that would attain to the assurance that Paul had must renounce himself and rely on Christ as Paul did he must refer God wholly to Christ for satisfaction and himself wholly to Christ for righteousnesse Again he that would get assurance must live for it He must apply himself to do the Will of God in every thing he must act and exercise all his graces and labour to grow and increase in grace still he must add grace to grace and one degree of grace to another as the Scripture exhorts and commands us to do single grace is not assuring grace neither is not growing grace assuring grace that grace which is assuring is consociate and growing and some wayes acting Therefore let thy knowledg run down in practise this is the way to get assurance this is to lay a good foundation against the time of need this is to be a wise builder for eternity as Christ saith this is the way to get assurance for ever to get assurance which no rain of temptation nor floods of affliction nor winds of misapplyed Scripture shall ever be able to overthrow In the next placâ— He that would get assurance of his safe and happy condition must labour to grow into familiarity and intimate acquaintance with Iesus Christ who was in the bosome of his Father when his Decree concerning elâ—ction was made and was an agent in it that so by him as by a bosome friend he may be made acquainted with the privy-counsells of Heaven and bosome-secrets of God Iesus Christ who is wisdome it self will not impart himself and the secrets of God and Heaven to strangers but reserves himself in such matters for intimate friends therefore if thou wouldest know and be assured that thy name is written in Heaven be much with Christ be intimate with Christ lodg him all night between thy breasts as the Spouse speaks and he will be a bundle of mirthe unto thee he will be unto thee as Jonathan was unto David a discoveror of his Fathers intentions If thou desirest assurance delight thy self in Christ and he will give it thee in due time and he will further say unto thee as Jonathan did to David Whatsoever thy soul desireth I will even do it for thee All things that I have heard of my Father I will make known unto thee and ye shall know that I am in my Father and you in me and I in you Finally He that would get assurance of the Love of God and his own salvation must pâ—ay earnestly for the witnessing Spirit and pray for the witnesse of the Spirit pray that thâ— Spirit of God may beare witnesse with his spirit that he is beloved of God and chosen to salvation through Iesus Christ This and nothing lesse then this will satisfie conscience in point of assurance when no voice without thee can do it this voice within thee will do it Thus 〈◊〉 for the rules to be followed for thâ— getting of assurance I would now add some Motives to perswade the Reader to seek after it but I feare I should be too tedious only let me tell thee That assurance is a thing of incomparable worth a thing which no man knoweth but he that hath is a thing that no man prizeth so much as he that wants it in a word it is a thing of such incomparablâ— worth that a man cannot buy it at too deare a rate Could a man but know its goodnesse and taste its sweetnesse he would think no labour too much to attain it no sinne too sweet to part with for it no sufferings too much to preserve it no care and industry too much to increase it for it is indeed next grace the most precious and delectable love token that we can possible receive from Iesus Christ the Bridegroom of our souls in his bodily absenâ—e And if this will not perswade thee Reader to seek after it I leave thee to him to perswade who perswaded Japhet to dwell in the tents of Shem what God hath bin pleased to impart unto â—e on this Subject I have commited to writing more than this I dare not do for going out of my sphere and lesse then this I could not do least I should be blamed of my Hâ—avenly Father for hiding my Talent in a napkin and burying divine love in a dunghill if ever this little draught of Evidence which I penned for my own use and hope to leave to my Children for theirs should by any providence come abroad to publique view my desire and hope is That this little draught of Evidence may through Gods Blessing be helpfull to some of Christs Lambs to some poor souls which thirst after assurance on Scriptures-grounds and inâ—ite others of profounder judgments and greater abilities to search thâ— Scriptures by them to make discovery of the way to get this precious and invaluable Iewell of sound assurance If thou findest any thing of God in the ensuing Evidence or gettest any good by 〈◊〉 bless God for it give him the glory of it This is the desire of Thy Friend that wishes the Blessing of assurance to all that are in Christ Iesus our Lord. EVIDENCE FOR HEAVEN Union with Christ Evidence for Heaven Question HOw may I come to be truly and infallibly assured of my salvation By examining thy self touching thy Union with Christ if thou hast Union with Christ thou shalt certainly be saved for the Scripture saith there is no Condemnation to them that are in Christ Iesus Rom 8.1 If ye be Christs then are ye Abrahams seed and heires according to Promise Gal. 3.29 He that hath the Sonne hath Life to wit Life Eternall 1 Joh. 5.12 By all which it is evident That whosoever hath a true and real interest in Christ shall certainly e saved The Major part of this Assumption is cleer from these Scriptures to wit that he that hath Union shall certainly be faved But how shall the Minor appear viz that I have Union with Christ how shall I be ascertained of this To get assurance of this thou must diligently examine thy self whether thou hast the Spirit of Christ or not He that hath not received the Spirit of Christ hath no Union with Chrift if any man hath not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his Rom. 8.9 He that hath received the Spirit of Christ hath undoubtedly Union with Christ For the Apostle makes this a sure argument of our Union with Christ hereby we know that he abideth in us by the Spirit which he hath given us 1 Joh. 3.24 Thereby know we that we dwell in him and he in us because he hath given us of his Spirit 1 Joh. 4.13 Again Paul delivers this as a positive truth viz that he that hath the Spirit of God dwelling iâ— him is not in an estate of Condemnation but in a state of Salvation Rom. 8.9 ye are not in the Flesh but in the Spirit if so be that the Spirit of God
holds out unto the death and ends in fruition it can never be totally nor finally lost and this indeed is it's distinguishing property and it is the property of every renewing grace every renewing grace holds out unto the end that grace which weares the the Crown of Glory is persevereing Revel 2.10 It is not alwayes so in appearance but in truth A true beleever may at sometimes and in some cases seem both to himself and to others to have loft his faith and his other graces as many examples in Scripture shew but yet as Ieb speaks The root of the matter is within him still Truth of grace in the inward parts and it abideth there However a true beleever may and sometimes doth for a time lose the comfort of his grace and the fight of his grace and the power of acting of his grace yet he hath this priviledg above all formalists he never totally loseth the habit of any renewing grace these gifts of God are without repentance Wouldest thou then know whether thy faith be sound and saving and such as consequently demonstrates the holy Spirits saving habitation in thy soule try and examine thy saith by these properties and Scripture-Characters of a true jusâ—ifying faith and if it hold correspondency with them know for thy comfort that it is such as really demonstrates the holy Spirits saving habitation and special operatâ—on in tâ—y soul thy Union with Christ aâ—d eâ—ernal salvation by him whatsoever Satan or thine own conscience abused by Satan may at any time hereafter say to the contrary and give the Lord the praise The end of thy faith shall be the salvation of thy Soul as the Scripture speaks 1 Pet. 1.9 LOVE ANother grace demonstrating the holy Spirits saving habitation in us is Love to wit sincere Love God is Love and where God dwelleth by his Spirit he worketh Love to wit sincere Love to God and sincere love to man for Gods sake And this Love is a speciall work and fruit of the holy Spirit of God in man as appears by the language of the Apostle My little Children let us not love in word or in tongue but in deed and in truth And hereby we know that we are of the truth and shall assure our hearts before him and Gal 5. â—2 it is said The fruit of the Spirit is Love More particularly That sincere Love to God is a special work of the Spirit of God and such as accompanies salvation is evident by the great good that this grace is attended with both here and hereafter here all things how bad soever in themselves work together for good unto them that love God Rom. 8.28 And many promises of temporall and eternall good are made unto this grace Psal. 91.14 15 16. A Crown of Life is promised unto it Iam 1.12.25 Much good attendeth this grace here but as it is written Eye hath not seen nor eare heard neither have entred into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them that love him 1 Cor. 2.9 Such is the happiness joy and glory which God hath prepared for them that love him that it cannot enter into us till we shall enter into it It must therefore needs be a special work of the Spirit of God in us and a sure pledg of salvation He that sincerely loves God hath that in him which is a sure argument that he is greatly beloved of God I love them that love me saith Christ We love him because he first loved us saith the Apostle And must not that needs be a special work of the Spirit of Gâ—d in man which strongly argues the special Love of God towards man surely yes But sincere Love to God strongly arguâ—s special Love in God towards him that hath it therefore sincere Love to God must needs be a speciall work of the Spirit of God in whomsoever it is That sincere Love to man for Gods sake is a speciall work of the Spirit of God in man is evident by that which follows Sincere love to man for Gods sake in whomsoever it is is a real testimony of his Union with Christ Regeneration and New-birth and that he is indeed a true Disciple of Jesus Christ as these Scriptures following plainly evidence This is his Commandement that we beleeve in the Name of his Son Iesus Christ and love one another as he gave us Commandement and he that keepeth his Commandement dwelleth in him and he in him He that dwelleth in love dwellth in God and God in him If we love one another God dwelleth in us and his Love is perfected in us c. These Texts cleerly demonstrate this Love to be a real testimony of Union with Christ Love is of God and every one that loveth is born of God We know that we are passed from death unto life because we love the Brethren saith the Apostle And these Texts plainly evidence this love to be a true testimony of our Regeneration and New birth Love one another saith Christ as I have loved you meaning for the kind of Love By this shall all men know that you are my Disciples if you have love one towards another These Texts plainly demonstrate this Love we speak of to be a true Character of a true Disciple of Jesus Christ And must not that needs be a special work of the Spirit of God in man and a true testimony of his saving habitation in us which is a real testimony of our Union with Christ and Renovation by him and dependance on him Surely yes But sincere Love to man for Gods sake is eminently all this therefore this Love must needs be a special work of the Spirit of God and a sure testimony of his saving habitation in whomsoever it is Sincere Love is a grace without which all profession of Religion is but guilded Hypocrisie where Love is God dwels but where it is not the Devil dwels the more Love the more like to God the less of it the more like the Devil Wofull experience shews That those men which have great parts and gifts and little or no Love shew more of the Devils nature then of Gods and act more like the Devil then God where they have power Love is the sweetest flower in all the garden of God but it is a flower which the Devil cannot indure the smell of because he is not capable of it and knows that where Love dwels he must vanish and therefore it is his main design to destroy Love if possible in all sorts and sects and to root it up and banish it from the hearts of all men The Devil is well content that men should pray preach read hear Sermons and make a faire shew outwardly provided this spring not from Love nor tendeth not to the increase of Love to God nor man but if he see Love be the root and fruit of mens services then he goes cunningly and Serpent-like to
work to make breaches in this wall that he may get in and destroy this flower he deviseth wayes to divide mens judgments to the end he may destroy this affection of Love out of their hearts if he prevaile not this way then he will raise up jealousies to destroy Love and Charity yea sometimes render the best of graces the worst of vices and as in tempting a Carnal man he sometimes stiles lust Love so in tempting a spiritual man he somtimes stiles sincere Love lust and by these wiles makes a breach on Charity to the end he may get into the garden of God and root up this sweet grace of Love Seeing then that this grace of sincere Love to God and man is a speciall work of the holy Spirit of God and a grace that he worketh in all those in whom he dwels savingly to get a true testimony of the holy Spirits saving habitation in thee thou must diligently examine thy self touching thy Love to God and touching thy Love to man 1. Examine thy Love to God see whether that be sound and sincere yea or nay 2. Examine thy Love to Man and see whether that be such as the Scripture makes a note of the holy Spirits saving habitation in us yea or nay But how shall I know whether my Love to God be sound and sincere yea or nay By Considering 1. What sincere Love to God is And 2. what the properties and effects of it are Sincere Love to God is a spirituall affection causing a man to prize God more and obey him rather then any thing in the world besides The properties and effects of sincere Love to God are these 1. Sincere Love to God is seated in the heart in the midst of the heart and it carryeth the whole heart and soul to God in obedience as well as the whole outward man That sincere love to God is seated in the heart in the midst of the heart and carries the whole heart to God will appear thus That which God in his Word requires and commands that true grace doth in its measure and in a Gospel way give unto him But God in his Word requires that we should Love him with the heart with the whole heart and soul and Therefore this Command doth sufficiently intimate this truth to wit That sincere Love to God is seated in the heart and carries the whole heart to God c. Here note 1 By the whole heart is meant every faculty of the soul the whole inner man the heart wholly sincerely so as it is not divided between God and the world between God and sinne between God and Satan as the hearts of all Hypocrites are but is downright and wholy for God 2. My whole heart may then be said to be carried to God when I cleave to him in affection more then to any thing besides account him my chiefest happiness from a due consideration of his perfection rejoyce in him above all things feare his displeasure more then all persons or things depend upon him for all things and aime at his glory principally in all things Secondly sincere Love to God is fastened upon God principally for that Divine excellency and spirituall beauty which is in him and which he doth communicate unto his People Because of the savour of thy good Oyntments thy name is as Oyntment poured forth therefore the Virgins love thee saith the Text Cant. 1.3 Spirituals and not temporals as this Text shews are the principall attractives of a sincere and virgin-Love to Christ. 3. Sincere Love to God is not guided by sense but by faith as the language of the Apostle intimates therefore saith the Apostle Whom having not seen we Love whom having not seen with Corporall eye nor invisible favours you still cleave to in affection This is further evidenced in holy Iob who continued to love God and obey him even when he could not see one glimpse of his countenance neither within him nor without him as appears by Iob 23.8 9 10 11. verses And this plainly shews That his Love was guided by faith and not by sense as it is the property of sincere Love to be 4. Sincere Love to God is a very strong Love Love is strong as death Cant. 8.6 Sincere Love to God will make a man to resolve â—â—augre all opposition to obey unto the death it will constrain a man to do or suffer any thing that God shall see good to impose upon him for tryall-sake without repining in toung or in heart against God it will make a man serve God with all his might therefore saith the Apostle The Love of Christ constraineth us It beareth all things it endureth all â—â—ings 5. Sincere Love to God is an indearing affection it indears Christ unto a man above all things in the world besides so as he will willingly part with all things else rather then Christ Christ in his Merit Christ in his Spirit Christ in his Ordinances and in his Ministers and People is deare unto a sincere lover of Christ above all things here below This is lively set forth unto us in the Parable of the merchant man Mat. 13.44 45 46. He left all for the Pearl the Pearl was dear unto him and he was in Love with it hence it was that he slighted all in comparison of it That Love is an indearing affection is further evident by the language of the Spouse in Love with Christ Cant. 5.10 He is the chiefest of ten thousand saith she meaning of all and likewise by the practise of the Saints which have sincerely loved Christ they have willingly parted with their fine cloathing for his sake and worn sheep-skins and goats-skins they have parted with fine dwellings and lyen in dens and caves they have parted with all even to their precious lives Nay these also they have willingly laid down for his sake in the cruellest way that bloody persecutors could invent refusing base deliverance to advance the honour of Christ when he called them forth to suffer as appears Heb. 11. their Love to Christ did indeare Christ to them above all things Here Note 1. That sincere Love to Christ is strong in all but not in all according unto the same equal degrees it indears Christ unto all that have it above all things But makes not all to declare it with the like forwardness and courage nor to declare it at all times alike as many instances in Scripture shew According to the measure of our faith so is our Love if a man beleeve only as a bruised reed as a weakling in Christ his Love will only smoak as flax towards Christ but if he be strong in faith his Love will flame it will declare it self with much zeale and fervour of spirit 2. That that Love to Christ which preferrs any one thing whatsoever before Christ or subjoyns any one thing in the world coequal with Christ is no sound sincere Love neither is it
worth any thing in Christ 's account as his own language shews ' He that Loveth Father or Mother more then me is not worthy of me and he that loveth Sonne or Daughter more then me is not worthy of me Matth. 10.37 3. That Love to Christ which fals off from Christ when tryals tribulations and persecutions come and will not beare the Cross for Christs sake when he cals thereunto is no sincere Love but an Hypocritical as Christ shews Mat. 10.38 He that taketh not up hiâ— Cross and followeth after me is not worthy of me And further illustrates in the Parable of the ftony ground Mat. 13.20 21. That Love to Christ which makes not a man to account all things but loss and dross and dung for Christ and to set such a price on Chrift and his hopes by him that he resolves through the help of Christ to part with any thing which may hinder him from doing Christ faithful service how neare or dear soever it be or ought to be yea with life it self or whatsoever contentments may indeare it unto him when Christ cals him to it is no sound nor available Love as Christ shews when he saith If any man come to me and hate not his Father and Mother and Wife and Children and Brethren and Sisters yea and his life also he cannot be my Disciple Luke 14.26 Hence it is evident in the next place That sincere Love to God is a very tender Love yea a Love more tender towards God then towards any thing else besides God Persons or things and will make a man willing rather to part with all persons or things How neare or deare soever then with God yea so tender a Love it is as it will not suffer a man to go in any way though never so pleasing to flesh and blood that he knows displeaseth the Lord nor transgress the least of Gods Commandements with knowledg without grief of heart as appears in the example of Ioseph and David Ioseph sincerely loved his God and this Love constrained him to contemn the carnall Love of his miftress and the carnal pleasure proffered him by her for fear of displeasing God David sincerely Loved his God and hence it was that his heart smote him for cutting off the lap of Sauls garment a small matter one would think yet saith David He is the Lords annointed I have therefore transgressed his Commandement in laying violent hands on him and was therefore grieved his Love constrained him to grieve Hence it appeareth in the next place That sincere Love to God produceth and preserveth a tender Conscience a holy feare of God in the heart and soul and a holy hatred of all sin How shall I do this wickedness and sin against my God saith the soul that sincerely Loves God when tempted to sinne by the world the flesh or the Devil God hates all iniquity and he that fincerely Loves God hates what he hates therefore saith the Psalmist you that Love the Lord hate evill to wit because God hates it Sincere Love to God makes a man love the whole will of God I love thy Commandâ—mâ—nts saith David above gold yea above fine gold I esteem all thy prâ—cepts concerning all things to be right and hate every false way This Language of David shews That he loved the whole will of God even that which did cross and condemn that sinne which his nature was most prone to and it is the nature of sincere Love to God to make a man thus to love the Will of God A sincere Lover of God loveth not the Word of God the less but â—â—e more for discovering his darling sinne and so consequently he loves not nor esteems not the faithfull Ministers of the Word the lesse but the more for their faithfulnesse in discovering and opposing sinne predominate sinne whether personal or national Sincere Love to God is an obediential Love it makes a man Cordially obey the Will of God rather then any thing in the world besides This is evident by the Language of Christ If a man love me saith Christ to wit sincerely he will keep my words He that hath my Commandements and keepeth them He it is that loveth me ibid. v. 21. And by the Language of his beloved Disciple This is Love that we walk after his Commandements The great Character of sincere Love to God set by Christ and his beloved Disciple is obedience to wit Cordiall obedience to all the revealed will of God and hence it is evident That sincere Love to God is an obedientiall Love That this Love leads a man to obey God rather then any thing in the world besides is manifest by the carriage of such in all ages of the world in whose hearts the sincere Love of Christ hath dwelt The three Children in Captivity being commanded of men to do what they were forbidden of God chose rather to obey God then man Peter and Iohn being forbidden of men to do what they were commanded of God reply Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you rather then unto God judge ye and chose rather to obey God then man as the words following shew And thus it is with other sincere Lovers of God if God and man God and sin God and Satan come in competition or opposition all craving obedience If sincere Love to God be in the heart it will soone end the controversie and cause a man to obey from the heart God before all sincere Love to Christ will make a man think Christ's yoke easie and his burthen light his Commandements not grievous it will make a man obey actively and passively and resist unto blood striving against sinne as the Scripture speaks Sincere Love to God mortifieth in us the love of the world If any man Love the world the love of the father to wit the sincere Love of the Father is not in him 1 Joh. 2.15 This language of Iohn intimates thus much unto us to wit That where the sincere Love of God dwels it mortifieth the Love of the world to wit those things in the world which are properly said to be of the world and enemies unto God as all unchast Loves Diabolicall Love and inordinate Love of Carnall things The lusts of the flesh the lusts of the eyes and the pride of life all which are enemies unto God and his grace in us and cannot subsist with the Love of God being contrary unto it Sincere Love to God makes a man very sensible of Gods dishonour and grieve at it as Ionathans Love to David made him very sensible of the dishonour his Father did him and grieve at it so sincere Love to God makes a man very sensible of the dishonour done to God and grieve at it it makes him sensible of the dishonour done to God by others but most sensible of the dishonour done to God by himself and grieve at it This appears in David David
