12 13. Can babes work and yet if they die in that estate they shall not misse of glory 1 Job 2. 12. It is one thing to be justified and another to be sanctified so it is one thing to live another to be borne and to worke is distinct from both there is as much difference between some of the Lords as there is betwixt willing and doing some are termed carnall 1 Cor. 3. 1. others spirituall Thou maist be begotten but not borne if in bondage and then it is not the season of growing as another season is If thou beest ignorant or in temptation thy understanding is clouded and thy heart being distempered with feare so as Job 23. 8 9. and thou art not fit to judge of thy growth is a new borne babe 1 Pet. 2. 2. fit to judge of its growth Also consider it may be thou art in Gods way and so thou doest not use his meanes or not rightly consider Psal 1. 3. with Song 4. 12. there thou shalt grow I am much tempted by Satan that I have no grace Satan tempts Christs babes to cast away their confidence which is forbidden Heb. 10. 35. therefore if Satan tell yee that yee have no faith thou maist reply if I have it not in the act to my knowledge I may have it in the grace it selfe if he say that he knows and you know you have no grace at all Reply the Devill knows not and if I should thinke so I may be deceived as fire raked up in ashes appeares not and gives neither light nor heat so corruption doth hide and obscure grace 1 Cor. 3. 1. And if I have no grace why let yee me not alone as yee doe others and as yee did me when I tooke my fill of sin then ye told me I had faith when I had none I have found yee a lyer therefore I will not hearken unto you and I am the more confident I have grace because ye tell me I have none He is a lyer and the father of it Joh. 8. 44. But suppose I have no grace there is no reason why I should despaire because every one of the Lords were once without grace in the estate of nature At that time yee were without Christ being aliens from the common-wealth of Israel strangers c. having no hope and withouâ— God in the world but now in Christ Jesus yee who sometimes were afar off are made nigh by the bloud of Christ Eph. 2. 12 13. which in time past were not a people but are now the people of God which had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy 1 Pet. 2. 10. Many are ordained unto eternall life which did not actually beleeve nor had any grace at all I nor any doe not know but I may be one of them also therefore I know no reason to despaire nor will despaire doe me any good it is better to use the means wait upon God trust him with my soule if mercy come I shall be happy and shall have cause to praise him There is nothing too hard for God Lord if thou wilt thou canst make me cleane Jer. 32. 17. Mat. 8. 2. I cannot pray nor doe any thing to purpose therefore I have no grace Unbeliefe deads the heart and hinders thy living upon Christs strength It is so with thee that thou mightst see a need of Christ Joh. 15. 5. and live upon him who hath promised to be a full supply to his If God hath given thee a desire to obey him say not it is nothing because God saith it's something 2 Cor. 8. to 11. he gives this and if this be all thou hast it is accepted vers 12. and he will grant thy desire He will fulfill the desire of them that feare him he also will heare their cry and will save them Psal 119. 19. Christ will not quench the smoaking flâ—x Isai 42. When we see no fire we know there is fire by the smoake holy desires cannot be in a soule that hath no grace Psal 145. 19. Desire after grace is an act of spirituall life an act is from a faculty a faculty is from life and being a dead man cannot desire none can desire that which they beleeve not to be nor that they doe not love desires if spirituall they flow from faith love and are a part of what it desires A will to obey may be all that a beleever can find in himselfe at some time To will is present with me but how to performe that which is good I find not for the good I would I doe not but the evill I would not that I doe Rom. 7. 18 19 20 21. Presse after obedience to God yet know our greatest holinesse cannot justifie us before God For by grace are yee saved through faith and that not of your selves c. Not of workes lest any man should boast Ephes 2. 8 9. Even the strongest of the Lords are but weake creatures and the highest perfection they can attaine unto in this life is a fight of our imperfections and a desire and endeavour to obey and to live upon Christ by faith see Phil. 2. 12 13. And was not Paul one of the most strongest beleevers see Rom. 8. 37 38 39. yet what saith he of himselfe and his words are the word of God That which I doe I allow not for what I would that I doe not but what I haâ—e that doe I To will is present with me c. Rom. 7. 14. to 25. He had no power to doe what he would yet he lived by faith in the Sonne of God Gal. 2. 20. I find no willingnesse to duties I find no relish in them so that I often omit them Unwillingnesse to duties argueth much corruption from whence omissions often flow God may have begun his work in thee although it be thus with thee it may arise from divers causes as from unbeliefe doubting of acceptance of person and dutie and it 's no wonder if such have little list to obey also eying infirmities and not Christ also with them and not exercising grace especially faith little love to Christ loving temporall things deads the heart and makes it carnall weaknesse of grace or from Gods not affording present strength sloath and ease that slayeth the soule undiscreet doing duties out of their season ignorance of the nature of duties and what God requires in some causes ignorance of the sweetnesse of spirituall duties So the soules sicknesse which hinders the soules relish of spirituall things also weaknesse of body is a great enemy to action My flesh and my heart fayles but God is the strength of my heart and my portion for ever Psal 73. 26. he never fayles Surely I am deceived I have no grace because I am not able to subdue my passions This declares rather weaknesse of grace then otherwise and it 's certain it is not from a want of truth of grace if
eate or what yee shall drinke nor yet for your body what yee shall put on is not the life more then meate and the body then rayment Behold the fowles of the ayre they neither sow nor reape nor gather into barnes yet God feedeth them are yee not much better then they O yee of little faith Which of you by taking thought can adde one oubit unto his stature Take no thought for after these things seek the Gentiles you heavenly Father knoweth that yee have need of these things Mat. 6. 25. to the end see Rom. 8. 32. Luk. 12. 15. Cast all your care upon him for he careth for you be carefull for nothing but in every thing let your requests he made known to God with thankesgiving Phil. 4. 6. 1 Pet. 5. 7. Let your conversation be without covetousnesse and be content with such things as yee have for he hath said I will never leave thee nor forsake thee Heb. 13. 5. In thy ignorance consider Wee have such an high Priest as can have compassion on the ignorant Heb. 5. 2. If any want wisdome let him aske it of God who gives liberally and it shall be given him but let him aske in faith without wavering Jam. 1. 5. Having fallen into passion to keepe thee from sinking under it consider what the Apostles said Wee are also men of like passions with you Acts 14. 15. Elias was a man subject to the like passions as we are c. Jam. 5. 17. And so of all other infirmities He will heale all thy diseases c. Psal 103. 8. If wee did live in Christ by faith more our infirmities would be lesse For a supply of all wants My God shall supply all you need according to his riches by Christ Jesus Phil. 4. 6. 19. Christ is able and will supply all our wants 5. The life of faith for graces and in the exercise of them To beleeve They shall trust in the Name of the Lord Zeph. 3. 12. This is his Commandment that yee should beleeve on the Name of his Sonne Jesus Christ 1 Joh. 3. 23. To increase in faith They shall grow from faith to faith Rom. 1. 17. To live by faith The just shall live by faith Rom. 1. 17. To continue in the faith He that beleeves in me though he were dead yet shall be live c. Luk. 22. 32. 1 Pet. 1. 5. In exercise of faith Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on thee because he trusts in thee Isa 26. 3. Joh. 11. 25. 7. 38 39. He is a buckler to all them that trust in him Psal 18. 30. He that puts his trust in the Lord mercy shall compasse him about Psal 32. 10. To know God Thou shalt know the Lord Pro. 1. 23. They shall all know mee Jer. 31. 33 34. To love God Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart Mat. 22. 17. The Lord thy God will circumcise thy heart that thou maist love him with all thy heart and soule Deut. 30. 6. I have declared thy Name that thy love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them Joh. 17. 26. In loving God He that loves me shall be loved of my Father and I will love him and manifest my selfe unto him and dwell with him Joh. 14. 21. 23. To seeke God That they should seeke the Lord Act. 17. 27. Seeke yee the Lord. In seeking God Blessed are all they that seeke him with their whole heart Psal 119. 2. The Lord hath not forsaken them that seeke him Psal 9. 10. Your hearts shall live that seeke him Psal 69. 32. They shall praise the Lord that seeke him Psal 22. 26. They that seeke the Lord shall not want any good thing To feare God I will put my feare in their hearts and they shall not depart from me Jer. 32. 39 40. They shall feare the Lord and his goodnesse in the latter dayes Hosea 3. 5. In fearing God The Lord takes pleasure in them that feare him Psal 147. 11. He that feares the Lord him shall he teach the way that he shall choose Psal 25. 12. There is no want to them that feare him viz. feare lest they sinne against him Psal 34. 9. He will blesse them that feare the Lord both small and great Psal 115. 13. To hope in God In hoping in God The Lord takes pleasure in those that hope in his mercy Ps 147. 11. Wee are saved by hope Rom. 8. 24. Happy is he whose hope is in the Lord Ps 146. 5. Be of good courage he shall strengthen your hearts all yee that hope in the Lord Ps 31. 24. To waite on God Waite I say on the Lord and he shall strengthen thy heart Psal 27. 14. In waiting on God They shall not be ashamed that waite for me Blessed are they that waite for him Since the beginning of the world men have not heard nor perceived by the eare neither hath the eye seene O God besides thee what he hath prepared for them that waite for him Isa 49. 23. Isa 30. 18. 1 Cor. 2. 9. To delight and rejoyce in God Thou shalt have thy delight in the Almightie thou shalt rejoyce in God in thy Name shall they rejoyce all the day our hearts shall rejoyce in him Isa 41. 16. Psal 89. 16. Psal 33. 21. To praise God The living he shall praise thee daily shall he be praised they shall praise the Lord who so offereth mee praise glorifieth me Isa 38. 19. Psal 72. 15. Psal 63. 3. Psal 22. 26. Psal 50. 23. To injoy peace with God Let him take hold on my strength that he may make peace with me and he shall make peace with me Isa 27. 5. To love the Saints This is his Commandement that we should love one another 1 Joh. 3. 23. Little children love one another see that yee love one another with a pure heart fervently 1 Joh. 4. 7. 1 Pet. 2. 22. By this shall all men know that yee be my Disciples if yee love one another Joh. 13. 35. 1 Joh. 3. 14. To love enemies Love your enemies doe good lend hoping for nothing againe and your reward shall be great c. Mat. 5. 43 44. Luk. 6. 35. To judge our selves They shall judge themselves worthy to be destroyed Judge your selves and yee shall not be judged Ezek. 36. 31. 2 Cor. 11. 31. To mourne for sinning against God I will powre upon them the Spirit of grace and they shall mourne Your sorrow shall be turned into joy Blessed are they that mourn in faith for they shall be comforted Zech. 12. 10. Joh. 16. 20. Mat. 5. 4. In poverty of spirit To him will I look saith God that is poore and of a contrite spirit c. Blessed are the poore in spirit for theirs is the kingdome of heaven Isa 66. 2. Mat. 5. 3. In desires after Christ c. Hoe every one that thirsteth come yee to the waters and drinke if any man thirst let him come to me and drinke
