should move you to seek to be acquainteâ— with it where it is 1. The knowledge of God is the most exceâ—â—lent knowledge and therefore the best sorâ— of creature knowledge is that which hath the most of God in it And undoubtedly theâ—â— is more of God in Holiness which is his Image then in common things Sins and 〈◊〉 have nothing of God in them They must be fathered on the Devil and your selves Anâ— therefore the knowledge of them is gooâ— but by Accident because the knowledgâ— even of evil hath a tendency to good Anâ— therefore it is commanded and made ouâ— duty for the good which it tendeth to It is the Divine nature and Image within you which hath the most of God and therefore â—o know this is the high and noble knowâ—edge To know Christ within us is our â—appiness on earth in order to the knowâ—edge of him in Glory face to face which is â—he happiness of heaven To know God â—hough darkly through a glass and but in â—art 1 Cor. 13.12 is far above all creaâ—ure knowledge The knowledge of him â—aiseth quickneth sanctifieth enlargeth â—nd advanceth all our faculties It is life â—ternal to know God in Christ John 17.3 Therefore where God appeareth most there â—hould our understandings be most diâ—igently exercised in study and observaâ—ion 2. It is a most delightfull felicitating knowledge to know that Christ is in you â—f it be delightfull to the Rich to see their wealth their houses and lands and goods â—nd money and if it be delightfull to the Honourable to see their attendance and hear their own commendations and applause how delightfull must it be to a true Believer to find Christ within him and to know his title to eternal life If the knowledge of full barns and much goods laid up for many years can make a sensual worlding say Soul take thy ease eat drink and be merry Luke 12.19 20. Me thinkâ— the knowledge of our interest in Christ anâ— heaven should make us say Thou hast 〈◊〉 gladness in my heart more then in the tiâ—â— that their corn and wine increased that 〈◊〉 more then corn and wine could put inâ—â— theirs Psal 4.7 Return unto thy Rest 〈◊〉 soul for the Lord hath dealt bountifully wiâ—â— thee Psal 116.7 If we say with Daviâ— Blessed are they that dwell in thy house they will be still praysing thee Psal 84 â— much more may we say Blessed anâ— they in whom Christ dwelleth and the Holâ— Ghost hath made his Temple they should 〈◊〉 still praising thee Blessed is the 〈◊〉 whom thou choosest and causest to approâ—â—â— unto thee that he may dwell in thy courts 〈◊〉 shall be satisfied with the goodness of thy house even of thy holy Temple Psal 65.4 But this 〈◊〉 upon supposition that he be first Blessed by Christs approach to him and dwelling in hiâ— If you ask How it is that Christ dwelleâ—â— in us I answer 1. Objectively as he is apâ—prehended by our Faith and Love As thâ— things or persons that we think of and Lovâ— and delight in are said to dwell in our 〈◊〉 or hearts 2. By the Holy Ghost who 〈◊〉 a principle of new and heavenly Life 〈◊〉 given by Christ the Head unto his members and as the Agent of Christ doth illuminate sanctifie and guide the soul He that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him and he in him and hereby we know that he abideth in us by the spirit which he hath given us 1 Joh. 3.24 That of Eph. 3.17 may be taken in either or both senses comprehensively That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith 3. Did you know that Christ is in you by his spirit it might make every place and condition comfortable to you If you are alone it may rejoyce you to think what company dwelleth continually with you in your hearts If you are wearied with evil company without it may comfort you to think that you have better within when your have communion with the Saints it is your joy to think that you have nearer communion with the Lords of Saints You may well say with David Psal 139.18 when I awake I am still with thee Psal 16.8 I have set the Lord alwayes before me because he is at may right hand I shall not be moved 4. Did you know Christ within you it would much help you in believing what is written of him in the Gospel Though to the ungodly the mysteries of the Kingdom of God do seem incredible yet when you have experience of the power of it on your souls and find the Image of it on your hearts and the same Christ within you conforming you to what he commandeth in his word this will work such a sutableness to the Gospel in your hearts as will make the work of faith more easie Saith the Apostle 1 Joh. 4.14 16. We have seen do testifie that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world there 's their outward experience And we have known and believed the Love that God hath to us God is Love and he that dwelleth in Love dwelleth in God and God in him There is their Faith confirmed by their inward evidence Nâ— wonder if they that have God dwelling 〈◊〉 them by holy love do believe the love 〈◊〉 God hath to them This is the great advantage that the sanctified have in the work 〈◊〉 faith above those that much excell them 〈◊〉 disputing and are furnished with more Arguments for the Christian verity Christ hath his witness abiding in them The fruits of the spirit bear witness to the incorruptible 〈◊〉 the word of God that liveth and abideth for ever 1 Pet. 1.23 The impress on the 〈◊〉 heard witness to the seal that caused i◠〈◊〉 it is not a weak uneffectual Argument for the Truth of the Gospel that Believer 〈◊〉 to fetch from within when they plead the effects of it on their souls Labour to know the Truth of your sanctification that you may be confirmed by it in the Truth of the word that sanctifieth you Joh. 17.17 and may rejoice in him that hath chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the spirit and belief of the truth 2 Thes 2.13 5. If you can come to the knowledge of Christ within you it will be much the easier to you to trust upon him and fly to him in all your particular necessities and to make use of his Mediatorship with holy confidence When others flie from Christ with trembling and know not whether he will speak for them or help them or have any regard to them but look at him with strange and doubtful thoughts it will be otherwise with you that have assurance of his continual Love and presence Nearness breedeth familiarity and overcometh strangness Familiarity breedeth confidence and boldness when you find Christ so â—â—er you as to dwell within you and so particular and abundant in his Love to you as to have given you his spirit and all his Graces iâ— will breed
〈◊〉 with the heart and whether you have â—â—y special interest in him O what a damp 〈◊〉 casteth on the soul how it stifleth its â—â—pes and joys and turneth the Sacrament â—hich is appointed for their comfort into â—â—eir greater trouble It hath many a time â—â—ieved me to observe that no ordinance â—â—th cast many upright souls into greater â—erplexities and discouragements and â—â—stresses then the Lords Supper because â—â—ey come to it with double reverence and 〈◊〉 the doubtings of their title and questiâ—ning their preparedness and by their fears of eating and drinking unworthily their â—â—uls are utterly discomposed with perplexâ—â—g passions and turned from the pleasant â—â—â—rcise of faith and the delighful enterâ—ourse that they should have with God and â—â—ey are distempered and put out of relish 〈◊〉 all the sweetness of the Gospel And 〈◊〉 they are frightened from the Sacrament by such sad experiences and dare 〈◊〉 thither no more for fear of eating â—udgement to themselves And should â—oâ— Christians labour to remove the cause of such miserable distracting fears that so much wrong both Christ and them and 〈◊〉 recover their well-grounded peace and comfort 11. Your Love to God which is 〈◊〉 Heart and Life of the new creature 〈◊〉 so much depend upon your knowledge of 〈◊〉 love to you as should make you much 〈◊〉 desirous of such a knowledge Love is 〈◊〉 end of faith and faith the way to 〈◊〉 So much of Love as is in every duty 〈◊〉 much holiness is in it and no more Iâ— is the sum of the commandments 〈◊〉 the fulfilling of the Law Rom. 13 â— Mat. 22.37 Mark 12.33 Though God 〈◊〉 us first as purposing our good 〈◊〉 we loved him 1 Joh. 4.9.10 And 〈◊〉 therefore Love him because he first 〈◊〉 us v. 19. Yet doth he Love us by compâ—â—â—cency and acceptance because we love 〈◊〉 Father and the son Joh. 16.27 〈◊〉 the Father himself loveth you because 〈…〉 loved me and have believed that I came 〈◊〉 from God And what will more effectâ—â—â— kindle in you the fervent Love of Chrâ—â—â— then to know that he loveth you and 〈◊〉 in you All this is exprest by 〈◊〉 himself in Joh 14.20.21 22 23. At 〈◊〉 day ye shall know that I am in my Faith and you in me and I in you He that 〈◊〉 my commandments and keepeth them he 〈◊〉 that loveth me and he that loveth me 〈◊〉 be loved of my Father and I will love 〈◊〉 and will manifest my self unto him If a man love me he will keep my word and my Father will love him and we will come unto him and make our abode with him 1 Cor. 8.3 If any man love God the same is known of him with a knowledge of special Love and approbation This is no disparagement to faith whose nature and use is to work by Love Gal. 5.6 What a man Loveth such he is The Love is the man Our Love is judged by our Life as the cause by the effect but the Life is judged by the Love as the fruits by the tree the effects by the cause Mores auâ—em nostri non ex eo quod quisque novit sed ex eo quod diligit dijudicari solentinâ—â— faciâ—â—t bonos vel malos mores nisi boni vel mali amores saith Augustine that is Our manners are not used to be judged of according to that which every man knoweth but according to that which he loveth It is only good or evil love that maketh good or evil manners If Plato could say as Augustine citeth him lib. 8. de Civit. Dei Hoc est Philosophari scilicet Deum amare To be a Philosopher is to Love God Much more should we say Hoc est Christianum agere this is the doctrine and the work of a Christian even the Love of God Indeed it is the work of the Redeemer to recover the heart of man to God and to bring us to Love him by representing him to us as the most amiable suitable object of our Love And the perfection of Love is Heaven it self O jugum sancti amoris inq Bernard quam dulciter capis gloriose laqueas suaviter premis delectanter oneras fortiter stringis prudenter erudis that is The yoak of holy Love O how sweetly dost thou surprize how gloriously dost thou inthrall how plesantly dost thou press how delightfully dost thou load how strongly dost thou bind how prudently dost thou instruct O faelix amor ex quo oritur strenuitas morum puritas affectionum subtilitas intellectuum desideriorum sanctitas operum claritas virtutum faecunditas meritorum dignitas praemiorum sublimitas O happy Love from which ariseth the strength of manners the purity of affections the subtilty of intellects the sanctity of desires the excellency of works the fruitfulness of vertues the dignity of deserts the sublimity of the reward I appeal to your own consciences Christians would you not think it a foretaste of Heaven upon earth if you could but Love God as much as you desire would any kind of life that you can imagine be so desirable and delightful to you Would any thing be more acceptable unto God! And on the contrary a soul without the Love of God is worse then a Corpse without a soul If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ let him be anathama maranatha 1 Cor. 16.22 And do I need to tell you what a powerful incentive it is to Love to know that you are beloved It will make Christ much more dear to you to know how dear you are to him What is said of affective Love in us may partly be said of attractive Love in Christ Eccles 8.7 Many waters cannot quench Love neither can the floods drown it no riches can purchase what it can attract when you find that he hath you as a seal upon his arm and heart v. 6. and that you are dear to him as the apple of his eye what holy flames will this kindle in your breast If it be almost impossible with your equals upon earth not to Love them that Love you which Christ telleth you that even Publicans will do Matth. 5.46 how much more should the Love of Christ constrain us abundantly to Love him when being infinitely above us his Love descendeth that ours may ascend His Love puts forth the hand from heaven to fetch us up O Christians you little know how Satan wrongeth you by drawing you to deny or doubt of the special Love of God How can you Love him that you apprehend to be your enemie and to intend your ruine Doubtless not so easily as if you know him to be your friend In reason is there any likelier way to draw you to hate God then to draw you to believe that he hateth you Can your thoughts be pleasant of him or your speeches of him sweet or can you attend him or draw near him with delight while you think he hateth you and hath decreed your damnation you may fear him as he is a
and so make the way of life more difficult if not impossible had they indeed the Keyes by multiplying of their supposed Necessaries Did they but know themselves aright it were impossible they should dare to pass the sentence of damnation on the far greatest part of the Christian world because they are not subject to their pretended Vice-Christ Durst one of the most leprous corrupted sort of Christians in the world unchurch all the rest that will not be as bad as they condemn all other Christians as Heroticks for Schismaticks either for their adhering to the truth or for errors and faults far smaller then their own Did they know themselves and their own corruptions they durst not thus condemn themselves by so presumptuous and blind a condemnation of the best and greatest part of the Church of Christ which is dearest to him as purchased by his blood If either the Protestants or the Greeks or the Armenians Georgians Syrians Aegyptians or Aethiopian Churches be in as bad and dangerous a case as these Vsurping Censurers tell the world they are what then will become of the tyrannous superstitious polluted blood-thirsty Church of Rome What is it but Self-ignorance that perverteth the unsetled among us and sends them over to the Romane tents No man could rationally become a Papist if he knew himself Let me prove this to you in these four Instances 1. If he had but the knowledge of his Natural senses he could not take them to be all deceived and the senses of all other as well as his about their proper object and believe the Priests that Bread is no Bread or Wine no Wine when all mens senses testifie the contrary 2. Some of them turn Papists because they see some differences among other Christians and hear them call one another by names of contumely and reproach and therefore they think that such can 〈◊〉 no true Churches of Christ But if thâ—â— knew themselves they would be acquainted with more culpable errors in themselves then those for which many others are reproached and see how irrational a thing it is to change their Religion upon the scolding words or slanders of another or which is worse upon their own uncharitable censures 3. Some turn to the Papists as apprehending their Ceremonious kind of Religion to be an easier way to Heaven then ours But if they knew themselves they would know that it is a more solid and spiritual sort of food that their nature doth require and a more searching Physick that must cure their diseases and that shells and chaff will not feed but choak and starve their souls 4. All that turn Papists must believe that they were unjustified and out of the Catholick Church before and consequently void of â—he Love of God and special grace For they receive it as one of the Romish Articles that out of their Church there is no salvaâ—ion But if these persons were indeed beâ—ore ungodly if they knew themselves they would find that there is a greater matter â—ecessary then believing in the Pope and â—urning to that faction even to turn to God by faith in Christ without which no opinions or profession can save them But if they had the Love of God before then they were Justified and in the Church before and therefore Protestants are of the true Church and it is not confined to the Roman subjects So that if they knew this they could not turn Papists without a palpable contradiction The Papists fugitives tell us we are us true Ministers nor our Ministery effectual and blest of God What need we more then imitate Paul when his Ministery was accused and call them to the Knowledge of themselves Examine your selves whether ye be in the faith Prove your selves Know ye not your own selves how that Jesus Christ is in you except ye be Reprobates If they were ungodly and void of the Love of God while they were under our Ministry no wonder if they turn Papists For its just with God that those that receive 〈◊〉 the Love of the truth that they may be saved be given over to strong delusions to believe a lye 2 Thes 2.10 11. But if they received themselves the Love of God in our Churches by our Ministry they shaâ—â— be our witnesses against themselves And it is others as well as Papists thâ—â— would be kept from Church divisions if they did but know themselves Church Governours would be afraid of laying things unnecessary as stumbling-blocks before the weak and of laying the Vnity and Peace of the Church upon them and casting out of the Vineyard of the Lord and out of their Communion all such as are not in such unnecessary or little things of their opinion or way The words of the great Apostle of the Gentiles Rom. 14.15 so plainly and fully deciding this matter would not have stood so long in the Bible as non-dicta or utterly insignificant in the eyes of so many Rulers of the Churches if they had known themselves as having need of their Brethrens charity and forbearance Him that is weak in the faith receive you but not to doubtfull disputations For one believeth that he may eat all things another that is weak eateth herbs Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not much less destroy him or excommunicate him and let not him which eateth not judge him that eateth For God hath received him Who art thou that judgest another mans servant to his own Master he standeth or falleth yea he shall be holden up for God is able to make him stand One man esteemeth one day above another another esteemeth every day alike let every man be fully perswaded in his own mind ver 13. Let us not therefore judge one another any more but judge this rather that no man put a stumbling-block or an occasion to fall in his brothers way ver 17. For the Kingdom of God is not meat and drink but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost 18. For he that in these things serveth Christ is acceptable to God and approved of men Chap. 15.1 We then that are strong ought to bear with the infirmities of the weak and not to please our selves v. 7. Wherefore receive ye one another as Christ also received us to the glory of God Self-acquaintance would help men to understand these precepts and be patient with the weak when we our selves have so much weakness and not to vex or reject our brethren for little or unnecessary things lest Christ reject or grieve us that have greater faults Self-acquaintance also would do much to heal the dividing humour of the people and instead of separating from all that are not of their mind they would think themselves more unworthy of the Communion of the Church then the Church of theirs Self-acquaintance makes men tender and compassionate and cureth a censorious contemptuous mind It also silenceth passionate contentious disputes and makes men suspicious of their own understandings and therefore forbiddeth them intemperately
