of Judgment John Huss and Jerome Luth. Loc. Com. of Prague shall appear to be good men when the Pope and his Cardinalls shall appear to be vile and wicked wretches St Bernard us'd to say That the Day will Veniet Veniet Dies quando male judicata rejudicabit Deuâ— Bern. come it will certainly come when God will judg over again all false judgment But as for all those whose hearts were upright with God whilst they liv'd in this world these after death are translated into an estate of glory and happiness and in the highest heavens receive consolations beyond all expression and a weight of glory beyond the capacity of any mortal man which Christ gives to all his Children who in their Pilgrimage on earth endeavoured with their whole heart and strength to serve the Lord in sincerity and in truth All those who were on earth Sincere-hearted and real Saints shall be acknowledged to be such by Christ himself at the Day of Judgment No sin no failing nor imperfection shall at all be layd to their Charge in that day for all failings and sins and all manner of imperfections shall be washt away in the bloud of Jesus Christ What ever good things the Saints have done on earth shall be all remembred and not any one thing forgotten at the day of judgment But whatever was bad and sinfull that they committed on earth shall not be layd to their Charge but shall be blotted out of the Book of Gods Remembrance and God will cast them into the depth of the sea O What a joyfull day and full of Comfort will the day of judgment be to all the Children of God! Then they shall lift up their heads with Comfort and behold him who is their Judg as their Redeemer Advocate Intercessor and Flder Brother and he will pronounce for them a sentence of Absolution At that day all glorified Saints shall have their bodily eyes irradiated with the splendor of glory and they shall be inabled to behold the Beatificall Vision and this is he Happiness of all Happiness and this only is their portion and appropriated to them alone who are pure in heart Thâ—y are blessed as our Saviour pronounceth them Who are pure in heart for they shall see God Then the Saints in glory shall sit in Judgment as Assessors with Christ and shall approve of the righteous sentence of Christ in Condemning their unrighteous Judges Then they shall see the Omniporent Eternal Jehovah the Beeing of all Beeings the first person in Trinity uncreated unbegotten and unproceeding Then they shall see Christ the Mediator of thâ— New Covenant their only Saviour and Redeemer uncreated but begotten and not proceeding who is the second Person in Trinity Then they shall see the holy Ghost the third Person in Trinity neither created nor begotten but proceeding from both The Glorifyd Saints what they believed when they were militant on earth shall in heaven understand the great Mystery of the Trinity in Unity and Unity in Trinity One glorified Saint shall know more then all the Learned men in the world I 'le conclude with this Doxology Now to the holy and blessed Trinity and one God in Vnity Father Son and Holy Ghost be ascribed all Honour and Glory Praise and Thanksgiving Dominion and Obedience henceforth and unto all Eternity Amen THE Contents of this Treatise CHAP. I. OF spiritual poverty p. 1. Sect. I. Spiritual poverty consists in emptying of the heart of what is self ibid. Sect II. Every humble spirited man is low vile and abject in his own eyes p. 3. Sect. III. One who is spiritually poor meditates frequently and seriously upon the promises and makes particular application of them p. 6. Sect. IV. One that is poor in spirit is weak fiâ—k and in a distressed condition as to his own apprehension and makes haste unto Christ for help p. 9. CHAP. II. Concerning the highest prizing and valuing of Jesus Christ p. 11. Sect. I. It 's an infallible sign of a true Believer to value and prefer Christ before all the riches of the world p. 11. Sect. II. Of ardâ—ney and strength of affection to Jesus Christ p. 14. CHAP. III. Of a heart in love with holiness evidenced in â— holy life and conversation p. 16. Sect. I. Every true Believer loves holiness for it self because it is the image of God ibid. Sect. II. Where holiness is in the heart it is fruitful in the life p. 19. CHAP. IV. Of ingenuous sorrow for sin p. 24. Sect. I. Ingenuous sorrow is more for the sin than the punishment ibid. Sect. II. There is a great difference between the mournings of Cain Ahab Judas c. and the mournings of David Paul Peter c. p. 25. Sect. III. There 's a great difference between the mourning of slaves and mourning of children p. 30. CHAP. V. Of sorrowing and mourning for others sins p. 33. Sect. I. A godly mourner mourns for others sins ibid. Sect. II. We must be affected with and afflicted for the sins of others remembring that we are men of like passions p. 37. CHAP. VI. Of approving our hearts unto God p. 42. Sect. I. A sincere-heâ—rted Christian labours to aprove his heart to God and put himself upon God's trial ibid. Sect. II. Though we are subject to many infirmities we must groan under the burthen of them p. 44. CHAP. VII Of pressing forward towards perfection p. 49. Sect. I. It 's an Apostolical character and Apostolical practice to press forward towards perfection ibid. Sect. II. Instances in particulars whether we press forward towards perfection p. 52. CHAP. VIII Of a strict watch set upon the heart against bosome sins p. 55. Sect. I. A sincere heart endeavors to keep it self from every beloved sin ibid. Sect. II. No sin so little but deserves damnation p. 59. Sect. III. An illustration by similitudes p. 61. CHAP. IX An endeavor against every sin and for the practice of every duty p. 65. Sect. I. The desire and endeavor must be against every sin ibid. Sect. II. The endeavor must be to obey all commands and practice all duties p. 69. CHAP. X. Of a heart without guile p. 73. Sect. I. The heart must be without guile ibid. Sect. II. Every person that is upright is compounded of three words viz. simplicity singleness and sincerity p. 74. CHAP. XI Of mortification of the deeds of the body p. 80. Sect. I. The deeds of the body i. e. all lusts ought to be mortified ibid. Sect. II. Questions propounded and answered p. 83. CHAP. XII Vivisication of the fruits of the Spirit p. 91. Sect. I. Beside mortification of the deeds of the body there must be a vivification of the fruits of the Spirit ibid. Sect. II. How this is to be discerned p. 93. CHAP. XIII Containing the comforts of sincere Christians p. 95. Sect I. Sincere Christians have comforts in their lives ibid. Sect. II. Sincere Christians are sensible of their sins and mourn for them p. 98. CHAP. XIV Sincere-hearted Christians have comforts in their deaths p. 102. Sect. I. The comfortable deaths of such as are sincere p. 102 Sect. II. We ought to prepare for deatâ— p. 10â— Sect. III. The â—ying speeches of Saints p. 109 CHAP. XII Containing the happiness of the Saints iâ— Heaven p. 115 Sect. I. The Saints in Heaven receive per fection of happiness ibid Sect. II. At the day of Judgment all falâ— judgments shall be reverst p. 118 FINIS
