expectation of future Happiness 'T is distinguish'd from Worldly Hopes by the excellency of the Object and the stability of its Foundation The Object is an eternal state of Glory and Joy wherein we shall be conform'd to the Son of God Worldly Hopes are terminated on empty vanishing things gilded over with the thin appearance of Good The foundation of Divine Hope are the unchangable Truth of God and his Almighty Power that always seconds his Word God cannot lye and consequently neither deceive our Faith nor disappoint our Hopes and he can do all things The Apostle declares the ground of his Confidence I know in whom I have believed and I am perswaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed to him against that day All the Persons in the Deity are ingaged for our assurance and comfort Sometimes 't is said That our hope may be in God and Our Lord Jesus Christ our hope and That we may abound in hope through the power of the Holy Ghost Worldly Hopes are always uncertain in this sphere of mutability There is so much of impotence or deceit in all the means used to obtain Humane Desires that the success is doubtful Fear mixes with the Desires and often Despair with Fear Young Men are flush with Hopes and of bolder Expectations than ancient Men who from Experience of many unforeseen and inevitable Difficulties that have travers'd their Hopes are inclin'd to Fear But Experience incourages and fortifies the Hopes of Christians which are attended with Patience and Joy If we hope we with patience wait for it Notwithstanding the distance of time and intervening difficulties before the accomplishment of what we expected no undiscernable Accidents can blast their assurance The interval of a thousand Years did not weaken Abraham's Hope of the promised Messiah Comfort is mix'd with the patience of Hope The Apostle saith That we through patience and comfort of the Scripture might have hope The final security of the Blessedness promised is very joyful in an afflicted Condition This Hope is the Character by which a sincere Christian is denominated and distinguish'd from Heathens who are without God without Christ and without hope For God is the Object of it as our soveraign Good and Christ is the Means whereby we obtain and enjoy him This Grace is most natural congruous and necessary to a Christian in the present state 1. Natural Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who according to his abundant Mercy hath begotten us to a lively hope by the Resurrection of Christ from the dead to an inheritance incorruptible undefiled and that fades not away reserved in heaven for you The supernatural Birth entitles to the supernatural Inheritance if Sons then heirs and the hope of Heaven is a consequent Affection As in the Natural Life the most early exercise of Reason excites desires and hopes to obtain what may supply the wants of it So in the Spiritual Life when Faith discovers to us Coelestial Blessendness revealed in
nearness of an Evil and the apprehensions of it the stronger is the Fear In the turning of Sinners the impressions of it are different Stronger degrees are requisite to rouse the obdurate and to make them fly from the Wrath to come The Jaylor surprised with Terrors cryes out Sirs what shall I do to be saved 'T is said The Lord open'd the heart of Lydia as with an oyl'd Key but an Earthquake was necessary to open the Jaylors Till there is felt something more tormenting than carnal sweets are pleasing Men will not mortifie their Lusts. One will not suffer a part of his Body to be cut off unless an incureable Gangrene threatens speedy Death The World is present and sensible and continually diverts men from the consideration of their Souls unless Eternal things are by a strong application impress'd on their Minds Till urged by the Terrors of Everlasting Death they will reject the offers of Everlasting Life While Carnal Men are in Prosperity they hate Instruction to prevent Sin and despise Reproof to correct Sin they slight the fearful report of Thunder and do no more tremble at the Torments of Hell threaten'd in the Word of God than at Squibs and Crackers the sport of Boys But in sharp Afflictions and the approaches of Death when Conscience draws near to God's Tribunal it becomes bold and resumes the Government and calls them to an account for all their Rebellions and forces them to Confess what they would fain Conceal their fears of Eternal Judgment 2. Holy Fear preserves and increases Religion This may be consider'd as it includes Reverence of God with Circumspection and Caution The Fear of Reverence is an inseparable Affection and Character of a Saint Hear the prayers of thy servants who desire to fear thy name The desires include the sincerity of this Grace in opposition to Hypocrisie and pretences for they are the unfeigned Issues of the Soul and the freeness of the Affection in opposition to Violence and Constraint The Name of God implies his Excellent Attributes the proper Motives of Holy Fear His Majesty is ador'd by the Angels in their humble posture before his high Throne His Purity wherein God does so excel and we are so defective excites the most awful respects of him Who would not fear thee for thou art holy Holy and reverend is his name His Goodness to a Holy ingenuous Soul is a motive of fear they shall fear the Lord and his goodness If Fear declines and slumbers there is present danger of losing the purest sweetness of Love and Joy that proceed from intercourse and Communion with God His Omniscience and the recompences of his Justice and Power keeps the Soul Cautious lest we should offend him What Stupidity what fury to provoke so dreadful an Adversary who can dispatch a Sinner to the Grave and Hell in a Moment Some object that 't is unsuitable to the gracious dispensation of the Gospel for the Children of God to reflect upon his Terrible Attributes But are they wiser than God who uses this Discipline as Medicinal either to prevent Sin or to correct them into their Duty Are they more Evangelical than our Saviour who counsell'd his Disciples I say unto you my friends be not afraid of them that can kill the body and after that have no more that they can do But I will forewarn you whom you shall fear fear him which after he hath kill'd hath power to cast into hell I say unto you fear him Are they more Spiritual than St. Paul who from the Consideration of our being accountable for all things done in the Body before the inlightned Tribunal of Christ infers Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord we perswade men This Influenc'd him to a zealous discharge of his Duty It may seem very difficult to reconcile the exercise of holy Fear with Faith and the Sanctified Affections of Love Hope and Joy But it will appear they are very consistent 1. Fear is the product of Faith and assurance of God's Favour is preserved by the Fear of his Displeasure Fear is not contrary to Faith but to Presumption Be not high-minded but fear A jealousie of our selves lest we should provoke God is joyn'd with a more entire and pure Trust in his Grace and Mercy 2. The Love and Fear of God have a mutual Causality on each other The Love of God excites Thoughts of his continual Presence and Perfections that cause an awful esteem of him by which Love is maintain'd Desires proceed from Love and 't is express'd in the forecited place thy Servants who desire to fear thy Name The fear of the Lord is their Treasure not their Torment for their fear to Offend him is from their pure Love to Please him Indeed servile Fear that is meerly from the consideration of his Anger and Power is consistent with the Love of Sin and inconsistent with the Love of God 't is a judicial and violent impression on Conscience that Carnal Men would sain deface that they might freely enjoy their desir'd Objects and 't is by Fits for God sometimes thunders in the Conscience as well as in the Air. But filial Fear is the Habitual Constitution of a Saint he is voluntary and active to preserve it in continual Exercise 3. The Fear of God and Hope are joyn'd in Scripture and in the Hearts of Believers The Lord delights in those that fear him and hope in his mercy Fear and Hope contemper each other Fear without Hope is slavish and Hope without Fear is secure As the growth of things in Nature Flowers and Fruits is from the heat of the Days and the cold moisture of the Nights so growth in Grace is by the warm encouragements of Hope and the chilling influence of Fear A regular Hope in the Promises is joyn'd with an humble Fear and Subjection to his Commands 4. Holy Fear is mixed with Joy Serve the Lord with fear and rejoyce with trembling Carnal Joy and Carnal Fear and Sorrow are contrary Extremes that proceed from contrary Causes A prosperous State in this World and the Satisfaction of the Sensual Desires is the root from whence carnal Joy springs and is nourisht and the being deprived of Temporal good things disabled by Sickness to enjoy them or the prospect of some imminent Disaster are the cause of Fear and Guilt But the exercise of Spiritual Joy and Holy Fear are consistent at the same time for the serious reflection on the Divine Attributes excite both those Affections We read that when Mary Magdalen with the other Mary came to the Sepulchre of Christ at the bright appearance of an Angel that declar'd his Resurrection they went away with fear and great joy Sinful Affections are opposite to Grace but Gracious Affections are inseparable The fear of offending God is a preservative of our Joy in him as a Hedge of Thorns is a Fence to a Garden of Roses In the Kingdom of Love and Joy the Reverent Fear of God is in