if you â—ere ofter in your hearts Prayer would not â—eem needless if you knew your needs Know your selves and be prayerless if you can When the Prodigal was convinced he presently purposeth to Confess and Pray When Paul was converted Ananias hath this evidence of it from God Behold he prayeth Act. 9.11 Indeed the inward part of prayer is the motion of a returning soul to God saith Hugo Oratio est piae mentis humilis ad Deum conversio fide spe charitate subnixa Prayer is the turning of a pious humble soul to God leaning upon faith hope and love It is Oranti subsidium Deo sacrificium daemonibus flagellum The relief of the Petitioner the sacrifice of God the scourge of Devils And self-knowledge would teach men how to pray Your own hearts would be the best Prayer-books to you if you were skilfull in reading them Did you see what sin is and in what Relation you stand to God to Heaven and Hell it would drive you above your beads and lifeless words of course and make you know that 〈◊〉 pray to God for pardon and salvation 〈◊〉 not a work for a sleepy soul saith 〈◊〉 Ille Deo veram Orationem exhibet 〈◊〉 metipsum cognoscit quia pulvis sit 〈◊〉 videt qui nihil sibi virtutis tribuit 〈◊〉 He offereth the truest prayer to God 〈◊〉 knoweth himself that humbly seeth he is but dust and ascribeth not vertue to himself c. Nothing quencheth prayer more then to be mistaken or mindless about our selves When we go from home this fire goes out But when we return and search our hearts and see the sins the wants the weaknesses that are there and perceive the danger that is before us and withall the glorious hopes that are offered us here 's fuell and bellows to enflame the soul and cure it of its drowsiness and dumbness Help any sinner to a clearer light to see into his heart and life and to a livelyer sense of his own condition and I warrant you he will be more disposed to fervent prayer and will better understand the meaning of those words Luke 18.1 That men ought alwayes to pray and not to faint and 1 Thes 5.17 Pray without ceasing You may hear some impious persons now disputing against frequent and fervent prayer and saying What need all this ado But if you were able to open these mens eyes and shew them what is within them and before them you would quickly answer all their arguments and convince them better then words can do and put an end to the dispute You would set all the prayerless families in Town and Country Gentlemens and poor mens on fervent calling upon God if you could but help them to such a sight of their sin and danger as shortly the stoutest of them must have Why do they pray and call for prayers when they come to die but that they begin a little better to know themselves They see then that youth and health and honour are not the things nor make them not so happy as befooling prosperity once perswaded them Did they believe and consider what God saith of them and not what flattery and self-self-love say it would open the mouths of them that are most speechless But those that are born deaf are alwayes dumb How can they speak that language with desire to God which they never learn't by faith from God or by knowledge of themselves And self-knowledge would teach men what to ask They would feel most need of spiritual mercies and beg hardest for them and for outward things they would ask but for their daily bread and not be foolishly importunate with God for that which they know not to be suitable or good for them Fideliter supplicans Deo pro necessitatibus hujus vitae miserecorditer auditur miserecorditer non auditur Quid enim infirmo sit utilius magis novit medicus quam agrotus saith Prosper It s mercy to be denyed sometimes when we pray for outward things Our Physition and not we must choose our Physick and prescribe our diet And if men knew themselves it would teach them on what terms to expect the hearing of their prayers Neither to be accepted for their merits nor yet to be accepted without that faith and Repentance and desire that seriousness humility and sincerity of heart which the very nature of Prayer to God doth contain or presuppose He that nameth the name of Christ must depart from iniquity 2 Tim. 2.19 and must wash himself and make him clean and put away the evil of his doings from before the eyes of God and cease to do evil and learn to do well Isa 1.16 17. As knowing that though a Simon Magus must Repent and Pray Acts 8.22 and the wicked in forsaking his way and thoughts and returning to the Lord must seek him while he may be found and call upon him while he is near Isa 55.6 7. and the prayers of a humbled Publican are heard when he sets his prayer against his sins Yet if he would cherish his sin by prayer and flatter himself into a presumption and security in a wicked life because he useth to ask God forgiveness iâ— he thus regard iniquity in his heart God will not hear his prayers Psal 66.18 and we know that such impenitent sinners God heareth not John 9.31 And thus the prayers of the wicked as wicked which are not a withdrawing from his wickedness but a bolster of his security and as a craving of protection and leave to sin are but an abomination to the Lord Prov. 17.8 28 9. Ferrum prius extrahendum The bullet the thorn must be first got out before any medicine can heal their wounds Saith Augustine Plus Deo placet latratus canum mugitus boum grunnitus porcorum quan cantus clericorum luxuriantium The barking of dogs the lowing of beasts the grunting of swine doth please God better then the singing of luxuriant Clergy men Did men know themselves and who they have to do with in their prayers they would not go from Cards and Dice and gluttony and fornication and railing lying or reviling at the servants of the Lord to a few hypocritical words of prayer to salve all till the next time and wipe their mouthâ— as if one sin had procured the forgiveness of another Nor would they shut up a day â—f worldliness ambition sensuality or â—rofaneness with a few heartless words of confession and supplication or with the words of penitence while their hearts are impenitent as if when they have abused God by sin they would make him amends or reconcile him by their mockery Nor would they think to be accepted by Praying for that which they would not have for holiness when they hate it and for deliverance from the sins which they would not be delivered from and would not have their prayers granted 7. If you know not your selves it will unfit you for Thanksgiving Your greatest Mercies will be least
odious and dangerous as the corruption of your souls and that which displeaseth the most Holy God 2. You see an excellency in Holiness of Heart and Life as the Image of God the rectitude of man and that which fits him for eternal blessedness and maketh him amiable in the eyes of God 3. You unfeignedly desire to be rid of your sin how dear soever it hath been to you and to be perfectly sanctifyed by the Holy Spirit by his degrees in the use of the means which he hath appointed and you consent that the Holy Ghost as your sanctifier do purifie you and kindle the Love of God in you and bring it to perfection 4. In Baptism you profess to renounce the world the flesh and the Devil that is as they stand for your Hearts against the Will and Love of God and against the Happiness of the unseen world and against your Faith in Christ your Saviour and against the sanctifying work of the Holy Ghost If therefore you are sincere in this part of your Covenant you do upon deliberation perceive all the pleasures profits and honours of this world to be so vain and worthless that you are Habitually resolved to prefer the Love and favour of God and your salvation before them and to be Ruled by Jesus Christ and his Spirit and word rather then by the desires of the flesh or the worlds allurements or the will of man or the suggestions of the devil and to forsake all rather then forsake the Father the Saviour the Sanctifier to whom you are devoted and the everlasting life which upon his promise you have taken for your Hope and Portion This is the sense of Baptism and all this in profession being Essential to your Baptism must be Essential to your Christianity Your Parents Profession of it was necessary to your infant title to the outward priviledges of the Church Your own personal profession is necessary to your continuance of those priviledges and your visible Christianity and communion with the adult And the Truth of what you profess is necessary to your reall Christianity before God and to your title to salvation And this is it that is to be now enquired after You cannot hope to be admitted into Heaven upon lower terms then the sincerity of that profession with entereth you into the Church While we tell you of no higher matters necessary to your salvation then the sincerity of that which is necessary to Baptism and Christianity I hope you will not say we deal too strictly with you Enquire now by a diligent tryal of your hearts whether you truly consent to all these articles of your Baptismal Vow or Covenant If you do you are Regenerate by the Spirit If you do not you have but the Sacrament of Regeneration which aggravateth your guilt as a violated profession and Covenant must needs do And I do not think that any man worthy to be discoursed with will have the face to tell you that any man at the use of Reason is by his Baptism or any thing else in a state of Justification and Salvation whose heart doth not sincerely consent to the Covenant of Baptism and whose Life expresseth not that consent Hence therefore you may perceive that it is a thing unquestionable that all these persons are yet unregenerate and in the bond of their iniquity 1. All those that have not unfeignedly devoted themselves to God as being not their own but his His by the title of Creation Psal 100.3 Know ye that the Lord he is God it is he that hath made us and not we our selves we are his people and the sheep of his pasture And His by the title of Redemption for we are bought with a price 1 Cor. 7.23 And he that unfeignedly taketh God for his Owner and Absolute Lord will heartily give up himself unto him as Paul saith of the Corinthians 2 Cor. 8.5 They first gave up their own selves to the Lord and to us by the will of God And he that entirely giveth up himself to God doth with himself surrender all that he hath in desire and resolution As Christ with himself doth give us all things Rom. 8.32 and addeth other things to them that seek first his Kingdom and its Righteousness Matth. 6.33 so Christians with themselves do give up all they have to Christ And he that giveth up himself to God will live to God And he that taketh not himself to be his Own will take nothing for his Own but will study the interest of his Lord and think he is best disposed of when he honoureth him most and serveth him best 1 Cor. 6.19.20 Ye are not your own for ye are bought with a price therefore glorifie God in your body and in your spirit which are Gods If any of you devote not your selves unfeignedly to God and make it not your first enquiry what God would have you be and do but live to your selves and yet think your selves in a state of Life you are mistaken and do not know your selves What abundance might easily see their miserable condition in this discovery Who say in effect our lips are our own Who is Lord over us Psal 12.4 and rather hate and oppose the interest of God and Holiness in the world then devote themselves to the promoting of it Deut. 32.6 Do ye thus requite the Lord ye foolish people and unwise Is not he thy father that hath bought thee Hath he not made thee and established thee 2. All those are unregenerate and in a state of death that are not sincerely subjected to the Governing will of God but are Ruled by their carnal Interest and desires and the word of a man that can gratifie or hurt them can do more with them then the word of God To shew them the command of a man that they think can undo them if they disobey doth more prevail with them then to shew them the command of God that can condemn them unto endless misery They more fear men that can kill the body then God that can destroy both soul and body in Hell fire When the lust of the flesh and the will of man do bear more sway then the will of God its certain that such a soul is unregenerate Rom. 6.3 4 6. Know ye not that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death therefore we are buried with him by Baptism into death that like as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father even so we also should walk in newness of life Knowing this that our old man is crucified with him that the body of sin might be destroyed that henceforth we should not serve sin v. 16. Know ye not that to whom you yield your selves servants to obey his servants ye are to whom ye obey whether of sin unto death or of obedience unto righteousness 1 Pet. 4.4.1 2. Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh arm your selves
brought to the market and the Foxes to the Furrier They shall find that God is not afraid to lay the hand of Justice on the stoutest of them and will be as bold with silkâ—n shining gallants as with the poorest worms and will spit in the face of that mans glory who durst spit in the face of the Glory of his Redeemer and will trample upon the interest which is set up against the interest of Christ The jovial world do now think that self-study is too Melancholy a thing and they choose to be distracted for fear of being melancholy and will be Mad in Solomons sense that they may be wise and happy in their own Eccles 2.2 The heart of fools is in the house of mirth and the heart of the wise in the house of mourning Eccles 7.4 and yet there is most Joy in the Hearts of the wise and least solid peace in the hearts of fools They know that conscience hath so much against them that they dare not hear its accusations and its sentence They dare not look into â—he hideous dungeon of their hearts nor perâ—se the accounts of their bankrupt souls nor â—ead the history of their impious unprofitable â—ives lest they should be tormented before â—â—e time They dare not live like seriâ—us men lâ—st they should lose thereby the â—lights of bruits O sinful men against â—hat light both natural and supernatural 〈◊〉 they offend They see how all things haste â—way The names of their predecessors are â—â—ft as a warning to them every corps â—â—at is carried to the grave being dead yet â—eaketh and every bone that is thence â—â—st up doth rise as a witness against their â—â—xury and lust and yet they will have â—â—eir wills and pleasure while they may â—â—atever it cost them and they will set â—â—eir houses on fire that they might have one merry blaze and warm them once before they die O Madam how happy are you if one on earth may be called happy that have looked home so often and so seriously that now you can dwell at home in peace and need not as the ungodly be a terror to your self nor run away from your self nor seek a place to hide you from your self when impious vagrants have so abused their Consciences that they dare not converse with them nor meet them alone or in the dark what a mercy is it that in the great Reconciler you are reconciled to your Conscience and that it doth not find you out as an enemy but is a messenger of peace and of good tidings to you That you need not the smiles of great ones to refresh you nor pompous entertainments complements plays or sports to recreate you and drive away your sorrows but that you can find more blessed and delectable company and employment at home That you can daily retire into your self and there peruse a richer treasure than bodily eyes on earth can see and there be taken up with a far more contenting satisfactory employment and a more fruitful and pleasant converse and recreation than any creature in Court or Countrey can afford That your Joy is laid up where the hand â—f violence cannot touch it and that they â—hat can deprive you of estate and liberty and â—â—fe yet cannot take your comfort from you That when fleshly unthrifts love not home â—ecause all is spent and they can expect no â—etter entertainment there than want conâ—â—sion chiding and distress you can withâ—â—aw from a coufused troublesome world inâ—â— a well-furnished and adorned soul repleâ—shed with the precious fruits of the Spirit â—â—d beautified with the image of your Lord Madam what sweet and noble employâ—ent have you there in comparison of that â—hich worldlings are troubled with abroad â—here you may read the sentence of your â—â—stification as foregoing and foreshewing 〈◊〉 publike final sentence of your Judge â—â—ere you can converse with God himself 〈◊〉 in his vindictive Justice but as he is â—â—ve For the love that dwelleth so plenâ—â—fully in you doth prove that God dwelâ—â—â—h in you and you in him 1 Joh. 4.7 〈◊〉 16. There you may converse with Christ â—ur head that dwelleth in you by faith â—hes 3.17 and with the Holy Ghost who â—â—elleth in you and hath communion with 〈◊〉 by the beams of his illuminating sanâ—â—â—fying Confirming and comforting grace There as in his Temple you are speaking oâ— his Glory 1 Cor. 3.16 17. 6.19 with Psal 29.9 and rejoycing in his holy praise and remembring what he hath donâ— for your soul There you can peruse thâ— Records of his Mercy and think with graâ—titude and delight how he did first illumiâ—nate you and draw and engage your hearâ— unto himself what advantage he got upoâ— you and what iniquity he prevented by thâ— mercies of your education and how he secretly took acquaintance with you in your youth How he delivered you from worldly fleshly snares how he caused you to savour thâ— things of the Spirit how he planted you iâ— a sound well ordered Church where hâ— quickened and conducted you by a lively faithful Ministery and watered his gifts by their constant powerful preaching of his word where Discipline was for a defence anâ— where your heart was warmed with thâ— communion of the Saints and where you learned to worship God in spirit and in truth and where you were taught so effectually by God to discern between the precious and thâ— vile and to love those that are born of God whom the world knoweth not that no subtilâ—ties or calumnies of the Serpent can unteach it you or ever be able to separate you from â—â—at love You may read in these sacred â—â—cords of your Heart how the Angel of 〈◊〉 Covenant hath hitherto conducted you â—â—rough this wilderness towards the land of â—â—omise how he hath been a cloud to you in 〈◊〉 day and a pillar of fire by night how 〈◊〉 Lord did number you with the people that 〈◊〉 his flock his portion and the lot of his inâ—â—â—itance and led you about in a desert land â—â—â—tructed you and kept you as the apple of 〈◊〉 eye Deut. 32.9.10 His Manna â—â—th compassed your tent his doctrine hath â—â—â—pped as the rain and his words distilled as 〈◊〉 dew as the small rain upon the tender 〈◊〉 and as the showres upon the grass v. 2. 〈◊〉 his beloved you have dwelt in safety by 〈◊〉 and the Lord hath covered you all 〈◊〉 day long c. 33.12 when storms have 〈◊〉 he hath been your refuge and when 〈◊〉 compassed you on every side he hath 〈◊〉 you as in his pavilion and his Angels â—â—ve pitcht their tents about you and born 〈◊〉 up you have been fortified in troubles 〈◊〉 enabled comfortably to undergoe them 〈◊〉 war and in peace in your native country 〈◊〉 in forreign lands among your friends 〈◊〉 among your enemies in Court and Counâ—â—â— in prosperity and adversity you have â—â—â—nd that there is none like the God of Israel who rideth upon the heaven iâ— your help and his
excellency on the skie The Eternal God hath been your refuge and underneath are the everlasting armâ— Deut. 34.26 27. You may remembeâ— the mercies of your younger years of youâ— maried state and of your widdow-hood your comforts in your truly Noble Lord though troubled and interrupted by his death yet increased by the consideration of his feâ—licity with Christ your comfort in youâ— hopeful issue though abated by the injurâ— of Romish theft which stole one of the Roseâ— of your Garden that they might boast of thâ— sweetness when they called it their own 〈◊〉 may well say stole it when all the cheaâ— was performed by unknown persons in thâ— dark and no importunity by you or 〈◊〉 could procure me one dispute or conference iâ— her hearing with any of the seducers beâ—fore her person was stoln away Though comforts conveyed by creatures must havâ— their pricks yet your experience hath partly taught you and more will do that by all thâ— mixtures of sower and bitter ingredients your Father doth temper you the most wholeâ—some composition He chasteneth you foâ— your profit that you may be partaker oâ— his Holiness Heb. 12.10 and the leasâ— degree of Holiness cannot be purchased at too dear a rate His rod and staffe have comforted you and whatever are the beginnings the End will be the quiet fruit of Righteousness when you have been exercised therein And though man be mutable and friends and flesh and heart have failed you yet God is still the strength of â—our heart and your portion for ever Psal â—3 26 O the variety of learning that is â—ontained in the secret writings of a sanctified heart The variety of subjects for the most â—ruitful and delightful thoughts which you â—ay find recorded in the inwards of your â—oul How pleasant is it there to find the â—haracters of the special Love of God the â—â—eaments of his Image the transcript of 〈◊〉 Law the harmony of his gifts and graces â—â—e witness the seal and the earnest of his â—pirit and the foretasts and beginnings of â—ternal Life As Thankfulness abhors â—â—livion and is a Recording grace and keepâ—â—h Histories and Catalogues of Mercies so 〈◊〉 it a Reward unto it self and by these Reâ—â—rds it furnisheth the soul with matter for â—he sweetest employments and delights Is it 〈◊〉 pleasant to you there to Read how God â—â—th confuted the objections of distrust how 〈◊〉 he hath condescended to your weakness and pardoned you when you could not easily forgive your self how oft he hath entertained you in secret with his Love and visited you with his consolations How neer him sometimes you have got in fervent prayer and serious meditation And when for a season he hath hid his face how soon and seasonably he returned How oft he hath found you weeping and hath wiped away your tears and calmed and quieted your troubled soul How he hath resolved your doubts and expelled your fears and heard your prayers How comfortably he hath called you His Child and given you leave and commanded you to call him Father when Christ hath brought you with boldness into his presence How sweet should it be to your remembrance to think how the Love of Christ hath sometime exalted you above these sublunary things How the Spirit hath taken you up to Heaven and shewed to your faith the Glory of the New Hierusalem the blessed company of those Holy spirits that attend the Throne of the Majesty of God and the shining face of your glorified Head By what seasonable and happy Messengers he hath sent you the Cluster of Grapes as the first fruits of the land of promise and commanded you oft to Take and Eate the Bread of Life How oft he hath reached to your thirsty soul the fruit of the Vine and turned it sacramentally into his blood and bid you drink it in remembrance of him till he come and feast you with his fullest Love and satisfie you with the pleasure and presence of his Glory But the volumes of mercy written in your heart are too great to be by me transcribed I can easily appeal to you that are acquainted with it whether such Heart-employment be not more pleasant and more profitable than any of the entertainments that flashy wit or gaudy gallantry or merriments luxurit or preferments can afford Is it not better converse with Christ at home than with such as are described Psa 12. abroad To dwell with all that blessed retinue Gal. 5.22 23. than with Pride Vainglory Envy Dissimulation Hypocrisie Falshood time-wasting soul-destroying pleasures to say nothing of the filthiness which Christian years abhor the mention of and which God himself in time will judge Eph. 5.3 4 5 6. Heb. 13.4 and the rest recited Gal. 5.19 20 21. If ungodly persons do find it more unpleasant to converse at home no wonder when there is nothing but darkness and defilement and when they have put God from them and entertained Satan so that their hearts are like to haunted houses where terrible cries and apparitions do make it a place of fear to the inhabitants But if their souls had such blessed inhabitants as yours could they meet there with a reconciled God a Father a Saviour and a sanctifier had they souls that kept a correspondency with Heaven it would not seem so sad and terrible a life to dwell at home and withdraw from that noise of vanity abroad which are but the drums and trumpets of the devil to encourage his deluded followers and drown the cries of miserable souls Your dearest friends and chiefest treasure are not abroad in Court or Country but above you and within you where then should your delightful converse be but where your friends and treasure are Matth. 6.21 Phil. 3.20 Col. 3.1 2 3 4. When then is almost nothing to be found in the conversation of the world but discord and distraction and confusion and clamours and malice and treachery is it not better to retire into such a heart where notwithstanding infirmities and some doubts and fears there is order and concord and harmony and such Peace as the world can neither give nor take away O blessed be the hand of Love that blotted out the names of Honour and Riches and Pleasures and carnal interest and accommodations from your heart and inscribed his own in Characters never to be obliterate That turned out Vsurpers and so prepared and furnished your heart as to make and judge it such as no one is worthy of it but himself O what a Court have you chosen for your abode How high and Glorious how pure and holy unchangeable and safe How ambitiously do you avoid ambition How great are you in the lowliness of your mind How high in your Humility Will no lower a place than Heaven content you to converse in For Heart-converse and Heaven-converse are as much one as beholding both the Glass and Face Will no lower correspondents satisfie you than the Host of Heaven Cannot the company of imperfect mortals serve your