sincerely loved God and this made him grieve at the dishonour other men did to God but most of all at the dishonour which himself had done to God the consideration of this made his heart pant and his strength fail and made him go mourning all the day long Sincere Love to God makes a man prize the light of Gods countenance and the apprehension of his Love in Christ above all things in the world Lord Lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon me this putteth gladness into my heart more then corn and wine Let him kiss me with the kisses of his lips for his love is better then wine This is the language of sincere lovers of God and Christ and a clear evidence it is of the truth asserted and lively demonstrates the judgement and affection of a sincere lover of God and Christ. Sincere Love to God makes a man delight in communion with God by prayer meditation and the use of all his other Ordinances here and long for the marriage-day of the Lamb to the end he might enjoy a more near Union and sweet Communion with Christ his well-beloved and be perfectly conformed unto his holy will as the language of sincere lovers of God shew My soul thirsteth for God for the living God when shall I come and appear before him Oh God! thou art my God early will I seek thee my soul thirsteth for thee my flesh longeth for thee c. I have a desire to depart and to be with Christ which is best of all Come Lord Iesus Come quickly This longing desire to depart and to be with Christ and to have Christ come to consummate the mysticall marriage though it be a fruit of love yet it is not an inseparable property of sincere love neither is it in all that sincerely love God nor in all in whom it is is it at all times alike but in those only which apprehend the love of God in Christ towards them and at such time as they apprehend it and this is not every sincere lovers portion here therefore a Christian ought not to judge his love to God unsound onely because he wants this longing desire to be with Christ and to have Christ come to consummate this mystical marriage but to have recourse to the foresaid properties of sincere love for the tryall of his love when this fails and to such as follow Sincere Love to God is a constant growing love and an everlasting love it holds out in all times and seasons and variety of conditions prosperity and adversity praise and persecution health and sickness plenty and poverty liberty and bonds yea in death it self and after death through all eternity death doth not terminate this grace but perfect it therefore saith the Apostle of a sincere lover he dwelleth in love and of this love It never faileth A man that sincerely loves God continues to love him when he hides his face from him and he cannot see him nor one glimpse of his favor neither within him nor without him yea when he frowns upon him and shewes himself marvelous unto him as Iob speaks and the Arrows of the Almighty stick fast in his soul And Satan and his own Conscience deluded by Satan tells him He shall never see the face of God with comfort And however God carryes himself towards him yet he dares not from thence take leave to vary his carriage towards God but loves him still for better for worse and obeys him to the utmost of his power which shews in the next place That he that sincerely loves God loves him for nought That man may be said to love God for nought who loves him principally for himself and not for his who loves him because he is of all things most lovely who had rather have God without all then all without God for his portion Who had rather have a houseless Christ a harbourlesâ— Christ a hated and a persecuted Christ thâ—â— all the honours pleasures and riches of the world without Christ Who had rather have grace without glory then glory without grace Who had rather have the Gospel and Gospel-Ordinances in power and purity with poverty and trouble then peace and plenty without them Who had rather Christ should reign then himself Who desires Christ may encrease though he himself decrease and truth live though he die Who preferrs the interest of God and Christ before his own interest or any interest whatsoever Who labours more to get and to keep a good conscience then a good estate in the world In a word he that loveth God more then these earthly contentments he and he only may be said to love God for nought and to love him sincerely as Christs language to Peter intimates Lovest thou me more then these as if he had said If thy love be not more to me then to these earthly things it 's worth nothing in my account if it be â—ore to me then to â—hese if it adhere to me with the loss of these â—hat shews it is not for these but for nought that thou lovest me and this argues thy love sincere Sincere Love to Christ is very industrious and it makes the Subject in which it is very industrious in following after the Lord and the things of the Lord and the more it aboundeth the more industrious the soul is in following after her beloved this is evident by the language and practice of such as have sincerely loved the Lord in all times I follow after saith the Apostle My soul followeth hard after thee saith another sincere lover of God Early will I seek thee c. and the Spouse in the Canticles sought night and day after her beloved Mary Magdalen and other lovers of Christ were very industrious in seeking after him All which evidently demonstrates the truth asserted to wit That sincere love is very industrious Sincere Love to God and Christ makes the soul unsatisfied in thinking and speaking of the divine Excellencies Wisdome Beauty and Majesty of God and Christ Love of what kind soever delights in the comtemplation of the object which it fastens on the soul delights to be still thinking and speaking of her Beloved whatever it be as every ones experience can teâ—â— him the soul that sincerely loves God doth no less See an instance of this in the Spouse in the Canticles she thinks of her Beloved aâ—d speaks of her Beloved as one unsatisfied with the thoughts and praises of him as one resolved to win if it were possible all the world to love what she loved and this lively demonstrates the sincerity of her love and the nature of sincere love Sincere Love to God is a soul-warming affection it warmeth that heart in which it is with a spirituall heat with a holy zeal for God and the things of God yea so warmeth it that many waters cannot quench it nor floods drown the fire
condition Quest. But how shall I know whether my love to man be sound and such as demonstrates the holy Spirits saving habitation in me or not Answ. By considering 1 What sincere love to man is And 2 What the Appearances of it are Sincere Love to man demonstrating the holy Spirits saving habitation in the soul is a free affection of the soul delated on man for God and according to the rules of God given in the holy Scriptures And it is manifest thus it issueth out of the love of God and is carried to man for God for Gods sake as the Apostle plainly shews By this we know we love the children of God when we love God and keep his Commandements c. As if he had said By this we know that our love towards man is sound and such as demonstrates the holy Spirits saving habitation in us even by this that it issueth out of the love of God as the spring and fountain of it and is delated on man for Gods sake for so much that phrase keep his Commandements implies God commands us to love one another and to aim principally at his glory herein now when a man doth this when he makes Gods Commandement the efficient cause of his love towards his brother and Gods glory the finall cause of it then doth he love him for God for Gods sake A mans love to his brother then issues out of the love of God and the Commandement of God is the efficient cause of it when he loves him because God commands him so to do and out of love to God commanding A man then makes the glory of God the finall cause of his love towards his brother when he therefore delates his love upon him that he may acquire and gain honour to God and his Gospel which he hath called him to the profession of thereby and makes this his utmost scope and ultimate end in loving him Secondly That love to man which demonstrates the holy Spirits saving habitation in the soul is a love squared by and congruous to the rule of God to wit the holy Scriptures That love which is squared by and congruous to the rule of God is an universall love a love which extendeth it self to all the Saints yea to all men good and bad yea to very enemies because God requires this at our hands that we should love our enemies and in this respect I may call it a singular love It worketh no ill to any Deviseth not evill against any no thinketh no evill to any but good to all But is more abundant more tender and strong towards the godly then towards any other He that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him saith the Apostle The words imply a speciall love or love after a speciall manner it is as if the Apostle had said He that loves God in sincerity loves the children of God after a speciall manner Love the Brotherhood saith the Apostle meaning after a speciall manner and this he doth that loves God sincerely his love in reference to them is a love of large extent it extendeth even unto loss of life in some cases As in case the honour of God may be advanced thereby or a publick good procured unto the brethren the Church of God thereby This I think is the Apostles meaning in the 1 Ioh. 3.16 If sincere love to God and man be in the heart of a man it will constrain him in such cases as these to deny himself unto the death to advance the honour of God and the Churches good it will make him preferre the Churches good before his own witness Aquila and Priscilla whose love to God and the Church constrained them to yeeld their own lives to preserve Paul's The like exmâ—ples we have in Moses and Paul whose love to God and the Church caused them to slight life and deny themselves to the death and beyond it too for the advancing of Gods glory and the Churches good Then again That love to man which is congruous to the rule of God is a love paralleling the love of Christ towards us for the kind of it Christ commands us To love one another as he hath loved us And he whose love is congruous to this rule doth this for kind though not for measure That love which is congruous to the rule of God and the love of Christ is a free-love He that loves his brother according to Christs rule and Christs example loves him freely It is a condescending love it will make a man condescend to men of low estate condescend to his brother that cannot come up to him by reason of his mean place education parts or gifts It is an establishing love a grace without which the heart of a man can never be established in grace as I gather from the language of the Apostle to the Thessalonians It is a reall love a love not terminated in words but manifested in deeds according to ability It is a uniting love it knits the hearts of Christians together as appears by the language of the Apostle Makes them of one heart and of one soul witness the Saints in the primitive Church It is a growing love and encreaseth still 1 Thes. 3.12 It is a covering grace it covereth all infirmities in the godly so farre forth as the glory of God may not be any way prejudiced but advanced thereby and forgiveth all trespasses done by the ungodly so farre forth likewise as may be gathered from the language of Solomon Love saith he covereth all sinne and the language of Peter Charity shall cover the multitude of sinnes In reference to the godly it is a love in the truth and for the truths sake as appeares by the language of Sâ— Iohn concerning the elect Lady 2 Joh. 1.2 I then love my brother in the truth when the bond that links me and him together in a Christian conjunction is the true and constant profession of the truth I may then be said to love my brother for the truths sake when that grace and truth which is in him is the principall attractive of my love for that love which is delated on the godly by a godly heart hath grace for the principall attractive of it and not base by-respects and therefore continueth as long as grace lasteth though other motives to love fail and such occurrences fall out as usually extinguish a love led by by-respects therefore saith the Apostle of this love It never faileth it is still growing and encreasing in a state of imperfection and at length perfected in Heaven it never faileth It is a love that suffereth long is kind envieth not vaunteth not it self is not puffed up doth not behave it self unseemly seeketh not her own is not easily provoked it rejoyceth not in iniquity but rejoyceth in the truth it beareth all things
believeth all things loveth all things endureth all things 1 Cor. 13.4 5 6 7. It is a heart-softening affection a heart-mollifying love This is intimated by the language of the Apostle Heb. 3.13 Exhort one another daily while it is called to day lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfullness of sinne Hence it is evident That if our love one towards another were such as it should be and did operate as it should do it would soften and mollifie our hearts Congruous love is mollifying Here note two or three things Christians frequently complain of hardness of heart in these dayes and not without cause but few I believe take notice that want in love is the cause of it Strangeness weakens cools and abates love nothing more this it doth in man towards God and in man towards man and as love abates and strangeness grows the heart contracts hardness more and more Probatum est Whilest the Galatians love towards Paul continued they were pliable within and without they would have parted with any thing to have done him good but when once their love abated their hearts were hardned towards him and his message too Love and intimate converse melts the heart nothing more strangeness hardens it nothing the like intimate converse with God encreaseth love to God and melteth the heart intimate converse with the godly-wise doth the like Our great hardness of heart and unprofitableness under the great meanes of grace in publick I may truly say hath in great part sprung from the gross neglect of the duties of Christian love and the great strangeness that is grown amongst Christians in these times where we meet but in complement usually But when God shall give his people one heart and one way to serve him with one consent when their love shall abound one towards another and operate without these obstructions of division in judgement and affection they shall then have hearts of flesh and not of stone as appears by Ier. 32.39 and Zeph. 3.9 compared with Ezek. 36.26 which places have reference to one and the same time It is said of Leviathan Job 41. That the flakes of his flesh are joyned together they are firme in themselves they cannot be moved His scales are one so neer another that no Air can come between them They are joyned one to another they stick together that they cannot be sunderâ—d The Lord Jesus Christ is the great Leviathan of Heaven and Earth and his people are his scales and the flakes of his flesh and were they so joyned together in Christian love and society that no Air of temptation could come between them they would be firm in themselves and so stick together that they could not be sundered yea in their neck would strength remaine and sorrow would be turned into joy before them I wish all the Saints to whose view this may come may take these things into consideration Great is the latitude of Christian love of love congruous to the rule of God for they whose love is congruous to the rule of God Grudge not a one against â—â—e other Speak not evil one of another Do not bite and devour one another Deviâ—e â—ot evill one against another Do not oppress over-reach or defraud one another iâ— any matter Render not evill for evill unto any man Say not I will do so to him as he hath done to me I will â—ender unto the man according to his deeds They bear not false witness against their Neighbour nor bear witness without cause against their Neighbour nor deceive with their lips Lay not wait against the dwelling of the righteous Spoil not his resting place Adde not affliction to the afflicted Rejoyce not in their enemies fell much less in their brothers Hate not their brother in heart Stand not against the blood of their Neighbours out of desire of revenge nor upon a politicall account Are not as Cain who slew his Brother They judge not their Brother nor set at nought their Brother Give no offence willingly to any but endeavour as much as lawfully they may to live peaceably with all men They put away all bitterness and wrath and anger and â—lamour and evill speaking with all malice Love one another as God gave us Commandement Love one another as Christ hath loved us Love as Brethren Love without dissimulation cordially unfeignedly out of a pure heart fervently Love not in word and in tongue only but in deed and in truth They walk in love abound in Love grow in Love speak the truth in Love serve one another in Love continue in Love are kindly affectionated one towards another with brotherly Love Rejoice with them that rejoyce and weep with them that weep In honour preferre one another have compassion one of another are pitifull are courteous one towards another tender hearted if rich they are rich in good works ready to distribute willing to communicate shew mercy with cheerfullness they beare one anothers burdens If strong beare the infirmities of the weak support the weak beare one with another aâ—d forbeare one another Forsake not the assembling of themselves together but exhort one another daily edify one another and comfort one another with the Word of the Lord Teach and admonish one another consider one another to provoke unto Love and to good works confess their faults one to another This I think is meant at least chiefly of faults committed one against another and pray one for another Pray for all men even enemies Do good unto all but especially unto the houshold of Faiâ—h they are not overcome of evill but labour to overcome evill with goodness they do as they would be done by in all things they esteem very highly in Love for their works sake their lawfull and faithfull Ministers especially those in whom they have propriety They receive one another as Christ received us to the glory of God and be at peace among themselves Then again He whose Love to his brother is congruous to the Rule of God goes not up and down as a tale-bearer He seeks not his own but his brothers good labours to avoid whatsoever may offend or weaken his brother or be a stumbling block unto him labours to please his brother for his good to Edification He loves his Neighbour as himself doth good freely looking for nothing again He saies not as Cain Am I my brothers keeper but watches over his brother for his good and reproves his brother in Love according to Christ's Rule privately and publiquely if need be informs against his brother in such place and case as Christ commands him and with-draws from his brother in case of
