applying precious promises and suitable remedies to all your maladies Have you not found God a bringing in unexpected mercy in the day of your adversity suitable to that promise Hosea 2. 14. I will allure her and bring her into the wilderness and speak comfortably to her or I will earnestly speak to her heart as the Hebrew reads it yes Have you not found that God hath so sweetned and sanctified afflictions to you as to make them a means to discover many sins that lay hid and to purge you from many sins that cleaved close unto you and to prevent you from falling into many sins that would have been the breaking of your bones and the loss of your comfort yes Have you not found that you have Musk saith one when it hath lost its sweetness if it be put into the sink amongst filth it recovers it so doth afflictions recover and revive decayed graces been like the Walnut tree the better for beating and like the Vine the better for bleeding and like the ingenious childe the better for whiping yes Have you not found afflictions to revive quicken and recover your decayed graces have they not inflamed that love that hath been cold and put life into that Faith that hath been dying and quickned those hopes that have been withering and put spirits into those joyes and comforts that have been languishing yes O then stand up and declare to all the world That times of affliction have been the times wherein you have seen the face of God and heard the voice of God and sucked sweetness from the brests of God and fed upon the delicates of God and drunk deep of the consolations of God and have been most satisfied and delighted with the presence and in-comes of God When Hezekiah in his great affliction lamentingly said I shall go mourning Isai 38. 9. to 21. to my grave I shall not see the Lord in the Land of the living he will cut me off with pining sickness he will break all my bones Like a Crane or a Swallow so did I chatter I did mourn as a Dove mine eyes fail with looking upward O Lord I am oppressed undertake for me So now God comes in a way of mercy to him and prints his love upon his heart Vers 17. Thou hast in love to my soul delivered it from the pit of corruption or rather as the Hebrew reads 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it Thou hast loved my soul from the grave for thou hast cast all my sins behinde thy back Ah says Hezekiah I have now found that in my afflictions thy affections have been most strongly carried towards me as towards one whom thou art exceedingly taken with O now thou hast warmed me with thy love and visited me with thy grace thou hast made my darkness to be light and turned my sighing into singing and my mourning into rejoycing So when Habakkuks belly trembled Hab 3. 16 17 18. and his lips quivered and rottenness entered into his bones and all Creature comforts failed yet then had he such a sweet presence of God with his Spirit as makes him to rejoyce in the midst of sorrows Yet says he I will rejoyce in the Lord I will joy in the God of my salvation And thus you see it clear That in times of affliction God makes sweet manifestations of his love and favor to his Childrens souls Eighthly Praying times are times wherein the Lord is graciously pleased to give his people some sweet and comfortable assurance of his love and favor towards them Prayer crowns Nunquam abs te absque te recedo Bern. ep 116. O Lord saith he I never go away from thee without thee He was a man very much in prayer as some Writers observe God with the honor and glory that is due to his Name and God crowns prayer with assurance and comfort usually the most praying souls are the most assured souls There is no service wherein souls have such a neer familiar and friendly entercourse with God as in this of prayer neither is there any service wherein God doth more delight to make known his grace and goodness his mercy and bounty his beauty and glory to poor souls then this of prayer The best and sweetest flowers of paradise God gives to his people when they are upon their knees Prayer is Porta coeli clavis padisi the Gate of Heaven a Key to let us into paradise when John was weeping in prayer doubtless the Sealed Book was open to him Many Christians have found by experience praying times to be sealing times times wherein God hath sealed up to them the remission of their sins and the salvation of their souls They have found prayer to be a shelter to their souls a sacrifice to God a sweet savor to Christ a scourge to Satan and an in-let to assurance God loves to lade the wings of prayer with the choicest and chiefest blessings Ah! how often Christians hath God kist you at the beginning of prayer and spoke peace to you in the midst of prayer and filled you with joy and assurance upon the close of prayer That nineth of Daniel from the seventeenth to the four and twentieth verse is full to the point in hand I shall onely cite the words of the four last Verses And whilest I was speaking and praying Dan. 9. 20. and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel and presenting my supplication before the Lord my God for the Holy Mountain of my God Yea whilest I was speaking in prayer even the man Gabriel whom I had seen in the vision at the begining 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 With weariness or flight tired as it were with his making speed being caused to flie swiftly touched me about the time of the Evening Oblation And he informed me and talked with me and said O Daniel I am now come forth to give thee skill and understanding At the beginning of thy supplications the commandment came forth and I am come to shew thee for thou art greatly beloved therefore understand the Matter and consider the Vision In these words you see whilest Daniel was in prayer the Lord appears to him and gives him a Divine touch and tells him That he is a man greatly beloved or as the Hebrew hath it a man of desires So 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chamudoth a man of desires that is one singularly beloved of God one that is very pleasing and delightful to God Act 10. 1 2 3 4. There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius a Centurion of the Band called the Italian Band a devout man and one that feared God with all his house which gave much alms to the people and prayed to God alway He saw in a vision evidently about the ninth hour of the day an Angel of God coming in to him and saying unto him Cornelius And when he looked on him he was afraid and said What is it Lord And he said unto him Thy
himself in his own tears let me give this Caution viz. That there is nothing beyond remedy but the tears of the damned A man who may persist in the way to Paradise should not place himself in the condition of a little Hell and he that may or can hope for that great all ought not to be dejected nor overwhelmed for any thing 4. That Repentance that accompanies Salvation doth include not onely contrition for sin but also a holy shame and blushing for sin Ezra 9. 6. Jer. 3. 24 25. 31. 19. Ezek. 16. 61 63. And thou shalt be confounded and never open thy mouth any more because of thy shame when I am pacified towards thee for all that thou hast done saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bosh to blush to be abashed to wax pale and wan c. Quantum displicet Deo immundiâ—ia peccati in tantum placet Deo erubiscentia paenitentis Ber. the Lord God When the Penitent Soul sees his sins pardoned the anger of God pacified and Divine Justice satisfied then he sits down ashamed So in Rom. 6. 21. What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed Sin and shame are inseparable companions So much the more God hath been diâ—pleased with the blackness of sin the more will he be well pleased with â—he blushing of the sinner A man cannot have the seeming sweet of sin but he shall have the real shame that accompanies sin These two God hath joyned together and all the world cannot put them asunder It was an impenitent Caligula that said of himself that he loved nothing better in himself then that he could not be ashamed Justinus Motto was Quod pudet hoc pigeat that should grieve most which is shameful in it self and done against conscience And doubtless those things are onely shameful that are sinful A soul that hath sinned away all shame is a soul ripe for Hell and given up to Satan A greater plague cannot befal a man in this life then to sin and not to blush Fifthly That Repentance that accompanies Salvation comprehends loathing and abhorring of sin and of Vis magnus esse incipe ab imo Wilt thou be great begin from below saith one It is very observable that those brave Creatures the Eâ—gle and the Lyon were not offered in sacrifice unto God but the poor Lamb and Dove to note That God regards not your brave high lofty spirits but poor meek and contemptible spirits our selves for sin as well as shame and blushing for sin Job 42. 6. Ezek. 16. 61 62 63. Amos 5. 15. Ezek. 20. 41 42 43. And ye shall remember your ways and all your doings wherein ye have been defiled and ye shall loath your selves in your own sight for â—all the evils that you have committed The sincere penitent loaths his sins and he loaths himself also because of his sins He crys out O these wanton eies O these wicked hands O this deceiptful tongue O this crooked will O this corrupt heart O how do I loath my sins how do I loath my self how do I loath sinful-self and how do I loath my natural-self because of sinful-self My sins are a burden to me and they make me a burden to my self my sins are an abhorring to me and they make me abhor my self in dust and ashes A true Penitent hath not onely low thoughts of himself but loathsome thoughts of himself none can think or speak so vilely of him as he doth and will think and speak of himself Ezek. 6. 9. And they that escape of you shall remember me among the Nations whither they shall be carried captives because I am broken with their whorish heart as the heart of a Husband is at the adulterous carriage of his wife which hath departed from me and with their eyes which go a whoring after their Idols and they shall loath themselves for evils which they have committed in all their abominations If thy Repentance do not work thee out with Some people can shed tears for nothing some for any thing but a sound penitent sheds more tears for his sins then he doth for his sufferings thy sins and thy sins work thee out of love with thy self thy Repentance is not that Repentance that accompanies Salvation And thus you see the particular things that that Repentance that doth accompany Salvation doth comprehend and include Sixthly That Repentance that accompanies Salvation hath these choice companions attending of it First Faith Zach. 12. 10 11. They shall look upon him whom they have pierced and mourn c. Mourning and beleeving go together So in Matth. 4. 17. Mark 1. 14 15. Now after that John was put in prison Jesus came into Galilee Preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom of God And saying The time is fulfilled and the Kingdom of God is at hand Repent ye and believe the Gospel Secondly Love to Christ doth always accompany that Repentance that accompanies Salvation as you may see in Mary Magdalen in that seventh of Luke Thirdly A filial fear of offending God and a holy care to honor God doth always accompanie that Repentance that accompanies Salvation 2 Cor. 7. 11. For godly sorrow worketh Repentance to Salvation Repentance is post naufragium tabula the fair daughter of a foul mother Repentance is a fruitful Womb. not to be repented of for behold this self same thing that ye sorrowed after a godly sort what carefulness it wrought in you yea what clearing of your selves yea what indignation yea what fear yea what vehement desire yea what zeal yea what revenge In all things ye have approved your selves to be clear in this matter Verily Repentance to life hath all these lively companions attending of it they are born together and will live together till the penitent soul changes Earth for Heaven Grace for Glory Seventhly and lastly That Repentance that accompanies Salvation is a continued act a Repentance never to be 2 Cor. 7. 10. repented of Repentance is a continual spring where the waters of godly sorrow are alwayes flowing A sound Penitent is still a turning nearer and nearer to God he is still a turning further and further from sin This makes the Penitent Soul to sigh and Rom. 7. mourn that he can get no nearer to God that he can get no further from sin The work of Repentance is not the work of an hour a day a yeer but the work of this life A sincere Penitent makes as much conscience of repenting Quid restat ò peccator nisi ut in tota vita tua deplores totam vitam tuam Anselmus O then what then remains but in our whole life to lament the sins of our whole life daily as he doth of believing daily and he can as easily content himself with one act of Faith or Love or Joy as he can content himself with one act of Repentance My sins are ever before me sayes David Next to my being kept from sin I count
times it was very much taken notice of by the very Heathen That in the depth of misery when Fathers and Mothers forsook their Children Christians otherwise strangers stuck close one to another their love of Religion and one of another proved firmer then that of nature They seem to take away the Sun out of the World said the Orator who take away friendship from the life of men And we do not more need fire and water then constant friendship Ninthly That Love that accompanies Salvation doth manifest and shew it self by working the Soul to be quiet and still under Christs rebukes John 21. 16 17 18 Peter sits down quiet under a threefold reproof Lord thou knowest all things thou knowest that I love thee So Eli It is 1 Sam. 3. 18. the Lord let him do what seems good in his own eyes And Aaron holds his peace Levit. 10. 3. when he saw the flames about his sons ears So David I was dumb I opened Psal 39. 9. not my mouth because thou didst it The lovers of Christ are like the Scythian that went naked in the Snow and when Alexander wondered how he could endure it he answered I am all forehead O the lovers of Christ are all forehead to bear the rebukes of the Lord Jesus The Lovers of Christ know That all his rebukes are from love whom he Revel 3. 19. loves he rebukes they can see smiles thorow Christs frowns They know that to argue that Christ hates them because he rebukes them is the Devils Logick They know that all the rebukes of Christ are in order to their internal and eternal good and that quiets them They know that all the rebukes of Christ are but fore-runners of some glorious manifestations of greater love to their souls Psal 71. 20 21. Thou which hast shewed me great and sore troubles shalt quicken me again and shalt bring me up again from the depths of the Earth Thou shalt increase my greatness and comfort me on every side They know that it is the forest judgment in the world to go on freely in a way of sin without rebukes Ebhraim is joyned to Idols let him alone Hos 4. 17. And therefore they keep silence before the Lord they lay one hand upon their mouthes and the other upon their hearts and so sit mute before the Holy One. Tenthly That Love that accompanies Salvation shews it self by working the heart to be affected and afflicted with the least dishonors that are done to Christ Love is curious of little things it is as much afflicted with an idle word or with an impure dream as lovers of Christ are with adultery or blasphemy David did but cut off the lap of Sauls Garment and his heart â—mote him 1 Sam. 24. 5. Though he did it to convince Saul of his false jealousie and his own innocency Love will not allow of the least infirmity Rom. 7. 15. That which I do I allow not Love will make a man aim at Angelical purity and perfect innocency love will be getting up to the top of Jacobs Ladder love can rest in nothing below perfection Love makes a man look more at what he should be then at what he is it makes a man strive as for life to imitate the highest examples and to write after the choicest copies Love fears The sin and the coat of the sin is to be hated saith Ambrose every Image of offence it trembles at the appearance of sin it doth not it cannot allow it self to do any thing that looks like sin it hates the Garment spotted with the flesh it shuns the occasions of sin as it shuns Hell it self This is the Divine curiosity and glory of a Christians love Love says Melius mori fame quam Idolothytis vesci Aug. Marcus Arethusius in Julians time It is better to die with hunger then to eat that which is offered to Idols I have read of a holy man who out of his love to Christ and hatred of Idolatry would not give one half-penny toward the building of an Idols Temple though he was provoked thereunto by intollerable torments Love The Nieene Fathers would not gratifie Arrius no not in one tittle knows that the least evils are contrary to the greatest good they are contrary to the Nature of Christ the Commands of Christ the Spirit of Christ the Grace of Christ the Glory of Christ the Blood of Christ Love knows that little dishonors if I may call any sin little make way for greater as little Theeves unlock the door and make way for greater Love knows that little sins multiplied become great As love knows that there is nothing lesser then a grain of Sand so love knows that there is nothing heavier then the Sand of the Sea when multiplied Eleventhly That love that accompanies Salvation will shew it self by keeping the doors of the heart shut against those treacherous lovers that would draw the heart from Christ Love is a Golden Key to let in Christ and a strong lock to keep out others Though many may knock at Loves door yet Love will open to none but Christ Cant. 5. 6. I opened to my Beloved 8. 7. Many waters cannot quench love neither can the floods drown it If a man would give all the substance of his house for love it would utterly be contemned Bon Jabuzu contemning it would be contemned When the world would buy So did Luther Galeaciouâ— that noble Italian his love he cryes out with Peter Thy money perish with thee Love makes a man look with a holy scorn and disdain upon all persons and things that attempt either to force or flatter her out of her love and loyalty to her Beloved It is neither force nor fraud it is neither promises nor threatnings it is neither the Cross nor the Crown the Palace nor the Prison the Rod nor the Robe the Hempton Halter nor the Golden Chain that will make love embrace a stranger in the room of Christ Go says Divine Love offer your Gold and empty Glories to others your Pleasures and your Treasures to others put on your Lyons skin and fright others As for my part I scorn and contemn your golden offers and I disdain and deride your rage and threats Love makes a man too noble too high too gallant and too faithful to open to any lover but Christ to let any lie between the Brests but Christ Cant. 1. 13. A bundle of myrrhe is my welbeloved unto me be shall lie all night betwixt my Brests When Basil was Plato saith Pliny took as much delight and glory in those dignities and honoâ—â— he denied as he did in those he did enjoy It â—s just so with the Saints tempted with money and preferment he answers Pecuniam da quae perma neat ac continuo duret gloriam quae semper floreat Give money that may last for ever and glory that may eternally flourish Love makes a man cry out when tempted Let
