every false way Psa 119.104 So vers 106. I have sworn and I will perform it that I will keep thy Righteous Judgments Psal 17 5. Hold up my Goings in thy Paths that my Foot steps slio not Your prevailing Habits and consequently your State must be known by your Behaviour in a time of trial then it must appear whether the Interest of God or your own Corruptions be predominant in you whether his Commands or the Inclinations of the Fâ—esh bear the greater sway with you That is whether ye be sincere Christians or Self-deceiving Hypocrites 'T is true in leed the best of Men through surprize or the violence of a Temptation may be overtaken even with gross Sin but if they fall into it they do not lie in it but renew their Repentance and double theiâ— waâ—er Their Wills are habitually more against Sin thâ—n for it they endeavour to be rid of it and therefore are not to be denominated Workers of Iniquity But with the unregenerate the case is otherwise they love their Sins and are loth to leave them Quest 6 Do ye love to be plainly dealt with as to the great Concerns of your Souls Are ye for awakening convincing searching Light or had he rather sleep on and take your rest Are ye earnestly desirous to know your Duty better in order to practice Have ye no Sin which ye are not willing to find out Have ye discovered none which ye are not resolved to leave Do ye take it well to be prudently and faithfully reproved He that hateth Reproof is brutish shall die suddenly be destroy'd and that without Remedy Faithful are the Wounds of a Friend Let the Righteous smite me it shall be a Kindness and let him reprove me it shall be an excellent Oâ—le c. Psal 141.5 It is a woful Sign when Men desire to be foothed up and flattered in their evil ways And woe be to those who humour them therein and daub with untempered Morter Ezek. 13.10 Joh. 3.19 20. This is the Condemnation that Light is come into the World c. For every one that doeth Evil hateth the Light neither cometh to the Light lâ—st his Deeds should be reproved But a gracious Soul is for an home and close application of the most searching powerful convincing Truths and for judging himself impartially by them Hypâ—crites indeed are forward to judg others they can espy Motes in their Brother's Eye buâ— O how favourable are they to themselves how ready to cloak and extenuate their own Sins 'T is a sign your Cause is naught when ye would have it shuffled over without searching Quest 7. Do ye earnestly desire and endeavour after greater degrees of Holiness both in Heart and Life Were it put to your choice whether had ye rather be as holy as Abraham David Daniel c. or any other of the most eminent Saints ye have heard or read of or as great and successful in the World as Cesar Alexander Scipio or any the like c. This is a plain Question but 't is worth your while to put it close to your own Conscienceâ— Sensible things are apt to make very strong Impressions upon us while spiritual Objects tho infinitely more excellent are but coldly or indifferently regarded If ye be truly gracious ye will certainly desire to be more yea to be perfectly so And your Desires will be seconded with answerable Endeavours As for inward habitual Holiness Ye will still be taking pains with your own Souls to bring them to a more full conformity to the blessed God This ye will aim at in all your Religious Exercises viz. That ye may get more Knowledg of God more intimate Acquaintance and Communion with him through Christ That your Hearts may be carried out more earnestly purtly and strongly towards him in short that ye may be more inward with him and near to him And that whatever ye find in your selves contrary to him may be more and more rooted out mortâ—fied and destroyed Ye will even hunger and thirst after Righteousness Mat. 5.6 All the Afflictions ye meet with in the World will be as nothing to you if compared with the Burden of remaining Corruption especially Averseness from God As for Holiness of Life Ye will lay out your selves for God your Time your Strength your All will be at his Service As accounting that there is nothing else worth living for but the promoting of his Glory and the pleasing of his Will Ye will therefore endeavour to abound in the Work of the Lord And joyfully embrace Opportunities put into your Hand to testify your Love by Obedience tho the Flesh should be a loser or a sufferer by it Yea you will seek for such opportunities and contrive with your selves how ye may be most serviceable to the Honour and Interest of your God But if as to these Matters ye be cold and careless ye may well suspect your selves to be false and unsound at the bottom Quest 8. Do ye heartily love and value all that are truly Godly as such Is your delight in the Excellent Ones of the Earth Do ye love the Sociâ—ty and Converse of such Persons Are ye heartily concerned for their Welfare And ready to relieve their Wants