scandall or contempt of the Churches lawfull constitutions and censures or in case he cause divisions or offences in the Church contrary to the Doctrine of the holy Scriptures mourns for his brother and praies for him in such cases Labours to restore his brother in the spirit of meekness when overtaken in any fault and returns to him when he turns to the Lord. Forgives him and comforts him and confirms his Love towards him He forgives his brother his trespasses from his heart as often as he offendeth and repenteth freely as Christ forgave us For Christ's sake and as God hath forgiven us All these qualifications the Scripture cals for in my Love towards my Brother as these quotations in the Margin do manifest Therefore that Love towards man which is congruous to the holy Scripture must needs have these qualifications in it ergo But here the soul conscious to its own wants and failings will be ready to reply as the Disciples did to Christ when he told them how hard a matter it was for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven who then can be saved said the Disciples so the soul will be ready to say here if all this be in that Love which is congruous to the rule of God who then can say his Love is congruous to the rule of God surely none for in much of this we faile all He that truly wills desires and indeavours to do all this that Christ may have the honour of it doth it in a Gospel-sense and in Gods acceptation who accepts the will for the deed where ability is wanting this must be granted otherwise no Child of Adam could conclude on the affirmative Now for other appearances of Love they are these What a man Loves he prizes accordingly What a man loves he delights in accordingly What a man Loves he desires to enjoy what a man loves he cannot hear reproached reviled and spoken against but with grief of heart This needs no proving every ones experience will testifie the truth of it Wouldest thou know whether thy Love to God and thy Love to man be sound and such as demonstrates the holy Spirits saving habitation in thy soul or not then go through what hath been said in this little Epitomie touching Love to God and Love to man and consider whether thy Love be truly such yea or nay and if thou findest it truly such though but weakly conclude thou maist safely to thy comfort that thy Love is such as really demonstrates thou art beloved of God and indued with the holy Spirit of God savingly For Love indeed and in truth argues that we are of the truth and shall assure our hearts before him as the Apostle affirms 1 Ioh. 3.18 19. Therefore if thou upon a true tryal findest by this that hath been said that thou hast any truth of Love to God and thy Brother argue not against thy self or thy Love but bless God for that Love thou hast and labour to grow and increase in Love to God and man daily REPENTANCE ANother grace of the holy Spirit of God demonstrating his saving habitation in the â—oul is Repentance to â—â—t true Gospel-Repentance I sâ—ith the Lord will pour upon the house of David the Spirit of grace and supplications And they shall look upon him whom they have prâ—â—â—ed and they shâ—ll mourn for him c. Zach. 12 10. This Text plainly points out unto us two things 1. That wheresoever the holy Spirit of God dwelleth savingly in what soul soever he resideth as a sanctifier there he worketh true faith and Repentance 2. That in whomsoever these graces are wrought they are a true and real testimony of the holy Spirits saving habitation in that soul â—or as much as it is proper and peculiar unto the Spirit of God alone to work these in the heart of man Here Note three or foure things 1. That the grace of Repentance though it be a distinct grace from faith yet is it an inseparable concomitant of justifying faith coupled with it in infusion and he that totally wanteth either hath neither Secondly Note That faith and love and Repentance and every other renewing grace habitually considered are coequal the habit of every grace being infused together So that where there is one grace in truth there is every grace in truth in the habit of it in some measure And thirdly That although every grace of the Spirit habitually considered be coequal yet these actually considered and according to their manner of working and appearing in us precede each other faith precedes love and faith and love precedes Repentance Repentance being a fruit of faith and love Fourthly That grace to wit renewing grace and glory are inseparably linked together He that hath the one shall certainly have the other for this grace is the earnest of our inheritance Lastly Nâ—te That this grace of repentance is a renewing grace a speciall work of the Spirit of God in man aâ—d a grace that he worketh in all that truly beleeve and love That Repentance is a renewing grace a special work of the Spirit of God in man is evident by those special promises which are made unto it in holy Scripture of spiritual and eternal blessednesse He that confesseth and forsaketh his finne shall have mercy Prov. 28.13 If my People which are called by my Name shall humble themselves and pray and turn from their evill wayes then will I hear from Heaven and will forgive their sinne c. 2 Chron. 7.14 And the Redâ—emer shall come to Sion and to them that turn from transgression in Iacob saith the Lord Isa. 59.20 Again When I say unto the wicked thou shalt surely dye if he turn from his sinne and doe that which is lawful and right He shall surely live he shall not die none of his sinnes that he hath committed shall be mentioned unto him he hath done that which is lawfull and right he shall surely live Ezek. 33.14 15 16. All sins all manner of sinns and Blasphemies shall be forgiven unto him Mark 3.28 Matth. 12.31 compared Though your sinnes be as Scarlet they shall be made as white as Snow though they be red like Crimson they shall be as Wooll Isai. 1.18 and Act. 11.18 True Repentance is called Repentance unto life By all which it is evident That it is a renewing grace a special work of the Spirit of God in man Repentance being a special work of the Spirit of God in man and an inseparable concomitant of a Justifying faith is therefore a true touchstone to try our selves and our spiritual estate by and such an one as all must try themselves by that will gather to themselves a true testimony of their eternal happiness by Christ and make their Calling and Election sure in the subject But what is this grace of Repentance How may it be defined Repentance is a Divine quality wrought by the
of all Saints he disclaimes all his own righteousnesses and accounts them as rotten raggs and abominable things in reference to Justification before God He forgets all that is behind if he cast up his parts his gifts and his graces he concludes Circumcision is nothing nor Vncircumcision is nothing his faith his love his repentance his obedience all put together nothing he brings in the totall summe in meer ciphers I am nothing yea worse then nothing saith this soul Can a man be profitable unto his Maker I am unprofitable to God and man When saw I thee a stranger and took thee in or naked and cloathed thee c. Wherefore is there a price in the hand of a fool saith this soul. 3. A man graciously poor or blessedly poor in spirit is a man of a contrite spirit a man that trembleth at the Word of the Lord To him will I look saith the Lord that is poor and of a contrite spirit and trembleth at my Word Isa. 66.2 In this Text poverty of spirit contrition and the effect of it trâ—mbling at the Word of the Lord are joyned together as linkes of a Chain so as he that hath one of them hath all of them in some measure As for contrition it hath been already spoken of from Pag. 56. to Pag. 64. to which I refer the Reader 4. A man graciously poor in spirit as he sees a fullness of sinne and an emptiness of grace in himself and bewailes it so he sees a fullness of grace in Christ a fullness of mercy with God in Christ to pardon him and heal him to justifie him and sanctifie him and fill him with all grace and this is attended with some hopes to be made a partaker of it The truth of this is evident in the poor Publican He saw a fullness of sinne in himself and an emptiness of grace and he saw a fullness of mercy in God and merit in Christ to take away his sinne and garnish his soul with all grace and had some hopes to attain this otherwise he would never have gone to God for mercy A man graciously or evangelically poor in spirit hath some hope of obtaining mercy 5. And this makes him very industriously to seek after the Lord in a conscionable use of all those means which he hath appointed I will arise and go to my Father c. saith the poor Prodigal When once this poverty of Spirit had seized on his spirit he thought no labour too much to attain what he sought Draw me we will runne after thee saith the Spouse graciously poor in spirit Cant. 1.4 6. A man graciously poor in spirit esteems spirituall riches the best riches and for them he will with the Merchant-man give the best price for thâ—m he will part with all carnall things and count them but dung he doth hunger and thirst after righteousness more than after riches after the riches of grace more than after the riches of the world 7. A man graciously poor in spirit is a man of a humble spirit if God dispense his gifts liberally unto him or make greater discoveries of himself his mind and will unto him than he doth to others he will humbly and thankfully and really ascribe all the glory thereof unto the Lord and his free grace and say as Daniel As for me this is not conferred upon me for any Wisdome or goodness that I have more than other but of free grace for Christs sake bestowed upon me therefore to him be all the glory Who am I or what is there in me that God should shew such favour unto me above what he doth unto other This is vigor fit and â—â—t fit to give the denomination of a man graciously poor in spirit 8. A man graciously poor in spirit is the contentedst man with his condition of all others I went out full but the Lord brought me home empty saith a soul gratiously poor in spirit and yet she was contented with her condition Shall we receive good at the hand of God and shall we not receive evill Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it Why hast thou made me thus It is the Lord let him do with we as seemeth good to him This is the lanâ—uage of soules graciously poor in spirit Such a soul lookes upon every thing as a mercy that is on this side Hell and how bad soevâ—r his condition be thinks it too good for him 9. A man graciously poor in spirit justifâ—es God in all his dealiâ—gs even under his sadest providences and dispensations of Justice The Lord is righteous in all his Wayes saith this soul I am justly under this condemnation for I receive the due reward of my deeds for I have rebelled against his Commandmenâ—s c. 10. The soul gracioâ—sly poor in spirit grâ—anes under that privy pride which he finds in himself as that which is the great burdâ—n on his spirit and that which he longs to be delivered from Oh wretched man that I â—m who shall deliver me and when shall I be deliveâ—ed â—rom this corrupt nature of mine which exalts it sâ—lf against God and hinders the influence of his grâ—ce in me These Appearances of gratious poverty of spirit may serve to disâ—ry a soul graciously and blessedly poor in spirit Try thy spirit by them and if by what hath been said thou findest this Qualification in thy self in any measure bless God for it labour to grow in it and remember the words of our Lord Jesu Christ Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdome of Heaven Death to Sinne. Rom. 8.10 If Christ be in you the body is dead because of sinne But the Spirit is Life because of righteousness IN these words the Apostle lays down two great Characters of our Union with Christ or Christ resident in us The first this The body is dead because of sinne The second this The Spirit is Life because of righteousness Christ is in you saith the Apostle except ye be Reprobates 2 Cor. 13.5 If Christ be in you it will appear thus The body is dead because of sinne The Body here spoken of is not a body of flesh not a body Celestiall nor a body Terrestiall but a body Diabolicall a body of sin as the members mentioned Col. 3.5 demonstrate and likewise the language of the Apostle Rom. 7.24 where he calls corrupt nature the body and more plainly Rom. 6.6 stiles it The body of sinne Ephes. 4.22 The old man This is the body here meant The body of sinne is the depravedness and corruption of our whole nature by reason of which we are naturally averse to all good and prone to evill continually and so liable to all misery and therefore the Apostle calls it A body of death The body is alive in all those in whom Christ lives not but where Christ lives this body dies If Christ be in you the body is dead because of sinne c. Death to sinne is
Cain may prosper in the World as well as an Abel and a glutton excell a Lazarus in these contingent things An Ahithophel through his policy may enjoy prosperity while a Paul suffereth all adversity A sonne of Beliall may weare Purple and Scarlet and fare deliciously every day while a Sonne of God weares sheep-skins and goats-skins and lives upon Gods Providence A Nebuchadnezzar may have successe in his enterprises as well as a Ioshua for a time Philistins may triumph while Israelites are led captive A Iudas may have as good natural parts and supernatural transient gifts as a Paul or a Iohn as a chosen vessell or a beloved Disciple yea happily more A Iesabell may be as beautifull in the eye of man as a Rebeckah A Pharisee more exemplary in a form of Godlinesse than a Nathaniel an Hipocrite may be more like a beloved Child of God in his own eyes and other mens too than a true Child of God A foolish Virgin may have as faire a Lamp in her hand as a wise By all which it is evident That none of these things are sufficient to denominate a man beloved of God after a special manner nor to render him an Adopted Son of God In these words the Apostle lays before us things quite contrary to these to wit chastisement and scourging as signs of Gods love Here is love written in Characters a hand that every one cannot read a hand that few can read right Here is love wrapped up in a rod which none but a loving and beloved child can draw out or well apprehend none but a child savingly indued with the Spirit of his Heavenly Father can see his love when he feels his rod or argue his sonneship from his chastisement To fetch an evidence of Gods Love and a mans own Adoption from Gods Chastisements and Scourgings is peculiar to a Child of God and it is his prerogative thus to do It is not every Adopted Child of God neither that can thus argue his sonneship I am Chastised of God therefore I am beloved of him I am scourged more than many others therefore doubtlesse I am beloved more than others It must be a child grown to some maturity in grace that must thus conclude Whom the Lord loveth he correcteth c. Love as attributed unto God is not a quality as it is in man but an effect of tree grace and it is either more generall or more speciall Of the more generall Love of God towards man we read in Mar. 10.21 where it is said of the young man that came to Christ That Iesus beholding him loved him Of the more speciall Love of God towards some we read Ierem. 31.3 2 Thes. 2.16 Iohn 13.1 The more generall or common Love of God is manifested in and by his common gifts and dispensations such as the young man that came to Christ was indued with to wit great place in the World great possessions morall righteousnesse desire of and indeavour after eternall life with the injoyment of temporall felicity and predominate corruption But the more speciall Love of God towards man is manifested in and by his Fatherly chastisements and scourgings as this Text tels us Whom the Lord loveth he chastiseth c Whom the Lord loveth after a speciall manner he sooner or later certainly chastiseth He scourgeth every sonne whom he receiveth unto glory The Chastisements of God are many for number various for kind differing in measure duration and immediate causes but my purpose is not to discuss these but to consider when Gods Chastisements of what kind soeever are sure and certain pledges of his more speciall and eternall Love towards a man which to find out I will premise these foure things First That Chastisements and sufferings from God are not pledges of Divine love towards all A man may be Chastised of God and yet not be beloved of God but hated as Esau was All things saith Solomon come alike to all and if all things then Chastisements alike to all Eliphaz tels us That a man is born to trouble it is as incident to him as to the sparks to fly upward Job 5.7 Troubles are Chastisements and these do not argue love to all that are visited with them The second thing premised is this That although Chastisements and scourgings are not pledges of Gods Love to all yet they are to some Thou in very faithfulnesse hast afflicted me saith the Psalmist Psal. 119.75 The third thing premised is Who they are to whom Chastisements and scourgings are pledges of Divine love they are pledges of Divine love to them and to them only to whom all things work together for good to wit to the Adopted Children of God When we are judged we are chastened of the Lord that we should not be condemned with the world saith an Adopted Son of God of himself and his brethren 1 Cor. 11.32 The fourth thing premised is When Chastisements and Scourgings are pledges of Divine love and that is when they are sanctified Sanctified chastisements and they only are pledges of Gods speciall love toward man Quest. But how shall I know whether Gods chastisements be sanctified â—o me or not Answ. Chastisements sanctified have many appearances many effects they produce whereby they may be known a few of which I will mention instead of many 1. Chastisements sanctified make a man to reflect on himself read himself over and call his sinnes to remembrance as appears in Iosephs brethren Gen. 42.21 and Iob 7.20 2. Chastisements sanctified lead to repentance Ephraim was by chastisements sanctified brought to repentance Ier. 31.18 19 and so was Manasseh and the Prodigall By which it is evident That Chastisements sanctified make a man turn from his evill way unto the Lord they make a man turn to him that smiteth they regulate the whole man and conform him to the whole Will of God they better his Obedience Before I was afflicted I went astray but now I have learned to keep thy Word saith David Psa. 119.67 and it 's said of Jesus Christ Though he were a Sonne yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered Heb. 5.8 3. Chastisements sanctified make a man humble vile in his own eyes My soul hath them still in remembrance saith the Church of her afflictions and is bowed in me Lam. 3.20 I am black saith the Spouse when under the sun of persecution by my Mothers Children Look not upon me because I am black c. The Churches afflictions were sanctified and hence it was that she was humbled by them and become vile in her own eyes 4. Chastisements sanctified wean a man from the world mortifie in him the love of the world and deaden his affections to the noblest vanities of the world they draw the heart from all things here below and work it to a holy contempt of them and inhance the price of grace and glory 5. They drive the soul to God and indeare communion with him they will make a
forth to God in supplication and thanksgiving this is evident by Gal. 4.6 Rom. 8.15 26. The soul thus sealed by the Spirit of God longs after and delights in approaches to God and God approaches to it in all his holy Ordinances Let me see his countenance let me hear his voice saith the soul thus sealed for sweet is his countenance and his voice pleasant it delights to meditate on and walk with its God it doth not leave off duty but performs it more conscionably and spiritually In the fift place sound assurance produces fruitfullness the soul that is by the Spirit of God assured of the grace and favour of God towards it is usuâ—lly the fruâ—tfullest in righteousness as is evâ—dent by the language of the Apostle Col. 1.6 After the Colossians knew the grace of God in truth they were more fruitfull in righteousness than ever Sound assurance of the love of God produces care and industry in the work and wayes of God as is evident by the language of the Apostle 2 Cor. 5.1 8. We know we are confident saith he of himself and other Believers and what follows Therefore we labour that whether present or absent we may be accepted of him ver 9. These mens assurance produced not carelesness and sloth but care and industry and it is the property of good assurance so to do This condemns that Popish Tenet That assurance of salvation is the destroyer of all piety and charity And it condemns that assurance that is fruitless or careless In the sixt place Sound assurance produces joy 1 Pet. 1.8 Faith of evidence and joy are inseperably united they are Twins born at once and if assurance die joy dies with it In whomsoever the Spirit of God is a Spirit of Confirmation he is a Spirit of Consolation the soul that is assured of the love of God towards it cannot but rejoyce in it spiritual Consolation doth not spring so naturally from any thing as it doth out of the witness of the Spirit joy may be I mean some kind of joy where assurance is wanting but assurance never goes without joy spirituall joy There is a generation as Solomon tels us which in the midst of laughter their heart is sad and there is a generation which in the midst of sadnesse their heart rejoyceth And those which are thus sealed by the holy Spirit of God are they such is the power of sound assurance that it will make I mean instrumentally the heart to joy whilst the outward man sorrows it will fill the heart with joy unspeakable and full of glory whilst the outward man is filled with shame and contempt yea sound assurance is for the most part then strongest and shews it self with most vigor and light somenesse within when the greatest damp of outward discomforts lye upon the person and the world most frowns upon him or persecutes him for his frowardnesse and faithfulnesse in the cause of God When Paul and Silas had much cause to sigh for their usage amongst men they then sang and rejoyced Act. 16.25 When the Apostles did suffer shame for Christ then did they most rejoyce Act. 5.41 When the People of God were spoiled of their goods and spoiled in their persons then did they rejoyce and whence sprang their joy in this disconsolate condition but from their assurance They took joyfully the spoiling of their goods knowing that they had in Heaven a better and induring substance Heb. 10.34 Assurance of Gods favour produceth joy according to its measure and degree assurance of hope produceth joy assurance of faith produceth more joy The riches of the full assurance of understanding most of all The joy that springs from assurance is a heart strengthening joy a life lenghtening joy and a joy that no man can take from us it is a soul inlarging a shame despising a God-glorifying a world-overcoming and a sin-overcoming grace In the seventh place Sound assurance produceth humility this seal of confirmation when set by the Spirit of God doth work the soul to more humility of mind then usually is in others The Apostle Paul is a notable instance hereof he was thus sealed by the holy Spirit of God when he said I am perswaded that neither Death nor Lfe Angels Principalities nor Powers nor any other thing shall be able to separate me from the Love of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord and then did be serve the Lord with all humility of mind and with many tears as himself saith Act 20.19 Sound assurance is heart-humbling heart-molifying Sound assurance leaves not the soul without a holy jelousie of it self nor without a Christian watch This is evident in the Apostle Paul Rom. 8.38 39. compared with 1 Cor. 9.26 27. I am perswaded saith he that neither Deaâ—h nor Life nor any other Creature shall be able to separate me from the Love of God c. Yet was he not hereby taken off from but rather incited to a holy jealousie of and watchfulnesse over himself and all his wayes as appears by the forecited place Sound assurance and holy jealousie may well stand together and he whose assurance is void of holy jealousie and watchfulnesse hath great cause to be jealous of his assurance Sound assurance is not the destroyer but the Nurse of holy jealousie and watchfulnesse Neither is holy jealousie an enemy to but a preserver of sound assurance In the ninth place Sound assurance works the heart to more contempt of the world and the things of the world then others usually attain to and it doth mightily quicken and spur forward the soul to more holinesse hatred of sinne and zeal and courage in the cause of God Moses and Paul are pregnant examples of this of the effects of this seal in Moses we may read in Heb. 11. v. 24 25 26 27. Exod. 32.31 32 and in Paul Phil. 3. v. 7 to 15. Act. 20. v. 19 to 25. In the tenth place Sound assurance will bide the trial and it is willing to be tried it shuns not the light but comes to the light that its reality might be made manifest Sound assurance is not usually injoyed long without some buffetings of Satan the soul that is tâ—us sealed by the Spirit of God hath uâ—ually some thorne in the flesh some messenger or other of Satans to exercise it and humble it thus it was with the Apostle Paul when thus sealed by the holy Spirit of God as appears by 2 Cor. 12.7 and thus it is with other of the Children of God who are thus sealed by the Spirit of God as each mans experience will witnesse to this I set a probatum est Sound assurance of the Love of God makes the soul long for the full fruition of it this seal of the holy Spirit of God moves the soul nothing more to desire to be dissolved to be with God how long Lord saith this soul come Lord Iesus come quickly I have a desire to depart and to be with Christ
