needless fond thing for the Deity to promise them or interest his own Agency about them which yet is of a blasphemous importance as 't would savour of the highest Arrogance to imagine that I am in a Capacity to act well-pleasingly to God without God For does it consist with the Divine Wisdom and God's Ingenuous procedure with Man to promise what is in Mans power whether he promise or no. And if we be capable of exerting one acceptable Act without Divine Influence Why not another and another till frequent Acts produce a Habit and all this exclusively to the aids of Heaven That he must be made a liar who said Joh. 15.5 Without me you can do nothing And 2 Cor. 3.5 Not that we are sufficient of our selves to think any thing as of our selves but our sufficiency is of God See also again Eph. 2.8 9 10. Let him stand forth and be a publick Spectacle of Ignominy and Malediction who will not subscribe to or having subscribed contradicts the 10th and 13th Articles of Religion which are these X. The Condition of Man after the Fall of Adam is such that he cannot turn and prepare himself by his own natural strength and good Works to Faith and calling upon God Wherefore we have no power to do good Works pleasing and acceptable to God without the Grace of God preventing us that we may have a good will and working with us when we have that good will XIII Works done before the Grace of Christ and the Inspiration of his Spirit are not pleasant to God forasmuch as they spring not of Faith in Jesus Christ neither do they make Men meet to receive Grace or as the School Authors say deserve Grace of Congruity yea rather for that they are not done as God hath willed and commanded them to be done we doubt not but they have the Nature of Sin If formally upright and acceptable Acts of Submission to the Covenant and its conditions could issue from wicked Men and Hypocrites so continuing in State and Disposition and therefore Enemies to God and Goodness as there would be no need of the promise to Write his Law in the Heart so God would be obliged in faithfulness to fulfil to them his part of the Covenant in communicating all Covenant Mercies But the whole implies a contradiction For sincerely to observe the terms of the Covenant is to be sincere in that thing and therefore supposes the Law to be Written in the Heart or obliges God to Write it For the condition being observed by Man the Engagement upon God becomes absolute he must do his part or violate his Covenant and be unjust to himself and his Son Jesus Christ whose undertaking founded this New Covenant Dispensation Whence a cordial performance of the terms of the Covenant on our part does really introduce or infer that sincerity of State which is implied in the Writing God's Laws in our Hearts implanting therein his fear and pouring out his Spirit on us which is the very Work of Conversion or Regeneration and the basis of all Consolation for Psal 119.50 This is my comfort in my affliction 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because thy word hath quickned me Thy word in general as the Instrument its precepts in particular as the Matter principling my Heart in the nature of a Law engraven on that Fleshly Table by the Finger of God Whatever Mens Sentiments may be under Temptation Melancholy c. yet ordinarily let but this be made out to a considering Man viz. that he is truly born again of God and all his Troubles Disquiets Agonies Horrors of Conscience vanish into nothing and all other his Disconsolate Thoughts are very much moderated If his Grace be found real and sound his Repentance Faith and Love unfeigned his Heart is at ease he has a perfect Demonstration that God the Father is his God and Father Jesus Christ his Saviour because the Holy Ghost has been his Sanctifier Now does he not doubt of the pardon of his Sins of the special Love of God of an interest in all the Benefits purchased by Jesus Christ of a Right to all the Promises and everlasting Consolation and Salvation This is the bottom of all nothing without this will avail in the least to bring the glad tidings of Peace into the Conscience This as a sure and immovable Foundation establishes all our hopes of Comfort which without it is absolutely impossible But this ground laid Joy and Rest and Satisfaction of Soul will infallibly arrive sooner or later all the Malignity and Rage upon Earth all the Malice and Policy of Hell all the Melancholy Imaginations of a Man 's own Heart though they may obstruct and delay it yet cannot finally avert and hinder it any more than a gloomy Night can the rising of the Sun in its season The day of Glory Peace and Consolation everlasting Cant. 4.6 will undoubtedly break Hebr. breath upon such a Soul and Darkness Sorrows Shadows flee away For these Redeemed of the Lord by power and therefore by price shall return and come with singing unto Sion and everlasting Joy shall be upon their heads they shall obtain Gladness and Joy and Sorrow Mourning and Sighing shall flee away Isa 51.11 Weeping may endure in the Evening but Joy cometh in the Morning Psal 30.5 A Child of Prayers and Tears said Ambrose to Monica cannot perish Isa 53.3 A Man of Sorrows and acquainted with Grief whom it pleaseth the Lord to bruise shall see of the Travail of his Soul and be satisfied This was verified first in the Head and shall be also in the Members They must pass through the Jordan of Repentance and there be wash'd seven times that they may be healed of their Spiritual Leprosies but their next Stage is a welcome Canaan of Solace and Rest This is the basis of the other Privilege viz. Propriety in God and assurance thereof and therefore being a connex Blessing more concerning it will necessarily fall under the following Head Now that the Psalmist had some Reflections upon his Sanctification in assuming to himself the Comforts of God seems evident from the 21. vers where he makes a tacit Profession of his Righteousness and Innocency which no doubt were to him as in like case they are to any Man a singular Support and Satisfaction under all the Calamities and Cruelties endured through the violence and fury of Man Though the Floods and Waves and Storms beat high from without yet if there be a sweet Calm within though the World with a savage barbarousness persecute and pursue me to Death yet if mine own Conscience do not reproach me but testifie that in simplicity and godly sincerity I have had my Conversation in this World not by fleshly Wisdom but by the grace of God in innocency and usefulness to Men 2 Cor. 1.12 This is a singular rejoycing and ground of Comfort though our sufferings abound Vers 5. The Peace of a good Conscience is a powerful Antidote
love the Lord then Oh my Soul with all thy mind with all thy Heart with all thy strength and thy Neighbour as thy self for his sake let him have thy whole desire thy whole delight at all times Minus te amat qui aliquid tecum amat quod non propter te amat Idiotae contempl de amore Dei c. 12. He loves thee but little Oh Lord who loves any thing with thee which he loves not for thee says a devout Man 'T is but meet that the highest God should have the Supremacy in my heart If in the greater World he be King must he be a Subject in the less I am worse than Hell if God must not be acknowledged Soveraign in my Soul The Spirits there dare not cannot but own him as their Lord this is the duty they pay extorted indeed by their sense and fear which that it may not be thy dismal lot and fate Oh my Soul advance thou him freely to the Crown within thy self in a spontaneous generous Ardour of pure Incorrupt Incorruptible Love Which if thou dost not thou art accursed if thou dost thou art blessed for 't is a Prayer upon record in God's Word 1 Cor. 16.22 and therefore part of the matter of Christ's Intercession Grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Incorruption or Immortality i. e. with a never-fading Love Eph. 2.24 and that only is a sincere Love Oh Love the Lord on Earth as thou wilt love him in Heaven with the same kind and press toward the same degree of Love and be happy Thus live in God above the tumult and hurry of external things and be at rest Marc. Antonin l. 2. p. 5 c. Omnem crede diem tibi diluxisse Supremum Live every day as if it were thy last and in every imployment so act Arrian l. 4. c. 10. as one that can be free to be found therein by Death p. 416. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. It. l. 3. c. 5 p. 273. Antonin l. 6. §. 3◠What would'st thou be found doing by Death says Arrianus I for my part doing some masculine beneficial publick useful generous Work But if I cannot be found in these yet this is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unhinderable this is given to me to amend my self to elaborate that faculty which makes use of Phantasies to endeavour apathy or freeness from Passion to give my Affections their due and if I can be so happy to gain soundness certainty of Judgment If Death find me thus employ'd 't will be sufficient to engage me with hands stretched out to God to say I have not neglected those Powers thou gavest me to observe thy Government and follow it I have done my endeavour not to disgrace thee Behold how I have used my Senses my Prenotions Have I ever blamed thee Have I been displeased with any thing befalling or wish'd it otherwise Have I misguided my Affections because thou begattest me I render thee the praise of thy Gifts in as much as I have well used thine it sufficeth me Resume them now again and where thou pleasest dispose of me For all were thine and thou gavest them me I the rather produce these Testimonies out of Heathen Authors to let Christians see how inexcusable it will be in them who have infinitely better Light Means Aids to neglect what even Nature and Reason taught Philosophers to practise And withall to awaken others with my self to a more assiduous care in these Exercises least it be found more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon for Sodom and Gomorrah than for us at the great day Observe all the inward Workings of the Divine Spirit both in calling out the actings of Grace and reviving thee with Peace and keep them upon record for after advantage Time may come when all thy present Sensations may be so cloudy that thou canst not see a peep of day canst not from any thing that thou feelest conclude that thy state is right before God But if at such a season and hour of temptation thou be'st able to call to mind that upon due trial when in a sober and composed calm of Thoughts the Lord satisfied thee upon sure and indefeisible Evidence that thy Heart was truly changed and that thou wast as a New Creature in Christ Jesus and that thy Objections and misdoubtings and temptations to the contrary were thorowly answered This will be such an ease to thy mind and a revival of thy hopes that ere long the mists and darkness will be driven away and thou wilt again reascend into a clear and serene Heaven of Light and Peace and Joy Make sure in this manner to lay up and reserve a good stock and treasure of Experiences if thou desirest Riches of Comfort yet content not thy self with the old but make new To remember what thou did'st enjoy and feel in the days of the right Hand of the Most High may revive thee but to sense and feel it at present much more Renew then those gracious Exercises over and over that did once produce Halcyon days in thy Soul and they will recall them the same effects will issue from the same Causes Amend what was amiss in former actings which gave Satan advantage to redintegrate thy Troubles and this will establish thy Peace upon a securer and more unexceptionable basis 'T is not possible to refute the Devils Objections against thy sincerity by a method more effectual than a more serious care to act all over again sincerely which he tempts thee to suppose was done unsoundly Renovated Acts of a sound Repentance and unfeigned Faith as sure Testimonies of thy Renovation after the Image of God will dash thine Accuser out of countenance If thou canst make any fresh Experiments of the Power of Divine Grace effecting this If God take thee anew into his bosom of Love to melt thee If a view of him whom thy Sins have pierced cause thy ebbing godly Sorrow again to flow over all the Banks Lastly if with a perfect Heart thou returnest from all thy by-past follies unto him from whom thou hast deeply revolted this will again retrieve thy sinking Heart and hopes as a new taste of the Lord's graciousness and evidence that he hath not forsaken thee but that his Mercy and Godness follows thee and shall all the days of thy life even to Eternity Set about this O my Soul with a resolved obstinacy of endeavour that will not be conquerable by any assaults of Corruption or Temptation For thou canst never take a Heaven of Joy and Rest except by violence and force Weak resolves do but only encrease the Devils Triumphs Strong cares are requisite to possess thee of strong Consolations Observe where when and how the Spirit moves and spread thy Sails before his sweet Spirations He is the Comforter because the Conducter into the way of Peace Thou canst enjoy no more of his Testimony to solace thee than
an Alms asked in the Name of Christ but above all the Eternal Father never will Joh. 14.13 14. and 15.16 and 16.23 24. But the Nature the Life the Power of Christianity is a Thing incomparable the highest communication of Divine Goodness issuing from the lowest condescension of infinite grace Christ the God of Wisdom dwelling in our Nature by the Holy Ghost the God of love and in our hearts by Faith to root and ground us in Love Oh the height depth length breadth of the love of Christ an Hyperbole to our knowledge infinitely surpassing shooting above it that we may be FILLED WITH ALL THE FULNESS OF GOD. Oh Mystery above all Mysteries Oh Grace above all Grace The Height of most incomprehensible Majesty in the deepest humility of boundless Mercy exalting poor degenerate man from the lowest Abyss of unspeakable misery to the utmost sublimity of celestial Glory in such an extensive amplitude and fullness of all the richest blessings spread abroad over the whole latitude of humane nature having their spring from that everliving fountain of Eternal Love and streaming in infinite varleties to the length of all eternity with such accommodation and suitableness to every of our particular necessities desires hopes as becomes a fruit of unparallel'd incomparable Wisdom and Grace Oh unfathomable Love thou hast even outdone thy self and undone me a man of an unclean heart and lips for how shall such a poor weak polluted worm be ever able to conceive aright of thy unconceivable plenitude be thankful for and speak well enough of thy unspeakable magnitude with a degree of Love and delight high enough entertain thy unmeasurable sufficiency sweetness and satisfactory Perfection or faithfully improve and walk worthy of thy unmatchably rich and glorious communications The unsuitableness the unanswerableness of my Spirit and practice will ruine me if by another astonishing Miracle of demission thou do not spread abroad thy quickening confirming thy sanctifying and actuating influences throughout all the powers of my Soul that in thine own strength I may rightly glorify thee That is Christianity in its causes the Wisdom Love and Grace of God in Jesus Christ and its general Notion an elevation of Fallen Man to God More particularly Christianity in the Theory is the Doctrine of Faith in Jesus Christ in the Practice 't is covenanting and keeping Covenant with God This is brief inlarge your Thoughts thus Christianity is an undissembled acknowledgement or owning and receiving Jesus Christ as the only Mediator betwixt God and man in a hearty Submission to the terms of the Covenant of Grace Repentance Faith and upright Obedience It supposes Natural Religion in an universal subjection to the Deity as Creator Governour and Owner of all For if God had nothing to do with us nor we with him there would be no need of a Mediator so neither if there were no Sin Hence it also supposes the Obligation of the Law of Nature which is the Rule of Natural Religion and the guide of man in his natural subjection to God It supposes also the Covenant of Nature commonly called Works with the violation of it which none could expiate but God-man And it includes as most essential the Covenant of Grace and in special the New Edition thereof for the old is Judaism i. e. the Gospel exhibiting Jesus Christ as already come God in our Flesh Teaching for our instruction Commanding for our direction Doing for our example and advantage and Suffering in our room and stead and for our Sin All things necessary for our Salvation hereby satisfying Divine Justice and meriting for us the Holy Ghost with his gifts grace pardon peace and eternal glory to be given us upon conditions and terms suitable to his own goodness and our present state viz. Repentance toward God for and from dead works that we might serve him the Living God and Faith in Jesus Christ accepting of submitting and committing our Souls to him in well doing with all the fruits hereof in Love Meekness Humility Self-denial Patience Heavenly-mindedness Watchfulness in Summ Godliness Righteousness and Sobriety to be wrought in us and exercised by us through the Grace and Might of Christ which only makes them sincere and sound and so acceptacle to God through Christ who alone intercedes with God on the behalf of Man for this end as a Saviour 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to all perfection Heb. 7.25 This is the summ of Christianity owned by some Professionally only by others Really also But because the reality of the Heart is only known to God whereof he never made us the Judges We must proceed solely upon the external Profession as far as it renders the other real inward owning credible Now 't is in respect of this credible owning of Christianity manifested by Profession that a Man becomes a member of the Catholick Church Visible has a right to all Ordinances Baptism Fellowship with a particular Church the Lords Supper and consequently Ministry Ministerial and Fraternal Inspection c. 1. There 's no Vital Union betwixt Jesus Christ and any particular Person merely as a Member of a Particular Church and under that Formality but only as a Member of the Church Universal invisible For There 's no union of Life but by unfeigned Faith uncorrupt Love which are invisible things These make no Man a Member of a Particular Church actually and ipso facto though they give the first and truest right thereto but of the Catholick they actually do Nay the Visible profession of them though it give the right yet does not actually invest in a particular Church but does in the Universal Visible and after it has been own'd by the Church in Baptism we are not only Visible potentially but seen and actually acknowledged Members of the Catholick Church Visible yet not presently of a particular Church Though Baptism be in a particular Church yet 't is not into it but the Universal Consent without actual associating does not constitute any a Member actually but only potentially and virtually That which makes a Man a Member of a particular Church is only Actual Association with its consent explicit or implicit Every one that is truly a Member of the Catholick Church Visible and gives any credible evidence thereof either explicit or implicit as Mr. Tho. Hooker truly observes and essays to joyn himself to a particular Church upon that evidence ought to be receiv'd to a participation of all Ordinances and that particular Church cannot de jure deny its consent but it betrays its trust and sins greatly both against the man and Christ also But then no man is saved under that Formality as a member of a particular Church merely but only as he partakes of that common Christian Nature which constitutes the Members of the Catholick Church Though he sin Grievously and without Repentance general or particular may justly be damn'd for neglect of joining in the Ordinances with some particular Church or other if he have opportunity 2.