to God p. 323 3. And want of Love to one another p. 324 8. The insinuations of selfishness in all that wâ— do p. 32â— 9. The eruption of passions that seemed morâ—tified p. 34â— 10. Affections mixed with carnality which seemed purely spiritual p. 33â— Caution against overmuch suspicion or acâ—cusation of our selves p. 33â— 2. Sin surpriseth more dangerously 3. Anâ— the Remedy is neglected through self-ignorance p. 337 2. What Hinders Believers from knowing their Graces 1. The sense of the Contraries p. 338 2. The smalness of Grace p. 341 3. Not judging by sure Marks the Essentials of Holiness what they are p. 343 What Marks uncertain p. 345 What sin consistent with true grace p. 347 4. Overlooking what we have by looking at what we ought to be p 349 5. Judging upon disadvantage 1. Surprizing our selves unpreparedly 2. Judging in passion of Fear or Grief 3. When helps are absent 4. When our Bodies are melancholy or otherwise unfit p. 350 6. Refusing the former Judgement of our sincerity if we have not a continued sight of grace p. 353 7. The variety and confusion of the souls operations ibid. Motives to labour to know our Sanctification 1. It is a most excellent sort of knowledge p. 354. 2. It is a most delightfull felicitating knowledge p. 355 3. It might sweeten every place and state p. 357 4. It would much help our Belief of Scripture p. 357 5. And our Trusting on God in all straits p. 359 6. And our chearfull progress in Religion p. 361 7. It may keep you from the terrors of the doubting p. 362 8 And sweeten all your other mercies p. 363 9. And debilitate temptations to sensuaâ— pleasures p. 36â— 10. And sweeten all the service of God p. 36â— 11. And kindle Love to God p. 372 12. It s necessary to a life of Thankfulness p. 377 13. You will not else live to the Glory of the Gospel p. 383 14. It will make all sufferings easie p. 385 As 1. Scornes p. 38â— 2. Opposition 3. Slanders p. 38â— 4. Imprisonment and banishment p. 39â— 5. Personal and family crosses p 39â— 6. Death p. 39â— The Hinderances of Self-acquaintance 〈…〉 1. External 1. Ministers unskilfulness and unfaithfulness p. 402 Direct 1. Live under a skilfull faithfull Pastor p. 411 In what cases to use their personal helps p. 418 Objections against Ministers personal helps answered p. 419 Quest How far a doubting person may rest in the judgement of a Minister about the state of his soul p. 429 The Direction applyed to both sorts p. 435 Hind 2. Prosperity and flattery Direct 2. Desire not much Prosperity and detest flatterers p. 457 Hind 3. Conversing only with bad men p. 461 Direct 3. Converse with Heavenly Exemplary Christians p. 466 2. Internal Hinderances 1. Pride p. 470 Direct 1. Come to Christ as little Children p 473 Hind 2. An unreasonable love of present ease p. 475 Direct 2 Look to the time to come and be not too tender of present trouble p. 477 Hind 3. self-Self-love blindeth p. 481 Direct 3. Bring your minds to a just impartiality p. 483 Hind 4. Nst observing the heart in tryal but taking it only at the best p. 488 Caution When and how to judge our selves p. 490 Direct 4. Judge of your Habitual state by your actions p· 494 ERRATA PAge 228 l. 29. for gain r. game p. 229. l. 29. for having r. have p. 147 l. 17. r. relevetur l. 22. r. sanabat p. 236. l. 2. r. Impenitent sinner p. 247. l. 5. for juggling r. jingling p. 288. l. 25. r. it is p. 29â— l. 20. r. preservative p. 334. l. 24 for more r. meer p 340 l. 25. r. if it were p. 341. l. 2. for as r. is l. 6. dele that p. 349. l. 4 for after r. ofter p. 351. l. 8. r. all that p 353. l. 10. for over r. our p. 307. l. 17. for bodily r. boldly p. 375. l. 17. r. hath set you p. 383. l. 2â— r. is it to p. 381. l. 28. r. fitteth p. 387. l. 8. r. prosperity p. 407 l. 26. for natives r. Naâ—ions p. 411. l. 3. r. whâ—â— it is p. 428. l. 6. dele in p. 434. l. 9. r. it s l. 13. r. he is not p. 448. l. 21. r. put him p. 452. l. 14. r. of one p. 46â— for are r. hearâ— and for hear r. are p. 476. l. 19. r. inconsiderate p. 485. l. 1. corrigentis THE Mischief of Self-ignorance AND Benefit of Self-acquaintance 2 COR. 13.5 Know ye not your own selves THE Corinthians being much abused by false-teachers to the corrupting of their faith and manners and the questioning of the Apostles Ministery he acquainted them in my Text with an obvious remedy for both these maladies and lets â—hem know that their miscarriages call â—hem to question themselves rather then â—o question his authority or gifts and that if they find Christ in themselves they must acknowledge him in his ministry He therefore first most importunately urgeth them to the mediate duty of Self-examination Examine your selves Whether you be in the faith Prove your own selves Self-examination is but the Means of Self-knowledge This therefore he next urgeth and that first in General and this by way of Interrogation Know ye not your own selves and then more particularly he tells them what it is of themselves that it most concerneth them to know How that Jesus Christ is in you except ye be Reprobates As if he should say Alas poor souls you have more cause to question your selves then me Go too therefore examine and prove your selves It is a shame for a man to be ignorant of himself Know ye not your own selves Either Christ is in you by faith and by his Spirit or he is not If he be not you are yet but Reprobates that is disapproved of God and at present in a forsaken or condemned state your selves which is a conclusion that you will be loath to admit but more concerneth you If Christ be in you it was by the means of my ministry and therefore that ministry hath been powerfull and effectual to you and you are my witnesses the seal of my ministry is upon your own souls Christ within you bears me witness and therefore of all men you have least cause to question or quarrel with my ministry This Paraphrase opening all that may seem difficult in the Text I shall immediately offer you a double Observation which the words afford us first as considered in themselves and then as respecting the inference for which they are premised by the Apostle The first is that All men should know themselves or It is a shame for a man to be unacquainted with himself The second is that Not knowing our selves is the cause of other errors or The knowledge of our selves would much conâ—uce to the Cure of many other errors In handling this I shall shew you 1. What 〈◊〉 is to know our selves 2. How far it is â—â—r is not a shame
mens and of those that are suitable to their dispositions interests or examples and those that are against them They seem to judge of the actions by the persons and not of the persons by the actions Though he be himself a sensualist a worldling drowned in Ambition and Pride whose heart is turned away from God and utterly strange to the mysterie of Regeneration and a heavenly life yet all this is scarce discerned by him and is little troublesome and less odious then the failings of another whose heart and life is devoted unto God The different opinions or modes and circumstances of worship in another that truly feareth God is matter of their severer censures and reproach then their own omissions and aversness and enmity to holiness and the dominion of their deadly sins It seems to them more intolerable for another to pray without a Book then for themselves to pray without any serious belief or love or holy desire without any feeling of their sins or misery or wants that is to pray with the lips without a heart to pray to God without God even without the knowledge or love of God and to pray without prayers It seemed to the Hypocritical Pharisees a greater crime in Christ and his Disciples to violate their Traditions in not washing before they eat to break the Ceremonious rest of their Sabbath by healing the diseased or plucking ears of corn then in themselves to hate and persecute the true believers and worshippers of God and to kill the Lord of life himself They censured the Samaritans for not worshipping at Jerusalem but censured not themselves for not worshipping God that is a Spirit in Spirit and in Truth Which makes me remember the course of their successors the Ceremonious Papists that condemn others for Hereticks and fry them in the flames for not believing that Bread is no Bread and Wine is no Wine and that Bread is to be adored as God and that the souls of dead men know the hearts of all that pray to them in the world at once and that the Pope is the Vice-Christ and Soveraign of all the Christians in the world and for reading the Scriptures and praying in a known tongue when they forbid it and for not observing a world of Ceremonies when all this enmity to Reason Piety Charity Humanity all their Religious Tyranny Hypocrisie and Cruelty do seem but holy zeal and laudable in themselves To lie dissemble forswear depose and murder Princes is a smaller matter to them when the Pope dispenseth with it and when it tends to the advantage of their faction which they call the Church then to eat flesh on Friday or in Lent to neglect the Mass or Images or Crossing c. And it makes me remember Bishop Halls Description of An Hypocrite He turneth all gnats into Camells and cares not to undo the world for a circumstance Flesh on Friday is more abominable to him then his neighbours bed He abhors more not to uncover at the name of Jesus then to swear by name of God c. It seems that Prelats were guilty of this in Bernards dayes who saith Praelati nostri calicem linquunt Camelum deglutiunt dum majora permittentes minora discutiunt Optimi rerum aestimatores qui magnum in minimis parvam aut nullam in maximis adhibent diligentiam i. e. Our Prelats strain at a gnat and swallow a Camel while permitting greater matters they discuss or sift the less Excellent estimators of things indeed that in the smallest matters imploy great diligence but in the greatest little or none at all And the cause of all this partiality is that Men are unacquainted with themselves They love and cherish the same corruptions in themselves which they should hate and reprehend in others And saith Hierom Quomodo potest praeses Ecclesiae auferre malum de medio ejus qui in delictum simile corruerit aut qua libertate corripere peccantem potest cum tacitus ipse sibi respondeat eadem se admisisse quae corripit i. e. How can a Prelat of the Church reform the evil that is in it that rusheth into the like offence Or with what freedom can he rebuke a sinner when his conscience secretly tells him that he hath himself committed the same faults which he reproveth Would men but first be acquainted with themselves and pass an impartial judgement on the affections and actions that are nearest them and that most concern them they would be more competent and more compassionate Judges of their brethren that are now so hardly used by them It s excellent advice that Austin gives us Quum aliquem reprehendere nos necessitas coegerit cogitemus utrum tale sit vitium quod nunquam habuimus tunc cogitemus nos homines esse habere potuisse vel quod tale habuimus jam non habemus tunc memoria tangat communis fragilitatis ut illam correctionem non odium sed misericordia praecedat Sin autem invenerimus nos in eodem vitio esse non objurgemus sed ingemiscamus ad aequaliter deponendum invitemus i. e. When necessity constraineth us to reprove any one let us think whether it be such a vice as we never had our selves and then let us think that we are men and might have had it Or if we once had such but have not now then let the remembrance of common frailty touch us that compassion and not hatred may lead the way to our reproof But if we find that we have the same vice our selves let us not chide but groan and move or desire that we may both equally lay it by 5. It shews how little men know themselves when they must needs be the Rule to all other men as far as they are able to command it and that in the matters that mens salvation dependeth on and in the smallest tender disputable points and even in those things where themselves are most unfit to judge In every controverted point of doctrine though such as others have much better studied then themselves he that hath strength to suppress all those that differ from him must ordinarily be the umpire so is it even in the modes and circumstances of Worship Perhaps Christ may have the honour to be called the King of the Church and the Scripture have the honour to be called his Laws but indeed it is they â—hat would be the Lords themselves and 〈◊〉 is their Wills and Words that must be the â—aws and this under pretence of subâ—erving Christ and interpreting his Laws â—hen they have talkt the utmost for Counâ—ils Fathers Church Tradition it is â—hemselves that indeed must be all these â—or nothing but their own conceits and Wills must go for the sense of Decrees or Canons Fathers or Tradition Even they â—hat hate the power and serious practice of Religion would fain be the Rule of Reliâ—ion to all others And they that never â—new what it was to worship God in Spiâ—it and
amplexandum totum corâ—â—â— expositum ad redimendum saith Augustiâ—â— Behold the wounds of Christ as he is hangâ—â—g the blood of him dying the price of him â—â—deeming the scars of him rising His Head 〈◊〉 bowed to Kiss thee his heart open to love â—â—ee his arms open to embrace thee â—is whole body exposed to redeem thee Homo factus est hominis Factor ut sugeret â—â—bera regens sydera ut esuriret Panis ut â—â—â—eret Fons dormiret Lux ab itinere via â—â—tigaretur falsis testibus Veritas occulâ—retur Index vivâ—rum mortuâ—rum à juâ—â—â—ce mortali judicaretur ab injustis justiâ—â—a damnaretur flagellis disciplina caedoreâ—â—ur spinis botrâ—s coronaretur in ligno â—undamentum suspenderetur virtus infirâ—aretur salus vulneraretur vita â—oreretur saith Aug. that is The Maker â—f man was made man that he might suck â—â—e breasts that rules the starrs that Bread â—ight hunger the Spring or fountain might â—hirst the Light might steep the Way â—ight be weary in his journey that the Truth might be hidden by false witnesses That the Judge of quick and dead might be â—udged by amortal judge Iustice might be condemned by the unjust Discipline might 〈◊〉 scourged the Cluster of grapes might be â—rowned with thorns the Foundation might be hanged on a tree that Strength â—ight be weakned that Health might be wounded and that Life it self might dyâ— This is the wonderfull mystery of Love which will entertain the soul that come to Christ and which thou must study 〈◊〉 know when thou knowest thy self But 〈◊〉 then all these will be riddles to thee oâ— little relished and Christ will seem to thy neglecting heart to have dyed and done 〈◊〉 this in vain And hence it is that as proud ungodly sensuall men were never sound Believers so they oft-times fall from that opinionative common faith which they had and of all meâ— do most easily turn Apostates It being just with God that they should be so far forsaken as to vilifye the remedie that would not know their sin misery but love it and pertinaciously hold it as their felicity 4. If you Know not your selves you will not know what to do with your selves nor to what end and for what work you are to live This makes the Holy work neglected and most men live to little purpose wasting their daies in matters that them selves will call impertinent when they come to die as if they were good for nothing else Whereas if they knew them selves they would know that they are made and fitted for more noble workes O man if thou â—ere acquainted well with thy faculties â—â—d frame thou wouldest perceive the â—ame of God thy Maker to be so deeply â—â—graven in thy nature even in all thy parts â—nd powers as should Convince thee that â—â—ou wast made for him that all thou art and 〈◊〉 thou hast is nothing worth but for his â—â—rvice As all the parts and motions of 〈◊〉 clock or watch are but to tell the hour 〈◊〉 the day Thou wouldst know then the â—eaning of Sanctification and Holiness â—hat it signifyeth but the Giving God his â—wn and is the first part of Justice withâ—ut which no rendering men their due can â—â—ove thee Just Thou wouldst then know â—â—e unreasonableness and injustice of ungodâ—â—ness and all sin And that to serve thy â—â—eshly lusts and pleasures with those noble â—â—culties that were purposely formed to â—ove and serve the Eternall God is more â—â—bsurd and villainous then to employ the â—ighest officers of the King in the sweepâ—ng of your chimneyes or the serving of â—our swine Remember it unreasonable â—cutish man the next time thou art going to thy lusts and sensuall deâ—â—ghts It is no wiser a course thou â—akest It is no more honorable or â—ust but as much worse as God is to be preferred to a King and as thy 〈◊〉 is worse then the serving of thy swiâ—e O man didst thou but know thy self and see what employment thy facultyes are made thou wouldst lift up thy head and seriously think who holds the reins who keepeâ— thy breath yet in thy nostrills and continueth thee in life And where it is that thou must shortly fix thy unchangeable abode And what is now to be done in preparation for such a day Os homini sublime dedit c. Thou wouldst know that thou hadst not that Reason and that will and executive power to rowl in the earth and be but a cunning kind of beast that hath wit to play the fool and can ingeniously live below understanding and do that with argument which other bruits can do without it Thou wouldst know that thy higher faculties were not made to serve the lower 〈◊〉 thy Reason to serve thy sensuall delight the horse was not made to ride the man nor the master to follow and attend the dâ—g O man hadst thou not lost the Knowledge of thy self thou wouldst be so far from wondering at a Holy life that thou wouldst look upon an unholy person as a monster and wouldst hear the deriderâ— and opposers of a holy life as thou wouldst hear him that were deriding a man because he is not a swine or were reproaching men of honor and learning because they live not as an Ass I confess my soul is too apt to lose its lively sense of all these things But when ever it is awake I am forc't to say in these kind of meditations If I had not a God to know and think on to Love and honor to seek and serve what had I to do with my understanding will and all my powers What should I do with life and time What use should I make of Gods provisions What could I find to do in the world that is worthy of a man Were it not as good lie still and sleep out my daies and professedly do nothing as to go dreaming with a seeming seriousness and wander about the world as in my sleep and do nothing with such a troublesome stir as sensuall worldly persons do Could not I heave plaid the beast without a Reasonable free-working soul Let them turn from God and neglect the conduct of the Redeemer and disregard the holy approaches and breathings and workings of the soul towards its beloved Center and felicity that know not what an immortal soul is or know how els to imploy their facultyes with satisfaction or conttent unto themselves I profess here 〈◊〉 in his presence that is the Father of spirits and before Angels and men I do not 〈◊〉 know not what els to do with my soul that 's worth the doing but what is subservient to its proper object its end and everlasting Rest If the Holy service of God and the preparation for Heaven and making after Christ and happiness be forbidden me I have no more to do in the world that will satisfie my Reason or satisfie my affections or that as a man or a Christian I can own And it s as good not live as to be deprived