like Christ Great crosses are good physicke for great stomackes Contentment Earthly contents are present to our sense No earthly thing can give content Joy in God breeds content So much as wee deny our selves so much contentment we have Contemplation Divine contemplation makes us high in thoughts and rich in expectation Contemplation of Gods free love and the soules interest in it doth revive raise and inlarge the soule To contemplate on the things above is most pleasant of all things to them who have tasted the sweetnesse of them Covetousnesse Such as are not contented with that they have are covetous Distrust of God causeth covetousnesse which is the root of all evill So much as we are discontented with our estates so much covetousnesse there is in us Covetousnesse doth us and others more hurt then we are aware of Such as thinke themselves least covetous are most covetous A child of God knows not how to be revenged upon his selfe for his covetousnesse of the things of this world Contraries Every contrary the more it is resisted the more it appeares Deadnesse of spirit Deadnesse of heart is an enemy to action he that will support diligence must support chearfulnesse deadnesse is the grave of many graces Such as come to God unchearfully oft returne unthankfully Spirituall deadnesse is a great griefe to a childe of God Delayes Delayes a rise from sloath The more we delay the more we may By deferring wee presume upon that we have not and neglect that we have To morrow to morrow cozens many a man Death Death hath something to say to every man and would faine be heard but men are not at leisure Every man must dye The day of death is the first day of life He whose hopes are in heaven is not much afraid of death Death is to him no misery whose hope is in eternitie Death when it seemes to dispossesse a Saint of all it possesseth him of all things Such as are spiritually dead are not aware of it they onely mind and savour the things of the flesh Difficulties Difficulties are discouragements and handsome excuses are welcome to a sloathfull heart Love will carry on through all difficulties and to undergoe all manner of torments Dreames An evill dreame shews some evill that prevailes in the heart By dreames God may foreshew some sin to come which we are in danger to fall into which we are not afraid of Selfe-deniall They live the sweetest lives that most deny themselves There are very few that do deny themselves but many can deny Christ and his truth Selfe may be denyed a little in one kinde if it may please selfe much in another Distractions Distractions of minde in duties is either from our minding other things or resting in our own strength or from a not serious setting our minds on the thing propounded by us for that which the heart is throughly set upon it is so attentive to it that it can be present to no other thing at that instant especially to hinder the thing in hand The want of a wise ordering and dispatch of businesse causeth a great distraction in men Duties It is no wonder some doe so much because they expect heaven for what they doe Such duties as flow not from faith and love are legall and slavish Many will own and confesse their dutie in the generall that will wholly deny it in particular especially when it concernes themselves A beleever as he is a beleever he doth fetch all from God refer all unto God and doe all for God Examples The examples of men is not to be any rule to walke by Mens example is very forcible when it is universall The worst examples are most observed Excuses When we have sinned Satan and our corruptions help us to cover it with excuses which is to cover a lesser evill with a greater It is easie to frame an excuse for any evill Education Good education doth oft cause an outward reformation Evill education is a great provocation to sinne Excesses Men doe too little or too much men love extreames as many eate too little or too much worke too little or too much Most men are drowned in adversitie or drunke with prosperitie Extraordinary For men not to seeke themselves is extraordinary To practise the truth against great opposition to be the more humbled by knowledge and to goe against custome is extraordinary For a man to refuse to joyne house to house when he can is extraordinary For the rich to take reproofe willingly and profitably of the poore is extraordinary For to part with riches as freely as they were received is extraordinary Ends in duties The end rules the meanes and is above them A beleever is ever true to his end but he often failes in the meanes Error When errors prove profitable many will imbrace them Ignorance is the foundation of error It 's common for error to be called truth and truth to be called error Effects Effects are in order to second causes not to God who most certainly necessarily and wisely hath willed them and nothing falls out accidentally as referred to him whose wise intention reacheth every thing Favour of men The favour of men is a vanitie yet much desired The favour of men is an uncertaine thing soone got and soone lost Men desire the favour of men God denies it to some to exercise their faith weane them from the world or because we performe not our duties unto them Folly Many never see their folly untill it be too late Feares Feares make the understanding weake and the judgement dull Feares hinder the certainty of faith So much as we feare men wee forget and sleight God Faith Where God gives faith he gives trials also to exercise it Faith quiets comforts and strengthens the soule We injoy Christ by faith and not by feeling When faith is at the greatest then there is the least feeling As our faith is so are we incouraged to obey God The more faith the lesse feare God Gods presence in every place is a great comfort to his They that live upon God alone live most comfortably for there is satisfaction and no changes he feares nothing that can befall him he lives comfortably in all Grace Grace is exceeding strong especially faith love to carry a man through all God will exercise the graces that are in his The more grace any have the more need to pray because Satan is most ready to tempt such Griefe We cannot heartily be grieved for that sin in another of which wee make not conscience in our selves It is a griefe to a childe of God to speake of any good they finde a want of in themselves If we did not immoderately love outward things we would not grieve at the losse of them nor keepe such a doe to get them Of gifts The greater gifts spirituall or temporall the prouder the flesh is and the readier Satan is to assault Good A man may doe good in the strength of a
loves vanish quickly when the fuell of love faileth 4. Choose one that iâ— sutable to thee first Sutable in Religion how can there be amitie and love where divers Religions are seeing no opposition is so strong as that which is for Religion Consider Deut. 22. 11. Job 1. 8 9. 2 Cor. 6. 15. apply it Secondly Sutable for age some mary as old againe others as young againe c. But unsutable matches are dishonourable Thirdly Sutablenesse in dispositions are to be looked to lest yee smart for it because yee are not made of brasse but of flesh a few odious qualities will in time weare off much doating delight Fourthly Sutable in respect of condition of life and abilitie of body to labour and fare as thy abilitie requires such wives as must fare and weare that which is costly and so weake not able to labour are fit for such as can beare it in respect of their estates and minds 5. Take heed of wronging your selfe or any others take heed what yee promise if yee give your promise then your libertie is gone and another is added to you it may be to your perpetuall griefe and make as much conscience not onely of keeping your promises with others but take heed lest yee expresse your selfe in such a way as shall justly cause it to be interpreted love in that kinde A man may make a profession of love and yet so expresse himselfe as he shall not be ingaged by promise when by his practise he is and so at pleasure depart to the great wrong and hazard of the other partie without giving any sufficient reason of it the wrongs in this kinde are fit to be severely punished by the Magistrate for an example to others 6. Marry with parents consent Deut. 7. 3. 1 Cor. 6. 36. unlesse they extend their authoritie to the hurt of soule and body in some cases the want of parents consent hinders not as in case the partie hath been married before or Numb 30. 4. or Exod. 22. 16. Mutuall counsell to husbands and wives 1. HAve you both a high esteeme of mariage if you prize not mariage who shall you should preserve the honour comfort of mariage and say What is equall to mariage for the being and well-being of life it 's the prop of mutuall content the ayd of nature the perfection of health wealth beauty honour experience no condition is sweet where mariage supplies it not it 's the preservation of chastitie the pillar of the world and of the Church the glory of peace and the life of the dead nothing is so precious in worldly respects as that for which the husband loveth and desireth the wife and shee him no union so strong as this no joy in any outward union so contentfull as this c. 2. Nourish love and abhorre all occasions to the contrary strive who shall love each other with the most cordiall affection love is given to both to make the miseries of mariage tolerable therefore live and love and cease not to love till yee cease to live have a care yee lose not your first love and so demeane your selves as may best draw forth each others heart in all love and amitie and ever be ready to expresse love and sympathy avoyding a peevish carriage which provokes to wearinesse impatience and discontent 3. Beare with each others infirmities fret not cavill not at them cover them with tendernesse If you have a bad bargaine make the best of it you can now it is too late to complaine impart not your discontents to strangers aske no counsell of them but with a free consent of both when necessitie requires it Observe it such as complaine to others they shew their clamorous and turbulent spirits and want of wisdome and love if thy husbands or wives vertues be but small make them great by contemplation and put upon them the great value of their worth an eying each