wonderful efficacy of Love to God and Divine things VI. SIxthly Labour to be affected as much as is possible with the Love of God and Divine things To Faith add Love they are joyned together in Scripture and should be conjoyned in the hearts of Christians In 1 Thessalonians 5.8 Love as well as Faith is called a breast-plate whereby we may be secured against the assaults of temptations If the Love of God be perfected in us we shall find Self-denial and Self-Resignation as easie and pleasant as heart can wish Love will make us think nothing precious that God will have us part with it will make us with great chearfulness to part with a right eye a right hand our own will if it offend us It will make us without grudging to cross our own will when it contradicts the Will of our Beloved It will cause us to believe no suffering harsh that God shall inflict no duty difficult which he shall command This is the love of God that we keep his Commandments and his Commandments are not grievous 1 John 5. 3. If you love me is a familiar and potent form of speech with us to perswade one another to the doing or forbearing any thing and what humane love doth work among men that and wuch more will be effected by divine Love This is a far more powerful and vigorous principle of action And yet the effects of that Love have been very strange and wonderful the observation whereof hath caused them to be sung by Poets and copiously set forth in Romances which are imitations of true Histories Solus amor est qui nomen difficultatis erubescit It is Love alone that is ashamed to mention difficulty saith St. Austin Nay Love welcomes difficulties and pleaseth itself in hard instances of obedience because by them it sheweth forth more of its reality strength and power Easie and ordinary performances being but mean and short significations of a hearty love And the greatest and bravest atchievements such acts as are most heroick as denying our selves in what is most dear to us are the true and proper results and expressions of divine Love these are the worthy exploits of this holy affection Love makes the noblest Champions in the Holy War against Sin the World and Satan and animates a Christian to the greatest adventures As for easie and common performances 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a cheap and costless Religion and Self-denial in small matters viz. in such things as a man is but little inclined to and are less for his pleasure and advantage the divine Love is less solicitous about them But it chuseth rather to awaken and animate the Soul to the harder services of Religion It doth not think it quitteth it self in engaging against the weaker lusts or in taking some of the slight out-works but it sets its self against the most powerful Corruptions it plants its batteries against 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the strong holds the inmost Fort where Self-will hath ensconced her self The weapons of its warfare are not carnal but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds casting down imaginations or reasonings 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and every high thing that exalteth it self against the knowledge of God and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. There is a lion in the way is the voice of the cold and lazy Sluggard but this is no discouragement to the Lover of God it affrights him not Nay so far is this Love from being cooled and disheartned by difficulties and oppositions that it is rather kindled and improved By these it heightens it self into an holy indignation against whatsoever would attempt to draw it from God Many waters cannot quench love neither can the flouds drown it Nay as water cast into lime they increase instead of lessening its heat Love though it be a soft and delicate affection yet it is hardy and strong withall Love is strong as death and it is as ingenuous and noble as strong for if a man would give all the substance of his house for love it would utterly be contemned Neither the hard and evil things which the world threatens nor the most tempting allurements of the world or the flesh can either affright or corrupt that heart where the divine Love rules from a faithful adhering to the will of God But to the several temptations it meets with in the world this is the constant resolute answer of every holy Lover as it was Iosephs How can I do this wickedness and sin against God Yea Love enables a Christian to do his duty much sooner and better That which is in others the effect of great severity to the body long fastings and other toilsome exercises often repeated is done in a more compendious and effectual way by the power of Love in such Christians as are indued with a more than ordinary measure of it Now that this Divine Love may be inkindled in us and the flame of it more and more increased First Let us very often lift up the eyes of our mind and fix them upon those infinitely lovely perfections glories and excellencies that are in God which the holy Scriptures do so abound with the mention and celebrations of Let us view these frequently in the Scriptures and also in the works of Creation and Providence Let us often consider with our selves how that all the lovelinesses and sweetnesses that are in Creatures are but so many drops from the fountain of them that is God and that every Love-attracting excellency every thing which the world calls precious and desireable is but a very weak resemblance of what is to be tasted and enjoyed in him Secondly Let us also as frequently contemplate those transcendent and invaluable mercies and favours those numberless benefits and kindnesses which we stand obliged to God for And above all that Gift of Gifts his Son in whom he expressed a Love to us that passeth knowledge Would we have the fire of holy Love kindled in our Breasts let us I say dwell very much in the admiring