truths that most satisfie the soule at such a time must be above the naturall capacity of the soule therefore saith the Apostle It is God that establishes and God by his Spirit that seales us up unto the day of redemption because divine truths of themselves in the bare letter cannot stirre up the heart it is only the blessed Spirit which is above our spirits that must quiet the conscience in all perplexities the Lord can soone still the soule when he settles spirituall truths upon it therefore go to him in thy distresse and trouble of minde send up ejaculations to God that hee would seale the comfort revealed in his word to thy soule that as it is true in it selfe so it may be true to thee likewise This is a necessary observation for us all Oh we desire in the houre of death to finde some comforts that bee standing comforts that may uphold us against Hell and judgement Know that nothing will do this but spirituall truths spiritually knowne but holy truths set on by the Holy Ghost upon the soule Oft therfore enter into thine heart and examine upon what grounds and motives thou beleevest Consider well what it is thou beleevest and upon what evidences and withwhat light otherwise expect not to find sollid peace What course may a Christian generally take when hee wants comfort and inward refreshing There are in 1 Iohn 5. three witnesses in heaven three in earth to secure us of our estate in grace The three witnesses in heaven are the Father the Word and the Holy Ghost And the three witnesses in earth are the Spirit the Water and Bloud and these three on earth and those three in heaven agree in one Now by the Spirit here is meant the feelings and sweet motions thereof the water may well be the Laver of Sanctification by bloud is understood the sufferings of Christ for our justification When therefore wee find that extraordinarie seale I spake of before the joyes of the Spirit of God that it is not in us What shall we doe shall wee despaire then No then goe to the water when the witnesse of the Spirit is silent goe to the work of the Spirit see what gracious dispositions are found in thee I but what shall we do if the waters be troubled in the soule as some times there is such a confusion that we cannot see the Image of God upon it in sanctification Then goe to the bloud there is alwayes comfort goe to the fountaine set open for Iudah and Ierusalem to wash in that is never dry If we find much sinne upon our consciences and no peace in our hearts apply the bloud of sprinkling that will give rest When thou findest nothing but corruption and filthinesse in thy soule when thou seest neither joy nor sanctification of Spirit goe to the Lord Jesus and hee will purge thee from all guilt and wash thee with clean water But to goe on Who hath sealed us and given us the earnest of his Spirit in our hearts This is the third word borrowed from humane Contracts to set forth Gods gracious work in the soule Annointing wee had before sealing now here is earnest The variety of expression shewes there is a great remainder of unbeliefe in the soule of man which causeth the blessed Spirit to use so many words to manifest Gods mind and assure the soule of salvation stablishing annointing sealing and earnest And indeed so it is howsoever we in the time of prosperity when all things goe well with us are apt to presume our estate is good yet in the houre of death when conscience is awaked we are prone to nothing so much as to call all in question and beleeve the lies and doubts and feares of our owne deceitfull hearts more than the undoubted truth and promise of God Therefore the Lord takes all courses to establish us he gives us rich and pretious promises hee gives us the holy Spirit to confirme us in those promises he seales us with that Spirit and gives us a comfortable earnest thereof and all to settle these wretched unbeleeving hearts of ours So desirous is God that wee should be well conceited of him that hee loves us better than wee love our selves Hee prizeth our love so much that he labours by all meanes to secure us of our eternall welfare as knowing that except we apprehend his love to us wee can never love him againe nor delight in him as we ought to doe Now the Spirit is an earnest of our inheritance in heaven wee are sonnes here indeed but wee are not heires invested into the blessed estate we have title to God doth notkeep all our happinesse till another world but gives us somewhat to comfort us in our absence from our husband hee gives us the Holy Ghost in our hearts as a pledge of that glorious condition which wee shall one day have eternally with him this is the meaning of the words But to shew you more particularly In what regard the Spirit is called an earnest First of all you know an earnest is used for security of a Contract So the holy Spirit doth secure us of the blessed estate we shall have in heaven for ever Secondly an earnest is part of the bargaine a part of the whole which is secured though it be a very little part yet it is a part So it is with the Spirit of God in its gracious work upon our hearts the joy of the Spirit is a part of that full joy and happinesse which shall bee revealed hereafter to us Thirdly an earnest is little in comparison of the whole So the Spirit in the work and graces therof is little in regard of that fulnesse which wee shall have in heaven But though an earnest be smal in it selfe yet it is great in security A shilling secures a bargaine of a thousand pound we see Wee value an earnest not for its owne worth so much as for that which it is a pledge of for the excellent bargaine and rich possession which it doth interest us unto So the Spirit of God with its blessed effects in the soule the joy and peace of the Spirit chearing and reviving perplexed sinners this earnest I say though it be little in it selfe yet it is great to us in respect of the assurance that we have by it Againe it hath the terme of an earnest because an arnest is given rather for the security of the party that receives it than in regard of him that gives it So God gives us the earnest of his Spirit grace and comfort in this life not so much for God for hee meanes to give us heaven and happinesse when wee are dissolved As he hath passed his promise so hee will undoubtedly performe the same Hee is Lord and Master of his word Hee is Jehovah that gives a being to his word as well as to every other thing But notwithstanding having to doe with mistrustfull
and prophanenesse and yet for all this say they love God Is it possible that the love of God and the love of sinne shold ever stand together Proceed wee now to some reasons and directions for the attaining of this grace And first let us not rest in an inferiour degree of this affection but rise up therin and labour that it may have full assent There are degrees of assent as when we love God because we love our selves a naturall man may doe so but this is not enough for if wee love God for our selves we make our selves our God Where the heart is truly set upon God it delights in him only for himselfe and takes comfort in no condition further than he sees God in it He never affected Christ in truth that is more taken with the benefits and priviledges that come by him than with the excellency of his person What friend will bee content that a man should only love him because he doth him good We must love our selves and all other things in and for God Moses and Paul rejoyced to honour the Lord though themselves were accurfed and deprived of happinesse and if wee could so love Christ as not to desire heaven it selfe if Christ were not there This were truly to affect him for indeed if Christ were not there heaven should not be heaven unto us Wee must love our happinesse no further than we can have with it Gods good leave and liking Againe we shall know our love to God whether it be sincere or no by our abstaining from sinne If wee avoid evill for feare of punishment or hope of reward only our love is unsound but when we so love God that wee will not doe any thing contrary to his spirit it is a speciall signe Such a man if there were no hell to punish him nor place of blisse to receive him yet would not breake with God upon any termes For the meanes to attaine this love we must in the first place labour for an humble empty soule Blessed are the poore in Spirit saith Christ for such only apprehend their misery without Christ and their need of him which occasions an holy rejoycing in the Lord and unfained love to him What is the reason that some are so ravished with the favours of the Almighty Is it not for that they were so formerly stung with the sight and feeling of their sinnes the more loving Christian ever the more humble Christian. Mark it when you will and you shall find this disposition manifest in every true convert they are daily humbling themselves for the least offence A second direction is to tast of the love of God in Christ. When the beams of his favour once shine into our hearts we cannot but reflect upon him againe We love him saith the Apostle because he loved us first Mary therefore loved much because shee had experience of Gods love in forgiving her many sinnes When a broken humble soule truly savoureth the goodnesse of the Lord it cannot but be enflamed with desire after him A Christian after hee hath had a taste of the love of God hath another manner of judgement of justification than before Taste and see saith David how good and gracious the Lord is A man that rellishes the sweetnesse of a thing can better judge of it than hee which never tasted it A third direction is to see what motives and reasons wee have from the love of God in Christ to exercise our understanding this way Wee know heat commeth from