Answ The best way to mortifie our flesh with the Affections and Lusts is to meditate on the mercies of God which is one of the most powerfull Arguments to perswade and prevail with a Soul to leave sin Psal 26. 3 4. For thy loving kindnesse is before mine eyes and I have walked in thy truth 1 John 3. 3. he that hath this hope in him purifieth himself as he is pure I have read of five men that were studying what was the best way to mortifie sin The first said to meditate of death the second said to meditate of judgement to come the third said to meditate on the joys of Heaven the fourth said to meditate on the torments of Hell which is the wages of sin the fifth said to meditate on the blood and sufferings of Iesus Christ And certainly the last is the strongest motive of all to mortifie sin surely it is the appearance of Gods grace to us which works a hope of glory in us and this hope of glory doth purifie 1 Ioh. 3. 3. both in kind and degree 2 Cor. 7. 1. Let us cleanse our selves from all filthinesse both of flesh and spirit Rom. 8. 13. And so by the Spirit we come to mortifie the deeds of the flesh he that hath the strongest Faith hath the holyest life Sanctification ariseth from Justification let us then make war against our Lusts in the strength of Christ still seeking unto him for assisting grace for as we have said before in this Treatise strength to perform any duty to exercise any grace to subdue any Lust to resist any temptation to bear any affliction is derived only from Christ Quest What is or who is the object of Faith A. God the Father Son holy Ghost is the object of saving Faith no man was ever saved without this for no man ever called upon God but by the help of the holy Ghost 1 Cor. 12. 3. As no man can say that Jesus is the Christ so neither can any man say that God is God but by the holy Ghost neither did God ever hear any man that prayed unto him for salvation but for his Sons sake we are in order not in time to believe first in Christ by Christ in God 1 pet 1. 21. Who by him do believe in God We are commanded to believe in Christ 1 Joh 3. 23. and this is his commandement that we should believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ for Christ as Redeemer is the mediate not the ultimate object of Faith for we believe by Christ in God as before As Christ is the object of divine worship Asts 7. 59. And of saving hope Collo 1. 27. And of our greatest love 1 Cor. 16. 22. And of our absolute service Rom. 14. 9. 18. So he is the object of our divine Faith together with the Father and the Holy Ghost so John 14. 1. compared with Acts 20 21. as God in Trinity is the object of Faith so the Scripture seems to be the ground of Faith First the Lord presents us with a command to believe 1 Ioh. 3. 23. and a promise of Salvation to them that believe Mar. 16. 16. and it is the duty of all that do hear the Gospel to believe Mar. 1. 15. Iohn 3. 18. Iohn 15. 22. 16. 7. In the begetting or breeding of Faith in the heart is manifested both the inability of Man and the ability of God here appears the evil of the Spirit of corrupt nature and the good of the Spirit of Grace Sarah her conceiving of Isaac whose birth was a figure of Regeneration was a great work a miracle so Mary her conception of Christ by the power command and blessing of the holy Ghost was also a great work a miracle but for Christ to be formed in the Soul by believing is as great if not a greater work see Ephes 1. 19 20. Quest What incouragement and grounds are there to provoke or perswade us to believe Answ There are many I will instance only in a few which may be reduced to these two heads viz. 1. The benefits in doing it 2. The hurt or danger in neglecting it 1. The benefits that doe attend those that doe believe and they are these 1. By believing we honour God our Creator Christ our Redeemer and the holy Ghost our Sanctifier Iohn 3. 33 compared with Rom. 3. 34. 2. By believing we come to be established Isay 7. 9. 3. By believing we shall be kept in perfect peace Isay 26. 34. compared with Rom. 5. 1. 4. Whosoever believeth in him shall not be ashamed Rom 9. 33. 5. Our naked believing in God and cleaving to him in his free promises will carry down all our distempers at once and fill our Souls with joy and peace in believing 6. This is the way to have God take pleasure in us Psalm 147. 11. the Lord taketh pleasure in those that hope in his mercy Psalm 33. 18. the eyes of the Lord is upon them that fear him upon them that hope in his mercy 7. Our believing doth instate the Soul in the possession of Heaven whiles the body remains on â—arth Iohn 3. 36. 8. For our incouragement to believe consider Christ outbids all Merchants for thy Soul he out-bids the World Sin and Sathan they do not present pardon remission redemption salvation but Christ doth present these and many more such like choyse things 2. Let us consider the evil of Unbelief and the misery that doth attend it it is a dishonouring of God a denying of Christ it as much as in it lyeth makes void the great Counsel of God and purposes of his mercy viz. 1. We do what lyes in us make void Gods end in sending Christ his end was that we might believe and live for ever in blessednesse 2. We as much as in us lyes make void the death of Christ all his sufferings and bloodshed to be to no purpose 3. We make void what lyes in us the great counsel of God and all the thoughts of his wisedom in contriving such a way to advance his glory in the salvation of man 4. By continuing in a state of Unbelief we rob Christ of the reward and fruit of all his sufferings and death 5. We wrong God by our Unbelief we obscure his glory we limit his power we contemn his wisedom we give a lye to his truth we abuse his love we slight and reject all the Precious thoughts of his mercy and grace we proclaim the Devil a Conquerour and lift him up above Christ himself Iuâ—as did sin more by Unbelief and despairing than by his betraying of Christ as might be gathered from Scripture 6. We hasten damnation to our selves Iohn 3. 18 36 Were we in Adams created innocency then we need not to look after a Saviour but we are all fallen but we are broken but we are sold under sin but we are transgressors from the wombe but we are by nature the children of disobedience and wrath What shall I say more
