Selected quad for the lemma: love_n

Word A Word B Word C Word D Occurrence Frequency Band MI MI Band Prominent
love_n believe_v life_n love_v 3,607 5 5.8693 4 false
View all documents for the selected quad

Text snippets containing the quad

ID Title Author Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) STC Words Pages
A76707 The copy of the covenant of grace With a true discovery of several false pretenders to that eternal inheritance, and of the right heir thereunto. Together with such safe instructions as will inable him to clear his title, and to make it unquestionable. Exactly evidenced by many perspicuous and unconstrained testimonies of scripture. Penned, and published upon mature deliberation, and good advise. / By Robert Bidwel, a servant, and minister of the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. Bidwell, Robert. 1657 (1657) Wing B2886; Thomason E2117_1; ESTC R212678 175,027 429

There are 22 snippets containing the selected quad. | View lemmatised text

THE COPY OF THE COVENANT OF GRACE WITH A true Discovery of several false Pretenders to that eternal inheritance and of the right Heir thereunto Together With such safe instructions as will inable him to clear his title and to make it unquestionable Exactly evidenced by many perspicuous and unconstrained testimonies of Scripture Penned and published upon mature deliberation and good advise By Robert Bidwel a servant and Minister of the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ London Printed by E. T. for Tho. Johnson at the golden Key in Paul's Church-yard 1658. TO THE Right vertuous truely religious Dame MARGARET BOSVVEL of Bradbourn place in the County of Kent my singular good Lady and Patronesse Good Madam FOr though none can be said to be absolutely good but God onely Yet I hope it will not be denied but that every true Christian may be said to be good so far forth as he or she hath attained unto the power of godlinesse And if your Ladyship may not be ranked amongst the most Eminent in that way of Piety and Evangelical Perfection I am infinitely mistaken in mine accounts I cannot affirme that a long continued experience hath confirmed me in the knowledg of your most excellent indowments But for me to say that ever I did till within these few weeks discover so much goodnesse in so little a time were to sin against the multitude of your merits and the cognisance of mine own conscience Madam I most humbly begge your Ladyships pardon for my transgression against your much meeknesse and humility I finde you to be such a perfect enemy to pride and adulation that you cannot relish the sound of your own just commendations though but very sparingly expressed Neverthelesse being now by Gods blessing and your undeserved favour become a Member of your family I dare not expose my self to the reproch either of so much ignorance as not to be sensible of your manifold vertues or of so much ingratitude as not to acknowledge them I could heartily wish that there were any thing in these lines or in any other of my more hopefull improvements that might make the memory of your name immortal But your owne illustrious qualifications have already supplied my defects and prevented my pains in that particular Mine onely present Petition is that you will be pleased to accept of this pattern of your own perfections The right Heir to that eternal Covenant of Grace Madam if he may yet furt●er ingratiate me with your good Ladyship my care shall be to continue my self Your Ladyships most humble and faithfull servant in our joynt Lord Jesus Christ. Ro. Bidwell TO THE Right Honourable Major General PHILIP SKIPPON one of the Lords of his Highnesses Most Honourable privy Councel c. My Lord ALthough the comfortable beames of your infatigable goodnesse do so continually extend themselves to the supporting and supplying the weak Members of Christ your great Lord and Master that haply your left hand hath forgotten what your right hand hath done for me the unworthiest of your servants for his sake Yet I can neither be so ungratefull nor so ungracious as not to record your manifold favours so freely conferred upon me they are often in my mouth but alwayes in my mind And being led by Providence to this present opportunity I felt it as a duty incumbent upon me to manifest the sense of those perpetual ingagements whereby you have obliged me to honour your singular pietie and bounty And therewithall to present you with a Servant or rather an Associate whom being so like unto your self I humbly conceive you cannot but well like of My Lord He is the right Heir to the rich Inheritance conveyed in and by that eternal Covenant of Grace It was upon your account that I was furnished with Oyl to supply the glimmering Lamp whereby I was enabled to proceed in his search which contrary to your more Noble intention was so unhansomly snuffed that it could hardly light me to my journeys end Or probably this poor Pilgrim had appeared unto you much better accommodated Yet the best aray that my conscience can afford him is the naked Truth It is hoped that being thus barely discovered some abler hand will furnish him with richer and more suteable Ornaments I humbly beseech you to entertain him according to the reallity of his fidelity and sincerity I shall not need to say that I will leave him at your door for me thinks I see him already the Master of your house and intirely familiar with your whole Family As being all governed by the same Doctrine and Discipline of our Lord Jesus Christ To which I am confident that you will constantly submit according to the condition of his Covenant of Grace till he receiveth you into his Kingdom of Glorie Which is and shall be in the dayly prayers of Your honours most faithfully devoted servant Robert Bidwell THE COPY OF THE COVENANT OF GRACE John 3. 16. God so loved the World that he gave his onely begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life IN this precious portion of Scripture it pleased the Son of God our onely Saviour to deliver unto us a brief Copie of the Covenant of Grace or a compendious Abstract containing the principal parts or points essential to the Covenant of Grace He that hath any skill in Covenants Assurances or the like Evidences cannot but know that such conveyances do chiefly comprehend these parts or members First the Covenanters or parties covenanting Secondly the Consideration or motive Thirdly the Gift or the thing granted or conveyed Fourthly the Proviso or condition Fifthly the Prevention or freedom from incumbrances And sixthly the Inheritance or quiet possession And all these parts or qualifications are most exactly and orderly registred here in this Copie of Record The Covenanters are God and the World God so loved the World The Consideration is Gods Love his infinite Love So loved the World The Gift is Jesus Christ the Son of God He gave his onely begotten Son The Proviso is Faith That whosoever believeth in him The Prevention is freedom from destruction Should not perish And the Inheritance is everlasting life But have everlasting life God so loved the world that he gave his onely begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life Thus you see that this Scripture according to the several parts or branches thereof together with their number and order do very fitly and exquisitely comply with the nature of a Covenant And now I shall endeavour to make good that these six parts or members herein contained are altogether proper and essential to the Covenant of Grace And to that purpose In the first branch consisting of the Covenanters I shall make appear First That there is such a Covenant as the Covenant of Grace Secondly By whom this Covenant of Grace was made Thirdly With whom it was made And fourthly when it was made For
their Justice they can do no lesse than confound and destroy him for ever together with all those excellent dignities and dominions wherewith they are resolved to indow him But least by this means their glorie should be buried in the untimely ruines of such a promising fair enterprise The Son supports it with the pillar of his grace the Monument of a most dear Redeemer Father saith he I will not undertake to keep the Rebel from his cursed fall least happily he boasts himself to stand by his own strength But in his fall I will keep him from the curse yet satisfie thy Justice to the full Be pleased to deliver to my hand his Covenant so forfeited return him over debtour unto me and leave him wholly to my custody I 'le be his surety In the interim O my Father to magnifie the riches of our Grace let thou and I contract a Covenant A preventing Covenant to take effect just at the very instant of his fall wherein I 'le rise a Mediatour between thy Justice and his weaknesse which if he or any of his lost posterity shall willingly receive and seal unto I will not onely save him from thy wrath but likewise I 'le restore him to thy love in which I will establish him for ever To this the Father gives his free consent And thus the Father and the Son conclude to ratifie this Covenant of Grace And truely I doubt not but all such as are truely godly will very well admit of this supposed conference provided that it be with holy reverence For we read That Jesus Christ through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God Hebr. 9. 14. And that God received him with this congratulation In an acceptable time have I heard thee and in a day of salvation have I helped thee and I will preserve thee and give thee for a Covenant of the people to establish the earth to cause to inherit the desolate heritages That thou mayest say to the prisoners go forth to them that are in darknesse shew your selves And they shall feed in wayes and their pastures shall be in all high places c. Isa 49. 8 9. c. I beseech you let us take these words of God the Father unto God the Son into our further consideration For verily we cannot conceive at the first view how punctually they may be applied to that eternal Covenant In an acceptable time have I heard thee on the worlds behalf And I have helped thee to work salvation in a day most proper for that purpose And I will preserve thee and give thee for a Covenant of or concerning the people or on the behalf of the people to establish the earth which otherwise would be destroyed To cause to inherit the heritages which otherwise would be made desolate Adam and Eve together with their whole posterity in them shall be prisoners to my Justice But thou shalt inlarge them That thou mayest say to the prisoners Go forth they shall hide themselves from my presence as in darknesse but thou shalt make them confident saying shew your selves And they shall live safely pleasantly and plentifully They shall feed in the wayes and their pastures shall be in all high places c. By this conclusion between God and Christ their Creation is finished furnished Man their great Governour is constituted by Commission and confirmed by Covenant which he rebelling breaks and tumbles headlong towards condemnation But in that very point of time the Son by virtue of this Cov●nant of Grace redeems him from destruction Restores him to his Fathers favour And re-estates him in his first Command Where he with all of his elect posterity persisting in the faith of Jesus Christ are mounted from the degree of servants to the dignity of Sons according to the Tenor of eternal truth For as many as received him to them gave he power to become the sons of God even to them that believe on his name John 1. 12. And thus we see that Jesus Christ gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purifie unto himself a peculiar people zealous of good works According to that of St. Paul Tit. 2. 14. And God so loved the world that he gave his onely begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life According to the words of our Text. PRoceed we now to the second point or Member contained in this Copy of the Covenant of Grace Being the Consideration or motive that invited the Lord to contract this Covenant which we finde to be his Love God so loved the World So loved A vehement forcible expression So So abundantly So infinitely Indeed we may not conceive that any other but an infinite Love should proceed from an infinite God For Love in God is not accidental but essential And therefore it is attributed unto him in the abstract by that beloved Disciple God is Love saith he 1 Joh. 4. 8. Love it self It is impossible for any creature sufficiently to commend the Love of God because we are not able to comprehend the love of God Yet we may commend it for a great love wherewith he loved us even when we were dead in sins According to St. Pauls expression Ephes 2. 4. And according to the Lords own example For God comemndeth his love towards us in that when we were yet sinners Christ died for us Rom. 5. 8. Neither doth this commendation of the Love of God the Father from the mouth of God the Son fall any thing short of either of the former God so loved the world that he gave his onely begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life But you will say how doth it appear that the Love of God was the onely Consideration or motive that procured him to conclude this Covenant of Grace We must understand and consider That God being Love it self As having the very pure and perfect substance of love in himself essentially He loveth himself by the necessity of his nature And his Creatures by the liberty of his will And so resolving to create the World with every particular therein contained he looked on them with a general love as being his good Creatures Gen. 1. 31. But on man he looked with a more peculiar affection First In respect that man was the onely Creature by whom the Lord intended to advance his own immortal glory Isa 43. 7. Secondly For that the Lord intended to create him in his own Image As well in regard of the substance of his Soul being immortal and immaterial Gen. 2. 7. As also in regard of the perfections of his Soul consisting of Righteousnesse and true Holinesse Eph. 4. 24. But then foreseeing mans accursed fall procured wholly by his own default The God of goodnesse looks upon him then even with the love of pity and compassion which so prevailed in his Son Christ Jesus That He gave himself for us an offering
this we wait upon the Lord our God without repining murmuring or offence even in the greatest tryals or distresses Ye have heard of the patience of Job saith Saint James and have seen the end of the Lord that the Lord is very pitifull and of tender mercie Jam. 5. 11. This patience expecteth no reward but what the Lord is pleased to allow and she as willingly will wait his leisure for the performance of his gracious favour If we hope for that we see not then do we with patience wait for it saith St. Paul Rom. 8. 25. Be of good courage therefore and he shall strengthen your heart all ye that hope in the Lord as Psal 31. 24. I will not say but patience may miscarry And hope deferred may make the heart sick But this Patience of Hope in our Lord Jesus Christ who is the God of patience and of hope Rom. 15. 5 13. This verily is such a threefold cord as never can be broken And thus according to this patience we must continue and conclude the work begun by faith and laboured in by love For let this patience have her perfect work and ye shall be perfect and entire wanting nothing According to that of the Apostle Ja. 1. 4. And when our actions shall be undertaken by such a faith as onely respecteth Gods Commands and laboured in by such a love as onely affecteth Gods glory and continued by such a patience as onely expecteth Gods favour Then we may certainly assure our Souls they have brought forth the fruit of godlinesse And to confirm you further in this Rule I shall present you with some few examples Behold it first in father Abraham In that great work of offering up his son He undertakes it first by Gods command Gen. 22. 1 2. And therefore in the obedience of faith And Secondly his labour is of love of love to God For in comparison of that his love to God he loved not his Son his onely Son Thirdly his willingnesse did manifest his patience his patience of hope who against hope believed in hope saith the Apostle Rom. 4. 18. See it again in Josephs abstinence His Mistris courts him to commit a sin odious to God injurious to his Master and thereupon he could not but believe it was the minde of God he should refuse her Gen. 39. 7. 8. And here his love to God was evident How can I do this great wickednesse saith he and sin against God verse 9. And was it not a sign of Patience that he would rather suffer then accuse his lustfull Mistris or excuse his own abused innocency as verse 20. We likewise find this power of godlinesse in the three children as we use to call them In Shadrach Meshach and Abednego The king injoyns them to fall down and worship his golden image Dan. 3. 14 15. A thing quite opposite to Gods command Exod. 20. 4 5. And therefore in obedience to faith they disobey his heathenish injunction For they answered and said O Nebuchad-nezzar we are not carefull to answer thee in this matter our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace and he will deliver us out of thine hand O King But if not be it known unto thee O King that we will not serve thy gods nor worship thy golden image which thou hast set up Dan. 3. 16 17 18. In which reply it likewise may appear they loved God more deerly then their lives Nor is their patience lesse observable in that they went to their intended torture without recanting murmuring or repining As verse 21. Yet one example more and that from Paul The author of this Rule this Golden Chain and in relation to his Ministery unto the which he was commissionated by God in Christ Acts 9. 15 16. Which is yet more exactly set forth Act. 26. 15 c. And set his matchlesse love unto his Lord in his undaunted resolution Act. 20. 22. to 26. And with what patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ he suffered the afflictions of the Gospel it may most perfectly appear unto us in that he gloried in such tribulation We glorie in tribulation also saith he knowing that tribulation worketh patience and patience experience and experience hope and hope maketh not ashamed c. Rom. 5. 