light and there is a sympathie betweene the braine and the heart the braine must make a report to the heart before that can bee enflamed with affection therefore seriously search into the grounds of thy affection The first ground is goodnesse in God God is goodnesse it self in whom all good is involved if therefore wee love other things for the goodnesse which wee see in them Why doe wee not love God in whom is all goodnesse All other things are but sparks of that fire and drops of that Sea seest thou any good in the creature remember there is much more in the Creator leave therefore the streames and goe to the well-head of comfort Another reason of love is our affinity with God our Father and friend who is unto us in all degrees of neerenesse both our head and our husband were not the Sonne ours what fellowship could we have with the Father having such a Mediator with God that is bone of our bone and flesh of our flesh why should we feare to go unto him He hath taken upon him these comfortable relations of Shepheard and Brother to possesse us of his acquaintance with our infirmities and readinesse to releeve us For shall others by his grace fulfill what hee calls them unto and not he that out of his love hath taken upon him these relations so throughly founded upon his Fathers assignment and his owne voluntary undertaking How doth the tender Mother sympathize in the anguish of her child notwithstanding all its froward aversenesse and shall we think there is more bowells in our selves than in God can there be more sweetnesse in the streame than in the spring If the well of consolation be alwayes open and the fountaine of living water bee never shut up let us teach our hearts to suck and draw comfort from these rivers of refreshing What a shame is it that men should hunger at such a feast Consider likewise the benefits which wee have bestowed upon us and the end why God vouchsafes us so much favour Benefits win love even from bruit creatures therfore wee are worse than beasts if we love not God for his benefits The Oxe knowes his owner and the Asse his Masters Crib what are wee indeed but an heap of Gods benefits All our faculties of soule and body are the blessings of God Whatsoever wee have or hope to have is from him Our breath life and being subsists in God who hath promised that heaven and earth men and Devils crosses and blessings sinne and death all shall be turned by his over-ruling power to our good Consider what now we are what a happy condition God hath made us capable of hereafter Is it a small matter that wee should be regarded above the Angels that fell And that he who knew no sin should be made sinne for us nay become a curse to free us from the curse It was strange that the three Children being cast into the hot fiery Furnace should not burne So likewise it is a wonder that Christians being in the midst of the flame of Gods love should be so cold and dead hearted it is not only the guilt of sin that we are freed from but the unsupportable vengeance of the Almighty due for the same and is this a small matter If we regard the manner of bestowing his benefits it will much advance Gods goodnesse towards us and raise up our spirits to love him againe Doth not
he love us first of all and prevent us with his favours Is not his love full and overflowing so as he never leaves us untill he make an end where he sreeth a man from danger he set leth him in a good estate never ceasing till he possesse him of glory as it is 2 Tim. 4. The Lord hath freed me out of the mouth of the Lion and hee will preserve me to his everla sting kingdome He delivers us srom spirituall evill and gives us spirituall good The meditation of these things will warme our hearts The next meanes is to â—oyne feare with our love to God whom we love throughly we will do nothing that shall displease The feare of God whom we love will cause us to make conscience of the least sinne against him for there is no sinne be it never so little but it will weaken our affection to goodnesse When we venture upon any thing against conscience is there not a decay of our love to God and of our sense of his favour towards us surely sin is the only make-bate in our soules and weakner of all our comforts Those therefore are the lovingest soules towards God that are most conscientious in their wayes Carelesse Christians have not that feeling of Gods love which humble fruitfull Christians have neither doe they live or die with that comfort as these do We are the Spouse of Christ and he is jealous of our love Our betrothed Husband cannot abide that we should set our affections upon strangers Take heed therefore of adulterous and false affections the more we love earthly things the lesse we shall esteeme of heavenly and as our affection towards the creature increaseth so our heat towards Christ abateth The next direction to stir up our love unto God is to exercise the same daily For true love is not an abstractive affection but an affection in practise and we know every thing doth increase by exercise exercise it therefore in fighting against the love of the world and all selfe love for as there are contrary commands so there are contrary desires in a Christian as there is the old man and the new man the flesh and the Spirit so there are contrary affections one setting it selfe against another in him When we see a poore Christian the love of God will say unto us now shew thy love unto Christ in succouring one of his members No saith flâ—sh and blood charity begins at home thou mayst want thy selfe another day In doing good likewise wee should say here is now an occasion offered me of honouring God and I will imbrace it Oh but saith selfe-love there is time enough hereafter hereby you may run into poverty and disgrace be not too forward Therefore there must be a perpetuall deniall of our selvs against our whole thwart nature Those that are Christians know experimentally what belongs to these things but take a carnall man or woman and they are led altogether by their sensuall lusts as bruit Beasts whatsoever ease and selfe-love wils that swayes their hearts any wayes And indeed the most sincere Christian hath the motions of these carnall and worldly respects but his love unto God constrains him to deny all and listen to what Christ whispereth in his heart Consider wee a little what may stirre us up to exercise our selves herein Love it is the light of our life love we must something and he lives not that loves not seeing then we cannot but love and that the misplacing of our affectioÌ„ is the cause of all sin and misery what can we doe better than attend to directions how to love as we should To come therefore to the foure things before mentioned being the branches of love First We must admire God above all things And can wee admire any thing with wisdome but God alone It is commonly said that wee cannot be wise and love together for that this affection is blinde except it be in God Againe is there any thing more comfortable then that we give content to God Is any service comparable to the service of a Prince We must serve the Lord only and others in and for him or else all we do is naught All other services are bondage this a perfect freedome Againe is there any thing more worthy our soules than to be united to God Can we have a greater happinesse than to be made one with Christ By loving a thing we come to be like to it Is there any thing that may or ought to challenge our love but Christ Is it not a base thing to unite our soules which are the best things under Heaven to earthly contentments than which we shall one day find nothing to be worse The love of God planted in our hearts maketh Christ and us one As a Pearle in a Ring makes the Ring more pretious and valuable so the soule united unto Christ commeth to bee more gracious and heavenly The more excellent the soule is the more loving it will be to God The holiest Saints have ever burned with most affection to Christ as Moses and Paul Can any thing satisfie us more than God Know wee not that all things here shall perish Therefore when wee place our love and joy in the world do we not lose them too We shall leave behinde us the things of this life our sins only we carry away which cleave fast unto us and staine our consciences world with out end what might more content us than the love of God which wil endure for ever and accompany us to Heaven when all other loves perish Consider that every thing thou dost without love is dead and empty love is the life of all actions as we say of a gift the love of the giver is better than the gift it selfe not only our performance is nothing without love but we our selves are nothing without it every acceptable service we doe must proceed from this heavenly flame Though wee speak with the tongues of men and Angels and have not love we are like to a sounding brasse and tinckling Symball Have wee not much to do and suffer in this life and what is it that makes us constant in duty carries us through so many oppositions as we meet withall is it not love doth not love sweeten our hearts and take away every difficulty in our way to Heaven Whilest we live here we must of necessity suffer ill things and go on in well doing neither of which can be performed without love this rules our whole lives Beg therefore of God to quicken thee in all cheerefull and willing obedience pray that the Sunne of righteousnesse would enlighten thy heart wee cannot serve God without God nor have any holy affection except by his Spirit he work the same in us FINIS Doct. 1. Observ. Doct. Doct. 4. Conscience what Why God rules his Church by promises Reas. 2. The excellencie of Divine Promises Definition of a promise 1 Pet. 1. 10 Mark 1. 11 1 Cor. 15.