guilt Now the more we are conform'd to our meek and forgiving Saviour the more we approach to Perfection And the more the Corrupt Nature in us is provokt and fierce upon Revenge the doing Good for Evil is the more sure proof of excellent Vertue and clear Victory over our selves 8. The more receptive persons are of Spiritual Counsel and Admonition for the preventing or recovery from Sin they are the more Holy 'T is David's desire Let the righteous smite me it shall be a kindness and let him reprove me it shall be an excellent oil which shall not break my head There is no Counsel so truly valuable as that which proceeds from Wisdom and Love in matters of Importance If a Friend discovers by indications and symptoms a disease that insensibly has seiz'd on us does not his compassionate Advice endear him to us How much rather should we meekly and thankfully receive a prudent and seasonable reproof of a Spiritual Friend for the healing our Souls whose Diseases are far more dangerous and less discernable than those of the Body 'T is the most sacred and beneficial Office of Friendship and like the Compassionate Love of the Angel to Lot in leading him out of Sodom And as the most Excellent Metal Gold is most pliant and easily wrought on so the most Excellent Tempers are most receptive of holy Counsels Yet the Natural Man is very averse from a meek submission to reproof for Sin A vicious Self-love of which Pride is the production makes us to overvalue our Reputation now to reprove implies a Superiority which occasions Impatience and Disdain Though the Duty be perform'd with Prudence and Tenderness and respective Modesty yet 't is usually very unacceptable Men will excuse and extenuate and sometimes defend their Sins nay sometimes recoil with Indignation upon a faithful Reprover 'T is as dangerous to give an Admonition to some proud Spirits as 't is to take a Thorn out of a Lions Foot 'T is therefore evident that when a just Reproof is receiv'd with Meekness and Acceptance there is a great Love of Holiness as when one takes a very unpleasant Medicine it argues an earnest desire of Health He is an Excellent Saint that when Conscience has not by its directive Office prevented his Falling into Sin and a sincere Friend endeavors to restore him is not angry at the Reproof but sorry he deserves it Lastly The deliberate desire of Death that we may arrive at the state of perfect Holiness is the effect of excellent Grace There is no desire more natural and strong than of the enjoyment and continuance of Life There is no fear more insuperable than of certain and inevitable Death Those who do not fear it at a distance are struck with Terrors at the aspect and approaches of it Carnal Men whose Heaven is here at the fearful apprehensions and foresight of it are ready to sink into Despair Nay holy Men who have the prospect of Coelestial Happiness beyond Death and believe that the pangs of Death are throws for their deliverance to Eternal Life are apt to shrink at the thoughts of their Dissolution If the change from an earthly to a heavenly state were not by our being uncloth'd but to be cloth'd upon with Glory which St. Paul declares to be the desire of Nature the hopes of seeing Christ in his Glory and being transformed into his Likeness would so inflame their Affections that they would be impatient of being absent from him But the necessity of dying that we may ascend into his reviving presence is so bitter that Divine Grace is requisite to induce us to consent to it St. Peter was an ardent lover of Christ and appeals to our Saviour's omnisciency for a testimony of it Lord thou that knowest all things knowest that I love thee yet our Saviour immediately tells him When thou shalt be old thou shalt stretch out thy hands and another shall carry thee where thou wouldst not signifying his Death The circumstance when thou arâ— old implies an unwillingness to dye when the natural term of Life was near expiring Yet Peter had been a spectator of our Saviour's glorious Transfiguration and of his triumphant Ascent to Heaven from Mount Olivet The best of us have reason to joyn in the language and desire of the Spouse Draw us to thy blessed presence and we will run after thee So strong is the band of natural Love that fastens the Soul and Body and such a reluctancy there is against a Dissolution But St. Paul declares I desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ which is far better He was contented to live for the Service of Christ but desirous to dye to enjoy his Presence in the Sanctuary of Life above This was his fixed and unsatisfied desire How few are arriv'd to such a heigth of Spirituality This desire is the fruit of Faith with respect to the Reality and Glory of the Eternal State and our interest in it According as the revelation of the invisible Kingdom is in our Minds such is its attractive power in our Hearts 'T is the effect of Divine Love in a degree of eminence To vanquish the Terrors of Death that are insuperable to Humane Resolutions and with a clear and chearful Spirit to leave the Body in the Grave that we may for ever be freed from Sin and made like to Christ in Purity and Glory is the effect of Love stronger than Death 2. Use is to excite us to follow Holiness to make it the great design study and endeavour of our Lives to grow in Grace 'T is true the beginning the prosecution and perfection of Holiness is from God but 't is by the subordinate concurrence of the renewed Mind and Will the leading Faculties that we are advancing towards Perfection God gives Vertue to the Seeds Temper to the Seasons and Form to the Fruits but Men are to plant and water the Fruits of the Earth Without God our Endeavours are weak and ineffectual but by his Blessing are successful I will first set down Directions how we should follow Holiness Secondly Answer the Carnal Allegations against our striving after Perfection Thirdly Proceed to add other Motives to enforce the Duty Fourthly Propound the Means that may be effectual for this excellent End 1. We must in our early Age follow Holiness Men commonly deceive Conscience and elude their Duty by delays They are unwilling to be holy too soon and in an excellent degree They presume there will be time enough hereafter for to reform themselves after their Voluptuous Affections are satisfied after their Worldly Acquisitions they will forsake their Sins and become holy But this is unaccountable Folly rather a Delirium than Discourse There are innumerable Contradictions of which the Lives of Men are compounded they complain as if Time were intolerably short and waste it as if it were intolerably long They use all Arts that Months may seem as Hours and Years pass as Days But in no
pardon externally the most provoking Injuries but internally quench all inclinations to revenge now it will require our Noblest Care and most Excellent Endeavours to practice these high Rules If there were an extract of the Corrupt Morals in the Philosophy of the Heathens it would be visible how defective it is to restore Man to his primitive Holiness They were Idolaters not merely by Temptation but by Principle and Resolution it was their Maxim that a Wise Man should Conform to the Worship practis'd in the places where they lived Their Moral Philosophy ascended no higher than to instruct us how to act as Men for it considers in them only Humane Qualities and directs their Actions in a respective order to Natural Felicity To do justly to dye generously to allay the fiery agitations of the Passions that make Men miserable in themselves and vexatious to others is the highest pitch to which this Heathen Philosophy pretends They had some glimmering confus'd Notions of their Duty towards God but like the thin appearance of some Stars in a dark Night without Efficacy But the Gospel reveals our Duty so as it may be clearly known and strongly imprest on us There are various Duties in the compass of a Christians practise and 't is an advantage to have them reduc'd to some comprehensive Heads that may bring them often to our Minds The Apostle gives us the bright sum of our Duty The grace of God that brings salvation hath â—ppâ—â—â—'d unto all â—â—n teaching us thâ—â— dâ—nying ungodliness and worldly lusts 〈◊〉 should liâ—â— godly righteously â—nd soberly in the prâ—â—â—â—t world There is no Rule more eâ—â—â—â—â—â—ve and influential into the Life of a Christian thâ—â— to walâ— worthy of God becoming our Relation to him 〈◊〉 ouâ— Heavenly Father and our Union with his Son as our Spiritual Head and the Supernatural Happiness reveal'd in his Word We are commanded to â—â—lâ— ciâ—â—â—mspectly and â—â—â—ctly not as fools bâ—◠〈◊〉 wiâ—â— Sometimeâ— there is a particular eâ—umeration of our Duties Finally brethren whatsoever things are honest whatsoever things are jâ—sâ— whatsoever things are pure whatsoever things are lovely whatsoever things are of good râ—port if therâ— be any vertue any praise think on these things From what has been said of the Obligation of the Evangelical Rule 't is evident how destructive the Doctrine of the Church of Rome is that many things prescribed in the Gospel are Counsels of Perfection not Universal Laws A Doctrine fatally fruitful of many pernicious Consequences of Spiritual Pride the poison of the Soul They depress the Divine Law while they Assert a more Excellent Holiness in uncommanded Works and they exceed the rule in matters of Supererogation It induces slothfulness for they securely allow themselves in the neglect of their duty and not only contradict