do many truths there are that I cannot assent unto and those which I doe assent to sometimes me thinks I do assent to them and sometimes again no and when I am at the best my assent is so misty and dark that I almost assent to I know not what Now I shall shew thee how much weaknesse and doubting in relation to this act of faith may yet be consistent with true justifying saith in thee I shall shew it for thy direction and establishment in these particulars First of all A Christian that is a true beleever may think that he doth not assent unto the Word of God when indeed he doth It is a known maxime in Divinity That faith may be true without sense of faith True Faith is one thing and sense of faith is another and as it is with the other acts of faith so it is with this also As a man may cheat himselfe that he doth assent and consequently truely beleeve though all the world may see that he doth nothing lesse by his irregular walking contrary to his professed assent So it is as true that a Christian may truly assent unto the truth of God though he conceits he doth not assent wee are ordinarily ill Judges of the acts of our mind because they are secret and occult acts which traffique between the soule and Heaven in an invisible way and therefore the truth or falshood of these acts is ordinarily discerned by the outward acts of our body as if I hear a man professing that his soule doth assent and close with that portion of Gods Word 1 Cor. 6. 9. Neither fornicators nor idolators nor adulterers nor effeminate persons nor abusers of themselves with mankind nor theeves nor covetous persons nor drunkards nor revilers nor extortioners shall inherit the kingdom of God yet at the same time see he lives in them very sinnes he shall pardon me if I do think that he doth not assent and whatsoever his tongue speaks yet his heart doth not close with it as a truth of Jesus Christ So on the contrary if I heare a true Christian complaining that he cannot get his heart to close with the Word of God and what ever the world thinks hee doth not assent to the truth yet if I see this man fearing to sin against God and trembling at the threatning Word of God and walking as even as he can set his feet according to the directive part of Gods Word that as David he makes the Word of God a light unto his feet and a lanthorn unto his paths Let them think what they will they shall give me leave to think that they doe assent unto and close with the Word of God Take a proof of it Ionas 3. v. 5. Ionas there had preached against Nineveh Ion. 3. v. 4. yet 40 dayes and Nineveh shall be destroyed v. 5. So the people of Nineveh beleeved God that is gave a full assent and â—redence to the Word of God were perswaded that that which Ionah spake to them in the Name of the Lord was true But how shall we know that the Holy Ghost tells us it was evident by the effects they proclaimed a fast and put on sack-cloth from the greatest of them to the least it was manifest by their actions in relation to this Sermon studying and labouring what they could to pacifie the wrath of God before the 40. dayes were come about that they did verily think it was a word of truth that Ionas spake to them and that they were perswaded and from this assertion of the Holy Ghost we may certainly conclude that when we see men living and acting according to the Word of God and squaring their lives by the compasse of it they do beleeve that is assent unto it as a word of truth whether they will confesse so much or no As when we see a man build houses purchase lands give great portions to his children keep a great house we may conclude he is rich though he goes as if he were not worth a groat and though he will tell you he is not worth a groat The heart is the seat of assent and the throne of faith confession is not essentiall nor sense materiall to it Sense of faith is comfortable but truth and sincere reality of faith is that which is necessary Confession of faith with our lips brings glory to God externally but it is the reality of faith in the heart which brings glory to God internally It is he that doth assent that doth the will of God not he alwayes that saith he doth it or thinks he doth it Mat. 21. 28. We have a parable propounded by Christ to his Disciples it was of a man that had two sonnes and hee came to first and said Son go work to day in my Vineyard he answered and said he would not but yet hee repented and went And he came to the second and said likewise and he answered and said I go Sir and went not whether of the twain saith Christ did the will of his Father They said unto him The first To apply it God sayes unto all men Beleeve and close with and be perswaded of my truth One sayes I do beleeve and assent but his irregular life is such that all the world â—ees he gives his tongue the lye Another sayes Lord I doe not assent to and beleeve it yet he dares not swerve a foot from it Which of these do you think does the will of Christ Surely the latter though he will not say nor think that he doth it but suffers his tongue to give his heart the lye indeed sense and perswasion of faith is that which we ought to strive after to be perswaded that we do close with the truth of Christ but yet many a one doth that which he doth not know he doth the Christian is his own worst Judge and doth and will do more a great deale for God then he will speak of But I hasten to the second Secondly A true beleever may sometimes doubt whether the Word of God be the Word of God or no or indeed may be tempted to do it rather then do it this is that which troubles many a gracious Christian Alas they do not beleeve the Word of God they are troubled with many Atheisticall and blasphemous thoughts that they cannot tell what to think whether the Word be the Word of God or onely as Atheists dreame a modell of Scripture drawn by some to keep mens consciences in awe c. and this makes them conclude Tush I cheat my own soule to think I have faith when I question even the principles of Christianity c. and shake the foundation with one shake and yet at the very same time they live close to the rule of it and it hath a strict and severe command over their consciences Now this I say is rather a temptation to doubt of the truth of Gods Word in their soules then a reall and positive doubt The Devill
unto severall truths which are in the word provided 1. That thou assentest to all truths that are necessarily to be beleeved to salvation and the foundations of Faith 2. Provided thou strivest against other doubtings and labourest to get a sense of Faith and a strength to resist the Devils temptations and to be convinced of every particular truth and of thy errour if it bee one which thou hast taken up from some mistaken portion of Scripture and labourest for a more cleare and distinct knowledge of every truth that so thy assent may be more cleare every day than other The Ninth SERMON LUKE 17. v. 5. Lord increase our faith I Am shewing you what doubts may consist in a gracious soule with true faith I have already shewed what weaknesse may consist with faith in respect of knowledge and what doubts in relation to the meanest and lowest act of faith which is assent It is my task at this time to shew you what doubts and weaknesses may consist with saving faith in a gracious soule in relation to the second act which is indeed the essence and marrow of justifying faith that is the act of adhering the soules rolling relying and wholly depending it selfe upon Jesus Christ for salvation for although the soules assenting to the promise and being perswaded of the promise as a sure and stedfast word of truth be an act of faith yet it is concluded by most or all godly and sober Divines that it is not the act of faith that justifies but as it is concluded against the Antinomians and Libertines on one side that it is not faith of assurance that onely justifies so it is also concluded against the Papists on the other side that it is not an assent to and perswasion of the truth of the Word that justifieth the soule but that true justifying faith though it doth suppose both knowledge and assent yet it doth especially consist in the soules rollings and throwing it selfe upon the Lord Jesus Christ for eternall salvation and adhering to the promises as its portion And therefore it is observed by learned and gracious Mr. Ball 1 Par. p. 24. in his Treatise of Faith that there are six words in Scripture by which the Holy Ghost doth in Scripture expresse to us true and saving faith This I have noted before every one of which doth denote unto us that the very essence and marrow of true and saving faith is a reliâ—nce and dependance of the soule upon Christ The first is Beleeve opposed to fainting Psal 27. 13. it argues a staying of the soule upon something when it was falling swooning fainting c. The second word is Trust his heart is fixed trusting in the Lord. A third word is translated trust but signifies to betake to as a Castle Psal 2. 11. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him A fourth word signifies to leane upon as a man leanes himselfe upon a staffe 2 Chron. 16. v. 7 8. A fifth word signifies to stay and rest the minde upon Isa 48. 2. They stay themselves upon the God of Israel A sixth word signifies to roll a mans selfe upon a thing as a man in danger of drowning catcheth hold of a Willow and hang upon it all which words denote to us that the true and proper distinguishing act of true justifying faith is the soules rolling it selfe upon the promises of life and upon Christ for eternall salvation I take true justifying faith so far as it is the soules act by the vertue and strength of the Grace of the Lord Jesus Christ infused in relation to this act to be this for a soul wholly and stedfastly and solely and obediently to rest and roll it self upon the Lord Iesus Christ for eternall life Now in this act of true and saving faith there may be a great deale of weaknesse and it may be accompanied with a great deale of doubting CHAP. X. Concerning those weaknesses which may consist with true faith in a gracious soule and how to satiisfie the soule that conceives it doth not truly rely upon Christ because it doth not finde that it can rely so fully and constantly as it desires nor upon all the promises alike ALas sayes a poor soul I cannot think that I do really rest and râ—l my self upon Iesus Christ and the promises for eternall life when I do rest as I think I am ready again to think I doe not and if I be in a frame of heart one day that I think that now I can roll my self upon Christ and trust his promises another day again I can trust nothing if sometimes I do cleave to the word of life as sweet and pretious and imbrace it as true and prize Christ and value his Word above all sensuall delights whatsoever and hunger and thirst after it and after Christ another while again I cleave to a sensuall good more then to a spirituall promise or an heavenly Christ and besides I cannot rely upon God for the fulfilling of every promise there are some of Gods promises that I think I could rest upon God for fulfilling of others again I cannot for my life though I am perswaded that they are equall words of truth with the other trust God for nor can I be fully perswaded that the promises do really and peculiarly belong to me Now to satisfie the soule in this particular I will shew you what doubtings and weaknesses may be in the soule and yet the soule at that time may have received and may rest and rely and roll it self upon the Lord Iesus Christ for the promises of salvation and may at the same time have true saving justifying faith this is my work to which I am to addresse my selfe Know for thy comfort First Thou mayest fully and wholly rely thy soule upon Iesus Christ and yet not beleeve thou dost fully and wholly rest Reliance and dependance is necessary to Faith not full perswasion of such a reliance I meane justifying faith Reliance is a necessary act of Faith full perswasion of such a reliance is a comfortable act of Faith depending and relying is the act of this hand helped by Gods Spirit full perswasion of this reliance is more the shining of Gods face then the act of our soules Labour more to get evidences of the truth of thy act of faith then of the degrees of it Christ may be in the room and yet not seen he may be in the midst of thy heart and saying Peace be to this soule and yet the doores of thy sense be shut Heaven is a thing unseen and he that measureth his faith by his eye may call an Ephah an Omer especially if thou wilt not think that thou hast faith unlesse thou canst see a truth of the very act and refuse to take an evidence for thy sense from the effects of faith The acts of the minde are secret acts of which as I said before we are very ill Judges Resting and relying upon Christ is
what nature it must be in one to argue him at sinner against the Holy Ghost p. 99. 100. P Perswasion how farre it comes into the definition and nature of justifying Faith Perswasions differ p. 206. 207. 208. A perswasion and a full Perswasion p. 208 A difference betwixt a Perswasion â—ying the future or the present p. 208. What manner of Perswasion there is and is not in all true Faith p. 208. We must Pray though we find an indisposition to the duty Reasons for it p. 245. 246. Promises of Christ are made to humbled Saints p. 17. 18. They require conditions p. 48. But no other then otherwhere they engage to give p. 48. They nowhere require a limited measure of what they require as conditions p. 49. Promises of first grace are absolute p. 49. Those for temporall things harder to bee rested upon then those for Spirituals p. 168. 169. Why Ibid. No good reason why we should not rest upon Promises made for Spirituals p. 169. Particular appropriating oâ— the Promises not absolutely necessary to true Faith p. 180. Promises distinguished p. 180. Why some are called temporall 181. True faith may not sometimes be able particularly to rest oâ— Temporall Promises p. 181. Promises if particular are to be generally applyed p. 184. True Faith in dark times may not be able to peculiarize conditionall Promises p. 18â— Promises must be clearly understood by the soule that would particularly apply them p. 189. Generall Promises must bee particularly applyed p. 190. 191. 192. 193. If made to the Church of God of old they belong to it now p. 193. They were made to the Iewes under the notion of God's people p. 194. They are branches of the Covenant made with Christ p. 195. Some Promises were made to Christ's person what they were p. 196. 197. Conditionall Promises require not of us a fulfilling in our own strength p. 197. 198. Q Qualifications irregularly eyed hinder the gâ—â—wth of Faith p. 11. They hinder not Graces freenesse being rightly required and urged p. 22. R Repentance whither it goes before Faith or no how the termes are to bee taken in that Question p. 12. 13. c. How it is the effect of Faith p. 19. There is as much Reason on the Creatures part why the Lord should save the greatest sinner as well as the holiest Saint p. 82. 83. Reliance upon Christ it the work and proper act of justifying faith what it is it may bee true though not alwayes alike p. 165. Though not equall on all the Promises p. 166. 167. It may consist with trembling p. 170. 171. 172. 173. A Christian may truly Rely upon Christ and yet not believe hâ— doth but think he doth not and question whither he doth or no p. 157. 158. 159. 160. It is harder to Rely upon Temporall then upon Spirituall Promises why p. 167. S Scruples must be removed if wee would encrease Faith p. 9. Sinne the greatnesse of it should not hinder us from believing why p. 72. 73. 74. 75. 76. 77. 78. 79. 80. 81. 82. 83. There 's at much reason in the Creature why God should save the greatest Sinner at any of his Saints p. 82. Sinners not received for their pâ—rt on p. 83. Great Sinners bring God great glory three wayes p. 84. 85. A great sinner converted by Iohn the Apostle a Story out of Eusebius applyed against despaire p. 85. 86. The Sinne against the Holy Ghost a case of conscience about it opened and spake to at large 88. 89. 90. 91. 92. 93. 94. 95. 96. 97. 98. 99. 100. 102. c. There is such a sinne p. 9â— Why it is so called p. 90. It is unpardonable p. 91. The Elect cannot commit it 91. It is incertain what it is p. 92. The Papist's opinion and their six species of it p. 92. How many wayes sinne against the Holy Ghost may be committed p. 93. 94. They must have great knowledge that are guilty of it p. 94. What ingredients must be in it 94. 95. Who have not sin'd it 94. It must be more then an heart-sin p. 96. Twelve Considerations concerning it p. 94. 95. 100. 101. 102. 103. 104. 105. 106. S. August opinion of it p. 101. It must be accompanied with finall impenitency p. 101. How it is not and how it is unpardonable p. 102. 103. The conceit that we have sinned the Sinne against the Holy Ghost cannot excuse us from the duty of believing we are not excused if wee have â—ired it p. 103. None can knâ—w till his dying 〈◊〉 whâ—ther he hath â—ired this â—ire or 〈…〉 he hath indeed â—â—red it p. 103. A large 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 sâ—rre p. 104. 105 Wee may bee strengtheâ—ed to duties though we do not feele it p 235. Gods strength in us 〈◊〉 to be discerned by the â—â—ffects p. 235. It may bee seen in us when it is not seene nor selt by us p. 241. T Temptations to doubt how they may foure wayes be distinguished from reall doubtings p. 141. 142. 143. They are ordinarily but Querie and disputations not determinations p. 141. Christ tempted to doubt of the truth of the Scriptures p. 140. Atheisticall and blasphemâ—ns thoughts when they are ours and when the Devils temptations p. 141. 142. 143. 144. The Doctrine of the Trinity 〈◊〉 understood by some 〈◊〉 Believers p. 127. 128. Trembling is 〈◊〉 with true faith The severall causes of it when so it is usually a companion of true Faith in the begining 〈◊〉 conversion and afterwards in â— Christians 〈◊〉 p. 171. 172. 173. 174. 175. 176. 177. V Unbeliefe not the chiefe principle of the Saints doubtings p. 250. 251. What it meanes in Rom. 4. 20. p. 251. Unbelievers doubt Gods truth p. 253. Their doubts are occasioned by despaire p. 254. They make God the object of their doubts how and why p. 254. 255. 256. They doubt continually p. 257. 259. W Weaknesses may consist with true faith in the act of osseâ—t p. 137. 138. 139. 140. 141. 142 c. They must not bee cherished p. 152. There are also weaknesses consistent with true faith in its act of adherence p. 155. 156. 157. 158. 159. 160. The causes of such weaknesses p. 162. 163. 164. 165. Will enough in God to save the greatest sinners p. 76. Will in God to save sinners declared in eleven particulars p. 77. 78. 79. Wilfulnesse in Christians oftentimes a great cause of soule-trouble p. 164. FINIS
