believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life Where by the World is meant indefinitely mankind of what Nation or Condition Sex or State Age or other Difference soever they be And therefore the offer of Christ is indefinitely to all without exception of any there being no state or condition of men which God hath excluded from Salvation by Christ which doth clearly evidence his willingness to save poor sinners Oh sinner seeing God doth freely offer Christ to all without exception of any do not thou except thy self limit not where God hath not limited say not I am unworthy or my sins are many and heinous cloathed with many aggravating circumstances but stir up thy self to adventure thy soul on Christ upon the general offer of him in the Gospel The first work of faith in many hath been to adventure their souls on Christ upon the free offer of him to all indefinitely Do thou in like manner adventure to cast thy self upon the free grace of God in Christ with resolution to abandon thy lusts for the time to come and to take Christ for thy Lord and Husband as well as for thy Priest and Saviour This is that which God requireth and if he hath perswaded thine heart to this it is a good sign that mercy is intended for thee 7. Gods willingness appeareth from his beseeching poor sinners to be reconciled to him as the Apostle expresseth We are Ambassadours for Christ as though he did beseech you by us we pray you in Christs stead be reconciled to God Ah sinner rather than thou shouldst perish in thy sins God himself who is the God of mercy doth as it were kneel down before thee and beseecheth thee for the Lord Jesus Christ his sake to pitty thy poor soul and to accept of the reconcilâ—ation which Christ hath purchased by his bloody death and passion Oh the depth of the incomprehensible love of God to poor sinners that he should not only command and invite but likewise beseech and intreat them to turn from their sins unto him and accept of the reconciliation purchased by the blood of his Son Jesus Christ. Surely this must needs evidence his great willingness to save poor sinners 8. His willingness further appeareth by his sending Ministers as his Ambassadours unto poor sinners upon terms of peace and reconciliation as the Apostle expresseth in the forementioned place We are Ambassadours to beseech you to be reconciled to God As if he had said We are commanded by the Lord our Master to offer you terms of peace and reconciliation to profer you peace and pardon if you will heartily turn from your sins unto God We are sent as Ambassadours to acquaint you what Christ hath done and suffered for your redemption how he hath fulfilled the Law for you and offered up his life as a Sacrifice and satisfaction to Gods justice for your sins and how you may be happy for ever if you will rest upon Christs perfect righteousness and all-sufficient Sacrifice for life and salvation and give up your selves unto him to serve and obey his laws and commandments I do here therefore as Gods Ambassadour in his name proclaim to the worst of you to the greatest and oldest sinner that you may have mercy and Salvation if you will abandon your lusts and close with Jesus Christ upon the terms of the Gospel receiving him for your King Priest and Prophet Oh how can we but stand amazed at the riches of Gods mercy and goodness that when we upon the knees of our souls should have sought unto him for peace and reconciliation yet that he being the great Lord of Heaven and of Earth should condescend so far as to send Ambassadours unto us sinfull dust and ashes to intreat us to be reconciled to him to accept his grace and favour Oh how doth this evidence his great willingness that poor sinners should not perish but have everlasting life Certainly if God had taken more pleasure in your damnation than in your salvation he would never have sent his Ministers as Ambassadours to shew you the way and means of salvation by receiving Christ as your Lord and Saviour and giving up your selves unto him he would never have perswaded you by so many arguments and beseeched you to turn from your sins unto him that your souls might live in glory to all Eternity 9. Gods willingness doth likewise appear from the greatness of his patience in bearing with sinners For the Lord having used all means for the conversion of poor sinners he waits with much patience and long-suffering for their repentance to see whether they will turn from their sins unto him or no. He waits upon the Swearer the Drunkard the Whore-Master the covetous Worldling day after day week after week year after year crying after them as he did after Ierusalem Oh will ye not be made clean Oh when will it once be When wilt thou leave thy Swearing thy Drinking thy Whoring thy Covetousness and the like And when will thy prophane heart be sanctified thine unclean heart be purified and thy carnal heart spiritualized oh when will it once be oh sinner who art now grown old in sin how long hath the Lord waited on thee for shame let him wait no longer but turn thee turn thee from thy wicked wayes and courses that thou maist receive mercies from him This patience of God towards sinners must needs evidence his willingness to have them saved For if he had not been willing he would have cut them off long agoe and have dealt with them as he did with the Devils who had no sooner sinned but he clapt his chains upon them and still reserves them to the great day in chains of darkness 10. Gods willingness appeareth in that he hath made the way of salvation as easie as can stand with his honour For the way of salvation now is only believing in Iesus Christ for so runs the covenant of grace believe and ye shall be saved Whereas the Covenant of works ran thus Do this and live So that now whosoever believeth in Iesus Christ shall be saved that is whosoever receiveth Jesus Christ as his Lord and Saviour giving himself up to be ruled by him and resteth upon his perfect righteousness and all-sufficient Sacrifice for the pardon of his sins here and for eternal salvation hereafter Shall not perish but have everlasting life The covenant of works required perfect obedience in every mans own person But the Covenant of grace requireth only our sincere endeavour to keep the Commandements of the Lord and accepteth the obedience performed by our surety Jesus Christ for us For we being disenabled by the fall of Adam for performing obedience to the law Jesus Christ the only begotten Son of God came down from Heaven took our nature upon him and therein became our surety and as our surety in our steed for us subjected himself to the Law perfectly fulfilled the same and his obedience is by God