affections before all the Kingdoms of the world and the glory of them Christ is compared to a Fountain which is beyond compare with any Zech. 13. 1. other for it is a Fountain opened to the House of David and to the Inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness Christ is likewise compared to a Stone and to such a one as excelleth others in admirable Properties Isai 28. 16. Therefore thus saith the Lord God Behold I lay in Zion for a Foundation a Stone a tryed Stone a pretious corner Stone a sure Foundation He that believeth shall not make hast Farther Christ is compared to the Pearle of great Price Matth. 13. 45. 46. Again the Kingdome of heaven is like unto a Merchant man seeking goodly Matt. 13. 45 46. Pearls who when he had found one Pearâ— of great price he went and sold all that hâ— had and bought it Whatever we esteeâ— highly of must go for Christ the Pearl oâ— Price If we possess Christ in our hearts bâ— faith we are enriched with that possession which is infinitely more worth theâ— all the possessions of the Vniverse Mucâ— value is set upon the Eastern and Western treasures of the Indies and greaâ— pains is taken to get them Impiger extremos currit Mercator ad Indos Yeâ— they are not worth the nameing in comparison of the Riches of Christ Thâ— knowledg of Christ is the most inriching knowledge for Col 2. 3. In him are hiâ— O Thesauris omnibus opulentior notitia Christi all the treasures of Wisdom and Knowledge Whosoever hath a saving Interest iâ— Christ is richer then the greatest Emperour who is ignorant of him Sect. 2 And hereunto Where there iâ— such a high valuation of Christ in thâ— Judgment there will of necessity follow ardency strength of affection toward 2 Cor. 5. 14. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 constringit cohibet i. e. totos possidet ac regit ut ejus afflatu quasi correpti agamus omnia Beza Jesus Christ The apprehension of thâ— exceeding great love of Christ to uâ— should constrain us to love him with a reciprocal love Love is the Loadstone oâ— love and love will never be paid nor bâ— contented and satisfied but with its own coyn I mean love answering love And the greatest love which we can express to Jesus Christ is only the reflection of those Beams which he first darted upon us Whatever love we manifest towards God is only the Return of that love which he first shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us Rom. 5. 5. 1 Joh. 4. 19. We saith the Apostle love him because he first loved us Where Christ is highly prised that soul is inflam'd with ardent love to him Neither is this an ordinary and common but an extraordinary and special love This love is in the highest degree above the apprehension of Philosophers They tell us That there is Calor ad octo and this is in gradu intenso non in gradu remisso Somthing that expression represents but we 'l set forth the vehemency of Love in the Scripture Phrase Love Psal 120. 4. is hotter then the coals of Juniper and to such an extensive heat so that Cant. 8. 7. many waters cannot quench love neither can the floods drown it But as for all those who love not the Lord Jesus they are cursed in this world and in the world to come For saith the Apostle 1 Cor. Read Pynk in Loc. 16. 22 If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ let him be Anathama Maranatha An Anathama alone is a dreadful Curse but that 's not all there is a Maranathâ— Maran-Domiaus Athan-venit Maranatha extrema ultima species excommunicationis quae Ebraeis Samatha dicitur Drus added to the Anathema and this Maranatha is reserved until the second coming of Christ to judgment and oh how dreadful must their condition be at that great and terrible day who love not the Lord Jesus Christ Against them Christ will pronounce that dreadful sentence of condemnation Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels CHAP III. A heart in love with holiness evidenced in a holy life and conversation is a Character of a sincere Heart A Third Character of Sincerity is a Character Third A heart in love with holiness Heart in love with holiness Sect. 1 For when the Heart is emptied of all self-self-love and self-confidence and made throughly sensible of its own vileness and wretchedness then Christ is highly valued and entirely loved and cordially embraced and delighted in Every true Believer loves holiness for it self because it is the image of God And as Bucer us'd to say where there is Aliquid Christi i. e. any impression of the image of Christ there we ought to place our love Wherefore the Apostle gives a strict Eph. 4. 23. 24. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Command Be renewed in the spirit of your mind And that ye put on the new man which after the image of God is created in righteousness and true holiness Where this image of God is which consists in righteousness and true holiness Sanctitas veritatis est vera sincera minime fucata Drus. Tali innocentia sanctitate quâ— sint in esse non in videri Grot. it is stampt upon the heart and is visible in the life and there is such a transcendent beauty purity and excellency and amiableness in all the waies of holiness as the least glimpse of them are abundantly sufficient to delight rejoyce and ravish the soul of every true believer What plato said of Moral vertue much more may be said of Theological vertue i. e. Si Virtus humanis ocutis possit cerâ—i admirabile sui desiderium excitaret-Plato Soul-saving grace and holiness that if it could be discerned by Corporal eyes it would raise the heart to a wonderfull desire thereof Oh! how did David love the Law of God! He profest that Gods Law was his Delight and that Psal 119. 77. he loved the commandments above Gold yea above fine gold Psal 119. 127. Thy Testimonies saith he I have taken Psal 119. 111. 〈…〉 n Heritage for ever for they are the rejoycing of my heart O! What sweet ness did David suck out of the Judgments of the Lord for saith he Thâ— Psal 19. 9. 10. Judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether More to be desired arâ— they then Gold yea then much fine Gold sweeter also then honey and the honeâ— comb There is a great reward in thâ— very work of holiness For it follows iâ— the next words Moreover by them iâ— thy Servant warned and in keeping oâ— them there is * Utilitas non mediocris sedingens sequitur etiamsi illi respectum retributionis alicujus non habeant sed simplici ac sincerâ— corde in viâ mandatorum Dei currant unum hoc spectantes ut Domino Deo suo
