likewise with the same mind for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men but to the will of God 3. All those are unregenerate that depend not upon God as their chiefest Benefactor and do not most carefully apply themselves to him as knowing that in his favour is life Psal 30.5 and that his loving kindness is better then life Psal 63.3 and that to his judgement we must finally stand or fall but do ambitiously seek the favour of men and call them their Benefactors Luke 22.25 Matth. 23.9 whatever become of the favour of God He is no child of God that preferreth not the Love of God before the Love of all the world He is no heir of heaven that preferreth not the fruition of God in Heaven before all worldly glory and felicity Col. 4.1 2 3. If ye be risen with Christ seek the things that are above where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God set your affection on things above not on things on the earth The Love of God is the summ of Holiness the Heart of the new creature the perfecting of it is the perfection and felicity of man 4. They are certainly unregenerate that Believe not the Gospel and take not Christ for their only Saviour and his promises of Grace and Glory as purchased by his Sacrifice and Merits for the Foundation of their hopes on which they resolve to trust their souls for pardon and for peace with God and endless Happiness Acts 4.12 Neither is there salvation in any other for there is none other Name under Heaven given among men whereby we must be saved 1 John 5.11 12. This is the record that God hath given us eternal life and this life is in his Son He that hath the Son hath life and he that hath not the Son hath not life When our Happiness was in Adams hands he lost it It is now put into safer hands and Jesus Christ the second Adam is become our Treasury He is the Head of the Body from whom each member hath quickning influence Eph. 1.22 The life of Saints is in him as the life of the tree is in the root unseen Col. 4.3 4. Holiness is a Living unto God in Christ Though we are dead with Christ to the Law and to the world and to the flesh we are alive to God So Paul describeth our case in his own Gal. 2.19 20. I through the Law am dead to the Law that I might live unto God I am crucified with Christ nevertheless I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me Rom. 6.11 Likewise reckon ye also your selves to be dead indeed unto sin but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Christ is the Vine and we are the branches without him we can do nothing If you abide not in him and his words in you you are cast forth as a branch and withered which men gather and cast into the fire and they are burnt John 15.1 5 6 7. In Baptism you are married unto Christ as to the external solemnization and in spiritual Regeneration your Hearts do inwardly close with him entertain him and resign themselves unto him by Faith and Love and by a resolved Covenant become his own And therefore Baptism and the Lords Supper are called Sacraments because as Souldiers were wont by an Oath and listing their names and other engaging Ceremonies to oblige themselveâ— to their Commanders and their Vow waâ— called A Sacrament so do we engage ouâ— selves to Christ in the holy Vow or Covenanâ— entered in Baptism and renewed in the Lords Supper 5. That person is certainly unregenerate that never was convinced of a Necessity of Sanctification or never perceived an excellency and amiableness in Holiness of heart and life and loved it in others and desired it himself and never gave up himself to the Holy Ghost to be further sanctified in the use of his appointed means desiring to be perfect and willing to press forward towards the mark and to abound in grace Much less is that person renewed by the Holy Ghost that hateth Holiness and had rather be without it and would not walk in the fear and obedience of the Lord. The Spirit of Holiness is that Life by which Christ quickneth all that are his members He is no member of Christ that is without it Rom. 8.9 According to his Mercy he saveth us by the washing of Regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost Tit. 3.5 6. That person is unregenerate that is under the Dominion of his fleshly desires and mindeth the things of the flesh above the things of the Spirit and hath not mortified it so far as not to live according to it A carnal mind and a carnal life are opposite to Holiness as Sickness is tâ— Health and Darkness unto Light Rom. 8.1 to 14. There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus that walk not after the flesh but after the spirit For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh but they that are after the spirit the things of the spirit For to be carnally minded is death but to be spiritually minded is life and peace Because the carnal mind is enmity against God for it is not subject to the Law of God neither indeed can be so then they that are in the flesh cannot please God For if ye live after the flesh ye shall die but if by the spirit ye mortifie the deeds of the body ye shall live Now the works of the flesh are manifest which are Adultery Fornication Vncleanness Lasciviousness Idolatry Witchcraft Hatred Variance Emulations Wrath Strife Seditions Heresies Envyings Murders Drunkenness revellings and such like of which I tell you before as I have also told you in time past that they which do such things shall not inherit the Kingdom of God But the fruit of the Spirit is Love Joy Peace Long-suffering Gentleness Goodness Faith Meekness Temperance against such there is no Law And they that are Christs have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts Galat. 5.18 to 25. 7. Lastly that person is certainly unregenerate that so far valueth and loveth this world or any of the carnal accommodations therein as practically to prefer them before the Love of God and the Hopes of Everlasting Glory seeking it first with highest estimation and holding it fastest so as that he will rather venture his soul upon the threatned wrath of God then his body upon the wrath of man and will be religious no further then may consist with his prosperity or safety in the world and hath something that he cannot part with for Christ and heaven because it is dearer to him then they Let this man go never so far in Religion as long
Humiliation Do theâ— think in their dejections that it is in theâ— hearts so much to exalt themselves I coâ—â—fess many of them are sensible of the Pride even to the increase of their humiliâ—ty and as it is said of Hezekiah do humbâ—â— themselves for the pride of their hearts 〈◊〉 that Gods wrath doth not come upon them 2 Chr. 32.26 But yet too few are so weâ— acquainted with the power and rootedness oâ— this sin at the heart and the workings oâ— it in the hour of temptation as they should be Observe it but at such timeâ— as these and you will see that break forth that before appeared not 1. When 〈◊〉 are undervalued and slighted and meaneâ— persons preferred before us and when our words and judgements are made light of and our parts thought to be poor and low when any blot of dishonour is cast upoâ— us deserved or undeserved when we are slandered or reproached and used with despight what a matter do we make of it and how much then doth our Pride appear in our distaste and offence and impatience so that the same person that can â—our out words of blame and shame against himself cannot bear half as much from â—thers without displeasure and disquietness of mind It would help us much to know â—his by our selves in the time of our humility that we may be engaged to more watchfuless and resistance of our pride 2. When we are reproved of any disgracefull sin how hardly goes it down and how many excuses have we how seldom are we brought to downright penitent confessions What secret distaste is apt to be rising in our hearts against the reprover And how seldom hath he that hearty thanks which so great a benefit deserves And would any think in our humilations and large confessions unto God that we were so proud To know this by our selves would make us more suspicious and ashamed to be guilty of it 3. When any preferment or honour is to be given or any work to be done that is a mark of dignity how apt are we to think our selves as fit for it as any and to be displeased if the honour or employment do pass by us 4. When we are admired appladed or excessively esteemed and loved how apt are we to be too much pleased with it which sheweth a proud desire to be some body in the world and that there is much of this venom at the bottom in our hearts even when we lay our selves in the dust and walk in sackcloth and pass the heaviâ—est judgement on our selves 7. Another instance of our unacquaintedness with our hearts and the latent undiscerned corruption of them is our littlâ— discerning or bewailing those secret master sins which lie at the root of all the rest and are the life of the old man and the cause of all the miscarriages of our lives As 1. Vnbelief of the truth of the holy Scriptures of the immortality of the soul and the life of joy or misery hereafter and the other Articles of the Christian faith What abundance of Christians are sensible of their unbelief as to the applying acts of faith that tend to their assurance of their own salvation that are little sensible of any defect in the Assenting act or of any secret root of unbelief about the truth of the Gospel revelations And yet alas it is this that weakeneth all our graces It is this that feedeth all our wo O happy men were we free from this What prayers should we put up What lives should we lead how â—atchfully should we walk with what â—â—ntempt should we look on the allureâ—ents of the world with what disâ—â—in should we think on fleshly lusts â—â—th what indignation should we meet the â—â—mpter and scorn his base unreasonable â—otions if we did but perfectly believe the â—â—ry truth of the Gospel and world to come â—ow carefull and earnest should we be to â—ake our calling and election sure How â—reat a matter should we make of sin and â—f helps and hinderances in the way to â—eaven How much should we prefer that â—â—ate of life that furthereth our salvation â—efore that which strengtheneth our snares â—y furthering our prosperity and pleaâ—ure in the world if we were not weak or â—â—anting in our belief of the the certain â—erity of these things Did we better know â—he badness of our hearts herein it would engage us more in fortifying the vitals and â—ooking better to our foundation and windâ—ng up this spring of faith which must give life to all right motions of the soul 2. How insensible are too many of the great imperfection of their love to God! What passionate complaints have we of their want of sorrow for their sin and want of memory and of ability to pray c. when their complaints for want of Love to God and more affecting knowledge of him are so colâ— and customary as shews us they little observe the greatness of this sinfull want This is the very heart and summ and poyâ—son of all the sins of our soul and life Sâ— much as a man Loves God so much he iâ— Holy and so much he hath of the spiriâ— and image of Jesus Christ and so much he hath of all saving graces and so much he will abhor iniquity and so much he wilâ— love the commands of God As Love is the summ of the Law and Prophets so should it be the summ of our care and study through all our lives to excercise and strengthen it 3. How little are most Christians troubled for want of Love to men to Brethren neighbours and enemies how cold are their complaints for their defects in this in comparison of other of their complaints But is there not cause of as deep humiliation for this sin as almost any other It seems to me that want of Love is one of the most prevalent diseases among us when I hear it so little seriously lamented I oft hear people say O that we could hear more attentively and affectionately and pray more fervently and weep for sin more plenteously But how seldom do I hear them say O that we did love our Brethren more ardently and our Neighbours and Enemies more heartily then we do and set our selves to do them good There is so little pains taken to bring the heart to the Love of others and so few and cold requests put up for it when yet the heart is backward to it that makes me conclude that Charity is weaker in most of us then we observe And indeed it appeareth so when it comes to tryal to that tryal which Christ will judge it by at last Mat. 25. When Love must be shewed by any self-denyal or costly demonstration by parting with our food and rayment to supply the wants of others and by hazarding our selves for them in their distress then see how much we Love indeed Good words cost little so cheap an exercise of charity as is mentioned Jam. 2.15 16. Depart in peace be warmed and
a sweet delightful boldness and make you 〈◊〉 to him as your help and refuge in all your necessities When you find the great promise fulfilled to your selves I will put my Law in their hearts and in their minds will I write them and their sins and iniquities will I remember no more you will have boldness to enter into the Holyest by the blood of Jesus by the new and living way which he hath consecrated for us through the veil that is to say his flesh And having an high Priest over the house of God you may draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith having your hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience or the conscience of evil as your bodies are washed in baptism with pure water Heb. 10.16 17 18 19 20 21 22. In Christ we may have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him Eph. 3.12 This intimate acquaintance with our great High Priest that is passed into the Heavens and yet abideth and reigneth in our hearts will encourage us to hold fast our profession and to come boldly to the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need Heb. 4.14 16. When by unfeigned Love we know that we are of the truth and may assure our hearts before him and our Heart condemneth us not then we have confidence towards God and whatever we ask we receive of him because we keep his commandments and do those things that are pleasing in his sight 1 Joh. 3.18 19 20 21 22. 6. When once you know that you have Christ within you you may cheerfully proceed in the way of Life when doubting Christians that know not whether they are in the way or not are still looking behind them and spend their time in perplexed fears lest they are out of the way and go on with heaviness and trouble as uncertain whether they may not lose their labour and are still questioning their groundwork when the building should go on It is an unspeakable mercy when a believing Soul is freed from these distracting hindering doubts and may bodily and cheerfully hold on his way and be walking or working when other men are fearing and enquiring of the way and may with patience and comfort wait for the reward the â—rown of life when others are still questioning whether they were ever regenerate and whether their hopes have any ground We may be stedfast unmoveable always abounding in the work of the Lord when we know that our labour is not in vain in the Lord 1 Cor. 15.58 We may then gird up the lâ—ins of the mind and in sobriety hope unto the end for the grace that is to be brought us at the Revelation of Jesus Christ 1 Pet. 1.13 7. When you are assured that you have Christ within you it may preserve you from those terrors of soul that affright theâ— that have no such assurance O he thâ—â— knoweth what it is to think of the intolerable wrath of God and says I fear I 〈◊〉 the object of this wrath and must bear thâ—â— intolerable lead everlastingly may knowâ— what a mercy it is to be assured of our escape He that knows what it is to think of Hell and say I know not but those endless flames may be my portion will know what a mercy it is to be assured of deliverance and to be able to say I know I am saved from the wrath to come 1 Thes 1.10 And that we are not of them thâ—â— draw back to perdition but of them that believe to â—he saving of the soul Heb. 10.39 And that God hath not appointed us to wrath but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ who dyed for us that whether we wake or sleep we should live together with him We may comfort our selves together and edifie one another when we have this assurance 1 Thes 5.9 10 11. They that have felt the burden of a wounded spirit and know what it is to feel the terrors of the Lord and to see Hell fire as it were before their eyes and to be kept waking by the dreadful apprehensions of their danger to be pursued daily by an accusing conscience setting their sins in order before them and bringing the threatnings of God to their remembrance these persons will understand that to be assured of a Christ within us and consequently of a Christ that is preparing a place in glory for us is a mercy that the mind of man is now unable to value according to the ten thousandth part of its worth 8. Were you assured that Christ himself is in you it would sweeten all the mercies of your lives It would assure you that they are all the pledges of his love And love in all would be the Kernel and the Life of all your friends your health your wealth your deliverances would be steeped in the dearest Love of Christ and have a spiritual sweetnss in them when to the worldling they have but a carnal unwholsome luscious sweetness and to the doubting Christians they will be turned into troubles while they are questioning the Love and meaning of the giver and whether they are sent for good to them or to aggravate their condemnation and the Company of the Giver will advance your estimation of the gift Mean things with the company of our dearest friends are sweeter then abundance in their absence To have money in your purses and goods in your houses and books in your studies and friends in your near and sweet society are all advanced to the higher value when you know that you have also Christ in your hearts and that all these are but the attendants of your Lord and the fruits that drop from the tree of life and the tokens of his Love importing greater things to follow Whereas in the crowd of all those mercies the foul would be uncomfortable or worse if it mist the presence of its dearest friend and in the midst of all would live but as in a wilderness and go seeking after Christ with tears as Mary at his Sepulchre because they had taken away her Lord as she thought and she knew not where they had laid him Joh. 20.13 All mercies would be bitter to us if the presence of Christ do not put into them that special sweetness which is above the estimate of sense 9. This assurance would do much to preserve you from the temptation of sensual delights While you had within you the matter of more excellent contentment and when you find that these inferiour pleasures â—re enemies to those which are your happiâ—ess and life you would not be easily taken with the bait The poorest brutish pleasures â—re made much of by them that never were â—cquainted with any better But after the â—weetness of assurance of the Love of God â—ow little relish is there to be found in the pleasures that are so valued by sensual unbeâ—ievers Let them take them for me saith â—he believing soul may I