contemplation of the Divine Excellencies and the Divine Benefits The Contemplation of the infinite Perfections that are in God will render all things contemptible compared with him and consequently make them weak unperswading untempting things What Pythagoras said he learned by his Philosophy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to admire nothing we shall learn by this Contemplation When the Soul hath inured her self to view the Divine Glories how near to nothing is this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the whole Universe in its eyes what a little spot and point When she hath been upon the Mount with God and ravished her self with his astonishing beauty she must needs be affected with such a magnanimity and generosity of spirit as will couragiously repell the strongest temptations she meets with to withdraw her from a close union and conjunction of will and affection to him And the consideration of the
for the propagation of it as being truly sensible that it is the very Life and Soul of Christianity He appeared to all that knew him to have a vigorous sense of this Principle most of his Discourses in the Pulpit were much tinctured with it and he gave many singular proofs of his living under the power and government of it If the Author's Copiousness of Style and repeating according to his usual manner the same thing somewhat often in different expressions shall offend any I would desire them to consider that this way is not without its advantages both to Hearers and Readers For by this means the matters discoursed are made the more intelligible to the meaner Capacities and apt to make in all sorts the deeper and more abiding impression And however it happens we find by experience that one manner of expressing a thing doth frequently more affect us than another that 's as proper as significant and as easily understood If any shall object against the Author's repeating some of his Motives to the seeking among his Directions for the obtaining a Resigned Temper they ought to remember that the same Considerations may serve very properly both those purposes in different respects If some of the Arguments in the former Section shall seem in effect and for substance the same this will not be looked upon as a just ground of exception by those that shall perceive that they occasion however distinct Discourses and those very pertinent and profitable and 't is sufficient if there be but a modal difference betwixt heads of discourse Now the God of all Grace without whose Blessing all our Endeavors prove ineffectual make this Treatise with all other the pious Labours of his Servants instrumental to the furthering the great End of our Christian Faith The conforming us more and more to the Divine Will and Likeness the qualifying us by Purity of Heart and a participation of that Image of God which consists in Righteousness and true Holiness for his special favour and complacential love in this World and a glorious Immortality in the complete enjoyment of the ever blessed Trinity in the World to come And to conclude with that excellent Prayer in our Liturgy Prevent us O Lord in all our doings with thy most gracious favour and further us with thy continual help that in all our works begun continued and ended in thee we may glorifie thy holy Name and finally by thy Mercy obtain Everlasting Life through Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen Edward Fowler THE CONTENTS Of the following Treatise SECT I. Considerations recommending the Duty of SELF-RESIGNATION to our most serious and diligent Practice pag. 7 CHAP. I. THat it is the Law of our Creation both first and second The Consideration of God as a second Creator shewed mightily to inforce our Engagement to this Duty upon a fourfold account 7 CHAP. II. That Self-Resignation is that which doth eminently difference a good man from the Devil and the wicked And that mere external Performances do not distinguish between the one and the other 12 CHAP. III. That Self-Resignation is the most acceptable way of glorifying God and that he is honoured by no performances separated from this 17 CHAP. IV. That Self-Resignation is the way to light even in the greatest difficulties and perplexities whether they be in reference to our duty or in reference to our condition and state 21 CHAP. V. That Self-Resignation is the way to rest and peace That those that have attained thereunto find satisfaction and pleasure both in doing and suffering the Will of God That it procures outward as well as inward peace and that Self-willedness is that which puts the World into Confusion 30 CHAP. VI. That Self-Resignation is the way to true Liberty and Freedom of Spirit and the contrary to perfect Slavery and Thraldome 37 CHAP. VII That Self-Resignation is the Sum of the Gospel-Commands That all the Ordinances of the Gospel and even Faith it self are in order to this 46 CHAP. VIII That Self-Resignation is that wherein consisteth the power of Godliness and that as it distinguisheth both from the insincere and the weak Christian. 