heart speaks if the heart be dumb God will certainly be deaf No Prayer takes with God but that which is the travel of the heart Seventhly Gracious Souls usually Dan 9. 9. Nehe. 10. compared Rom. 8. 26. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Helpeth together or helps us as the nurse doth the little childe Prayer is the breath of the Spirit c. come off from Prayer with hearts more disengaged from sin and more vehemently set against it The precious communion that they have with God in Prayer the sweet breathings of God into their hearts whilest they are a breathing out their requests in his ears and the secret assistance stirrings and movings of the Spirit upon their souls in Prayer arm them more against sin and makes them stand upon the highest terms of defiance with sin How shall I do this or that wickedness against God Sayes the praying Soul O I cannot I will not do any thing unworthy of him that hath caused his glory to pass before me in Prayer Ah but wicked men come off from Prayer with hearts more encouraged to sin and more resolved to walk in ways of sin Prov. 7. 14 15-24 I have Peace-offerings with me saith the Harlot This day have I paid my vows Therefore came I forth to meet thee diligently to seek thy face and I have found thee Come let us take our fill of love until 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Be drunken with loves which shews her unsatiable lusts the morning let us solace our selves with loves So in Jere. 7. 9 10. Will ye steal murder and commit adultery and swear falsly and burn incense unto Baal and walk after other gods whom ye know not And come and stand before me in this house which is called by my Name and say We are delivered to do all these abominations Wicked men are like Lewis King of France that would swear and then kiss the cross and then swear more bitterly and then kiss the cross So they sin and pray and pray Mr. Shepherd in his Sincere Convert speaks of such a monster yea this age is full of such Monsters that have no pity upon themselves and sin and the more they pray the more easily resolutely and impudently do they sin They make use of Prayer to charm their Consciences that so they may sin with more pleasure and less regreet Ah what pains do such sinners take to go to Hell and to arm their Consciences against themselves in that day wherein they shall say There is no help there is no hope Eighthly and lastly Gracious Souls do more eye and observe how their own hearts are wrought upon in Prayer Psal 35. 13. My Prayer returned into my own bosom Isa◠26. 8 9. then how others hearts are wrought upon When they pray they look with a curious eye upon their own spirits they look with a narrow eye upon their own hearts and observe how they are affected melted humbled quickned raised spiritualized and bettered by Prayer But vain men as they pray to be seen of men so they eye most how others like their prayers and Matth. 6. 23. The vertue of some lieth in the spectators eyes are affected and taken with their prayers they are most critical in observing what operations their prayers have upon others hearts but never minde to any purpose how they operate upon their own hearts a worse plague cannot befal them And thus I have endeavored to shew you what a wide difference there is betwixt the Prayers of the godly and the ungodly and by this as by the former particulars laid down you may see what Prayer that is that accompanies Salvation Now in the seventh place I shall The seventh thing that accompanies Salvation is Perseverance shew you what Perseverance that is that accompanies Salvation and that I shall do in these following particulars First That Perseverance that accompanies Salvation is Perseverance in a holy Profession Heb. 4. 14. Seeing then that we have a great High Priest that is passed into the Heavens Jesus the Son of God Let us hold fast our profession by a strong hand or by a hand of holy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 violence So in Chap. 10. 23. Let us hold fast the profession of our Faith without 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies A forcible holding a holding with both hands 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wavering or as it is in the Greek without tilting or tossing to one side or other for he is faithful that promised Therefore let no temptation affliction opposition or persecution take us off from our holy Profession but let us hold our Profession with a forcible hand yea with both hands in the face of all difficulties dangers and deaths As Cynaegirus the Athenian Captain did the ship that was laden with the rich spoil of his Country Secondly That Perseverance that accompanies Salvation is a Perseverance in holy and spiritual Principles It is an abiding in love John 15. 9 10. So in Col. 1. 23. 1 Tim. 2. 15. Heb. 13. 1. 11. 13. These all died in Faith or as it is in the Greek They all died according to Faith that is Persevering in Faith And an abiding in faith and hope 1 Cor. 13. 13 c. Perseverence is not a particular distinct Grace of it self but such a Vertue as crowns all vertue it is such a Grace as casts a general glory and beauty upon every grace It is a Grace that leads every grace on to perfection To persevere in holy and heavenly Principles is To persevere in Believing in Repenting in Mourning in Hoping It is to persevere in Love in Fear in Humility in Patience in Self-denial c. Now it is this perseverance It is a Rule in the Civil Law Nec videtur actum si quid superfit quod agatur that nothing seems to be done if there remain ought to be done Let a man do never so much if he do not persevere he will be found to have done nothing in holy and gracious Principles that accompaines Salvation that leads to Salvation No grace no not the most sparkling and shining grace can bring a man to Heaven of it self without Perseverance not Faith which is the Champion of Grace if it faint and fail not Love which is the Nurse of Grace if it decline and wax cold not Humility which is the adorner beautifier of Grace if it continue not to the end not Obedience not Repentance not Patience nor no other Grace except they have their perfect work It is Perseverance in Grace that crowns every Grace and every gracious Soul with a crown of glory at last Revel 2. 10. Be thou faithful to the death and I will give thee a crown of life Such as As all Hypocrites onely do John 6 c. onely believe for a time and repent for a time and love for a time and repent for a time and love for a time and rejoyce for a time and hope for a
time c. But do not persevere and hold out will be doubly miserable in the day of vengeance Perseverance is the accomplishment of every Grace without it he that fights cannot hope to overcome and he that for the present doth overcome cannot look for the Crown unless he still perseveres and goes on conquering and to conquer till he findes all his enemies slain before him Thirdly That Perseverance that accompanies Salvation is An abiding You must persevere and hold fast the faith of the Gospel without wavering in it or startling from it You must be as the Center or as Mount Sion stedfast and unmoveable or continuing in the Word or Doctrine of Christ John 15. 7. If ye abide in me and my words abide in you ye shall ask what you will and it shall be done unto you 1 John 2. 14. I have written unto you yong men because ye are strong and the Word of God abideth in you Vers 24. Let that therefore abide in you which you have heard from the beginning if that which ye have heard from the beginning shall remain in you ye also shall continue in the Son and in the Father 2 John vers 9. Whosoever tranfgresseth and abideth not in the Doctrine of Christ hath not God He that abideth in the Doctrine of Christ he hath both the Father and the Son None shall receive the end of The Tabernacle was covered over with red and the purple feathers tell us that they take that habit for the same intent to note That we must defend the truâ—h and abide by the truth even to essusion of blood their Faith the Salvation of their Souls but those that hold fast the Doctrine of Faith foundly sincerely and entirely to the end John 8. 31. If ye continue in my Word then are ye my Disciples indeed It is the End that crowns the action as the Evening crowns the day as the last act commends the whole Scene It is not enough to begin well except we end well the beginning of Christians is not so considerable as the end Manasseh and Paul began ill but ended well Neroes first five years were famous but afterwards who more cruel Judas and Demas began well but ended ill It is not the knowledge of the Doctrine of Christ nor the commending of the Word of Christ but the abiding in Christs Word the continuing in Christs Doctrine that accompanies Life and Glory and that will render a man happy at last Such that with Hymeneus and Alexander put away 1 Tim. 1. 19 20. 1 Cor. 5. 5. or make shipwrack of the Doctrine of Faith of the Word of Faith shall by the Lord or his people or by both be delivered unto Satan that they may learn not to blaspheme Usually the end of such is worse then the beginning Double 2 Pet. 2. 20 21 22. 2 Tim 3. 13. damnation attends those that begin in the Spirit and end in the Flesh Fourthly and lastly That Perseverance that accompanies Salvation is A Perseverance in holy and gracius Phil. 3. 10-14 Isa 40. ult Actions and Motions it is a continuing in Pious Duties and Religious Services The life of Christian consists in Motion Non progrediest regredi Not to go forwards is to go backwards not in Session A Christians Emblem should be an House moving towards Heaven he must never stand still he must alwayes be a going on from Faith to Faith and from strength to strength When Saints have done their work in this life they shall sit upon Thrones in a better life Perseverance Acts 13. 43. 14. 22. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifying a continuance in Prayer and Supplication with an invincible and strong constancy There was a Temple of Concord among the Heathens and shall it not be found among Christians that are the Temple of the Holy Ghost is a going on a holding out in ways of piety and sanctity Acts 1. 14. These all continued with one accord in Prayer and Supplication Chap. 2. 42. And they continued stedfastly in the Apostles Doctrine and Fellowship and in breaking of Bread and in Prayers Vers 46. And they continued daily with one accord in the Temple and breaking Bread from house to house did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart 1 Tim. 5. 5. Now she that is a widow indeed and desolate trusteth in God and continueth in Supplications and Prayers night and day Rom. 12. 12. Continuing instant in Prayer Christians must work hard in a Wilderness before they sit down in paradise They must make a constant progress in holiness before they enter into happiness It is the excellency of Perseverance that it keeps a Christian still in motion God-wards Heaven-wards Holiness-wards It is a Grace that quickens a man to motion to action it keeps a man still going still doing And Motion is the excellency of the Creature and the more excellent any Creature is the more excellent is that Creature in its motions as you may see in the motions of the Celestial Bodies the Sun Moon and Stars Perseverance is a perpetual motion in ways of Grace and Holiness Perseverance will Psal 44. 16 17 18 19 20. make a man hold up and hold on in the work and ways of the Lord in the face of all impediments discouragements temptations tribulations and persecutions As the Moon holds on her motion though the dogs bark so Perseverance will make a Christian hold on in his holy and heavenly Motions though vain men bark and bite c. And thus I have shewed you what Perseverance that is that accompanies Salvation Now in the Eighth place I shall The eighth and last thing that accompanies Salvation is Hope I shall gather up what I have to say concernâ—ng Hope into as narrow a compass as I can being unwilling to tire the Readers patience and my own spirits The Philosophers excluded Hope out of their Catalogues of vertues numbering it among the perturbations but God by his Werd hath taught us better shew you very briefly First That Hope doth accompany Salvation Secondly What that Hope is that doth accompany Salvation First That Hope doth accompany Salvation these Scriptures speak it out Rom. 8. 24. For we are saved by hope Gal. 5. 5. For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith Ephes 1. 18. The eyes of your understanding being inlightned that ye may know what is the hope of his calling and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the Saints 1 Thes 5. 8. But let us who are of the day be sober putting on the brest-plate of Faith and Love and for an helmet the Hope of Salvation Tit. 3. 7. That being justified by his grace we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life Chap. 1. 2. In hope of eternal life which God that cannot lie promised before the world began By all these Scriptures it doth fully
c. is taken by a Metonimy for the things hoped for viz. All that glory and felicity that blessedness and happiness that is laid up for us in Heaven So in Heb. 6. 18. Who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us Hope here is put for the object of Hope viz. Heaven and Happiness Hope layes such fast hold as the Greek word here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies upon Heaven and Happiness that none shall ever be able to take those precious things out of Hopes hand So Hope is put for the glorious things hoped for Ephes 1. 18. And thus you see those precious and glorious objects about which that Hope that accompanies Salvation is exercised Thirdly That Hope that accompanies Salvation that comprehends Salvation that borders upon Salvation is grounded upon the firmest foundations to wit the Promises of God as hath Psal 40. 4. Prov. 10. 28. been fully shewed before and it is built upon the Free-grace of God 1 Pet. 1. 13. It is built upon the infinite and glorious power of God Rom. 4. 21. It is built upon the truth and faithfulness of God 2 Tim. 2. 13. These precious and glorious Foundations do bear up the hopes of the Saints as the three Pillars bore up the hangings in the Tabernacle A Believers hope is founded upon the Love of Christ the Blood of Christ the Righteousness of Christ the Satisfaction of Christ and the Intercession of Christ c. But the hopes of Hypocrites and wicked men are always built upon weak slender and sandy foundations sometimes they build their hopes upon their outward profession upon their Lamps though Matth. 25. 3. they are empty Lamps and sometimes upon their duties and services as Isai 58 1 2 3. Matth. 6. Every false principle in Religion is a Reed of Egypt that will certainly deceive souls at last therefore take heed of leaning upon any of those Reeds the Jews Scribes and Pharisees did and sometimes upon their outward priviledges crying out The Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord and sometimes they build their hopes upon others good opinion of them and sometimes upon flashes of joy and sometimes upon enlargements in duties and sometimes upon the heat and vigor of their spirits in Religious services c. And all these are but sandy foundations and they that build their hope upon them will certainly fall and great will be their fall The hopes of the Saints are built upon the surest and the strongest foundations It was a good saying of one of the Ancients I Bernard Sâ—rm 3. de fragm Sept. Miser consider saith he three things in which all my hope consisteth to wit 1. Gods love in my Adoption 2. The truth of his Promise And 3. his power of performance Therefore let my foolish cogitation murmur as long as it list saying Who art thou or what is that glory or by what merits dost thou hope to attain it For I can answer with sure confidence I know 2 Tim. 1. 