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
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 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
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.
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
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
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
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
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
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
well as the good doth he not cloath and feed and protect wicked men daily He doth indeed it cannot bee denied but are they blessings are these favours to them No but as God saith by Moses if thou sin against me Cursed shalt thou be in thy Basket and thy store Cursed shall be the fruit of thy body and the fruit of thy Land the increase of thy Kine and the flocks of thy Sheep cursed at home cursed abroad they are cursed in their very blessings A gracelesse brutish person though hee swim with worldly pleasures and have never such revennewes and commings in to maintaine his bravery is yet an accursed creature in the midst of all For what are we made for think you To live here only Oh no then we were of all others the most miserable there is an eternity of time a comming wherein after a few dayes spent in the flesh we shall live either in perpetuall blisse or unspeakable torment The very best things beneath have a snare in them they rather hinder than further our eternall welfare How doth that appeare Because for the most part they make men secure and carelesse in the worship of God so as to despise the power of godlinesse and follow iniquity with greedinesse wee may see by mens conversations that outward things are snares to them They are not Promises in Christ for then they would come out of Gods love only which alone makes mercies to be indeedâ—o â—o us and without which â—he best of blessings will prove but a curse in the end If I have any thing in this world any deliverance from evill or any positive good thing I may know it is for my benefit when my heart is made more spirituall therby so as to value grace holinesse at the highest rate I esteeming my being in Christ above all transitory things whatsoever above riches and honour and the favour of great persons which at the best is fading Our intrest in him will stand by us when all these things are withered and shrunk to nothing Christ is a Fountaine never drawne dry his comforts are permanent the good in the creature soone vanisheth and leaveth the soule empty therefore get into Christ speedily it concernes thee neerely For this purpose attend upon the meanes of salvation and beg of God that he would make his owne ordinances by his Spirit accompanying the same effectuall to thy soule that he would open the excellencies of Christ to thee and draw thy affections to close with him How are we in Christ When by knowing of him our knowledge carries our hearts unto him when our wils cleave to that which we know to be excellent and necessary for us when I firmely adhere to Christ as the only good for me then I love him then I rest on him then I have peace in him I may discerne that I am in Christ if upon my knowledge of him my heart is united to him and I find peace of conscience in him Faith hath a quieting and establishing power If I be in Christ my soule will be cheered and satisfied with him alone I know all is Yea and Amen in him therefore my soule rests securely here How ever our outward condition bee various and perplexed yet our estate in Christ is firme and constant What is a man out of Christ As a man in a storme that hath no clothes to hide his nakednesse or to shelter his body from the violence of the weather As one in a tempest that hath not house nor harbour to cover him As a stone out of the foundation set light by and scattered up and downe here and there As a branch out of the root what sap is there is such a thing it being good for nothing but to be cast into the fire A man that is not built up in Christ planted in him nor clothed with him is the most destitute despicable creature in all the world and if we look with a single eye we shall so discerne him such a mans case is deepely to be bewailed had wee but hearts to judge righteously we would preferre the meanest condition of Gods childe before the greatest estate of any earthly Monarch be their flourishing felicity never so resplendant Oh the miserable and wofull plight that all prophane wretches are in who neglect grace and the mysteries of Christ to gratifie their base lusts such an one there is but a step betweene him and Hell he hath no portion in the Lord Jesus I ac count all dung and drosse saith St Paul in comparison of Christ to be found in him not having on mine owne righteousnesse Happy is that man at the day of judgement who thus appeares Againe if so be that all promises are Yea and Amen in Christ then here take notice of the stability of a Christian that hath promises to uphold him Compare him with a man that hath present things only with an Esau that abounds with worldly goods and how great is the difference God gives them their portion here as he saith to Dives thou hadst thy good things that thou chiefly caredst for thou hadst them here but Lazarus had paine misery and poverty Now therefore the case is altered he is advanced and thou art tormented A beleeving Christian enjoyes the sweetnesse of many promises in this life for God is still delivering comforting and perfecting of him renuing of his spirit and supplying him with inward peace but the greatest part is yet to be accomplished perfection of grace and glory is to