to praise and magnifie the name of God for thy deliverance from a greater than Aegyptian bondage It being a deliverance from Satan the worst of all Tyrants from hell of all prisons the most loathsome yea from sin death and the curse of the Law The more to stirr up thy self to this duty of thanksgiving for this mercy 1. Consider the specialty of Gods love and goodness unto thee therein in singling thee out from the multitudes that perish and setting thee apart for life Hath he dealt by all as he hath dealt by thee Oh how many millions of Men and Women hath he suffered to live and dy in their sins when thy soul liveth How many for birth more noble for policy more wise for riches more wealthy are let run in their sins till they fall into wrath when thou art escaped when thou considerest that he should pass by them and set his special love upon thee if this do not fill thee with love and with praises the very stones may cry out against thee The Psalmist speaketh of it as a great mercy to a godly man that in a time of Plague and Pestilence a thousand should fall on his right hand and on his left and yet it should not come nigh him But what is that to this mercy that many thousands should fall into hell on thy right hand and on thy left and yet thou preserved 2. Consider how sad thy condition was before thy Regeneration being a Child of wrath a bondslave of Satan and an heir to hell And then compare it with thy present state Behold of a child of wrath thou art made a Son of God of a slave of Satan thou art become Christs freeman of an heir of hell and damnation an heir to Heaven and salvation And doth not this call for thankfulness 3. Consider that this mercy is unspeakably greater than all other mercies in the World This new birth makes a man an hoâ—ourable person one of the royal seed a King and Priest to God This makes him a rich man the least degree of this grace is better than all the wealth in the World this is the true riches the durable riches a treasure that faileth not nor can it be valued This makes him a joyfull man there 's joy in Heaven at thy conversion and a foundation of everlasting joy laid in thine own soul thou maist rejoyce its meet that thou make merry for this thy soul was dead and is alive was lost and is found Theodosius gave God greater thanks that he had made him a member of the Church than head of the Empire So bless God more for this mercy that he hath made thee a member of Christ than if he had made thee an heir of all the Earth What though God hath not abounded to thee in outward honours and estate yet if he hath abounded to thee in grace this alone will be matter of eternal praises Luther hath a notable story which may be useful to this purpose In the time of the Council of Constance he tells us there were two Cardinals riding to the Council and in their journey they saw a Shepheard in the field weeping One of them pittying him could not but ask him why he wept At first he seemed loth to tell him but being urged he told him that upon the beholding that Toad which was before him he considered that he had never praised God as he ought for making him such an excellent Creature as a man that he had not made him such a deformed Creature as that Toad Upon hearing whereof the Cardinal was much affected considering how he had received greater mercies than this poor man and yet had not returned unto God that praise which was due unto him And will not this poor man rise up in judgement against many of us yea have not the best of us cause to be greatly humbled before the Lord who do not so affectionately remember the grace of God in making us Christians as that poor Shepherd did in making him a man O friend prove thy self to be born again and then go thy way rejoycing leaping and praising God III. Hath God by his Spirit Regenerated and made thee his Child then walk worthy of this special mercy and dignity This worthy walking is much pressed in Scripture as Col. 1.10 walk worthy of the Lord. And Eph. 4.1 walk worthy of the Vocation wherewith yâ— are called In these and other-like places the word worthy importeth no matter of mâ—rit or condignity but only a meer meetness and congruity or answerableness The Greek word translated worthy is in other places turned meet or as becometh as Rom. 16.2 Phil. 1.27 And where Iohn Baptist saith Bring forth fruits worthy of repentance our new Translations turn it meet for repentance So that the meaning of the foresaid duty is that ye carry your selves in some measure suitable and answerable to your new birth and high dignity To which agreeth that of the Apostle Peter Ye are a chosen generation a peculiar people that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvâ—ilous light As the Regenerate are more excellent in their state and relation than the carnal and unregenerate so â—ought they to be singular and exemplary in their lives and conversations This Christ requireth of every true Christian for saith he speaking to his Disciples What do ye more than others As if he had said you who will approve your selves to be sincere Christians and the true Disciples of Jesus Christ must be of a more holy and heavenly frame of an higher strain than the rest of men you must be singular and shine as lights in the midst of a sinfull and crooked generation by living exemplary and convincing lives that it may be said of you what God said of Iob There was none like him in all the earth as for wealth so for piety he being by many degrees the highest for grace in his age Hath God shined upon your souls by his grace let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorifie your Father which is in Heaven The more to quicken you up to a singular and exemplary life to a life above the rate of carnal and unregenerate men I. Consider thy high birth and noble parentage For being born of the Spirit thou art thereby made partaker of the divine nature and art become a Child of God a member of Christ and hast blood royal running in thy veins Thy life ought to be suitable to thy birth and breeding aspiring after higher things than worldly men do or can do and avoiding those base and filthy actions wherein carnal men take their chief delight For know that thy sins go nearer the heart of God and provoke him more than the sins of other men And thou my Son Brutus art thou one of them said Iulius Caesar to his Son when he
yet was he received to mercy Hast thou been a Blasphemer or a Persecutor of the Saints and servants of God So was Paul and yet he obtained mercy Hast thou been a Filthy unclean person wallowing and delighting like a Sow in the filth of sin and mire of sinfull filthiness So did Mary Magdalea and many of the Corinthians yet were they washed with the blood of Iesus Christ justified and sanctified Hast thou been an Oppressor and Extortioner who hast got thine estate by over-reaching thy neighbours and grinding the faces of the poor So did Matthew and Zacheus who yet found mercy Why then is there not hope of mercy for thee when grace hath embraced such great and heinous sinners Q. Wilt thou say thou art a greater sinner than any of these forementioned A. 1. This is scarce credible But suppose thy sins do exceed the proportion of any one thou canst find pardoned in Scripture yet this were no just ground of despair because the depth of Gods mercy was never yet fathomed God never acted his mercy so far but he is able to act it farther Greater sinners than ever yet were pardoned may be pardoned And therefore though thy sins were more and greater than the sins of others yet there is hope of mercy for thee unless by thine infidelity thou dost exclude thy self from the same 2. Consider that there was no more in Manasseh Mary Magdalen Paul nor any of the Saints now in Heaven to move God to have compassion on them than there is in thee The Apostle saith that there is no difference for all have sinned The true cause of any mans Regeneration is the free grace and love of God For saith the Apostle we were all by nature the Children of wrath even as others But God who is rich in mercy for his great love wherewith he loved us even when we