3 4 5. Now these and every work of the like nature whether it be of doing or of suffering of speech of action or of abstinence begotten by God in the womb of faith and born unto God by the hand of love and nursed for God at the breast of patience This is the sweet fruit which the teeming Soul doth usually bring forth unto her husband to God in Christ her husband And therefore it may very well be called according unto Gods name Godlinesse or after Christs name Christianity I will not say that ever any man except the Son of God both God and Man did fully and exactly steer his course according unto these points But I say that he which failes in any one of these so far he falleth short of godlinesse And yet 't is not denied but he may be a godly man that oftentimes doth misse to shape his actions to these principles Provided that his heart be well disposed that his desires be orderly and good and his endeavours vigorous and constant A Ship at Sea may sometimes be becalm'd and sometimes weather-beaten by a storm so as she cannot keep a steady course Sometimes the winde may set so sore against her that you would think her sailing to a Coast far distant from the Port that she intendeth And yet the Pilot is a skilfull man and brings his Vessel to his wished Haven in a good hour Even so the precious Soul may sometimes want Divine assistance sometimes such a storm of strong temptations may circumvent her as may inforce her from her good desires or Satan in his malice may beset her with some such difficulties as may drive her far distant from the course of her endeavours And yet the body joyned with this Soul is a good godly person and so full both of the seed and fruit of godlinesse That he may lay a warrantable claim unto the title of eternal life as a joynt Heir with Jesus Christ his Lord through the obedience of faith and love by vertue of that Covenant of Grace For God so loved the world that he gave his onely begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life FINIS The chief Heads contained in and pertaining unto this Copy of the Covenant of Grace   Page Page THe Covenanters 1. to 25. The Consideration 25. to 29. The Gift 29. to 38. The Provisoe 38. to 55. The Prevention 55. to 65. The Inheritance 65. to 93. Several Pretenders to the said Inheritance together with their Actions their Allegations and their Evidences 93. to 125. The right Heir discovered 125. to 133. His Evidence examined 133. to 200. His rich Plantation 200. to 243. His Souls affection 243. to 258. Her Profession 258. to 270. Her Inquisition 270. to 288. Her Confirmation 288. to 371. Her Satisfaction 371. to 388. Her gracious marriage 388. to 397. Her godly seed 397. ad finem Errata PAge 23. l. 3. r. in the wayes p. 54. l. 3. r. and of the gift p. 103. l. 6. r. of the Lord p. 14. l. 15. r. yet it p. 152. l. 11. r. me to do 193. l. 6. r. but in de p. 199. l. 16. r. such as p. 201. l. 4. r. find it in p. 204. l. 6 r. yet this p. 210. l. 4. r. strange flesh p. 206. l. 5. r. must not be p. 251. l. 13. r. Cant. ● 3. p. 298. l. 24. r. the praises due p. 270. l. 27. r. his prayer p. 271. l. 28. r. 1 King p. 277. l. 19. r. Son p. 281. l. 28. and 29. r. speak p. 283. l. 3. r. learns p. 284. l. 14. r. is leading p. 298. l. 4. r. if the. p. 301. l. 14. for intimated r imitated p. 302. l. 14. r. nor according p. 307. l. 6. r. this is p. 328. l. 13. r. Jo. 1. 29. p. 329. l. 21. r. and is in p. 346. l. 26. r. world lieth in p. 349. l. 2. r. drink wine p. 360. l. 8. r. Haman l. 17. r. or future p. 373. l. 15. r. wary Soul p. 381. l. 8. r. is the third p. 383. l. 19. r. and it is p. 408. l. 17. r. and see his
Leaf greenness In the blossom sweetness and in the Fruit juice So faith draws vertue from the Lord Christ Jesus and send it through the blessed soul in love to all the powers and faculties thereof thereby inriching every spirituall grace according to its proper use and action It maketh and preserveth faith unfained Hope unwearied charity open-hearted Humility undisguised Patience undistracted Prayer delightfull Thanksgiving cheerfull and obedience fruitfull To every grace it giveth life luster and sincerity which without Love are dull deceitfull and hypocriticall I cannot well tell where I should begin or how to end in the just commendations of this incomparable blessing There are many affections or strong and powerfull motions of the minde as joy grief Hope Fear Hatred and the like But when affection is simply and singularly nominated without any other addition you know we take it usually for Love By which we may conceive and understand that Love is the absolute affection It is also said that a good thing the more common it is the better it is And love is common unto every creature that onely hath the benefit of sense They do all generally love themselves their seed their food their fellows and their friends or whatsoever is most precious to their instinct or inclination Yet Love in man is of a nobler strain in regard that it proceedeth or should proceed from reason and discretion But when this Love extracted by true faith from God the onely substance of pure Love is placed upon God in Christ and the image of God in man The onely sound and unsuspected Objects Mat. 22. 37 38. Then verily it is of wondrous use First it becomes the nourse of pregnant faith to cherish and improve her precious fruit strengthening decking and beautifying every infant grace which would otherwise grow crooked deformed and contemptible 'T is faith that seales our interest in Christ But such a faith as works by Love saith Paul Gala. 5 6. Faith if it hath not works is dead saith James Ja. 2. 17. Yet Faith with works is nothing without Love as saith believing working loving Paul 1 Cor. 13. 2 3. True faith and Love have such a strict relation they cannot live the one without the other And therefore if our Love be not sincere we have great reason to suspect our faith And in the second place we finde that Love is Christ his cognisance or livery whereby he will have his Disciples known By this shall all men know ye are my Disciples saith he if ye have love one to another Jo. 13. 15. And it is a most compleat robe it hideth all our infirmities and deformities yea all our sins and transgressions Love covereth all sins saith Solomon Pro. 10. 12. And therefore blessed is the man that weares it Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven and whose sin is covered Psa 32. 1. This in all likeness is that wedding garment for want of which the Intruder was cast out of the bride chamber into utter darkness Mat. 22. 12 13. And it is an everlasting Ornament It never faileth 1 Cor. 13. 8. Our faith and Hope will help us into heaven and there they leave us but our endless Love will enter with us where it shall surpass in strength in sweetness and perfection as much as having exceedeth hopeing or injoying excelleth believing But every one that loves himself will say though Love be such a precious livery yet it is not so costly as 't is common I hope we are not so ungracious or so ungratefull but we love the Lord. Neverthelesse wise Solomon informs us That he that trusteth in his own heart is a fool Pro. 28. 26. And therefore let not us delude our selves in matters of such infinite concernment by trusting to our own deceitfull hearts without a serious examination We shall not finde it so easie a matter to lovc God really as most men unadvisedly imagine For first our Love is as narrow as G●ds election Gods election is the first wheel that moveth in this great work It is he That hath chosen us in Christ before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and without blame before him in love Ephes 1. 4. And therefore untill we have given diligence to make our election sure by inquiring into the soundness of our faith we have great reason to suspect our Love Secondly if we have not the Spirit of God we have not the love of God For Love is a prime fruit of the Spirit Gal. 5. 22. Thirdly if we do not love the children of God we do not love God For every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him 1 John 5. 1. Fourthly if we do not keep Gods words we do not love God For if any man love me he will keep my words saith the Son of God John 14. 23. Fifthly if we be not carefull to keep Gods commandments we do not love God For this is the love of God that we keep his commandments 1 John 5. 3. Sixthly if our hearts be not circumcised if our hearts be not broken and humbled for sin so that our carnall corruptions are mortified and our sinfull lusts and affections subdued in some good measure we cannot love God For the Lord thy God will circumcise thine heart to love the Lord thy God with all thine heart and with all thy soul saith Moses that man of God Deut 30. 6. And Seaventhly if we do love the world we do not love God If any man love the world the love of the Father is not in him 1 John 2. 15. Now it will be necessary for us to examine our selves in order to these seaven particulars And if we shall then presume that we love God we are in the next place to consider what manner of Love it is wherewith we do love him For we must know that there is a false Love as well as there is a true Love the love of an harlot as well as the love of a virgin The love of an harlot is First mercenary secondly hypocriticall thirdly inconstant and fourthly contemptible First I say the love of an harlot is mercenery when Tamar deceived Judah by playing the harlot she said unto him what wilt thou give me Gen. 38. 16. And probably there may be many that do seem even unto themselves to love God very dearly when as yet the secret inquisition of their heart is what shall we get by it what pleasure what profit what preferment They say with the wicked what can the almighty do for them Job 22. 17. Naaman the Syrian will go to the Prophet in Samaria 2 Kings 5. 9. But it shall be to be cleansed of his outward leprosie And being cleansed he will thenceforth offer neither burnt-offering nor sacrifice unto other gods but to the Lord vers 17. But in this thing the Lord pardon thy servant saith he that when my master goeth into the house of Rimmon to worship there and he
when the Soul deliberately findeth she is confirmed she hath found her Lord. ANd now the chiefest thing that she desireth is to be sure of his affection And to that purpose she indeavoureth to satisfie her self in these three Queries whereof the first is this whether the Lord who is of purer eyes then to see evil and cannot look up●n iniquitie Habak 1. 13. Can notwithstanding set his love upon such simple Creatures as the sons of men Seeing we are all as an unclean thing and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags as Isa 64. 6. Therefore to be resolved in this point she turns her self towards the word of God and sets her self to search the holy Scriptures where her dear Lord directeth her to these and many the like precious promises The mountains shall depart and the hills be removed but my kindnesse shall not depart from thee saith the Lord that hath mercie on thee Isa 54. 10. Can a woman forget her sucking Childe that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb Yea they may forget yet will I not forget thee saith the same loving Lord Isa 49. 15. But I saith the Soul am very sinfull exceeding subject to transgresse True saith the Lord thou hast made me to serve with thy sins thou hast wearied me with thine iniquities But I even I am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake and will not remember thy sins Isa 43. 24 25. I knew that thou wouldest deal very treacherously and wast called a trunsgressour from the womb but for my name sake will I defer mine anger c. Isa 48. 8 9. Again the Soul objects against her self But I have felt the goodnesse of my God and sometimes tasted something like his favour whereby I have been seriously resolved to give my self for ever to his service And yet as one forsaking her first love I have returned to my former courses and lost the hold of all my precions hopes Why I will heal thy back-sliding and will love thee freely saith her good Lord Hos 14. 4. Thus comforted the weary Soul proceeds to ruminate upon her Lords performances The wonderfull works that he hath done for the Children of men The glorie which thou gavest me I have given them that they may be one even as we are one I in them and thou in me that they may be made perfect in one and that the world may know that thou hast sent me and hast loved them as thou hast loved me saith our Lord in his prayer to his father on the behalf of his Apostles together with all other believers John 17. 22 23. I lay down my life for the sheep saith our good shepheard John 10. 15. No man taketh it from me but I lay it down of my self saith he again verse 18. And greater love hath no man then this that a man lay down his life for his friends Jo. 15. 13. Most true it is no man hath greater love But our dear Lord both God and Man hath greater for he did lay down his life for his enemies when we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his son Rom. 5. 10. These are excellent arguments of his more excellent affection Yet to confirm her faith beyond all scruple she will examine some of his chief witnesses And first St. Paul who testifieth that our Lord hath purchased his spouse with his own bloud Take heed therefore unto your selves saith he and unto the whole flock over the which the holy Ghost hath made you overseers to feed the Church of God which he hath purchased with his own bloud Acts 20. 28. Again Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law being made a curse for us Gal. 3. 13. And ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things as silver and gold c. But with the precious bloud of Christ as of a lamb without blemish and without spot saith St. Peter 1 Pet. 1. 18. c. his own self bare our sins in his own bodie on the Tree that we being dead to sin should live unto righteousnesse by whose stripes we are healed saith the same Apostle 1 Pet. 2. 24. Now hereby perceive we the love of God because he laid down his life for us saith that beloved Disciple 1 John 3. 16. And therefore unto him that hath loved us and washed us from our sins in his own bloud and hath made us Kings and Priests unto God and his father to him be glorie and dominion for ever and ever amen Rev. 1. 5 6. Scarcely for a righteous man will one die saith our Apostle Rom. 5. 7. But that the onely begotten Son of God whom he hath made Heir of all things should die a cursed death to redeem the foul Souls of filthy despicable sinners Hear O Heavens and be astonished O earth This is an unconceiveable love a bottomlesse affection But now the Soul having perused his promises considered his performances and examined his witnesses till she is well resolved in this truth In the next place she asks to what intent did Christ redeem us at so deer a rate And learned Paul informs her Eph. 5. Husbands love your wives saith he even as Christ also loved the Church and gave himself for it that he might sanctifie and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word That he might present it to himself a glorious Church not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing but that it should be holy and without blemish c. Eph. 5. 25 c. But can so great a Lord vouchsafe such grace as to betroth or marry to himself such wretched weak and undeserving creatures As Paul in that place seems to intimate This is the second question in which the Soul desireth to be satisfied And thereupon she runs to his Records and there by his assistance findes it written I will betroth thee unto me for ever Hosea 2. 19. And by his Prophet Jeremy Turn O back-sliding Children for I am married unto you Jer. 3. 14. Having considered these testimonies Then from his word she frames such arguments as may confirm her in this blessed truth First it appeareth that the Lord doth marry his Church unto himself In that he ealleth her his spouse Cant. 4. 8. Come with me from Lebanon my spouse And in the four next ensuing verses of that Chapter he extolleth her beauty her affection her profession and her ehastity four several times under the title of his spouse his sister his spouse His sister in regard that he had taken unto himself her flesh And his spouse in regard that he had joyned her unto himself in the spirit Secondly it is evident that the Lord marrieth his church unto himself For that he will have her call him husband Thou shalt call me Ishi that is in the Originall my husband and shalt call me no more Baali that is my Lord saith he to his church of the Jews Hos 2. 16. Thirdly it