and Necessities How dwelleth the Love of God in that Man who shatteth up his bowels of Compassion from his Brother 1 Joh. 3.17 The Hearts of wicked Men rise against those who are more strict and serious than themselves They can hardly afford them a good Word or Look but put Nick-Names upon them and could wish they were rooted out of the Earth Others there are who tho not so desperately malignant do yet think that less Care and Strictness might serve the turn and are offended to see them make so much ado about Religion But all those who truly love God love his holy Image where-ever they can discern it love those that are begotten of him love those that love him as such So that Love to the People of God is principally and ultimately referred unto God himself who is loved in them and they for his sake 1 Joh. 3.14 We know that we have passed from Death unto Life because we love the Brethren But then ye must observe it is not every lower degree of Love to the Godly even as such that will prove your Sincerity but it must be such a prevailing degree of Love to them as will argue the predominancy of your Love to God himself upon whose account they are loved Take these together and they will help to prove and illustrate each other Thus chap. 5.2 By this we know that we love the Children of God when we love God and keep his Commandments So then love to the Brethren is a more remote mark of Sincerity and must it self be tried by this more immediate one viz. Love to God himself Quest 9. What way do your Thoughts most naturally turn for support in an hour of Trouble Whence do yâ— fetch your greatest Relief at
working our Hearts to that temper whereof the Psalmist's Words are very expressive Psal 73.25 WHOM HAVE I IN HEAVEN but Thee c. When this is done then is the Heart of the Old Man broken then the Soul stands no longer at such an unkind distance from God as it did before But being begotten of him hath an ingenious Child-like Affection towards him O my God I can resist no longer thou art stronger than I and hast prevailed thy Love hath overcome me victorious Grace has got the day Other Lords besides thee have had Dominion over me But by Thee only will I make mention of thy Name Isa 26.13 Thus they cry Abba Father and feel at length how good it is to draw near to God Psal 73.28 In this it is that true Grace Holiness or real Godliness doth principally consist Namely in such an inclination of the Will towards God it is the giving our Hearts to him which before were most unreasonably and wickedly alienated from him 'T is this which he doth especially call for insist upon and expect from us this he sets most by and without it will not accept of any thing else that we can offer Prov. 23.26 My Son give me thine Heart This is more than all whole Barnt-offerings and Sacrifices Mark 12.33 Thus the wandering Soul is brought back to its proper Center and Best 'T is an honest Friendly good-natured Disposition of Heart God-wards always tempered with dutiful Reverence to so adorable a Majesty who needeth not such poor silly Worms as we but will be gracious to whom be will be gracious and will shew Mercy on whom he will shew Mercy Exod. 33.19 Thus the design of the Gospel is to bring us into Fellowship with God 1 John 1.3 That henceforth we may converse with him as our best and dearest Friend And confidently expect from him all that Kindness and Faithfulness which belongs to such a Relation and what may we not hope for from such a Friend such a Father Nothing shall be wanting that 's fit for him to give or for us to receive Luk. 19.31 Son thou art ever with me and all that I have is thine The Love of God to his People as one observes cannot be overset it knows no difficulties The greater the Performance or Vouchsafement the more sutable to Divine Love Again this great Change is an opening of our Hearts towards God which before were shy reserved estranged shut up against him Tho they were always his by Title yet not till now by Consent before he had jus ad rem a right to them now he hath jus in re an actual Interest in them and Possession of them The Everlasting Doors are now opened and the King of Glory is entered in Psal 24. Thus we give unto God the things that are God's How shall I make it plainer 'T is a sincere deep inward hearty prevailing Love to him who is Love and Goodness it self This is the Life and Substance of all true Religion the fulfilling of the Law in one Word LOVE Without this thou hast only the shadow of Holiness but really art nothing 1 Cor. 13.2 The Truth is the Will is the first Subject of moral Good and Evil 'T is turned from God by Sin yea and set against him Grace reduceth and reconciles it to him again so that the tendencies of the renewed Soul are towards God that it may know him more love and serve him better be brought yet nearer to him and more fully conformed to his Will It detests all thoughts of Happiness in