but the drooping distressed Christian also questioneth all this because of the deceitfulness of the heart Alas the Scripture tells us that the heart of man is desperately wicked and deceitfull above all things o From Jer. 1.9 The Papists cavils the drooping Christian doubts who can know it and if the heart of man cannot bee known how can wee say wee beleeve or love God For this consider these four things 1. Another man cannot know it I cannot certainly and infallibly know whether another man be sincere or what his heart is for it is the prerogative and excellency of God to bee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one that knows the hearts of all men Act. 1.24 2. A wicked mans heart is so wicked and there is such a depth of wickedness in his heart that hee cannot come to the bottome of it 3. If a man cannot know all the secret turnings and windings of his heart yet hee may know the general scope and frame of his heart 4. If hee could not do this of himself yet assisted by the spirit of God which all beleevers have received hee might know the frame bent scope inclination of his own heart Thus far the first proposition that a man may know that hee hath sincere faith in Christ and love to God Now wee proceed to the second 2 Proposition which shews the connexion between grace and glory Second Proposition is this that there is an infallible connexion between justifying faith unfeigned love and eternal glory The Apostle tells us of some things that may bee called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 6.9 things that accompany salvation Having or containing Salvation that are contiguous to salvation that the one toucheth the other this must bee proved for else though I know I do beleeve and love God sincerely to day I can have no infallible assurance of salvation because this may bee lost before to morrow or before I dye Now this I shall indeavour to prove by these three following particulars 1 From the verity of Gods promises 1. The undoubted verity of Gods promises proveth an inseperable connexion between sincere grace and eternal glory Faith is the eye of the soul with it through a promise as through a perspective-glass can the soul have a view of Heaven and glory What greater certainty or security can a man have than the infallible promise of that God who is truth it self who will not deny his Word but the same Love and free Grace that moved him to infuse Grace into thy heart and to make the Promise will move him also to give the thing promised Joh. 3.16 God so loved the world that hee gave his onely begotten Son that whosoever beleeveth on him should not perish but have everlasting life Joh. 5.24 Hee that beleeveth hath everlasting life Hee hath it in the Promise hee hath it in the first-fruits Rom. 8.23 But wee our selves also which have the first-fruits of the Spirit The Jews by offering their first fruits did testifie their thankfulness to God for what they had received and hopes of the full crop in due time Hee hath everlasting life then it must not end Mark 16.16 Hee that beleeveth and is baptized shall bee saved Hee that beleeveth not shall bee damned As certainly as the unbeleever shall be cast into outer darkness so certainly shall the beleever be partaker of the glorious Inheritance of the Saints in Light The Promise is as true as the Threatning Act. 16.30 31. There you see a poor convinced wounded sinner under the load of guilt that had a sight of his lost undone deplorable condition coming to the Apostles and speaking after this manner Yee men of God yee servants of the Lord if there bee any way for mee who have been so great a sinner that have done enough ten thousand times over to damn my own soul if there be any certain way to avoid damnation I beseech you tell mee if there be any means by which I might certainly be saved as you pitty my sinful soul my bleeding heart my wounded conscience tell mee what it is declare it to mee What is the Apostles answer Beleeve on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved The Apostles speak not doubtingly perhaps thou shalt be saved perhaps thou mayest be damned If thou get Faith it may be thou mayest get Heaven Alas what relief peace satisfaction would this have been to his wounded conscience But they speak peremptorily beleeve and thou shalt be saved So that prove thou that thou hast Faith and these Scriptures prove thou shalt have salvation The Connexion therefore will not be questioned if I beleeve I shall be saved this God hath promised but shall not a beleever lose his Faith in Christ and lose his Love to God for the Remonstrants grant that a beleever qua talis as a beleever cannot fall away not come short of glory but qui talis est Hee that is a beleever may fall away totally and finally and so cannot have assurance of salvation because hee hath no assurance that hee shall persevere in his beleeving and state of grace To this I oppose these places of Scripture 1 Thes 5.23 24. And the very God of Peace sanctifie you wholly and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body bee preserved blameless therefore preserved from Apostacy which is exceedingly blame-worthy till when till the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ is this a prayer and not a promise yea it is a prayer indited by the Spirit of God and hath a promise following it if you will read on Faithful is hee that calleth you who also will do it Here the Apostle that had the Spirit prayeth for perseverance and the Apostle that had the Spirit promiseth perseverance Certainty then of perseverance doth not make men careless in the use of means not prayers needless by praying a man obtains the thing promised and the certainty that hee hath by the promise of obtaining puts life into his prayers Phil. 1.6 Being confident of this very thing that hee which hath begun a good work in you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 denoteth more safety than 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 will perform it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 will finish it will perfect it until the day of Jesus Christ 1 Pet. 1.5 Kept garrisoned by the power of God through Faith unto Salvation Joh. 10.28 30. 1 Cor. 10.13 But will with the Temptation make a way to escape therefore they shall persevere for to enable the beleever to persevere in all tentations is to make a way to escape the destruction and hurt the tentation tendeth to God doth promise this absolutely Jer. 32.38 40. And they shall bee my people and I will bee their God and will make an everlasting Covenant with them that I will not turn away from them to do them good but I will put my fear into their hearts that they shall not depart from mee They shall not forsake God because God will not
irrational to love Christ because his purpose and design is to take our hearts from the pursuit of all but God And until you know God to bee your happiness you will never understand the best reasons that I may not say the only that you have to love him That man loves Christ best that most fully knows God to be his eternal rest and blessedness and loves him as such 4. Direction Get a Gospel-knowledge of Christ both what hee was originally and what hee hath stooped and humbled himself to be for thy sake why hee came into the world how hee lived and dyed and what was the Covenant between the Father and him how hee is exalted and honoured by God and what great things are promised both by Father and Son to all that in Christ sincerely draw nigh to God Oh the sweet gales of affection which by spiritual Meditation upon Christ will begin to blow within us Wee cannot muse upon Christs dyiâ—g and rising again and inviting us to love him but the fire will burn A considering Faith in Christ will naturally bud and blossome into love 5. Direction Beleeve the reality of his love to theâ— I mean that hee did all that ever hee did for thee out of a hearty and real affection to thee and that hee still desires to have the match made up betwixt thy soul and himself This fond prejudice whereby souls put discouragements upon themselves is that which spoils many a match Do not weaken thy soul by making difficulties where there are none if thou hearest Christ inviting stir up thy self oh thou convinced soul as if thou heardest him even calling to thee by Name Beleeve it that Christ is never better pleased than when hee is loved and that hee came no less to procure thy love than to testifie his own The way to love Christ in good earnest is to beleeve that hee is so in his offers of grace to us 6. Direction Understand the world throughly and bee jealous of thy own heart therein Remember that of the Apostle who knew what it was to love Christ as well as any man ever did 1 Joh. 2.15 If any man love the world the love of the Father is not in him Wee may well enough add Nor the love of the Son We may offer to our Lord cor fractum or a broken heart but wee must not presume to desire him to accept our cor divisum or divided heart Remember that Christ and the World are two contrary each to other and the single stream of love cannot run two contrary waies at once If our hearts bee not crucified to the world the love of Christ will never live with in us 7. Direction Bee much in attendance on those means or Ordinances wherein Christ is evidently set forth and by his Spitit wooing souls to love him If Faith comes by hearing so no less certainly doth love Christ most commonly honours his own Ordinances and Officers in making up the match between himself and souls so hee did Paul 2 Cor. 11.2 8. Direction Go to God and Christ for love When you have gotten your hearts well warmed with the use of all the fore-mentioned means then go to God and Christ and turn thy Meditations into Petitions Plead hard and heartily all those moving Considerations which were set down to usher in these Directions God delights