querie as Where is thy God become Let your Honour lift up your head The day of your redemption draweth nigh The Lord Jesus is pulling out his handkerchief laced with love to wipe all tears from your eyes and hastning to bow the heavens and come down to Gather his Saints together even those that have made a covenant with him vvith their lips and translate them from this valley of tears to that place where they shall hunger and thirst no more but be satisfied with his likenesse who is the brightnesse of his Fathers glory I humbly beg your Honours pardon for my presumption Your Honours former honouring me with the acceptation of some former labours hath emboldned me and I know your Ladiships spirit is so low that it can rejoyce in stooping to take a message from the Prince of glory though from the mouth of his meanest Embassador In which confidence I humbly offer these worthlesse indeavours to your Ladiships hands and with my humble supplications at the throne of Grace for your Honours progresse in Grace here and happinesse in Glory here after I rest Your Honors most devoted servant in the work of the Lord Iesus JOH COLLINGS From my study in Chappel-field-house in Norwich Aug. 17. 1648. To the Christian Reader especiallie such an one as walks with a troubled Spirit FOr thy sake Dear Heart were these Sermons composed preacht and now made publike The world this day abounds with treatises and excels former times in the Spirituality of the penmen who have written powerfull and practically Some there are that have made it their work to Plant These have led souls up the stairs to Iesus Christ shewing them the way to the land of Glory such have been our Shepheard and Hooker with divers others Others God hath set to build and as he used the other chiefly as his porters so he seemeth to have used these as the Grooms of his chamber appointed them to set out the excellency of the Lord Iesus Christ to them that are sick of love These have led souls from chamber to chamber shewing them all the chambers of free grace and making it their chiefest work to set out the Bridegroom in his glory and exalt the Riches of free mercy The work of the first was to dresse the Bride The second discover the Bridegroom in his wedding Robes A third sort have had their work allotted them to shew Christians how to keep house with Iesus Christ These have directed Christians how to walk closely with Iesus Christ of that number have been our Bolton and Burroâ—ghs and Sibbs and Downham A fourth sort have been Gods weeders making it their work to deliver poor souls from the snares of the Devil and the truth of God from those errours which this age hath brought forth And no wonder if in greater plenty then former times in regard we have had a summer so wet with showers of grace in the dispensations of Gospel-mysteries excelling the drinesse of former times A fifth sort there have been though a scanter number that have attended upon Christs hospitall indeavouring to heal the wounds of bruised spirits In this way have our Downham and Bolton and Sedgwicks and Sibbs laboured in part I have laboured to rank my self in the latter number offering to thee some Receits for the staying of thy soul if sick of love If there be any thing in this Treatise spoken to thy souls particular wants Let God have the glory and the Author thy prayers Sure I am to some of those in whose ears they were delivered they were As apples of Gold in Pictures of silver Think not there is any vertue in these lines they are but as Elishaes staff to the face of the dead childe Possibly thou mayest from hence discover how irrationall the temptations of Sathan are if once duly weighed Use these poor meditations with faith and prayer and possibly Christ may honour them so far as to make them instrumentall for the clearing the way of thy faith and establishing thy souls peace Truly Reader it was not my own but others opinion of them which hath made them publike If by removing a block out of thy way they but quicken thy pace to Iesus Christ if by removing or preventing thy doubts they adde but a dram to thy faith it shall be mâ—â—crown if they but discover to thee the evenues of Gods wayes which the Devil and thy and my base heart would make rugged I have my end who desire nothing from them but a giving glory to God in helping on the peace of thy soul My intention is to make a further progresse I have sent this but to usher the way and to see if this age can like any treatise that quarrels not in cholerick disputes nor smells of novelties It is a sad Age Christian in which we live while most of our time is spent in Tithing mint and Annis we neglect the weightier things of God law Disputing opinions hath eaten up the Religion of Christians we are all too apt to spend more time in examining our Brethrens Tenets then in searching our own hearts How much of our times How many of our Books are spent in quarrelling for the Ius Divinum of a Church-government which is but as the mint and Annis to the weightier things of Gods Law Yet am I not of so loose principles as to think The Government of the Church a meer circumstance nor can I think that form of Government worth taking up in a street that for the essentials is not to be found in the word of God Iuxta secundum are terms I understand not Every Truth of Christ hath the brightnesse of a star in its forehead but of these stars some differ from others in glory Reader thou shalt see here a great deal of the poor creatures weaknesse but his strength must be perfected in weaknesse whose work it is to stay up the hearts of them that relye upon him Search the Scriptures see if these things be true which thou here meetest with if they be receive them for truths sake and use them as an handkerchief to wipe the tears from thine eyes I have endeavoured neither to darken them with misty expressions nor yet to paint them with beauteous vermilion-language I had rather they should take thine heart then thine ear and be rather an object of thy meditation then admiration I remember that true speech of Hierom in his Epist ad Nepotianum instructing him how to preach Docente te in Ecclesiâ non clamâ—r populi sed gemitus suscitetur lachrimae auditorum laudes tuae sint Sermo Presbyteri scripturarum sale conditus sit Nolo te declamatorem rabulam garrulumque sine ratione seâ— mysteriorum peritum Sacramentorum Dei tui eruditissimum Verba volvere celeritate dicendi apud imperitum vulgus admirationem sui facere indoctorum hominum est Nihil tam facile quam vilem plebeculam indoctam concione linguaeque volubilitate