come he is a Child he is a Sonne the promise here is his chiefe estate Another man hath present payment and that is all he cares for hee hath something in hand and fwells with a conceit of happinesse thereby Alas what are we the better to have a great deale of nothing Solomon that had tryed all the world resolves it to vanity and vexation of spirit All things below are uncertaine and wee are uncertaine in the use of them if we have no better a life than a natural one eternal joy appertaines not to us Take a Christian and strip him in your thoughts froÌ„ all the good things in the world he is yet a happier man than the greatest worldly favourite out of Christ for the one hath nothing but present things with a great deale of addition of miserie which his ease and contentment makes him more sensible of as being more tender and apprehensive of an evill than other men The other though hee want many comforts of this life and enjoyes not present performances yet hee is rich in bills and bonds God is bound to him who hath promised hee will never forsake him but be his por tion for ever Hee hath a title to every communicable good Godlinesse hath the promise of this life and that which is to come A happy man what ever is most usefull for his safe conduct to heaven he
is sure to have it He that will give us a Kingdome will not denie us daily bread hee that hath prepared a Country for us will certainly preserve us safe till we come there Besides that wee have here in performance wee have many excellent promises of a greater good in expectation which in Christ are all Yea Amen They are certaine though our life be uncertaine and the comforts of our life lesse then life it selfe mutable and perishing If life the foundation of outward comforts bee but a vapour what are all the comforts themselves think you It is a Christians rejoycing in the midst of all changes beneath that hee hath promises invested into him from above that are lodged in his heart and made his owne by faith which have a wondrous peculiarizing vertue to make that a mans owne that is otherwise generally propounded in the Gospell A Christian take him at all uncertainties he hath somwhat to build on that is Yea and Amen undoubtedly sure that wil stick by him I speak this to commend the estate of a beleeving Christian to make you in love with it seeing in all the changes and varieties of this world hee hath somewhat to take to In all the dangers of this life he hath a Rock and chamber of Providence to goe unto as it is Esay 26. God hath secret roomes to hide his children in in times of publike disturbance when there is a confusion of all things God hath a safe abiding place for thee I have many troubles saith David but God is my defence continually Hee iâ— my shield and strong Tower whatsoever I want I have it in him What a comfort is this A Christian knowes either hee shall be safe here or in heaven and therefore rests securely He that dwells in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty that is in the love and protection of God above As Moses saith Lord thou hast binour habitation from everlasting to everlasting that is thou art our sure help in the greatest extremity that can befall us in any age of the world Therefore build on his promise for God and his Word are all one If wee have nothing to take to when troubles come woe unto us In our selves considered wee are even as grasse and as a tale that is told soone vanishing But our estate in God is durable wee have here no continuing Citie sicknesse may come and death may environ us the next moment happy are they that have God for their habitation wee dwell in him when we are dead when we leave this world wee shall live with God for ever The righteous is not troubled for evill tydings hee is not shaken from his Rock and stay he feares no danger because his heart is fixed What a blessed estate is it to be in Christ to have promises in him to be protected and preserved not onely whilest wee are in this vale of teares but when this earthly tabernacle shall bee dissolved even to all eternity If our hearts be fixed on God let us heare evill tydings of Warre or Famine or Pestilence let it be what it will blessed men are wee Every word of God is tryed as silver in the fire saith the Psalmist the promises are tried promises wee may safely rest upon them But if we have nothing to take to when troubles arise we are as a naked man in a storme without any shelter incompassed round with distresse and misery The promises are our inheritance yea our best inheritance in this life though the Lord should strip us naked and take away all things else yet if the promises remain ours wee are rich men and may say with the Psalmist My lot is fallen into a good ground thy testimonies are better unto me than thousands of gold and silver For the promises are as so many obligations whereby God is bound to his poore creature And if wretched men think themselves as rich as they have bonds though they have never a peny in their purses much more may a true Christian who hath the promises of Christ for his security esteeme himselfe a wealthy person as having many bonds whereby not man but God is engaged to him that not only for temporall good things but for heavenly favours and spirituall blessings for all which hee may sue God at his pleasure and desire him to make good his word of truth There is little difference betwixt a poore Christian and him that abounds in this worlds riches onely this the one hath wealth in his owne possession the other hath it in Gods bond the one hath it in hand the other in trust As for the worldling he hath but a cisterne when he hath most wheras every faithfull soule hath the