must be in one that is first beloved hereupon comes the ground of the promises to be in Jesus Christ all intercourse between God and us must be in him that is able to satisfie God for us The Almighty Creator will have our debts discharged before he enters into a covenant of peace with us Now this Christ hath perfectly done and thereby reconciled lost sinners hereupon the promise immediately issues from Gods love in Christ to beleeving soules He must first receive all good for us and we must have it at the second hand from him The promises in Christ are as the spirits in the body they runne through al the ages of the Church without him there is no mercy nor comfort to be had God cannot look on this cursed nature of ours out of Christ and therefore whosoever apprehends any mercy from God he must apprehend it in Christ the promised seed To make it clearer our nature since the fall is odious to God a sinfull cursed nature remaines in the best of us and therefore that God may looke peaceably upon it he must looke upon it in him that hath it undefiled in him whom he loves even his only Son like unto himselfe that hath taken our nature upon him Now our nature in Christ must needs be lovely and acceptable and if ever God love us it is for Christ alone who was predestinated before all worlds to be a Sacrifice for us to be the Head of his Church he was ordained to doe us good before we our selves were ordained Christ is the first Beloved and then we God loves us in his beloved one This is my beloved Sonne in whom I am well pleased As if the Lord had said I am pleased in him and in all his in his whole mysticall body Christ is the Son of God by nature we by adoption what ever good is in us is first principally in him God conveighs all by the naturall Son to the adopted sonnes therefore all the promises are made to us in Christ he takes them from God for us He himselfe is the first Promise and all are Yea and Amen in him they are not directed to us abstracted from him but we are elected in Christ sanctified in him acquitted frō sin through him by his stripes we are healed If Christ had not satisfied the wrath of God by bearing our iniquities upon the crosse wee had beene liable every moment to condemnation If he had not been free from our sins we had for ever lyen under the burthen of them You are yet in your sinnes saith Saint Paul if Christ be not risen We are freed from our debts because Christ our surety is out of prison he is in Heaven and therefore we are at liberty The Promises are a deed of gift which wee have from and by Christ who is the first object of all the respect that God hath to us Why are the Angels attendants on us Because they attend upon Iacobs Ladder that is upon Christ that knits Heaven and Earth together So that the Angels because they attend upon Christ first become likewise our attendants we have a promise of eternall life but this life is in his Son God blesseth us with all spirituall blessings in him and makes us sons in him the naturall Sonne whatsoever prerogative we enjoy it is in Christ first and so belongs to us but no further than we by faith are made one with him How darest thou think of God who is a Consuming fire and not think of him as he is pleased and pacified with thy person in Christ who tooke thy nature upon him to be a foundation of comfort and a second Adam a publique person satisfying Divine Justice for all that are members of his body Wee may think upon God with comfort when wee see him appeased in his Christ. As long as hee loves Christ hee cannot but love us Never think to have grace or salvation or any thing without Christ. Doth God love mee doth hee doe good to my soule for my owne sake abstracted from his Sonne no surely then should I flie from his presence But he looks upon me in his beloved and in him accepts of my person therefore our Saviour prayeth I desire thee bles sed Father that the love wherewith thou lovest mee may be in them and I in them This should direct us in our dealing with God not to goe directly to him but by a Promise And when wee have a Promise look to Christ in whom it is performed If we ask any thing of God in Christs name he will give it us If wee thank God for any thing thank him in Christ that wee have it in him What a comfort is this that wee may goe to God in Christ and claime the Promises boldly because he loves us with the same love he beares to his only beloved Sonne If we get fast hold on Christ and cleave there God can assoone alter his love to him as alter his love to us his love is every whit as unchangeable to a beleeving member as to Christ the head of the body The Promises are as sure as the love of God in Christ is upon which they are founded and from which nothing can separate us For Promises being the fruit of Gods love and Gods love being founded first upon Christ it must needs follow that all the Promises are both made and made good to us through him If a Prince should love a man and his love should be founded upon the love he beares to his own Son surely such a one may have comfort that love will never faile him because it is an affection naturall and therefore unalterable he will alwayes love his Sonne and therefore will alwayes delight in him in whom his Son delighteth Now Christ is the everlasting Sonne of the Father his deare and only Sonne in whom hee is ever well pleased and through whom he cannot be offended with those that are his So surely as God loves Christ so surely hee loves all that are united to him There is nothing in the world can separate his love from his owne Sonne neither is there any thing able to separate his love from us that are one with him God loves Christs mysticall body as well as his naturall body hee hath advanced that to glory at his right hand in heaven and will hee think you leave his mysticall body the Church in a state of abasement here on earth No certainly God loves every member of his Son for as he gave us to Christ so Him hath he sealed and annointed to be a Saviour for his people This is the reason why God looks upon us with a forbearing eye notwithstanding the continuall matter of displeasure hee finds in us hee looks on us in his Sonne his love to us is grounded on his love to Christ. And hereupon comes our boldnesse with God the Father that wee can goe to him in all distresses with comfort say Lord look
justice truth faithfulnesse providence wisedome and all-sufficiencie All which shall ever work together for the best to them that love his appearing So for Iesus Christ the eternall Sonne of God All his glorious titles and attributes serve like wise for the everlasting comfort of his poore Saints on earth Hee is called the Husband of his Church to cherish and maintaine the same His love unto his Church is farre above the love of any husband to his wife Hee is called the Saviour of the World because hee so loved the world that hee gave his life for it and hath promised that whosoever beleeveth on him shall not perish He is called the Fountaine of life the Well of life the Water of life the Bread of life the Way the Truth and the Life because that in him is our life and by him wee are fed and nourished to eternall life here in him wee obtain the life of Grace and in the World to come shall for ever enjoy the life of Glory So likewise for the Holy Ghost what heavenly attributes are ascribed to him in the Scriptures He is called the Comforter of Gods servants The Sealer of the Redemption of Gods children in their hearts he teacheth the Elect to call God Father hee beareth witnesse with their spirits that they are the Sons and Daughters of God he teacheth them to pray as they ought hee fills them with peace that passeth all understanding And refreshes their spirits with such unspeakable joy as eye hath not seene nor eare heard the like He that is instructed by the Spirit knoweth the things of God which a naturall man is ignorant of The holy Ghost doth call to rememberance the doctrine of God taught unto his servants writes the same in their hearts so that the operations of the blessed Spirit are all appropriated to them that love God and they alone have their right in them The direction comfort teaching and guiding of the Spirit of God doe serve entirely and peculiarly to order and work all things together for the best to the Godly Yea the Angels themselves are called Messengers and ministring Spirits appointed by God to attend and wait upon his servants Hee gives his Angells charge over these to serve them in all their wayes and to pitch their tents round about them whensoever God pleaseth to call any of his out of this world the Angels are a safe conduct to carry their soules into Abrahams bosome And at the last judgement the Lord shall send forth his Angells to gather his Elect from one end of the world to the other that they may fully enjoy that which they have long waited for even eternall blisse and glory Vnder the Angels all other creatures are likewise made serviceable for his peoples good Princes in authority are called in Scripture nursing Fathers and nursing Mothers unto the Church of Christ the end of all magistracy being that we might live religiously and peaceably in all the wayes of God Ministers also are stiled in the Word by the names of Watchmen and Seeds-men and spirituall Fathers to beget men againe to the kingdome of Heaven they are called Gods Husbandmen to manure and till his ground They are called Gods lights and the Salt of the Earth both to enlighten the Church with the light of the glorious Gospell whereof they are Ministers and to season them with such savoury and sweet instructions as may make them wise to salvation this being the very end of all Gods giving gifts to men that they might build up the Church of Christ here below So also the Word of God is called the savour of life the power of God unto salvation It is the seed of God which being sown in the hearts of Gods children springeth up in them to everlasting happinesse Gods Word is a light and a Lanthorne to guide and direct us in all his wayes it is the Sword of the Spirit to arme us against sin and to maintaine us in grace The Sacraments likewise are the Seales of life and pledges of our salvation in Christ and Ex communication though it bee rough and the extreamest censure of the Church and therefore ought to be undertaken upon weighty grounds yet the end of it is to save the soules of Gods people and to make them by repentance turne unto him So all outward gifts as beauty strength riches and honours these are given by God to serve for the good of his children As the beauty of Hester was an instrument of her preferment whereby she became a preservation to Gods children and an overthrow of her and their enemies Iosephs outward honours and wealth were made by Gods disposing hand a meanes of the preservation nourishment of the Israelites in the time of their great extremity and famine the like may be said of learning and other naturall acquirements all which do often tend to generall and publike advantages Yea the outward gists of God which are bestowed upon reprobates are still for the good of his for they who had skill and knowledge to build Noahs Ark though they themselves were not saved therein yet were they the meanes of Noahs preservation and so it many times falleth out that men of excellent parts and great abilities without grace though themselves are not profited thereby yet God so useth them as their gifts much conduce to further and build up the Church of Christ. Even outward favour of Princes oft tend to Gods servants good A just man as the Heathens could say is a common benefit And so a true Christian whatsoever good he hath it is communicable to all the faithfull and therfore S. Paul saith of him selfe that he was a debtor to all men both Iewes and Gentiles and that hee became all things to all men that he migh twin some But here the maine question will be and the difficulty arises how all ill things can work together for the best to Gods children I shall therefore demonstrate 1 The truth of this how it can be so 2 The reasons why it is so 3 Observe a caution that it be not abused 4 Let us see the sweet and comfortable use of this Doctrine That this may the better appear we must know that all evill things are either 1 Spirituall evill things 2 Outward evill things And for spirituall evill things they are either First Sinne. Secondly That which hath a reference to Sinne as being evils following after sinne The first sin of all which hath gone over whole mankinde and is spread abroad in every one of us this by Gods mercy and our repentance prooves to al beleevers a transcendent good for the fall and sin of the first Adam caused the birth and death of the second Adam Christ Jesus who notwitstanding he was God took upon him the nature of man and hath made us by his comming farre more happy than if we had neverfallen neither would God have