the Christians Faith Now all of Faith is First either the Doctrine of Faith Or secondly the practice of Faith The Devil hath mustered his forces against both first against the Doctrine of Faith It is a note of Chemnitius as learned an observer of hereticks and heresies as any that there have been more dangerous heresies about the Doctrine of Faith then any one Doctrine in Christian Religion He knows dirt in the fountain will pollute the streams Secondly Nor hath he lesse but indeed far more malice against the practice of Faith he understands well enough that it is not knowing and having but acting Faith that doth the Christian good This makes him do what he can to perswade the soul to rest in a false faith and hinder the soul from beginning to act a true Faith or darken the souls sence of Faith or if all will not do yet he will turn every stone to hinder the growth and increase of Faith that every Christian had need with the Apostles here pray Lord increase our Faith The occasion of these words is an hard lesson that christ had been teaching his Disciples ver 3. 4. concerning forgiving injuries they must forgive four times in a day upon this the Apostles say unto the Lord increase our Faith The words are a prayer in which you may observe 1. The Supplicants the Apostles 2. The Supplicated the Lord. 3. The Supplication increase our Faith We may consider the prayer either in it self absolutely or with the former words relatively Relatively and so we may learn this Doctrine First That hard dutiâ—s and strength to them must be done and got by prayer from God 2. Mark what they pray for as the means to convey strength into their souls to this duty That is Faith note Secondly That Faith in the soul is that which quickens and instrumentally strengtheneth the soul to difficult duties of obedience and especially to this duty of forgiving injuries Thirdly If we consider the words in themselves absolutely as a prayer we may not these things 1. That even the Apostles had need pray they are not got beyond prayer the best of Christians are under the duty of prayer 2. They say to the Lord All our prayer ought to be directed to God 3. The prayer it self is Lord increase our Faith for an increase of Faith in it we have something suggested and implied and that is That they were sensible their faith was weak The best of Christians are and ought to be sensible as of their imperfection in all graces so especially of the graâ—e of Faith 2. We have something here exprest they pray for an increase of Faith First they pray to God to the Lord It is God onely that can increase Christians Faith they pray for it The way for us to have our Faith increased from God is to pray to him Lastly the Apostles pray Lord increase our Faith It is the duty not onely of the weakest but even of the strongest Christians as to be sensible of weaknesse so to labour and pray for the increase of their Faith I intend not to handle all these in their order but to pick out one of them be build a large discourse upon I shall pitch upon the eighth The Apostles praying for their increase of Faith argued their sence of the weaknesse and imperfection of their Faith The Doctrine is this Doctr. That as the best of Christians have weaknesse and imperfection in their Faith and it is their nature to be sensible of it yea and their duty 〈◊〉 so it is also their duty to labour and strive against it This I might make good from Scripture from severall places in the severall Branches 1. They may have weaknesse and imperfection in their Faith Mat. 6. 30. ca. 8. 26. ca. 14. 31. in all which places Jesus Christ checks even those which were his Disciples for their little Faith and yet in checking them for little Faith he acknowledgeth they had some Faith So 2. For the second Branch it were easie to prove that the childe of God will be sensible of the weaknesse of its grace especially this grace of Faith take but one instance of it Mar. 9. 24. Lord I beleeve help my unbelief and so 1 Cor. 13. 9. 12. And for the third Branch that they will labour and strive against it he prayed Lord help my unbelief Mar. 9. 24. The Apostles pray Lord increase our Faith to which we may adde that known place Phil. 3. 13. I count not myself that I have attained to it but one thing I do I forget that which is behinde and indeavour my self to that which is before c. Besides the experience of the children of God is abundant proof for every particular I might also give many reasons First why the Faith of Gods children is weak As First Because the state of mortallity is imperfect 1 Cor. 13. 9 10 11 12. Secondly Because of the inconstant condition of a gracious heart hâ—â—e It is not alwayes high water or full moon in a gracious heart the sun will be in the eclipse sometime and the moon in the wane Now we ordinarily beleeve by sight it is an hard thing to make Faith out-run the eye Ye have seen faith Christ therefore you beleeve Joh. 20. Thirdly Another cause may be the multitude of our renewing corruptions The bowl of Faith runs nimbly if the ground of the soul be even but so long as the ground that it runs on is rugged we must expect Faith should meet with rubs and be a short cast sometimes and sometimes more home Doubts and fears are rubs in the way of Faith and all Christians know that they are the creatures of mortallity and the attendants of corruption There is a great deal of reason you see why the Apostles Faith should be weak In many things we sin all and the more we sin the lesse we beleeve There is much reason too may be given why the weak if true beleever should be sensible of his weaknesse As First If we consider that it is his work to be constantly laying his heart to his eye The workman by laying the timber to his eye often sees how far it differs from the square the Christian by laying his heart to his eye sees the crookednesse of it and how much it wants and the irregularity in the best Christian in not so little but the examining eye will discover it easily Secondly If we consider that as the beleever lays his heart to his eye often so he lays the square to his heart alwayes The Carpenters eye may deceive him if he thinks it doth he lays the square to it and that mends the errour of his eye The square of a Christian is Gods Word the Christian lays it to his heart considering how much faith that requires and discovering how much disagreement there is between his heart and that Psal 119. 105. Thy word is a light to my feet and a lanthern to my paths Psal
them he saves We say no for even the works of Gods spirit of grace acting in us are our works and salvation is not of works but of grace And this Evangelicall lesson is hinted to us even in the Ceremoniall Law The Lord commands a yearly day of atonement Levit. 16. for the sins of the holy Place To prove this I might instance in all those Text of Scripture of which the Epistle to the Romans and Galatians are especially full and so the Epistle to the Ephesians which treat concerning the Doctrine of Justification and clear it not to be of works neither internall nor externall but of grace But I will instance but in one Titus 3. 5 6 7. But after that the kindenesse saith he and the love of God our Saviour toward man appeared Not by works of righteousnesse which we have done but according to his mercy he saved us by the washing of regeneration Mark ye by it not for it Gods mercy and free-grace is the ground of the souls acceptation and therefore consider upon what principle thou runnest that concludest I have not yet been enough humbled for to be accepted as if thy humiliation were the reason and ground of Gods acceptation Indeed we ought never to think that we are enough humbled yet we ought alwayes to think that humiliation too much and that sense of our sins too much which hinders Faith for it destroyes its end Therefore why art thou thus troubled Christian with this conceit that your Faith is no Faith because before it you wept not just so many tears It is Faiths work to beleeve and apprehend the souls acceptation before God Now Gods acceptation as you have heard is never for the souls humiliation and therefore what should hinder thy Faiths working in apprehending thy acceptation before God because thou art not accepted for this work any more then any other Nay Secondly Thy humiliation is not a ground of Faith Thou doest not therefore apply Christ because thou art so and so humbled Put case that a great Prince should be willing to bestow his son in marriage upon a poor peasant onely saith he I will make this term or condition that when you come to marrie him you shal come in sackcloth to shew what ye are he shal give you a better garment afterwards wil any one say that this maids coming to the marriage arraied in sackcloth is a ground of her so rich mariage or will any say it is a meritorious condition that she deserveth such a match to come so attired Surely no the ground of all is the Princes delight in her this is the ground of his taking her to wife and yet the King commanded that attire So the Lord saith Poor vild wretch I will give thee my Christ in marriage but thou shalt come weeping to shake hands with him weeping for thy sins he shall afterwards take off thy sackcloth garments Can any say that this is either a meritorious cōdition or a ground of acceptation or Faith Consider Christian wert thou never so much humbled thou couldst not say I will therefore beleeve because I am humbled Humiliation is a necessary antecedent to Faith 〈◊〉 ground of Faith Let 〈◊〉 that therefore be a stumbling block to thee which cannot be a pillar and foundation to thee if thy Faith cannot stand upon it let it never stumble upon it And thus I have done with the second thing I propounded which was to propound such considerations to such souls as were under this temptation as might comfort their hearts and strengthen and stablish them Onely I beseech you remember to whom I have been speaking all this while not to hard-hearted stony souls but to broken and humbled souls not to those that regard not to get their souls humbled at all