were dead in sins hath quickned us And immediatly addeth By grace ye are saved Now seeing the free grace and love of God is the true cause of mans Regeneration and Salvation why shouldst thou imagine there is less love in God for thee than there was for them Obj. 5. Others object they fear their time and day of grace is past and gone having long stood out and rejected many offers of grace and that it is now too late to seek after the grace of God A. To this I answer that the slighting and rejecting the many offers of grace is very sad yea an heinous sin which calls for thy deepest sorrow and humiliation This made our Saviour to weep over Ierusalem because they neglected the day of their visitation But yet know 1. Though thou hast often refused and rejected the offers of grace yet is not thy condition hopeless in that it is not the sin against the Holy Ghost which alone cannot be pardoned but it is a sin though heinous yet pardonable Many have obtained mercy even for this and so mayest thou upon thy true humiliation and repentance For such is the mercy of God as he both can and will pardon even sins against mercy 2. It 's a question whether there be any Saint on Earth or in Heaven who before their closing with Christ by faith did not stand out against and reject many of his gracious invitations excepting such as were sanctified from the Womb. 'T is the Devil that puts it into thy mouth to say I have slighted many offers of grace therefore my day of grace is past and gone Do we not see by daily experience how Christ brings home some to himself in their old age who questionless in their youth and riper years turned many a deaf ear to his gracious invitations And that Christ is still willing and ready so to do appeareth by this that he continues his offers of grace though formerly neglected How oft would I have gathered thee saith Christ of Ierusalem 3. Christ hath several seasons of Conversion and Regeneration all come not in at the first hour of the day nor at the sixth hour Christ brings home some to himself in the latter end of their lives who have all the former part slighted and rejected his gracious invitations And therefore he will have them often renewed and tendred to poor sinners because though the time of some be to come in at the first offer yet the time of others is to come in upon renewed and multiplyed offers so that often renewing thy refusals is not an eternal prejudice 4. If thou art heartily sorry for thy former refusals and dost now unfeinedly desire to close with Christ I may with confidence say thy day of grace is not past For those affections wrought in thee by the Spirit of God are gracious hints that he intends thee good if yet thou wilt accept Such who have outstood their day are usually given up to a feared Conscience and reprobate mind and are hurried by the Devil to the committing of all manner of sin and wickedness and that with greediness and delight 5. Thou who fearest thy day of grace is past know this that if thou now findest in thy self a willingness to abandon thy former lusts and corruptions and to become a new creature to cast off the Devils service and to become the servant of the Lord Jesus thy day of grace is not past 6. It is evident thy day of grace is not past because the Lord hath not yet given over to strive with thee Is he not yet woing and beseeching thee by the Ministry of his Word by the motions of his Spirit to accept of the reconciliation purchased by the blood of his Son And doth not Christ himself stand knocking at the door of thine heart telling thee that if thou wilt open to him he will come in and sup with thee and thou with him It is yet the acceptable time and day of Salvation if thou wilt accept thou maist be accepted Say not foolishly my day is past but prove it is not so by coming in this day Harden not thine heart this day and thou shalt find God will not harden his ear against thy cry 7. Though thou hast long stood out yet know that God will not presently take the forfeiture of thee neither will Christ suddenly take his advantage against thee If the Lord were as hasty to punish sinners as they are forward to commit sin there would suddenly be an end of all And if Christ should be as forward to reject sinners as they are to reject him what hope of mercy were there But Christ is not so severe he is of great goodness and of great patience he makes tenders of grace and peace over and over again and waits our acceptance In which respect he is said to stand at their door and knock As knocking is usually a repetition of strokes so standing at the door and knocking implyeth his waiting for our opening Ah sinner doth Christ continue to renew his offers of grace and mercy unto thee and wilt
prophane men to be uncomfortable because all the causes of uncomfortableness are found on them as guilt of sin death in sin enmity against God alienation from Christ and therefore lyableness to all judgements and plagues here and to eternal death and condemnation hereafter Surely if carnal men understood themselves throughly they would find all both within and without them like Ezekiels roul nothing but lamentation mourning and woe CHAP. XVII The second branch of the Vse of Exhortation unto the Regenerate HAving done with the first branch of the Use of Exhortation unto the Unregenerate Come we now unto the second which concerneth the Regenerate and consisteth of divers heads 1. Admire and adore Gods special mercy and goodness in thy Regeneration Let thine heart be ravished with the consideration of his love to thee in Christ Jesus the bottom whereof cannot be fathomed by any Angel in Heaven And therefore well maist thou cry out Oh the heighth and the depth the length and the breadth of the love of God unto thy soul If David upon the consideration of the goodness of God to man in his Creation cryed out so affectionately Lord what is man that thou art mindfull of him and the son of man that thou visitest him Surely upon the consideration of Gods mercy unto thy soul in this work of new Creation hast not thou cause to say the like Lord what is man that thou art mindfull of him and the son of man that thou visitest him Lord what am I among the Sons of men that thou shouldest have respect to me That the Lord should pluck thee as a brand out of the fire that he should take thee into his special grace and favour when he left many millions of Men and Women to perish in their sins that he should make thee an heir of Heaven when he left so many to be fire-brands of hell that thy nature should be renewed and sanctified when others are left in their filth and pollution hast not thou unspeakable cause to sit down and admire the freeness of Gods grace and riches of his mercy towards thee Surely nothing but free Grace hath put this honour upon thee and put such a difference between thee and others For what did God see more in thee than in others to move him to set his special love on thee Oh cast thine eyes round about thee look upon thy neighbours who live under the same Ministery partake of the same Ordinances as thou dost and yet never felt the power and sweetness of them in their souls Let the abominable wickedness which thou daily seest in others fill thee with wonder at the loving kindness of the Lord to thee That the dew of his free Grace should fall upon thy soul when the hearts of so many about thee should be dry not having one drop