nothing is good in Religion which does not catch and overmaster rational Affections reduce the will of Man into an Harmony with the Will of God and better the Life Oh be not in love with a notional Religion Let the Holy Spirit that illustrious Ray of Divine Love reflected upon and from the Son of Righteousness descend into thy bowels dwell and act in thy very inmost heart by his Light to create Life Be in love with no knowledge but that which is of a transforming power and tendency that by its vertue thou may'st be intirely renewed after the Imagine of God That Knowledge which will introduce Faith that Faith which will work by Love that Love which to the rest will add as 2 Pet. 1.5 6 7. Vertue Temperance Patience Godliness Brotherly-kindness and in summ all the Elements of a holy conversation that and that only will be introductive of solid Peace and Consolation But this hath all been spoke only upon supposition of a dfferent yet very proper Translation of the Words in V. 10. and. 12. Which are rendred chastize Now must we Procecd upon this authorized Version and 't is certain the Words will allow it as among other Places is demonstrable from 1 Kin. 12.11 14. My Father chastised you with whips c. Psal 118.18 Chastening the Lord hath chastened me but hath not given me over to death Here the word cannot signify to teach or instruct in a proper Sence Yet in the place I discourse upon there 's nothing to enforce this Sence but rather the other as the English Annotator observes Only the Syriack Version the Chaldee Paraphrast Piscator Vatablus Ainsworth c. render it here as we do chasten And if it receive the former Sence may it not seem restrain'd to such Instructions as in a peculiar manner qualifie Men patiently to bear and improve Afflictions This Sence will be favoured by that clause in the following Verse which is declarative of the end and use of these Teachings finding rest in the day of adversity Paraphrase the whole thus Oh the blessednesses of the mighty man Psal 33.16 whom thou so instructest inwardly by thy Spirit and teachest Outwardly by thy Law in the Ministry of the Word and other Ordinances * So Calvin as to engage and enable him with an even composed Spirit resting in the good pleasure of thy Goodness and with patience to indure Adversity Thus I make account 't is a parallel to Jam. 1.12 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 happy Blessed is the Man that not suffereth meerly but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 patiently endureth Temptation For the Substantive derived from it viz. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is rend red Patience V 34. and ch 5.11 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we count happy or bless the patiently indureing or biding under ye have heard of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Patience of Job or Trial 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for being 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 approved he shall receive the Crown of Life c. It seems to be an allusion to the Isthmick or Olympick Games in Greece where if any doubt did arise about the Victory the Agonists or Contenders did appeal to the Judges and he who by their Suffrage or Judgment was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 approv'd did receive the Garland or Crown Thus here Blessed is the man whom thou so disciplinest and learnest as to give rest or quiet sedateness or settlement of mind or appeasement Prov. 15.18 the same word of all turbulent motions in the working raging sea of his Passions and Affections which otherwise cannot be quiet composed and rest Isai 57.20 the same word again till or while the Pit be digged for the wicked For as Dr. Hammond well observes if it be understood of external rest or freedom from the days of Evil the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is not properly translated until For that supposes the rest in being before the removal and in the very time of disrest or oppression or adversity by the wicked and the rest to terminate or end when the Wicked are destroyed But 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is translated While Job 1.16 17 18. While he was yet speaking c. and yet more accommodately to this place When Jonah 4.2 Was not this my saying when I was yet in my own Country c. Thus here when the pit of corruption as the word signifies shall be digged for the Wicked the Lord 's blessed ones shall rest from the days of Adversity Then is the season for it This literal proper Sence seems more suitable than Calvin's figurative For Moral Rest answers not the Letter of the Text as well as civil 'T is rest from not in the days of evil as it should if the moral sence for quiet of mind obtain yet I think there may be a commodious Sence given of the Words retaining the until which is the only Basis of the moral sence and still interpret the words concerning Political Rest For until does not alway signifie the cessation of the preceding State upon the introduction of that which it relates to Hereof there are multitudes of Instances Rom. 5.13 Vntil the Law Sin was in the World but it did not cease to be when the Law came Rev. 2.25 Hold fast till I come Must they let go their hold then But to confine my self to the Hebr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Isai 22.14 This Iniquity shall not be purged from you till you die If not 'till then 't will never Not to wander out of this Book of Psalms Psal 112.8 He shall not be affraid until he see his desire upon his enemies and sure his fearlesness will not determin then Psal 110.1 Sit thou on my right hand until I make thine enemies thy footstool Must Christ forsake God's right hand when that is accomplished I 'll add no more It cannot then by necessary consequence be concluded from the until here that the Rest or Quiet of the Blessed shall expire when the Wicked perish it rather infers a more eminent degree of it So also it does in the cited places denote and import an answerable amplification in the succeeding state of what was in the foregoing if it be capable of gradation as sure David's fearlesness would be greater after his desire was accomplished upon his Enemies than before Let that interpret this He shall be fearless before even when his enemies hope to have their desire of him much more when he has his of them Thus God will give those whom he graciously instructs and teaches real quiet and rest both when the wicked Reigns and when he is Ruin'd So that I make it a privilege and part of Blessedness granted by special indulgence to these to be secured from trouble in troublous Times to have a good day when others not so taught of God meet with an evil day to be hid in the day of God's Anger to be preserved from the Malice and persecution of the Wicked This sometimes the Lord vouchsafes to
every though never so fortuitous an effect of a spontaneous Agent to look at God I 'll not instance in other than David And 1. for evil Events As he intimates a possibility of Saul's being excited against him by God 1 Sam. 26.19 and was foretold that the Lord would raise up evil against him out of his own House and take his Wives and give them to Absalom under the notion of his Neighbour 2 Sam. 12.11 So even when he was cursed by Shimei he owns it as from God 2 Sam. 16.10 Not that he supposed God had a hand in the sin of the Act but order'd it as a part of the punishment threatned for his own Sin 2. Good Events of all kinds he more frequently ascribes to God Does he conquer his Enemies 'T is the Lord that lets him see his desire upon them Psal 59.10 and subdueth the People under him Psal 18.47 48. See the whole Psalm and smites his Enemies in their hinder parts Psal 78.66 Do his Friends own and anoint and crown him King He entitles God to it Psal 21.3 When his Father and Mother forsake him the Lord takes him up Psal 27.10 Is he secur'd in a strong City 'T is the Lord's marvellous kindness Psal 31.21 What do I enumerating Particulars every Psalm is an Instance And indeed were it not so Prayer would be mere Mockery and Praise Hypocrisie Epist 31. and that of Seneca would be better Divinity than we are taught by the Scriptures which yet to suppose is most horridly Blasphemous Per maxima acto viro turpe est etiamnum Deos fagitare Quid votis opus est Facte ipse foelicem Let those English it that allow it Now when a Man does thus in all Events take notice of the Finger of God and thereby give him the glory of his Efficiency he is in a disposition for renewed Experiments of the Divine Power and Goodness in Peace and Joy Where the Glory will be given to God he will grant the fullest and sweetest tasts of his Graciousness But who will lose a Benefit 'T is lost where no likelyhood of any grateful Acknowledgement Unthankfulness is the most hateful of Sins Ingratum si dixeris omnia dixeris If God must not reap Praises he will not sow Mercies Not that he needs our Gratitude but that we must own our Benefactor and testifie our advances in Love when by new Instances he testifies his Love to us Nevertheless this Love of ours is not profitable to God but highly as all other Graces to our selves Our own Advantage and Interest is alway at the bottom of our Duty which indeed can add nothing to God Job 34. is nothing to him as neither can our Iniquity detract from him or hurt him His good will towards us moves him to take care that it may be well with us therefore doth he follow us with his tender Mercies and richest Blessings that we may proceed upon ingenuous Motives in our observance of him and obedience to him and may not be obnoxious to the check of Satan or our own Consciences for servility of Spirit in that work wherein consists our Liberty Honour and Happiness Indeed we are not really good if we be not ingenuously good nor act at all for God if we act not from a filial disposition Love is every Grace and Virtue that Spirit of Life which as an universal Cause diffuses its benign animating Influences through all the Regions of true Goodness and Honesty All in us that lives to God every holy Disposition every gracious Habit is only a distinct particular modification of Love Even as the varieties of Nature in those innumerable differences of Plants sensitive Creatures and Men in their Bodies are but Earthly Particles diversly modified formed fashioned and qualified Hence Love is said to be the fulfilling of the Law Rom. 13.10 But without Love to be Good is impossible 1 Cor. 13. Where this Grace dwells God dwells also and the Soul inspirited by it dwells in God 1 Joh. 4.8 16. The more of Love therefore the more of God He will never be out of our Eye if he be thus in our Hearts Love there will command our Looks 'T was the dominion of this Grace in his Soul that mov'd the Psalmist to make such honourable mention here of the Love and Graciousness of God in his aid and sustentation 't was this that in his distress inclin'd him to take Sanctuary in God and own all the Spiritual Refreshments that solaced his Heart as derivations from God and engaged him to devolve all the Glory thereof upon God And how should that Soul do other that has all in God Hast thou then Oh my Soul evermore and in every occurrent an Eye toward Heaven and by thy acknowledgement of the Finger of God in every thing that befalls thee Dost thou honour his Providence indeavour to relish his Goodness and make some progress in thine affectionate pantings after him complacency in him resolution for him and dutifulness to him O let every thing remind thee of his everlasting Commiseration that in thy lost Estate remembred thee gave Blood for thy Ransom the Blood of God Acts 20.28 The time of thy lothing was the time of his Love Eze. 16.5 8. He loved thee out of the Pit of Corruption Isa 38.17 He hath prevented thee with the Blessings of Goodness Psal 21.3 He redeemeth thy Life from Destruction and crowneth thee with loving Kindness and tender Mercies Psal 103.4 He hath not dealt with thee after thy Sins nor rewarded thee according to thy Iniquities ver 10. Therefore ver 1 2. Bless the Lord O my Soul and all that is within me Bless his Holy Name Bless the Lord Oh my Soul and forget not all his Benefits Hallelujah CHAP. X. The Subject of Comfort Seeks it solely in God THus much of the Character deduced from the Context there only remains one thing out of the Text it self Viz. The Psalmist was a Man who discern'd such an emptiness and insufficiency in all inferiour Contentments as to seek no relief from them nor take up with any in them as his rest in Trouble but in deepest anxiety and distress did look for and find all his comfort solely in and from God This is the very substance and marrow of the Verse Indeed the whole Psalm is a Testimony of his ceasing from the Creature from Man in a believing and affectionate recourse to God Where-ever he cast his Eye upon Earth the Inscription was Vanity and Vexation A deluge of Sin and Misery covered the World that like Noah's Dove he could find no rest for the sole of his Foot below therefore does he direct his course toward Heaven Thus Psal 55.6 Oh that I had wings like a Dove for then I would flee away and be at rest But Rest is not a Denizen of this World Nothing but the Heaven of Heavens is at rest and here does he fix only There was a Windy Storm and Tempest without as Psal 55.8
be done by another hand than our own that we are secure no guilt therefore no ground of greater trouble can cleave to us in the requital of those Evils which they contract Guilt by inflicting upon us Therefore David Blesses God for preventing his avenging himself with his own hand 1 Sam. 25 39. But is there an avenger like God Who not only can and will vindicate his Peoples repute from the scandal and reproach of the Malevolent but revenge their wrong upon the sturdiest and stoutest that strengthen themselves in the Mountains of prey For he is engaged thereto both by nature as the God of Revenges Vers 1. and by Office as Judge of the Earth Vers 2. and also by Covenant and Promise Deut. 32.35 36 43. Rom. 12.19 Vengeance is mine I will repay saith the Lord. He will prosecute the injurious with a vindictive hand and this is no small Comfort to see a perfection in God throughly engaged and active to plead our cause against the wrongs of Men when their heighth and power procure for them indemnity that to seek or even think to regain our right is formidable Hence we must not cannot avenge our selves nor is it fit we should We are not wise and good and just enough to be entrusted with a matter of such moment as Judgment in our own cause Where we feel hard hands we know not hearts therefore cannot fathom the deep abyss of malignity therein nor consequently measure out and proportion our Punishments to Crimes in their full or right Dimensions but must be constrain'd to leave something to God and why not all We shall be prone to act our own Passions rather than execute Justice and by over-doing out of self-respects or under-doing with respect to Persons expose our selves to the revenges of Heaven which needs not our wrath or wrong to work its Righteousness nor will over-look our miscarriages without due Animadversion But if we commit all to him that Judges righteously we shall have right our selves and do no injury to others And it will be no grief staggering stumbling or offence of heart to us that we revenge not our selves 1 Sam. 25.31 which implies how much that might trouble us but a Satisfaction and Comfort that it lies in his hands who both can and will do it and time it for the best Luk. 18.7 8. 'T is the fate of Innocency to have the weakest visible interest on Earth The Wicked walk on every side Their Numbers and Powers and Policies and Malice combine against Holiness and for the most part oppress it Eccles 4.1 and 8.14 and 5.8 but yet it shall rise when they fall be glorified when they are condemned and though the guiltless oppressed meet with no comfort or Comforter on Earth they have both in Faith and Hope and may rejoyce and triumph in prospect of the Day of the Lord which will both right and recompence the wronged beyond their utmost Imaginations they shall be comforted over all the Evils they have suffered while the other are tormented Thus does Justice administer Comforts in reversion to the outwardly afflicted by the injustice of Men and in possession to the inwardly Wounded by the mixt actings of the Mercy and Justice of God Thus are all Comforts as products of Love or Rightcousness the fruits of gratuity liberty or necessity in God § 4. The Omnipotence of God as Executor to his Mercy and Goodness Executioner to his Vengeance and Justice does not carry an aspect of Terror but comfort to a Holy Soul Even out of this Eater comes their Meat and out of this strong sweetness 'T is able and the Perfections upon whose errand it goes engage it to fetch our Comforts out of even their contraries and convert our Corrosives into Cordials much more to derive and deduce them out of their Causes out of all their Possibilities This helping hand was one of the Psalmist's encouraging Supports and gave no little ease to his Heart Vers 17 21. With what an undauntable courage did Achilles adventure himself into all perils in confidence of his case-hardned impenetrable Armour the assurance that he was out of danger that no Weapon could make a breach upon his Vitals was the strongest support to his Magnanimous Heart But What are Brass and Steel and Adamant to the impregnable Defences we enjoy in God Our Buckler and Shield Psal 18.2 30. Gen. 15.1 Deut. 33.29 Prov. 2.7 Psal 28.7 and 33.20 and 91.4 and 115.9 and 47.9 and 84.11 and 144.2 Prov. 30.5 Psal 3.3 A Shield about me therefore Vers 6. I will not be afraid of Ten thousand of People that have set themselves against me round about And here Vers 22. The Lord is my defence Here 's a Security unparallell'd Armour indeed unpeirceable The Body of Christ is truly invulnerable No Weapon formed against it shall prosper Isa 54.17 Nothing can reduce it into the State of Mortality The Gates of Hell cannot prevail against it Matth. 16.18 nor against the meanest Member thereof because built upon the Rock If Christ dwell in thy heart by Faith and thou in him by Love Men may rage and Devils storm against thee but the Rock cannot shrink under thee The Ship cannot sink that carries Christ within the hope of Glory The Covenant is inexpugnable Grace inextinguishable God's Love unchangeable his purposes irreversible Thou art unconquerable because God is Forsake not this thy Defence be not a Traytor to thy self and nothing can hurt thee nothing can wrest thee out of an Omnipotent hand and whilst in it nothing can ruine thee though Fury and Malice may kill thee yet it does not damage thee it does but only render thy happiness immutable it does but only bring thee back to the felicity thou lost reinstate thee in Paradise and Innocency nay advance thee above it in Impeccability and Immortality And to what more can the loftiest Ambition of Humane Nature aspire To be free'd from all Evil and enjoy all good is the substance of that Felicity which the most enlarged Appetite pants after And the Omnipotence of God is all things real and possible There cannot be a created desire commensurate to its ability to secure us or satisfie us It is a proper and all-sufficient remedy against the Disconsolateness which may arise in our Hearts through two of these kinds of troubles in our Thoughts which I instanc'd before viz. the dreadful and despairing Nothing can possibly be so formidable as to be capable of being a match for Almightiness nor can there be the least shadow of reason to despair of any thing if infinite Power undertake it To be safe from fear of Evil is a wonderful Satisfaction Danger of all kinds must be removed or we are not safe the fear of all remov'd or we do not think our selves safe and the conceit does torture as much as the thing which disquiets no further than as apprehended and the foresence sometimes becomes more grievous than the feeling But where can there be
performs the Condition Therefore also the comfortableness of the Promises depends as much upon the invariable Nature of God as the sweetness of the matter it self which is tendred in the Promise and here the Holy Ghost leaves it Heb. 6.16 17 18. An Oath is to Men an end of all strife Wherein God willing more abundantly to shew to the Heirs of Promise the immutability of his Counsel confirm'd it by an Oath That by two immutable things in which it is impossible for God to lye we might have strong Consolation who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the Hope set before us No state is perfectly comfortable that is changeable for the worse Be our Contentments never so refreshing yet the fear to be despoil'd of them will introduce a secret sting and bitterness which will allay their Pleasantness and so much the more by how much the sweeter they are and yet the more as the parting time still approaches nearer But when it comes indeed the torment and anguish in their loss is so intolerable that the satisfactions of our forepast Enjoyment are utterly obliterate and forgot like the seven Years of Plenty in Egypt and we are ready to wish rather never to have felt them than so to be deprived of them But now the Nature of God not admiting the least variableness or shadow of change Jam. 1.17 And all the Promises of God being in Christ yea and in him Amen 2 Cor. 1.20 And the Gifts and Calling of God being without Repentance Rom. 11.29 We are secure that our right and possession is indefeisible and the Comforts that we really partake of in God at any time are ours for ever For he abides faithful and cannot deny himself 2 Tim. 2.13 Though we believe not and so the Promise be not fulfill'd to us in particular because we observe not its condition yet this will be no impeach to the Fidelity of God but rather a confirmation of it For if the Mercy were granted where the condition on which 't is suspended is not performed God would not act according to his Word which is conditional but would appear to change both his Word and that whereof it is a Declaration viz. his Will and Purpose God's Promises therefore are of an invariable Nature because he himself is so Absolute Promises shall undoubtedly be fulfill'd absolutely Conditional conditionally not otherways because God is unchangeable Heaven and Earth shall pass away but of his Word not a Jot or Tittle For it is for ever seated in Heaven Psal 119.89 His Faithfulness therein is to all Generations ver 90. His Promises are a sure never failing Foundation For even those Promises which in their immediate Nature are conditional to particular Persons yet to the Church in general are made Absolute because the Condition it self is promised For he that has engaged that the Church shall not be extirpated and destroyed no not by all the Malignity and Violence of the Gates of Hell has oblig'd himself to such a series both of special and common Providences as will infallibly secure it both from internal corrupting Principles and external destroying Powers Which yet cannot be done unless the inward Graces be given which entitle to the Promises as well as those outward defences granted which may guard against external assailings And indeed every Promise is made absolute by the greatest Promise which if it do not this under the notion of a Covenant properly so call'd yet does it as a Testament under which Title the Holy Ghost recommends it to us in the Gospel especially in the Epistle to the Hebrews Those holy dispositions which are required by the Covenant and Promises as terms of Mercy are bequeathed as Legacies by the Will and Testament of our Redeemer The Covenant by him is converted into a Testament That which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 9.15 The New Testament taking place after the death of the Testator ver 16 17. is also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 8.8 A New Covenant It gives the Privileges Pardon Peace Comfort Glory upon Conditions But then it gives the Conditions themselves also inconditionally For he that hath made Repentance Faith Love working Obedience the Conditions of Forgiveness and Salvation hath promised also to write his Laws therefore the Laws requiring those in the Heart whence they are styled Gifts of God Repentance Act. 5.31.2 Tim. 2.25 Faith Phil. 1.29 Joh. 6.29 Love Gal. 5.22 1 John 4.7 Though all after-Grace be given Conditionally yet the Condition it self or the first Grace must necessarily be given Inconditionally or we shall make a process in infinitum and never find a First to be the Condition of the Second c. or we must resolve the first Grace into meer Nature or admit a work of Man for which he is not at all beholden to the Grace of God that yet is so acceptable to God as to have all the exceeding great and precious Promises of the Gospel Covenant suspended upon it To every Promise there 's an answerable purpose in the Will of God For if Promises were not expressions of Divine Purposes they would be mere Mockery and Delusion i. e. Engagements to give what never was intended to be given As therefore the Decree to pardon and save Men is Conditional but the Decree to create in them the Conditions is absolute so also 't is in the Promises which are therefore immutable because the Decree the Will the Nature of God is Whence Divine Veracity stablishes and fixes our grounds of Comfort from the rest of God's Perfections and adds new poyse and weight to the Balance without which all our Mercy is only Liberty and our Expectation nothing but strong Imagination our Faith Fancy For what have we to do to hope that a Majesty so exalted and eminent will in a peculiar manner above the course of ordinary Providence or indeed in that concern himself about us till he declare it And what considence can we have in any Declarations if we have no assurance of Fidelity in the Revealer Sinners have nothing in God interested about them but vindictive Justice and its subservient Attributes whilst they continue under the First Covenant and reject the terms of Grace Men may declaim what they will at rovers concerning the merciful Nature and boundless Goodness of God to his Creatures 't is acknowledged they are unspeakably Rich and Glorious but though they be the necessity of his Nature essentially considered yet their egress and flowing out into transient Acts is Arbitrary and merely Gratuitous His Nature is all Love and Kindness and Goodness yet these are not the next ground of Hope Go preach this Doctrine in Hell to the Apostate Angels extol the Mercy of God as high as the highest Heavens Rhetoricate upon it with the Tongue of a Cherubim through all the Varieties and Flowers of an Invention as large as the Universe as lofty as the Sky make them believe if you can that they are under the dispensation