but to those that are humbled that they can be humbled no more and that groan under the hardnesse of their own hearts not to those that presume to apply their hot boiling lusts and corruptions to the blood and wounds of Jesus Christ flattering themselves with a notion of Faith and conceiting they do beleeve but to those that are humbled though they cannot have a good thought of themselves I would not be misunderstood to have spoken one word to slight the work of humiliation or to cherish that licentious novell Doctrine that there is no need at all of it and a Christian shall not need regard it but what I have spoken hath been not for dead men what should they do with cordialls but for dying fainting swooning Christians not for them that consider their sins too little but for them that so dim their eyes with poring on them that they cannot see the absolute covenant of God and the free-grace of Christ and lay hold upon the promises of life There is an extream on either side the sober Christian avoids either and keeps the mean So I have done with the second thing I propounded viz. to propound some considerations which might comfort the afflicted soul under this affliction and strengthen it to resist this temptation For without question as the Devil hath a designe upon many a soul to run it upon a rack of presumption and carry it on in a blind notion of Faith so he hath a designe upon some souls to wrack them upon the sands and sink them in a pit of despair The Devils devouring voice to souls is either There is no need of humiliation or there is no humiliation enough I come now to the last thing which I propounded which is to give some directions to such souls as are burthened with this affliction and groan under this temptation how to demean themselves and what to do I will reduce all that I shall speak by way of direction to these heads First Eye the nature of the covenant and grace and promises of God more Secondly Eye the nature and cause of humiliation more Thirdly Labour to get thy heart more humbled First of all Eye the nature of God declared in the free dealings out of his grace to thee This I shall enlarge in three instances 1. Eye Gods covenant and the nature of that 2. Eye Christs grace and the nature of that 3. Eye the Promises and the nature of them First Eye the nature of God in his covenant more The cause of this affliction is Christians too much eying and poring upon their sins and themselves the penitent beleever ought to have two eyes one to look downward another to look upward This is that which David comforted himself with when he considered his own unworthinesse and the unworthinesse of his house 2 Sam. 23. 5. Although my house be not so with God yet he hath made with me an everlasting covenant ordered in all things and sure for this is my salvation and all my desire although he maketh it not to grow David though a man according to Gods own heart yet had a wicked house Absolom had slain his brother rebelled against his Father
he could not reasonably rely upon his promises for the blessing of his house with temporall mercies so as before And thence it is cleare that a Christian may truly rest upon the promises for salvation and pardon of his sinnes though he doth not so easily rest nor so constantly nor fully rely upon him for some particular promises of temporall mercies The sixt is this Thou mayst hang tremblingly upon the promises and yet hang upon them truly And there is a seventh Thou mayst truly rely and dwell upon the promises and yet not truly appropriate and peculiarize them and dwell on them as thy own portion to thy apprehension but of these afterwards The Tenth SERMON LUKE 17. v. 5. Lord increase our faith I Am come now to a sixth proposition which is this A Christian may rely and hang tremblingly upon the promises and yet depend truly a trembling faith is no contradiction faith breeds joy and hence is that of the Apostle The rejoycing of your faith but David hath bidden us Rejoyce with trembling I have read a speech of S. Austine that such as was the degree of sollicitous feare such was the degree of grounded assurance It hath been observed that such men as have had the palsey in their heads have lived to be aged men A Christian I am sure may be a true Christian though the trembling palsey of feare be in him It is the Apostles counsell Phil. 2. â—2 Work out your salvation with feare and trembling Sure I am the work of faith must be done in working out our salvation and this must be done with trembling It is a false and presumptuous tenet that is by some maintained in these times that will banish all feare and trembling from faith as utterly inconsistent with faith and will deny any to have faith but such as have got a confident presumption as if palsied hands were no hands Christ was never so cruell to poor diseased soules as these are Ephraim exalted himselfe by speaking trembling Hos 13. 1. The woman feared and trembled Mar. 5. 33. yet Christ told her that her faith had made her whole Paul trembling said What wilt thou have me to doe Acts 9. 6. And yet I think none in their right wits will deny that the seeds of faith were growing in Pauls heart though the stalk shaked The poor drowning man that catcheth hold of some twig to save his life he knowes he is drowned unlesse he doth it he therefore hangs truly and even casts his whole weight upon it and yet without question his heart trembles for fear though he cannot but think the bough will beare him such is the Beleever the true Beleever is a poor wretch that seeing himselfe undone in a wofull condition sinking to hell even just sinking onely spies a branch of the root of Iesse the Lord Jesus Christ in a promise upon this he claps hold here sayes he I will hang if this promise will beare the weight of a broken undone soule then I am saved if not I perish then the soule considers what burthen it hath to lay upon it and remembers it is the heavy weight of all its originall and actuall sins this makes it tremble and fear I doubt not but Esther when she went in to King Ahashuerosh had very good hopes that she should prevaile and did depend upon that as the last twig of hope she and her people had yet she went in trembling and sayd If I perish I perish Now there may be severall causes alledged for this trembling First It may be the deep apprehension of misery that did precede possibly the poor soule was under a spirit of bondage a long time and shaked in pieces almost with horrour and feare at last God opens a key-hole of mercy and bids the soule look through and see a Christ pardoning all its sinnes and washing it with his precious blood and cancelling all its debts and wiping away its teares the soule at the just opening of this now stands and trembles fearing lest the newes should not to be true and terrified with those late apprehensions not conceiving that hell can be so soon transformed into heaven When Peter had been in the Gaole and the prison and without question full of carnall feares for the next day he was to have been brought out and have been slain and the Lord just in the nick of time sent his Angel and delivered him Act. 12. 9. Peter could not tell what to think of it he wist not that was true that was done by the Angel but thought that he had seen a vision he was fain to stay a while before he came to himselfe V. 11. and said Now I know of a surety that God hath sent his Angel to bring me out So it is with many a poor Beleever he is in Gaole too God hath him in Gaole and the spirit of bondage keeps him in fetters and to his thinking there is scarce a minute sometimes betwixt him and death Alas death were a mercy but he thinks that there is not an haires breadth betwixt him and hell when he lyes downe at night he wonders that he doth not awake in hell in the morning now when under the saddest and deepest apprehensions the soule hath of eternall sinking into hell God beyond all his expectations sends his Angel to knock off these fetters and bring it into the glorious liberty of the Sonnes of God when the soule like Peter is sleeping betwixt two devils as it thinks and is bound with two bellish chaines of terror and feare and the spirit of bondage keeps the prison and the Angel of the Lords consolation comes upon the soule and the light the glimmering glorious light of mercy and consolation shineth into this dark bellish prison and smites the soule and raiseth it up and sayes Soule arise thou art delivered and makes the chaines fall off from the Soule and sayes to the soule Poor soul gird up thy self bind on thy sandalls come stand up from the dead Christ shall give thee light Come come out of this Hell cast thy garments about thee c. no wonder if the soule for a while like Peter wist not that this is true which is done and no wonder if it step a step or two further before its trembling is over especially considering that these terrours seldome are at once but by degrees abated from the soule it passeth like Peter through the first and second ward through one iron gate of feares and then another street of terrours I say considering this it is no great wonder if it be some while before the soule sayes with Peter Now I know of a surety now I know of a surety that the Lord hath sent his Angel and hath delivered me out of the hand of the Devill and from all the expectations of Satan It is an ordinary thing if a man hath been drowning and almost drowned pulld on to the land he trembles and quakes at first as if still hee