to honour prayer in this great work of his in drawing souls to Christ No Prayer no Faith And it is as true No Prayer no Love no Marriage to Christ I have done with the Directions of the first kind and have therein almost prevented my self from going any further it being a Rule in the spiritual as well as the natural growth that wee are nourished by the very same that gave us our first beings If wee know by what means wee came by our love at first and have but appetites whetted on to a further growth wee need little more And therefore having first perswaded you carefully to continue to practise over the fore-mentioned Directions I only add 1. Direction Consider much your own Experiences and the great advantages you have made by this grace I need not tell you what they are because yee know them well enough already and the sense of past advantage will best quicken to future diligence which is the second 2. Direction Bee constant in the exercise of that love yee have The best way to strengthen any habit is to bee often repeating its Acts. Wee cannot do any thing better to increase love than to be often acting love 3. Direction Get Faith more rooted and that will make your love to bee more inflamed If you would have fruitful branches you must keep the Root of the Tree fat and if you would have any Grace to thrive you must be sure to strengthen Faith 4. Direction Take heed you bee not willingly guilty of any known wickedness against Christ for this will cause Christ to withdraw it will occasion in thy heart a jealousie and that will bee an abatement of thy love Bee conscientiously diligent in all known duties 5. Direction Get thy heart daily more throughly crucified to the world and better acquainted with Heaven and the love of God The more you love God the more you will and must love Christ 6. Direction Bee much in the Communion of Saints and then especially when together with them thou mayest look on and admire the love of thy crucified Saviour in the Lords Supper They that are most where Christ is to bee enjoyed love him best And these are briefly the heads of Directions in answer to each of these Inquires They might have been more largely insisted on and pressed but this defect must bee supplied by your selves Remember again and with that I will conclude that it is not the knowledge of these Directions that will advantage you but the serious and diligent practice of them And so Grace bee with all them that in the diligent use of these means get and inflame their love to the Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity Wherein lies that exact Righteousnesse which is required between man and man MATTH 7.12 Therefore all things whatsoever you would that men should do unto you do yee even so to them for this is the Law and the Prophets THese words being brought in by way of Inference from something said before wee must look back a little to finde out the relation of them to the former verses At the 7th verse Christ commands to ask of God those things which wee want to incourage us to ask hee promises wee shall receive to induce us to beleeve this promise hee puts a temporal case Our earthly Fathers which are evil give us good things when we ask them how much more easily may wee beleeve this of a good God of infinite goodness Now as wee desire God should give us those things wee ask so wee should do to others and not only so but universally in all other things what wee would
blessings before they can be refreshing Ioh 10.28 Ioh. 14.3 Col. 2.7 Ioh. 15.1 5. Eph. 1.22 23. and this alone from Christ I give unto them eternall life and they shall never perish I go to prepare a place for you I will come again and receive you unto my self that where I am ye may be there also And what is cleerly asserted in these Scriptures is strongly intimated in those emblems by which Christ is described What the root is to the Tree the Vine to the branches the head to the body all this is Christ to believers viz. not only a treasury of all good but a fountain continually streaming down all kind of spirituall blessings into their souls and though faith be both the eye that discerns and the hand that receives all from Christs fullnesse yet 't is he that by his Spirit works this grace in us Faith is our act Gal. 5.22 Ephes 2 8. Phil. 1.29 but it is his gift 't is we that beleeve but 't is Christ enables us to beleeve so that both in purchasing and applying salvation Christ is All. 3. What advantage is it to beleevers to have their All in Christ 1. Because our salvation could have been in no hand so safe so sure as in the hand of Christ had it been in our hand by any inhaerent righteousnesse Psal 89.19 Isa 63.1 Heb. 4.15 Heb. 7.25 our sad experience we have had of our own unfaithfullnesse in sinning away that happinesse wherein we were created may cause us for ever to be jealous of our selves but to have it in the hand of him who is mighty to save even to the utmost who is so faithfull that in all our distresses he is touched with our infirmities we cannot be so sensible of our own miseries but Christ is much more Acts 4.12 and hence it is that as we have no other Saviour besides him so is it impossible we should have any like unto him 2. Because our salvation could have been in no way so comfortable because as God hath the glory of every attribute so have Christians the comfort of every attribute in this way of salvation for as God hath the glory of his Justice from them in their Head and surety to whom in this way he shews mercy mercy and truth are met together Psalm 85.10 righteousnesse and peace have kissed each other Justice it self that dreadfull attribute to guilty creatures is in this way of salvation so far from being their enemy that it becomes their friend and speaks nothing but what is to their encouragement And hence it is that sincere believers have from the very justice of God answered all manner of discouragements arising from their sins Who is he that condemneth it is Christ that died Rom. 8.34 i. e. since God hath already received satisfaction from Christ he cannot in justice require it from the members of Christ Rom. 3.26 Prov. 28.13 With 1 Ioh. 1.9 but is just in the justifying him that believeth in Jesus and if we confesse and forsâ—ke our sins he is faithfull and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousnesse Thus hath the justice of God been their great support in the time of their outward dangers also Psal 89.14 Justice and judgement are the habitation of his Throne In a word this way of salvation which was the contrivance of infinite wisdome and is in it self so mysterious that the Angels delight to look into it does so fully correspond with the condition of poor weak sinfull mutable creatures that it layes a double obligation of praise upon us that salvation is possible and that the way of salvation is so compleat and full The Doctrinall part of this Observation being thus cleared one word by way of Application Vse 1. If Christ be All then is there no ground of despondency either from your own defectivenesse or the defectivenesse of all creature helps Your duties are defective Phil. 3.9 your endeavours defective your very righteousnesse unsafe to confide in But though you have nothing in your selves yet if you have an interest in Christ you need nothing more because in Christ you have All. 1. You have the summe of All. Though you have not estates friends worldly comforts yet in Christ you have what does more than make up the want of all these We may be as impatiently desirous of this and that earthly comfort as Rachel was of children Gen. 30.1 1 Sam. 1.8 whom we find quarrelling with Jacob Give me children or else I die But what Elkanah said to Hannah in the like condition Am I not better unto thee than teâ— sons the same may we say much more to persons interested in Christ Is not Christ better to you than all The absence of the Cistern may well be dispensed with by him who lives at the fountain and the light of a Candle by him who enjoyes the Sun All those seeming contradictions which so frequently occurre in Scripture can no other wayes be reconciled but by the acknowledgement of this E. gr A father of the fatherlâ—sse Psal 68.5 Iam. 2.5 2 Cor. 6.10 How can they be fatherlesse who have a father Thus we read of them who were rich in the midst of poverty who having nothing possâ—ssed All things joyfull in the midâ—t of sorrows i. e. though they had not these comforts yet they had an interest in him who is infinitely more and better than all those comforts Nay as to inhaerent righteousnesse though you cannot attain a perfection yet in Christ is perfection He is All. 2. You have in him the pledge of All according to the Apostles argumentation Rom. 8.32 How shall be not with him also freely give us All things The Inference is strong Had there been any one mercy that God had thought too great too much for worthlesse creatures it would certainly have been this but since God hath not stuck at giving his Son This instance of Gods bounty is so high that it removes all grounds of questioning his bounty in any thing else The Apostle from this mercy might very well infer a certain subsequence of all other mercies that might be profitable or beneficiall no ground of despondency therefore unto such as are interested in Christ Vse 2. What cause have we to be thankfull for Christ We have cause to be thankfull for the meanest of mercies Gen. 32.10 inasmuch as we are lesse than the least of all much more for this which is the highest of mercies The mercies of our Creation preservation c. though never so many and great are little in comparison of this 'T is mentioned as an astonishing act of love that God should so love the world as to give his only son c. Joh. 3.16 so beyond all comparison so beyond all expression If God hath given you his Son 't is more than if he had given you a whole world Ephes 1.3 because it is in him that God