saith a soul thus sealed Phil. 1.23 The soul thus sealed by the Spirit of God longs to be with God yet labours to wait patiently for him all the daies of his appointed time Iob was thus sealed by the Spirit of God when he said I know that my Redeemer liveth he was assured that Christ was his Redeemer and he longed to be with him yet patiently waits for him not a day or two but all the daies of his appointed time Iob 14.14 He that presumeth many times makes more haste than good speed But he that beleeveth maketh not haste Finally He that is thus sealed by the Spirit of God is also led by the Spirit of God mark that He is led by the Spirit of God after a speciall manner As many as are led by the Spirit of God they are the Sonnes of God saith the Text Rom. 8.14 so many as are led by the Spirit of God as a sanctifier and no more have good ground to conclude they are the Children of God by this rule of the Apostle and so consequently to conclude That the testimony that they have of their adoption if any is the testimony of the Spirit of God Having thus briefly spoken of this feal of confirmation set by the Spirit of God and severall appearances of it I shall here desire the Reader to take notice That this seal of confirmation on whomsoever it is set by the Spirit of God is usually the resolution of many doubts the blessing of many prayers and teares the fruit of a strong and well grounded faith or the rich reward of long patience in suffering evill for doing good and eschewing evill or the victory and triumph of a sore spirituall warre or the fragrant flower of a well-dressed garden the rich crop of a well-manured field or the Pearl purchased with the adventure of all the glory and Crown of high degrees in grace and holinesse the blessing of much acquaintance with and experience of the Word and Waies of God and exact walking therein the begining of Heaven upon earth a cordiall to keep from fainting under some great burden the fruiâ—ion of sweet submission unto Christs yoke or a stock put into our hands by God for some great after-trading for God in doing or suffering In a word it is the most secret sweet and soul-ravishing manifestation of the Love of Christ that the Spouse of Christ is capable of on earth This is that hidden Manna and new name mentioned Rev. 2.17 which no man knoweth â—ut he that hath it This Christ promised to his Church in the day of her sufferings for his sake as a speciall means to support her under and carry her through and above all the troubles that she should meet with in the world for her close cleaving to his Word and Will At that day saith he ye shall know that I am in the Father and you in me and I in you John 14.20 Having spoken somewhat of the signs and demonstrations of these seales of the holy Spirit of God severally I will only add a word or two concerning such signs and effects as are proper to them both joyntly considered and so conclude this Manuscript The soul that is thus sealed by the holy Spirit of God to wit with the seal of demonstration and the seal of Confirmation 1. Doth earnestly long and desire to be more sealed He or she that hath truth of grace doth earnestly long for and indeavour after more grace higher degrees of grace He still presses towards the mark Phil. 3.13 He prayes for and indeavours after what Christ hath promised in the name of the whole Trinity to give Cant. 1.11 Borders of gold with studs of silver augmentation of all grace The soul that is by the Spirit of God perswaded and assured of the Fatherly Love of God counts not that it hath enough but longs still to be more and more confirmed in it the tast that it hath of the sweetnesse and goodnesse of this wine makes it long to drink deeper of it and to desire flaggons of it Cant. 2 5. The sweetnesse strength and comfort which the soul finds in and by the apprehension of the Love of God makes it long and labour to apprehend it more Paul was assured of the Love of God and he did exceedingly desire and labour to apprehend it more as will appear by Rom. 8.38 39. compared with Phil. 3.12 13. The apprehension of the Love of God doth not satiate the soul but whets it and sets appetite upon it and hence it comes to passe That 2. The soul that is thus sealed by the Spirit of God highly prizes all those means Ordinances and Instruments of God whereby it came to be thus sealed and industriously and conscionably uses them for the carrying on and perfecting of this work begun in it The soul thus sealed by the Spirit of God knows experimentally that it is but whilst the King sitteth at his Table as the Church speaks Cant. 1.12 that his spicknard sendeth forth the smell thereof but whilst Christ continues his powerfull presence in his holy Ordinances and his speciall spirituall presence in the soul that grace doth thrive or send forth any good savour by thoughts words or deeds and therefore it longs earnestly after and prayes fervently for all these as that which is the life of its life and the soul of its soul the Chariot of the Spirit whereby he descends into our hearts and carryes them up to Heaven He knows exâ—erâ—mentally that all helps publique and private are little enough to keep this seal faire unto the day of Redemption and therefore slights none but carefully and conscionably uses all that God affords him He knows that he is never the neer for that priviledg of free accesse to the Throne of grace that Christ hath purchased for us unlesse he make use of it and therefore leaves not off praying he finds experimentally that he is little or nothing the better for the publique meanes at least in heart unlesse he duly and conscionably use all private helps too and therefore as one sensible of his own wants and weaknesse and the Spirits worth and sweetnesse he waits for the movings of the Spirit at all these pooles But contrary wise the Soul in which Satan counterfeits these seales of the Spirit of God when it is once thus sealed by him is many times ready to say as Esau I have enough and with Laodicea I am rich and increased with goods and have need of nothing neither Grace Ordinances nor Ministers leaves Manna and loaths it declines and deserts the Ordinances Churches and Ministers of Christ and fals off from or at least grows cold and customary in duty which evidently demonstrates it to be Satans seal and not the seal of the holy Spirit of God that is upon it 3. The soul thus sealed by the holy Spirit of God obeys the truth of God as it is discovered unto him by his Word and Spirit in
Answ. It is for inward fins as well as outward Note Luk. 1. Note It makes the soul to justifie God in all his dealings as appears by Neh. 9.33 Lam. 1.18 Luk. 23.41 Luk. 15.19 Ezek. 16. Note Eze. 6.9 Ps. 51.4 Hos. 14 2. Ps. 25.18 Psa. 39 8. Psa 51.2 9. Note Note Psal. 4.6 Cant. 1.2 Psal. 4.7 Psa. 63.1 Psa 42.1 Paul mourned for his sin after he was justified from his sinne This is fruit fit and but fit for real Repenâ—ance Pro. 28.13 2 Chron. 7.14 Isai. 1.16 17. Act. 3.19 Ezek. 14.6.18.30 2 Cor. 7.10 Ier. 24.7 1 Kin. 8.48 * Gal. 2.20 Love the Lord thy God and walk ever in his wayes are joyned together Deu. 19.9 Note Deut. 30.2 Act. 3.22 Thus did Zacharias and Elizabeth obey God Luk. 1.6 Psal. 119.6 a Ps. 119.72 b Iob. 23.12 c Act. 20.23 24. d Deut. 19.9 Deut. 5.29 Iohn 8.31 e Ruth 1.16 f 2 King 2. g 2 Sam. 2. ver 19. to the 24. Note 2 Cor. 8.12 Eph. 3.8 He trembleâ—h at the Word when it is rightly applied yea sometimes when it is wrongfully applied by Satan Conscience or Mâ—n Dâ—n 2.10 He thinks not the better of himself for what he doth or for what Gâ—d doth by him Ruth 1.21 Lam. 1.13 Luk 23 40 41. Rom. 7.24 Heb. 10.14 * 〈…〉 〈◊〉 〈…〉 When sin is sentenced to death and dying then is it dead in Gods account and in Scripture phrase Note Gal. 2.20 Rom. 7.17 Rom. 6.16 The evill which I would not v. 19. Note Note Caution A Creature universally wed The appâ—arances of a new Creaâ—ure A new Creature doth not allow himself in any one known sin nor in omitâ—ing any known duty He is one that doth not follow after sinâ— but after grace * To clense himself from all filthinesse of the flesh and spirit 1 Ioh. 5.4 a Numb 14.24 b 1 King 14 8. c Ruth 1.16 d 2 Kinâ— 2. e 2 Sam. 2. veâ— 19 to the 24. Jesus Christ formed in thee the first demonstration of thy new Creation 1 Sam. 28.14 13. The new man is renewed in knowledg Col. 3.10 Renewing light ishumble and humbling Iob 24.5 6. 1 Col. 1.6 Persons savingly inlightened walk as Children of light Eph. 5.8 2 Cor. 3.18 Note A new heart the second demonstration of a new Creature Note Note The newness of the heart consisteth not in the substance of it but in the quality of it when the heart is made new the substance is not altered but the quality isaltered A renewed heart is in Scripture called a new heart Job 19.28 Such as the heart is such is the man A new heart is in Scripture called by divers names and set forth by divers properties some of which I will here speak of as God shall inable me Note Note Note Note A heart wherein there is no guile reigning Prov. 16.17 Psal. 19.12 13. An uprightheart goes not after any known sâ—n but pâ—â—ys and fights against all sinne Ps. 101.3 Conscienciousin private duties as well as exact in publique duties An upright heart makes a man studious and carefull to walk uprightly Psa. 29. â— Psa. 63.1 Ps. 53. â—6 Hab 2.4 Ps. 125.4 This it doth because God delightsin uprightness more then in any other qualification Iob 13.23 Iob 16.19 Iob 13.6 Uprightnesse if once in the heart will never out Iob 27.10 Iob 15.33 Iob 18.16 Mat. 13.5 6. Iob 23.11 12. Hence it is that the Scripture calls for renovation in Spirit in professors of religion Eph. 4.23 The third demonstration of a new Creature is living in Christ and bringing forth fruit in him Col. 1.10 This he finds by experience 1 Sam. 13.8 Note Luk. 6.45 A new Creature is â—ne that doth not commit sin This is his fourâ—h demonstration Therefore an unregenerate person is said to be the servant of sin A regenerate person is not a servant of sin but a captive to the law of sin He that is born of God doth not commit that sin unto death the sin against the Holy Ghost This body of death is worse to a new Creature and this is his fifth demonstration Iob 3 21. A new Creature minds the things of the Spirit and is led by the Spirit this is his sixt Demonstration Psal. 4.6 Ps. 63.3 Cant. 1.2 Note When a man may be said to be led by the Spirit Note Note Nor at all times alike Note And according as the burdens which he goes under beheavior or lighter Note A new Creature is one joyned to the Lord Jesâ—s Christ and one Spirit with him This is his sevenâ—h demonstration A regeâ—ative and sensitive sâ—ul is comprehended under a rationall so is a joyning to Christ under a being in Christ. Ioh. 7.18 Spiâ—iâ—uall Pâ—iâ—stâ— Col. 2.12 Note Note Job 19.28 His goverment is spirituall yet external and internall Mat. 26.41 Mark 6.34 Mat. 9.36 Mat. 15.32 Mat. 14.14.27 Isai. 42.3 Luke 23.34 Act. 10.38 Heb. 5.7 Luk. 22.44 Prov. 8.30 Note Thus from providences 1 Cor. 11.32 To them that love God Cant. 1.5 6. Gâ—n 32. Mic. 7.9 Thus did Pauls bonds operate in him Phil. 1.23 Heb. 12.11 Note Pâ—al 89.30 31 32. Gospell-doctrine Gospell-Discipline Gospell-Conversation Note 1 Pet. 2.21 23. Divine patience What a Ja. 1.2 b Mat. 5.12 c Lu. 6.23 Divine joy What Hab. 2.17 18. d Mar. 8.38 e 1 Pet. â— 16 f 2 Tim. 1.8 g 1 Pet. 3.14 h Mat 10.26.28 31. Rev. 2. â—0 i Cant. 1.9 Note Christian courage k 1 Tim. 1.2 Rom. 1.16 l Dan. 3.18 Thus did the three Children we read of in Daniel declare their courage Rom 2.7 m Rev. 2.10 n Mat. 24.13 Perseverance Notâ— o 1 Pet. 2.19 I think it not fit here to define Conscience and therefore will pass by that Note This Christ inâ—â—â—nated to Peter Joh. 13 8. and plainly told Nicodemus Joh. 3.5 * Viz. In case of Ignorance Temptation Desertion Such a seal was set upon those mentioned Phil. 4.3 whose names the Apostle judged were in the Book of Life The saving graces of the Spirit are called The earnest of the Spirit 2 Cor. 5.5 Hates fin for its evil nature and because God hates it Eph. 4.23 Saving Holiness springs from divine principles He is still fighâ—ing against these and at last overcomes them all Note Note Joh. 16.13 14 15. Note All Gods adopted Children have Hannah's portion love speciall love but all of them have not Beâ—jamin's double portion to wit love and the assurance of it This is a choice favour a high priviledg He hath the spirit ofprayer though not the gift of prayer Note Note Sound assurance makes the soul to triumph over death the king of terrors as appears in Paul Rom. 8.38 39. 1 Cor. 15.55 Note Some singular doing or suffering for God or from God by means of sin or Satans or men * Prov. 14.26 a Follow the counsel that Moses gave to Israel Deut. 4.9 Take bred to thy self and keep thy soul with all diligence c. Negative Rules b Ps 85 8. Sin not away thiâ— blessinâ— give not râ—ines to any lust keep thy self from the accused 〈◊〉 2 Pet. 3.17 Remember that God never gave any man any qualification how glorious soever to the end he should glory in it Gods People may often say of their pride as Iephâ—â—â—â— did of 〈◊〉 daughter Alas my priâ—e thou hast brought me very low Walk according to the ruls of the Scripture * 2 Col. 2. Labour to grow in grace daily Mat. 25. Pray that the Spirit of God may still bear witnesse with thy spirit of Gods Love towards them
to the Congregation of Alderman-bury And one who for these Thirty years by reason of an affliction lying upon her hath been in a great measure deprived of those publique spirituall helps which others enjoy and also of those private helps which good Christians do or might partake of by the Communion of Saints This makes good that Text of Scripture Out of the mouths of Babes and Sucklings thou hast perfected praise And that other That the strength of God is made perfect in weaknesse Church History tels us of a Captive Woman whom God made instrumentall to convert the whole Nation of the Iberians to the Christian Faith And the Book of God tels us of Priscilla who was made able by grace to expound the way of God more perfectly unto Apollo himself an eloquent man and mighty in the Scriptures And that she and her Husband Aquila were helpers in Christ Iesus unto Saint Paul and that for his life they laid down their necks Much is spoken by the same Apostle in commendation of divers Women I hope no man will contemn this Book because written by a Woman but rather admire the goodnesse love and power of God who is able to do such great things by such weak instruments No man will refuse pearls or precious stones though handed to him by the Female Sex It is her great desire that her Name may be concealed All that I will say of her is That she is a precious Iewell though in a contemptible Box and a very great ornament to the Congregation of which she is a Member If any reap any spirituall advantage by reading of this Book she hath obtained the hight of her ambition onely she craves their Prayers that God would blesse her and hers that the lesse help she hath from men the more she may have from God and the incomes of his holy Spirit that though she wants an outward eare to hear the voice of Gods Ministers speaking to her outward man yet she may have an inward ear to hear God speaking to her soul words of everlasting consolation And this is also the Prayer of Thy Servant in the work of the Ministery Edmund Calamy THE PREFACE Christian Reader ASsurance well-grounded assurance of the Love of God and a mans own salvation is a thing much to be desired and laboured for by all that have immortall souls But a thing industriously sought after by few and attained by fewer The most people in the world trouble their heads little about it and their hearts lesse know not what it is nor how to go to worke to attain it some think it is impossible to attain it others seek not after it some desire it but cannot acquire it others enjoy it but do not impart it hence it comes to passe that few reap the comfort of it I think it not amisse therefore to speake somewhat of it seeing it is a thing without which we can neither live nor diâ— with sound comfort in our souls much lâ—sse trâ—umph over dâ—ath the King of terrours I shall here in the first place premise three thingâ— or lay dowâ— three conclusions and for brevity sake I will only name them the first is this The first That there are some that are chosen to salvation predestinate elect oâ—dained to eternal life beloved with an everlasting love vessels of mercy prepared unto glory before the world began and kept by the mighty power of God unto salvation and all these shall be certainly saved and glorified The Second That it is possible for a Child of God in this life to attain some good assurance and true evidence that he is of this number The third That it is the duty of every Christian to labour for assurance of the Love of God and his own salvation But here the great question will be How shall I do this How shall I go to work to attain this precious jewel of assurance which you speak of This question the ensuing discourse tends to the resolution of therefore I will here only lay down some rules to be followed by every one that desires to attain some good assurance or Evidence for Heaven while he is here First He that would obtain this precious jewel and invaluable treasure of good assurance must ask it he must ask it of him who hath said ask and ye shall receive that your joy may be full He that purchased Heaven for us purchased the Evidences of Heaven also but he doth not alwayes commit them to the heirs custody Christ doth not alwayes deliver the Evidence and the â—nowledg of it with the right and title to Heaven Nay he doth many times withhold the Evidence of Heaven from those to whom he gives rigâ—t and title to Heaven for speciall reasons therefore for this Christ must be sought unto injuired of as the Scripture speaks A plain Jacob by much wrestling with God may obtain some good evidence of his favour as well as an eloquent Orator or a learned Clark Therefore if thou wouldest obtain some good Evidence for Heaven and a happy eternity then go to God with the Language of Abraham Gen. 15.8 when God had told Abraham he would give the land of Canaan to his posterity Abraham beleeved God he beleeved Gods promise should be made good yet desires to be further confirmed in this and therefore saith Lord God whereby shall I know that I shall inherit it So say thou to the Lord respecting that land above of which Canaan was a type Lord God whereby shall I know that I shall inherit it Say to God as Tamar said to Judah Give me a pledg of thy promise untill thou performest it say to God as Rahab said to the spies Give me a true token give me the earnest of the Spirit give me some grace that may assurs me of glory and open my eyes to see this grace bestowed on me give me the blessing of Joseph who was able to say I feare God give me the blessing of Paul who was able to say I know whom I have beleeved and put thâ—se promises in suit Isai. 32.17 Joh. 14.20 Secondly He that would get this precious jewel of assurance must seek it he must seek it where it is to be found and as it is to be soughâ— after 1. He must seek it where it is to be found seek it in Iesus Christ and Vnion with him and seek Iesus Christ and the demonstrations of Vnion with him in the Word of God in all the Ordinance of God and duties of a Christian and in the Work of God in and upon himself He that will conclude according to truth about his spirituall and eternall estate must diligently try himself and his graces by the truth to wit the Word of God which is the only true touchstone we have to try our selves by The heart is deceitfull above all things and despeperately wicked Who can know it There is nothing in
inheritance with the Saints in light in joy unspeakable and full of Glory Whosoever hath the one here shall certainly have the other hereafter On this ground the Apostle exhorts all Christians that would make sure for Heaven and get a good evidence of their own Salvation to examine themselves whether they be in the faith yea or nay and prove themselves 2 Cor. 13.5 It is as if the Apostle had said Make sure of this that your faith is right and make sure of all if you have this grace you shall have Glory also Faith is the grace and the only grace whereby we are justified before God by it we eate of the Tree of Life Jesus Christ and live for ever It is therefore the fittest grace of all to satisfie Conscience in this weighty matter and to make up conclusions from about our eternall estate This Satan knows full well and therefore when he would flatter a man to Hell he perswades him that his faith is right good when indeed there is no such matter and when he would overthrow all hope of Heaven in a man and drag him into despaire he perswades him that his faith though never so good is but a feigned and counterfeit thing and the poore soul is ready to say Amen It mainly concerns all persons therefore that would here get a good Evidence for Heaven throughly to try their faith whether it be a shield of Gold or but a shield of Bâ—asle whether it be an unfeigned or but a feigned faith whether it be a justifying or but a temporary faith whether it be a faith that justifies before God or but only before men In the searching of thy Soul for this grace of faith or any other renewing grace thou art to have respect to the truth of it more than to the measure and strength of it Christ hath so he absolutely requires truth of belief but not strength of belief Nay he so esteems truth of belief that wheresoever he findeth it in the least measure he will accept it and reward it with Eternal Life he will not quench the smoking flax He will not suffer that soul that hath but the least grain of true faith to miscary But you will say What is this faith you speak of and how may it be discerned from a Temporary faith I will first describe it and then descry it as God shall inable me Justifying faith is a speciall work of the Spirit of God upon the Soul causing a man to lay hold on the speciall promises of Mercy and Salvation by Christ and all other promises which are in him yea and in him Amen and rest upon him that hath promised for the accomplishment of his word I judg it not necessary nor meet for me to take this description asunder or speak of the several terms of it and therefore pass it by In a word or two only I will briefly declare why I call this faith a work of the Spirit and why a speciall work of the Spirit 1. I call this faith a work of the Spirit of God because it is not natural were it natural it would be common but all men have not faith as the Scripture saith 2 Thes. 3.2 2. Few have this faith as the parable of the seed shews Mar. 4.2 to 9. it is a work supernatural and divine 3. I call this Faith a speciall work of the Spirit to distinguish it from that common work of the Spirit which is in unregenerate persons Having thus briefly described this Faith I am in the next place to descry it and distinguish it from all other this I shall do for brevity sake positively This Faith then as I humbly conceive may be discerned and differenced from all other kinds of faith by these concurrent and essentiall properties of it which here follow This Faith is bred fed and nourished ordinarily by the word preached as appears by Rom. 10.14 17. Secondly this Faith as it is begotten by the word so it is grounded upon the Word upon the written Word of God Not fancy but the Word is the ground of it It gives firm absolute and unlimited assent to the whole Word of God promises threatnings and commandements so farre forth as it doth apprehend it to be of God simply because it is of God the whole Word of God is the generall ground and object of it I consent to the Law that it is good holy and just and good saith a true believer Rom. 7. ver 16 12. Believing all things that are written in the Law and the Prophets Act. 24.14 But the more special object of it is the promises of the Gospel This Faith is seated in the heart the heart is the most proper subject of it With the heart man believeth unto righteousness saith the Scripture Rom. 10.10 Justifying Faith is not barely notionall but reall it is not a bare head-assenting But a heart-consenting what the understanding saith is true the will saith is good and embraceth it This Faith is an unfeigned Faith as is evident 1 Tim. 1.5 and 2 Tim. 1.5 An Hypocrites faith is but feigned faith but justifying faith is unfeigned how weak soever it be it is true and real it carrieth the whole heart to God in obedience as well as the whole outward man This Faith is a Christ-receiving faith it receiveth and embraceth whole Christ Christ as a Saviour and Christ as a Lord in all his offices Prophet Priest and King and it causeth him that hath it to give up himself wholly to Christ to be ruled by him in all things according to his Word Thus the Gospel tenders Christ and thus a true beleever receiveth Christ My Lord and my God saith believing Thomas of Christ and it is the property of justifying Faith thus to embrace Christ They gave themselves unto the Lord saith the Apostle of some true believers 2 Cor. 8.5 And this is universally true of all that are true believers they give themselves unto the Lord as aforesaid and that freely and voluntarily This Faith puts a price upon Christ above all things and cleaves to the Mercy of God in Christ as better then life both Positively and Comparatively To you which believe he is pretious 1 Pet. 2.7 He is the chiefest of ten thousand Fairer then all the Childrenof men He is altogether lovely As the Apple-Tree amongst the Trees of the Forrest So is my Beloved among the sonnes His mouth is most sweet His Love is better then Wine Thy loving kindness is better than Life saith the believing Soul to Christ Whom have I in Heaven but thee and there is none that I desire upon Earth in comparison of thee What things were gain to me those I counted loss for Christ yea doubtless and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledg of Christ Iesus my Lord and do count them but dung that I may win Christ and be found in