which the Enjoyment of God is not included or rather which is not wholly included in that Enjoyment He says unto the Lord Thou art my God I cannot take up with any thing else for my Portion and Supreme Good my Soul panteth after thee longeth for thee and is even weary of it self to find any Remnants of its old Aversion from thee These are my daily Groans O that I could ascend more Send forth O Lord thy powerful attractive Love let that holy Flame consume my Dross that the nobler part may know in home its rest it s all How precious are thy Thoughts unto me O God how great is the sum of them I knew in some measure long since that none but God could make me compleatly happy I have often heard of this by the hearing of the Ear but now I know it better mine Eye sees it I find and feel that my Soul is otherwise affected towards thee than iâ— was before Thus the Passage betwixt the Head and Heart is opened thus the Will is determined for God And those Truths which before only hovered in the Brain or Imagination sink down work into the very Soul and attemper it to themselves I have been somewhat large upon this Head but all 's little enough to make unregenerate Persons understand these things tho still they pretend to love God But I proceed 4. The sensitive Passions or Affections must also be sanctified so as to fall in with the superior Faculties especially the Will and be subservient to them in order to the great Ends of Holiness or Religion That is they must be devoted unto God exercised upon him and for him The rational and sensitive Appetite are so nearly connexed at least in this Life that the Acts of the former so far as we perceive them always take in somewhat of the latter and are commonly described accordingly Moreover the Passions of Affections are oft-times an occasion or means to awaken and excite our Reason and Will to do their duty and therefore of exceeding great use if rightly managed and improved And tho the great Work of Grace lies principally in the higher Faculties of the Soul as intellectual Namely in the vital active Power Vnderstanding and WILL And must there be mainly sought and enquired after viz. Whether we have an high Estimation of God and do resolvedly and rationally cleave to him endeavouring to act sutably in our Lives and Conversations c. Again tho it must be granted that our Passions are not so apt to be moved by spiritual and invisible Objects as by sensible things that are near us c. and withal that they are many times strongest where Judgment is weakest and very uncertain too as depending much upon the Constitution of the Body c. Yet I must needs say that those Persons whose Affections move sensibly and freely toward other things but scarce stir at all as to the best and highest Objects are certainly in a weak and languid State of Soul if not quite dead If we be indeed risen with Christ then as we ought so we shall in some measure set our Affections on things above Col. 3.1 2. If the Will be predominantly for God 't is not to be supposed but that the Affections will in some degree go along with it and if they move but slowly it will be matter of Grief and will put us upon earnest Strivings to raise them to a
God who hath thus first loved us and so to effect the Reconciliation on our part Study this well the substance of Christianity is contained in it As Christ as Mediatour is the summary mean and way to the Father to bring Man home to his Creatour So Faith in Christ is a mediating Grace to work in us the Love of God As Mr. Baxter haâ— it No other Grace or Duty is accepted of God nor will prove our Salvation any further than iâ— participateth of predominant Love to God But thiâ— predominant Love is always an evidence of Life ibid. Thirdly The same Power which hath brought the work thus far doth maintain and keep alive the Principle of Grace implanted in the Soul Our Spirituaâ— Life no less than the Natural depends upon the continual influx of its Almighty Author In him we live and move and have our Being not only as Men but as Christians or new Men. The Strength of that habitual Grace subjected in us would never hold our without daily Influences of efficient Grace still working upon us Thus we are kept by the Power of God through Faith unto Salvation 1 Pet. 1.5 And preserved unto his Heavenly Kingdom 2 Tim. 4.18 We know what woful work our first Parents made when their Concerns were left in their own Hands how shamefully they betray'd their Trust and ruined at once themselves and their Posterity and this through the meer mutability of their Nature tho' upright and innocent as it came out of God's Hand What then might be expected from us who have not only mutable Natures but great Remnants of Sin and Corruption even in the very best of us Surely if our stock of Grace were left only to our own management we should soon turn Bankrupts Let it be considered that Grace is not a natural but