others infirmities deads and kils the affection of love 4. Observe each others tempers to prevent discontents and preserve your first love 5. If there fall out a difference between you be both freely willing the word of God may decide it and to submit unto it feare breaches and know a small sparke of difference may increase a great flame if not timely prevented 6. Be both chaste and love each others company and be faithfull each to other let one purse one bed one house serve them that are but one 7. Be industrious and provident that neither of you may want 8. Hinder not each other in serving of God 9. Tender each others good name 10. Find as little fault one with another as possibly you can and then expresse them not in anger but in love and when yee be both alone Counsell to the wife 1. LOve your own husbands and expresse your love in a reverend amiable and modest manner in thy husband thou maist behold authoritie government forecast soveraigntie from man thou first receivedst thy being from thy husband thou enjoyest countenance protection direction honour love c. 2. Honour your husband inwardly in your heart and outwardly in your actions esteeme him as he is your superior and head and yeeld to him let your will be subject to his you must have no will but his if he speake the word you must not contest but in humilitie yeeld if he be angry be yee silent set before you what the carriage of the Church ought to be to Christ to be a patterne for you and know where love is duties are frequent and acted with ease and delight 3. Obey thy husband obedience is a hard word many a proud stout stomack neither will nor can yeeld their neckes to the collar of subjection in every thing the Lord knew how it would come to passe that both husband and wife would both have their wills though each were quite contrary to the other therefore God thought fit to order it as he would have it that the wife should yeeld to her husband and be obedient to him in every â—hing Wives submit your selves unto your own husbands as unto the Lord for the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of his Church c. Therefore as the Church is subject unto Christ so let the wives be unto their own husbands in every thing Ephes 5. 22 23 24. Therefore know O woman whosoever thou art rich or poore that God hath commanded you to be subject to your husband and if you doe it not God will call you to an account for it one day though it may be your husband be contented to let it passe in the feare of God consider it and tremble at the thought of living in the breach of so plaine and cleare a command consider Christ is the author of salvation to all that obey him Heb. 5. 9. and no more therefore goe to God for humilitie and selfe-deniall to stoop to thy husbands command if it be lawfull 1. Because God hath
Christ according to the word of Christ We pray you be yee reconciled to God for he hath made him to be sin for us The way God takes to reconcile a sinner unto himselfe is the discovery of his free grace and love of God done to man through Christ The discovery of this to the soule expels ignorance and slayeth the soules enmity against God and by his love he draweth the soule to God in love again Gods way of saving man is onely in a way of love therefore he saith Behold I will allure her and speake comfortably unto her Hos 2. 14. His love is free full and eternall I will love them freely Hos 14. 4. I drew them with cords of a man with bands of love Hos 11. 4. Be reconciled for he hath made him to be sin for us It appeares that the sense and guilt of sin doth hinder the soule from being reconciled sin causeth the soule to desire to be at a further distance from God as Luk. 5. 8. That before a sinner can be reconciled unto God he must understand and know the cause way and meanes of his salvation I say not before God loves him therefore as it is declared that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God c. Rom. 3. So he declares that Jesus Christ is made sin for us and that wee are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Jesus whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his bloud to declare his righteousnesse for the remission of sinnes that he might be just and the justifier of him that beleeves in Jesus Rom. 3. 23 24 25 26. see Rom. 5. 10 11. 13. 19. Rom. 6. 23. Titus 3. 5. He hath made him God the Father hath set apart the Lord Jesus to save man Heb. 9. 14. 22. Rev. 13. 8. There is no other name whereby we may be saved but by the name of Jesus Act. 4. 12. Which knew no sinne Christ knew no sin in himselfe personally Luk. 1. 35. nor inherently Heb. 14. 5. nor experimentally Joh. 8. 40. And seeing Christ is so holy a person and so qualified as he is Col. 2. 3. none ought to doubt of the sufficiency meritoriousnesse and effectualnesse of whatsoever he hath undertaken to doe for by once offering the sacrifice of himselfe he hath for ever perfected them that are sanctified that is set apart Heb. 10. 10. 14. So that the sinfull soule ought to cast away all discouragements and to rest satisfied in this full perfect and infinite satisfaction and not suffer their foolish hearts to seeke after or desire any other for as there is none to be found elswhere so there needs none for be thy sinnes never so great or many this one satisfaction of the Lord Jesus is sufficient Made him to be sinne God hath imputed our sinnes unto Christ and so laid them upon him Esa 53. 5. that they are not ours no more but Christs who hath freed us from them who will disanull them and so free himselfe of them so that he shall appeare without sin Heb. 9. 28. The way and meanes God hath chosen to free a sinner from sin is onely by Jesus Christ that he might undergoe the penalty of sin or else no man could be saved as these Scriptures declare Joh. 1. 1. 7. Joh. 1. 29. Rom. 8. 2. Ephes 2. 14 15. Rev. 1. 5. Heb. 9. 22. Col. 1. 20. Zach. 9. 11. For sin must be charged upon Christ or the sinner and our happinesse lyeth in this that our sinnes are not imputed unto us Psal 32. 1 2. Rom. 4. 8. Our sins cost Christ deare that they might cast us nothing Rom. 5. 9. 1 Pet. 1. 18 19. For us The word us and wee in this verse must be understood for them in the 19. verse to whom God doth not impute their trespasses So that they are blessed Psal 32. 1 2. Rom. 4. 7. for they shall not misse of glory because they have redemption by his bloud and remission of sinnes as Col. 1. 14. Rom. 5. 10. Therefore by the words us and wee cannot truly be understood every son and daughter of Adam For so large as the purpose of God is of saving men so large is the meanes of this salvation so large is the declaration to be so large is the particular application of salvation to be so large is the effect of salvation it selfe none of these are any larger then the other If any reply that Christ in the declaration is offered to all therefore the particular application of salvation is to be to all I answer That Christ is not offered to all nor to none at all true it is the Gospel is to be preached to every creature and that all persons whosoever will are called to come to Christ to drinke c. But what Scripture saith Christ is offered to any person much lesse to all the world God so loved the world that whosoever beleeves in him should not perish but have everlasting life This is a declaration of what persons God will save the word of God is a declaration of the will of God now for to declare a thing and to offer it is not one thing for one may declare to another the riches that he or another hath and yet not offer any of them nor it may be cannot and so a man may give that to another which he never offered him It 's safest to keep to the language of the Scriptures which forme of words are sound especially in this age in which men catch up expressions and by them abuse God and his truth and themselves for if one affirme that God offereth Christ to all men reply doth not God meane as he saith and if God offers Christ and man hath not a sufficient power to receive him they are mocked and God is unjust c. and that men have free-will and such like stuffe so that yee may see how one error draweth many after it and it 's oft grounded upon an unsound expression Made sin made the righteousnesse of God After what manner Christ became a sinner after the same manner wee are made just but he became a sinner not by any infusion of our corrupt qualities but by imputation onely Therefore wee are just before God not by infusion of any habituall grace into our corrupt natures but by imputation of his righteousnesse God imputeth righteousnesse without works Rom. 4. 6. If this were well minded it might answer and remove some temptations which are occasioned by apprehending the contrary The righteousnesse of God Christs righteousnesse is the righteousnesse of God That righteousnesse which freeth a sinner from the curse of the Law is a perfect righteousnesse Heb. 1. 8. Rom. 9. 5. Mat. 6. 33. Rom. 4. 6. Therefore prize it highly Mans righteousnesse is imperfect and could not justifie him before God Enter not into judgement with thy servant
beleeve or no for some shall not be saved and if I be one of them if I should beleeve I should be saved by Christ I should beleeve a lye The Gospel declares that whosoever beleeves in Christ shall be saved Joh. 3. 16. therefore those who beleeve cannot be any of them that shall perish and the Word saith be that beleeveth not is condemned already Joh. 3. 18. and shall not see life What God saith is truth and truth ought to be beleeved and whatsoever is contrary to truth no man is bound to beleeve therefore no unregenerate man is commanded to beleeve the forgivenesse of his sinnes in any other way then Gods word holds forth forgivenesse of sinnes which is he that beleeves shall be saved and have everlasting life Men are commanded to beleeve they shall have benefit by Christ life and salvation by Christ if they beleeve Joh. 3. 16. And no man is commanded to beleeve he shall be saved by Christ whether he beleeves or no for this is contrary to the Word which saith He that beleeves not is condemned already Joh. 3. 18. No man is to beleeve that which is not true yet this hinders not but all that see an absolute necessitie of Christ shall enjoy him they ought not to distrust in him but to cast away all their doubts and feares and beleeve in him and rest upon him for ever as Simon Peter said to Christ Master to whom shall we goe thou hast the words of eternall life Joh. 6. 67 68. But I have no love to Christ I am an enemie to Christ I am not fit for Christ The reason thou doest not love Christ is because thou seest not thy sinnes to be pardoned by Christ didst thou know he loves thee thou wouldst love him the love of Christ would constraine thee to love him 2 Cor. 5. 14. We love him because he first loved us 1 Joh. 4. 19. Doest thou apprehend thy selfe to be an enemy to God so were all those once that ever did beleeve Ephes 2. 12 13. While we were enemies wee were reconciled to God by the death of his Sonne Rom. 5. 8. 10. Enemies cannot discerne Christ yet God gives Christ to such Thou canst not fit thy selfe for Christ if thou seest such a necessity of Christ as without him thou art undone thou desirest Christ and goest to Christ He that commeth to me I will in no wise cast out Joh. 6. 