And as we must begin our works by faith So we must labour in those works by love Not that whereby we love pleasures for that is the part of a mad man Eccles 2. 1 2. Nor that whereby we love riches for that is the property of a fool Jer. 17. 11. Not that whereby we love them that hate the Lord for that is dangerous 2 Chro. 19. 2. Nor that whereby we love lies for that is damnable Revel 22. 15. Not that whereby we love the world for that will make us Gods enemies James 4. 4. Nor that whereby we love pride for that will make God our enemy 1 Pet. 5. 5. Not that whereby we love sin for that is Satan-like 1 John 3. 8. But that whereby we love the Lord for that is Saint-like Psal 31. 23. And therefore such a love as will be proper and fit to carry on a godly work must have God for its object and Gods glorie for its end More plainly thus If we will labour in a work by love so as to bring it to a godly frame Our love must be sincere to God in Christ firm to his will and zealous of his glory And verily it must be qualified in reference both to God and man like that which Paul sets forth in his Epistles Namely in the thirteenth Chapter of his first to the Corinthians beginning at the fourth verse Love suffereth long saith he is kinde it envieth not it vaunteth not it self is not puffed up doth not behave it self unseemly seeketh not her own is not easily provoked thinketh no evil rejoyceth not in iniquity but rejoyceth in the truth it beareth all things believeth all things hopeth all things endureth all things And he that shall according to this love or to a love not much unlike to this proceed in those designes which he hath first begun by faith he may be confident that if his patience be answerable he hath attained to the power of godlinesse And therefore it remains that we consider what kinde of patience will be suteable and proper to continue our ingagements For we do finde four kindes of patience Namely a patience of falsehood A patience of folly A patience of force And a patience of hope The first I say is a patience of falsehood or a false pernitious patience And this is when a man dissembleth his anger till he can finde a fitting opportunity to do the greater mischief Thus hatefull Esau did conceal his anger that he conceiv'd against his brother Jacob. And he said in his heart the dayes of mourning for my father are at hand then will I slay my brother Jacob Gen. 27. 41. And thus proud Haman did dissemble his against good Mordecay for near twelve moneths For he thought scorn to lay hands on Mordecay alone c. Esther 3. 6 7. Untill he falls upon that cursed decree to destroy to kill and to cause to perish all Jews both young and old little Children and women in one day as verse 13. This is a false treacherous patience or a patience with a mischief The second is a patience of folly A foolish and a partial patience And this is when a man can hear or see Gods glory vilified or abused or in his name or truth or Ordinances and not to be moved or offended at it Alas how hot and furious we are in the defence of our own reputation although it scarce be worth the speaking of But in Gods case we are as calm and cool as if we had nor spleen nor spirit in us We read that Jehu the son of Nimshi was very zealous in destroying the posterity of the Kings of Israel and Judah and in removing all obstructions and impediments that might hinder or molest his possession in the Kingdom of Israel Neverthelesse he was so patient in reference to the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat who made Israel to sin that he departed not from after them To wit the golden Calves that were in Bethel and that were in Dan 2 Kings 10. 26. For these he supposed to be as supporters to establish him in his Throne According to Jeroboams first intention 1 Kings 12. 26. And may there not be some in these our dayes that are very zealous to root out Monarchy Magistracy and Ministery which zeal they Jehu like proclaim to be for the Lord. Notwithstanding they continue their Golden Calves of covetousnesse and ambition whilest un●er the colour of liberty of conscience every one that is factious may do that which is right in his own eyes We finde likewise that Eli was so zealous for the Ark of God that when he heard it was taken by the Philistines he fell down and died 1 Sam. 4. 14. But he was so patient in relation to the sins of his own sons that he thereby provoked the Lord to denounce a fearfull curse upon his whole posterity 1 Sam. 3. 13. c. And are there not amongst us that will rage and inveigh very bitterly against the least mistakes of their opposers as scandalous and therefore execrable whereas they can with much patience passe by the lewd proceedings of their friends and followers as humane frailties therefore tollerable I cannot say but this kinde of patience may be of credit with Apostates But I conceive it was not so with the Apostles I am sure it was otherwise with impartial Paul when Peter came to Antioch I withstood him to the face because he was to be blamed saith he Gal. 2. 11. Be angry but sin not saith the same Apostle Eph. 4. 26. Assuredly this purblinde patience is opposite to the right Christian zeal neither complying with the work of faith nor with the labour of a godly love And is not this a foolish patience or a patience of folly The third kinde is a patience of force And this appeareth when a man conceives that he hath just occasion of offence And no lesse will to execute his anger had he not some restraint imposed on him This we may see was verified in Laban when he pursued hotly after Jacob It is in the power of my hand to do you hurt saith he but the God of your father spake unto me yesternight saying take thou heed that thou speak not to Jacob either good or bad Gen. 31. 29. How often would the High Priests Scribes and Pharisees have seized upon Christ before the time but that they feared the people And thus the Lord doth oftentimes suppresse the fury of his Churches adversaries either by their confusion As he dealt with Pharaoh and his Egyptians Exod. 13. 23. c. Or he restraineth them to their conversion For thus he dealt with persecuting Saul who afterwards was also called Paul Act. 13. 9. And he that was made patient by force now teacheth us the Patience of Hope This is the fourth and last kinde of patience A hopefull and a happy patience This is the right way to possesse our souls in matter of desertion or death Luke 21. 19. By
and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savour Eph. 5. 2. In whom our gracious God was fully pleased Math. 3. 17. Which so increased and confirm'd his love that he concludes this Covenant of Grace And certainly there being no possibility to be expected from decayed mankinde for the repairing of themselves either by desert satisfaction intercession or any other way or means whatsoever we must needs conceive consider and assure our Souls That whatsoever God or Christ or God in Christ or God for Christ his sake either did do or shall do in order unto Mans salvation or whatsoever else may truely be called a blessing They did do and shall do it meerly by virtue of that undeserved Love which they vouchsafed in this Covenant Had not that prevailed man had been destroyed and God had lost the glory of his grace which shines most clearly through mans Redemption Without doubt it is in reference to this eternal Covenant That our Redemption is said to be eternal Hebr. 9. 12. our Salvation eternal Hebr. 5. 9. And our Inheritance eternal Hebr. 9. 15. And the onely Consideration or Motive that procured all this was Gods eternal or everlasting Love wherewith he loved us Jer. 31. 3. He loved us generally as his Creatures He loved us particularly as those Creatures by whom he intended chiefly to advance his glory He loved us more especially as bearing his own Image He loved us compassionately as foreseeing our fall in Adam our old Grand-Father But he loved us most effectually upon the intercession of Christ his own dear Son And thus God so loved the World But that this truth may gain our full belief let us surveigh his gift his onely Son For God so loved the World that he gave his onely begotten Son This is the next branch which in the third place sets forth it self unto us in this Copy of the Covenant of Grace Being the Gift or Grant conveyed assigned and set over by the said Covenant or Deed of Gift WHerein I am to shew unto you these three particulars First That Jesus Christ the onely begotten Son of God was the Gift conveyed in that eternal Covenant Secondly What manner of Son he was And thirdly How and to what purpose God did so assign him For the first be pleased to remember what I have formerly delivered concerning this Precontract How God the Father and his blessed Son fore-seeing mans destruction by his fall Least by that means their purpose concerning the Creation should miscarrie The Son Christ Jesus gives himself to God a surety for the Creature And in case of mans default to satisfie the law on mans behalf And thereupon the Lord returns his Son by designation debtour to the law which he must to the uttermost discharge by suffering death which man of right must suffer Not presently for yet there was no cause why he should answer what was yet undone Nor at the very instant of mans fall The Lord was pleased to take his single Bond And to deferre the execution untill his own appointed time should come Neverthelesse by virtue of this Covenant God gave his Son for mans Redemption intentionally and by way of preordination before all time 1 Pet. 1. 19. effectually in the beginning of time Rev. 13. 8. And actually in the fulnesse of time Gal. 4. 4. Now albeit these several times were farre distant the one from the other in our apprehension Yet they were not so in Gods repute and acceptation for with him all times are present Eternity is evermore Gods present Tense And thus it may appear that the Gift which God the Father gave in this eternal Conant was his onely begotten Son And that he then gave him not onely intentionally according to our discretion But effectually and actually according to his own purpose and satisfaction Moreover if we consider the occasion why God and Christ did make this Covenant Namely to save man from that wofull curse which he did voluntarily incurre And yet to clear Gods Justice so ingaged us in the Covenant of works Then we shall finde that nothing could avail to bring to passe that intricate designe but the onely Son of God both God and Man Gods Justice seiseth upon every sin from which nor men nor Angels were quite free Prov. 28. 9. and Job 4. 18. And none but onely God might stay Gods hand But man hath sinned and man must suffer for 't And therefore in Mans Nature Christ must die and Christ as God and Man must satisfie Gods violated Justice And very punctual to this purpose is that of the Prophet Isaiah Vnto us a childe is born unto us a son is given and the government shall be upon his shoulder and his Name shall be called wonderfull Counseller The mighty God The everlasting Father The Prince of peace Isa 9. 6. These glorious expressions were too high for any but the eternal Son of God who was then or at that time neither born nor given otherwise then by way of promise and prevention And that by this eternal Covenant Now that we may be the more sensible of that incomparable Love which Almighty God vouchsafed us in this most precious Gift Let us consider for what kinde of Son the word of truth hath set him forth unto us He is Gods own Son Rom. 8. 32. His onely begotten Son which is in the bosome of his Father John 1. 18. His beloved Son in whom he is well pleased Mat. 17. 5. His dear Son or the Son of his Love Col. 1. 13. Whom he hath appointed heir of all things Heb. 1. 2. In whom his Soul delighteth Isa 42. 1. Who never displeased him John 8. 29. Did God give this near dear delightfull Son of his to suffer death a cursed death to save accursed rebels from destruction Truely the though thereof if any thing serious will inforce us to conclude with that beloved Disciple Herein is Love the very power efficacy and excellency of Love Not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins 1 John 4. 10. But happily 't will be demanded how and to what purpose did God give his Son in this eternal Covenant of Grace I answer thus God being simply and essentially one considering mans eternal separation both from his presence and his favour too occasioned by mans rebellion The same one God did graciously decree to take upon him in the Person of the Son of God the Name and Nature of the Son of Man By that mysterious meanes to reconcile mankinde unto himself And thus as God the Father in his Justice opposeth mans contempt so God the Son in mercie intercedes and pacifies Gods wrath for Mans offence And therefore very much to this purpose is that of the Apostle Paul There is one God saith he and one Mediatour between God and men the man Christ Jesus who gave himself a Ransome for all to be testified in due time 1 Tim. 2. 5 6. In
otherwise grace is no more grace saith Saint Paul Rom. 11. 6. It is the nature of grace to be free we are justified freely by his grace saith the same Apostle Rom. 3. 24. If we shall look upon Gods words and works we shall finde that it is the will of God to give us his onely begotten Son Christ Jesus together with all his benefits and blessings altogether freely without cost without desert without assistance and without seeking First without our cost or charge Thou hast not brought me the small cattel of thy burnt-offerings neither hast thou honoured me with thy sacrifices I have not caused thee to serve with an offering nor wearied thee with Incense Thou hast bought me no sweet Cane with money neither hast thou filled me with the fat of thy sacrifices but thou hast made me to serve with thy sins thou hast wearied me with thine iniquities I even I am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake and will not remember thy sins saith the Lord Isa 43. 23 24 25. Now this obliteration or remission of sins is part of Christs purchase and we cannot receive the one without the other No Christ no forgivenesse of sins In him we have redemption through his bloud even the forgivenesse of sins saith St. Paul Eph. 1. 7. Neither did Christ himself set his own graces to sale when he stood cried saying If any man thirst let him come unto me and drink he that believeth on me as the Scripture hath said out of his belly shall flow Rivers of living water But this he spake of the spirit which they that believe on him should receive John 7. 37 38. 39. Secondly God giveth his Son with all his benefits c. without our desert We our selves also were sometimes foolish disobedient deceived serving divers lusts and pleasures living in malice and envy hatefull and hating one another But after that the kindnesse and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared Not by works of righteousnesse which we have done but according to his mercy he saved us by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the holy Ghost which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour saith St. Paul Tit. 3. 3. 4 5 6. And to the Ephesians God who is rich in mercie for his great love wherewith he loved us even when we were dead in sins hath quickned us together with Christ by grace ye are saved And hath raised us up together and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindnesse towards us in Christ Jesus Eph. 2. 4. 5 6 7. All this he did for us when we were dead in sins And alas what can sinfull dead men deserve Thirdly he vouchsafeth us his Son Jesus Christ with all his graces and blessings without our assistance For if by one mans offence death reigned by one much more they which receive abundance of grace and the gift of righteousnesse shall reign in life by one Jesus Christ Therefore as by the offence of one judgement came upon all men to condemnation even so by the righteousnesse of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life Rom. 5. 17 18. And if freely and meerly by one then without our Assistance Fourthly and lastly God gives us Christ without our seeking When we shall see him there is no beauty that we should desire him He is despised and rejected of men a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief and we hid our faces as it were from him he was despised and we esteemed him not saith the Prophet Isa 53. 2 3. The lost sheep sought not the Shepheard but the Shepheard sought his lost sheep Luke 15. 4. c. I am found of him that sought me not saith the Lord our Redeemer Isa 65. 1. Thus you see that it is the nature of grace to give altoger freely And therefore it is of faith that it might be by grace Rom. 4. 16. For to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace but of debt Rom. 4. 4. By grace are ye saved through faith and that not of your selves it is the gift of God Eph. 2. 8. And this I conceive to be a second and a solid reason why God requireth nothing but Faith Because whatsoever had been required with or besides Faith it would have been destructive to the very nature of this Covenant of Grace THe fifth branch growing in this Paradise this Eden of the Covenant of Grace is the prevention freedom from destruction should not perish should not be destroyed I conceive it will not be denied by any sound Christian but that Adams transgression against the Covenant of works did draw an universal guilt and punishment over the face of the whole earth Insomuch that every man woman proceeding from Adam after a natural generation is become guilty of his sin and by that means liable to his penalty First we are all polluted by his sinne Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean not one saith Job Job 14. 4. Behold saith David I was shapen in iniquity and in sin my mother conceived me Psal 51. 5. And St. Paul tells us That the children of God by grace were the children of wrath by nature Eph. 2. 3. And it is onely sin that subjecteth us to Gods wrath Col. 3. 5 6. And secondly as Adams corrupted nature hath ingaged us in his damnable sin so hath his sin likewise exposed us to his deadly punishment For as by one man sin entred into the world and death by sin so death passed upon all men for that all have sinned or in whom all have sinned saith St. Paul Rom. 5. 12. Thus we see that the contagion or the infection of Adams sin and likewise the certainty of his punishment are both become universal And therefore this Hereditary corruptition hath put us into a perishing condition although we had no sin of our own to answer for But then if we shall consider all our sins both original and actual our sins of omission and our sins of commission together with their several circumstances and aggravations Who can forbear to cry out with Saint Paul O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death Rom. 7. 24. The body of this death or the power of this death And verily we shall perceive the power of this death to be far more dangerous then ordinarily it is conceived to be If we shall consider it according to the several sorts or degrees of death Which we finde to be four viz. The spiritual death the cordial death the natural death and the eternal death The spiritual death is that whereby we are said to be dead in sin Eph. 2. 1. And therefore St. Paul tells us The widow that liveth in pleasure is dead while she liveth 1 Tim. 5. 6. And thus the Spirit to the Angel