12. on whom I have believed And I am certain First That in his love he adopted me Secondly That he is true in his promise And thirdly That he is able to perform it This is the threefold cord which is not easily broken Fourthly That Hope that accompanies Salvation that borders upon Salvation that comprehends Salvation that brings Salvation may be known from all false hopes by the excellent properties of it and they are these that follow The first property of that Hope that accompanies Salvation is this It Matth 6. 20 21. Phil 3. 20 Col 3. 1. Mark wicked mens hopes never raise them as high as Heaven under all their hopes they are as very enemies and as great strangers to God Christ and Heaven as ever elevates and raises the heart to live above where its treasure is This Hope is from above and it makes the heart to live above it is a spark of glory and it leads the heart to live in glory Divine hope carries a man to Heaven for life to quicken him and for wisdom to direct him and for power to uphold him and for righteousness to justifie him and for holiness to sanctifie him and for mercy to forgive him and for assurance to rejoyce him and for happiness to crown him Divine hope takes in the pleasures of Heaven before hand it lives in the joyful expectation of them it fancies to it self as I may say the pleasures and joyes of eternity and lives in a sweet anticipation of what it possesseth by Faith Hopes richest treasures and choicest friends and chiefest delights and sweetest contents are in the Country above and therefore Hope loves best to live there most A second property of that Hope that accompanies Salvation is this It will strengthen the Soul against all afflictions oppositions and temptations Dan. 3. 57. Psal 4. 6 7. Heb. 10 34. 11. 2 Cor. 4. 16 17 18. 1 Thes 5. 8. But let us who are of the day be sober putting on the brest-plate of faith and love and for an helmet the hope of salvation Look as the Helmet defends and secures the head so doth Hope defend and secure the heart Hope is a Helmet that keeps off all darts that Satan or the world casts at the Soul The hopes of heavenly riches made It was a wicked and hopeless Cardinal that said He would not leave his part in Paris for a part in Paradise those worthies in that eleventh of the Hebrews to despise the riches of this world The hopes they had of a heavenly Countrey made them willing to leave their own Countrey and to live in the very Land of Promise as in a strange Countrey The hopes they had of possessing at last a house not made with hands but eternal in the Heavens made them willingly and cheerfully to live in deserts and in mountains and in dens and caves of the Earth The hopes they had of a glorious Resurrection made them couragiously to withstand the strongest temptations c. A Saints hope will out-live Rom. 5. 2 3 4 5. Some are verily perswaded that the want of this Divine hope hath been the reason that many among the Heathen have laid violent hands upon themselves See Plutarch in Caesar and Catoes lives Heb. 11. 10 14 16 25 32 compared all fears and cares all tryals and troubles all afflictions and temptations Saints have much in hope though little in hand they have much in reversion though but little in possession they have much in the promise though but little in the purse A Saint can truly say Spero meliora my hopes are better then my possessions Hope can see Heaven through the thickest clouds Hope can see light through darkness life through death smiles through frowns and glory through misery Hope holds life and soul together it holds Christ and the Soul together it holds the Soul and the Promises together it holds the Soul and Heaven together
they were shut out and to the Israelites to know that there was a Brazen-serpent set up whereby others were cured when they died with the stinging of the Fiery serpents So how can it comfort mee to know that there is peace in Christ and pardon in Christ and righteousnesse in Christ and riches in Christ and happinesse in Christ c. for others but not for me Ah this knowledge Psal 15. Ps 24. Ps 119. Ps 1 2 3 will rather be a hell to torment me then a ground of joy and comfort to me But now God hath in the Scripture discovered who they are that shal be eternally happy and how they may reach to an assurance of their felicity and glory which made One to say That he would not take all the world Luther for one leafe of the Bible The Bible is a Christians Magna Charta his chiefe evidence for heaven Men highly prize and carefully keep their Charters Priviledges Conveyances and Assurances of their Lands And shall not the Saints much more highly prize and carefully keep in the closet of their hearts the precious word of God which is to them instead of all assurances for their maintenance Psal 119 11. 12. verses compared deliverance protection confirmation consolation and eternall salvation Thirdly Other beleevers have in an ordinary way attained to a sweet assurance of their everlasting happinesse and blessednesse Wee know saith the Apostle in the name of the 2 Cor. 5. 1 2. Saints that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved wee have a building of God â—n house not made with hands eternal in the heavens for in this we groan earnestly desiring to be cloathed upon with our house which is from Nec Christus nee Câ—lum patitur hyperbolem Neither Christ nor heaven hyperbolized heaven Their assurance sets them in triumph upon the Throne We have a house a house above a house in heaven a house not made with hands eternal in the heavens Wee have a house a heavenly house a house made by the greatest wisdom and the highest Love a house that for honour pleasures riches safety stability glory and perpetuity transcends all the royal Pallaces in the world It is a house not made with hands but eternal in the heavens So the Church Can. 2. 16. in that Solomons Song 2. 16. My beloved is mine and I am his I know sayes the Spouse that Jesus Christ is mine I can with the greatest confidence Eph. 1. 22 23. 1 Cor. 1. 30. c. 6. 26. Ps 110. 3. Joh. 10. 29. Joh. 5. 16. Ezek. 16 8. Hos 2. 19 20 and boldnesse affirme it hee is my head my husband my Lord my Redeemer my Justifier my Saviour And I am his I am as sure that I am his as I am sure that I live I am his by purchase and I am his by conquest I am his by donation and I am his by election I am his by covenant and I am his by marriage I am wholly his I am peculiarly his I am universally his I am eternally his This I well know and the knowledge thereof is my joy in life and my strength and crown in death So the Church in that Isa Jsa 63. 16 vide Calvin Psal 73. 25 26. Psal 19. 94. Job 19. 25. Ioh. 20. 28. 63. 16. Doubtlesse thou art our Father though Abraham be ignorant of us and Israel acknowledge us not Thou O Lord art our Father and our Redeemer thy name is from everlasting David could say The Lord is my portion for ever And at another time he could sweetly sing it out I am thine save me Job could looke through the darkest cloud and see that his Redeemer lives Thomas cryes out My Lord and my God And Paul trumpets it out That nothing Rom. 8. 38. 2 Tim. 4. 7 8. should separate him from the love of Christ and that he had fought a good fight and finished his course and that there was Quicquid fieâ—i potuit potest that which hath been done may be done laid up for him a crowne of Righteousnesse By what hath been said it clearly appears that other beleevers have obtained assurance in an ordinary way and therefore beleevers now may attain to a sweet assurance of their everlasting happinesse and blessednesse Certainly God is as loving and his bowels of compassion are as strong towards Heb. 13. 8. Rev. 1. 8. 11. Plato a heathen saith that God is one and the same and always like himself Beleevers now as ever they were to Beleevers of old and it makes as much for the honour of God the lifting up of Christ the stopping of the mouthes of the wicked and the rejoycing of the hearts of the righteous for God to give assurance now as it did for God to give it then Fourthly God hath by promise engaged himselfe to assure his people of their happinesse and blessednesse The Psal 84. 11. Antiochus promised often but seldome gave but God gives as much and as often as he promiseth he hath a kings heart as wel as a kings purse Lord will give grace and glory and no good thing will he with-hold from them that walke uprightly If hee will with-hold no good thing then certainly he will not alwayes withhold assurance which is the great good thing the only thing the chiefest thing the peculiar thing that beleevers seek after So in that thirty fourth of Ezek. 30 31. Thus shall they know that I the Lord their God am with them and that they even the house of Israel are my people saith the Lord God And yee my flock the flock of my pasture are men and I am your God saith the Lord God So in that John 14. 21. 23. He that hath my Commandements and keepeth them he it is that loveth me and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father and I will love him and will manifest my Nil Deo diffiâ—ilo there is nothing hard for God Tully an heathen frequently called God optimum maximum the best and greatest 2 Cor. 1. 20. Plato called God the Horn of plenty and the Ocean of beauty withouâ— the least spot of injustice Isa 64 4. 1 Cor. 2. 9. Psal 21. 3. Isa 65. 24. selfe to him If any man love me saith Christ he will keep my words and my Father will love him and we will come unto him and make our abode with him Now hath the Lord spoken it and shall it not come to passe Men say and unsay they eate their words as soon as they have spoken them but will God do so Surely no Hee is faithful that hath promised All the Promises of God in him are yea and in him Amen that is they are stable and firme and shall really be made good The Promises are a precious Book every leaf drops Myrrhe and Mercie Therefore set down and suck at these brests warme thy self at this fire God hath been always as good as his word yea hee hath
is so fully perswaded of its eternal happinesse and blessednesse that it s carried like 4 There is a divine perswasion that flows from divine principles and causes Noahs Arke above al waves doubts and fears and Noah-like fits still and quiet and can with the Apostle Paul triumph over sinne hell wrath death and devill This is sometimes called Col. 2. 2. Heb. 6 11. 18 19 cha 10. 22. full assurance of understanding sometimes it is called full assurance of hope and sometimes it is called full assurance of faith because these are the choice and pleasant springs from whence assurance flows Now though this full assurance is earnestly desired and highly This full Assurance is the maximum quod sic the highest pinacle of Assurance prized and the want of it much lamented the injoyment of it much endevoured after by al Saints yet t is only obtained by a few Assurance is a mercy too good for most mens hearts it is a Crowne too weighty for most mens heads Assurance is optimum maximum the best and greatest mercy and therefore God will onely give it to his best and dearest friends Augustus in his solemne feasts gave trifles to some but gold to others honours and riches c. are trifles that God gives to the worst of men Rev. 3. 18. But Assurance is that tryed gold that God onely gives to tried friends Among those few that have a share or Most Saints I beleeve can give aloud testimony to this truth I shall rejoyce when their experiences shall confute â—r portion in the special love and favour of God there are but a very few that have an assurance of his love It is one mercy for God to love the soule and another mercy for God to assure the soule of his love God writes many a mans name in the Book of life and yet will not let him know it till his houre of death as the experience of many precious soules doth cleerly evidence Assurance is a flower of Paradise that God sticks but Rom. 8. 16 17. in a few mens bosomes It is one thing to be an heire of heaven and another thing for a man to know or see himselfe an heire of heaven The childe in the arms may be heire to a Crown a Kingdome and yet not understand it so many a Saint may bee heire to a Crowne a Kingdome of glory and yet not know it As the babes that passes the pangs of the first birth do not presently cry Father Father so the new borne Babes in Christ that have 1 Pet. 2. 2. past the pangs of the second birth doe not presently cry Abba Father they doe not presently cry out Heaven Heaven is ours Glory Glory is ours The third Proposition is this That The third Proposition a man may have true grace that hath not Assurance of the love and favour The blinde man in the Gospel called his faith unbeleef of God or of the remission of his sins and salvation of his soule A man may be truly holy and yet not have assurance that he shall be eternally happy A man may be Gods and yet he not know it his estate may be good and yet he not see it he may Mat. 15. 22. 29. be in a safe condition when he is not in a comfortable condition All may be well with him in the Court of glory when hee would give a thousand worlds that all were but well in the court of conscience The Canaanite woman shewed much love wisdome zeale humility and faith yea such strength of faith as makes Christ admire her and yeeld to her grace her and gratifie her and yet shee had no assurance that wee read of So Paul speaking of the beleeving Eph 1. 13. They that honour God by sealing to his truth those God will honour by sealing them with his Spirit Ephesians saith In whom ye also trusted after that yee heard the word of truth the Gospel of your salvation in whom also after that yee beleeved yee were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise First They heard the word and then secondly they beleeved and then thirdly they were sealed that is fully assured of a heavenly inheritance of a Saints have eternal life 1 In praetio 2 In promisso 3 In primitiis purchased possession So 1 John 5. 13. These things have I written unto you that beleeve on the name of the Sonne of God that yee may know that yee have eternal life and that yee may beleeve on the name of the Son of God So in that Isa 50. 10. Who is among you that feareth the Lord that obeyeth the voyce of his servant that walketh in darknesse and hath no light let him trust in the name of the Lord and stay himselfe upon his God So in that Mich. 7. 8. 9. verses Rejoyce not against me O mine enemy when I fall I shall arise when I sit in darknesse the Lord shall be a light unto me I will bear the indignation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the Lord because I have sinned against him untill he plead my cause and Zagnaph Signifies vehement anger with a sad and lowring countenance Dan. 1. 10. vide Merâ— execute judgement for me he will bring me forth to the light and I shall behold his Righteousnesse Asaph was a very holy man a man eminent in grace and yet without assurance as may bee seen at large in that 77. Ps Heman doubtlesse was a very precious soule and yet from his youth up hee was even distracted with terrours Psalm 88. There are thousand Christians that are in a state of grace and shall bee Isa 8. 17. Chap. 49. 14 15 16. Ch. 54 6 7 8 9 10 11. saved that want assurance and the proper effects of it as high joy pure comfort glorious peace and vehement longings after the coming of Christ Assurance is requisite to the well-being of a Christian but not to the being it is requisite to the consolation of a Christian but not to the salvation of a Christian it is requisite to the well-being of Grace but not to the meer being of Grace Though a man cannot be saved without faith yet he may bee saved without assurance God hath in many places of the Scripture declared that without faith God never said except you be assured I will pardon you I will never pardon you except you are assured I will save you I will never save you this is language God never spoke and why then should men speak it there is no salvation but God hath not in any one place of Scripture declared that without assurance there is no salvation A man must first bee saved before he can be assured of his salvation for he cannot be assured of that which is not and a man must have saving grace before he can bee saved for hee cannot be saved by that which hee hath not Againe a man must be ingrafted into Christ before