him saith a believing Soul By all these places it is evident That it is the property of a true faith highly to prize Jesus Christ a true believer prizeth Christ in all things places persons and conditions above all things and beyond all time In the eighth place This Faith relyeth wholly on the Merit of Christ for Salvation for justification disclaiming all confidence in the flesh and excluding all boasting in our selves As appears by the Language of the Apostle Act. 4.12 and Phil. 3.3 9. And have no confidence in the flesh Not having mine own righteousness which is of the Law but that which is through the faith of Christ. Where is boasting then it is excluded By what Law of works Nay but by the Law of Faith Rom. 3.27 This Faith opposeth the Mercy of God in Christ against all sinne as greater then all The Blood of Iesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sinne saith a believer speaking of believers 1 John 1.7 Because God hath said He shall Redeem Israel from all his iniquities Psal. 130.8 All manner of sins and Blasphemies shall be forgiven unto the sons of men but the Blasphemy against the Holy Ghost Mat. 12.31 This Faith as it lays hold on the promises of God so it makes him that hath it carefully observe the Conditions of the promises on his part Lord I have hoped in thy word and done thy Commandements saith a true believer Ps. 119.166 thereby intimating That it is the property of a true faith thus to rest on Gods promises A true believer applies Christ unto himself and himself unto Christ the promises to himself and himself unto the promises unto the conditions of them It is the property of this Faith to adhere to Christ even when it cannot see him nor apprehend one jot of love from him when he hideth his face from the soul and speaks bitter things and doth bitter things unto the soul Behold saith Job I go forward but he is not there and backward but I cannot perceive him on the left hand where he doth work but I cannot behold him He hideth himself on the right hand that I cannot see him He writeth bitter things against me and maketh me possess the iniquities of my youth He putteth my feet in the stocks c. But concludes Though he slay me yet will I trust in him When God hid his face from Iob and he could neither apprehend his love in his Providences nor in his Promises yet he adhered to him still This the Scripture cals for Isa. 50.10 Therefore it follows that this a true believer in some measure doth It is the property of a true believer to adhere to Christ as Asahel adhered to Abner and Elisha to Elijah Asahel would not turn aside from Abner though he dyed by his hand Elisha would not leave Elijah what ever became of him As the Lord liveth and as thy Soul liveth I will not leave thee said Elisha to Elijah and so saith a true believer to Christ Take from me what thou wilt do with me what thou wilt I will not leave thee I will cleave unto thee still though I cannot see thee I will trust in thee I will dye in thine arms In the Twelfth place this Faith is a working Faith it is not idle but operative and working as the Apostle intimates Iam. 2. ver 20.14 Faith without works is dead and cannot save living Faith is working Faith justifying Faith though it do not justifie by working yet is still working It purifieth and clenseth and that not the outward man only but the heart also Act. 15.9 It Sanctifieth Act. 26.18 to wit sincerely universally soul and body and the spirit of our mind as the Scripture speaks It spurreth on to Obedience Active and Passive sincere universal and constant as appears at large Heb. 11. Where all those worthies there spoken of are said to have done and suffered all those admirable things there mentioned by Faith This Faith makes a man patiently wait on God for the accomplishment of all that good which he hath promised in his Word in a conscionable use of all those meanes which he hath ordained warranted sanctified and affordeth for the serving of his Providence and accomplishing of his Promises The former part of this assumption is evident by the Language of the Prophet Isai. 28.16 He that believeth maketh not haste And by that which is spoken of believers Heb. 6.12 The latter is as evident by the practice of the Saints David believing the Word of the Lord concerning his Sonne Solomon and his building of the Temple was very instant with the Lord to make good his Word and what he had Promised very carefull and conscionable in instructing his Son to walk with God in uprightness of heart according unto all the Commandements of the Lord and in providing materials for the Work of the Lords House and encouraging his Son to the Work as appears by the 2 Sam. 7. compared with 1 Chron. 28. and 29. Chapters Daniel believing the Word of the Lord concerning the return of the Captivity of Iudah was very instant with the Lord by fasting and prayer to accomplish what he had promised as appears Dan. 9.2 3. Hezekiah believing the Word of the Lord concerning his recovery out of a dangerous sickness diligently used the meanes that the Prophet directed him unto 2 Kings 20.7 And Paul to instance in no more beleiving that grand promise That the seed of the Woman should break the Serpents head And that the God of Peace would Bruise Satan under his feet and that sin should not have dominion over him When buffeted by Satan Prayed frequently and Prayed fervently he besought the Lord thrice when the Law of his Members rebelled against the Law of his mind and led him Captive to the Law of sin He groaned under this burden bewailed his condition sought the Lord by Prayer for help exercised Faith on Christ And beat down his body and kept it under as appears Rom. 7.23 24. compared with 1 Cor. 9.27 The same Apostle believing the Word of the Lord concerning the preservation of himself and his companions in a dangerous voyage at Sea diligently exhorted them to use all good meanes tending unto their preservation sounded the depth cast Anchors abode in the ship c. Act. 27. All these meanes these Worthies used to serve the divine Providence and these examples plainly evidence That it is the property of true faith thus to depend on God for the accomplishment of his Word This Faith makes a man open-hearted and open-handed towards his Brethren in misery and want mercifull according to the Divine Rule ready out of a fellow-feeling of others misery bountifully cheerefully and constantly to do good unto all in misery according to ability but specially to the Godly not for his own glory but Gods for the honour of Christ and the Gospel as appears by the Language of the Apostle Iam. 2.15 16. Compared with
the 1 chap. 27. and that which is spoken of believers in the primitive Church Act. 2.44 45.4.34 This Faith makes a man very industrious in labouring to keep a good conscience in all things and to walk inoffensively towards God and towards man in all things as appears in the Apostle Paul Paul having made a confession of faith and hope towards God Act. 24.14 15. in the 16. ver of the same chap. he declares how his faith did operate And herein do I exercise my self to have alwayes a conscience void of offence towards God and towards Man And this Language of his doth plainly evidence That it is the property of a true faith thus to operate All these are real testimonies that true justifying Faith is no Idle Faith but operative and working It worketh by love This the Scripture aâ—firmeth Gal. 5.6 Neither Circumcision nor Vncircumcision availeth any thing but faith which worketh by love thence it is evident that true faith worketh by love And this is indeed the great distinguishing Character of it it worketh by love to God and the things of God and by love to man for Gods sake A true believer works all his works in love to God and Christ His whole labour in point of obedience is a labour of love he sees an unfathomed depth of Divine love declared toward him by God in Christ and this constrains him to love God in Christ again and out of love unto him that dyed for him to give up himself unto him and lay out himself for him The love of Christ constraineth me saith a true believer 2 Cor. 5.14 15. He is holy and blamelesse before him in love Ephes 1.4 My soule hath kept thy Commandements and I love them exceedingly saith a true believer Ps. 119.167 This Faith is alwayes accompanied with true repentance He that truely believes unfaignedly repents This is evident by the language of the Prophet Zach. 12.10 This Faith is alwayes accompanied with new obedience This Faith is a holy Faith it 's so called Iud v. 20. and it makes the subject holy in which it is inwardly outwardly universally holy though not perfectly holy in this life This Faith is a World-contemning and World over-coming Faith it contemns the World both in the good and evill of it as appears in Moses Heb. 11.24 to 28. Iâ— overcometh the world as saith the Scripture This is the victory that overcometh the world even your faith Who is he that overcometh the world but he that believeth c. 1 John 5.4 5. I may add to this and say It is a flesh-over-coming and a Devill-overcoming faith for howsoever a true beleever be many times put to the worse for a time and foiled by one or other of these enemies yet in the end he overcometh them all and is more then a Conqueror through Christ that strengtheneth him and overcometh for him This Faith is a heart humbling Faith it is the property of this Faith to make an humble heart as the Language of Christ Iohn 5.44 intimates How can ye believe saith he which seek honour one of a another A true beleever eyes God in all gifts and in all blessings Spirituall and Temporall and ascribes all unto free grace He and he only labours for and learnes of Christ heart-humility and groans under the sense of the want of it and hence it is evident that true Justifying Faith is heart-humbling Faith This Faith is a God-glorifying Faith it makes a man preferre God above himself and his glory above all things respecting not himself willing to deny himself unto the death to advance the honour of God and humbly to submit to the Will of the Lord in every thing as appears in Abraham Iob Eli David Paul and many other true beleevers Abraham was by this faith transported so far above himself that he willingly offered up his dear Isaac to advance the honour of God when he tryed him Iob was by this faith brought humbly and patiently to submit to the Will of the Lord in every thing as one desirous to advance his Name Ely was by this faith brought sweetly and humbly to submit to the good pleasure of the Lord When Samuel told him what evill the Lord would bring upon him and his house he meekly replies as one dâ—sierous to advance God in all It is the Lord let him do what seemeth him good It is as if he had said let him do with me or to me what he will so he may have glory by it I am content David did the like 2 Sam 15.26 But above all the Apostle Paul is a notable example of this who was by this faith carried so farre above himself that he cared not what betided â—im sink or swim so Christ might be magnified thereby bonds and afflictions and death were nothing to him to undergo so Christ might have honour thereby Nay he would rather lose his eternall Crown then eclyps the honour of Christ as his Language Act. 20.23 24.21 13. does plainly evidence his resolution That Christ should be magnified in him whatever he underwâ—nt Phil. 1.20 Rom. 9.3 It is the property of a true faith to preferre God above all but an evidence of a strong faith thus to preferre God above all This Faith is a growing Faith True Faith how weak soever or how strong soever is alwayes accompanied with cordial desires and real indeavours to grow and increase and bring forth more fruit as the language of beleevers shews Lord increase our Faith said the Disciples to Christ Lord I beleeve help thou my unbeliefe saith another beleever I count not my self to have apprehended but this one thing I do forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forth to those things which are before I press toward the mark saith a third Phil. 3.13 14. By all wâ—ich it is evident That true Faith is growing Faith A true beleever never thinks he hath Faith enough but still prayes for and labours after increase This Faith is a supporting Faith It is a Faith which a Christian may and must live by in all conditions as appears Hâ—b 2.4 The just shall live by his Faith He that hath this Faith we speak of shall live by it in prosperity and in adversity in life and in death Finally this Faith is permanent and persevering it holds out unto the death it is never totally lost a true beleever as he lives in the faith so he dyes in the faith the Apostle speaking of true beleevers saith These all died in the Faith Heb. 11.13 And true it is That a true beleever alwayes dyes in the Faith in the Faith of adherence if not of evidence this is vigour fit and but fit to give the denomination of a true beleever we are made partakers of the Holy Ghost if we hold the beginning of our coâ—fidence stedfast unto the end saith the text Heb. 3.14 These words plainly evidence that justifying faith is persevering faith it
Spirit of God in the soul whereby a sinner is so much touched in heart for his sinnes that he truly turns from them all unto the Lord. I think it not necessary nor meet for me to discuss the termes or genus of this description But here Noâ—e 1. That repentance unto salvation is an Evangelical grace a Gospel-grace The Law knows no Repentance cals for none nor works none it is the Gospel and the Gospel onely that knows Repentance cals for it and works it Moses cals not for Repentance but Christ doth Mar. 1.15 That this Repentance consisteth of two Essentiall parts to wit contrition and conversion humiliation and reformation therefore he that would make a true trial of his Repentance must have recourse unto both of these That it is Evangelical contrition and not legall that is the first Essential part of Repentance unto life it is cordial reformation and not feigned that is the second Essential part of Repentance unto life But what is this Evangelicall contrition and how may I discern whether I have it or no Evangelical contrition is a godly sorrow of soul for all sinne arising from the apprehension of a gracious God displeased by sinne and thou maist discern it by this which here follows 1. Evangelical sorrow springs out of the Love of God and hatred of sinne and increaseth the Love of God and hatred of sinne in the soul the Love of Christ constraineth the soul to hate sinne and to mourn and grieve for sinne and the bitterness of this sorrow and grief for sinne sweeteneth the Love of God in Christ unto the soul and inbittereth sinne And hence it comes to pass that the soul loves Christ more and hates sinne more after it hath once felt this sorrow and been soked in it then ever it did before 2. Evangelicall sorrow is mixed with faith The Evangelical mourner bewailes his sinne and rests on the mercy of God in Christ and the promises which are in him yea and in him Amen for the pardon of his sinne and the mortification of his corruptions and grace to amend Faith of adherence is an inseparable concomitant of Evangelical sorrow although faith of evidence be not so He that sorrows for his sinne and rests not on Christ for the pardon of his sinne his sorrow is legal and not Evangelical desperation and not contrition 3. Evangelical sorrow is mixed with hope The Evangelical mourner mourns not without hope he hath hope of obtaining mercy even in the deepest of his sorrow for sinne as appears by his carriage in his mourning He despaires not but seeks to God for mercy his sorrow drives him to God and not from God as is evident by the example of the Prodigall in his deepest distresse he despaires not but goes to his father for mercy but had he not had hope of obtaining mercy he would have despaired had he not had hope of obtaining mercy he would never have gone to his father to seek it 4. Evangelical sorrow is mixed with Joy being mixed with Faith and Hope the Evangelical mourner looks upon his sorrow as a sacrifice with which God is well-pleased and therefore Joys that he can sorrow that he can offer this Sacrifice to God The Sacrifices of God are a broken and a contrite heart and spirit A broken and a contrite heart O God thou wilt not despise saith the Scripture Psal. 51.17 And this the contrite heart beleeves and therefore Joys when it can sorrow 5. Hence it comes to passe that the Evangelical mourner is an agent as well as a patient in the action of mourning He strives to provoke and quicken his dull heart and soul to mourn and thinks no labour too much to bestow to bring his soul to a godly manner of mourning He desires nothing more then to turn his Carnal mirth into Godly mourning Be afslicted and mourn and weep saith the Scripture Let your laughter be turned into mourning and your joy into heavinesse Jam. 4.9 This this soul labours wonderfully to do and nothing grieves him more than that he cannot more grieve for sinne He labours to make his carnall mirth the matter of his spiritual mourning and wishes O that mine eyes were a fountain of tears that I could weep day and night for the sinne of my nature and the sinne of my life and the iniquity of my People 6. Evangelical sorrow is a heart-mollifying sorrow it softeneth the heart and makes it very tender and pliabâ—e sensible of the least sinne and the least displeasure of God for sin Hearts broken with evangelicall sorrow are like broken bones very sensible of every touch Hearts broken with Evangelical sorrow are very pliable to the will of the Lord above all other Lord what wilt thou have me to do saith a contrite soule Act. 9.6 as if he had said declare thy will Lord and I am ready to obey it to the utmost of my power whatever it be Such as the measure of this sorrow is such usually is the softness of the heart and the pliability of the will the more of this sorrow the soul hath the more tender is the heart made thereby and the more pliable is the will the less of this sorrow the soul hath the less softening hath the heart and the less yielding is there in the will to the Will of the Lord. 7. Evangelical sorrow is a heart meekening sorrow it meekeneth the heart and maketh it humbly stoop to the yoke of Christ and patiently bear the Chastising hand of Christ during the good pleasure of Christ. I will beare the indignation of the Lord because I have sinned against him untill he plead my cause and execute judgment for me saith the contrite soul Mich. 7.9 It moderateth anger and maketh all calm within and without 8. Evangelical sorrow is a heart-humbling sorrow it maketh the heart humble and lowly The more of this sorrow there is in the heart the more humble it is and the less of this there is in the heart the prouder it is the more fearless and careless it is of sinne I am no more worthy to be called a Sonne make me as a Servant or any thing the meanest imployment in my fathers house is too good for me saith the contrite soul. I am but a walking-dunghill and fitter to be set on a dunghill then on a Throne saith the contrite soul. 9. And hence it is that the soul evangelically contrite admires free grace in every favour that it receives spiritual or temporal and is the thankfullest soul of all others for mercies received What shall I render unto the Lord for all his mercies towards me saith a contrite soul This soul speaks to it self in the language of the Lord to Ierusalem I was polluted in my blood and cast out to the loathing of my person and no eye pitied me to do any office of love unto me And then the Lord had compassion on