yet at all times the soule may not be able to say this promise of Heaven and glory and happinesse belongs to me Psal 77. 7 8 9. Holy Asaph in a dark day with his soule may say Will the Lord cast off for ever and will he be favourable no more Is his mercy cleane gone for ever Doth his promise faile for evermore Hath God forgotten to be gracious Hath he in anger shut up his tender mercies The reason lies not that the soule doubts of the truth of God in his promises at all no it verily thinketh that if it had fulfilled the conditions of the promises the promises would remaine to its soule as stedfast as Mount Sion but it cannot see that It looks upon its sinnes in a multiplying glasse and upon its repentance in a diminishing glasse Every mountaine of good in its selfe now seemes a Mole-hill and every Mole-hill of sinnes seemeth a Mountaine unto it Thence it is that in the soules dark day of afflictions in the soule or in a dark day of afflictions to the body the soules faith is weakned it is ready to look upon its great affliction as an evidence that it wanteth that interest in God which it should have to apply promises It sayes with Gideon Iudg. 6. 13. when the promise saith like the Angel The Lord is with thee it answers O my Lord if the Lord be with me why then is all this beâ—alne me and where be all his mercies no the Lord hath forsaken me and delivered me to the hand of Satan now the soule must not take a judgement of its faith from hence but appeale abanima perturbata ad animam quietam to a calm day in the soule again Lastly In dark times the truly beleeving soule though it can give no reason for it may not be able to rest and apply the most absolute peculiar promises as its peculiar portion this I shall fully make out by considering what is requisite to be in the soule that shall appropriate any promise to it selfe as its portion upon which it will live in which and upon which it will dwell The Eleventh SERMON LUKE 17. v. 5. Lord increase our faith I Am still treating concerning those doubts and weaknesses which may and often doe consist with true saving faith in a gracious soule My last Proposition I left imperfect it was as you may remember this That a gracious soule may truly rely upon the Lord Jesus Christ and upon his promises for eternall life and yet not be able at all times fully and truely to appropriate and peculiarize all the promises to its self This I shewed in foure Propositions premising first a distinction of promises and secondly a distinction of times my last Proposition was this That in dark times a truly gracious soule may not be able to rest upon and apply the most absolute free promises for salvation so far as to say These promises are my portion To make out this I told you I would shew you what things are requisite to be in the soule that shall appropriate any promise to it selfe as its particular portion whiâ—h is the work at which I then stopt and which I have now to take up for here is the busines with troubled spirits tell them of large absolute free promises as say they here are jewels in boxes but these belong not to us they are not our portion and from hence further they conclude that they have not any true faith because they have not for the present a particular full power to apply these promises as plaisters to their wounded soules and rest upon them but yet I shall shew you the want of this doth not null our faith and is not alwayes a negation of it I conceive there are three things that are requisite to be found in the soule that shall be able to apply any particular promise to its selfe as its portion 1. A cleare understanding of the Promise 2. A cleare understanding of its own condition 3. A mighty and particular working of the Spirit of God upon the soule inabling the souâ—e to make such particular application First There must be a cleare understanding of the Promise the promise must appear to the soule as a salve having a full efficacie and vertue in it for the healing of its sore otherwise the soule can never apply it now it may possibly be that thy non-application of the promise may proceed from thy not understanding the vertue or misunderstanding the intent and end and power and efficacie of the promise possibly thou mayest understand the promise to be made particular when it is propounded generall and such have I my selfe sometimes met with that being under afflictions of spirit when I have propounded a promise to them as a salve fit for their sore they have evaded that way Ah! but that promise was made to the Iewes or to such or to such a particular person it was a plaister spread for anothers wound and what have I to doe to lay hold on it Or it was not made for such a sinner as I am not for a backslider not for such an hard hearted wretch as I am c. and with such cavils have stood at a distance from the promise crying It is not meet that the childrens bread should be given to dogs or perhaps their non-application may proceed from a misunderstanding of the matter of the promises Now for this thou must cleare up thy understanding in the nature of the promise both in respect of the persons to whom it is made and in respect of the matter of the promise and for the more cleare and full understanding of the promise I shall give a rule or two The first is remarkable I find it in a reverend Author which I shall deliver in his words with a little limitation thus Generall promises for spirituall mercies are alwayes to be applyed particularly and particular promises for spirituall and temporall mercies are to be applyed generally I call those generall promises which are either made to Gods people in generall or concerning spirituall things in generall as for example God had made a generall promise to any that should pray toward his Temple 1 King 8. 37. 40. Iehosaphat being after in distresse 1 King 8. 3â— 40. applyed this generall promise to his owne particular condition 1 Chron. 20. 8. 10. 1 Chron. 20 8. 10. And without question it was from a particular faith in this generall promise that Daniel prayed with his windowes open towards Hierusalâ—m Dan. 6. 10. Dan. 6. 10. and so for those promises which are made to the people of God for spirituall mercies in generall Psa 84. 11. such is that promise Psal 84. 11. He will give grace and glory and no good thing will be with-hold from them that live uprightly ought to be applyed for any spirituall good thing Iam. 1. 12. or particular dispensation of grace So the Apostle Iames 1. 12. would have the
as every thing that hangeth upon a pin or a peg is as sure as the pin or peg on which it hangeth So that soule that hangs upon the mercy and Free-grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the rocky promises of salvation is as sure as the promise c. And thus I think I have sufficiently cleared the first thing that a Christian may have a true saving Faith yea and such a one as shall be strong and certain both in respect of the object and event that yet hath not this sublime act of Faith which is assurance I hasten to a second conclusion and all the rest of my Propositions with respect to a full perswasion that our sins already are actually and formally pardoned 2. Conclus Thy Assurance and perswasion that thy sins are pardoned may be a true perswasion and assurance though but weak or to speak more properly you may have this reflex act of faith and be perswaded that your sins are pardoned and this perswasion may be a true reflex act of faith and yet not constant in degrees Sometimes it may be weaker sometimes stronger I call the weakest perswasion wrought in the soul that its sins are pardoned a reflex act of faith for I doe not think that it is a piece of Faith necessary to the justification of a soule that it should believe that its sinnes are really and actually pardoned though it be a beame of grace that the soule should love and look after more then the world and it is and ought to bee more pretious to a believing soule then all the rocks of gold or mountaines of silver or beds of spices or ten thousand rivers of oyle yet I say I doe not take it to be an act of justifying Faith but of the justifyed soule Now this may be true in the soule though it be sometimes weaker and sometimes stronger That soule that all times is perswaded that its sins are pardoned and actually remitted is not alwayes a like perswaded of it It is a beame of Gods manifestative love which admirs of degrees Now as upon the earth in the day time there is alwayes some light though through some interpositions of clouds the light is not alwayes alike so in Christians that the Lord hath brought to this degree that they doe really believe that their sinnes are pardoned though through the sun-shines of Gods manifestative love upon their soules they for the most part think so yet they are not alwayes alike perswaded of it I doe verily believe that David generally was in this temper and who so peruses his pretious book of Psalmes will finde that he takes the pardon of sinnes for granted yet who so againe peruses the severall Psalms will easily perceive that Davids perswasion was not alwayes alike as any one may see by comparing Psal 6. and Psal 41. vers 11. you shall finde him in some Psalmes altogether singing and praysing and triumphing not a mention of a teare but in others declaring perswasion yet wants expressing confidence yet teares as in that sixth Psalme vers 1. 