〈◊〉 with the heart and whether you have â—â—y special interest in him O what a damp 〈◊〉 casteth on the soul how it stifleth its â—â—pes and joys and turneth the Sacrament â—hich is appointed for their comfort into â—â—eir greater trouble It hath many a time â—â—ieved me to observe that no ordinance â—â—th cast many upright souls into greater â—erplexities and discouragements and â—â—stresses then the Lords Supper because â—â—ey come to it with double reverence and 〈◊〉 the doubtings of their title and questiâ—ning their preparedness and by their fears of eating and drinking unworthily their â—â—uls are utterly discomposed with perplexâ—â—g passions and turned from the pleasant â—â—â—rcise of faith and the delighful enterâ—ourse that they should have with God and â—â—ey are distempered and put out of relish 〈◊〉 all the sweetness of the Gospel And 〈◊〉 they are frightened from the Sacrament by such sad experiences and dare 〈◊〉 thither no more for fear of eating â—udgement to themselves And should â—oâ— Christians labour to remove the cause of such miserable distracting fears that so much wrong both Christ and them and 〈◊〉 recover their well-grounded peace and comfort 11. Your Love to God which is 〈◊〉 Heart and Life of the new creature 〈◊〉 so much depend upon your knowledge of 〈◊〉 love to you as should make you much 〈◊〉 desirous of such a knowledge Love is 〈◊〉 end of faith and faith the way to 〈◊〉 So much of Love as is in every duty 〈◊〉 much holiness is in it and no more Iâ— is the sum of the commandments 〈◊〉 the fulfilling of the Law Rom. 13 â— Mat. 22.37 Mark 12.33 Though God 〈◊〉 us first as purposing our good 〈◊〉 we loved him 1 Joh. 4.9.10 And 〈◊〉 therefore Love him because he first 〈◊〉 us v. 19. Yet doth he Love us by compâ—â—â—cency and acceptance because we love 〈◊〉 Father and the son Joh. 16.27 〈◊〉 the Father himself loveth you because 〈…〉 loved me and have believed that I came 〈◊〉 from God And what will more effectâ—â—â— kindle in you the fervent Love of Chrâ—â—â— then to know that he loveth you and 〈◊〉 in you All this is exprest by 〈◊〉 himself in Joh 14.20.21 22 23. At 〈◊〉 day ye shall know that I am in my Faith and you in me and I in you He that 〈◊〉 my commandments and keepeth them he 〈◊〉 that loveth me and he that loveth me 〈◊〉 be loved of my Father and I will love 〈◊〉 and will manifest my self unto him If a man love me he will keep my word and my Father will love him and we will come unto him and make our abode with him 1 Cor. 8.3 If any man love God the same is known of him with a knowledge of special Love and approbation This is no disparagement to faith whose nature and use is to work by Love Gal. 5.6 What a man Loveth such he is The Love is the man Our Love is judged by our Life as the cause by the effect but the Life is judged by the Love as the fruits by the tree the effects by the cause Mores auâ—em nostri non ex eo quod quisque novit sed ex eo quod diligit dijudicari solentinâ—â— faciâ—â—t bonos vel malos mores nisi boni vel mali amores saith Augustine that is Our manners are not used to be judged of according to that which every man knoweth but according to that which he loveth It is only good or evil love that maketh good or evil manners If Plato could say as Augustine citeth him lib. 8. de Civit. Dei Hoc est Philosophari scilicet Deum amare To be a Philosopher is to Love God Much more should we say Hoc est Christianum agere this is the doctrine and the work of a Christian even the Love of God Indeed it is the work of the Redeemer to recover the heart of man to God and to bring us to Love him by representing him to us as the most amiable suitable object of our Love And the perfection of Love is Heaven it self O jugum sancti amoris inq Bernard quam dulciter capis gloriose laqueas suaviter premis delectanter oneras fortiter stringis prudenter erudis that is The yoak of holy Love O how sweetly dost thou surprize how gloriously dost thou inthrall how plesantly dost thou press how delightfully dost thou load how strongly dost thou bind how prudently dost thou instruct O faelix amor ex quo oritur strenuitas morum puritas affectionum subtilitas intellectuum desideriorum sanctitas operum claritas virtutum faecunditas meritorum dignitas praemiorum sublimitas O happy Love from which ariseth the strength of manners the purity of affections the subtilty of intellects the sanctity of desires the excellency of works the fruitfulness of vertues the dignity of deserts the sublimity of the reward I appeal to your own consciences Christians would you not think it a foretaste of Heaven upon earth if you could but Love God as much as you desire would any kind of life that you can imagine be so desirable and delightful to you Would any thing be more acceptable unto God! And on the contrary a soul without the Love of God is worse then a Corpse without a soul If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ let him be anathama maranatha 1 Cor. 16.22 And do I need to tell you what a powerful incentive it is to Love to know that you are beloved It will make Christ much more dear to you to know how dear you are to him What is said of affective Love in us may partly be said of attractive Love in Christ Eccles 8.7 Many waters cannot quench Love neither can the floods drown it no riches can purchase what it can attract when you find that he hath you as a seal upon his arm and heart v. 6. and that you are dear to him as the apple of his eye what holy flames will this kindle in your breast If it be almost impossible with your equals upon earth not to Love them that Love you which Christ telleth you that even Publicans will do Matth. 5.46 how much more should the Love of Christ constrain us abundantly to Love him when being infinitely above us his Love descendeth that ours may ascend His Love puts forth the hand from heaven to fetch us up O Christians you little know how Satan wrongeth you by drawing you to deny or doubt of the special Love of God How can you Love him that you apprehend to be your enemie and to intend your ruine Doubtless not so easily as if you know him to be your friend In reason is there any likelier way to draw you to hate God then to draw you to believe that he hateth you Can your thoughts be pleasant of him or your speeches of him sweet or can you attend him or draw near him with delight while you think he hateth you and hath decreed your damnation you may fear him as he is a
to be ignorant of our â—elves 3. What evils follow this Ignorance â—f our selves and what benefits self-knowâ—â—dge would procure 4. How we should â—â—prove this doctrine by Application and â—â—actice Of the first but briefly I. SElf-knowledge is thus distinguished according to the object 1. There is a Physical self knowledge when a man knows what he is as a man What his soul is and what his body and what the compound called man The Doctrine of Mans Nature or this part of Physicks is so necessary to all that it is first laid down even in the Holy Scriptures in Gen. ch 1 2 3. before his Duty is expressed And it is presupposed in all the moral passages of the word and in all the preaching of the gospel The Subject is presupposed to the Adjuncts The Subjects of Gods Kingdom belong to the Constitution and therefore to be known before the Legislation and Judgement which are the parts of the Administration Morality alway presupposeth nature The Species is in order before the separable Accidents Most ridiculously therefore doth Ignorance plead for it self against Knowledge in them that cry down this part of Physicks as Humane Learning unnecessary to the Disciplâ—â— of Christ What excellent holy Meditations of Humane nature do you find oft in 〈◊〉 and in Davids Psalms Ps 139. concluding 〈◊〉 the praise of the incomprehensible Creator ver 14. I will praise thee for I am fearfully and wonderfully made Marvellous are thy works and that my soul knoweth right well 2. There is a Moral Self-knowledge very necessary And this is The knowing of our selves in Relation to Gods Law or to his Judgement The former is the knowledge of our selves in respect of our Duty the second in respect of the Reward or Punishment And both of them have respect to the Law of Nature and Works or to the Remedying Law of Grace The Ethical knowledge of our selves or that which respecteth the Precept and our Duty is twofold The first is as we have performed that Duty The second as we have violated the Law by non-performance or transgression The first is the knowledge of our selves as Good the second as Evil. And both are either the knowledge of our Habits good or evil or of our Acts How we are Morally Inclined disposed or habituated or what and how we have Done We must know the Good estate of our Nature that we were created in the Bad estate of sinfull nature that we are fallen into the actual sin committed against the Law of nature and what sin we have committed against the Law of Grace and whether we have obeyed the call of the Gospel of salvation or not So that as mans state considered Ethically is threefold Institutus Destitutus Restitutus Infirmatus Deformatus Reformatus the state of Upright nature the State of Sin Original and Actual and the state of Grace we must know what we are in respect to every one of these And as to the Judicial knowledge of our selves that is as we stand related to the Promises and Threatnings the Judgement the Reward and Punishment we must know first what is due to us according to the Law of Nature and then what is due to us according to the tenour of the Law of Grace By the Law of Nature or of Works Death is the Due of fallen mankind but no man by it can lay claim to Heaven All men are under its curse or condemnation till pardoned by Christ but no man can be Justified by it By the Promise of the Gospel all true Believers renewed and sanctified by the Spirit of Christ are Justified and made the sons of God and heirs of everlasting glory To know whether we are yet delivered from the condemnation of the Law and whether our sins are pardoned or not and whether we are the children of God and have any part in the Heavenly Glory is much of the self-knowledge that is here intended in the Text and that which most nearly concerneth the solid comfort of our souls II. BUt is all self-ignorance a shame or dangerous Answ 1. It is no other shame then what is common to humane frailty to be ignorant of much of the mystery of our Natural Generation Constitution Integrall parts and Temperament There is not a nerve or artery or vein nor the bredth of a hand from head to foot but hath something unknown to the most excellent Philosopher on Earth This little world called Man is a compound of wonders Both Soul and Body have afforded matter of endless controversie and voluminous Disputations to the most Learned men which will not admit of a full decision till we are past this state of darkness and mortality 2. There are many Controversies about the nature derivation and punishment of Original sin which a humble and diligent Christian may possibly be ignorant of 3. The degrees of Habitual sin considedered simply or proportionably and respectively to each other may be much unknown to many that are willing and diligent to know And so may divers actual sins such as we know not to be sin through our imperfect understanding of the Law and such as through frailty in a crowd of actions escape our particular observation And the sinfulness or Aggravations of every sin are but imperfectly known and observed by the best 4. The Nature and beauty of the Image of God as first planted on created man and since Restored to man Redeemed the manner of the Spirits acccess operation testimony and inhabitation are all but imperfectly known by the wisest of Believers The frame or admirable composure or contexture of the New-man in each of the renewed faculties the connexion order beauty and special use of each particular grace are observed but imperfectly by the best 5. The very uprightness and sincerity of our own hearts in Faith Hope Love Repentance and Obedience is usually unknown to Incipients or young beginners in Religion and to the weaker sort of Christians how old soever in profession and to melancholy persons who can have no thoughts of themselves but sad and fearfull tending to despair and to lapsed and declining Christians and also to many an upright soul from whom in some cases of special tryal God seems to hide his pleased face And though these infirmities are their shame yet are they not the Characters or Prognosticks of their misery and everlasting shame 6. The same persons must needs be unacquainted with their Justification Reconciliation Adoption and Title to everlasting blessedness as long as they are uncertain of theie sincerity Yea though they uprightly examine themselves and desire help of their Guides and watch and pore continually upon their hearts and wayes and daily beg of God to acquaint them with their spiritual condition they may yet be so far unacquainted with it as to pass an unrighteous judgement on themselves and condemn themselves when God hath justified them But 1. To be totally ignorant of the excellency and capacity of your immortal souls 2. To
they may give light to all that are in the house ver 15. What would you do with Teachers but to Teach you And what should they make known to you if not your selves Shall not the Physicion have leave to tell you of your diseases Verily Sirs a sinner under the curse of the Law unsanctified and unpardoned is not in a state to be jeasted and dallied with unless you can play in the flames of Hell It s plain dealing that he needs A quibbling â—oyish flashy Sermon is not the proper medicine for a lethargick miserable soul nor fit to Break a stony Heart nor to bind up a Heart that 's kindly broken Heaven and Hell should not be talkt of in a canting juggling or pedanick strain A Seneca can tell you that its a Physicion that is skilfull and not one that 's eloquent that we need If he have also fine and neat expressions we will not despise them nor overmuch value them urendum secandum It s a cure that we need and the means are best be they never so sharp that will accomplish it Serious reverent Gravity best suiteth with matters of such incomprehensible concernment You set not a School-bâ—y to make an Oration to give an assaulted City an allarm or to call men out to quench a common fire You may play with words when the case will bear it But as dropping of beads is too ludicrous for one that is praying to be saved from the flames of Hell so a sleepy or a histrionical starched speech is too light and unlikely a means to call back a sinner that is posting to perdition and must be humbled and renewed by the spirit or be for ever damned This is your case Sirs And do you think the playing of a part upon a stage doth fit your case O no! so great a business requireth all the serious earnestness in the speaker that he can use I am sure you will think so ere long your selves And you will then think well of the Preachers that faithfully acquainted you with your case and if they succeed to your perdition you will curse those that smoothed you up in your presumption and hid your danger by false doctrine or misapplication or seeming to discover it indeed did hide it by an hypocritical light not serious mention of it God can make use of clay and spittle to open the eyes of men born blind and of Rams-horns to bring down the walls of Jericho But usually he fitteth the means unto the end and works on man agreeably to his Nature And therefore if a blind understanding must be enlightned you cannot expect that it should be done by Squibs and Glowworms but by bringing into your souls the powerfull celestial truth which shall shew you the hidden corners of your hearts and the hidden mysteries of the Gospel and the unseen things of the other world If a hardened heart be to be broken it is not stroaking but striking that must do it It is not the sounding Brass the tinkling Cymbal the carnal mind puft up with superficial knowledge that is the instrument fitted to the renewing of mens souls But it is he that can acquaint you with what he himself hath been savingly acquainted The heart is not melted into Godly sorrow nor raised to the life of Faith and Love by the bubbles of a frothy wit or by a game at words or useless notions but by the illuminating beams of Sacred Truth and the attraction of Divine displayed Goodness communicated from a mind that by faith hath seen the Glory of God and by experience found that he is Good and that liveth in the Love of God such a one is fitted to assist you first in the knowledge of your selves and then in the knowledge of God in Christ Did you consider what is the office of the Ministry you would soon know what Ministers do most faithfully perform their office and what kind of Teaching and oversight you should desire And then you would be reconciled to the Light and would choose the Teacher could you have your choice that would do most to help you to know your selves and know the Lord. I beseech you judge of our work by our Commission and judge of it by your own Necessities Have you more need to be acquainted with your sin and danger or to be pleased wich a set of hansome words which when they are said do leave you as they found you and leave no Light and Life and heavenly Love upon your hearts that have no substance that you can feed upon in the review And what our Commission is you may find in many places of the Scripture Ezek. 3.18 19 20 21. When I say unto the Wicked Thou shalt surely die and thou givest him not warning nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way to save his life the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity but his blood will I require at thy hand Yet if thou warn the wicked and he turn not from his wickedness nor from his wicked way he shall die in his iniquity but thou hast delivered thy soul And If thou warn the righteous man that the righteous sin not and he doth not sin he shall surely live because he is warned also thou hast delivered thy soul And what if they distaste our doctrine must we forbear Verse 11. Tell them thus saith the Lord God whether they will hear or whether they will forbear So Ezek. 33.1 to 10. You know what came of Jonah for refusing to deliver Gods threatenings against Nineve Christs stewards must give to each his portion He himself threatneth damnation to the impenitent the Hypocrites and unbelievers Luke 13.3.5 Mark 16.16 Mat. 24.51 Paul saith of himself If I yet pleased men I should not be the servant of Christ Gal. 1.10 Patience and meekness is commanded to the Ministers of Christ even in the instructing of opposers But to what end but that they may escape out of the snare of Devil who are taken captive by him at his will So that with all our meekness we must be so plain with you as to make you know that you are Satans captives taken alive by him in his snares till God by giving you Repentance shall recover you 2 Tim. 2.25 26. The very effice of the Preachers sent by Christ was to open mens eyes and turn them from darkness to light and from the power of Satan unto God that they may receive remission of sins and inheritance with the sanctified by faith in Christ Acts 26.18 which telleth you that we must let men understand that till they are converted and sanctified they are blind and in the dark and in the power of Satan far from God unpardoned and having no part in the inheritance of Saints Christ tells the Pharisees that they were of their Father the Devil when they boasted that God was their Father John 8.44 And how plainly he tels them of their hypocrisie and asketh them how they can escape the