Ah souls have not some of you found it so surely you have God deals sometimes with rebellious sinners as Princes do with those that are in arms that are in open rebellion against them You know Princes will This hâ—â—h bâ—â—n a practise among all Princes whether they have been Christians or Heathens put such hard to it they shall fare hard and lie hard Chains and Racks and what not shall attend them and yet after the sentence is past upon them and they are upon the last step of the Ladder of Life ready to be turned off and all hope of escape is gone then the Princes pardon is put into their hand So the Lord brings many poor souls to the last steps of the Ladder to a hopeless condition and then he puts their pardon into their bosoms then he sayes Be of good chear I have received you into favor I have set my love upon you I am reconciled to you and will never be separated from you You know how God dealt with Paul after he had awakned Acts 9. 3 4 5 6. Vide Bezam Grotium Calvin and convinced him after he had unhorsed him and overthrown him after he had amazed and astonished him then he shews himself graciously and favorably to him then he takes him up into the third Heaven and makes such manifestations of his love and favor of his beauty and glory of his mercy and majesty as he is not able to utter So upon the prodigals return the fatted Calf is killed Luk. 15. 22 23. and the best Robe is put upon his back and the Ring is put on his hand and shoes on his feet Some understand by the Robe the Royalty of Adam others The dignity which Adam lost nay I think in this parable God sets forth his goodness and our happiness in restoring to us more by the death of the second Adam then we lost by the sin of the first Adam the Righteousness of Christ and by the Ring some understand the pledges of Gods love Rings being given as pledges of love some the seal of Gods Spirit men using to seal with their Rings Among the Romans the Ring was an ensign of Virtue Honor and Nobility whereby they that wore them were distinguished from the common people I think the main thing intended by all these passages is to shew us That God sometimes upon the sinners first conversion and returning to him is graciously pleased to give him some choice and signal manifestations of his love and favor of his good will and pleasure and that upon these following Grounds First That they may not be swallowed up of sorrow nor give up the ghost under the pangs and throws of the new birth Ah did not the Lord set in some beams of love upon the soul when it is magor Missabib a terrour to its self when the heart is a hell of horrour the conscience an An awakned conscience is like Prometheus Vulture it lies ever gnawing Acheldema a Field of black blood when the soul is neither quiet at home nor abroad neither at Bed nor Board neither in company nor out of company neither in the use of Ordinances nor in the neglect of Ordinances how would the soul faint sink and despair for ever But now when it is thus night with the soul the Lord sweetly comes in and tells the soul that all is well that he hath found a ransom for Job 33. 24. the soul that the Books are crost that all debts are discharged and that his favor and love upon the soul is fixed And so God by his sweet and still voice speaking thus to the soul quiets and satisfies it and keeps it from sinking and despairing Secondly God gives in assurance sometimes at first conversion that he may the more raise and inflame their love and affections to him Ah! How does a pardon given in when a man is ready to be turned off draw out his love and raise his affections to that Prince that shews bowels of mercy when he is upon the brink of misery So when a poor sinner is upon the last Titus Motro was Priâ—câ—ps bonus orbis amor All the world falls in love with a good Prince with a merciful Prince step of the Ladder upon the very brink of Hell and misery now for God to come in and speak peace and pardon to the soul Ah how does it inflame the soul and works the soul to a holy admiration of God and to a spiritual delighting in God King Antigonus his pulling a sheep with his own hands out of a dirty ditch as he was passing by drew his Subjects exceedingly to commend him and love him So King Jesus pulling of poor souls out of their sins and as it were out of Hell cannot but draw them to be much in the commendations of Christ and strong in their love to Christ Christ hath nothing more in his eye nor upon his heart then to act towards his people in such ways and at such seasons as may most win upon their affections And therefore it is that sometimes he gives the strongest consolation at first conversion Thirdly Christ sometimes at first conversion grants to his people the sweetest manifestations of his love that they may bee the more active servent abundant and constant in Amor Dei â—unquam otiosus est operatur enim magna si est fi vero operari renuit amor non est the love of God is never idle for if it is it worketh great things but if it resuse to work it is not love wayes of grace and holinesse hee knows that divine manifestations of love will most awaken quicken and engage the soule to wayes of piety and sanctity Look what wings are to the bird oyle to the wheels weights to the clock a reward to the coward and the load-stone to the needle that is the smiles and discoveries of God to a poore soule at his conversion The manifestations of divine So said Bradford and other blessed souls love puts heat and life into the soule it makes the soule very serious and studious how to act for God and live to God walk with God Ah saies a soul under the beams of divine love It is my meat and drinke it is my joy and crowne to doe all I can for that God that hath done so much for me as to know me in darknesse and to speak love to me when I was most unlovely to turn my mourning into rejoycing and my hell into a heaven Fourthly Christ sometimes at first conversion gives his people the sweetest manifestations of his love to fence and fortifie them against Satans fiery temptations before Christ shall bee led into the wildernesse to be tempted Mat. 3. 16 17. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is an emphatical word and signifies that infinite affection delight and contentt hat God the Father did take in Christ Eph. 6. 16. by the devill the Spirit of the Lord shall
Thus God dealt with Paul before he Acts 9. 1 to 23. put him upon that hard and dangerous service that he had cut out for him he takes him up into Heaven and sheds abroad his love into his heart and tells him That he is a chosen Vessel he appears to him in the way and fills him with the Holy Ghost that is with the gifts graces and comforts of the Holy Ghost And straightway he Chrysostom saith that he was Insatiabilis Dei cultor an unsatiable server of God falls upon Preaching of Christ upon exalting of Christ to the amazing and astonishing of all that heard him And as he had more clear full and glorious manifestations of Gods love and favor then others so he was more frequent more abundant and more constant in 2 Cor. 11. 21 ult the work and service of Christ then others And this hath been the constant It is sufficient to point at these instances they are so notoriously known to all that know any thing of the Scripture in power As he in Plutarch said of the Scythians that although they had no musick nor vines among them yet as better things they had gods so the Saints though they may want this and that outward encouragement in the service of God yet they shall injoy his presence that is better then all other things in the world dealing of God with the Patriarks as with Abraham Isaac and Jacob c. and with the Prophets as with Moses Isaiah Jeremiah Ezekiel c. when he hath put them upon weighty services he hath shed abroad his love into their hearts he hath set his seal upon their spirits and made them to know that he hath set them as a seal upon his hand he hath assured them of his countenance and of his presence and of his assistance he hath told them though others should desert them yet he will stand by them and strengthen them and support them and uphold them with the right hand of his Righteousness he hath told them that his power should be theirs to defend them and his wisdom should be theirs to direct them and his goodness should be theirs to supply them and his grace should be theirs to heal them and his mercy should be theirs to pardon them and his joy should be theirs to strengthen them and his promises should be theirs to chear them and his spirit should be theirs to lead them And this hath made them as bold as Lyons this hath made them stand fast and stand close to the work of God in the face of all dangers and difficulties this hath made them with stout Nehemiah scorn to desist or flie from the work of the Lord this hath made their Bows to abide in strength though the Archers have shot sore at them Now there are considerable Reasons why God is pleased to give his Children some sweet tastes of his love some assurance of his favor when he puts them upon some hard and difficult service and they are these that follow First That they may not faint nor Reas 1 faulter in his service but go thorow it Apollonius as Philostratus reports being asked if he did not tremble at the sight of the Tyrant made this answer God which hath given him a terrible countenance hath given also unto me an undaunted heart c. resolutely and bravely in the face of all difficulties and oppositions When God put Joshua upon that hard service of leading and governing his people Israel he assures him of his love and of his presence Fear not be of good courage I am with thee And this makes him hold on and hold out in the service of the Lord bravely and resolutely in the face of all discouragements Chuse you whom you will serve whether your fathers gods or the gods of the Amorites but as for me and my house we will serve the Lord. So when the Lord put Paul upon such service that Acts 20. 23. occasioned bonds and afflictions to abide him in every City he gives him a taste of Heaven before hand and lifts up the light of his countenance upon him and this makes him resolute and bold in the work of the Lord. Now Paul will not consult with flesh and blood Gal. 1. 15 16 17. now it is not reproaches nor stripes nor prisons nor whips nor perils nor deaths that can make him look back having put his hand to the Lords plough O the beamings forth of Divine Love upon his soul filled him with that courage and resolution that with Shammah one of Davids worthies he stands and defends the field 2 Tim. 4. 16 17. when others fall and flie and quit the field Secondly God gives his people Reas 2 some tastes of his love some sense of his favor when he puts them upon hard and difficult services because else he should not onely act below himself as he is a wise God a faithful God a powerful God a merciful God a righteous God c. But also act below his poor weak Creatures For And to imagine that ever the great God will act below the wisdom of those that are foolishness in the very abstract is the greatest madness and blasphemy in the world what Husband will put his Wife what Father will put his childe what Master will put his Servant what Captain will put his Souldier what Prince will put his Ambassadors upon hard and difficult services but they will smile upon them and speak kindly to them and make large promises to honor their persons and kindly to accept and nobly to reward their services c. Surely none And will God Isa 42. 8. 48. 11. will God who will not give his glory to those that have the most glorious Beings suffer his glory to be clouded and eclipsed by the prudent actings of weak worms Surely no. Thirdly God lifts up the light of Reas 3 his countenance upon his people when Solus amor nesciâ— difficultates Love knows no difficulties he puts them upon hard and difficult services that they may never repent of listing themselves in his service Ah did not the Lord warm the hearts of his people with the glorious beams of his love when he puts them upon hard work they would be ready when they meet with oppositions and hazards to throw up all and to sit down lamenting and repenting that ever they were engaged in his service they would be as peevish and froward as Jonah and with him venter a drowning to shift off Gods service Ah Melancthon was such a man whom Luther encourages thus Why should we fear a conquered world that have Christ the Conqueror on our side c. but now the Lord by letting his goodness drop upon their hearts and by putting an earnest-penny into their hands he causes them to go chearfully on in his work without sighing or repenting The kisses and embraces of God do put such life such spirit such mettle into their
certainty bless him and will bless his blessing to him and in multiplying he would multiply his seed as the stars of Heaven and as the sand which is upon the Sea shore Now the Angel of the Lord viz. the Lord Jesus as his own words shew Verse 12 15 16. calls unto Abraham out of Heaven not once but twice and now he shews his admirable love in countermanding of Abraham and in providing a Ram even to a miracle for a burnt-offering And thus you see that believing times are times wherein the Lord is graciously pleased to reveal his love and make known his favor to his people and to look from Heaven upon them and to speak again and again in love and sweetness to them Fifthly Hearing and receiving Reas 5 times are times wherein the Lord is graciously pleased to cause his face to shine upon his people when they are a hearing the Word of Life and a Psal 63. 3 4. breaking the Bread of Life then God comes in upon them and declares to them that love that is better then life Acts 10. 44. While Peter yet spake these words the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the Word As Peter was Also by the Holy Ghost is meant the extraordinary gifts of the Spirit Vers 45 46. Acts 11. 15. Therefore says the Apostle do not leave the substance for a shadow the Sun for a Candle and speaking the Holy Ghost that is the graces of the Holy Ghost viz. the joy the comfort the love the peace c. of the Holy Ghost fell upon them So in that Gal. 3. 2. This onely would I learn of you received ye the Spirit by the works of the Law or by the hearing of Faith By the Spirit here Calvin and Bullinger and other Expositors do understand the joy the peace the assurance that is wrought in the heart solid Meat for Milk which none would do except they were bewitched Gal. 3. 1. by the hearing of Faith that is by the Doctrine of the Gospel for in these words of the Apostle hearing is put for the thing heard and Faith for the Doctrine of the Gospel because the Gospel is the ordinary means of working Faith Faith comes by hearing saith the Apostle So in that 1 Thes 1. 5 6. By the Holy Ghost in this Text cannot be meant the extraordinary gifts of the Spirit and that first because they were no evidences of Election secondly because many vessels of wrath have been partakers of them thirdly many of Gods choice and chosen ones have been destitute of those extraordinary gifts For our Gospel came not unto you in word onely but also in power and in the Holy Ghost and in much assurance as ye know what manner of men we were among you for your sake And ye became followers of us and of the Lord having received the Word in much affliction with joy of the Holy Ghost In these words you have a Divine Power attending Pauls Ministry a power convincing enlightning humbling raising delighting reforming renouncing and transforming of them that heard him Also you have the sweet and blessed testimony of the Spirit attending his Ministry and assuring those of their Effectual Calling and Election upon whom the Word came in power and raising up their spirits to joy in the midst of sorrow Ah you precious Sons and Daughters of Sion that have sate waiting and trembling at Wisdoms door tell me tell me Hath not God rained down Manna upon your souls whilest you have been hearing the Word Yes Hath not God come in with power upon you and by his Spirit sealed up to you your Election the Remission of your sins the Justification of your persons and the Salvation of your souls Yes Without controversie many Saints have found Christs lips in this Ordinance to drop honey and sweetness marrow and fatness And as Christ in hearing times when his people are a hearing the Word of Life does lift up the light of his countenance upon them so when they are a receiving the Bread of Life he makes known his love to them and their interest in him in this feast of fat This Ordinance is a Cabineâ— of Jewels in it are abundance of Spiritual Springs and rich Mines heavenly Treasures things the Master of the Feast the Lord Jesus comes in the midst of his guests saying Peace be here Here the beams of his glory do so shine as that they cause the hearts of his Children to burn within them and as scatters all that thick darkness and clouds that are gathered about them When Saints are in this Wine Celler Christs Banner over them is Love When they are in this Canaan then he feeds them with Milk and Honey When they are in this Paradise then they shall taste of Angels Food When they are at this Gate of Heaven then they shall see Christ at the right hand of the Father When they are before this Mercy Seat then they shall see the Bowels of Mercy rowling towards them In this Ordinance they see that and taste that and feel that of Christ that they are not able to declare and manifest to others In this Ordinance Saints shall see the truth of their graces and feel the increase of their graces and rejoyce in the clearness of their evidences In this Ordinance Christ will seal up the Promises and seal up the Covenant and seal up his Love and seal up their pardon sensibly to their souls Many precious souls there be that have found Christ in this Ordinance when they could not finde him in other Ordinances though they have sought him sorrowingly Many a cold soul hath been warmed in this Ordinance and many a hungry soul hath been fed with Every gracious soul may say not onely credo vitam aeternam edo vitam aeternam I believe life eternal but I receive I eat life eternal Manna in this Ordinance and many a thirsty soul hath been refreshed with Wine upon the Lees in this Ordinance and many a dull soul hath been quickned in this Ordinance * Every wicked soul that takes the cup may say Calix vitae calix mortis the Cup of Life is made my death 1 Cor. 11. 27. I do not say That ever a dead soul hath been in livened in this Ordinance this being an Ordinance appointed by Christ not to beget Spiritual Life where there was none but to increase it where the Spirit hath formerly begun it In this Ordinance weak hands and feeble knees have been strengthned and fainting hearts have been comforted and questioning souls have been resolved and staggering souls have been setled and falling souls have been supported Ah Christians if you will but stand up and speak out you must say That in this Ordinance there hath been between Christ and you such mutual smiles such mutual kisses such mutual embraces such mutual opening and shutting of hands such mutual opening and closing of hearts as hath made such a Heaven in your hearts
