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
of the other This is pernicious Hypocrisie The subtilty and strength of Satan are imployed to deceive Men by an airy Religion by an opinionative Goodness to prevent their being awakened from their drowsie and deadly state 'T is worthy of notice The Tempter has a double operation in the Minds of Men He deceives the hypocritical with false hopes by concealing or extenuating their Sins to induce them to presume of the Favour of God and to secure his quiet possession of them He troubles the sincere with vain Terrors by concealing their Graces to discourage their progress in the way to Heaven He is an envious Explorator and searches to find out their defects to accuse them to God and he defames God to them as if he would not spare his Sons that serve him He is triumphant in the unsanctified and militant in the Saints 3. Some hide their crying Sins under the colourable appearance of Vertues and pretend to Holiness that they may sin with less suspicion and more security He will speak of those Sins in others with severity which he freely indulges in himself The Characters of Religion are drawn in his Countenance but his Lusts are deeply ingraven in his Heart These our Saviour compares to painted Sepulchres that within contain sordid dust and rottenness This is perfect Hypocrisie a deadly pollution that wounds the Vitals sears the Conscience quenches all Goodness in the Will for this Hypocrite is voluntarily so Hypocrisie in the Heart is like Poyson in a Spring that spreads it self through all the veins of the Conversation This Sin our Saviour never speaks of but with detestation For this he denounc'd such a heavy Woe against the Pharisees that used Religion as a masking habit to appear glorious in the Eyes of Men and disguised their Worldly Aims in Devotions and made long Prayers to be esteem'd of Men. This is so odious to God that he forbids all the emblems and resemblances of it to the Jews Linsy-wolsey Garments and miscelain Corn. Our Defects acknowledged with ingenuity excite his Compassion but counterfeit Vertues excite his Indignation For what can be more provoking than to appear to be like God in Holiness the Glory of the Deity for this end to be secretly wicked and to affront his Omniscience as if he could not discern them through all their close and dark concealments A Hypocrite is fearful of Men but faces God Pride mix'd with Hypocrisie was the Devil's original Sin he abode not in the Truth and Religious Hypocrites are his Natural Children The hottest climate in Hell will be their habitation For our Saviour threatens some Sinners their portion with Hypocrites that is aggravated Damnation This Sin is difficultly cured in that 't is not easily discovered by Men and does not expose to shame but is subservient to many carnal ends Men cannot dive into the Hearts of others and cannot discern between the Paint of Hypocrisie and the Life of Holiness The mixture of beautiful Colours in the Countenance may be so artificial that at distance it may be thought to be natural Besides Hypocrisie turns the Remedy into Poyson For the frequent exercise of Religious Duty which is the means to sanctifie us confirms and hardens Hypocrites The effectual means to cure it is a stedfast belief of the pure and flaming Eye of God who sees Sin where-ever it is and will bring it into Judgment A Hypocrite may hide his Sin from the Eyes of others and sometimes from his own Conscience but can never impose upon God And as nothing so confounds Men with shame as to be found false and perfidious in their dealings how much more will the Hypocrites be cover'd with confusion at the great day when they shall appear naked with their loathsome Ulcers before innumerable Angels and Saints They will desire the Rocks to hide them from that glorious Assembly The stedfast belief of this great Truth will cause frequent and solemn thoughts of God as our Inspector and Judge I have set the Lord always before me he is at my right-hand I shall not be moved This was the effect of David's Faith This will produce Sincerity in Religion unrespective to the Eyes of Men and preserve us from secret Sins 'T is the prescription of our Saviour Beware ye of the leaven of the Pharisees which is Hypocrisie For there is nothing covered that shall not be revealed neither hid that shall not be known Whatsoever ye have spoken in darkness shall be heard in the light and that which ye have spoken in the Ear in closets shall be proclaimed on the house tops 3. Envy at the Good of others and Malice wishing them Evil is a deep pollution of the Spirit This absolutely alienates Men from the Nature and Life of God For the clearest conception we have of the Deity is that he is Good and does Good This is contrary not only to supernatural Grace but to natural Conscience and turns a Man into a Fiend This Vice is immediately attended with itâ— Punishment The envious Man is his own tormentor and has the Vipers â—ate in the Fable that in biting the File wounded it self Besides this stops the descent of Divine Blessings and turns the Petitions of the Envious into Imprecations against themselves To finish this Head 't is observable nothing more discovers the necessity of Renovation than the defilements of the Spirit As Birds by incubation hatch their brood so from sinful Thoughts and Desires actual Sins proceed Our Saviour tells us Out of the Heart proceed Murders Adulteries Fornications Thefts False-witness Blasphemies which defile a Man 'T is above all things necessary to keep the Heart for the issues of Death â—low from it The design contrivance and consent to sin are in the Heart the Body is only the Instrument of Sin To enforce this Counsel there are many Motives 1. God is infinitely dishonour'd and displeas'd by the Sins of our Spirits For the Soul is of near alliance with God and of incomparable more value than the vile Body Therefore the defiling it is highly provoking The Soul is the place of his special residence and the entertaining Sin in it is as a fouler Indignity than the bringing Dung into the Chamber of Presence of a King We should be more careful to approve our Thoughts and Desires to God than our Words and Actions to Men. 2. They are more easily contracted than those which are acted by the sensitive Faculties They secretly insinuate into the Soul External Sins require â—it time and place and means for their commission and are often hinder'd by the moral restraints of Fear and Shame But speculative Sins may be committed without convenient circumstances In whatever place or company Men are they may retire into their Hearts and please themselves with vicious thoughts and desires of future Sins and devices how to make provision for the Flesh with carnal representations and complacency of the Sins they have committed They may personate the Pleasures of Sin
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