Spring head even God himselfe to flye unto in all distresses who will never faile him but be a Sunne and a Shield to defend us from all evill and preserve us in all goodnesse all our dayes But I go on Now he which stablisheth us with you in Christ and hath also anointed us is God Here observe That the Christian needs not onely converting but establishing grace he that hath begun any good worke in us must perfect it the God of strength must give us his promise to support our weaknesse without which we cannot stand Peter was in the state of grace and yet when God did not stablish him wee see how he fell The weakest beleever with the establishing grace of God will stand and the strongest Christian without Divine assistance wil sink and fall away Whence this may bee further considered That the life of a Christian is a perpetuall dependant life he not only lives by faith in his first conversion but ever after hee depends upon God for protection and strength throughout his whole course God doth establish us in Christ the ignorance of this makes men subject to backsliding For when we trust to grace received and seek not for new supply we are straight of Peters condition Though all for sake thee yet will not I which occasioned his shamefull fall he had too much confidence in grace received God is therefore faine to humble his children to teach them dependance And usually where any speciall grace is bestowed upon sinners God joynes something therewith to put them in minde that they do not stand by their own strength Peter makes a glorious confession Thou art Christ the Sonne of the living God and Christ honoured him exceedingly saying Vpon this Rock will I build my Church but yet by and by we see he cals him Satan get thee behind me to teach us that wee stand not by our owne power when wee are strong it is of God and when we are weake it is of our selves Iacob Wrest led with the Almighty and was a prevailer but he was fain to halt for it though he had the victory and overcame at last yet he was stricken with lamenesse all
work he addes therefore after all his Seale to confirme us which Seale is not faith for the Apostle saith After you beleeved you were sealed where we see the work of faith and sealing distinguished first the soul is set in a good estate and then followes assurance and stablishment But what needs confirmation when we beleeve Is not faith confirmation enough when a man may know by a private reflect act of the soule that he is in the state of grace This act of ours in beleeving is oft terribly shaken and God is wondrous desirous that we should bee secure of his love hee knowes hee can have no glory nor we any solid peace else therfore when we by faith have sealed to his truth he sees that wee need further sealing that our faith be currant and good for all is little enough in the time of temptation the single witnesse of our soul is not strong enough in great assaults For sometimes the Spirit is so tossed and disquieted with temptations that we cannot reflect aright on our selves nor discerne what is in our own brests without much adoe therefore God first workes faith to apply the promise Whosoever beleeves in Christ shall be saved I beleeve in Christ therefore I shall be saved and then sealeth this beleefe with an addition of his holy Spirit for this sealing is a work upon beleeving an honouring of faith with a superadded confirmation How shall wee know that there is such a spirituall sealing in us I answer when we truly beleeve the Spirit of adoption reveales unto us that we are the sonnes of God by a secret whispering and intimation to the soule which the beleeving heart feeles better than I am able to expresse saying be of good comfort thy sins are forgiven there is a sweet kisse vouchsafed to the soule the Lord refresheth it with the light of his countenance and assures it that all enmity is now slaine I am thy salvation thou art for ever mine and I am thine because thou beleevest behold thou art honoured to be my child Againe the Spirit of adoption quickens and fils the soule with heavenly ejaculations to God it stirs up servent supplications to cry Abba Father The soule when it truly beleeves hath a bold and familiar speech to God There are two things in the prayer of a Christian that are incompetible with a carnall man there is first an inward confidence and secondly an carnestnesse in the soule whereby he goes to God as a Child to his loving Father not considering his owne worthinesse or meanes but the constant love that is bore to him This spirituall speech of God to the soule and of the soule to God is an evident demonstration of our truth in grace because we can do that which no Hypocrite in the world can attaine to Thirdly this sealing of the Spirit after wee beleeve is knowne by the worke of Sanctification which it effecteth in us the holy Spirit seales our spirits by stamping the likenesse of Christ upon us so as when a man finds in his soule some lineaments of the heavenly Image he may know therby that hee is translated from death to life when he finds his heart subdued to humility and obedience to such a holy and gratious frame as Christs was he may cleerely discerne that he hath something more than the Old man in him when a man can say naturally I am proud but now I can abase my selfe naturally I am full of malice now I can love and pray heartily for my enemies naturally I am lumpish dead-hearted now I can joy in the Holy Ghost naturally I am apt to distrust the Lord and be discontented with my condition now I can rest securely upon his Promise and Providence sin hath been my delight now it is my sorrow and heart-breaking I finde somewhat contrary to corruption