up and helpe maintaine a gratious frame within me Where true holinesse is the soule is sensible of all advantages and disadvantages of good An indifferency for any company or imployment shewes a dead heart This is a main difference to distinguish a childe of God from a prophane wretch that only lives to himselfe his heart is taken up wholy with the world and matters below wheras the godly are all for thriving in grace and increase of godlinesse The wicked man considers of things as they serve to satisfie his lust and if wee have better thoughts at any time it is but for a start But a godly mans aimes are alwayes holy and the strength of his soul is put forth that way He values himselfe as hee stands in relation to God and a better life and esteemes all other things more or lesse as they further or hinder his spiritual growth and bring peace and sorrow at the last unto him But I hasten to the second part of the Text The persons to whom this priviledge belongs that is to them that love God And why to them that love God because the Apostle speaketh of afflictions and wee know that the grace which is most conversant in the Saints sufferings is patience which floweth from love Also for that of all other graces is the first and sweetest it is the first for whom wee love wee are sorry to offend and hate whatsoever is contrary to that we affect we rejoyce in that we love grieve in the absence thereof It is the commanding affection of all others and setteth the whole man sweetly a work to attaine its defire Love makes us forward and zealous Christians all the inward worship of God is in the affections As thou shalt rejoyce in no God but me and feare no God but me All the Commandements of God are brought by Christ to this duty Againe love hath a speciall part in this priviledge of bringing all things to work for our good For when we love God wee will make the best use of every thing which we suffer or do If we love God and eye his glory therein Love makes any burthen easie it makes us studious of pleasing the party loved as we say in the Proverb Love me and doe with me what you will Love is full of inventions it studies complacencie and sets the soule a work to honour God in all things In that the Apostle saith To them that love God and not to the children or servants of God Wee may observe That Christianity is not a bare title but it requireth some qualification Therefore the Scriptures when they describe a Saint on earth doe not usually say the child of God but they set him forth by some holy affections or actions wrought in him As such as love God or feare God and walks in his wayes Hereby shewing that Religion is not a matter of complement but a reall and holy endeavour to please the Lord and although the Scriptures do name but some one particular affection yet it is all one as if they had named all for where one is in truth there all followes Again in that the Apostle here ascribes priviledges to those only that are thus qualified wee must take heed in applying the promises of God and these sweet consolations that we be such persons to whom of right they doe belong for all things work for the best not to every one but to such as love God We must not therefore preach comfort to all but must first labour to make men capable of it To this end 1. First wee will shew the Nature of this love 2. Secondly the exercises of it and directions unto it 3. Thirdly some incitements to this holy affection The ground of Love is a considering of God as our owne God in the covenant of Grace and an acknowledging of our selves to bee his peculiar children in Christ Jesus when wee can say as the Spouse in the Canticles I am my beloveds and my beloved is mine this is a loving of God not as the God of Nature only but as ours peculiar by Grace This union of love which knits us to Christ impileth another union by faith first which is a cleaving to God as my God and to Christ as my Christ whence issues a second conjunction or cleaving to him in love as my Saviour my Husband and my Head To come to the nature of this Grace and then to the working of it The Nature of Love is seene in foure things 1. In admiring of some secret good in the thing beloved which stirres up the soule to make out for it 2. In a studiousnesse of the contentation of the person beloved 3. In a desire of union and fellowship with the person we affect 4. In a resting and solacing of our selves in the thing wee love By these let us examine our selves whether we have the true love of God or no For it concernes us much to have this grace it will distinguish us from all others who feare him not First our love to Christ commeth from the high esteem of the good things wee see in him But how shall wee know whether that wee have this admiring of the good things we see in God and in his word and children Wee shal know it by our choice and our choice followes our judgement Would wee know whether our judgement be good See what do we choose especially when things of the world and God come together And here we want not examples to guide us The question was whether that Moses should still choose to live in Pharaohs Court and hee accounted his sonne in law or else depart and suffer adversity with Gods children Now Moses by sound judgement had an high esteeme of the excellencie and priviledges of the Saints And therfore chose rather to endure afflictions than to enjoy the pleasures of sinne for a season Let us then see whether wee can be contented to part with our preferment or pleasure for God or no. And whether we do esteeme the rebukes of Christ greater riches than the treasures of the world whether we can lay down our lives and liberties at Christs feet and gladly want all so we may enjoy him If it be so with us our estate is good Againe let us see whether wee have a right prizing of the good things in God Doe wee delight to speak much and often of Christ and the benefits we receive by him How was Saint Pauls heart enlarged and his tongue full of heavenly eloquence in setting sorth the unspeakable mercies of God which wee have by Christ Jesus our Lord If God be on our side who can be against us saith he What shall separate us from the love of Christ Shall tribulation shall anguish and affliction I am perswaded that neither death nor life nor any other thing can doe it Another signe to know whether we have a secret admiration of the good things
wee see in God is this If we doe undrvalue all things else for Christ. Worldly men are ever admiring of the things below accounting such men happy and blessed that abound most therein Therefore there is nothing that doth more truly try a man than this The soul that sees a vanity in the things beneath and can rejoyce in God only as his true riches is in a good condition Where there is a true judgement of God and Religion the soule of that man will never stoop to the creature the soule so rejoyceth in God as that it will not yeeld it selfe to any other Adam and Eve in their innocencie were both naked and were not ashamed one reason might be because their thoughts were taken up with higher matters In heaven we shall not bee ashamed of things wee now are ashamed of A Christian soule is so ravished with the enjoying of God that it mindeth almost nothing but him The second branch in love is a desire to doe all things to the content of the party beloved Our love to God will frame us to the obedience of his will Obedience is the proofe of love If ye love mee saith Christ keepe my commandements If wee love God wee will pray for the enlarging of his Kingdome Where love is kindled in any heart there is a care to bee approved of him whom we so love This makes our obedience generall to all Gods commandements in all places and all things whatsoever It makes us give our inwards to God serving him with the soul and spirit Those therefore that nourish uncleane hearts within them and think it enough to abstaine from the outward act of evill love not the Lord sincerely The Devill himselfe will doe outward things as readily as you hee will confesse Christ to bee the Sonne of God and say Why art thou come to torment me before my time So that if thou dost outwardly only confesse God what dost thou more than the Devill In outward duties without sincerity there is no love You will pray the Devill will doe as much The Devill hath a bad end in good actions so there are many that come to Church make shew of Religion to cloke their evill courses But such poore wretches how ever they are pleased with shaddowes are little better than Satan himselfe Againe if wee be desirous to content him whō wee love then will wee suffer any thing for his sake Therefore the Apostles went away rejoycing and accounted it their glory that they were esteemed worthy to suffer hardship for Christ And David for dancing before the Ark being by Michal mockt saith I wil yet be more vile for my God He cared not for any reproach that could happen to him in a good way Yea this will make us zealous in his truth hee that hath no zeale hath no love If our hearts rise not when God is dishonoured what love have we to him Is Gods glory and the Churches welfare deare to us it is a signe we love him But can we see those things goe backward and have no zeale nor be any thing affected therewith surely then we have no love Againe if wee have a true love to God then have we a desire of union and cōmunion with him we will be much in meditating of him in speaking to him and conferring with him Those therefore that goe on from day to day without private speeches with God or solacing of their soules in him what affection have they to him Love is communicative and what desire of communion can that soule have that lives a stranger to his Maker Can wee say we love one with whom wee never conferre or speak to any purpose Againe if wee love a man we will advise with him especially in matters of moment so if wee love God