See the vast difference between worldly and godly sorrow 2 Cor. 7. 10. For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of but the sorrow of the world worketh death If we could mourn for sin much more and for the world less we should lead more comfortable lives for the future than ever we have formerly done CHAP. V. Of Sorrowing and Mourning for others Sins Sect. 1 A Fifth Character of a sincere Heart Charact. 5. Mourning for others Sins 1. is Sorrowing and Mourning for others Sins A true godly Mourner whose heart is upright with God doth not confine and terminate his sorrow within the narrow compass of his own â—rest and not let it extend any further but he laies to heart and unfeignedly mourns for the sins of others Though as it 's commonly said Charity begins at home yet it must not end there there must be a plus ultrà for our Charity it must be diffusive and extended to others And this is a great sign of love when we are assected with and affected for the sins oâ— others as well as for our own Every good man is not only grieved for his own sins but for the sins of others Of this excellent temper was David the man after God's own heart who from his heart professed Rivers of tears run down mine eyes because they keep not thy Law Psal 119. 136. But many there are whose motions Qui spiritu Dei aguntur hi sentiunt tales dolorum stimulos ut Loth cum videret sceleruÌ„ omnium colluviem regnare Sodomae c. Mollcrus are excentrick to that good man for they are so far strangers to mourning for other mens sins as they make their sins a matter of sport mirth and mockery However they would be loath to be branded for fools yet they cannot escape Solomon's censure Prov. 14. 9. Fools make a mock at sin When men make sin a matter of pleasure and jesting and make that a matter of laughter which should be a cause of mourning they shew themselves to be notorious fools Many there are who deservedly may be rank'd amongst the chiefest and worst sort of fools who when they see men drunk or hear them swear or curse or talk lasciviously and belch out such words as even the Heathen could say corrupt good manners 1 Cor. 15. 33. then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Menander those men are transported with laughter and merriment and they talk with delight and complacency pleasing themselves with the remembrance of others sins These have Solomon's brand for fools and their folly will appear to their shame when they shall mourn for their laughter and weep for their wicked pleasure and jollities When some wrote Books in a jesting and deriding manner concerning several faults of great men after Mr. Greenham a Reverend and Learned Divine had read those Books he was much offended at them saying That sins ought to be made V. Greenhams works odious and not onely made ridiculous Whatever sins we either discern in our selves or in any other we ought to mourn for them and not to make a sport of them A good Christian who is acquainted with the pangs of the New Birth and is sensible of that great filthiness and abomination that is in every sin and that every sin grieveth and vexeth God and is odious and abominable in his sight such a man I say where-ever he finds sin he hates it and mourns for it and therefore he is not an idle Spectator or over-curious Inquisitor but a real Mourner for other mens sins And whilst he mourns for others sins he reflects upon himself as a person made of the same mould and one of the same passions and having the same corrupt nature That excellent Father St. Bernard makes mention of an old man who when he had heard that one of his Brethren had committed a scandalous sin he wept bitterly saying He sin'd to day Vid. Bern. in Fest St. Martini I may sin to morrow We are all by nature children of wrath as others Ephes 2. 3. Nature makes no difference between us and the vilest of men Who art thou then that boastest of a good nature and a sweet disposition though these things are very commendable amongst men and much to be desired yet there 's much more required for the best nature without sanctifying grace is no better than poyson in a golden Cup. Hath then God endowed thee with a greater measure of grace than thy Brother remember that it is thy duty to acknowledg with all thankfulness that what grace thou hast is the free gift of God And what hast thou which thou hast not received now if thou didst receive it why dost thou glory as if thou hadst not 1 Cor. 4. 7. received it Not the goodness of thy nature but the free grace of God makes thee to differ from thy Brother O therefore with all thankfulness acknowledg God's restraining grace and sanctifying grace whereby thou kept from running with others into the same excess of riot All sorts of grace come from God as antecedent concomitant and subsequent and a Christian hath need of them all that so he may begin any good work proceed and persevere therein If the Lord should leave thee to thy self and let thee be fill'd with thy own ways and give thee up to thy own hearts lusts thou wilt quickly destroy thy self by breaking out into such horrid sins as the vilest of men give themselves to commit with delight and complacency It was a good Prayer in an ancient Letany Lord deliver me from my self That rare Father St. Bernard prayed Lord deliver me from the evil man i. e. my Eâ—ipe me a malo homine a me iâ—so Bern. de iâ—ter Domâ— self Thus he counted himself the evil man and thus he discovered singular humility Sect. 2 Let 's not neglect our duty in being both affected with and afflicted for the sins of others as remembring that we are men of like passions and we are dust and ashes frail creatures our Fathers being Amorites and our Mothers Hittites notwithstanding we are preserv'd from the commission of many sins which others ordinarily commit we have great cause of thankfulness but not the least cause of being proud If through riches of mercy we have hopes of a saving interest in Christ we not knowing the secret Decree of God for ought we know others may be fellow members of Christ's Body and fellow Citizens of the new Jerusalem we ought therefore to sympathize with them and be alike affected with variety of Dispensations towards them as the Apostle commands Rom. 12. 15 Rejoyce with them that do rejoyce weep with them that weep For any one to say as Cain Am I my Brothers keeper What am I concern'd in anothers matters let every one look to himself such speeches as â—â—â—elare scriptum est a Platone â—on a nobis solum nati sumus sed ortus nostri partem patria partem pareates veâ—dicant