the Gospel in their Practises but supplant it in their Principles And as they relax our obligation to the Precepts of the Law so by other Doctrines they release Men from the fear of the Sanction and Penalty for the Doctrine of Purgatory takes away the fear of Hell and the Doctrine of Indulgences the fear of Purgatory 2. The Gospel propounds to us Examples of Perfection to raise us to the best heighth 1. We are Commanded to be perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect There are some Attributes of God that are not the Object of our Desires and Imitation but of our highest Reverence and Veneration Such are his Eternity Immensity Omnipotence Immutability There are other Attributes his Moral Perfections that are imitable Holiness Goodness Justice Truth which are purely and fully declar'd in his Law and visibly in the Works of Providence This Command as was before explain'd is to be understood not of an equality but resemblance He is Essentially Transcendently and Unchangeably Holy the Original of Holiness in understanding Creatures There is a greater disproportion between the Holiness of God and the unspotted Holiness of the Angels than between the Celerity of the motion of the Sun in the Heavens and the slow motion of the shadow upon the Dial that is regulated by it It should be our utmost Aim our most earnest Endeavour to imitate the Divine Perfection As Wax is to the Sâ—al so is the Spirit of Man to his End the same Characters are ingraved in it The Soul is God-like when the principal leading Powers the Understanding and Will are influenc'd by him The Heathen Deities were distinguished by their Vices Intemperance Impurity and Cruelty and their Idolaters sinâ—d boldly under their Patronage The true God commands us to be holy as God is holy to be followers of him as dear Children For Love produces desires and endeavours of likeness 2. The Life of Christ is a Globe of Precepts a Model of Perfection set before us for our imitation This in some respect is more proportionable to us for in him were united the Perfections of God with the Infirmities of a Man He was hâ—ly harmless undâ—filed and separate from Sinners His Purity was absolute and every Graoe in the most Divine degree was express'd in his Actions His Life and Death were a compounded Miracle of Obedience to God and Love to Men. Whatever his Father order'd him to undertake or undergo he entirely consented to He willingly took on him the form of a Servant 't was not put upon him by compulsion In his Life Humility towards Men infinite descenâ—s below him Self-denial Zeal for the Honour of God ardent Desires for the Salvation and Welfare of Men were as visible as the Flame discovers Fire In his Sufferings Obedience and Sacrifice were united The willingness of his Spirit was victorious over the repugnance of the Natural Will in the Garden Not my Will but thine be done was his unâ—lterable choice His Patience was iâ—â—â—perable to all Injuries He was betrayed by a Disciple for a vile Price and a Muâ—therer was preferr'd before him He was scorn'd as a false Prophet as a feigned King and deceitful Sâ—viour He was spit on scourg'd crown'd with Thorns and crucified and in the heigth of his Sufferings never express'd a spark of Anger against his Enemies nor the least degree of Impatience that might lessen the value of his Obedience Now consider it was one principal Reason of his Obedience to instruct and oblige us to conform to his Pattern the certain and constant Rule of our Duty We may not securely follow the best Saints who sometimes through Ignorance and Infirmity deviate from the narrow way but our Saviour is the Way the Truth and the Life What he said after his waâ—hing the Disciples Feet an Action wherein there was such an admirable mixture of Humility and Love that 't is not possible to conceive which excell'd for they were both in the highest Perfection I have given you an Example that what I have done to you so do you is applicable to all the kinds of Vertues and Graces exhibited in his Practice He instructs us to do by his Doings and to suffer by
his Sufferings He suffered for us leaving an Example that we may follow his steps He levels the way and makes it like a Carpet by going before us Those Duties which are very harsh to sensible Nature he instructs us in by his Preaching and by his Passion How can we decline them when perform'd by him in whom the glorious Deity was personally united to the tender Humanity His Life was a continual Lecture of Mortification 'T is the Observation of the Natural Historian that the tender Providence of Nature is admirable in preparing Medicines for us in beautiful fragrant Flowers that we might not refuse the Remedy as more distastful than our Diseases But how astonishing is the Love of God who sent his Son for our Redemption from Eternal Death and in his Example has sweeten'd those Remedies that are requisite for the Cure of our distemper'd Passions the taking up the Cross submitting to Poverty and Persecution are made tolerable by considering that in enduring them we follow our Redeemer Can any Motive more ingage and incourage our Obedience than the perswasive Paâ—tern and commandingly Exemplary of our Soveraign and Saviour Can we be averse from our Duty when our Law-giver teaches us Obedience by his own practice Can any Invitation be more attractive than to do that for Love to him which he did for Love to us and our Salvation We are his Subjects by the dearest Titles and our own Consenâ— we are dedicated to his Honour and as the Apostle tells the Galathians If you are circumcised you are debtors to keep the whole Law by the same Reason if we are baptized we are obliged to obey the Law of Faith to order our Lives according to the Doctrine and Example of Christ. An unholy Christian is a Contradiction so direct and palpable that one word destroys another as if one should say a living Carcass or a cold Calenture We must adorn the Gospel of Christ by the sacred splendour of our Actions An innocent Life from gross notorious Sins is a poor Perfection we must shew forth the Vertues of him who has called us to his Kingdom and Glory Men usually observe what is â—minently better or extreamly worse in any kind The excellent Goodness of Christians recommends the Goodness of the Gospel and convinces Infidels that it came from the Fountain of Goodness The Primitive Christians endur'd the Fiery Tryal with insuperable Constancy and the most powerful Argument that inspir'd their Courage despising Life and Death was that Christ was their Leader in those terrible Conflicts he was their Spectator when they incounter'd fierce Beasts and fiercer Tyrants for the defence of his Truth and Glory of his Name and while they were suffering for him he was preparing Immortal Crowns for them This St. Cyprian in his Pastoral Letters to the Christians in Africa represents with such powerful Eloquence that kindled in their Breasts a Love to Christ stronger than Death 3. The Angels are propounded to us as a Pattern for our Imitation Our Saviour directs our desires that the Will of God may be done in Earth as 't is done in Heaven The Will of God is either Decretive or Preceptive The Decretive extends to all Events nothing falls out at Random nothing by rash Chance and Casualty but all things come to pass according to the Counsel of his Will by his Efficiency or Pormission The Preceptive Will of God is the Rule of our Duty This is the Will of God even yoâ—r Sanctification This is intended here for 't is to be performed in conformity to the Obedience of the Angels But â—â—s comprehensive of our resign'd submission to the Will and Wisdom of God in the disposals of Providence as well as to our active subjection to his Commands We are equally obliged to acknowledge and honour his Sovereignty and Doâ—inion in ordering all things as to yiâ—â—d Obedience to his Sovereignty declar'd in his Laws The Psalmist addresses himself to the Angels as our Pattern Bless the Lord ye his Angels that excel in strength that do his Commandments hearkening to the voice of his Wordâ— The Angels are the eldest off-spring of God's Power Glorious Heavenly and Immortal Spirits The Title of Angels signifies their Office their Nature we do not fully know We can tell what they are not not Flâ—sh nor Blood but negatives do not afford Knowledge 'T is not Knowledge to declare what things are not but what they are Their excellency is discovered in Scripture in that the highest degree of our Perfection is express'd by likeness to the Angels The Perfection of Beauty in Stephen is set forth They saw his Face as the Face of an Angel Excellent Wisdom in David My Lord the King is wise as an Angel of God Perfect Eloquence Tho' I speak with the Tongues of Men and Angels And the Apostle in asserting the infinite dignity of the Mediator proves it by this Argument that he is above the Angels To whiâ—h of the Angels did he sâ—y thou â—â—t my Son that is in a high and peculiar manner Now if they had not been in the highest order of Creatures the Argument had not been conclusive yet they are infinite descents below God The Heavens are not clean in his sight the Stars are not pure beforâ— him The Seraphims vâ—il their Faces and their Feet in his glorious presence and cry one to another Holy holy holy Lord God of Hosts the whole Earth is full of thy Glory His separate and transcendent Attributes are the Foundation of their Humility and Subjection 2. They received their Being from his meer Pleasure This most free Favour infinitely binds them to his Service A derived Being has dependant operations 3. They are confirm'd in their state of ever-flourishing Feâ—â—city by pecullar Grace In the morning of the Creation Heaven shin'd with innumerable Staâ—â— the Angels of Light of whom a vast number are by their Rebellion become wandering Stars to whom is reserv'd the blackness of darkness for ever How dreadful was their Fall From what Felicity into what Woe Now the good Angels are in a supernatural state without the least danger of Change and Separation from the blessed Presence of God The Grace of Confirmation renews their obligation to the Divine Goodness they are not safe in themselves but their fidelity is secur'd by the continual influence of the Holy Spirit In them is perfect Light and perfect Love the fountains of their Obedience The matter wherein their Obedience is exercis'd is secret to us the Laws and admirable Order in Heaven are not fully discovered But we are assur'd they continually magnifie and celebrate the Perfections of God In this lower World they are ministring Spirits to the Heirs of Salvation the adopted Children of God The highest Angels are not exempted from this Service nor the lowest Saints excluded from the Benefit of it How many unforeseen and inevitable dangers as to Humane prevention do they prevent The evil Angels would