supernatural Principle not essential but an additional to our Beings not born with us but as it were a stranger or new comer in us And that our Hearts are not wholly dispossessed of those Objects which are against its work nor delivered from those Principles which have an enmity to it Yea that we often lose some degrees of it and therefore should quickly lose the rest if the divine Power were not engaged in our Preservation and that Faithfulness which will not suffer us to be tempted above what we are able 1 Cor. 10.13 This holy Seed would soon come to nothing in so unkindly a Soil as our Hearts are were it not cherish'd and watered by the same Hand that placed it there This Spark of Divine Light would quickly be extinguish'd if not kept in and refreshed by continual Emanations from the Father of Lights 'T is true we are commanded to keep our Hearts with all diligence or above all keeping Prov. 4.23 To stand upon our guard to be stedfast and unmoveable That is we must put forth our utmost Endeavours for God works by means but if we trust to our Hearts we are Fools Prov. 28.26 I may allude to that Psal 127.1 Except the Lord keep the City the Watch-man waketh but in vain Well then we must do our utmost to keep that good thing that is committed to us but how By the assistance of the Holy-Ghost which dwelleth in us 2 Tim. 1.14 So Jude 21. Keep your selves in the Love of God But then vers 24 25. He teacheth them to look higher than their own Endeavours in this matter Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling To the only wise God our Saviour be Glory and Majesty Dominion and Power both now and ever Amen Fourthly By the same Almighty Power the new Creature is carried on gradually towards its designed Perfection Phil. 1.6 Being confident of this very thing that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform or finish it until the Day of Jesus Christ The Life of Grace is not only kept whole in the Soul but more abundant Life given it According to the design of its merciful Saviour Joh. 10.10 I am come that they might have Life and that they might have it more abundantly That Heavenly Light which hath shined in upon it increaseth more and more unto a perfect Day Prov. 4.18 The principle of holy LOVE is cherish'd and blown up till at length it come to a pure and perfect Flame That which hath been already wrought is good so far as it goes but the blessed Author of it will not leave his work imperfect it shall be all very good before he has done with it As at the first Creation Gen. 1.31 God intends for his Children not only a Perfection of parts but of degrees And in so doing he deals with them according to the manifest Tendency of that divine Nature whereof he hath made them Partakers Can any thing be more agreeable than for those who have tasted that the Lord is gracious to desire more full and satisfying relishes of his Grace And has he given them those Desires to abuse and torment them It cannot be Surely those that hunger and thirst after Righteousness shall be filled Mat. 5.6 Yea by how much the greater their Longings are so much the fitter for large Communications Psal 81.10 Open thy Mouth wide and I will fill it Ask great things and with earnest Desires and ye shall receive that your Joy may be full This leaves a black Note upon those who are at a stand in Matters of Religion make no progress but seem well enough content with the measures to which they have attained I tell you such Persons have great reason to suspect their own Sincerity nay if this be their stated constant habitual Temper they may justly be pronounced Hypocrites He that thinks he hath Grace enough has certainly no true saving Grace at all Living Natures as Plants Children c. thrive till they come to Perfection Pieces of Art or dead Things as the Image of a Child a withered Plant are at a stand or grow worse Phil. 3.14 I press toward the Mark. Sincerae sanctitatis inse parabile signum est desiderium sincerum perfectionis Method Theol. part 3. pag. 216. A sincere Desire of Perfection is an inseperable Sign of sincere Holiness Is it to be thought that that Man has any saving Knowledg of God or sincere hearty Love to him who doth not desire to know him better and to love him more Ye that have experienc'd what these things mean consider of it take advice and speak your Minds But as for empty lifeless Hypocrites I except against them they are not competent Judges in the Case Because they savour not the things of the Spirit but have their Judgments bribed and over-swayed by the Fleshly Interest We are expressly commanded to grow in Grace to be always abounding in the work of the Lord. And it must needs be of ill Signification as to our State if such commands weigh nothing with us But with the truly Godly it is not so the Grace which they have already received inclines them