Joel 2. 32. Yes and so doth the Apostle too Rom. 10. 13. But he proceedeth in the very next verse How shall they call on him in whom they have not believed When he calleth he must be sure to be furnished with faith or otherwise he must expect the like entertainment with his sisters the five foolish Virgins who whilest they went to provide Oyl for their Lamps were shut out by the Bridegroom And notwithstanding that they came afterwards saying Lord Lord open unto us Yet he answered and said Verily I say unto you I know you not Mat. 25. 12. And would it not be the greatest of all his follies if he should imagine that God onely wise will bestow this glorious inheritance upon them whom he knoweth not Whom he approveth not of Without doubt there will be no Kingdom prepared for such as are found unprepared to receive it And therefore let this ignorant infidel learn to know The onely true God essentially and Jesus Christ whom he hath sent personally For this is eternal life John 17. 3. Or otherwise it may be said unto him as sometime Simon Peter said unto Simon the Sorcerer upon an other occasion Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter For thy heart is not right in the sight of God Acts 8. 21. The third Pretender to this inheritance is the good honest man Or the man vulgarly so called or reputed Such a one as carrieth himself fairly and pleasingly towards all men endeavouring to get every mans good will his good word or if he cannot please all yet he will be alwayes sure to please the greatest and the strongest party This good honest man runs through all conditions and imployments with as little offence or annoyance to any of his Neighbours as may be And therefore he doubteth not but he hath a very good Title to the Kingdom of Heaven for is it not written Let every one of us please his Neighbour Rom. 15. 2. True But the Apostle proceedeth in the same sentence For his good to edification First it must be for his good not for his goods And secondly it must be to edification to build him up in piety religion and godlinesse For otherwise To please men is not to be the servant of Christ Gal. 1. 10. But he is confident in his evidence wherein he setteth forth That he doth as he would be done by And that is both according to the intention of the Law and the Prophets and likewise according to the command of our Saviour himself Mat. 7. 12. And he believes that this is very fair It is indeed outwardly fair But it hath a very foul inside Truely this good honest man notwithstanding this his usurped Title is a very counterfeit a self-ended Sycophant the most dangerous Member in a Common-wealth Yet I cannot but subscribe to part of his partial evidence For he sees a Thief and consenteth with him and is partaker with the Adulterers as Psalm 50. 18. He endeavoureth to cover countenance or excuse all mens infirmities as he calls them and to prevent every mans misery though it be a punishment inflicted most justly upon a person most criminous and culpable even the most wicked offender that may be And this he saith is his love whereas in truth it is his fear lest his own misdeeds should meet the like measure Or be it his love yet it is a sinfull self-self-love He loveth the praise of men more then the praise of God And therefore he cannot believe saith our Saviour John 5. 44. And he that believeth not shall be damned This is a Gospel-sentence Mar. 16. 16. The fourth Pretender to this heavenly inheritance is the zeal●us Reformer By whom I intend not such a one as of an earnest affection to Gods glory doth really cordially desire a Christian reformation either in manners or Religion or in both and doth seriously endeavour the same according to his particular calling But such a one as under the like specious faire pretences doth violently pursue his owne projects and maketh his preposterous zeal the Cloak to cover or countenance his envy avarice or ambition This is altogether for the penal statutes where he driveth furiously like Jehu the son of Nimshi who not onely destroyeth the house of Ahab King of Israel according to his Commission but borroweth a point with Ahaziah King of Judah together with twenty and four of his brethren As in the ninth and tenth Chapters of the second book of Kings Come with me and see my zeal for the Lord saith he to Jonadad the son of Rechab 2 Kings 10. 16. But Jehu took no heed to walk in the Law of the Lord God of Israel with all his heart For he departed not from the sins of Jeroboham which made Israel to sin verse 31. He destroyed others for sinning and yet he sinned as much or more himself This is one of those That binde heavy burdens and grievous to be born and lay them on mens shoulders but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers According to that of our Saviour Matth. 23. 4. He will have every man righteous but himself He is so zealous against impiety in others that he not onely pursueth and prosecuteth Gods open enemies But so many of his deer servants also as will not walk in this Reformers own Road be it never so erronious As if he intended to disable all other men from the Kingdom of Heaven that he with some few of his own faction may make their forcible entry with the lesse resistance But for all his haste he shall never come there For albeit he may haply do God and his Countrey some good service yet is proceedeth from an evil principle for whatsoever is not of love is of Hypocrisie And the Hypocrite hath no portion in the Kingdom of Heaven Mat. 24. 51. There is no weeping and gnashing of teeth Yet if he could let the Mote alone in his brothers eye untill he hath plucked the Beam out of his own eye peradventure he might see the way thither by so much the better But he will alledge what St. Paul saith That it is good to be zealously affected alwayes in a good thing Gal. 4. 18. True But that zeal which hath the best things for its object may be miscarried by accident As sometimes through ignorance They have a zeal of God but not according to knowledge saith Paul and therefore going about to establish their own righteousnesse they submitted not themselves to the righteousnesse of God Rom. 10. 2 3. A disease which himself had been formerly sick of who was before a blasphemer and a persecuter and injurious but he abtained mercy because he did it ignorantly 1 Tim. 1. 13. Yet it appeareth that it proceeded out of a zeal to reformation Phil. 3. 6. Sometimes through self-ends They zealously affect you but not well Yea they would exclude us that you might affect them saith the same Apostle Gal. 4. 17. And sometimes
through envy And so you see how the Scribes and Pharisees and the chief Priests under a fained zeal to their Law Traditions and Ceremonies persecuted the saviour of the world Insomuch that Pilate himself perceived that for envy they had delivered him to be Crucified Mat. 27. 18. But this Reformer is well assured that his evidence will very well clear his Title to this eternal inheritance For he believeth that he is one of those for whom Christ died Who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purifie unto himself a peculiar people zealous of good works Tit. 2. 14. And is not Reformation a good work Truely I cannot deny but it is a very good work Yet as good as it is it may be abused It is most probable that this was it which Paul aimed at before his conversion When breathing out threatnings and slaughter against the Disciples of the Lord he went unto the High-priest and desired of him Letters to Damascus to the Synagogues that if he found any of this way whether they were men or women he might bring them bound to Jerusalem Acts 9. 1 2. But the Lord proclaimed him a persecuter and that of no worse a person then himself saying Saul Saul why persecutest thou me verse 5. whereas after his conversion he chargeth the Corinthians That all their things be done with charity 1 Cor. 16. 14. And to the Galatians Brethren if a man be overtaken in a fault ye which are spiritual restore him with the spirit of meeknesse considering thy self least thou also be tempted Gal. 6. 1. And to the Thessalonians The Lord make you to increase and abound in love one towards another and towards all men 1 Thes 3. 12. But if you shall seriously peruse this Reformers evidence you shall not finde so much as one line of love in the whole conveyance And that faith onely is available which worketh by love saith St. Paul Gal. 5. 6. In this the Children of God are manifest and the Children of the Devil wh●soever doth not righteousnesse is not of God neither he that loveth not his brother saith that loving and beloved Disciple 1. I●h 1. 10. And it is nothing likely that they which are not of God should inherit the Kingdom of heaven The fifth Pretender that layes claim to this inheritance is the Legal Professour And by him I intend such a one as expecteth to be justified and saved by his obedience unto the Law of God expressed or implied in the Moral Law or the Law of the ten Commandments And truely you shall not meet with one sensible sinner among many But apprehending that he hath displeased God by doing that which is evil he will not be perswaded but that the onely means to be reconciled unto God must be by repenting him of the evil and by doing of that which is good Albeit the Apostle telleth us That we are reconciled to God by the death of his son Rom. 5. 10. And therefore in pursuance of that great mistake the way which commonly a Soul laden with sin doth first light upon to be justified in the sight of God is the way of works And this is sometimes called Our own righteousnesse Rom. 10. 3. As being performed or at least attempted of our selves and by our selves Sometimes it is called The righteousnesse which is of the law Rom. 10. 5. As consisting in the doing or fulfilling of the Law And sometimes joyntly Our own righteousnesse which is of the law which St. Paul utterly disclaimeth Phil. 3. 9. Now if a man should weary himself in this way all his dayes Yet if he thinketh by that means to be justified in his life or glorified at his death he shall surely fail of his expectation For first our own righteousnesse is worth nothing Nay it is worse then nothing All our righteousnesses are as filthy rags Isa 64. 6. Secondly the righteousnesse which is of the Law is out of our reach It requireth a perpetual and a perfect obedience unto the whole Law of God and that under the penalty of a curse For it is written Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things that are written in the book of the Law to do them Gal. 3. 10. A yoake which neither our Fathers nor we were able to bear saith St. Peter Acts 15. 10. in order to the fifth verse of the same Chapter And thirdly our own righteousnesse which is of the Law crosseth Gods designe in the matter of our justification and salvation For if righteousnesse come by the Law then Christ is dead in vain saith St. Paul Gal. 2. 21. And not by works of righteousnesse which we have done hut according to his mercy he saved us saith the same Apostle Tit. 3. 5. And again Christ is become of none effect unto you whosoever of you are justified by the law ye are fallen from grace Gal. 5. 4. But this legal professour will alledge That he believeth he can do nothing without Christ and that it is by and for the power and merits of Iesus Christ that his good workes are made effectual and acceptable in the sight of God Truely there are many that have Christ much in their mouths But they do not consider rightly of Christ in their mindes For either they will have him to be onely an assistant unto them Or else they doe verily suppose that they must be assistants unto him They that will have Christ rather for an assistant then a Saviour are such as seek to go to heaven upon their own legs I mean for and by their own righteousnesse But finding an impossibility therein by reason of their manifold defects they will onely borrow so much from Christ as will make their own righteousnesse compleat And to that purpose they weep mourn fast pray and fall upon all the duties of piety and Religion both towards God and man with much earnestnesse and eagernesse But perceiving themselves through the strength of their corruptions to fail or miscarry they lay hold upon Christ to help them otherwise they seldom or never trouble him more for his ease then his honour however they satisfie themselves with this perswasion that Christ will fulfill that wherein they are defective Whereby it appeareth that notwithstanding they seem to call Christ to the main work yet they take upon them to do the most work themselves Whereas the Apostle telleth us that To him that worketh not but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly his faith is counted for righteousnesse Rom. 4. 5. These are they that will have Christ to be onely an assistant unto them They that will be assistants unto Christ in their justification and salvation are such as do yet more confidently deny or disclaim their own legal righteousnesse And yet if you shall examine their proceedings you shall finde that they incline so much thereunto that they conceive they cannot be saved without it They cannot be perswaded but they must do something though in
justifying and a saving faith For there is scarce any reprobate whatsoever under the colour of a Christian but is sometimes wounded by the sting of an evil conscience and terrified with the sense of Gods heavie wrath and indignation And in that desperate fit he will be ready even to rore out upon Christ to become his Saviour But if our faith be right if it be effectuall it will also carry us on to receive and embrace Christ for our onely Lord and Master Ye call me Master and Lord and ye say well for so I am saith Christ to his disciples John 13. 13. So I am to every true beleever We read that when the rest of the disciples had told Thomas called Didimus that they had seen the Lord after his resurrection Thomas said Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails and put my finger into the print of the nails and thrust my hand into his side I will not beleeve After eight dayes Jesus appeared again unto his disciples Thomas also being then amongst them Then said he to Thomas Reach hither thy finger and behold my hands and reach hither thy hand and thrust it into my side and be not faithlesse but beleeving And no sooner had Thomas by this means arrived unto the full assurance of faith but immediately he answered and said unto him My Lord and my God John 20. 28. He saith not Thou art Christ the Son of the living God according to Peters former acknowledgement John 6. 69. But Thou art my Lord and my God Intimating thereby that all his service obedience worship and reverence wholly and onely unto him belonged And so likewise Saul afterwards Paul at first a persecutour and injurious to the name of Jesus But even in the heat of his haste and fury the same Son of God intercepts him and beats him off from his barbarous enterprise who thereupon perceiving Christ to be far otherwise than what he had formerly conceived He trembling and astonished said Lord what wilt thou have me to do Acts 9. 6. As if he had said Lord the word of thy mouth being the sword of the Spirit hath both convinced and converced me Now I beleeve thee to be the same that thy blessed disciples have declared I am overcome by thy power and now I desire thine imployment Lord what wilt thou have to do And what he was afterwards commanded he most happily performed doing and suffering for the truth of the Gospel more and with more willingnesse and cheerfulnesse than ever any man except his Master Insomuch that he triumphed in his sufferings saying I take pleasure in infirmities in reproaches in necessities in persecutions in distresses for Christs sake 2 Cor. 12. 10. Thus faith when it is effectual draweth us unto and into Christ enabling us to receive him not only for our Saviour but also for our Sovereigne our chief and onely Lord. Not onely to save our souls but also to love honour and obey him as the onely Saviour of our souls and that willingly and cheerfully For this is the love of God that we keep his commandments and his commandments are not grievous 1 John 5. 3. Not grievous unto them that love him Thus have I endeavoured in answer unto the first question to give you so far forth as the Lord hath vouchsafed to inable me the true definition of a justifying and a saving faith And proved it according to six degrees or properties therein considerable As first that it is the gift of God Secondly that it inableth us to beleeve the promises of God Thirdly that those promises must be the promises of God in Christ Fourthly that they must be according to his Gospel they must be Gospel promises Fifthly that this Faith inableth us to rest and repose our selves confidently upon the same promises And Sixthly that it inableth us willingly and cheerfully to receive the Lord Jesus Christ or God in Christ for our Saviour and our Sovereigne Faith is that gift of God whereby we are inabled to beleeve the promises of God in Christ according to his Gospel to rest and repose our selves confidently thereupon and willingly and cheerfully to receive the same God in Christ for our Saviour and our Sovereigne Lord. The second question to be answered in this discovery of Faith in order to the examination of the Beleevers evidence is this Where or in what part hath this saving Faith its residence or being I answer In the heart For so the Apostle With the heart man beleeveth unto righteousnesse Rom. 10. 10. Not in the outward profession For the same Apostle saith concerning the defiled and unbeleeving They professe that they know God but in works they deny him being abominable and disobedient and to every good work reprobate Tit. 1. 16. We have two notable examples of outward profession and inward hypocrisie in the new Testament The one of Judas Iscariot we find that he was one of Christs Apostles one of twelve That his Lord sent him forth with the rest to preach and to work miracles Matth. 10. to 9. Neither do we find any thing to the contrary but that he performed his duty according to his Commission And in matter of charity to the poor he seemed to exceed all the rest For when Mary anointed the feet of her Saviour with that costly ointment Iohn 12. 3. Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence saith this Iudas and given to the poor verse 5. Can any Iudas now breathing counterfeit a fairer colour But neverthelesse the Spirit of God discovereth him for a covetous hypocrite For this he said not that he cared for the poor but because he was a thief and had the bag and bare what was put therein verse 6. Of whom the Apostle Peter further testifieth saying He was numbered with us and had obtained part of this ministery yet this man purchased a field with the reward of iniquity and falling headlong he burst asunder in the midst and all his bowels gushed out And it was known to all the dwellers at Ierusalem c. Acts 1. 17 18 19. Thus was his treacherous heart discovered and rewarded who notwithstanding that the doctrine miracles and continuall conversation of the Son of God afforded him the same outward means of faith and fidelity with the rest of the Apostles yet in his heart he was so far from beleeving loving and obeying his blessed Lord and Master that he sold him for a contemptible price Matth. 26. 15. Betrayed him with a villanous kisse Matth. 26. 49. And afterwards hanged himself in a devillish despair Matth. 27. 5. The other example is that of Simon the sorcerer whom we commonly call Simon Magus who at first bewitched the people of Samaria with his sorceries But when they beleeved Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Iesus Christ they were baptized both men and women Then Simon himself beleeved also and when he was baptized he continued