with a Medice cura teipsum Physitian heal thy self with a Loripidem rectus derideat Aethiopem abbus c. and a Primus jussa subi c. and a Qui alterum incusat probri ipsum se intueri oportet First sweep before your own door It s ridiculous for the blind to reproach the pur-blind Qua in aliis reprehendis in teipso maximè reprehende Reprehend that more in thy self which thou reprehendest in another The eye of the soul is not like the eye of the body that can see other things but not it self There are two evils that Christ noteth in the reproofs of such as are unacquainted with theselves in Math. 7.3 4. Hypocrisie and Vnfitness to reprove Why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brothers eye but considerest not the beam that is in thy own eye Or how wilt thou say to thy brother Let me pull out the moat out of thine eye and behold a beam is in thy own eye Thou Hypocrite first cast the beam out of thine own eye and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the moat out of thy brothers eye Thy own vices do corrupt thy judgement and cause thee to excuse the like in others and to accuse the virtue that in others is the condemner of thy vice and to represent all as odious that is done by those that by their piety and reproofs are become odious to thy guilty and malicious soul Dost thou hate a holy heavenly life and art void of the love of God and of his servants Hast thou a carnal dead unconverted heart art thou a presumptuous careless worldly wretch Hast thou these beams in thy own eye and art thou fit to quarrel with others that are better then thy self about a Ceremony or a Holy day or a circumstance of Church-Government or Worship or a doubtfull controverted opinion and to be pulling these motes out of thy Brothers eye Yea rather wouldst pull out his eyes to get out the mote First get an illuminated mind and a renewed sanctified heart be acquainted with the Love of God and of his Image and cast out the beam of infidelity ungodliness worldliness sensuality malice and hypocrisie from thine own eye and then come and play the Oculist with thy brother and help to cure him of his lesser involuntary errors and infirmities Till then the beam of thy sensuality and impiety will make thee a very incompetent Judge of the mote of a different opinion in thy brother Every word that thou speakest in condemnation of thy brother for his opinion or infirmity is a double condemnation of thy self for thy ungodly fleshly life And if thou wilt needs have judgement to begin at the house of God for the failings of his sincere and faithfull servants it may remember thee to thy terror what the end of them shall be that obey not the Gospel of God And if you will condemn the righteous for their lamented weaknesses where think you the ungodly and the sinner shall appear 1 Pet. 4.17 18. 11. If you begin not at your selves you can make no progress to a just and edifying knowledge of extrinsick things Mans self is the Alphabet or Primer of his learning Non pervenitur ad summa nisi per inferiora You cannot come to the top of the stairs â—f you begin not at the bottom Frustra corâ—dis oculum erigit ad videndum Deum qui â—â—ondum idoneus est ad videndum scipsum Prius enim est ut cognoscas invisibilia spiritus tui quà m possis esse idoneus 〈◊〉 cognoscendum invisibilia Dei si non potes te cognoscere non praesumas appreâ—endere ea quae sunt supra te inquit Hug. de Anim. i. e. In vain doth he lift up his heart to see God that is yet unfit to see himself For thou must first know the invisible things of thy own spirit before thou canst be fit to know the invisible things of God And if thou canst not know thy self presume not to know the things that are above thy self You cannot see the face which it representeth if you will not look upon the glass which representeth it God is not visible but appeareth to us in his creatures and especially in 〈◊〉 selves And if we know not our selves wâ— cannot know God in our selves Praecipuâ— principale est speculum ad videndum Deum animus rationalis intuens scipsum inâ—â— Hug. The principal glass for the beholdinâ— of God is the Resonable soul beholding it self And you will make but an unhappy progress in your study of the Works of God if you begin not with your selves Yoâ— can know but little of the Works of Nature till you know your own nature And you can know as little of the Works of Grace till self-acquaintance help you to know thâ— nature and danger of those diseases that Grace must cure The unhappy error 〈◊〉 presumptuous students about their owâ— hearts misleadeth and perverteth them in the whole course of their studies that by all they do but profit in misapplied notions and self-deceit It s a lamentable fight to see a man turning over Fathers and Councils and diligently studying words and notions that is himself in the gall of bitterness and bond of iniquity and never knew it nor studieth the cure And it s a pittifull thing to see such in a Pulpit teaching the people to know the mysteries of salvation that know not nor ever laboured to know what sins are predominant in their own hearts and lives or Whether they stand before God in a justified or a condemned state To hear a poor unsanctified man as boldly treating of the mysteries of sanctification as if he had felt them in himself and a man that is condemned already and stayeth but a while till the stroke of death for final execution to treat as calmly of judgement and damnation as if he were out of danger and exhorting others to escape the misery which he is in himself and never dreameth of it This sheweth how sad a thing it is for men to he ignorant of themselves To see men run out into damnable and dangerous errors on each hand some into the proud self-conceitedness of the Phanaticks Enthusiasts and Libertines and some into contempt and scorn of holiness and every one confident even to rage in his own distractions this doth but shew us whither men will go that are unacquainted with themselves This also maketh us so troubled with our auditors that when they would learn the truth that should convert and save them are carping and quarrelling with us and hear us as the Pharisees and Herodians heard Christ to catch him in his words Mark 12.13 As if a dying man in a consumption imagining that he is well should go to the Physicion to make a jeast of him or seek to ruine him for telling him that he is sick And how frowardly do they reject the wisest counsel and cast the medicine with unthankfull indignation into the face of the
ready to discourse about matters of â—he heart and that they so much relish â—â—ch discourse and that they have so much 〈◊〉 say when you come to such a subject â—t is because they know themselves in some â—ood measure They have studied and â—re acquainted with the Heart And thereâ—ore can talk the more sensibly of what is â—ontained in a book which they have so â—ften read and are so conversant in â—alk with them about the matters â—f the world and perhaps you may â—ind them more simple and ignorant then many of their neighbours But when you â—alk about the Corruptions of the heart â—nd the secret workings of them the matâ—er and order and government of the thoughts and affections and passions 〈◊〉 wants and weaknesses of believers the nâ—â—ture and workings of inward temptationâ— the wayes of grace and of the exercise 〈◊〉 each grace the motions and operatioâ— of the spirit upon the heart the breathiâ—â— of Love and desire after God the aâ—â—dresses of the soul to Christ by faitâ— and dependance on him and receiviâ—â— from him about these secret matters 〈◊〉 the Heart he is usually more able in dâ—â—â—course then many learned men that are 〈◊〉 sanctified And hence it is that upright self-obsâ—â—â—ving souls are so full in prayer and 〈◊〉 to pour out their hearts so enlargedly â—â—â—fore the Lord in confessing their sins 〈◊〉 petitioning for grace and opening thâ— necessities and thanking God for spiritâ—â—â— mercies Some that are themselves acquaiâ—â—â—ed with themselves and the workings 〈◊〉 grace despise all this and say It is but 〈◊〉 ability to speak of the things which they 〈◊〉 most used to I doubt not but meer acâ—quired abilities and custom may advanâ—â— some hypocrites to pray in the languagâ— of experienced Christians And I doubt noâ— but natural impediments and want of use anâ— of right education may cause many to 〈◊〉 â—onvenient expressions that have true deâ—â—res But the question is from whence it â—â—mes to pass that so great a number of â—hose that are most carefull and diligent â—or their souls are so full in holy conference â—â—d prayer when very few others that exâ—â—ll them in learning and natural parts â—ave any such ability And doubtless the â—hief reason is that the care and study of â—hese Christians hath been most about their â—piritual estate And that which they set â—heir hearts upon they use their tongues â—pon Generally it cannot be imagined why they should use themselves to those â—tudies and exercises which procure those â—bilities but that they highlyest esteem â—nd most seriously regard the matters that concern their salvation which are the subâ—ect I doubt not but God bestoweth his gifts upon men in the use of means and that it is partly use that maketh men able and ready in these services of God But what reason can be given why one part of men use themselves to such imployments and another part are unable through disuse but that some do set their hearts upon it and make it their business to know themselves their sins and wants and seek relief when by the others all this is neglected Some hypocrites may be moved by lower ends both in this and in other duties of Religion but that 's no rule for our judgeing of the intentions of the generality or of any that are sincere As a man that hath lived in the East or West Indies is 〈◊〉 to discourse of the places and people which he hath seen and perhaps another by a Map or historie may say somewhat of the same subject though less distinctly and sensibly but others can say nothing of it so a man of holy experience in the mysteries of sanctification that is much conversant at home and acquainted with his own heart is able if other helps concur to speak what he feels to God and man and from his particular observation and experience to frame his prayers and spiritual conference and an hypocriâ—â— from Reading and common observation may do something affectedly that 's like it but careless self-neglecting worldlings are usually dumb about such matters and hear you as they do men of another Countrey that talk in a language which they do not understand or at least cannot make them any answer in But if any of you will needs think more basely and maliciously of the cause of holy prayer and conference in believers let us leave them for the present to the Justification of him that gave them the spirit of supplication which you reproach and let us only enquire what is the Reason that men that can discourse as hansomely as others about worldly matters have nothing to say beyond a few cold affected words which they have learnt by rote either to God or man about the matters of the soul the methods of the spirit the workings of a truly penitent heart or the elevations of faith and the pantings of desire after God Why are you dumb when you should speak this language and frequently and delightfully speak it Is it because your Reason is lower then those mens that do speak it whom you despise and that you are naturally near kin to ideots No you are wise enough to do evil You can talk of your trades your honours or employments your acquaintance and correspondencies all the day long You are more wordy about these little things then the Preachers themselves that you count most â—edious are about the greatest You are â—uch longer discoursing of your delusory â—oyes then the Lovers of God whose souls â—ong after him are in those Prayers which trouble you with their length Many a time have I been forced to hear your dreaming incoherent dotage how copious you are in words that signifie no greater matters then flesh pleasing or fancifull honourâ— and accomodations I had almost said theâ—â— chaff or straw or dirt One may heâ—â— you from morning to night from day to day discoursing in variety of company on various subjects with freedom and plausible ingenuity And when all is seâ— together it is but a hodge podge of earth and flesh and windy vanity a frothy puddle Aâ— the ridiculous Orator Magno Conatu hiatu nihil dicitis You strein and gapâ— an hour or a day together to say nothing set all the words of a day together and peruse them at night and see what they are worth There 's little higher then visible materials that I say not then the dunghil or your shadows then meat and drink and play and complement then houses or lands or domineering affections oâ— actions in many hours or days discourse I think of you sometime when I see how ingeniously and busily children do make up their babies of clouts and how seriously they talk about them and how every 〈◊〉 and clout is matter of employment and disâ—ourse and how highly they value them and â—ow many dayes they can unweariedly â—pend about them Pardon my compariâ—on If you repent not of your discourses â—nd imployments more then they and do not one day
a christian and the heartless use of outward ordinances and that good esteeme of others now goe for Godlyness and saving grace The Autumne is at hand when these leaves will all lie in the dirt and will goe for fruit no longer Do you take it now for true Religion to be hot for lust and pride and gain and cold for God and you Salvation and to obey God so far as will stand with your outward prosperity and as the flesh or your other Masters will give leave This is an Opinion that never accompanied any man beyond the grave Do you think to be saved by all that devotion which gives God but the leavings of the flesh and world and by a Religion that gives him but the outer rooms when pleasure and gain are next your hearts and that makes him but an underling to your Covetousness and Ambition Think so if you can when you are gone hence Cannot the Preacher now make the ungodly to know that they are ungodly the unsanctified to know they are but carnal and the Pharisee to know that his Religion is Vain Death can convince the awakened soul of all this in a moment You can choose whether you will believe us but Death will so speak as to be believed You must be Voluntary in knowing your misery now but then you shall know it against your wills You must open the windows or must open your eyes if you will see your selves by the Light which we bring to you But Death irresistibly throws open all To say in pride and obstinacy I will not believe it will now serve turn to quiet your consciences and make you seem as safe as any But when God saith You shall feel it your unbelief is uneffectual It can then torment you but it can no longer ease you There 's then no room for I will not believe it God can without a word perswade you of that which you were resolved you would never be perswaded of This day while you all sit here in the body you are every one affected according as you apprehend your state to be whether it be indeed as you apprehend it or not But when Death hath opened you the door into eternity you will be all affected with your conditions as they are indeed To day you are here quiet because you think your souls are safe and some are troubled that think they are in a state of misery and its like that some on both sides are mistaken and the quiet of one and the disquiet of another may arise for want of the knowledge of your selves But Death will rectifie both these errors and then if you are unsanctified no false opinions no unbelief no confident conceits of your integreity will abate your desperation or give any ease to your tormented minds Nor will there be any doubts or fears or despairing self-afflicting thoughts to disquiet those that Christ hath justified or a bate their Joyes O how many thousands will then think much otherwise of themselves then they now do Death turns you out of the company of flatterers and calls you out of the world of error where men laugh and cry in their sleep and bringeth you among awakened souls where all things are called by their proper names and all men are taken by themselves to be as they are indeed Serious Religion is not there a derision nor Loving and seeking and serving God with all the heart and soul and might is not there taken for unnecessary preciseness Holiness is not there called humour or Hypocrisie Nor is the Pharisaical Ceremonious Hypocrite taken for a man of the most prudent safe and moderate Religion God judgeth not as man by outward appearances but with righteous judgement that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God Luke 16.15 And he will make you then to judge of your selves as he hath judged you Though Wisdom now be Justified but of her children it shall then be Justified by all Not by a sanctifying but a constrained involuntary tormenting light And though now men can believe as well of themselves as self-self-love and the quieting of their consciences doth require yet then they will have lost this mastery over their own conceits O therefore beloved Hearers seeing you are all going into an unresistibly convincing Light and are almost in that world where all must fully know themselves Seeing nothing is covered that shall not be revealed nor hid that shall not be made known Mat. 10.26 and no unsanctified Hypocrite doth flatter himself into such high presumption but a dying hour will take him down and turn it all into endless desperation if true Conversion prevent it not I beseech you be more conversant with Conscience then you have been Be ashamed that a wanton sot that knoweth nothing better then flesh to adorn and to be carefull of should bestow more hours in looking into the Glass then you bestow to look into Gods Word and your own Hearts yea more in a year then you have thus bestowed in all your lives O that you knew what a profitable companion Conscience is for you to converse with You would not then think your selves so solitary as to be destitute of company and employment while you have so much to do at home and one in your bosome that you have so much business with And it is a necessary and inseparable companion If the wise of your bosome should be a shrew you must not therefore be a stranger to her because of nearness necessity and business If Conscience should give you some foul words and chide you when you had rather be flattered yet there is no running from it for more pleasant company Home is homely It s there that you must dwell Conscience is married to you Please it on safe terms as well as you can but do not think to overrun it For it will follow you or you must return to it home again when you have gone yout furthest and done you worst You have taken Conscience for better and for worse There is no expectation of a divorce no not by Death It will follow you to Eternity And therefore O be not strange to Conscience that will be your Comforter or Tormenter at the hour of death that can do so much to make sickness and all suffering light or grievous and to make death welcome or terrible to you Fly not from conscience that must dwell with you for ever O foolish sinners do you want company and business to pass away your time Are you fain to go to Cards or Dice to waste this treasure which is more precious then your money Do you go to an Ale-house a Play-house or other such Pest house to seek for company and pastime I say not to Bedlam for that 's as much more honourable then your sinfull society as the place that cureth or restraineth the mad is better then that which makes them mad Do you forget what company and business you have at
not perfect We know we 〈◊〉 be more humbled and more believing anâ— more watchfull and Love God more anâ— feare and trust him more and be moâ—â— fruitfull and diligent and obedient anâ— zealous and yet we are not What we 〈◊〉 we should be in any of these In these 〈◊〉 all live in sin against knowledge els 〈◊〉 should be all as good as we know we ougâ—â— to be which no man is And if throâ—â—â— temptation any of us should be ready 〈◊〉 despaire because of any of these infirmity 〈◊〉 because we cannot Repent or Love God watch or Pray or Obey more perfectly or as we should yet Grace ceaseth not 〈◊〉 be Grace though in the least degree becaâ—â—â— we are ready to despair for want of 〈◊〉 Nor will the sincerity of this spark 〈◊〉 graine of Mustard seed be unsuccesâ—â—◠〈◊〉 to our salvation because we think so and â—ake ourselves to be unsincere and our sanctiâ—â—cation to be none Nor yet because we â—annot be as obedient and good as we â—now we should be For the Gospell saith â—ot He that knoweth he hath faith or sinâ—â—rity shall be saved and he that knoweth 〈◊〉 not shall be damned or he that is lesse â—â—ly or obedient then his conscence tells him he â—hould be shall be damned But he that Beâ—ieveth and Repenteth shall be saved whether â—e know it to be done in sincerity or no â—nd he that doth not shall be damned though â—e never so confidently think he doth So that in the Degrees of Holynes and obedience all Christians ordinarly sin against knowledge 2. And besides what is ordinary some extraordinarily in the time of a Powerfull temptation go further then ordinarily they do And some under dull Flegmatick melancholy or cholerick diseases or distempers of body or under a diseased violent appetite may transgress more against their knowledge then otherwise they would do when the spirits are flatted the thoughts confused the reason weakened the passion strengthned and the executive faculties undisposed so that their actions are but imperfectly Humane or Morall imperfectly capable of vertue or vice good or evill it is no wonder here if pooâ— soules not only perceive their sin but thinâ— it and the danger to be tenfold greatâ—â— then they are and yet go on againâ—â— their knowledge and yet have 〈◊〉 grace This much I have said both to stay yoâ— from misunderstanding what I said before concerning the Power of conviction 〈◊〉 conversion for few Auditoryes waâ—â— hearers that will be still excepting if Caâ—â—tion stop not every hole and also to 〈◊〉 you to the fuller understanding of the â—â—â—â—ter its self of which I treat But exceptiâ—â—â—â—mat regulam in non exceptis Exceptioâ— strengthen and not weaken any Rule 〈◊〉 proposition in the points not exceptâ—â— Still I say that out of these cases the 〈◊〉 knowledge of a sinfull miserable state 〈◊〉 so great a helpe to bring us out of it 〈◊〉 it s hardly imaginable how rationall meâ—â— can willfully continue in a state of suâ—â— exceeding danger if they be but well acâ—quainted that they are in it I know a Harâ—â—ned heart hath an unreasonable obstinâ—â—â— opposition against the meanes of its 〈◊〉 recovery But yet men have some use 〈◊〉 Reason and self preserving Love and care â—r they are not men and if they be not 〈◊〉 they cannot be sinfull men And â—hough little transient lightnings oft come â—o nothing but leave some men in greaâ—er darkness yet could we but set up a â—â—anding Light in all your consciences could we fully convince and resolve the unregeâ—ate that they cannot be saved in the carnall state and way that they are in but must be sanctifyed or never saved what hopes should we have that all the subtiltyes â—nd snares of Satan and all the pleasures and gaine of sin and all the allurements of ungodly company could no longer hinder you from falling down at the feet of mercy and begging forgiveness through the blood of Christ and giving up yourselves in Covenant to the Lord and speedily and resolutely betaking yourselves to an holy life Could I but make you throughly known unto your selves I should hope that all the unsanctified that hear me would date their Conversion from this very day and that you would not delay till the next morning to bewail your sin and misery and fly to Christ lest you should die and be past hope this night And doth so much of our work and of your recovery lie upon this point and yet shall we not be able to acâ—complish it Might you be broughâ— into the way to Heaven if we could bâ— perswade you that you are yet out of tâ—â— way and will you be undone because yoâ— will not suffer so small and reasonable part of the cure as this is O God forbid O that we knew how to illuminate yoâ—â— minds so far as to make you find that yoâ— are lost How ready would Christ be theâ— to find you and to receive and welcome you upon your return Here is the first difficulty which if we could but overcome 〈◊〉 should hope to conquer all the rest Hâ—â— we but a wedge to cleave this knot the rest would the more easily be done Coulâ— we draw but this one pin of self-deceit the frame of Satans building were like to tumble down O that any of you that know the nature of self-deceit and know the accesses to the inwards of a sinner and know the fallacious reasonings of the heart could tell us but how we might undeceive them O that any of you that know the nature of humane understanding with its several maladies and their cure and know the power of saving truth could tell us what key will undo this lock what medicine will cure this disease of wilfull obstinate self-deceiving Think but on the case of our poor people and of ours and sure you cannot choose but pitty both them and us We are all professors of the Christian faith and all say we believe the word of God This word assureth us that all men are fallen in Adam and are by nature children of wrath and increase in sin and misery till supernatural grace recover them It tells us that the Redeemer is become by office the Physition or Saviour of souls washing away their guilt by his blood and renewing and cleansing their corrupted natures by his Spirit It tell us that he will freely work the cure for all that will take him for their Physicion and will forgive and save them that penitently fly to him and value and accept and trust upon his grace And that except they be thus made new creatures all the world cannot save them from everlasting wrath This is the Doctrine that we all believe or say we do believe Thus doth it open the case of sinners We come now according to our office and the trust reposed in us and we tell our Hearers what the Scripture saith of man and what it commandeth us to tell them We tell them of their