as the Weather and 〈◊〉 Temptations are presented apt to 〈◊〉 fir'd with Carnal Desires or frozen wâ—â—â— Carnal Fears and to desert our Dutâ— Therefore 't is necessary to fix them by repeated Vows of Obedience We 〈◊〉 directed to arm our selves with the same Minds that is with firm Resolutions to cease from Sin The girdle of Truth is a principal part of our spiritual Armour that fastens it upon us Stedfast Engagements to obey God are powerful to excite every Grace in its season to rise up in defiance against our spiritual Enemies David says I have sworn and will perform it that I will keep thy Precepts By the solemn and frequent renewing our Vows of Obedience the Tempter is discourag'd and flyes from us Let us every Morning next our Hearts resolve to walk with God all the day 4. God is well pleased with our sincere Resolutions to keep close to him Who is this that engages his Heart to close with Men He is the Inspector and Judge of our Hearts and notwithstanding ouâ— Infirmities accepts our sincerity 5. There are peculiar Circumstances that enforce the inviolable observation of our Sacramental Vows Our original and permanent Obligation that we contracted in our Baptism in the presence of the Church when we were listed under our Redeemer's Colours to oppose his Enemies and ours Satan in combination with the Flesh and the World should have a strong and constant influence into our Lives Our understanding and voluntary renewings of this at the Lord's Supper makes it more binding 'T is mentioned before that God is pleased by an admirable Condescension to be a party in the Covenant and binds himself to bestow his most free Favours and takes pleasure in performing what is promised 'T is becoming his Wisdom to glorifie his Moral Perfections in his Transactions with Man not only his Mercy but his Truth in saving us The Lord thy God he is God the faithful God which keepeth Covenant and Mercy with them that love him and keep his Commandments The Attribute of Faithfulness is set next the Deity as very dear and pleasing to him He engages himself partly for our Comfort to dispel the Clouds of Fear that are apt to rise in our Bosoms from the sense of our many and mighty Sins therefore his Mercy is secur'd to us by a Covenant and that Covenant establish'd by an Oath the sure evidence 't is irrevocable and seal'd by the Blood of the Mediator and partly to instruct us by his Example to maintain our Integrity which we engage in sealing our part of the Covenant 'T is said of God that he cannot Lye from the Veracity of his Nature and the unchangeableness of his Will and he reckons of his People they will not Lye from that Divine Disposition that is proper to them Now that God is pleased in that Ordinance to give us the clearest and strongest Assurance of his Pardoning Mercy should make us very observant and exact in performing the Condition of it What our Saviour said to the Man heal'd Miraculously of his Lameness is vertually signified in every Pardon we receive Go away sin no more lest a worse thing befal you Sin is extremely aggravated when Perfidiousness and Ingratitude are mix'd with Disobedience Our Resolutions against Sin are preventing Physick but in breaking them the Remedy increases the Disease and accelerates Death more painfully and suddenly I will hear what God the Lord will speak he will speak peace to his people but let them not return to folly To sin against the Law is a high provocation but to sin against special Love grieves the Holy Spirit and deeply wounds our Spirits Now since our hearts are deceitful above all things and since our Resolutions are fleet and fading let us earnestly pray for Divine Grace to Establish them and entirely depend upon it 'T is more easie to raise a Fortification in time of Peace than to defend it in time of War In the absence of a Temptation we readily purpose to abstain from Sin but when they assault us how often are we surpriz'd and vanquish'd David resolves I will keep thy Statutes but to keep his Resolution inviolate he prays O forsake me not utterly He Promises I will take heed to my ways that I sin not with my tongue I will keep my mouth as with a bridle but he Addresses himself to God for assistance Set a watch before my mouth and keep the door of my lips Our Resolutions are Light and Feathery soon scatter'd by a storm of Fear 't is as dangerous to trust in a Heart of Flesh as in an Arm of Flesh. Nothing is more unstable than Water but when pour'd into a strong Cistern 't is as sure as that that contains it Thus Divine Grace preserves our unstable Heart from slipping 4. The Religious observation of the Lords Day is an Excellent means for the increase of Holiness 'T is worthy of our serious Observing that the Fourth Commandment is enforc'd with a Note of Excitation Remember thou keep holy the Sabbath day to impress the sense of our Duty upon Conscience and to coâ—fine our transgressing Nature that is so apt to alienate that time that is Sacred to God and the Interest of our Souls to Carnal and Profane Uses 'T is sanctified and set apart by the Lord of our Persons and Time for the celebrating the most Excellent Works of his Power and Goodness in Creation and Redemption He that gave us our Beings and rais'd us from the Dust to an Honour little lower than the Angels those Heavenly Spirits and has ransom'd us from our woful Bondage he that dignified us with the Impression of his own Image and the Assumption of ours The Morality of the Command is perpetual that one day of seven be Consecrated and Separated for Divine Worship but the designation of the Day to the Jewes was in remembrance of their Deliverance from Egypt and to Christians in remembrance of our Deliverance from the Tyranny of the spiritual Pharaoh Satan and his infernal Army Benefits exceeding those of Creation and rescuing from the Bondage of Egypt Indeed every Day we should Redeem Time from business and pleasures for the immediate Service of God but on the Lord's Day we must be entirely Conversant in Holy Duties Publick and Private and abstain from Common Works unless of Necessity and Mercy The Religious Rest of the Fourth Commandment is to be observed by Christians so far as 't is requisite for our attendance on the Service of God 'T is not only our Duty but our heavenly Priviledge that being tir'd in the dust and toil of the World we have a freedom and are call'd to draw near to God with the promise that he will draw near to us that when we pay our Homage we shall receive infinite Blessings for then in the Communion of Saints we present our requests with a filial freedom to God and we receive his Precepts for the ordering our Lives to please him
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
in his dying Hour A sincere Life is attended with a happy Death and that is attended with a more happy Life God is the Rewarder of Moral Vertues with Temporal Blessings but he is the Eternal Reward of Godly Sincerity This is the first Notion of perfect Holiness in the present state 2. There is an Integral Perfection of Holiness that is an entire conjugation of all those Sanctifying Graces of which the Image of God Consists The New Creature in its forming is not like the effects of Art but the living productions of Nature A Sculptor in making a Statue of Marble finishes the Head when the other part is but rude stone But all the parts of a Child in the Womb are gradually form'd together till the Body is complete The Holy Spirit in renewing a Man infuses a universal habit of Holiness that is Comprehensive of all the variety of Graces to be Exercis'd in the Life of a Christian. As the Corrupt Nature stil'd the Old Man is complete in its Earthly Members all the Lusts of the Flesh both of the desiring and angry Appetite and disposes without the corrective of Restraining Grace the Natural Man to yield to all Temptations he will be Fierce with the Contentious Licentious with the Dissolute Intemperate with the Drunkard Lascivious with the Impure Impious with the Scorners of Religion Thus the Divine Nature stil'd the New Man is complete in all Spiritual Graces and inclines and enables the Sanctified to do every good Work The fruit of the Spirit is Love Joy Peace Long-suffering Gentleness Goodness Faith Meekness Temperance Although they are distinguisht in their