their great and supream Oracle in their mishapen apprehensions of their need of mercy they are willing to be flattered that it may be had without such severities in Religion u Quà m minu tatum pede tentim decline à deo itaâ— profundum de scendat ut super eam urgeà puteus oâ— summ mundi prospiritas alludit illudit cum laudetur peccator in desideriis animae suae cum peccantium favor peccâ—re nolentium pavor nolens dolens arridet ei c Bern. l. de consc p. 1109. as they are unwilling to undertake Why should they be wiser then their Neighbours all men are not fools Men as wise and as learned neither press nor practise such strictness and do you think they have not a care of their souls they do not doubt but they shall do as well as the best Though poor souls they know that wide is the gate and broad is the way w Mat. 7.13.14 that leadeth to destruction and many there be which go in thereat because strait is the gaâ—e and narrow is the way that leadeth unto life and few there be that finde it Mark that that find it he doth not say x Non dicit pauci ingrediuntur quod difficillimuÌ„ sed pauci inveniunt Par. in loc that enter into it but that find it Those that do not walk in the way of holinesâ— y vide Auth. imperfec oper Hom 18. p. 72. 't is impossible they should ever find it The gate doth not lead to the way but the way to the gate Do not think to get to heaven first and learn heavenly mindedness after yea heaven must now suffer z Mat. 11.12 violence striving is the condition a Luk. 13.24 vide Stell in loc of entring Rouze up therefore and shake off your worldly wisdome b See Abernethy's physick for the soul c. 7. p. 92. c. your ignorant self-self-love your abuse of mercies your contempt of God and your forgetfulness of death and judgement But how shall we do this 1. The first remedy I shall commend is Consideration Cure Let the subject of thy consideration be with thou wilt only I could wish it may relate to eternity whither thou art posting and I shall not doubt of the success Let me for once insert a relation I heard between the preaching and the transcribing of this Serm. The Father of a Prodigal left it as his death-bed charge unto his only Son to spend a quarter of an hour every day in retired thinking but left him at liberty to thinke of what he would onely engaged him to spend a quarter of an hour in thinking The son having this liberty to please himself in the subject sets himselfe to the performance of his promise his thoughts one day recall his past pleasures another contrive his future delights but at length his thoughts became inquisitive what might be his fathers end in proposing this task he thought his father was a wise and good man therefore surely he intended and hoped that he would some time or other think of Religion when this leaven'd his thoughts they multiplyed abundantly neither could he contain them in so short a confinement but was that night sleepless and afterwards restlesse till he became seriously religious O that I could perswade you to go and do likewise 2. Observe what means thou shunnest as too startling and make use of them for thy awakening This with the blessing of God will savingly awaken thee O how often hath thy Conscience whimper'd thou hast husht it to sleep again What doth thy sleepy Conscience most dread an awakening Ministry So far cross thy Conscience as to attend no other In stead of lullaby notions improve cutting c Tit. 1.13 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 redarguito praecitè Bez. Generalis cujusdem religiosi ordinis qui ut suos hortaretur ne minus conscientiae studerent quam scientiae dixit majores suos se vitamque suam direxisse conscientiâ nunc autem abbreviatam videri verbum istud ac mutilatum primâ syllabâ viz succedente illi scientiâ verendum deinceps ne hoc verbum mutiletur primâ syllabâ adeóque relinquatur sola entia rationis circa quae versatur saepè speculativa tantum scientia ac nudae speculationes Brester de consc l. 1. c. 7. p. 28. Sect. 57. convictions The scared Conscience II. The second kind of Conscience proposed is the seared Conscience Such is theirs who have given up their names to Christ but lift up their heel against him of which the Apostle speaks a 1 Tim. 4.2 having their consciences seared with an hot iron i. e. having a corrupt and b Corruptam putrifactam atque putredinem cum foetore semper emittentem Anselm in loc putrified conscience that have the Devils brand mark c Cauterio d'aboli penetratam esse ut indelebiliter eandom retineant conscientiam c. Cajet in loc upon it Plainly a seared Conscience is a rotten d Abern ibid. c. 8 p. 109. venemous ulcerate pestilent filthy gangrenate Conscience that doth not perform any of it's offices but is even past feeling that is or might have been in Christs Hospitall under cure of soul-distempers but through indulging of sin not being able to endure the sharp e Jer. 44.16 c. convictions bitter reproofs and cloâ—e exhortations of the word he deadens his Conscience unto an insensible senslesnesse to this rank of profligate sinners I refer all those that frequent as well as those that reject Ordinances that make a profession as well as those that hate the profession of Religion yet have a reserve of sin which they will not part with Searing you know is of that part which needs cure The causes Cause of a seared Conscience are Conscience-wasting sinnes on mans part procuring it and divine withdrawing from the sinner on Gods part inflicting it As there are are some f Morbus venenereus bodily diseases that follow bodily wickednesse so this Soul-disease is the peculiar punishment of sins against knowledge Methinks that Text is dreadfull g Rom 1.28 See also v. 21.24 26. As they did not like to retain God in their knowledge God gave them over to a reprobate minde c. 'T is observable h Ecce quotiens vindicat Deus ex eadem vindâ—cta pâ—ura graâ—iora peccata consurgunt Bed in loc the oftner they rebelled against the light the more severely God punished them with that which they counted impunity viz. he gave them up to their swinge i Tradidit Deus substractione gratiae traditione in potestatem Satanae 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in mentem reprobâ—m actâ— vè passivè intelligendo c. And aâ—l this to be such a recompence of their errour 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quam oportuâ—t i. e. quam ex ordine justitiae suae Deus ipsis dehabeat retriâ—uâ—re Par. in loc of 1.
Did ever any read hear or pray so much but he might have read heard and pray'd more Jehoram might have waited on the Lord longer 2 Kings 6. ult 5. Conclus Humane endeavours are not required to co-operate with Gods grace and so make it effectual but his grace makes their endeavours effectual when he pleaseth Physical means make not Gods power effectual but his power makes them effectual and so it s in mens endeavours It is not of him that willeth nor of him that runneth but of God that sheweth mercy Rom. 9.16 6. Conclus All that men do before Conversion is not in vain fruitless and to no purpose When Rehoboam and the Princes humbled themselves at the preaching of Shemaiah they were reprieved and delivered from destruction 2 Chro. 12.12 Ahabs humiliation did adjourn the judgement 1 King 21.27.29 The Ninivites found favour with God upon their fasting and repentance Jon. 3.8 9 10. 7. Conclus All the Actings and endeavours of men whatsoever they be are not formaliter dispositions or preparations to conversion so that conversion must necessarily follow upon them For there is no necessary connexion between the actings of Men and divine Grace The Lord hath no where said if you act so far or be so disposed qualified or prepared I will convert you If Gods grace did depend upon mens Actings then those that are most Civil and Moral must be taken and those who are profane and rebellious must be left but Pharisees were excluded when Publicans and Harlots were admitted Great sinners sometimes are brought in who did nothing towards their conversion when those did much are shut out Mary Magdalen a great and infamous sinner is taken when the foolish Virgins were refused they were Virgins free from the spots and pollutions of the world they had lamps professions they did much they went out to meet the Bride-groom they gat oyle into their lamps they went to the door and they cryed Lord Lord open to us Haec sunt opera preparatoria quibus se effert Paulus Jun. in locum and there was no opening to them What preparations had Paul to this work of conversion he was a blasphemer a persecuter and an injurious person these were his dispositions and preparatory works he had towards his conversion 1 Tim. 1.13 8. Conclu Those that live under the means of grace the administrations of Law and Gospel have some operations and gifts of the Spirit which some call common preventing and exciting Grace whereby they are inabled to do many things towards and in order to conversion The Scribe that was teachable and answered Christ discreetly was not farre from the kingdome of God Mark 12.32 34. He was nearer unto it than those had not the means The preaching of the Gospel is to make the converted meet for Glory and the unconverted meet for Grace to prepare and bring them to regeneration I have begotten you through the preaching of the Gospel saith Paul to the Corinthians 1 Epist 4.15 The preaching of it wrought much in them before conversion it selfe was wrought Balaam living under the Law and amongst or nigh the people of God was much inlightned and greatly convinced insomuch that he desired to die the death of the righteous 9. Conclus No actings of men or qualifications in men are causes of conversion do merit it or make them congruous for it They are not antecedent causes or so much as Causae sine quibus non but the Lord doth according to his Prerogative work sometimes where they are not as Ezek. 