me and washed me with water yea with blood with the blood of his Sonne he throughly washed away my filth and annoynted me with oyl indued me with his Spirit and his grace c. I had forfeited all right to Heaven and earth into the Lords hand and he hath given me all back again freely and put me in a better condition than I was in before O the deepnesse of the riches of the Justice and Mercy of God! 10. In the tenth place Evangelical sorrow is a sorrow that keeps the soul in a sweet heavenly frame for all holy and heavenly duties it sweetly fits the soul for all holy performances Sorrow that flowes from the apprehension of Love in God is fresh and lively and full of spirits so that a man never performs any holy duty better then when his heart is filled with this sorrow Set a soul filled with this sorrow to pray and he will pray sweetly and heavenly fervently and effectually to wit in faith and so prevaile much with God Set him to hear and he will hear humbly and the whole Word of the Lord will be sweet unto him every precept and every threatning of the Lord every bitter thing will be sweet unto him every crum that fals from his Table will he gather up as precious food Set a soul filled with this sorrow to Divine Meditation and he will do it with great delight and freedome set him to receive the Sacrament of the Supper of the Lord and he will do this action in its beauty He will looke upon him whom he hath pierced and mourn for his sinne that hath pierced him and every other holy duty will he perform with a more heavenly mind than others which have not felt this sorrow or not in that measure which he hath done 11. The soul Evangelically contrite sorrows not so much for suffering as for sinning not so much for being displeased as for displeasing and dishonouring God by sinne it is grieved for its sinne because the holy Spirit of God is grieved by its sinne and broken with its whorish heart as the Prophet speaks and is melted by the consideration of the incomparable goodness of God and his kindnesse and love in Christ towards its self abused by its self rather then broken with horrour threatnings punishments or slavish feare Against thee thee only have I sinned and done this evill in thy sight saith the contrite soul and this is that which pierceth his soul. 12. The soul Evangelically contrite longs after freedome from sinne more than freedome from suffering it saies with the Church Lord take away all mine iniquity not with Pharaâ—h the plague Lord look upon my affliction and my pain saith the contrite soul and ease me of that if it be thy blessed Will but however forgive all my sinnes deliver me from all my transgressions Wash me throughly from mine iniquity and cleanse me from my sinne hide thy face from my sinnes and blot out all mine iniquities O wretched man that I am Who shall deliver me and when shall I be delivered from the body of this death This is the language of contrite souls The soul Evangelically contrite counts sin the worst Evill and Christ the best Good the guilt of sinne the power of sinne and the being of sinne is of all burdens the heaviest unto a contrite soul and that which of all other it longs to be freed from 13. The soul Evangelically contrite priseth Christ as the chiefest Good as the only true Good it is not satisfied with any thing without Christ it is not fully satisfied with any thing but Christ Christ in his Blood Christ in his Spirit Christ in his Ordinances Christ in his Ministers Christ in whomsoever his Image is stamped is precious above all earthly things unto the contrite soul Thou art my beloved and my desire is towards thee saith the Contrite heart to Christ. To the soul Evangelically Contrite the light of Gods Countenance and the sense of his love in Christ is more worth than all the treasures and pleasures in the world Lord lift thou up the Light of thy Countenance upon me thy love is better than wine better then Corn and Wine it strengthens more it comforts more it puts gladness in my heart more then Corn and Wine more than the choicest Creatures in the world saith the Contrite soul. When once this contrition had ceazed on Davids heart his soul did thirst for God as the thirsty land for rain and as the chased Hart for the water-brooks And not after God only in his immediate dispensations but in his mediate also after God in his Ordinances in his Sanctuary as appears Psal. 63.2 84.10 27.4 and thus did Mary Magdalen and Paul and other Saints under the New Testament when once this contrition had ceazed on their hearts they were very industrious seekers of God in his Ordinances By which it is eminently evident that it is the nature of Evangelical Contrition of hearts Evangelically contrite to prize highly communion with God in his Ordinances As it was with David and Mary and the other Saints here so it is with every soul Evangelically Contrite he hath the same judgement of and affection towards Gods Ordinances in truth though not in the same degree Such as the measure of contrition wrought in the soul is such usually is the measure of his affection to and thirst after these Divine excellencies forementioned 14. The soul Evangelically Contrite disclaims all righteousnesse of its own and rests wholly on the merit of Christ for justification before God We are all as an unclean thing and all our righteousnesses are as filthy raggs saith the Contrite Church Isai. 64.6 What things were gain to me those I counted loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Iesus my Lord and do judg them but dung that I may winne Christ saith the Apostle Phil. 3.8 9. When once this Evangelical contrition hâ—d ceazed on the heart of Paul he renounced all his own righteousnesse all before conversion and all after conversion his old man and his new in matter of justification and rested wholly upon the merit of Christ which plainly demonstrates the truth asserted 15. Evangelical sorrow is a lasting sorrow and a wasting sorrow When once it hath ceazed upon the heart of a Christian it doth not pass away as the morning cloud and early dew or a land-flood but continueth and riseth up as a spring and is never exhaust till sin the cause of it be wholly taken away and not only the guilt and punishment of sinne but the very being of sinne till total deliverance from this body of death be granted This is evident in the Apostle Paul when once this sorrow had ceazed on his heart he did not cease to bewail his proness to sinne till his being in this world ceased as appears Rom. 7. ver 14.24 And as it is a lasting sorrow so it is a wasting
and ye shall be my People Jer. 31.33 What doth the Lord require herein on our part but to take him for our God and yield up our selves unto him as his People to apply Christ unto our selves and our selves unto Christ as aforesaid This is the Obedience of faith this is Evangelical Obedience the Obedience which the Gospel cals for and which it only accepts What shall we do that we might work the Works of God said some to Christ Ioh. 6.28 Christ replyes ver 29. This is the work of God that ye believe on him whom he hath sent In these few words is comprehended the whole work of Obedience the whole work assigned us by God This is the Work of God c. It is as if Christ had said you naturally seek Heaven by works but altogether mistake that work of works which is only acceptable and effectual to attain its end Beleeve on him whom he hath sent Beleeve on him who hath fulfilled the Law for us and will fulfill the Law in us This is the work of God assigned to us and a work which God worketh in us and this is unto flesh and blood of all works the hardest Here note these Corollaries Corol. 1. That the Obedience of Faith is of all works the most difficult unto flesh and blood this requires a man to deny himself totally which flesh and blood will rather deny God himself then do We rejoyce in Christ Iesus and have no confidence in the flesh c. 2. Our Souls naturally had rather dye and put off their immortality and everlasting being then put on the Lord Jesus Christ. They will not come to me 3. We all naturally dote upon works and say as the young man in the Gospel that came to Christ What shall I do that I may inherit eternall life But the work of works Beleeve in the Lord Iesus Christ we are of all other the farthest from till the Spirit of God work in us These from our Saviours mouth I have deducted This is the Work of God that ye beleeve in him whom he hath sent 4. Man naturally is so proud That he will not seek after God saith the Psalmist that is God in Christ for no otherwise can God be approached unto He thinks himself rich and to need nothing and knows not that he is poor and blind and miserable wretched and naked and therefore scornes to seek to God in Christ for wealth He will rather make a covering of Figg-Leaves than of Christs righteousnesse rather cover himself with rotten raggs than be beholding to Christ for his robe 5. Man regenerated so far forth as carnal is very unwilling to be beholding to Christ wholly for all the good he stands in need of hence it is that many regenerate persons will rest on promises no further than they can find themselves to obey precepts weary themselves out with labouring to fulfil the Law and never study the Obedience of Faith which is to renounce all that we can do To put no confidence in the flesh but rest only on what Christ hath done and suffered for us beleeving that every promise shall be made good to us so farre forth as may be good for us for Christ's sake This is to apply Christ unto our selves And our selves unto Christ According unto all his precepts This is the latter clause in the description of Evangelicall Obedience A Christian by the Obedience of faith Opens the everlasting doors to the King of Glory to come in and take possession and rule all in his heart and in his life He resigns up all to be ordered by him who so loved him that he gave himself for him so that not he but Christ liveth ruleth and ordereth all Every thought is yielded up unto the Obedience of Christ with desire that he will bring it into subjection 2 Cor. 10.5 Faith doth both receive and give it is faith that applies Christ to the man and the man to Christ as appears by Ioh. 1.12 compared with 2 Cor. 8.5 Faith makes him ours who makes all happiness ours Faith makes him ours in whom we are compleat and generates Love in our souls to him that hath loved us and given himself for us and this love constrains us to live not unto our selves but unto him which dyed for us and rose again 2 Cor. 5.14 15. and this is that Obedience which the Gospel cals for and which only it accepts and this if fincere and cordial is very acceptable with God though many wayes deficient It is the Gospel and the Gospel only that cals for this Obedience the Law doth not require us to apply our selves unto Christ no more than it doth require us to apply Christ unto our selves but barely saith Do this and live Transgrefse this and dye The Gospel doth not barely call for this Obedience of Faith but promises to give it and works the heart unto it yea freely gives it us as a gift They shall looke on him whom they have pierced c. Zach. 12.10 I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walk in my Statutes saith the Lord c. Ezek. 36.27 To you it is given in the behalf of Christ not only to beleeve on him but also to suffer for his sake saith the Apostle Phil. 1.29 These things premised I proceed to the tryal of Obedience and for the more perspicuity propound this Question Quest. How may I discern whether my Obedience be sincere and cordiall Obedience yea or nay Answ. Thou mayest discern it by the efficient cause by the final cause and by the properties of cordial Obedience The efficient cause of cordial Obedience is the Love of God the final cause thereof is the Glory of God 1. The efficient cause of cordial Obedience is the Love of God cordial Obedience springs out of Love to God and he that cordially obeys the Will of God obeys it in Love to God not slavish feare nor self love nor vain glory But Loâ—e to God is that which leades him to obey the Will of God Therefore saith the Apostle The Love of Christ constraineth us 2 Cor. 5.14 Here note these two things 1. That whatsoever a man doth in way of Obedience to the Will of God be the action never so good or glorious in it self is no wayes acceptable unto God except it spring from Love a pregnant proof of this we have 1 Cor. 13.1 2 3. where the Apostle shews at large That all Obedience without Love comes to just nothing all parts and gifts all Faith and Obedience though it be to the death and the cruellest death that possibly may be without faith working by Love without Obedience springing from Love comes to just nothing at length It profiteth me nothing saith the Apostle On the other hand though we can do but little for God if that little we do issue out of Love to God it is very pleasing to and acceptable with God who looks more on our affection than our
double There is a death to the guilt of sinne And a death to the power reign and dominion of sinne Death to the guilt of sinne is a perfect fredome from all sinne by the death of Christ for our sinne thus all in whom Christ lives are dead to sinne totally We are dead to the guilt of sinne by the body of Christ who died for us The death of our dear Saviour hath purchased and perfected this death for us The bloud of Iesus Christ cleanseth us from all sinne 1 Joh. 1.7 From all sinne past present and to come He that is thus dead is freed from sinne as the Apostle speaks Rom. 6.7 Redeemed from all iniqâ—ity Tit. 2.14 And this is the great priveledge of all those in whom Christ lives of all the true memberâ— of Jesus Christ Christ undertakes for them as Iudah did for Benjamin I will be sâ—rety for him of my hand shale thou require him if I bring him not unto thee and set him before thee then let me bear the blame for ever said Iudah to his father Gen. 43.9 Thus Christ undertakes for all his members for all his elect so as they may and ought to turn all charges brought against them over to Christ all inditements from God or Satan or conscience abused by Satan over to Christ their surety Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect saith the Apostle it is God that justifieth who is he tâ—at condemneth c. So may he that is thus dead to the guilt of sinne say What sinne is it that can condemne me that can bâ—ing in an inâ—ictment against me it is Christ that died it is Christ that died for me and by his death perfected this death for me I am now compleat in him in this respâ—ct who is it or whâ—t is it then that can lay any thing unto my chaâ—ge that can seperate me from the love of God in Christ Jesus Sin my worst enemy cannot do it for I am totally dead to the guilt of it by vertue of my Union with Christ Is Châ—ist be in yâ—u the boâ—y is dead because of sinne perfectly â—ead to the guilt of sinne Though Justâ—fication acquits a sinner from all sinne in Gods determination yet is not his pâ—râ—â—n formally granted nor actually put in exâ—â—uâ—iâ—n unâ—â—ll sued out and the trâ—bute of acâ—uâ—ll Repentance for kâ—own sinne is â—aid except in some cases viz. in case of the want of tâ—e use of 〈◊〉 as in children and disâ—â—â—cted persons in whom conscience cannot do its â—â—ffice beâ—â—usâ— of debility in the underâ—â—anding Thiâ— with submission to a better juâ—gement I humbly conceive to be according to tâ—uth and noâ—e it to vindicate my sâ—lâ— and cauâ—ion the Reader concerning that Antinomiâ—â— Tenet about Justification so common in these daies Thus is a true believer perfectly dead to the guilt of sinne by the death of Christ for his sinne But to the power dominion and being of sinne no child of Adam is totally dead in this life no not the best of the children of God but dying daily therefore saith the Apostle I die daily c. If any man thinks himself freed from sinne or perfectly dead to sinne in this sence He deceives himself and the truth is not in him 1 Joh. 1.8 For totally dead to sinne in this sence was never any sonne of man in this life but he that was the Sonne of God to wit Jesus Christ. Totally dead to the power and being of sinne is not he that is totally dead to the guilt of sinne untill this earthly house be quite pulled down and death that last debt and wages of sinne to the godly paid then and never till then is he in whom Christ lives totally freed from the power and being of sinne By the mercy of God death which was to man the wages and punishment of sinne is made unto all true believers the end of sinne the worker of death to wit sinne doth perish by its own workes sinne is slain and abolished by death Totall death to the power and being of finne is one great part of the privative gain which death brings to all that are in Christ to all that die in the Lord death the devorcer of soul and body brings perfect death to the power and being of sinne the enemy and burden of soul and body Perfectly dead to the power and being of sinne is no man here this death belongs to that other world But truly dead to the power and reign of sinne are all those here in whom Christ lives and this is that death which this Text points at If Christ be in you the body is dead because of sinne c. All in the state of nature are dead in sinne All in a state of grace are dead to sinne according to the meaning of this Text dead to sinne in a Gospel sence Death to the power and reign of finne is one part of the renovation of our natures consisting in that which the Scripture calls mortification by vertue of which the love of sinne and delight in sinne which is indeed the life of sinne is destroyed At this death the Apostle points Rom. 6 2. How shall we that are dead to sinne live any longer therein As if he had said How shall we that are dead to the guilt of sinne take pleasure in the filth of sinne or wallow in any sinne with delight It is impossible for death to the guilt of sin alwayes produceth death to the power and dominion of sinne If Christ be in you the body is dead because of sinne Is Christ be in you as a Iustifier he is in you as a Sanctifier also The body is dead because of sinne Christ and sinne may dwell in the same subject at the same time yea Christ may live where sinne doth dwell Christ liveth in me sinne dwelleth in me saith the Apostle but Christ and sinne cannot both live and reign together in the same subject at the same time Caesar and Pompey might better have lived and reigned togeher than Christ and sinne where either of these lives it reigns and both cannot reign together If Christ be in you the body is dead because of sinne This body to wit sinne whilest alive rules and reignes as a Husband as a Lord and Master and is obeyed freely and willingly with the consent of the whole will so much that phrase of the Apostle To whom ye yeeld your selves servants to obey doth imply But when Christ once espouseth a soul unto himself he divests this Lord of his power He puts this Husband to death and assumes all the rule and domination to himself And the soul thus espoused yeelds to obey him as her sovereign Lord and sole Commander We have no king but Caesar said the Iews So saith the soul dead to sinne I have no King but Christ I yeeld my self willingly to no other Therefore saith the Apostle If Christ be in you the body is
condition truely I know no rule in Scripture more infallible than this in this Text He that is joyned to the Lord is one spirit Consider what hath been said on this Text Consider what Spirit Christ was of and then examine thy self whether thou art one Spirit with him Consider whether the spirit that is in thee do truly answer to the Life to the Spirit of Christ if so know that it argues thy state good thy Creation new Christ and thee truely one Object But I find so much Hypocrisie so much pride so much hardnesse of heart and unholinesse in my self may a poor soul say here that I cannot hence conclude that I am one joyned to the Lord and one Spirit with him but rather that I am joyned to the Devill and one Spirit with him I cannot hence conclude that I am a new Creature but rather that I am in the state of nature still Answ. This Text doth not say that he that is joyned to the Lord is totally freed from these corruptions but that He is one Spirit he is one Spirit with the Lord Iesus Christ he is one with him in Spirit And this a man may be said to be when he hath these Divine qualifications of spirit forementioned truely wrought in him though weakly and imperfectly and much flesh much corruption remaining in him This must be granted otherwayes no man in this life could be said to be joyned to the Lord and one Spirit with him 2. But secondly A true sense of these corruptions accompanied with a loathing of them and warring against them in faith is so farre from rendering thee such as the Objection speaks of that it strongly argues the clean contrary to wit That thou art indeed joyned to the Lord and one Spirit with him that thou art incorporate into Christ and made new by him For it is from Christ and that new quality of grace which he hath infused into thy soul that this sense of corruption and antipathy springs hence it is that corrupt nature becomes a burden on the spirit naturally it is not so The Apostle Paul when joyned to the Lord and one Spirit with him when ingrafted into Christ and made new by â—im then and never till then did he groan under this burden then and not before did he complain of this body of death and the motions of lusts that warre in our members Wouldest thou then know from Scripture-grounds what thy condition is Whether Christ be in thee and thou in Christ go through what hath been said on these two Texts If Christ be in you the body is dead because of sinne c. and this we are now upon If any man be in Christ he is a new Creature Consider whether thou art become dead to sinne alive to righteousnesse a new Creature Consider whether Christ be formed in thee whether thou hast a new heart whether thou livest in Christ as a branch in the vine and bringest forth fruit in him whether thou art one that doth not commit sinne in a Scripture sense Whether thou art one that groans under the remainder of the old man in thee as thy greatest burden Whether thou art one that minds the things of the Spirit that art led by the Spirit and walks after the Spirit Finally whether thou art one Spirit with the Lord Iesus Christ and if upon a true tryall of thy self thou findest by what hath been said that it is thus with thy self conclude thou maist safely as I conceive to thy comfort with the Church in the Canticles My well-beloved is mine and I am his That thy estate is good thy interest in Christ true and real and thy Title to Heaven such as no enemy whatsoever no not Satan nor sinne shall be able to deprive thee of it whatever Satan or thy own conscience abused by Satan may say to theÌ„ contrary Fatherly Chastisements Heb. 12.6 Whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth and scourgeth every sonne whom he receiveth IN these words the Apostle fetcheth an argument of Divine and Fatherly Love from a Rod and concludes sonneship by adoption from Chastisement Whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth and scourgeth every sonne whom he receiveth The Position of the Apostle is confirmed by a plurality of witnesses both Solomon and Christ concurre with Paul herein Whom the Lord loveth he correcteth even as a father the son in whom he delighteth saith Solomon Prov. 3.12 As many as I love I rebuke and chasten saith Christ Rev. 3.19 The truth of this position hath been experimented by a cloud of witnesses by all the Sonnes and Daughters of God that have gone before us unto Glory and will be by all that shall follow after us and therefore needs not much proving The Apostle tells us That through many afflictions we must enter into the Kingdom of God And in ver 8. of this Chap. saith that if ye be without Chastisement whereof all are partakers then are ye Bastards and not Sonnes Immunity from correction is rather a Character of a Bastard than of an Adopted Son of God it is rather a note of an Ismael than of an Isaac it is rather the mark of a Goate than of a Sheep it is rather a demonstrator of a child of this world than of a Disciple of Christ for the Crosse is a reculicen which all Christs Disciples must weare as he himself tels us In a word it is rather a badge of an heire of Hell than of an heire of Heaven of a reprobate rather than an elect and adopted Child of God for Chastisement is the universal lot of all Gods Children as this Text tels us Whom the Lord loveth he Chastiseth yea scourgeth The most people in the world fetch their evidence of Gods Love from Gods liberall dispensations of his gifts either natural or supernatural eternal or internal transient gifts I have this gift liberally dispensed to me of God saith one and I have that gift liberally dispensed to me of God saith another I have health saith one and I have wealth saith another I have no changes but constant prosperity through my pollicy in winding with the times I have esteem in the world and successe in every thing I go about ortake in hand therefore doubtlesse God loves me Ergo. Another looks higher than this and saith I have natural parts and supernatural gifts liberally dispensed to me of God above what many others have I have wit and understanding c. more than many others I have knowledg and I have utterance and herein excell many I have esteem among the Godly wise and a name to live I have a form of Godlinesse and a shadow of every grace of the Spirit many Talents in my hand and hence conclude God doubtlesse loves me whoever he hates Ergo. But neither of these argue well for their sonneship nor their eternal estate for no where doth the Scripture make any of these signs of Gods special love or our adoption It is evident by Scripture That a
