was discovered to them then they saw it was of God These were works of the spirit as the event did shew But they saw them not for the present till the further work of the spirit did manifest them Then they saw all these to have been of the spirit So if a man have a work in his heart that he can make little of I would counsel that man to follow on to see what will come of it afterward for it may be after some other work of the spirit he shall perceive it though for the present he see it not Particulars how to discern the spirit in duties Now for particular discerning of the spirit in duty 1. Doest thou find thy heart fashioned or in fashioning to a personal love of Christ a personal union with Christ himself The Spirit of God is the Factor for Christ the Spokesman between Christ and the heart to treat the marriage So that herein the Spirit presents Christ as all fair the chiefest among ten thousand as Can. 5. His love and reign and Kingdome is presented to thee in a glorious shew Now with this dost thou find thy heart in fashioning to a desire of Union to consent to marry with such a Husband I say to a personal love not of his benefits but him first and then to all his benefits To take him as God gives him Rom. 8.32 If God have given us his son how shall he not also with him freely give us all things When he is such an object that thou canst leave Father Mother Wife Children Liberty Life and all for his sake At first there may be self-love but in time every spiritual man will rise to a personal love of Christ himself and not only his benefits 2. Doth thy heart and the word thy heart and thy petitions go together and comply so that thou art taken and much affected with the sweetnes of Christ And some sentence of Scripture or prayer that carries thee out of thy self when thy heart complies with it suddenly and strangely I mean art thou wonderfully ravished and carried out of thy self desires and ends to God and for God It argues the spirit 3. Are there any graces set a work evengelically in thy heart Love Humility Sincerity or the like That is If thy Faith or love be set a work by the love of God to thee Doth the fresh presentings of the love of Christ to thee in thy duties freshen thy love to him and thy graces in thy heart This is an Argument of the Spirit When our hearts give Eccho to Gods voice Psal 27.8 When thou saidest seek ye my face My heart answered Thy face Lord will I seek This was the Spirit of God that thus sets the heart a work to Answer to Gods voice 4. Are your hearts moved from the feeling of the experience of the love of Christ to give your selves to Christ again in duty This is the Spirit of God For the heart cannot be carried directly to Christ for Christ but by the Spirit of Christ 2 Cor. 12.9.10 And he said my grace is sufficient for thee for my strength is made perfect in weakness Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in mine infirmities that the power of Christ might rest upon me Therefore I take pleasure in Infirmities in Reproaches in Necessities in Persecutions in Distresses for Christs sake See here is doing or undergoing any thing for Christ And mark from what ground even from experience for when I am weak then am I strong 5. Observe the manner of the combat which the heart hath against the world or the flesh or any beloved sin There may be a Combat in wicked men between sin and shame Between conscience and fear of Hell between desire and fear Therefore mark when sin draws thee with what weapons thou fightest against sin Is it the love of God that makes thee thou wilt not sin Dost thou say I will not because I love God is thy heart drawn to God Evangelically Here is the Spirit lusting against the flesh not conscience against sin The manner of the fight shews whose the fight is For the Spirit of God causeth a man to set the love of God and the promise of God as the only Arrow against sin Here it is evidenced to be the Spirit 6. A man may know the Spirit by the discovery of sin for the Spirit may evidence it self in an humble discovery of sin as well as joy in working the heart to self loathing It discovers spiritual sins bye and base aims and ends secret and by respects when a man looks asquint from God secret and by turnings of the heart that never came into the eye of the world I say the discovery of sin is an excellent work of the Spirit Ezek. 36.31 I will pour upon them my Spirit saith the Lord And what then Then shall ye remember your waies and your doings that were not good and shall loath your selves in your own sight for your iniquities and your abominations To discover sins so far as they are a detestation to the heart so far as they are a bar to the raigning of Christ The fourth troublesome thought is a mans questioning the truth of his conversion The fourth thought that riseth in the heart and troubleth it is this whether his translation into the state of grace be in truth or no whether he hath the sound work of regeneration or no For saith the heart there are many semblances and shaddowes of grace True faith and false True love and false like on another false Samuels ni Samuels mantle And if a man seriously weigh himself his good against his bad His sanctification against his corruptions His obedience against his rebellions and blemishes his faith with his distrust and his new work with the old man remaining If he weigh this he sticks and cannot tell which is the heavier in the ballance But as presumption and pride makes a man think the best of himself so many times when a Godly man is humbled especially when a grain of Melancholy is mixt with it it makes him think the worst of himself And hereupon a Godly man many-times questions himself and thinks all 's naught with him And so he questions whether his grace be grace or no And now his heart is troubled and doubts and discouragements rise in it Grounds of this thought Now the ground of these discouragements in this kind are such things as these 1. He saith He cannot say nor see That he was brought in to God at the first by any remarkable work of Humiliation or by any such conversion as will witness to it self by any hand of God as some others have been Therefore he begins to Question his graces 2. He finds some peculiar sins and corruptions that hath hung upon him long and hath haunted him a long time whither they be omissions loosness of heart c. that hath haunted him a long time And hence he is troubled and