37. hearken what Christ saith you shall speed you have the promise of Christ which is security sufficient to satisfie thy soule for Christ is in you and no man can hunger and thirst after righteousnesse viz. Christ but such as are blessed Mat. 5. 6. and the Spirit of God dwels in you and Christ is in you and they that are led by the Spirit of God out of themselves to Christ for light and life and strength are the children of God Rom. 8. 9 10 11 14. Indeed there are many sweet promises in the Word but they are all for beleevers but I am none I grant none may apply a promise of life but onely such as beleeve yet the promises are for all the elect thou knowest not but thou art one of them when God shall please to give thee faith thou shalt know thy interest in them Act. 13. 48. In the meane time stay thy selfe with this that the Lord Jesus gave himselfe for enemies and justifieth the ungodly Rom. 4. 5. Whilest wee were yet sinners Christ dyed for us While we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Sonne Rom. 5. 8. 10. Therefore be not discouraged God may save thee also The Lord saith I will have mercy upon her that hath not obtained mercy and I will say to them which were not my people Thou art my people and they shall say Thou art my God Hos 2. 23. Oh sweet place therefore by no meanes yeeld not to thy feares nourish no jealousies against God but resolve in Christs strength to cleave to his Word as Psal 119. 49. And here hold saying My beloved is mine and I am his Song 2. 16. I would gladly beleeve but I dare not Thou shouldst not admit nor give way to any discouragement to hinder thy going to Christ seeing Christ cryed saying If any man thirst let him come to mee and drinke Joh. 7. 37. The Spirit and the Bride say Come and whosoever will let him come Rev. 22. 17. The Lord takes pleasure in them that feare him and in them that hope in his mercy Psal 147. 11. He will not quench the smoaking flax Mat. 12. 20. From whence is thy feare sure it is occasioned or much increased by them who bid persons beleeve forbid them againe by their saying Take heed what you doe you may be deceived it is not so easie a matter to beleeve you must first be so sensible of sin and so humbled for it c. before you may beleeve Now they conceit they are not so and so qualified therefore they dare not beleeve also they are scared with the many things hypocrites may doe how farre they may goe and so set them short of hypocrites which must needs discourage them yet the word of God requires no such teaching for men to learne before they may beleeve for when the soule seeth it selfe lost by reason of sinne and is at a stand not knowing what to doe the first thing they are to doe is to beleeve in Jesus Christ as appeares Acts 16. 31. The word requires nothing of them before they may beleeve therefore wee may not for none may presume above what is written If thou desirest to beleeve thy will is in part regenerated and thou doest in some measure beleeve though weakly as he did that said Lord I beleeve help my unbeliefe Mark 9. 24. Gods servants are described by a desire to feare his Name Nehe. 1. 11. Psal 145. 19. Psal 147. 11. There can be no desires without faith 1 Pet. 2. 2 3. a man cannot desire that which he beleeves not to be so Heb. 11. 6. Many give God their hearts and doe not know it and so are troubled because they do not know what is meant by the heart nor where it is seated I speak not of the heart of flesh Rom. 8. 5 6 7. there is a carnall minde and a spirituall minde in men I speake of the heart mystically and spiritually which is principally seated in the will so that what it wills or desires there is the heart and to that which the will most wills or desires to that is the bent of the heart unto Now if the soule were to have its choice of every thing that one thing that the soule should chuse would any question whether they loved it and that their hearts were not unto it for as no soule can be sensible of the want of Christ untill the soule be possessed of him Rom. 8. 10 11. so no soule
thou doest that which thou wouldst not as Rom. 7. 14. to 25. in our selves we are imperfect at the best Gal. 6. 1. The strongest is not able to stand alone also some of the Lords partake more of naturall choler which increaseth naturally and as that choler is we are more or lesse hasty and passionate A wicked man may be naturally patient and a childe of God may be sinfully passionate Jam. 5. 17. Thou shouldst not measure Gods love to thee nor the truth of his grace in thee by thy mortification of sin consider Rom. 7. God may for ends best knowne unto himselfe suffer corruption to be too strong for thee it may be to abase thee more as Paul Rom. 7. that thou maist see what need thou hast of a Lord Jesus to pardon and heale thee who knoweth but God may leave thy personall sanctification the more imperfect that we may minde and behold Jesus Christ and our righteousnesse in him and so live the more in him and our joy the more in our justification by him Rom. 4. 6 7. It 's one thing to have thy sinnes forgiven or not imputed Psal 32. 1 2. and another thing to be clensed from it live in the apprehension of the love of God and down goeth sin and all discouragements so live in discouragements and sinne prevailes as Psal 77. 2. 7 8 9 10. Wee ought not to fetch our comfort from our subduing of sinne but in Christ in whom we want no righteousnesse 1 Cor. 1. 30. Christ is ours and we are Christs and Christ is Gods When we are at the best we may not live in our selves nor by sight but by faith and when we are at the worst we are to live upon Christ by saith and comfort our selves in him and in him onely many when they want strength or comfort they seek what they want from their duties and comfort themselves in their abstainings from sin but for Christ he is not in all their thoughts Psal 10. 4. What I once felt is now decayed The ground of our faith is God in his Word and not our sight and feeling that is sensuall 2 Cor. 5. 7. We live not by sight and feeling but by faith Whilst thou maintainest feares and jealousies of Gods love to thee it is no wonder it is so with thee call to minde the dayes of old as Psal 77. It 's certain if ever God manifested his love unto thee he is still and ever will be the same unto thee having loved his owne he loved them unto the end Joh. 13. 1. With him there is no variablenesse or shadow of turning Jam. 1. 17. A child of God may decay in parts sight feelings and exercise of grace for a time as Phil. 4. 10. these are sometimes more and sometimes lesse but alwayes as God seeth best that wee might rest and relie upon nothing but Christ I see and feele nothing in my selfe or all is as nothing to me save onely Jesus Christ who is all in all to me We ought to beleeve that we neither see nor feele faith is the evidence of things not seene Heb. 11. 1. To live by faith is to walke after the Spirit and to live by sight and feeling is to live after the flesh Rom. 8. 1. I am discouraged because nothing is made good to me I doe not possesse it If thou beest included and art under the promise of it and under the hope of it thou shalt possesse it It may be made good unto thee without thy possession of it for wee must not ground faith in the possession of what it beleeves possession is sutable to sense and there is neither faith nor hope in what we possesse To have right in it and to possesse it are two things they died in faith and yet they did not possesse what they beleeved Heb. 11. 17 18. The possessiō of things gives no being unto faith nor is essentiall unto it no otherwise then as faith gives being unto it Abraham beleeved he should have a sonne here was his faith Rom. 4. 3. 17. 18. yet he did not possesse his sonne his sonne had no being but in the promise of God therefore to place enjoyment to be essentiall to faith is a very great mistake As a man must first beleeve God is before he can goe to God Heb. 11. 6. so a man must first beleeve in Christ to have remission of sinnes by him and after receive remission of sinnes as appeares Acts 10. 43. It thou hast power to close with God in the truth of his Word as Sarah did that shee should have a sonne not onely before shee had him but against reason shee beleeved shee should have him thou hast faith But I am not assured that I shall be saved therefore I have no faith Faith and assurance is not one thing but are differing and distinct assurance cannot be without faith but faith may be without assurance for assurance is not the proper act of faith assurance is an effect of faith and a higher measure then that is and the greater our feeling of assurance is the lesser our faith is Faith in the act is an assenting or cleaving to the truth and faithfulnesse of God in his promise not from any thing shee feeles in her selfe but from something it apprehends in God in his word Rom. 4. 20 21 22. The act of faith is sometimes attended with much strife and strugling for Satan saith to the soule it 's in vaine for thee to looke to Christ to beleeve in Christ Christ saith Come unto me beleeve I will ease thee Now for the soule to rest upon the fidelitie and abilitie of Christ in his promise is no small measure of faith assurance is not from the habit of grace nor from the direct act of faith but from the reflect act of faith which is for a man to see and know that he beleeves which assurance is from the immediate testimony of the Spirit of God in the conscience of one who is already a beleever causing the soule to know it beleeves The Spirit it selfe beareth witnesse with our Spirits that we are the children of God Rom. 8. 16. Now abideth faith 1 Cor. 13. 13. therefore faith doth at all times one way or other sufficiently evidence the truth of our estates if we did at all times truly discerne the testimony or true act of faith and the reason why we discerne it not is for want of a full measure of faith to withstand all that is opposit to faith for some there be who have faith yet by reason of their ignorance and unskilfulnesse as Heb. 5. 14 15. 10. 15. forgetfulnesse babes are unskilfull and have not experience of Gods dealings with his both for order and manner so that when faith doth not so lively act and when Christ doth not clearly appeare in the soule he begins to doubt whether he be not deceived and when