hath vailed his face and changed Gen. 31. 5. his countenance and carriage towards thee thou hast been unkinde to the Spirit and therefore he carries it towards thee as an enemy and not as a friend The second Caution is this That Caut. 2. The longer mercy is a coming the greater the sweeter and the better usually it is when it comeâ— Many a childe hath got a Benjamins portion a Hannahs portion a double potâ—ion by waiting so hath many a Saint got a worthy poâ—tion a double portion of comfort and assurance by waiting Ergo wait patiently and work heartily though God doth in this Ordinance withhold comfort and assurance from thee yet thou must hold on in thy duty thou must wait at Hopes hospital at this heavenly Pool thou must lie till the Angel of the Covenant the Lord Jesus comes and breaths upon thee at theâ—e waters of the Sanctuary thou must lie till the Spirit moves upon thy soul thou must not neglect thy work though God delayes thy comfort thou must be as obedient in the want of assurance as thou art thankful under the enjoyment of assurance Laban often changed Jacobs wages yet Jacob never changed nor neglected his work though God should change thy wages thy comforts into discomforts thy Spring into an Autumn c. yet thou must never change nor neglect thy work which is obeying believing and waiting till God in his Ordinances shall lift up the light of his countenance upon thee and turn thy night into day and thy mourning into rejoycing God is the same and the commands of the Gospel are the same and therefore thy work is the same whether it be night or day with thy soul whether thou art under frowns or smiles in the Arms or at the Feet of God A third Caution is this Many of Caut. 3. the precious Sons and Daughters of Sion have had and may have so much comfort and sweetness so much life and heat so much reviving and quickning so much marrow and fatness in this Ordinance as may clearly evidence the special presence of God with their spirits and as they would not exchange for all the world and yet would give a world were it in their power for those strong comforts and full assurance that others enjoy in this Ordinance In this Ordinance King Cyrus gave a kiss to Chrysaâ—tes and a golden cup to Artabazus Christ looks upon one and kisses another he gives a nod to one and his hand to another Some in this Ordinance shall have but sips of mercy others shall have large draughts of mercy some in this Ordinance shall see but the back parts of Christ others shall see him face to face to one he gives silver to another he gives gold to one he gives but a glass of Cant 2. 5. consolation to another he gives flaggons of consolation some shall have The least star gives light the least drop moystens the least pearl sparkles and the least dram of special Grace saves but drops others shall swim in the Ocean some shall have a large harvest others shall have but a few gleanings and yet they if rightly valued are more worth then a world The Sun of Righteousness is a free Agent and he will work and shine forth as he pleases and when he pleases and on whom he pleases and who art thou that darest say to Christ why doest thou so Ah Christians you may not you must not say we have not met with Christ in the Sacrament because we have not met with joy and assurance in the Sacrament for you may enjoy very much of Christ in that Ordinance and yet not so much as may boyl up to full assurance and make you go a way singing My beloved is Cant. â— 16. mine and I am his We may enjoy the warmth and heat of the Sun when we cannot see the Sun so souls may enjoy much of Christ by holy influences in the Sacrament when they cannot see Christ in the Sacrament Seventhly Times of personal afflictions are times wherein the Lord is graciously pleased to vouchsafe to his people sweet manifestations of his love and favor when his hand is heavy on them then he lifts up the light of his countenance upon them Psal 71. 20 21. Thou which hast shewed me great and sore troubles shalt quicken me again and shalt bring me up again from the depths of the Earth Thou shalt increase my greatnessâ— and comfort me on every side So in that Psal 94. 19. In the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 multitude of my careful troubled thoughts My cogitations i. e. My careful troubled thoughts perplexed as the branches of a tree by a strong wind It comes from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Branch by interposing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thy comforts delight my soul Ah Christians hath not God by all afflictions lifted up your souls neerer Heaven as Noahs Ark was lifted up neerer and neerer Heaven by the rising of the water higher and higher The Ball in the Emblem says percussa surgo The harder you beat me down in affliction the higher I shall bound in affection towards Heaven and heavenly things so afflictions do but elevate and raise a Saints affections to Heaven and heavenly things When Munster lay sick and his friends asked him how he did and how he felt himself he pointed to his sores and ulcers whereof he was full and said These are Gods gems and Qui non est crucianus non est Christianus saith Luther The Proverb is Smart makes wit and vexation gives understanding jewels wherewith he decketh his best friends and to me they are more precious then all the gold and silver in the world Afflictiones benedictiones Afflictions are blessings Gods corrections are our instructions his lashes our lessons his scourges our school-masters his chastisements our advertisements and to note this the Hebrews and Greeks both do express chastning and teaching by one and the same word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Musar â—aideia because the latter is the true end of the former Ah I bless God I know several precious souls of whom this world is not worthy that have found more of God in afflictions then in any other gracious dispensation Manasses got more by his Iron chain then ever he got by his Golden Crown 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Oculos quos peccatum claudit poena apcrit Pâ—r issem nisi perâ—issem I had perished if I had not perished you afflicted Sons and Daughters of Zion have you not had such sweet discoveries of God such sensible demonstrations of his love such bowels of affections working in him towards you have you not had such gracious visits and such glorious visions that you would not exchange for all the world yes Have you not had the precious presence of God with you quieting and stilling your souls supporting and upholding your souls chearing and refreshing your souls yes And have you not had the Lord
of baseness and wickedness yet upon his resolution to return his Father meets him and instead of killing him he kisses him instead of kicking him Vers 22 23. he embraces him instead of shutting the door upon him he makes sumptuous provisions for him And how then dost thou dare to say O despairing soul that God will never cast an eye of love upon thee nor bestow a crumb of mercy on thee The Apostle tells you of some monstrous miscreants that were unrighteous fornicators idolaters 1 Cor. 6. 9 10 11. adulterers effeminate abusers of themselves with mankinde theeves covetous drunkards revilers extortioners and yet these monsters of mankinde thorow the instant goodness and free-grace of God are washed from the filth and guilt of their sins and justified by the Righteousness of Christ and sanctified by the Spirit of Christ and decked and adorned with the precious Graces of Christ Therefore O despairing souls are you good at burning that you have no mercy on your selves but to argue to your own undoing do not say O despairing soul that thou shalt die in thy sins and lie down at last in everlasting sorrow Did it make for the honor and glory of his free grace to pardon them and will it be a reproach to his free-grace to pardon thee Could God be just in justifying such ungodly ones and shall he be unjust in justifying of thee Did not their unworthiness and unfitness for mercy turn the stream of mercy from them No. Why then O despairing soul shouldst thou fear that thy unworthiness and unfitness for mercy will so stop and turn the stream of mercy as that thou must perish eternally for want of one drop of special Grace and Mercy Again tell me O despairing soul Is not the Grace of God free-grace is Sub laudibus naturae latent inimici gratiae Aug. The Patrons of mans freewil are enemies to Gods free-grace not mans salvation of free-grace By grace ye are saved Ephes 2. 8. Every link of this golden chain is Grace It is free-grace that chose us Rom. 11. 5. Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of Grace It is free-grace that chuses some to be Jewels from all eternity that chuses some to life when others are left in darkness The Lord Jesus Christ is a gift of free-grace Christ is the greatest the sweetest the choicest the cheifest gift that ever God gave and yet this gift is given by a hand of love God so loved the John 3 16. Isa 9. 6. world that he gave his onely begotten Son c. Here is a sic without a sicut God Johâ— 4 10. But God O thou despâ—iâ—ing soul is Pater misâ—rationum he is al 's bâ—wels he will not stand upon giving his most lovely Son to most unlovely souls so loved the world so freely so vehemently so fully so admirably so unconceivably That he gave his onely Son His Son not his servant his begotten Son not his adopted son yea his onely begotten Son I have read of one that had four sons and in a Famine being sore opprest with hunger the Parents resolved to sell one for relief but then they considered with themselves which of the four they should sell they said The eldest was the first of their strength therefore loth they were to sell him the second was the very picture of the Father and therefore loth they were to part with him the third was like the Mother and therefore they were not willing to part with him the fourth and the yongest was the childe of their old age their Benjamin the dearly beloved of them both and therefore they were resolved not to part with any of them and so would rather suffer themselves to perish then to part with any of their children O but Gods heart is so strongly set upon sinners Heb. 1. 1 2 3. Matth. 3. ulâ— that he freely gives Jesus Christ who is his first-born who is his very picture who is his beloved Benjamin who is his cheifest joy who is his greatest delight as Solomon speaks Then I was Prov. 8. 30. by him as one brought up with him and I was daily his delight in the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his delights that is his greatest delight rejoycing always before him or sporting greatly before him as little ones do before their parents Why then O despairing soul dost thou sit down sighing and walk up and down mourning and sadly concluding that there is no mercy for thee Hold up thy head O despairing Christ is called the gift of God and the free gift of God five times together in Rom. 5. 15 16 17 18. soul Jesus Christ himself is a gift of free-grace the consideration of his free boundless bottomless and endless love may afford thee much matter of admiration and consolation but none of despairation And as Jesus Christ is a gift of free-grace or a free-grace gift so the precious Covenant of Grace is a gift of grace Gen. 17. 2. I will make my Covenant betwixt me and thee but in the Original 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is I will give thee my Covenant Here you see that the Covenant of Grace is a free gift of grace God gave the Covenant of the Priest-hood unto Phineas as a gift so God gives the Num 25. 12 Covenant of Grace as a gift of favor and grace to all that he takes into Covenant with himself from first to last all is from free-grace God loves Hosea 14 4. freely I will heal their back sliding I will love them freely c. So Moses The Lord saith he set his love upon you Deut 7. 7 8. to take you into Covenant with him not because you were more in number then other people but because he loved you and chose your Fathers The onely ground God will have all blessings and happiness to flow from free-grace 1. That the worst of sinners may have strong grounds for hope and comfort of Gods love is his love the ground of Gods love is onely and wholly in himself There is neither portion nor proportion in us to draw his love there is no love nor loveliness in us that should cause a beam of his love to shine upon us there is that enmity that filthiness that treacherousness 2. For the praise of his own glory 3. That vain man may not boast 4. That our mercies and blessings may be sure to us unfaithfulness to be found in every mans bosom as might justly put God upon glorifying himself in their eternal ruine and to write their names in his black Book in characters of blood and wrath And as God loves freely so God justifies us freely Rom. 3. 24. Being justified freely by his grace through the Redemption that is in Jesus Christ And as poor sinners are justified freely so they are pardoned freely Acts 5. 31. Him hath God exalted speaking of Christ
is pleased to manifest his grace and favor to poor souls Well doubting souls remember this God will give Assurance in one Ordinance when he will deny it in another that you may seek his face in all God loves as well that you should wait on him as that you should wrestle with him He that will not give God the honor of attending him in every duty in every Ordinance may long enough complain of the want of Assurance before God will give him the white stone and the new name that none knows but he that hath it Many of the precious Sons of Zion have found God giving Assurance in one Ordinance others have found him giving Assurance in another Ordinance God speaks peace to some in such and such services and comfort to others in such and such duties Therefore as you would have Assurance O doubting souls seek the Lord in every way and service wherein he is pleased to make known his glory and goodness In hearing Christ opens his Box of Ointments to some and in praying and breaking of Bread he lets his sweet myrrhe fall upon the hearts of others Some have seen the glory of the Lord in the Sanctuary that have been clouded in their Closets others have heard a sweet still voice in their Closets that have sate long trembling in the Sanctuary Remember Deut. 23. 3 4. Here the Proverb is most false that says Modi cum non nocet A little hurts not Ah this or that little omission as you call it may expose men to a great deal of wrath Matth. 25. 41 ult doubting souls Moab and Ammon were banished the Sanctuary to the Tenth Generation for a meer omission because they met not Gods Israel in the Wilderness with Bread and Water And I verily believe that God doth banish as I may say many from his favorable presence as Absolom did David for their sinful omissions for their non-attendance upon him in all his ways Therefore if They did not rob the Saints but omitted the relieving of them which was their ruine ever you would have Assurance seek the Lord not onely while he may be found but also in every gracious dispensation where he may be found Then shall the joy of the Lord be your strength and his glory shall rest upon you The days of your mourning shall be ended and you shall lye down in peace and none shall make you afraid I would earnestly desire you O doubting souls seriously to consider That all the ways of Christ are ways of pleasantness as Solomon speaks not onely this Prov. 3. 17. way or that way but every way of Christ is a way of pleasantness every way is strowed with Roses every way is paved with Gold every way is attended with comfort and refreshing So the Psalmist Thy paths drop fatness Psal 65. 11 12. not onely this or that path but all the paths of God drops fatness O then walk in every way tread in every path of God as you would have your souls filled with marrow and fatness Psal 63. 5. and never forget that choice saying of the Prophet Isaiah Thou meetest him Isa 64. 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that rejoyceth and worketh righteousness those that remember thee in thy ways To run and meet the soul as the father of the Prodigal run and met him afar off with bowels of love and pity They that would have God to meet with them in a way of Peace and Reconciliation in a way of Grace and Favor must remember God in all his ways not onely in this or that particular way but in every way wherein he is pleased to cause his glory to shine Therefore doubting souls Cease complaining and be more conscientious and ingenuous in waiting upon God in all his appointments and it will not be long night with you The ninth Impediment that keeps 9. Impediment Multi amando res noxias sunt miseri habendo miseriores Many are miserable by loving hurtful things but are more miserable by having them Christians from Assurance is An immoderate love of the World their thoughts and hearts are so busied about getting the World and keeping the World that they neither seek Assurance as they should nor prize Assurance as they should nor lament the want of Assurance as they should nor study the worth and excellency of Assurance as they should and therefore it is no wonder that such are without Assurance As it is very hard Matth. 19. 23 24. for a rich man to enter into Heaven so it is very hard for a worldly Christian Hab. 2. 6. Divitibus ideâ— pietas deest quia nihil deest Rich mens wealth proves an hinderance to their happiness to get Assurance of Heaven The thick clay of this world doth so affect him and take him so satisfie him and sink him that he is not able to pursue after Assurance with that life and love with that fervency and frequency as those must do that will obtain it It is said Gen. 13. 2. That Abraham was very rich in Cattle in Silver and in Gold according to the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Abraham was very heavy to shew saith one that riches are a heavy burden and a hinderance many times to a Christians comfort and confidence to his happiness and assurance Solomon got more hurt by his Diâ—â—â—ia corporales paupertatis plenâ— sunt Aug. Earth by riches are full of poverty wealth then he got good by his wisdom such a fire rise out of his worldly enjoyments as did even consume and burn up his choicest spirits and his noblest vertues under all his Royal Robes he had but a thred-bare soul Sicily saith one is so full of sweet Diodorus Siâ—ulus The same saith Aristotle flowers that dogs cannot hunt there the sent of the sweet flowers diverteth their smell And ah what doth all Quam sordet mihi terra cum â—lum intueor Adrian the sweet delights and contents of this world but make men lose the sent of Heaven but divert men from hunting after Assurance and from running after Christ in the sweetness of his ointments The Creature is all shadow and vanity of vanities vanity is the very quintessence of the Creature and all that can possibly be extracted out of it It is filia noctis like Jonahs gourd a man may sit under its shadow for a while but it soon decayes and dies Why shouldst thou set thy heart upon that Prov. 23. 5. which is not Were ever riches true Si tâ—rram am as terra es si deum amas quid vis ut diâ—am Deus es Aug. If thou lovest the Earth thou art earthly but if thou lovest God thou shalt have whatever thou wilt ask of God to them that trusted them as the Bird hops from twig to twig so doth riches hop from man to man c. Worldly Christians cease complaining of the want of Assurance and sincerely humble and abase your souls