wee will take counsell of him in his Word for the guidance of our lives and stablishing our consciences If we advise not with God it is a signe that we either think hee doth not regard us or else that we count him not worthy to be counselled by Another signe is To examine what desire wee have to be dissolved and to be with Christ Doe wee love his appearing to judgement and are wee now fit for his comming surely then it is a plaine signe that our love is fixed and set upon him So much as wee doe faile of this desire so much wee faile in love to Christ What was the reason that the people under the Law were so much afraid at the appearing of an Angell unto them was it not this that they were not fitted and prepared for God A man may bee a good Christian and yet not at all times willing to die for as eyes that are sore cannot alwayes endure the light so a soule galled with sinne desires not to heare of the day of jadgement yet ought wee to thirst after it Another signe of this grace is our eager and hungry desire after God when with David we can say Oh God my heart panteth after thee as the Hart panteth after the Brookes of waters When a soule is never at rest til he injoyes his Maker but cryes out still Oh when shall I appeare in his presence it is a good signe The last branch or property is a resting and quieting our selves in the love of God above all things whatsoever saying with David Whom have I in Heaven or in earth besides thee or what doe I esteeme in comparison of thee let me enjoy but the light of thy countenance and it suffices me demand therefore of thine owne heart what the things are that trouble thee most and what is the cause of thy sorrow and disquietments whether it be for losses or crosses outwardly or for want of Gods love and the sense and feeling of his favour inwardly They which grieve chiefly for outward evils are most carried in their affections that wayes but if in the confluence of all worldly blessings wee can grieve for our spirituall wants it is a comfortable evidence When a man reckons not his happinesse to stand in the possession of the creature but in the fruition of the Creator and desires his favour above any thing it is a gratious signe David had an abundance yea he had a Kingdome yet nothing would satisfie him but the mercies of God And when hec was in want what course did he take but stil comforted himselfe in the Lord his God That which a man sorroweth most for when he wanteth it that he rejoyceth most in when he hath it can we in our crosses rejoyce that God is ours This is an excellent signe and plainly discovers that we place our contentation more in him than in any thing else can we delight more in the solace of his favour than in outward prosperity it is a heavenly testimony of a renewed condition When David was in his greatest distresses what desires had he then most in him why
hee longed after the House of God when the people were ready to stone him wherein did he trust but in the Lord his strong â—ower In the last place would we know whether we can rest in God or no. Let us examine our selves then what endeavours we have every day to cleanse our soules from sinne that so God may take pleasure in us and we againe may delight in him Let us see how we restraine our affections from running riot after the World and sinful pleasures And how we set our joy upon God and frame our selves to do his will I beseech you let us deale faithfully with our owne soules in this particular And if we find that our hearts tell us as Peters told him Lord thou knowest that I love thee I desire ô Lord to please thee above all things I have set mine heart upon thee and I joy in thee and in thy love more than in all things else in the world If thus I say we can in the integrity of our spirits appeale to God who only knowes and searches our wayes and say truly Lord thou knowest that I love thee it is a certaine and infallible signe unto us that we are his and all things shall work for the best unto us But take we heed how wee deceive our selves in these things by love we are Christians therefore labour for sincerity of affection A Reprobate or a Castaway may go far in these four signes of love He may admire and wonder at the good things of God but he doth it not from any thing within him but from the outward beholding of them he can admire and talk of them but yet such men are without any rellish or sweet taste of the thing they speak of So likewise an Hypocrite may desire to please God in many things but not in all things as we see in Herod he heard Iohn Baptist willingly and obeyed in some things but not in all he could not be crossed in his beloved sinne which abode in him that must not bee touched Then farwell God and farwell Christ and all So a Castaway may desire to be in Heaven as being a place good for him and hee may have some little taste of those joyes above as is mentioned in the Hebrewes but hee hath no rellish of them from the love of God but only from the love of himselfe And his desire is not such as will draw him on to the use of means for spiritual growth and progresse thereunto as we see in Balaam hee had a desire to die the death of the righteous but this could not make him leave his covetous disposition and find a contentment in God alone A Reprobate may bee content with religion and with Gods wayes so long as peace doth accompany the same as now in this our Countrey Christ commeth amongst us with plenty and prosperity therefore Christ is a good Christ but if the Gospell and Religion should bee professed with perfecution and danger and disgrace it would soone appeare where mens contentments were There is a resting not in the truth because it is truth but in regard of the good things which follow it If we desire to approve our selves to God let us examine our selves about this affection and every branch of it The deceit is both common and deadly and the profession of Religion in many Christians is not for Religion it selfe but for by ends and sinister respects To which end consider further these particulars Where there is true love there will bee a dedesire of union to the beloved object so where the love of God is there will be a desire of the accomplishment of the marriage betweene God and the soule He that loves a Harlot saith the wise man is one with her so he that affects the Lord desires to be one with him therefore men have their names from what they love if they love the world they are called worldlings if they love Christ they are called Christians how canst thou say that thou lovest the Lord and doest not desire his presence in his Ordinances Can we say wee love such a man when we care not for his company God observes not so much what we do as from what affection our duties proceed Againe if we love there will bee a desire to give content to the party beloved this appeares even in carnall self-selfe-love for take a man that loves himselfe he makes himselfe his utmost aime and end in all his actions but when once God hath plucked this fleshly love out of our soules then our affections will be carried to Christ only this made the Prophet David say I love the Lord deerly He is my rock my fortresse my deliverer a Christian hath his contentment in God alone he findes an all-sufficiency in the Almighty and therfore makes him his resting place In all his trouble he will make God his deliverer and finde more true comfort in him than in all the things of the world besides therefore if God should take all other things from us yet if hee leave us Himselfe a Christian is well contented be cause he knowes his best being is in God But how shall I know whether I doe esteeme rightly of God or no If we highly esteeme any thing whether it be of this or a better life we will be often speaking of them it is a signe men undervalue heavenly truths when they discourse little about them they much set light by God that have him not in all their thoughts Againe what we esteeme of we will choose above other things it appeares we have a pretious esteem of God when we choose him and him alone for our portion as David when he said One thing have I desired of the Lord that I may dwell in his courts for ever where God is truly loved there will be a fall of all earthly things in that mans estimation so he may gaine Christ he counts all else but drosse and dung Lastly if thou lovest God thou wilt be afraid to offend him and carefull to please him in all things God delights not in a proud and haughty spirit but in an humble and meek soule these then should be thy delight God is wonderfull well pleased with faith for it is that which bindes him to performe his promise therefore seek it earnestly whatsoever God approves a Christian should take pleasure in every grace is an ornament to a Christian and God delights to see his owne graces in us Isaac before hee took Rebecka to wife sent her Jewels to adorne her so Christ sends rich Jewels to his children even the graces of his Holy Spirit to make us love him and fit us the more for him Those that live in sinnes against conscience think we that these love God No certainly if they did they would love that which he loves and hate that which he hates what a pittifull thing is it to see men glorying in that which is their shame in swearing
counsels What Doth the truth vary according to mens judgements must we bring the strait Rule to the crooked Timber for to be measured Shall the judgement of any man be the rule of Gods unerring truth Shall present men interpret it thus and say it is so now And shall others that succeed after say what ever it was then now it is thus and must we beleeve all God forbid This declareth That no man can dispence with Gods Law this written Word is alike in all truth is truth and errour errour whether men think it to be so or no. Reason is reason in Turkes as well as amongst us The light of nature is the light of nature in any Countrey as well as here Principles of nature vary not as Languages doe they are inbred things And if Principles of nature be inviolable and indispensable much more is Divinity Filth is filth wee all confesse opinion ought not to bee the rule of things but the nature of the thing it selfe Therefore what is against nature none can dispence withall God cannot deny himselfe What is naught in one age is naught in another and for ever naught There is no Monarch in the World can dispence with the Law of nature or with the Divine Law of God For the opinion of any man in the World is not the rule which hee may comfortably live by but the undoubted light of Christs written Word I speake this the rather to crosse their base practices who when God cals them to stand for his cause and truth they will bend and bow the sacred truth which is alwayes Yea and Amen to their owne by ends and base respects As if the opinion of any man in the world were the rule of their faith and obedience This is to make God no God Is not right right Is not the Law the Law Is not the Word of Christ a word that alters not but remaines stedfast to all eternity Assure your selves there is a truth of God that we must maintaine to the death not onely in opposing Heresie but resisting of impiety wheresoever we meet it Iohn Baptist was a Martyr when hee stood out against Herod and said Thou must not have thy Brother Philips Wife He would not be meale-mouth'd in reprooving his sinne but cried out against the unlawfulnesse