should move you to seek to be acquainteâ— with it where it is 1. The knowledge of God is the most exceâ—â—lent knowledge and therefore the best sorâ— of creature knowledge is that which hath the most of God in it And undoubtedly theâ—â— is more of God in Holiness which is his Image then in common things Sins and 〈◊〉 have nothing of God in them They must be fathered on the Devil and your selves Anâ— therefore the knowledge of them is gooâ— but by Accident because the knowledgâ— even of evil hath a tendency to good Anâ— therefore it is commanded and made ouâ— duty for the good which it tendeth to It is the Divine nature and Image within you which hath the most of God and therefore â—o know this is the high and noble knowâ—edge To know Christ within us is our â—appiness on earth in order to the knowâ—edge of him in Glory face to face which is â—he happiness of heaven To know God â—hough darkly through a glass and but in â—art 1 Cor. 13.12 is far above all creaâ—ure knowledge The knowledge of him â—aiseth quickneth sanctifieth enlargeth â—nd advanceth all our faculties It is life â—ternal to know God in Christ John 17.3 Therefore where God appeareth most there â—hould our understandings be most diâ—igently exercised in study and observaâ—ion 2. It is a most delightfull felicitating knowledge to know that Christ is in you â—f it be delightfull to the Rich to see their wealth their houses and lands and goods â—nd money and if it be delightfull to the Honourable to see their attendance and hear their own commendations and applause how delightfull must it be to a true Believer to find Christ within him and to know his title to eternal life If the knowledge of full barns and much goods laid up for many years can make a sensual worlding say Soul take thy ease eat drink and be merry Luke 12.19 20. Me thinkâ— the knowledge of our interest in Christ anâ— heaven should make us say Thou hast 〈◊〉 gladness in my heart more then in the tiâ—â— that their corn and wine increased that 〈◊〉 more then corn and wine could put inâ—â— theirs Psal 4.7 Return unto thy Rest 〈◊〉 soul for the Lord hath dealt bountifully wiâ—â— thee Psal 116.7 If we say with Daviâ— Blessed are they that dwell in thy house they will be still praysing thee Psal 84 â— much more may we say Blessed anâ— they in whom Christ dwelleth and the Holâ— Ghost hath made his Temple they should 〈◊〉 still praising thee Blessed is the 〈◊〉 whom thou choosest and causest to approâ—â—â— unto thee that he may dwell in thy courts 〈◊〉 shall be satisfied with the goodness of thy house even of thy holy Temple Psal 65.4 But this 〈◊〉 upon supposition that he be first Blessed by Christs approach to him and dwelling in hiâ— If you ask How it is that Christ dwelleâ—â— in us I answer 1. Objectively as he is apâ—prehended by our Faith and Love As thâ— things or persons that we think of and Lovâ— and delight in are said to dwell in our 〈◊〉 or hearts 2. By the Holy Ghost who 〈◊〉 a principle of new and heavenly Life 〈◊〉 given by Christ the Head unto his members and as the Agent of Christ doth illuminate sanctifie and guide the soul He that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him and he in him and hereby we know that he abideth in us by the spirit which he hath given us 1 Joh. 3.24 That of Eph. 3.17 may be taken in either or both senses comprehensively That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith 3. Did you know that Christ is in you by his spirit it might make every place and condition comfortable to you If you are alone it may rejoyce you to think what company dwelleth continually with you in your hearts If you are wearied with evil company without it may comfort you to think that you have better within when your have communion with the Saints it is your joy to think that you have nearer communion with the Lords of Saints You may well say with David Psal 139.18 when I awake I am still with thee Psal 16.8 I have set the Lord alwayes before me because he is at may right hand I shall not be moved 4. Did you know Christ within you it would much help you in believing what is written of him in the Gospel Though to the ungodly the mysteries of the Kingdom of God do seem incredible yet when you have experience of the power of it on your souls and find the Image of it on your hearts and the same Christ within you conforming you to what he commandeth in his word this will work such a sutableness to the Gospel in your hearts as will make the work of faith more easie Saith the Apostle 1 Joh. 4.14 16. We have seen do testifie that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world there 's their outward experience And we have known and believed the Love that God hath to us God is Love and he that dwelleth in Love dwelleth in God and God in him There is their Faith confirmed by their inward evidence Nâ— wonder if they that have God dwelling 〈◊〉 them by holy love do believe the love 〈◊〉 God hath to them This is the great advantage that the sanctified have in the work 〈◊〉 faith above those that much excell them 〈◊〉 disputing and are furnished with more Arguments for the Christian verity Christ hath his witness abiding in them The fruits of the spirit bear witness to the incorruptible 〈◊〉 the word of God that liveth and abideth for ever 1 Pet. 1.23 The impress on the 〈◊〉 heard witness to the seal that caused i◠〈◊〉 it is not a weak uneffectual Argument for the Truth of the Gospel that Believer 〈◊〉 to fetch from within when they plead the effects of it on their souls Labour to know the Truth of your sanctification that you may be confirmed by it in the Truth of the word that sanctifieth you Joh. 17.17 and may rejoice in him that hath chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the spirit and belief of the truth 2 Thes 2.13 5. If you can come to the knowledge of Christ within you it will be much the easier to you to trust upon him and fly to him in all your particular necessities and to make use of his Mediatorship with holy confidence When others flie from Christ with trembling and know not whether he will speak for them or help them or have any regard to them but look at him with strange and doubtful thoughts it will be otherwise with you that have assurance of his continual Love and presence Nearness breedeth familiarity and overcometh strangness Familiarity breedeth confidence and boldness when you find Christ so â—â—er you as to dwell within you and so particular and abundant in his Love to you as to have given you his spirit and all his Graces iâ— will breed
for shame repine at the loss of temporal commodities that is secured of the eternal Joyes If assurance of the Love of God would not embolden you to patient suffering and to lay down life and all for Christ what do you think should ever do it But when you are afraid lest death will turn you into Hell What wonder if you timerously draw back When you know not whether ever you shall have any better no wonder if you are loth to part with the seeming happiness which you have Those doubts and fears enfeeble the soul and spoil you of that valour that becomes a souldier of Christ 5. All personal crosses in your estates your families your friends your health will be easily born if you are once assured of your salvation To a man that is passing into Heaven all these are almost inconsiderable things What is Lazarus the worse now for hâ—s sores or rags Or what is the Rich man the better for his sumptuonus attire and fare Luke 16. Whether you be poor or rich sick or sound whether you are used kindly or unkindly in the world are questions of so small importance that you are not much concerned in the answer of them But whether you have Christ within you or be reprobates whether you are the heirs of the promise or are under the curse are questions of everlasting consequence 6. Lastly you may comfortably receive the sentence of death when once you are assured of the Life of Grace and that you have escaped everlasting death Though nature will be still averse to a dissolution yet faith will make you cheerfully submit desiring to depart and be with Christ as the best condition for you Phil. 1.23 When you know that if the earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved you have a building of God an house not made with hands eternal in the heavens you will then groan earnestly desiring to be cloathed upon with your house which is from heaven not to be uncloathed for the union of soul and body is the constitution of the man which nature cannot but desire but to be cloathed upon that mortality might be swallowed up of life This God doth work you for who giveth you the earnest of the spirit therefore as men that know while you are at home in the body you are absent from the Lord and that walk by faith and not by sight you would be alwaies confident and willing rather to be absent from the body and present with the Lord 2 Cor. 5.1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8. Though it be troublesom to remove your dwelling yet you would not stick upon the trouble if you were sure to change a cottage for a Court nor would you refuse to cross the Seas to change a prison for a Kingdom The holy desires of Believers do prepare them for a safe death but it is the assurance of their future happiness or the believing expectation of it that must prepare them for a death that is safe and comfortable The Death of the Presumptuous may be quiet but not safe The Death of doubting troubled Believers may be safe but not quiet The Death of the ungodly that have awakened undeceived consciences is neither safe nor quiet But the Death of strong Belivers that have attained assurance is both And he that findeth Christ within him may know that when he dyeth he shall be with Christ His dwelling in us by faith by Love and by his Spirit is a pledge that we shall dwell with him Christ within us will certainly carry us unto Christ above us Let Socinians question the happiness of such departed souls or doubt whether they be in heaven before the resurrection I am sure that they are with Christ as the fore-cited places shew 2 Cor. 5.7 8. and Phil. 1.23 and many other We are following him that when he had conquered Death and went before us did send that message to his doubting troubled Disciples which is to me so full of sweetness that me thinks I can scarce too oft recite it John 20.17 Go to my Brethren and say unto them I ascend unto my Father and your Father and to my God and to your God O piercing melting words which methinks do write themselves upon my heart when ever I read them with attention and consideration Know once that you are his Brethren and that his Father is your Father and his God is your God and that he is ascended and glorified in your nature and then how can you be unwilling to be dismissed from the bondage of this flesh and be with Christ For in his Fathers house are many mansions and he is gone before to prepare a place for us and will come again and receive us unto himself that where he is there we may be also John 14.2 3. And that this is his will for all his servants he hath declared in that comfortable promise which also I have found so full of sweetness that I value it above all the riches of the world John 12.26 If any man serve me let him follow me and where I am there shall also my servant be If any man serve me him will my Father honour The Spirit of Christ within you is the earnest of all this Be assured of your Faith and Hope and Love and you may be assured to possess the Good believed and Hoped for and Loved The incorruptible seed which liveth and abideth for ever of which you are new born 1 Peâ— 1.23 doth tend to the incorruptible crown 1 Pet. 5.4 even the Crown of righteousness which the righteous Judge will give to all that love his appearing 2 Tim. 4.8 And so shall we ever be with the Lord as the Apostle comfortably speaks 1 Thes 4.17 and seasonably annexeth the use of such a cordial vers 18. wherefore comfort one another with these words Whether we are to die by the decay of nature or by the storm of any violent disease or by the hand of persecutros or any other instruments of Satan the difference is small They are but several ways of landing at the shore of happiness which we were making towards through all the duties and difficulties of our lives May we by any Death be sent to Christ let them domineâ—r a while that stay behind and are conquerors and happy in their dream we shall neither miss nor desire their felicity May I die assured of the Love of God how little regardable is it whether I be poor or rich till then or in what manner Death shall do its execution and how little cause have blessed souls to envie them that are left on earth in a quiet and prosperous passage to damnation And what an ease and pleasure is this to a mans mind through all his life to be able with well-grounded comfort to think of death What cares can vex him that hath secured hiâ— everlasting state What losses should afflict him that is sure he shall not lose his soul and is sure to gain eternal life
make it a sin to him that shall command them Is this opinion inconsistent with all Government Yea I must confess my self guilty of so much greater weakness as that I thought I should never have found a man on earth that had the ordinary reason of a man that had made question of it yea I shall say more then that which hath offended viz. that whenever the commanding or forbidding of a thing indifferent is like to occasion more hurt than good and this may be foreseen the commanding or forbidding it is a sin But yet this is not the Assertion that I am chargeable with but that some Accidents there may be that may make the Imposition sinful If I may ask it without accusing others how would my crime have been denominated if I had said the contrary Should I not have been judged unmeet to live in any Governed society It is not unlawful of it self to command out a Navy to Sea But if it were foreseen that they would fall into the enemies hands or were like to perish by any accident and the necessity of sending them were small or none it were a sin to send them It is not of it self unlawful to sell poyson or to give a knife to another or to bid another do it but if it were foreseen that they will be used to poyson or kill the buyer it is unlawful and I think the Law would make him believe it that were guilty It is not of it self unlawful to light a candle or set fire on a straw But if it may be foreknown that by anothers negligence or wilfulness it is like to set fire on the City or to give fire to a train and store of Gunpowder that is under the Parliament house when the King and Parliament are there I crave the Bishops pardon for believing that it were sinfull to do it or command it Yea or not to hinder it in any such case when Qui non vetat peccare cum potest jubet Yea though going to Gods publike worship be of it self so far from being a sin as that it is a duty yet I think it is a sin to command it to all in time of a raging pestilence or when they should be defending the City against the assault of an enemy It may rather be then a duty to prohibite it I think Paul spake not any thing inconsistent with the Government of God or man when he bid both the Rulers and people of the Church not to destroy him with their meat for whom Christ dyed and when he saith that he hath not his Power to destruction but to Edification Yea there are Evil Accidents of a thing not evil of it self that are caused by the Commander and it is my opinion that they may prove his commad unlawful But what need I use any other Instances then that which was the matter of our dispute Suppose it never so lawful of it self to kneel in the Reception of the Sacrament if it be imposed by a penalty that is incomparably beyond the proportion of the offence that penalty is an Accident of the command and maketh it by accident sinful in the Commander If a Prince should have Subjects so weak as that all of them thought it a sin against the example of Christ and the Canons of the general Councils and many hundred years practice of the Church to kneel in the act of Receiving on the Lords days if he should make a Law that all should be put to death that would not kneel when he foreknew that their consciences would command them all or most of them to die rather than obey would any man deny this command to be unlawful by this accident Whether the penalty of ejecting Ministers that dare not put away all that kneel and of casting out all the people that scruple it from the Church be too great for such a circumstance and so in the rest and whether this with the lamentable state of many congregations and the divisions that will follow being all foreseen do prove the Impositions unlawful which were then in question is a case that I had then a clearer call to speak to then I have now Only I may say that the ejection of the servants of Christ from the Communion of his Church and of his faithful Ministers from their sacred work when too many Congregations have none but insufficient or scandalous teachers or no preaching Ministers at all will appear a matter of very great moment in the day of our Accounts and such as should not be done upon any but a Necessary cause where the benefit is greater then this hurt and all the rest amounts to Having given you to whom I owe it this account of the cause for which I am forbidden the exercise of my ministry in that Countrey I now direct these Sermons to â—our hands that seeing I cannot teach you â—s I would I may teach you as I can And 〈◊〉 I much longer enjoy such liberty as this 〈◊〉 will be much above my expectation My dearly beloved stand fast in the â—ord And fear ye not the reproach of men â—ither be afraid of their revilings For â—e moth shall eate them up like a garment â—nd the worm shall eate them like wool but â—â—e righteousness of the Lord shall be for ever 〈◊〉 his salvation from generation to generaâ—â—on Isa 51.7 8. If I have taught you 〈◊〉 doctrine of error or impiety of â—â—sobedience to your Governors in lawful â—â—ings of schism or uncharitableness â—â—learn them all and renounce them with â—â—nitent detestation But if otherwise â—eseech you mark them which cause â—â—visions and offences contrary to the doctrine â—hich you have learned and avoid them 〈◊〉 they are such as serve not our Lord â—â—sus Christ but their own bâ—lly and by 〈◊〉 words and fair speeches deceive the â—â—rts of the simple Rom. 16.17 If any all speak against Truth or Godliness member what you have received and 〈◊〉 little any adversary could say that â—er made such assaults upon you while I 〈◊〉 with you and that it is easie for any man to talk confidently when no man must contradict him I denyed no man liberty upon equal terms to have said his worst against any doctrine that ever 〈◊〉 taught you And how they succeeded I need not tell you your own stability tells the world As you have maintained true Catholicism and never followed any sect so I beseech you still maintain the ancient faith the Love of every member of Christ and commoâ— charity to all your Loyalty to your King your peace with all men And let noâ— draw you from Catholick Unity to 〈◊〉 faction though the declaiming againâ—â— Faction and Schism should be the deviâ— by which they would accomplish it Aâ—â— as the world is nothing and God is all 〈◊〉 all that are sincere believers so let 〈◊〉 worldly interest seem regardable to yoâ— when it stands in any opposition to Christ but account all loss and dung for him 〈◊〉 3.8 And