50 CHAP. IX That Self-Resignation is the Establishment of God's Kingdom in us here and is an Introduction to his Kingdom of Glory hereafter 58 CHAP. X. That Self-will is the Root of all Sin and Misery 61 CHAP. XI That the Love of Christ in dying for Sinners makes the Duty of Self-Resignation most highly reasonable and lays the greatest obligation upon us thereunto 64 CHAP. XII That the high and holy Example of Christ layeth a mighty Obligation on Christians to Self-Resignation 68 SECT II. Directions for the attaining this most excellent Temper of SELF-RESIGNATION 75 CHAP. I. THat in order to the resigning our Wills intirely to the Will of God we should frequently consider such principles as are most available to the effectual subduing them thereunto And several such Principles further inlarged on 75 CHAP. II. That humble and fervent Prayer is a necessary and effectual means to the attaining the grace of Self-Resignation 90 CHAP. III. That in order to our being entirely resigned to the Divine Will we must be willing pati Deum to suffer God and abide the power of his Spirit working in us 95 CHAP. IV. That we are not onely to suffer the Spirit to work in us but ought also to work with him in heartily opposing our Self-desires and what endeavours we should use is shewed in five Particulars 99 CHAP. V. Of the great power and efficacy of Faith in God Faith in his Power and Goodness 106 CHAP. VI. Of the wonderful efficacy of Love to God and Divine things 120 CHAP. VII That Humility is a powerful means to the attaining of Self-Resignation where it is particularly shewn how it is effectual thereunto both as it implieth obedience to God's Commands and as it implies patient submission to his disposals 136 CHAP. VIII That the serious observation of the great Examples of Self-Resignation which are recorded in the Scriptures is of great use and advantage And first of the Example of ABRAHAM 147 CHAP. IX Of the Example of JOB 158 CHAP. X. Of the Example of ELY 177 CHAP. XI Of the Example of DAVID 180 CHAP. XII Of the Example of our BLESSED SAVIOUR 190 CHAP. XIII Of the Example of the Apostle Saint PAUL 195 CHAP. XIV That the consideration of Christ crucified is a very effectual means for the crucifying of the old man 205 CHAP. XV. That the frequent consideration of the great Recompence of Reward is a mighty help to the attaining of Self-Resignation 226 Errata PAg. 82. lin 1. for power r. prosper p. 233. in the marg r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 235. l. 13. for momentary r. momentany THE INTRODUCTION AMongst all Divine Truths none are more frequently more powerfully to be prest and urged than those that are wholly practical that refer to Spiritual Obedience that pertain 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to life and
dwell in the high and holy place with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit to revive the spirit of the humble and to revive the spirit of the contrite ones Isaiah lvii 15. Humility disposeth to gratitude and gratitude fits us to receive more from God for a grateful Soul will set a high value upon his blessings and most gladly give him the glory of his grace The humble Christian thinks himself with Iacob less than the least of all God's mercies and consequently he will be heartily thankful for the least and by being thus affected he becomes meet for the greatest and therefore cannot fail of it It is to be observed that when Iacob was in this humble and self-abasing temper it was that he saw God face to face at Peniel Then it was that he was honoured with the name Israel and as a Prince had power with God and men and prevailed But on the contrary Pride and Self-fulness which is ever accompanied with unthankfulness makes men uncapable of receiving the Divine Grace And therefore the Pharisees who gloried in themselves that they were righteous and despised others that were not sick but whole and healthy in their own conceit died of their diseases notwithstanding the great Physician of Souls was so long among them Now there are two graces that Humility gives a peculiar fitness for two of the first magnitude and greatest influence of the greatest use and consequence in a Christians life viz. The Love of God and Faith or Trust in him 'T is evident that Humility hath a peculiar fitness to cherish and increase the grace of Love for the more sensible any one is of his great unworthiness and ill-deservings the more he must needs love God for having so gracious a regard to him the more will he admire and adore the riches of his Grace And 't is as evident that Humility affordeth the like advantage for the Grace of Faith or trust in God for the more sensible a Christian is of his own impotence the more will he rely upon the Divine Power and Goodness for the supply of his wants having so many promises to encourage him The sense of our own weakness will make us distrust our selves the more we distrust our selves the more shall we stay our Souls on God and confide in his Wisdom Power and Grace Now we have particularly shewn of how great efficacy both these Vertues are to enable us to this Duty of Self-Resignation CHAP. VIII That the serious observation of the great Examples of Self-Resignation which are recorded in the Scriptures is of great use and advantage And first of the Example of ABRAHAM VIII EIghthly Look to those lively Patterns and Examples of Self-Resignation set before us in the Holy Scriptures These are of singular use and advantage to be seriously considered For they plainly shew this holy disposition of spirit to be attainable and that God requires herein nothing of us that is impossible Could they do thus and cannot we by the same divine help and power do the like which we have shewn is attainable by us as well as them They were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 subject to like passions with us they were flesh and bloud as we are and naturally as weak and infirm as our selves and God is the same in Power and Goodness now that ever he was And this may commend to us the fulness of the Scriptures that besides the best Precepts and Rules we have the best Patterns and Examples recorded in them of every grace and virtue So that by the guidance and assistance of the Holy Spirit the Christian man may be perfected throughly furnished unto every good work The best Rules of the best life are laid down in the divinely inspired Writings and they are plain and intelligible especially to those that have the good and honest heart but Examples superadded to Rules and Patterns to Precepts make both more instructive and as well encourage as direct our Practice And we having a many worthy Examples upon record of this Self-Resignation the Lesson becomes