16. When thou wast in thy bloud I said unto thee live There was no cause condition or qualification in them to beget affection or move the Lord to do ought for them It was the time of his love and he said live 10. Conclus What ever the endeavours and dispositions of men be they are only by way of order before Conversion they are only antecedaneous thereunto on mans part not necessary on Gods part who can and oft doth work where there be no such previous acts or dispositions as in the dry bones in Ezekiel they had no disposition or power in them to rattle and come together neither had the dead womb of Sarah any power or vertue in it to conceive 11. Conclus Acts of men towards Conversion are not to be rested in as any satisfaction for sinne as making the person acceptable to God or as inducements of God towards conversion Qui nobis ipsis nihil a deo meriti sumus quibus deus nullam gratiam nullam mercedē debet se si jure nobiscum agat juxta conditionē servorū Brugensis in loc but we must acknowledge our selves unprofitable servants when we have done all that is commanded us Luke 17.10 12. Conclus Mans quickning believing repenting or turning are not acts of man in part and partly of God but they are wholly of God and from God You hath he quickned Ephes 2.1 they were dead and could not quicken themselves it was He the Lord So no man can come to me except the Father draw him John 6.44 This drawing or causing the soule to believe in Christ is wholly the Fathers work Nisi donum dei esset ipsa ad deum nostra conversio non ei diceretur Deus virtutum converte nos Aug. de gra lib. Arb. Jam. 1.17 August And Ephraim saith Turn thou me and I shall be turned Jer. 31.18 he could not turne himselfe if the Lord had not done it it would never have been done Paul saith It 's not in him that wills c. but in God c. The will and deed are of him not of man Phil. 2.13 It is the Lord who is causa totius entis Every good and perfect gift comes downe from above it 's not a perfect gift if man contribute to it The saying of the Father is sound Velle habemus sed bene velle in parte in toto est a gratia 13. Conclus Man in the first act of conversion is meerly passive Those who believe are borne not of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man but of God nothing of mans will comes in Not ultimum dictamen intellectus did set the will on work here but the Lord begat them of his owne will Jam. 1.18 So that mans will is not semiviva semimortua but penitus extincta ad bonum spirituale and so ad hoc to this of Conversion as the vitall faculty is gone in a dead man 14. Conclus Mans will being first converted to God and by God himselfe converts it selfe also unto God acta agit as a childs hand in writing being acted by the Masters hand it writes Hence man may be said to turn himself for the will being healed and made good of unwilling willing it hath an intrinsecal principle of willing good and so dominion over its own acts whereby it turneth it selfe to God Where there is the Fathers drawing first there is presently the
of thy childe and the blood of thy servant at thy hands one day Dost thou love thy childe a Heathen will teach thee thy duty To love saith hee Arist Ethic. l. 2. c. 4. is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to desire good things for such and according to the utmost ability to endeavour to accomplish them There i◠but one good thing that is absolutely necessary for thy childe and that is a happy union to God What hast thou yet done to the effecting of that Many are eagerly bent upon those designs how their children Sueton. in Calig c. 42. like Caligula in the Historian may tumble in a room full of gold but take little pains for the gold of Ophir Prov. 3.14 15. and that wisdome which is far above Rubies Know that all the sins of Relations under your charge that are not reproved and corrected for will become yours Every drunken fit of thy servant will be counted thine to answer for Every turn of pleasure that thy children and servants take in the fields upon Gods holy day with thy approving connivance Isa 58.13 2 Ep. Ioh. 11. will turn to thy account at the great Tribunal If thou wouldest finde favour with God labour to divert them from the waies that lead to the chambers of death He that neglects his duty herein does what in him lyes to damn his childe and himself too As if he were in league with death in covenant with Satan Isa 28.15 and with Hell were at an agreement as if it were a laughing matter for himself and all his Relations to fall into the bottomless pit of fire and brimstone Oh how many families are the filthy cages of unclean birds like so many hog-styes and sinks of all manner of abominations Wee can scarce walk the streets but we shall hear swearing and cursing and polluting Gods holy Name and many obscene and filthy speeches and see great wickedness committed even by young striplings and this is because they are not instructed and taught the fear of the Lord at home by their Parents and Rulers There be many ruffling Gallants in our times that look upon holiness as a crime and count it their bravery to go towards Hell with open mouth with a full swinge that swim down the Rivers of Riot and Luxury into the dead Sea 1 Pet. 2.13 That are so far from reproving others for sin that they commend and incourage them rather that have much ado to bear with servants that perform excellent service 1 Pet. 4.4 Sueton. in Nerone c. 5. if they will not drink healths and be debaucht as well as themselves more like Nero than Christians If their children serve Satan never so much they matter it not so they do not ruine their Patrimony No wonder that their children be profligate and vile that have such sad examples The Spirit of God takes notice that Ahaziah was a wicked man 2 Chron. 22.3 and gives this for the reason His Mother was his counsellour to do wickedly Such as will be angry rather if their Relations do not walk in the waies of sin Aelian de animal l. 5. c. 16. Rom. 3.13 like the Wasps in the Naturalist that dip their stings in the poison of Vipers Their angry tongues are tinctured in the venome of sin Oh how much good might a Theophilus do when greatness and holiness run in a blood how would the generations to come rise up and bless them how much honour might they bring to God how would Religion flourish how would our fields bring forth peace and our streets run down with rivers of Righteousness 3. Hence we learn the horrible sin of such that cause others to do wickedly that egge on others to the commission of sin that encourage children to prophane the Sabbath to lye and swear and seem to approve of delight and rejoyce in it Who knowing the judgement of God that they which commit such things are worthy of death not only do the same Rom. 1.32 but have pleasure in them that do them 4. Hence we may infer what great wisdome is requisite in managing those means that are proper and useful in order to the salvation of our Relations what integrity of heart what sincerity what holy contempt of the scorns of this wicked world Dost thou take upon thee the study of wisdome Epictet c. 29. saies the Stoick prepare thy self speedily 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be laught to scorn and expect that many should mock at thee how much greater is the depravation of mens hearts since the fall in opposition to true holiness Many a bitter taunt and scoff must thou go under but in wisdome pass it by regard it not you work for souls One soul begotten to God is better than the gaining of whole Kingdomes and Empires 5. To such as live under holy Rulers and Governours of families that you would highly esteem them for their labour of love that you would count it a singular mercy that God hath given any of you a holy Father or a holy Mother such as have spent many an hour in secret for thy good that have sought it earnestly at the Throne of Grace that thy life might be hid with God in Christ Look upon their instructions as so many Pearls Prov. 1.9 their Reproofs as so many Rubies to wear about thy neck Not to be reproved in the way of sin is a great judgement Hos 2.6 To have these Thorns and Briars cast in the way to our sinful lovers is a great mercy Oh how many blessings do children injoy by means of praying-parents count it a great and an admirable favour from God 6. To such as are employed and exercised in this excellent duty and study to perform it conscientiously Who seriously endeavour that their yoak-fellows may be the Spouses of Christ their posterity the children of our heavenly Father their servants the freemen of Christ their kindred of the Blood-Royal of Heaven Let mee say as our blessed Lord to Zacheus This day is Salvation come to this house This day hast thou fellowship with the Father and with the Son The God of Heaven goes along with thee Though thou dost not see the desired fruit of thy labour at present do not despond the work is Gods It is like to some of those seeds which sown in the earth will not come up till the second Spring Iames 5.7 The husband-man waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth and hath long patience for it until hee receive the early and latter rain It is often seen that there is a mighty Power of God going along with such constant endeavours at length the diligent hand may make thee rich The Grace that dwelt in the Grandmother Lois in the Mother Eunice dwelt afterward in their little Son Timothy Though God is not tied by any bond of nature 2 Tim. 1.5 yet fervent prayer is of a high esteem in the sight of God The use