in me I carry the Image of the second Adam about me now I say whosoever hath this blessed change may rest assured of his right to happinesse Know you not that Christ is in you except you be reprobates saith the Apostle A Christian that upon a through search finds something of Christ alwayes in his soule can never want a sweet evidence that he is sealed to the day of redemption The fourth way is by the joy of the Spirit which is the beginning of Heaven as it were and a possessing of glory before our time there are few of Gods children but in the cours of their pilgrimage first or last have this divine impression wrought in them enlarging and ravishing their soules to joy in the Almighty Yet this is especially seene after conflict when the soule hath combated with some strong corruption or temptation To him that overcomes wll I give of the hidden Mannah saith Christ and a white stone which none can reade but he that hath it that is hee shall have assurance that he is in the state of grace and the sweet savour of goodnesse it selfe shall be his portion usually God gives comfort after wee have conflicted with some sinfull disposition and have got the victory as we see in Iob after God had exercised that Champion a long time at the last hee discovered himself in a glorious manner to him In the midst of afflictions when a Christian is under great crosses and God sees hee must bee supported with spirituall strength or else he sinks then he puts in with supply from above when the creature cannot help us the Creator of all things will Thus Paul in the midst of the Dungeon being sealed with the Spirit sang at midnight when he was in the Stocks and so David in the midst of persecution Daniel in a Lions Den the three Children in the fiery furnace c. God doth as Parents smile on their little ones when they are sick and dejected hee reserves his choisest comforts for the greatest exigents when God hath a great worke for his children to doe or some sharpe suffering for them to undergoe as an incouragement before-hand hee oft enlargeth their spirits that they may be able to go through all As our Saviour Christ had Iames and Iohn with him upon the Mountaine to strengthen thē against his ensuing suffering Let us then examine our selves by that which hath beene delivered hath God spoken to thy soule and said I am thy salvation thy sinnes are remitted and thy person received into my favour doth God stirre up thy spirit to call upon him especially in extremity and to go with boldnesse and earrestnesse to his Throne Surely this is an evidence of the seale of the Spirit for who ever wants this cannot look God in the face when distresse is upon him Saul in this case goes to the Witch and Achitophel to desperate conclusions Iudas in extremity we see what becomes of him So every one that hath not this sealing of the Spirit to whom God speakes not peace by shedding abroad the love of Christ in his heart must needs
lives much by faith will finde it no hard matter to die in it But let a man stagger and doubt whether hee belong to God or no what a miserable case will he be in at the time of dissolution Death with the eternity of torment after it who can looke it in the face without the assurance of a happy change This makes men that see no greater pleasure than the following of their lusts resolve of swimming in worldly delights still Alas say they I had as good take this pleasure as have none at all what shall become of me hereafter who knowes FINIS THE PRIVILEDGES OF THE FAITHFVLL ROM 8. 28. Also wee knew that all things work together for the best to them that love God even to them that are called of his purpose THere are three things especially that trouble the life of a Christian or at least should trouble the same The first whereof is sin with the guilt and punishment thereof The second is the corruption of Nature which still abidesin him even after his vocation and conversion to Christ. The third is the miseries and crosses of this life which doe follow and ensue both upon sinne and the evill thereof as also by reason of that corruption of Nature still remaining in him after his recovered estate in grace For the first The guilt of sinne which doth bind men over to death and damnation that is forgiven to all beleevers in Christ Jesus the second Adam The second which is the corruption of Nature which cleaves so fast to us that is daily mortified and crucified in the Saints by the Word and Spirit of God For the third which is the grievous crosses and afflictions which doe accompany and follow the guilt of sinne and the corruption of nature still remaining in Gods children however they are not taken away yet they are made to have an excellent issue For all things work together for the best unto them that love God So that these words of the Apostle do afford us 1. A ground of Patience 2. A ground of Comfort In the former part of this Chapter the Apostle had told us That we know not how to pray as we ought but that the Spirit it selfe doth teach us how to pray and makes requests for us with sighes that cannot be expressed And therefore how ever our corruptions and miseries in this life are not quite taken away yet the evill of those evils is removed God teaching and directing us by his Spirit to seek by prayer unto him for grace to profit by them And this is the co-herence of these words with the former The parts here to bee handled may be these An excellent prerogative All things work together for the best Secondly the persons to whom this prerogative belongs To them that love God and whom hee doth call Thirdly the main cause of this blessed Prerogative Those that love God have this priviledge belonging to