deliver you up to be afflicted saith he and shall kill you and ye shall be hated of all Nations for my name sake And then shall many be offended and shall betray one another and shall hate one another And many false Prophets shall arise and deceive many And because iniquity shall abound the love of many shall wax cold But he that shall endure to the end the same shall be saved verse 13. And unto the Angel of the Church in Smyrna Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer behold the Devil shall cast some of you into prison that ye may be tried and ye shall have tribulation ten dayes be thou faithfull unto death and I will give thee a Crown of life Rev. 2. 10. In like manner the Apostle Paul confirming the Souls of the Disciples tells them That we must through much tribulation enter into the Kingdom of God Acts 14. 22. And thus the Apostle Peter Beloved saith he Think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you as though some strange thing hapned unto you But rejoyce in as much as ye are partakers of Christs sufferings that when his glory shall be revealed ye may be glad also with exceeding joy 1 Pet. 4. 12. 13. But you will say These are sad invitations either to perswade unto faith or to continue in the faith I answer that I wonder not if they seem so to a common apprehension to such a one as is led meerly by sense and the light of nature unto which these things are so extreamly irksome and offensive But if we shall take the Spirit of God for our guide and shall thereby be inabled to judge not according to the appearance but to judge righteous judgement as our Lord adviseth Joh. 7. 24. We shall then finde that these sad-seeming preparations do proceed from very necessary principles For afflictions and crosses of all kindes do first direct us towards faith Secondly they do bring us unto faith And thirdly they doe continue us in faith First I say they do direct us towards faith and that through these three passages As first through making us sensible of our sins When the Sons of Jacob were distressed in the Land of Egypt they then considered the sin that they had many years before committed against their brother Joseph in the Land of Canaan And they said one to another we are verily guilty concerning our brother in that we saw the anguish of his Soul when he besought us and we would not hear therefore is this distresse come upon us Gen. 42. 21. And thus the Church in the Lamentations Woe unto us that we have sinned for this our heart is faint for these things our eyes are dim Lam. 5. 16. 17. Secondly through humbling us for our sinnes This we see in the example of Manasseh who being formerly of an abominable conversation yet when he was in affliction he besought the Lord his God and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers 2 Chron. 33. 12. And in that confession of his Church We lie down in our shame and our confusion covereth us for we have sinned against the Lord our God Jer. 3. 25. And thirdly through breaking us off from the course of our former errours and iniquities Bofore I was afflicted I went astray but now have I kept thy word saith David Psal 119. 62. And the same Prophet speaking concerning the wicked The Lord saith he shall hear and afflict them for because they have no changes therefore they fear not God Psal 55. 19. Secondly distresses and afflictions do lead us unto faith and that by shewing us the unhappinesse of the world and of all worldly expectations either inward or outward in our selves or from others And so by sending us to the Lord for sure consolation My flesh and my heart faileth me but God is the strength of my heart and my portion for ever saith good David Ps 73. 26. The Son dishonoureth the Father the Daughther riseth up against her Mother the Daughter in Law against her Mother in Law a mans enemies are the men of his own house Therefore I will look unto the Lord I will wait for the God of my salvation my God will hear me saith his afflicted Church Mic. 7. 6 7. When the ship is covered with Waves then the Disciples run unto Christ saying Lord save us we perish Mat. 8. 25. And he whom we call the Prodigal being pinched by the extremity of want and necessity resolved to return unto his father Luke 15. 18. And thirdly corrections or afflictions do continue us in the faith by assuring us of Gods love and fatherly affection In disposing of our afflictions In comforting us in our afflictions And In delivering us out of our afflictions First in disposing our afflictions or in visiting us with afflictions as fatherly chastisements For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth and scourgeth every Son whom he receiveth If ye endure chastening God dealeth with you as with Sons for what Son is he whom the Father chasteneth not But if ye be without chastisement whereof all are partakers then are ye Bastards and not Sons Hebr. 12. 6 7 8. And as many as I love I rebuke and chasten saith the Son of God Rev. 3. 19. Secondly afflictions do continue us in the faith by assuring us of Gods love in comforting us in our afflictions In all their affliction he was afflicted and the Angel of his presence saved them in his love and in his pity he redeemed them and he bare them and carried them all the dayes of old saith the Prophet Isa 63. 9. And thus the Apostle Blessed be God even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort who comforteth us in all our tribulation that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble by the comfort wherewith we are comforted of God 2 Cor. 1. 3 4. And thirdly by assuring us of Gods love in delivering us out of our afflictions Many are the afflictions of the righte us but the Lord delivereth him out of them all Psal 34. 19. And the same Prophet having recorded many great deliverances which the Lord usually worketh for his people in their several distresses and extremities in his 107. Psalm he concludeth with this Rule of direction whoso is wise saith he and will observe those things even they shall understand the loving kindnesse of the Lord verse 43. And he that rightly understandeth the loving kindnesse of the Lord will certainly rely upon him by faith as an everlasting and infallible refuge But you will say Is this all the happinesse that a Believer must expect in this life Doth not the Apostle tell us That godlinesse is profitable unto all things having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come 1 Tim. 4. 8. To the first part of this question I answer That there is such solid happinesse in affliction
11. With Paul Thou shalt know the Lord Jesus Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings being made conformable unto his death Phil. 3. 10. And thou shalt know that if thine earthly house of this Tabernacle were dissolved thou hast a building of God an house not made with hands eternal in the heavens with the same Apostle 2 Cor. 5. 1. And when these and the like observations have brought thee to this and the like experience And experience hath setled thee in the faith Then thou shalt know likewise that thou art well rooted in Christ by faith Fourthly we must not be moved away from the hope of the Gospel This is the last sign expressed in this gradation The Devil hath fear but no hope The Reprobate hath hope but no fear I mean no filial fear He may sometimes in spight of his heart fear to appear in Gods presence as he is a just Judge But he cannot at any time or by any means fear to offend God as he is a loving Father for he cannot conceive him so to be he cannot rightly apprehend him under that notion upon any present condition whatsoever And as his fear is commonly desperate so his hope is alwayes doubtfull and dangerous He is soon moved away from his hope for his hope is not the Hope of the Gospel But the true Believer cannot be moved away from the Hope of the Gospel It is the sure and steadfash Anchor of his Soul Hebr. 6. 19. I cannot say but a ship when she rideth at Anchor may be tumbled and tossed by a violent Tempest yet so long as her Anchor continueth firm and stedy she rideth securely be the storm never so outragious But if her Anchor faileth her her danger is dreadfull especially if the Channel where she rideth be Rocky narrow or otherwise unsafe Even so the Soul that is sustained by Hope may peradventure be moved or shaken by some strong distemper Neverthelesse so long as her hope remaineth sound setled and stedfast she is able to bear up in the greatest extremity But if she be quite moved away from the hope of the Gospel 't is dangerous that she is lost for ever And the rather for that the whole Ocean is not so full of Rocks and showls quick-sands wherewith to bulge and break a crasie vessel as the wild world is full of snares offences and temptations to ruine and destroy a silly Soul But you will say what is the difference between an ordinary Hope and this Hope of the Gospel I answer that an ordinary hope is commonly carnall but this hope of the Gospel is altogether spiritual And they differ in these particulars First in their Authour The carnal hope proceedeth of the Devil or Satan It was he that gave hope to the woman that she should not die in her transgression Genes 3. 4. It was he that gave Ahab hope of good successe 1 Kings 22. 21. And it was Satan that filled the heart of Ananias with hope that his Hypocrisie should not be discovered Acts 5. 3. And he feeds and fills us with these false hopes in his malice and emnity to mankinde For he is our adversary who as a roaring Lion walketh about seeking whom he may devour 1 Peter 5. 8. But it is God that giveth us this Gospel-hope and that of his love and grace It is our Lord Iesus Christ himself and God even our Father which hath loved us and hath given us everlasting cons●lation and good hope through grace 2 Thes 2. 16. Secondly they differ in their foundation The carnal hope is commonly built upon casualties upon perhaps o● peradventures When Balak besought B●lam to curse the people of God Come I pray thee saith he I will bring thee to another place peradventure it will please God that thou mayest curse me them from thence Num. 23. 27. But this Gospel hope is built upon Christ that never-failing foundation The riches of the glorie of this mystery among the Gentiles is Christ in us the hope of glorie Col. 1. 27. Thirdly they differ in their objects The carnal hope aimes altogether at riches honours pleasures long life or the like worldly injoyments vanity of vanities saith the preacher vanity of vanities all is vanitie Eccles 1 2. But the Gospel hope looks upon the Lord Jesus Christ which is our hope saith the Apostle 1 Tim. 1. 1. And eternal life which God that cannot lye promised before the world began Tit. 1 2. Or if she meets with any worldly good as necessary to this present life she lookes upon it not as a reward but as a blessing from her God in Christ Fourthly they differ in their evidence For what hath a carnall man to shew for all his hopes but onely his own blinde conceptions and imaginations whereas the Gospel hope is evidenced by Gods holy word For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope Rom. 15. 4. Fifthly they differ in their effects for the carnall hope doth onely serve to harden us in sin and so to run us up to ruine and destruction But every man that hath this hope in him this Gospel hope he purifieth himself even as God is pure 1 John 3. 3. And lastly they differ in their alliance or society The carnall hope confederates it self with doubts distrusts and a distracted conscience And therefore Zophar telleth Job That the hope of the wicked shall be as the giving up of the Ghost Job 11. 20. But this Gospel hope is the companion of faith and love and that unto the benefit of both For as this hope supporteth and sustaineth her mother faith in her tedious travail towards eternal happiness So likewise she comforteth and confirmeth her sister love by assuring her that her labour is not in vain in the Lord. And therefore the Apostle hath most fitly placed her between them both 1 Cor. 13 13. Having thus considered this Rule of the Apostle according to the four degrees thereof we finde That whosoever continueth in the faith even in the furnace of affliction That groundeth his faith upon that eternall design of Gods glory That is setled in the faith by the constant observation and experience of the favour and loving kindness of God in Christ And is not moved away from the hope of the Gospel He may without any doubt assure himself That he is well rooted in Christ by Faith NOw in the second place if we desire to know whether we beplanted into Christ as trees of Righteousnesse we must consider whether we be full of Sap And this Sap is Love For as the Root draws fatness from the soyl and sends it through the body or the stem in the Sap to every Member Bough and Branch supplying every part with life and nourishment according to its place and property Insomuch that in the Root it may be called life In the Body nourishment In the
leaneth on my hand and I bow my self in the house of Rimmon when I bow down my self in the house of Rimmon The Lord pardon thy servant in this thing verse 18. He will be still an idolater rather then he will lose the countenance of the king his master This is the mercenary love of an harlot for which the Divell accused Job though very injuriously Job 1. 9 10. Secondly the love of an harlot is hypocriticall doubtless Sampsons harlot Dalila did profess very much affection towards him before she could win him to tell her wherewith he might certainly be bound But if her love had been reall and sincere she would not have delivered him into the hands of the Philistines As Jud. 16. 18 c. This was Judas his charity to the poor Jo. 12. 4. c. And his love to his Lord Mat. 26. 49. And this is the love of all such as will serve both God and Mammon Thirdly the love of an harlot is unconstant when God complained of Judah for her inconstancy and apostacy Thou hast played the harlot saith he with many lovers Jer. 3. 1. And truly that love which is mercenary must needs be unconstant that which was bought will be sold The love of a poor passive Christ will never continue long in a mercenary bosom And whosoever loveth God for giving will cease to love if God shall cease to give or at least if he shall take away that which he formerly did give This is one of the Divells surest weapons and it is to be feared that there are but few Jobs to beat him at it And lastly the love of an harlot becometh contemptible Thus saith the Lord because thy filthiness was poured out and thy wickedness discovered through thy whordoms with thy lovers c. Behold therefore I will gather all thy lovers with wbom thou hast taken pleasure and all them which thou hast loved with all them that thou hast hated I will even gather them round about against thee and will discover thy nakedness unto them and they shall see all thy nakedness Ezek. 16. 36 37. And I will also give thee into their hand c. verse 39. And to conclude with this particular observe the shamefull end of Jezebel 2 Kings 9. 30. c. But the virgins love is of another nature Because of the favour of thy good oyntments thy name is as ointment poured forth therefore do the virgins love thee saith the chaste spouse unto her loving Lord Chap. 1. 3. You know that a pleasant sent or savour hath nothing that is outwardly beneficiall but being drawn in with the breath it refresheth and comforteth the inward parts And oyntment or unction or anoynting do signifie unto us the Spirit of God 1 Joh. 2. 20. Wherewith their blessed Bridegroom was anointed to be their Priest their Prophet and their King And by the influence of the same Spirit the very name of Jesus Christ infuseth both life and sweetnesse into all his Saints and therefore do their Virgin chaste Souls love him Thus it appeareth that the Virgins Love unto her Lord is neiher mercenary nor carnal but most pure and spiritual And it is most excellently compleated through these four passages First it is improved by Contemplation Secondly it is manifested by Profession Thirdly it is confirmed by Preparation And fourthly it is perfected by Practice When a chast Virgin first begins to love her heart delighteth much in Contemplation Her thoughts are very much upon the object of her affections alwayes meditating upon his amiable person his outward greatnesse and his inward graces In his person she considereth the beauties or comelinesse of his countenance and composition In his outward greatnesse she reflecteth upon his birth his wealth his power deserts and dignities Concerning his inward graces she recordeth his love his goodnesse his mercy truth Justice and wisdom With these and with the like sweet contemplations she feeds her fancies and augments her fires For the coals of love are coals of fire which hath a most vehement flame Cant. 8. 6. By this poor scantling you may partly aim at things that are incomprehensible Thus the sweet Soul that is in love with Christ with God in Christ revolves her amorous thoughts first on the person of her Lord and Lover Thou art fairer then the children of men saith she Psal 45. 2. Of this you shall finde a most elegant and excellent description Cant. 5. 10. c. Where she setteth forth his beauty sweetnesse strength and lovelinesse by way of allusion or similitude My beloved saith she is white and ruddy the chiefest among ten thousand his head is as the most fine Gold his locks are bushy and black as a Raven his eyes are as the eyes of Doves by the Rivers of water washed with Milk and fitly set His cheeks are as a bed of spices as sweet flowers his lips like lilies dropping sweet smelling myrrhe his hands are as Gold rings set with the beril his belly is as bright Ivory overlaid with Saphires his legs are as pillars of Marble set upon sockets of fine Gold his countenance is as Lebanon excellent as the Cedars his mouth is most sweet yea he is altogether lovely This is my beloved and this is my friend O daughters of Jerusalem In the second place she surveyeth his greatnesse his outward greatnesse according to our apprehension and expression As first the greatnesse of his birth where she findeth that he is the Son of God Lu. 1. 35. Not an adopted Son or younger brother But the onely begotten Son of God 1 John 4. 9. Secondly the greatnesse of his wealth or estate He is the Heir of all things Heb. 1. 2. The earth is his and the fulnesse thereof the world and they that dwell therein Psal 24. 1. Thirdly the greatnesse of his power Even the windes and the Sea obey him Mat. 8. 27. Yea all power is given to him in Heaven and in Earth Mat. 28. 18. Fourthly the greatnesse of his deserts or worthinesse Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honour and glorie and blessing Rev. 5. 12. And fifthly the greatnesse of his Dignities He is the blessed and onely Potentate the King of Kings and Lord of Lords 1 Tim. 6. 15. In the third place she admireth his inward essential Graces And first his Love that he should love her so as to purchase her with his own bloud Acts 20. 28. As to die for her Rom. 5. 6. Even a cursed death Gal. 3. 13. Next this she wondreth at his matchlesse goodnesse the goodnesse of his Love or his goodnesse in loving her when she deserved no such thing as love when no eye pitied her to have compassion upon her but she was cast out into the open field to the loathing of her person Ezek. 16. 5. Then even then he passed by her and looked upon her and behold her time was a time of Love and he spread his shirt