inward man So again in another Psal 40. 8. I delight to do thy will thy Law is in my hearâ— there was a principal within him agreeable to the precept without him this is a clear demonstration of a new creature though he may drive heavily sometimes under vexing and lasting temptations 3. He that is effectually converted he iâ— brought unto an unfeined hatred of the whole body of sin especially his beloved sins that did most powerfully captivate him before Col. 3. 7 8. But now you put off all these anger wrath malice blasphemy filthy communication see 1 Corinth 6. 11. compared with Titus 3. 3 4 5. c. Nay further he hath an unfeined hatred of the whole body of sin as it is the greatest evil in the world sin is worse than hell there may be good in punishment but there can be no good in sin it makes God hide his face from us and shut out our prayers Isa 59. 2. it is the cause of all wars James 4. 1. it is the cause of all sickness Deut. 28. In a word sin is the cause of all misery both temporal spiritual and eternal therefore Daniel was content to be thrown into the den of Lyons rather than to sin the three Children in the fire Paul and Silas into the prison and many Christians have chosen to imbrace prisons stakes fire and the hottest persecutions rather than sin a converted person comes to see the weakness and wickedness of his own heart he knows he cannot trust any member alone without a guard 4. He that is indeed converted may know it by this viz. his greatest and hottest conflicts are against inward pollution his close spiritual and secret sins that are known only to God and himself he doth accuse himself for that which no man can accuse him he blames himself for that which no man can blame him he judgeth and arraigneth himself for that which no man can judge him for he makes a through and sound search he knows Hypocrisie is spun of a fine thred and is not discerned without diligent search Again he knows that one stab at the heart though it be with a pen-knife will kill a man one little leak in a Ship will sink it and one secret sin unrepented of will damn a Soul the least sin contains in it the nature of all sin no sooner did one sin enter into Adams heart but he had all sin in him 5. He often mourns for the sins of others and for the want of more grace in himself we read Jer. 13. 17. that the Prophet did weep in secret places for the sins of others so in another place mine eyes run down with tears because men keep not thy laws c. and as for the sins of others so for the want of more grace in themselves viz. Isaiah 6. 5. I am a man of unclean lips said Isaiah I abhor my self in dust and ashes said Job Job 42 6 Surely I am more brutish than any man and have not the knowledge of a man said Augur Pro. 30. 2. I am less than the least of all Saints said Paul Eph. 3. 8. nay I have so little grace that I am the greatest of Sinners 1 Tim. 1. 15 Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners of whom I am chief 6. He doth dearly love to be ever now and then speaking of those great and saving truths which his heart took in the work of conversion he feeleth most savour of life in those necessary points which were instruments of this blessed change that there is made upon him and upon these he feedâ—th and delighteth even on the inward life of spiritual things and so he feedeth his hungry Soul in hearing and reading praying and conversing with Christians he endeavours to learn something from â—very thing 7. He doth begin to keep a watch over his own heart eyes and tongue and feet c. 1. He keeps his heart with Solomons diligence Prov. 4. 24. 2. He keeps his eyes with Jobs Covenant Job 31. 1. 3. He keeps his tongue with Davids bridle Psalm 39. 7. 4. He keeps his foot with Solomons guard Eccles 5. 1. In a word we should not trust any Member without its Keeper for there doth and will remain even in the converted themselves the remnants of corruption a body of death a rebelling flesh and thiâ— will be still tempting and draw them from God so that the whole way to Heaven is a continual warfare there be enemies that will dispute every foot of the way there is no going a step forward but as the ship doth in the Sea by cutting its way through the waves there is Self our greatest enemy and there is Sathan and the world and almost all that we meet with in it will prove hinderances in the way to Heaven therefore keep up your watch with your loynes girt and your lamps burning 8. He that is truly converted makes conscience of keeping every known duty or command in respect of the general bent and frame of his heart he doth subject himself to Christ freely universally and constantly and unweariedly at least in desire if it be not so he could wish it were so he endeavours prays to have it so he considereth that Christ did not discharge us from the debt of sin to free us from the debt of service but therefore did he pay the one that we might be able to return the other Rom. 8. 12. Therefore we are Debters not to the slesh 1 John 2. 