of that dew upon them is not this a mercy to be admired Oh consider it and adore it and say Lord how is it that thou shouldst bestow thy grace on me and deny it to so many who in many respects are better than I That thy heart may be the more raised up in admiration of the mercy and goodness of God unto thee herein take notice of the manifold priviledges which do follow and accompany such as are Regenerated 1. The love and favour of God wherewith they are embraced Love is weighty and falleth downward from Father to Child Yea love in God is as a Fountain and spring-head and the channel or pipe in and through which it runneth is Christ now that spring continually floweth forth through that pipe to every Regenerate person Observe the love of earthly Parents to their Children how great how constant it is withall consider how far God exceeds them in his love even as far as he doth in greatness which is infinitely So as every Regenerate person may with assurance rest on the love of God his Father which cannot be but most sweet to the soul and exceeding comfortable For in Gods fatherly favour consisteth our happiness II. Union with Christ. For Christ is the head and by Regeneration we are his members The Apostle writing to the Corinthians who were born again by the Spirit saith Now are ye the body of Christ and members in particular meaning of the mystical body of Christ. This Union of the Regenerate with Christ is one of the great mysteries of our Christian faith and it is a Mysterie of an unspeakable comfort and consolation For by vertue of our Union with Christ God is our Father Christ is our Brother and our Husband and Head Heaven is our inheritance Angels are our attendants and guardians who are sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of Salvation These Angels are those Horses and Chariots of fire which were round about Elisha and which are also round about every member of Christ in all their dangers though they see them not If the eyes of the Regenerate were but opened to see their glorious attendants how would their hearts be comforted and cheered in all their distresses III. Adoption Such as are Regenerated are thereby the adopted Sons of God Whereas by natural propagation they were the children of wrath by this Regeneration they are the Children of grace being translated out of the Family of Satan into Gods own Family and in and through Christ they are made the adopted Sons of God Oh that the Lord would open our eyes to see this priviledge Behold saith St. Iohn what manner of Love the Father hath bestowed on us that we should be called the Sons of God The Apostle not being able to express the greatness of Gods love to us therein he breaks forth into an admiration thereof And truly well might he say Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed on us For here is not only love but love to admiration that we vile wretched sinfull creatures who were dead in sins and trespasses enemies to God by wicked works yea and children of wrath as well as others that we should be thus advanced in and by Christ as to be accounted not only servants which is much nor only friends which is more but also Sons and consequently heirs and co-heirs with Christ which is most of all IV. Christian freedom As it is the great unhappiness of the unregenerate that they are in a state of vasalage so it is the great happiness of the regenerate that they are in a state of freedom being freed 1. From Satan Though not from the assaults and temptations of Satan yet from the power of Satan For our Saviour Christ by his death hath destroyed him that had the power of death that is the Devil He hath now broken the Serpents head so that though he may hiss against us yet he cannot sting us though he may assault us yet he cannot overcome us and though he goeth about like a roaring Lion sâ—â—king whom he may devour yet Christ hath him in a
with a love unto him again It is not sufficient to think and think often of sin and the misery it hath implunged as in but we must so think thereof as to work our hearts to an hatred of sin and a fear of that wrath of God it hath exposed us and made us lyable to and to a looking after Jesus Christ who alone can free us from the guilt of our sins and from the punishment due unto us for the same This is a work of so great concernment and advantage as none can truly apprehend but such as have made tryal therein David who was a man full of Holy and Heavenly affections was full of Heavenly meditation And from the experience of that abundant sweetness and comfort he found therein doth often in his book of Psalms commend it unto others and pronounceth that man blessed who meditates in the Law of God day and night Let thy soul full often soar aloft upon the wings of divine contemplation Let not any solitary season pass away without some spiritual meditation and conference with thy God Either take a sorrowfull survey of thy manifold sins which may draw from thee as hearty grief for the same so hearty ejaculations for the pardon and forgiveness of them Or take a view of Gods blessings and favours towards thee and let this inlarge and raise up thine heart in praises and thanksgivings unto him Or bath thy self in an admiring commemoration of the meritorious blood of the immaculate Lamb Christ Jesus which was abundantly shed for the washing of thy body and soul from the filthy spots and stains of sin Seriously think what he hath done and suffered for thee how he hath fullfilled the Law and undergone the punishment due to thy sins and now in Heaven maketh intercession for thee by presenting himself an allsufficient Sacrifice unto his Father for thy sins Oh think with thy self what thou must have suffered for thy sins if he had not suffered for them What thou hadst been if he had not redeemed thee even a bondslave of Satan and fire-brand of hell Especially let thy soul full often meditate on the glorious things which the Lord hath reserved in Heaven for such as here do sincerely serve him and obey the Gospel of Iesus Christ. Oh think with thy self what a blessed thing it will be to live in the vision and fruition of God himself in whose presence there is fullness of joy and at whose right hand there are pleasures for evermore As also what an happiness it will be to behold the glorious body of Iesus Christ shining there with such incomprehensible beauty as shall infinitely delight the eyes of the beholders and that to all Eternity without satiety for the longer the Saints behold Christ the more they will be ravished with joy and delight Ponder likewise as on the excellent qualities wherewith thy soul and body shall be adorned in Heaven so on the excellency of that place which is set forth in Scripture by Pearls and precious stones And the more to set off this glory and blessedness oft consider with thy self the deplorable state of the damned in hell who feel nothing for the present but wrath and vengeance and can expect nothing for the future but the fuller Vials of Gods indignation to be powred on them to all Eternity Such considerations as these will serve as notable helps to draw and keep thine heart Heaven-ward and to turn all the streams of thy desires and longings towards the God of glory But oh how many Christians are there who having an hope towards God and some confidence of their interest in things above do notwithstanding converse but very little with