they may give light to all that are in the house ver 15. What would you do with Teachers but to Teach you And what should they make known to you if not your selves Shall not the Physicion have leave to tell you of your diseases Verily Sirs a sinner under the curse of the Law unsanctified and unpardoned is not in a state to be jeasted and dallied with unless you can play in the flames of Hell It s plain dealing that he needs A quibbling â—oyish flashy Sermon is not the proper medicine for a lethargick miserable soul nor fit to Break a stony Heart nor to bind up a Heart that 's kindly broken Heaven and Hell should not be talkt of in a canting juggling or pedanick strain A Seneca can tell you that its a Physicion that is skilfull and not one that 's eloquent that we need If he have also fine and neat expressions we will not despise them nor overmuch value them urendum secandum It s a cure that we need and the means are best be they never so sharp that will accomplish it Serious reverent Gravity best suiteth with matters of such incomprehensible concernment You set not a School-bâ—y to make an Oration to give an assaulted City an allarm or to call men out to quench a common fire You may play with words when the case will bear it But as dropping of beads is too ludicrous for one that is praying to be saved from the flames of Hell so a sleepy or a histrionical starched speech is too light and unlikely a means to call back a sinner that is posting to perdition and must be humbled and renewed by the spirit or be for ever damned This is your case Sirs And do you think the playing of a part upon a stage doth fit your case O no! so great a business requireth all the serious earnestness in the speaker that he can use I am sure you will think so ere long your selves And you will then think well of the Preachers that faithfully acquainted you with your case and if they succeed to your perdition you will curse those that smoothed you up in your presumption and hid your danger by false doctrine or misapplication or seeming to discover it indeed did hide it by an hypocritical light not serious mention of it God can make use of clay and spittle to open the eyes of men born blind and of Rams-horns to bring down the walls of Jericho But usually he fitteth the means unto the end and works on man agreeably to his Nature And therefore if a blind understanding must be enlightned you cannot expect that it should be done by Squibs and Glowworms but by bringing into your souls the powerfull celestial truth which shall shew you the hidden corners of your hearts and the hidden mysteries of the Gospel and the unseen things of the other world If a hardened heart be to be broken it is not stroaking but striking that must do it It is not the sounding Brass the tinkling Cymbal the carnal mind puft up with superficial knowledge that is the instrument fitted to the renewing of mens souls But it is he that can acquaint you with what he himself hath been savingly acquainted The heart is not melted into Godly sorrow nor raised to the life of Faith and Love by the bubbles of a frothy wit or by a game at words or useless notions but by the illuminating beams of Sacred Truth and the attraction of Divine displayed Goodness communicated from a mind that by faith hath seen the Glory of God and by experience found that he is Good and that liveth in the Love of God such a one is fitted to assist you first in the knowledge of your selves and then in the knowledge of God in Christ Did you consider what is the office of the Ministry you would soon know what Ministers do most faithfully perform their office and what kind of Teaching and oversight you should desire And then you would be reconciled to the Light and would choose the Teacher could you have your choice that would do most to help you to know your selves and know the Lord. I beseech you judge of our work by our Commission and judge of it by your own Necessities Have you more need to be acquainted with your sin and danger or to be pleased wich a set of hansome words which when they are said do leave you as they found you and leave no Light and Life and heavenly Love upon your hearts that have no substance that you can feed upon in the review And what our Commission is you may find in many places of the Scripture Ezek. 3.18 19 20 21. When I say unto the Wicked Thou shalt surely die and thou givest him not warning nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way to save his life the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity but his blood will I require at thy hand Yet if thou warn the wicked and he turn not from his wickedness nor from his wicked way he shall die in his iniquity but thou hast delivered thy soul And If thou warn the righteous man that the righteous sin not and he doth not sin he shall surely live because he is warned also thou hast delivered thy soul And what if they distaste our doctrine must we forbear Verse 11. Tell them thus saith the Lord God whether they will hear or whether they will forbear So Ezek. 33.1 to 10. You know what came of Jonah for refusing to deliver Gods threatenings against Nineve Christs stewards must give to each his portion He himself threatneth damnation to the impenitent the Hypocrites and unbelievers Luke 13.3.5 Mark 16.16 Mat. 24.51 Paul saith of himself If I yet pleased men I should not be the servant of Christ Gal. 1.10 Patience and meekness is commanded to the Ministers of Christ even in the instructing of opposers But to what end but that they may escape out of the snare of Devil who are taken captive by him at his will So that with all our meekness we must be so plain with you as to make you know that you are Satans captives taken alive by him in his snares till God by giving you Repentance shall recover you 2 Tim. 2.25 26. The very effice of the Preachers sent by Christ was to open mens eyes and turn them from darkness to light and from the power of Satan unto God that they may receive remission of sins and inheritance with the sanctified by faith in Christ Acts 26.18 which telleth you that we must let men understand that till they are converted and sanctified they are blind and in the dark and in the power of Satan far from God unpardoned and having no part in the inheritance of Saints Christ tells the Pharisees that they were of their Father the Devil when they boasted that God was their Father John 8.44 And how plainly he tels them of their hypocrisie and asketh them how they can escape the
likewise with the same mind for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men but to the will of God 3. All those are unregenerate that depend not upon God as their chiefest Benefactor and do not most carefully apply themselves to him as knowing that in his favour is life Psal 30.5 and that his loving kindness is better then life Psal 63.3 and that to his judgement we must finally stand or fall but do ambitiously seek the favour of men and call them their Benefactors Luke 22.25 Matth. 23.9 whatever become of the favour of God He is no child of God that preferreth not the Love of God before the Love of all the world He is no heir of heaven that preferreth not the fruition of God in Heaven before all worldly glory and felicity Col. 4.1 2 3. If ye be risen with Christ seek the things that are above where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God set your affection on things above not on things on the earth The Love of God is the summ of Holiness the Heart of the new creature the perfecting of it is the perfection and felicity of man 4. They are certainly unregenerate that Believe not the Gospel and take not Christ for their only Saviour and his promises of Grace and Glory as purchased by his Sacrifice and Merits for the Foundation of their hopes on which they resolve to trust their souls for pardon and for peace with God and endless Happiness Acts 4.12 Neither is there salvation in any other for there is none other Name under Heaven given among men whereby we must be saved 1 John 5.11 12. This is the record that God hath given us eternal life and this life is in his Son He that hath the Son hath life and he that hath not the Son hath not life When our Happiness was in Adams hands he lost it It is now put into safer hands and Jesus Christ the second Adam is become our Treasury He is the Head of the Body from whom each member hath quickning influence Eph. 1.22 The life of Saints is in him as the life of the tree is in the root unseen Col. 4.3 4. Holiness is a Living unto God in Christ Though we are dead with Christ to the Law and to the world and to the flesh we are alive to God So Paul describeth our case in his own Gal. 2.19 20. I through the Law am dead to the Law that I might live unto God I am crucified with Christ nevertheless I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me Rom. 6.11 Likewise reckon ye also your selves to be dead indeed unto sin but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Christ is the Vine and we are the branches without him we can do nothing If you abide not in him and his words in you you are cast forth as a branch and withered which men gather and cast into the fire and they are burnt John 15.1 5 6 7. In Baptism you are married unto Christ as to the external solemnization and in spiritual Regeneration your Hearts do inwardly close with him entertain him and resign themselves unto him by Faith and Love and by a resolved Covenant become his own And therefore Baptism and the Lords Supper are called Sacraments because as Souldiers were wont by an Oath and listing their names and other engaging Ceremonies to oblige themselveâ— to their Commanders and their Vow waâ— called A Sacrament so do we engage ouâ— selves to Christ in the holy Vow or Covenanâ— entered in Baptism and renewed in the Lords Supper 5. That person is certainly unregenerate that never was convinced of a Necessity of Sanctification or never perceived an excellency and amiableness in Holiness of heart and life and loved it in others and desired it himself and never gave up himself to the Holy Ghost to be further sanctified in the use of his appointed means desiring to be perfect and willing to press forward towards the mark and to abound in grace Much less is that person renewed by the Holy Ghost that hateth Holiness and had rather be without it and would not walk in the fear and obedience of the Lord. The Spirit of Holiness is that Life by which Christ quickneth all that are his members He is no member of Christ that is without it Rom. 8.9 According to his Mercy he saveth us by the washing of Regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost Tit. 3.5 6. That person is unregenerate that is under the Dominion of his fleshly desires and mindeth the things of the flesh above the things of the Spirit and hath not mortified it so far as not to live according to it A carnal mind and a carnal life are opposite to Holiness as Sickness is tâ— Health and Darkness unto Light Rom. 8.1 to 14. There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus that walk not after the flesh but after the spirit For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh but they that are after the spirit the things of the spirit For to be carnally minded is death but to be spiritually minded is life and peace Because the carnal mind is enmity against God for it is not subject to the Law of God neither indeed can be so then they that are in the flesh cannot please God For if ye live after the flesh ye shall die but if by the spirit ye mortifie the deeds of the body ye shall live Now the works of the flesh are manifest which are Adultery Fornication Vncleanness Lasciviousness Idolatry Witchcraft Hatred Variance Emulations Wrath Strife Seditions Heresies Envyings Murders Drunkenness revellings and such like of which I tell you before as I have also told you in time past that they which do such things shall not inherit the Kingdom of God But the fruit of the Spirit is Love Joy Peace Long-suffering Gentleness Goodness Faith Meekness Temperance against such there is no Law And they that are Christs have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts Galat. 5.18 to 25. 7. Lastly that person is certainly unregenerate that so far valueth and loveth this world or any of the carnal accommodations therein as practically to prefer them before the Love of God and the Hopes of Everlasting Glory seeking it first with highest estimation and holding it fastest so as that he will rather venture his soul upon the threatned wrath of God then his body upon the wrath of man and will be religious no further then may consist with his prosperity or safety in the world and hath something that he cannot part with for Christ and heaven because it is dearer to him then they Let this man go never so far in Religion as long
and built your hopes upon his promises and can with a cheerfull contempt let go the world for the accomplishment of your hopes remember yet that there is a secret root of unbelief remaining in you and that this odious sin is but imperfectly mortified in the best and that its more then possible that you may see the day when the tempter will assault you with questionings of the word of God and trouble you with the injections of blasphemous thoughts and doubts whether it be true or not and that you that have thought of God of Christ of Heaven of the Immortal state of souls with joy and satisfied confidence may be in the dark about them affrighted with ugly suggestions of the enemy and may think of them all with troublesome distracting doubts and be forced to cry with the Disciples Luke 17.5 Lord increase our faith And as he Mark 9.24 Lord I believe help thou my unbelief Yea worse then so some upright souls have been so amazed and distracted by the Tempter and their distempered hearts as to think they do not believe at all nor yet are able sincerely to say Lord help thou my unbelief When yet at that time their Fears and their abstaining from iniquity shew that they Believe the Threatnings and therefore indeed believe the word Now if we did but throughly know our selves when faith is in its exercise and strength and consider whither the secret seeds of remaining unbelief may bring us being fore-warned we should be fore-armed and should fortifie our faith the better and be provided against these sad assaults And if the malignant spirit be suffered to storm this fortress of the soul we should more manfully resist and we should not be overwelmed with horror as soon as any hideous and blasphemous temptations do assault us when Christ himself was not exempted from the most blasphemous temptation even the worshipping of the Devil instead of God though in him there was no sinfull disposition to entertain it Mat. 4.9.10 John 14.30 O watch and pray Christians in your most prosperous and comfortable state Watch and pray lest ye enter into temptation For you little think what is yet within you and what advantage the deceiver hath and how much of your own to take his part and how low he may bring you both in point of Grace and Peace though he cannot damn you I am troubled that I must tell you of so sad a case that even the children of God may fall into lest by troubling you with the opening of your danger I should do any thing to bring you into it But because self-ignorance and not being before hand acquainted with it may do much more I have timely shewed you the danger with the remedy 5. Another instance of the darkness even of a Heart that in part is sanctified is in the successes of the temptations of Adversity When we want nothing we think we value not the world and we could bear the loss of all But when poverty or danger comes what trouble and unseemly whining is there as if it were by a worldling that is deprived of his Idol and all the portion that ever he must have And by the shamefull moan and stir that we make for what we want we shew more sinfull overvaluing of it and love to it then before we observed or would believe O how confidently and piously have I heard some inveigh against the Love of the world as if there had been no such thing in them who yet have been so basely dejected when they have been unexpectedly stript of their estates as if they had been quite undone How patiently do we think we could bear affliction till we feel it And how easily and piously can we exhort others unto patience when we have no sense of what they suffer But when our turn is come alas we seem to be other men Suffering is now another thing and Patience harder then we imagined And how inclinable are we to hearken to temptations to use sinfull means to come out of our sufferings Who would have thought that faithfull Abraham should have been so unbelieving as to equivocate in such a danger and expose the chastity of his wife to hazzard as we read in Gen. 12.12 13 19. And that he should fall into the same sin again on the same occasion Gen. 20. to Abimelech as before he had done with Pharaoh And that Isaac should after him fall into the same sin in the same place Gen. 26.7 The Life oâ— Faith doth set us so much above the fear of man and shew us the weakness and noâ—thingness of mortal worms and the faithâ—fulness and al-sufficiency of God that oâ— would think the frowns and threatnings 〈◊〉 a man should signifie nothing to us whâ—â— God stands by and giveth us such ampâ—â— promises and security for our confirmâ—â—tion and encouragement And yet whâ—â— base dejectedness and sinfull complianceâ— are many brought to through the fear 〈◊〉 man that before the hour of this tempâ—tation could talk as couragiously as any This was the case of Peter before mentioned and of many a one that hath woundeâ— conscience and wronged their profession by too cowardly a disposition which if it were fore-known we might do more for our confirmation and should betake our selves in time to Christ in the use of means for strength Few turn their backs on Christ or a good cause in time of tryal that are jealous of themselves before hand and afraid lest they should forsake him Few fall that are afraid of falling But the self-ignorant and self-confident are careless of their way and it is they that fall 6. Another instance that I may give you 〈◊〉 in the unexpected appearances of Pride 〈◊〉 those that yet are truly humble Huâ—ility speaks in their confessions aggravaâ—â—ng their sin and searching heart and life â—r matter of self-accusation They call â—hemselves Less then the least of all Gods â—â—ercies They are ready with the woman of Canaan Mat. 15.27 even to own the name â—f dogs and to confess themselves unworthy â—f the childrens crums and unworthy to â—read upon the common earth or to â—reath in the air or to live upon the patiâ—nce and provisions of God They will â—pend whole hours and dayes of humiliaâ—ion in confessing their sin and bewailâ—ng their weaknesses and want of grace â—nd lamenting their desert of misery They â—re oft cast down so much too low that they dare not own the title of Gods children nor any of his special grace but take themselves for meer unsanctified hardened sinners and all that can be said will not convince them that they have any saving interest in Christ nor hinder them from pouring out unjust accusations against themselves And all this is done by them in the uprightness of their hearts and not dissemblingly And yet would you think that with all this Humility there should be any pride and that the same person should lift up themselves and resist theâ— helps to further