of means directed by God is a hopeful sign of mercy intended where God chuseth to the end he ordains to the means He hath chosen us to be holy that we might be glorious Ephes 1.4 11. However God deal with you in that particular request yet be sure your care and pains will not lose a signal reward your prayers shall return into your own bosome and I tell thee God watcheth over such a family in a way of mercy and peace His eye of grace is toward thee his holy hand will uphold thee his heart will bless thee Unto his good pleasure commit thy self and wait the successe go on and prosper thou blessed of the Lord. What are the Characters of a Souls sincere Love to Christ and how may that love to him be kindled and inflamed EPHESIANS 6.24 Grace bee with all Them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity THese words may well be treated on without much Preface Rom. 16.24 1. Cor. 16.23 24. 2 Ep. 13.14 Gal. 6.18 there being nothing in them which speaks any dependance upon or connexion with any thing that went before Some form of Benediction we finde used by this Great Apostle at the conclusion of every Epistle and accordingly having driven his excellent design in this to the Church of Ephesus to a full period or issue hee first makes an affectionate address to God and to the Mediator in their behalf v. 23. Grace be to the Brethren and love with Faith from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ and then leaves his Apostolical Benediction upon them v. 24. Grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity Or The blessing of the Eternal God be upon all the sincere-hearted Christians amongst you for so I look upon the latter words of the verse as a Periphrasis of all real Christians Love to Christ being as essential to the Christian as the Rational Soul is to the man The only difficulty in the words that will require our stay is to inquire what is meant by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Sincerity some refer it to the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Grace mentioned at the beginning of the verse as if it had been read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unto Incorruption or to bring them to eternal life or until they come to a state of Immortality So many of the Antients and of the Modern Interpreters Beza Tremellâ—us and others Others read it in Conjunction with the love of the Lord Jesus Christ making it a qualification or a discriminating note of that love which is sound real and sincere from that which is but pretended counterfeit and easie to bee corrupted by every difficulty and temptation And accordingly they translate some in incorruptione others absque a third sort amare non vitiato nec culpato All to the same sense with our English Translation In Sincerity There are others who consider this phrase apart by it self some explaining it by purity of heart and conversation others as denoting thereby the duration of love tam prosperis quam adversis or both in good and bad times Piscator makes it a distinct branch of the Apostles Prayer as if hee had said Grace bee with all them c. and life eternal Taking no notice of the Preposition that is added and varies the Construction 'T is the conjecture of a Learned Divine That the Apostle in adding this clause hath some reflection on the Gnosticks who had mingled themselves with the Christians of Ephesus And were whatever they pretended neither pure in their love to Christ having mixed his Doctrine with abominable corruptions nor yet sincere and lasting therein being ready upon every blast of persecution that did arise to deny him and Apostatize from him I shall for the present with Musculus leave the matter indifferent not only which of the two first but of all the other fore-mentioned Opinions is fixed upon finding no cause so far as concerns my present purpose to be peremptory in either The Apostle doubtless meaning none else by lovers of Christ but such whose hearts were sincerely and intirely affected to him whether hee intended to characterize them any further by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or no which I presume 1 Cor. 16.22 Joh. 14.15 23. 21.15 17. 1 Pet. 1.8 might easily be manifested from other parallel places where this grace is mentioned and understood properly having no additional qualification made thereto and from the design of the words themselves for certainly he would not so solemnly have intitled the rotten-hearted Hypocrites that did only pretend love to Christ unto the Benediction of the great and blessed God And if that stand good wee have enough for our purpose and more need not bee contended for Let this suffice then for their meaning The subject matter of them whether you look to the first clause or the last is very Noble and might well deserve a large consideration but I am confined to this single use of them which is to make them the Foundation of these two cases of Conscience What are the genuine Characters of a Souls sincere love to Christ And how may that love to him bee kindled and inflamed And there are but two or three things that I desire to suggest and then wee shall immediately begin to treat upon them in their order 1. Let it be considered that there is a vast difference between these cases and such others as do refer only to lower duties When we inquire after the sincerity of our love to Christ. It 's all one as if we were upon the search whether we are Christians yea or not And whether consequently our portion doth lye in the Divine Promises or Threatnings And what is our immediate duty that all other set aside we must attend unto And again when wee seek for directions to help us unto the love of Christ our inquiry is not how wee may order this or that inferiour action but how wee may attain to saving Religion and Christianity How wee may escape the great damning sin of the world and intitle our selves to the love of God and Christ and to all the rare priviledges which belong to the Communion of Saints In a word to the Grace of God here and to Eternal Life hereafter See 1 Cor. 2.9 James 1.12 2.5 John 14.21.23 2. Let it be considered that it is not the distinct resolution of these cases that will be of final advantage to any person unless there be added to the former an impartial soul-searching examination of themselves and to the latter as the case shall require a conscientious practice The resolutions given to cases of conscience about the right performance of duties being nothing else but the bare providing the food or physick And again the discoveries of mens states thereby being but the presenting looking-glasses to them neither of which are effectual or do any good but to such as faithfully use them 3. Let mee humbly minde you that the
friend no otherwise than hee loves his beast would not bee a true Moral act of love And again as plain a truth it is that where the act of love doth not bear some gradual proportion to the various excellencies of the object that it is conversant about neither can that Act have any Moral truth or goodness in it For Instance to love God or Christ with no higher love than wee love inferior persons whether Friends Relations or Superiors in the world This were not Sincerely to love either of them See 1 John 2.15 and Matth. 10.37 and Luke 14.26 I add in the last place which is no less evident than either of the former that where there are relations or offices Necessarily Invested in and Inseparable from the person beloved then if our love doth not respect the object as under those relations and offices it will bee far from being love in Sincerity Some Instances will clear this also beyond Contradiction Suppose a Woman that hath a Husband and shee loves him no otherwise than one friend loves another And the Case is the same between a Scholler and his Master a Servant and his Lord a Subject and his Prince If the affections bee without reverence obedience and loyalty will either of these bee reputed true love Why no more are such to bee accounted the sincere lovers of Christ who do not bear an affection to him in all his offices and relations And this I take to bee so demonstrative a truth and of such Necessary consideration in our present inquiry that nothing could bee spoken in Judgement thereto until wee had first made our way unto it and laid it down I am sure it will bee found fundamental to the right understanding the Nature of sincere love to Christ and the greatest part of the Characters which are laid down in the scripture of this grace It might now bee here expected and it 's almost necessary to give some account of Christs personal excellencies and also of his offices what they were and briefly to intimate what new qualifications each of them would put upon a Christians Intensive willing of Christ which is but the Substratum or matter of this grace But I am not now to discourse the nature of this grace at large and so much thereof as is necessary will come in when wee lay down some of the Characters of it and I have but two things more and then wee come to them 6. Proposition The love of the soul to Chrâ—st in sincerity is not any one Indivisible act or habit but a Holy frame of spirit made up of many gracious Inclinations carrying the whole soul along with it unto Christ for Vnion and Communion with him I told you in the beginning that it is used here by the Apostle as the periphrasis of a Christian a Brother a real Saint And therefore it is not a suddain and transient flash of the soul or any one act but Comprehensive of much of that wherein the nature of Christianity doth essentially lye This follows necessarily from the last proposition And Indeed to make faith or love to Christ such single Physical acts as many do as it renders the Doctrine of Christianity perplexed so doth it exceedingly tend to the amusing of the Consciences of weak Christians and I am afraid Ingender also to licentiousness It being too usual with such persons who presumptuously conceive themselves to bee Christians because they discern as they think those supposed particular acts to take up with them and to grow remiss and careless in other duties as essential to Christianity and necessary to Salvation as those graces themselves To conclude this Proposition you may note that as love to God is the soul of natural Piety and is Incorporated into every branch of it so is love to Christ the very Spirit that diffuseth it self through and animates all those duties which are required by the New Covenant and respect Jesus Christ as Mediator 7. Proposition When wee inquire after this Love by it's Genuine characteâ—s you are not to understand thereby only such special properties as argue the essence of this grace a posteriori But you are to know that we understand it in such a latitude as leaving Room for all those Arguments by which the conscience of a Christian may bee resolved whether this grace was ever truly wrought in his soul or not And these things premised the Characters which evidently discover whether wee love Christ in sincerity are these that follow 1. Character Wee may know it by our former Convictions and the rule is this Whe e love to Christ is sincere Esa 55.1 61.1 2 3. Matth. 