5. Who so keepeth his word in him is the love of God perfected hereby know we that we are in him there is no known sin but he labours to avoid and no known grace but he longs to have and no known duty but he labours to perform 9. He is willing to put himself upon the tryal whether he be converted or no he is willing to have any Christian to search him and sometimes he entreats the Lord to search him he loves those company best that deals most plainly with him he carefully and continually searcheth himself and goes down with light into his heart he is jealous of his own heart he doubts of none more than himself suspects most his own graces and the witnesse of his own spirit least Sathan shine like an Angel of light and say it is the testimony of Gods spirit he is content to have his spiritual estate tryed by any not only by a searching Ministry in publick but by any private Friends he opens his heart freely for others to ask and gives answers of his hope with weaknesse and fear his ears are open to the whole word he believes the threatnings and trembles he fears also the promises lest he comes short he hath found out the hell in his heart and feels the flames of it in secret he hath found an emptiness in himself and an enmity to all good he is poor in spirit which appears by his continual complaints and importunat prayers he desireth not to be
3. The Devil is said to be his Prince John 12. 31. 4. The Devil is said to be his God 2 Cor. 4 4. And so man thus fallen bears the Image of Satan which doth not consist in any bodily shape as some do foolishly imagine but in a likeliness of all manner of wickedness The understanding by this fall was darkened and filled with vanitie Psal 94. 11. and 2 Cor. 4. 4 The will depraved the affections disordered the memory misimploied the conscience benummed In a word the wretched soul is so desormed with filthiness outraged with passions pined with envie overcharged with gluttonie boiling with revenge transported with rage that the Image of God in Man is transformed into the uglie shape of the Devil Gen. 6. 5. And God saw that the wickedness of man was great and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was onely evil and that continually And this fallen heart not onely evil but desperately wicked Jer. 17. 9. The heart is deceitfull above all things and desperately wicked who can know it O Sirs there are but few that doth know the plague of their own hearts c. So that Man in this fallen estate is become a lump of sinne from the crown of the head to the soale of the foot there is no soundness And so all the posteritie of Adam have sinned and come short of the glorie of God and are now become Satans conquest captives and slaves being under the curse and subject to bondage and miserie Isai 63. 6. So we are all as an unclean thing and all our righteousness as filtby rags and we all do fade as a leaf and our iniquities like the winde have taken us away Mr. Baxter in his Treatise of Conversion p. 71. affirms that even our children by nature considered as finfull and unsanctified are as hatefull in the eies of God as any Toads or Serpents are in ours c. See 1 John 3. 10. Nay further consider a little by what names and titles all men and women thus fallen and so remaining are The names Titles given in Scripture to fallen man known by in the Scriptures of truth Sometimes they are called filtby dreamers defiling the flesh Jud. 8. Raging waves of the Sea foaming out their own shame Jud. 13. Natural bruit beasts made to be taken and destroyed that shall utterly perish in their own corruptions 2 Pet. 2. 12. Wells without water cloudes that are carried with a tempest to whom the mist of darknesse is reserved for ever 2 Pet. 2. 17. A generation of vipers Mat. 3. 7. Ye serpents how can ye escape the damnation of hell Mat. 23. 33. The Scripture calls them Lions for their fiercenesse and Bears for their cruelty Dragons for their hiddiousnesse dogs for their filthinesse and wolves and foxes for their subtilty in a word the Scripture stiles them Scorpions vipers thorns briars thistles brambles stubble dirt chaffe dust drosse smoak scum and a cage of every unclean Bird Rev. 18. 2. And if all this be not enough we are said to be Satans slaves or captives 2 Tim. 2. 26. Man can never be saved unlesse he be regenerated No salvation without regeneration born again and converted and have the image of God renewed which was defaced in our fall in the first Adam Hence it is that Christ tells us Mat. 7. 13. 4. Straight is the gate and narrow is the way that leadeth to life and few there be that find it There being four gates shut and five exceptions made by Christ against their entering in First there are four gates shut Mat. 25. 12. 1. The gate of hope 2. The gate of grace 3. The gate of mercy 4. The gate of comfort Secondly there are five exceptions made by the Lord Jesus Christ against their entring into heaven The first exception is that in John 3. 3. Jesus answered and said unto him verily verily I say unto thee except a man be born again be cannot see the Kingdome of God 2. Exception is that Mat. 18. 3. Verily I say unto you except ye be converted and become as little children ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven 3. Except ye repent ye shall all likewise perish Luke 13. 3. 5. 4. Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood ye have no life in you John 6. 53. 5. Except your righteousnesse shall exceed the righteousnesse of the Scribes and Pharises ye shall in no case enter into the Kingdom of heaven Mat. 5. 20. But most of the world will be apt to say Object we grant all this But what is this to us we have confessed our sinnes we have prayed we have repented of our sinnes and in some good measure reformed our lives Beware of temporary faith partial obedience Answ messionary love pretended zeal legal sorrow and feined humility these may have the forme and yet want the power of godlinesse except thy righteousnesse exceed that of the Pharisees thy sacrifice that of Cain's thy confessing of sins that of Pharaoh's thy weeping that of Sauls thy fasting that of Abab's thy reformation that of Jehu's thy restitution that of Judas thy believing that of Simon Maguâ— thy fear and trembling that of Felix these were cast-awaies notwithstanding these were seeming good things Hast thou never read of Pharaoh desiring the prayer of Moses Balaam desiring to die the death of the righteous Saul condemning of himself Ahab humbling himself Ninive repenting Felix trembling Herod hearing John Baptist joyfully and did many things Mark 6. 