over her and covered her nakednesse and sware unto her and entred into a Covenant with her and made her his own Then he washed her and anointed her he decked her with the richest Ornaments both of Jewels and Rayment he fed her with the chief est nourishment And her beauty was made perfect through his comelinesse that he had put upon her Ezek. 16. 8. to the 15. verse And in consideration of these so great so undeserved favours she crieth out with that good Prophet David O give thanks unto the Lord for he is good for his mercy endureth for ever Psal 107. 1. And so thirdly she falleth upon his mercy which she cannot but mightily commend for that so soon as she became sensible of her own lamentable condition he then appeard to her most mercifull For no sooner did she finde her self to be by nature the child of wrath Eph. 2. 3. And by sin the child of the Devil 1 Joh. 3. 8. But suddenly she perceived that he had redeemed her to God by his bloud Rev. 5. 9. That when she was yet his enemy he had reconciled her to God by his death and most assuredly saved her by his life Rom. 5. 10. And all this without the least satisfaction by or from her self For not by works of righteousnesse that she had done but according to his mercie he saved her Tit. 3. 5. And she is most confident that he will continue her in her now happy estate For he hath said I will never leave thee nor forfake thee Hebr. 13. 5. Neither can she doubt but what he hath said he will most certainly perform For she findeth Fourthly That he is full of Grace and Truth John 1. 14. Yea he is the very Truth it self John 14. 6. And therefore she sings with David Her Lord is good his mercie is everlasting and his truth endureth to all generations Psal 100. 5. Nor Fifthly is she afrighted at his Justice But rather she rejoyceth therein For albeit The wages of sin is death Rom. 6. 23. And every transgression and every disobedience must receive a just recompence of reward As Hebr. 2. 2. Yet the law of the Spirit of life in her Lord Christ Jesus hath freed her from the law of sin and of death Rom. 8. 2. And in such a case it is not the office of Justice to condemn but to acquit protect and justifie And sixthly she can never forget his wisdom who is the wisdom of God 1 Cor. 1. 24. She apprehendeth by faith that it was he which made the earth by his power which established the world by his wisdom and stretched out the heaven by his understanding As Isa 51. 15. He knoweth them that are his 2 Tim. 1. 19. And he knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgement to be punished 2 Pet. 2. 9. And she doubteth not but she may most safely and savingly resign her self to his direction and disposition For in him are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge Colos 2 3. The soul that adds a thousand fold to these shall yet fall short a thousand thousand fold of his essentiall super-excellencies and lose her self at last in admiration Yet by these dear indearing contemplations she acts and strengthens and improves her Love and works it to a prosperous conditon For as the roote by vertue of the Sap causeth the tree to put forth fair green leaves So worketh Faith by Love and fits the soul the chast soul for a flourishing profession ANd now though somewhat bashfull yet she dares discover her affections to her friends the sweet companions of her virgin Love I charge you O daughters of Jerusalem if you finde my beloved that ye tell him that I am sick of love Saith she Cant. 5. 8. And therefore as the virgin lover first delighteth much to meditate upon the rare perfections of her Paramore So in the second place she will be talking of him very often extolling and comending his person parts and properties that so he may the better come to the knowledge and assurance of her intire affection towards him In like manner the love-sick soul that panteth after Christ will not omit the least occasion or opportunity of conference concerning her dear Lord but will evermore be magnifying his goodness loving-kindness and the like and setting forth the promises due thereto Because thy loving-kindness is better then life therefore my lips shall praise thee saith David Psal 63. 3. And to that purpose she consorts her self with his true servants his trustie friends whom she inviteth kindly to a sweet harmoneous concord and conversation O come saith she let us sing unto the Lord let us make a joyfull noise to the rock of ovr salvation Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving and make a joyfull noise unto him with Psalms For the Lord is a great God c. Psal 94 to the 8. And from hence she proceedeth to a more eminent and evident Profession of her true zeal and pure integrity which will appear the more infallibly by loving that which he is known to love and hating that which he abhors and hates Resolved thus She findes he loveth righteousnesse and hateth wickednesse Psal 45. 7. And therefore she directeth her affections of love and hatred towards the same Objects In the first place she loveth righteousness whether it be the righteousness of faith which justifieth the person or the righteousness of the law which justifieth the faith of the person For she knoweth that as the one is the cause of her justification so the other is the evidence of her sanctification And this her Love appeareth very precious upon the account of these four properties First it is Cordiall secondly it is Constant thirdly it is Confident and fourthly it is Comprehensive First I say it is cordiall It is no brain-sick fancy begotten by imagination brought forth by opinion nursed by ignorance and maintained by impudence Neither is it an outward formall profession modalled by self-seeking and magnified by self-conceit These are degenerate monsters bastard brats abominable to her virgin brest She owns no other love but what proceeds from the assurance of a saving faith infused by the Spirit of her Lord into the hidden corners of her heart I sleep saith she but my heart waketh Cant. 5. 2. her loving heart is evermore in labour Neither can any thing prevent or hinder her amourous desires from running out towards the righteousness of her dear Lord Because He is the Lord her righteousnesse Jer. 23. 6. Secondly her love is constant She regardeth not the face of the times nor the course of the tide the praise of a parasite nor the partling of a Parrat Neither will she take the spirit of giddiness for her guide least by any means she should wax wanton against Christ and wed her self to some unworthy creature like the younger widows Tim. 3. 11. Profits Pleasures and preferments
may haply wooe her but cannot win her to leave her first Love For she findes that he reproved that lightnesse in the angel of the Church of Ephesus Reve. 2. 4. She cannot do such desperate wickedness and sin against her blessed Saviour who hath betrothed her unto himself in righteousness and ratified his contract by the sweet and precious ingagements of his Gospel And therfore her Love is so deeply rooted in the center of her soul that she cannot be tossed to and fro and carried away with every wind of Doctrine c. Ephes 4. 14. But being sincere in love she groweth up into him in all things which is her head vers 15. My righteousnesse I hold fast and will not let it go my heart shall not reproach me so long as I live saith Job Job 27. 6. This was a notable sign that he loved righteousness with much constancy Thirdly her love to righteousness is confident It will not be daunted nor discouraged Though proud Haman despiseth poor Mordecay and projecteth the destruction of himself and all his people As Esther 3. 6. Yet Mordecay will not give divine reverence to that ambitious upstart Ester 5. 9. Though Nebuchad-nezzar the mighty king of Babylon maketh an idolatrous decree and threatneth a burning fiery furnace to such as shall be disobedient thereunto Dan. 3. 10 11. Yet Shadrach Meshach and Abednego the servants of the most high God will not serve his gods nor worship the golden image that he hath set up Dan. 3. 18. Though Darius by the policy of his presidents and councellers establisheth a royall statute That whosoever shall ask a petition of any God or man for thirty daies save of the King himself he shall be cast into the den of lions Dan. 6 7. Yet Daniel though he knows that the writing is sealed will kneel upon his knees three times a day and pray and give thanks before his God as he did aforetime Dan. 6. 10. See here how confident these godly men appeared in their love to righteousness And read yet further how the Lord succeeded their confidence with strange deliverances Cast not away therefore your confidence which hath great recompence of reward for ye have need of patience that after ye have done the will of God ye might receive the promise for yet a little while and he that shall come will come and will not tarry Heb. 10. 35. 36. 27. Fourthly her Love is very comprehensive It comprehendeth owneth and imbraceth all righteousness where ever it resideth She is not hypocritically proud so as to say Stand by thy self come not neer me for I am holier then thou like rebellions Israel Isa 65. 5. But in lowliness of minde she esteemeth each other better then her self As Phili. 2 3. Nor gainfully superstitious to cry out Great is Diana of the Ephesians with Demetrius and his fellow craftsmen As Acts 19. 34. But she acknowledgeth That godlinesse is profitable unto all things As 1 Tim. 4. 8. Nor is she insolently factious To despise dominion and speak evil of dignities with the Apostle Judes filthy dreamers As Jude 8. But she endeavoureth To keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace According to Saint Pauls preswasion Ephes 4. 3. I am a companion to all them that fear thee Saith good David unto his God Psal 119. 63. To all them that fear thee without any exception or limination And the Apostle Paul commends the Ephesians for their love to all the Saints Ephes 1. 15. But you will say 't is very difficult for us to know a sinner from a saint in times of tolleration wherein profession usurps the forme and undermines the power of godliness Thererore we shall do wisely to consider what David saith concerning this particular My Lord saith he my goodnesse extendeth not to thee but to the excellent in whom is all my delight Psal 16. 2 3. Or thus according to the vulgar reading All my delight is upon the Saints and upon such as excell in virtue A morall vertue shall not misse of a suteable reward if it be cordiall though it be constrained This we may see in the example of Ahab 1 Kings 21. 29. But wo be unto you ye hypocrites saith Christ eight times in one and the same chapter Mat. 23. Neverthelesse they that are truely godly lest they should be or partial or prejuditious in their love to righteousnesse do not forget to pray with our Apostle that The Lord would make them to increase and abound in love one towards another and towards all men As in 1 Thessa 3. 12. And as the virgin soul doth thus professe her fervent love unto her dearest Lord by loving righteousnesse which he doth love So on the other side she doth expresse the like unfained Love by hating sin and wickednesse because he hateth it But haply you will say the very name of wickednesse is harsh and odious Is there a man that hates not wickednesse 'T is true indeed 't is hard to finde a man so vile or gracelesse but that he would seem to be an enemy to wickednesse But yet in practice there are very few but do allow commit defend or love it And therefore first let me demand this question when thou art set upon by any sin dost thou resist it by the power of faith and fight against it under Gods command Canst thou sincerely say with godly Joseph How can I do this great wickednesse and sin against God as Gen. 39. 9. This is a signe thou hatest sin indeed Or doest thou otherwise refrain from sin for fear of shame reproach or punishment Verily thou hast thy reward But this is fear proceeding from self-self-love No love to God no hatred against sin Ye that love the Lord hate evil saith the Prophet Psal 97. 10. And therefore secondly let us consider the nature and the properties of hatred This hatred is no giddy frantick passion but a mature deliberate affection Such a notorious opposite to Love that they can never be so reconciled as to imbrace or favour the same object They are agreed ever to disagree Yet they are Twins both strugling in one wombe not to be parted not to be atoned consent begets and emnity preserves them For hatred lives by love love thrives by hatred Love first gives hatred an occasion and hatred prosecutes loves adversaries And therefore whosoever loveth God must hate all sin as grievous unto God Thou hast made me to serve with thy sins thou hast wearied me with thine iniquities saith the Lord to Israel Isa 43. 24. Now we must know that many men do much mistake themselves in this particular A man may be inraged against sin and yet not hate it Yea he may protest and vow against it very seriously and yet not hate it really and rightly And therefore we may do well to consider that hatred which is perfect and compleat hath these three properties First it is impartial Secondly it is impetuous And thirdly it is implacable