2 3 4. compared with vers 9. Sometimes the heavens are so cleare to gracious soules that the shinings of grace dazzle their soules so much that nothing will satisfie them but heaven Now Lord let thy servant depart in peace O that now I might dye and be incorporated into glory they are so wrapt into the third heavens that they cannot speak their joy another while it is lower water with their soules the Moones influence is not as it was David I am confident would have beene glad of an errand to have sent him out of the world to heaven Psal 34. But the good man again in the 39 Psalm prayes as heartily for his life as any poore wretch could have done that lay under an apprehension of a past sentence in hell against him 1 Pet. 1. 8. we read of a rejoycing with which believers should rejoyce even with joy unspeakable but there was not such a constant overflowing and full tide of joy alwayes sure It is a sure note that manifestative love hath its degrees and it is from a strong influence of Gods manifestative love to the soule that the soule hath such a perswasion now had I leasure I might at large here tell you at what times commonly the spring-tide of assurance flowes highest and on the contrary what may make the apprehension weaker and at what times it is ordinarily most weak 1. Commonly just upon Gods return after a long desertion and sad expectation the souls assurance is very great and its perswasion very high God turns mid-night into mid-day The soule then brings the Lord Jesus Christ into her mothers house into the chambes of her that conceived her commonly when the husband comes home after a long absence and long expectation more then ordinary tokens of love and passages of love are discerned betwixt him and the wife of his bosome Christ comes in then to make amends for his frowns and lowrings with the sweetest kisses and imbraces Mid-winter is turned into a Mid-sommer this you shall finde constantly in Davids Psalmes and so on the contrary when the soule is under desertions if there bee left yet a perswasion that though God doth hide his face yet hee doth not hide his heart yet it is but a weak and just living perswasion 2. And commonly at greatest distresse God comes in with strongest perswasions and fullest assurance as when the Christian is cal'd to Martyrdom or cal'd to dye or cal'd to do any great services that it distrusts its own strength and is ready to feare of faint that nothing but the most reviving quick and hot cordiall water can keep the soule cleane and able to undergoe that great and extraordinary service that God cals for at his hands ordinarily now at such times the Lord is pleased to come in with a fulnesse into the soul It was but yesterday you heard by my Reverend Brother that ordinarily God comes in with sighes which are evidences to sence when the soule is in greatest streights and we shall finde that Gods promise made to Abraham was often renewed to him and to Isaac and to Iacob but the diligent Reader shall observe that God pickt out that time or those times when he called his Saints to some hard work in doing of which their hearts might sink concerning the Lords promise The originall promise was in Gen. 12. 7. it was renewed to him chap. 13. v. 15. when he was to goe out of the land he scarce knew whither and leave it to others to possesse and to Isaac when he went to Gerar Gen. 26. 4. and to Iacob going down to Egypt Gen. 46. 4. At such times the children of God are to doe double work and had need of double strength and so a double subsistence when Eliah was to go in the strength of his meat forty dayes he had need eat a good meale the Angel therefore twice admonished him to arise and eat 1 Kings
ch 19. 6. 7. The journey was great which he had to go the frequent Stories of the Martyrs make this good when the Lord cald them to their great service at the stake he prepared them for their double work with double comforts ravishing their soules with glory and so often that God makes many of his deare Saints live upon short commons all their life time when he brings them to the hard work of dying he gives them a glimpse of glory This is a note of a pretious Divine Rutherford Tryal of faith who gives experiences of it and it is especially when they die strong torturing deaths for alwayes it is not seen it may be they have had all comforts before and may die in conflicts God will try how they can walk in the strength of what they have had or if they have had no bread till then God will hardly call them to die without giving them a crust yet as he sweetly sayeth God walks in liberty here and will not have us to limit the breathings of the holy Ghost to jump with the hour of our dying for we may make an idol of a begun heaven as if it were more excellent then Christ By this you see in stead of much might bee said that assurances may bee weaker and stronger yet true and this will be further made good by my last Conclusion which I will but touch And that is this Concl. 3. Thou mayest have had and againe have a true assurance and full perswasion and for the present have none at all I have spoken so much to this before that I shall need adde very little It is necessary to constitute the true direct act of Faith that it be a continued act and that soule never did truly rely at all that ever since it began to rely ceased to rely but for a reflex act it may be wanting even in the soule that hath had it and may have it againe if God will please to turne his face towards it nay I will question whither ever that Christian had true assurance or no that hath had it as he pretends without any intermission for so long as there remaines a Devill to tempt or a flesh to allure to sin there will be sometimes wants of full assurance yea if there were none of them both I would make it a great question whither the wise God would ever keep such a despensation of his love in a full Sun-shine to any soule though loved never so dearely I am afraid though we have much talk of Faith of assurance now adayes in the world if the Lord should come to sift the hearts of his poor creatures he would scarce finde the mustard-seed Faith of adherence 1. Overpowring temptations 2. Overgrowing corruptions 3. Naturall distempers of Melancholy 4. Divine desertions shall hinder assurance and make the act to cease and judge you then what soule it is probable shall have it an incessant constant act But I have done with this last thing and now I have shewed you what doubts and weaknesses may consist with every act of Faith in a truly gracious soule Now I should shew you from what principle these doubts arise and how they differ from the doubts of unbelieving desparing wretches The Thirtheenth SERMON LUKE 17. v. 5. Lord increase our faith CHAP. XIII How to comfort that soule that thinks it hath not true Faith because it doth not feele God strengthning it to those acts of Grace which it ought to act I Will take leave here apprehending it a seasonable place to bring it in to speak something to one scruple of conscience which doth often perplex many a good Christian and that is want of feeling of Gods love c. Ah! saith many a poore soule did I but indeed know that God and Christ were my Redeemer and portion then I think I should not need be muâ—h intreated to cast away this sadnesse and dejection of spirit but I cannot feele any such thing And this makes a Christian think that it neither doth nor may believe Now there is a double feeling for the want of which many good soules often complaine and upon the want of which they raise to themselves conclusions against believing For want of a distinction I will presume for once to coyne one There is a feeling of peace and a feeling of strength 1. The feeling of peace is when a poor