to labour after more tho' still it is God that worketh in them Heb. 13.20 21. Fifthly and Lastly The Souls of Believers are at their death made perfect in Holiness Somewhat hath been spoken of this already which is now to be further illustrated and proved The Scripture assures us that the Souls of the Godly being separated from their Bodies do pass into Glory or into the Presence of Christ Abraham's Bosom Thus our Lord tells the Penitent Thief Luk. 23.43 To Day shalt thou be with me in Paradise So the Apostle in this Context We are willing rather to be absent from the Body and to be present with the Lord. vers 8. We are also told that the Angels shall be our Convoys to bring us thither Luke 16.22 Now 't is certain that no unclean thing nothing that defileth can enter into the heavenly state From whence it follows that the Souls of the Faithful shall then be perfectly freed from all sinful Weaknesses and therefore must need be perfectly holy For 't is Non-sense to suppose a middle state in this case viz. in a rational Creature obliged by the Law of its Nature to a perfect conformity to the Will of its Creaton But what needs further reasoning when we are plainly told of the Spirits of just Men-made perfect Thus 't is evident that when Death hath opened the Womb of Time or drawn aside the Vail and let us into Eternity all our sinful Imperfections will be lest behind us and never trouble us more How weak soever our present Insant-staâ—e on Earth is there is nothing above but perfect Holiness and Love Thus the Day of Death is the Birth-day of the gracious Soul's Perfection This is our third Birth as one speaks and therefore no wonder if there be some Pangs and Difficulties in it As there was in the Birth of Nature and in that of Grace so in this of Glory Should not the thoughts of this make Death welcome It may be you will say Death is an Enemy to Nature But is it not a conquered Enemy Has not our Lord Jesus Christ even in our Nature overcome it Has he not taken away the sting of it And in so doing gained us the victory 1 Cor. 15.55 c. Yea by the Power and Wisdom of our mighty Redeemer this Enemy Death is turned to our advantage To die is gain Is in terrible to Nature What is Faith for but to conquer such Fears Must we not die in Faith as well as live by is But to return to the Point 'T is no wonder if such sinful imperfect Creatures as we be much at a loss in our apprehensions concerning a State of Sin less Perfection both as to the nature of it and the manner how 't is brought about But for all this it is not hard to conceive that there are several things which may greatly contribute thereto I will just name three Particulars 1. These Bodies will then be laid aside and who knows not what heavy Weights what Prisons what Snares they have been to our Souls Bodies of Sin and Death God knows Rom. 7.23 24. 2. And therefore those holy Habits which had the commanding Influence upon the Hearts and Lives of true Believers but were miserably obscured and kept at an under by the Mists and Darkness of the aniâ—nal State shall then display themselves and appear in their own likeness Which is not unintelligible especially if the nature of an habit consist in a secret deep â—mperceptible constant act of the Soul and who can say it doth not so 3 The admission of the Soul into the sight of the glorious God this is much to be considered in this matter 'T is easy to enlarge upon all these but to what purpose Tu ratiocinare ego credam The Physician of â—our Souls knows how to perfect their Cure in ways to â—us incomprehensible Thus we have considered the several Steps whereby the work of Grace is begun and carried on till it come to Perfection I would only add that in this whole Business no violence is done to our natural Faculties Grace presupposeth Nature which it heals and rectifies but doth not destroy tho' the workings of the Spirit in this matter be powerful and efficacious yet they are also sweet and agreeable They will act most freely when made free by Grace 't is so determin'd that it also determines it self that is it moves spontaneously towards God or having received the influx of his Grace actively concurs therewith viz. Being first animated and quickened thereby And thus much for the explication of the Doctrine CHAP. V. Plain Proof from Scripture and thâ— nature of the thing that none caâ—â— come to Heaven till they be wrought or prepared for it by Divine Grace THO' what has been already said in order 〈◊〉 the opening of the Doctrine hath at the saiâ—â— time carried the Proof thereof along with it thâ—â— great Truth having so much Self-evidence in it thâ—â— one would think being once understood it could noâ— but be assented to yet because 't is exceeding common for Men to bear up themselves with the hopes of Heaven tho' they be utter Strangers to this great work of Grace and withal because it is very dangerous sâ—â— to do Therefore let me give you the Proof of whâ—â— has been thus far