man pray frequently and pray fervently Seek the Lord early and seek him earnestly wrestle with God in prayer witnesse Iacob and the Prodigall 6. Chastisements sanctified beget and increase love in the chastised towards the chastiser Rebuke a wise man and he will love thee saith Solomon Pro. 9.8 Chastisements sanctified increase love to God 7. Chastisements sanctified meeken the heart and moderate anger mortifie in man hatred and malice which generate thoughts and desires of revenge against the instruments in Gods hand They beget patience under all strokes I have sinned therefore I will beare the indignation of the Lord saith the soul whose Chastisement is sanctified and justifiesGod in all his dealings 8. Chastisements sanctified soften the heart and make it pliable to the will of God they subject a man unto Christs yoke 9. They fit a man for any condition that God cals him unto prosperity or adversity they fit him to abound and fit him to want fit him to live to Christ and fit to him to dye for Christ they fit a man to live to Christ here and to live with Christ heareafter in Heaven 10. They make a man long to be dissolved to be with Christ yet patiently to wait on God all the daies of his appointed time untill his change come Rom. 5. â— Job 14.14 11. Sanctified Chastisements indeare to a man his Fathers house his house of grace and his house of glory they did thus operate in David Psa. 42. and in Israel in captivity Psal. 137.1 6. and in the Prodigall Luk. 15. When his Chastisement was sanctified unto him it indeared his fathers house 12. Sanctified Chastisements will make a man labour to excell in grace There is no man so covetous after grace as he to whom Gods chastising hand is sanctified There is none so sensible of the want of grace nor of the worth of grace as this soul is therefore such an one usually labours above all others to excell in grace 13. Finally Sanctified Chastisements leave impression behind them when they are gone they do not only make impression while they are present as unsanctified Chastisements many times do but they leave impression behind them when they are removed impression of holy feare of love of humility of watchfulnesse of holinesse of compassion towards others under Gods Chastising hand They yield the peaceable fruit of righteousnesse to them that have been exercised thereby and the like they do not barely produce good purposes and promises but resolve them into performances according to ability and opportunity By some one or other of these every one may perceive whether Gods Chastisements be sanctified to him or no and so consequently whether Gods rod upon himself be a sign and pledg of Gods speciall Love towards him or not Object But God Chastises in wrath and displeasure as well as in love In my wrath I smote thee saith God of his own People Isa. 60.10 In a little wrath I hid my face from thee c. Isai. 54.8 How shall I then know whether God chastise me in love or in displeasure Sol. To find out this Consider 1. That those which the Lord here speaks of though they were the Lords own People by profession yet they were not all such by true conversion they were not all beloved after a speciall manner 2. Know That God may and often times doth Chastise in wrath and yet in love too When God Chastiseth his own Adopted Child he many times doth it in wrath and displeasure towards his sin but alwayes in love to his person Wouldest thou then know whether thou art Chastised of God in love or not Consider whether thou art an Adopted Child of God or not Try thy selfe by what hath been formerly said and if thou findest that thou art truely such conclude thou mayest certainly That all thy Chastisements do spring from love for whatsoever stroks God smites such an one with he doth it in Love to his person this is a sure rule though God speak bitter things against thee as Iob complains he did against him and do bitter things unto thee yet all springs from his love though he bide his face from thee for a while and chastise thee with sâ—ourging he doth it in love to thy person all Gods dealings with thee spring from his love his love is the efficient whatsoever be the meritorious or immediate cause of thy Chastisement When God is angry with thee and smites thee for thy sinne it is in love to thy person he loves thee still Is Ephraim my deare sonne is he a pleasant Child for since I spake against him I do earnestly remâ—ember him still c. Ier. 31.20 All Gods Children even the best of them all here have faults many faults and God will not suffer them to go unchastised Children are sure of chaftisement however servants speed legitimate sonnes are sure of chastisement when they offend however bastards escape God hath no time to chastise his Children but here therefore they are sure of Chastisement here it will not stand with Gods Love to passe by them and wink at their faults the nearer in relation the surer of correction the dearer in affection the surer of chastisement Whom the Lord loveth he chastiseth and scourgeth every sonne whom he receiveth Wouldest thou then get a true evidence of the speciall Love of God towards thee and of this Adoption by Jesus Christ Consider well of two things First Whether thou hast been Chastised of the Lord yea or nay Secondly Whether thy Chastisiments are sanctified to thee or not and if thou canst truely conclude on the affirmative thou hast good ground to beleeve that thou art one beloved of God after a speciall manner that thou art an Adopted Child of God and an heir of Heaven But if thou hast been altogether free from or unprofitable under Gods Chaftisement thou hast just cause to feare whether thou art an Adopted Child of God or not at least that thou art not yet brought home to thy Heavenly Father For whom the Lord loveth he certainly sooner or later chastiseth as the Text tels us Whom the Lord loveth he chastiseth and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth Gospell Sufferings OR Suffering as a Christian. 2 Tim. 2.12 If we suffer we shall also reign with him IN these words the Apostle briefly layes before us another and a higher Evidence of our Salvation to wit suffering Heaven the Kingdom of glory where Jesus Christ reigns is here promised to sufferers But to find out what kind of sufferers they are to whom this great reward is promised we must consult with other Scriptures for it is not to all kind of sufferers that this promise is made Before I speak of the kind of suffering here spoken of I shall here note foure or five things First That suffering is a lesson very hard to flesh and blood to learn which the Apostle knowing as a wise scholemaster sets before us his schoolers that
The will of Christ is That he that suffers for his will should aim at his Honour and Glory therein This appeares thus Whether you eat or drink or whatsoever you do do all to the glory of God saith the Text 1 Cor. 10.31 That is do it so that God may have glory thereby do it aiming at the Honour and Glory of God therein Hence I argue thus If it be the will of Christ that I should aim at his Honour and Glory in all that I do then it is the will of Christ that I should aim at his Honour and Glory in all that I suffer for suffering is doing But it is the will of Christ that I should aim at his Honour and Glory in all that I do Therefore it is the will of Christ that I should aim at it in all that I suffer A man may then be said to aim at the Honour and Glory of Christ in suffering when he makes that his direct chief and utmost end in all that he suffers when he makes the Honour and Glory of Christ the finall cause of all his sufferings when he suffers not out of vain glory but that Christ may be magnified thereby when a man doth thus suffer for the will of Christ then doth he suffer according to the will of Christ in this particular 9. Finally the will of Christ is that he that suffers for his will shoulâ— glorifie God for suffering If any man suffer as a Christian let him not be ashamed but let him glorifie God on thiâ— behalf 1 Pet. 4.16 A man doth then glorifie God for suffering 1. When he boldly and thankfully acknowledges the favour of the Lord towards him in calling him forth and enabling him to suffer for his sake 2. When he makes his sufferings the matter of his joy and thanksgiving when he rejoyces and praises God that he is counted worthy to suffer in any kind for Christs sake 3. When he doubles his diligence in duty upon this account thus did the Apostles glorifie God for suffering Phil. 1.29 Act. 5.41 42. Art thou then a sufferer Consider whether thou sufferest as a Christian yea or nay whether thou sufferest for the will of Christ and whether thou sufferest according to the will of Christ And if thou canst truly conclude on the affirmative thou hast good ground to conclude that thou art one that shall reign with Jesus Christ in his everlasting kingdome If ye suffer ye shall also reign with him and not only reign with Christ but reign with him in greater glory For our light affliction which is but for a moment worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory 2 Cor. 4.17 Suffering as a Christian is a reall testimony of a reall Christian and suffering as a Christian is a high evidence of Gods speciall love towards a person Dost thou then suffer and suffer as a Christian Thou maist then safely conclude I shall reign with Christ Henceforth there is laid up for me a Crown of righteousness An exceeding and eternall weight of glory A kingdome that cannot be shaken A Crown that cannot be taken Glory that cannot here enter into my heart to conceive Glory that cannot be measured Glory that fadeth not away but remaineth through all eternity Glory that cannot enter into me I shall one day enter into I now suffer with Christ and for Christ I shall one day be glorified with Christ and by Christ whatsoever Satan or the world may say to the contrary Sealing by the Spirit Ephes. 4.30 Grieve not the holy Spirit of God whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption Whereby ye are sealed c. THat which I pitch upon in this Text as most for my purpose is this That the holy Spirit of God doth seal the Elect unto the day of redemption The whole Trinity doth concur in this work of sealing soules to eternall happiness but sealing is here attributed to the third Person in Trinity to wit the holy Spirit of God because it is a work most proper to his Office It is the holy Spirit of God that sealeth soules to the day of redemption as the Apostle here tells us The persons sealed by the holy Spirit of God are the Elect of God true believers as the Apostle intimates by that particle Ye whereby Ye are sealed speaking of true believers These all these and none but these the holy Spirit of God doth seal unto the day of redemption unto the day of the full manifestation of our redemption unto the day of the redemption of our bodies from corruption and the fruition of the redemption of our souls and bodies from Hell by Jesus Christ. Sealing is a metaphor taken from Merchants who use to seal their own wares for speciall ends The divine seales of God are of a double kind and of a double use they are of a double kind they are either externall or internall outward or inward â— Externall or outward and such a seal was Circumcision in the time of the Law it is so called by the Apostle Rom 4.11 And such are our Sacraments Baptism and the Lords Supper now in the daies of the Gospel 2. Internall or inward the internall or inward seal of God is the seal of the holy Spirit of God metaphorically so called and this is that which this Text points at Seales are of a double use they serve to demonstrate and to confirme they signifie and ratifie I speak after the manner of men Gods seales do no less they demonstrate they confirme But Gods externall seales without the internall seal of the Spirit of God cannot assure any soul of the speciall love of God nor of his Adoption many outwardly sealed go to Hell the outward seales alone cannot seal any soul unto the day of redemption It is the inward seal of the holy Spirit of God that seales us unto the day of redemption as this Text tells us Grieve not the holy Spirit of God whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption The internall or inward divine seal of the Spirit of God is twofold Demonstrative or Confirmative The holy Spirit of God seals the Elect to the day of redemption two wayes 1. With a seal of Demonstration 2. With a seal of Confirmation The seal of Demonstration set by the Spirit of God I call that a speciall work of the holy Spirit of God whereby a sinfull soul is truly regenerated and the Image of God stamped upon him The seal of Confirmation I call that a speciall work of the holy Spirit of God within us whereby we are perswaded and assured after an immediate manner that we are the children of God adopted in Christ and beloved with an everlasting love Both these seales agree in their efficient cause for they are both the speciall workes of the holy Spirit of God whereby the soul is marked for and assured of eternall happiness when this life is ended Of the first of these seales to wit the seal of
Demonstration I shall speak something from this Text as God shall enable me and somewhat of the other to wit the seal of Confirmation from another Text if the Lord permit and so conclude this work Before I speak further of this seal of Demonstration or the appearances of it I will here premise six things First That as a Merchant sets his seal upon his wares by which he demonstrates such and such wares to be his and distinguisheth them from all other so God sets his seal upon his people to wit this seal of regeneration by which he demonstrates them to be his and distinguisheth them from all the people in the world profane morall hypocriticall This I may call Gods broad-seal sealing a soul to the day of redemption Secondly This seal God sets upon all his wares all his adopted children are sooner or later sealed with this seal every reall Saint every one that is effectually called hath this seal of Demonstration set upon him regeneration wrought in him Gods Image stamped upon him But all the children of God have not this in like measure the impression is not alike visible in all neither to the parties themselves nor to others some bear this impression as babes others as men grown up to some maturity all Gods adopted children bear this impression truly but none of them perfectly in this life The third thing premised is this That this seal of Demonstration to wit true regeneration is of absolute necessity unto salvation for Without holiness no man shall see the Lord Heb. 12.14 No man shall ever inherit the kingdome of glory that hath not this seal set upon him in the kingdome of grace Christ will own none of these wares for his in that other world whom he doth not thus seal in this world it stands not with his justice to own such The fourth thing premised is this That this seal of regeneration demonstrates to God to man to others and to a mans self except in some cases that he is Gods He hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the Truth 2 Thes. 2.13 Fifthly This seal of regeneration is such as others may discern therefore I call it a seal of demonstration The Image of God if once stamped in truth upon the soul cannot be hid no more than fire in a mans bosome the love of God in the heart will shew it self in the outward man Nay this seal of regeneration is many times more obvious unto others than unto the parties themselves This seal is so lively stamped on some of Gods people that it shews it self very eminently in the eies of others when they that have it cannot nor will not behold it in themselves The sixth and last thing premised is this That this seal of regeneration whereever it is truly stamped by the holy Spirit of God is Gods mark and the soules earnest for Heavens eternity The Lord hath set apart him that is godly for himself Psal. 4.3 The person thus sealed is a sequestred person sequestred for the Lords use sealed unto the day of redemption Where note That this seal of regeneration doth confirme and make sure the love of God unto the person on which it is set as well as the other though not alwayes to the apprehension of the person Object But Satan doth many times counterfeit this seal and thereby cheats and cosens many a soul He counterfeiteth holiness and perswades the soul that is but seemingly regenerate that he is truly regenerate and him that hath but civill holiness that he hath saving holiness and by this sophistry of his cheats and undoth many a soul How shall I then come truly to discern whether the demonstrative seal set upon my self be indeed the seal of the holy Spirit of God or but the counterfeit set by Satan Answ. 1. Wheresoever there is true regeneration wrought by the holy Spirit of God Satans seal which is upon our soules as we come into the world is cancelled corruption is not barely restrained but mortified The body is dead because of sinne as the Scripture speaks the soul is bent against every sinne it allows not it self in any known sinne it hates all sin but where Satan counterfeits this seal corruption is but restrained the heart loves it still and cherisheth some one sinne or other 2. The soul â—hus sealed by the holy Spirit of God beares the Image of God the Image of God is stamped upon it as the seal is so is the print which it makes the Spirit of God is a holy Spirit and the soul that is sealed by it is a holy soul He is renewed in the spirit of his mind Holiness is stamped upon his heart and spirit and from thence spreads it self through the whole man and through the whole life from the time of conversion regeneration wrought by the Spirit of God makes the heart pure and holy as well as the outward man therefore the Apostle calls it Holiness of truth Ephes. 4.24 and saith in another place The Spirit is Life because of righteousness Christ makes it a note of a good man that he can derive goodness from within Luk 6 45. Therefore I may safely pitch upon it That Holiness engraven upon the heart and spirit of a man and from thence declaring it self in the whole man and in the whole life is vigor fit and but fit to give the denomination of a soul thus sealed regeneration wrought by the Spirit of God is begun in the inward man it is universall and goes through every faculty of the soul and every part and member of the body through the whole life and conversation he that is truly sanctified is sanctified throughout and holy in all manner of conversâ—tion he that is sealed by the holy Spirit of God beares the Image of God in all these But Satans counterfeit seal of Demonstration stamps his own image he is seemingly an Angel of light whilest really a Devil and he that is thus sealed by Satan resembles him in this he is a seeming Saint a reall Devil So Christ spake of Iudas Have not I chosen you twelve and one of you is a Devil He that is thus sealed by Satan hath Holiness painted on his outside but wickedness graven on his heart as is evident in the Scribes and Pharisees who were thus sealed by Satan they were outwardly holy as Christ shews at large Mat. 23. but inwardly very ugly and rotten and therefore calls them whited sepulchres not sealed soules Civill Holiness may and many times doth enable a man to carry himself civilly and holily in the eies of men but saving Holiness makes a man studious and carefull to approve himself unto God in his very thoughts and affections and in the motions of his heart as well as the motions of the outward man yea this is that which he is most carefull of and industrious about that is sealed