Papists of venial and mortal sins is to be discarded altogether as a rotten distinction The Papists may rather according to their own practice call sins venal because they set sins to sale and grant Indulgences for money and so hope to make a good Market of Peoples bad lives thereby intending to inrich the Popes Coffers and the Priests Purses But they in the mean time presumptuously derogate from the Merits of Jesus Christ by presumptuously arrogating to themselves a power of forgiving of sins upon the payment of moneys for Indulgences Against them may be justly retorted the same censure which the Apostle pronounced against Simon Magus Acts 8. 20. for offering of money Thy money perish with thee because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money As for Popish Pardons and Indulgences both Givers and Takers are abominable because they undervalue the pardoning Mercy of God in Jesus Christ It 's an undoubted sign of all those who love God to hate evil So saith the Psalmist Psal 97. 10. Ye that love the Lord hate evil And this hatred must be an universal hatred of all manner of sins without exception and it must be a perfect and irreconcileable hatred Deadly fewds such as Chronicles mention between Family and Family were barbarous and abominable and tended to the utter subversion of many Families But here a deadly fewd is lawful i. e. to perpetuate our hatred and enmity against all manner of sins and corruptions David declares his utter hatred and indignation against all the Enemies of God Psal 139. 23 24. I hate them O Lord that hate thee And am not I grieved with those that rise up against thee I hate them with a perfect hatred I count them mine enemies David hated their sins rather than their persons though he loved their persons yet as they were God's enemies for their notorious rebellions against God he hated them with a perfect hatred It 's an universal charge enjoyn'd by the Apostle Rom. 10. 9. to all without exception Abhor that which is evil and cleave to that which is good Not only one Cockatrice but all the breed of Cockatrices are of a poisonous and destructive nature and mischievous to mankind and therefore not only such as come to maturity but those also which are in the Egg ought to be destroyed So every sin is of a poisonous and mischievous nature and therefore ought to be stifled in the firâ—â— conception and be prevented from proceeding to any ripeness For any Woman to stifle and destroy the fruit of her womb though the conception be very early is abominable murther in the sight of God and if such courses be practised they tend to the rooting out a succession of all mankind But as for all manner of sins and wickedness though newly committed and gone no further then a thought yet that very evil thought should be checkt and disallowed The School men have coyn'd quaint notions and amongst them are mention'd motus primo primi let them not mince nor extenuate sins by such Cob-web distinctions for those beginnings to speak more plainly which by them are call'd primo primi are sinful those first risings and motions as sinful are to be destroyed mourned for and never suffered to proceed to any further maturity Sect. 2 2. As there must be a refraining and 2. An endeavour to practise all Gods commands abstaining from all manner of sins so there must be an endeavour to obey all Commands and practise all Duties Hereupon the Psalmist professeth Psal 119. 6. Then shall I not be ashamed when I have respect unto all thy commandments It is an infallible and undoubted sign of a gracious heart neither to divide in duties nor in commands neither to make exceptions and distinctions as if one grace was to be got and not another Neither may we plead a dispensation from any duty whether it be commanded in the first or second Table For instance whoever he be that pretends a strict observation of the Sabbath day I mean only the Lords day Sabbath and pretends a hatred of swearing and lying and of all manner of Idolatry and yet this man is dishonest and unjust in his dealings he is without doubt an errand Hypocrite and likewise whoever he be that pretends to deal justly and uprightly between man and man and to pay every one his own which is both necessary and commendable and yet this man makes no conscience at all of observing the Lords day nor of keeping his Word or Oath nor of using the Name of God with reverence such a man is but a meer formalist and a stranger to the power of godliness For the same God who commands one duty commands another and laies an equal obligation to yield ready and chearful obedience unto both Tables For the whole Law of God is copulative and Lex Dei est uta tota copulativa Illyric one Commandment is joyn'd to another as a link of the same golden Chain Hence it appears in Deuteronomy Deut. 5. 18 19 20 21. that there is a concatenation and connexion between all the Commandments of God Neither shalt thou commit adultery neither shalt thou steal neither shalt thou bear false witness against thy neighbour neither shalt thou desire thy neighbours wife neither shalt thou covet thy neighbours house his field or his man-servant or his maid-servant his ox or his ass or any thing that is thy neighbours From which Scriptures we conclude That there ought to be an equal regard unto one Commandment Qâ—jcquid 〈◊〉 cum si equaliâ—er sit as well as another for there is one only holy Lord God who commands one Commandment in the Decalogue as well as an other This was the very trade or grand employment which St. Paul did drive Acts 24. 16. To keep a conscience void of offence towards God and towards man The Apostle did not shift and put off this grand negotiation from himself as if he were unconcern'd and therefore left it to others but it 's said herein do 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I exercise my self Neither did the Apostle sit fast and loose and as we say exercise himself by fits and starts only but he made it his business exercise and imployment for it 's said alwaies Neither 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 will any sort of conscience at a venture serve the turn because there are many bad consciences but the Apostle only values and exerciseth a conscience 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 void of offence And such a conscience in its extent and latitude is a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or an infallible note of the sincerity of that heart which in the Apostles language keeps a conscience void of offence toward God and toward men Farther the said Apostle makes mention of three significant Adverbs which comprehend the whole duty of man viz. soberly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 righteously and godly As to all commands and to all sorts of duties