Humiliation Do theâ— think in their dejections that it is in theâ— hearts so much to exalt themselves I coâ—â—fess many of them are sensible of the Pride even to the increase of their humiliâ—ty and as it is said of Hezekiah do humbâ—â— themselves for the pride of their hearts 〈◊〉 that Gods wrath doth not come upon them 2 Chr. 32.26 But yet too few are so weâ— acquainted with the power and rootedness oâ— this sin at the heart and the workings oâ— it in the hour of temptation as they should be Observe it but at such timeâ— as these and you will see that break forth that before appeared not 1. When 〈◊〉 are undervalued and slighted and meaneâ— persons preferred before us and when our words and judgements are made light of and our parts thought to be poor and low when any blot of dishonour is cast upoâ— us deserved or undeserved when we are slandered or reproached and used with despight what a matter do we make of it and how much then doth our Pride appear in our distaste and offence and impatience so that the same person that can â—our out words of blame and shame against himself cannot bear half as much from â—thers without displeasure and disquietness of mind It would help us much to know â—his by our selves in the time of our humility that we may be engaged to more watchfuless and resistance of our pride 2. When we are reproved of any disgracefull sin how hardly goes it down and how many excuses have we how seldom are we brought to downright penitent confessions What secret distaste is apt to be rising in our hearts against the reprover And how seldom hath he that hearty thanks which so great a benefit deserves And would any think in our humilations and large confessions unto God that we were so proud To know this by our selves would make us more suspicious and ashamed to be guilty of it 3. When any preferment or honour is to be given or any work to be done that is a mark of dignity how apt are we to think our selves as fit for it as any and to be displeased if the honour or employment do pass by us 4. When we are admired appladed or excessively esteemed and loved how apt are we to be too much pleased with it which sheweth a proud desire to be some body in the world and that there is much of this venom at the bottom in our hearts even when we lay our selves in the dust and walk in sackcloth and pass the heaviâ—est judgement on our selves 7. Another instance of our unacquaintedness with our hearts and the latent undiscerned corruption of them is our littlâ— discerning or bewailing those secret master sins which lie at the root of all the rest and are the life of the old man and the cause of all the miscarriages of our lives As 1. Vnbelief of the truth of the holy Scriptures of the immortality of the soul and the life of joy or misery hereafter and the other Articles of the Christian faith What abundance of Christians are sensible of their unbelief as to the applying acts of faith that tend to their assurance of their own salvation that are little sensible of any defect in the Assenting act or of any secret root of unbelief about the truth of the Gospel revelations And yet alas it is this that weakeneth all our graces It is this that feedeth all our wo O happy men were we free from this What prayers should we put up What lives should we lead how â—atchfully should we walk with what â—â—ntempt should we look on the allureâ—ents of the world with what disâ—â—in should we think on fleshly lusts â—â—th what indignation should we meet the â—â—mpter and scorn his base unreasonable â—otions if we did but perfectly believe the â—â—ry truth of the Gospel and world to come â—ow carefull and earnest should we be to â—ake our calling and election sure How â—reat a matter should we make of sin and â—f helps and hinderances in the way to â—eaven How much should we prefer that â—â—ate of life that furthereth our salvation â—efore that which strengtheneth our snares â—y furthering our prosperity and pleaâ—ure in the world if we were not weak or â—â—anting in our belief of the the certain â—erity of these things Did we better know â—he badness of our hearts herein it would engage us more in fortifying the vitals and â—ooking better to our foundation and windâ—ng up this spring of faith which must give life to all right motions of the soul 2. How insensible are too many of the great imperfection of their love to God! What passionate complaints have we of their want of sorrow for their sin and want of memory and of ability to pray c. when their complaints for want of Love to God and more affecting knowledge of him are so colâ— and customary as shews us they little observe the greatness of this sinfull want This is the very heart and summ and poyâ—son of all the sins of our soul and life Sâ— much as a man Loves God so much he iâ— Holy and so much he hath of the spiriâ— and image of Jesus Christ and so much he hath of all saving graces and so much he will abhor iniquity and so much he wilâ— love the commands of God As Love is the summ of the Law and Prophets so should it be the summ of our care and study through all our lives to excercise and strengthen it 3. How little are most Christians troubled for want of Love to men to Brethren neighbours and enemies how cold are their complaints for their defects in this in comparison of other of their complaints But is there not cause of as deep humiliation for this sin as almost any other It seems to me that want of Love is one of the most prevalent diseases among us when I hear it so little seriously lamented I oft hear people say O that we could hear more attentively and affectionately and pray more fervently and weep for sin more plenteously But how seldom do I hear them say O that we did love our Brethren more ardently and our Neighbours and Enemies more heartily then we do and set our selves to do them good There is so little pains taken to bring the heart to the Love of others and so few and cold requests put up for it when yet the heart is backward to it that makes me conclude that Charity is weaker in most of us then we observe And indeed it appeareth so when it comes to tryal to that tryal which Christ will judge it by at last Mat. 25. When Love must be shewed by any self-denyal or costly demonstration by parting with our food and rayment to supply the wants of others and by hazarding our selves for them in their distress then see how much we Love indeed Good words cost little so cheap an exercise of charity as is mentioned Jam. 2.15 16. Depart in peace be warmed and
filled is an insufficient evidence of the life of grace and will do as little for the soul of the giver as for the Body of the receiver And how little hazardous or costly Love is found among us either to enemies neighbours or to Saints Did we better know our hearts there would be more care and diligence used to bring them to effectual fervent Love then to those duties that are of less importance and we should learn what this meaneth I will have mercy and not sacrifice Mat. 9.13 12.7 which Christ sets the Pharisees twice to learn More instances of greatest duties extenuated I might add but I proceed 8. Another instance of unobserved corruption of the heart is The frequent and secret insinuations of selfishness in all that we do toward God or man When we think we are serving God alone and have cleansed our hearts from mixtures and deceit before we are aware self-interest or self-esteem or self conceit or self-love or self-will or self-seeking do secretly creep in and marr the work We think we are studying and preaching and writing purely for God and the common good or the benefit of souls and perhaps little observe how subtilly selfishness insinuates and makes a party and byasseth us from the holy ends and the simplicity and sincerity which we thought we had carefully maintained so that we are studying and preaching and writing for our selves when we take no notice of it When we enter upon any office or desire preferment or riches or honour in the world we think we do it purely for God to furnish us for his service and little think how much of selfishness is in our desires When we are doing Justice or shewing mercy in giving alms or exhorting the ungodly to repent or doing any other work of Piety or Charity we little think how much of selfishness is secretly latent in the bent and intention of the heart When we think we are defending the truth and cause of God by disputing writing or by the sword or when we think we are faithfully maintaining on one side order and obedience against confusion and turbulent disquiet spirits or the Vnity of the Church against division or on the other hand that we are sincerely opposing Pharisaicall corruptions and hypocrisie and tyrannie and persecution and are defending the purity of Divine worship and the power and spirituality of religion in all these cases we little know how much of carnal self may be secretly unobserved in the work But above all others Christ himself and the Holy Ghost that searcheth the hidden things of the heart hath warned one sort to be suspicious of their hearts and that is those that cannot bear the dissent and infirmities of their brethren in tolerable things and those that are calling for fire from heaven and are all for force and cruelty in religion for vexing imprisoning banishing burning hanging or otherwise doing as they would not be done by proportionably in their own case He tells his two Disciples in such a case Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of Luke 9.55 As if he should say You think you purely seek my honour in the revenge of this contempt and opposition of unbelievers and you think it would much redound to the propagation of the faith and therefore you think that all this zeal is purely from my spirit But you little know how much of â— proud a carnal selfish spirit is in these desires You would fain have me and your selves with me to be openly vindicated by fire from heaven and be so owned by Goâ— that all men may admire you and you may exercise a dominion in the world and you stick not at the sufferings and ruine of these sinners so you may attain your end but 〈◊〉 tell you this selfish cruel spirit is unlike my spirit which inclineth to patience forâ—bearance and compassion So Rom. 14.1 2 c. 15.1 2. Him that is weak in the faith receive ye who art thou that judgest another mans servant Why dost thou judge thy brother and why dost thou set at nought thy brother We shall all stand before the judgement seat of Christ Every one of us shall give account of himself to God We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak and not to please our selves Let every one of us please his neighbour for his good to edification So Gal. 6.1 2. Brethren if a man be overtaken in a fault ye which are spiritual restore such a one in the spirit of meekness considering thy self lest thou also be tempted Bear ye one anothers burden and so fulfill the Law of Christ So also men are fouly and frequently mistaken when they are zealously contending against their faithfull Pastors and their brethren and vilifying others and quenching love and troubling the Church upon pretence of greater knowledge or integrity in themselves which is notably discovered and vehemently prest by the Apostle James 3.1 c. where you may see how greatly the judgement of the spirit of God concerning our hearts doth differ from mens judgement of themselves They that had a masterly contentious envious zeal did think they were of the wiser sort of Christians and of the highest form in the School of Christ when yet the Holy Ghost telleth them that their wisdom descended not from above but was earthly sensual and divelish and that their envy and strife doth bring confusion and every evil work and that the wisdom from above is neither unholy nor contentious but first pure and then peaceable gentle and easie to be entreated Jam. 3.17 You see then how oft and dangerously we are deceived by unacquaintedness with our selves and how selfish carnal principles ends and motives are oft mixed in the actions which we think are the most excellent for wisdom zeal and piety that ever we did perform O therefore what cause have we to study and search and watch such hearts and not too boldly or carelesly to trust them And it is not only Hypocrites that are subject to these deceitfull sins who have them in dominion but true Believers that have a remnant of this carnal selfish principle continually offering to insinuate and corrupt their most excellent works and even all that they do 9. The strong eruption of those passions that seemed to be quite mortified doth shew that there is more evil lurking in the heart then ordinarily doth appear How calmly do we converse together how mildly do we speak till some provoking word or wrong do blow the coals and then the dove appeareth to partake of a fiercer nature and we can perceive that in the flame which we perceived not in the spark When a provocation can bring forth censorious reviling scornfull words it shews what before was latent in the heart 10. We are very apt to think those affections to be purely spiritual which in the issue appear to be mixed with carnality Our very love to the Assemblies and ordinances of
worship and to Ministers and other servants of the Lord to Books and Knowledge are ordinarily mixt and good and bad are strangely complicate and twisted together in the same affections and works And the Love that beginneth in the spirit is apt to degenerate into carnal Love and to have too much respect to Riches or Honour or personage or birth or particular concernments of our own and so it is corrupted as Wine that turneth into Vinegar before we are aware And though still there be uprightness of heart yet too much Hypocrisie is joyned with it when it is little perceived or suspected And thus in ten Instances I have shewed you how much the servants of Christ themselves may be mistaken or unacquainted with their hearts and how the work of mortification is hindered by this covering of so many secret unobserved sins But I must here desire you to take heed of running into their extream who hereupon conclude that their hearts being so dark and so deceitfull are not at all to be understood and therefore they are still so suspicious of the worst as that they will not be perswaded of the grace that plainly worketh in them and will condemn themselves for that which they are not guilty of upon suspicion that they may be guilty and not know it and think that all the sin that they forbear is but for want of a Temptation and that if they had the same Temptations they should be as bad as any others I would intreat these persons to consider of these truths for their better information 1. Temptations do not only shew the evil that is in the heart but breed much more and turn a spark into a flame as the â—â—â—iking of the steel upon the flint doth by â—â—e collision and tinder make fire where was â—ne Adam was made a sinner by temption 2. There is no Christian so mortified but â—â—th such remnants of corruption and conâ—piscence as would quickly bring forth â—â—ynous sins if Temptations beyond strength â—ere let loose upon him What need you â—â—re proof then the sad instances of â—oah Lot David Solomon and Peter It â—â—d not prove that any of these were â—aceless hypocrites before because they fell fouly by Temptations And yet these â—bjectors think they are graceless because â—â—me strong Temptation might make them â—ll 3. It is not Gods way of saving men to â—â—ve them so much inward Grace as no Tempâ—â—tion can overcome but to preserve and â—â—ing them safe to heaven by moral sapiâ—â—tial conduct together with internal â—hanges of their hearts And therefore he â—â—epeth men from sin by keeping them from Temptations that are too strong for them â—ll humane strength is limited And there â—â—e none on earth have such a measure of â—race but a Temptation may be imagined 〈◊〉 strong as to overcome them And if God should let Satan do his worst theâ— must be extraordinary assistances to prâ—â—serve us or we should fall Bless God he lead you not into Temptation but deliâ—â—â— you from the Evil by keeping you 〈◊〉 enough from the snare This is the 〈◊〉 of preservation that we are taught to 〈◊〉 and hope for 4. And therefore it is our own duty 〈◊〉 keep as far from Temptations as we caâ— and if we have Grace to avoid the sin 〈◊〉 avoiding the Temptation we have such Grâ—â— as God useth for the saving of his owâ— Not that he hath saving grace that woâ—â—â— live wickedly if he were but tempted to 〈◊〉 by those ordinary tryals that humane â—â—â—ture may expect But the soul that pâ—â—â—ferreth God and Glory before the pleasures 〈◊〉 sin for a season if it so continue shall 〈◊〉 saved though possibly there migh have 〈◊〉 a Temptation so strong as would have coâ—â—quered the measure of grace that he haâ— if it had not been fortified with new supplieâ— It is therefore more dotage in those thâ—â— could find in their hearts to put themselvâ—â— upon some Temptation to try whether theâ— are sincere by the success Avoid temptatâ—â—on that you may avoid the sin and punisâ—â—ment Make not your selves worse on prâ—â—â—ence of discovering how bad you are Put â—ot Gunpowder or fuell to the sparks of â—orruption that still remain in you on â—retence of trying whether they will burn â—ll men are defectible and capable of every 〈◊〉 and must be saved from it by that Grace â—hich worketh on nature according to that â—ature and prevaileth with Reason by â—eans agreeable to Reason If we think â—e are wicked because we find that we â—ave hearts that could be wicked were they 〈◊〉 alone and because we are not removed 〈◊〉 far from sin as to be uncapable of it we â—ay as well say Adam was wicked in his â—â—nocency much more David Solomon and â—eter before their falls It is not he that â—an sin that shall be punished but he that â—â—th sin or would sin if he could and had â—â—ther have the sin for its Pleasure or Comâ—odity to the flesh then be free from it and 〈◊〉 Holy in order to salvation and the faâ—our and pleasing and enjoying of God in â—ndless Glory 5. Lastly Let such persons try themselves by â—heir conquest over the Temptations which â—hey have and not by imaginary conflicts with all that they think may possibly at any â—ime assault them You have still the same â—â—esh to deal with and the same world and devil that will not let you go to heaven without Temptation If the Temptations which you have already keep you not from preâ—ferring the Love and fruition of God beforâ— the Pleasure of the Flesh and a life of faitâ— and Holiness before a life of infidelity anâ— impiety and sensuality so that you haâ—â— rather live the former then the latter I aâ— sure then your Temptations have not kepâ— you from a state of grace And you maâ— be assured that for the time to come 〈◊〉 you watch and pray you may escape thâ— danger of temptation and that God wilâ— increase your strength if he increase youâ— tryals Be not secure be you never so Holy Think not that you have nature that cannot sin or cannot be tempted to a love 〈◊〉 sin But let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall There hath no temptation taken you but such as is moderate or common to man but God is faithfull who wilâ— not suffer you to be tempted above that you are able but will with the temptation alsâ— make a way to escape that ye may be able tâ— bear it 1 Cor. 10.13 And thus I have shewed you how self-ignorance hindereth the conquest and mortifying of sin even in the Godly and now shall add some further motives 2. Not knowing our selves and the seâ—ret corruptions of our hearts doth make sin surprize us the more dangerously and break forth the more shamefully and wound our consciences the more terribly The unsuspected sin hath lest opposition and when it breaks out doth like an unobserved fire go far before we are awakened to quench