of it though it cost him his life Men ought to suffer for the truth and not for base ends deny the least word of God because it is a divine sparkle from himselfe For all the promises of God in him are yea and in him are Amen This comes in after this manner the word that I preached saith Paul is unvariable because Christ himselfe is alwayes yea and I have preached nothing but Jesus Christ among you my preaching then must needs be a certain and immutable truth There are divers readings of the words but the most materiall is as this Translation and the best Expositors have it All the promises of God in Christ are yea that is they are certaine and constant in him And then they are Amen that is in Christ they are fulfilled In him they are made and in him they are accomplished The whole carriage of the promises are in Christ for his sake they were first given and in him they shall be performed As Christ himselfe was yesterday and to day and the same for ever so are all Gods promises made in him undoubtedly eternally and unchangably true to all posterities Here are divers truths which offer themselves to our consideration First take notice that since the fall of man it hath pleased our good God to establish a Covenant of grace in Jesus Christ and to make him a second Adam by whom we might be restored to a better estate than ever wee had in the first Adam In which happy condition there can be no intercourse betwixt God and man without some promise in his Christ so that God now deales all by promises with us The reason is this how can poore dust and ashes dare to challenge any thing of the great Majesty of Heaven without a warrant from himselfe How can the Conscience be satisfied Conscience you know is a knowledge together with God How can that rest quiet in any thing but in what it is assured comes from God And therefore for any good I hope for from God it behooves me to have some promise and word of his mouth for it this being his constant course of dispensation to his people While we live in this world we are alwayes under hope We rejoyce in hope of the glory of God Now hope lookes still to the promise whereof some part is unperformed How doth Heaven differ from Earth but in this Heaven is a place all for performances here we have some performances to encourage us but are alwayes under some promise not yet accomplished And therefore the manner of our apprehension of God in this world exceedingly differs from that in Heaven Here it is by faith and hope there it is by vision vision is fit for performance Faith and Hope looke alwayes to a word revealed God therefore rules his Church in this manner for their greater good Alas what can we have from God but by the manifestation of hiis own good will May we look for favour from God for any thing in our selves It is a fond conceit Againe God will have his Church ruled by promises in all ages to exercise the faithfull in prayer and dependance upon him God will see of what credit is amongst men whether they will rely upon his bare promise or no. He might doe us good and give us no promise but he will try his graces in us by arming us against all difficulties and discouragements till the thing promised be performed to us Promises are as it were the stay of the soule in an imperfect condition and so is faith in them untill our hopes shall end in full possession and wee must know that Divine Promises are better than earthly performances Let God give man never so much in the world if hee have not a promise of better things all will come to nothing at the last And therefore God supports the spirits of his servants against all temptations both on the right hand and on the left by sweet promises Hee will have them live by faith which alwayes hath relation to a Promise This is a generall ground then that God now in Christ Jesus hath appointed to governe his Church by way of promises But what is a Promise A Promise is nothing but a manifestation of love an intendment of bestowing some good and removing some evill from us A declaring of a mans free engagement in this kinde is a Promise it alwayes comes from love in the party promising and conveighs goodnesse to the beleeving soule Now what love can there be in God to us since the fall which must not be grounded on a better foundation than our selves If God love us it
on thy Son whō thou hast given for us and in him behold his poore members now before thee In our selves we have dread but in thy dearly beloved wee have joy in thy presence If we come in the garments of our Elder brother wee are sure to get a blessing but in our selves God cannot endure to behold us If we bring Benjamin to our Father if wee carry Christ along with us then come and welcome Upon what unchangeable grounds is the love of God and the faith of a Christian builded How can the gates of hell prevaile against the faith of a true beleever when it is carried to the promise and from the promise to Gods love the love of God to Christ shall as soone faile as the faith of a sincere Christian shal be shaken The promises else should bee of no effect they should be Yea and Nay and not Yea Amen If the promises could bee shaken the love of God and Christ should be uncertain Overturn heaven and earth if we overturne the faith of a true persevering Christian. There is nothing in the world of that firmnesse as a beleeving soule is the ground hee stands upon makes him unmoveable Our union with the Lord Jesus makes us like Mount Sinai that cannot be shaken But wee must know there are three degrees or steps of love whereof a promise is the last 1. Inward love 2. Reall performance 3. A manifestation of performance intended before it bee done Love concealed doth not cōfort in the interim therfore God who is love doth not only affect us for the present and intend us mercy hereafter but because hee will have us rest sweetly in his bosome and settle our selves on his gracious purposes hee gives us in the mean time many rich and pretious promises Hee not only loves us and shewes the same in deeds now but he expresseth his future care of us that wee may build on him as surely as if we had the thing performed already By this wee see how God loves us he hath not only an inward liking and good wil to us in his brest but manifests the same by word hee reveales the tendernesse of his bowells towards us that wee may have the comfort of it before-hand God would have us live by faith and establish our selves in hope because these graces fit us for the promise If there were no Promises there could bee no faith nor hope What is Hope but the expectation of those things that the word saith And what is faith but a building on the promise of God Faith looks to the word of the thing Hope to the thing in the word Faith looks to the thing promised Hope to the possession and performance of it Faith is the evidence of good not seene making that which is absent as present to us Hope waits for the accomplishment of that good contained in the word if we had nothing promised what need hope and where were the foundation of faith But God being willing to satisfie both that wee may bee heavenly-wise in relying upon a firme foundation and not as fooles trust in vanity in mercy gives us promises and seales them with an oath for our greater supportment That love which ingaged the Almighty to bind himself to us in pretious promises will furnish us likewise with grace needfull till wee be possessed of them He will give us leave to depend upon him both for happinesse and all quieting graces which may support the soule till it come to its perfect rest in himselfe Now these gratious expressions of our good God may be reduced into divers rankes I will but touch some few particulars and shew how wee should carry our selves to make a comfortable use of them First there are some universall Promises for the good of all mankinde as that God would never destroy the World againe c. Secondly there are other Promises that more particularly concerne the Church and these are Promises 1. Either of outward things 2. Or of spirituall and eternall things of Grace and Glory In the manner of promising they admit of this distinction All the Promises of God are made to us either Absolutely without any condition so was the Promise of sending Christ into the world and his glorious comming againe to judgement let the world be as it will yet Christ did come and will come againe with thousands of Angels to judge us at the last Or 2. conditionall As the Promise of Grace and Glory to Gods children that he will forgive their sinnes if they repent c. God deales with men as wee doe by way of commerce one with another propounding mercy by covenant and condition yet his covenant of grace is alwayes a gratious covenant For he not onely gives the good things but helpes us in performing the condition by his Spirit he workes our hearts to beleeve and to repent Thus all Promises for outward things are conditionall as thus God hath promised protection from contagious sicknesse and from trouble and warre that he will be an hiding place and a Deliverer of his people in time of danger that he will doe this and that good for them But these are conditionall so far forth as in his wise providence he sees they may helpe to preserve spiritual good things in them and advance the graces of the inward man For God takes liberty in our outward estate to afflict us or doe us good as may best further our soules welfare Because do what we can with these bodies they will turn to dust and vanity ere long We must leave the world behinde us therefore he lookes to our main estate in Christ to the new creature and so farre as outward blessings may cherish and increase that so farre hee grants them or else he denies them to his dearest ones For we cannot still enjoy the blessings of this life but our corrupt nature is such that except we have somewhat to season the same we shall surfet and not digest them therefore they are all given with exception of the Crosse as Christ saith hee that doth for him any thing shall have a hundred fold here but with Persecution be sure of that whatsoever else he hath let Christians looke for crosses to season those good things they enjoy in this life To come now to some use of the point Are all the Promises of what kind soever whether spirituall and outward temporall or eternall are they all made to us in Jesus Christ And are they certainly true Yea and Amen in him Then I beseech you get into Christ betimes strengthen your intrest in him by all meanes out of whom we have nothing that is savingly good rest not in any thing abstracted from him so as to be accepted with God But you will say doth not God doe many good things to them that are out of Christ doth not the Sunne shine and the raine fall upon the just and the unjust upon the evill as