mind be exercised in loving him â—he tongue in singing him the hand in wriâ—ing him let these holy studies be the beâ—â—evers work 2. He that knoweth himself may certainâ—â— know that there is another life of Happiâ—ess or Misery for man to live when this 〈◊〉 ended For he must needs know that his â—oul is capable of a spiritual and glorious â—elicity with God and of immaterial objects and that time is as nothing to it and transitory creatures afford it no satisfaction or Rest and that the Hopes and Fears of the Life to come are the Divine engines by which the Moral Government of the world is carryed on and that the very nature of man is such as that without such Apprehensions Hopes and Fears he could not in a connaturall way be Governed and brought unto the End to which his Nature is enclined and adapted But the world would be as a Wilderness and men as bruits And he may well know that God made not such faculties in vain nor suited them to an end which cannot be attained nor to a work which would prove but their trouble and deceit He may be sure that a meer probability or possibility of an everlasting Life should engage a reasonable creature in all possible diligence in Piety Righteousness Charity to attaine it And so Religion and holy endeavours are become the duty of man as man there being few such Infidels or Atheists to be found on earth as dare say They are sure there 's no other life for man And doubtless whatsoever is by Nature and Reason made mans Duty is not delusory and vain Nor is it Reasonable to think that Falshood frustration and deceit are the ordinary way by which mankind is Governed by the most wise and Holy God So that the end of man may be clearly gathered from his Nature forasmuch as God doth Certainly suit his workes unto their proper use and ends It is therefore the ignorance of our selves that makes men question the Immortality of soules And I may adde it is the Ignorance of the nature of Conscience and of all Morality and of the reason of Iustice among men that makes men doubt of the discriminating Iustice of the Lord which is hereafter to be manifested 3. Did men know themselves they would better know the evill and odiousness of sin As poverty and sickness are better known by feeling then by hearesay so also is sin To hear a discourse or read â— Booke of the Nature Prognosticks and Cure of the plague consumpâ—ion or droâ—sie doth little affect us while we seem â—o be sound and safe our selves But when we find the maladie in our flesh â—nd perceive the danger we have then â—nother manner of knowledge of it Did â—ou but see and feele sin as it is in your â—earts and lives as oft as you read and â—eare of it in the Law of God I dare say sin would not seeme a jesting matter not would those be censured as too precise that are carefull to avoid it any more then they that are carefull to avoid infectious diseases or crimes against the Lawes of man that hazzard their temporall felicity or lives 4. It s want of self-aquaintance that keepes the soule from kindly Humiliation That men are insensible of their Spirituall calamityes and lie under a load of unpardoned sin and Gods displeasure and never feele it nor loath themselves for all the abominations of their hearts and lives nor make complaint to God or man with any seriousness and sense How many hearts would be filled with wholsome griefe and care that now are careless and almost past feeling and how many eyes would stream forth teares that now are dry if men were but truly acquainted with themselves It is self-knowledge that causeth the solid peace and joy of a Believer as conscious of that Grace that warranteth his peace and joy But it is self-deceit and ignorance that quieteth the presumptuous that walke as carelesly and sleep as quietly and blesse themselves from Hell as confidently when it is ready to devoure them as if the bitterness of death were past and hypocrisy would never be discoverred 5. It is unacquaintednes with themselves that makes Christ so undervalued by the unhumbled world that his Name is reverenced but his office and Saving grace are disregarded Men could not set so light by the Physicion that felt their sicknes and understood their danger Were you sensible that you are under the wrath of God and shall shortly and certainly be in Hell if a Christ received by a hearty working purifying faith do not deliver you I dare say you would have more serious savory thoughts of Christ more yearnings after him more fervent prayers for his healing grace and sweet remembrance of his love and merits example doctrine and inestimable benefits then lifeless hypocrites ever were acquainted with Imagine with what desires and expectations the diseased blind and lame cryed after him for healing to their bodies when he was on earth And would you not more highly value him more importunately solicite him for your soules if you knew your selves 6. It is unacquaintednes with themselves that makes men think so unworthily of a Holy Heavenly Conversation and that possesseth them with foolish prejudice against the holy Care and diligence of believers did men but value their immortall souls as Reason itself requireth them to do is it possible they should venture them so easily upon everlasting misery and account it unnecessary strictnes in them that dare not be as desperately venturous as they but fly from sin and fear the threatnings of the Lord Did men but consideratly understand the worth and concernment of their souls is it possible they should hazard them for a thing of nought and set them at saile for the favor of superiors or the transitory pleasures and honours of the world Could they thinke the greatest care and labour of so short a life to be too much for the securing of their salvation Could they think so many studious carefull dayes and so much toil to be but meet and necessary for their bodyes and yet think all too much that 's done for their immortall souls Did men but practically know that they are the Subjects of the God of Heaven they durst not think the diligent obeying him to be a needless thing when they like that Child or servant best that is most willing and diligent in their Service Alas were men but acquainted with their weakness and sinfull failings when they have done their best and how much short the hoylest Persons do come of what they are obliged to by the Lawes and mercies of the Lord they durst not make a scorn of diligence nor hate or blame men for endeavouring to be better that are sure at best they shall be too bad When the worst of men that are themselves the greatest neglecters of God and their salvation shall cry out against a Holy life and making so much a do for Heaven as
and so make the way of life more difficult if not impossible had they indeed the Keyes by multiplying of their supposed Necessaries Did they but know themselves aright it were impossible they should dare to pass the sentence of damnation on the far greatest part of the Christian world because they are not subject to their pretended Vice-Christ Durst one of the most leprous corrupted sort of Christians in the world unchurch all the rest that will not be as bad as they condemn all other Christians as Heroticks for Schismaticks either for their adhering to the truth or for errors and faults far smaller then their own Did they know themselves and their own corruptions they durst not thus condemn themselves by so presumptuous and blind a condemnation of the best and greatest part of the Church of Christ which is dearest to him as purchased by his blood If either the Protestants or the Greeks or the Armenians Georgians Syrians Aegyptians or Aethiopian Churches be in as bad and dangerous a case as these Vsurping Censurers tell the world they are what then will become of the tyrannous superstitious polluted blood-thirsty Church of Rome What is it but Self-ignorance that perverteth the unsetled among us and sends them over to the Romane tents No man could rationally become a Papist if he knew himself Let me prove this to you in these four Instances 1. If he had but the knowledge of his Natural senses he could not take them to be all deceived and the senses of all other as well as his about their proper object and believe the Priests that Bread is no Bread or Wine no Wine when all mens senses testifie the contrary 2. Some of them turn Papists because they see some differences among other Christians and hear them call one another by names of contumely and reproach and therefore they think that such can 〈◊〉 no true Churches of Christ But if thâ—â— knew themselves they would be acquainted with more culpable errors in themselves then those for which many others are reproached and see how irrational a thing it is to change their Religion upon the scolding words or slanders of another or which is worse upon their own uncharitable censures 3. Some turn to the Papists as apprehending their Ceremonious kind of Religion to be an easier way to Heaven then ours But if they knew themselves they would know that it is a more solid and spiritual sort of food that their nature doth require and a more searching Physick that must cure their diseases and that shells and chaff will not feed but choak and starve their souls 4. All that turn Papists must believe that they were unjustified and out of the Catholick Church before and consequently void of â—he Love of God and special grace For they receive it as one of the Romish Articles that out of their Church there is no salvaâ—ion But if these persons were indeed beâ—ore ungodly if they knew themselves they would find that there is a greater matter â—ecessary then believing in the Pope and â—urning to that faction even to turn to God by faith in Christ without which no opinions or profession can save them But if they had the Love of God before then they were Justified and in the Church before and therefore Protestants are of the true Church and it is not confined to the Roman subjects So that if they knew this they could not turn Papists without a palpable contradiction The Papists fugitives tell us we are us true Ministers nor our Ministery effectual and blest of God What need we more then imitate Paul when his Ministery was accused and call them to the Knowledge of themselves Examine your selves whether ye be in the faith Prove your selves Know ye not your own selves how that Jesus Christ is in you except ye be Reprobates If they were ungodly and void of the Love of God while they were under our Ministry no wonder if they turn Papists For its just with God that those that receive 〈◊〉 the Love of the truth that they may be saved be given over to strong delusions to believe a lye 2 Thes 2.10 11. But if they received themselves the Love of God in our Churches by our Ministry they shaâ—â— be our witnesses against themselves And it is others as well as Papists thâ—â— would be kept from Church divisions if they did but know themselves Church Governours would be afraid of laying things unnecessary as stumbling-blocks before the weak and of laying the Vnity and Peace of the Church upon them and casting out of the Vineyard of the Lord and out of their Communion all such as are not in such unnecessary or little things of their opinion or way The words of the great Apostle of the Gentiles Rom. 14.15 so plainly and fully deciding this matter would not have stood so long in the Bible as non-dicta or utterly insignificant in the eyes of so many Rulers of the Churches if they had known themselves as having need of their Brethrens charity and forbearance Him that is weak in the faith receive you but not to doubtfull disputations For one believeth that he may eat all things another that is weak eateth herbs Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not much less destroy him or excommunicate him and let not him which eateth not judge him that eateth For God hath received him Who art thou that judgest another mans servant to his own Master he standeth or falleth yea he shall be holden up for God is able to make him stand One man esteemeth one day above another another esteemeth every day alike let every man be fully perswaded in his own mind ver 13. Let us not therefore judge one another any more but judge this rather that no man put a stumbling-block or an occasion to fall in his brothers way ver 17. For the Kingdom of God is not meat and drink but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost 18. For he that in these things serveth Christ is acceptable to God and approved of men Chap. 15.1 We then that are strong ought to bear with the infirmities of the weak and not to please our selves v. 7. Wherefore receive ye one another as Christ also received us to the glory of God Self-acquaintance would help men to understand these precepts and be patient with the weak when we our selves have so much weakness and not to vex or reject our brethren for little or unnecessary things lest Christ reject or grieve us that have greater faults Self-acquaintance also would do much to heal the dividing humour of the people and instead of separating from all that are not of their mind they would think themselves more unworthy of the Communion of the Church then the Church of theirs Self-acquaintance makes men tender and compassionate and cureth a censorious contemptuous mind It also silenceth passionate contentious disputes and makes men suspicious of their own understandings and therefore forbiddeth them intemperately
Come near this fire and the paine of hypocrisie will melt away 3. The common impatience of plain reproof and the love of flattery shews us hoâ— much self-ignorance doth abound Moâ—â— men love those that have the highest estimâ—â—tion of them be it true or false They 〈◊〉 seldom offended with any for overvaluing them They desire not much to be accounted Well when they are Sick nor Rich when they are Poor but to be accounted wise though they are foolish and godly wheâ—â— they are ungodly and honest faithfull wheâ— they are deceitfull and corrupt this is a couâ—tesie that you must not deny them they take it for their due They 'l never 〈◊〉 you Hereticks for such Errors as these And why is it but because they err themâ—â—lves about themselves and therefore â—ould have others do so too Nimis perverse seipsum amat qui â—lios vult errare ut error suus lateat â—ith August He too perversly loveth himâ—â—lf that would have others err to hide his â—â—ror A wise man loveth himself so well â—hat he would not be flattered into Hell â—or die as Sisera or Sampson by good â—ords as the harbingers of his wo. He â—â—veth his Health so well that he thinks â—ot the sweetness or colour of the fruit motive sufficient to encourage him to a â—â—rfeit He loveth ingenuous Penitence so â—ell that he cannot love the flatterers voice â—hat contradicteth it Faithfull reprovers â—re the messengers of Christ that call us to â—epentance that is to Life Vnfaithfull â—â—atterers are the messengers of the Devil â—o keep us from Repentance and harden us 〈◊〉 impenitency unto Death If we know â—ur selves we shall know that when we â—re over-loved and over-praised as being â—ore learned wise or holy then we are it 〈◊〉 not we that are loved and praised for â—e are not such as that Love or praise â—pposeth us to be Saith August Vos â—â—ui me multum diligitis si talem me asseriâ—â— ut nunquam me in scriptis meis errasse dicatis frustra laboratis non bonam 〈◊〉 sam suscepistis facile in eo me ipso judâ—â— superamini Quoniam non mihi placet 〈◊〉 à charissimis talis esse existimor qualis 〈◊〉 sum Profecto non me sed pro me aliâ—â— sub meo nomine diligunt si non quod sum 〈◊〉 quod non sum diligunt It pleased him 〈◊〉 to be accounted unerring in his writingâ— and to be taken by his friends to be 〈◊〉 he was not which is not to love him 〈◊〉 another under his name He that knoweâ—â— himself perceiveth how much of the Commendation is his due and how much he 〈◊〉 lay just claim to and knoweth it is a dishonour to own the honour that is not his 〈◊〉 He loves not to be belyed by a praiser aâ—â— more then by a dispraiser lest Truth aâ—â— He be both abused Vices like Worms aâ—â— bred and crawl in the inward parts 〈◊〉 seen unfelt of him that carrieth them aboâ—â— him And therefore by the sweet meats 〈◊〉 flattery and sensuality they are ignorantâ—â— fed But its bitter medicines that 〈◊〉 kill them which those only will endure that know they have them and what they are Lenocinantur dulcia delictis aâ—stâ—â—â— vero fortia virtutibus sunt amica 〈◊〉 speak bitterly saith the impatient sinner 〈◊〉 the plain reprover but such are sweet 〈◊〉 excellent men that medle not with the sore But it s bitter things that are wholsom to your souls that befriend your vertues and kill the worms of your corruption which sweet