57.20 21. But when the Lord Heals and Leads he will restore comforts to Mourners Vers 18. Art thou then Spiritually alive O my Soul or dead Dead thou art if destitute of Soul Thy Soul is God Christ is thy Life Col. 3.4 The Life thou livest in the Flesh ought to be by the Faith of the Son of God Gal. 2.20 And he also is thy Peace Mic. 5.5 Eph. 2.14 If thou livest in God and God in thee by Faith and Love thy Peace is solid and genuine but in Disunion and Separation from God and Christ there 's neither true Life nor Peace Enjoyest thou a Christ within thee He is then thy hope of Glory therefore thy Haven of Rest Joy and Consolation Do'st thou experience any Communion of Life betwixt thy self and Holy Jesus Do'st thou feel any thing of his powerful gracious Influence Holy Souls are Spiritually moved by the Holy Ghost which is the bond of Union betwixt them and God By him Christ dwells in us 1 Joh. 3.24 Rom. 8.9 10 11 15. Hath this quickening Spirit enliven'd thee Thou may'st know that the Spirit of Grace hath quickened thee by his Fruits Gal. 5.22 23. For if thou livest in the Spirit thou wilt walk also in the Spirit Vers 25. And the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus will free thee from the Law of Sin and Death Rom. 8.2 which naturally thou walkest by that thou wilt affectionately savour so is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 translated Matth. 16.23 Col. 3.2 mind relish the things of the Spirit not of the Flesh Vers 5. If thou art or hast a Spiritual Being according to the Spirit Vers 5. or in the Spirit Vers 9. he houses 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in thee and makes thee Spiritually minded which is Life and Peace Vers 6. and by degrees destroys out of thee the minding or savour of the Flesh which is Death or Enmity against God Vers 7. Hast thou studied these things to know them and thy self whether thou dost really feel them throughly considering and fearching all within to see what one thing thou canst pitch upon that will be a sure Evidence that thou livest in the Spirit and he in thee without which thou canst never groundedly say My God as the Psalmist for thou art none of his Rom. 8.9 therefore he none of thine that is by federal Vnion What then are thy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 These are the surest Testimonies of a Life in God by his Spirit 'T is a very comprehensive Word full of sense no one in our language can express it For it includes the noblest Actings of the whole Soul in knowing considering minding regarding thinking wisely discreetly prudently powerfully effectually with affection savour and a spiritual taste and sense of sweetness and delectable goodness with the result hereof those stated Principles which these actings establish as a Law to our Consciences Affections and Practices not only the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or agency of the mind but the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or fruit of its Operation the thinking of the mind and the thought formed by the mind Upon what Objects dost thou fix thy Mindings and Willings of this Nature And what kind of things of what Vertue and Efficacy are the savoury Cogitations that issue from these mindings When thou settlest these Workings of Soul upon the Flesh and the World thou makest them thy gods as the carnal heart does Truly nothing deserves or can be worthy of this contention of Mind but what is Spiritual and Celestial Wherever this is engaged from thence is thy Life and thy Peace is Congenerous to thy Life If the best things habitually and statedly enjoy these endeavours and motions of thy superiour Powers and maintain an inviolable Authority over them thy Life is the best and no other thy Consolations Lastly real and deceiving Comforts may be differenced by their tendency and effects They both end as they begin The cheating Peace of the Prophane and Hypocritical will never produce any conscionable persevering cares and endeavours to please God and profit Men. But the joy of the Lord is the Souls strength in his service and evermore leads to him in Holiness of Heart and Life and to more lively actings of Faith Love and Gratitude to growth in Grace and Godliness as is not obscurely intimated in the example of the Psalmist We will suppose the actings of his Grace to proceed in the same tenor with the Expressions thereof in the Psalm For we have no other Evidence thereof and may Rationally judge this to be a Report of his inward Sensations in their Nature Order Progress and Perfection as we find in other Psalms Well his Faith which at the beginning appears something pendulous weak and wavering as to that particular thing about which it was first engaged viz. the Interposal of Divine Justice to secure the Church from the rage of its Enemies and could only look for this in a Petitionary way and view it in its causes Vers 1 2 3 c. does after this favourable Aspect of Divine Comforts in this Verse grow up to a prophetical confidence in the certain futurity of the event Vers 23. And as it had eyed the cause Divine Vengeance in a Duplication of the Address to it in the first weak act of affiance Vers 1. So also Vers last presents a double Testimony of the more established and strong act of confident assurance that the effect which he expected should undoubtedly be produced What he only saw the possibility of in the first workings of his Faith he foresees the Existence of in the last what he only beg'd that it might be in the infancy of his Faith he peremptorily concludes and promises himself that it would be in this its Maturity Then his Faith only wishes here it determines there was his Supposition here is desinitive Sentence and Decision that his Prayer this his Answer The Victory of his Faith over all preceding fears and dubitations Hope triumphing over his Despondency And that Comfort has a special Influence thus to heighten Faith and perfect its actings is apparent from the nature of the thing For since it is the quiet and rest of the Mind upon good Evidence of the Love of God to a Man in particular through Christ it can do no other than embolden his Addresses and encourage his confidence Even as when a tender Father receives into and cherishes in his bosom a reconciled Child and speaks to his Heart This removes fully all those Jealousies and Doubts which the remembrance of former unkindnesses and distances might create and invites the Child to a more inhesitant and free recumbence upon and committing himself to this so amply attested love and tenderness of his now no more angry Father So by the like reason it introduces an additional fervour and flame to the Child's love and engages him to a more full and ingenuous Expression of his dutifulness and filial observance And no less may be gathered from
the Victory over Original Corruption and evil Habits they apply themselves to God in the Name of Christ not only owning all Christian Doctrine and obeying all Christian Precepts which are remote conditions and helps of Mortification but in special considering that Christ by his merit procured power against Sin as well as Pardon which both are given upon no other account but only for the sake of Christ therefore they beg of God that according to his promise he would subdue Iniquities Mic. 7.19 He would graciously please to bestow upon them for Christ's sake that strength by his Spirit in their inner Man which may enable them to conquer and keep under their Concupiscence the Flesh with the Affections and Lusts thereof and upon the help of his Spirit so beg'd they rely and depend and trust to it in every assault and motion of Sin lifting up their Hearts to God in Christ for renewed Power to resist and suppress it and keep themselves pure distrusting themselves that they may put their whole trust in the living God upon whom thus fixing their affiance they wait in patience and watchfulness and the use of his Ordinances for Christ to be made their Sanctification and Redemption from the Dominion and Tyranny or Rebellion of Sin which by degrees is granted them and this Exercise of Faith in Prayer and Prayer means is the immediate and next condition of the grant of power against Sin which is followed with the use both of Rational and Scriptural Considerations care to prevent all occasions or irritations of Concupiscence and other evil Dispositions an early endeavour to suppress the first Motions and Lustings c. but the power of these is not trusted to as sufficient but Gods alone in the use of these helps to overcome and crucifie the evil of their Natures and all that are rooted in it and flow from it Act then solely under God look after such an effectual Faith that carrying thee above all Visibles to the invisible God will under his Influence purifie thy Heart work by Love and reduce thy Will into Subjection to God and grow herein daily 'T was much that Philosophers should make it one of their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Governing Prenotions Will nothing but what God Wills and that decantate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Follow God Arrian l. 3. c. 26. p. 362. and l. 2. c. 16. p. 217. Marc. Anton. l. 10. §. 11. Seneca de vita beat c. 15. Arrian l. 4. c. 12. p. 426. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Seneca subjoyns In regno nati sumus Deo parere libertas est In a Kingdom are we born to obey God is liberty Yea 't is Royal Liberty Arrianus I have one to be subject to to obey even God c. Oh! let not Infidels rise up in Judgment to condemn thee for a Rebel against the Will of God in his Precepts or Providences 'T is an ugly thing for a Christian to have a Will a Separate Will The Will of Man is a Bedlam except in Conjunction with and Subordination to God The liberty of the Will of Man consists in Servitude to God Excellently Arrianus I am Gods freeman 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Arr. l. 4. c 3. p. 380. and friend that I may voluntarily obey him I must set nothing in competition not my Body not my Possessions not Principality not Fame no nothing at all c. In Summ labour to form all thy Faculties after the best Paterns and imitate such in thine Actions Christianity is an Imitation of the Nature Life and Actions of Christ * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Greg. Nys M. Antonin l. 10. 8. Cl Alex. Strom. l. 5. Marc. Anton. could say God wills that all Rational Beings should be like him not flatter him Clemens of Alexandria makes account that Plato thought similitude to God the end of Philosophy This the Philosopher may propose but the true Christian only attains The Exhortations to it in the Scriptures are many Eph. 5.1 2. 1 Cor. 11 1. consequentially 2 Cor. 3.18 Rom. 8.29 Luk. 6.36 1 Joh. 3.3 17. 1 Pet. 1.16 Matth. 5.48 A Christian unlike Christ is a contradiction as a godly Man not God-like When Christ dwells in the Heart by Faith he will transform it and the Life into the likeness of his own Gal. 2.20 I am crucified with Christ says Paul nevertheless I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me and the life which I now live in the Flesh is by the Faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me This is that living in the Spirit and walking in the Spirit he after mentions Chap. 5.25 Putting on the Lord Jesus Christ Rom. 13.14 2 Cor. 3.18 Wilt thou not then Oh my Soul aspire after this 'T is high above thee a strange Mystery to thy carnal part and so at first is every thing of God yet nothing is to be despaired of that is enjoyn'd by God whose Precepts are his Power whose Word his Work And if God who commanded the Light to shine out of darkness and it obeyed do also command the Light of the knowledge of the Glory of God in the Face of Christ to shine into thine Heart 2 Cor. 4.6 That will much more obey the voice of his Almighty Grace and this Light is Life this Life Love this Love universal Conformity to God For God is Love and he that dwelleth in Love dwelleth in God and God in him 1 Joh. 4.16 and Love is the fulfilling of the Law Rom. 13.8.10 Gal. 5.14 Oh thou Blessed Spirit God of Love descend into and shed abroad thy Nature in my Heart kindle Oh thou ever adorable Breath of God and blow up this Holy Ardour and Flame that as a Seraphim I may ascend in a transport of Delight and Joy to thy Throne and perpetually burn upon thine Altar and being like thee in Love I shall through Love be like thee in all things Am I a Professor am I a Believer am I a knowing a weeping a discoursing a practising a just a dispassionate a temperate a bountiful and liberal a condescending a friendly Person Yet if I have not if I am not Love I have I am nothing The reason of 1 Cor. 13.1 2 3. will carry this and more Neither extraordinary gifts of Tongues prophesie abstruse Speculation Miracles nor extraordinary Practices as beggering my self to give to the Poor receiving the Crown of Martyrdom under the most cruel Tortures voluntarily submitted to are at all available without Love therefore much less things of a common and ordinary Nature Love is all in all Thy Repentance thy Faith thy Hope thy Prayers thy Vows thy Obedience are good and acceptable if Spirited with Love without it they and all beside that thou canst possibly be and do are but all as a Sacrifice of Swines Blood and blessing an Idol there 's nothing of Life in them nothing of Soul because nothing of God because nothing of Love Oh
Minds and sue for that Mercy for our selves which once we would not receive or so much as desire as an answer to the Petitions of our Mediator Be not a Stranger to thine own Heart yet do not think to dig thy Peace out of thine own Bowels If it be a comforting reviving thing to find in thy self the truth of Grace yet that refreshing vertue of Grace it self is from God Whence we find some that although they be tolerably satisfied of their soundness yet through Ignorance or Inadvertency or Melancholy or Temptation c. cannot settle in a calm and quiet composure of Mind For as I said the Assurance of the truth of a Man's Grace is only comforting as it is the ground of his Assurance of the Love of God of which if a Man be not satisfied i. e. that true Grace is an infallible evidence that God does embrace him with his special Love and is at peace with him through Christ his Conscience will not be at rest for it cannot rest in discord with God whose Deputy 't is in Man Now some are so weak as not to understand this others so opprest with dumpishness of Spirit as not to heed it others so deluded by Satan as not to believe it which mists if not dispell'd damp the comfort of Grace Look therefore to the Sun of Righteousness to clear up thy Comforts by expeling this Darkness Seek abroad for Peace The Bee finds not her Honey at home without the labour of her Wings Let thy Supplications then O my Soul be continually winging thy Affections towards Heaven that they may there suck and be satisfied Isa 66. with the full Brests of Divine Consolation milk out and be delighted with the abundance of its Glory The Celestial Canaan is the Land that flows with the Milk and Honey of Divine and Spiritual Joy into which as at first thou passest over the Jordan of Repentance not upon dry ground but wafted by the breath of Prayer So must thou take possession of it in Armour fighting the good Fight of Faith with Heart and Hands like Moses lift up in earnest Supplications Exod. 17.11 Isa 61.1 3. The Spirit of God is upon Christ because the Lord hath anointed him To appoint to them that mourn in Sion to give them Beauty for Ashes the Oyl of Joy for Mourning c. If it be his Gift to him must we address for it The Tree from whence this Oyl of Gladness flows is planted in the Paradise of God descend to thee it shall not unless thou ascend to it and be ingrafted in the same Stock Oh transplant thy self from Earth to Heaven and take root at the Throne of Grace fix thy self and grow at the Footstool of Mercy by Frayer if as a Tree of Righteousness thou wouldst draw in be nourish'd and refresh'd by those consolatory dews of Divine Love which are the spring of that River of the Waters of Life which makes glad the City of God Be more above with the Father of Meries and God of all Comfort in these Devout and Ardent Suspirations than below glued to the Earth by Carnal Affections if thou desirest to be a Barnabas may I thus transfer it from its active to a passive Sense a Son an Heir an Inheritor of Celestial Consolations If thou canst but pray indeed thou art secure the furious Waves of these two meeting Seas Sin and Suffering may wrack thee but cannot swallow thee up Sink perhaps thou maist but Drown thou canst not the gentle Gales of the Spirit in this duty will most safely transport thee to the Haven of Everlasting Joy and Peace even in the ruin of all thy Fortunes Thy Miseries thy Corruptions shall perish thou thy self shalt not so true is that Saying of a Reverend Bishop Fashionable Suppliants may talk to God Bp. Hall but be confident he that can truly pray can never be miserable Of our selves we lie open to all Evils our rescue is from above and what intercourse have we with Heaven but by our Prayers This is his Catholicon Seneca advises his Lucilius to superadd new to his old Prayers to ask a good Soul good Health of Mind Epist 10 Quidni t◠ista vota saepe facias audacter Deum roga then of Body Why dost not oft renew these Requests Beg of God boldly So live with Men as if God saw so speak to God as if Men heard A good Precept to which adjoyn the like from the wisest of Men Eccles 5.1 2. Keep thy Foot when thou goest into the House of God c. Be not rash with thy Mouth and let not thine Heart be hasty to utter any thing before God For God is in Heaven and thou upon Earth therefore let thy Words be few 'T is not much speaking but hearty that God regards not the Tongue of Men and Angels but Truth in the inward Parts Broken Expressions from a broken Heart are as sweet Eloquence in the esteem of God as the best in Tully or Demosthenes Oh then pour out thy Prayers as a Flood Isa 26.16 If thou desirest they should return in a Tyde of Peace They can never reach Heaven if they have not a spring of Grace within they will never be received there if not the warm Exhalations Transpirations of a melting contrite Heart drawn out and drawn up by the dissolving attractive Rayes of the Son of Righteousness If the Divine Spirit infuse this Breath into thee it will follow him to Heaven and through his Influence who is the Comforter possess thee of the fulness of the Comforts of Elshaddai God all-sufficient If as a cloven Tongue of Fire the Holy Ghost descend and sit upon thee and give thee utterance Acts 2.3 4. not merely in conference with Men but secret speech Isa 26.16 with God If he envigorate and heat thy Graces and Affections that the Fire burn within Psal 39.3 and give speech to thy Tongue If he cast the pure Incense of Spiritual Devotion upon that flaming Altar thy fervent zealous Heart that may ascend in a sweet smelling Cloud to the Throne of God If Lastly this Fire from Heaven fall upon thy Sacrifice as a testimony or the audience of thy Prayers then wilt thou shout for Joy Levit 9. ult and triumph in his Salvation If thou would'st entertain any grounded hopes that the Lord will speak comfortably to thy Heart oh do thy utmost by Premeditation by Reading by Ejaculation c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to blow up into a living Fire those Divine Sparks of the Grace of Prayer which the Spirit doth cast within thee as a preparation for thy solemn Exercise in the duty of Prayer it self and let thy Supplications be rather the inward workings of thy Heart in aversation from Sin and panting after God by godly Sorrow Repentance Desire Faith Love Resignation c. than the labour of thy Lips and a bodily Exercise or the Work of an enlarged invention and fancy or strong Head and
Powers hence that which a Man either is above the sence of or hath no sense of is to him as if it were not though never so real in it self Therefore the Venom and Sting of Infelicity is our Sense and the Gall and Bitterness of our Sense lies in our Thoughts the workings of our Minds A Man that lies asleep bound hand and foot upon the top of a Precipice with his Head and a great part of his Body hanging over a bottomless Gulf is in a case most wretched in it self the least hitch tumbles him down into remediless Ruine yet in the condition he is in viz. Sleeping he is aware of no danger to him all 's well and secure he has no apprehensions except of Ease Safety and Rest But awake him that he look about see feel and think of his Peril and Helplessness then will he be all Agony and Horror ready to swoon and die through the direful Apprehensions of his as to himself irremediable Death This is our Case we are naturally asleep in Security and Iniquity upon the brinks of Hell bound hand and foot in the Chains of our Sins and an Adversary Satan at hand to push us headlong into the Abyss of Misery Beside the Omnipotent Vengeance of Heaven awaits us ready to arraign condemn and execute us to which we even dare it every moment But being asleep nay dead Eph. 2.1 we feel nothing reckless and careless in a Bedlam Dream we conceit that we swim upon a smooth and Halcyon Sea of sensual Joys as if 't were a Voyage to Paradise 'till God awake us by the Calls and Convictions of his Word and Spirit but then Oh the inexpressible Troubles Terrors and Astonishment that arrest us because our amazing Jeopardy whereof we had no apprehensions before is now entertain'd into our Thoughts and works so much the more violently there by how much we find our selves the more helpless and therefore hopeless Thus whatever perplexes us does it by way of Thoughts as it invests our Mind and Consideration it tortures us 'Till it thus get within us and engage our considering Faculties it does not ordinarily commit a Rape upon our Irascible or Interrupt the Sweet and Peace of a secure and quiet Composure and Rest But when this Tempest this Hurricane of Thoughts beats upon us we cannot tell which way to turn how to bear up against it It confounds our Reason discomposes our Affections terrifies our Consciences tears down all our Confidences reduces us to an absolute Nonplus Our Thoughts trouble us as Dan. 4.19 even to astonishment and so much the more by how many the more they are Multitudes of Thoughts beget multitudes of Cares and Fears and Griefs and Cumbers and Disquiets and Despondencies and of these so many the more by how much the more intimate and deep within and by how much the more they are our own not of a divine Injection but a corrupt Mind's Fabrication In the multitude of my thoughts within in me in intimo meo intestin in my Heart Septuagint Vulgar Lat. expressing the general sense of the Original Word by the noblest part within to which the Scripture sometimes attributes Thoughts as Gen 6.5 c. Both in conjunction amount to my inmost Heart or Soul If they be Thoughts not meerly the workings of my sensitive Powers inward or outward my Follies or Fancies but the mature and genuine off-spring of my Mind If they be not a few stragglers whereof I can say apparent rarae nantes in gurgite vaslo that they swim only here and there thinly in the vast Ocean of my Understanding but cover the face of my Soul in Multitudes If they be only my Thoughts such as spring in my own Garden having no Author but my self no Original but in and from my self whatever their object be whether that which I feel in my own Brest or that which is an effect of the same cause in others which has such a dismal aspect upon me even Sin And if they be penetrating Thoughts that sink and soak into the bottom and become most intimate within me not lying shallow upon the furface of my Soul In such multitudes of my thoughts within me I cannot find the least glimmering of Comfort at home nothing but Terror and Despair constrain'd am I therefore to look abroad and no where can I enjoy any thing reviving Refer to the 1. Direction but in thee O Lord the Comforts which refresh me must be thine or none And since nothing can pass into my Soul but at the door of Thoughts even these thy Comforts cannot affect me but as Troubles do they must enter into my Thoughts too be apprehended by my Mind ere they can relieve my Heart The same Engine that introduced my Misery must usher in my Mercy I must be cured through the same Weapon that wounded me Thoughts the first born of my Soul must bear my Comforts that heal me the healing is not from any vertue in the Weapon but thy Comforts the Salve upon it My Soul by its Thoughts viewing thy Comforts and transmitting them to my Affections is in a transport of delight and joy The Word rendered Thoughts is but twice found in Scripture Interpreters judge from the affinity of it with other Words of the same sound and almost the same Letters that it carries an allusion to the Boughs of a Tree Such Thoughts then are here to be understood which in like manner proceeding from the Mind of Man spread every way and divide into smaller Branches and the smallest Twigs so entangling themselves together as upon every motion to wound each other and the Tree they spring from Therefore the Seventy render the Word by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies the Pangs of of a Woman in Travail In the fulness of the pangs of my Heart c. Others render it Perplexities entangled Thoughts c. Neither does the English fully express the sence of the other Word translated Delight which primarily signifies to look upon The Mood 't is here used in imports a looking upon with Pleasure Content Love Complacency even as Lovers look upon one another 't is Dr. Hammonds's Paraphrase with a sweet and amiable Regard with loving and lovely glances of Favour and good will The Original does not intimate so much the Act as the Power and Possibility of delighting not that the Psalmist did actually lay hold upon embrace and apply to himself but only that those Comforts of God did rather manifest a forwardness and favorable readiness to lay hold upon him they were not already apprehended by him but offered themselves to him lay plain and fair before him inviting him by their benign and amiable looks by their goodness and sweetness and suitableness to close with and espouse them Even then when we are so overwhelmed with Perplexities and Troubles that we do not or will not or cannot or dare not appropriate divine Comforts to our selves they notwithstanding are prepared for