explained and set before you Men are slower of belief as to this great Article 〈◊〉 the Christian Doctrine than to most I might say aâ—â—y other as a Learned Man observes Mr. How 's Blessedness of the Righteous pag. 242. But Let God be true but every Man a Liar Rom. 3.4 Therefore 1. None are chosen to Salvation but through Sanctification of the Spirit God's eternal decree of Election connecteth the End and the Means Holiness and Happiness Grace and Glory together The Scripture is most full and plain in this case Rom. 8.29 Whom he did foreknow them he also did predestinate to be conformed to the Image of his Son And what follows Them he also called justified glorified Ephes 1.4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the Foundation of the World that we should be holy and without blame before him in LOVE 2 Tim. 1.9 Who hath saved us and called us with an holy Calling not according to our works but according to his own Purpose and Grace which was given us in Christ Jesus before the World began See more 2 Thess 2.13 1 Pet. 1 2. Is it not plain from these Scriptures that there is such a thing as Election of particular Persons to eternal Life And that as God doth decree to give eternal Life upon certain conditions so he doth also decree to give those conditions to certain Persons And the execution of the Decree is ever answerable to the Decree it self Ephes 1.11 Being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own Will Deny this and you may deny any thing Will you reverse the Decrees of Heaven or deny them
Christ as you can What Pleasure do ye take is discoursing concerning the things of God In speaking of the Glory of His Majesty and the Wonders of his Grace the Holiness and Perfection of his Law c. What say ye Do such things as these are agree with you Or are they not a weariness to you Are ye nor ready to think that Lords-Days return too oâ— And that strict and serious Religion is intolerable Prociseness Do not your Hearts rise against it Are â—e not glad when the Service of God is over Tho sour thing ye would do to secure Heaven for a reserve who ye can enjoy the World no longer Is not this the very Temper of your Spirits And is it not very deplorable Alas what should ye do in Heaven with sod Hearts as these Would ye not be eternally weary oâ— an Eternal Sabbath Would not your ungracious Spirits be ever recoiling and uneasy Do ye not yet see that there is no coming to the new Jerusalem without new Hearts If not 't is because ye shut your Eyes Certainly if unregenerate Men might have â—n Haven of their own choosing it would be vastly different even quite another thing from that which Goâ— hath prepared for them that LOVE him But he should Men be happy against their own Wills Or it State to which the Temper of their Spirits is not suâ—ed So true is that great Saying of a Worthy Divine When God hath so determined that without â—â—â—ness none shall see him he lays no other Law upon unholy Souls than what their own impure Nature lay upon themselves Blâ—ssedness of the Righteouâ—â— pag. 46 By this time ye see or may see if ye will thâ—â— except the Decrees of God can be reverst the design of Redemption perverted the Office of the hâ—â— Spirit nullified the Institution of the Ministry aâ—â— Ordinances run down the Threarnings of the Gospâ—â— made of none Effect the Inheritance be attained without the earnest a new way found to Heaven which none ever discovered before and all this while the Righteous themselves are scarcely saved in a word unless the nature of things be quite overturn'd and palpable Contradictions made to agree none can come to Heaven till they be prepared and wrought for it by Divine Grace Lo this we have searched it so it is hear it and know thou it for thy good Heb. for thy self Job 5.27 CHAP. VI. Several Inferences of Truth drawn from the foregoing Discourse THus we have fully proved that except ye will be holy ye cannot be happy If this therefore be so clear and certain a Truth it must needs be also a very weighty and important one a thing much to be considered and closely applied because our Spiritual and Eternal Welfare and what is infinitely more than either the Glory of the Great God is so nearly concerned in it Now since there are many other Truths which have an intimate connexion with and dependance upon this great Doctrine let us begin with the Consideration of these for the informing of our Judgments Inser 1. We may learn from hence the great Worth and Excellency of real Holiness Real I say in opposition to that vain empty shew of Religion wherewith Multitudes make a shift to deceive themselves even because they know no better and that because they will not know Satan hath taken advantage by their own Corruption to blind their Minds and close their Eyes and thus they choose Darkness rather than Light because their Deeds are Evil. Hence it is that they see no Beauty in Holiness