things cherish saith Hierom in Eccles Si cujus sermo non pungit sed â—blectationem facit audientibus ille sermo â—â—on est sapiens Sermons not piercing but â—leasing are not wise But alas men folâ—ow the Appetite of their vices not only â—n chusing their meat and drink and â—ompany and recreations but also in the â—hoice of the Church that they will hold â—ommunion with and the Preachers that â—hey will hear and they will have the â—weet and that which their corruption lovâ—th come on 't what will Libenter enim â—uod delectat audimus offendit omne quod â—â—lumus saith Hierom Nay Pride hath â—ot so great dominion that flattery goeth â—r due civility and he is accounted Cyâ—ical or morose that useth it not To call â—â—en as they are even when we have a call 〈◊〉 do it or to tell them of their faults â—ith necessary freedom though with the â—reatest love and caution and deprecation 〈◊〉 offence is a thing that most especially â—reat ones cannot digest A man is supâ—osed to rail that speaketh without flattery and to reproach them that would save them from their sins Saith Hieroâ— Adeo regnat vitium adulationis quodâ—â— est gravissimum quia humilitatis ac benevolâ—ntiae loco ducitur ita fit ut qui adulaâ—â— nescit aut invidus aut superbus reputetâ—â— that is the vice of flattery now so reigneth and which is worst goeth under the name of humility and good will that he that knoweth not how to flatter is reputed envious 〈◊〉 proud Indeed some men have the wit to hate a feigned Hypocritical flatterer and also modestly to take on them to disown the excessive commendations of a friend But these mistaken friendly flatterers do seldoâ— displease men at the heart Quanquâ—â— respondeamus nos indignos calidus 〈◊〉 or a perfundat tamen ad laudem suam â—â—ma intrinsecus laetatur Hieron We 〈◊〉 say we are unworthy and modestly blush be within the heart is glad at its own commendation Saith Seneca Cito nobis placeâ—â—â—â— si invenimus qui nos bonos viros dicaâ—â— qui prudentes qui sanctos Non suum modica laudatione contenti quicquid in 〈◊〉 adulatio sine pudore congessit tanquam deâ—â—tum prendimus optimos nos esse sanctissimos affirmantibus assentimur cum sciaâ—â— saepe illos mentiri that is We soon please our selves to meet with those that call us good men wise and holy And we are not content with a little praise Whatever flattery heapeth on us without shame we lay hold on it as due we assent to them that say we are the best and most holy when we oft times know our selves that they lie All this is for want of the true knowledge of themselves When God hath acquainted a sinner effectually with himself he quickly calleth himself by other names then flatterers do With Paul he saith We our selves were sometime foolish disobedient serving divers lusts and pleasures Tit. 3.3 And Act. 26.11 that he was mad against the Saints in persecuting them He then speaks so much against himself that if tender Ministers and experienced friends did not think better of him then he of himself and perswade him to more confortable thoughts he would be ready to despair and think himself unworthy to live upon the earth 4. Judge also how well men know themselves when you have observed what different apprehensions they have of their own faults and of other
〈◊〉 the terrible threatnings of God do men Most of them little believe or consider what Scripture saith But fewer consider what Conscience hath to say within when once it is awakened and the curtain is drawn back and the light appeareth The first Proposition inferreth not the conclusion And the Assumption they overlook Did all that read and hear the Scriptures know themselves I 'le tell you how they would hear and read it When the Scripture saith To be carnally minded is death and if ye live after the flesh ye shall dye Rom. 8.8 13. the guilty hearer would say I am carnally minded and I live after the fleshe therefore I must Turn or Die When the Scripture saith Where your treasure is there will your hearts be also Mat. 6.21 The guilty conscience would assume My heart is not in Heaven therefore my treasure is not there When Scripture saith Except ye be converted and become as little children ye shall not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven Matth. 18.3 and Except a man be regenerate and born again he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God John 3.3 5. and If any man be in Christ he is a new creature old things are passed away behold all things are become new 2 Cor. 5.17 and If any man have not the Spirit of Christ the same is none of his Rom. 8.9 The guilty hearer would assume I was never thus converted regenerate born again and made a new creature I have not the Spirit of Christ therefore I am none of his and cannot enter into the Kingdom of Heaven till this change be wrought upon me When the Scripture saith Whoremongers and adulterers God will judge Heb. 13.4 The guilty hearer would say How then shall I be able to stand before him Yea did but Hearers know themselves they would perceive their danger from remoter principles that mention the dealing of God with others When they hear of the judgement of God upon the ungodly the enemies of the Church they would say Except I Repent I shall likewise perish Luke 13.3 5. When they hear that Judgement must begin at the house of God They would infer What then shall be the end of them that obey not the Gospel of God And when they hear that The Righteous are scarcely saved They would think Where then shall the ungodly and the sinner appear 1 Pet. 4.17 18. 3. If you know not your selves you cannot be Christians you cannot have a practical belief in Christ For he is offered to you in the Gospel as the remedy for your Misery as the ransome for your enthralled souls as the propitiation for your sin and your peace-maker with the Father without whose merit satisfaction righteousness and intercession your guilty souls can have no hope And can you savingly value him in these respects if you know not that sin and misery that guilt and thraldom in which your need of Christ consisteth Christ is esteemed by you according to the judgement you pass upon your selves They that say they are sinners from a general brain-knowledge will accordingly say Christ is their Saviour and their hope with a superficial Belief and will honour him with their lips with all the titles belonging to the Redeemer of the world But they that feel that they are deadly sick of sin 〈◊〉 the very heart and are lost for ever if he do not save them will feel what the name of a Saviour signifieth and will look to him as the Israelites to the brazen Serpent and cast themselves at his feet for the 〈◊〉 of grace and will yield up themselves 〈◊〉 be saved by him in his way An uneffectual knowledge of your selves may make you believe in a Redeemer as all the City do of a Learned able Physicion that will speak well of his skill and resolve to use him when necessity constraineth them but at present they find no such necessity But an effectual sight and sense of your condition will bring you to Christ as a man in a Dropsie or Consumption comes to the Physicion that feels be must have help or die Saith Bernard Filium Dei non reputat Jesum qui ipsius non terretur comminationibus c. You will not take the Son of God for a Saviour if you be not affrighted by his threatnings And if you perceive not that you are lost you will not heartily thank him that came to seek and save you Non consolantur Christi lahcrymae cachinnantes◠non consolantur panni ejus ambulantes in stolis non consolantur stabulum praesepe amantes primas Cathedras in Synagogis saith Bernard Christs tears do not comfort them that laugh his rags do not comfort them that love to walk in robes his stable and manger comfort not them that love the highest seats in the Synagogues Can you seek to Christ to take you up till you find that you have fallen and hurt you Will you seek to him to fetch you from the gates of hell that find not that you are there But to the self-condemning soul that knoweth it self how wellcome would a Saviour be How ready is such a soul for Christ Thou that judgest thy self art the person that must come to Christ to Justifie thee Now thou art ready to be healed by him when thou findest that thou art sick and dead Hast thou received the sentence of death in thy self Come to him now and thou shalt have life John 5.40 1 John 5.11 Art thou weary and heavy laden Come to him for rest Come and fear not for he bids thee come Matthew 11.27 28. Dost thou know that thou hast sinned against Heaven and before God and art not worthy to be called a Son Do but cast thy self then at his feet and tell him so and ask forgiveness and try whether he will not welcome and embrace thee pardon and entertain thee cloth thee and feast thee and rejoyce over thee as one that was lost and is found was dead and is alive Luke 15. For he came to seek and to save that which was lost Luke 19 10. While thou saidst I am rich and increased in goods and have need of nothing and knewest not that thou art wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked thou wouldst not buy the tryed Gold that thou mightest be rich nor his whiterayment that thou mightest be cloathed that the shame of thy nakedness might not appear nor Christs eye salve that thou mightest see Rev. 3.17 18. But now thou art poor in Spirit and findest that thou art nothing and hast nothing and of thy self canst do nothing that is acceptably good John 15.5 and that of thy self thou art insufficient to think any thing that is good 2 Cor. 3.5 now thou art readier for the help of Christ and a patient fit for the tender healing hand of the Physicion Whilst thou saidst God I thank thee that I am not as other men are extortioners unjust adulterers nor as this Publican thou wast further from Christ and
if you â—ere ofter in your hearts Prayer would not â—eem needless if you knew your needs Know your selves and be prayerless if you can When the Prodigal was convinced he presently purposeth to Confess and Pray When Paul was converted Ananias hath this evidence of it from God Behold he prayeth Act. 9.11 Indeed the inward part of prayer is the motion of a returning soul to God saith Hugo Oratio est piae mentis humilis ad Deum conversio fide spe charitate subnixa Prayer is the turning of a pious humble soul to God leaning upon faith hope and love It is Oranti subsidium Deo sacrificium daemonibus flagellum The relief of the Petitioner the sacrifice of God the scourge of Devils And self-knowledge would teach men how to pray Your own hearts would be the best Prayer-books to you if you were skilfull in reading them Did you see what sin is and in what Relation you stand to God to Heaven and Hell it would drive you above your beads and lifeless words of course and make you know that 〈◊〉 pray to God for pardon and salvation 〈◊〉 not a work for a sleepy soul saith 〈◊〉 Ille Deo veram Orationem exhibet 〈◊〉 metipsum cognoscit quia pulvis sit 〈◊〉 videt qui nihil sibi virtutis tribuit 〈◊〉 He offereth the truest prayer to God 〈◊〉 knoweth himself that humbly seeth he is but dust and ascribeth not vertue to himself c. Nothing quencheth prayer more then to be mistaken or mindless about our selves When we go from home this fire goes out But when we return and search our hearts and see the sins the wants the weaknesses that are there and perceive the danger that is before us and withall the glorious hopes that are offered us here 's fuell and bellows to enflame the soul and cure it of its drowsiness and dumbness Help any sinner to a clearer light to see into his heart and life and to a livelyer sense of his own condition and I warrant you he will be more disposed to fervent prayer and will better understand the meaning of those words Luke 18.1 That men ought alwayes to pray and not to faint and 1 Thes 5.17 Pray without ceasing You may hear some impious persons now disputing against frequent and fervent prayer and saying What need all this ado But if you were able to open these mens eyes and shew them what is within them and before them you would quickly answer all their arguments and convince them better then words can do and put an end to the dispute You would set all the prayerless families in Town and Country Gentlemens and poor mens on fervent calling upon God if you could but help them to such a sight of their sin and danger as shortly the stoutest of them must have Why do they pray and call for prayers when they come to die but that they begin a little better to know themselves They see then that youth and health and honour are not the things nor make them not so happy as befooling prosperity once perswaded them Did they believe and consider what God saith of them and not what flattery and self-love say it would open the mouths of them that are most speechless But those that are born deaf are alwayes dumb How can they speak that language with desire to God which they never learn't by faith from God or by knowledge of themselves And self-knowledge would teach men what to ask They would feel most need of spiritual mercies and beg hardest for them and for outward things they would ask but for their daily bread and not be foolishly importunate with God for that which they know not to be suitable or good for them Fideliter supplicans Deo pro necessitatibus hujus vitae miserecorditer auditur miserecorditer non auditur Quid enim infirmo sit utilius magis novit medicus quam agrotus saith Prosper It s mercy to be denyed sometimes when we pray for outward things Our Physition and not we must choose our Physick and prescribe our diet And if men knew themselves it would teach them on what terms to expect the hearing of their prayers Neither to be accepted for their merits nor yet to be accepted without that faith and Repentance and desire that seriousness humility and sincerity of heart which the very nature of Prayer to God doth contain or presuppose He that nameth the name of Christ must depart from iniquity 2 Tim. 2.19 and must wash himself and make him clean and put away the evil of his doings from before the eyes of God and cease to do evil and learn to do well Isa 1.16 17. As knowing that though a Simon Magus must Repent and Pray Acts 8.22 and the wicked in forsaking his way and thoughts and returning to the Lord must seek him while he may be found and call upon him while he is near Isa 55.6 7. and the prayers of a humbled Publican are heard when he sets his prayer against his sins Yet if he would cherish his sin by prayer and flatter himself into a presumption and security in a wicked life because he useth to ask God forgiveness iâ— he thus regard iniquity in his heart God will not hear his prayers Psal 66.18 and we know that such impenitent sinners God heareth not John 9.31 And thus the prayers of the wicked as wicked which are not a withdrawing from his wickedness but a bolster of his security and as a craving of protection and leave to sin are but an abomination to the Lord Prov. 17.8 28 9. Ferrum prius extrahendum The bullet the thorn must be first got out before any medicine can heal their wounds Saith Augustine Plus Deo placet latratus canum mugitus boum grunnitus porcorum quan cantus clericorum luxuriantium The barking of dogs the lowing of beasts the grunting of swine doth please God better then the singing of luxuriant Clergy men Did men know themselves and who they have to do with in their prayers they would not go from Cards and Dice and gluttony and fornication and railing lying or reviling at the servants of the Lord to a few hypocritical words of prayer to salve all till the next time and wipe their mouthâ— as if one sin had procured the forgiveness of another Nor would they shut up a day â—f worldliness ambition sensuality or â—rofaneness with a few heartless words of confession and supplication or with the words of penitence while their hearts are impenitent as if when they have abused God by sin they would make him amends or reconcile him by their mockery Nor would they think to be accepted by Praying for that which they would not have for holiness when they hate it and for deliverance from the sins which they would not be delivered from and would not have their prayers granted 7. If you know not your selves it will unfit you for Thanksgiving Your greatest Mercies will be least