Activity and particular Objects yet they always are joyn'd in the same Subject and Concentre in God who is Immutably Holy and One. They are mixt in their Exercise without Confusion As in a Chorus the variety of Voices is Harmonious and Conspiring Spiritual Graces according to the degrees of their Perfection such is the degree of their Union Every real Saint is conform'd to Christ of whom he receives grace for grace There are Spiritual Gifts of Arbitrary Dispensation the word of Wisdom the word of Knowledge the gifts of Healing the works of Miracles are separately given But when the Spirit prepares a Soul for his Habitation he purifies it from Sin and adorns it with every Grace if there be a defect of any Grace the opposite Sin in its power remains in the Soul and makes it impossible for the Holy Spirit to dwell there 'T is to be observed that when a Promise is made to any particular Grace in Scripture that Grace is to be considered in union with other Graces Our Saviour tells us Whoever believes shall be saved And St. Paul inspired by the Spirit of our Saviour saith That Faith separate from Charity is of no avail for Salvation Though I have all Faith so that I could remove mountains and have not Charity I am nothing A Faith that does not work by Love and is not productive of Obedience is of no saving efficacy St. James puts the Question What doth it profit my Brethren though a Man says he hath Faith and hath not Works Can Faith save him 'T is evident it does not For nothing asserts or denies more strongly than a Question He that does not by Faith in the Son of God live a holy Life must dye for ever St. John assures us That we are in a state of favour with God if we love the Brethren We know that we have passed from Death to Life because we love the Brethren But the sincerity of our Love to the Children of God is proved by our Love to God and keeping his Commandments and is inseparable from it Where-ever Salvation is promised to a particular Duty it must be understood in a collective sense We read Whoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved But a prevailing Prayer must proceed from a holy Person that keeps the Commands of God and does those things that are pleasing in his sight The Prayer must be mix'd with Faith and Fervency The effectual fervent Prayer of a righteous Man avails much The connexion of saving Graces cannot be broken St. Peter excites us to give all diligence to add to our Faith in the Mysteries of Godliness Vertue an active power to render it lively and operative otherwise Faith is a mere speculative dead assent To Vertue Knowledge Prudence to direct its exercise in the seasons wherein and the manner how our Duties are to be performed To Knowledge Temperance to regulate our Appetites and Enjoyments in the use of things pleasing to the Senses To Temperance Patience to endure the Evils to which we are exposed in this lower state which is equally if not more necessary and excellent For Humane Nature is more affected and tempted by sharp Pains and Grief than delighted with Pleasure Without the exercise of these Graces our Religion will be by fits and flashes with interrupting intervals To Patience Godliness that is a respect to the Commands of God as our Rule and his Glory as our End that is distinguish'd from mere Morality that proceeds only from Humane Reason and respects the civil Happiness To Godliness Brotherly-kindness A sincere Love to all of the same Heavenly Extraction in whom the Image of God shines And to Brotherly-kindness Charity That extends to all the partakers of our common Nature All Spiritual Graces take their residence together in the Soul not one singly enters and keeps entire possession Our Saviour tells the young Man who had lived so regularly that he was lovely in his Eyes If thou wilt be perfect go and sell all and give to the Poor and come follow me He wanted Charity and Self-denyal to make his Obedience entire 3. There is a comparative Perfection This in Scripture is Intellectual or Moral 1. Intellectual Perfection The Apostle excites the Hebrews Wherefore leaving the Doctrine of the beginning of Christ let us go on to Perfection To more eminent degrees in the Knowledge of the Gospel both of the supernatural Doctrines of the Gospel or the Duties contained in it Of the first the Apostle is to be understood We speak Wisdom among those that are perfect That is declare Divine Mysteries to those who are prepared to receive them The Light of Nature declares the Being of God and his Essential Perfections Wisdom Power and Goodness shining in his Works but not his Counsels in order to our Salvation No Man hath seen God at any time The only begotten which is in the bosom of the Father he hath declared him There are some notices of Good and Evil of Vertue and Vice by the instructive Light of Reason but not sufficient to inform us of our full Duty The discovery of the purity and perfection of the Moral Law is from God The Gospel like a clear and equal Glass that discovers the beauties and blemishes of the Face makes known to us what defiles and
is no past and to come He sees all things with one view not only Events that proceed from the constraint of natural and necessary Causes but that depend upon Causes variously free and arbitrary This Knowledge is too wonderful for us To believe no more than we can understand proceeds from the ignorance of God's Nature and our own For the Divine Nature is truly infinite and our Minds are narrow and finite 3. The Humane Understanding in our laps'd state is dark and defiled weakened and vitiated Of this we have innumerable Instances Although the Deity be so illustriously visible in the Creation yet even the wise Heathen represented him in such a degree of Deformity as is highly blasphemous They could not conceive his Infiniteness but made every Attribute a God They transformed the Glory of the immortal God into the likeness of an earthly dying Man And the Papists transform a mortal Man into the likeness of the great God They attribute to the Pope a Power of contradicting the Divine Laws For though God in the Second Commandment so strictly forbids the worship of Images and has annex'd to the prohibition the most terrible Threatening of visiting the Iniquity of the Fathers upon their Children to the third and fourth Generation yet in defiance of the Majesty of the Law-giver the Pope commands all his adorers to worship the Images of the dead Saints He arrogates a Power to dispense with Oaths the most sacred bands of Humane Society and thereby authorises Perjury 4. Though Reason is not able to conceive and comprehend supernatural Mysteries yet it can never demonstrate that they cannot be Who can prove by irresistible evidence that God who is an infinite Good cannot by an infinite communication of himself be in distinct Subsistences 'T is true our Reason may find unaccountable difficulties that One should be Three in the Subsistence of Persons and Three One in Nature But there can be no proof that 't is impossible without the perfect understanding the Nature of God The Incarnation of the Son of God is matter of astonishment that two Natures so different and immensely distant as Finite and Infinite Mortal and Immortal should be so intimately and inseparably united in one Person without confusion of their Properties But we have the strongest Reason to believe that God knows his own Nature and is to be believed upon his own testimony If the matter of his testimony be inconceivably great we must exalt Faith and depress Reason If we will believe the Word of God no farther than 't is comprehensible