neither too high nor hard for us to understand or practice How many Precepts have we in Scripture to engage us to Chastity and Purity Meekness and Patience Faith and Charity to an holy resolvedness in owning of God and adhering to his ways and unweariedness in doing good and to every other grace and virtue And have we not besides others the Example of Ioseph for Chastity Moses for Meekness Iob for Patience Abraham for Faith Dorcas and Cornelius for Charity Daniel for an holy resolvedness of spirit in owning God S. Paul for an unwearied Zeal and above all that Example of all Examples for every thing that is holy pure and lovely our Lord Jesus Christ Take we heed then that we be not found ingentium exemplorum parvi imitatores small imitators of mighty examples as Salvian expresseth it But let it be our serious care and holy ambition to transcribe their vertues to write after those fair Copies they have set us to be followers of those blessed Souls wherein they were followers of God and Christ. But our present argument determining us to Self-Resignation let us consider some Examples hereof for our guidance and encouragement First I will present you with that of Abraham Faithful Abraham as he is stiled by the Apostle St. Paul There were ten trials wherewith God was pleased to exercise this good man as they are collected out of his Story by the Hebrew Writers The first and last of which ten were the sorest of all The first was his being called and commanded of God Genesis the twelfth to leave his own Countrey his House and Lands his Friends and Kindred and to go to a place he knew not This Command as unpleasant and grievous as it must needs have been to his flesh and bloud he did not in the least demurr upon obeying But by Faith Abraham when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance obeyed and he went out not knowing whither he went Heb. xi 8. The last was his being commanded to take his onely Son Isaac and to slay and offer him for a Burnt-offering than which there could not be a greater trial We have the Command in Genesis xxii 2. every word of which hath a singular Emphasis and deserves attention Take now thy son thine onely son Isaac whom thou lovest and get thee into the land of Moriah and offer him there for a burnt-offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of Take now thy Son Not a Beast for Sacrifice not any of the best of his great store of Cattle but his Son Take him now forthwith without any delay Thy Son Isaac Not Ishmael but Isaac his and his Mothers delight and joy as the name signifies Thine onely Son He and Sarah had no other to solace themselves in nor were they ever like to have any other And besides there
godliness that tend to the real bettering of Man and transforming him into the Divine Image such as are most powerful to the subduing our own Wills as divided from God's and the bringing them unto a conformity to the Will of God But alas these great practical Truths have been too commonly either sparingly or but coldly and insignificantly not fully clearly and vigorously recommended The great noise and ado in the Christian World hath been about the lighter matters of the Law Mint Annise and Cummin Meats and Drinks wherein the Kingdom of God doth not consist The great talk and zeal hath been about things less necessary and more obscure and doubtful men doting about questions and strifes of words whereof cometh envy strife railings and evil surmisings It pleaseth men to hear of speculative Doctrins and to be entertained with a luscious Preaching of the Gospel made up all of Promises and these wholly unconditional it gratifies them to hear what is done without them rather than what is to be done within them and the necessity of sincere and entire obedience to our Saviours Precepts urged upon them All would reign with Christ but they would not suffer with him they would hear only of Christs dying for sin of his being crucified for them but to hear of their dying to sin and their own corrupt will of their being crucified with him and suffering their wills to be resigned to the will of the Father as Christs was to hear of making an entire oblation of themselves to God this is a hard saying few will bear it 't is very unpleasing to flesh and blood 't is too spiritual a Gospel for the carnal mind to relish But how unpleasing soever it be it is not therefore to be forborn for if we should seek to please men we should not be the servants of Christ. If we should gratifie and humour insincere people in their soft and delicate self-chosen Religion and their willing their own will we should not be faithful to their souls whose grand interest and necessary concernment it is to know and practise this first and great Lesson in the School of Christ. Self-Resignation is a great part of the Doctrin that is according to godliness They are the wholsom or healing words of our Lord Jesus Christ viz. He that doth not take up his Cross and come after me cannot be my disciple Nor is he worthy of me This is healing Doctrin that alone can cure the inward Distempers of our Souls and therefore absolutely necessary to be taught and prest with all authority It matters not that the carnally minded and delicate Christian doth not relish it We that are the Ministers of the Gospel are to imitate careful and prudent Physicians who when they come to their Patients do not ask them what they love best and then prescribe them what is most pleasing to their Palates though most hurtful but informing themselves well of the case of the diseased they appoint what they judge most proper for them though it be no whit grateful or acceptable to them But howsoever the resigning their wills to the will of God be as loathsom Physick to the carnal it is to the truly spiritual both meat and drink as it was to their great Master It is their constant Diet the savoury Meat which their Souls love and live by