a sweet delightful boldness and make you 〈◊〉 to him as your help and refuge in all your necessities When you find the great promise fulfilled to your selves I will put my Law in their hearts and in their minds will I write them and their sins and iniquities will I remember no more you will have boldness to enter into the Holyest by the blood of Jesus by the new and living way which he hath consecrated for us through the veil that is to say his flesh And having an high Priest over the house of God you may draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith having your hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience or the conscience of evil as your bodies are washed in baptism with pure water Heb. 10.16 17 18 19 20 21 22. In Christ we may have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him Eph. 3.12 This intimate acquaintance with our great High Priest that is passed into the Heavens and yet abideth and reigneth in our hearts will encourage us to hold fast our profession and to come boldly to the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need Heb. 4.14 16. When by unfeigned Love we know that we are of the truth and may assure our hearts before him and our Heart condemneth us not then we have confidence towards God and whatever we ask we receive of him because we keep his commandments and do those things that are pleasing in his sight 1 Joh. 3.18 19 20 21 22. 6. When once you know that you have Christ within you you may cheerfully proceed in the way of Life when doubting Christians that know not whether they are in the way or not are still looking behind them and spend their time in perplexed fears lest they are out of the way and go on with heaviness and trouble as uncertain whether they may not lose their labour and are still questioning their groundwork when the building should go on It is an unspeakable mercy when a believing Soul is freed from these distracting hindering doubts and may bodily and cheerfully hold on his way and be walking or working when other men are fearing and enquiring of the way and may with patience and comfort wait for the reward the â—rown of life when others are still questioning whether they were ever regenerate and whether their hopes have any ground We may be stedfast unmoveable always abounding in the work of the Lord when we know that our labour is not in vain in the Lord 1 Cor. 15.58 We may then gird up the lâ—ins of the mind and in sobriety hope unto the end for the grace that is to be brought us at the Revelation of Jesus Christ 1 Pet. 1.13 7. When you are assured that you have Christ within you it may preserve you from those terrors of soul that affright theâ— that have no such assurance O he thâ—â— knoweth what it is to think of the intolerable wrath of God and says I fear I 〈◊〉 the object of this wrath and must bear thâ—â— intolerable lead everlastingly may knowâ— what a mercy it is to be assured of our escape He that knows what it is to think of Hell and say I know not but those endless flames may be my portion will know what a mercy it is to be assured of deliverance and to be able to say I know I am saved from the wrath to come 1 Thes 1.10 And that we are not of them thâ—â— draw back to perdition but of them that believe to â—he saving of the soul Heb. 10.39 And that God hath not appointed us to wrath but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ who dyed for us that whether we wake or sleep we should live together with him We may comfort our selves together and edifie one another when we have this assurance 1 Thes 5.9 10 11. They that have felt the burden of a wounded spirit and know what it is to feel the terrors of the Lord and to see Hell fire as it were before their eyes and to be kept waking by the dreadful apprehensions of their danger to be pursued daily by an accusing conscience setting their sins in order before them and bringing the threatnings of God to their remembrance these persons will understand that to be assured of a Christ within us and consequently of a Christ that is preparing a place in glory for us is a mercy that the mind of man is now unable to value according to the ten thousandth part of its worth 8. Were you assured that Christ himself is in you it would sweeten all the mercies of your lives It would assure you that they are all the pledges of his love And love in all would be the Kernel and the Life of all your friends your health your wealth your deliverances would be steeped in the dearest Love of Christ and have a spiritual sweetnss in them when to the worldling they have but a carnal unwholsome luscious sweetness and to the doubting Christians they will be turned into troubles while they are questioning the Love and meaning of the giver and whether they are sent for good to them or to aggravate their condemnation and the Company of the Giver will advance your estimation of the gift Mean things with the company of our dearest friends are sweeter then abundance in their absence To have money in your purses and goods in your houses and books in your studies and friends in your near and sweet society are all advanced to the higher value when you know that you have also Christ in your hearts and that all these are but the attendants of your Lord and the fruits that drop from the tree of life and the tokens of his Love importing greater things to follow Whereas in the crowd of all those mercies the foul would be uncomfortable or worse if it mist the presence of its dearest friend and in the midst of all would live but as in a wilderness and go seeking after Christ with tears as Mary at his Sepulchre because they had taken away her Lord as she thought and she knew not where they had laid him Joh. 20.13 All mercies would be bitter to us if the presence of Christ do not put into them that special sweetness which is above the estimate of sense 9. This assurance would do much to preserve you from the temptation of sensual delights While you had within you the matter of more excellent contentment and when you find that these inferiour pleasures â—re enemies to those which are your happiâ—ess and life you would not be easily taken with the bait The poorest brutish pleasures â—re made much of by them that never were â—cquainted with any better But after the â—weetness of assurance of the Love of God â—ow little relish is there to be found in the pleasures that are so valued by sensual unbeâ—ievers Let them take them for me saith â—he believing soul may I
terrible avenger and you may confess his judgements to be just but can you amicably embrace the consuming fire and love to dwell with the everlasting burnings O therefore as ever you would have the Love of God to animate and sanctifie and delight your souls study the greatness of his Love to you and labour with all possible speed and diligence to find that Christ by his spirit is within you It is the whole work of sanctification that Satan would destroy or weaken by your doubts And it is the whole work of sanctification that by Love would be promoted if you knew your interest in the Love of Christ 12. It is the knowledge of Christ dwelling in you and so of the special Love of God that must acquaint you with a life of holy Thankfulness and prase These highest and most acceptable duties will be out of your reach if Satan can hide from you that mercy which must be the chiefest matter of your Thanksgiving Will that soul be in tune for the high Praises of the Lord that thinks he meaneth to use him as an enemy Can you look for any cheerful thanksgiving from him that looks to lie in hell will he not rather cry with David Psal 6.5 In death there is no remembrance of thee in the grave who shall give thee thanks Psal 30.9 What profit is there in my blood when I go down to the pit shall the dust praise thee shall it declare thy truth shall the damned praise thee or shall they give thee thanks that must be scorched with the flames of thine indignation Can you expect that Joy should be in their hearts or cheerfulness in their countenances or praises in their mouths that think they are Reprobated to the fire of Hell Undoubtedly Satan is not ignorant that this is the way to deprive God of the Service which is most acceptable to him and you of the pleasures of so sweet a life And therefore he that envyeth both will do his worst to damp your spirits and breed uncomfortable doubts and fears and wrongful suspitions in your minds Whereas the Knowledge of your interest in Christ would be a continual storehouse of thanksgiving and praise and teach your hearts as well as your tongues to say with David Blessed is the man whose transgression is forgiven whose sin is covered Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity and in whose spirit there is no guile Be glad in the Lord and rejoyce ye Righteous and shout for joy all ye that are upright in heart Psal 32.1 2 11. Bless the Lord O my soul and all that is within me bless his holy name Bless the Lord O my soul and forget not all his benefits Who forgiveth all thine iniquities Who healeth all thy diseases Who redeemeth thy life from destruction and crowneth thee with loving-kindness and tender mercies Psal 103.1 2 3 4. O Lord my God I cried unto thee and thou hast healed me O Lord thou hast brought up my soul from the grave thou hast kept me alive that I should not go down to the pit sing unto the Lord O ye saints of his and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness for his anger endureth but for a moment in his favour is life Psal 30.2 3 4 5. Thanksgiving would be the very pulse and breath of your assurance of Christ dwelling in you You would say with Paul Eph. 1.3 4. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in celestials in Christ According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and blameless before him in Love having predestinated us to the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself according to the good pleasure of his will to the praise of the glory of his grace wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved In whom we have redemption through his blood the remission of sins according to the riches of his grace wherein he hath abounded toward us c. Thus faith and assurance as they have an unspeakable store to work upon so it is natural to them to expatiate in the praise of our Redeemer and to delight in amplifications and commemorations of the ways of grace Just so doth Peter begin his first Epistle Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead to an inheritance incorruptible undefiled that fadeth not away reserved in Heaven for you who are kept by the power of Goâ— through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time wherein ye greatly rejoyce c. No wonder if the Heirs of Heaven be inclined to the language and the work of Heaven I think there are few of you that would not rejoice and by your speech and countenance express your joy if you had assurance but of the dignities and dominions of this world And can he choose but express his Joy and Thankfulness that hath assurance of the crown of life What fragrant thoughts should possess that mind that knoweth it self to be possessed by the Spirit of the living God! How thankfull will he be that knows he hath Christ and Heaven to be thankfull for What sweet delights should fill up the hours of that mans life that knows the son of God liveth in him and that he shall live in Joy with Christ for ever How gladly will he be exercised in the praises of his Creator Redeemer and Sanctifier that knows it must be his work for ever No wonder if this Joy be a stranger to their hearts that are strangers to Christ or strangers to their interest in his love No wonder if they have no hearts for these celestial works that have no part in the celestial inheritance or that know not that they have any part therein How can they joyfully give thanks for that which they know not that they have or ever shall have or have any probability to attain But to that man that is assured of Christ within him Heaven and Earth and all their store do offer themselves as the matter of his Thanks and do furnish him with provisions to feed his Praises What a shame is it that an assured heir of Heaven should be scant and barren in comfort to himself or in Thanks and Praise to Jesus Christ when he hath so full a heap of Love and mercy to fetch his motives from and hath two worlds to furnish him with the preciousest materials and hath no less then Infinite goodness even God himself to be the subject of his Praise O give thanks unto the Lord for he is good because his mercy endureth for ever what ever others do Let Israel say let the house of Aaron say let them that fear the Lord say that his mercy endureth for ever Psal 118.1 2 3 4. The
they may be ready that death may b◠both safe and comfortable to them 〈◊〉 though a superstitious miserable fellow that knoweth no better things himself may talk to the sick of beads and relicts and o◠being on this side or that for this ceremony or the other and may think to conjure the unholy spirit out of him by some affected words of devotions uttered from a graceless senseless heart or to command him out by Papal authority as if they would charm his soul to heaven by saying ove◠some lifeless forms and using the Gospel 〈◊〉 a spell Yet Ministers indeed that know themselves what Faith and what Repentance is and what it is to be regenerate and to be prepared to die do know that they have other work to do The Gospe◠offereth men their Choice whether they will have Holiness or sin and be ruled by Christ or by their fleshly lusts and so whether they will have spiritual or carnal eternal or transitory Joys And our work is to perswade them to make that choice which will be their Happiness if we can prevail and which eternal Joy depends upon whether we come to them in sickness or in health this is our business with them A man that is ready to be drowned is not at leisure for a song or dance And a man that is ready to be damned methinks should not find himself at leisure to hear a man shew his wit and reading only if not his folly and malice against a life of Holiness Nor should you think that suitable to such mens case that doth not evidently tend to save them But alas how often have we heard such sermons as tend more to diversion than direction to fill their minds with other matters and find men something else to think on lest they should study themselves and know their misery And whereas there may be so much ingenuity in the sinner as to perceive that the discourse of idle tongues or the reading of a Romance is unsuitable to one in his condition and therefore will not by such toyes as these be called off from the consideration of his ways A preacher that seems to speak religiously by a sapeless dry impertinent discourse that 's called a sermon may more plausibly and easily divert him And has conscience will more quietly suffer him to be taken off the necessary care of his salvation by something that is like it and pretends to do the work as well then by the grosser avocations or the scorns of fools And he will more tamely be turned from Religion by something that is called Religion and which he hopes may serve the turn then by open wickedness or impious defiance of God and Reason But how oft do we hear applauded Sermons which force us in compassion to mens souls to think O what 〈◊〉 all this to the opening a sinners heart unto himself shewing him his unregenerate state What 's this to the conviction of a self-deluding soul that is passing unto Hell with the confident expectations of Heaven To the opening of mens eyes and turning them from darkness unto light and from the power of Satan unto God! what 's this to shew men their undone condition and the absolute necessity of Christ and of renewing grace what is in this to lead men up from earth to heaven and to acquaint them with the unseen world and to help them to the life of faith and love and to the mortifying and the pardon of their sins How little skil have many miserable preachers in the searching of the heart and helping men to know themselves whether Christ be in them or whether they be reprobates and how little care and diligence is used by them to call men to the tryal and help them in the examining and judging of themselves as if it were a work of no necessity They have healed also the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly saying Peace Peace when there is no Peace saith the Lord Jer. 6.14 And Ezek. 13.10 11 12. Because even because they have seduced my people saying Peace and there was no peace and one built up a wall and lo others dawbed 〈◊〉 with untempered morter say to them that dawb it with untempered morter that it shall fall there shall be an overflowing showre and ye O great hailstones shall fall and a stormy wind shall rend it Lo when the wall is faln shall it not be said unto you Where is the dawbing wherewith ye dawbed it It is a plain and terrible passage Prov. 24.24 He that saith to the wicked Thou art Righteous him shall the people curse natives shall abhor him Such injustice in a Judge or witnesses is odious that determine but in order to temporal rewards on punishments Lev 19.15 Prov. 18.5 28.21 But in a messenger that professeth to speak to men in the name of God and in the stead of Jesus Christ when the determination hath respect to the consciences of men and to their endless joy or torment how odious and horrid a crime must it be esteemed to perswade the wicked that he is Righteous or to speak that which tendeth to perswade him of it though not in open plain expressions what perfidious dealing is this against the Holy God! what an abuse of our Redeemer that his pretended messengers shall make him seem to judge clean contrary to his Holiness and to his Law and to the Judgement which indeed he passeth and will pass on all that live and die unsanctified What vile deceit and cruelty against the souls of men are such Preachers guilty of that would make them believe that all is well with them or that their state is safe or tolerable till they must find it otherwise to their woe when diseased souls have but a short and limited time allowed them for their cure that a man shall come to them as in the name of their Physition and tell them that they are pretty well and need not make so much ado about the business and thus keep them from their only help till it be too late what shame what punishment can be too great for such a wretch when the neglect and making light of Christ and his salvation is the common road to Hell Heb. 2.3 Matth. 22.5 and most men perish because they value not and use not the necessary means of their recovery for a man in the name of a minister of the Gospel to cheat them into such undervaluings and neglects as are like to prove their condemnation what is this but to play the Minister of Satan and to do his work in the name and garb of a minister of Christ It is damnable treachery against Christ and against the peoples souls to hide their misery when it is your office to reveal it and to let people deceive themselves in the matters of Salvation and not to labour diligently to undeceive them and to see them live upon presumption and ungrounded hopes and not to labour with faithful
not forbear any means that tend to the getting of true grace If you have it and know it not the same means for the most part may increase it which you use to get it And if you have it not when it is thought you have it the means may work it that that are intended to increase it Do all that you can to Repent Believe and Love God and Live to him whether you ever did these before or not But yet let the judgement of your faithful Pastors the officers and experienced servants of the Lord keep of despondency and despair that would disable you from the use of means and would weaken your hands and make you sit down in unprofitable complaints and give up all as hopeless Let their judgement quiet you in the way of duty Lean on them in the dark till you come into the light Yea be glad that you have so much encouragement and hope from those that are by Christ appointed to subserve the spirit in the comforting as well as the sanctifying work and to shew to man his uprightness and to say to the Righteous It shall be well with him Isa 3.10 I tell you all the wealth of the world is not worth even this much ground of comfort Live upon this much till by diligent attendance and waiting on the spirit of grace and comfort you can get higher 2. THE second extrinsical Hinderance of self-knowledge is Prosperity and the Flattery that usually attendeth it The one disposeth men to be deceived and the other putteth the hood over their eyes and tells them the falshoods which deceive them When men prosper in the world their â—inds are lifted up with their estates and â—hey can hardly believe that they are inâ—eed so ill while they feel themselves so â—ell and that so much misery is joyned with â—o much content and pleasure They cannot â—aste the bitterness of their sin and Gods displeasure while the sweetness of worldly deâ—â—ghts honours is in their mouths The Rich â—an in Luk. 16. its like would have given 〈◊〉 man but an unwelcome entertainment â—hat had come to tell him that within a few days or years he should lie in hell and not â—e able to get a drop of water to cool his â—ongue What need we doubt of that when his five Brethren that he left on earth behind him would not be perswaded to know their danger of those flames and to use the necessary means to scape them though one had come to them from the dead Luk. 16.31 You plead against their feeling when you tell them of their misery when they feel prosperity Their fleshly appetite and sense which is in them the reigning faculty doth tell them they are well and happy and that which must confute this and tell them they are miserable must be an inward sense of the sin and diseases of their souls and a foreseeing Faith that must look before theâ— unto eternity and fetch its proofs froâ— the word of God and fetch its motive from another world And alas they havâ— no such inward sense nor no such Faith 〈◊〉 can prevail against their their sensual feelâ—ing And therefore it is a matter of lamenâ—table difficulty to make a prospering sinneâ— well acquainted with his misery He 〈◊〉 drunken with fleshly pleasures and conâ—tentments And when the drink is in a mans head you can hardly make him sensiâ—ble of his misery though he be a beggar or a prisoner or were to die within a week The Devil is therefore willing to reach hiâ— servants as full a cup of prosperity as hâ— can that their drunkenness may keep them from the true use of their reason Foâ— if they once come to themselves they wilâ— come home to God When misery brought the Prodigal to himself he resolveth presently of going to his Father Luk. 15. The bustle of his worldly business and the chattering vain discourse that is in his ears and the mirth and sport that takes him up will not allow him so much of reason as seriously to consider of his souls condition Alas when poor men that must labour all day for food and â—ayment can find some time for serious converse with God and with their Consciences the Great ones of the world have â—o such leisure How many are going â—pace towards Hell and say they cannot â—ave while to bethink themselves what â—ay they are in or whether it is that they are going That which they have all their time for they have no time for because they have no hearts for it Prosperity doth so please their flesh that they can give no heed to conscience or to reason It doth so charm their minds and enslave their wills to sense and appetite that they cannot abide to be so Melancholy is to prepare for death and judgement or to consider seriously how this will relish with them at the end nor scare to remember that they are men that should rule their senses and be ruled by God and that have another life to live And as Prosperity in it self is so great a Hinderance to the knowledge of your selves so Flatterers that are the flies of summer are always ready to blow upon the prosperous and increase the danger What miserable men are extolled as wise and virtuous and Religious if they be but Rich and Great Their vices are masked or extenuated and made but little human frailties Though they were swinish glutâ—tons or drunkards or filthy fornicatorâ— or meer flesh-pleasing sensual bruits thaâ— waste most of their lives in ease and sports and eating and drinking and such delights yet with their flatterers all these shall gâ— for prudent pious worthy persons if they can but seek when they have done to mock God and their consciences with somâ— lip-service and lifeless carcass of Religion O happy men if God would judge of them as their flatterers do and would make aâ— small a matter of their wickedness and as great a matter of their out-side Hypocritical heartless worship But they must be greater then men or Angels and higher then either earth or Heaven before God will flatter them When they can make him afraid of their high looks or threatnings or when they can him put in Hope of rising by their preferment then they may look that he should comply with their parasites and complement with his enemies and justifie the ungodly but not till then O did they consider how little flattery doth secure them and how little the Judge of all the world regards their worldly pompe and splendor yea how greatly â—heir greatness doth aggravate their sin and â—isery they would frown their flatterers out â—f doors and call for plain and faithful dealâ—â—s Of all the miseries of worldly greatness â—â—is is not the least that usually such want â—â—e necessary blessing of a glass that will â—â—uly shew them their faces of a friend at â—and that will deal plainly and justly with their souls Who tells them plainly of the odiousness and bitter