est superbia elati sed confessio non ingrati habere te cognosce nihil ex te habere ut nec superbus sis nec ingratus Dic Deo tuo quoniam sanctus sum quia sanctificasti me quia accepi nonquae habui quia tu dedisti non quae ego merui saith Augustine This is not the Pride of one lift up but the acknowledgement of one that 's not unthankfull Know that thou hast and know that thou hast nothing of thy self that thou maist neither be proud nor yet unthankfull Say to thy God I am holy fer thou hast sanctified me for I have received what I had not and thou hast given me what I deserved not The Thanksgiving of a faithfull soul is so far from being displeasing to God as a Pharisaical ostentation that it is a great and excellent duty and a most sweet and acceptable sacrifice Psal 50.14.23 Offer unto God thaenksgiving He that offereth praise Glorifieth me 8. And as to the Lords Supper what work they are there like to make that are unacquainted with themselvelves you may conjecture from the nature of the work and the command of self-examination and self-judging Though some may be wellcomed by Christ that have faith and love though they doubt of their sincerity and know not themselves to be children of God yet none can be welcome that know not themselves to be sinners condemned by the Law and needing a Saviour to Reconcile and Justifie them Who will be there humbled at the feet of Grace and thankfull for a Redeemer and hunger and thirst for Sacramental benefits that knoweth not his own unworthiness and necessities O what inestimable mercy would appear in a Sacrament to us in the offers of Christ and saving grace and communion with God and with his Saints if our appetites were but quickned by the knowledge of our selves 9. And I beseech you consider whether all your studies and learning and employments be not irrational preposterous and impertinent while you study not first to know your selves You are nearest to your selves and therefore should be best acquainted with your selves What should you more observe then the case of your own souls and what should you know better then what 's within you and what you carry still about you and that which me thinks you should alwayes feel even the bent of your own estimations and affections the sicknesses of your souls your guilt your wants and greatest necessities All your Learning is but the concomitant of your dotage till you know your selves Your wisest studies are but the workings of a distracted mind while you study not your selves and the things of everlasting consequence The wise man was but derided by the standers by that fell over head into a ditch whilst he was busily taking the height of a Star To study whether it be the Sun or Earth that moveth and not consider what motion is predominant in thy soul and life is a pittifull preposterous study To think more what stars are in the firmament then what Grace is in thy heart and what planet reigneth then what disposition reigneth in thy self and whether the Spirit or flesh have the dominion is but to be learnedly besides thy self Illum ego jure Despiciam qui scit quanto sublimior Atlas Omnibus in Lybia sit montibus hic tamen idem Ignoret quantum ferrata distet ab arca Is it not a laborious madness to travail into far Countreys and compass Sea and land to satisfie a curiosity and to be at so much cost and pains to know the scituation government and manners of the Cities and Countreys of the world and in the mean time to be utterly strange at home and never bestow one day or hour in a serious survey of heart and life To carry about a dark unknown neglected soul while they are travelling to know remotest things that less concern them Me thinks it is a pittifull thing to hear men ingeniously discoursing of the quality laws and customs of other Nations and of the affairs of Princes and Common-wealths and of the riches and commodities of Sea and land and to be mute when they should express their acquaintance with themselves either in confession and prayer to God or in any humble experimental conference with men To trade abroad and utterly neglect the trade of godliness at home To keep correspondency with persons of all degrees and to have no correspondence with themselves To keep their shop-books and accounts with diligence and never regard the Book of Conscience nor keep account of that for which they must ere long be accountable to God It s a pittifull thing to see men turn over voluminous histories to know what hath been done from the beginning of the world and regard no more the history of their own lives nor once look back with penitent remorse upon their ungodly careless Conversations nor say What have we done To see men have well-furnish't Libraries and read over a multitude of Books and never read the state and records of their souls Quid juvat immensos scire atque evolvere casus Si facienda fugis si fugienda facis It maketh you but objects of wonder and compassion to read Laws and Records and understand all Cases and never endeavor to understand the Case of your immortal souls To counsell others for their temporal estates and never understand your own spiritual state To study the mysteries of Nature and search into all the works of God except your selves and that which your happiness or misery doth depend on To study the nature and causes and signs of bodily diseases and their several remedies and never study the diseases of your own souls nor the precious remedy which Mercy hath provided you To cure the sicknesses of other mens bodies and never feel a stony proud or sensual heart nor use any care and industry for the cure To know the matters of all Arts and sciences to be able to discourse of them all to the admiration of the hearers is but an aggravation of thy lamentable folly if thou be all this while a stranger to thy self and that because thou art mindless of thy souls condition You would but laugh at such a Learned fool that knew not how to dress himself or eat or drink or go and yet could talk of the profoundest speculations in Metaphysicks or other sciences It is more necessary to know your selves your sin your duty your hopes your dangers then to know how to eat or drink or cloath your selves Alas it is a pittifull kind of knowledge that will not keep you out of Hell and a foolish wisdom that teacheth you not to save your souls Per veram scientiam itur ad disciplinam per disciplinâ—m ad bonitatem per bonitatem ad beattiudinem saith Hugo Till you know your selves the rest of your knowledge is but a confused dream When you know the thing you know not the end and use and worth of it
in nature and necessity and must go together to attain their end Concerning God as we may well say that we must Love and serve him only and none but him because we must Love nothing but for his sake and as a means to him the End of all and so while it is God in all things that we Love we are more properly said to Love God then the Creature by that act because he is the Ultimate first intnded end and principal object of that Love And as the means as a means hath its essence in its relation to the End so the Love of the means as such is accordingly specified And so we may say of our study and Knowledge of God that nothing but God is to be studied or known because it is God in the creature that must be studied It is a defective Similitude as all are to say As it is the face that we behold the glass for For God is more in the creature then the face in the glass But though all the means be united in the End yet are they various among themselves And therefore though we must study know and Love nothing but God yet must we study know and Love many things besides our selves The means that are many must all be thought on More strings must be touched then one how near soever if we will have any Musick More Letters must be learned than I or we shall never learn to read All men will confess that to confine our charity to our selves and to do good to no others is unlike a Christian To deny to feed and clothe our Brother in his need is to deny it unto Christ And it will be no excuse if we were able to say I laid it out upon my self And the objects of our charity must be the objects of our thoughts and care And it will not suffice for our excuse to say I was taken up at home I had a miserable soul of my own to think on And yet if these self-studying souls that confine almost all their thoughts unto themselves would but seek after God in themselves and see his grace and benefits it were the better But poor souls in the darkness of temptation they overlook their God and most of their study of themselves is to see Satan and his workings in themselves To find as much of his image as they can in the deformities or infirmities of their souls but the image of God they overlook and hardly will acknowledge And so as noble objects raise the soul and amiable objects kindle love and comfortable objects fill it with delight and God who is all in One perfection doth elevate and perfect it and make it happy so inferiour objects do depress it and ugly loathsome objects fill it with distaste and loathing and sad and mournfull objects turn it into grief And therefore to be still looking on our miseries and deformities must needs turn calamity and wo into the temperament and complexion of the soul This much I thought needfull to be spoken here to prevent misunderstanding and misapplication that while I am pressing you to study and know your selves I may not encourage any in extreams nor tempt them to make an ill use of so great and necessary a doctrine And indeed the observation of the sad calamity of many poor drooping afflicted souls that are still poreing excessively on their own hearts commanded me not to overpass this caution And yet when I have done it I am afraid lest those in the contrary extream will take encouragement to neglect themselves by my reprehensions of those that are so unlike them And therefore I must add to save them from deceit 1. That it is but a very few that are faulty in overstudying themselves in comparison of the many thousands that err on the other hand in the careless neglecting of themselves 2. And that it is symptomatically and effectively far more dangerous to study your selves too little then too much Though it be a fault here to exceed yet it is for the most part a sign of an honest heart to be much at home and a sign of an Hypocrite to be little at home and much abroad Sincerity maketh men censurers of themselves For it maketh them more impartial and willing to know the truth of their condition It cureth them of that folly that before made them think that presumption shall deliver them and that they shall be Justified by believing promises of their own though contrary to the word of God yea by believing the promises of the Devil and calling this a Faith in Christ They are awakened from that sleep in which they dreamed that winking would save them from the stroke of Justice and that a strong conceit that they shall not be damned will deliver them from damnation and that they are safe from Hell if they can but believe that there is no Hell or can but forget it or escape the fears of it These are the pernicious Conclusions of the ungodly discernable in their lives and intimated in their presumptuous reasonings though too gross to be openly and expresly owned And therefore they are undisposed to any impartial acquaintance with themselves But grace recovereth men from this distraction and makes them know that the Judgement of God will not follow the conceits of men and that the knowledge of their disease is necessary to their cure and the knowledge of their danger is necessary to the prevention and that its the greatest madness to go on to Hell for fear of knowing that we are in the way and to refuse to know it for fear of being troubled at the news And an upright soul is so far fallen out with sin that he taketh it seriously for his enemy and therefore is willing to discover it in order to its destruction and willing to search after it in order to a discovery And he hath in him some measure of the heavenly illumination which maketh him a child of light and disposeth him to love the light and therefore cometh to it that his deeds may be made manifest Joh. 3.21 Hypocrites are quick-sighted in discovering infirmities of others but at home they shut the windows and draw the curtains that they may not be disturbed or frightened in their sin Thieves and sleepers choose not light Darkness suits the works of darkness It is a good sign when a man dare see his own face in the glass of Gods word and when he dare hear his conscience speak I have ever observed it in the most sincere-hearted Christians that their eye is more upon their own hearts and lives than â—pon others and I have still observed â—he most unsound professors to be least cenâ—orious and regardfull of themselves and â—ardly drawn to converse at home and to â—ass an impartial judgement on themselves HEnce therefore you may be informed of the reason of many other difâ—erences between sincere Believers and the â—ngodly As 1. Why it is that the sincere â—re so
it And it confoundeth us with shame to find our selves so much worse then we imagined It overwhelmeth the soul with despairing thoughts to find it self so bad when it thought it had been better It breedeth endless suspicions and fears when we find our former opinions of our selves confuted and that contrary to our expectations we are surprized where we thought we had been safe we are still ready to think what ever we discern that is good within us that we may as well be mistaken now as we were before And thus our present self-ignorance when discovered may hinder all the comforts of our lives 3. Lastly not knowing our selves and our particular sins and wants and weaknesses doth keep us from a particular application of the promises and from seeking those particular Remedies from Christ which our case requireth and so our mercies lie by neglected while we need them anâ— do not understand our need And thus I have shewed you why yoâ— should labour to know your sinfulness II. I am next to perswade Believers tâ— know their Graces and their hapâ—piness Good is the object of voluntarâ— knowledge but Evil of forced involuntarâ— knowledge unless as the knowledge of evâ—â— tendeth to some Good Therefore methink you should be readyest to this part of thâ— study of your selves And yet alas thâ— presumptuous are not more unwilling tâ— know their sin and misery then some perâ—plexed Christians are backward to acknowledge their Grace and Happiness How harâ— is it to convince them of the tender love of God towards them and of the sincerity oâ— their Love to him and to make them believe that they are dear to God when they loaâ—â— themselves how hard is it to perswade theâ— that the Riches of Christ the promises of the Gospel and the Inheritance of the Saints belong to them And the Reasons among otherâ— are principally these 1. The remnants of sin are so great and so active and troublesome as that the feeling of these contrary dispositions doth hinder â—hem from observing the operations of â—race It is not easie to discern the sinâ—erity of Faith among so much unbelief â—r the sincerity of Love where there is so â—uch aversness or of Humility where â—here is so much pride or of Repentance â—nd Mortification where there is so much â—oncupiscence and inclination to sin Espeâ—â—ally when grace by its enmity to sin doth â—ake the soul so suspicious and sensible of 〈◊〉 as that the observation of it turns their â—ind from the observation of the contrary â—â—od that is in them Health is not obserâ—ed in other parts when the feeling of the â—one or but a tooth-ache takes us up The â—â—oughts are called all to the part affected â—nd sickness and wounds are felt more senâ—â—bly then Health The fears of misery by 〈◊〉 are easilyer excited and are more pasâ—â—onate then Love and Hope and all the afâ—â—ctions that are imployed in the proseâ—ution of good And in the midst of Fears 〈◊〉 is hard to feel the matter of our Joyes â—ear is a tyrant if it exceed and will not â—ermit us to believe or observe the cause â—f Hope Quod nimis metuunt miseri hoc â—â—cile credunt nunquam amoveri putant â—ith Seneca What we too much fear we too â—â—sily believe and hardly believe that it is gone and the danger past These fears are usefull to our preservation but they too often pervert our judgements and hindeâ— our due consolation Qui insidias timet iâ— nullas incidet nec cito perit ruina qâ—â— ruinam timet Semper metuendo sapiens viâ—tat malum saith Seneca He that feareâ—â— snares doth not fall into them Nor doth 〈◊〉 quickly perish by ruine that feareth ruine 〈◊〉 wise man escapeth evil by alwayes fearing it And the Holy Ghost saith Prov. 28.14 Happy is the man that feareth alwayes but he that hardeneth his heart shall fall into mischief Moderate Fears then are given to Believers for their necessary preservation that walking among enemies and snares they may take heed and scape them But when this passion doth exceed it abuseth us and drowns the voice of Reason It maketh us believe that every temptation is a sin and every sin is such as cannot stand with grace and will hardly ever be pardoned by Christ Every sin against knowledge and conscience doth seem almost unpardonable and if were deliberate after profession of religion it seems to be the sin against the Holy Ghost As children and other frightfull persons that fear the Devil by way of Apparitions do think in the dark he is ready to lay hold on them and they look when they see him so the fearful Christian as still thinking that thing he feareth is upon him or coming upon him The fear of an unrgenerate unpardoned state doth make him think he is in it and that the fear of the wrath of God doth make him think that he is under it and the fear of damnation makes him imagine he shall be damned It is wonderfull hard in a frightfull state or indeed in any passion that is strong to have the free use of Judgement for the knowing of our selves and to discern any grace or evidence or mercy which is contrary to our fears Especially when the Feeling of much corruption doth turn our eyes from the observation of the good and we are still taken up with the matter of our disease 2. Another cause that we hardly know our Graces is because they are weak and small and therefore in the midst of so much corruption are oft-times hardly discerned from none A little faith even as a grain of mustard seed may save us A little Love to God that is sincere will be accepted and weak Desires may be fulfilled But they are frequently undiscerned or their sincerity questioned by those that have them and therefore bring but little comfort Peters Little faith did keep him from drowning but not from doubting and fearing he should be drowned nor from beginning to sink Mat. 14.29 30 31. He walked on the water to go to Jesus but when he saw the wind boisterous he was afraid and beginning to sink he cryed saying Lord save me And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand and caught him and said unto him O thou of little faith wherefore didst thou doubt So the Little faith of the Disciples kept them from perishing but not from their fear of perishing Mat. 8.24 25 26. When a great tempest arose so that the ship was covered with waves they cry Lord save us we perish and he saith to them Why are ye afraid O ye of little faith The little faith of the same Disciples entitled them to the Fatherly protection and provision of God but it kept them not from sinfull cares and fears about what they should eat or drink or wherewith they should be cloathed as is intimated in Mat. 6.25 28 30. Take no thought for your life what you shall eat or drink or for your body what you shall put on Why