by our Reason we infinitely disparage him For this is no more than the credit we give to a suspected witness 5. The Doctrine of the Trinity and Incarnation have a clear connexion with other Truths that right Reason comprehends and receives without reluctancy That Men transgress the Laws of God natural Conscience is their accuser an essential Faculty of the Humane Nature that can neither dye with them nor without them That every Sin needs Pardon is most evident That God is just is known by the general light of Reason in all Men That 't is becoming God to pardon Sin in a way honourable to his Justice is as certain Now the satisfaction of Divine Justice requires the enduring the Punishment ordain'd by the Law and equal to the guilt of Sin The guilt of Sin rises from the Majesty of the Law-giver who is dishonoured by it and the satisfaction must be by a Person of equal dignity and consequently only God can make satisfaction Now Reason dictates that he that satisfies and he that receives satisfaction must be distinguish'd For 't is not reasonable that the same Person be the Judge and the Criminal therefore there must be two distinct Persons in the Deity From hence the Reason of the Incarnation is evident for the Deity is incapable of Suffering and it was necessary that the dignity of the Divine Nature should give value to the Sufferings It was therefore requisito that the Deity should assume our Nature capable of Suffering and the Salvation of the World should result from their conjunction This Doctrine is very honourable to God and beneficial and comfortable to Man which are the conspicuous Characters and strongest evidence of a Doctrine truly Divine This maintains the Royalty of God and the Rights of Justice this secures our Pardon and Peace and removes all the difficulties and doubts that are apt to rise in the Minds of Men Whether God infinitely provok'd by our rebellious Sins will be reconcil'd to us 'T is our duty to admire the mysterious Doctrines of the Gospel which we do understand and to adore those we do not We may observe the same connexion in Errors as in Divine Truths for they who rob our Saviour of his Natural Glory his Eternal Deity vilifie and disbelieve the value and vertue of his Priestly Office by which our Pardon is obtained In short the Fabrick of our Salvation is built on the contrivance and consent of the Divine Persons and the concurrence and concord of the Divine Attributes 6. The belief of supernatural things may be confirm'd by comparisons and examples of things in Nature for they prove and perswade that a thing may be Our Saviour to cure the Infidelity of the Pharisees tells them Ye err not knowing the Scripture and the Power of God In the Book of Scripture we read the declaration of God's Will in the Book of Nature we see the effects of his Power The Apostle says The weakness of God is stronger than Men. The expression is strange to a wonder for it seems to attribute a defect to God But he speaks in that manner to declare with emphasis that God is always equal to himself and has no need to strain his Power to overcome the strongest opposition The same Apostle argues against Infidels that say How are the dead raised up And with what Bodies do they come Thou fool that which thou sowest is not quickned except it dye and that which thou sowest thou sowest not that body that shall be but bare grain it may chance of Wheat or some other grain but God giveth it a Body as pleaseth him If our Eyes are witnesses of such an admirable Resurrection in Nature which our Understandings cannot comprehend shall it not confirm our Belief of the Resurrection of the Body the Wonder of Grace when 't is promised by God the Author of both All difficulties vanish before infinite Power St. Paul declares I know in whom I have believed that he is able to keep that I have committed to him till that day We are assur'd the Lord will change our vile bodies into the likeness of his glorious Body by the power whereby he can subdue all things to himself The belief of the Resurrection is drawn from the clearest springs of Nature and Scripture 7. 'T is a prudent foundation of judging things attended with difficulties to compare the difficulties and to determine
Government of the VVorld his VVord is as Powerful Lift up your Eyes on high and behold who hath created these things that bringeth out their host by number he calleth them all by names by the greatness of his might for that he is strong in power not one faileth He is not only the God of the hills but of the valleys There is nothing so inconsiderable but is under the immediate disposal of his Providence A Sparrow worth but half a farthing does not fall to the ground nor a hair of our heads without his disposal All the Casualties and Contingencies in the World are order'd by him The Arrow shot at a venture was directed by an Invisible Eye and Hand to smite the King of Israel between the Joynts of his Harness and wound him to Death The most arbitrary and free Causes are under his determining Influence The Hearts of kings are in his hands and are turn'd by him as rivers of waters which a Gardiner turns into several Channels for to make his Ground fruitful Sin that is directly contrary to his Law is not only permitted and restrain'd but order'd as a means to illustrate his Providence Justice and Goodness Joseph's malicious brethren sold him into Egypt but God sent him to make provision for the Family of Jacob in a time of extreme Famine He permitted the lying Spirit to deceive Ahab by inspiring his false Prophets to encourage him to go to Ramoth Gilead that he might Fall in Battle He gives Riches and Honour to his Enemies who presumptuously break his Laws of the greatest Consequence and foresees they will abuse them and prodigally perish It was an incredible Conception to the Heathen that One God was able to govern the World But his Power and Understanding are truly infinite and 't is more easie to him than for a Man to lift a Feather The Accidents in this World are innumerable but cannot distract an infinite eternal Mind nor cause weariness in the Almighty Every Agent must be united by active Power with the Objects upon which it immediately works The Power of God is his Essence not a separable quality he is intimate and present with all things One Sun is sufficient to measure Times distinguish Seasons and to preserve an intire World of living Creatures the meanest Worm or Herb is cherish'd by its Heat as if all its Influences were confin'd for their preserving And is not an infinite God sufficient to support and dispose all things 3. Divine Providence is more special and tender towards God's peculiar People The Eyes of the Lord run to and â—ro through the whole Earth to shew himself strong in behalf of those whose Hearts are perfect towards him His tender Mercies his extensive Attribute is over all his Works But more eminently exercised according to their degrees of Goodness and his Propriety in them Our Saviour inferrs by the clearest Consequence that the Divine Providence that reaches to the falling of a Sparrow is much more concern'd for his People accordingly encourages his Disciples Fear not ye are of more value than many Sparrows God is the Saviour of all Men especially of those who believe Now as when the reason of a Command has a direct aspect upon us it more strongly binds us to obey God so when the reason of a Promise has a peculiar respect to us it engages God more strongly to preserve us God has a Right to all Mankind by a general Tenure but a special Interest in the Godly He is the King of Nations and the King