we only read a description of it Who could have known what Life is or what Reason is by bare reading or hearing their descriptions if he knew them not in himself and others by another kind of demonstration Many thousands can honour the name of a Saint and the Scripture description of a Saint that hate the life of holiness when it appeareth to them in practice and cannot endure a Saint indeed It will most convincingly tell you what you want when you see what others have To see how naturally they breath after heaven will most convincingly shew you the dulness and earthliness of your minds To see how easily they can love an enemy and forgive a wrong will acquaint you most sensibly with the ulcers of your passionate revengeâ—ul minds Do but lay by your prejudice and partiality and see whether there be not in serious Christians another spirit then in the world and whether they live not upon the things above which your belief and love did never reach Look upon believers and consider why they pray and watch and study to please God and then bethink your selves whether you have not â—s much cause to do so as they and so you may perceive your negligence by their diligence your senselesness by their tenderness of heart and conscience your fleshliness by their spirituality and the rest of your sins by the luster of their graces Saith Gregory Qui plenissime intelligere appetit qualis sit tales debet aspicere qualis non est â—t in bonorum forma metiatur quantur ipse deformis est that is He that would fully understand what he is must look on such as are better then himself that in the comeliness of the good he may take the measure of his own deformity As Isidore saith Minus homo seipsum ex seipso considerat Men know not themseves by themselves alone Hence therefore the servants of God may see how exactly they should live and of what consequence it is that they be eminently holy when it is they that by their heavenly excellency must convince the world of their sinfulness and misery O Christians do you live such exemplary and convincing lives Is there indeed that excellency of Holiness appearing in you which may shew men to the glory of your Redeemer how the heirs of heaven do differ from the world Alas our common careless living doth wrong to multitudes as well as to ourselves and is a cruelty to the souls whose salvation we are bound by our examples to promote What then do those men that by their vicious scandalous conversation do harden the ungodly and cause them to think contemptuously and to speak scornfully of the holy way O woe to them if they repent not by whom such offence cometh Especially Ministers should see that their lives be a continual Lecture As Hierome saith Episcopi domus conversatio quasi in speculo posita Magistra est publicae disciplina quicquid fâ—cerit id sibi omnes faciendum putant That is The house and conversation of a Bishop is set as in a glass or to be beheld as the teacher of publike discipline All think they should do whatever he doth And therefore Chrysostome concludeth that a Priest that is bad doth acquire by his priest-hood not dignity but disgrace For saith he thou fittest in judgement on thy self If thou live well and preach well thou instructest the people If thou preach well and live ill thou condemnest thy self For by living well and preaching well thou instructest the people how to live But by preaching well and living ill thou instructest God as it were how to condemn thee And hence it is also that the servants of God should have a care of their fame as well as of their conversation because the reputation of religion dependeth much on the reputation of the religious and reputation doth much to the encouraging or discouraging of the ungodly that are strangers to the things themselves Saith Augustine Conscientia necessaria est tibi fama proximo tuo Qui famam ancupans negligit conscientiam hypocrita est Qui confiâ—ens conscientiae negligit famam crudelis est that is Conscience is necessary for thy self and thy good name is necessary for thy neighbour He that hunteth after fame and neglecteth conscience is an hypocrite And he that so trusteth to a good conscience as to neglect his good name is cruel to others When we mind our fame for the good of others and the service of God and not to please a proud vainglorios mind and when we do it without immoderate care seeking it only by righteous means and referring the issue to the will of God as being prepared for evil report as well as good this is but to improve our talent to our masters use II. I Come next to the Internal impediments to self acquaintance especially in the worser sort of men 1. The first that I shall acquaint you with is that Natural deep rooted sin of Pride which strongly inclineth men to think well of themselves and to desire that all others do so too So that where Pride is not discovered and subdued by grace men will scarce endure to be closely questioned by Ministers or other friends about their sin and the condition of their souls what question them whether they are ungodly unsanctified the servants of sin and Satan in a state of death and condemnation Their hearts will rise with indignation against him that will put such questions to them What! question them whether they have any saving grace whether they are regenerate pardoned and have any grounded hopes of heaven They love not the searching word of God they love not the distinguishing passages of Scripture they love not a faithful searching Minister because they would dishonour and trouble them with such doubts as these A Proud man judgeth not of himself as he is but as his tumified distempered fancie representeth him to himself to be To think himself something when he is nothing and so to be wilfully his own deceiver is his disease Gal. 6.3 And as Pride is one of the deepâ—st-rooted sins in man and of greatest strength and hardliest extirpated and overcome so true self-acquaintance must be accordingly difficult it being carryed on but by such degrees as we get ground and victory against our pride As Melancholy men that are wise in all other things may be far from the right use of reason in some one point where the fantasie is crazed and the distemper lyeth so a Proud man how wise soever in any other matters as to the right knowledge of himself is like one that is crackt brained and hath not indeed the use of reason Pride was his first Tutor and taught him what to believe of himself so that Christ who comes after with a humbling doctrine cannot be believed nor scarce with any patience heard O what a disease is to be cured before a Proud person will well know himself What labour do we lose in all
Gods wrath for ever than to find at present that you have offended him Sirs the question is whether you are under the condemnation of the law or not Whether you are regenerate and justified or yet in your sin If you are Justified far be it from me to perswade you to think that you are under condemnation I leave that to Satan and the malicious world who are the condemners of those that Christ doth Justifie But if you are unregenerate and unjustified what will you do at death and judgement Can you stand before God or be saved upon any other terms You cannot if God be to be believed you cannot and if you know the Scriptures you know you cannot And if you cannot be saved in an unrenewed unjustified state is it not needful that you know it Will you cry for help before you find your selves in danger or strive to get out of sin and misery before you believe that you are in it If you think that you have no other sin than the pardoned infirmities of the Godly you will â—ever so value Jesus Christ and pray and â—â—rive for such grace as is necessary to them â—â—at have the unpardoned reigning sins of â—â—e ungodly If it be necessary that you 〈◊〉 saved it is necessary that you value and â—â—ek salvation and if so it is necessary â—â—at you know your need of it and what â—ou must be and do if you will obtain it 〈◊〉 is a childish or brutish thing below a man of reason to stick at a little present trouble when Death cannot otherwise be prevented If you can prove that ever any was converted and saved by any other way then by coming to the knowledge of their sin and misery then you have some excuse for your presumption But if Scripture tell us of no other way yea that there is no other way and you know of none that ever was saved by any other I think it is time to fall to work and search and try your Hearts and lives and not to stop at a straw when you are running for your lives and when damnation is as it were at your backs You should rather think with your selves If we can so hardly bear the forethoughts of Hell how shall we be able everlastingly to bear the torments And consider that Christ hath made the discovery of your sin and misery to be now comparatively an easie burden in that he hath made them pardonable and curable If you had not had a Saviour to fly to but must have looked on your misery as a remediless case it had then been terrible indeed and it had been no great mistake to have thought it the best way to take a little ease at present rather then to disquiet your selves in vain But through the great mercy of God this is not your case you need not despair of pardon and salvation if you will but hear while it is called Today The taske that you are called to is not to torment your selves as the damned do with the thought of unpardonable sin and of a misery that hath no help or hope but it is only to find out your disease and come and open it to the Physicion and submit to his advice and use his means and he will freely and infallibly work the cure It is but to find out the folly that you have been guilty of and the danger that you have brought your selves into and come to Christ and with hearty sorrow and resolution to give up your selves unto his grace to cast away your iniquities and enter into his safe and comfortable service And will you lie in Hell and say We are suffering here that we might escape the trouble of foreseeing our danger of it or of endeavouring in time to have prevented it We dyed for fear of knowing that we were sick We suffered our house â—o burn to ashes for fear of knowing that it was on fire O Sirs be warned in time and own not and practice not such â—egregious folly in a business of everlasting consequence Believe it if you sin you must know that you have sinned and if you are in the power of Satan it cannot long be hid Did you but know the difference between discovering it now while there is hope and hereafter when there is none I should have no need to perswade you to be presently willing to know the truth whatever it should cost you Hind 3. ANother great impediment of the Knowlege of ourselves is that self love so blindeth men that they can see no great evil in themselves or any thing that is their own It makes them believe that all things are as they would have them be Yea and better than they would have them For he that would not indeed be Holy is willing by himself and others to be thought so Did not the lamentable experience of all the world confirm it it were incredible that self-love could so exceedingly blind men If Charity think no evil of another and we are very hardly brought to believe any great harm by those we love much more will self-self-love cause men to see no evil by themselves which possibly they can shut their eyes against it being more radicated and powerful than the love of others No arguments so cogent no light so clear no oratory so perswading as can make a self-lover think himself as bad as indeed he is till God by grace or terror shall convince him When you are preaching the most searching sermons to convince him self-love confuteth or misapplyeth them When the markes of tryal are most plainly opened and most closely urged self-love doth frustrate the preachers greatest skill and diligence When nothing of sense can be said to prove the piety of the impious and the sincerity of the formal hypocrite yet self love is that wonderful Alchymist that can make gold not only of the basest mettal but of dross and dirt Let the most undenyable witness be brought to detect the fraud and misery of an unrenewed soul self-love is his most powerful defender No cause so bad which it cannot justifie and no person so miserable but it will pronounce him happy till God by Grace or wrath confute it Self-love is the grand Deceiver of the world Dir. 3. SVbdue this inordinate self-love and bring yoar minds to a just impartiality in judging Remember that self-love is only powerful at your private bar and it is not there that your cause must be finally decided It can do nothing at the bar of God It cannot there justifie where it is condemned it self God will not so much as hear it though you will hear none that speak against it self-love is but the vicegerent of the grand Usurper that shall be deposed and have no shew of power at Christs appearing when he will judge his enemies And here it will be a helpful course to see your own sin and misery in others and put the case as if it were theirs and then see how you can
doth shake so moveable and weak a thing and muddy and trouble a mind so easily disturbed and how hard it is again to quiet and compose a mind so troubled and bring a grieved soul to reason and make passion understand the truth and to cause a weake afflicted soul to judge clean contrary to what they feel all this considered no wonder if the peace and comfort of many Christians be yet but little and interrupted and uneven and if there be much crying in a family that hath so many little ones and much complaining where there are so many weak and poor and many a groane where there is so much pain To shew us the Sun at midnight and convince us of Love while we feel the rod and to give us the comfortable sense of grace while we have the uncomfortable sense of the greatness of our sin to give us the joyful hopes of glory in a troubled melancholy dejected State all this is a work that requireth the special helpe of the Almighty and exceeds the strength of feeble worms Let God give us never so full discoveries of his tenderest Love and our own sincerity as if a voice from Heaven had witnessed it unto us we are questioning all if once we seem to feel the contrary and are perplexed in the tumult of our thougths and passions and bewildred and lost in the errors of our own disturbed minds Though we have walkt with God we are questioning whether indeed we ever knew him as soon as he seemeth to hide his face Though we have felt another life and spirit possess and actuate us than heretofore and found that we love the things and persons which once we loved not and that we were quite falln out with that which was our former pleasure and that our souls broke off from their old delights and hopes and ways and resolvedly did engage themselves to God and unfeignedly delivered up themselves unto him yet all is forgotten or the convincing evidence of all forgotten if the lively influences of heaven be but once so far withdrawn as that our present state is clouded and afflicted and our former vigour and assurance is abated And thus unthankfully we deny God the praise and acknowledgement of his mercies longer than we are tasting them or they are still before us All that he hath done for us is as nothing and all the Love which he hath manifested to us is called hatred and all the witnesses that have put their hands to his Acts of Grace are questioned and his very seals denyed and his earnest misinterpreted as long as our darkened distempered souls are in a condition unfit for the apprehension of Mercy and usually when a diseased or afflicted body doth draw the mind into too great a participation of the affliction And thus as we are disposed our selves so we judge of our selves and of all our receivings and al Gods dealings with us A soul in a cheerful lively frame thinks well of all that God doth to him and hath thoughts of Hope and Peace and Joy as Health disposeth the body to alacrity and can make a man merry that hath little else Whereas a soul overwhelmed with cares and fears and griefs and muddyed with sinfull excessive thoughtfulness and habituated in a diseased sickly frame is afraid of every thing and turneth matter of comfort into sorrow and is in daily pain by its own imaginations like a man that hath a sore and is hurt with the thought that some body toucht it When we feel our selves well all goes well with us and we put a good interpretation upon all things And when we are out of order we complain of every thing and take pleasure in nothing and no one can content us and all is taken in the worser part As the Poet said Laeta fere laetus cecini cano tristia tristis You shall have a merry song from a merry heart and a sad ditty from a troubled grieved mind And thus while the discoveries both of sin and grace are at present overlookt or afterwards forgotten and almost all men judge of themselves by present feeling no wonder if few are well acquainted with themselves But as the Word and the works of God must be taken together if they be understood and not a sentence part or parcel taken separated from the rest which must make up the sense so also the workings of God upon your souls must be taken altogether and you must read them over from the first till now and set all together and not forget the letters the part that went before or else you will make no sense of that which followeth And I beseech all weak and troubled Christians to remember also that they are but children and Schollars in the school of Christ and therefore when they cannot set the several parts together let them not overvalue their unexperienced understandings but by the help of their skilful faithful Teachers do that which of themselves they cannot do Enquire what your former mercies signifie Open them to your guides and tell them how God hath dealt with you from the beginning and tell them how it is with you now and desire them to help you to perceive how one conduceth to the right understanding of the other And be not of froward but of tractable submissive minds and thus your self-acquaintance may be maintained at least to safety and to some degree of peace if not to the Joys which you desire which God reserveth for their proper season I Should have added more on this necessary subject but that I have said so much of it in other writings especially in the Saints Rest Part. 3. chap. 7. and in my Treatise of Self-denial and in the Right Method for Peace of Conscience I must confess I have written on thiâ— subject as I did of Self-denyal viz with expectation that all men shoulâ— confess the truth of what I say and yet so few be cured by it of theiâ— Self-ignorance as that still we must stand by and see the world distracted by it the Church divided the Love of Breâ—thren interrupted and the work of Saâ—tan carryed on by error violence and pride and the hearts of men so strangely stupified as to go on incorâ—rigibly in all this mischief while thâ— cause and cure are opened before them and all in vain while they confess the truth so that they wilâ— leave us nothing to do but exercise our compassion by lamenting the deliration of phrenetick men while we are unable to save the Church their brethren or their own souls from the dilaceratious and calamitous effects of their furious self-ignorance But Christ that hath sent us with the light which may be resisted and abused and in part blown out will speedily come with Light unresistible and will teach the proud the scornful the unmerciful the self-conceited the malicious and the violent so effectually to know themselves as that no more exhortations shall be necessary for the reception of his convictions nor will he or his servants any more beseech men to consider and know their sin and misery nor be beholden to them to believe and confess it See Jude v. 14.15 And is there no Remedy for a stupified inconsiderate soul Is there no prevention of so terrible a self-knowledge as the Light of Judgement and the fire of Hell will else procure Yes the remedy is certain easie and at hand even to know themselves till they are driven to study and seek and know the Father and his Son Jesus Christ Joh. 17.3 And yet is the Salvation of most as hopeless almost as if there were no remedie because no perswasion can prevail with them to use it Lord what hath thus lockt up the minds and hearts of sinners against thy truth and thee what hath made Reasonable man so unreasonable and a self-loving nature so mortally to hate it self O thou that openest and no man shutteth use the Key that openeth Hearts Come 〈◊〉 with thy Wisdome and thy Love anâ— all this blindness and obstinacy will be gone At least commit not the safety of thy flock to such as will not Know themselves But gather thy remnant and bring them to their folds and let them be fruitful and increase and set up shepheards over them which shall feed them and let them fear no more nor be dismayed nor be lacking Jer. 23.3 4. Ordain a place for them plant them and and let them dwell therein unmoved and let not the children of wickedness waste them any more 1 Chron. 17.9 As a shepheard seeketh out his flock in the day that he is among 〈◊〉 sheep that are scattered so seek out thy sheep and deliver them 〈◊〉 of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day Ezek. â—4 12 Save thy people and bless thine inheritance feed them also and lift them up for ever Psal 28.9 FINIS