11.28 there hath been a Conviction of the souls undone condition without him and of the sufficiency and willingness of Christ to recover the soul out of that condition And whereever this Conviction hath been fully wrought and the wound made thereby Regularly healed there dwells Sincere love to him I put this first as containing the originall birth of Evangelical love I dare affirm No conviction no love No contrition of heart for sin no affection in the soul for Christ 1 Pet. 2.8 Every degree of true Spiritual love saith a Divine that had well studied this point proceeds from a proportionable Act of saving Faith And to the same purpose saith Dr. Preston and hee presseth it earnestly two things must concur to beget love 1. The sight of Christs willingness and readiness to relâ—ive 2. His ability and sufficiency to help These two willingness and ability Cant. 3.11 are the Crown upon the Head of Christ when undone souls do first take delight in him they are the sweet oyntments of our Lord Cant. 1.3 which by their Savour do attract Virgin souls to betroth themselves unto him What ever men may vainly talk 't is brokenness of heart Act. 2.36 37. 9.5 6. Matth. 9.12 and a sense of approaching Ruine that gives the soul the first occasion of acquainting it self in good earnest with Christ and when faith hath thereupon found the suitableness of Christ to it self in its present State of misery then the fire of love begins to burn So that it is not a blinde casual passion but a matter of right Reason mature judgement and choyce It is not a frame of spirit that persons were delivered into they know not how but such whereof they that have it can give undenyable reasons so that if the question were put to any love sick soul as to the Spouse in the Canticles chapt 5.9 10. What is thy beloved more than another beloved shee could give an Account if not so Glossy and Rhetorical Cant 1.3.12 Chap. 2.3 yet as Logical and Rational as that which is there given Shee hath seen that in Christ so much Excellency in his person and so much readiness and sufficiency as resulting from his several offices which hath even ravished her and made him comely to her for delights yea the very
Opppressors publike Defamers and the like wrongers of thy Estate Reputation and other thy temporal good things in charity and according to Equity equally seeking thy own right and good not thy neighbours wrong much less ruin and destruction And thus for moderation towards others in Civil matters In Religious matters Although I have spoken in the opening the nature of moderation and the general Object that which might serve to direct us herein Yet lest I be mistaken and thence any of you mistake your duty I shall further open this particular Object by speaking to it negatively about what moderation is not to be practised and positively wherein it must Negatively 1 Not in matters of faith For the believing these being not only absolutely required of every Christian and in that measure that we cannot fully come up to in regard of the great truth and reality of spiritual objects and their revelation the best being alas miserably short and deficient herein but also internal the profession of these being matter of practice Moderation cannot possibly here have any place much less that which respects others 2. Nor in matters of moral practice such as the Moral Law requires and grace and vertue should perform For in these can be no excess either in degree or duration We cannot love God too much nor with grace our neighbour nor too constantly Consider Father Mother Wife Children as moral Objects so we exceed not as natural goods and so in the exercise of natural affection we frequently as is said before do exceed which is discernable especially by the end with grace we love them for God with the moral vertue of love for the relation they stand in to us with the affection of love when we sinfully over-love them for our selves for though the natural affection co-operates with the former yet it solely exceeds But it being difficult for us to discern these formalities in objects and the operations of principles about them it is our only way to have recourse to Gods Laws which though founded upon the nature of things yet shews us plainly our duty where we cannot discern them which in all things wherein we may exceed as in the Externals of the First Table and the duties of the Second not only prescribe us what and also particularly how to act by positive Precepts but lest we should miscarry by Negative also which respect the end manner measure c. of such duties restraining and bounding us that we exceed not Both which are Moral and comprehended in this particular it being equally moral not to over-love as to love thy Neighbour the former being forbidden as well by the Negative as the latter enjoyned by positive Precepts In Negatives which forbid the action absolutely as Blasphemy Adultery c. no need of any such Precepts to regulate us for the actions being not to be done no need of direction for their manner and consequently no place for Moderation such being to be subdued and supprest not ordered or regulated as I have formerly spoken and in things only indefinitely forbidden as Swearing Travelling on the Lords day c. when we are to practice them we have the rules for Positive actions Affirmative and Negative to direct us sufficiently 3. Nor especially in the weightier matters of the Law or Religion I must speak a little to this because that may be commanded absolutely in it self which comparatively when it comes in competition with other duties of greater moment becomes only conditional For Affirmative Precepts are so many it is impossible they should bind ad semper so that when two or more duties come together man in regard of his finite capacity being not able to perform them at once must duly consider the weightiest and that do it being requisite in terms of inconsistency that the lesser alwaies give place to the greater and cease pro hic nunc or for that present to oblige us Thus Davids eating the shew-bread and the Disciples plucking the ears of corn on the Sabbath day when hungry is defended by our Saviour Mat. 12. Yea even frequently the externals of the First Table give way to the weighty exigent duties of the Second as the sanctification of the Sabbath to the defending the City in the Macchabees case according to that I will have mercy and not sacrifice Hos 6.6 Not only rather than sacrifice but in such cases not sacrifice God dispensing with the lesser so that its omission becomes no sin as is clear in our Saviours practice in his healing the man with the withered hand c. as well as in his defence of his Disciples Luk. 6. For that may be our duty and necessary at one time which at another when a weightier comes that should take place ceaseth to be so by vertue of the reason and constiâ—ution of the Laws themselves that the Superiour Law take place Therefore under the notion of moderation to omit Moral and especially the great and necessary duties required and practice only the less is Pharisaical hypocrisie not Christianity If to do the great duties of Religion God requires of us be accounted immoderateness let us say with David If this be to be vile we will be more vile still Gods Laws admit of no 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or dispensation from us but what he hath admitted himself we must neither add or detract Deut. 4.2 Thou canst neither mitigate their execution nor any other besides himself on thee for thy transgressing them Digest de legib senatus cons If the wise Romans were so careful to preserve their Laws from others than the supream dispensing wiâ—h them lest they should prove a Lesbian rule much more the Great and Wise God hath reason to keep up the authority of his Laws and expect our punctual observance of them Moderation in Religion and religious Duties is the devillish Precept of Machiavel not the Doctrine of the Gospel or St. Paul To engage or wade no further in Religion than temporal interests will permit uâ— to come safely again to shore was the resolution and speech of a great Courtier of France than of heaven and of such as resolve more to save their skins than their souls How doth Christ every where arm those that will be his Disciples against their desisting from their necessary duty for the offence of the world Is so far from concealing this that it is the first thing he tels them of invites them upon no other terms than the Cross tels them they must trust him in this world for compensating them in the future c. Mat. 16. from 24. to ult And how eminent was he in the practice of this How did the Zeal of Gods House eat him up and he persist in doing the work he was sent about notwithstanding all the offence the Jews took And yet in his own private concerns how meek gentle patient which none can be ignorant of that read the Gospel and which he commands us to learn