of Saints 'T is his dearest Title above all the Titles of Majesty ascribed to him They are precious in his esteem his Treasure his Jewels the most valuable part of his Treasure the Jewels of his Crown the most radiant and rich Jewels Propriety and preciousness engage his powerful and propitious Providence for their Good They are exposed to many Evils for their Relation to him their Heavenly Father and for his Image shining in them For thy sake we are killed all the day long They are like a flock of Sheep among Wolves and Tigers unable to defend themselves His compassionate Love excites his Power for their preservation The Zeal of the Lord of Hosts shall do this His Love inclines him and his Promise ingages him never to leave nor forsake them When they are ready to despair he is ready to deliver Now the firm belief of the universal Providence of God and his special Care for his People is like a Rudder to a Ship without which 't is constrained to yield to every Storm but guided by it sails with every Wind to it s design'd Port. When God enter'd into a Covenant with Abraham he assures him I am the almighty God walk before me and be perfect Every deflection from our Duty proceeds either from the hope of obtaining some temporal Good or the fear of incurring some temporal Evil These Passions are very forcible in Mens Breasts We see how powerful they are in sensitive Creatures even in a Grey-hounds coarsing a Hare Hope adds Wings to the Feet of the one and Fear adds Wings to the Feet of the other Men without Faith in God will break through his Laws when Temptations work on their Hope or Fear for they are under the dominion of Sense But the belief of God's All-sufficiency that he is a Sun to supply us with all truly desirable good things a Shield to secure us from all destructive Evils confirms our Dependance on him and ingages our Obedience to him This conduces to our present Peace and future Blessedness There are secret springs of Providence that work sometimes in an extraordinary manner for the preserving his People Joseph was raised from a Prison to a Principality The poor Prophet was fed by a Raven when the wicked King was like to starve in his Palace The malicious design of Haman to destroy the whole Nation of the Jews was frustrated and reflexively pernicious to himself by a strange concurrence of Circumstances ordered by Divine Providence The faithful Companions of Daniel who resign'd themselves to his Will and Wisdom were rescued from the Furnace and Fury of the proud King by an Angel But many times the Saints of God are involved in common Calamities Inundations Earthquakes the Pestilential Air Sword Famine make no difference between the innocent and the guilty The Sun rises upon the evil and the good the Thunder falls on the good and evil Nay as our Saviour tells his Disciples They shall weep and lament when the World rejoyces But he comforts them with the assurance that their Sorrow shall be turned into Joy The Apostle declares We know all things work together for good to them that love God There are mysterious depths in the Oeconomy of Providence that the short Line of our Reason cannot sound But we may rely upon the Promise of God who can bring Light out of Darkness We have an illustrious proof of his
and serious Thoughts his Dying Love to the Soul will cause an irresistible Affection to him stronger than Death We must learn of Christ how to love him His Love was express'd in the most real Actions and convincing Evidence it was an incarnate Love a beneficent Love productive of our Salvation our love must be productive of Obedience This is the surest Trial of it If ye love me you will keep my words saith our Saviour The Frost of Fear will hinder the breaking forth of Carnal Lusts into notorious Acts as the Cold of Winter binds the Earth that noxious Weeds cannot spring up but the heat of Love is productive of all the Fruits of Righteousness Love to Christ will make every Command pleasant and the exactest Obedience to be voluntary liberal and ingenuous Fear may enforce Constancy for a time but Love is a Vital Principle continually operative in all the Transitions of this Life This secures Obedience Christ has fasten'd us to his Service by a Chain compos'd of his most precious Benefits by the pardon of our innumerable sins and to whom much is forgiven they love much Fear tries in vain to make an alliance between the Flesh and Spirit obeys some Commands and transgresses others but Love respects all Fear induces a desertion of our Duty when Evils nearly threaten us but Love encounters them with such a Character of Assurance as becomes those who esteem it a Favour and Honour to Suffer for Christ. Some are harden'd against Afflictions and endure with Courage Persecutions for the Cause of Christ but yield to pleasant Temptations like the Manna that would endure the Fire but melted in the heat of the Sun but Love to Christ by an overcoming delight renders the pleasures of Sin nauseous and insipid In short the properties of natural Love are united in the Love of Christ. Love will transport us to Heaven and transform us into his likeness Love will make us Zealous in constant and excellent Endeavours to be compleatly conform'd to him Resemblance is the common Principle of all unions in Nature 't is preparative to Love and the effect of it Experience is a sensible demonstration of this For the love of Friends if in a degree of Eminence Causes a perfect sympathy an exact correspondence in their Tempers The exercise of Love in the most precious Esteem of him in burning desires after a Propriety in him in the sweetest complacency in Communion with him are intimate and inseparable Qualities in all the Lovers of Christ. Love to him is always joyn'd with an irreconcileable hatred of Sin that cost him so dear to expiate its guilt Our love intirely and intensely is due to him and no lower degree is accepted For 't is a disparagement and infinitely unworthy of him To content our selves with a less Affection is not only far distant from Perfection but from the first disposition of a Saint The tenderest and strongest Affections in Nature must be regulated and subordinate to the Love of Christ. Our Love to him must be Singular and Supreme Briefly his Love to us is Beneficent ours is Obedient He values no Love without Obedience and no Obedience without Love 2. Love must descend from God to our Neighbour This Duty is so often Commanded and Commended in the Gospel that we may from thence understand its Excellency The beloved Disciple that lay in the Bosom of Christ from that Spring of Love derived the Streams that flow in his Writings He declares that God is Love and he that loves dwells in God and God in him 1 Joh. 4. 