them because they are effectually called by his Word according to his purpose We know saith the Apostle that all things work together for the best to these He doth not say We hope or wee conjecture but wee know it assuredly We have the Scriptures of God for it David saith that it was good for him that he was afflicted for therby he had learned to reform his wayes hee knew by observation that all things would tend to his future happinesse For hee had seen in the example of Iob that notwithstanding his sore afflictions yet he had a blessed issue out of all he knew this many wayes he knew it by faith as also by experience that every thing should further the Saints wel-being We know that is we only know it who are led and taught of God and none but wee can be assured hereof which excludes the wicked who shall never know any such thing but what is it that Paul is confident of here Namely that all things work together for the best to them that love God And this may serve to be a prevention of a question which weak Christians might move in their troubles and say Never was any more afflicted than I am Why saith the Apostle bee it so yet neverthelesse all things whatsoever all thy crosses vexations and 〈◊〉 shall work together and joyne issue though they bee averse one to the other and opposite to the good of Gods children as Herod and Pilat were yet all things thus contrary notwithstanding shall work for the best unto them there is 1. A good of Quality 2. A good of Estate Now therefore what kind of Good is this the Apostle meaneth He doth not here mean the naturall or civill good estate of them that love God but their spirituall condition in grace and their glorious estate for the life to come for the furthering whereof whatsoever befalls them in this life shall help forward still And thus much for the words themselves The first point to bee spoken of is The excellent priviledge of Gods children That all things shall work together for the best both good and evill shall turne to their happinesse The reason stands thus All things shal work together for the best to them that love God Therfore all afflictions crosses and vexations whatsoever that betide such persons shall work together for their good and for this cause all Gods servants must learne patiently to beare and cheerefully to undergoe poverty or riches honour or dishonour in this world That all good things do work for the best to Gods servants is most apparent by daily proofe and experience To begin with the first chiefe good of all which is God the Father who is goodnesse it selfe and unspeakably comfortable to all his Doe not all Gods attributes conduce to our eternall welfare Is hee not set forth in Scripture under the sweet name of a Father of a Shield and Buckler of a Tower of Defence of an All-sufficient Almighty God just wise provident mercifull full of boundlesse compassion and all to support his poore creatures from failing before him As he is our Father he is carefull of us above the care of earthly parents to their children As he is a Shield so he shelters us from all wrongs As he is God Almighty and All-sufficient so his power and bounty serve to sustaine us in this world and reserve us for ever safe in the world to come His wisdome makes us wise to prevent the politick plots of the Devill or wicked men His justice and providence they serve to defend us in our right to provide for us in all our wants and prevent the evills of the ungodly intended against us His power is ours to keep us his providence to dispose all things for our advantage Every thing in God shall co-work to provide and fore-see all good for us and mercifully to impart and bestow whatsoever is behoovefull upon us So that God being our Father we have right and title to his lov emercy power
repentance do work together for the best unto us Yea the circumstances of sin as continuance therin which much agravates the sinne when such a one truly repents and is restored to Christ it maketh him more zealous and watchfull ever after as wee see in Paul and the Thiefe on the Crosse who finding favour acknowledgeth his worthinesse of punishment reprehendeth his fellow on the Crosse justifieth Christ to have done all things well and so giving glory unto God and crying for mercy receiveth a comfortable promise of an heavenly Kingdome All things are possible to God We can never be so ill as he is powerfull and good God can bring contrary out of contrary He hath promised to poure cleane water upon us which faith sues out and remembers that Christ hath taken upon him to purge his Spouse and make her fit for himselfe Further the very relapses and back-slidings of Gods servants into sinne doe not argue no repentance but a weak repentance and therefore when they are againe rebuked and turned from sin their relapses doe make them set upon the service of God more strongly and runne more constantly in his wayes Where true grace is sinne looses strength by every new fall for hence issues deeper humility stronger hatred of evill fresh indignation against our selves more experience of the deceitfulnesse of our hearts and renued resolutions till sinne bee brought under Adam lost all by once sinning but we are under a better covenant a covenant of mercy and are encouraged to go to God every day for the sins of that day For it is not with God as it is with men who being offended will scarce be reconciled but God offended still offereth mercy He is not only ready to receive us when we returne but perswades and intreates us to come unto him yea after backsliding and false dealing with him wherein he allowes no mercy to bee shewed by man yet he wil take liberty to shew mercy himselfe as in