of him Mat. 11.28 Great then is the mistake of those that think Zeal and Moderation which were thus eminently concentred in Christ should be inconsistent No lovelier match than of this blessed couple in our souls nor of more universal use to us throughout the course of our lives if rightly ordered the one for God the other for the World that giving life and intenseness in our duties towards him this restraining us in our personal concernments that edging and quickening us in desires motions and endeavours for heaven and this stopping us and retarding the wheels when we drive too furiously after our own interests that according to knowledge supplying us with resolution for and fervor in the great Duties of Religion this according to charity duly qualifying them in the less that our love to God and one another may walk hand in hand heaven-ward and neither leave the other behind Positively It must then be in matters of opinion and Christian Liberty and Indifferency as they all referre to practice And here let none expect I should determine what things are only matters of Opinion Liberty and Indifferency which so much trouble the World what not For every one herein must according to the Scriptures be in some respect judge for himself and his own practice 1 Cor. 10.29 Rom. 14.4.12 Upon which I shall proceed and shew our moderation in Principles Passions Speeches and Practices 1. We must moderate our Principles or Judgments concerning these by forming them according to the nature of truths and duties This is necessary not only in regard of our selves for as the Judgment such is the practice but others also for the moderating our prejudices towards them We must therefore carefully distinguish between matters of faith and necessary duty and matters of opinion and conditional practice For though every ray of truth be excellent in it self and absolutely there be no minimum in religione Val. Max. as the Heathen said yet comparatively there is great difference in truths some differing from others as one star from another in glory Nor have all the like clearness of revelation nor shine forth with that lustre as others nor all a like consequence Some are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 great in themselves clear to us and weighty in their consequence Mat. 23.23 These we must hold fast practice carefully contend for earnestly 1 Tim. 1.19 2 Tim. 1.13 Jude 3. Others are such as salva religione we may and do differ in both in judgment and practice without the endangering our happiness For the Kingdom of God is not meat and drink but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost Rom. 14.17 i. e. in the opinion or practice of those the false Apostles would have obtruded as necessary In these things our Principles should give us leave to meet one another in our Practice keeping the Unity of the Spirit in the former and the bond of Peace by the latter as the Apostle enjoyns Ephes 4.3 2. We must moderate our passions in these our heat and fervor for them our anger against those that differ from us in them In these things wherein the way to heaven is broad enough there may be difference without division and let any take heed how they sâ—raighten it taking upon them to be wiser than Christ who well knowing humane frailty so chalked it out to us telling us He that doth the will of his Father not that is for or against these things is his brother sister and mother and consequently should be brethren and sisters amongst themselves It is strange to consider how upon principles and prejudice once suckt in Passion blinds men in thâ—ir own opinions and practices and what woful divisions hath in all Ages arisen thence That the Eastern and Western Churches wherein were so many Grave Holy Learned and Wise men should so fall out as to make a separation every one would be ready to think and say surely it was some great matter that occasioned it would you know Nothing but about the time of the observation of Easter Though Irenaeus and others were mighty Advocates for Peace yet nothing would serve Victor Bishop of Rome but exact Uniformity in these indifferencies and thence arose about two hundred years after Christ that great breach of Unity betwixt those two great and famous Churches How doth all the zeal and fervor we should bestow upon the great things of Religion run out at this time amongst us about these things May not I say quorsum haec perditio Wherefore do ye spend your money for that which is not bread and your labour for that which satisfieth not Why do we stand thus busily hewing good Timber into Chips and leaving out the Figures spend our time in the bare Cyphers How many on both sides at this day make it their Religion to be for or against those things that they account indifferent in themselves So true is the Moralists observation that the devil alwaies labours That mankind may either wholly neglect a Deity or be wholly taken up in the Externals of Worship Quite contrary to Scripture that teacheth us to mind every thing as of consequence in its place to do the great and weighty things and not to leave the other undone My beloved the wrath of man workeeh not the righteousness of God When Elijah that good Prophet was discontented 1 Kin. 19. and passionately requests he may die Ver. 4. and professeth his zeal for the great things of Religion Ver. 10. God passeth by him but in the great and strong wind or in the Earthquake or in the fire the Lord was not but in the still small voice Ver. 11 12. shewing him and us thereby that he is not in our Passions and if not for the great how much less for these things of Religion wherein the Apostle's rule for peace and edification Rom. 14.19 should be observed God never suspended his Churches peace upon these for if I should not love others till I knew they were of all my opinions and my practice in these I might perhaps never love any 3. We must moderate our speeches in our discourses of debates and contests for or against these Some speeches we are too apt to we must wholly forbear others we must moderate 1. We must beware of judging and censuring others for these We may in apparent transgressions of Gods Law censure upon occasion the offenders though not rashly or for hypocrites reprobates or the like but for these we must not at all Rom. 14.4 c. For in these through anothers knowledge that may not be a sin in him which would to thee and thou judgest sinful therefore in others for want of charity How much malice and how little candor do we use in this How do we almost make it the characteristical note of Christianity to be of such or such a way which none account essential to Religion We are apt as those in Africa in Tertullians time to account it enough that we
professed he would love God dearly Psal 18.1 because he had delivered him out of the hand of all his enemies 3. Eminent readinesse to hear prayer when God doth as to Jephthah speedily hear or as to Jacob continue still to hear for many years together 4. More than ordinary obliging considerations to draw forth our obedience too such Providences have tongues to call for our faith our love our prayers our obedience and our praises What shall I render to the Lord is the serious well advised votaries enquiry 5. A most undoubted evidence appropriating this to the Lord that the expecting Christian can truly say it was the Lord's doing and his onely none bore part in the work none shall bear away share of his trust love prayer or observant obedience due to him from me Now if these particulars be considered it cannot sure be doubted longer whether well composed vowes do promote Religion when they do so engage and quicken those who vow to such Acts of Duty to such exercise of Grace to such opposition of sinne to such improvement of providence for the increase of Grace And what is Religion but all these in one word and what is the promoting of Religion but the facilitating continuing and perfecting of all these which is not a little furthered by such Vowes It yet remains to shew Whence these well composed Vowes have Generall 5 such influence on Religion what have they in them more than ordinary thus to promote it To this I will answer as briefly as I may There is in such Vowes a most notable awakening and quickeng power which sets all a mans care wisedom truth and strength on work to do the things whereby Religion is so much promoted 1. A deep rooted naturall reverence and awe of a serious Vow which makes the man who hath so much sense of Religion as to make a Vow to have as much care of performing it Man is readier to cast off the reverence he owes to Gods Law than to cast off the regard he hath to his own Vow so that many times it is very expedient to engage by Vow to do what is our duty by the Law of God The bond of naturall conscience is very strong and Vowes have much of their strength from it and thereby become great supporters of Religion 2. To this the Christian hath a superadded strict command and prescript of the Law of God indispensably requiring the performance of that Vow which is lawfull and possible I have opened my mouth and I cannot go back Judg. 11.35 It is the unalterable Law if you vow you must pay Psal 76.12 God did indulge the Jews so farre as to redeem some of their vowes but he allowed none to break them Read that Deut. 23.21 When thou shalt vow a vow unto the Lord thy God thou shalt not slack to pay it for the Lord thy God will surely require it of thee And ver 23. That which is gone out of thy lips thou shalt keep and perform Now when so much of Religion lieth in and dependeth on such Vowes and these Vowes are such inviolable ties that God will wink at none who break them they cannot but have such influence and strong operation on persons to the advantage of Religion 3. Gods severe judgments on contemners of their Vowes adde much to their influence I will not mention examples of vengeance on Heathens for