guide thy feet in the way of peace Luk. 1. 78 79. Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on thee because he trusts in thee Isa 26. 3 4. What was that which brought thee so low but poring so much upon thy sins untill thou wert filled with despaire and thy omissions and commissions against conscience increased thy horror do the contrary and first beleeve then repent and see that yee daube not your selves over with your duties and know that which is a great cause of mourning is no cause of despaire therefore cast not away your confidence Heb. 10. 35. for yet a little while and he that shall come will come and will not tarry Heb. 10. 37 38. Therefore say as the Prophet said When I sit in darknesse the Lord shall be a light unto me he will bring me forth into the light and I shall behold his righteousnesse Micah 7. 8 9. I am in great misery and want outwardly by reason of poverty if God did love me I should not be so much neglected as I am Thou shouldst not reason so what thinkest thou of the condition of those who wandred about in sheep-skins goat-skins in deserts mountaines dens and caves of the earth I feare they were more destitute of outward comfort then thee and suffered more hunger cold and nakednesse then thee hast thou not a house not a bed to lie on the places where they wandred afforded not these things unto them art thou destitute afflicted and forsaken so were they whom God loved and esteemed the world not worthy of Heb. 11. 37 38. Poverty and want hath attended and kept company with many a deare childe of God Job was poore yea the Churches of Jesus Christ have been poore the Church of Corinth was poore 2 Cor. 8. 14. The Church of Smyrna was poore Rev. 2. 9. The Church of Macedonia was in deep poverty 2 Cor. 8. 1 2. And our Lord Jesus Christ was poore 2 Cor. 8. 9. And thou maist be very poore and yet God may love thee as he loves Jesus Christ Joh. 17. 26. The poore receive the Gospel and the profession of the Gospel of Christ have made the rich poore in that for Christ they have suffered the losse of all things Phil. 7. 8. In thy greatest want be content to be like Christ in poverty as well as in glory Joh. 17. 24. for the time will quickly come in which you shall feele no want nor suffer no hunger cold or nakednesse There is no state and condition under the Sun that is free from Satanst ēptations those who have more abundance of outward things he suggests insinuates unto them that these things are all they are like to have that seeing they have a heaven here of outward contents they must not expect another hereafter And to those who have greater gifts and parts he saith they are not given to them in love but onely for the benefit of others and is ready to discourage them Satan is ready to get an advantage of us wee are not ignorant of his devises 2 Cor. 2. 11. The Lord teach his to know the depths of Satan Rev. 2. 24. to know his stratagems and to resist him And as there is no state under the Sunne free from trouble so it is a sweet comfort unto all that are the Lords that there is no state and condition but as God can so he will support his in and under it and make it sweet and comfortable unto them yea the best for them for all things shall work for good to them that love God 1 Cor. 10. 13. Rom. 8. 28. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ Shall tribulation or distresse or persecution or famine or nakednesse or perill or sword I am perswaded that neither death nor life nor Angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord Rom. 8. 35. 38 39. I cannot see God surely God hath forsaken me Sometimes God hides himselfe from his as the Scripture declares Verily thou art a God that hidest thy selfe Isa 45. 15. I opened to my beloved and he had withdrawne himselfe Song 5. 6. Behold I goe forward but he is not there and backward but I cannot perceive him on the left hand where he doth work but I cannot behold him he hideth himselfe on the right hand that I cannot see him Job 23. 8 9. Our carnall reason and corrupt heart and Satan with his suggestions are so neere us before our eyes that we cannot see God and wee hearken so much to what they say that we minde not the voyce of the Spirit Rom. 8. 16. It is one thing to know and another thing to know that wee know Christ said they knew they said they knew not Christ said Whither I goe yee know and the way yee know Thomas said unto him Lord we know not whither thou goest how then can we know the way Christ spake true and they knew not that they knew Joh. 14. 3 4 5. So shee saw Jesus standing and knew not that it was Jesus When their eyes were opened they knew him Luk. 24. 31. Paul prayed that they might know the hope of their calling Ephes 1. 18 19. When God hideth his face we are to wait upon him and look for him Isa 8. 17. for he will returne againe but Sion said The Lord hath forsaken me my Lord hath forgotten me Can a woman forget her sucking childe c Yea shee may yet will not I forget thee Isa 49. 14. For a small moment have I forsaken thee but with great mercy will I gather thee Isa 45. 7 8. When God absents himselfe from his his love and care is the same unto them as it is when he most manifests himselfe to them Another is discouraged saying I thought I had true faith but since I fell into a great sin I am perswaded if I had been the Lords I should not have been so left of God as I was to sin so as I did Say not so but consider that even some of the children of God he hath suffered to fall if not into the same sinnes yet as great David sinned in adultery and murder how greatly did Solomon sin after he obtained mercy 1 King 11. 9. And Peter denied Christ with an oath yet his faith was not voyd or nought Christs prayer was heard I have prayed for thee that thy faith faile not Luk. 22. 32. therefore his faith never fayled him These examples are recorded in Scripture to set forth the glory of the riches of Gods free grace Eph. 2. 4. That men may know what God can doe and that great sinners might not despaire or faint under their sin therefore Christ saith All sinnes shall be forgiven unto the sonnes of men and blasphemies Mark
3. 17. Isai 53. 11. Also to say we are not justified before God or in his sight untill we beleeve is to say we must adde our work to Christ to make up our justification before God and if it be so then wee in part save our selves and if we doe joyne with Christ in this worke why may wee not joyne with him in the glory of it for that may be esteemed one of the greatest parts of our justification without which we cannot be justified But this derogates from Christ and all such tenets we are to hate with execration For saith Christ I have troden the wine-presse alone and of the people there was none with me Isai 63. 3. Wee rather say if wee beleeve not yet he abideth faithfull he cannot deny himselfe 2 Tim. 2. 13. What the Lord Jesus Christ hath done for us is perfect and is by God imputed to us so as it is really ours though it be inherent in another and by beleeving it wee know it to be ours Rom. 4. 24. First Not any shall be saved by Christ but those who were predestinated in him according to his eternall purpose Eph. 1. 4 5. 3. 11. And that there was not any foreseene faith or works in any kinde why he chose these rather then others the will of God was the cause one was chosen and not another all was according to the good pleasure of his will to the praise and glory of his grace Ephes 1. 5 6. Are we better then they no in no wise c. Rom. 3. 9. It was from his great love wherewith he loved us Ephes 2. 4. This love of God was the cause of Gods sending Christ Joh. 3. 16. and the chiefe cause of mans election and salvation 1 Joh. 4. 10. Eph. 1. 4. Joh. 17. 23. And that it is impossible for this great love to decrease or increase because it is infinite as appeares by Psal 139. 17 18. Jam. 1. 17. God is perfect and infinite he knows and understands all things that ever were are or shall be at once So he is one pure act therefore when we were chosen in Christ wee were justified and compleat in him God looked upon the Elect to be in Christ before the world was Ephes 1. 4. and so he ever lookes upon the Elect So that they ever appeare to him perfect and righteous as Christ for they are one and are in him 1 Cor. 1. 30. Yee are in Christ Jesus and ever shall be in him being justified freely by his grace in his sight Rom. 3. 20. 24. God properly was never wroth with Christ nor the Elect and therefore Christ could not suffer Gods wrath see Heb. 2. 9. So that in respect of their justification God seeth no sinne in any of the Elect even before their calling and after And as it is Gods will so it should be ours to set his glory above our salvation that in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindnesse towards us to the praise of the glory of his grace Ephes 1. 5 6. Ephes 2. 7. Secondly In time the Elect did breake a holy and just Law and so lay under the curse and wrath of it which was death Rom. 3. 21. 23. Christ in our nature for our persons suffered death Heb. 2. 9. the penalty to free all the Elect so that they are now actually justified by Justice That he might be just Rom. 6. 15. 3. 25 26. If God should have justified us without this propitiation after he had made this Law and we breaking it he could not have been just but having received this propitiation he could not be just if he did not justifie the Elect That he might be just and the justifier c. Rom. 3. 26. Thirdly The soule by faith doth apprehend and apply Christ and what he hath done to be for him by which it knoweth it selfe to be justified in the sight of God and in the Word and in his own conscience Whence flowes joy and peace in beleeving Rom. 5. 1. because all that beleeve are justified And as many as were ordained to eternall life beleeved Act. 13. 39. 48. So that by beleeving I know I am ordained to eternall life because Gods word saith so and that wee are justified in his sight without the deeds of the Law Rom. 3. 20. 28. viz. by faith wee apprehend our selves to be freely and fully justified by Christ without any workes of our own Gal. 2. 16. without any addition of inherent goodnesse in us c. Fourthly by our workes in our outward subjection to Christ to his word we declare to men as farre as they can judge that we have the faith of Gods Elect 2 Pet. 1. 1. Thou O Lord knowest the hearts of all men but faith without workes is dead to men and buried also James 2. 18. 20. If there be no workes they can see nothing of it shew mee thy faith by thy workes Yee see then how by workes a man is justified 21. 24. In the 1. we are justified in respect of the knowledge and purpose of God in his sight Rom. 3. 20. In the 2. we are actually and vertually justified in Justice by the bloud of Christ which payd the debt now the full price the full debt being paid is it justice in law by God or man to require it againe surely no. In the 3. wee are justified in our Consciences by the holy Spirits manifestation and application of Christs righteousnesse unto us In the 4. and last we are justified before men or unto men Object If it be so that men are loved of God c. before they repent and beleeve then men may live as they list c. Answ We are to own and confesse the truth and not what men of corrupt minds and base spirits will say and will doe the Apostle saith If any man sin we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous 1 Joh. 2. 1. But what if one say it seemes the Apostle incourages men to sin to tell them there is an Advocate who is alwayes heard And the Apostle saith Where sinne hath abounded grace did abound much more Rom. 5. 20. By the Apostles answer it appeares some did say they might continue in sin that grace might abound what shall wee say then shall we continue in sinne that grace may abound God forbid how shall we that are dead in sin live any longer therein c. Rom. 6. 1 2. But this is an old cavill and slander cast upon those that teach the truth as the Apostle saith it was then in his dayes We be slanderously reported and as some affirme that we say let us doe evill that good may come whose damnation is just Rom. 3. 8. Their exception is against the truth of God and therfore we leave them to God to answer and satisfie them And though all the Elect are freed from the curse of the Law yet we establish the Law Rom. 3. 31.