20. All this mayst thou doe and more thou mayst live rejoycingly and die peaceably and yet perish eternally Consider if thou wert cursed in the wombe born a child of wrath what art thou now having lived so long in sin but the child of hell farr more than thou wast before Psal 58. 3. Job 20. 11. Again if for one fin all the curses of the Law doe lie upon thee as Gal. 3. 10. James 2. 10. what is due to thee for all thy sins If single sins deserve death what doe thy double and treble sins deserve Consider thy often backsliding sinnes against knowledge conscience covenants purposes promises protestations c. Doâ— not all these deserve double and dâ—eper damation viz. Not knowing of God he will not have mercie upon thee Isa 27. 11. compared with 2 Thess 1. 8. Not repenting thou shalt perish Luke 13. 3. Not believing in him thou shalt be damned John 3. 18. Not loving him thou art cursed 1 Cor. 16. 22. Not being zealous according to knowledge he will spew thee out of his mouth Rev. 3. 16. Not being meek thou art abomination to the Lord Prov. 3. 32. Not being mercifull thou shalt have judgement without mercy Jam. 2. 13. Not being holy thou shalt never see the face of the Lord Not washing thy heart from wickedness thou canst not be saved Jer. 4. 14. Therefore ground this in the bottom of thy heart That without true conversion
there is no hope of Salvation Mat. 18. 3. John 3. 5 Sin was that which fetched the dearest blood from the heart of Christ and will have thine too if thou gettest not an interest in him if thy sin doth not die before thou dost die thou art in danger of 18 Sorts of men womeÌ„ that shall never enter into heaven perishing eternally Read seriously but these four Scriptures and thou shalt find at least 18 sorts of men and women that shall never enter into heaven unless before they die Christ be formed in them and they restored and renewed born again and covertâ—d c. 1 Cor. 6. 9 10. Know you not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God be not deceived 1. No Fornicators 2. No Idolators 3. Nor Adulterers 4. Nor Effeminate 5. Nor abusers of themselves with mankinde 6. Nor Theeves 7. Nor Covetous 8. Nor Drunkards 9. Nor Revilers or envious persons 10. Nor Extortioners These shall not inherit the kingdom of God Rev. 21. 8. 11. Nor the fearfull and unbelieving 12. Nor murderers See Rev. 22. 15. 13. Nor sorcerers or those that use witchcraft 14. Nor Lyars all these shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire which is the second death Gal. 5. 19 20 21. 15. Nor he that is given to hatred variance and strife 16. Nor he that is given to seditions heresies they which doe such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God 2 Thess 1. 8. 17. Nor ignorant persons 18. Nor those that refuse to practice what they know being disobedient These persons being shut out of heaven makes good the words of Christ Mat. 7. 13 14. Enter ye in at the strait gate for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction and many there be which enter in thereat because straight is the gate and narrow is the way which leadeth unto life and few there be which find it Rom. 9. 27. Though the number of the children of Israel he as the sands of the Sea a remnant shall be saved Well the holy nature of God will not permit the unclean and unholy soul to come into his presence Rev. 21. 27. There shall in no wise enter into it any thing that deâ—ileth or whatsoever worketh abomination Ps 5. 4. Neither shall evil dwell with him the foolish shall not stand in his sight it is true you may call him Lord Lord till the last Mat. 7. 21 22. But he will tell you he doth not know you if thou hast not something of the image of that Spirit that holy nature whatsoever thou mayest think of thy self he will never take thee for his child thou art wicked and the wicked as Psal 9 17. shall be turned into hell and all they that forget God and surely God in the execution of the curse doth the sinner no wrong nay he should doe wrong unto himself and with reverence so to speak be unjust if he should not execute Justice upon the sinner either in himself or in his Surety There are four strong reasons for it viz. 1. To manifest the majestie of him who is offended 2. And the goodness of the command that is transgressed 3. The evil of sin that is committed 4. The vildness of the sinner for sinning c. I had once thought to have spoken somthing to each of these four heads but shall not at present but desire the Reader to consider that every sin puts God upon complaining and Christ upon bleeding and the Spirit upon grieving Every sin doth cast a treble dishonor upon God 1. In its malignitie as being most contrary to the pure unspotted and perfect nature of God 2. In its obstinacie it opposeth the command of God slights the will of God and contradicts the design of God 3. Sin doth cast a dishonor upon God in its choice a sinner in sinning chuseth a base lust a venomous sin a crooked way before the glorious precious and most desirable good the Lord himself So that man in the state of nature lives upon the earth as a condemned creature under guilt curse and death being conceived in sin and brought forth into the world in iniquitie having lost that Image of righteousness holiness and saving knowledg of God in which Adam our father was at first created and so remains till born again converted and regenerated the children of wrath by Nature dead in sins and trespasses Aliens from the Common-wealth of Israel Satans captives servants and slaves and these men in this estate of Nature differ much one from another one seems nearer unto the other farther from the Kingdom of God Mark 12. 