the propriety of the word it signifies * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 est parâ— saciet quae oculis est subjecta contuendo suboctum seu dejectuÌ„ premo Beza to beat under the eye and to leave a mark there of redness and blueness The other word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and this properly signifies to bring into subjection it 's a Metaphor took from Oxen whom we bring under the yoke or from any such Creatures whom we enslave or captivate and bring them into subjection for our use and service We should then indeavor so to bring down our bodies and subdue them as to make them serviceable to our souls and subject and obedient to the yoke of Christ if so we have well learn'd the Doctrine of Mortification A learned moral Heathen will condemn many dissolute livers who call themselves Christians and yet live without God in the world I am saith Seneca greater and born to greater things than to be a slave to my body Every Drunkard is a slave to his Cups and every Whoremonger a slave to his Harlot and every covetous Worldling is a slave to his Mammon But our design must not be to enslave our Souls to our Bodies but the design which we drive must be to make our Bodies serviceable to our Souls It was an excellent saying of Ephrem Syrus who flourisht in the third Century after Christ He that feasts his Body and starves his Soul is like him that feasts his Slave and starves his Wife CHAP. XII Vivification of the Fruits of the Spirit is a Character of a sincere Heart THe twelfth and last Character of sincerity Charact. 12. Vivification of the fruits of the Spirit Sect. 1. which I shall only mention is The Vivification of the Fruits of the Spirit After mortification of the deeds of the Body there must necessarily follow the Vivification of the Fruits of the Spirit for where Christ dwells in a Soul by faith and by the influence of his grace the Body is dead as the Apostle saith Rom. 8. 10. because of sin but the spirit is life because of righteousness A Learned and Judicious Writer thus interprets that Scripture Quam vis peccatum morfi nos adjudicet quatenus in nobis remanet primae naturae vitiosibus spiritum tamea Dei esse victore noc obstare quod tantum primitiis donati sumus quia vel una ejus sciatilla viâ—ae semen est Calv. in Loc. Although saith he sin condemns us to death so far as the remainders of corrupt nature and the vitiosity thereof remains in us yet the Spirit is Conquerour wherefore notwithstanding out primitive corruption one spark of the Spirit of God is a seed of life to us though in this world we receive only the first-fruits thereof All those who by nature are dead in trespasses and sins can never be brought from death to life and from the state of nature into the state of grace any other way but by the quickning virtue of Jesus Christ For saith the Apostle You hath he quickned who were dead in your trespasses and sins Such as are now through grace in a state of regeneracy were in their natural condition in a state of unregeneracy and such who are now quickned were formerly in a dead condition As it 's said of the converted Prodigal in the Parable Luke 15. 32. He was dead and is alive again and was lost and is found The Apostle discovers the great difference between the state of regeneracy and unregeneracy and the difference is great as great as the difference between life and death Let 's diligently review the words of the Apostle Wherein Ephes 2. 2 3. in time past ye walked according to the course of this World according to the Prince of the power of the Air the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience Among whom also we had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh fulfilling the desires or wills of the flesh and of the mind and were by nature 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the children of wrath even as others And what is the sole moving cause of all it followeth vers 4 5. But God who is rich in mercy for his great love wherewith he loved us even when we were dead in sins hath quickned us together with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sect. 2. Christ by grace ye are saved Quest But the Question may be askt How may such who are regenerated and quickned by Christ be distinguished from such who are unregenerate and yet dead in their trespasses and sins Answ I Answer as a tree may be known by its fruits which it bears i. e. a good tree by good fruits and a bad tree by bad fruits so may regenerate be distinguished from unregenerate unregenerate bring forth the fruits of the flesh as adultery fornication uncleanness c. Gal. 5. 19 20 21. before mentioned but regenerate persons bring forth the fruits of the Spirit St. Paul gives us a double Catalogue one is short but very comprehensive Ephes 5. 9. The fruit of the spirit is in all goodness righteousness and truth The other is a large Catalogue Gal. 5. 22 23. The fruit of the Spirit is love joy peace long-suffering gentleness goodness faith meekness temperance against such there is no Law If then the fruits of the Spirit exert and manifest themselves in the holiness of our lives and conversations it 's an infallible sign of our vivification by the Spirit of Jesus Christ By those twelve forementioned Characters of a sincere Heart we may and must put our selves upon a strict search and enquiry whether our hearts be sincere and upright towards God We must then with all diligence and impartiality make a strict search into our hearts we must ask What have I done Jer. 8. 6. we must commune with our own hearts Psal 4. 4. and as the Church resolves Lam. 3. 40. Let us search and try our ways and turn again to the Lord. And I am perswaded that if we have one of those Characters forementioned in sincerity and in truth we have the rest for they are all Links of one and the same golden Chain and there 's such a concatenation between them as one cannot be separated from another CHAP. XIII Containing the Comforts pertaining to sincere Christians in their Lives in this World HAving laid down those twelve forementioned Characters and Signs of Sincerity I thence infer this Conclusion That it 's the grand Duty incumbent upon us all and every one in particular to propound the Question as in the presence of God to his own Soul Am I a sincere-hearted Christian yea or no Let us with deliberate thoughts consider of those twelve above-named Signs and Marks of Sincerity and examine our selves by them accordingly herein consists the grand Labour and Work to busie our selves with all frequent and serious self-reflections and heart-examinations and let us as one man every one particularly propound the Question