They esteem the fore-mentioned and the like words of their Saviours mouth more than their necessary food to borrow Iob's expression Chap. xxiii 12. And this so little minded so much neglected Doctrin of Self-Resignation is that which I design to treat of and with all seriousness to recommend to those that name the name of Christ. For the more distinct understanding whereof we must know that Self-Resignation doth relate either First to the Commands of God particularly such Commands as are difficult to nature and grievous to flesh and bloud for to obey in lesser and more easie instances is no worthy proof of our Resignation and thus considered it implieth an entire Obedience to the Preceptive Will of God Or Secondly it relates to hard Trials great hardships and sufferings such as God doth allot and appoint to humble us and to know what is in our hearts And thus considered it implieth a meek patience and quiet submission to the divine Disposals and Will of Providence But I shall not speak to these two distinctly but joyn them both together in this Aphorism wherein is comprized the grand Fundamental and Mystery of Practical Religion viz. That a Christian is to resign his Will wholly to the Will of God to make an entire Oblation of himself to him In discoursing on which we shall first present you with several weighty Considerations that do most effectually recommend to us this Self-Resignation And secondly set down such Helps and Directions as are most proper to attain it SECT I. Considerations recommending the Duty of SELF-RESIGNATION to our most serious and diligent Practice CHAP. I. That it is the Law of our Creation both first and second The Consideration of God as a second Creator shewed mightily to inforce our Engagement to this Duty upon a four-fold account 1. SElf-Resignation is the Law of our Creation our necessary condition and property both as we are Creatures and as New-Creatures as we are made and as we are renewed after God's Image It is not a new thing introduced first by Christ 't is not an Institution peculiar to the times of the Gospel so that for almost four thousand years Man was not obliged to it but it is our unchangable property arising from our dependence upon God and relation to him There is a Law written within us that requires this nor can any thing free us from our Obligation hereunto We were made by God for himself and therefore must needs be under an eternal Obligation to yield universal Obedience to him This is an old Commandment which man had from the beginning rooted in and interwoven with his very Being all the Duties enjoined therein are Branches of the everlasting Righteousness and are of an eternal and unchangable nature 'T is the Character of Angels that they do his Commandments hearkening to the voice of his word and that they do his will And the Self-Resignation of Angels their doing God's Will in Heaven is the model of Mens Resignation and Obedience on Earth for our Saviour hath taught us thus to pray Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven Angels and Men are under the same Moral Obligation of Religion the same Law for substance concerns both Love is the sum of the whole Law and Angels are to love God with all their might as well as Men and one Angel is to love another as himself Religion obligeth every rational and understanding Creature and the Quintessence of Religion is Resignation and therefore it is impossible this could ever have not been or should ever for the future cease to be our Duty Omnia sunt in
of that which they call themselves their generally valuing themselves by their Body and their reference to this present world by which means they are chiefly carried out in their affections towards the things thereof to the pleasing the Body and satisfying its appetites though never so unreasonable and prejudicial to their Souls wellfare The vulgar opinion is that the Body is the Man and consequently to love the Body is for a man to love himself and to make provision for the flesh to fulfill the lusts thereof is to make provision for himself But the Ancient and wisest Philosophers as also the Primitive Greek Fathers especially and great Lights of the Church would not so much as allow the Body to be one half or part of the Man But this was their sense Animus cujusque is est quisque Every mans Soul is he and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The man is not that part which is seen and the Holy Scripture puts 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Soul for the person very frequently Man is a Creature that can think reason and understand and that which doth this is the Soul onely and therefore this is the true Man To do acts proper to a Man is above the power of Body or matter and therefore the Body is called by those low names of an house and tabernacle wherein the Soul dwelleth both in the holy Scripture and the Writings of Philosophers Upon this account God though he allows us to provide for the necessities and due conveniences of the Body forbids us to love our Bodies better than our Souls or equally with them and permits us not to satisfie the cravings of our bodily appetites to the hurt and dammage of our Souls And all the declarations of his will concerning us are for the great end of restoring to the Soul its dominion over the Body and sensual part and maintaining its dignity and superiority And when it is able so to do by cleaving to God and willing as he wills its slavery ceaseth and it hath recovered true amplitude largeness and liberty I will walk at liberty saith the Psalmist for I seek thy precepts Psal. cxix 95. Adam affecting to be loose from the will of God thought to have gained more liberty but he was sadly mistaken for he hereby became a poor contracted and straitned thing David would once be free to gratifie the unwarrantable desires of his heart but by this licentious and false freedom