deare though the Elect shall misse hell Lord bold up my goings in thy paths that my footsteps slip not Psal 17. 5. Hold thou me up and I shall be safe and I will have respect unto thy Statutes continually Psal 119. 117. 4. Watch thoughts Every day to watch that my thoughts be holy or lawfull and seasonable to ranke order and confine them within an holy compasse that I may gaze and meditate on God his unmeasurable goodnesse greatnesse beautie glory and to bring under and destroy every wicked and vaine thought and desire c. It is no burden to fix our minds and thoughts on things above where our life and joy and treasure is Where your treasure is there will your hearts be also The more wisdome leads us on high the more is our joy and the more we avoyd the snares below and the more wee injoy God in the invisible workings intentions desires elevations of heart with thoughts of sweetest raptures in which is peace joy triumph searching into the mysteries of grace in which is light is truth in its clearnesse purenesse fulnesse in gazing upon the most glorious object admiring God in his infinite attributes to contemplate on Gods boundlesse mercy in Christ Such as are exercised herein injoy great sweetnesse and delight they see and say as David How precious are thy thoughts to me O God c. Psal 139. 17. Such thoughts raise the heart and make it spirituall joyfull and thankfull willing and serious in all duties and holy services 5. Hearken unto conscience Every day to watch and hearken to the noyse of conscience that I may prise the peace of it indeavour to informe it and to doe nothing that shall offend it And herein doe I exercise my selfe to have alwayes a conscience voyde of offence towards God and towards man Acts 24. 16. Holding the mystery of faith in a pure conscience 1 Tim. 3. 9. 6. Watch affections Every day to watch that my affections be set right and that they move not without or contrary to my judgement and that they be set upon right objects and that they soare not too high nor descend too low but according as the object deserves meanly affecting meane things and not affecting corrupt reason as passion c. That my delight be not set immoderately upon any earthly things though never so excellent desirable or amiable and so to injoy them as expecting every day or houre to lose them Set your affections on things above Col. 3. 1. 5. Affections are the pulses of the soule and shew the state of it the affections are the motions of the will and the will is the principall seate of grace grace hath its birth in the understanding but her seate is more principally in the will actually and formally therefore the will is much to be observed in its tempers inclinations motions which are the affections of the soule all affections may be comprehended in love and hatred the first comprehends desire delight joy hope these are the acts of love and these are chiefly to be given to God wee must make him our trust love joy delight and our all in all esteeme and affect all things else under him and for him he is all-sufficient therefore we may well content our selves with him and to love him dearly then are the affections set right when with God wee are sicke of love Song 2. 5. Forsake not God who is a living fountaine for broken Cisternes Jer. 2. Love is the sweetest affection it 's pity it should be spent and lost upon vanities And when we set our affections strongly on things below it 's a mercy for God to take them from us to teach us and cause us to take more delight in God himselfe and those true unspeakeable and everlasting delights prepared for the Saints with himselfe Surely wee have cause to lament that we are so ready to set our affections on things below that they are so strong and unruly and so hardly subdued that it is not an easie thing to master our wils and appetites they so rage and dote so vehemently after vanities vanitie of vanities all is vanitie Eccl. 1. 2. 7. Watch time That every day I watch and endeavour to redeeme time because it is precious to improve it to know truth to injoy and obey God and to serve others in love redeeming the time because the dayes are evill Eph. 5. 16. Also our time is short it 's but as a thought a shadow a dreame a span long it is our duty and wisdome to preserve and redeeme time for every purpose and action Paul improves his time by the space of three yeares I ceased not to warne every one night and day with teares c. Act. 20. 31. Yet we lose many houres needlesly in sleeping in trifling in idle visits c. In which time good might have been done to many 8. Watch senses Every day to watch the windows of my soule my senses as eares eyes from unlawfull objects and lawfull when I perceive they would suck evill from them and shutting my eyes and eares if need be He shall dwell on high c. that stoppeth his eares from hearing of bloud that shutteth his eyes from seeing of evill Isa 33. 15 16. Thus we are commanded to take heed watch and pray Mark 13. 35. so take heed what yee heare It was Davids desire to God Turne away mine eyes from beholding vanitie Psal 119. 37. Job saw a necessitie to make a Covenant with his eyes Job 31. 1. For Satan is ready to convey much evill insensibly through these floud-gates of sin bad discourse inflames lust Davids roving eye caused him to fall foully and procured him much vexation and griefe who could have thought an idle glance could occasion so much mischiefe Expect no better fruit in suffering your hearts to run after your eyes fancy will take fire before we be aware but a foole will take no warning he will have his eyes in every corner of the earth Prov. 17. 24. he must and will hearken unto a tale-bearer Prov. 25. 23. And so he hath his heart filled with anger and revenge but when he is wiser he will cry out with shame and griefe that all is vanitie and vexation of spirit as Eccles 1. 2. 9. In outward things Every day to watch to make some good use and draw instruction from the creatures and passages of Gods providence so to mind heavenly things by naturall So did Christ upon mentioning of bread Mat. 16. These things below make themselves wings and fly away but fly thee by them from them before them 10. Watch in lawfull things Every day to watch narrowly with care and heedfulnesse in the use and injoyment of things lawfull viz. meat drinke sleepe apparell marriage visitations and recreations c. Our nature is prone to excesse herein and we oft sinne more and are in greater danger by lawfull things then by unlawfull because wee feare grosser evils more then we do the
lust Wee oft doe least good to them to whom we owe most There be many good things will decay if let alone but evill things let alone will increase Parents thinke they doe their children great good when they can make them rich and great in the world they make them the greater sinners for then they shall have little else to doe but to waste the creatures and live in excesse idlenesse lust pride and oppression Glory When we thinke wee most seeke the glory of God we too often most seeke our owne What a man trusts in he glories in and what a man glories in he trusts in and is confident of Healing God sometimes healeth corruption by not healing it Hope The Saints hope is in heaven in God The naturall mans hope is to get honour fine cloaths good cheare ease and pleasures Hearts Many mens brains deceive their hearts What the heart likes best the minde studies most Habits In acquired habits the act goeth before the habit and prepares for it but in infused habits it is contrary for as we have first the facultie of seeing before we see so we have first the infused habit before we exercise the operation of it Humilitie One may be humbled but not humble When we are content to be admonished of our faults sharply by our inferiors we have some humilitie Honour The honour of men is a very shadow a vanitie The more men desire honour the lesse they deserve the lesse they often have Hatred That sin which a childe of God loved most before conversion he hates most when he is converted Joy While we live here we have joy and griefe mixed this life nor our bodies will not admit of perfect joy Outward joyes make a great noyse but never truly heate and comfort the heart There is no sound joy in earthly things they reach not the heart but the fancy In temporall things our joy is greater then the cause in spirituall things the cause is greater then the joy Every heart seekes joy such as it is Spirituall joy opposeth carnall and carnall opposeth spirituall the more we relish heavenly the lesse we relish earthly Now joy is in the Saints when they are in heaven they shall be in joy Ignorance Ignorance is the cause of prophanenesse and all evill Devotion with ignorance breeds superstition and Idolatry and persecution Hope with ignorance causeth presumption Feare with ignorance causeth desperation Impossible things It is impossible to be conformable to Christ and to the world to please God and the world Of idlenesse An idle person is fit for nothing but sinne and temptation An idle life is much loved and entertained of most men Knowledge That knowledge that is from God subjects the soule to God That knowledge that is onely in the braine is notionall and neither subdues sinne nor Satan If we know good things wee cannot but love and affect them Love That love which is not constant is false Love is most active when it is least knowne and cannot be requited Love and labour goe together as our longing is to injoy God so is our love to him if wee greatly love the Lord wee greatly long to injoy him for as our love is to any thing so accordingly is our indeavour to injoy it Such love the way of God who hate all things that are contrary unto it and practise it when it is most despised Such things as we love we keepe with care possesse with joy and lose with griefe Live We live in that we mind and love and are made like the things we love The most seeke life in the regions of death where it is not Many in this naturall life have comforts few crosses frequent pleasures short and paines lasting Light Light causeth them that see it to follow it Libertie We are more prone to desire libertie then to know how to use it Many of the Saints abuse their libertie they have in Christ It is the greatest libertie to injoy God and to have a free heart to serve him Such as plot and plead for libertie for the flesh are very carnall Of losses There is no losse in losing for God What we lose for God shall be made up unto us in God The benefit which follows the losse of outward things is that they are never troubled with them more Motions Forced motions cannot be perpetuall Minde When our minds are not fixed they rove every where and are no where to purpose Such as mind the things above savour them and have interest in them Mirth When men are most chearfull