no more than they do the Form and Comliness of the great Pattern and Procurer of it Isa 53.2 They do not approve things that are excellent If they meddle with Matters of Religion they do but debase them First by forming low and unworthy Notions of them sutable to their own degenerate Tempers and Spirits then they act accordingly and after all highly value themselves upon what they have done Nevertheless the high Excellency of Holiness manifestly appears from the three following Particulars which may easily be drawn from what has been already delivered 1. It s Original 'T is from Heaven the blessed God is himself the Author of it as in the Text. He that hath wrought us for the self-same thing is God 'T is a Divine Work and that not a common Work neither but wrought in a way of special Grace and therefore it has a peculiar Excellency in it Insomuch that the Subjects of this great Change are denominated born of God Joh. 1.13 born from above chap. 33. as the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may be rendred Hereupon they are advanced to the Name and Relation of Children 1 Joh. 3.1 Behold what manner of Love the Father hath bestowed upon us that we should be called the Sons of God So called and not miscalled for so they are as vers 2. Now are we the Sons of God 2. The Nature of true Holiness speaks the Excellency of it 'T is the Soul's Conformity to the blessed God his Image drawn upon it a Participiation of the Divine Nature which sweetly and effectually inclines all the Faculties and Powers of our Souls God-ward and so far as it prevails upon us it takes away our unkind Aversion and Estrangedness from him and teacheth us to center upon him as our Portion Happiness and chief Good In short it is our devotedness unto God which implies a Separation from whatsoever stands in opposition against him as such So that had the Apostle been silent as to the Author of this great Work the very Nature of it might have told us whence it is for it bears the Image and Superscription of God upon it Little do the proud Despisers of Holiness consider what they say or against whom it is that they sprit themselves make a wide Mouth and draw out the 〈◊〉 Isa 57.4 To vilify this work is a dishonour to its Author To cast Dirt upon the Image is an affront to its great Original who scorneth their Scorners sits in the Heavens and laughs at them for he seeth that their Day is coming Psal 37 13. 3. The blessed End and Issue of Holiness shews you the worth of it it comes from above and thither it leads and is at last compleated in the Heavenly Perfection Judg then of the Way and Means by the End here is the Faith and Patience of the Saints They are high-born and a sutable Inheritance is designed them To think or speak slightly of Holiness is to contemn Heaven it self which is a State of Perfection therein Wo unto them that draw Iniquity with Cords of Vanity and Sin as it were with a Cart-Rope That put Darkness for Light and Light for Darkness Isa 5.18 20. It may be at last they 'll say as one of their Predecessors did let me die the Death of the Righteous Not from any love to Righteousness but from a slavish Fear of the just Punishment of their Impiety and therefore those forced
the performance of religious Duties yea and sometimes fall into great Sins besides those of daily Infirmity and therefore are often called to Repentance Humiliation and Amendment and to renew their Covenant with God in Christ and to act Faith upon his Merits and Satisfaction for Pardon and Peace and to double their Watch and Diligence for the future when in the mean time they are not perhaps obliged at all to call in question their Foundation nor to perplex themselves with Doubts and Fears as to their State in the main Indeed as for those who oft fall into groffer Sins and lie long in them even such Sins as they might easily forbear if they were truly willing such have great reason to question their own Sincerity But as for the common Infirmities of the Godly yea or their greater falls through Inadvertency Surprize or the violence of some sudden Temptation the Case here is quite different If a Workman when he has laid his Foundation and is proceeding forward in the Building should upon evevy lesser or some few greater mistakes in the Superstructure pull down all again and question the Foundation it self he would make very little progress and so have but little comfort in his Work So here true Believers who are in a justified State have still need to beg daily Pardon for their daily Sins yet ought they not to give way to needless Doubts or misgiving Thoughts as to their State in the main For if any Man sia we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the Righteous 1 John 2.1 He that is washed needeth not save to wash his Feet but is clean every whit John 13.10 When David had sinned so grievously in the matter of Vriah and Nathan the Prophet was