them Their thoughts are seldome on Heaven or Heavenly things that notwithstanding all their confidence they may well question whether their treasure be there Consider Reader As before the Lord whether this be not thine own case Thou canst not be ignorant that an heart estranged from Heaven hath little evidence that he hath any part or place therein And wilt thou yet perswade thy self that God is thine when thou carest no more for him Dost thou highly prize an Heavenly mind and account them the best and the happiest Christians that are much in Heaven and yet is it not grievous to thee to find that thou didst never in all thy life it may be or but very seldome fix thy thoughts thereon for a quarter of an hour together but hast many and many a time suffered the Devil to run away with thy thoughts and to detain them on this dunghill below Certainly it were better the Devil had power to run away with thine estate than with thy thoughts and to order their motions at his pleasure Oh the multitude of Worldly and covetous thoughts of wanton and unclean thoughts of proud and ambitious thoughts of wicked and prophane thoughts yea of blaspheamous and atheistical thoughts that lodge in the hearts of most of us and there Revel it day and night Oh the speculative filthiness and contemplative uncleanness that not only harbours but likewise find hearty wellcome and entertainment there Surely friend thou hadst best look to thy self and get thy heart cleared of these evill guests thy vile and vain thoughts drive away these birds of prey and then the thoughts of God will be more familiar and precious to thee That thou maist get up to this Heavenly-mindedness take these directions 1. Humble thy self unfeignedly for thy great strangeness to God and Heaven that thou hast so rarely set thine heart on things above And for the time to come let it be thy special care and endeavour to habituate thy self to Spiritual and Heavenly Meditations frequently to steep thy soul in Heavens delights 2. When thou findest thy mind and thoughts to be ridden by the Devil and carryed away from God lift up thine heart by earnest and fervent prayer unto him who is the Father of Spirits and hath power over Devils and begg of him that as by his permission he hath suffered the unclean Spirit to enter into thee so he would command him speedily to depart from thee that thy mind might be free for its proper work For he only can cast down imaginations and every thing that exalteth it self against the knowledge of God and bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. 3. Work thy heart to a perfect detestation of all vain and wicked thoughts that thou maist be able to say with David I hate vain thoughts This will highten thy resolutions to a greater watchfulness against them for the time to come and to use thine utmost endeavour to drive them away so that though they may arise in thine heart yet they may not lodge there And know this for thy comfort that those vain and wicked thoughts which thou dost from thine heart hate and detest shall not be laid to thy charge at the great day of account 4. Above all things keep a watch over
governed by him and we must as willingly cast our selves at the feet of Christ in subjection to him as into the arms of Christ for salvation from him we must be as willing to serve Jesus Christ as to be saved by him The purpose of God in freeing us from the spiritual bondage in which we were by nature being this that we should serve him without fear in holiness and righteousness all the dayes of our lives Vainly therefore do they deceive themselves who are willing to receive Christ as a Redeemer but not as a Ruler as a Saviour but not as a Lord and King Let such know that Christ will be a Saviour to none to whom he is not a Lord and King His subjects alone and none other will he save for he will not part his Offices In the last place is added And rest upon him alone for the pardon of our sins here and for eternal life and Salvation hereafter This resting on Christ we find is set forth in Scripture by sundry Phrases as a trusting in Christ Eph. 1.12 And a leaning on Christ Cant. 8.5 A staying our sâ—lves upon him Isa. 50.10 Q What are those espâ—cial benefits which believers receive from Christ A. 1. Justification 2. Adoption 3. Sanctification That justification is by faith the Apostle concludeth Rom. 3.28 We conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the Law Q. What is Iustification A. Justification is an act of Gods free grace whereby he forgives us all our sins and accepts of us as righteous in and for the righteousness of Jesus Christ imputed to us That justification is an act of Gods free grace The Apostle expresseth Rom. 3.24 Being justified freâ—ly by his grace And that God accepts us as righteous in and for the Righteousness of Jesus Christ is clear from Rom. 5.19 As by one mans disobedience many were made sin-ers So by the Obedieâ—ce or righteousness of oâ—e namely Christ shall many be made righteous that is perfectly righteous so as God shall accept them for righteous We are justified not by any inherent righteousness of our own which is imperfect but by the perfect righteousness of Christ imputed to us and by God himself accounted ours 2 Cor. 5.21 He made him to be sin for us who knew no sin that we might be made the righteousâ—â—ss of God in him that is in Christ. In which words is expresly noted that we are so made righteous before God in Christ as he was made a sinner for us Now how was Christ made a sinner for us Namely by imputation according to that of the Prophet Isa. 53.6 The Lord hath laid on him the iâ—iquity of us all God accounted our sins his and accordingly he was punished as a sinner And so he accounts his righteousness ours and in that respect we are righteous before God The Lord accounting us as righteous through Christs righteousness as if we had kept the whole Law Admirabâ—e is the comfort which a believers soul receiveth from this point of his juâ—tification before God For so soon as he beâ—ieveth even while he liveth in this World he is thus justified in Gods sight Hereby therefore is he upheld against the afflicting sense of the imperfection of his own righteousness For though his own righteousness be but as filthy rags yet this is his comfort that he is righteous in the sight and account of God by the perfect righteousness of Jesus Christ imputed to him Q Which are the parts of Iustification A. 1. Remission of all our sins 2. Acceptation of us as righteous through the imputation of Christs Righteousness Rom. 4.6 7 8. 