merry they are most free and bountifull Naturall mirth ends in sadnesse and sorrow In naturall mirth when wee are most merry we are neerest to danger The mirth of the wicked is vanitie and madnesse Mercies Many possesse many mercies and yet want the comfort of them Wee injoy more mercies then we are aware of Occasions The more secret and colourable any occasion of evill is the more men are indangered by it Obedience Our obedience to God is most direct when there is nothing else to sweeten the action Of peace Men cannot give peace untill the Lord speake peace to the soule there is no peace Where there is no peace there may be quietnesse or silence Gods people are a peaceable people Passion The causes of anger and passion are ignorance and pride Promises The wicked desire promises for peace and not for strength against sinne The promises make the people of God not carelesse but more fruitfull and serviceable There were never any ashamed that rested onely upon God in his promise One promise from a man will please some men more then ten from God Of prayer There is no dutie in Religion that is so much counterfeited as the duty of prayer is Verball prayer causeth great deadnesse Some pray when they should sleepe and sleepe in prayer and pray when they should work but wisdome divides to each its proper time and season Of povertie The heires of the earth are oft pinched with povertie and Saints who are Kings lie in prison It is better to be poore and weaned from the world then rich and covetous Men are much afraid of povertie yet it never did any hurt Pride The proudest men are the weakest and most troubled with discontent Principles When that which is taken for a principle of truth is a principle of error the more it is relied on the worse it is Pleasure Such as have their eyes open see outward pleasures to be very meane things Sin is desired for the pleasure of it but there is in sinne more griefe and misery then pleasure The more carnall a heart is the more it affects naturall pleasures Sinfull pleasure ends in sorrow Quietnesse When quietnesse is in the heart there is not much disquietnesse in the tongue He can easily be at peace with men who knows he is at peace with God Reports Such as cannot with patience beare ill reports cannot live a comfortable life Such as
are much joyed at good reports will be much grieved at ill Oft times the best suffer the worst reports because they will be no worse There is not a good man that can escape evill and false reports from the wicked Riches Riches are uncertaine wee must leave them they insnare many but there are but few that are drawne the nearer to God by them The greedinesse of riches are more sharpened by the having of them then by their wants Riches are the destruction of many Commonly the richest men doe the least good to others Riches make many afraid to confesse Christ and his truth c. Religion It is impossible for every man to be of one Religion and Judgement because their lights and ends differ Where Religion is in truth it is in power and enableth a man to practise it A forme of Religion onely with riches is imbraced rather then the power of Religion with povertie Most men love that Religion best which best suits with their lusts as honour pleasure easâ— and their bellies A little Religion goes a great way in rich persons Reproofe for sin Those that complaine because they are reproved for sinning shew their folly Poore persons have a priviledge above the rich in that they are reproved Such as are wise count reproofe a priviledge Sinne. Many sinne by omission and commission at one and the same time and yet know of neither Some sinnes of omission may exceed some of commission The beginning of sinne is oft by the Devils concupiscence suggesting evill thoughts evill thoughts cause delight delight consent consent ingendreth action action causeth custome and custome causeth necessitie custome winneth strength by time and is more fierce then nature one sinne draweth on another grant a little and a great deale will follow The more there is of the will in the acting of sin the greater the sinne is The more deliberation and the weaker temptation any hath and yet sinneth the greater the sinne is According as mens sight of sinne is so they hate it and them selves for it The lesse sensiblenesse of sinne there is after sinne is committed the greater is the hardnesse of heart Ignorance and unbeliefe and want of consideration and meditation and not shunning the occasion of sinne causeth much sinne Such as the more they fall into sinne the more they hate it and are grieved for it and the more they goe to God against it with faith they shall conquer it Satan It is the great designe of Satan to draw the Saints from God his truth and people and that we neglect the meanes or wholly relie upon them in good things he severeth the meanes from the end in evill hee separateth the end from the meanes Sorrow It is the nature of sorrow to bring the soule downe Senses Our senses every day decay by little and little though we take not notice of it Truth Jesus Christ is the truth and his word is truth No man can teach himselfe or another the mystery of truth Whatsoever is without or against the Word is not truth That which the most men doe is not truth The authoritie of men is not alwayes for the truth That which carrieth the greatest shew of humilitie is not truth Neither the learned nor the unlearned can know the truth untill God shall please to teach it them Mans reason cannot dive so deepe as the truth lyeth He that is naturally wise is least capable of divine things The greatest enemy that truth hath is concealement for the more manifest truth is the more gloriously it appeares If truth may have libertie to goe abroad it will quickly suppresse errors Thirst Spirituall thirst is as strong as naturall thirst yea stronger Time Time is not valued to its worth Time past cannot be recalled againe Time ill spent turnes to great losse and ends in deepe sorrow Temptations Temptation triâ—th mens strength he is strong that stands in strong temptations When temptation is absent a foole is wise and the froward patient Those temptations are most dangerous which suits best with holy ends Strong and lasting temptations are to shew us our selves and humble us An over-much fearing a temptation and a weak purpose to resist it weakeneth us and incourageth Satan to tempt When we are tempted it is best presently to fall to prayer and not to stand reasoning with the temptation Trials They who are least exercised with trials have the least wisedome and experience Trouble There is nothing but trouble under the Sunne The lesse trouble men expect the more they oft meet withall A troubled soule cannot doe good nor receive good A soule cast downe by selfe or Satan rests not in God but in trouble Selfe cannot stay nor checke it selfe much lesse recover it selfe out of sinfull trouble Vsury To pay use when the profit is uncertaine is a meanes to fill men with troubles cares distrust if not with oppression Want It is a sin and a dishonour to a childe of God to say or thinke he shall want or to say What shall I doe A childe of God never wants though he may thinke he wants for he is possessed of all things If hands estate or friends faile God will send supply some other way He that suffers want contentedly is a strong man Of weeping Excesse in weeping is against nature reason and Religion Many make a God of other teares World Such as are full of the things of this world are emptie enough of spirituall things According as the world is sweet unto us the things of God are bitter to us The world is a deadly enemy to spiritualnesse He that is full of worldly businesse needs no other troubles Will. Many prefer their wills before their lives for when they are crossed they wish for death When we want a will to do any thing we pretend want of power and say I cannot To will is naturall but to will well to will spiritually is supernaturall Those vertues that grace the will as love grace mercy justice are more glorious then â—hose that grace the understanding as power and wisdome c. Weaknesse The wisest Saint is most sensible of his own weaknesse Weaknesse with watchfulnesse will stand when great strength with selfe-confidence faileth Watchfulnesse Spirituall watchfulnesse is a speciall grace of God a chiefe part of godlinesse a speciall helpe to holinesse and a great priviledge of a Saint Because the Saints watch no more they fall so much There is no good order in their lives who watch not A wonder Naturall men wonder at worldly and sensuall things It is no wonder for a naturall man to seeke himselfe in all things Zeale Every man is zealous either for God or himselfe These few Experiences I present unto thee for a taste though many more might be added which I leave thee to finde out by experience also considering there are many sweet experiences recorded in the Scriptures especially in the Proverbs and Ecclesiastes and also in other places in the Bible to which I
commanded it though mariage be an equall state yet the carriage of both is not to be the same therefore let thy love to thy husband be with a loyall sweet subjection without slavery and thy obedience shall be a blessing to thee and an increase of thy inward peace and joy also thou shalt avoid many quarrels envie and discontents which others indure also by thy obedience thou shalt honour God and be a good patterne to others to doe so also Counsell to the Husband 1. COnsider the command of God is upon you that yee love your own wives and be not bitter unto them let love descend first from thee shee is a deserving object of love shee hath forsaken all for thee and perhaps is shiftlesse without thee great are her burdens and paines in conception and bearing children c. Let thy love to her be full and free love her in some sense better then thy selfe and let thy love be conveyed to her with royaltie without tyranny Husbands love your wives even as Christ also loved his Church and gave himselfe for it so ought men to love their wives as their own bodies he that loveth his wife loveth himselfe Ephes 5. 25. 28. For no man ever yet hated his own flesh they two are one flesh 29. 31. 