my Soul is thy Faith the condition of the Promises yet not absolutely in it self but relatively to him thy Faith is the strength of thy Prayers and He the strength of thy Faith The Golden Scepter of Divine Grace and Love will never be held out to any who bring not this Tessera or Token produce this and then What is thy Petition Oh Soul and it shall be granted and what is thy Request it shall be performed even to the half of the Kingdom Nothing binds the Hands of Miracle-working helping healing Power but Unbelief Mat. 13.58 Mark 6.5 One Evangelist says he did another he could do no mighty Work because of their Vnbelief But to Faith all things are possible because to God who hath promised upon that condition Nothing therefore Oh my Soul dost thou want but Faith Thus am I drawn unawares to that which should be another Ingredient of the Character CHAP. IV. A Third Qualification of the Subject of Comfort Faith 3. THe Psalmist was a Person that liv'd by Faith not by Sight 2 Cor. 5.7 Which Scripture warrants me to take the Word Faith in a special not general sense as 't is sometimes used I suppose by Faith the Apostle means the same Grace in the same notion that has so glorious things reported of it Heb. 11. The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 substance or subsistence of things hoped for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the evidence convictive proof of things not seen A divine disposition which enables us to behave our selves under the apprehension of Invisibles and Futurities as if present real Sensations which gives those things that we feel not as perfect command over us as if we saw and handled them An effectually working Heart and Life-ruling Belief of God's Word and Promises The first most immediate and proper effect whereof is a concrediting entrusting our selves with God in Christ The Word Trust is for the most part expressive of it in the Old Testament Now that this holy Man thus walkt by Faith the Psalm gives full evidence and that as to both the parts 1. Confidence 2. Assurance 1. As to himself Ver. 2. Notwithstanding the Combinations of his Adversaries to condemn him he commits his Cause to God for defence venturing himself upon his Power and Goodness as a sufficient security and upon clear evidence of interest claims propriety in God God is my defence and the Rock of my Refuge there is lifs Affiance My God there is his Assurance 2. As to Others 1. The Church of the Godly ver 14. The Lord will not cast off his People neither forsake his Inheritance But Judgment shall return unto Righteousness That is either 1. Though the Righteous be now condemned ver 21. and consequently Righteousness it self by the perverse Judgment of evil Men and therefore Judgment may now seem to have left parted from and forsaken Righteousness They do not go together there 's Judgment but no Righteousness in it yet they shall meet again Judgment that hath run away from it shall return to it the Righteous shall not any more have wrong but right in Judgment it shall not be against but for them Or 2dly The Righteous which have been deprived of the power of Judgment or Government of the Kingdom by a Throne of Iniquity ver 20. shall recover their Authority And 't is very usual for the Abstract to be put for the Concrete in Scripture and even in this Psalm as ver 11. Vanity for Vain So ver 17. Silence for a silent place c. So here Righteousness for Righteous Men and ver 14. Inheritance for inherited People Or thus Righteousness had the Rule in Samuel's days now in Saul's 't is depressed but shall be restored Judgment shall be administred in Righteousness under David 's Government and all the upright in Heart shall return or turn as that word is oft used as Jer. 8.4 c. after it that is shall own it return to their Allegiance to Justice and David 3dly Judgment shall return to Righteousness that is God shall another day viz. on the day of Judgment Vindicate the Righteous clear up his Dispensations Judge righteously those that have judged his Righteous Servants unrighteously and judge his People repent himself concerning his Servants and though in his Judgments upon Earth he hath seem'd to be more against them than any yet will he then be wholly for them Vid. plura c. 17. and pass Judgment on their side 2. As to the Coetus Malignantium ver 21. the Congregation of Condemners he forefees an end of their Prosperity the beginning of their Calamity ver 10. A Pit digging for them ver 13. and their sinal Execution ver 23. Thus we see his Faith and I am ready to think that this was the great Instrument of his Comfort Whatever troubles befel he could see through them by Faith 'T was a judicious saying of a good Man That in all Afflictions and Straits Faith can find an outgate This is a real ground of Consolation All the Bonds Chains Cords of Affliction to Faith are like Sampson's but as a Thread that hath felt the Fire All the Rage and Malice of Earth and Hell but like his Lyon Faith can rend them in pieces 'T is too hard for them it can fetch Hony Comfort out of them If this Grace can make that present which is not yet realize that which being only in its causes is at present nothing then can it take up the comfort of a Blessing in the Promise and live upon its sweetness as if it were already in Possession There 's no distinction of times to Faith It enjoys not its objects in succession but at once Nothing to it is past and to come though to sense there be all is present and in view in hand It sees with the Eye of God in the Promise and therefore sees as he sees It lives with Christ in Heaven and therefore lives as he lives Gal. 2.20 It is an endless possession of Life all at once as they describe Divine Eternity Oh happy Soul that is enrich'd with this noble Grace whereby 't is endow'd with God and all things Oh unspeakable misery of those that live or rather continually die without it To be in Unbelief is to be in Hell i. e. in state the place is but a Circumstance The substance of Hell consisting in three things 1. Being under a Sentence of Condemnation and the Curse Joh. 3.18 He that believes not is condemn'd already 2. Irrecoverable loss of Happiness Joh. 3.36 He that believes not shall not see Life i. e. if he never believe he shall never see Life Eternal And 3. Everlasting sense of Wrath Joh. 3.36 The wrath of God abides upon him does not meerly as Ezekiel's Flying Roll pass over him but on him it settles and rests and dwells as in its fixed and indefeisible Inheritance its proper and unchangable Home and Habitation Ah dolorous State Ah wretched Soul Better a thousand times thou hadst never been
Eight of the Clock Morning and Evening to joyn in Family Prayer c. No had you not impos'd a time 't would have been lawful now 't is not Away with this Foolery In Civils then and Circumstantials of Spirituals the Magistrate hath a Power not meerly directive but legislative to whose Laws all are obliged to be subject in Conscience of the Divine Law the Fifth Command Now suppose the Magistrate by a settled Law have enjoyned some things in their own nature indifferent which 1. Induce some to act against their doubting Consciences for fear of Penalty whereas 2. Others are well satisfied in the lawfulness of their Obedience and accordingly do actually obey but some may be induc'd by their example to obey with a hesitant Conscience What is advisable 1. Though the greatest tenderness ought to be exercised towards Mens Consciences and singular Prudence be requisite in Governors to direct them in the choice of Laws that they may obtain with the greatest inoffensiveness yet will not Mens being scandaliz'd be a sufficient evidence of the sinfulness of a Law or ground to reverse it unless the scandal be very general among the best and wisest or something in the matter or sanction of the Law be at least a moral cause thereof For what can so politickly or wisely be devis'd which Men of soft Heads and hot Hearts may not make occasion of Sin that there would never be an end of making and repealing Laws if Men can but pretend scandal and who beside God knows what is pretence meerly what not 2. If fear of the Penalty occasion the Scandal from a Law about Indifferents those are not faultless who have not proportion'd the Penalty to the Crime an indifferent tolerable pain to an indifferent fault 3. Yet to be scandaliz'd or act against my Conscience for fear of suffering is a Sin the cause or inducement whereof will not excuse though it may extenuate it Will it avail a Man to say I violated my Conscience through Fear any more than I vitiated my Neighbours Wife through Lust when the Fear and Lust themselves are Sins as well as those they introduce Therefore the Rule is Suffer rather than Sin 4. Either 't is evident de facto that some are scandaliz'd through a Law or Example or 't is morally certain 't will follow or probable or only possible This last and probability except the presumption be strong are not to be regarded 1. If the Law cannot be revers'd without prejudice to publick order nor a dispensation obtain'd Men must not defame Laws but submit For the Law does not necessitate Sin there 's an outgate by suffering Yet if the Law be needless 't is the first duty in the use of lawful means to endeavour its Abrogation or get a Dispensation which if not feisible I say with Calvin Instit lib. ult câ—ult §. 231. med No other Mandate is given us but of obeying and suffering 2. To obey the Magistrate is a duty upon an affirmative Precept which not binding ad semper if my obeying induce my Brother to Sin out of tenderness I will suspend for a season though I suffer in the interim endeavouring 1. To give him satisfaction in the lawfulness of my Practice and the necessity of my Duty which if it convince not 2. To demonstrate that my Practice enforces not his Imitation since he may forbear and undergo the Penalty as I have been willing to do for his sake 3. To let him understand that there may be danger of scandalizing my Superiors i. e. irritating them to wrath and to exercise greater severities both against me as a Sinner against my own Conscience which is satisfy'd of my duty to obey even whilst I suspend and also against him and others as obstinate and unsatisfiable Wranglers and disobedient to just Authority without just Reason the matter of the Law being indifferent ex hypothesi This Consideration has weight we both hear and feel it and may at least balance the alledgement that my compliance will edifie the Magistrate in the sin of Persecution Lastly If notwithstanding he continue obstinate since to me 't is clear that only Fancy not Reason bottoms his disobedience I will protest against his Pertinacy earnestly dehort him from acting against his pretended Conscience which indeed is only blind Opinion return to my Duty and leave him to the Law For although my Charity may induce me for a season to be willing to suffer for his sake yet my Conscience will not permit me to do it always Not that I pretend Conscience to prevent suffering but because active Obedience where I can is the primary intention of God in the Law that subjects me to the Magistrate and therefore the first and main office of Conscience Passive Obedience is not the intention of the Law giver at all in the Law as a Law as being not enjoyn'd therein 't is only the enforcement of it as a remedy against its violation the hedge about it 'T will be no plea before God to justifie my breach of his Laws that I was willing to be damn'd but an aggravation of my sin that I chose so great an Evil as the Punishment rather than submission to so great a Good as the Duty I am bound to suspend my Obedience if I can to prevent my Brothers Sin but not sinally to deny my Obedience and therein sin my self to prevent his suffering that is damn my Soul to save his Skin Wilt thou then O my Soul herein follow Christ and perfectly subjugate thy self to that noble Law of Vniversal Love to thy Brother whom thou hast seen that the immortal God whom thou hast not seen may not charge thee with Hypocrifie in thy pretensions of Love to himself Live thou must thou shalt in true Love to thy Neighbour or renounce all Love to thy self Profess and practise as thou lovest thy Purity thy Peace thy Salvation a sincere and cordial not only Subjection and Honour but Affection to thy Prince Benevolence Charity Beneficence to all Men out of Conscience to God as thou wilt answer it before his Judgment-seat Whatever thou wouldst have others to do to thee do thou to them what thou wouldst not have them to do to thee do not to them Make their case thine and act toward them as thy self Do good to all but ospecially the Houshold of Faith Seek their Temporal Spiritual and Eternal Welfare as thine own and do not think to patronize thy regardlessness of them by a careless sluggish unconcernedness in thine own nearest concerns but elevate thine affectionate care for thy self to the utmost degree of Perfection on purpose that according to the second great Command thou mayst have a more excellent measure and rule whereby to square thy affectionate regard of others But 't is not enough O my Soul to partake of a Moral thou must aspire after a Divine Nature as well as escape or fly from the Corruption in the World in Lust or Concupiscence 2
No man is the Object of our special Love as a Christian merely because he is a Member of a particular Church but only as a Member of the Church Universal i. e. the particular Circumstances and Practices that confine determine and fix him as a Member in this or that or the other Assembly are not the first Ground and Foundation of my Obligation so to Love and do good to him although they may add to it but only Christianity And if any think that a Church Covenant c. engage to a more special regard I answer That is not because they are a particular Society so join'd nor as such merely but because Christians Else might the Congregation of Condemners here V. 21 be really obliged to Love one another better than Gods People and Heritage the Righteous and Innocent whom they Persecuted but I think 't is undeniable that every one is obliged by the Divine and Christian Law to love a Good better than a Bad man though Confederate with him in never so strict and sacred bonds of Union and Association I grant that there is an act and fruit of Christian Love proper to Members of Particular Societies as such which cannot be extended to Christians at large Unassociated Or to Speak more Congruously Since actual Coparticipation of God's Ordinances is the Formal act of a Particular Church as such and this joynt Communion is an Act or Fruit of Christian Love Depending upon a Condition which Christians are obliged to perform but oft will and do suspend though sometimes not without Sin it follows that this Act of Love is not to be extended to those that do not observe the Condition In short the Condition is Consent For Common Christianity though it do oblige a Man to consent to partake of those Ordinances indefinitely with any true Church of real Christians yet it does not confine him to this one individual of which I am a Member but permits him a liberty to chuse the best and fittest for his edification and other conveniencies yet not that neither without the Advice and Direction of Christ's Officers or wise judicious Christians or allowance or connivance at least of the supreme Powers Christian who are obliged to promote and countenance yea and constrain Men by Law to communicate in God's Ordinances and by no means permit them to be Recusants there I say God's Ordinances in general and as his for as yet I do not descend to consider them in this or that or the other particular Mode Dress Habitude or way of Administration Now except other Circumstances concur no Man by me can regularly be forced to communion with me though he may be exhorted to it 'T is not his Duty but his Freedom which I cannot conclude though possibly the Magistrate may he must determine it himself at least if the Publick Laws interpose not and till he do it though he be in a remote capacity to be the Object of this Love yet actually he is not the immediate Object of it but potentially only But if he think to hang off and will not resolve one way or other I look upon it as part of the Magistrate's office to take care that he do live in actual Fellowship with some particular Congregation or other And 't is conformable to right Reason that the Laws which establish this among Christians should determine men to that particular Society which lies in their Vicinity caeteris paribus not permitting them to ramble where they list whereby the Law will be eluded Yet do I not think that 't is in the Magistrate's Power to compel all the Neighbourhood to participate in all Ordinances whether qualified or no. Exhortation before receiving the Communion c. There is a bar laid against this by an over-ruling former Law viz. that of Christianity which the English Liturgy owns 3. The Consequence of all is That Publick-Spiritedness ought to respect Goodness and christian Goodness mainly in abstraction from all Circumstances of Persons and Things and that no Bonds of Relation c. should further engage our hearts than may be consistent with the general Obligation to own and honour our common Christianity Thou art a confederate Member of a particular Church and lookest upon thy self as obliged with a more special Love to embrace the Christian with whom thou dost walk in Fellowship I disallow it not but can'st thou dote so much as to think that thou mayst be a Heathen to all the world beside and they such to thee No all the Acts of Love which thou extendest to the Members of thy own society are as thou hast opportunity to be extended to all that really own Christianity except only such as prerequire their consent and those also upon occasion if they regularly desire it and all in as true a degree of sincerity though not perhaps in as high a degree of intention as if they were of thine own particular combination 'T is madness to conceit that the particular obligations of Christianity do or can null the General 'T is true some men are to be to us as Heathens and Publicans but then it must be after a due and regular procedure against them According to the tenor of that so prudent so equitable so Charitative Christian Law Matt. 18.15 16 17. But to paganize the whole world unseen unheard un-understood undealt with is a piece of Charity which no Charity can Christianize Can I then dare I condemn unchristen unchurch the Christians in Africk in Asia or America or the European in Greece and its Communion c. or the Protestants in Germany Hungary Poland Sweden Denmark Holland France c or this little Universe or distinct World where I reside If I do I am worse than an Infidel 'T is a Catholick Rule Gal. 6.10 As we have opportunity let us do good to all Men especially to them who are of the Houshold of Faith Here is a distribution of the whole World into two Classes In some community of Nature efflagitates our kindness in others peculiarity of relation as Housholders with us All these not some only must have something special What have I to do to make balks where God makes none Heb. 13.1 Let Brotherly love continue 1 Pet. 2.17 Honour all Men Love the Brotherhood Fear God Honour the King What is this Brotherhood What only the Members of that particular Society I am embodied with Away away the Brotherhood comprehends all Christians is never so much as once in the New Testament restrained to a single Congregation exclusively when Love is commanded to it or commended when extended to it 1 Thes 4.9 10. But as touching Brotherly Love ye need not that I write unto you for ye your selves are taught of God to love one another And indeed ye do it to all the Brethren which are in all Macedonia but we beseech you Brethren that ye abound more and more He is a Stranger to the Acts and Apostolical Writings that does not observe all