11. He makes it an Evidence that we are born of God of our renewed state and that we are past from death to life Our Saviour injoyns it with a note of Eminency as his new Command as the distinctive Character of his Disciples as the special Qualification of those at his right hand in the Day of Judgment to recommend it to our Love and Obedience He tells us that to love our neighbour as our selves is like the most divine Precept of loving the Lord our God We read in that Solemn Proclamation of God's Name when his Glory past before Moses that to the Title of Lord God there was immediately annext Merciful and Gracious abundant in Goodness to signifie that Goodness is his dearest Glory and in the Divine Law next to Piety to God Charity to our Neighbour is Commanded to signifie how pleasing it is to him The Gospel Eclipses all other Institutions by the Precept of Universal Love and inspiring a delightful disposition in Christians to exercise it This adorns the Gospel and recommends it to the Esteem and Affections of Men. A Person innocent and pure but of a severe and harsh Temper condemns by his Holy Conversation the Profane and Scandalous but a Good Man charms and captivates the Hearts of others that one would dare to dye for him This Duty is prescrib'd in the Extent and Qualifications of it 1. In the Extent it reaches to all within the compass of Humanity to Strangers and Enemies in all our dealings Let all things be done with Charity The Relation of Consanguinity is the Natural Cause of a Benevolent Affection to all Men. The likeness of kind prevents mischief between the most fierce and hurtful Creatures We never heard that Lyons devour Lyons or Vipers bite Vipers and unless we add Beneficence to Innocence we are but in the rank of Brutes The Love of good Will is express'd by promoting their Good and preventing Evils by rejoycing in their Prosperity and relieving them in their Afflictions This Love is more radicated in the breasts of Men by considering the condition of Nature wherein they are equal whether the original happy state of their Creation or their miserable wretched state since their Fall Similitude either in Happiness or Misery unites Mens Affections How low and despicable so great a part of Mankind is at present yet the remembrance that all Men were equal in their first honourable and happy Condition Inhabitants of Paradise and by deputation Lords of the World will raise our esteem and be an incentive of kind Affections to them And since the Fall the calamitous Condition of Mankind is a proper motive of mutual assistance to one another Society in Miseries endears the Sufferers and produces a tender sympathy between them None are so merciful as those who by Experience know what it is to be miserable The Consideration of the common Evils to which all are exposed in the present state induces a strong obligation to the offices of Love and Kindness But the principal and divine cause of Love is the Law of Christ that enjoyns us to do good to all but especially to the houshold of Faith for the spiritual Relation is more intimate and excellent than the natural That we are the off-spring of the same Heavenly Father united as Members to the same glorious Head renewed to a Divine Life by the same Holy Spirit incorporated into
shall dwell in the holy hill of God that in his Eyes a vile person is contemned but he honours them that fear the Lord. Carnal Men are struck with outward Splendour but inward Beauty is not within their prospect They despise the holy who are poor and mean in their outward circumstances But the Spiritual Man looks upon those who are lofty and lawless with Contempt as beneath Men in an ignominious bondage to their Lusts But the godly who are dignified with the glorious Titles of the Saints and Sons of God are most precious and dear to him It is easie to know a Picture well drawn if we are acquainted with the Person whom it represents Those who know what Holiness is in God know what it is in Men. Holiness is the essential purity of his Nature whereby he is infinitely opposite to all Moral Evil. Accordingly those who are undefiled with sinful Evils are certainly his Children David stiles them The excellent in whom is all his delight It argues a clearer Spirit and more sacred Temper to discover the shining excellencies of the Saints notwithstanding their eclipse by the interposing medium of their Afflictions The Apostle tells us of some that wandred in sheeps-skins and goats-skins being destitute afflicted tormented confined to dens and caves of whom the World was not worthy The Divine Image is renewed in the Saints and shines in their Lives and makes them amiable in God's Eyes and so dear to him that he gives them in charge to the Angels the Armies of Light those bright and vigilant Guardians to secure them from Evil. They are glorious within tho' often disguised and shaded by Poverty and Afflictions Without an internal Light their value is not known 3. To preserve an equal temper of Mind and tenor of Conversation in the various turns and changes of the present state argues an excellent degree of Holiness The condition of Men in this World is like the Sea the Theatre of Inconstancy Their Affections are like the Wind some are Turbid others Serene and Chearful some Warm and Comforting others Cold and Sharp some Placid and Gentle others Stormy and Furious and 't is as difficult to regulate the Affections as to order those discordant Spirits in the Air. They are the most depraved Faculties in Man there are some sparks of Light and Purity in the Natural Conscience but the Passions are the Fountains of Sin and Folly By their unruly Insurrection the understanding is depos'd and Men are brought into a brutish Servitude They are sometimes Jealous to Rage Sad to Despair Dead with Fear Drunk with Joy and fond Hopes of conceited Happiness To free us from their Vanity and Tyranny is the most Noble effect of Grace Now these dark Powers are never more unruly and turbulent than in the change of Conditions whether Prosperous or Calamitous The observation of Hippocrates that the change of Seasons breeds Diseases in the Body is equally true in the change of Mens Conditions with respect to the distempers of the Mind especially if two Circumstances are joyn'd that the Changes be great and sudden as 't is an insufferable violence to Nature to pass immediately from one Extreme to another 'T is argued on both sides whether sudden and great Calamities do more disorder the Mind by Despair or sudden and great Prosperity by vain Presumption This may be said that Afflictions are more apt to restore Reason that was lost in Prosperity as is visible by frequent Experience and in sudden Prosperity many have lost the Understanding they had in a low Condition 'T is a point of high and holy Wisdom little understood and less practis'd to manage Prosperity with Humility and Discretion and bear Adversity with Patience to possess the Soul and guide it by clear and steddy Rules becoming every Condition St. Paul declares I have learn'd in whatsoever state I am to be content I know how to be abased and I know how to abound every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry both to abound and to suffer need In Prosperity he was lowly and temperate ready to resign all at the first call of the Giver In Adversity he was content as if he had a secret Treasure a conceal'd Fountain issuing from within he was Rich in his deep Poverty for 't is not acquiring Possessions but the retrenching our Desires that makes us truly Rich. All the Gold and Silver of the West-Indies and the Pearls and Jewels of the East cannot truly enrich the Soul This Lesson he had learnt in the School of Heaven and by Experience and Exercise made it Familiar to him as our Saviour learnt obedience by his Sufferings This is a Duty as difficult as excellent therefore a wise and holy Man either conscious of his own weakness or suspicious of his strength so earnestly deprecated the Extremes Give me neither poverty nor riches feed me with food convenient for me lest I be full and deny thee and say who is the Lord Or lest I be poor and steal and take the name of the Lord in vain He was not without doubt or danger lest he should be corrupted by Prosperity or foil'd by Adversity There is great hazard in either but more in Fulness than in Want as was touch'd on before He that rows in a Shallop near the shore needs not the Skill and Courage of a Pilot that directs a Ship through Tempestuous Seas