2. Let her share with thee in the benefit of thy graces gifts estate if thou hast plenty let her have plenty also shee shall be sure to share with thee in the ill in povertie sicknesse disgrace and other miseries oh therefore let her share in thy plenty also let her have for delight as well as thy selfe make her cause thy own and doe so as thou wouldst be done unto and give it her freely without asking Some men have much and spend much upon their pleasures but allow their wives just nothing such give their wives ground enough to question their loves to them because love is bountifull where there is plenty why should not part of that which is yours be hers for her necessitie and comfort 3. Ease thy wife as much as thou canst though shee be bound to obey thy command yet it 's like you need not command so many things or not so frequently and so the burden of subjection may be much lighter to her if shee be willing to obey spare her if unwilling forbeare her that shee may sinne lesse Say not that thou wilt make her be not too confident of thy strength to mould thy wife into subjection as wise and strong as thou art could not doe it onely God can make a stout stomack to yeeld to a weake and wilfull Governour Victory is not alwayes to the strong Eccl. 9. 11. It 's ill grapling with a head-strong woman shee may be weake in body but strong in mischiefe the tongue is an unruly member no man can tame be not so mad as to strike thy crowne nor cast it in the dirt if shee answers not thy desires informe her of her dutie from the Scriptures and pray to God to set it home upon her conscience if God be not regarded who shall 4. Honour thy wife right her wrongs suffer none to sleight nor abuse her in no kinde c. Follow Christs carriage to his Church which is most loving meeke and sweet 5. Provide all things needfull for her that shee may live comfortably with thee and whether shee be good or bad you ought to doe what you can to provide meanes that shee may live comfortably after you in this world 6. Dwell with her deprive her not of the benefit of thy presence by long journeys c. unlesse absolute necessitie inforce it and rather erre with over-loving thy wife then otherwise Thus I have thought fit to mention some few things which so much concerne the comfort of a married life This may be of use to some of those into whose hands it may come though this is more largely handled in severall Treatises The Remedy of feares SOme few observations from Isai 41. 10. Feare not for I am with thee be not dismayd for I am thy God I will strengthen thee yea I will helpe thee yea I will uphold thee c. Obs 1. Some things are terrible to a Saint which he is subject to feare 2. It is the will of God that his people be not troubled but to live a sweet and quiet life in and upon God 3. God is alwayes present with his to keepe them from evill and doe them good though they know it not or consider it not 4. Feares arise in not beholding the presence of God 5. The consideration of the presence of God a remedy against feares 6. I am thy God when a childe of God is at the worst still God is his God 7. The knowledge of an interest in God is enough to raise a soule out of all its feares 8. I will strengthen thee God is ingaged by promise to helpe and strengthen his 9. The Saints should minde Gods promise and live upon it 10. The promise of God is enough to quiet and settle a soule from feares 11. The weakest Saint with God shall prevaile 12. Strengthen thee there is strength enough in God 13. The Saints strength is God 14. It 's in vaine for men to oppose the Saints for God is with them to helpe them 15. I will help thee the Saints in themselves are weake and cannot helpe themselves 16. There is no helpe but in God creatures cannot helpe they are vanitie 17. So much as the soule rests upon the promise of God for helpe so much its freed from feares in the greatest appearance of dangers 18. Vphold thee The trialls of the Saints are above their strength they cannot stand without God God upholds his 19. Strengthen helpe uphold God applies himselfe sutable and in particular to the wants of his people 20. When God will preserve a man it is not any thing that can hurt him From all which wee may observe Obs 1. That the ground of feares are ignorance as Psal 62. 11. forgetfulnesse Isa 12. 13. and living by sense not by faith Obs 2. That it is unreasonable and sinfull for a childe of God to feare men or be dismayed at any thing Reas 1. Because it 's against Gods command which saith feare not c. 2. They have the presence of God to keepe them 3. They have an interest in God which is a happinesse beyond all miseries 4. Because nothing can befall them but what God appoints who loves them infinitely 5. Because whatsoever befalls them shall doe them good Rom. 8. 6. The bitternesse shall be but short Rom. 16. 7. Feares never doe any good but hurt they dishonour God his truth and people and oft cause an omission of dutie 8. Feare is unsutable for a Saint Rev. 21. Lastly feares are unreasonable for a childe of God because God hath given unto them many great sweet and precious promises that they shall not want no good thing Psal 34. For he hath said I will
never leave thee nor forsake thee Heb. 13. 5. Therefore they are well enough they need not care nor feare but in God alwayes rejoyce and sing praises to him Now unto him that is able to doe for us abundantly above that we are able to aske or thinke be praise and glory in all the Churches of the Saints to all ages Amen A Table of some of the principall things contained in this TREATISE A. VVHat it is to feed upon ashes 2 3. 5. Assurance faith differs 82 83. All that have faith have not assurance 82 c. B. Christ is the true bread 3. 5 6. Men beleeve before they know it 61. Men are in Christ before they beleeve 46 47. What all men are to beleeve 48 49. Such as desire to beleeve have faith 53. 101. A beleevers comfort hope joy should be alwayes the same 97 116. The state of a beleever in Christ is a state of perfection 13. 113. 149. Such as see a beauty in Christ loath themselves 23. 41. Mans beleeving procures no pardon of sinne 46 c. C. Christ is enough 132. and minde him 112. 113. 79. 131. Christ proclaimes peace to his 106 107. Christ and a beleever are one 12. Christs holiness is the Saints happiness 121. Christs bloud saves his 12. 145 147. Christ is the way to life 13. 36 37 38. Christ highly esteemes of his 136 137 142. Christ being made sin for me is better for me then if I had never sinned 15 16 161. Christ dyed not for the sinnes of Adams posteritie 7 8. Comfort to all that are in Christ 12. 65. 132 Vnlesse Christ had dyed man had not been saved 7. The Saints are to live onely upon Christ 79. The Saints comfort is in Christ 79. Who live upon Christ 15. 38 39. 79. 80. Such as are Christs should serve him 153. The Covenant of grace is not made with man but with Christ 26. The Covenant of grace is unconditionall on mans part 46 47. There is not any thing required of man to doe to make him partaker of the Covenant of grace 46. The consolatiōs of God are to be prized 121. The comfort of the Saints is not to depend upon their personall sanctification and why 114 115. The confidence of a beleever should be ever the same and why 113 114. 121 122. All our cares are to be cast upon God trusting him in all estates and why 129 130. Corruption may be strong in a Saint and why 96 97. 159 160. A man may be confident of his salvation and yet be deluded and why 14 15. 67. Grave Counsels 363. to the unmarried 369. To the married 372. 375. 378. D. Causes of doubting 65. 105. The fears and discouragements in many are groundlesse 3. and from the Devill 106. It is an infirmitie to give way to any discouragement 108. 79. We are to looke to Christ and not at discouragements 52. 113. There hath been discouragements in many of the Lords 87 88 89. Grounds of discouragements and feares 16 No man is to despaire 158. The time of doubting is a barren time 71. No man can deliver his soule why 12 13. There is death in our best duties 41. It is not any thing man can do that can make him to be loved of God 24 25 97. The Saints daily duty and desire 199 c. Causes of unwillingnesse to duties 77. E. Election not for foreseene faith 320. 148. It is impossible for the Elect to perish and why 140 141. We should be content with our present estate 130 131. 127. Treasure up experience of Gods goodnes 119. Severall experiences 331. F. There be divers kinds of faith 55. Faith what 56 57 58. 61. Many are mistaken in faith 55. Faith is not to be placed in enjoyments 80. Faith looks not at sight nor feeling 80. 124. Faith is so small and weak in many that they cannot discerne it 47. 83 84. 86. When faith is wrought by God in the soul 45 Faith is where spirituall desires are 75. 53. We should ever live by faith 79. 123. Faith quiets and settles the foule 103. 122. Faith evidenceth to us our justification 115 The word and promise of God is the onely ground of faith 15. 123. The act of faith is a worke 145. Faith is no condition of the Covenant of grace 46 47. We should not yeeld to feares 51. 102. We should not feare want why 165. 227 What it is to be fatherlesse 63. A remedy against feares 381. Wherein the life of faith consists 143. The Saints are to live by faith in justification 154. In sanctification 154. In infirmities 156 c. For graces 167. In use of meanes 175. For protection and supply of all wants 148. In adversitie 188. In the life past 189. For glorification 193. And to dye by faith 197. G. God is ready to forgive 25 26. God is unchangeable 80. 95. 97. God oft hides himselfe from his 94. God was found of them that sought him not 34. God is not an enemy to his though they greatly sin against him 26 27. 97. 146. Gods free grace is to be admired 127. God gives Christ to enemies 50 51. God never fayles his 78. God draweth the soule to Christ 41. The manner of Gods drawing men to Christ 42 c. Gods children are in various conditions 127. Of the growth of the Saints 70 71 72. H. Heart what where it is seated 53 54. What it is to give God the heart 54 55. There is hardnesse of heart in a child of God 100. The heart of man is not to be hearkened unto and why 7. We should watch our hearts 202. Why men follow the counsell of their owne hearts 10 11. Incouragements to hope 20 21. The happinesse of beleevers depends not upon their doings 34 35 36 37 38 39. 46. Of hearing the Word 259. I. How men are made just before God 10. 121. No effect of sanctification can evidence justification and why 115 116. It is one thing to be justified and another to be sanctified 114 115. Who are fit to judge of mens estates 111 128 Many mens apprehension of justification is not from God and why 116. 162 163. What an infirmitie is 155 156. When men live by faith in infirmities 163. K. It is one thing to know another to know that we know 94. 61. L. What it is to be lost 123. God loves us before we love him 49. The love of God being discovered scatters all discouragements and feares 5. We are not to answer Gods love by our mortification of sinne 78. God loves freely 110. 23. False lives men live 7 8 9 10 11 124. M. Fallen man cannot helpe himselfe 6. 12 13 The mercy of God is infinite 25. see 33. 51. Such as have received mercy from God should be mercifull to others 130. That which moves God to shew mercy is in and from himselfe 24 25. Meanes to settle a soule in assurance of the love of God 105 c. Meanes alone