Saints that eminently distinguish them from others and these we should especially regard Enoch walked with God His Life was a continual regard of God therefore he was translated into his glorious Presence Abraham's Faith was illustrious in that without reluctancy he address'd himself to offer up his beloved Son a Command so heavy that God would not permit his performing it Moses Self-denial was truly admirable in choosing to live in a solitary naked Desert rather than in the Egyptian Court wherein was the heigth of Pomp and the centre of Pleasure Job's Patience was unparallel'd when encompass'd with the sharpest Affliction Daniel prefer'd a Den of Lyons to Darius's Palace rather than neglect one day his desired Duty of Prayer to God Whom would it not inflame to read the Narrative of the Tryals of the excellent Saints recorded in the 11th to the Hebrews They were persecuted and patient afflicted and resign'd they were victorious over the blandishments of the alluring World and the terrors of the enraged World From those Instances the Apostle exhorts us to run our race with Patience looking to Jesus the author and finisher of our Faith The Knowledge that is in our view from the practice of others will make Obedience more easie and best lead us to practice These excellent Examples should make us blush with Shame and bleed with Grief that notwithstanding there is a more copious communication of Grace by the Gospel than under the Law and a more clear revelation of the glorious Reward we are so many degrees below them Nothing will convince us more of our Negligence than comparative and exemplary Instruction There is an envious Emulation among those that are in Publick Places 't is not so pleasing to see many below them as 't is uneasie and grievous to see any above them This seems to be one of those Plants that in its native Soil is poisonous but transplanted into another Climate and under another Heaven is not only innocent but healthful 'T is a noble Emulation worthy the breast of a Saint to strive to excel others in Holiness 5. Our present Joy and future Glory are improved according as we rise to Perfection here The Life of a Saint may be compar'd to the Labour of the Bees who all the day either fly from their Hives to the Flowers or from the Flowers to their Hives and all their art and exercise is where there is fragrancy or sweetness In divine Worship the Soul ascends to God by holy thoughts and ardent desires and God descends into the Soul by the communication of Grace and Comfort 'T is true the Carnal Man cannot see nor taste the divine delight that a Saint has real Experience of for a lower Nature is incapable of the perceptions and enjoyments of an higher A Plant cannot apprehend the pleasure of Sense nor a Beast the pleasures of Reason and Reason must be prepared and elevated to enjoy the pleasures of Holiness which makes all the charming Contents of this World insipid and nauseous For according to the excellency of the Objects and the capacity and vigour of the Faculties exercised upon them such is the delight that results from their union The holy Soul is a Heaven inlightened with the Beams of the Sun of Righteousness a Paradise planted with immortal Fruits the Graces of the sanctifying Spirit and God walks in it communicating the sense of his Love Are not Life and Light and Liberty productive and preservative of Joy And consequently as the natural Life the more lively and vigorous the more pleasant it is so the spiritual The more we are like God the more we are loved of him and the more clear revelations of his Love are communicated to us The more we are freed from the chains of Sin and bondage of Satan the more joyful and glorious is our Liberty Indeed the Saints are sometimes in darkness but their Sorrows are from their defects in Holiness from their not improving the means of Grace whereby they might rise to Perfection For as when Sadness oppresses us the vital Spirits retire to the Heart and are shut up in their springs that Nature does not perform its operations with delight so when the Holy Spirit the Eternal Comforter is grieved by our quenching his pure Motions he withdraws his comforting Influences and the Soul is left desolate The Experience of all the Saints is a demonstration that Religion the more it fastens us to our Duty and to God by the bands of Love the happier we are and that the state of a renewed Christian is so far from being gloomy and melancholy that 't is the joyful beginning of Heaven By excelling in Holiness our future Glory will be increas'd The life and order of Government consists in the dispensing Rewards and Punishments God will recompence the wicked according to the Rule of Justice and their Desert and the future Happiness of the Saints will be in degrees according to the degrees of their Holiness Not as if there were any Merit in our Works to procure the Eternal Reward which is the Gift of his most free Love but his Love rewards us according to his Promise that they who sow bountifully shall reap bountifully and in proportion as the Graces of the Saints are exercised here their Glory will be in Heaven In this the Goodness of God is admirable he works all in us and rewards his own work His Service is the best for he that commands works and he that obeys reigns If we respect the Glory of God and our own let us endeavour to be compleat in Holiness 'T is true God bestows his Favours as a free Lord and liberal Benefactor variously but he distributes Rewards in the next Life as a Governour according to the inviolate Rule establish'd by his Wisdom in his Word As the quality of the Reward is according to the kind of our Works so the degrees are according to the measure of them To imagine that a Carnal Man may be saved without Holiness is as unreasonable as to think that a Man may be made miserable without Sin It is to attribute an irregular Clemency to him We must distinguish between the desert of the Reward and the order of dispensing it There is no possibility or shadow of Merit for the Grace of Obedience is antecedent to the Grace of the Reward CHAP. XII The effectual means to rise to Perfection in Holiness Unfeigned Faith in our Saviour who is the efficient and exemplary cause of inherent Holiness Prayer a means to obtain an increase of Holiness Frequent and attentive hearing reading and meditation of the Word a means of growth in Grace The Word must be mix'd with Faith and an earnest desire to improve Grace by it It must be laid up in the Mind and Memory It must be sincerely received The Religious Use of the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper an excellent means to increase Grace Repentance Faith and Love are improved by it The renewing our
Covenant with Christ in that Ordinance is of great use for the advancing of Grace The Religious Observation of the Lord's day makes us more holy The frequent discussion of Conscience is very instrumental to increase Holiness It must be distinct in comparing our Actions with the Rule serious and sincere as previous to divine Judgment with resolution to reform what is amiss and frequent I Will now proceed to declare the means that are effectual for our obtaining Holiness in degrees of eminence 1. Unfeigned Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ who is the meritorious efficient and exemplary Cause of inherent Holiness and Actions flowing from it The Death of Christ was our Ransom not only to release us from the Curse of the Law but the dominion of Sin These were inseparable in the design of our Redeemer and are in the accomplishment of it None are pardon'd but they are sanctified If the reimpression of the Image of God in us had been only requisite for the restoring us to his Favour our Saviour's dying had been unnecessary his Instruction and Example with the sanctifying Spirit 's Operations had been sufficient But till our Guilt was expiated the Fountain was sealed no emanations of Divine Grace flow'd forth Christ gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purifie us to himself a peculiar People zealous of good works Christ is the efficient Cause of our Holiness We receive from God the Author of Nature the Natural Life with all its Faculties and by the concurrence previous and concomitant of his powerful Providence we act in the order of Nature But the