34. compared with Psal 119. 155. They 1. Have such hardened hearts and seared consciences that they commit all manner of wickedness with greediness glorying in their shame and so making themselves as the Scripture saith sevenfold more the children of wrath than they were before guilty of original sin but now they are become guiltie of original and actual transgression having been filling up the measure of their iniquitie and fitting themselves for the day of slaughter Matth. 23. 32 33. compared with James 5. 5. 2. Others walk more evenly and usefully being in a measure civilized by education custome fear of punishment good Examples wholesome counsels So was the young man Matth. 19. 20. All these things have I kept from my youth up What lack I yet c. So was the Scribe we reade of Mark 12. 32 33 34 he answered discreetly and Christ told him he was not far from the Kingdom of God Let the Reader consider that although Man is so fearfully and shamefully fallen yet there râ—mains some footsteps marks and impressions of that righteous and eternal Law at first engraven in his heart by the finger of the Almightie by which many Naturalists have acted wisely and prudently as to worldly affairs and humane concernments as may at large be safely gathered from many Scriptures there may be a change and yet not The Change Some of the Lord's people upon good ground doth observe that there is a souâ— fold change Change 1. A moral 2. A partial 3. A formal 4. A spiritual A man by improvement of the light and gifc in Nature may obtain to the three former as to instance 1. There is a moral change when a person or a people changeth from sinfull notorious waies to temperance justice equitie patience when ignorance is taken away by illumination and boldness in sinning is abated by fear of punishment and sticks there and goes no farther and here thousands stay and live quietly and perish eternally 2. There is a partial Change when men forsake some sins and yet live in the love and liking of other sins Christ sets this down in the Parable of the unclean Spirit as to some sinfull courses is cast out for a time but afterwards returns with seven spirits worse than himself and so his last end proves worse than his beginning Matth. 12.
needless work 1. It cannot be an easie work Jer. 13. 23. Can the Aethiopian change his skin and the Leopard his spots then may they that are accustomed to do evil learn to do well 2. It is not a needless work but one of the most needfullest works without which we perish everlastingly in Hell John 3. 3. 5. Mat. 18. 3. except a man be born again be cannot see the kingdom of God and except ye be converted and become as little children ye shall not enter into the kingdome of Heaven 3. Hindrance is either a total neglect or a careless formal use of those ordinary meanes which God hath appointed for the breeding and perfecting the work of conversion if we will not eat how can we live and grow if we will not drink how can we quench our thirst if we will not wear cloathes how can we be warm if vve vvill not sovve and plant hovv can vve reap shall vve be industrious and neglect no means for the obteining of natural things and altogether remiss in the use of means for the obtaining of spiritual that are far better surely we ought to leave no means unattempted for the accomplishing of what God hath promised seeing we have more commands and promises for the latter than we have for the former 4. Hindrance is mens not confidering the joyes of Heaven and the torments of Hell that so the love of the one might win them or the fear of the other compell them to make use of the means and improve their talent and time for the obtaining of life and salvation and the escaping of Hell and damnation surely we ought to lay aside every weight and the sin that doth so easily beset us and to run with patience the race that is set before us looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith who for the joy that was set before him indured the cross and despised the shame Heb. 12. 1 2 3. 5. Hindrance is false conceits that they are converted already which ariseth from some seeming change in an external conformity to the Gospel which ariseth from the souls sight of fin and sense of punishment which leads him so far as to confess his fins Mat. 27. 4. and vomiâ— it up 2 Pet. 2. 20. and in some good measure abstain from the external commission of it and so reformeth its conversation ignorance is taken away by illumination pleasure in fin is abated by sorrow for fin boldness in finning is abated by the fear of punishment he may know the very time â—he sermon the book the chapter the verse that were the means of doing this work and therefore thinks it is truly done and that he hath a saving change and yet it may be but common preparation or some common works which many partake of that perish c. 6. Hindrance is too deep a familiarity with bad company Oh what a dangerous thing it is to live amongst such company as will be still hindring but never helping in the way to heaven who can converse with defiled ones and not be defiled Psal 106. 35. the people were mingled amongst the heathen and learned their works Psal 119. 115. evil doers we must depart from if ever we keep the commands of God these are not grace-begetting and soul-converting but gracehindring and soul-condemning companions 7. Hindrance is their ignorance of the principles of Religion their not being Catechised themselves neither catechising their Families so that the foundational truths are for the most part Paradoxes and Riddles to them 8. Hindrance is Delay when men intend to become new men and to live another life and to leave sin and to take another course yet they delay and put off the time till the next year and when that is come to the last moneth of that year and when that is come to the last vveek of that moneth and vvhen that is come to the last day of that vveek and when that is come to the last hour of that day and when that is come to the last minute of that hour and so in the mean while they are hardened through the deceitfulness of sin as Heb. 3. 