take ye thought for rayment If God so clothe the grass of the field which to day is and to morrow is cast into the oven shall he not much more clothe you O ye of little faith So in Mat. 16.7 8. The seed that Christ likeneth his kingdom to Mat. 13.31 hath life while it is buried in the earth and is visible while a little seed but is not so observed as when it cometh to be as a tree Though God despise not the day of little things Zech. 4.10 and though he will not break the bruised reed or quench the smoaking flax Isa 42.3 yet our selves or others cannot discern and value these obscure beginnings as God doth But because we cannot easily find a little faith and a little Love when we are looking for it we take the non-appearance for a non-existence and call it none 3. Sanctification is oft unknown to those that have it because they do not try and judge themselves by sure infallible Marks the Essentials of the new man but by uncertain qualifications that are mutable and belong but to the beauty and activity of the soul The Essence of Holiness as denominated from the object is the Consent to the three Articles of the Covenant of Grace 1. That we give up our selves to God as our God and Reconciled Father in Jesus Christ 2. That we give up our selves to Jesus Christ as our Redeemer and Saviour to recover us reconcile us and bring us unto God 3. That we give up our selves to the Holy Ghost as our Sanctifier to guide and illuminate us and perfect the Image of God upon us and prepare us for Glory The Essence of Sanctification as denominated from its opposite objects is nothing but our Renunciation and Rejection of the flesh the World and the Devil of Pleasures Profits and Honours as they would be preferred before God and draw us to forsake him The Essence of Sanctification as denominated from our Faculties which are the subject of it is nothing but this preferring of God and Grace and Glory above the said Pleasures Profits and Honours 1. By the Estimation of our Vnderstandings 2. By the Resolved habituate Choice of our Wills 3. And in the bent and drift of our Endeavours in our Conversations In these three Acts as upon the first three objects and against the other three objects lyeth all that is Essential to Sanctification and that we should judge of our sincerity and title to salvation by as I before shewed But besides these there are many desireable qualities and gifts which we may seek for and be thankfull for but are not Essential to our Sanctification Such are 1. The knowledge of other Truths besides the Essentials of Faith and duty and the soundness of judgement and freedom from error in these lesser points 2. A strong memory to carry away the things that we read and hear 3. A right order of our Thoughts when we can keep them from Confusion roving and distraction 4. Freedom from too strong affections about the creatures and from disturbing passions 5. Lively Affections and feeling operations of the soul towards God in holy duty and tender meltingt of the heart for sin which are very desireable but depend so much on the temperature of the body and outward accidents and are but the vigor and â—ot the Life and being of the new creature that we must not judge of our sincerity by them Some Christians scarce know what any such lively feelings are and some have them very seldom and I think no one constantly and therefore if our Peace or Judgement of our selves be laid on these we shall be still wavering and unsetled and tost up and down as the waves of the sea Sometimes seeming to be almost in Heaven and presently near the gates of Hell When our state doth not change at all as these feelings and Affectionate motions of the soul do but we are still in our safe Relation to God while our first Essential graces do continue though our failings dulness weaknesses and wants must be matter of moderate filial humiliation to us 6. The same must be said of all common Gifts of utterance in conference or prayer and of quickness of understanding and such like 7. Lastly the same must be said also of all that rectitude of life and those degrees of obedience that are above meer sincerity in which one true Christian doth exceed another and in which we should all desire to abound but must not judge our selves to be unsanctified meerly because we are imperfect or to be unjustified sinners meerly because we are sinners In our judging of our selves by our Lives and Practices two extreams must be carefully avoided On the left hand that of the Prophane and of the Antinomians The former cannot distinguish between sinners and sinners sanctified and unsanctified Justified and unjustified sinners and when they have once conceited that they are in the favour of God whatever they do they say we are but sinners and so are the best The latter teach men that when once they are justified they are not for any sins to doubt again of their Justified state lest they should seem to make God changeable On the other hand must be avoided this extream of perplexed doubting Christians that make all their sins or too many of them to be matter of doubting which should be but matter of humiliation I know it is a very great difficulty that hath long perplexed the Doctors of the Church to define what sins are consistent and what inconsistent with a state of Holiness and Salvation which if any distinguish by the names of Mortal and Venial taking the words in no other sense I shall not quarrell with them At the present I shall say but this for the resolving of this great and weighty question 1. It is not the bare Act of sin in it self considered that must determine the case but the Act compared with the Life of Grace and with true Repentance Whoever hath the Love of God and Life of Grace is in a state of Salvation And therefore whatever sin consisteth with the fore-described Essentials of Sanctification viz. The Habituall devotion of the soul to God the Father Son and Holy Ghost and the Habitual renunciation of the Flesh ehe World and Devil consisteth with a state of life And true Repentance proveth the pardon of all sin And therefore whatever sin consisteth with Habitual Repentance which is the Hatred of sin as sin and hath Actual Repentance when it is observed and there is time of deliberation consisteth with a state of Grace Now in Habitual Conversion or Repentance the Habitual Willingness to leave our sins must be more then our sinfull Habitual Willingness to keep it Now you may by this much discern as to particular acts whether they are consistent with Habitual hatred of sin For some sins are so much in the power of the will that he that hath an Habitual hatred of them cannot frequently commit them
knowledge of our Interest sitteth us for his Praise Psal 118.28 Thou art my God and I will praise thee thou art 〈◊〉 God I will exalt thee Psal 116.16 17 O Lord truly I am thy servant I am thâ— servant and the son of thine handmaid thou hast â—â—â—sed my bonds I will offer 〈◊〉 thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving and wiâ—â— call upon the name of the Lord His Praisâ— is for the Congregation of his Saintâ— Psal 141.1 2. Let Israel rejoyce in him thâ—â— made him let the children of Zion be joyâ—ful in their King Psal 148.13 14 Let them praise the name of the Lord for his name alone is excellent his glory iâ— above the earth and heaven He also exalteth the horn of his people the Praise of all his Saints even of the children of Israel 〈◊〉 people near unto him Psal 132.16 I will also cloath his priests with salvation and his Saints shall shout aloud for joy Praise is a work so proper for the Saints and Thanksgiving must be fed with the knowledge of your mercies that Satan well knoweth what he shall get by it and what you will lose if he can but hide your mercies from you The height of his malice is against the Lord and the next is against you and how can he shew it more then by drawing you to rob God of his Thanks and Praise when he hath blessed and enriched you with the chiefest of his mercies Labour therefore Christians to know that you have that Grace that may be the Matter and Cause of so sweet and acceptable an employment as the Praises of your Lord. 13. Moreover you should consider that without the knowledge of your interest in Christ you cannot live to the honour of your Redeemer in such a measure as the Gospel doth require The excellency of Gospel mercies will be veiled and obscured by you and will not be revealed and honoured by your lives Your low and poor dejected spirits will be a dishonour to the faith and hope of the Saints and to the Glorious inheritance of which you have so full a prospect in the promises If you take the son of a Prince in his infancy and educate him as the son of a plowman he will not live to the honour of his birth which he is not acquainted with The heirs of Heaven that know not themselves to be such may live like the heirs of Heaven as to uprightness and humility but not in the triumphant Joy nor in the couragious boldness which becometh a Believer What an injury and dishonour is to our Redeemer that when he hath done and suffered so much to make us happy we should walk as heavily as he had done nothing for us at all Anâ— when he hath so fully secured us of eveâ—â—lasting happiness and told us of it so eâ—â—presly that our Joy may be full we shouâ—â— live as if the Gospel were not the Gospel 〈◊〉 such things had never been promised or râ—â—vealed When Heaven is the Object aâ—â— the promise of God is the groundwork 〈◊〉 our faith we should live above all earthâ—â— things as having the honours and pleasure of the world under our feet accountinâ— all as loss and dung for the excellency of 〈◊〉 knowledge of Jesus Christ Phil. 3.8 whoâ— we should love though we have not seen him in whom though now we see him not yet bâ—â—lieving we should rejoyce with joy unspeakaâ—ble and full of glory as those that 〈◊〉 receive the end of their faith the salvation oâ— our souls 1 Pet. 1.8 9. And how caâ— we do this if we are still questioning the Love of Christ or our interesâ— in it Believers should with undaunted resolution charge through the armies of temptation and conquer difficulties and suffer for the name of Christ with joy accounting it a bessed thing to be persecuted 〈◊〉 righteousness sake because that theirs iâ— the kingdom of Heaven Because of the greatness of the Reward they should rejoyce and be exceeding glad Matth. 5.10 12. And how can they do this that believe not that the Reward and Kingdom will be theirs The Joys of faith and confidence on the promise and strength of Christ should overcome all inordinate fears of man For he hath said I will never fail thee nor forsake thee So that we may boldly say The Lord is my helper and I wiâ—l not fear what man shall do unto me Heb. 13.5.6 And how can we do this while we are questioning our part in the Christ and promise that we should thus boldly trust upon 14. Lastly consider that the knowledge of your part in Christ may make all sufferings easie to you You will be so much satisfied in God your portion as will abate the desires and drown the Joys and sorrows of the world You will judge the sufferings of this present time unwâ—rthy to be compared to the Glory that shall be revealed in us Rom. 8.18 You will choose rather to suffer affliction with the people of God then to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches then the treasures of the world as having respect to the recompence of reâ—ward Heb. 11.25 26. All this must bâ— done and will be done by true believers that have an assurance of their own sinceâ—rity They must and will forsake all and take up the Cross and follow Christ in hopâ— of a Reward in Heaven as it is offered theâ— in the Gospel when they know their speciaâ— interest in it For these are Christs termâ— which he imposeth on all that will be hiâ— Disciples Luk. 14.33 18.22 24 25. But you may certainly perceive that iâ— will be much more easie to part with all and undergoe and do all this wen we have the great encouragement of our assured inetrest then when we have no more but the common offer To instance in some particulars 1. Do you live where serious Godliness is derided and you cannot obey the word of God and seek first the Kingdom of God and its righteousness without being made the common scorn and the daily jeast and by-word of the company Let it be so If you know that you have Christ within you and are secured of the everlasting Joys will you feel will you regard such things as these â— shall the jeast of a distracted miserable fool abate the joy of your â—ssured happiness Princes and noblemen â—ill not forsake their dominions or Lord-ships nor cast away the esteem and â—omfort of all they have because the poor â—o ordinarily reproach them as Proud â—â—merciful oppressors They think they may bear the words of the miserable while â—hey have the the pleasure of prospe And shall not we give losers leave to â—alke We will not be mockt out of the comfort of our health or wealth our habitaâ—ions or our friends and shall we be mockt â—ut of the comfort of Christ and of the presence of the comforter himself If they that go naked deride you for having cloaths and they
they may be ready that death may b◠both safe and comfortable to them 〈◊〉 though a superstitious miserable fellow that knoweth no better things himself may talk to the sick of beads and relicts and o◠being on this side or that for this ceremony or the other and may think to conjure the unholy spirit out of him by some affected words of devotions uttered from a graceless senseless heart or to command him out by Papal authority as if they would charm his soul to heaven by saying ove◠some lifeless forms and using the Gospel 〈◊〉 a spell Yet Ministers indeed that know themselves what Faith and what Repentance is and what it is to be regenerate and to be prepared to die do know that they have other work to do The Gospe◠offereth men their Choice whether they will have Holiness or sin and be ruled by Christ or by their fleshly lusts and so whether they will have spiritual or carnal eternal or transitory Joys And our work is to perswade them to make that choice which will be their Happiness if we can prevail and which eternal Joy depends upon whether we come to them in sickness or in health this is our business with them A man that is ready to be drowned is not at leisure for a song or dance And a man that is ready to be damned methinks should not find himself at leisure to hear a man shew his wit and reading only if not his folly and malice against a life of Holiness Nor should you think that suitable to such mens case that doth not evidently tend to save them But alas how often have we heard such sermons as tend more to diversion than direction to fill their minds with other matters and find men something else to think on lest they should study themselves and know their misery And whereas there may be so much ingenuity in the sinner as to perceive that the discourse of idle tongues or the reading of a Romance is unsuitable to one in his condition and therefore will not by such toyes as these be called off from the consideration of his ways A preacher that seems to speak religiously by a sapeless dry impertinent discourse that 's called a sermon may more plausibly and easily divert him And has conscience will more quietly suffer him to be taken off the necessary care of his salvation by something that is like it and pretends to do the work as well then by the grosser avocations or the scorns of fools And he will more tamely be turned from Religion by something that is called Religion and which he hopes may serve the turn then by open wickedness or impious defiance of God and Reason But how oft do we hear applauded Sermons which force us in compassion to mens souls to think O what 〈◊〉 all this to the opening a sinners heart unto himself shewing him his unregenerate state What 's this to the conviction of a self-deluding soul that is passing unto Hell with the confident expectations of Heaven To the opening of mens eyes and turning them from darkness unto light and from the power of Satan unto God! what 's this to shew men their undone condition and the absolute necessity of Christ and of renewing grace what is in this to lead men up from earth to heaven and to acquaint them with the unseen world and to help them to the life of faith and love and to the mortifying and the pardon of their sins How little skil have many miserable preachers in the searching of the heart and helping men to know themselves whether Christ be in them or whether they be reprobates and how little care and diligence is used by them to call men to the tryal and help them in the examining and judging of themselves as if it were a work of no necessity They have healed also the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly saying Peace Peace when there is no Peace saith the Lord Jer. 6.14 And Ezek. 13.10 11 12. Because even because they have seduced my people saying Peace and there was no peace and one built up a wall and lo others dawbed 〈◊〉 with untempered morter say to them that dawb it with untempered morter that it shall fall there shall be an overflowing showre and ye O great hailstones shall fall and a stormy wind shall rend it Lo when the wall is faln shall it not be said unto you Where is the dawbing wherewith ye dawbed it It is a plain and terrible passage Prov. 24.24 He that saith to the wicked Thou art Righteous him shall the people curse natives shall abhor him Such injustice in a Judge or witnesses is odious that determine but in order to temporal rewards on punishments Lev 19.15 Prov. 18.5 28.21 But in a messenger that professeth to speak to men in the name of God and in the stead of Jesus Christ when the determination hath respect to the consciences of men and to their endless joy or torment how odious and horrid a crime must it be esteemed to perswade the wicked that he is Righteous or to speak that which tendeth to perswade him of it though not in open plain expressions what perfidious dealing is this against the Holy God! what an abuse of our Redeemer that his pretended messengers shall make him seem to judge clean contrary to his Holiness and to his Law and to the Judgement which indeed he passeth and will pass on all that live and die unsanctified What vile deceit and cruelty against the souls of men are such Preachers guilty of that would make them believe that all is well with them or that their state is safe or tolerable till they must find it otherwise to their woe when diseased souls have but a short and limited time allowed them for their cure that a man shall come to them as in the name of their Physition and tell them that they are pretty well and need not make so much ado about the business and thus keep them from their only help till it be too late what shame what punishment can be too great for such a wretch when the neglect and making light of Christ and his salvation is the common road to Hell Heb. 2.3 Matth. 22.5 and most men perish because they value not and use not the necessary means of their recovery for a man in the name of a minister of the Gospel to cheat them into such undervaluings and neglects as are like to prove their condemnation what is this but to play the Minister of Satan and to do his work in the name and garb of a minister of Christ It is damnable treachery against Christ and against the peoples souls to hide their misery when it is your office to reveal it and to let people deceive themselves in the matters of Salvation and not to labour diligently to undeceive them and to see them live upon presumption and ungrounded hopes and not to labour with faithful