Supernatural Life is conveyed to us from the Son of God the Mediator Of his fulness we receive Grace for Grace Our increase is from our Head the Fountain of Spiritual Sense and Action The Holy Spirit who inspires us with the divine Life confirms and improves it was purchased by his Sufferings and is confer'd in his Exaltation As in the operation of the sensitive Faculties though the Eye be clear and qualified for sight yet 't is necessary there be a supervenient Light to irradiate the Air and actuate the visive Spirits that there may be a discovery of Objects Thus after the Soul is renewed by habitual Grace there is necessary the exciting assisting Grace of the Spirit to draw it forth into exercise every hour The Sun is the heart of the World from which all vital cherishing Influences are derived Thus from the Sun of Righteousness with healing in his wings continual Influences proceed without which the Life of Grace would languish and decay In this there is a disparity between the visible Sun and the spiritual though the fruitfulness of every Plant is from his vital Heat and descending Influences yet the quality and kinds of the Fruits is from the Sap that distinguishes them Grapes are from the Vine and Peaches and Apples are from several Trees but every Grace in the Saints is from the descending influences of Christ. Now Faith is the means by which we receive the emanations of Grace from Christ. The Apostle tells us The Life that I live in the flesh is by Faith in the Son of God The first plantation of Holiness and the highest perfection of it attainable in the present Life is by Faith that unites us to Christ. A sincere reliance on him for continual supplies of Grace gives vertue and efficacy to the means prescribed in the Word We are commanded to grow in Grace and in the experimental knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ the effectual means to obtain it 3. Contemplate our Saviour as the exemplary Cause of our Holiness His Pattern is not only a powerful one which is considered before but means to bring us to Perfection We are directed to look to Jesus the author and finisher of our Faith that we may run the race set before us till we come to its period and perfection In the Gospel there is a divine representation of the Obedience and Sufferings of our Saviour wherein every Grace that adorns the Children of God is exactly represented and all the Afflictions and tender Tryals wherewith God exercises them in order to their Glory were consecrated by his Example This is not a dead Object proposed to our view but has a vital efficacy to transform us into his Likeness as the sight of the Brazen Serpent conveyed a healing Vertue to the wounded Israelites The Apostle tells us that we all with open Face beholding as in a glass the Glory of the Lord are changed into the same image from Glory to Glory as by the Spirit of the Lord. The Gospel is the Glass wherein there is a permanent Image of Christ in his Life and Death a full manifestation of all his Vertues and this sight by the operation of the Spirit changes us into his Likeness from Glory to Glory that is by several degrees of Grace to a full conformity to him in Glory As a Painter often fixes his Eye upon the Object to form in his Imagination the Idea that guides his Hand in the designing and colouring the Face that the Copy may resemble the truth of Nature in the original So we should consider the Holiness and Perfection of our Saviour's Actions and draw the first Lines of Resolution to imitate him and every day endeavour to fill and compleat them in Actions till Christ be form'd in us Let us often compare our Lives with the Life of Christ that we may see our Imperfections in his Excellencies which will discover them and how to correct them Now in that particulars are most instructive I will consider two Examples of our Saviour for our Imitation in Duties of difficult practice The first is the Duty of Admonition wherein great Prudence is requisite mix'd with tender Love lest the Reproof be taken for a Reproach and the Person be provok'd and not reform'd and with Zeal that may give efficacy to our Counsel A Reproof must be managed like binding of a wounded part which must be neither too strait nor too slack lest it should oppress and exasperate the Wound or lest there be not a close application of the Medicine Of this mixture of Affections we have a clear discovery in our Saviour's carriage towards his Enemies 'T is related in the Gospel That a Man with a wither'd hand was present in the Synagogue and some watched whether our Saviour would heal him on the Sabbath-day that they might accuse him of profaning it And when he propounded the question whether it were lawful to do good or evil on the Sabbath-day they maliciously held their peace which occasion'd his looking on them with Anger being grieved for the hardness of their Hearts This exact Pattern we should follow joining mild Severity with melting Compassion in reproving offenders The other instance is how to Compose our Spirits and resign our Wills to God in the approaches of very afflicting Evils Our Saviour in the apprehension of
few have a Natural Generosity or Christian Mercy and Means to express and exercise it The Necessities of others do not affect Men with so quick a sense as the parting with their Money to relieve them As the Balsam Tree does not drop its healing Liquor till the Bark is Cut. Sometimes the great number of Suiters is a pretence to excuse from the exercise of Bounty None of these can be Conceived of God There is nothing more Divine in the Deity and becoming his Nature than his Inclination to do good As the Mother with equal Pleasure nourishes the Child with her Milk as the Child draws it For the breast is uneasie till emptied God much more rejoices in doing Good than we in receiving it We are also assur'd of obtaining Spiritual Blessings by the Intercession of the Mediator The dignity of his Person who is higher than the Heavens the Son of his Love the Merits of his Obedience and Sufferings assure us of his Power with God He takes us by the hand and brings as to the Father perfumes and presents our Requests to obtain a favourable Reception When we are under impressions of Fear that God will deny our Prayers for Spiritual Blessings 't is as if there were no Love in the Mediator nor prevalency in his Mediation Besides the Spirit of Holiness is plenteously Conveyed under the Dispensation of the Gospel The gift of the Spirit in the richest degrees was reserved as an Honour to Christ in his Ascension 'T is said The Holy Ghost was not yet given because Jesus was not yet glorified The Blood of Christ was liberally shed that the Spirit might be liberally poured forth But the bestowing of the Spirit was at the Triumphant Ascension of Christ. Thou hast ascended on high thou hast led captivity captive and received gifts for men that is from the Father as the Reward of his Victory that he might dispense them to Men. The Principal Gift is the Holy Ghost comprehensive of all good things The Promise is perform'd under the Gospel I will pour forth of my Spirit the Spirit of grace and supplication upon all flesh There were some Sprinklings of it under the Law and confin'd to a separate Nation but now showers are poured down upon all Nations to purifie them and make them fruitful in Good Works The Apostle declares the admirable Efficacy of the Gospel The Law of the Spirit of Life has freed me from the Law of Sin and Death The Spirit of the Fiery Law so call'd with respect to its Original and Operations convinc'd of Sin and constrain'd Conscience to inflict tormenting impressions on the Soul the Presages of Future Judgment but afforded no Spiritual Grace to obey it Therefore 't is said to be weak and unprofitable But the Gospel conveys Supernatural Strength to obtain Supernatural Happiness 'T is foretold concerning the state of the Church in the times of the Gospel He that is feeble among them shall be as David and the house of David shall be as God as the Angel of the Lord before them Add farther the Holy Spirit directs our desires and God knows the mind of the Spirit who makes intercession for us according to the will of God Christ is our Advocate in Heaven and the Spirit in our Hearts by inflaming our Affections and exciting in us filial Trust in the Divine Mercy They that wait on the Lord shall renew their strength If we are impotent in resisting Temptations and in doing the Will of God when Divine Assistance is ready upon our desires to confirm us our Impotence is voluntary and does not excuse us from Consequent Sin but is an antecedent Sin The sharpest Reproof we read from our Saviour to his Disciples was for their guilty Impotence Jesus answer'd and said O faithless and perverse generation How long shall I be with you How long shall I suffer you He had given them Power to heal Diseases and expel Evil Spirits but they had not used the means of Prayer and Fasting that was requisite for the exercise of that Power How justly do we deserve that stinging Reproach who notwithstanding the Gospel is the ministration of the Spirit do not by continual fervent Prayer apply our selves to God to partake of a rich abundance of Grace from the Holy Spirit I shall only add that as Prayer is a means to obtain more Grace by impatration so by the exercise of Grace in Prayer 't is increas'd Frequent Prayer has a cleansing Vertue in that as those who often come into the King's Presence to speak to him are careful to be in decent Habits that they may not be disparag'd in his sight so those who draw near to God will