Ieremiah If a man have an adulterous Wife and shall put her away and shee become another mans he will not receive her any more to him But saith the Lord thou hast played the Harlot with many Lovers yet turne againe unto mee for I am mercifull and my wrath shall not fall upon you I will not alwayes keepe mine anger though your sinnes be as Crimson they shall bee white as Snow and though they were red like Skarlet they shall bee as white as Wooll if yee will turne to me and wash ye and make ye cleane and cease to doe evill and learne to do well So Revel 2. Christ speaking to the Church of Ephesus saith She hath fallen from her first love but saith he Remember from whence thou art fallen and repent and doe thy first works and I will receive thee to favour by which wee see that the relapses of Gods elect as they doe not finally hinder mercy from their soules so notwithstanding the same they are still encouraged to return to God to renew their covenant by faith and repentance and cleave more strongly to him As for outward evils they are First evils of estate as want and poverty which oft fals out to be the portion of Gods children yet are they not any whit the worse hereby but rather the better in their inner man for the lesse they have in this world the greater and larger happinesse shall they partake of in another world What they lose one way is supplied another Whatsoever comfort we have in goods or friends below it is all conveyed from God above who still remaines though these be taken away The Saints see that if to preserve the deerest thing in the world they break with God he can make it a dead contentment and a torment to them wheras if we care to preserve communion with God we shall be sure to finde in him whatsoever we deny for him honour riches pleasures friends all so much the sweeter by how much we have them more immediately from the Spring-head Our riches and friends and life it selfe may soon depart But God never loseth his right in us nor we our interest in him Every thing beneath teaches us by the vanity and vexation we finde in them that our happinesse is not there they send us to God they may make us worse but better they cannot our nature is above them and ordained for a greater good they can but go along with us for a while and their end swallowes up all the comfort of their beginning Besides none have that experience of Gods goodnesse and faithfulnesse as those that are in want and misery God in his wisdome foreseeing what is best for his servants knowes that the more worldly wealth they doe abound in the lesse their estimation would be of heavenly things he sees how apt the poore creature is to be carried away with present comfort and to have his love drawne to the world from better contentments The poorer they are in worldly riches the more they seek to bee rich in grace in knowledge faith and repentance which heavenly treasures incomparably surmount the most transcendent excellency which the creature can yeeld As for the evill of losing a good name a thing oft befalling the children of God to be slandered and evill spoken of They upon every small disgrace take occasion to enter into themselves and try whether they be guilty of such hard imputations as are flung upon them And if upon a serious consideration hee finde himself disgraced for good things he weares it as a Crowne and as a Garland upon his head Rejoycing that he is accounted worthy to suffer for the Lord Iesus esteeming the rebukes of Christ grea ter treasure than the riches of Egypt A true beleever resignes his good name and all that hee hath to God He is assured that no man can take away that from him which God will give him and keepe for him It is not in mans power to make others conceive what they please of us For the evils of Body such as sicknesse and diseases of all sorts which daily attend our houses of Clay God by meanes hereof acquaints his children with their fraile condition and shewes them what a little time they have to provide for eternity thereby driving them to search their evidences to make all straight betwixt him and them outward weaknesses are oft a meanes to restraine men from inward evils God usually sanctifies the pains and griefs of his servants to make them better The time of sicknesse is a time of purging from that defilement we gathered in our health We should not be cast down so much for any bodily distemper as for sinne that procures and invenomes the same That is a good sicknesse which tends to the health of the soule Naaman the Assyrian if he had not had a leprousie in his body had continued a Leper both in body and soule all his dayes his outward grievances made him inwardly sound The very
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
from doing us harme All the strength of the creature rests in the great Creator of all things who if hee denies concourse the arme of their power soon withereth It cannot but bring strong consolation to the soule to know that in all variety of changes and intercourse of good and bad things our loving God hath a disposing hand So as all blessings and crosses all ordinances and graces nay our very fals yea Satan himselfe with all his instruments being over mastred ruled by God have this injunction upon them to further Gods good intendment to us and in no wise hurt us which should move us to see his disposing hand in all that befals us We owe God this respect to observe his providence in the particular passages of our lives considering hee is our Soveraigne and his will is the rule and we are to be accountable to him as our Iudge We should question our hearts for questioning his care in the least kinde So long as God sits at the Sterne