evil report and good report They went thorow many weaknesses sicknesses wants and deaths they had nothing and yet possest all things they had burden upon burden cast upon them by the Churches by false Apostles and by an uncharitable world and yet they chearfully bore all burdens without a burden thorow the power of a wel-grounded assurance Assurance makes heavy afflictions 2 Cor. 4. 16 17 18. light long afflictions short bitter afflictions sweet Where a man wants assurance there the shadow of a burden frights him and the weight of the least burden sinks him such a man is still a crying out No mans burdens to my burden my burden is greater then others my burden is heavier then others The want of assurance often times makes mens very mercies a burden their comforts a burden their relations a burden yea their very lives a burden unto them Job 7 20. Ah Christians you will never bear burdens without a burden till you come to attain an assurance of better things This will inable you to leap under the weight of any cross to rejoyce under the weight of any Mountain Assurance fits a mans heart to his condition and when a mans heart is fitted to his condition nothing proves a burden to him Assurance of better I have read of Albas Paulus who handled Serpents and Scorpions and cut them in pieces without any hurt and said If a man be holy all things are subject to him as to Adam before his sin in paradise Surely assurance will inable a man to do much this way things takes away the sting the poyson that attends these lower things and the sting and the poyson being taken away the very worst of these things are so far from being a burden to a man that they become rather a pleasure and a delight unto him When the sting is taken out of this or that venomous Creature a man may play with it and put it in his bosom Ah assurance pulls out the sting that is in every cross loss c. And this makes the assured soul to sit down singing when others under far less crosses and losses sits down sighing mourning and complaining Our burdens are greater then we are able to bear If there were but more assurance of better things among Christians there would be less complaints among them of this burden and that Mole-hills then would be no longer Mountains Christians it is not new notions new opinions new nothings as I may say in your heads but the gaining of a wel-grounded assurance in your hearts that will inable you to bear all kinde of burdens without a burden The eighth Motive to provoke you Motive 8. to get assurance is drawn from those particular commands of God whereby he engages Christians to get assurance The Saints in Heaven have felix necessitas an happy necessity of obeying God alway but we infelix necessitas an unhappy necessity of disobeying continually The precepts of God saith Lactantius do so change the whole man and make him new that you can hardly know him to be the same Lactant. de falsa sapient lib. 3. cap. 27. A thing which Philosophy hath much labored in but could never archieve Christians The pressing of those very commands last cited upon your own hearts may produce that comfort and peace and make such a blessâ—d change in your inward condition as may bespeak much admiration as that in the 2 Pet. 1. 10. Wherefore the rather Brethren give diligence to make your Calling and Election sure for if ye do these things ye shall never fall So 2 Cor. 13. 5. Examine your selves whether ye be in the Faith prove your own selves know ye not your own selves how that Jesus Christ is in you except ye be reprobates or unapproved as the Greek imports So Heb. 6. 11. And we desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end Ah you dull doubting drousie Christians you should take all these commands of God and press them with all the power and authority you can upon your hearts to awaken them and provoke them to get assurance of your eternal wel-being Take one command and charge that upon the heart if the heart be stout and will not yeeld then take another command and press that upon the heart if that will not do it then take another and lay that home upon the heart and never leave this work till your souls be effectually stirred up to labor for assurance with all your might Christians on should tell your souls that the commands of God binds directly and immediately that they binde absolutely and universally You must obey God intuitu voluntatis upon the bare sight of his Will and in one thing as well as another Christians if I am not much mistaken you should make as much conscience of those commands of God that requires you to get assurance of your future happiness as you do of those commands that requires you to pray to hear c. It is very sad to consider that many that complain much of the want of assurance should make no more care and conscience of those commands of God that requires them to get assurance then some of the Heathens have done of the commands of their gods who when they have called for a man have offered a candle or as Hercules who offered a painted man in stead of a living Verily Christians while you make light of any of Gods commands God will make as light of your comforts Did you make more conscience to act answerable to the forementioned commands I am very apt to believe that the Sun of Righteousness would certainly and speedily cause his love and glory to beam out upon you Minde Gods commands more then your own wants and complaints and light will break in upon you By obeying Christs commands you shall gain more then you can give by kissing the Son you shall even command him and make him and assurance yours The ninth Motive to provoke you Motive 9. to get assurance is this You cannot gratifie Satan more nor injury your selves more then by living without assurance by living without assurance you lay your selves open to all Satans snares and temptations yea you do instigate and provoke Satan to tempt you to the worst of sins to tempt you to the greatest neglects to tempt you to the strangest shifts and to reduce you to the saddest straits Ah Christians in what in what hath Satan so gratified you that you should thus gratifie him hath he not robed you of your glory in innocency hath he not kept your souls and your Saviour long asunder when with Joshua you have been standing before Zech. 3. 1 2. the Lord hath not he stood at your right hand as an adversary to resist you hath he not often set the glory Matth. 4. of the world before you that he might bewitch you and ensnare you hath he not often
cast water upon those Divine Motions that hath been 1 Thes 2. 18. kindled in you have you not often â—ound him a Lion and a Serpent a tempter and a deceiver a lyer and a murderer Yes O then never gratifie him any longer by living without assurance He that lives without assurance lives without a comfortable fruition of God and so gratifies Satan He that lives without assurance lives upon some Creature-enjoyment more then upon God and so gratifies Satan He that lives without assurance lives not like the beloved of God and so gratifies Satan He that lives without assurance is very apt to gratifie Satan sometimes by complying with him sometimes by following after him and sometimes by acting his part for him c. Verily Christians there is no way effectually to prevent this sore evil but by getting a wel-grounded assurance of your Everlasting Happiness and Blessedness Assurance will make a man stand upon terms of defiance with Satan it will make the soul constant in resisting and happy in over-coming the evil one And assured soul will fight it out to the death with Satan an assured soul will not flie like a coward but will stand and triumph like a David And as you gratifie Satan by living without Assurance so you wrong your own souls by living without assurance Rapit animam suaâ— He plundreth his own soul 1 In the point of comfort and joy you wrong your own souls 2 In the point of peace and content you wrong your own souls 3 In the point of boldness and confidence you wrong your own souls A man that lives without assurance lies his precious soul open to many blows and knocks to many frowns and wounds from God from the world from carnall friends from hypocrites and from Satan Therefore as you would not Christians gratify Satan and wrong your own soules and exercise over your selves spirituall cruelty and tyranny which is the very worst of all cruelty and tyranny give God no rest till hee hath made known to you the sweetnesse of his love and the secrets of his bosome till he hath gathered you up into himself till he hath set you as a seal upon Câ—nt 8. 6. his heart as a seal upon his arm The tenth Motive to provoke you Motive 10. to get a wel-grounded assurance is this consider the sweet profit and glorious advantage that will redown to you by gaining assurance and if the gain that will certainly redown to you by assurance will not provoke you to get assurance I know not what will First It will bring down Heaven into your bosomes it will give you a Heb. 11. 1 possession of Heaven on this side heaven an assured soul lives in Paradise and walks in Paradise and works in Paradise and eats in Paradise and rests in Paradise hee hath Heaven within him and Heaven about him and Heaven over him all his language is Heaven heaven Glory glory Secondly Assurance will exceedingly sweeten all the changes of this life this life is full of changes Assurance will sweeten sickness and health weakness 2 Cor. 4. 16 17 18. and strength wants and abundance disgrace and honour c. while a man lives in the sense of unchangeable loves no outward changes can make any considerable change in his spirit Let times change let men change leâ— powers change let Nations change yet a man under the power of assurance will not change his countenance nor change his Master nor change his work nor change his hopes though others under changes turn like the Camelion into all colours Souls that want assurance are like him in Aesop that blew hot and cold with the same breath The wind is not more subject to change and shift from one quarter to another from one corner to another then they are subject to change and shift in changing times to save their little all yet the assured soul under all changes is semper idem always the same Antistines a Philosopher to make his life happy desired onely that he might have the spirit of Socrates who was always in a quiet temper of spirit what ever wrongs injuries crosses losses c. befel him Let the trials be what they would that did attend him yet he continued one and the same Ah Christians the want of assurance hath made many changlings in these days but if ever you would be like Socrates if ever you would be like the Philosophers good man that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tetragonos Four-square that cast him where you will like a Dy he falls always sure and square then get assurance of Everlasting Happiness Assurance will make your souls like the Laws of the Medes and Persians that alters not it will sweeten the darkest day and the longest night under variety of changes it will Hab. 3. 17 8 19. make a man sit down with Habakkuk and rejoyce in the Lord and joy in the God of his Salvation Thirdly Assurance will keep the heart from an inordinate running out after the World and the glory thereof Moses having an assurance of the recompence of a reward and Heb 11. 24 25 26 27. of his love and favor that is invisible could not be drawn by all the honors pleasures and treasures of Egypt He slights all and tramples upon all the glory of the world as men trample upon things of no worth So after Paul had been in the 2 Cor. 12. 1 2 3. Rom. 8. Third Heaven and had assurance that no thing should separate him from the love of God in Christ he looks upon the world as a crucified thing The world is crucified to me saith Gal. 6. 14. he and I am crucified unto the world The world is dead to me and I am dead to it the world and I am well agreed the world cares not a pin for me and I care not a pin for the world The Loadstone cannot draw the Iron So when God gave Golâ—acius that Italian Maâ—quess an assurance of everlasting happiness he withstood many golden temptations and cryed out Cursed be he that prefers all the glory of the world to one days communion with Christ c. when the Diamond is in presence no more cannot the vanities of this world draw the soul after them when Assurance that choice Pearl of price is in presence I have read of Lazarus that after he was raised from the Grave he was never seen to smile the assurance that he had of more glorious things did deaden his heart to the things of this world he saw nothing in them worthy of a smile Ah were there more assurance among Christians there would not be such tugging for the world and such greedy hunting and pursuing after it as is in these days to the dishonor of God the reproach of Christ and the shame of the Gospel Justice would not be sold and bought as it is in these days were there more assurance in the world Get but more
this and live like this nothing will make a man humble and thankful contented and chearful like this nothing will make a man more serious in Prayer nor ingenuous in praises then this nothing will make â— man more chearful and joyful then this nothing will make a man fit to live and more willing to die then this Ah Christians if ever you would act as Angels in this world get an assurance of another world then you shall be dumb no more nor dull no more but be active and lively like those whose hopes and whose hearts are in Heaven Tenthly Assurance will sweeten Christ and all the precious things of Christ to thy soul Ah how sweet is Ipse Deus sufficit ad praemium Bern. It is Heaven enough to see your interest in Christ the Person of Christ the Natures of Christ the Names of Christ the Offices of Christ the Benefits of Christ the Blood of Christ the Word of Christ the Threatnings of Christ the Spirit of Christ the Ordinances of Christ the Smiles of Christ the Kisses of Christ to an assured soul Now thy Meditations on Christ will be no more a terror nor a horror to thee nay now thy heart will be always best when you are most in pondering upon the sweetness and goodness the kindness and loveliness of the Lord Jesus Now all the Institutions and Administrations of Christ will be precious to thee upon every thing where Christ hath set his Name there thou wilt set thy heart Now thou wilt call things as Christ calls them and count things as Christ counts them that shall not be little in thy eye that is great in the eye of Christ nor that shall not be great in thy eye that is but little in the eye of Christ Assurance will also exceedingly sweeten your carriage to all that bear the Image of Christ nothing Rom. 14. Assurance is like fire very operative Si non operatur non est if it do not work it is an argument it is not at all will make men bear with those weak Saints whose light is not so clear as yours whose parts are not so strong as yours whose enjoyments are not so high as yours whose judgements are not so well informed as yours whose consciences are not so well satisfied as yours and whose lives are not so amiable as yours Assurance We are united in the same Head and Hope Eodem sanguine Christi glutinati We are cemented with the same blood of Christ as Augustine said of his friend Alypius and himself makes men of a God-like disposition easie to pardon ready to forgive abundant in goodness admirable in patience It makes men to study the good of others and joy in all opportunities wherein they may strengthen the feeble and comfort the dejected and enrich the impoverished and recover the seduced and enlarge the straitned and build up the wasted Verily the reason why men are so bitter and sowre and censorious is Because God hath not given into their bosoms this sweet flower of delight Assurance Ah were their souls fully assured that God had loved them freely and received them graciously and justified them perfectly and pardoned them absolutely and would glorifie them everlastingly They could not but love where God loves and own where God owns and embrace where God embraces and be one with every one that is one with Jesus Were there Magnes amoris est amor Love is the attractive Loadstone of love more assurance among Christians there would be more of Davids and Jonathans spirit among Christians then there is this day were there more assurance among Christians there would be more life and more love more sweetness and more tenderness were there more assurance there would be less noise less contention less division less distraction less biting and less devouring among the Saints Assurance will make the Lion and the Calf the Wolf and Isai 11. 