seâ—â— to him to expostulate with him about it and bring him to a greater Sense of the Evil he had done c. we find that he humbly acknowledgeth his Transgression earnestly implores the Divine Mercy prays hard that the Holy Spirit of God may not be taken away from him but we do not find that he was called to doubt of his State in the main nor can we prove that he did so but encouraged himself in the Mercy of God Psal 51.17 The Sacrisices of God are a broken Spirit a broken and a contrite Heart O God thou wilt not despise There are says a great Divine some Sins which every one that repenteth of them doth so forsake as to cease committing them and there are some lesser Sins which they that repent of them do hate indeed but yet frequently renew as our defective degrees in the exercise of Repentance it self Faith Love Trust Fear Obedience our vain Thoughts and Words some sinful Passions c. many such Sins are fitly called Infirmities because they consist with Life and are forgiven It is of great use to the peace of our Consciences to discern the difference between these two for one fort require a Conversion to another State and the other require but a particular Repentance and when they are unknown are forgiven without a particular Repentance because our general Repentance is virtually though not actually particular as to them One sort are cause of judging our selves ungodly and the other sort are only cause of Filial Humiliation Baxter's Directory part 1. pag. 299. Direct 11. Though you cannot yet attain to the â—uller comforts of Assurance do not therefore underâ—â—lue any thing that looks hopefully or hath a likely endency thereto Great things are not usually atâ—â—ined but by degrees and through many difficulâ—ies 't is no small matter to be certain that we are 〈◊〉 a justified State nor is such a certainty so common among true Believers themselves as perhaps you imagine who yet have considerable Support â—nd Comfort from hopeful Probabilities in the case Now as 't is necessary to pull down the vain Hopes of presumptious Sinners so it also is to strengthen and help the Joys and Hopes of weak Christians Well then let me ask you Are you not grieved or the many Offences you have committed against God at least Is it not your trouble that you can nourn for Sin no more that your Hearts are no nore tender and relenting Is it not your desire and in some measure your endeavour to renounce your Sins and to mortify your Corruptions Could you bear the thoughts of parting with Christ or quitting your Interest in him for all your Doubts and letting go your hold of him for any thing that could possibly be offered you in exchange Would you not even loath and abhor the Proposal Is it not your endaavour to love him more and serve him better Put such Questions as these are to your own Souls and then judge whether in all this there be not something that appears to be more then like special Grace And though you are not yet certain that it is so yet let thus much support you till you can see further And as I said before be thankful for what you have and strive for more Grace and then you shall find that spiritual strength and comfort will increase together And all along be sure to remember that God and the Redeemer are as willing to accept you upon Gospel-terms as you can be to desire it yea and infinitely mâ—â—â— willing as loving Holiness better than you do 〈◊〉 the March break between Christ and you it shall 〈◊〉 through your own refusal Never was any poâ—â— Sinner before-hand with him he is the first in coâ—senting and is a Suitor to us for our full 〈◊〉 hearty consent nor will he despise the least tendecies thereto He will not break the bruised Reed oâ— On his part all is safe and clear prevail but withy own Heart to hold on and go thorow with the work and All 's thine own Direct 12. Be sure that you exercise the moâ—â— deep and entire Self-resignation to the soveraign Pleasure of the Divine Will in this matter Leave it unto God to measure out your Comforts for you and to determine the Time and Season thereof Lay your Souls at his Feet with the profoundest Reverence Humility and Submission say as David in another Case It may be the Lord will look upon my Affliction But if he say he have no delight in me behold here am I let him do as seems good unto him 2 Sam. 15.26 O learn to wait upon the Lord and look for him when he seems to hide his Faâ—â— Isa 8.17 It is not possible that you should be Losers by thus resigning your Souls and your All into his Hand 't is your certain Duty so to do and it will be a mighty evidence of that Sincerity which you are seeking after And there are many comfortable Promises made to such actings of Soul as these and encouraging Examples set before us Blessed are all they that wait for him Wait on the Lord be of good courage and he shall strengthen thine Heart Wait I say on the Lord. Psal 20.14 Methinks that such a