and with his ill-govern'd Ship must sink to the bottom The Temptations of Prosperity are more numerous a swarm of Flyes come to sweet things and are very grateful to the sensual Appetites the Temptations of Adversity are troublesome and grievous and at their appearance Nature recoils from them and accordingly the Tempter manages them he insinuates into the Heart like a Serpent by Pleasures and transfuses his poison indiscernibly but like a Roaring Lion he pursues the Afflicted Experience instructs us that many have made an easie forfeiture of their Integrity when Prosperous and in sharp Afflictions have been recover'd But in heavy Calamities we are apt either to be fir'd with Discontent and constructively to dispute with God about the Righteousness of his proceedings or to faint and languish by bleeding inwardly Vexation and immoderate Sorrow hinder the free Exercise of Reason and Religion and Mens sufferings occasionally increase their sins As when Physick does not work well it improves the Disease and brings Death more speedily and painfully Now 't is rare to a wonder to see a Person wisely to manage these wide extreams and that there is not such a variation of Scenes in the Passions according to External accidents If the Sun should make a search it would discover but few among the numberless number of Christians that enjoy prosperity without Insolence or suffer Adversity without Impatience or such dejection as exceeds the Rule of the Passions To endure the burning Line and frozen Pole without distempering the Blood and
an argument of excellent Grace There are many whose Vertue had never appear'd so bright in publick view and gone so far had not Vanity attended it For the relish of Praise they will do praise-worthy things Their Goodness is defective in the principle and when the spring is down their Religion is at an end Their Works appear in their true colours to the inlightened Conscience for no Man can deliberately deceive himself Now in many Instances it is evident that the Judgment of God and of the World are opposite That which is highly esteemed among Men is abominable in God's sight and what is pleasing to God is despised by Men. Now when a person with Religious Constancy proceeds in the way of Holiness and of his universal Duty though he is exposed to the imputation of Folly and consequently the scorn of the World and will not neglect his Duty to preserve his Fame but fully and finally perseveres in his Obedience to God he is a confirm'd Saint For 't is evident he loves Goodness for its own sake without mercenary mixtures and despises all temporal respects that are inconsistent with it The Apostle declares 'T is a small thing with me to be judged by Man's judgment His ambitious labour was to be accepted of the Lord whose favourable testimony of his fidelity would be his eternal honour before the glorious and immense Theatre of Angels and Men at the great day He chose to be among God's treasures though despis'd as the off-scouring of the World The inward testimony of Conscience which is the sweetest Friend or sorest Enemy is incomparably more valuable and to be preferr'd before all the painted air the vain applause of this World 'T was Job's resolution when his undiscerning and severe Friends tax'd him for Hypocrisie My heart shall not reproach me so long as I live There is such a convincing evidence of this Rule to judge Men by that the Roman Philosopher says Whoever despises the Fame and Reputation of a good Man to preserve his Conscience inviolate has attain'd to an heroick degree of Goodness 6. The serious constant and delightful performance of Religious Duties in secret is a sure testimony of a holy and heavenly Spirit The Duties of Prayer and Praise in society are perform'd many times from custom and false respects to the eyes of Men and are fashional without the exercise of holy Affections the life of those Duties Our Saviour tells us That the light of the Body is the Eye if thine Eye be evil thy whole Body is full of darkness Without purity of Intention our Religion tho' varnish'd with a specious appearance is vain But the exercise of Religion conceal'd from publick view is not lyable to the temptations of Vanity Our Saviour commands us to pray in secret and â—e that sees in secret shall reward us openly The secrecy contributes to the free exercise of holy Affections in that Duty The Prophet Jeremy tells the obstinate Jews If ye will not hear my Soul shall weep in secret places for your Pride and mine Eye shall weep sore and run down with tears because the Lord's flock is carried away into captivity His Sorrow was not counterfeit or shallow but Eyes and Heart were engaged the privacy contributed to the measure 'T is true there may be formality in secret Duties a Prayer may be repeated in the Closet without reverence and solemnity without a holy heat of desires as if the bodily service were accepted But such Worship instead of propitiating God provokes his displeasure Heaven is brass to all cold Petitioners their Prayers cannot pierce through it 'T is observable that secrecy is a counsellor and incentive to a vicious person to do Evil He chooses the silent and dark night as the fittest season When he is secure no ray of Light can discover what is done he is effectually tempted to satisfie his Lusts. On the contrary a real Saint chooses to serve God in secret for then he glorifies him as God the Inspector and Judge of the Heart and the privacy of his Worship is to Conscience an evidence of his Sincerity and of an excellent degree of Grace Constancy is requisite in the performance of Religious Duties in secret Many when they feel present Pain or fear imminent Dangers will address their Requests to God in secret but when freed from Trouble they neglect their Duty But Prayer is a Duty of daily revolution the Natural Life may be as well preserved without Breathing as the Spiritual without Prayer And since we have always peculiar Wants and are often surprised with new Necessities which are not fit to be discover'd to others we should esteem the Precept to be our Priviledge to present our selves to our Heavenly Father and to pour forth our Souls into his Bosom with an Assurance of his gracious hearing our Request Some by the Constraint of Natural Conscience dare not omit secret Devotion but they are brought to it as a troublesome task and are glad when 't is done These are in the state of Carnal Nature But when there is a Sympathy between the Heart and the Duty and the sweetness of Paradise is tasted in Communion with God 't is an evidence the Divine Nature is prevalent Those happy Souls are in Heaven already for in Heaven there is an Everlasting tenor of serving and praising God In short Internal Religion is the immediate and unfeigned issue of the Soul whose praise is not of men that cannot by their most searching Sight dive into the Heart but of God who is the maker and searcher of the Heart Briefly as between Friends Conversation increases Love and Love increases Conversation so between God and a Saint Communion increases Love and Love Communion 7. To forgive Injuries and overcome Evil with Good discovers a Christian to be divinely Excellent Love is the brightest Beam of the divine Beauty wherein God doth most delight and excel The returning good for evil is the noblest effect of Love wherein our nearest resemblance of God consists We have the Example of it in the highest degree of Perfection in our Suffering Saviour If ever any one had a right to Revenge Injuries our Saviour had His Innocence was entire nay his beneficent Goodness to his Enemy was infinitely obliging the Miseries he suffer'd were Extreme a Death equally Ignominious and Cruel the Dignity of his Person was truly Infinite Yet in the extremity of his Sufferings when the sense of Injuries is most quick and exasperating in the midst of their scornful Insultings he earnestly prayed for their Pardon Father forgive them they know not what they do He might have call'd upon the righteous Judge of the World the Revenger of opprest Innocence to have destroyed them by Fire from Heaven but he Addresses his request by that Title that was most endearing him to God Father forgive them 't is the desire of thy Son dying in Obedience to thy Will they know not the greatness of their