cleanse themselves from Sin that they may be prepar'd to appear before his Holy Majesty Humility Faith Reverence Love Zeal Resignation to the Divine Will Compassion to the Afflicted and other excellent Graces are exercised in Prayer as the sphere of their activity and as acquir'd Habits so infused are improved by exercise Frequent shooting not only makes persons more skilful in directing the Arrow to the Mark but more able to draw a stronger Bow None are more holy in Conversation than those that give themselves to Prayer Our Saviour prayed himself into Heaven and a Divine Lustre appear'd in his Countenance By our drawing near to God the beauty of Holiness will be impress'd upon us and brighten our Conversations Briefly according to the raised operations of Grace in Prayer we shall obtain more excellent degrees of it from Heaven for in bestowing the first Grace God is a pure Giver but in dispensing new degrees of Grace he is a Rewarder according to the Promise To him that hath shall be given 3. Frequent and attentive Hearing and Reading the Word and serious Meditation of it is a means appointed by the Divine Wisdom and Goodness for our growth in Grace The conception and propagation the sustaining and increasing the Spiritual Life is by the Word of Truth 'T is therefore compar'd to those things that are the productive and preserving Causes of the Natural Life 'T is the incorruptible Seed and Food to beget and nourish the Spiritual Life 'T is Milk for Babes Wine for the faint and strong Meat to confirm those of maturer Age. There is an objective Vertue in it whereby 't is apt and sufficient to regenerate us and to increase the vigour and activity of the new Life The Apostle calls it The Power of God to our Salvation The word of Grace is able to build us up to an inheritance among them that are sanctified 'T is a kind of Miracle in Nature that a Sience of a good Tree grafted into a sowre Stock draws the vital Moisture from the Root and converts it for the producing generous and pleasant Fruit The ingrafted Word being a Divine Doctrine over-rules the Carnal Nature and makes the Mind Will Affections and Actions holy and heavenly answerable to its quality The Commands of
it are clear and pure directing us in our universal Duty the Promises are precious encouraging us by the prospect of the Reward the Threatenings terrible to preserve us from Sin There is an instrumental fitness in the Word preached to perfect the Image of God in us for the manner of conveying the Revelation to us has a congruity to work upon the subject to whom 't is revealed The first insinuation of Sin was by the Ear the first inspiration of Grace is by it Through the Ear was the entrance of Death 't is now the gate of Life In Heaven we shall know God by sight now by hearing When a Minister of the Gospel is inlightened from Heaven and zealous for the Salvation of Souls he is fitter for this Work than if an Angel were a ministring Spirit in this sense and imployed in this holy Office For he that Preaches has the same interest in the Doctrine declar'd by him his everlasting Happiness is nearly concern'd and therefore is most likely to affect others When a holy fire is kindled in the Breast it will inflame the Lips the Mind convinces the Mind and the Heart perswades the Heart But we must consider that as the Instrument cannot effect that for which 't is made without 't is directed and applyed for that end so without a superiour influence of the Holy Spirit that gives vital Power to the preaching of the Word 't is without efficacy What our Saviour speaks of the Natural Life is applicable to the Spiritual Man lives not by Bread alone but by every Word that proceeds from God's mouth A Minister with all his Reason and Rhetorick cannot turn a Soul from Sin to Holiness without the Omnipotent Operation of the Spirit The Apostle tells the Thessalonians that the Gospel came not to them in Word only but also in Power and in the Holy Ghost The Gospel then comes only in Word when it pierces no further than the Ear that is the sense to try Words and distinguish different Sounds and Voices But the Truth of God directed and animated by the Spirit doth not stop at the Ear the door of the Soul but passes into the Understanding and the Heart that make a change so real and great in the qualities of Men as is express'd by substantial productions 'T is therefore said We are begotten and born again by the incorruptible seed of the Word The Word becomes effectual for the increase of Holiness when 't is mix'd with Faith which binds the Conscience to entire Obedience 'T is the Word of God our King Law-giver and Judge the Rule of our present Duty and of future Judgment in the great day of decision The Divine Law is universal and unchangable and the Duties of it are not necessary for some and needless for others but must be obeyed without partiality notwithstanding the repugnance of the Carnal Passions When 't is seriously believed and considered the hearers are induced to receive it with preparation and resolution of yielding to it There is no Truth more evident nor injur'd than this that perfect Obedience is due to the Will of God declar'd in his Word This all profess in the general but contradict in particulars when a Temptation crosses the Precept Now the first act of Obedience to the Truth is the believing it with so stedfast an assent wrought by the Spirit that it purifies the Heart and reforms the whole Man 2. With Faith there must be joyn'd an earnest desire to grow in Holiness This is declar'd by St. Peter As new born babes desire the sincere milk of the Word that ye may grow thereby In the Natural Life there is an inseparable Appetite of Food to maintain it the inward sense of its necessities causes a hunger and thirst after suitable supplies to preserve and improve it This is experimented in every one that is born of the Spirit they attend and apply the Word of God to them not merely to prevent the sharp reflections of Conscience for the impious neglect of their Duty for that proceeds from Fear not from Desire but to grow in Knowledge and Holiness not in an aiery flashy Knowledge that is only fruitful to increase Guilt and Punishment but substantial and saving Knowledge that is influential upon practice Hearing is in order to doing and doing is the way to Happiness 'T is not the forgetful hearer but the doer of the Word shall be blessed in his deed The bare knowledge of Evil does no hurt nor the bare knowledge of our Duty without practice does no Good Feeding without digesting the Food and turning it into Blood and Spirits affords no Nourishment nor Strength The most diligent hearing and comprehensive knowledge of our Duty without practice is not profitable The enemy of our Souls is content that Divine Truths should be in our Understandings if he can intercept their passage into our Hearts and Conversations He practices over continually the first Temptation to induce us by Guile to choose the Tree of Knowledge before the Tree of Life We are therefore commanded to be doers of the Word not hearers only deceiving our own Souls 3. That the Spiritual Life may be increased by the Word it must be laid up in the Mind and Memory and hid in the Heart David says I have hid thy Word in my Heart that I may not sin against thee His Affection to the Word caused his continual Meditation of it that it might be a living Root of the Fruits of Holiness in their season If there were the same care and diligence in remembring and observing the Rules of Life prescrib'd by the Wisdom of God in the Scriptures as Men use in remembring and practising Rules for the recovery of the Health of their Bodies and 't is justly requisite there should be more since the Life of the Soul infinitely excels the Life of the Body how holy and blessed would they be The Advice of the Roman Physician that is conducive for the Health of the Body is applicable to the Soul After a full Meal abstain from laborious Actions that the heat of the Spirits may be concentered in the Stomach for Digestion otherwise if diverted and imployed in Labour the Stomach will be filled with Crudities Thus after hearing the Word our thoughts should not be scattered in the World but we should recollect and revolve it in our Minds that it may be digested into practice 'T is said of the Virgin Mary She kept thâ—se sayings and pondered them in her heart There are powerful Motives to ingage us to a conscientious attendance upon this Duty Our Saviour tells us He that hears me that is with subjection of Soul hath Eternal Life And in one Instance he has declar'd how much approv'd and acceptable it was to him For when Martha was imployed about entertaining him and Mary was attentive to receive his Instructions he said Mary has chose the better part that shall not be taken from her His feeding Mary was more