Christians every where called Brethren even by those who were not of the same particular Congregation Acts 10.23 and 11.29 and 14.2 and 15.1 3 23 32 33 40. and 16.2 c. I challenge all the World to give but one Instance out of the Bible where Christians of any particular Church were not stiled and owned under the Name of Brethren by any one or more Persons of another Congregation though of different Nations nay where Christians though not embodied as they phrase it were not so called as Acts 28.14 c. All then that are Partakers of the same heavenly calling are holy Brethren Heb. 3.1 And this Title is not at all given to Christians with relation to a particular Church but only the Catholick and upon common Catholick grounds and no other Since then the whole Community of Christians must be acknowledged for Brethren Love them as Brethren having compassion one of another be pitiful be courteous not rendering evil for evil or railing for railing but contrarywise blessing knowing that ye are thereunto called that ye should inherit a Blessing 1 Pet. 3.8 9. For 1 Joh. 3.14 We know that we have passed from Death to Life because we love the Brethren he that loveth not his Brother abideth in Death ver 15. Is a homicide ver 10. Is not of God but manifests himself to be a Child of the Devil chap. 4.20 cannot love God And sure if even Enemies must be lov'd that we may be like our Father Matth. 5.44 45. and brotherly love be extended to Strangers as the coherence in Heb. 13.1 seems to evince but the duty enjoyn'd there with the reason of it much more viz. entertaining them as we would do Angels Neighbours may challenge it upon a stronger ground and Brethren most of all and that in such degrees as take in all things from the meanest Offices to the very laying down our Lives for them 1 Joh. 3.16 Jam. 1.26 If the not bridling a ferocient Tongue render a Man's Religion vain let those with trembling measure the consequence who neither will govern Tongue nor Heart Lastly That part of the Catholick Church comprehended within the confines of any particular Kingdom is and ought to be the more immediate object of every individual Subjects or Members Christian Honour Love Care and Respect to be manifested by his Prayers for it Communion with it defence of it and obedience to it in all lawful things seeking its good in the use of all lawful means with a Religious care and caution neither to say nor do nor allow and permit any thing which we can hinder to be said or done to its prejudice For what is done for or against a part redounds to the whole 1 Cor. 12.26 and this is to be Publick Spirited viz. to embrace the Publick with an universal Love Care and Endeavour active for its Good preventive of its Hurt and Damage deploring its Corruptions and Miseries labouring with affectionate Industry to remedy and heal them Upon these Principles the old Nonconformists Bradshaw Hildersham Ball c. and many of the later edition loved respected defended and held Communion with the Congregations in the Church of England where they could as appears by their publick Writings and known Practice notwithstanding the bitter Reproaches and Censures of some few who I wish had as well studied the Case 'T were a great impertinency and folly for me here to engage in a defence of that which has had and yet hath so many more able Advocates though if I do not forget and flatter my self somethings occur which nearly touch the merit of the Cause yet not observed by any and I will not betray that which for the main my Conscience tells me is a good Cause with so short and imperfect a plea as the straits of a little Chapter confine me to therefore in prosecution of my General design I shall only suggest something of a more common influence and wave particulars till better occasion or call 1. In the Church of England are some I wish there were more Thousands of as Sober Pious Discreet Judicious Christians and Hundreds of as Learned Religious Ministers as Europe affords who in their Judgments and Consciences seem to be abundantly satisfied with and strongly plead for its Communion upon grounds of very great moment to instance only in the late calm Discourses of the Reverend Dean of Norwich Now for me or any Man to send all these quick to Hell as mere Infidels or worse as without Christ Aliens from the Common-wealth of Israel the true Church Strangers from the Covenants of Promise having no hope Atheists in the World Eph. 2.12 may discover what Spirit we are of but will very little recommend our own Christianity in observance of the Rule Phil. 2.3 Rom. 12.10.1 Cor. 13.5 7. 2. The Church of England and Dissenters agree in all the main Substantials of Christianity the difference only lies in a few controverted things of very inconsiderable consequence in comparison The same Christian Doctrine in all the Fundamental Points the same general design to promote Holiness of Life the same Worship in the Essential form and matter and means the same Ministry of Persons separate to perform Divine Offices in the same form of Churches viz. Congregational who are embodied not meerly by the civil Sanction but consent to submit to the Ordinances and Ministers of Christ which with the Departers I call them rather than Dissenters constitute the Explicit Covenant and Essence of the Ministerial Call but differing only in a few circumstantial Doctrines in external Modes and Rites disputed and disputable to the Worlds end And shall so light matters alienate us imbitter our Spirits envenom our Censures when we agree in the main Ah Sirs should God Almighty thus mark Iniquities who could stand Does he appoint a Sacrifice for Sins of Ignorance and Infirmity hold Communion with us notwithstanding them not impute them to us And shall such things be unpardonable only in the Church of England which judges its own Constitution the most excellent in the World and thinks it has as much to say against you as you against it as much to say for it self as you for your selves which you can no more convince than it can you Lastly To justifie your departure nothing can be justly alledged but fear of Sin in Communion Now nothing can determine what is what is not Sin but God in his Word You are then obliged to produce Scripture as clear to prove Communion a Sin as 't is clear from Scripture that 't is your duty to obey the Magistrate in lawful things For if the Communion which he commands be not unlawful you ought in Conscience to obey him in it Rom. 13.5 The General includes the Particular But I profess amongst all the Writings against Communion I have not yet seen any one or more Scriptures alledged which apart or in conjunction will evidently and certainly bear such a consequence Now turn we the
sake consider again and again how light a matter a Mode or Ceremony is how heavy a matter Sin is and let not Dust and Vanity be balanc'd with Mens Salvation Say not Contempt of Publick Order is not a light thing tho' these be Oh condemn not the Innocent with the Guilty Let those who contemn manifestly and contumaciously suffer but certainly 't is not Contempt in all but a reverend Fear of contemning the publick Orders of Heaven which all Men confess no Man can order the Violation of It seems clear to many that to do things required is forbidden by God they are mistaken Grant it yet they think not Their Consciences seem to be resolv'd tho' it be in an Error unknown to them Therefore to them 't is as clear that no force can be put upon them no command of man over-rule them where they judge God has obliged them They read they hear they pray they study and consider all things on all hands as they are able yet cannot change their minds tho' it be highly their external Interest so to do And shall no humanity be extended to such modest humble loyal patient teachable Dissenters that are ready to engage in all Bonds to live peaceably in all Oaths to be true Subjects to subscribe according to the Act to the Articles of Religion abating one or two Non-Essentials and therefore are of the same common Faith to the Ten Commands and therefore agree to lead the same godly Life Are there no Commiserations for such as these Oh come Lord Jesus come quickly diffuse abroad that excellent Spirit of Love Unity and Christianity which will engage every one of us to judge that our proper Good is more in the Publique than Our Selves that the common Interest of Religion is infinitely more our Concern than any of our little Bones of Contention that we may not be cracking Nuts pursuing after Butterflies smiting our Fellow-servants eating and drinking with the Drunken when the Heavens begin to crack about our ears and all is ready to be wrapt up in a common Ruine Well Shall we be Christians or shall we not Must that which will be our Glory and Crown above rule our Hearts and Practices now Let us be Persons of great and generous Minds disdaining to debase the Nobleness of those Natures which are capable of enjoying an Immense God to such a degree of Childishness as to be infinitely concern'd about the miserable things which little Souls continually scramble for is it a piece of substantial goodness and honesty Does it conduce to promote and establish a real Deiformity or Similitude to God Will it actually tend to subdue mens Passions and Pride and Worldliness and Sensuality May we by and through it elevate our Minds to that Heavenly Constitution as to be mete for Converses with a Pure and Holy God Does it subjugate the Will of Man to his Maker render him acceptable to Heaven profitable to Earth in the Great Ends of Godliness Righteousness Sobriety Did God institute it for these Purposes With all my Soul am I for it I 'll hug it in my Bosome lay it next my heart honour it with my best endeavours to advance it in my self and the world But if it be only a Trick a Device a Policy to be Grand and Gaudy and Terrible and Triumphant and Imperious to salve a Sore to make maintain please a Party to countenance keep up an Interest or suppress oppress depress real Religiousness under some disguising Pretences Away with it 't is unbecoming the Christian Spirit it savours not nor of true Magnitude of Mind This Man is for Prelacy the other against it one applauds the National Constitution comprehending all Congregations as united under the Ecclesiastical Government of Bishops and the Civil Government of one Political Head the King another allows it not yet professes and is ready to give all desired Security for Allegiance That Man pleads for and uses a Liturgy or Set Form in Divine Offices this would modifie all himself There some think for further Decency and Order Ceremonies must accompany or follow Divine Institutions here are a Company tooth and nail against them This Point of Doctrine must be express'd in such and such Terms the other is untenable except in such a Sense and Dress and every Head in things of this nature has a different Crotchet Well Are the main Substantials of Christianity retain'd Irreligion Idolatry renounc'd the necessity of Government maintain'd the Deity worshipped in and through the only Mediator Jesus Christ the Holy Spirit with his Gifts and Graces in order to a New Life acknowledged In fumm the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament in their plain and most obvious sense receiv'd submitted to as the perfect Rule of Eaith and Manners Holiness and Vertue practised and promoted Here fix What d' ye tell us of Unwritten Unscriptural Phrases and Forms and Modes and Orders and Rites and Circumstances and Phylacteries and Fringes and Laces and Fancies and Fooleries and Phrenzies To Bedlam with the Mad-men that cannot be satisfied and pleas'd with the Noble and Incomparable Ordinations of infinite Wisdom and Goodness but must prescribe to their Maker and out-do boundless Perfection Why like the Aegyptian Apes do we tear in pieces one anothers Ornaments nay one another for Nuts and Trifles Are we not agreed in the main Essentials of Christianity Being therefore of the same Catholick Body Why must this Mans Head be struck off because he hath a Feather in his Cap and the others because he has none That Man be begg'd for a Fool because by paying free Rent he owns a Mesn Lord Another branded for a Knave for desiring to be a Mesn Lord himself or depend immediately upon the King Some sent to the Hospital because they need and would have Crutches others to Bridewel who will have none Are not the one Men as well as the other and should not common Nature ingenerate a common Sense Must it still be Homo homini Lanius Lupus Are not both Christians And shall it be Christianus Christiano Daemon That Man 's a Heretick Devil I 'll sear and tear him with my burning Pincers says St. Dunstan This is a Schismatick Dog I 'll have his Ears says another St. Some-body Thou art a cold Formalist and Hell must warm and fire thee says another St. No-body And a thousand to one the Heretick the Sehismatick and Formalist is the better Man and Christian Oh Babylon Babylon where art thou not Really we may with the Philosopher light our Candle at noon day among Christians to seek for Christianity Let it then pass uncontroulable that a Man can never be publick spirited except upon Principles truly Catholick nor will any other Spirit or Principles administer sound true and solid Comfort and Peace As the contracted shrivling confining narrow Temper begets all the Confusions Broils Branglings and Blood-sheds in the world so it leaves nothing at home in conclusion but dire ingrateful Reflections and an
horrible Combustion of Conscience or at the least Inquietude and Uneasiness of Mind any thing but Satisfaction Joy and Rest Of such Men I say as Gen. 49.6 Oh my Soul come not thou into their Secret unto their Assembly mine Honour be not thou united And now Oh my Soul what is thy Trouble and Sorrow and Anxiety of Mind Or what are thy Desires Cares Delight Joy Contrivances Counsels Activity concern'd about Canst thou feed upon thy sweet Morsels alone and glory in the Affluence of Personal or Domestick Blessings while the Gates of Sion mourn Are any in Affliction imprisoned persecuted for Righteousness sake and wiltest not thou bear a part in their Dolours Remembring those in Bonds as bound with them and them which suffer Adversity as being thy self also in the Body Heb. 13.3 Dost thou not partake of that common Spirit of Goodness Compassion Charity which as good Blood diffuses it self and circulates through all the Members of that one Body ingenerating an universal Fellow-feeling and Care of mutual and general Concerns in all and every one that lives by the Life of the Head in Heaven Art thou weak with the Weak and with the Offended dost thou burn 2 Cor. 11.29 Canst thou bear every ones burthen and so fulfill the Law of Christ and restore those overtaken with Infirmities considering thy self lest thou also be tempted Gal. 6.1 2. See the Apostle prosecuting this Argument fully 1 Cor. 12.12 to 27. If thou be acted by the private strait-lac'd selfish Spirit of the generality who can neither give a jot of ease to themselves under their Personal Straits and Sorrows by a serious Reflection on the Welfare of the Church of God nor will in the least imbitter their Joys with any Considerations of the Afflictions of Joseph suspect thy self to be an Alien from the Life and the Catholick Body of Jesus Christ which subsists by a Vital Union with him What now are the Measures by which thou actest in thy Station and with respect to the Members of Christ If thou espouse and tenaciously adhere to only the Sentiments of some Particular Party or Sect farewel all publick Spiritedness Thou professest a Belief of the Communion of Saints as in one Catholick Church which is indeed an Invisible Thing as are all Objects of Faith in its distinction from Sense Does this Faith work by Love Thou ownest also one Universal Body seen in its parts visible in its whole extent throughout the World actually by the Eyes of its Head seen in its Unity at once and potentially by Man Which is not a Chaos of every thing in confusion but an Organical Body that in diversity of useful comely Members Parts Congregations the least of the denomination Countries and Kingdoms makes up a lovely Community Not a Rope of Sand but a Golden Chain where every very Link has its Beauty Preciousness Connexion Suitableness A Garden enclosed where variety of Walks Beds c. constitute a fair delicious Paradise One Spouse of Christ one Body for one Head Does thy Fancy or Partiality here make Restrictions Can'st thou dar'st thou chop and mangle this Body Tear off a Limb of this Spouse Break the golden Chain for one Link And dote upon these without regard to the rest Can thy Love walk no where but in little Severals and petty Enclosures In this sence I cannot disallow that Saying of a Great Person viz. That the Church of Christ is neither Rome nor a Conventicle There may be some Part of it there but confin'd to either it cannot be exclusively to the rest of the World Art thou a Christian Then must Christianity command the freest Motions of thy Affections the Interest of that thou must and shalt respect honour promote and love not as it is pretended or conceitedly monopolized by any distinct Party but as like the Sun it diffuses its efficiency vertue and influence every where and shines with a lovely radiancy and glory in any Man whatsoever Seest thou one that in the judgment of rational Charity makes Religion his principal Business above all labouring that it may have a prevalent Interest in his Heart Cleave to this Man embrace him in thy most near and intimate Affections be he of what Party soever Dost thou find any diligently searching the Word of God to know him in all his Perfections not meerly for Notion sake but that his inward Soul and outward Conversation may be under the Dominion and Command of what he knows A Man that maintains a high and honourable esteem of the ever blessed Redeemer of the World the only begotten Son of God as the alone Saviour of Mankind taking the greatest care to gain a true and full Understanding of his Excellency Undertaking Offices and Benefits that he may entirely devote himself to him A Man that is daily acquainting himself how much it is his Interest to live under the Conduct of the Holy Ghost and therefore studies his inspired Writings to attain right Apprehensions concerning his Nature Gifts Graces Comforts that he may aspire after them inwardly feel them in their power and accordingly engages his Mind Will Affections Conscience executive Power all within and without him in an universal Subjection to this Holy Trinity in Unity and with a reverend Awefulness minggled with Love demeans himself under the Government of that ever Adoreable Majesty as one that hath present powerful Sensations of its immediate Presence Oversight and perfect Cognizance of the most secret recesses of his Soul A man that understanding his relation to God owns Him pants after Him with insatiable Ardour cleaves unto Him with full purpose of heart in a singular Complacency fears praises glorifies trusts chooses embraces acknowledges Him in all His ways as His chief Good and Happiness and would not willingly displease Him for a World And having with a Holy Religious Veneration observ'd approves of is singularly well pleas'd with that Wonder of all Wonders the Grace of Almighty God revealed by the Gospel in giving His Eternal Son to be the Redeemer of Lost Mankind God in our Flesh manifested in the fulness of time to do and suffer whatever Justice required that our Sins might be pardon'd our Persons accepted sanctified and glorified And Looking unto Jesus doth heartily acquiesce in the Method of Salvation ordain'd by God thro' him intirely yields up himself to him to be and do and suffer whatever he pleases sincerely accepts of him as an All-sufficient Saviour submits to his Government in all things never can be satisfied but is in a restless Agony day and night till he gain some good Evidence that Christ is his and he Christ's spontaneously chearfully with a self-denying humble penitent Heart venturing his All upon him for ever in believing in him hoping for his Sake to obtain the Love and Favour of God in Justification Reconciliation and Eternal Blessedness and therefore deliberately freely with all readiness of mind engages himself to Christ by the Renewal of his Baptismal Covenant with
a serious upright undissembled Resolution to stand to it and abide by it in despight of all Temptations and Opposition thro the aid and assistance of the Spirit of Grace praying waiting in Faith and Hope to enjoy his Gracious Influences leading into all Truth that by it he may be made free formed after the image of God by his Grace strengthened with all might inwardly and revived by his Consolations A Man that in order to all these good Ends diligently examines his Conscience searches out his particular sins is afflicted burthened at his very Soul for them as an Offence to God rather than his own Damage uses all possible means to prevail with his Heart to relinquish them in its affections forbearing actually to commit them lamenting over and reforming sinful Omissions groans under and is daily pained with the woful depravedness of his Nature his very inward Bent and Inclination to Evil the Vanity as well as Vileness of his thoughts words and deeds accounting himself the Chief of Sinners and therefore maintaining an humble self-debasing Sense of his own Unworthiness and labours not only to desist from the Acts but subdue the very Lusts kill the root by mortification A Man who lives by Faith upon the Promises for the Communication of a Divine Nature the Law in the Heart that he may not only do the External Work of Duty but have a Dutiful Heart from and through which Principle he meditates hears reads praises confers about the best things as inwardly loathing the froath and vanity and venome of his former Communication and endeavours that it may be alway savoury season'd with salt that it may administer to the use of edifying minister Grace to the Hearers A Man that endeavours a right Understanding of himself is Cloath'd with Humility in lowliness of mind dehasing himself before God preferring others before himself and condescending to men of low degree and esteeming his own Graces less his Sins greater than any mans admiring that either God or man should favour him and therefore with a calm dispassionate Spirit bears Injuries Affronts Reproaches any Evils that extend to himself but can bear nothing with Unconcernedness that affronts the Divine Majesty hath a Bridle for his Tongue for his Heart and with a composed Evenness of Temper renders his Converses amiable profitable desireable to all grievous hurtful to none In all Conditions Companies or Occurrences prosperous or adverse being the same An ill turn will make him a Friend as Cranmer and the worse the Circumstances the better the Man living under the power of the Spirit of Sanctification in Obedience Meekness Patience Gentleness Simplicity godly Sincerity A Man that can bear Indignities from all forbear offering them to any keeping under his Passions even almost to an Apathy keeping down his carnal Appetite in a sober temperate use of the Pleasures of Sense and an Indifferency to this present World A Man that sets his Mind and Heart savourily upon Invisibles which he evidences by a Conversation in Heaven and values the Wealth and Glory of the Earth only as they deserve and as far as useful for God's Honour in Acts of Piety the Relief of the Indigent in liberality and the maintenance of the Reputation of his Profession with Contentment embracing the least share of the World but unsatisfiable without a large Portion of God and Heaven A Man that walks in his house with a perfect heart putting away Evil from his Tabernacle and advancing Holiness in his own Relations especially to whom he is useful both by Counsel and Example A Man that dares not do or design or imagine any thing unjust dishonest unbecoming Christianity tho' it might gain Indemnity for his Life Uprightness Loyalty Honesty Fidelity in all Promises Dealings Carriage are his Life therefore will he not forfeit and destroy it by contrary Practices A man that has the fairest Notices of Divine particular Love to himself yet will not abuse them to Presumption or Arrogance and Contempt of others that values the favour of Heaven infinitely above the Glory Esteem Riches Pleasures of the World but despises not these as the Gifts of God Yet does not behave himself unseemly when in the higest Repute with Man Alway his Thoughts beget his Words and his Word is his Deed and a good Conscience the Guide of all A man truly faithful to God and his Sovereign the King Modesty Gravity Seriousness Industry Clemency Sedateness of Spirit Peace of Mind being his Individual Companions and Ornaments Yet knows he nothing of those natural or acquired moral or spiritual Endowments that may recommend him to God and Man so as to swell and huff up his Heart he has them as if he had them not A Man that lives in the view of Death and therefore dreads it not whence 't is that whatever he hath or doth or feels or fears or suffers 't is as a dying Man and he therein possesses himself and God in Tranquility of Mind and a quiet Rest and Contentation He would be to others what he expects they and God will be to him Chiefly minds the weightiest Points of Religion in Faith Love Mercy Righteousness Yet having done all esteems himself an unuseful Vessel unworthy regard as having only done Duty and but a small degree of that neither therefore finally flies for Refuge to the love of God and deservings of Christ as the sole bottom of his hopes to be saved This is a Christian of whatever particular Denomination Prelatical Presbyterian Congregational c. All Persons all Societies of Persons thus qualified thou art obliged O my Soul to respect honour embrace do good unto or thou renouncest thy Membership and Fellowship with Christ and his Body Where-ever all the Essentials of this Christianity are received without such intermingled Corruptions as undermine or destroy them so insisted upon that without violation of Conscience and so Christianity thou canst not own them there impart thy best Affections thither direct thy serious and religious Cares and to all how bad soever how hostile soever thy Commiserations I cannot Communicate with an Idolater c. yet I can pity him and every poor deluded Soul that either presumptuously or in simplicity is carryed away from God For I my self am a Sinner and stand in infinite need of the Compassions both of GOD and Man Love Vnity Peace are Matters of so excellent a Nature Uncharitableness Schism Dissention contain so much of Hell that these are to be relinquish'd those pursu'd all possible ways consistent with integrity of Conscience that is consistent with Allegiance to God For Conscience is nothing except in Subordination and Allegiance to God CHAP. VIII The Subject of Comfort Honours God 's Discipline 6. THE Author of his Psalm was a Man that embrac'd a just and equitable Sense and made a benign and fair Representation of both the Instructive Discipline and also the Dispensations of God his special Teachings his severe Providences Ver. 12. Oh the Blessednesses Vocatively