First if it deserveth the right name of hatred it is impartial And therefore he that truely hateth sin he doth hate all manner of sin and in all manner of persons He must hate all manner of sin He may not hate riotousnesse and love covetousnesse hate swearing and love lying hate publick prophanesse and love private perfidiousnesse or the contrary I hate every false way saith good David Psal 119. 128. And to that purpose he prayeth unto his God saying Incline not my heart to any evil thing Psal 41. 4. Doubtlesse 't is hard to finde a man whose heart is not inclin'd to many evil things But wher 's that Soul amongst us that is not so wedded unto some bewitching lust some Dalila one bosom sin or other of which we are inclineable to say as Lot did sometime say concerning Zoar Is it not a little one Gen. 19. 20. Yet every sin is a transgression of the Law 1 Joh. 3. 4. And cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the Law to do them Gal. 3. 10. And therefore the Prophet David Search me O God saith he and know my heart try me and know my thoughts And see if there be any wicked way in me and lead me in the way everlasting Psal 139. 23 24. And the Apostle Paul Let us cleanse our selves from all filthinesse of the flesh and spirit perfecting holinesse in the fear of God 2 Cor. 7. 1. And likewise St. Jude exhorteth To hate even the Garment spotted by the flesh Jude 23. Alluding haply to those forbidden things of the Law whereby their very Garments were defiled And intimating to us under the Gospel That we ought to abstain even from all appearance of evil according to that of Paul 1 Thes 5. 22. And as we must hate sin in general so we must hate all sinne in every person A man would think there had been no great cause of offence for Jehosaphat to assist Ahab in the recovery of Ramoth Gilead They were both of the stock of Abraham joyned in affinity professed the same Religion the cause was just and the enemy an idolatrous Heathen Neverthelesse Jehu the Seer said unto Jehosaphat the King Shouldest thou help the ungodly and love them that hate the Lord Therefore is wrath upon thee from before the Lord 2 Chron. 19. 2. And are there not too many amongst us that do professe much detestation against the miscarriages of such as are either averse or unprofitable to our designs whereas a little affinity or friendship or faction or the like carnal complyance will easily over-rule us to approve and patronize the most abomi●able actions Like wicked Ahab who hated the saving truth in the mouth of Micaiah because it was contrary to his intention and imbraced a pernitious lye from the mouths of his false Prophets because it was agreeable to his present resolution as in the 2 Chron. 18. Yea such is the damnable deceitfulnesse of self-love that many of us are thereby bewitched to censure those sins most severely in others which we our selves are ten times more notoriously guilty of And thinkest thou this O man that judgest them which do such things and dost the same that thou shalt escape the judgement of God saith Paul Rom. 2. 3. Verily this carnal self-love must of necessity be turned into spiritual self-hatred either temporal or eternal For we are sure that the judgement of God is according to truth against them which commit such things as saith the same Apostle Rom. 2. 2. Nothing is so offensive unto God or so destructive to our selves as sin The pestilence in our bloud the poyson in our bowels and the sword in our sides all these together can but kill the body according to a temporary death But sin is of so desperate a strain that it destroyes both soul and body too and hurries them into eternal torments And therefore he that hateth not all sin and in all persons chiefly in himself his seeming hatred is Hypocrisie and his love to God and his own Soul is nothing bettter Therefore be not deceived God is not mocked Gal. 6. 7. Secondly hatred if 't is true and perfect it is impetuous or violent nothing will satisfie it but the death or the destruction of every thing whereon it resteth We finde that Esau hated his brother Jacob because of the blessing wherewith his father had blessed him And Esau said in his heart the dayes of mourning for my father are at hand then will I slay my brother Jacob Genes 27. 41. And doubtlesse he had done as he intended had not the Lord his God preserved Jacob according to his power Gen. 32. 11. We likewise finde how that the sons of Jacob did hate their brother Joseph Gen. 37. 4. And they consulted together to slay him verse 20. And if we deal more kindly by our sins it is a sign we are but angry with them we do not hate them with a perfect hatred like that of David wherewith he did hate the haters of his God Do not I hate them O Lord saith he that hate thee And am I not grieved with those that rise up against thee I hate them with a perfect hatred Psal 139. 21 22. There are two great evils in and belonging unto every sin to wit the evil of iniquity Psal 32. 5. And the evil of punishment Lam. 3. 39. Whereof the first is essential and offensive to the spirit the second is accidental and offensive to the flesh And from hence it proceedeth that the spiritual man hateth sin for the iniquity thereof In reference to God But the carnal man is angry with sin onely because of the punishment thereof in relation to himself God is not in all his thoughts saith David Psal 10. 4. And therefore because he hateth not the iniquity which he ought to hate the punishment which he hateth shall fall upon him unto his confusion Gen. 4. 13. Whilest he which hateth that which God doth hate shall surely be approved of by God Rev. 2. 6. And therefore it will be of special use unto us to consider with what vehemency the Prophet David endeavoureth to aggravate the violence or the severity of his hatred against sin and sinners in his 101. Psalm Wherein he maketh divers protestations or promises unto this very purpose saying I will see no wicked thing before mine eyes I hate the work of them that turn aside it shall not cleave to me verse 3. A froward heart shall depart from me I will not know a wicked person verse 4. Who so privily slandereth his neighbour him will I cut off him that hath an high look and a proud heart will not I suffer verse 5. He that worketh deceit shall not dwell within my h●use he that telleth lies shall not tarry in my sight verse 7. I will early destroy all the wicked of the land that I may cut off all wicked doers from the citie of the Lord verse 8. Thus
David as a King and thus do thou according to thy power or do not say that thou hast any hatred against sin And as that hatred which is warrantable is both impartial and impetuous So in the third place 't is implacable never to be appeased or reconciled This is not hatred to fall out with sin or quarrel with it at some special time or for some extraordinary cause For thus the most ungracious Reprobate may sometimes hate his best-beloved sin And yet return with the Dogge to his vomit and the Sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire If thus the unclean spirit goeth out of a man it is but onely to recruit his forces he will return and take unto himself seven other spirits more wicked then himself and they will enter in and dwell there and the last state of that man is worse then the first According to that saying of our Saviour Luke 11. 26. But when a man in expectation of Gods eternal Love by Jesus Christ doth dedicate his love to God in Christ the violence and perpetuity of his impartial hatred will be such against all sin and every transgression That he will chuse to suffer the afflictions of Joseph Psal 105. 17 18. Much rather then he will be reconciled to any sin or become serviceable unto the Prince of darknesse though with Ioseph he be solicited thereto day by day as Gen. 39. 10. And thus the Soul that is in love with Christ declares it by her Christian profession especially In loving righteousnesse because he loves it and hating wickednesse because he hates it And having thus throughly endeer'd herself by manifesting her affections and fixing them upon their proper objects In the next place she doth prepare herself to seek and entertain her princely lover For as the Tree that is planted in a fruitfull soyl doth not onely increase her sap in her self and send it forth in flourishing green leaves but likewise by the vertue of that sap she putteth forth her beautifull fair blossoms whereby we are induced to conceive that she will bring forth fruit accordingly Even so the Soul that by a lively faith is planted into Christ doth not onely improve her love by Contemplation and manifest it by Profession But likewise she most earnestly endeavoureth to fit and confirm it by Preparation ANd this her hopefull preparation sets forth it self in seeking her beloved It is a principal part of Iehoshaphats commendations That he prepared his heart to seek God 2 Chron. 19. 3. And Hezekiah one of his successours both in his Kingdom and his piety having proclaimed a solemne Passeover He besought the Lord saying The good Lord pardon every one that prepareth his heart to seek God the Lord God of his fathers though he be not cleansed according to the purification of the sanctuary 2 Chr. 30. 19. And the Lord hearkened to Hezekiah and healed the people verse 20. And in this search the loving Soul considereth when where and how she may so seek her Lord that she may soon safely and surely finde him And to that purpose she doth call to minde that the holy Ghost sets forth a threefold prescription in order to the time when she 's to seek him First early Prov. 8. 17. Secondly continually Chron. 16. 11. And thirdly evermore Psal 105. 4. Early in regard of opportunity Continually in reference to constancie And evermore in relation to perpetuity First early without delaying In the morning of her youth Remember thy Creatour in the dayes of thy youth saith that kingly Preacher Eccles 12. 1. And thus good Obadiah to Elijah I thy servant fear the Lord from my youth 1 Tim. 18. 12. Secondly continually without wavering For he that wavereth is like a wave of the Sea driven with the winde and tossed Let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord James 1. 6 7. And thirdly evermore without revolting or apostatizing He that endureth to the end shall be saved saith the Son of God Mat. 10. 22. It is registred of Asa That he did that which was good and right in the eyes of the Lord his God 2 Chron. 14. 2. Neverthelesse it is a notable blemish to his integrity that towards his latter end In his disease he sought not to the Lord but to the Physicians 2 Chr. 16. 12. And thus the love-sick Soul will seek her Lord early least having withdrawn himself she seek him but cannot finde him and call him but he gives her no answer as Cant. 5. 6. She will seek him continually least he cometh in a day when she looketh not for him and in an hour that she is not ware of Mat. 24. 50. And she will seek him evermore least she be unprovided at his last coming and the door be shut against her as it fared with the foolish Virgins Mat. 25. 10. And in the second place she doth consider where she may safely seek for her beloved And is resolved that this must be in his Ordinances and especially in his word which is sometimes called the Scriptures according as he himself hath taught her saying Search the Scriptures for they are they which testifie of me John 5. 39. And therefore the Prophet David professeth unto the Lord That he rejoyceth at his word as one that findeth great spoiles Psal 119. 162. And the faithfull spouse in the Canticles desireth to hear the voice of her dear Lord saying Thou that dwellest in the gardens the companions hearken unto thy voice cause me to hear it Cant. 8. 13. But I conceive it may be Objected That we may hear severall voices speaking in the holy Scriptures and therefore how shall we know the voice of Christ from other voices I answer it is true indeed the Scripture do discover unto us severall voices especially the voice of God in his law and the voice Christ or of God in Christ in his Gospel And they are so frequently and so diversly mixed or intermingled the one with the other according to the wonderfull wisdom of the Spirit and that both in the old and new Testaments that it requireth a good and a willing understanding to distinguish rightly between them For all that is contained in the new Testament although we do generally call that the Gospell is not to be understood as the voice of the Gospel or the voice of Christ according to his Gospel Every idle word that men shall speak they shall give account thereof in the day of judgement There is the voice of the law in the midst of the Gospel Mat. 12. 36. Neither may we think that whatsoever is found in the old Testament which is commonly called the law is to be referred to the voice of the law For the Scripture foreseeing that God would justifie the Heathen by faith preached the Gospell before unto Abraham Gal. 3. 8. Saying In thee shall all nations be blessed Gen. 12. 3. And the like we finde many very many times both in the old
and of death saith he Reve. 1. 18. Whereby it may appear that there is no passage that way but when and by whom he pleaseth to appoint it This I conceive to be the first degree in order to this free and gracious pardon The second is our Saviours Intercession He made intercession for the transgressours Isa 53. 12. And he ever liveth to make intercession for them Heb. 7. 25. The third and highest is his satisfaction He was wounded for our transgressions he was bruised for our iniquities the chastisement of our peace was upon him and with his stripes we are healed Isa 53. 5. His ownself bare our sins in his own body on the tree saith St. Peter 1 Pet. 2. 24. Now if we shall in time of this reprive lay hold and rest upon his Intercession by an effectuall embracing faith then we are certain that we shall injoy the benefit of his full satisfaction And so we may be truly confident that this our pardon is both signed and sealed Due satisfaction is acknowledged Gods justice is compleatly vindicated his indignation throughly pacified And what can hinder us from being saved For it is God that justifieth who is he that condemneth It is Christ that died yea rather that is risen again who is even at the right hand of God who also maketh intercession for us Rom. 8. 33 34. But if through all the time of our reprive we shall reject relinquish or neglect so great salvation as is offered in this intercession and satisfaction Then as the voice of God in his law hath passed upon us the sentence of condemnation So the voice of Christ in his Gospel shall passe upon us the sentence of execution For he that believeth not shall be damned This is part of that Gospel which the Lord Christ commanded his Apostles to preach unto every creature Mark 16. 16. The Scriptures mention other voices also As of Prophets that prophesie lies Jer. 23. 25. Of those that speak perverse things to draw Disciples after them Acts 20. 30. That by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple Rom. 16. 18. That speaks lies in hypocrisie 1 Tim. 4. 1. That speaks evill of dignities 2 Pet. 2. 10. That speake evill of the things they understand not 2 Peter 2. 12. That speak great swelling words of vanity 2 Pet. 2. 18. That speak great things and blasphemies Rev. 13. 5. These voices are remembered in the Scriptures but they are all condemned by the Scriptures And these with every other of like nature may be referred to the voice of Strangers John 10. 5. Which though they be extolled and applauded by giddy multitudes of brain-sick beasts of old ordained to this condemnation Jude 4. This constant Lamb of Christ will by no means incline to hear or listen after them Least they should drive her into mire and dirt As Isa 57. 20. Or draw her from her Shepheards tender bosom As Isa 40. 11. Such were the watchmen that did smite and wound the searching soul The keepers of the walls that rifled her and took away her vail Cant. 5. 7. And therefore she avoids them day and night their publick musters and their private meetings As swarms of hurtfull locusts that proceed out of the smoak of hells infernall furnace As to the sacred voice of God in his law she doth believe it as it is the voice of such an Authour Exod. 20. 1. She learned it as a Rule to guide her goings Phil. 3. 16. She loves it as an argument of Love John 14 15. But looks upon it as a cancelled scroul a dead caracter in relation to any Obligation or ingagement Col. 2. 14. And so she leaves it with much reverence And listens to her Lords voice in his Gospel Jo. 7. 37. And being thus instructed when and where she is to seek for her beloved Lord. In the third place she sets her self to learn How she may seek him so as that she may be sure to finde him And to that intent She goeth her way forth by the foot-steps of the flock and feedeth her Kids besides the shepherds tents According to her Lords direction Cant. 1. 8. She walketh in the pathes of Christs own sheep to feed and fill her ears with his pure doctrine delivered by his faithfull Ministers As for her mortall enemies the Divell the World and Flesh that labour to betray and intercept her in her heavenly search with these she holdeth a continuall combate As for example when the Divel meets her in her delightfull way unto the word And would divert her by his lewd suggestions as that she shall be rebuked and reproved for her sins and threatned with misery death and destruction for her transgressions against the law of God with such like terrours not to be indured She telleth him that she hath been already at mount Sinay that might not be touched and that burned with fire and with blackness and darknesse and tempests c. Heb. 12. 18. But now the law like a good Schole-master leading her from thence unto mount Sion and unto the city of the living God the heavenly Jerusalem and to an innumerable company of angels to the generall assembly and Church of the first born which are written in heaven and to God the judge of all and to the Spirits of just men made perfect and to Jesus the mediatour of the new covenant c. Heb. 12. 22 c. And therefore with the Prophet David She will hear what God the Lord will speak for he will speak peace unto his people and to his Saints Psal 85. 8. When by his black mouth'd execrable agents the shame and bane of Church and Common-Wealth the Devil doth revile the Ministers of Jesus Christ with base reproachfull titles of purpose to blow up the zealous blaze of his own smoaking firebrands and to darken or quench the pure light of the glorious Gospel That so she may not be able to see when the Sun of righteousnesse shall arise with healing in his wings As Mala. 4. 2. The good soul onely renders him that answer wherewith the angels of the Lord reproved him long since upon the very like occasion The Lord rebuke thee O Satan Zech. 3. 1 2. And when that subtile serpent now perceiving that all his hellish engines cannot hinder the soul from listening to the word of God endeavoureth by all means possible to steal it from her least it should prove fruitfull She tells him plainly that she will both hear the word of God and keep it for so she shall be certain of a blessing Luke 11. 28. Next when the world would win her from the word by his most specious invitations of pleasures profits or preferments She answers That to live in pleasures on the earth is to nourish her self as in a day of slaughter James 5. 5. But the word will direct her to the Lord her God In whose presence is fulnesse of joy and at whose right hand are pleasures for