pleasing to him than to be fed by Martha But how many neglect and despise this Duty Some pretend they know enough such if they do not want Instructers want Remembrancers of their Duty Others are infected with Pride and a worse Leprosie than Naaman's of whom we read that when the Prophet sent him a Message that he should go and wash in Jordan seven times and he should be clean he was wroth and said Are not Abana and Pharpar Rivers of Damascus better than the Rivers of Israel May I not wash in them and be clean So there are some who being directed to wash themselves often in the waters of Life the Scriptures of Divine Inspiration are apt to think Are not the Rivers of Greece and Rome the eloquent Discourses of Philosophers better more perfective of their Minds and Actions than the plain Rules of the Word But this proceeds from affected Ignorance and wilful perverseness for not only supernatural Doctrines necessary to be believed are only revealed in the Scripture but the Rules of Moral Duties necessary for practice are clearly and compleatly only laid down in it Besides as every thing in Nature has its Vertue by the appointment of God and works for that end for which it was ordain'd so the preaching of the Gospel was appointed to begin and maintain the Life of the Soul and powerfully works to that end The attendance 〈…〉 has a Blessing annex'd and the neglect exposes to Divine Displeasure He that withdraws his Ear from hearing the Law his Prayer shall be an abomination And let it be seriously ponder'd there is a time coming when only Prayer can relieve them I shall add that the serious reading the Scripture that there may be an impression of the Characters of its Purity on the Soul is a Duty of daily revolution We are commanded that the Word of God should dwell richly in us in all wisdom As the Soul quickens the Body by its residence and directs it in all its motions so the Word should be in the Soul an inward principle of Life to direct and excite and enable it for the performance of every Duty This Advice of the Apostle is comprehensive of all other Precepts and the effectual means of obtaining Perfection Our Reading must be with observation and applying the Word for our Good There is a great difference between sailing on the water for Pleasure and divinâ— in it for Pearls Some read the Scriptures to please their Minds in the History of the Creation and the Wonders of God's powerful Providence and the various Events in the Kingdoms of the World recorded in them But there must be diligent Enquiry for Spiritual Treasures to enrich the Soul How Careless are the most of this Duty There are above Eight Thousand Hours in a Year and how few are employed in Reading the Scriptures that direct us in the Everlasting Way The common pretence is necessary Business but all Excuses are vain against the Command of God Is the working oâ— our Salvation an indifferent idle matter Must the principal Affair of our Life be subordinate to lower Concerns The infinite business of Governing a Kingdom is no exemption to Princes from Reading the Word of God for the Command is to him that sits on the Throne to read the Law of God all the days of 〈…〉 Life that he may fear the Lord and do 〈…〉 Statutes 3. The Word must be sincerely received as 't is sincerely deliver'd The Rule is to lay aside all superfluity of naughtiness and receivâ— the engrafted word that is able to save our Souls There is no food more easily turn'd into Blood thaâ— Milk but if the Stomach be foul 〈◊〉 sowers and corrupts and is hurtful to the Body The Word of Grace if received into a sincere Heart is very nutritive it Confirms and Comforts the Soul but if there be false Principles Carnal Habits Sensual Affections it proves dangerous A Carnal Man will set the Grace of the Gospel against the Precepts and apply the Promises without regarding the Conditions of them and from holy Premisses draw sinful Conclusions Briefly Hearing the Word is not an Arbitrary but an indispensable Duty The Psalmist puts the question He that planted the ear shall not he hear and it may be said with the same Conviction He that gives us the faculty of hearing shall not he be heard But we must not rest in the bare hearing for 't is an introductive preparing Duty in order to practise There may be an increase in Knowledge some Convictions like a flash of Lightening some melting of the Affections like a dash of Rain soon over some Resolution of Obedience but without sincere practise the Man is a Hearer only and deceives himself Every Sermon that he hears will notwithstanding his vain Hopes be an argument against him at the Day of Judgment The Residence of the practical Truths is rather in the Heart than in the Head if they are only in the Head they are kept in unrighteousness yet there is no deceit more Common Men think they are enrich'd with the Ideas and Notions of Divine Truths in their Minds without the habits of Graces in their Hearts Briefly The End and Work of the Evangelical Ministry is the Perfection of the Saints as the Apostle declares We warn every man and teach every man that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus This testimony is given of Epâ—phras a Servant of Christ That he always labour'd fervently in Prayer that the Colossians might be perfect and compleat in all the will of God 3. The Religious Use of the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper is an excellent Means for the Increase of Grace The state of Grace is represented under the Similitude of a New Man born from Heaven and partaker of a Spiritual Life that Consists in Holiness and Joy This Spiritual Life supposes a Spiritual Nourishment to preserâ—â—e it and a Spiritual Appetite and that a Spiritual Eating and Drinking Our Saviour denominates himself by the Character of Life I am the way the truth and the life he being the Principle and Preserver of the Spiritual Life In the Sacrament he is the Bread of Life there are the Sacred Memorials of his Crucifixion of his Body and Blood which are meat indeed and are drink indeed that afford a more substantial and excellent Nourishment for the Life of the Soul than the perishing Food that supports the Body Our Saviour tells the Jews Your fathers eat Mannâ— in the wilderness and are dead the Bread of Angels could not preserve them from Death but the Bread of God is the Principle of Eternal Life He is pleased to deal familiarly with us suitably to our Composition and Capacity and humbles himself in a Sacramental Union with the Elements that sight may assist Faith This is a positive Institution that derives its Authority and Goodness from the Precept of our Soveraign and Saviour It was his dying Charge to his Disciples to which a special and
brings to our remembrance the Death of Christ in that lively Sacramental Representation and seals the pardoning Mercy of God to our Souls and conveys all the precious Fruits of it to us A lively Faith on our suffering Saviour makes him ours by an intimate and inseparable union and fruition We dwell in him and he in us How many drooping Souls have been raised how many wounded Spirits have been healed how many cloudy Souls have been inlightened in that Ordinance Here the comforting Spirit breaths our Saviour shews his reviving Countenance God speaks Peace to his People A Believer tasts the hidden Manna and the Love of Christ that is sweeter than Wine The bruised Reed becomes a strong Pillar in the Temple of God the smoaking Flax is cherish'd into a purer and more pleasant Light than springs from the Sun in its brightness 3. Love to Christ is increas'd by partaking of this Ordinance wherein his bloody Death is represented Greater Love could not be express'd than in his dying for us and lesser Love could not have saved us from perishing for ever He dyed not only to satisfie his Father's Justice but his own Love to us 'T is said by the Prophet He shall see of the travel of his Soul and be satisfied The travel of his Soul implies his Affection and Affliction the strength of his Love and his immense Sorrows Now nothing is more repugnant to the Principle so deeply engraven in Humane Nature than not to return Love for Love Our Saviour by the dearest titles deserves our Love not only for his high Perfections but his deep Sufferings He was without Form and Comeliness in the Eyes of the Carnal VVorld when disfigured by his Sufferings But can he be less lovely in his Sufferings wherein he declar'd his dearest Love Astonishing Love appeared in his dying Countenance flam'd in his quenched Eyes flowed from his pierced Side To a spiritual Eye he is as amiable with his Crown of Thorns as with his Crown of Glory Our Love to Christ like Fire out of its sphere must be preserved by renewing its Fewel or it will decline Now there is nothing more proper to feed it than Christ's Love to us and in this Ordinance the sacred Fire is maintained The Eye affects the Heart The mournings the longings and delights of Love are most sensible in spiritual Communion with our Saviour at this Feast The inflamed Spouse in a Rapture of Admiration and Complacency breaks forth I am my beloved's and he is mine St. Paul who was rap'd up to the third Heavens and heard unspeakable things declares Christ crucified to be the most excellent Object of his Knowledge his most precious Treasure and dearest Joy 'T is true the carnal receiver of the Elements is a stranger to this Love and Joy that is only felt by Faith and Experience There are many Christians in title that never felt any vital emanations from Christ in this Ordinance The most content themselves with Sacramental Communion without Spiritual and feel no correspondent Affections to his extream Sufferings for us But if there be a spark of Life in the Soul if all be not cold and dead within the remembrance of Christ's bleeding and dying Love will inexpressibly endear him to us Now our Sanctification was a principal end of his Death The Apostle declares that Christ loved his Church and gave himself for it that he might sanctifie and cleanse it by the washing of the water and by the word That he might present to himself a glorious Church not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing but that it should be holy and without blemish Can we allow any Sin in our Hearts and Lives and defeat the design of his Love and disparage the vertue of his Sufferings Can