breach of their vowes though the Idol deserved not better yet God who is the true God would have men know such sacred bonds as Vowes should not be profaned by sleight performing or contemned by a totall neglect of them The Jewish Rabbies tell us that God punished Jacob for neglecting his Vow by Dinah's miscarriage However it is enough God hath threatned the falsifier of his vowes with no lesse than a destruction of the works of his hands if not with the ruin of his person God will not let such one go unpunished Ne sacrum ejus nomen ludibrio exponeretur neve populus assaesceret ad impium ejus contemptum si fraudator impunè negaret quod Deo promiserat Bucanus loc com 45 de Vol. lest his holy Name should be scorned lest the people should be accustomed to an impious contempt of him if the falsifiâ—r of his Vow should deny what he had promised to god â—nd go unpunished In one word that which stands thus on the unchangeable Law of Nature and is written on the conscience what is confirmed and ratified by the peremptory positive Law of God what is yet further armed with the terrible threat of the God of Heaven must needs have a mighty binding strength in it obliging men But now all these concurre in Vowes well composed and hence they have such influence on Religious persons You may adde the 4th viz. The gratious acceptance that God gives to persons so vowing and performing their Vowes With 5ly The signall Blessings crowning Religious persons in due performance â—f their Vowes All which make them carefull to vow so that they may say they will pay their Vowes and in paying them render to the Lord for all his benefits 6. Gener. viz. Vse I am come now to the last thing I intended the practicall application of this Practicall Case And here Reader I shall be briefer than I first purposed because I was enforced by the undiscerned speed of the time outrunning me in preaching it to contract much more than I was willing to have done The first Vse then 1Vse Informs if well composed Vowes do indeed much promote Religion it will teach us how carefull we should be in making our Vowes to the greatest advantage of Religion If you look to the necessary requisites of such Vowes it will appear to you that you need a great care and diligence in making them if you look to Religions losse in breach of Vowes or its gain in a faithfull performance of them the care will appear double if you look to your obligation under which you are to performe them it will appear yet further needfull that you be very wary and circumspectly carefull how you make them the rash and inconsiderate person who cares not how he makes will not care whether he performe his Vowes And what a reproach is this to his Religion what a provocation is this to his God to destroy either him or the works of his hand And all these bespeak your care and advise you to circumspection in this case Do you not find it hard enough to discern what is daily and ordinarily to be done under daily and ordinary occurrences are you not in great care to frame your selves fitly and comely to every dayes businesse you have to do among men especially when you come within the tye of a promise to them How solicitous are you what and when and on what terms you promise How you shall performe and so keep your word and credit Any competent measure of honesty and regard to reputation will
that of the English Proverb be true it is here As good never a whit as never the better Indeed there is so much work on our hands such commands such promises to believe such corruptions to subdue such temptations to resist the careless of carnal failing in any of which will charge us with hypocrisie So many such subtle and powerfull adversaries to coâ—flict withall such a world such a flesh such principalities and powers and spiritual wickednesses in high places such deceitfull hearts deceitfull above all things to search and sift and purge from this leaven that it is impossible to be free of it without mighty striving contending and giving much diligence 2. If you would take heed of hypocrisie take heed of security There are no greater flatterers and no greater deceivers of themselves and others than hypocrites they flatter themselves in their own eyes Ps 36.2 all flattery is dangerous but self flattery of all other most dangerous and of all others in the business of salvation most pernicious It is the advice of the Devil and thy own hypocrisie to favour thy self flatter thy self hope well c. The advice of God is Lam. 3.40 Phil. 2.12 Ps 130.23 Search and try your wayes examine your selves 2 Cor. 13.5 Work out your salvation with fear and trembling Yea call upon God to search you It is a fear of carefulness and sollicitude a trembling of jealousie and suspicion as to our own hearts not of diffidence or despair as to God that we are directed to Had the foolish Virgins had but this care this fear they had had â—yl in their vessels as well as Lamps Had those glorious professours in Matth. 7.22 had but this jealousie and suspicion they might have escaped that dismal sentence Depart from me you workers of iniquity Perhaps your faith may be but a fancy Iob 8.13 your hopes but presumptuous a spiders web Hos 10.1 Hos 7.14 Zach. 7.5 Psal 72.6 perhaps your fruit may be but that of an empty vine to your self perhaps your prayers may be but howlings for corn and wine perhaps your fasting may not be to God Commune much with your own heart and let your spirit make diligent search keep you heart with all keeping be jealous of every thing your heart hath to do with your affairs friends comforts recreations thoughts sollitudes graces Prov. 28.14 Prov. 23.17 Prov. 1. Eccles 12. Iob 28. Oh blessed or happy is the man that thus feareth always he shall never do amiss this is to be in the fear of God all the day long and this fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdome the end of wisdome and wisdome it self for this will make a man wise to escape the wiles of Sathan and the hypocrisie of his own heart and so make him wise to salvation 3. Keep God alwayes in your mindes if we have all from him Rom. 11. ult we should be all to him If we live and move in him our hearts and mindes should be alwayes on him This is the cause of all the wickedness and hypocrisie in the world men will not seek after God God is not in all their thoughts Psal 10.4 And this the ground of all the glorious performances of the Saints they saw him that was invisible as Micaiah saw the Lord in his Throne Heb. 11.26 27 and therefore feared not to deal plainly and sincerely with Ahab though on his Throne 1 King 22.19 When the Psalmist had convinced and reproved the wickedness and formal hypocrisie of ungodly presumptuous men he concludes Now consider this you that forget God c. Intimating this to be the reason of all ungodly hypocritical conversation a forgetting God Psal 50.22 The remedy must be contrary to the disease if we would be no hypocrites we must much remember think of and observe and eye God by faith Acquaint thy self with God and so good shall come to thee If men were acquained with God and did not forget him Iob 22.21 acquainted with his Omnisciency Psal 139.1 2. with his All-sufficiency Gen. 17.1 with the power of his anger Ps 90.11 Mic. 7.18 19. the infiniteness of his goodness Isa 55.7 8. they would conclude and live under the awe and power of such conclusions Oh then he is too great to be tempted and provoked too excellent to be sleighted and undervalued too good to be lost too wise to be deceived and this would suppress and supplant the leaven of the Pharisees hypocrisie 4. Be much and daily in the renewing faith and repentance If there be such danger of hypocrisie there is necessity of renewing faith and repentance for fear hypocrisie may be in them Rise and return as soon as thou art convinced of thy sin so did Paul so did Peter as soon as the Lord turned and looked upon him Gal. 1.16 Luke 22.61 If repentance were hastned after sin and thou wouldest take care and pains to break thy heart constantly for sin this would break it from sin A man should finde that it were an evil and a bitter thing to forsake the Lord Jer. 2.19 and that his fear was not in thee and a broken heart God would not despise because it is apparent that is no hypocritical heart And though former faith and repentance may be counterfeit and hypocritical Psal 51. yet ensuing and renewed faith may be sound and sincere and we have much ground to renew those acts whose soundness and validity we have much ground to suspect if all have been false or fained or partial formerly we have the more cause in a new act to give up and binde our souls sincerely to it and this will free you from hypocrisie 5. Put forth your greatest strength and care to mortifie those lusts and corruptions that are the fewel to hypocrisie pride vain-glory worldly-mindedness self-love These are the fewel of hypocrisie they beget it and they nourish it If the love of the world and worldly favour did not prevail much over men there would be no hypocrisie in the world and cherish and strengthen the graces which cannot consist with it but will be alwayes fighting against and opposing it as love to God humility self-denial heavenly-mindedness mortifying the flesh much commnion with God if these be in you and abound you shall not be barren nor unfruitfull but shall make your calling and election sure and so be out of the peril yea and much out of the fear of hypocrisie 6. Press the Lord much and urge him close with the promises of a new heart Eze. 36.25.26 Deut. 30.6 Ier. 32.40 of circumcising your hearts and causing you to love the Lord with all your heart of putting his fear into your heart If he urge and press you in his word with his precepts and your duty do you urge and press him as much in your prayers with his promises spread his own hand-writing and seals before him as Augustine relates his Mother did