1. Our sins make us odious and abominable in the sight of God yea they make us cursed and lyable to eternal damnation they therefore are first taken away not that they are not or that God seeth them not but in that God imputeth them not to us 2 Cor. 5.19 2. God to make us glorious in his sight imputes his Sons righteousness unto us and therein accepts us In which respect we are said to be made righteous by Christs righteousness Rom. 5.19 and to be made accepted in the beloved Eph. 1.6 By laying these two parts of our justification together the transcendent love of Christ to believers is clearly set out For 1. That which is our own namely our sins because they make us miserable he taketh from us and layeth on himself He was made sin for us 2 Cor. 5.21 2. That which is none of our own because without it we cannot be happy he imputes to us and accounts ours and accepts of us as if it were our own namely his own perfect righteousness For â—aith the Apostle We are made the righteousness of God in him 2 Cor. 5.21 Q. What is Adoption A. Adoption is an act of Gods free-grace whereby of Children of Wrath and of the Devil we are made the Children of God Ioh. 1.12 We are not only accounted Children and taken into the number of the seed of God but are invested with all the priviledges of the Children of God Rom. 8.17 Q. What is Sanctification A. Sanctification is a work of Gods Spirit whereby a justified person is by degrees renewed throughout according to the Image of God in holiness and righteousness First Sanctification is said to be a work of Gods Spirit because he is the principal author and efficient cause thereof Whereby a justified person is renewed I add a justified person because Justification and Sanctification alwayes go together Though Justification be before in Nature yet are they both wrought at the same time The Lord accounteth no man righteous by imputing Christs righteousness unto him but he makes him also righteous by a righteousness inherent in himself Is renewed by the work of Sanctification a man is morally made a new man and as it were another man All things are become new 2 Cor. â— 17 He hath new thoughts new desires new dispositions This renewing is by degrees that is by little and little and not all at once Indeed we are justified at once but we are Sanctified by degrees In which respect Sanctification is compared to the light which shineth more and more unto the perfect day Prov. 4.18 And Eph. 4.26 To the body of a man which groweth and encreaseth in stature and strength till it be come to the perfection of it Even so our Sanctification encreaseth by degrees we go on from grace to grace from vertue to vertue till we be perfect men of full growth in Christ Jesus This renewiâ—g as it is by degrees so it is throughout that is within and without in all the faculties of the soul and parts of the body And that according to the Image of God in holiness and righteousness So that a Christian by the life of Sanctification lives like unto God at least he hath an holy disposition and inclination and heartily endeavours so to do to be holy as God is holy and as the Apostle speaketh Rom.
faithfull is he that promiseth We read how under the Law God commanded by Moses concerning him that voweth or promiseth any thing to the Lord that he shall not break his word but shall do according to all that proceedeth out of his mouth And shall the Lord say and not do it Shall he promise and not perform it Surely it is as possible for him not to be as not to keep his word and not to perform what he hath promised Indeed the Lord many times maketh his Children wait long for the accomplishment of his promises Yet he never faileth to be as good as his Word Which duly considered cannot but strengthen our faith in the firm expectation of all good things promised and enable us quietly and contentedly to rest and repose our selves in God for the accomplishment of what he hath promised and not to doubt thereof though he seem long to deferr the performance of them 3. His infinite Wisdom whereby he dispenseth the good things contained in his promises in their fitest time and season whenas they shall make most for his own glory and his Childrens good Farr be it therefore from us to prescribe unto God the time and season for the performance of his promises But let us rather resolve with patience to wait his appointed time and season who is infinite in Wisdom and so knoweth what is best and convenient for us even better than we our selves Thus did the Church Our eyes wait upon the Lord our God untill he have mercy upon us Therefore as the Lord speaketh by the Prophet Isay He that believeth shall not make haste because he is assured by faith that though he have not the thing he desireth at his own time yet he shall have it in that time which God in his Wisdom knoweth to be best for him whenas it shall make most for his good II. Consider the good success believers have found upon their living by faith how things have fallen out according to their hope and expectation It is recorded of Abraham that he lived by faith in Gods promise to him of a Son being fully perswaded that what he had promised he was able to perform And God accordingly did perform the same unto him Look into the Histories of the Kings of Iudah and Israel and you shall find that according to their trust in God and faith in his promises was their success and deliverance Our Fathers trusted in thee they trusted and thou didst deliver them they trusted in thee and were not confounded And saith David of himself The Lord is my strength and my Shield my heart trusted in him and I was helped What an encouragement must this needs be unto us to trust in God and live by faith in his promises Seeing he never failed such Faith in the promises being like the bow of Ionathan and Sword of Saul which never returned empty but allwayes finds what it seeks and enjoyes what it desires III. Take notice of the particular fruits of living by faith recorded in Scripture some whereof are these 1. Protection from things hurtfull Though Daniel was cast into a Den of Lyons yet it is said that no manner of hurt was found in him And this reason is rendred thereof Because he believed in Gods Word by faith relying on his power whom he knew was able to deliver him 2. Provision of needfull good things Therefore the Apostle exhorteth to trust in the living God and that on this ground he giveth us richly all things to enjoy namely all such things as he in his Wisdom seeth to be needfull for us And to set out Gods bounty in providing for such as live by faith in his promises the Wise man faith He that putteth his trust in the Lord shall be made fat that is he shall not only have such a competency as is absolutely necessary to preserve life or to keep body and soul together but also such plenty and abundance as will make him fat and well-liking 3. Comfort in every condition is another fruit of living by faith in Gods promises The promises of God in his Word are the Christians Cordials to cheer up his fainting spirits when he is ready to sink They are his aqua-vitae to revive him when he is ready to swound They are breasts of consolation full of sweet nourishment for the faint and weak They are Sacred and sure Anchors in the tempestuous seasons of trouble and affliction to stay and six believers amidst all tossings whatsoever They are roses that blow in the Winter which with their fragrancy revive drooping and dejected souls in the sad Winter of their desertion when the verdure of all other comforts wither and drop like leaves that are bitten with the frost This David found in his own experience for faith he thy promises are my comfort in my affliction for thy Word hath quickned me Whereas the best of the Worlds comforts are only applicable to some particular condition the comforts of the promises are universal such as agree with every estate and suit every malady and therefore apt to relieve the soul of a believer in every condition though never so sad and disconsolate So that the Christian who lives by faith in Gods promises many times walks more cheerfully under sore fiery troubles than others in the Sun-shine of Worldly prosperity The three Children walked to and fro with more