13. and so goe on from folly to folly until they are ripe for eternal misery Oh! say they we are yet young and have day-light and time enough we are yet in health and there is no such haste and thus many are cut off whilst they are purposing to return and many thousand souls are lost as it is to be feared that once were purposed to have turned to God before they die and all by delaying and continuing in sinning til they have sinned themselves into a reprobate sense and so they must perish everlastingly by delaying to make use of their remedie by not calling upon God whilst he was near and seeking him whilst he might be found See Isa 55. 6. compared with Prov. 1. 24. 28. I might instance in many other hindrances as hardness of heart unbelief love of this present evil world the Differences amongst Professors but I cannot speak particularly to them all lest this Book should svvell too bigg Of the sad condition of all that are not Converted THe longer men or women stay or go on in an unconverted estate the greater is their sin the harder is their cure and the greater will be their punishment c. They make void as much as in them lyeth the great Counsel of God and all the thoughts of his wisdom in contriving such a way to advance his own glory in the salvation of man Yea they make void all the purposes of Gods mercy to them in restoring and renewing them and sending Christ to die for them yea they do as much as in them lyeth make void the death of Christ they make all his sufferings and blood-shed to be to no purpose You deny him that which is his own you deny him your hearts and souls that which he hath made and redeemed you deny him that which none can lay claim to but himself again they are cursed in their going out and coming in in their basket and in their store and in all they put their hands unto they can do nothing truly pleasing to God but are servants and slaves to Satan and led about as his captives at his will and so remain in a continual danger of damnation there being but a breath between them and Hell Of the priviledges and benefits of all that are Converted THe Lord is their portion and they are the Lords portion Deut. 32. 9. what ever losses crosses troubles and trials they may pass through here all shall work for their good at the present and they shall be freed from all troubles in time to come there was joy in Heaven at their conversion Luke 15. 10. 1. Christ calls them his servants John 12. 26. 2. Again he calls them his friends John 15. 15. 3. He calls them his brethren Mar. 3. 34. 4. He calls them his Jewels or treasure Mal. 3. 17.
5. He calls them his sons and daughters 2 Cor. 6. 18. 6. He calls them the Bride the Lambs wife Rev. 21. 9. 7. He calls them co-heirs with himself Rom. 8. 17. And if all this be too little to express his heart to them then he tells them that the Father loveth them with the same love for the quality of it wherewith he loveth Christ what shall I say more they have the glory of God to be their aime the word to be their rule the spirit to be their guide the angels to be their guard and the blessed promises to be their support and as by vertue of their oneness with the first Adam his sin was made theirs so by vertue of their oneness with the second Adam his righteousness is made theirs nay farther they have by vertue of converting grace union with Christ and so communion with the life and Spirit of Christ with the death and sufferings of Christ with the merits and victories of Christ with the priviledges and immunities as Adoption Son-ship c. The trials of Conversion by which a man may know whether he be converted yea or no. LEt the Reader make a curious narrow impartial diligent search into his own soul and see what humility what self-denial what sin-abhorrancy what love to Christ what delight in his ordinances what zeal for Gods glory what contempt of the world what desiring after the society of the Saints what sympathising in their afflictions and if thou findest any impressions of grace any spiritual work any saving savoury distinguishing operation upon thy soul and heart then the Spirit hath been there with his cure and thou art as certainly born again as thou wast born first but these graces thus planted in the heart at first are full of imperfections there is some darkness with your light some enmity with your love much hardness of heart with your mourning for sin and much worldly sorrow in your purest tears much pride with your humility much murmuring with your patience and therefore great care is to be taken in the laying down these trials or marks of conversion for as we are to put a difference between gifts and grace and internal and external marks and signs so also we are to distinguish between those that are strong in grace and those that are weak in grace that have but little grace and this will be of great use to Christians that are but of a lower forme new converts having but little grace yet they may know that little they have though as yet they have not attained strength of grace yet they may know the truth of grace in themselves although they come short of strong believers yet they shall know they go beyond the most shining hypocrite for the least measure of grace is better than the greatest measure of gifts But we come to the trials of the new birth by which a man may know whether he is born again yea or no. 1. He that is truly converted doth desire the word and means of grace 1 Pet. 2. 