6 7 8. the Lamb the Leopard and the Kid the Bear and the Cow lie down together and feed together Men that want assurance love their Brethren as Flies love the Pot so long as there is any meat in the Pot the Flies love it so those men will love as long as there is an external motive to draw love but when that ceases their love ceases Dionysius loved his bottles when they were full but hurled them away when they were empty so many that want assurance love the Saints while their bags are full and their houses full of the good things of this life but when they are empty then they throw them away then they cast them off as Jobs friends did him Ah but assurance will make a man love as God loves and love as long as God loves The assured Christian will not cease to love so long as the least Buds and Blossoms of Grace appears Lazarus in his rags is as lovely to an assured Christian as Solomon in his robes Job is as delightful to him upon the dung-hil as David is upon his throne It is not the outward pomp and bravery but the inward beauty and glory of Saints that takes the assured Christian The last Motive to provoke you to Motive 11. get a wel-grounded assurance of your Everlasting Happiness is this Consider that as there is a great deal of counterfeit knowledge counterfeit faith counterfeit love counterfeit repentance c. in the world so there is a great deal of counterfeit assurance in the world Many there be that talk high and look big and bear it out bravely that they are thus and thus and that they have such and such glorious assurance whereas when their assurance comes to be weighed in the ballance of the Sanctuary it is found too light and when it comes to withstand temptations it is found too weak and when it should put the soul upon Divine action it is found to be but a lazy presumption Shall the counterfeit gold that is in the world make men active and diligent to get that which is currant and that will abide the Touchstone and the Fire and shall not that counterfeit assurance that is in the world provoke your hearts to be so much the more careful and active to get such a wel-grounded assurance that God accounts as currant and that will abide his Touchstone in the day of discovery and that will keep a man from shame and blushing when the Thrones shall be set and the Books shall be opened I have been the longer upon these Motives to provoke your souls to get a wel-grounded assurance because it is of an eternal concernment to you and a work to which mens he arts are too backward though assurance carries a reward in its own bosom yet few look out after it though the pains of getting it be nothing to the profit that accompanies it yet few will sweat to gain it If the inducements laid down will not awaken and provoke you to be restless till you have got the White stone and New
is true even in his Son Jesus Christ this is the true God and eternal life 2 Pet. 1. 3. According as his Divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and vertue What this Knowledge is that accompanies Salvation I shall shew you anon Secondly Faith is another of those special things that accompanies Salvation 1 Thes 2. 13. But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you Brethren Beloved of the Lord because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation thorow sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the Truth 1 Pet. 1. 5. You Vide Parcus Esteum Gerhardum on the Text. who are kept by the power of God through Faith unto Salvation Vers 9. Receiving the end of your Faith even the salvation of your souls Heb. 10. 30. But we are not of them who draw back to perdition but of them that believe to the saving of the soul John 3 14 15 16. Mark 16. 16. Acts 16. 31. Rom. 10. 9. Isa 45. 22. Phil. 2. 8. Joh 11. 25 26. 1 John 5. 10. All â—hese and many more Scriptures speaks out the same truth This dâ—uble asseveration or protestation is used onely in matters of weâ—ght and unhappy are we â—hat we cannot believe without them And as Moses lifted up the Serpent in the Wilderness even so must the Son of Man be lifted up that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have eternal life 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 Vers 36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life Chap. 5. 24. Verily verily I say unto you he that heareth my Word and believeth on him that sent me hath everlasting life and shall not come into condemnation but is passed from death unto life Chap. 6. 40. And this is the will of him that sent me that every one that seeth he Son and believeth on him may have everlasting life and I will raise him up at the last day Vers 47. Verily verily I say unto you he that believeth on me hath everlasting life Thirdly Repentance is another of those choice things that accompanies salvation 2 Cor. 7. 10. For godly sorrow The very word repâ—nt was very displeasing to Luther till his conversion but afterward he took delight in the work Paehitens de peccato dolet de dolore gaudet Luth to sorrow for his sin and then rejoyce in his sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of but the sorrow of the world worketh death Jere. 4. 14. O Jerusalem wash thy heart from wickedness that thou mayest be saved Acts 11. 18. When they heard these things they held their peace and glorified God saying Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life Matth. 18. 3. And Jesus said verily I say unto you except ye be converted and become as little children ye shall not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven Acts 3. 19. Repent ye therefore and be converted that your sins may be blotted out when the time of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord. Fourthly Obedience is another of those precious things that accompanies salvation Heb. 5. 9. And being Vide B. Dewâ—h of Justification 17. c. 7. made perfect speaking of Christ he became the Author of Eternal Salvation unto all them that obey him Psal 50. 23. whoso offereth praise glorifieth me and to him that ordereth his conversation aright will I declare the Salvation of God Fifthly Love is another of those singular things that accompanies salvation Deus nihil corenat nisi dona sui August When God câ—ownâ—th us he doth but crown hâ—s own gifts in us 2 Tim. 4. 8. Henceforth there is laid up for me a Crown of Righteousness which the Lord the righteous Judge shall give me at that day and not to me onely but unto them also that love his appearing James 2. 5. Hearken my beloved brethren haâ—h not God chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the Kingdome which he hath promised to them that love him 1 Cor. 2. 9. It is written eie hath not seen nor eare heard neither hath it entred into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them that love him James 1. 12. Blessed is the man that indureth temptation for when The word Crown notes to us the perpetuity of that life the Apostle speaks of for a Crown hath neither beginning nor ending 2. It notes plenty the Crown fetches a compasse on every side 3. It notes dignity it notes majesty Eternal life is a coronation day It notes all joys all delights in a word it notes all good it notes all glory he is tryed he shall receive the crown of life which the Lord hath promised to them that love him Matth. 19. 28 29. And Jesus said unto them verily I say unto you that yee which have followed me in the regeneration When the Son of Man shall sit in the Throne of his glory yee shall sit upon twelve Thrones judging the twelve Tribes of Israel And every one that hath forsaken houses or Brethren or Sisters or Father or Mother or Wife or Children or Lands for my name sake shall receive an hundred fold and shall inherit everlasting life The whole is as if Christ had said whosoever shall shew love to mee this way or that in one thing or another out of respect to my Name to my Honor mercy shall bee his portion here and glory shall bee his portion hereafter Sixthly Prayer is another of those sweet things that accompanies salvation Rom. 10. 10. 13. For with the heart man beleeveth unto righteousnesse and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation For whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved Act. 2. 21. And it shall come to passe that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved That is saith one hee shall be certainly sealed up to salvation Or as another saith he that hath this grace of Prayer it is an evident sign and assurance to him that he shall be saved Therefore to have grace to pray is a better and a greater mercy then to have gifts to prophesie Matth. 7. 22. Praying souls shall finde the gates of heaven open to them when prophecying souls shall find them shut against them Seventhly and lastly Perseverance is another of those prime things that accompanies salvation Matth. 10. 22. And yee shall be hated of all men for my name sake but he that indureth to the end the same shall be saved Chap. 24. 12 13. And because iniquity shal abound the love The same words you have in Mark 13. 13. of many shal wax cold but he that indureth unto the end the same shal be saved Rev. 2. 10. Fear none of
it the greatest mercy in the world to be still a mourning over sin sayes the Penitent soul The Penitent soul never ceases repenting till he ceases living He goes to Heaven with the joyful tears of Repentance in his eyes He knows that his whole life is but a day of sowing tears that he may at last reap everlasting joyes That Repentance that accompanies Salvatition is a final forsaking of sin It is a bidding sin an everlasting adieu it is a taking an eternal farwel of sin a never turning to folly more What have I to do any more with Idols says Ephraim Hos 14. 8. I have tasted of the bitterness that is in sin I have tasted of the sweetness of divine mercy in pardoning of sin therefore away sin I will never have to do with you more you have robbed Christ of his service and me of my comfort and crown Away away sin you shall never be courted nor countenanced by me more That man that onely puts off his sins in the day of adversity as he doth his garments at night when he goes to bed with an intent to put them on again in the morning of prosperity never yet truly repented He is a dog that returns to the vomit again he is a swine that returns to the wallowing in the mire such a dog was Judas such a swine was Demas It is an extraordinary vanity in some men to lay aside their sins before solemn duties but with a purpose to return to them again as the Serpent layeth aside his poyson when he goeth to drink and when he hath drunk he returns to it again as they fable it It is sad when men say to their lusts as Abraham said to his servants Abide you here and I will go and worship and return again to you Gen. 22. 5. Verily such souls are far off from that Repentance that accompanies Salvation for that makes a final and everlasting separation between sin and the soul it makes such a divorce between sin and the soul and puts them so far a sunder that all the world can never bring them to meet as two lovers together The Penitent Soul looks upon sin and deals with sin not as a friend but as an enemy it deals with sin as Amnon dealt with Tamar 2 Sam. 13. 15. And Amnon hated her exceedingly so that the hatred wherewith he hated her was greater then the love wherewith he had loved her And Amnon said unto her Arise be gone Just thus doth the Penitent Soul carry it self towards sin And thus you see what Repentance that is that accompanies Salvation The fourth thing I am to shew is What Obedience that is that doth accompany Salvation That Obedience doth accompany Salvation I have formerly proved Now what this Obedience is that doth accompany or comprehend Salvation I shall shew you in these following particulars First That Obedience that accompanies Salvation is cordial and hearty the heart the inward man doth answer and eccho to the Word and Will of God The Believer knows That no Obedience but hearty Obedience is acceptable to Christ he knows Isa 29. 13. Matth. 15. 7 8 9. The heart is Camâ—ra omnipotentis regis i. e. The presence chamber of the King of Heaven and that upon which his eye his hand his heart is most set that nothing takes Christs heart but what comes from the heart Christ was hearty in his obedience for me sayes the Believer and shall not I be hearty in my obedience to him Christ will lay his hand of love his hand of acceptance upon no obedience but what flows from the heart Rom. 6. 9. Ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you So in Rom. 7. ult So then with the minde I myself serve the Law of God My heart sayes Paul is in my obedience So in Rom. 1. 9. God is my witness whom I serve with my spirit in the Gospel of his Son Many serve God with their bodies but I serve him with my spirit many serve him with the outward man but I serve him with my inward man God hath written his Law in Ezek. 36. 26 27. Believers hearts and therefore they cannot but obey it from the heart I delight to do thy will O my God how so why thy Law is within my heart or in the midst of my bowels as the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hath it The heart within ecchoes and answers to the Commandments without as a Book written answers to his minde that writes it as face answers to face as the impression on the wax answers to the character engraven on the seal The Scribes and Pharisees were much in the outward obedience of the Law but their hearts were not in their obedience and therefore all they did signified nothing in the account of Christ who is onely taken with outward actions as they flow from the heart and affections their souls were not in their services and therefore all their services were lost services They were very glorious in Matth. 23. their outward profession but their hearts were as filthy Sepulchres their out-sides shined as the Sun but their in-sides were as black as Hell They were like the Egyptians Temples beautiful without but filthy within Well remember this No action no service goes for current in Heaven but that which is sealed up with integrity of heart God will not be put off with the shell when we give the Devil the Kernel Secondly That Obedience that accompanies Salvation is universal as well as cordial the soul falls in with every part and point of Gods will so far as he knows it without prejudice or partiality without tilting the ballance on one side or another A soul Non eligit mandata He doth not pick and chuse He obeyes all in respect of his sincere purpose desire and endeavor and this God accepts in Christ for perfect and compleat Obedience c. sincerely obedient will not pick and chuse what commands to obey and what to reject as Hypocrites do he hath an eye to see an ear to hear and a heart to obey the first Table as well as the second and the second as well as the first he doth not adhere to the first and neglect the second as Hypocrites do neither doth he adhere to the second and contemn the first as prophane men do he obeys not out of humor but out of duty he obeys not out of choice but out of conscience Psal 119. 6. Then shall I not be ashamed when I have respect unto all thy Commandments Look as Faith never singles out his object but layes hold on every object God holds forth for it to close with Faith doth not chuse this truth and reject that it doth not close with one and reject another Faith doth not say I will trust God in this case but not in that I will trust him for this mercy but not for that mercy I will trust him in this way but not in