joy in the fiery Furnace than Nebuchadaezzar in his stately Pallace 4. Contentment in our present state and condition is another Fruit of living by faith A Believer is like a dye that hath four squares throw it which way you will it falls upon a bottome Let God cast a Believer into what condition he pleaseth he still falleth upon his bottom of contentment he will be contented with his present state believing it to be ordered by God as in Wisdom so in much mercy and goodness unto him CHAP. XXIV Of Heavenly-mindedness ANother singular duty incumbent upon the Regenerate is to be spiritually minded by a frequent contemplation of spiritual and Heavenly things It is not some few slitting transient thoughts on God or Heaven wherein this duty consists but thoughts resting and fixing on some spiritual subject The truth is the thoughts of all men fly up and down like birds in the aire or chaff in the wind and some of these may light sometimes on God or Heaven but they are soon off and fixed on some worldly matter or some impertinencies or other and therefore cannot denominate a man to be spiritually-minded which is another manner of business than many are aware of It 's a thinking with thought upon thought a reiteration and multiplication of the thoughts of the mind upon God and the things of God and this in order to the affecting the heart deeply with them It is not sufficient to think and think oft of the love and goodness of God but we must labour to get our hearts inflamed
sins subjects to yield a voluntary subjection of our selves unto the commands of sin Q. How may we know when corruption is mortified in us A. When it is not only restrained and kept from such ordinary breakings out into actual sins but the lusts and motions that issue from it are a grief to us yea we hate and detest them and groan under the burden of them we watch against them fight against them earnestly desiring to be delivered from them crying out with the Apostle O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of sin and corruption For the more profitable pressing this so necessary and difficult a duty I shall 1. Shew you some Motives and arguments to enforce the same 2. Some Means whereby it may be effected 3. The Manner how it ought to be performed The Reasons forcing this work of Mortification upon the Regenerate are these 1. After Regeneration there remaineth a body of sin and corruption in the best which if we endeavour not by the help of Gods Spirit to mortifie and subdue will gather strength and become mighty to the great hinderance of our duty and darkning all our comfort 2. Corruption doth not only remain in us as long as we live in this World but it is alwayes in continual work either stirring us up to evil or keeping us from that which is good or defiling our best actions In which respect saith the Apostle the flesh lusteth against the Spirit And from his own experience he cryeth out I see another Law in my members warring against the Law of my mind and bringing me into captivity to the Law of sin which is in my members so that I cannot do the good which I would but rather do the evil which I hate How doth it then concern us daily and hourly to fight and strive against these lusts which are continually working and warring in our members hindering and spoiling all our duties breaking our peace undermining all our hopes and comforts and seeking our lives we must either kill or be killed 3. By a conscionable performance of this duty we shall be freed from those hainous and scandalous sins into which other mens lusts do carry them Should corruption have its way and course without resistance in the best of us it would soon break forth into the most loathsome and disgracefull sins that are committed by the very worst of men as we see in David Solomon and others Is it not then needfull for us to keep down and withstand the first motions and risings of sin in our hearts before it break forth into such wicked and disgracefull acts which will blast our credit and reputation and bring a scandal upon our Religion and profession 4. Mortification of sin was one special end of Christs death who dyed to save his people from their sins not to save them in their sins but from their sins as from the guilt and punishment so from the power of them And indeed whom Christ delivers from the damnation of sin he first delivers also from the dominion of sin Whom he intends to save from hell he first saveth them from iniquity he saves their souls by killing their sins If thou findest any lust to remain unmortified in thee bearing rule in thine heart and sway in thy life thou hast just cause to question thy interest in Christ and his salvation They that are Christs have Crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts II. The Means whereby the work of Mortification may be effected by us are these I. When thou feelest corruption working in thee and stirring thee up to evil then call to mind and lay to heart the ensuing considerations 1. Consider the shortness of the pleasure of sin with the length of the punishment following thereupon without true and unfeined repentance The one for a moment the other everlasting The pleasure is but short but the punishment is for ever and ever The torments of the damned in hell are intensively most grievous in themselves but that which mainly and infinitely adds to the greatness of them is because they are eternal They are tormented day and night for ever and ever The Worm is alwayes gnawing and the fire continually burning therefore called unquenchable fire Oh what a folly must it then needs be yea and madness beyond admiration for the short fruition of these perishing pleasures and transient contentments here to implunge our selves into everlasting burnings Oh how terrible is the thought of eternity in those tormenting flames where the damned would think themselves happy if after they had endured them so many thousand years as there are Sands on the Sea-shore or Stars in the Firmament they might then be assured of enlargement But when all that time is past and innumerable millions of years and ages are run out they are as far from an end as at their first entrance Why wilt thou then purchase a little sensual delight at so dear a rate for a moments pleasure to incurr everlasting woe and misery O the fire of hell if thou wouldst send down thy thoughts thither would burn up thy Lusts which otherwise will be the fuel to burn thy soul. 2. Consider thy extream folly in gratifying thy sinfull Lusts thereby thou hast chosen and preferred thy fleshly pleasure thy carnal content before the glory of God the everlasting joyes of Heaven and the precious blood of Jesus Christ. Oh monstrous madness and unconceivable folly at which the Angels blush and Heaven and Earth cannot but stand amazed 3. Call to mind and consider some of the threatnings in Gods Word as against sin in general so against that particular Lust which thou findest most working and stirring in thee and unto which thou findest strongest inclinations in thy self First Call to mind and consider sâ—me of the threatnings against sin and sinners in general Upon the wicked saith the Psalmist God shall rain fire and brimstone and an horrible tempest this shall be the portion of their cup. And saith the Apostle Indignation and wrath tribulation and anguish upon every soul of man that doth evil Secondly When thou findest any inclination in thy self to a particular sin as unto drunkenness seriously consider that of the Wise man who hath woe who hath sorrow who hath contentions c. they that tarry long at the Wine they that go to seek mixt Wine When thou findest any inclination or temptation unto uncleanness seriously weigh that of the Apostle Be not deceived neither Fornicators nor Idolaters nor Adulterers nor Effeminate shall inherit the Kingdom of God And again Whoremongers and Adulterers God will judge When thou findest any inclinations unto Covetousness call to mind that of the Prophet Isaiah Wo unto them that joyne house to house and lay field to field till there be no place and that of the Apostle The love of money is the root of all evil which while some have