Sardis write these things saith he 〈◊〉 3. 1. 2. that hath the seaven spirits of God and the seaven Stars I know thy works that thou hast a name that livest and art dead Be watchful and strengthen the things that are ready to dye 〈◊〉 I have not found thy works perfect before God Many there are who rest satisfied with a bare form and deny the power of godliness But the Apostles command is Having a form of godliness 2 Tim. 3. 5. but denying the power thereof from such turn away The Sincerity of the Heart is that which God requires Behold thou desireth truth in the inward parts Psal 51. 6. Josh 34. 14. Ioh. 4. 24. God must be feared and served in sincerity and in truth God is a spirit and his worship must be a spiritual worship So saith our Saviour God is a spirit and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth The fruits of the spirit are reckâ—nâ—d up by the Apostle to be in all goodness righteousness and truth Goodness may Eph. 5. 9. be reckoned to the duties of the first Table and righteousness to the duties of the second Table but Truth i e. Sincerity refers to both Tables respectively Sincerity is the ground of rejoycing For saith the Apostle Our rejoycing is this the Testimony Cor. 1. 12. of our Conscience that in simplicity and godly sincerity not with fleshly wisdome but by the grace of God we have had our conversation and more abundantly to you ward And the same Apostle prayes for the Philippians That Phil. 1. 10. ye may approve things that are excellent that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ And although he is sensible of his own and of his Brethrens insufficiency for the great work of the Ministry as may appear by that Question which he propounds And who is sufficient for these things 2 Cor. 2. 16. Yet he makes this profession of his own and his brethrens sincerity For saith he we are not as many v. 17. which corrupt the word of God but as of sincerity but as of God in the fight of God speak we in Christ To draw to a close of this Epistle It is the sincerity of the Heart which both to Ministers and people is a great ground of consolation The grand design which I only drive at in this small Treatise is to stir up my self and others that every one in good earnest may Chatechise his own heart and propound this great needful Question Is my heart sincere with God For answer to this question I have by way of Character according to the Rule of the word of God endeavoured to declare in several particulars wherein the sincerity of the heart consists This Treatise I preached as to the substantials thereof which sincâ— I have unlarged in the publick Congreâ—ation at Cosfield in Essex Tâ— you much Honoured Madam I offer â—his Mite or Testimony of my graceful acknowledgment of these many signal favours which both my self and my nearest Relations have recieved from you both in our sickness and health God hath made you a worthy instrument to do good to many and I hope you will fare the better for their prayers That Bread which you have cast upon the waters you shall find after many daies May the Lord lengthen out your daies for the glory of God and for your own good and the good of many others And may you be one of those of whom the Psalmist makes mention Those that be planted in Psal 92. 13. the house of the Lord shall flourish in the Courts of God They shall still bring forth fruit in old age They shall be fat and flourishing I commend your self and all your Relations to the Gracious Providence of God beseeching him to guide you by his counsell till he bring you to glory I remain Sible Henningham in Essex Jan. 1. 1674. Madame Your Servant for Christ sake HEN. WILKINSON CHARACTERS OF A SINCERE HEART CHAP. I. Of Spiritual Poverty THE first Character of a Sincere Charact. 1. Spiritual Poverty Heart is Spiritual Poverty And Spiritual Poverty consists in emptying of the Heart to the utmost of all and every thing whatever is Self as self-self-love self-righteousness self-opinion self-sufficiency self-reasonings and disputings with flesh and blood and self-confidence and self-conceit and all manner of self-ends self-aims and self-designs So that when a Christian is wholly emptied of himself and he hath learned that great and excellent Gospel-Lesson of Self-denyal and he comprehends himself as he is in himself only nothing and less then no thing and is vile in his own eyes and hâ— magnifies the riches of Gods mercy and ascribes all honour and glory to God such a one is Sincere upright hearted towards God Jacob whom the Holy Ghost stiles a plain man i. e. as * Taatum dicit suisse simplicem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quidem pro integro sincero at plurimuÌ„ accipitur Calv. Jacob viz. integer simplex Graeci 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 alienus ab omni fraude dolo callidatate Mercer in Loâ— some Gen. 25. 27. interpret a sincere and single hearted man was a man of an humble spirit witness his confession I am not worthy oâ— the least of all thy mercies and of all the truth which thou hast shewed unto thy servant Gen. 32. 10. David was pooâ— in spirit endowed with that excellenâ— grace of Humilitie For he was so vilâ— in his own eyes as he accounted himselâ— a worm and no man Psal 22. 6. and when the Lord sent Nathan the Prophet to tell what great things God had and would do for him as to take him from 2 Sam. 7. 8. and that he had cut off all his the Sheep Coat to be ruler over Israel enemies and made him a great name ver 9. and that he would fix the children of Israel that they may dwell in â— place of their own and â—â—ve no more and that the Lord would make David an house how David received these messages from the Prophet is apparent by the humility and thankfulness whereof he gave a large testimony 2 Sam. 7. 18. 19. Then went King David in and sate before the Lord and he said who am I O Lord God and what is my house that thou hast brought me hitherto And this was yet a small thing in thy sight O Lord God but thou hast spoken also of thy servants house for a great while to come and is this the manner of man O Lord God Agur was a wise man and the more wise because the more humble and the more esteem'd of by God by how much the more vile he was in his own opinion His Qui sâ—i vilis est Deo charus est Born Prov. 30. 2. acknowledging himself to be more brutish then any man and not to have the understanding of a man plainly declares the lowliness and poverty of his spirit