9 13 14 17. Divine Love is not stinted nor limited to one sort of duty but is free to all He that loveth flieth he that loveth runneth he that loveth believeth he that loveth rejoyceth he that loveth mourneth he that loveth giveth he that loveth lendeth he that loveth beareth he that loveth waiteth he that loveth hopeth c. Heb. 6. 10. For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labor of love Love makes the soul laborious that Love that accompanies Salvation is very Active and Operative it is like the vertuous Woman in the Proverbs that sets all her Maidens on work it is never quiet but in doing the Will of God it will not suffer any Grace to sit idle in the Soul it will egg and put on all other Graces to act and operate Love sets Faith upon drawing from Christ and Patience upon waiting on Christ and Humility upon submitting to Christ and Godly-sorrow upon mourning over Christ and Self-denial upon forsaking of the nearest and dearest comforts for Christ c. As the Sun makes the Earth fertil so doth Divine love make the Soul fruitful in Works of Righteousness and Holiness He that loves cannot be idle nor barren Love makes the Soul constant and aboundant in wel-doing 2 Cor. 5. 14. The love of Christ constraineth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Loves property is to do eternally it is an eternal lasting principle and actions will last as long as principles its action is as abiding as it self us it doth urge us and put us forward it carries us on as men possessed with a vehemency of spirit or as a ship which is driven with strong winds towards the desired Haven Natural love makes the Childe the Servant the Wife obedient so doth Divine love make the soul better at obeying then at disputing A Soul that loves Christ will never cease to obey till he ceases to be That Love that accompanies Salvation is like the Sun the Sun you know casteth Beatus qui amat te amicos in te inimicos propter te Aug. Confess his beams upward and downward to the East and to the West to the North and to the South so the love of a Saint ascends to God above and descends to Men on Earth to our Friends on the right-hand to our Enemies on the left-hand to them that are in a state of Grace and to them that are in a state of Nature Divine love will still be a working one way or another Thirdly That Love that accompanies Salvation is a sincere and incorrupt love Eph. 6. 24. Grace be with all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Word for word in incorruption or with incorruption i. e. That love Christ in sincerity and not feignedly and hypocritically them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity Amen The true bred Christian Amat Christum propter Christum loves Christ for Christ he loves Christ for that internal and eternal worth that is in him he loves him for his incomparable excellency and beauty for that transcendent sweetness loveliness holiness and goodness that is in him he is none of those that loves Christ for loaves neither will he with Judas kiss Christ and betray him nor yet will he with those in Matth. 21. 9 15. the Gospel cry out Hosanna Hosanna one day and Crucifie him crucifie him the next They love Christ with a Virgin love Cant. 1. 3. The Virgins love thee They love thee in much sincerity purity and integrity they love thee for that fragrant savor for that natural sweetness for that incomparable goodness that is in thee so in the fourth Verse The upright love thee or as it is in the Hebrew Uprightnesses 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 love thee Uprightnesses being put for upright ones the abstract for the concrete Judas was kin to the bag he was not kin to Christ and he in Clemens was not his but his riches Kinsman Christ hath many such Kinsmen A Christian cares not for any thing that hath not aliquid Christi something of Christ in it He sayes with him Sine Deo omnis copia est egâ—stas Without Christ all plenty is scarcity Austin prayes Lord saith he whatever thou hast given take all away onely give me thy self God gave him himself and cast in many other mercies as Paper and Packthred into the bargain or they love thee in uprightnesses that is most uprightly most intirely most sincerely and not as Hypocrites who love thee for base carnal respects who love thee in complements but not in realities who love thee in word and tongue but despise thee in heart and life who love the gift more then the giver That Love that accompanies Salvation is real and cordial Love it is sincere and upright love it makes the Soul love Christ the giver more then the gift it makes the Soul love the gift for the givers sake it will make the Soul to love the giver without his gifts And verily they shall not be long without good gifts from Christ that love Christ more then his gifts Vespasian commanded a liberal reward should be given to a woman that came and professed That she was in love with him and when his Steward asked him What item he should put to it in his Book of Accounts the Emperor answered Vespasiano adamato Item to her that loved Vespasian Ah Christians shall Vespasian an Heathen Prince reward her liberally that loved his person and will not the Lord Jesus much more reward them with his choicest gifts that love him more then his gifts Surely Christ will not be worse then a Heathen he will not act below a Heathen He shall never be a loser that loves Christ for that Spiritual sweetness and loveliness that is in Christ Christ will not live long in that mans debt Fourthly That Love that accompanies Salvation is a vehement Love an ardent Love it is a spark of heavenly fire and it puts all the affections into a holy flame Can. 1. 7. Tell me O thou whom my soul loveth where thou feedest c. This amiable amorous Pathetical Compellation O thou Anima est ubi amat non ubi animat The soul is where it loves not where it lives whom my soul loveth speaks the Spouses love to be hot and burning towards Christ So in Isa 26. 8 9. The desire of our souls is towards thee and to the remembrance of thy name With my 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In the midst of me it is an emphatical phrase soul have I desired thee in the night yea with my spirit within me will I seek thee early This affectionate this passionate form of Speech With my soul have I desired thee and that with my spirit within me will I seek thee does elegantly set forth the vehement and ardent love of the Church to Christ so doth that pathetical exclamation of the Church Stay me with flagons comfort Cant. 2. 5. me with apples for I am sick of love
The betrothed Virgin cannot shew more strong and vehement love to her beloved then by being sick and surprised with love-qualms when she meets him when she enjoyes him it was so here with the Spouse of Christ The love of Christ to Believers is a vehement love an ardent love witness his leaving his Fathers bosom his putting upon us his Royal Robes his bleeding his dying c. And it doth naturally beget Amor non nisi donum amantis Gul. Par. vehement and ardent Love in all the beloved of God Where Christ loves he always begets somewhat like himself Amor semper habet quid sui simile That love that is flat luke-warm or cold will leave a man to freeze a this side Heaven it will fit him for the warmest place in Hell Dives love was very cold and he found the flames of Hell to be very hot That love that accompanies Salvation is full of heat and fire Fifthly That Love that accompanies Salvation is lasting Love it is permanent Love the objects of it are lasting the springs and causes of it are lasting the nature of it is lasting The Primitive Christians loved not Revel 12. 11. their lives unto the death Persecutors have taken away the Martyrs lives for Christ but could never destroy their love to Christ Ephes 6. 24. Grace be 1 Cor. 13. 8. Love never faileth or as it is in the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 never falleth away but shall last for ever in Heaven in which respect the Apostle lifts it up above Faith Hope and all the common gifts of the Spirit in the same Chapter with all that love the Lord Jesus in sincerity or in incorruption as the Greek word signifies whereby the Apostle gives us to understand That true love to Christ is not liable to corruption putrifaction or decay but is constant and permanent lasting yea everlasting That Love that accompanies Salvation is like to the Oyl in the Cruse and the Meal in the Barrel that wasted not it is like the Apple-Tree of Persia that buddeth blossometh and beareth fruit every moneth it is like the Lamp in the story that never went out it is like the Stone in Thracia that neither burneth in the fire nor sinketh in the water Cant. 8. 6 7. Love is stronger then death many waters 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Contemning it would be contemned Omnia vincit amor Love rides in her chariot of triumph over all calamities and miseries and cryes Victory victory cannot quench it nor thâ— floods cannot drown it If a man would give all the substance of his house for love it would be contemned Love will out-live all enemies temptations oppositions afflictions persecutions dangers and deaths Loves Motto is Nulli cedo I yeeld to none Love is like the Sun the Sun beginning to ascend in his circle never goes back until he comes to the highest degree thereof True love abhors Apostacie it ascends to more perfection and ceases not until like Eliahs Fiery-Chariot it hath carried the Soul to Heaven Many mens love to Christ is like the Morning Dew it is like Jonahs Goard that came up in a night and vanished in a night But that love that accompanies Salvation is like Ruthes love a lasting and an abiding Ruth 1. love it is Love that will bed and board with the Soul that will lye down and rise up with the Soul that will to the fire to the prison to the grave to Heaven with the Soul Sixthly That love that accompanies Salvation is an abounding This is clear throughout the whole Book of Cantiâ—les as all may ruâ— and read love an increasing love Love in a Saint is like the Waters in Noahs time that rose higher and higher The very nature of true Love is to abound and rise higher and higher Phil. 1. 9. This I pray that your love may abound yet more and more The longer a Believer lives the more eminent and excellent Causes of Love he sees in Christ Christ discovers himself gradually to the Soul Now a Believers love to Christ rises answerable to the causes of love that he sees in Christ The more light the more love Knowledge and Love like the Water and the Ice beget each other Man loves Christ by knowing and knows Christ by loving Mans love is always answerable to his light he cannot love much that knows but little he cannot love little that knows much As a man rises higher and higher in his apprehensions of Amat Deus non aliunde hoc habet sed ipse est unde amat Aug. Christ so he cannot but rise higher and higher in his affections to Christ Again the daily Mercies and Experiences that they have of the love of Christ of the care of Christ of the bowels and compassions of Christ working more and more towards them cannot but raise their affections more and more to him As fire is encreased by adding of fuel unto it so is our love to Christ upon fresh and new manifestations of his great love towards us As the Husband abounds in his love to his Wife so the Wife rises in her love to her Husband the more love the Father manifests to the Childe the more the ingenuous Childe rises in his affections to him so the more love the Lord Jesus shews to us the more he is beloved by us Christ shewed much love to Mary Luke 7. 47 48 Magdalen and this raises in her much love to Christ She loved much for much was forgiven her As the Israelites in the three and thirtieth of Numbers removed their Tents from Mithkah to Chasmonah from sweetness to swiftness as the words import so the sweetness of Divine love manifested to the soul makes the soul more sweet swift and high in the exercise and actings of love towards Christ A Soul under special manifestations of Love weeps that it can love Christ no more Mr. Welch a Suffolk Minister weeping at Table and being asked the reason of it answered It was because he could love Christ no more The true lovers of Christ can never rise high enough in their love to Christ they count a little love to be no love great love to be but little strong love to be but weak and the highest love to be infinitely below the worth of Christ the beauty and glory of Christ the fulness sweetness and goodness of Christ The top of their misery in this life is That they love so little though they are so much beloved Seventhly and lastly That Love that accompanies Salvation is open love it is manifest love it is love that cannot be hid that cannot be covered and buried it is like the Sun it will shine forth and shew it self to all the world A man cannot love Christ but he will shew it in these and such-like things as follow First Divine Love makes the Soul even ready to break in longing after a further clearer and fuller enjoyment of Christ The voice of Divine love is
Come Lord Jesus come quickly Revel 22. 20. Cant. 8. ult 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Beâ—ahh dod Flee away speedily my beloved Make haste my beloved and be thou like to a Roe or to a yong Hart upon the Mountain of Spices I desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ which for me is best of all It is a mercy sayes Paul for Christ to be with me but it is a greater mercy for me to be with Christ I desire to die that I Austin longed to see that head that was crowned with thorns may see my Saviour I refuse to live that I may live with my Redeemer Love desires and endeavors for ever to be present to converse with to enjoy to be closely and eternally united to its object Christ The longing of the espoused Maid for the marriage day of the Traveller for his Inn of the Mariner for his Haven of the Captive for his Ransom c. Is not to be compared to the longings of the Lovers of Christ after a further and fuller enjoyment of Christ The Lovers of Christ do well God hath reserved the best Wine the best things till last know that till they are taken up into glory their chains will not fall off till then their glorious Robes shall not be put on till then all sorrow and tears shall not be wiped from their eyes till then their joy will not be full their Comforts pure their Peace lasting their Graces perfect and this makes them look and long after the enjoyment of the Person of Christ It was a notable saying of one Let all the Devils in Hell saith he beset me round let fasting macerat my body let sorrows oppress my minde let pains consume my flesh let watchings dry me or heat scorch me or cold freeze me Let all these and what can come more happen unto me so I may enjoy my Saviour Secondly Love to Christ shews it self by working the Soul to abase it self that Christ may be exalted to Revel 4. 10 11. Joh 3 26 to 31. Phil. 3. 7 8. throw down it self that Christ may be set up to lessen it self to greaten Christ to cloud it self that Christ aâ—one may shine Love cares not what it is nor what it doth so it may but advance the Lord Jesus Love makes the Soul willing to be a footstool for Christ to be any thing to be nothing that Christ may be all in all Thirdly That love that accompanies Salvation sometimes shews it self by working the Soul to be chearful and resolute to be patient and confident in sufferings for Christ 1 Cor. Acts 5. 16. 13. Love endureth all things Love will not complain Love will not say the burden is too great the Prison is too dark the Furnace is too hot the Chains are too heavy the Cup is too bitter c. A true lover of Christ can slight Acts 21. 13. his life out of love to Christ as that blessed Virgin in Basil who being condemned for Christianity to the fire and having her estate and life offered her if she would worship Idols cryed Let money perish and life vanish Christ is better then all So Alice Driver said I drove my Fathers Plough often yet I can die for Christ as soon as any of you all That Love that accompanies Salvation makes a Christian free and forward in suffering any thing that makes for the glory of Christ Fourthly That Love that accompanies Salvation shews it self by working the Soul to be pleased or displeased It is a saying in Natural Philosophy That it is Naturalissimum opus viventis generare sibi simile the most natural act or work of every living thing to produce another like unto it self Psâ—l 45. 7. 1â—9 104 113 128 163. as Christ is pleased or displeased A Soul that loves Christ hath his eye upon Christ and that which makes Christ frown makes him frown and what makes Christ smile makes him smile Love is impatient of any thing that may displease a beloved Christ Look what Harpalus once said Quod Regi placet mihi placet What pleaseth the King pleaseth me That sayes a true lover of Christ What pleaseth Christ that pleaseth me Holiness pleaseth Christ and holiness pleaseth me sayes a lover of Christ It pleaseth Christ to overcome evil with good to overcome Hatred with Love Enmity with Amity Pride with Humility Passion with Meekness c. And the same pleaseth me sayes a lover of Christ 1 John 4. 17. As he is so are we in this world Our love answers to Christs love and our hatred answers to Christs hatred he loves all Righteousness and hates all wickedness so do we say the Lovers of Christ Psal 119. 113 128 163. It is said of Constantines Children Eusebius in his Ecclesiastical History That they resembled their Father to the life that they put him wholly on The true Lovers of Christ resemble Christ to the life and they put him wholly on Hence it is That they are called Christs 1 Cor. 12. 12. Fifthly True love to Christ shews it self sometimes by working the Lovers of Christ to expose themselves to suffering to save Christ from suffering in his glory to adventure the loss of their own crowns to keep Christs Crown upon his head to adventure drowing to save Christs honor from sinking Thus did the Three Children Daniel Moses and other Worthies I Heb. 11. have read of a servant who dearly loved his Master and knowing that his Master was looked for by his enemies he put on his Masters Cloaths and was taken for his Master and suffered death for him Divine love will make a man do as much for Christ it will make a man hang for Christ and burn for Christ Revel 12. 11. They loved not their lives unto the death Christ and his Truth was dearer to them then their lives They slighted contemned yea despised their very lives when they stood in competition with Christ and his glory and chose rather to suffer the greatest misery then that Christ should lose the least dram of his glory Sixthly That Love that accompanies Salvation shews it self sometimes by working the lovers of Christ to be affected and afflicted with the dishonors that are done to Christ Psal 119. Mine eyes run down with Rivers Jere 9. 1 2. of tears because men keep not thy Law So Lots soul was vexed racked 2 Pet. 2. 7 8. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies two things 1. The search and examination of a thing 2. The racking and vexing a man upon the tryal and tortured with the filthy conversation of the wicked Sodomites The turning of his own flesh his Wife into a Pillar of Salt did not vex him but their sins did rack his righteous soul Psal 6â— â— The reproaches of them that reproached thee fell upon me A woman is most wounded in her Husband so is a Christian in his Christ Though Though King Craesus his son were dumb all his life time yet