grace he improves his abilities to glorious uses esteeming things below too meane for him Grace is a wondrous pleasant thing offensive to none but to wicked men that have no savour of God or goodnesse it sweetens the soule makes it delectable for Christ his holy Spirit to lodge in as in a Garden of spices A gracious man that hath subdued his corruptions is wondrous amiable both to himselfe and to the Communion of Saints his heart is as fine silver every thing is sweet that comes from him grace is full of comfort to a mans own conscience the sense of which enlargeth the soule to all holy services Fourthly an ointment hath another property it consecrates persons to holy uses Anointed persons are raised above the ordinary ranke The graces of Gods spirit elevate men above the condition of others with whom they live Anointed persons are sacred persons they are inviolable Touch not mine anointed and doe my Prophets no harme we wrong the apple of Gods eye we offer indignity to Christ himselfe if we hurt these Indeed nothing can hurt them but God by his over ruling power turnes all for their good Lastly an ointment is a royall liquor it will bee above all so the graces of Gods Spirit where they are will be uppermost they will guide and governe all As if a man have excellent parts grace will rule these and make them serviceable to Christ his truth and members If we have weaknesse and corruption grace will subdue it by little and little and never leave conflicting till it hath got the victory What are our souls without Gods anointing Dead stinking offensive to God to good men and to our selves we cannot see with peace the visage of our owne soules who can reflect seriously into his heart and life without horror that hath no grace A man that sees his conscience awakened without this anointing what is he surely as the body without the soule it is not all the excellencies of the soule laid upon a dead body or all the goodly ornaments that bedeckt it can keep it from stinking and being a loathsome object because it wants the soule to quicken and enliven it to good imployments of it selfe it is but a peece of earth all the vigor and life that the body hath is communicated from the soule they are beholding to our soules for many things Put the richest ornaments whatsoever upon the body and not the Spirit of grace upon the soule to cherish and refresh the same that it may appeare lovely in Gods sight all is to no purpose Likewise this anointing hath relation to the persons anointed Kings Priests and Prophets Christ is primarily anointed and all our grace is derived from him hee teacheth us divine things by a Divine light The poorest Christian in the world whose heart is right with God sees good things with such convincing love that he imbraces them and ill things with such a convincing hatred that he abhors them A man that lives without God in the world may talke but he cannot doe he may speak of death but he dares not die he trembles to thinke of the last tribunall and of resigning his soule into the hands of his Maker such an one may discourse of suffring but when it comes to the point his heart failes him oh how he shrinkes when danger approacheth what indirect courses will hee take to save his skin how hardly is corrupt selfe brought under how heavily doe men come off in this point of doing and suffering for Christ laying downe all at his feet and resolving to be disposed of at his pleasure in every thing Men speak much of patience and selfe-deniall but they do not practise them these vertues shine not forth in their conversation which is the shame of Religion only a true Christian hath the right knowledge of the doing of things and is able to speak a word in due season to reprove to admonish to comfort every member in the communion of Saints hath some qualification for the good of the whole body A faithfull man is likewise spiritually anointed a Priest to stand before God Almighty he poures out his soul for himself for others having Gods eare open at all times to his suits Every sincere Christi an is a favourite in heaven he hath much credit there which hee improves for the welfare of the Church here below And hee keepes himselfe as a Priest unspotted of the world a true Christian is taught of God and knowes the meaning of that Law of his which prohibiteth Priests so much as to touch defiled things therefore he studies innocency he runs not after the course of the multitude neither is carried away with the streames of the times he will not converse familiarly with those that may staine him but so farre as his calling leads him lest he should therby contaminate his spirit A Christian Priest hath his heart alwayes to the Holy of Holies that so he may offer up thankes and praise to God and offer up himselfe a sacrifice to him his endeavour is to kill and slay those beasts those lusts that lurk in his heart contrary to the Almighty Lastly he that is anointed by the Spirit is a King in regard of his great possessions for all are ours things present and things to come life and death prosperity and adversity all help us to Heaven Evill things are ours in advantage and successe though in disposition they be not ours but have a hostil disposition in thē God over-powers the evil of things and gives a Christian a living principle of grace to suck sweet out of sowre draw good out of evill What a King is this that even the most terrible things are at his command and work for the best unto him He conquers and brings under his greatest enemies and feares neither death or judgement nor the vengeance to come knowing God in Christ to bee his reconciled Father he rests assured all things else will be will be at peace with him Others have Kingdomes out of themselves but in thēselves they are slaves Every lust leads them away Captive A Christian is such a King as hath a Kingdome within himselfe hee hath peace and joy and rest from base allurements and terrours of conscience hee walks by rule and therfore knowes how to governe all the glory of his Maker is the chiefe thing hee eyes and to that hee referres every action Who hath annointed us and sealed us Annointing and sealing goe together the same God annoints us doth also seale us Both are to secure us of our happy condition Now Christ is the first sealed Iohn 6. Him hath God the Father sealed God hath set Christ a part from others hath distinguished him and set a stamp upon him to be the Messiah by the graces of the spirit whereof he was richly beautified and by many miracles whereby he shewed that he was the Sonne of God by his resurrection from the dead by his calling of
unbeleeving men hee is pleased to condiscend to our weaknesse hee stoops to the lowest capacity and frames his speech to the understanding of the simplest soule for which purpose this terme of earnest is here borrowed In these respects the Spirit of God together with the graces of it and the comforts it brings for they are not divided is called an earnest And thus having cleared the point we will observe this doctrine for our further instruction That a Christian ought to be and may be assured of his interest in God because as I said before an earnest is given not so much for Gods sake as for our sakes this then must needs follow from hence Either none have this earnest or else those that have it may be assured of their comfortable condition Otherwise God is fickle and playes fast and loose with his children which is blasphemy to affirme Besides if none have this earnest then the Apostle speaks false when he saith God hath stablished us and given us the earnest of his Spirit which is horrible impiety once to conceive If this be so then either such as have this seale and earnest of the Spirit may be assured of their estate in grace or not And if not where is the fault Will not God really and truly vouchsafe unto his people this earnest of the Spirit in their hearts Vndoubtedly he will he is desirous that wee should be perswaded of his love in all things and therefore we may and ought to bee assured of his favour towards us S. Iohns whole Epistle containes little else but sundry markes evidences how we may know that wee are the children of God wherefore was Christ himselfe sealed of the Father to the Office of Mediatour wherefore did he die and rise againe and wherefore doth hee still make intercession for us in Heaven that wee should doubt of Gods love when as he hath given us that which is greater than salvation yea greater than al the world even his owne Sonne no certainly can we desire a more ample testimony of his favour than he hath already bestowed upon us Is it not the errand of all Gods mercies to bring us neerer to him selfe that we should not doubt of his love but rest securely upon him why then doe we distrust the Almighty who is truth it selfe and never failed any Yet we must know that Christians have not at all times alike assurance of their interest for there is an infancy of grace where in we are ignorant of our own condition And there is a time of desertion when as God to make us looke better to our footing leaves us a little as if he would forsake us quite when indeed hee onely withdrawes his assistance for a while to make us cleave the closer to him There be also certain seasons wherin though we are assured of Gods favor yet we have no feeling or apprehension of the same which differeth in Christians much according as they are more or lesse sensible of their estates Some againe use not that care and diligence in the use of meanes which God requires whereupon they are justly deprived of that inward peace and comfort which others enjoy There is a difference likewise in growth and continuance in Christianity some are strong Christians and some weak answerable whereunto is the difference of assurance of Gods love usually in the hearts of his people Nay it s possible that for a long time the Lords Iewels his redeemed ones may want this blessed comfort For wee must conceive there is a double act of faith First an act whereby a poore distressed sinner casts himselfe upon God as reconciled to him in Christ. Secondly there is a reflect act whereby knowing that wee rely upon the truth and promise of the Almighty we have assurance of his favour Now a man may performe the one act and not the other many of the Saints sometimes can hardly say that they have any assurance but yet notwithstanding they will daily cast themselves upon the rich mercy and free grace of God in Jesus Christ. Besides there are many things which may hinder this act of assurance because together with beleeving God may present such things to my minde as may so damp and disquiet my soule that I cannot have any definitive thoughts about that which God would especially have mee to thinke upon As when God will humble a man he takes not away the Spirit of faith wholly from him but sets before such a sinfull creature his anger and sore displeasure together with the hellish torments and paines of the damned as due to his soule which makes him for the present to be in an estate little differing from the Reprobate so that he is far from saying he hath any assurance at that time yet notwithstanding he doth not leave off nor renounce his confidence but casts himselfe upon Gods mercy still Though the Lord kill him yet will he trust in him although he sees nothing but terror wrath before him This God doth to tame our presumption and prepare us for the enjoyment of his future glory If we feele not sense of assurance it is good to blesse God for what we have Wee cannot denie but God offers himselfe in mercy to us and that hee intends our good thereby for so we ought to construe his mercifull dealing towards us and not have him in jealousie without ground Had wee but willing hearts to praise God for that which we cannot but acknowledge comes from him he will bee ready in his time to shew himself more cleerely to us We taste of his goodnesse many wayes it is accompanied with much patience and these in their natures should leade us not only to repentance but to neerer dependance on him we ought to follow that which God leads us unto though he hath not yet acquainted us with his secrets These things we must observe that we give not a false evidence against our selves though wee have not such assurance as wee have had yet alwayes there is some ground in us whereupon we may bee comforted that wee are Gods children could we but search into it Let us not then be negligent in labouring for the same and in the Lords good time we shall certainly obtaine it it is the prophanenesse of the world that they improve not those helpes which God hath afforded for this purpose Nay they had rather stagger and take contentment in their own wayes saying If God will love mee in a loose licentious course so it is but I will not give diligence to make my calling and election sure I will never barre my selfe of such profits and delights nor forsake all chiefly to minde spirituall things Whereas wee ought constantly to endeavour for assurance of grace that God may have honour from us and we the more comfort from him againe that we may live in the world above the world and passe cheerefully through the manifold troubles and