2. 2. He is either willing or willing to be made willing to do whatsoever the Lord doth command him though it be never so contrary to flesh and blood Gal. 1. 16. 3. He is brought unto an unseined hatred of the whole body of sin Rom. 7. 24. compared with Philip. 3. 21. 4. His greatest and hottest mournings and strivings is against his inward pollution his close spiritual and secret sins Psal 19. 12. compared with Psal 90. 8. 5. He often mourns for the sins of others and for the want of growth in himself Lam 16. 3. 48. 6. He doth love to be speaking of those great and saving truths which his heart hath taken in in the work of conversion 7. He doth begin to keep a watch over his own heart 8. He makes conscience of keeping every known command 9. He is willing to put himself upon the tryal and to have any Christian search him and sometimes he intreats the Lord to search him Psal 139. 23. Lam. 3. 40. 10. He that is born again or truly converted haâ—h his soul renewed in its faculties and vertues c. These are such flowers of Paradise that grows not in Natures garden until the new man was put on and the party renewed in the spirit of his mind until Christ was formed in him for these are pearls that are not to be found in the worlds field wherefore we shall speak something to each of them briefly but before I proceed further let me give the Reader this caution Let not every one think he is not converted unless he finde these and the like characters of a true conversion in him if he finde but something of every thing if it be but in the budding in the breeding in the beginning his state may be good for when he is a well grown Christian these things will more and more clearly appear at the first conversion a man hath as it were but the root of them c. 1. He that is indeed born againe and so converted doth desire the word and means of grace 1 Pet. 2. 2. as new born babes desire the sincere milk of the word that they may grow thereby There the apostle makes it a resemblance of a spiritual man a man spiritually new born will desire after the meanes of grace that he may grow in grace by milk is here meant the word of God which is compared to milk First because of the sweetness of it Psal 19. 10. and Psal 119. 103. Secondly because of the purity of it it is without falshood Psal 19. 18. and 119. 140 and Thirdly because of the nourishing property thereof 2 Tim. 3. 16 17. When the Lord begets one by the immortal seed of his word he teacheth him to rest upon the word of promise which indureth for ever tendred in the Gospel indeed tho whole word of God is sincere milk whereby we grow and the old and new Testament may be called the Brests of consolation but if we grow not it is because we feed not we play with the breast c. 2. He that is indeed born againe he is either willing or at least willing that the Lord should make him willing to observe and do whatsoever the Lord doth command him though it be never so contrary to flesh and blood Acts. 9. 9. Lord what will thou have me to do How willing Paul was to lay down his first commission to take up another So Psal â—10 3 thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power They are willing to hear speak Lord for thy servant heareth they are willing to do Lord what wilt thou have me to do Psal 119. 5. Oh that my waies were directed to keep thy statutes Again David sets down another character of a godly man Psal 1. 2. His delight is in the Law of the Lord and Paul after conversion speaks of himself that his delight was in the Law of God as concerning the
Unbelief is the greatest sin in the world because it is a sin against the greatest love Iohn 3. 16. compared with Rom. 5. 8. it is a sin against the only remedy the sentence of the Law may be repealed by the Gospel but the sin against Gospel remedy there is no repeal of it is a sin that makes void and vain all the covenant of grace turning all the sweetnesse thereof into bitternesse and all the truth of it into a lye 1 John 5. 10. Therefore God is more severe against Unbelief than any sinne because Unbelief is most severeto God God hath no greater Enemiâ—s in the world than Unbelievers 7. Let us consider that a man without Faith is like a naked man in a storm or like an unaâ—med man in a Battel like a ship unanchored and unballanced in a storm he is like a Sea without Banks a world without a Sun or a ship without a Pilot he is under the command of all his passions and enemies c. Qu. In what way are we to conceive of God when we pray to him Answ We are not to conceive of him under any shape or resemblance Deut. 4. 12 15. we are not to think that the Godhead can be resembled to any thing Acts 17. 27 29. compared together for unless we should equal God to any thing how can he be likened to it Isay 40. 18. 25. Who can by searching find out the Almighty to perfection Iob 11. 7 8 12. We are to conceive of him as one not to be fully conceived by us and so pray to him with such apprehensions of him yet we are to believe that he is and that he is a rewaâ—der of those that seek him Heb. 11. 6. namely that he to whom we pray is such a God which seeth and knoweth all the secrets of our hearts and all our thoughts that he is present with us where-ever we are comprehendeth us though we cannot comprehend him he is most holy most wise most mighty who is ready to do for us above what we are able to ask or think Ephe. 3 18 19 20. This is to conceive of him in the glorious and precious dimensions of his love so shall we comprehend with all Saints the heighth and breadth length and depth and know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge in this sence may we see him that is invisible Heb. 11. 27. For the true God is invisible as appears by these Scriptures Coll. 1. 15. 1 Tim. 1. 