and rules all wee may bee sure no evill shall betyde us that hee can hinder Thirdly hence we may learne that there is not two but one Soveraigne head over the whole World which is plainly proved by this Text of Scripture For all things work together for the best to them that love God and things which in themselves are contraries agree together to procure their good therefore all things whatsoever are over ruled by the sole power of the Almighty The Devill himselfe although he be called the God of this World yet he is at Christs beck and could not enter into a few Swine without leave first obtained hee raiseth up hideous storms and tempests against the Saints but perisheth himselfe in the waves at last persecutions and perils may follow us but they are all limited in the doing of hurt which plainly demonstrates that there is but one main worker and wise disposer of all things Further hence observe that there is nothing in the world that to Gods servants is absolutely evill because nothing is so ill but some good may bee raised out of it not as it is an evill but as it is governed and mastred by a supreme cause Sinne is of all evils the greatest and yet sinfull actions may produce gratious effects through Gods ordering and guiding the same Againe observe that a childe of God is truly happy in the midst of all misery To prove this I reason thus In what estate soever the childe of God is it shall turn to his good therefore no affliction can make him truly miserable The proofe of this the Apostle sets downe in his owne example hee was poore yet made many rich he sorrowed yet alwayes rejoyeed he had nothing yet possessed all things he was chastned and yet not killed Gods children although to the world they may seeme to be miserable yet having communion and fellowship with him they are alwayes happy the very worst day of Gods childe â—is better than the very best day of the wicked The worst day of S. Paul was better to him than the best day of Nero was to him for the wicked in the midst of their happinesse are accursed whereas the godly in the midst of their miseries are blessed This Doctrine is a ground of understanding divers other places of Scripture as Psalme 91. The Lord promiseth that hee will deliver his from the snare of the Hunter and from the noisome pestilence and yet oft times his deere servants are in the hands of the wicked and taken away by the stroke of his judgements this truth neverthelesse remaining firme that all worketh together for their best So God teacheth us in his Word that he doth make a league betweene his servants and the creatures but all such expressions of his love we must bring to this Text and then they are true else they may seeme to bee false The plague shall not come neere thy dwelling place but only so far forth as it is for thy benefit The good Prophet was torne in pieces by a Lion and sundry holy men have received hurt by wilde Beasts whose eternall welfare were furthered thereby Therefore this phrase of Scripture that the creatures are in league is to bee understood not that they have put off their hostile nature But that they have the same issue as those that are at peace with us Here likewise is a direction for us how to pray for earthly blessings and the removall of temporall judgements often times worldly honours and riches are snares unto Gods children and temporall chastisements which wee so earnestly pray against work much good unto us And therefore it falleth out that when wee pray against temporall calamities wee pray against our owne good Being therfore afflicted we should desire not absolutely that God would remove our troubles but that hee would work his owne good pleasure upon us therby Our prayers for temporall blessings and removall of temporall crosses must alwayes be conditionall for what good will it bee for us to come out of the fire worse than we were when wee went into it If therefore God in his wisdome see it good for us to have affliction we should not desire him absolutely to remove the same till it have done us good And then Lord deale with us as seemes best in thine own eyes As for such as affect neither God nor goodnesse let them know that if all things work for the best to the Saints then they may forbeare their successesse endeavours which they daily enterprize against them in going about to hurt the godly they doe them most good for God will benefit them by their malice Their wicked practises shall not only bee made frustrate but dangerous to themselves after the chastisement of his servants for their good God will cast the rod into the fire Men may know whether they are vessells of mercy or no by the use they are put to The basest of people are fit enough to be executioners It is a miserable wisedome when men are wise to work their owne ruine Do not many spin a fine thred and weave a faire web when by their turnings and devices they turne themselves into hell What ever wee get by sinne for the present it will one day prove the heaviest businesse that ever wee undertook God is the onely Monarch of the world and makes all things and persons whatsoever service able to his owne end and his Churches good He is higher than the highest Sathan with all his instruments are but slaves to the Almighty executioners of his will Can we think that Gods children who are so neere deare to him shall alwayes bee trampled upon by the powers of darknesse No certainly hee is interessed in all their quarells and takes their injuries as don to himselfe When wee can bee more subtill than the Devill or more strong than God wee may think to thrive against them He is a wall of fire round about
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