gratificentur Musc great reward Now to love God for himselfe and the Law of God for it felf and holiness for holiness sake because it is the image of God and resembles him this is a good sign indeed that the heart is sincere with God But to profess religion for selfe and sinister ends hopeing to make a good Market to themselves by ingratiating themselves with some Professors for advantage sake this is a very bad Sign and comes farr short of a heart right with God * Qui Deum ideo colit ut aliud magis quam ipsum assequatur non Deum colit sed illud colit quod concupiseit August So the Sichemites Embraced circumcision upon a Politick design to compass to themselves all the Estate of the Israelites Gen. 34. 25. * Si vere hoc dicunt tyranâ—ide baud dubie per vim cum illis agere specie foederis statueruÌ„t quod vellent vi eorum bonae accipere Ita cum dolose cum illis agerent juste sunt puâ—itiÌ„ alioqui praeter stuprum illataus Merc. Shall not their Cattle and their substance and every beast of theirs be ours only leâ— us consent unto them and they will dwell with us But that Politick and self-ended proposall did not prosper with the Sichemites for we read immediatly after of their utter destruction No more will any men thrive in the close of all who seek their own ends and design onely self-Interests The People followed Christ for the loaves and many like the Persians worship the rising Sun and seek only their own private ends and some have two faces under one hood and some imitate Water men rowing upon the Thames who look one way and row another The Apostles Censure is verified of multitudes For all seek their Phil. 221. own not the things which are Jesus Christs But such mens hearts are not upright with God Sect. 2 Ad hereunto wherever true holiness is seated in the heart it becomes exceeding fruitfull in the life and appears so by those good fruits visible in a holy conversation Not bare leaves and formal professions will serve the turn but there are required good actions Christ must not only be in the tongue to speak good of his name which is our duty but he must be formed in us and our hearts must be ravished with love to him and Love must constrain us to yeeld ready cheerfull obedience to him Not only a form but the power of godliness must exert and evidence it self in a Sanctified conversation The Apostle cautions us against such who content themselves with a bare outside-form of godlyness 2. Tim. 3. 5. and deny the power thereof Having a form of godliness but deny the power thereof from such turn away There must not be only 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a formall profession But there must be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a transforming Rom 12. 2. We must be transsormed by the renewing of our minds Questionless where the heart is sincere towards God there profession and practice concur in a sweet harmony and where the profession is in sinceâ—â—ty a holy life gives abundant Testimony thereunto For we must adorn the Doctrine of God as the Apostle Tit. 2. 10. speaks and then we adorn the Doctrine of God when we evidence the sincerity of our profession by the holiness of our lives and conversations For wherever holiness is in sincerity and in truth it is very diffusive and discovers it selfe in its vast extent and latitude It consists not only in verbal professions but in real actions nor is confined to one or to two acts nor to a few particulars but it is in the Habit and extends it selfe to all manner of Conversation as the Apostle 1 Per. 1. 15. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 12. 14 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Per sequutione premite Summe studio enitimiai exhorts But as he that hath called you is holy so be ye holy in all manner of Conversation We must with all diligence pursue holyness for so the Original imports It is used of Hunters and Hounds who follow the game and take great pains in the pursuit thereof Peace and Holyness are conjoyn'd by the Apostle Follow peace with all men and holyness without which no man shall see the Lord. Holy persons and they only shall be made partakers of the blessed Vision And they are thus distinguished from hypocrites by our Saviour Blessed are Matth. 5. 8. the pure in heart for they shall see God They are said to be pure in opposition to Deum jam videâ—t lumine gloriae quae esâ— summa hominis Beatitudo Spanhem all manner of impurity and profaneness and pure in heart in opposition to all manner of hypocrisie Whoever then hath hope to be made like unto God in happiness in the highest Heaven must be first made like unto God in holiness here on Earth For holyness and happiness differr not substantially but gradually For Holiness is happiness inchoate in this World and happiness is holiness perfected and consummated in the World to come Let us take a narrow View View of the Words of the Apostle Behold now are we the Sons of God and it 1 Joh. 3. 2. doth not yet appear what we shall be But Non sanctitate tantum sed aeternitate beatitudine ac sic multo magis filii ejas quam nunc Grot. we know that when he shall appear we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is Now for the right Interpretation of those words we must interpose this Caution by way of Distinction There is sicut similitudinis to be understood non sicut proportionis In variety of places in Holy Scripture we are commanded Lev. 11. 44. Lev. 19. 2. Lev. 20. 1 Pet. 1. 16. to be holy as God is holy yet we must know and acknowledge that it 's altogether impossible for us poor finite Creatures to attain to that equality of holiness which is in God However it is our obliged duty to endeavour according to our utmost ability after a similitude and conformity to God Similitudes are in the Predicament of Quality and according to Quality we are said to be like or unlike But similitudes are not in the Predicament of Quantity for it 's altogether impossible for any Creature to be equal and hold any proportions of holiness with the Infinite and Everlasting Creator But what 's the Grand Duty incumbent on all those who hope to be partakers of the blessed Vision The Apostle makes mention 1 Ioh. 3. 3. And every one that hath this hope in him purifieth himself even as he is pure Both outward and inward purity holiness of Heart as well as Holiness of life are essentially requisite to a good Christian Both Hands and Hearts as St. James commands must be cleansed and I am 4. 8. purifyed * Vâ—clean persons can have no commerce with God If you would have