by the holy Spirit of God his chief work is within doors his principall care desire and endeavour is to approve his heart unto God and so walk that he may be accepted of him and glorifie him Then again civill Holiness springs from morall principles good education and the like but saving Holiness springs from love love to God is the root out of which it springs as the Apostle shews Eph. 1.4 The soul that is thus sealed by the Spirit of God his Holiness springs from love to God The love of Christ constraineth him thereunto The soul that is thus sealed by the holy Spirit of God dares not sunder what God hath coupled together to wit Holiness towards God and Righteousness towards men a man truly regenerate is carefull of both witness Paul Act. 24.16 He makes conscience of all sinne and of all duty he warrs against all sinne and hath râ—spect unto all Gods Commandments The soul thus sealed by the holy Spirit of God is one in whom sinne dwelleth as a Rebell and ruleth as a Tyrant only He is one that is of all men the most sensible of and affected with carnallity in himself I am carnall saith he sold under sinne Rom. 7. He is one that serves the Lord with all humility of mind Act. 20.19 The more holy and the more righteous a soul sealed by the holy Spirit of God is the more humble he is Christ and Paul were notable examples of this He that is thus sealed by the holy Spirit of God is a world-overcoming creature a flesh-overcoming creature and a Devil overcoming creature He is more than a Conquerour over all these through Christ that hath loved him and sealed him by his Spirit He is one that is a new Creature and of this something hath been already spoken in this Treatise to which I refer the Reader for a farther discovery of a regenerate person In fine He that is thus sealed by the holy Spirit of God is one that holds on his way and grows in grace I joyn these together so doth Iob The righteous shall hold on his way and he that hath clean hands shall be stronger and stronger Job 17.9 This seal of the holy Spirit of God hath this priveledge above and beyond all other seales the impression which it makes remaineth and increaseth This seal of Demonstration if once truly stamped by the Spirit of God on a soul abideth there the impression never weares out This annointing abideth as Iohn speakes 1 Ioh. 2.27 Truth of grace in the heart and it abideth there and the heart abideth in the truth When God gives a man truth of grace he gives it him to have and to hold for ever the soul thus sealed beares in it the marks of the Lord Jesus unto the death and most eminently after death in glory This seal of the holy Spirit of God is lasting and everlasting True regeneration seales a man to the day of redemption but this it could not do were it not a lasting substance This may suffice to discerne the reality of this seal of Demonstration by to wit true regeneration and to distinguish it from that counterfeit set by Satan I do not intend an innumeration of the qualifications and appearances of a regenerate person here but only endeavour to discry him and distinguish between him and one but seemingly regenerate and therefore strik◠〈◊〉 and proceed to the other seal of the holy Spirit of God to wit the seal of Confirmation mentioned before and for this purpose shall pitch upon Rom. 8.16 Spirits witness with our spirits Rom. 8.16 The Spirit it self beareth witness with our spirit that we are the children of God THis is the last but not the least evidence that a child of God hath in this life for Heaveâ—s eternity of this I â—ay say as David said of 〈◊〉 sword There is none like that give it me There is no testimony to that of the Spirit of God witnessing with our spirits to satisfie conscience to resolve all doubts remove all scruples and end all controversies about our eternall estate When the Spirit of God beareth witness with our spirit that we are the children of God to wit by grace and adoption the soul then enjoys heaven upon earth and hath meat to eat that the world knoweth not of It is sealed unto the day of redemption indeed with a seal of Confirmation and it knoweth that it is so The Spirit it self beareth witness with our spirit that we are the children of God Hence it is evident That no mans own spirit can truly assâ—re him of the love of God towards him nor â— his adoption unless the Spirit of God concur and bear witness with his spirit no more than a mans own Deed or Seal can assure him of what is delegated or assigned unto him by another Neither is it the Spirit of God alone simply and singly considered that doth this but it is the Spirit of God concurring with our spirits the Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that doth assure us of the love of God and our adoption When the Spirit of God by a speciall work of his upon our soules convinces them of the speciall love of God towards us of our Justification and Sanctification and we by faith assent thereunto then doth the Spirit bear witness with our spirit according to the meaning of this Text as I conceive then is the soul sealed unto the day of redemption with a seal of Confirmation And this is that seal which I am now to speak of and that which this Text points at This may be called Gods privy seal sealing a soul unto the day of redemption Of this seal the Apostle speakes Ephâ—s 1.13 In whom after ye believed ye were sealed with the holy Spirit of promise c. Before I speak of the appearances of this seal of the Spirit of God I shall here note two or three things This seal of Confirmation God sets upon some of his people but this he doth not set upon all his people the Spirit of God doth â—hus bear witness with our spirits in some of Gods children but it doth not thus bear witness with our spirits in all Gods children Neither doth it thus bear witness at all times in those in whom it doth at some the Scriptures afford frequent examples of this 2. This testimony or witness of the Spirit of God in whomsoever it is proceedeth from and dependeth on free grace and is a token of royall favour to whomsoever it is granted it is Christs golden Scepter held up to the soul. 3. This seal or testimony of the holy Spirit of God though it be the ratifier of our Redemption and Salvation in our hearts yet it is not the meritorious cause of it neither is it absolutely necessary unto salvation 4. This seal of the holy Spirit of God on whomsoever it is set is an earnest and but an earnest of that inheritance which he shall one day be
possessed of with the adopted children of God in heaven This is evident by the language of the Apostle Eph. 1.14 Obj. But Satan doth sometimes counâ—erfeit this seal too he perswades the soul that it is in a good condition and highly favoured of the Lord and draws the soul to presume upon it when as it is indeed in the very gall of bitterness and bonds of iniquity How shall I then discern a true and well-grounded perswasion and the testimony of Gods Spirit from a presumptuous conceiâ— and the Devils delusion Answ. We must try the Spirits try the testimony that we have if any so saith the Apostle 1 Ioh. 4.1 Believe not every Spirit but try the Spirits whether they are of God Object But how shall I do that How shall I try the testimony that I have whether it be of God or no Answ. By the rule of faith the written word of God as the Lord directeth Isa. 8.20 Luk 16.29 The written word of God to wit the holy Scriptures is the only true touch-stone that we have to try the Spirits and their testimony by And it affirms First That a true testimony of the holy Spirit of God is ever agreeable and exactly answerable unto the written word of God Gods witnesses do never disagree in their testimony the word of God and the Spirit of God speak the same thing As a pair of Indentures do exactly answer one another so doth the testimony of the Spirit of God exactly answer to the testimony of the word the word of God and the Spirit of God speak the same thing To the law and to the testimony saith the Lord if they speak not according to this word it is because therâ— is no Life in them Isa. 8.20 Heâ—ce it is evident That if the written word of God do not concur with the testimony that thou hast that testimony is not the testimony of the holy Spirit of God but a meer delusion of Satan a dead and counterfeit thing it is not a sealing unto the day of redemption but a sealing unto the day of destruction Secondly The word affirms that whosoever is sealed by the holy Spirit of God with this seal of Confirmation is first sealed by him with a seal of Demonstration this seal of the holy Spirit of God is not an antecedent to but a subsequent of the other seal of Demonstration it doth not precede but follow after faith and sanctification In whom after ye believâ—d ye were sealed with the holy Spirit of promise saith the Apostle speaking of this seal Eph. 1.13 Hence it is evident That a man is first a true believer he hath first a true faith a true and reall interest in Christ He is justified and sanctified and made a new Creature before thus sealed by the holy Spirit of God Here I desire the Reader to note two or three things First That it is a true believer only that is capable of this seal of the holy Spirit of God He that believeth on the Sonne of God hath the witness in himself 1 Joh. 5.10 He only that believeth aright hath this witness of the Spirit of God in himself he only that hath a justifiing faith is thus sealed by the Spirit of God Secondly note That this testimony of the Spirit of God is one of the kisses of Christs mouth which the Church prayes for Cant. 1.2 But Christ doth not thus kiss and embrace his Children when they be all filthy and nasty he doth first cleanse them by his blood and by his Spirit justifie them and sanctifie them renew and heavenlize them Thirdly note this That the Spirit and the water and the blood do concur in their testimony where the Spirit of God doth beâ—r witness so saith the Scripture 1 Ioh. 5.8 There are three which bear witness in the earth the Spirit and the water and the blood and these three agree in one Fourthly note That the blood and the water may and sometimes do bear witness where the Spirit of God doth not thus bear witness with our spirits that we are the adopted children of God But the Spirâ—t of God doth never thus bear witness where the blood and the water do not bear witness Christs blood doth satisfie for sinne and his Spirit cleanse from sinne wheresoever his Spirit doth thus bear witness He therefore that thinks he is sealed by the Spirit of God with a seal of Confirmation and yet is not sealed with the seal of Demonstration is but deluded and bewitched by Satan and in a fools Paradice In the third place whomsoever the holy Spirit of God doth seal with a seal of Confirmation whomsoever he doth assure of the fatherly love of God towards him he doth qualifie with the disposition of a son to wit love to his heavenly Father fear of offending him desire care and endeavour to walk before him in all wel-pleasing obeying his voice out of love mourning for its offences and depending on God its heavenly Father for all things The soul thus sealed apprehends much love in God and this generates much love in it towards God again and the things of God this saith this soul is no common favour but a singular all of my Brethren eat not of this bread wear not this raiment this is Benjamin's portion and it calls for much love from me much filial fear and care more duty and better done And hence it comes to pass that this soul grows not careless and fearless but more carefull and conscionable in duty and tender of doing any thing that may displease God grieve the holy Spirit of God whereby he is sealed quench the motions thereof or cause him to suspend his testimony The soul thus sealed by the holy Spirit of God is never better pleased with it self than when it can weep over Christ whom it hath pierced and find Christ bleed over it it is never well but when in this frame it desires nothing more than such a frame of spirit as cannot look upon sinne but it sighs for sorrow nor upon its Saviour but it smiles for joy When Christ thus imparts himself to the soul this soul speaks to Christ as God once spake to Abraham Now I know that thou lovest me seeing thou hast not with-held from me thy sonne thine only sonne whom thou lovest said God to Abraham So saith this soul to Christ now I know that thou lovest me seeing thou hast not with-held from me this grace that is so lovely in thy sight but when it cannot find Christ thus present with it it is troubled Fourthly The soul that hath this seal or testimony of the Spirit of God hath a spirit of prayer in whomsoever the Spirit of God is a Spirit of adoption he is also a Spirit of supplication whomsoever the Spirit of God doth assure of the fatherly love of God towards him he enables to cry Abba Father and maketh request for him with unutterable Rhetorick he enables the soul to pour it self
thy assurance pray for the increase of it urge God with that general promise Mat. 25.29 for the obtaining of this particular blessing of increase of assurance Thus much for answer to the foresaid query viz what we must do to increase our assurance and better our evidence I return now to the work in hand which is to propound more rules to be observed by those who having attained some good evidence for Heaven desire to retain it I have already propounded eight rules I come new to the ninth 9. If thou wouldst still retain thy assurance then labour to keep a holy jealousie over thy self and over all thy performances and wayes holy jealousie is no destroyer but a nourisher and strengthener of good assurance 10. If thou wouldest still injoy thy evidence then labour to profit by all Gods chastisements God many times deserts his People and hides his face from them because they do not profit by lesser Chastisements he useth greater rods because lesser will not serve the turn Labour therefore to discern Gods design in every stroke of his and to answer Gods ends in every correction 11. In the next place If thou wouldest still injoy thy assurance then call thy selfe often to account and when thou espiest any failings in thy selfe speedily humble thy self before the Lord for them renew Faith and Repentance seek pardon and reconciliation apply the Blood of Christ for thy cure let not Conscience lye under the guilt of any known sinne unrepented of If our hearts condemne us not then have we confidâ—nce towards God 1 John 3.21 Labour therefore so to try judge and condemn thy selfe that thy heart may not condemne thee Labour so to act Repentance upon every occasion that conscience may not find any guilt unrepented of to charge thee with Labour to prevent conscience herein by doing that thy self now that it would do hereafter by being such a self condemning sinner that thou maiest avoid a self-condemning conscience He that is not a self condemning sinner here shall be sure of a self condemning Conscience hereafter Therefore O Christians Iudg your selves that you be not judged of the Lord condemn your selves that you be not condemned of conscience at least not justly 12. Lâ—t your Conversation be such as becometh the Gospell of Christ in simplicity and godly sincerity This was ground of confidence and rejoycing to the Apostles 2 Cor. 1.12 it may be so to thee nay it will be so to thee whiles conscience speaks truth 13. Cast thy self wholly upon the merit of Christ for righteousnesse to justifie thy person before God 14. Stand fast in the Lord labour to keep the faith Paul saith I have kept the faith and hence infers Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness 2 Tim. 4.7 8. 15. Then again If thou wouldest keep thy Evidence hold fast not only the faith but also the profession of thy faith without wavering as the Author to the Hebrews exhorts all Christians to do Heb. 10.23 16. In the next place If thou wouldest still retain thy assurance then pray for the continuance of it and live for the continuance of it follow the counsell of Christ to his Disciples watch and pray that ye enter not into Temptation 17. Remember that the foundation of God standeth sure and his gifts of saving grace are without repentance and his love towards his is an everlasting love 18. Finally if thou wouldest still retain thy Evidence for Heaven and secure it from danger from Satan and all his devices then intrust Jesus Christ with it who purchased it for thee he and he only is able to secure it Thus much for the rules to be observed by every one that having attained some good Evidence for Heaven desire to preserve and retain it Now the Lord of his infinite mercy in Christ inable me so to follow these rules and all the rules of his holy Word that I may never know experimentally what a deserted condition is but still enjoy the light of his countenance and the sence of his Love and in death triumph over death in assurance of life and happinesse that shall never end that Christ may be magnified in me both in Life and in Death and of me through all eternity Amen Amen FINIS Courteous Reader these Books following are Printâ— or sold by Simon Miller at the Star in St. Pauls Church-yard Small Folio THe Civil Wars of Spain in the Reign of Charles the fifth Emperor of Germany and King of that Nation wherein our late unhappy differences are paralleled in many particulars A general History of Scotland from the year 767. to the death of King Iames containing the principal Revolutions and transactions of Church and State with politicall obseruations and reflections upon the same by David Hume of Godscroft The History of this Iron Age. Doctor Lightfoot his Harmony on the New Testament In Qarto Large Barklay his Argenis Translated by Sir Robert le Grise Knight Quarto Small Abraham's faith or the good old Religion proving the Doctrine of the Church of England to be the only true faith of Gods Elect By I. Nicholson Minister of the Gospell The Anatomy of Mortallity by George Stroad Aynsworth on the Camicles Paul Bayn his Diocesans Trial. Gralle against Appolonius A Treatise of Civil Pollicy being a clear decision of 4â— queries concerning prerogative right and priviledg in reference to the supreme Prince and the people By Samuel Rutherford professor of Divinity of St Andrews in Scotland Politick and Military observations of Civill and Military Government containing the birth increase decay of Monarchies the cartiage of Princes and Magistrates Mr. Tinchin his meritorious price of mans redemption cleared Aâ—â—rology Theologized shewing what nature and influence the Stars and Planets have over men and how the same may be diverted and avoided The Harmony of Confessions 4o. Octavo Florus Anglicus with Cuts The reconciler of the Bible wherein above 2000 seeming contradictions are fully and plainly reconciled A view of the Jewish Religion 〈◊〉 their Rites Customes and â—â—â—emonies Ed. VVaterhouse Esq his disâ—â—rse of piety and charity A view and defence of the Reâ—ormation of the Church of England very usefull in these times Mr. Peter du Moulin his Antidote against Popery published on purpose to prevent the delusions of the Priests and Jesuites who are now very busie amongst us Herberts Devotions or a Companion for a Christian containing Meditations and Prayers usefull upon all occasions Mr. Knowles his Rudiment of the Hebrew Tongue A Book of scheams or figures of Heaven ready set for every foure minutes of times and very â—seful for all Astrologers Florus Anglicus or an exact Hiâ—tory of England from the reign of Vâ—illiam the Conqueror to the death of the late King Lingua or the combate of the Tongue and the five Senses for superiority a serious Comedy The Spirits Touchstone being a clear discovery how a man may certainly know whether he be truly taught by the Spirit of
God or not The Poor mans Physitian and Chirurgion The Idol of Clowns The Christian moderator in 3. parts The Golden Fleece or a discourse of the cloathing of England Duodecem Doctor Smith's practice of Physick The Grammer War Posselivs Apothegmes Faciculus Florum Crashaw's Visions Helvicus Colloquâ—es The Christian Soulder his combate with the three arch enemies of mankind the world the flesh and the devil In 24. The New Testament The third part of the Bible Plaies The Ball. Chawbut Martyr'd Souldier Is. 50. â—0 Iob 13.15 2 Pet. 1.10 Laetitia bonae câ—nscientiae est Paradisus animarum gaudium Angelorum Hortus delicia rum â—ger benedictionis Templum Solo monis Aula â—ei Habitaculum Spiritus Sancti Bernard Eph. 4.30 Eph. 1.14 Ioh. 16.7 Rom. 8.16 Mat. 21.1 2 Cor. 12.9 Socratis Historia li. 1 ca 16. Act 18.24.26 Rom 16.23 Phi. 4.2 3 Rom. 16.1 6 12. Con 1. Con. 2. Con. 3. Quest. Answ Rule 1 Joh. 16 2â— Iosh. 2.12 The second Rule Jer. 17.9 Iob 28.14 15. Cant. 1.8 In the use of all means 2 Pet. 1.10 Isa. 7.9 Iohn 3. Ioh. 16.27.29 Rom. 8. Phil. 2 1â— a Heb. 6.11 b Heb. 10.22 c Col. 2.2 d 1 Tim. 3.13 e Eph. 1.18 f 2 Pet. 1.10.11 Rule 3. g 1 Cor. 2.10 Roâ— 8.16 Rule 4. Rule 5. A true beleever only is capable of assurance Isa. 57.15.66 2. Labour to do thy duty Isa. 32.17 Act. 7.55 Hab. 12.14 Mat. 5.8 Rule 6. Rule 7. 2 Pet. 1.5 6 7.3.18 Luk. 6.47 48. Rule 8. 1 Can. 13. Quest. Answ. He that is in Christ chosen in him before the foundation of the World Eph. 1.4 Object Answ. Note Thiâ— Union is 〈…〉 bâ—t Mystical As an inward sanctâ—fier Renewing grace is the earnest of the Spirit Thâ— donation or â—â—mmunication of this grace by the Spirit of God is the inward and effectuall call of God whicâ— demonstrates our election By this Faith Châ—ist dwels in our hearts Christ is become the end of the law for righteousness to every true believer Rom. 10.4 All that believe aright are justified from all sinn Act. 13.39 Rom. 3.26 Believers do eater inâ—o rest Heb. 4.3 Although a reprobate may have Faith and divers kinds of Faith yet he never hath this Faith Note Quest. Sol. Justifying Faiâ—h described Property 1. a Cant. 5.10 b Ps. 45.2 c Cant. 5.16 d Cant. 2.3 e Cant. 5.16 f Cant. 1.2 g Ps. 63.3 h Psal. 73.25 i Phil. 3.7 8 9. Job 23.8 9. Job 13. â—6 27. ver 15. 2 Sam 2. 2 Kin. 2.4 The Holy Ghost originally as the Author Faith instrumentally as the meanes sanctifieth 2 Cor. 12.7 8. Good Faith is full of good Workes 13. Property Faith oveâ—cometh not at once but by degrees it is still overcoming and at length overcometh 1 Sâ—m 3.18 Note Luk. 17.5 Mark 9.24 Ioh. 8.31 Matt. 24.13 Col. 1.23 Note Iob 19.28 1 Iohn 3.8 19. Psal. 145.20 a Prov. â— 17 b 1 Ioh. 4 19. c 1 Ioh. 3.23 24. d 1 Ioh. â— 16 Ibid. v. 12. 1 Ioh. 4.7 e 1 Ioh. 3.14 Ioh. 13.34 35. Quest. Answ. Sincere Love to God What. Mat. 22.37 Prop. 2. He that loves God aright loves him for himself f 1 Pet. 1.3 â— Cor. 5.14 It makes a man tender of offending God Gen. 39.8 9. 1 Sam. 24.4 5 6. Ps. 97.10 Psal. 119.127 128. Note g Ioh. 14.23 h 2 Ioh. 6. 1 Ioh. 2.5.1 5 3. Dan. 3.12 18. Act. 4.19 1 Ioh. 5.3 Psal. 119 158 Psal. 51.4 Psal. 38. Psal. 4.6 7. Cant. 1.2 i Psal. 4â— 2 k Psal. 63.1 2. l Phil. 1.23 m Rev. 22.20 Note n 1 Ioh 4.16 o 1 Cor. 13.8 He that fears God aright feates him for nought 〈◊〉 the lanâ—â—â—ge of â—â—can concernâ—ng 〈◊〉 â—â—â—â—mates Ioâ— 1.9 so he that loves God aright loves him for nought p Phil. â— 12 q Psal. 63 8. v. 1. r Cant. 3.1 2. s Joh. 20.1 Mat 28.1 Ubi amor ibi oculus Cant. 5.10 to the end Cant. 8.7 Exod. 32.19 20. Act. 17.16 c. Note 2 Sam. 12 Noâ—e Mat. 24.12 Therefore Ioshua and Iude exhort us to look to our love Iosh. 23.11 12. Iude v. 21 Note As we thriâ—e in love so we thâ—ive in all grace that issâ—es out of love Note This was Peter's câ—se Note 1 Joh. 4.20 Sincere love to man what 1 Ioh. 5.2 Note a Col. 1.4 b 1 Thes. 3.12 c Mat. 5.44 d Rom. 13.10 e Prov. 3.29 f 1 Cor. 13.5 g Luk. 6.30 h 1 Ioh. 5.1 i 1 Pet. 2.17 k Rom. 16.3 4. l Joh. 13 34 Mat. 10.8 m Luk. 6.35 n Rom. 12.16 o 1 Thes. 3.12 13. 1 Joh 2.10 p 1 Joh. 3.17 18. Jam. â— 15 16. q Luk 3.11 r Col. 2.2 s Act. 4.32 Prov. 10.12 1 Pet. 4.8 It is an everlasting love 1 Cor. 13.8 * And is thereby distinguished from a carnall love which oftentimes doth Christian love and carnall love herein differ Note This me thinks is very observable b Jam. 4.11 c Gal. 5.15 d Prov. 3.29 e 1 Thes. 4. â— f 1 Thes. 5.15 g Prov. 24 29. h Exod. 20.16 i Prov. 24 28. k Prov. 24 15. l Prov. 22.22 m Prov. 24 17. n Levit. 19.17 o verse 16. 1 Joh. 3.12 * Gain was wicked and slew his brother yet was he not so impudent as to give God thanks for it when he had done much less did he call out Adam thereunto Obadiah ver 12 13 14. p Rom. 14.13 10 21. q 1 Cor. 10.32 r Rom. 12.18 s Eph. 4.31 t 1 Joh 3.23 u Ioh. 15.12 * 1 Pet. 3.8 x Rom. 12.9 y 1 Pet. â— 22 z 1 Ioh. 3.18 a Ephes. 5.2 b 1 Thes. 3.12 c 2 Pet. â— 18 d Ephes. 4.15 e Gal. 5.13 f Heb. 13.1 g Râ—m 12.10 h ver 15. i Rom. 12 10. k 1 Pet. 3.8 l Ibid. m Eph. 4.32 1 Tim. 6.18 o Rom. 12.8 p Gal. 6.2 q Rom. 15.1 r Act. 20.35 s Col. â— 13 t Heb. 10.25 u 1 Thes. 5.11 * Col. 3.16 x Heb. 10.24 y James 5.16 1 Tim. â— 1. †Matth. 5 4â— a Gal. 6.10 b Rom. 1â— â—â— c Luke 〈…〉 1. Matth. 7.12 d 1 Thess. 5. â—â— 13. e Rom. â— 5. 1 Tâ—â—ss 5.13 f Lev. 19.16 g 1 Cor. 10.24 h Rom. 14.21 i Rom. 15.2 k Lev. 19.18 Mat. 22.39 l Lu 6.35 m Lev. 19.17 n Mat. 18.15 6. o Ib. v. 17. p 1 Cor. 5.11 2 Thes. 3.6 14. Mat. 18.17 or in case of Heresie 1 Tim. 6. v. 3 5. q Rom. 16.17 r 1 Cor. 5.2 s Ia. 5.16 t Gal. 6.1 u Phi. v. 12. * 2 Cor. 2.7 8. x Mat. 18.35 y Luk. 17.4 Mat 18 2â—.22 z Col â— 13 Eph. 4.32 Object Answ. This and no less then this is vigor fit to give the appearance of a sincere Love The Gospel joines Repentance and remission of sins togeâ—her Luk. 2â— 47 Act. 5.31 Repentance unto salvation 2 Cor. 7.10 Note Quest. Sol. Note This is evident by the words in the proclamation of the King of Nineve Ion. 3.8 Quest.