Christ whose I am by Right of Redemption and not mine own if He re-invest me in a Liberty to enjoy my self in Him which I could not do under so bad a Master so cruel a Tyrant as the Devil this is a piece of the choicest Happiness which I can enjoy on this side Heaven Liberty to sin is the most uncomfortable Bondage Necessity to serve God the most solacing Liberty The most of this do we enjoy when we live most in and are swallowed up of the Love of God Corruption is a Dungeon a Prison a Pit God loves us out of it Isa 38.17 into the glorious Liberty of the Sons of God Rom. 8.21 Love is the Wealth of Heaven and the World a Treasure invaluable in Comparison whereof every thing all the Riches Honours Pleasures all the Substance and Glory of the World is contemptible Cant. 8.7 Every Comfort is comprehended in it 't is the Life and Soul of all they are but Carrion-Contents that are possest without it Oh Incomparable incomprehensible Love How hast thou even out-done thy self in thy Provisions for the Consolation of inconsiderable Man What infinite Desires could ever have wish'd what infinite Goodness could ever have bestowed a Gift greater than Infinite God's Love gives no less and sure it can no greaten Love is all Comfort and Holiness in God is not a Barren Womb but Pregnant also with the sweetest Consolations From this Topic the Psalmist derived Refreshment to his thoughtful mind Ver. 20. Shall the Throne of Iniquity have Fellowship with thee The Quaere carries in its bowels a Negative Resolution No it shall not It s Iniquity and thy Sanctity are altogether Incompatible Though it attempt yet cannot it prevail to overturn thy Throne 't will therefore assuredly be overturned by it Ver. 15. Judgment shall return to Righteousness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and after it all the Vpright in Heart I take 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there to be significative of Time as well as Place The Expression is allusive supposing Judgment and Righteousness were parted to a great Distance and that Righteousness was in a settled fix'd Habitation from which Judgment as a thing in motion was departed And 't is true Righteousness is of a stable Sunt certi denique fines quos ultrà citraque nequit consistere rectum firm invariable nature Judgment or Proceedures in Law are changeable sometimes wrong sometimes right now on this side then on the other depending upon the mutable Constitution of the Judges Whence 't is that Judgment is here represented as a Traveller from home but upon the Return in which motion it should never rest till it which had been so long absent got to the abode of Righteousness again Unrighteous Judgment did then prevail but begun to be weary of it self and at length must down and Righteous Judgment be set up and established which when once accomplished the upright in heart would certainly be advanced Let but true Justice obtain and immediately after that Upright Men will return out of the Retirements into which Unrighteousness had driven them and be in repute again Goodness cannot be supprest by Justice but only by Injury and when it is turned out of doors cannot be introduced except by the Soveraign Goodness of God to which its Restitution is here ascribed Ver. 14. as a Fruit of his Abode with and constant Adherence to his People The whole Process then of the Prophet's Reasoning is this Although God's People be now oppress'd and ruin'd by the violent Perversion of Judgment Yet God will not alway permit it to be so but will establish Righteous Judgment first and then relieve his People by it Divine Purity then will not long permit the Dominion of Unrighteousness God's Holiness will e're long harass all Unholiness out of the World and confine it forever unto Hell There shall be none in thy sight abroad there shall be none in thy heart within That which is thy greatest Discomfort on Earth which muddies thy Thoughts disquiets thy mind racks and tortures thy Conscience discomposes thy Affections blasts thy Hopes sowres thy Joys burthens thy whole Soul makes Heaven and Earth groan and sigh in Pain shall finally give place to the Divine Nature which the Promises bring thee in part 2 Pet. 1.4 and Heaven will perfect Oh blessed solacing Hope a secure Anchor in the deepest Sea of Sorrows Art thou at present in Affliction for thy unholiness Know that this very trouble is a dispensation of boundless Love and Sanctity directed by unfathomable Wisdom and of most illustrious Wisdom acted by unconceivable Love and Holiness for thy highest advantage to embitter thy Corruptions separate them from thy Soul and prepare thee for the embraces of the tenderest Affections of Heaven and its everlasting Joys and Rest Neither can there any other Temptation or Affliction befall thee without God's leave and his Goodness can no more be excluded out of his designments than his knowledge even his Permissions are subservient to the purposes of his Love nor can any thing betide us which will yeild an Argument to prove that he is not Good any more than that he is not God Whatever Perplexities sink thy Heart if they have a tendency to defile thee they are Enemies to Divine Purity and it will overcome them cannot be vanquish'd by them if they tend to disquiet thee the unboundable Love that embraces thee will not cannot leave thee to succumb and finally to despond under them if Spiritual this infinitely gracious Spirit is an Adversary to them and will master them if Temporal there is a Remedy against them in the Goodness of God which is Eternal Divine Goodness answers all things not as Money limitedly and with restriction but universally and infinitely In it is the substance of all real Good in it Compensation for all Evil else could it not be what it cannot but be infinite A Feast is made for Laughter Eccl. 10.19 and Wine maketh glad the * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Lives or Living Life Oft in Scripture do we find comforting the Heart attributed to our Natural Repast by Meat and Drink Gen. 18.5 Judg. 19.5 8 c. Or Truly Meat truly Drink Poor Comforts in comparison of Jesus whose Body is Meat indeed whose Blood is Drink indeed Joh. 6.48 to the 59th Wine makes glad the Heart of God and Man Judg. 9.13 Psal 104.15 But the Love of Christ is better Cant. 1.2 And more to be remembred Ver. 4. The Bread of Life and the Waters of Life are the very Life of all Comforts the Sweetness of all Comforts and Joys Any Mercy enoy'd with the Love of God is sweet indeed Whence in the Return of the Ransomed of the Lord with Songs and everlasting Joy upon their heads Isa 51.11 12. Jer. 31.11 12. 'T is Prophesied That They shall flow together to the Goodness of the Lord for Wheat and for Wine and for Oyl and for the Young of the Flock
and the Herd and their Soul shall be as a Watered Garden c. Yea there ' t is The Blessings of this Life are then good indeed when the Donation of the Goodness of the Lord Divine Love with them gives them a Relish incomparable Job sometimes consulted his Bed for Comfort Job 7.13 and 't is no little satisfaction to enjoy the quiet Repose of a single Night But what are all the downy Contents of this Nature to the Everlasting Repose and Rest both of Body and Soul in the Love of God who though he be an everliving Activity yet is an ever-loving quiet resting Place for all that having been wearied out with the Sins and Labours and Troubles and Miseries of a Cumbersome World betake themselves to him as their only Contentation Cant. 3. King Solomon as a Type of Christ made Himself 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Conjugal Bed This the Original Word may seem indeed most properly to signifie from the 7th Verse where the Espousals plainly refer to this that Exhortation being grounded upon this Narration the midst thereof being 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Strowed with Love for the Daughters of Jerusalem A Bed of Ease indeed The Whole World cannot Afford a Bed as soft as Love as sweet as the refreshing Love of an infinitely Lovely and Loving God I have read of a Man who not content with Epicureism in Retail resolv'd at once to gratifie every Sence with an accumulated Association of all imaginable Sensualities yet all was only the Swinish Pleasure of a Day But there is an Eternity of Delights in the Favour of God first to the Soul but redounding to the Sence also Truly Light is sweet and 't is good for the Eyes to behold the Sun 't is a Periphrasis of Life as the Connexion with the followng Verse demonstrates Eccl. 11.7 8. How delicious is the Flavour and Fragrancy of Odours and the inexplicable Varieties and Ravishments of Sounds c. But are these worthy to be thought of in Comparison of the ever Refreshing Light of God's Countenance the Never-fading Delights of Divine Love and Goodness the Unimitable Splendour of the Sun of Righteousness Mal. 4.2 who is the Brightness of his Fathers Glory Heb. 1.2 the savour of Christ's Precious Oyntments Cant. 1.3 The rapturous Melody of the Celestial Quire but above all the every thing Harmonious Beautiful Lovely Glorious in the Divine Nature wherein our very sense shall be in a generous transport with the highest incomparable supersensual everlasting Gratifications much more our Minds For the Goodness of God is every thing pleasing profitable honest in the utmost eminency of Glory There 's no mole in this Beauty no spots in this Sun no Night to this Day but an immense and eternal variety of all delectable Excellencies in an invariable unity of unblemishable Perfection nothing to give a check to the Appetite to interrupt and abate the pleasure of Enjoyment or put a period to the solace accruing from it It singularly pleases a Man to be well thought of and well provided for When Men are low yet if their Reputation run high it bears up their Spirits in the depression of their Estates and as Noble Blood in the Veins is by many accounted an essential Dignity when their Wealth and Substance falls into detriment that their Heart cannot stoop to any servile Offices or Imployments below the Grandeur of its more stately and generous Pulsations their Glory they think shines as the Sun through a Cloud and is like a Cordial Elixir in a fainting fit of Fortune So Credit of both kinds Fame Trust both as it imports the Honour of a fair Reputation and Good Name and as it entitles a Man to a right in the kindness of his Friend and the belief of all Men that every one speaks well of him is ready to do well to him all Honour him all Credit him and freely Concredit their all with him this is valued as much as Money in the Purse The Wisest of Men prefers it as more eligible Prov. 22.1 and affirms that it makes the Bones fat Prov. 15.30 But if the Love of God put a value upon us and worthless that we are we have nothing else to recommend us as the Kings Stamp upon a Brass Farthing if he ennoble us with his Grace Nobilitas sola est atque unica virtus that we can derive our Pedegree and Extraction from Heaven through the New Birth this is the truest sweetest noblest Satisfaction We are indeed the basest through Sin of the whole Creation God made us at first through his Image next in honour to the Holy Angels Psal 8.5 We by our Apostacy and Corruption make our selves not a little lower than Devils and in this debasement does Divine Goodness find us but here it does not leave us Love and Love alone exalts us and crowns us with Glory Dignity and Hon ur and how high we are in the account of Love however base in our selves is demonstrated by the price it was willing to pay for our Redemption Nothing rais'd us to this height in the estimate of Love but only Love according to Deut. 7.7 8. The Lord did not set his Love upon you because ye were moe c. But because the Lord loved you c. His Love was its own and only motive and why should it not What can be a more noble Incitement to it than the Glory of its most excellent communicative Nature What mov'd it at first to design an Object to diffuse its benign influences upon What lovely qualities were in a non-entity to draw it out into such admirable Condescentions Let it then go no less than self-sufficient all-sufficient without the subsidiary invitement of all external Objects Divine Goodness neither needs nor desires a Procatarctick cause And this is a Comfort unspeakable Were I to bring my wellcome to Heaven and to be dignified with the honour of so renowned a degree of Perfection as to be able to stand upon my Reputation before God and not beg his good Opinion but merit it the Conscience of my deficiency and demerit would for ever confound me But since Love brings my all with it and its arguments to respect me are derived from its own Bowels and its height is so wonderful that there can be no proportion in the highest created goodness to it so as to deserve it and its depth so unfathomable that the greatest misdeservings cannot put a bar to the liberty of its actings for the relief even of the Chief of Sinners 1 Tim. 1.15 Have I not a World of reason to cast off all melancholy desponding Imaginations and solace my self in this Paradise of everlasting Love and free Grace Oh Joy unspeakable and full of Glory To be well provided for is next The World had rather live by Sight than Faith He 's but ill to live all whose Wealth is in another Man's Pocket and may be puft away with the malevolent Breath of
a third Man A Bird in the hand is best Faith and Hope are beggarly things in the estimate of most Men. A competency of Necessaries in Possession more contents us than a World in Reversion In that modicum we can rejoyce though we do not wallow in those affluent Delights which the sensual Beasts of the Earth batten and rot in A sufficiency of suitable Comforts fills our Appetite Convenience being the essential Property if not Essence of Goodness When every thing hits us lies pat and even and easie upon our Hearts in a pleasing agreeableness we do not envy Crowns and Scepters But if we have all and enough to spare can never see through our Enjoyments be full and abound not only in opinion and with respect to the content of our Minds but in the reality of the thing we then begin to sing a requiem to our Souls and sit down under the shadow of these Gourds with delight And have we not a sufficiency nay a redundancy an infiniteness of all Necessaries and Agreeables in God's Love and Goodness of which Eye hath not seen nor Ear heard neither hath it entred into the Heart of Man to conceive the fulness the glory the sweetness the amiableness the suitableness the comfortableness Thy Mansion House here is the Bosom of Love replenished with a confluence of all desirable Satisfactions thy Garden the Paradise of God thy Demesne the Celestial Canaan thy Revenues and Incomes the unperishing Treasures of Divine Goodness and Grace and Glory the unsearchable Riches of Christ But be a Man's-Comforts never so sweet if there be an equal mixture of sowre he writes Cabul upon the front of all his Enjoyments And ordinarily a drachm of Gall will spoil an ounce of Honey one Cross embitter a thousand Comforts If now I be secure either that the Evils will be as the morning Cloud and early Dew or that I shall be no loser not be rob'd of the least real satisfaction but gain equivalent if I have a reserve of other better sweeter Joys and Blessings which will countervail my Sufferings or if when the Tempest lies hard upon me I be certain of a safe retiring Place and Refuge where I am out of danger or if I have weathered out the Storm that the worst is past and a prospect is given me of so great an advantage so happy an issue as will compensate the trouble if all along I find by experience that 't is for the best and if I had been to carve for my self and spin the thread of my own Fortune I could not have pitch'd upon any thing so eligible as what is dispens'd to me without my choice by the Wisdom and provident Goodness of Heaven every of these things singly yields me a plentiful harvest of quiet in my Mind and contentedness with my Condition much more joyntly altogether And has not every good Soul the amplest security that it shall be blest with all this and much more in and through the benignity and Love of God Have we not ground to believe that Love will not permit any evil to interrupt our Joys except there be need That Love will cut it short in Righteousness it shall be but for a moment a little moment Love being afflicted in all our Afflictions will not long torment it self What Love promises Power can command In that very small moment of continuance I am secure that Love will not suffer my Miseries and Disquiets to commit a rape upon my best satisfactions in it self and that I shall lose no Metal but only Dross which 't is my happiness to do and even that loss if my gain of Refinement and Purity deserve that Name will be recompenced to the full in those infinitely better things laid up in store for me in the plenitude and all-sufficiency of unboundable Goodness in the Divine Nature and Persons But be the Calamity as great and malignant as is imaginable I have a Rock higher than I where I may be safe above the reach of ruin For having past the pangs of the New Birth the worst is past both in respect of Pain and Danger Sorrow and Fear Though my Vessel the Body may be broken yet shall I certainly land in safety upon the blessed shore of Eternity with all my real Riches and Comforts environing me I am I hope in a sound bottom indeed Christ carries me in his Body his Bowels that 's the Ship wherein I am wafted over the Tempestuous Ocean of Miseries in this World to the fair Havens of everlasting Loves Joys and Rest The foreknowledge whereof together with my present sense of profit in my Soul strength against Sin resolution for God evidence and experience of his Presence Support Influence Grace the affectionate workings of his Heart in Love Care Kindness flowing over all the banks in multitudes of unmerited Blessings in Temporals but especially in Celestials These sweeten all my Sorrows and ease my burthened Spirit that I cannot but acknowledge the Provisions of Infinite Wisdom incomprehensibly more eligible and beneficial than the utmost that could ever enter into my utmost raised Imaginations But if the pinch come yet a little nearer that though accommodated with an affluence of all terrestrial Contentments without yet a dangerous Disease preys upon my Vitals or the Arrows of the Almighty gall wound and smart in my Conscience that I am destitute of the Blessings of a sound Mind in a sound Body the enjoyment whereof would add an Emphasis to all external Comforts a living Lam 3.39 Neh. 2.2 a healthful Man and Mind having no reason to complain and be sad But now Love is Life and Health and all things The breath of thy Nostrils the length of thy Days and Delights but the shortner of thy Pains and Sorrows Dost thou keep thy Tongue from evil Psal 34.12 13 14 15. and thy Lips from speaking guile depart from evil and do good seek Peace and pursue it Then are the Eyes of the Lord upon thee and his Ears open to thy cry thou shalt enjoy desired Life and beloved Days that thou mayst see Good yea the Goodness of the Lord in the Land of the Living Psal 118.17 thou shalt not die but live and declare the Works of the Lord. How can that Body or Soul be sick that 's embrac'd in the healing Bosom of the great Physician Forgiveness of Sin is a Medicine for every Malady Isa 32.24 If he whom Christ loves be sick 't is not unto Death but for the Glory of God Joh. 11.3 4. Love will loose the Pains of Death Thou hast loved me from the Pit of Corruption for thou hast cast all my Sins behind thy Back Isa 38.17 God bears not a grudge against those he loves 'T is Loves property to chastize none of its Office to impute guilt and punish but to cover a multitude of Sins 1 Pet. 4.8 An infallible Cure or Remedy for Distempers of Body and Soul supports a sinking Spirit revives a disconsolate Heart
deal fraudulently that is unrighteously If thou be good and holy 't is only because God is Just and Righteous He cannot pass away a Right by Deed Hand and Seal and afterward resume it If we have thus made a Mercy thine he will not defraud thee of it Lastly and under all Power actually confers upon thee all that goodness that adorns thy Conscience Oh sweet Combination and Harmony of Love in all concurring to create thy Peace Oh how valuable is it that Love must unite so many Perfections in so strong an Engagement to qualifie thee for it and then enrich thee with it and the sense of it Here 's the Glory and Crown of free Grace Grace is free thus 1. As nothing but God's free Will and Goodness mov'd him to design so great unmerited Mercies upon so mean and inconsiderable terms 2. As nothing but his free Grace without all desert in us prevails with him to work the Conditions themselves and terms in us But now when free Grace has proceeded thus far then Pardon and Holyness and Peace are not any longer free in this sense viz. reserved wholly still in his Power to withold but by the Motion and under the Conduct of free Grace as its Ministers Fidelity and Justice take up the Administration where free Grace left it so that God cannot deny these Mercies his Word being past because he cannot deny himself and cease to be faithful and just that is to be God Thus what is free Grace in the Original Rise and whole process mediately is in the closing and compleating Acts thereof immediately Justice and Righteousness Thou Repentance and Faith be not claimable upon any account but mere free Love yet when this admirable Goodness has conferr'd Repentance and Faith it makes Pardon Peace Comfort and Heaven challengable even in Justice though not as merited yet as Conditionate Mercies Whence the Apostle speaks roundly Heb. 6.10 God is not UNRIGHTEOUS to forget your work and labour of Love In some the Gift of the Conditions Qualifications Dispositions for Blessings is only from free Mercy and Grace in God whence those Conditions in us are called Graces the name of the Cause Metonymically given to the effect Grace within us from Grace without us in God But the gift of the Blessings and Privileges themselves upon performance of the Condition is really Justice Our absolute positive State is from Grace our relative from Righteousness yet such Justice is also Originally free Grace because 't is not a natural Act of Justice but Voluntary I mean such Justice is not a thing which God of himself by necessity of Nature was ty'd to antecedently to the free Engagement of his own Will but his free Mercy without any other Motive than its own Generosity and Nobleness of Disposition and Ingenuous Freedom did pitch upon such a Series of Dispensations in boundless Wisdom and Goodness that these Acts of Liberty interposing Justice must needs be obliged to prosecute the beginnings of Love and do such things in order to our Happiness as before those Acts of Grace it was not ty'd to at all and this is chiefly done by the Interposition of Faithfulness An instance will render all more plain it shall be that which we Discourse of Comfort Justice of its own Nature is not at all obliged to comfort a Sinner though Penitent but contrarily the natural state of Justice engages it to punish Sin not only with the Pains of Penitence but Wrath and Vengeance although a threatning should never intervene For I suppose the threats to be in this different from Promises that the former declare the natural both right of the Law-giver and dueness of the Penalty and desert of the Crime which the reason and nature of the thing had fixed before only since the Right was invested in the Law-giver it was in his Power upon just and valuable Considerations to make a Relaxation or Commutation But Promises do not declare but give a Right not to the Promiser but him to whom the promise is made either absolutely or upon Condition whereby things are put out of his own Power either absolutely or conditionally Now therefore God by his Son has freely made this Declaration Matth. 