Christian apprehends God appeased to its soule and feels him saying I am thy God the God of thy salvation this is that perswasion which is that highest reflex act of Faith of which I spake the last time and shewed you what degrees and abatements it might meet with in a true Believer Now this a true Christian may want though he doth feel Gods spirit carrying him on to acts of mortification and vivification c. Of this I shall not speak having spoken the last time how farre it may be wanted weakened or abated or discontinued even in Gods true and dear children 2. But there is another feeling which for distinction sake I call a feeling of strength when a Christian though he doth not feele Gods peace sealed up and assured unto his soule yet he cannot deny but hee feels his soul carryed out by God unto duties to love him to desire him to delight in him c. Now this latter feeling ought to satisfie the soul when though God doth not please as yet to apply the promise to his soule yet he feels God enabling him to apply himselfe to the promise when he feels God changing and renewing his heart and affections c. But here is that which many poore Christians want and complaine for the want of they will confesse that could they but feel God strengthening them against their corruptions and carrying out their hearts in acts of love and desire towards him c they would quiet themselves and bee very thankfull to him if he would but give them so much of the morsels of Free-grace as would keep spirituall life in them and keep their hearts from dying for want of mouth-fuls although God would not yet please to let them sit down at the banquetting table of assurance and eat of the sweet meats of that peace which passeth all understanding If God would please to give them but such sips of his flaggons as might stay them though they wanted such dishes of apples as to comfort them it would suffice but alas this they want and how can they believe c. Now all that I shall speak to a Christian in this perplexity I will reduce to these two heads 1. Something by way of Consolation And 2. Something by way of direction First By way of Consolation I should propound these few things as considerations which may tend through the blessing of God to the comforting of such souls in such streights Consid 1. That not feeling doth not argue a not being A thing may be though it be not felt it is no Logick to
of the water of life freely with many such more not as if man could fulfill these conditions in the soule and prepare his owne heart No we abhorre that Popish doctrine though some falsly charge us with it But because Christ wil fulfill them before he bestowes those higher degrees of mercy and favour upon them he will make the soul hunger and thirst before hee will let it know it shall live Is 55 1. and give it power to come unto him Mat. 11. 9. hee will make the soule weary and heavie laden with sin before he will give the soule power to rely upon him comfortably for salvation â—zek 11. 19. He will take away the heart of stone out of the soule and give it an heart of flesh before he will give it power to walk in his statutes and keep his ordinances and do them before he will let it know that he is its God and that it is Gods chosen vessell And thus I have shewed you the distinction of promises and what we shall conclude from hence for our purpose I will shew you by and by when I have done with the distinction of times which I come to The Soule hath its winter and summer 2 Distinction its cloudy and black dayes and its lightsome and glaring dayes First it hath its lightsome summer Sun shine dayes when it is not conscious 1. Of any great sinne committed against knowledge such as Tertullian calls Peccata devorantia salutem Sinnes that swallow up heaven and salvation in the soule 2. When it hath no naturall distempers of body no cloudy melancholy vapours for the soule being to act through the body doth something suffer by it and as it is with a man that looks at the reflection of his face in a glasse if there be a wetnesse or dust upon the glasse he cannot see clearly So the soule if there be a mist or dust of melancholy oppresses the body the soule cannot see and act clearly Or 3. When the body is not under some harsh affliction for the soule sympathiâ—eth with the body and in its acting through the organs of it shewes the affection that it hath with the bodies sufferings and so also there are black and dark dayes for as it is summer time with the soule and day-light when it is not sad and darkned with desertion and when the body is not oppressed with melancholly or affliction or persecution So on the contrary it is winter and a dark time with the soule when the soule hath sinned some great sinne for which the soule looks up trembling to God and looks upon him as an angry revengefull God or when the body is heavy and oppressed with melancholy vapours stopping the passages of the soule or under heavy and grievous affliction that it is born down even to a back-breaking under them even as it is with a fountaine that runs through Conduit-pipes of lead c. or wood into any house if the fountaine be dirty and muddy in it self dirty water comes into the house or if the Conduit-pipes through which it passeth be dirty and tainted the water bringeth the pollution and tang of bitternesse c. that was in the pipe into the house otherwise if both the fountaine be cleare and sweet and the Conduit-pipes be not stopped nor tainted nor dirty then 〈◊〉 water runs sweetly into the place to which the Pipes lead it So it is with the soule that is the fountaine that runs into acts but through the Conduit-pipes of the body if the pipes be stopt or oppressed or muddy or cleare such is the actings of the soule And thus I have shewed you the distinctions both of times and promises now I shall conclude the truth of this proposition in some four or five Conclusions First of all Particular promises must not be expected to be peculiarized we may not expect that those promises which were made to the people of the Jewes in particular should be made good to us because they had promises to be delivered out of Babylon and Egypt at such a prefixt time it were madnesse in us to beleeve that the Church of God should be now delivered just after 70. years or 400. years and so likewise what promises were made to any particular persons amongst the Jewes as for any now to apply that promise made to Hezekiah I will adde to thy life 15. years I think we have a rule here in Land That if an inheritance be intailed by name it cannot be translated to any other these promises were entail'd by name these thou canst not nay oughtst not to apply they are not a portion by thy father design'd for thee Secondly It may possibly be that in some times thou mayest not be able to appropriate the temporall promises that God hath made to his children amongst which thou art included 1. In the darke time of want and penury to beleeve for bread to eate when I see none like to come O it is hard feeding upon Scripture leaves I shewed you this the last day 't is nothing to doe it or at least to think we doe it in times of prosperity Habakuks faith Hab. 3. 17. was an hard faith though it were a strong and precious one 2. In the dark time of desertions It is hard as I shall shew you by and by to apply those promises that are of neerest concernment to our salvation much more those which are at so remote a distance 3. In a time when melancholy dark cloudy vapours of the body cast a wist before the soules eye and will not give it leave to act clearly 4. In a time when the soule hath sinned thou mayest not fully rely and be so confident as before To peculiarize these promises I shewed you the ground of this before because though God hath promised that his Saints shall never eternally fall out of his favour yet he hath and will punish his Saints for sinne with the substraction of temporall favors as I shewed you before in the case of David and I take that to be an old Antinomian errour instead of a new truth That God doth not with temporall afflictions correctively punish his best servants for sin Lastly It doth not argue a nullity of faith and true saving faith at any time not to be able to appropriate outward temporall promises for although it is our duty to rely and depend upon all the promises yet if wee through infirmity be not able to rely upon these I conceive it doth not null the verity of our faith salvation being not the thing promised in these Thirdly For those that are conditionall promises in dark times the soule may not be able clearly and fully to apply them rest upon them and particularly apply them and yet at the same time truly dwell and rest upon them What spirituall promises are made conditionally in Scripture I have shewed you before now it may possibly be that even these though of great concernment to the soule