17. Tim. 6 16. The divine essence is not visible to bodily eyes in this life the essence simply considered cannot be seen by the Soul in this Life Exod. 33. 20. In the life to come though it be seen apprehensively so far as the spirits of just men made perfect are capable yet not comprehensively and fully Job 1. 1. 7 8 9 10. Q. How or in what order are we to direct our prayers to the Trinity in Unity and Unity in Trinity namely to Father Son and Holy Ghost A. In our Prayers we ought not to fix our eyâ— or minds so upon one in the Trinity as not thereby to be led to the other the Father being in the Son and the Son in the Father and the holy Ghost in them both Iohn 14. 10. we cannot look at one but we must eye the other they that look on Christ as their Mediator must see and eye the Father as giving of him so to be yea and at the holy Ghost as one with the Father sent and consented to his designment to that office as the Lord Christ himself sayeth Isay 48. 16. and now the Lord God and his spirit hath sent me c. we cannot look aright to the Father but we must look to him through the Son neither can we look upon the Son but by the Spirit It is true that in order we are first to direct our Prayers to God the Father yet not as first or chief in honour above the other two for even the Son who albeit as man and as Mediator he be inferiour to the Father Iohn 14. 28. yet as God as the Son of God he is equal with him Iohn 5. 18. Phill. 2. 6. and the Son is to be honored as equal with the same honor as the father Iohn 5 23. Albeit as was said the holy Ghost be not excluded but included so are we to pray unto God through Christ by the help of the holy Ghost Iohn 16. 23. we are to ask the Father in the name of the Son by the help and assistance of the holy Ghost Rom. 8. 26. Again we are baptized in the name of the Father Son and holy Ghost and therefore we are to pray unto and worship Father Son and holy Ghost we are to believe in the Father Son and holy Ghost and therefore we are to pray to the Father Son and holy Ghost so that in all external worship of God one in the Trinity being named the other are understood and are not to be excluded Q. How can there be three and yet but one God Answ God is one in essence one Jehovah one God and no more and therefore God calleth himself I am Exod. 3. 14. all besides himself are but created results of God bits of dependances upon him all Nations are before him as a drop of a Bucket as the small dust of the Ballance as a very little thing as nothing as lesse than nothing as vanity Isay 40. 15 17. This one God in essence saith Mr. Thomas Cobbert in his Treatise of Prayer pag. 542 to which I assent viz. is in personal properties three subsistences really distinct yet we are not so to let our thoughts feed themselves in musing upon the blessed persons as distinct in personal properties but with an apprehension of theÌ„ as one in essence one Jehovah one God and no more the property of begetting is applyed to God the Father and not to the Son or the holy Ghost he to whom the Scripture giveth the property of the only begotten Son of God he is Jehovah God the Son and no other and so he to whom the Scripture applyeth the property of proceeding he and only he is God the holy Ghost the Scripture applying to none other that property of proceeding or being as it were breathed forth from the Father therfore is called his Spirit NuÌ„ 8. 11. from the Son therfore is called the Sons Spirit Gal. 49. yet the holy Scriptures never mention but one Jehovah even when it mentions him in personal distinction three yet essentially but one 1 John 5. 7. There be three that bear record in Heaven the Father the Word and the holy Ghost and these three are one the Dvine essence subsisting in three relative properties Father Son and holy Ghost The personal property of the Father is to beget Ps 2. 7. The personal property of the Son is to be begotten John 1. 14 18. The personal property of the holy Ghost is to proceed from the Father and the Son John 14. 26. 15. 26. What shall Isay more As God for the helping of us to understand his essence is pleased to take unto himself certain names and attributes by the help of which we may the better understand his essence so also is he pleased to take unto himself certain names appellations to help us to the better understanding of his subsistance c. yet there is but only one living true God who is infinite in being perfection a most pure Spirit invisibly without body parts or passions immutable eternal incomprehensible working all things according to the counsel of his own will he is the alone Fountain of all beings of whom through whom and to whom are all things in his sight all things are made manifest his knowledge is infinite infallible and independent he is most holy in all his Counsels in all his Works in all his Commands c. But if any demand farther How can there be three and yet but one God I answer great is the mystery the Son in the Father and the Father in the Son and the Spirit of truth which is by the Father and the Son John 14. 11. John 15. 26. 14. 26. So that in this mystery a Christian is to believe what reason cannot comprehend the Father sent forth his Son the Son sent forth the holy Ghost yet Father Son and holy Ghost was never separated one from another Take a candle burning and there is substance light and heat and yet not three candles but one candle Look upon the good man of a House and you shall find that he is a Husband to his Wife a Father to his Children a Master to his Servants and yet not three men but one man so in the unity of the God head there be three of one substance power and eternity God the Father God the Son and God the holy Ghost the Father is of none neither begotten nor proceeding the Son is eternally begotten of the Father the holy Ghost eternally proceeding from the Father and the Son c. FINIS