coveted after they have erred from the faith and pierced themselves thorow with many sorrows As God hath in his Word denounced severe threatnings against many sins so a serious consideration of them will be a special means to mortifie the same and keep them at least from raigning in us 4. Call to mind the fearfull judgements God hath executed upon sinners as the drowning of the old World the raining fire and brimstone from Heaven upon Sodom and Gomorrah the rejection of the Iews the destruction of those famous Churches of the Corinthians Galathians Ephesians with divers others Consider likewise the remarkable judgements of God executed upon notorious sinners in thine own dayes for their swearing sabbath-breaking whoring drinking and the like which through Gods blessing may prove a special Means to keep down all sinfull lusts and inordinate affections that they break not forth into outward gross acts 5. Consider the deceitfull nature of sin which allureth thee with shews of pleasure profit credit ease and the like but in the end it bites like a Serpent and stingeth like an Adder and then thou wilt perceive how thou art beguiled and deceived Horrour of Conscience and hellish torment is all it will pay thee instead of the pleasure it promiseth thee loss instead of profit even the loss of Heaven and happiness shame and disgrace instead of credit anguish instead of ease tribulation and anguish shall be upon every soul of man that doth evil Iacob complained of Labans deceit about his wages and what wilt thou think of thy wages when the pay-day comes The wages of sin is death wilt thou not then say the Serpent hath beguiled me this sin hath deceived me Be not such a fool as to take the word of a known deceiver away with it crucifie it for it intends thee mischief Be undeceived betimes how dreadfull will it be if nothing but fire and â—â—â—mstone will bring thee to thy wits If thou wilt noâ— see the treachery of sin till it be too late to escape it 6. When thou feelest corruption working and stirring in thee entising thee to sin seriously consider the manifold sufferings and bitter death of our blessed Saviour Iesus Christ on the Cross whereof our sins were the cause These were they that lay heavy upon his soul and made him exceeding sorrowfull even unto death These were the thorns which pricked his Temples the whips which scourged his innocent body and the nails which fastned his hands and feet to the Cross. And can we love our sins which kil'd our Saviour we complain of Iudas and of the Iews for Crucifying him and seem to hate them upon that account But behold the Iudas in thy heart and in thy life thy sins these are the betrayers and murderers Oh never leave looking up to a Crucified Christ till thou feel and find both arguments enough to engage thy heart against them and vertue flow from him to the Crucifying of them To this end reason thus with thy self Hath Christ paid for my Redemption his most precious Blood and shall I sell my soul to sin again for this fleshly pleasure or base profit what is this but to Crucifie the Lord of life afresh For know assuredly so many sins as thou committest wittingly and with delight so many thorns dost thou again fasten upon his head so many nailes dost thou drive into his hands and feet so many spears dost thou thrust into his heart Certainly a serious consideration of these things cannot but be a special means to set thee heartily upon this work of Mortification 7. Consider how frail and mortal thou art subject to death every moment and woe be unto thee if thou dye before thy sins be slain How darest thou adventure upon thy Lusts and the pleasures of sin when as thou maist suddenly be taken out of the Land of the living and cast into hell while thou art acting thy wickedness Even then when thou art blessing thy self in thy pleasures or the gains of unrigâ—â—eousness thou maist hear that voice Thou fool 〈◊〉 night thy soul shall be taken from thee Didst thou but seriously consider as the cerrainty of thy death so the uncertainty of the time thereof thou wouldst not but be afraid of sinning once more lest God should strike thee dead in the very act and thou have no time left for repentance Oh pray with the Psalmist that God would teach thee to number thy dayes and this will make thee apply thine heart unto Wisdom 8. Consider that sin will be thy destruction and nothing besides it can harm thee It is not in the power of all the men and Devils in the World to destroy the soul of any man Temptations can do nothing but by the advantage of corruption 't is that wounds mortally our immortal spirit and brings it into that cursed state where though it never dyeth yet is it alwayes dying though never quite dead yet ever in the pangs of death Oh what prodigious cruelty must it then needs be for such things of nought to betray thy precious soul to an eternal loss when if thou wouldst be perswaded to secure this enemy Sin thou mightest live and be blessed in spite of men and Devils And wilt thou yet be in league with it wilt thou let it live Shall not thy soul be avenged of such an enemy as this Arise arise set upon thy sins upon them all let not thy soul spare any one of them give no quarter to them let not any iniquity lodge in peace with thee one night more lest thou be a dead man before the morning Thus have I commended to thee several considerations to restrain thee from sin which by the help of God may serve to imbitter the sweetest bait that draws thee to it and to cool the heat of the most furious inticements When therefore thou feelest corruption working and stirring in thee call to mind the forementioned considerations fix thy thoughts on them let them not go off untill they begin to have a powerfull influence upon thy soul. II. Another means on our part to be performed for the mortifying our sinfull Lusts is carefully to eschew all occasions of sin and temptations thereunto He who will dally with occasions of sin is in danger of falling He who will venture upon temptations unto wickedness is not far from commission of it Observe therefore what occasions and opportunities what means and company have at any time given advantage to thy Lust to exert and put forth it self and flie from them as from Hell This is a point of true spiritual wisdom to see sin afar off in the occasions of it and by eschewing the one to prevent the other III. Observe the first working of corruption in thine heart and carefully suppress the same not suffering it to get the least ground Do not say thus far it shall go and no farther Give sin an inch and it will soon take an ell as the proverb is Lustfull thoughts have