the penalty that 's due to her transgressions eternal death in everlasting torments And being thus affrighted at her sins the onely cause of her afflictions the Soul bestirs her self about the Cure And to that end she sighs weeps vowes resolves and fasts and prayes and cries unto the Lord. Behold O Lord for I am in distresse my bowels are troubled mine heart is turned within me for I have grievously rebelled Lament 1. 20. Bowels of grief beg bowels of compassion and all to little purpose For now the more she mourns the more she may her spirit is ingaged in the conflict And a wounded spirit who can bear saith Solomon Prov. 18. 14. Poor Soul for life she labours does undoes she spends her spirits and torments her self and all to satisfie incensed Justice Which she is never able to perform by her own passions were they strong as death and deep as hell The Law is broken and it is Gods Law her sute is entred and her case reported one day of hearing craveth for another night unto night doth utter lamentations Justice must be appeas'd or no discharge every hour fresh summons to the barr she gives attendance but receives no comfort her time runs on her taske is but begun her work is always doing never ended And so her case seems to be desperate Because she seeketh not the cure by Christ by God in Christ Oh! there is heavenly musick That very name revives her and commands her ears and heart to dwell upon that sound which they suck in with a delitious relish For now that God and man that Mediator not won by tears but of his own free grace turns o're the mighty volume of his book the glorious records of free-election and finds her name written in that Book of life Revela 3. 5. And now though haply he may forbear for some short time to utter his affections until her heart be throughly mollified and well prepared to receive impression yet he forgets not to compassionate the pining wretch but in the best of times his own good time he says concerning her like as he did concerning Ephraim Is this my dear daughter is she a pleasant child for since I spake against her I do earnestly remember her still therefore my bowels are troubled for ber I will surely have mercy on her saith the Lord Jer. 31. 20. And to her self as to his spouse he saith O my dove that art in the clefts of the rock in the secret places of the stairs let me see thy countenance let me hear thy voice for sweet is thy voice and thy countenance is comly Cant. 2. 14. In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment but with everlasting kindnesse will I have mercy on thee c. Isa 54. 8 9 10. And thus her Lord bemoanes and greets and cheers her till being big with Christ her comforter she singeth with the blessed virgin Mary My soul doth magnifie the Lord and my spirit hath rejoyced in God my Saviour For he hath regarded the lowe estate of his handmaiden c. Luke 1. 46 c. This is a happy progresse you may say But where appeareth this humility Truely she meets with it in every passage First she survayes her sorrows and she says Remembering mine affection and my misery the wormwood and the gall my soul hath them still in rememberance and is humbled in me Lament 3. 19 20. And secondly she sees the work of God in her afflictions and therefore She humbleth her self under the mighty hand of God According as St. Peter teacheth her 1 Pet. 5. 6. Thirdly perceiving sin to be the cause of all her miseries she humbly begs to have it done away Have mercy upon me O God saith she according to thy loving kindnesse according to the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions wash me throughly from mine iniquitie and cleanse me from my sin as Psal 51. 1 2. And with like meeknesse promiseth amendment I have born chastisement saith she I will not offend any more as Job 34. 31. But Justice pleads for satisfaction The soul saith he that sinneth it must die At this the poor soul seems as dead indeed she 's utterly dejected quite cast down She 's not so stiff in her opinion to bring in writs of errour or false-judgement All that she desires is to obtain the mercy of the Book where she is taught to read The wages indeed of sin is death But the gift of God is eternall life through Jesus Christ our Lord Rom. 6. 23. And here she breathes for here 's the breath of life And thus restor'd she humbly thanks the law her schole-master for bringing her to Christ She hangs upon this promise claims this gift and by this Jesus Christ her Surty she tenders satisfaction unto Justice and is dismissed without cost or dammage And not so onely But she 's made an heir an heir of God and a joynt-heir with Christ Rom. 8. 17. And is she proud of this preferment now No verily Till now she never felt the kindly force of sound humility All her humilty unto this present was meerly legal troublesome and slavish but now 't is evangelicall and free or if it be constrained any way It is constrained by the love of Christ Indeed The love of Christ constraineth her because she thus judgeth that if one died for all then were all dead 2 Cor. 5. 14. If all were dead then she amongst the rest And that she now lives or begins to live 't is onely by the purchace of his grace He died the death that she deserved to die that she may live with him eternally And where is boasting then it is excluded By what law of works Nay but by the law of faith Rom. 3. 27. Now she believes and loves and hence proceeds a modest willing sweet humility She 's not dejected through a servile fear but she is humbled by attractive love Because her Lord requires to have it so Take my yoak upon you and learn of me for I am meek and lowly in heart saith her beloved Lord Math. 11. 29. Let this minde be in you which was also in Christ Jesus who being in the form of God thought it not robbery to be equall with God But made himself of no reputation and took upon him the form of a servant and was made in the likenesse of men And being found in fashion as a man he humbled himself became obedient unto death even the death of the crosse saith his learned Apostle Phil. 2. 5. to the 9. Thus councel wooes her and example wins her And she walkes humbly with her God in Christ According to that of the Prophet Micah 6. 8. And thus effectuall humility is brought and wrought into the sinful soul But what doth this humility perform what doth it work For that is the fourth Question I answer that this true humility being impowred and improved by Faith hath principally these five operations It
is plain that the Lord marrieth his church unto himself In regard that he calleth himself her husband and her his wife Thy maker is thy husband the Lord of hosts is his name and thy Redeemer the holy one of Israel the God of the whole earth shall he be called For the Lord hath called thee as a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit and a wife of youth Isa 54. 5. 6. And fourthly it is manifest that he marrieth his church unto himself In respect that he will have her called after his own name we finde that his holy Spirit directeth us to call him by the name of The Lord our righteousnesse Jere. 23. 6. And this is the name wherewith she shall be called The Lord our righteousnesse saith the same Spirit by the same Prophet Jer. 33. 16. And in that it is said this is the name wherewith she shall be called it is evident that she was not so called formerly And we know that there is no ingagement no relation whatsoever that can make a woman capable of any other name then what she formerly had but that of marriage onely Again the soul demands this question How is it that our gracious Lord vouchsafeth so great an honour to his church to own her according to that high degree of marriage And after some expostulation she thus resolves her self Surely it is to evidence unto us that intire Union that exceeding nearnesse that is between the Spirit of our Saviour and the dear souls of his beloved saints There is a near relation among countrymen and kindred Insomuch that Paul professed he could wish himself accursed for his kinsmen according to the flesh Rom. 9. 3. Yet we see they little deserved it at his hands Acts 24. 1 c. Some what more near then that is the relation among brethren Behold how good and how pleasant it is brethren to dwell together in Vnity saith David Psal 133. 1. Yet we finde that Cain killed his brother Abel Gen. 4. 8. And Esau intended the like to his brother Jacob Gen. 27. 41. There is also a near ingagement among friends A friend sticketh closer then a brother saith Solomon Prov. 18. 24. Yet we know that there is falshood in friendship Joab slew his great friend Absalom 2 Sam. 18. 14. And Judas abused that sweet attribute most basely Mat. 26. 50. But very strict and very binding are those Obligations between the parents and their children lo children are an heritage of the Lord and the fruit of the womb is his reward As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man so are children of the youth Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them they shall not be ashamed but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate Psal 127. 3 4 5. And therefore St. Paul Honour thy father and thy mother which is the first commandment with promise saith he Ephes 6. 2. Neverthelesse our Lord acquainteth us That the brother shall deliver up the brother to death and the father the child and the children shall rise up against their parents and cause them to be put to death Mat. 10. 21. And have not we seen or credibly heard of the like unnatural actions performed in our dayes But so ought men to love their wives as their own bodies he that loveth his wife loveth himself No man ever yet hated his own flesh but nourisheth and cherisheth it even as Christ the Church saith Paul Ephes 5. 28 29. Here indeed is the right cordial relation that strict and strong Obligation that nothing should cancel but death He is not worthy of the name of man that forsaketh or abuseth his own wife No man ever yet hated his own flesh but nourisheth and cherisheth it There is the lovely shaddow of a tender compassion even as the Lord the church There is the true substance of a dear and dureable affection And therefore the main reason as the soul conceiveth why the Lord vouchsafeth this most acceptable expression of marriage is to shew us that integrity that exact and absolute Union and communion that is betwixt himself his church He that is joyned unto an harlot is one body saith the Apostle Paul 1 Cor. 6. 16. Where Paul insinuateth that marriage is so strict a tie that the very abuse thereof is of an uniting quality But he that is joyned unto the Lord is one Spirit saith he verse 17. Now whatsoever is carnal is mortal and dubious but that which is spirituall is eternal and glorious O! saith that sweet and amorous soul that I were sure my Lord had such a love to me as that he would espouse me to himself I am perswaded now that he hath such a love unto his church in general But how shall I appropriate the same unto my self or how may I be sure that I shall thus in joy my gracious Lord For this is the circumstance wherein the soul desireth satisfaction And thereupon she listens to St. Paul 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 Gala. 2. 20. True saith the tender soul if I were such a chosen vessel as was good St. Paul I might triumph with the like confidence yet after some debate within her self she thus replies why what had Paul but what he did receive Or what made him to differ was it not my Lord with whom there is no respect of persons as Paul himself saith Rom. 2. 11. Doubtlesse my God who onely can fit me for this preferment he looketh not upon the man but his Mediatour he regardeth not the metall but the stamp the image and superscription whose is that Surly if the image of Christ be graven in me it makes no matter either what I am or how I am called For there is neither Jew nor Greek there is neither bond nor free there is neither male nor female for we are all one in Christ Jesus Gala. 3. 28. And as neither nation nor sex nor any outward state or condition nor any other earthly distinction can make a difference in the sight of God so neither can sin exclude me from his favour For God commendeth his love towards us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us saith St. Paul Rom. 3. 8. These things considered the Soul begins to be perswaded that her Lord both may and will love her as well as any other For now she sees ther 's no impediment that can destroy or contradict her hopes Yet still she 's sick of love nor can her minde receive or cure or comfort till she meets with such an argument of his affection towards her self in every degree as is both certain and infallible Therefore she cries and gives her Lord no rest until he openeth her understanding that she may learn this mystery of love That never any soul did love the Lord but the same soul was first beloved by him And this must
needs be so for many Reasons First because God is the onely perfect substance of true love God is love saith St. John 1 Jo. 4. 16. And therefore we cannot love God but by vertue of that love which is essentially in God For otherwise we offer him but a shaddow instead of a substance Secondly because God is the onely Authour and giver of love love is of God 1 John 4. 8. And therefore unlesse God doth first in love to us bestow his love upon us we can have no love at all to dispose of as in relation unto him Thirdly because every one that loveth is born of God 1 John 4. 7. And it would be a preposterous thing for the child to love before the father Behold what manner of love the father hath bestowed upon us that we should be called the sons of God 1 John 3. 1. And as it is a far greater argument of love that we should be made the sons of God then that we should be called the sons of God And Fourthly because Gods love to us is the cause of our love to God we love him because he first loved us Saith the same loving and beloved Disciple 1 John 4. 19. Now the cause must of necessity be before the effect And therefore unlesse God doth first love us efficiently it is impossible that we should love God effectually And altogether to this purpose is that in the Prophet Jeremy I have loved thee saith the Lord with an everlasting love therefore with loving kindnesse have I drawn thee Jer. 31. 3. Because the Lord did love his Church with an everlasting love therefore with loving kindnesse he did draw her to love him again For this I humbly conceive to be the most proper and suteable end of this attraction It being likewise the most principal or onely duty which the Lord requireth Deut. 6. 5. and Math. 22. 37. And being thus confirmed in this truth the willing Soul hath nothing else to do to fatisfie her fully in this case but to examine the sincerity and goodnesse of her own love to her Lord. And thereupon she brings it to the tryal And first she findes it eager to injoy She sings with that melodious Prophet David As the heart panteth after the water brooks so panteth my Soul after thee O God! My Soul thirsteth for God for the living God when shall I come to appear before God Psal 42. 1 2. And in the 48. Psal 1. 2. How amiable are thy Tabernacles O Lord of Hosts My Soul longeth yea even fainteth for the Courts of the Lord my heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God Secondly it is fervent or ardent in the act of injoying 't is no Laodicean luke-warm love It makes the Soul say with the blessed spouse Set me as a Seal upon thine heart as a Seal upon thine arm for love is strong as death Many waters cannot quench love neither can the flouds drown it Cant. 8. 6 7. Thirdly she findes it very generous It soorneth to be base or trivial Too generous to be so mercenary as with those fools to say unto the Lord Depart from us and what can the Almighty do for us as Job 22. 17. It makes her scorn to stand for any wages That she refers to her beloved's goodnesse She knows her wages will be better far then all her works can any way deserve She remembers the words of her Lord Jesus how he said It is more blessed to give then to receive as Acts 20. 35. And thereupon her love will not be bought at any rate If a man would give all the substance of his house for love it would utterly be contemned Cant. 8. 7. Neither will this loving Soul be bribed but will rather say with Peter Thy money perish with thee because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money Acts 8. 20. And secondly it is so generous that it will not be overcome by any base or lewd or carnal lust It will say with Joseph How can I do this great wickednesse and sin against God Gen. 39. 9. And with Moses it will chuse rather to suffer affliction with the people of God then to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season as Hebr. 11. 25. Thirdly it is so generous that it will not be daunted either for fear of losse or displeasure or death it self According to the example of Shadrach Meshach and Abednego Dan. 3. And of Daniel himself Dan. 6. Fourthly it is so generous that it scorneth to be nigardly in prosperity It will buy the truth and not sell it as Prov. 23. 23. It sayeth with David What shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits towards me Psal 116. 12. And therefore he will not offer burnt-offerings unto the Lord his God of that which doth cost him nothing as 2 Sam. 24. 24. Yea with the people of Israel it will give more then is necessary to the work as Exod. 35. 22. c. and Exod. 36. 5. Fifthly it is so generous that it will not be dismayed in adversity In case of derision or reproch it will say with David I will yet be more vile then thus as 2 Sam. 9. 22. In case of danger it will say with Peter Though I should die with thee yet will I not deny thee as Mat. 26. 35. And in case of extremity it will say with Job Naked came I out of my Mothers womb and naked shall I return thither the Lord gave and the Lord hath taken away blessed be the name of the Lord Job 1. 21. And with Paul None of these things move me neither count I my life deer unto my self so that I might finish my course with joy and the Ministery which I have received of the Lord Jesus to testifie the Gospel of the grace of God Acts 20. 24. Sixthly it is so generous that it will not spare for any expressions nor any opportunities It will strive to out-strip the sinfull woman who when she knew that Jesus sate at meat in the Pharisees house brought an Alabaster box of oyntment And stood at his feet behinde him weeping and began to wash his feet with tears and wipe them with the hairs of her head and kissed his feet and anoynted them with the oytment Luke 7. 37 38. Or what it cannot do to him in his person it will do to him in his Members when he is an hungry it will give him meat when he is thirsty it will give him drink when he is a stranger it will take him in Naked it will cloath him Sick it will visit him in Prison it will come unto him For which the Lord shall say unto this Soul Verily in as much as thou hast done it to one of the least of these my brethren thou hast done it unto me as Math. 25. 40. ANd thus the Soul having examined her love by these and the like properties and finding it to be sincere and sound her joyfull heart is