we endure any Sin to reign in us that was the cause of his Death so full of Ignominy and Torment He has declared how precious our Sanctification is in his esteem 't is one of the richest Veins in the whole Mine of Grace and can we slight it Can we imagine that his Death obtain'd for us an impure Indulgence for our Lusts when the end of it was our absolute Purity Can we content our selves with low degrees of Holiness when he paid so dear a Price for our Perfection The comfortable assurance that he was crucified for us arises from our being crucified with him to all the Vanities of the world Indeed the external receiving this Ordinance is not beneficial to an Unbelieveâ— no more than that the setting a Feast before a dead Body that is uncapable of feeding and nourishment Men must believe before they can receive spiritual nourishment by it and have the Life of Grace before they can feed on the Bread of Life But the unfeigned Believer finds his inward Man renewed by it I will add to what has been said that in this Ordinance the Covenant of the Gospel is sealed by the contracting Parties God ratifies his Promise of Grace and we seal our Duty of Obedience 'T is true we are bound by an antecedent right and higher obligation than our own consent the Command of God binds us to take this Covenant and to keep it We are bought with a price and are not our own Now if the Blood of the Son of God be our Ransom from the bondage of Sin and Death and we in the Sacrament partake of his Blood and by that solemn Right dedicate our selves to him That whether we live we live to the Lord or whether we dye we dye to him how constraining is this to make us diligent in accomplishing the sacred ends of Christ's Institution How just is it that since he dyed for our Salvation we should live to his Glory and when we renew our Right in the Blessings of the Covenant we should sincerely renew our Obligations to the Duties of it If after our holy Engagement we renounce our Allegiance to our Prince and Saviour by entertaining his Enemies the Lusts of the Flesh we incur a double Guilt not only by transgressing the Law of God but by violating our Oath of Fidelity and double Guilt will bring double Damnation That the renewing our Coâ—â—â—ant aâ— the Lord's Supper may be more effectual let us consider 1. That holy Resolutions and Engagements are the immediate Principle of Obedience Till the Convictions of our Duty are wrought into Resolutionâ— they are of no efficacy 2. They must proceed from the dâ—liberate Judgment and determin'd Will. The Apostle declares The love of Chriâ—â— constrains us we thus judge if one dyed for all then were all dead and the consequence is strong that we should live 〈◊〉 him who dyed for us Empty valleitâ—â—â— are no volitions faint and waveâ—â—â—â— Purposes have no force Believers aâ—â— exhorted with full purpose of Hâ—art 〈◊〉 â—leave to the Lord. 3. The renewing our holy Engaâ—â—ments are very necessary for perseveraâ—â—â— in our Duty Our Hearts are false 〈◊〉 foolish and apt to fly from God thâ—â— are as changable
most sensible Relishes of his Love in Communion with him We read of the Lame Man from his Birth that upon his Miraculous Healing when he felt a new current of Spirits in his Nerves and his Feet and Arms were strengthen'd that he entred with the Apostles into the Temple Walking and Leaping and Praising of God This is a resemblance of the Zealous Affections of new Converts when they feel such an admirable Change in them they run in the wayes of God's Commandments with enlarged hearts they have such flashes of Illumination and Raptures of Joy that engage them in a Course of Obedience The Holy Spirit inspires them with new Desires and affords new Pleasures to endear Religion to them 'T is not only their Work but Recreation and Reward But aâ—as how often are the first Heats allayed and stronger Resolutions decline to Remisness Our Saviour tells the Church of Ephesus I have somewhat against thee bâ—cause thou hast left thy first love Remember from whence thou art fallen and repent and do thy first works 'T is said of Jehosaphat that he walk'd in the first ways of his father David intimating there was a visible declension in his Zeal He was not so accurate in his Conversation afterward The Converted are many times not so frequent and fervent in God's Service and though by the constraining Judgment of Conscience Duties are not totally omitted yet they are not perform'd with that Reverence and Delight as at first They are more venturous to engage themselves in Temptations and more ready to comply with them They are tir'd with the length of their Travel and the difficulties of their Way and drive on heavily We should with Tears of Confusion remember the disparity between our Zealous Beginnings and slack Prosecution in Religion we should blush with Shame and tremble with Fear at the strange decay of Grace and recollect our selves and re-inforce our Will to proceed with Vigorous Constancy And when the Saints are ready to enter into the Unchangeable State when the Spirit is to return to God that gave it how intire and intent are they to finish the Work of their Salvation How Spiritual and Heavenly are their Dispositions With what Solemnity do they prepare for the Divine Presence How exactly do they dress their Souls for Eternity and 〈◊〉 their Lamps that they may be admitted into the Joys of the Bridegroom How is the World vilified in their Esteem and unsavoury to their Desires The Lord is exalted in that day The nearer they approach to Heaven the more its Attractive Force is 〈◊〉 When the Crown of Glory is in their view and they hear the Musick of Heaven and are refresh'd with the fragancy of Paradise what a blaze of Holy Affection breaks forth When Jacob was Blessing his Sons upon his Death-bed he in a sudden Rapture Addresses himself to God O Lord I have waited for thy salvation As if his Soul had Ascended to Heaven before it lest the Body O when shall I appear before God! was the fainting desire of the Psalmist If Communion with God in the Earthly Tabernacle was so precious how much more is the immediate Fruition of him in the Coelestial Temple If one day in the Courts below be worth a thousand an hour in the Courts above is worth ten thousand Let us therefore by our serious Thoughts often represent to our selves the approaches of Death and Judgment This will make us Contrive and Contend for Perfection in Holiness The Apostle Exhorts the Romans to Shew forth the Power of Godliness from the Consideration of the Day of Grace they Enjoy and the Day of Glory they Expect for now is Salvation nearer than when you believed Let us do those things now which when we come to dye we shall wish we had done Thus doing we shall be Transmitted from the Militant Church to the Triumphant with a Solemn Testimony of our having adorned the Gospel in our Lives with the Victorious Testimony of Conscience that we have fought the good fight kept the Faith and have finished our Course and received with the glorious Testimony of our Blessed Rewarder Well done good and faithful Servant Enter into the Joy of thy Lord. FINIS BOOKS Writ by William Bates D. D. THE Harmony of the Divine Attributes in the Contrivance and Accomplishment of Man's Redemption by the Lord Jesus Christ Or Discourses wherein is shewed how the Wisdom Mercy Justice Holiness Power and Truth of God are glorified in that great and blessed Work Considerations of the Existence of God and of the Immortality of the Soul with the Recompences of the Future State To which is now added the Divinity of the Christian Religion c. The Four Last Things Death and Judgment Heaven and Hell practically considered and applied in Octavo The same is also Printed in Twelves and proper to be given at Funerals Ten Sermons Preach'd upon Several Occasions in Octavo Sermons upon Psalm CXXX verse 4. But there is Forgivness with thee that thou mayest be feared in Octavo The Danger of Prosperity discovered in several Sermons The great Duty of Resignation in Times of Affliction c. A Funeral-Sermon on Dr. Thomas Manson who deceased October 18 1677. With the last publick Sermon Dr. Manton preached The sure Trial of Uprightness opened in several Sermons upon Psal. 18. v. 23. A Description of the blessed Place and State of the Saints above on John 14. 2. Preached at the Funeral of Mr. Clarkson The way to the highest Honour on John 12. 26. Preached at the Funeral of Dr. Jacomb The speedy Coming of Christ to Judgment on Rev. 22. 12. Preached at the Funeral of Mr. Benj. Asbhurst A Sermon on the Death of the Late Queen Mary In regno nati sumus parere Deo est regnare In virtute posita est vera felicitas Sen. de Vita Beata Col. 3. Isa. 1. Job 14. 4. Isa. 1. Jer. 2. Jam. 4. Jam. 4. 8. Gal. 5. 19 20 21. Col. 3. 5 8. Psal. 4â— Sen. de brevit vit Eccl. 7. 26 27 28. Prov. 1. Nox amor vinumque nihil moderabile suadent Illa pudore caret liber amorque metu Ovid. Ezek. 36. â—1 Repugnante Natura nihil Medicina proficiet Cels. Mark 10. 2â— 2 Pet. 1. 4. Nesciâ— utrum magis detestabile vitium sit ac deforme Sen. de Ir. Idem esse sibi Consilium adversus hostem quod plerisque medicis contra vitia corporum â—amâ— potius quam ferro superandi Quare fert agri rabiem phenetici verba Nempe quia nescire videntur quid faciant Sâ—n. l. 3. de Ira. Ne iras careâ—tur Ira enim perturbat artem Et qua noceat tantum non qua careat aspicit Sen. de Ir. Nec est quisquam cui tam valde innocentiae sua placeat ut non stare in conspectu Clementiam paratam Humanis erroribus gaudeat Sen. de Clem. Job 31. 25 Avaro tam deest quod habet quam quod non habet Mat. 6. Luke