thereby I am taught to know thee In all troubles that befall him hee professeth that it is good for him to cleave unto God And the lesse outward wealth he hath the more he seeks for inward grace making a holy use of all things Vpon these instructions hence delivered let us take a view of ourselves and try whether we in our afflictions are such as cleave to God and are drawne neerer to him thereby call to mind the crosses wherewith God hath exercised thee and the blessings which at any time he hath bestowed upon thee and see how in both thou hast beene bettered see what profitable use thou hast made thereof for thy soules comfort Let us see how we have followed the providence of God in his dealing with us for if we have an interest in his goodnesse then will wee bee carefull as God turnes all things for our good so to follow the same together with him for the good of our souls Now because things do not alwayes conduce to the good of Gods children as outward Peace and prosperity oftentimes make them worse therefore some may object how can this be true which here the Apostle saith That all things doe worke together for the best to them that love God The answer hereunto is that for the most part the children of God doe take the good of the blessings which God bestowes on them and avoid the snares of evill which accompany the same Iob saith The things I feared are come upon me By which we see that Iob in the midst of his prosperity did feare and was jealous over himselfe But a more plainer answer of the objection is that if the good things of God as Peace Plenty and Prosperity doe fall out at the first to their ill yet neverthelesse they shall prove in the end a great gaine unto them for whereas by occasion of these they formerly fell having too high an estimation of the creature and overprizing the same they see now more into their nature and learne to contemne them Againe the outward good things of this life shew the weaknesse of Gods servants and serve to try what is in them and therefore we read of Hezekias that God left him to try what was in him the outward treasure which he had was a meanes to make knowne to himselfe and others the pride and vanity of his minde the plenty prosperity of the Saints are greater triers of them than adversities and wants For many that have comfortably gone through a low condition have yet foully failed in a full estate their corruptions breaking forth to the view of others prosperity teaches men themselves it tries their spirits and layes them open to the world Therefore it seemeth good to God to strip his servants of these outward things They can acknowledge with patience his righteous dealing knowing that mans happinesse consists not in abundance of these things but that the blessing of God is riches enough But some may object and say I have beene long afflicted and have had many crosses upon me and little good doe I finde by them I am never the better but rather the worse for all This may be true thou sayst but stay a little and consider the event howsoever by reason of the bitternesse and continuance of the crosse hitherto thou findest little good thereby yet know that God is all this while but in hammering and working of thy unruly heart thy good will follow afterwards We see by experience that sick persons while they are in their physick are made sicker and sicker but after that hath done working then the party is far better than before It is a folly to think that we should have physick and health both at once it is impossible that a man should sow and reap both together We must of necessity endure the working of Gods Physick If trouble bee lengthned lengthen thy patience when the sick humour is carried away and purged then we shall enjoy desired health God promiseth forgivenesse of sinne but thou findest the burthen of it daily on thee Cheere up thy selfe when the morning is darkest then comes day after a fight victory will appeare Gods time is best therefore wait cheerefully Oft times Gods servants under his crosse are so sore wrought upon that they have hardly leisure of making a good use of the same being distracted and dejected for the present so as they burst out rather into further evill than before But afterwards when their afflictions are thorowly digested then they begin to finde the fruit of patience humiliation and obedience and are better for the same ever after therefore wait contentedly God 's leisure thou shalt surely finde a sweet calme after the storme is over though we finde little benefit by afflictions for the present yet let us not conclude all is naught with us for tentations being bitter will not suffer men in them to lift up their hearts strait after the extremity vexation thereof is laid then ensueth the quiet fruit of righteousnesse But if all things yea sin it selfe shall turne to the best to those that love God what need we then care for the committing of sinne The Apostle S. Paul was in his dayes troubled with the like question therefore observe with what detestation he answers saying God forbid the damnation of such men is just But to answer more fully and plainly for the satisfaction of weak Christians True it is that al things even the sinnes of Gods servants shall by Gods mercy turn to their good yet never the lesse the rule of Gods Word must be ever regarded which is this we may not doe evill that good may come thereof That which is evill in it selfe must not be done no though for the doing thereof we might gaine the greatest good or avoide the greatest evill whatsoever as if it were to winne a World wee might not tell a lye because it is a breach of Gods Law Christ saith to the Devill It is written thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God Wee may not therefore by sinne tempt God so to see his goodnesse in working good out of our wickednesse If therefore upon this ground of Doctrine that all things shall turn to the good of Gods children yea even their sins themselves any of us shal commit wickednesse and displease his Majesty to try what mercy and wisdome is in him to draw good out of our evill this is a provoking of Gods goodnes and those who thus doe turne the truth of Gods Word into poyson and make even that their destruction which should build them up in grace and holinesse If we sin through weaknesse and frailty of our flesh and through strength of tentation upon repentance we may find grace but if presuming that God will turne all things to our good we break his Law what else do we but first of all make God the cause of our evill and secondly vex
17. Rom. 8. Faith and Hope what they are and of what use Heb. 11. 1. Division of the Promises Temporal promises conditionall Mark 10. 20. Vse Object Answ. Deut 28. 16. Quest. Answ. How to get in Christ. Quest. Answ. Iohn 17. 3 Quest. Answ. Phil. 3. 8. Phil. 3. 8. The stability of a Christian having promises Heb. 13. 5. 1 Tim. 4. 8 Psal. 88. 4. Psal. 91. Psal. 112. 7 Psal. 12. Psal. 119. Obser. 1. A Christian needs stablishing grace Obser. 2. The life of a Christian fullof dependancy Mar. 16. 17 18 19 Vse 1 Sam. 2. 9. Prov. 3. Psal. 115. Object Answ. How to discerne establishing grace Helpes to obtâ—ine confirming grace Object Answ. Psal. 9. 10. Sue the Promises in Prayer Quest. Answ. Why troubles are so irksome Quest. Answ. Quest. Answ. Quest. Answ. Psal. 105. 15 The Spirits sealing Quest. Answ. What our sealing is and the use of it Quest. Answ. Quest. Answ. Ephes. 1. 13. Answ. Quest. Quest. Answ. Quest. Quest. Answ. Quest. Answ. Psal. 42. 13 Vse Psal. 45. Psal. 116. Quest. Answ. Quest. Answ. Quest. Answ. In want of comfort what is to be done Quest. Answ. Why the Spirit is called an earnest Quest. Answ. God meanes truly in giving his earnest Assurance of our estates not alwayes alike A double act of faith to work assurance Things hindring our assurance Sense of Gods love how preserved Quest. Answ. Quest. Quest. Answ. Symptomes of the Spirits inhabitation out of Rom. 8. Quest. Answ. Quest. Answ. How the Spirit is grieved Parts of the Text. Psal. 119. Quest. Answ. Doct. All good things 1 God the Father 2 God the Sonne 3 God the Holy Ghost 4 Angells Psal. 34. 5 Magistrates 6 Ministers 7 The Word 8 Sacraments 9 Outward gifts 10 Outward gifts of Reprobates 11 Favour of Princes 1 Sinne. 2 Corruption of nature 3 Inward and outward grosse sins 1. Doubtings 2 Anger covetousnesse c. 3 〈◊〉 sinnes 4 Carnall sinnes Gal. 6. 6. 5 Sins of others of Gods children Vse Vse 4 Desertions Psal. 6. 5 Wounded Spirit Luke 4. 1. 6 Blasphemous thoughts 7 Continuance in sinne 8 Outward evils 9 Slanders 10 Evils of body 11 Death 12 Death of friends Afflictions 14 Devil and Hereticks Causes why all things work together for the best 1 Gods Decree 2 Gods maner of working 3 Gods covenant 4 Foundation of the covenant Gal. 4. Object Answ. Iob 3. 25. 2 Chron. 31. 33. Object Answ. Simile Object Answ. Evils not to be done that good may come thereof Matth. 4. 4 Danger of wilfull sinning Note 1 God 2 Creatures 3 Good gifts 4 Truth of God 1 Iustification 2 Châ—istian liberty 3 Mor ality 1 Cor. 4 Gods patience 5 The Word Evill things 1 Spirituall ill things 2 Outward evils and crosses Causes Vse Vse Obser. 1. Salvation certaine Obser. 2. Gods particular providence to be observed Obser. 3. Observ. 4 Observ. 5 2 Cor. 6. A ground of understanding the promises A direction to pray for temporall blessings Vse 1. Vse 2. Vse 3. Psal. 34. Psal. 24. Double eye A Christians joy And contentment Vse 5. Holy boldnesse Prov. 29. Prov. 28. 1 Vse 6. 2 Persons to whom this prviledge belongs Excellency of love Christianity not a bâ—re title only Comfort not to be preached to all Ground of love Nature of the love of God 1 Branch Triall whether we have made a right choice 2 Triall Rom 8. 3 Triall 2 Branch Desire to please the beloved True love rejoyeeth in suffering 3 Branch Love covets union 2 It adviseth with the party loved 3 And fits it selfe for his appearing And hungers after God Psal. 4â— 4 Branch Psal. 77. Psal. 4. Psal. 51. Psal. 18. Psal. 71. Quest. Answ. Psal. 26. Directions unto love 2 Direction Meanes to attaine the love of God Psal. 34. 1 Grounds of our love to God Motives to stir up exercise in the love of God