an evil Thought may set the whole man in combustion sinful thoughts which are in embrione and not yet come to maturity yet being not crush'd not disallowed may in a short tract of time bring forth evil words and afterwards full-born actions of all sorts of abominations As soon as Goliah that insolent proud-daring Champion was brain'd and his Head with his own Sword sever'd from his shoulders then forthwith the whole Army of the Philistins was routed and utterly overthrown If then all Champion-reigning Sins such I call so which are darling bosome Sins be conquered and destroyed then all other sins which are of more than ordinary incursion will the sooner be vanquished and subdued We read that when the King of Syria went to joyn battle against Ahab King of Israel 2 Kings 22. 31. that he gave strict command to his thirty and two Captains that had rule over his Chariots saying Fight neither with small nor great save only with the King of Israel Now if the Question be made Why was the battle principally design'd against the King of Israel The Answer is at hand Because the King of Israel was the worst Enemy and most hating and most hated Although in our spiritual warfare we must valiantly encounter and fight against every sin yet in an especial manner we must with renewed strength fight against all bosome sins because the more they are delighted in and hugg'd in the bosome they prove more mischievous as Vipers and Serpents who being once received into the bosome suddenly destroy those who give them entertainment Questionless every sin is of a poisonous and destructive nature yet a beloved sin carries with it more aggravating circumstances and so proves more mischievous and destructive as may be abundantly evidenced by the sad consequences thereof as daily experience witnesseth abundantly Sect. 3 For a further illustration of the Assertion by a plain and obvious similitude Would any man though of an ordinary capacity habour Vipers Adders Scorpions Toads and such like noxious and hurtful creatures in his house would any entertain such kind of dangerous creatures in his bed and lay them in his bosome and so venture to sleep with them None can easily imagine that any there are who are so far sequestred from common sense and reason as to venture to give a bosome reception to such kind of creatures which are offensive and destructive unto mankind The chiefest of the Heathen Orators tells us That Principio generi animantium omni est a naturâ tributum utse vitam corpusque tueatur deelinetqâ—e ea quae â—ocitura videantur Ciâ— off Ib. 1. naturally all creatures must defend their life and body and avoid all those things which are hurtful Wherefore let 's consider seriously and after mature deliberation we shall confess that any beloved Sin is worse than any Viper Scorpion Adder or Toad in the bosome and whilst thou embracest and pleasest thy self in any beloved Sin thou takest a ready course to destroy both thy Body and Soul Wherefore Oh Christian if thou hast any love any regard or commiseration of thy immortal and heavenly-born being Soul give not thy self the least allowance or dispensation in any beloved Sin for if thou pleadest for thy Sins thou art the greatest Enemy to thy own Soul Let not any voluptuous man plead for his pleasures and sensual delights let not any unchaste man plead for his Strumpet or for any wanton lascivious carriage let not any vain frothy Jester and Scoffer plead for any wittily contriv'd lye collusion or any abusive carriage let not any Tradesman excuse his lying and overreaching in his Trade and vending of sophisticated wares and refuse commodities let him not flatter himself with vain pretences as if his lying equivocating and jugling would much conduce to his profit let him not pretend that he cannot keep open shop and maintain his family and if he should once leave his lying and swearing and couzening his family would be utterly undone All such kind of pleadings are odious and abominable in the sight of God Neither Antiquity nor Custom nor pleasure nor profit will excuse thee in the least nor relieve thee before the impartial Tribunal of Jesus Christ When thou shalt appear before the Judgment-seat of Christ then all sinful pleadings and all vain Apologies will be so far from extenuating or lessening thy sin at that great day as that they will aggravaâ—e them both as to the silth and guilt of them And then Christ will pronounce against thee that dreadful sentence of condemnation We read Matth. 25. that sins of omissions could not in the least excuse them And some in an especial manner have bewail'd their sins of omission how then shall the Bishop Usher late Primate of Ireland commissions of scandalous sins excuse thee at that great day of account and amongst other sins such as are beloved bosome and customary sins most pleasing to flesh and blood these will aggravate both thy sins and thy punishments at the day of Judgment CHAP. IX A desire and universal endeavour against all and every Sin is a Character of a sincere Heart and it 's accompanied with the Practice of all Duties Sect. 1 THe ninth Character of sincerity consists Charact. 9. A desire and endeavour against all Sins and for the practice of all Duties in a desire universally extensive and an equal endeavour against all manner and all sorts of Sins and a desire and endeavor as extensive to yield obedience unto all Command and to practice all Duties The desire and endeavour must be The desire and endeavour must be extensive against all sins extensive against all manner of all sins There must be a desire and endeavour to refrain from every evil way and not only from one sin but from all sins of all sorts and all manner of sizes though as considered comparatively they may not be pleaded for at all though less than others but they must be utterly abandoned and forsaken as well as others of a greater filth and guilt Thus the Psalmist professeth Psal 119. 101. I have refrained my feet from every evil way that I may keep thy word By feet we are to understand the whole course of our lives and conversations in a comprehensive sense taking in the whole duty of man And that we may keep the Word of God and keep close to his Statutes we must wage war against every sin and * Significat se bellum indixisse omnibus vitiis ut se Deo in obsequium dederet Calv. refrain our feet from every evil way There must then of necessity be an universal loathing and an universal leaving of every sin for in every sin even in such as some call a peccadillo there is poison and venome for which there is no other Antidote but the Bloud of Jesus Christ There is no sin which is in its own nature venial unless the Bloud of Christ make it so Wherefore that commonly received distinction amongst