5.4 Blessed are they that mourn for they shall be comforted God cannot utter Falshood nor break Promise nor withhold Right hence 't is that the Administration here falls into the hands of Justice upon the Interposal of this free act of Mercy in making the Promise Threats proceed according to the natural right of the case in the substance of it though they may vary from it in Circumstances in which the Punishment may be alleviated or heightened at the Discretion of the Judge or Solemnity Pomp Grandeur of the Matter and Process So Promises proceed according to the will of the Promiser as to the matter or thing promised which he may pitch upon and chuse at his own Arbitrement But when the Bond is once out of his hands it may be Sued at the Bar of Justice only he retains a liberty to Circumstantiate his own grants when he cannot recede from them in substance the Right to which is not invested now in him but the Persons to whom the Promise is made Comfort then he must in Justice give 't is the Mourners Right if they be right Mourners Mercy and Fidelity gave the Right and Justice cannot disannul it although it be not a natural but adventitious Right and although this Justice be not the Original necessity of his Nature but the free Dispensation of his Grace For Gon. 18.25 shall not the Judge of all the Earth do right His Love has made this Just and his Justice will give its due to his Love That Eternal invariable Righteousness which is a steady fixed Propension to render and distribute Right in all possible Cases and give all imaginable dues is no changling in this Case where the right and due is not any natural Resultancy from the condition of the Creature but a mere Condescention of undeserved Grace Justice may suspend but cannot overthrow the Right of Mercy but is obliged to own and observe it upon account of the Sacrifice and Merit of Our Lord Jesus Christ Indeed this is all the Foundation of a Believers hope in Judgment For Judgment is a Work of Justice which distributes Dues and particularly Rewards and Punishments according to Works Therefore the Reward of Believers is attributed to the same Justice that punishes Unbelievers 2 Thes 1.4 5 6 7. We our selves glory in the Churches of God for your Patience and Faith in all your Persccutions and Tribulations which ye endure a manifest token of the Righteous Judgment of God that ye may be counted worthy of the Kingdom of God for which ye also suffer Seeing 't is a Righteous thing with God to recompence 1. Tribulation to them that trouble you 2. and rest with us to you who are troubled c. This as well as the other is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Just 'T is the Office of Justice to take notice in all its proceedings of Right and Wrong but if the Right approve its reality 't is no Work of Justice to take Cognizance how we came by it whether it be natural Inheritance or personal Acquisition whether our own indefeisible Possession or anothers free Donation these are things Foreign and out of the Circuit of Justice Right must carry it whatever be the Foundation of it whatever be the Nature of it whatever Title it proceeds upon For no Varieties in the Right alter the Justice of the Procedure nor convert Justice into Injustice or any other thing The very Essence and Formal Nature of Justice as Distributive consists in dispensing Right Whereever that is the Act is formally Justice and nothing else although some other Vertue may have an antecedent Influence in forming the Right So here No Man hath a Natural Personal Right to that everlasting Rest neither do the best Services of the most perfect Creatures Angel Archangel Cherubim Seraphim found a right to it able in the nature of the thing to command and necessarily over-rule strict Justice so as 't would be Injustice properly so called to withhold or deny it For Heavenly Glory in its full Latitude which I understand by that Rest is a thing boundlesly above the Proportion of any finite Qualities or Operations Those ever Blessed Spirits are doubtlesly incapable of exerting any Acts that in Arithmetical Proportion can be as considerable and valuable as the Reciprocal Actings of the Deity that are return'd upon them For instance those flaming Ardours of Love in Seraphims which denominate them cannot in the Estimate of Reason and Justice be conceiv'd equally valuable with those reactions of Love in the Deity to them Certainly God loves them better than they can possibly love him and his Love rays out to them in infinite more Varieties than theirs can to him and the least degree of his Love is more honourable and worthy than the highest of theirs So that in Commutative Justice they cannot expect his for theirs especially since theirs is this due and the Payment of a Debt cannot make the Creditor a Debtor I have a Conceit but will not impose it that the Devils sin was not an aspiring to a Coaequality or Superiority to his Creator which his Innocent nay even Corrupt Understanding could not but represent as impossible impracticable therefore not designable But rather a challenge and expectation of those Honours from his Maker as due in Commutative Justice to the Excellencies and Actions which he admired in himself and would have had his Inferiours to adore Whence in that Kingdom of the Beast which he established and upholds this is or has been a principal Pillar though now painted over a new and is indeed the Universal Sentiment of all in whose disobedient hearts he retains the Dominion which he usurpt upon the Fall Even good Souls have a difficult Work to disengage themselves from it However 't is madness to conceit that the imperfect Duties or Graces of the lapsed Sons of Adam can stand in a Parity with Coelestial Recompences Nay the Proportion cannot amount to the heighth of that call'd Geometrical proper to distributive Justice which consists in a likeness of Reason For can there be any comparison betwixt finite and infinite imperfect and perfect temporal and eternal Can any say as the Work to the Wage so is Duty to Heaven The Right then here stands upon another bottom than the reason of the thing and that is the free investiture and gift of Sovereign Love and Mercy by a voluntary Grant and Covenant 'T is not common Soccage but Copy hold only Yet on the other hand Hell and Sin stand more in a Parity or equal Proportion There is full as much evil in the Sin as in the Punishment though not as much good in the Duty as in the Reward The demerit of Sin is unlimitable the Treasures of Wrath and Woe comprehended in it are inexhaustible therefore eternal 'T is just then to recompence Tribulation to the wicked because their Works merit it Just to recompence Rest to the godly not because their Works merit it but because free Grace hath promised it Neh. 9.8 And hast performed thy Words for thou art Righteous God cannot be just to the Wicked if he reward not their Works he cannot be just to himself to his own Word and Covenant if he reward not the Works he hath wrought in the Righteous Now even Troubles and Afflictions are less grievous if recompence may be hoped for upon good and sure Grounds If our Miseries become Antidotes to greater Miseries it encourages our Patience if they Work out greater Mercies it increases our Courage and so our Comfort The gain sweetens the pain and we are not so much offended with our Crosses as pleased with the Compensation The World is as a Lottery for a while we must draw nothing but Blanks or what will more grievously vex disquiet or torment us but the last cast will pay for all to our fullest Contentation if we belong to God's Election For this light Affliction which is but for a moment works for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory 2 Cor. 4.17 The happiness of the recompence of Reward is a thing of so transcendent Nature that even the serious Thoughts of it may entertain us with more abundant Joy than there can be Grief in the feeling it self of the bitterest Sufferings The Antepasts or Foretasts of Heaven are incomparably a greater delight than the very sense of Misery can be a Torment Therefore sure these exceeding glorious Riches of Coelestial Satisfactions will be an all-sufficient Requital for all the labour of Love the patience of Hope and work of Faith that we exert in this Semibrief moment of our transitory Life And it is no small Comfort to consider that the Fidelity of God has made these Gratuities Justice by making them the subject Matter of so many gracious Promises that what otherwise was mere liberty is now necessity and God by vertue of these his Bonds is become a Debtor to God Oh rich Treasury of strong Consolations God's grace having so ordered it not only that he may but that he must give the penitently troubled Soul in his own way and time the sweetest Peace Comfort and Rest It may indeed be delay'd but never can be finally deny'd and this we owe chiefly to the Justice of God his sweetest Perfection through Christ and the Covenant to an humbled Soul But there are also external Administrations of Justice which are of a refreshing consideration and such did the Psalmist reflect upon and solace himself withal Vers 1 2 15 23. Vindictive Justice is a notable relief to the Oppressed and the sweetness of Revenge a potent Cordial To see those suffer from whom we suffer and the Wicked fall into the trap and snare they lay for us does not a little glad us especially if it
the Psalmists process here For before the Text though he have frequent occasion to make mention of God almost in every one of the foregoing Verses viz. ten or eleven times yet 't is with that seeming distance and strangeness that we meet not with a word of appropriation to himself in special But upon the benigne Aspect of the Consolations of God his Love will no longer stand off but makes its nearest approaches and runs into his embraces in a double affectionate claim of Propriety in the compass of four Verses following as oft as he mentions the Lord he follows it with a Relative not permitting it to pass by as before like an Alien Vers 22. The Lord is my defence My God is the Rock of my Refuge I have now abundant reason to follow him with relation Love as mine own since he love my Soul into Rest and Peace becoming my Comforter Oh sweet reviving token of the singular Love of my God! How dearly do I love him for it Yet this is not all Is this Honey-comb for my self alone Do I arrogate sole Propriety in these Riches No my Charity obliges me to Judge that my Brethren in Affliction are not destitute of the same Consolation through interest in God I so love my Neighbour as to make account he is as good as my self and has an equal share with me in this infinite Treasure therefore for my Brethren and Companions sake I say OUR GOD without restriction to my self Vers 23. Yea our God shall out them off He is a common good yours as well as mine and brings a common benefit to us all in saving us from our Adversaries And herein he shews not only his love to Man and thereby consequentially that it did respect a higher object 1 Joh. 4.20 21. but directly and immediately demonstrates that he grew in love to God himself in that he glorifies the Communicativeness of Divine Goodness by an acknowledgment of its extensiveness in a peculiar manner to Multitudes besides himself even all included in the relative OUR as if it had been said I love him because he loves me so as to be mine I love him yet more because he together with me loves mine condescending to be theirs also I love that goodness that flows to me I further love that goodness that overflows to all with me my Friends my People For my own sake for their sake for its own sake I love it above all Thus as the Work of Righteousness is Peace and the effect of Righteousness quietness and assurance for ever Isa 32.17 So on the other hand the Work of Peace is Righteousness Psal 85.8 I will hear what 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the strong God Jehovah will speak because he will speak peace to his people and to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his merciful ones 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Indicatively not Imperatively and they shall not return to folly This Peace will be a preservative against Sin whence 't is said to Engarrison our Minds and Hearts in that so often mentioned Phil. 4.7 so promotes it that Holiness which some call Negative but it is no less productive of Positive Holiness Isa 61.2 3. Christ is anointed and endowed with the Holy Spirit to Preach good tidings c. To comfort all that mourn To appoint unto them that mourn in Sion to give unto them beauty for Ashes the Oyl of joy for mourning the Garment of Praise for the Spirit of heaviness But wherefore all this It follows That they might be called i. e. might be as before Isa 4.3 and 35.8 and 56.7 compared with Luk. 19.46 Matth. 5.9 19. Trees of Righteousness the planting of the Lord that he might be glorified To this purpose also is that Prayer of the Apostle 2 Thes 2.16 17. God who loves and gives everlasting Consolation through Grace comfort your Hearts and stablish you in every good Word and Work Grace begets Consolation and this begets good Conversation He that through Grace comforts does also through Comfort establish in every good Word and Work Shew then Oh my Soul the soundness of thy Comforts by their Fruits That Peace which is imprignant is impostorous In what further degree do thy inward Joys impower thee to Love the Lord the giver or thy Neighbour thy Partaker Canst thou pretend Peace in thy Conscience and live in contention or uncharitableness with thy Brother Does not thy inward Comfort calm thy passions meeken thy converses render thee profitable useful to Men in the best endeavours to induce them to love God and Vertue and abhor Immorality Viciousness and Hypocrisie that by thy means they may be also led in this method into the way of Peace and through it again into the way of Purity If thy Comforts be solid and sincere thou wilt by them be enabled to use the utmost diligence in propagating them since that is one of Gods great Designs in communicating them 2 Cor. 1.3 4. Blessed be God even the Father of Our Lord Jesus Christ the Father of Mercies and the God of all Comfort who comforteth us in all our Tribulation for what end That we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble by the Comfort wherewith we our selves are comforted of God And if God make thee able thou ought'st to be willing They are only fallacious Joys that are envious A corrupt Heart so that it self do but enjoy rest matters not though all the World be in trouble nay grudges others the quiet it enjoys and triumphs or secretly rejoyces at or at least is not afflicted in their Afflictions Haman will drink and be jolly when the whole City is in perplexity A wicked Soul is not concern'd for the content of any beside it self will rather add Affliction to the afflicted than indeavour or rejoyce in their Consolation Thy Comfort is not good if not conformable to the Fountain of Goodness in Communicativeness As far as confin'd 't is corrupt In the Harvest of true Joys thy Jordan will overflow the Banks Uncharritable illiberal unbountiful Consolations are Illusions If thy light and gladness diffuse not its beneficial rayes abroad to revive and refresh the Disconsolate Heart 't is but a glimmering Meteor not a Beam from the Sun of Righteousness and thus does it not extend it self if a Vital Heat and Influence do not accompany it as 't is but a flashy wild deceitful Spark Isa 50.11 which will vanish into Smoak and darkness if it be not kindled by a flame of true Love to God and Universal Righteousness Wherefore thou canst never bless thy self in reflection upon thine own Peace if it engage thee not in serious cares to propagate Holiness first and thereby Peace For an unholy Soul is absolutely inconsolable for want of Right therefore should be so for want of Will since a Will to apply Comforts without Right will certainly reduce to that woful plight which the Apostle with so much concern reports 1 Thes 5.3 When they shall say peace and
excessive enough in their grief for Sin but are still ambitions to find their Head become Waters and theirs Eyes a Fountain of Tears that they may weep day and night which if they experience in any desired measure then are they well satisfied and at ease making this an Ingredient of their Comfort stiling it melting and being affected which when they feel not they are all upon the whine and cannot be reconciled to their more deep solid and less superficial Repentings and Dolors But this womanish part of Repentance in God's Whinls as one used to call them though in its due degree and place desirable and commendable yet is the least considerable and lowest thing in it as every judicious Divine and Christian very well knows being only sensitive not deliberative or spiritual in its rise and acting and real nature and the former viz. melancholick Pensiveness and delight therein is no part of Repentance at all but only an effort of natural Constitution or a gratification thereof including nothing reasonable and humane nor divine and spiritual No more is any thing in that Person who cannot satisfactorily resolve that Quaere of the Psalmist Why art thou cast down ob my Soul And why art thou disquieted within me Psal 42. ult For this is distinctive of sound trouble and unsound the former has some special and particular Matter as a reason and ground to alledge for it self the latter either can give no reason at all or hovers in the wild confusion of generals whence it springs and how it rises and for what it is lies in the dark Let not that pass then for right trouble which cannot give a just account of it self at the bar of Reason guided by the Word of God and if it cannot stand there how will it plead before the Tribunal of Christ Where we must render a reason of all things done in the Flesh whether good or evil 2 Cor. 5.10 the very Thoughts of the heart being there to be judged Rom. 2.15 16. troubled and troubling thoughts as well as others As then those are infinitely blame-worthy who maintain an ungrounded Peace in their minds although their hearts have never been sensible and sick of their native habitual enmity against God and Holiness and will not be beaten out of their presumptuous confidence in the Goodness and Covenant of God although altogether unqualified and those also who being a little chastized with the Whips and Scorpions of the Law in a tart Conviction and Terror of Conscience soon grow weary of the burthen and pain and being more sick of their Corrosives than their Corruptions begin Dog-like to lick whole their Sores and will have the Promises right or wrong as a lenitive or stupefactive rather to ease their pains or destroy their sence though the Core abide within and being well-pleas'd and satisfy'd with the palliate Cure trail on a little while 'till the more deep lancings of a thorough Conviction discover the deceit or the incurable gangrene break out at Death and Judgment to their ineffable Horror So likewise are they worthy to be greatly blamed on the other hand who are really sick but afraid of Balm and the Physician and though every Sin be made grievous and pain them at the very heart and nothing in the World would be more acceptable than a Saviour whom to subject themselves to they appear heartily resolved and willing to embrace every one of his Laws yet make danger of applying to themselves and taking encouragement from his Promises of Mercy that in Him are Yea and in Him Amen because forsooth they are not so and so humbled holy affectionate c. As if 't was not Evangelical New Covenant-Perfection i. e. Vprightness but Legal Personal Vniversal and Perpetual Obedience which God required as the Condition of the Covenant of Grace and they must not dare to accept of Christ and his Benefits except they were so good before-hand as to stand in no need of them But why I beseech you thus in love with your own Torture and desirous still to abide upon the Rack of Anxiety and Dolour Trouble is not its own end God does not wound our Consciences or crucifie our Comfort in carnal Things merely because he loves to torment us or that we may be Devils to ourselves by protracting our own Woes beyond the bounds of Decorum and Necessity He only designs by the Antiperistasis of our Sorrows more to sweeten the Joys of his Salvation which he hath prepared for us and by mingling Gall and Wormwood with our delicious Sins to embitter that which only prepares us for and assigns us over unto the direful Miseries of everlasting Damnation In brief one would not think that the reason of any could be reconcil'd to their own Woes much less their Sense Yet common Experience tells us that some will every moment be conjuring up new Fiends to torture themselves and seem to study nothing else but by fetching in all the Fuel they can possibly reach and all the Fire that divine Vengeance breaths out in the Scriptures to kindle a Hell in their own Consciences as though Misery were their proper Element and infinitely more desirable than divine Mercy which they solicitously fly from and with all imaginable Artifice and Industry fence against as if in a pernicious Malice against themselves they were sure 't would be their utter undoing to be happy Corruption Temptation and a dark cloudy Complexion with confederate strength and stratagems besiege and storm their Imaginations which having invested from thence as a strong Citadel they batter down their Reason so that nothing can be heard or regarded but what will take the stronger side to war against Comfort and God Display before them all the amiable Beauties of Infinite Goodness and Love in its wonderful descents to the Chief of Sinners with whose Transgressions their sober Considerations cannot dare to equal their own Represent to their view in a clear Heaven of Light the incomprehensible Glories and Condescensions of the ever to be admired and adored Son of Righteousness whose astonishing Free Grace induced him to be willing for the sake of lost Mankind to suffer an Eclipse under that thick Cloud of divine Vengeance which was due for the Sins not of one particular Sinner only but of the whole World and the Merit of whose Passion was sufficient to expiate the Sins of infinite Worlds yet will they scarce allow this to be a balance for their own Lay open before their Eyes the rich and glorious Treasury of the divine Promises and gracious Invitations to such as are under like Circumstances with theirs and therefore to them as fully and clearly as if their Names were engraven in the Front of every one of those Bonds upon God's Fidelity or these written upon their own Foreheads or proclaimed to them by name from Heaven Discover to them with the brightest Evidence that their Spirit Condition Frame and Preparations are really such as God hath described and
our Minds are the more enlarged are our Hearts to receive Comfort from our raised Speculations if we conscionably improve them but if not so much the more Anguish Vexation and Torment He that knows most of God knows most to torture and rack his Conscience for ever if like a Devil he notwithstanding it rebel against God If thy Illuminations do not warm thy Affections of Desire and Love they will awaken those bitter Passions of Fear Grief Horror and Despair as anticipations and earnests of Everlasting Woes Labour therefore to superadd to thy knowledge of God a true Notion of thy self and thine own estate absolute and relative of the latter by the former For by what thou feelest thy self to be in thy self must thou judge what thou art in relation to God and thus thy inward sense must bottom thy Faith i. e. thou mayst have good ground to believe that God has justified pardoned accepted adopted thee and will save thee if thou feelest by inward sense that he hath Regenerated and Sanctified thee Thus the Psalmist ere he claim Propriety in God ver 22. lays the Foundation of that Assurance in Conscience of Innocency and Righteousness ver 21. Admit this to be meant of particular limited doing harm to none good to all or only to the Concern'd viz. his Enemies that sought his Life Yet since 't was such as could approve it self to God 't will infer universal For particular Justice c. is not to be pleaded before God if it be but Hypocritical and such it is if its Principles Motives Ends be unsound But if these be sound they will certainly be Introductive of nay they are Vniversal Righteousness That is if Love to God and Goodness respect to his Will and Command and an Eye to his Glory lead and induce thee to Act and regulate thee in harmlessness and just dealing with Men they will not permit thee to rest there but with the same Efficacy and generous Violence urge and command thee into Sobriety and Godlyness Yea Love to God and Goodness is eminently both Particular Justice then without Universal is mere Hypocrisie and upon a bottom so base so weak so sandy no wise Man dare build the confidence to say My God no nor arrogate to himself a privilege of so noble and eminent a Nature no nor lastly would a serious Considerer so much as dare to mention Innocency and Righteousness toward Man in a solemn Address to God without a secret check from his own Conscience for and a serious deprecation anent his own Injustice and Nocency before the Divine Majesty had he not some inward Testimony of his Uprightness We will then adventure to suppose this carriage toward Man to be only an instance of that Cátholick Sincerity whereof the Psalmist was an excellent Pattern and mentioned as an aggravating Circumstance inhancing the guilt of these Persecutors that brake in Pieces God's People ver 3. Viz. That they did this without any manner of Provocation merely out of Malice against their Goodness and Relation to God and him in particular only upon false and ungrounded surmises However this be 't is certain that if a Man do not partake of the Divine Nature in Holiness in Faith Vertue Knowledge Temperance Patience Godliness Brotherly Kindness Love he can never make his Calling and Election sure 2 Pet. 1.4 5 6 7 10. i. e. except a Man know God experimentally in having his Image renew'd upon his Soul he can never know God comfortably in any true assurance of his Love and Favour and pardoning Grace therefore never solace himself with the being much less abundance of Peace Thus then if thou know'st not God thou knowest not thy self if thou know'st not thy self thou knowest not God Here therefore Oh my Soul lay out thine endeavours and cares to get a true understanding of thy state whether truly Sanctified Thou hast no true peace if not born again to it Get a distinct notion concerning the New Birth in general and thine own in particular For thou hast nothing to do with any thing in God if thou be'st not again begotten of God Lastly Endeavour to attain a clear notion of the Covenant of Grace its Nature terms and Obligation For be there never so much Comfort in God and never so much need and disposedness in thee for it yet what can make God so far a Debtor to thee as to necessitate him to bestow it on thee if he do not oblige himself thereto To that Covenant then do'st thou owe all thy right unto and hopes of enjoying God and his Consolations If thou found not thy confidence there 't is lost and thy self also No wise Man will neglect the perusal of those Deeds by which he holds his Inheritance Thy Comforts are indeed but only Copy-bold look to it 4. I advised to endeavour a clear understanding of thine absolute state of Sanctification under the preceeding Particular upon Supposition of such a state in Being But what if it be not Non entis nulla est scientia We know not that which is not Least therefore an error be found in the very Foundation of all in that which above all things is most essential to and differential of true Comfort my next Rule is about that Make sure that thou be converted from Darkness to Light and from the Power of Satan to God Lay the Ground Work of thy Peace in true Penitence For as Seneca Fidelissimus ad honesta ex Poenitentia transitus I subjoyn ad solantia Nat. quaest 1.3 init Repentance most undeceivingly leads to honesty and peace Thou canst never pass by Land to Paradise but by Water the Sea of godly Sorrow The Laver must stand betwixt the Tent and the Altar wash thou must ere thou canst make Atonement with the Psalmist thou must be righteous and innocent ere God revive thee The Wisdom that descends from above is first pure then peaceable Jam. 3.17 None but the Eagle can face the Sun A Salamander cannot subsist in Water nor a Fish in Fire Nothing that is unholy can live in the Element of everlasting Light Joy and Rest None but a true and honest Heart must be blest with a Heaven of unperishable Consolation God will not justifie and encourage Wickedness by the entail of true Contentation nor appropriate the Portion of his Friends to his Enemies Give the Childrens Bread to Dogs neither deny Celestial Manna to his Israel though in the Wilderness Even Rocks shall yield Honey to his People that hearken to his voice and walk in his ways Psal 81.13 16. And he speaks peace only to his People and holy or merciful ones Psal 85.8 and none are ever made such except only by Regeneration The single Eye sees farthest none but pure Hearts can look into Heaven and there see Visions of Peace If old Simeon wait and hope to see the Consolations of Israel he must be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 just and devout Luk. 2.25 which no Man is by Nature