he lost the true he miserably sunk himself into a poor narrow and slavish spirit And therefore he prays that God would renew a right spirit within him and that he would establish him with a free spirit Psal. lj 10 12. CHAP. VII That Self-Resignation is the Sum of the Gospel-Commands that all the Ordinances of the Gospel and even Faith it self are in order to this VII SElf-Resignation is the Sum of the Gospel-Commands the totum hominis the whole Concernment of a Christian If there be any other Commandment as the Apostle saith of Love it is briefly comprehended in this Thou shalt resign thy self thou shalt deny thine own will and surrender it up to the Divine Will This is the great Lesson in the School of Christ He saith our Saviour that will be my Disciple must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me As Plato would have it written upon his School-door Let none enter that is unskilled in Geometry so this is the most proper Motto for the School of Christ Let none enter in here that is not resolved on Resignation Lord what wouldest thou have me to do as it was St. Paul's first saying to Christ is the first Lesson to be minded by all his Disciples And as it is the Alpha so is it the Omega also 't is both the first and the last lesson of Christianity All is done when this is done and till this lesson be learnt all that we have done or learnt signifies but very little When we have well gotten this we are Disciples indeed 'T is not the saying Lord Lord but the doing the will of God that will give us that title 'T is observable that in Rom. xii a Chapter as full and thick set with practical Rules as richly fraught with divine Morality and matters of Christian Practice as any one Chapter in the Epistles I say 't is observable that in this Chapter the Apostle describing and inculcating the most excellent and becoming instances of Practical Christianity sets this first as comprehensive of all the particular duties mentioned afterwards viz. the giving up our selves as a sacrifice and entire oblation to God v. 1. I beseech you by the mercies of God that ye present your bodies that is your selves bodies being here put for the whole man because of the decorous allusion to the bodies of Beasts offered in Sacrifice under the Law a living Sacrifice holy acceptable unto God which is your reasonable service In this general Exhortation together with the words following which are an illustration of it is summed up whatsoever is particularly mentioned in the following verses relating to the practice of the several graces required of a Christian in this world From hence flow the particular duties hereafter exprest and they are all contained herein as in the seed and root Plainly thus If ye give up your selves as an entire Oblation to God and so your will is resigned to his and not conformed to this world Ye will shew mercy with chearfulness love without dissimulation be fervent in spirit you will rejoyce in hope be patient in tribulation and continue instant in prayer you will distribute to the necessity of Saints and be given to hospitality ye will not recompence evil with evil but overcome evil with good ye will as much as in you lieth live peaceably with all men And so for all other duties which concern a Christians life in this world So that the Root the Basis and Foundation of Christian Practice is Self-Resignation and from it may be expected every duty and act of a religious life There is nothing difficult in Christianity but this one thing when our Wills are once resigned all other duties will flow as naturally from us as streams from a Fountain Let me adde that Prayer and all the Ordinances of the Gospel are in order to this the business of them all is to fasten and unite our Wills more and more firmly and inseparably to the Divine Will And even that great and high grace of Faith it is wholly subservient to the attainment of this Self-Resignation The design of Faith in the power of God is to encourage us to go forth against those Anakims those lusts that war against our Souls that at last all may be destroyed in the mind and will of man which is contrary to the Will of God and that we may be perfectly free to obedience And as for Faith in the Goodness and Mercy of God in Christ as to the pardon of Sin the end of
innumerable and transcendent Blessings we receive from God will work in us such an ingenuous gratitude as will excite us to give up our hearts and our all to him The excellencies of his Nature and the exceeding riches of his Bounty will represent him as most worthy to be known 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with the flower of our mind as Zoroaster expresseth it and our highest apprehensions And to be loved with the flower of our hearts so that our sweetest and dearest affections will not be thought too precious for him Let us briefly reflect upon the power of worldly and sensual Love and see what this will do First The Love of Money How doth this oblige and inforce the men of this world to hard labours dangerous adventures anxious cares To rise early sit up late eat the bread of sorrows to deny themselves many of the comforts aud contents of this life to fare hardly and to live a toylsom and painful life and in a word to use the Apostles phrase to pierce themselves through with many sorrows Secondly The Love of Honour Dignities and Preferments How doth it put ambitious men upon restless labours tedious attendances servile offices base flatteries and compliances Such stick at nothing for the obtaining their ends devote and surrender themselves to the will and humour of their Patron as if he were their God and they his Creatures more than God's They deport and address themselves to him by whose favour they hope to be raised in such a form of respect and devotion as approacheth near to that regard and reverence which is onely due to the most high God So full of zeal