our sermons Yea how oft doth the medicine irritate the disease So that a poor wretch that is under the wrath of God and knoweth not when he is gone out of the assembly whether the justice of heaven will not take vengeance on him before he come hither again yet cannot abide to hear of this but with Ahab hateth the Preacher that prophesieth evil of him be it never so true It is pride that leadeth up that armie of corruptions that here strive against the light of truth that is sent to convince and convert the guilty And is a man like to be saved by the word while he hateth it and bends his thoughts and passions all against it Dir. 1. HE therefore that will ever know himself must first let in so much of the light as may take down his arrogancy and bring him as a little child to the school of Christ First know what thou art as Man and then know what thou art as a sinner and sentenced by God that so thou mayst come to know what thou art as one that is under the hopes and duties of the Redeemed When thy proud heart rebelleth against conviction remember with whom thou hast to do Will God speak submissively to thee for fear of offending thee will he cry thee mercy for handling thee so roughly as to tell thee thou art yet the child of wrath Is he afraid to talke to thee of death or of damnation Will he recall his threatnings and repent him of the severity of his laws because such worms are angry with them or will not believe them Perhaps thou mayst make a false hearted frightful man-pleasing Minister to change his strain of plainer dealing and become thy flatterer or be silent But will God be silenced will he stoop to thee and bend or stretch his word to humor thee O no he will one day tell thee what thou arâ— with another voice then this of a mortal and despised man and in another manner then preachers tell it thee If thou canst frown the Preacher out of the pulpit or out of his fidelity to God and thee yet canst thou not frown God out of heaven He will speak to thee more terribly then the terriblest preacher that ever thou heardst And if thy Pride shall rise up and tell him that he doth thee wrong how quickly will thy mouth be stopped and thou be forced to confess thy guilt Rom. 3.5 6 19. O stoop man to the humbling word of grace or God will make thee stoop to the words and strokes of wrath Fear him that will make the proudest fear before he hath done with them Judged thou must be by thy self to self-abasing and conversion or by God to desolation and confusion And canst thou easier bear Gods judgement then thy own Stoop foolish self-deluding dust Stoop sinful wretch and know thy misery If thou stand it out a little longer an undiscerned blow will bring thee down and thou shalt not see the hand that strikes thee till thou art humbled to the grave and hell O how absurd yet pittiful a sight is it to see poor sinners brave it out against the humbling message of the Lord as if they could make good their cause againg him and scorn to know that they are going to Hell till they are there And then will Pride preserve them from the knowledge of it It is shameful folly to be Proud and obstinate where a man knoweth beforehand that he must submit at last and is not able to stand it out 2. THE second Intrinsecal Impediment to self-acquaintance is an unresonable tenderness of our selves when an inordinate Love of ease and quietness of mind doth prevail with us to hold fast all that thus quieteth us at the present without regard of due provision for the time to come In this there is a mixture of unreasonableness and self-self-love It is indeed the very brutish disposition A beast will not willingly be dieted for his future health Let him have at present what he loveth and you please him though you feed him for the slaughter for he hath not reason to foresee what followeth An ox must be bound and cast and held down by force if you will shooe him though it be to the keeping of his feet from hurt or if you will pull out a thorn or do any thing for his good that hurteth him at the present you please not your horse by letting him blood though you save his life by it Fleshly-minded men have thus bruitified themselves so that they judge of things by present feeling and have not Reason and Faith to look before them and judge of things by what they tend to even by the good or hurt that will follow in the end It is a very terrible troublesome thing for a man that is unregerate unjustified and unreconciled to God to know it For a man that hath any feeling left to find himself in a state of condemnation This is to stir up all the terrors of his soul and cast him into perplexing fears and disquietments of mind so that he cannot eat or drink or sleep in quietness but the troublesome thoughts of sin and everlasting wrath torment him And the inconsiderable man that judgeth of things by present feeling will not endure this and therefore must needs have the windows shut and the light removed that sheweth him these perplexing sights As most men hate those that speak against them be the matter never so true so they cannot endure those thoughts that do accuse them nor to have a reprover so neer them even in their own breasts A Conscience within them to preach to them night and day not one hour in a week but where-ever they go and whatever they are doing to be so neer so constant so precise and so sâ—vere and terrible a Preacher as usually a newly enlightened and awakened conscience is this seemeth intolerable to them And whatever come of it this Preacher must be silenced as turbulent and vexatious and one that would make them Melancholy or mad And this is the condemnation of these miserable souls that light is come into the world and they loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil For every one that doth evil hateth the light neither cometh to the light lest his deeds should be reproved Joh. 3.19 20. And thus while men are so tender of themselves that they will do nothing that troubleth or hurteth them at the present they venture upon all the miseries that they are forewarned of Dir. 2. BE not unreasonably tender of a little disturbance at the present nor unbelievingly careless of the misery to come Cannot you endure to know your sin and misery and yet can you endure to bear it will you go to Hell for fear of knowing that you are in the way Must you not know it with everlasting woe and vengeance when you come thither if by knowing your danger you prevent not your coming thither Is it easier to bear
Gods wrath for ever than to find at present that you have offended him Sirs the question is whether you are under the condemnation of the law or not Whether you are regenerate and justified or yet in your sin If you are Justified far be it from me to perswade you to think that you are under condemnation I leave that to Satan and the malicious world who are the condemners of those that Christ doth Justifie But if you are unregenerate and unjustified what will you do at death and judgement Can you stand before God or be saved upon any other terms You cannot if God be to be believed you cannot and if you know the Scriptures you know you cannot And if you cannot be saved in an unrenewed unjustified state is it not needful that you know it Will you cry for help before you find your selves in danger or strive to get out of sin and misery before you believe that you are in it If you think that you have no other sin than the pardoned infirmities of the Godly you will â—ever so value Jesus Christ and pray and â—â—rive for such grace as is necessary to them â—â—at have the unpardoned reigning sins of â—â—e ungodly If it be necessary that you 〈◊〉 saved it is necessary that you value and â—â—ek salvation and if so it is necessary â—â—at you know your need of it and what â—ou must be and do if you will obtain it 〈◊〉 is a childish or brutish thing below a man of reason to stick at a little present trouble when Death cannot otherwise be prevented If you can prove that ever any was converted and saved by any other way then by coming to the knowledge of their sin and misery then you have some excuse for your presumption But if Scripture tell us of no other way yea that there is no other way and you know of none that ever was saved by any other I think it is time to fall to work and search and try your Hearts and lives and not to stop at a straw when you are running for your lives and when damnation is as it were at your backs You should rather think with your selves If we can so hardly bear the forethoughts of Hell how shall we be able everlastingly to bear the torments And consider that Christ hath made the discovery of your sin and misery to be now comparatively an easie burden in that he hath made them pardonable and curable If you had not had a Saviour to fly to but must have looked on your misery as a remediless case it had then been terrible indeed and it had been no great mistake to have thought it the best way to take a little ease at present rather then to disquiet your selves in vain But through the great mercy of God this is not your case you need not despair of pardon and salvation if you will but hear while it is called Today The taske that you are called to is not to torment your selves as the damned do with the thought of unpardonable sin and of a misery that hath no help or hope but it is only to find out your disease and come and open it to the Physicion and submit to his advice and use his means and he will freely and infallibly work the cure It is but to find out the folly that you have been guilty of and the danger that you have brought your selves into and come to Christ and with hearty sorrow and resolution to give up your selves unto his grace to cast away your iniquities and enter into his safe and comfortable service And will you lie in Hell and say We are suffering here that we might escape the trouble of foreseeing our danger of it or of endeavouring in time to have prevented it We dyed for fear of knowing that we were sick We suffered our house â—o burn to ashes for fear of knowing that it was on fire O Sirs be warned in time and own not and practice not such â—egregious folly in a business of everlasting consequence Believe it if you sin you must know that you have sinned and if you are in the power of Satan it cannot long be hid Did you but know the difference between discovering it now while there is hope and hereafter when there is none I should have no need to perswade you to be presently willing to know the truth whatever it should cost you Hind 3. ANother great impediment of the Knowlege of ourselves is that self love so blindeth men that they can see no great evil in themselves or any thing that is their own It makes them believe that all things are as they would have them be Yea and better than they would have them For he that would not indeed be Holy is willing by himself and others to be thought so Did not the lamentable experience of all the world confirm it it were incredible that self-self-love could so exceedingly blind men If Charity think no evil of another and we are very hardly brought to believe any great harm by those we love much more will self-love cause men to see no evil by themselves which possibly they can shut their eyes against it being more radicated and powerful than the love of others No arguments so cogent no light so clear no oratory so perswading as can make a self-lover think himself as bad as indeed he is till God by grace or terror shall convince him When you are preaching the most searching sermons to convince him self-love confuteth or misapplyeth them When the markes of tryal are most plainly opened and most closely urged self-love doth frustrate the preachers greatest skill and diligence When nothing of sense can be said to prove the piety of the impious and the sincerity of the formal hypocrite yet self love is that wonderful Alchymist that can make gold not only of the basest mettal but of dross and dirt Let the most undenyable witness be brought to detect the fraud and misery of an unrenewed soul self-love is his most powerful defender No cause so bad which it cannot justifie and no person so miserable but it will pronounce him happy till God by Grace or wrath confute it Self-love is the grand Deceiver of the world Dir. 3. SVbdue this inordinate self-love and bring yoar minds to a just impartiality in judging Remember that self-love is only powerful at your private bar and it is not there that your cause must be finally decided It can do nothing at the bar of God It cannot there justifie where it is condemned it self God will not so much as hear it though you will hear none that speak against it self-love is but the vicegerent of the grand Usurper that shall be deposed and have no shew of power at Christs appearing when he will judge his enemies And here it will be a helpful course to see your own sin and misery in others and put the case as if it were theirs and then see how you can
discern the evil of it O how easie is it with the most to see and aggravate the faults of others How safe were we if we were as impartial to ourselves And also it will be very useful to desire often the help of more impartial judgements then your own Fit enim nescio quomedo inquit Cicero ut magis in aliis cernamus quam in nobis met ipsis siquid delinquitur Others can quickly spie our faults as we can quickly find out theirs Therefore as Poets and Painters do expose their works before they finish them to the common view that so what is blamed by many may be considered and amended so should we in order to the judging of our selves observe both what our friends and enemies say of us and the more suspiciously try what others blame But especially have some neer judicious friends that will prudently and faithfully assist you A true friend is an excellent looking-glass Saith Seneca Deliberate well first in the choosing of a friend and then with him deliberate of all things And if you would have the benefits of friendship discourage not plain dealing Magis amat objurgator sanans inquit August quam adulator dissimulans I know a reprover should be wise and love must be predominant if he will expect success for if he speak laceráto animo as Augustine saith it will seem but punientis impetus and not corigentis charitas But we must take heed of judging that we are hated because we are reproved that is that a friend is not a friend because he doth the office of a friend Of the two it is fitter to say of a reproving enemy He dealeth with me like a friend then of a reproving friend He dealeth with me like an enemy For as Augustine saith Accusare vitia officium est bonum quod cum mali faciunt alienas partes agunt It is a good office to speak ill of vice which when bad men do they play anothers part It is a happy enmity that helpeth you to deliver you from sin and hell and a cruel friendship that will let you undoe your soul for ever for fear of displeasing you by hindering it There are two sorts that deprive themselves of the saving benefit of necessary reproof and the most desirable fruits of friendship The one is the Hypocrite that so cunningly hideth his greatest faults that his friend and enemie never tell him of them He hath the happiness of keeping his physicion unacquainted with his disease and consequently of keeping the disease The other is the Proud that can better endure to be ungodly then to be told of it and to live in many sins then to be freely admonished of one Consider therefore that it will prove self-hatred in the effect which is now called self-love and that it would seem but a strange kind of love from another to suffer you to fall into a Cole-pit for fear of telling you that you are neer it or to suffer you to fall into the enemies hands lest he should affright you by telling you that they are neer If you love another no better then thus you have no reason to call your self his friend And shall this be your wisest Loving of your selves If it be Love to damn your souls for fear of knowing your danger of damnation the Devil loveth you If i◠be friendship to keep you out of Heaven for fear of disquieting you with the Light that should have saved you then you have no enemies in Hell The Devil himself can be content to grant you a temporal quietness and ease in order to your everlasting disquietness and woe Let go your hopes of Heaven and he can let you be merry a while on earth while the strong armed man keepeth his house the things that he possesseth are in peace If it be no◠friendship but enmity to trouble you with the sight of sin and danger in order to your deliverance then you have none but enemies in Heaven For God himself doth take this course with the dearest of his chosen No star doth give such light as the Sun doth No Minister doth so much to make a sinner know himself as God doth Love yeur selves therefore in the way that God loveth you Be impartially willing that God and man should help you to be throughly acquainted with your state Love not to be flattered by others or your selves Vice is never the more lovely because it is yours And you know that pain is never the more easie or desirable to you because it is yours Your own diseases losses injuries and miseries seem the worst and most grievous to you And why should not your own sins also be most grievous You love not poverty or pain because it s your own O love not sin because it is your own Hind 4. ANother impediment to self-acquaintance is that men observe not their hearts in a time of trial but take them always at the best when no great temptation puts them to it A man that never had any opportunity to rise in the world perhaps doth think he is not ambitious and desireth not much to be higher then he is because the coal was never blown when a little affront doth ferment their Pride into disquietness and desires of revenge or applause doth ferment it into tumor or self-exaltation they observe not then the distemper when it is up and most observable because the nature of sin is to please and blind and cheat the mind into a consent And when the sin seems past and they find themselves in a seeming humility and meekness they judge of themselves as then they find themselves as thinking that distemper is past and cured and they are not to judge of themselves by what they were but what they are And by that Rule every drunkard or whoremonger should judge themselves temperate and chaste as soon as they forbear the act of sin And what if poverty age or sickness hinder them from ever commiting either of them again For all this the person is a drunkard or fornicator still because the Act is not pardoned nor the heart sanctified and the habit or corrupt inclination mortified And thus passionate persons do judge of themselves by their milder temper when no temptation kindleth the flame But little doth many a one know himself what corruption is latent in his heart till tryal shall disclose it and draw it into sight Jam diu Diabolus inq August sopitum ignem sine ullis flammis occultat donec duas faculas jungens ambas simul accendat c. If these persons be not always sinning they will not take themselves for sinners But he that hath once sinned knowingly in Gods account continueth in the sin till his heart be changed by true repentance Yet on the other side I would not wrong any upright soul by perswading them to judge of themselves as they are at the worst in the hour of temptation for so they will be mistaken as certainly though