but only by converting Grace God alone enjoys himself in perfect Rest nor can any thing partake of this Moral Rest further than 't is happy in a Participation of the nature of God Whatever is in God is necessarily in him and the Combination of all his Excellencies is as necessary as their Existence 't is impossible that any one should be without all the rest and the rest without any one Indeed they are all but one Essence and that one Nature is all undividedly They are also inseparable in all their Emanations and Outgoings to his Servants If any be communicated to Man all other that are communicable accompany it Wherever then the Divine Life in Holiness diffuses it self 't is seconded with its Individual Companion Happiness If a Man have no feeling of this 't is because be hath none of the other See to it then Oh my Soul that thou be formed after the Similitude of God as ever thou hopest for Satisfaction in and from him Conformity to the Divine Will in its Precepts is indispensibly required in order to inheriting the Promises God himself neither will nor can comfort thee if Ungodlike but only by first making thee Godlike till thou communicate in his Sanctity thou canst not communicate in his Love 't is impossible to be happy in his Peace when thou art miserable in his Enmity or rationally to conclude that he loves thee when thou knowest he hates thy Lusts which yet are unseparated from thee and therefore hast all the reason in the World to believe that for their sake he hates thy Person 't is not possible to know that he respects thee when thou knowest that thou hatest Him To thy Work then or take thy doom converted thou must be or comforted thou canst not be Oh! as thou iovest thy Life thy Peace and an everlasting state of Glory and Felicity in Heaven retire into thy self Survey all thy inward Recesses dive into the bottom of that Sea of filthiness in which thou art naturally drenched and at the point of Drowning and which casts up all that abominable Mire and Filth and Poison that renders thee infinitely hateful to God and rages as a secret Plague and Pestilence in thy Heart and Bowels to gripe and gnaw thee to Death everlasting Oh behold how nasty odious detestable execrable it has made thee the very scum and offscouring of the Creation fit for nothing but the Dunghil and Dungeon of everlasting darkness to be consumed in the ever-burning unquenchable Tophet of Divine Indignation Oh look into that foul loathsome Sty of ordure and rottenness thy wicked Heart what Toads what Vipers are thence crawling out continually by Legions Sins of Complexion Age Calling Customary Beloved Master Sins thy own thy other Mens appropriated by thy Consent Counsel Connivence if not Compulsion Oh how numerous Oh how hainous How soon did'st thou begin like a bloody Butcher thus mortally to Wound thy self How long hast thou continued with a never ceasing frenzy and fury to gore and torture thy self in every Limb every Faculty every Place Time Company as if thou couldest never be barbarously enough truculent in thine own Execution except thou couldest create a raging Hell in every distinct atom of Body and Soul and by infinite Tormentors Devils rack and rend and tear thy self with the most intensive Cruciations O what a World of Light of Love of Means of Calls of Motions of Motives of Blessings of Prayers of Vows Promises Covenant Engagements Resolutions Professions Convictions Corrections c. hast thou with a shameless sauciness dared to tread in the Dirt and hast broke through all the Rampires that Conscience Education Awe Providence Law Divine Humane and their severest Sanctions have set up against thee that in a desperate madness of fool-hardy impudence thou mightest spew thy stinking Vomits in the very face of boundless Goodness and Righteousness Oh the beastlyness of thy Fleshly Lusts Oh the heathenishness of thy Worldly Lusts Oh the devilishness of thy Spiritual Wickedness Could'st thou but command a view of them in their malignant venomous hellish Nature all those Infernal Fiends that inhabit the black Recesses of everlasting Darkness all the dismal Plagues and Horrors of that doleful Region of Fire and Brimstone could not make or present a Spectacle of greater Formidableness and Deformity Yet all this is intimately within thee cleaving as close to thee as thy very Nature as inseparable as thy desire of it and delight in it can possibly make it a sight that would make thee quiver be sick and swoon and die should the Lord fully open thine Eyes Oh wretched Soul who shall deliver thee who shall relieve thee Thou art as black as Hell as foul a sink of Contagious Filth and Putrefaction as infects the World the chief of Sinners not knowing so much of aggravation in the sin of Devils themselves as thou do'st of thine own yet do'st not know the one half Oh accursed of God by Nature and Practice What wilt thou do What! wilt thou plead with thy Maker Where do'st thou think to appear What Mountains and Rocks wilt thou call to cover thee from the face of him that sits upon the Throne and from the Wrath of the Lamb How wilt thou stand at that dreadful Tribunal How darest thou look at God or into thy self where thou wilt find Creatures of thine own Sins I mean of a more prodigious frightful hue than Beelzebub himself Oh look upon them and tremble look till thy Heart ake and break and sink and sweat in an agony of Blood and Woe look and be in Pangs like those of a Woman in Travail look till the Sluces break open till thou canst pour out thy strength in a flood of godly Sorrow Ah wretch What hast thou done Whom hast thou Wronged Dishonoured Crucified Murthered First by thy ungodliness and worldly Lusts next afresh by thy Impenitence Unbelief and neglect of the healing Balsam which he tenders in his own Blood Ah Beast Bedlam Blood-sucker Murtherer Hast thou bathed thine Hands in thine own and the Heart-blood of God And does it not cut thee to the Heart Art thou still offering the most vile horrid cruel Affronts Indignities Injuries to the Eternal Father of Heaven the Blessed Jesus his only begotten dearly beloved Son to the Holy Spirit of Promise and yet rock and adamant untouched undissolved unaffected Oh Savage Monster Oh barbarous Homicide Deicide again to rake in the Heart and tear the Flesh and bore the Hands and Feet and spit in the Face of infinite Love that bleeds over thee in thy Blood and melts into the tenderest Commiserations when thou art drowning thy self in the deepest pit of Perdition Did he suffer such dolorous Torturings in his Body but an infinitely more intolerable Hell in his Soul for thy sake to quicken thee even when thou art killing him anew by thy Sin And does he with such yerning Bowels of compassion strive with thee if it be possible to exalt and
engage my self to the use of all possible means of thy appointment to suppress all Motions to Sin to strengthen and renew my Resolutions dayly to establish me against Temptations and carry me on in an assiduous Exercise of Repentance till I have no more Sin to repent of and yet will not account this any Amends for the Wrong I have done thee but in an absolute Renunciation of all that I am can be or do my repenting it self my holy Duties my striving against Sin the World the Devil and my Religious Performances as altogether insufficient and unavailable to give Compensation or secure me from Justice I come despairing of my self and all the stock I can be furnish'd with at home hopeless and helpless by the whole world and in an humble and hearty Prostration of Soul throw down my self at thy feet seeking Relief where alone it is to be found and that is in thy self Oh Lord thy Son and Spirit and therefore with my whole mind will desire delight and strength I freely heartily fully give up my self all my Powers and Possibilities unto thee alone avouching Thee only to be my God and All-sufficient Goodness and Happiness and therefore with a lowly Reverence and Submission I cast my self as thy sworn Vassal at thy gracious Foot-stool in a sincere and absolute Choice and Acceptance of Thee O blessed Trinity Father Son and Holy Ghost for my sole Portion and Rest dedicating my self from my very inmost Soul to Thee O Heavenly Father as my Soveraign Creator Owner and Governour to be wholly and unreservedly Thine entirely at thy Disposal from the very bottom of my Heart devoting the Remainder of my Spirits Strength and Life universally to thy Fear Love Honour Worship and Service in the Works of Repentance and Mortification of my Sin watchfulness against and resistance of Temptation and over my Heart and Way and diligence in exercising my self unto Godliness Righteousness and Sobriety And to this purpose as one utterly lost and undone in my self with a renewed humble Veneration I offer up my self wholly to thee O blessed Redeemer of the World the only begotten Son of the Eternal Father and with a bleeding broken Heart that hath no other relief but only in and through thee being in my self a very Hell of Wickedness and Woe condemned by thy Law condemned by mine own Conscience I lift up mine Eyes look unto and long for thee O dear Lord Jesus as my only Saviour Joy and Crown thee I earnestly press after I value above my Life my Hopes my Soul heartily approving of pleasing my self in and closing with that Method of Salvation ordained through thee as the only Mean and Help into the Favour and Love of God Therefore with the All of my Understanding and Will and Might I chuse and embrace and honour and love and delight and rejoyce in and venture my self my hopes my happiness my All upon thee for ever and ever trusting solely to thy Merit and Mediation accepting Thee in all thy Offices and Relations as Prophet Priest King Wisdom Righteousness Sanctification Redemption as my Soveraign Lord and Master the only Espoused Bridegroom of my Soul resolving through thy Grace to betake my self only to Thee to be Thine alone abrenunciating and disclaiming all that stands in competition with Thee and receiving cordially all thy Holy Counsels and Laws as the only Guide and Rule of my Thoughts Affections Words and Actions with a thorow purpose and endeavour to take the highest Care under the Aids of thy Grace both to conform in every thing thereto and boggle at no difficulties dangers or sufferings which I may expect or meet with in these thy ways but persevere therein to the end neither shall any Corruption within or Temptation from without have my heart or liking or allowance so as to withdraw my Soul from these Holy Resolves For which end I cast my self whole and entire upon thy Free Grace and Almighty Power and Holy Spirit to work in me both to will and to do all according to thy good pleasure being firmly engaged to be Thine and to take Thee to be Mine without a Moments farther Procrastination Come Holy Ghost Eternal God and breathe into my Soul infuse thy Gifts and Graces communicating thy Power to a poor impotent succourless Sinner that here lo consecrates himself to Thee and with a self-resigning Spirit resolves to venture all upon thy Conduct and Influence to be at thy Beck and Command in all things not knowing nor being able nor therefore willing to do any thing without thee Inspire my Mind direct my Heart awe my Conscience regulate my Life strengthen and uphold my goings that notwithstanding mine own insufficiency I may by Thee be enlarged in heart to run in the ways of thy Commandments And now Merciful God Father Son and Holy Ghost through that All-sufficient Merit that has procured all Blessings accept of me and own me as none of mine own but thy Portion and Inheritance who have taken Thee to be mine This this O my Soul is the One thing needful to be done in good earnest speedily with an uncontroulable Bent and Steadiness of Will and never to be repented of I am pained in my very Soul for and heartily bewail my Neglects Deferrings and Aversations And here I am blessed Lord setting to my Seal and firmly binding my self in this my Baptismal Covenant with an irreversible purpose to act all the remainder of my Life thro' thy Mercy and Assistance only according to the Tenour of it Be serious then here O my Soul or thou abjurest all solid Consolation Thou canst never enjoy good Hopes without a good Conscience If thou desirest to build high in thy Comforts be sure thou lay a good Foundation If thou never enterest into such Meditations and Resolutions as these bid everlastingly adieu to all true Contentation If thou do not really turn to God thou turnest away thy Peace The Holy Ghost will never be a Comforter where He is not a Converter Except thou be born again of Water and the Spirit thou canst not enter into the Kingdom of God the Kingdom of Peace See to it therefore that thou be raised from thy Death in Trespasses and Sins as ever thou desirest a Resurrection of thy Joys No Purity no Peace 5. Having thus begun go on Make Repentance Mortification Watchfulness Faith Love Resignation to the Will of God thy daily uninterrupted Exercise and endeavour to grow in all and be upright in all else all 's nothing Make Sincerity thy great Aim and Endeavour Hypocrisie is Heritor no where but in the Land of Darkness and dismal Woe Thy Joys will resemble their Parents If they be a Cheat so will they also Be really good and eminently so too Aut Caesar aut nullus Lean Graces do but devour fat Comforts never enjoy them The sweetest promises yield no lasting Refreshment to fickle hearts unestablished with Grace If thy Spiritual Strength be small when thy standing in
Memory which are but dead things mere Carcasses of Devotion not to be insisted on in Competiton with an enlarged Heart Take with thee Words and turn unto the Lord. Lord at thy bidding I will take thy Words which thy self here prescribes Hosea 14.2 3. They shall be my stinted Liturgy none can tell which will be acceptable to thee better than thy self What are they Take away Iniquity and receive us graciously so will we render the Calves of our Lips What 's that The substance is Praise But some Antients thus descant upon it Calves not of our Stall Mal. 4.2 but Lips When a Calf or other Beast was to be Sacrificed to which this is an allusion God required the Blood the Fat and sometimes the Flesh but never the Skin and Hair these were to be carried away and burnt in another place The Blood of these Calves of the Lips is Faith in the Blood of Christ which is the Life of Prayer and Praise The Fat pure and holy Affection and Grace Sorrow Desire Love Delight Hope c. The Flesh is the matter or thing pray'd for Wisdom Righteousness Sanctification Redemption c. The Skin and Hairs the Words and Expressions with the Method Mode Order which if alone and not spirited with the former are of no value with God who looks at Things not Words and Phrases They must indeed be brought to God in vocal Prayer which is never a Duty except when we joyn with others and they with us and we must see that all accord with or do not disagree from the general Rules of the Scripture But 't is a folly to think that we for these are more acceptable in Person or that our Prayers the Flesh the Fat the Blood are more well-pleasing to God We must not lay any stress upon put any confidence in that which God will not vouchsafe his Altar to Sanctifie Offer then even this vocal Prayer God expects in some cases this in Conjunction but take heed O my Soul of relying upon it as such viz. the Skin without the other in Separation Whether form or no form what matters it 't is but Skin and Hair Why so much adoe about it Give the main to God or thou givest nothing God will take off the Skin and burn it burn not thy Fingers about it 't is not for the Altar Oh bring that chiefly which must be presented there God is a Spirit what are Words to him Oh let thy Prayers be all Spirit Words are but the vehicle sometimes only Aereal mere Wind seldom Aethereal defecate and pure Quintescence without Froth and Vanity c. However O see thou that there be an Angel within if there be not an Intelligence to turn about this Orb of Devotion if a Soul do not animate this Body of Duty away with it to the dunghil with it 't is but mere Carrion Bring the Male in thy Flock not this corrupt thing Thou canst never derive Comfort from Heaven if thou lay nothing upon God's Altar but Froth and Wind. Substantial Prayers and all substance is an invisible inward thing and these alone introduce solid and substantial Consolations 2 Thes 2.16 Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God even our Father which hath loved us and given us everlasting Consolation through Grace 17. Comfort your Hearts and stablish you in every good Word and Work 1 Thes 5.23 And the very God of Peace sanctifie you wholly and I pray God your whole Spirit and Soul and Body be preserved blameless unto the Coming of our Lord Jesus Christ Heb. 19.20 Now the God of Peace who hath raised from the Dead our Lord Jesus Christ that great Shepherd of the Sheep through the Blood of the everlasting Covenant 21. Make you perfect in every good Work to do his Will working in you that which is well-pleasing in his sight through Jesus Christ to whom be Glory for ever and ever Amen FINIS THE CONTENTS Chap. I. THE Introduction with the Explication of the Terms and their Sense Critical and Moral and Doctrine page 1. Chap. II. The Doctrine explained in a Resolution of three Queries a three-fold Essay p. 9. 1. The Character of the Psalmist not so much Personal as Moral which determines the Subject universally p. 10. 1. He was a Man that lived under a due and deep sense of God ibid. Chap. III. 2. He was a Man of Prayer p. 18. Chap. IV. 3. That lived by Faith not by Sight p. 25. Chap. V. 4. That did not live under the reproach of his own conscience p. 31. 1. He was very sensible of the odiousness of Sin to God ibid. Chap. VI. 2. Consciencious in the observance of his Duty to Man p. 45. Chap. VII 5. Of a Publick Spirit p. 73. Chap. VIII 6. Honours God 's Discipline Instructive Corrective p. 121. Chap. IX 7. A Man of Experience Eyes God in all things p. 133. Chap. X. 8. Seeks Comfort solely in and from God p. 140. Chap. XI 2. The Nature and Quality of the Psalmists Thoughts p. 151. 1. Fearing Thoughts p. 156. 2. Grieving Thoughts p. 164. 3. Despairing Thoughts page 174. Chap. XII 3. What Comforts these are in general p. 175. Chap. XIII 1. Comforts in God which God is derived from p. 182. 1. His Existence ibid. 2. His Names and Titles p. 183. 3. His Attributes p. 184. § 1. His Wisdom and Omniscience p. 185. 2. His Goodness p. 189. 3. His Justice p. 207. 4. His Omnipotence p. 224. 5. His Fidelity and Vnchangableness p. 234. 6. His Presence p. 241. 7. His Eternity p. 258. Chap. XIV 2. Comforts from God which God gives in p. 265. 1. Providence p. 266. 2. Privileges p. 269. 1. Sanctification ibid. 2. Propriety in God and assurance of it p. 276. 3. Experiences p. 286. Chap. XV. Inferences 1. Doctrinal 1. 't is lamentable to be left to our own Thoughts p. 296. 2. The best may be in perplexities inextricable by Nature p. 298. 3. The infinite Condescention of God in the Provision he hath made for us p. 302. Chap. XVI 2. Elenctical 1. Convictive 1. Theoretical confutes the Doctrine of Incertitude p. 305. 2. Practical establishing the conscience in the right method of discriminating true and false Comforts which differ p. 309. 1. In their Origin p. 310. 2. Their Attendants p. 317. 3. Their tendency and effects p. 330. 2. Reprehensive for neglect of preparing for and possessing our selves of Divine Comforts p. 337. Chap. XVII 3. Paideutical or Instructive how to attain solid Comforts p. 352. 1. Be Men of Thoughts p. 353. 2. Indeavour to attain Ability to give Law to Thoughts p. 361. 3. Get a clear notion of God and Goodness p. 366. 4. Lay the Foundation of Peace in Repentance and Holiness p. 375 376. 5. Be fervent and constant in Prayer p. 401. ADVERTISEMENT These BOOKS are Published by the Reverend Mr. Oliver Heywood M. A. Minister of the Gospel and Sold by Thomas Parkhurst at the Bible and Three Crowns in Cheapside viz. 1. BAptismal Bonds Renewed being some Meditations on Psal 50.5 2. Closet Prayer a Christians Duty 3. Sure Mercies of David 4. Israels Lamentation after the Lord. 5. The Holy Life and Happy Death of Mr. John Angier Minister formerly at Denton near Manchester 6. Advice to an only Child or excellent Counsel to all young Persons 7. Best Intail a Discourse on 2 Sam. 23.5 8. Family Altar a Discourse on Gen. 35.2 3. for to promote the Worship of God in private Families 9. Meetness for Heaven on Colos 1.12 designed for a Funeral Legacy 10. The New Creature on Gal. 6.15 lately Published 11. The General Assembly or a Discourse of the gathering of all Saints to Christ BOOKS Written by the Reverend Mr. J. How OF Thoughtfulness for the Morrow With an Appendix concerning the immoderate Desire of Foreknowing Things to come Of Charity in reference to other Mens Sins A Sermon at the Funeral of Mr. Richard Adams M. A. sometime Fellow of Brazen-Nose College in Oxford The Redeemer's Tears wept over lost Souls In a Treatise on Luke 19.41 42. With an Appendix wherein somewhat is occasionally discoursed concerning the Sin against the Holy Ghost and how God is said to will the Salvation of them that perish A Sermon directing what we are to do after a strict enquiry Whether or no we truly love God A Funeral Sermon for Mrs. Esther Sampson the late Wife of Henry Sampson Doctor of Physick The Carnality of Religious Contention In Two Sermons preach'd at the Merchants Lecture in Broad-street A Sermon for Reformation of Manners A Sermon preach'd on the Day of Thanksgiving December 2. 1697. to which is prefix'd Dr. Bates's Congratulatory Speech to the King A Calm and Sober Enquiry concerning the Possibility of a Trinity in the God-head A Letter to a Friend concerning a Postscript to the Defence of Dr. Sherlock's Notion of the Trinity in Unity relating to the Calm and Sober Enquiry upon the same Subject A View of that part of the late Considerations to H. H. about the Trinity Which concerns the Sober Enquiry on that Subject The Redeemer's Dominion over the Invisible World A Funeral Sermon for Mrs. Hammond A Funeral Sermon for Dr. Will. Bates A Funeral Sermon for Mr. Mat. Mead. This Written by Mr. Flavel THE Fountain of Life open'd or a Display of Christ in his Essential and Mediatorial Glory containing Forty two Sermons on various Texts Wherein the Impetration of our Redemption by Jesus Christ is orderly unfolded as it was begun carried on and finished by his Covenant Transaction Mysterious Incarnation solemn Call and Dedication blessed Offices deep Abasement and Supereminent Advancement