and observance is this civil kind of Superstition Thirdly The Love of Beauty What a strange power and force hath it upon the fond man To him no services no sufferings seem grievous that his Mistress wills him to undertake With all submission and devotion he admires and adores this his Souls Idol this Deity of Clay and that in such strains as blasphemously resemble that most affectionate and humble devotion which none but his Creator may challenge from him He gives her his whole heart and resigns his whole will to her will complies with all her humours yields an entire obedience to all her commands be they never so unreasonable He patiently suffers tedious delays and waitings meekly bears her frowns affronts and disdains her harsh language and hard usage and all the other arts she hath of afflicting him besides the troubles and hazards he sometimes meets with from his Rivals This Love Bigot such is his devotion neglects himself his rest his food his health renounceth all his own contentments and denies himself in whatsoever is for either his delight or advantage if he understands it to be the pleasure of his Mistress He mortifies himself pines and consumes and is lean from day to day for her as lustful Amnon was for Tamar These and such like are the severe Penances Mortifications and Austorities that this man is wont to undergo in this idolatrous Love-service yea and sometimes he sacrificeth his very life which the poor wretch calleth Love's Martyrdom Here is Self-denial Self-Resignation with a witness With what a deal of pains and trouble doth this poor creature purchase to himself misery With much more ease and less vexation had his love been placed upon the best of objects he might have been happy to eternity He might have lived with God who is Love it self holy and unspotted Love and reigned with Christ the faithful lover of his Soul in a Kingdom of peace and joy for ever By these instances we may discern the strange force of a degenerate and impure Love and what a degree of Self-renunciation it forceth those to in whom it reigns And is the Love of uncertain Riches a little white and yellow Clay so powerful with men and shall not the Love of the true durable Riches the glorious Inheritance in Heaven which is incorruptible and fadeth not away be more forceable Hath the Love of airy Honour such power and shall not the Love of that Honour which is from God that honour and glory that he hath promised to every soul that worketh good that honour of shining forth as the sun in the Kingdom of the Father shall not the love I say of such inexpressible honour as this have as powerful effects upon us and much more powerful Shall the Love of a fading Skin-beauty the love of a little red and white the love of withering Roses and Lillies and Violets with which fond Lovers bestick the Cheeks and Hands and Veins of their Mistresses besides I know not how many more such gay embellishments of their foolish fancies shall this impotent kind of love so potently command poor mortals and shall not the Love of God do much more who is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the first-fair and original Beauty as well as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the first good whom Angels the flower and top of the Creation admire and adore with the greatest complacency and ardor of affection Shall not Love fixed upon such an object as this inflame us with an holy resolution to undertake or undergo any thing for the fulfilling and satisfaction of his Will Considering withall that his Commands are as hath been shewn in themselves most reasonable most fit to be approved and observed by us agreeable to the dignity of our Souls in their own nature most lovely excellent and worthy and have moreover a mighty recompence of reward which cannot be said of the Commands of Lust and sensual impure Love but the perfectly contrary they being most vain and foolish unreasonable and cruel and obedience to them of most pernicious and sad consequence Nor is there any thing that God would have us part withall but what it is better for us to be without better for our ease peace and pleasure and more for our liberty to be freed and disintangled from As hath been already proved And so I pass to that other branch of this Direction viz. that we should labour to be affected with a strong and ardent Love as of God so of Divine things of Vertue and Holiness the impressions of the Divine Image upon the Soul Had we a worthy resentment of Spiritual Excellencies and a due sense of the beauty of Holiness they would even ravish our hearts and mirabiles amores excitare excite in us strange and wonderful affections to them as Tully speaks of Vertue and consequently secure us from the allurements and attractions of any earthly vanity whatsoever But till a man comes to admire and be enamoured with the Divine Graces and Vertues every thing will be ready to get his heart which gratifieth sensuality and to carry him away captive By one unacquainted with the loveliness of Holiness will the least twinkling of this worlds glory be admired but there can be no better way to put by and frustrate the attempts and temptations of the things below than to be