with some attainments and presume we are perfect We must be contending till our Conquest over Sin be clear and compleat The reflection upon our progress will give new Spirits to proceed to new work To him that continues in well-doing Glory and Immortality is the reward Perseverance is the Crown of Christianity 2. I now come to answer the Allegations that are brought to discourage Men from endeavours after perfect Holiness I have in the Preface Answered some of the principal Objections I will consider some others to remove the most plausible Pretences The first Objection against the Divine Command of being perfect as our Heavenly Father is perfect is the impossibility of obeying it How can sinful Dust and Ashes be perfect as the holy God is To this a clear Answer may be given 1. 'T is true if a Law be absolutely impossible it cancels it self For there can be no authority in a superiour to command nor obligation on a Subject to obey in a matter that is not capable of his choice Absolute impossibility quenches desire and causes despair and that enervates the strength of the Soul and cuts the sinews of Industry Now we cannot suppose that God whose Wisdom Rectitude and Goodness are essential and unchangable should command reasonable Creatures any thing utterly impossible for then the cause of their Sin and Misery would not rise from themselves but they would be fatally lost and undone for ever 2. The Command signifies not a resemblance of equality for in that sense there is none holy as the Lord but of analogy and conformity to his holy Nature of which intellectual Creatures are capable 3. In the present state our Conformity is not entire our Graces are not pure our Vertues not refin'd without allay But this is from our culpable impotence And it cannot be imagined that God should reverse this Law and dissolve the obligation of it because we have contracted a sinful disability to perform it Besides God is pleased to offer divine assistance to enable us to be like God in the kind of Holiness though not in the perfection of degrees And though we cannot attain to Perfection here we may be ascending to it The Apostle exhorts Christians to strive for the comprehension of the heigth and depth and length and bredth of the love of Christ that passes knowledge That is we must be adding new degrees of Light in our Minds We cannot know as we are known till we come to the full inlightned state above and we cannot be holy as God is holy till we come to his transforming presence in Heaven but we must be aspiring to it We have the most excellent incouragement to this Duty For if we are zealous in our desires and endeavours God will pardon our imperfections and accept us as if they were perfect But those who are settled in their defects and lye still in their laziness will be justly condemned 2. 'T is objected That this Duty is at least extreamly difficult To this I answer 1. Difficulty is an unreasonable pretence in matters of indispensable Duty and infinite consequence Our Saviour commands us to strive to enter in at the strait gate for strait is the gate and narrow is the way 't is hard to find and hard to keep but that only leads to Eternal Life The Kingdom of Heaven is to be taken by violence and the Wrath to come escap'd by flight 'T is better to take pains than to suffer Pains The Cords of Duty are more easie than the Chains of Darkness 2. There is nothing in Religion insuperable to the Love of God and of our Souls Love is not cold and idle but ardent and active in pursuit of its Object There are many Instances that resolved Diligence will overcome great obstacles to the designs of Men. Demosthenes the Athenian was the most unqualified for an Orator of a thousand His Breath was so short that he could not speak out a full Sentence his Voice and Pronunciation was so harsh and his Action so ungrateful and offensive to the most delicate Senses the Eye and Ear that the first time he spake in the publick Assembly he was entertained with Derision and the second with Disdain by the People yet by unwearied Industry and Exercise he corrected his defects and became the most Eloquent and Perfect Orator that ever flourish'd in Greece Now can there be any so difficult heigth in Religion but a strong resolution join'd with consequent endeavours and the supernatural assistance of the Holy Spirit will gradually attain to To naked Nature the Commands of plucking out the right Eye and cutting off the right Hand are extreamly hard Carnal Men pretend they can as easily stop the circulation of the Blood as mortifie their sensual Inclinations But by the Grace of God 't is not only possible but pleasant to abstain from fleshly Lusts that war against the Soul I can do all things through Christ that strengthens me saith the Apostle the word implies I can easily St. John declares his Commands are not grievous The yoke of Christ is a gracious yoke The impotence of Men to obey Christ consists in their obstinacy They are not infected by Fate nor determin'd by Destiny and constrain'd by strict Necessity to follow their sinful Courses but are chain'd to their alluring vicious Objects by the consent of their own Wills I will to convince those who are Christians only in title and profession and pretend invincible impediments against performing their Duty propound the Moral Excellencies that shin'd in some Heathens in regulating the angry and desiring Appetites Socrates who had a fiery Nature that inclin'd him to sudden Anger yet attain'd to such a constant equal Temper that when provok'd by Injuries his Countenance was more placid and serene his Voice more temperate his Words more kind and obliging Plato surprized with Passion for a great Fault of his Servant took a Staff to beat him and having lift up his Hand for a stroke stop'd suddenly and a Friend coming in and wondring to see him in that posture said I chastise an angry Man reflecting with shame upon himself Thus he disarm'd his Passion When Alexander had conquer'd Darius and taken his Queen a Woman of exquisite Beauty he would not have her brought into his presence that his Vertue might not be violated by the sight of her Scipio having taken a Town in Spain and among them a Noble Virgin very beautiful resign'd her untouch'd with her Ransom of great value to the Prince to whom she was contracted If it be said that Vanity assisted Vertue in these Persons and one Carnal Passion vanquish'd another the Desire of Praise the Pride of Life the Lust of the Flesh But shall not Divine Grace be more powerful than Humane Motives The impotence of Carnal Christians is not from the defect of assisting Grace but their culpable neglect of using it But for the intire Conviction of Carnalists that are under the tyranny of the voluptuous
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
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
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