therefore we be not stronger if we are not better it is because we resist or at least neglect the Holy Spirit It is because we have not faith in God not because he is unwilling to help and assist us For what saith St. Iames chap. iv 5 6. The Spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy such but giveth more grace He gives grace in such a measure as to overpower that spirit that lusteth in us So that for that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 abundance of wickedness as the expression is Iames 1. 21. there is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an abundance of grace as the phrase is Rom. 5. 17. which the regenerate and believing Soul receiveth by Jesus Christ. For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell that of his fulness all might receive even grace for grace And this grace shall reign through righteousness unto eternal life through Iesus Christ our Lord. Thus you see what abundant encouragement we have to have faith in God for the supplies of his Grace and Spirit and what reason we have to take heed of unbelief if ever we would master our sinful affections and bring our wills into compliance with the Will of God And there is a double unbelief we are to beware of as very hurtful to our Souls First An Unbelief in relation to the mercy of God for the pardon of Sin Secondly An Unbelief in relation to the power and goodness of God for the subduing of Sin Now it is much to be lamented that whereas the former sort of unbelief is much taken notice of and condemned in Sermons and Books the latter is but little mentioned But if the evil of this were no less clearly and powerfully represented than the evil of the other and men were as effectually warned to beware of this as of that Unbelief it would through the blessing of God be an excellent means to make more sincere strong and healthy Christians Whereas alas the spirits and lives of the generality of Professors do now too plainly declare that they had rather have sin pardoned than subdued that they had rather sin should not be imputed to them than destroyed in them But the compleat Faith is this in opposition to that twofold Unbelief First To believe that Christ came to make expiation for sin so that it shall be pardoned to those that do truly repent That is to those that being sensible of their sins and are affected with a godly sorrow for them and an holy hatred and abhorrence of them desire and purpose above all things to walk before God in newness of life Which conditions of pardon and non-imputation of sin are by too many either not at all or but slightly insisted on while they press the duty of recumbence and relying on Christs merits for Justification and Salvation Secondly To believe that as Christ came to make atonement for sin so he was manifested also for this purpose that he might destroy the works of the Devil And to procure grace for us whereby sin may have no more dominion over us But this part of faith I say is little urged in comparison of the other whereas it is of as great concernment to our eternal happiness to have Faith in the Power of Christ as to have Faith in his Bloud Nay as appears from what hath been said to have sin mortified and to be enabled to will after the Will of God is far more than to be meerly pardoned for willing otherwise than God doth will Now their defect in this latter part of Faith is a great cause of Christians continuing so low and weak lazy and faint in a sickly and even bed-rid condition and of their fancying that they honour and please God by complaining of their impotence and infirmities whereas the true way to please and honour him is confiding in his omnipotent grace to get up and be doing But I fear I may also adde another reason why most of those that will confess their sins and pray for grace and strength against them are still as impotent as if there were no grace or assistance promised namely their not being heartily desirous of grace as well as their want of faith in the promises of it Their unwillingness whatsoever they pretend to have some lust or other mortified and to be throughly purified Their secret fear of the searching and purging work of the Spirit and of that light and grace that would disquiet them and not let them alone in some sins to which they are fondly and tenderly devoted It was one of St. Austin's Confessions I when I was a young man begged of thee that thou wouldest indue me with the grace of Chastity and said Give me Chastity but not yet for I feared lest thou shouldest presently hear me and immediately heal me and I had rather satisfie lust than have it extinguished If this be thy case whosoever thou art that readest these lines if this be the state and temper of thy Soul then in thy complaining of weakness and that the sons of Zervia are too hard for thee and in thy praying for the assistance of God's grace against them thou dost no better than add sin to sin the sin of false dealing with God and wicked hypocrisie to that of Unbelief thy heart is not right with God and thou lyest unto him with thy tongue But to conclude this Let us take heed lest there be in any of us an evil heart of Unbelief and so we fall short of the Spiritual Canaan and entring into the rest of God as it befell the unbelieving Israelites who perished in the Wilderness and none of all that came out of Egypt entred into Canaan but Caleb and Ioshuah men of another Spirit and that followed God fully who were full of Faith and encouraged the people to believe and prosper And it is observable that Caleb asked for the mountainous Countrey where the Anakims dwelt and the Cities were great and fenced by the news of which the evil Spies dismayed Israel but Caleb gave proof of the strength of his Faith in freely chusing to expose himself to the hard and seemingly impossible service of gaining this Countrey and was rewarded with success answerable to so great a faith for we read that he drave out the three sons of Anak notwithstanding that it was commonly said Who can stand before the sons Anak He made it manifest that Faith could stand before them and overcome them And if we have Calebs Faith in the power and goodness of God in fighting with the Spiritual Anakims we may be most undoubtedly assured of Calebs success Let the Spiritual Israel therefore encourage themselves in the Lord their God and they may be certain that it shall be unto them according to their faith his grace shall be sufficient for them and when the enemy shall come in like a floud the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against them CHAP. VI. Of the