in a Tyrant But the law of sin commanding obedience that is not in a man in whom Christ is And while the fight is maintained thou maist be said to conquer though thou beest conquered He that is born of God sinneth not 1 John 3.9 For sin hath not his will but committeth a rape upon him Thus while thy infirmities are caused by the Lord to work good in thy soul they may be counted a wholsome poyson †But take heed of sinning for this end that 's wickednes Rom. 6.1 And all these infirmities cannot be said to break Covenant with God while they do not force the heart to yeeld to them And though they be troublesome to thee yet God hath said Hebr. 10. He will remember them no more The third ground of this fear 3. Thou saist thou hast discovered new sins which thou never sawest before yea after a long time in the state of grace and thou knowest not but there may be more behind undiscovered And so thy state may be bad I Answer It may be so that thou hast discovered new sins that thou sawest not before but let me tell thee the sight and knowledge of sin is good though sin be not For it may be a sign that knowledge and light increaseth in thee and that softness of heart increaseth in thee It is not an argument that sin increaseth but that light and softeness of heart increaseth For if thou seest more sins then formerly thou sawest thou discoverest but what thou wouldst know And that doth not argue thy state is naught no more then it did Jobs Job 13.23 How many are mine iniquities and sins make me to know my transgression and my sin This proved not his state nought For its good for a man to discover one after another that he may deal with them singly as it were And it is good to see them single I though it be after a long while if it be but to keep a man out of love with his own heart and it may be occasion of new humblings Quest But was it ever so with the Saints of God Ans Yea there was passion discovered in Job after a long while in the state of grace Job 3. So Jeremiah Chap. 20.14 Cursed be the day wherein I was born c. Cursed be the man who brought tidings to my Father saying a man child is born unto thee c. yea and resisting God in his work in resolution at least ver 9. I said I will not make mention of him nor speak in his name c. And ambition was discovered in the Disciples of Christ after they had been long with him in a familiar way Matt. 18.1 They strove which should be the greatest a corruption that we see not breaking out before And Peter had self shewing it self in him in disswading Christ from his sufferings and his denying his Master a new sin that he fell not into before And his dissimulation for which Paul reproves him to his face Gal. 2. yea and Barnabas that son of consolation fell into that dissimulation that I never read was charged upon him before When Jonah said I do well to be angry to death was not this new with him did you ever read he did so before So Davids Adultery and plotting Vriahs death Who would have thought such corruptions should have ever started up in Jeremiah as we read of in Chap. 20. of his prophesy It doth not follow that because new sins shew themselves therefore your standing in the state of grace is not right A mistake cleared For 1. It appears the saints are in danger of falling into new sins by all those Scriptures and examples mentioned before and also by all those Caveats laid down in Scripture wherein they are bidden Take heed beware c. 2. The Saints have a subtle Adversary that will not cease to lay baits in their way with all the willines that may be And they may be overcome before they be aware as it were Gal. 6.1 If a man be OVERTAKEN with a fault c. And if new sins discover themselves then there is new occasion to go to Christ make that use of them 1 Joh. 2.1,2 These things write I unto you little children that you sin not but if any man sin we have an Advocate Jesus Christ the righteous and he is the propitiation for our sins c. 4th ground of fear 4. He findeth his heart many times loose in spiritual duties his thoughts roving and ranging abroad when they should be kept close to God by thoughts hanting him and coming thick upon him c. Therefore sure he was never right I Answ So it hath been with many of the Saints of God that find themselves in a state of grace Keep thy heart with all diligence what need such an Exhortation if the heart were not ready to be roving Rom. 7. Saith Paul I find THEN a Law that when I would do good evil is present with me THEN when Why when I would do good then Heb. 12. Ye have forgotten the exhortation c where were their thoughts then when they for gat it And so we are oftentimes commanded to remember shewing that thoughts are very apt to be roving The Apostle saith Col. 3.1,2 If ye be risen with Christ seek those things that are above c. Set your affections on things above not on things below Which shews the heart and mind and thoughts and affections had need be called together they will be stragling Rev. 3.3 Remember how thou hast received and heard and hold fast and Repent And truly God may suffer this to be to take off your trust from your duties and graces and hearts that you may plant your trust in God alone through Christ And to shew you the difference between the Spirits managing of your graces and your own managing of them that so you may plant your faith in Christ alone And therefore if you find your hearts deceitful and loose do not conclude presently that you have no work of grace in your hearts for those loose by-thoughts may rise from some other causes Causes As 1. For want of consideration what a Majesty the presence is that thou art in for if we did seriously consider that we are in the presence of the King of Kings the All-seeing God that searcheth the heart and tryeth the reyns it would make us more serious A man would be afraid of playing with a Feather while he is speaking to the King 2. It may be thy affections are very cold and chill when thou comost to duty and for want of Love being inflamed thy thoughts rove for be sure if thou take Christ as thy treasure thy heart will be upon him Mat. 6. Love will make you mind the thing loved as David Oh how do I love thy law It is my meditation all the day Mat. 6. Psal 119. 3. For want of watchfulness and vigilancy we are too apt to let the
Kingdom to be set up within them and without them in heart and life and then he seems a Tyrant Let me tell thee whosoever thou art that art of this temper I have said nothing to thee nor for thee in this Treatise This comfortable Cordiall that I have endeavoured to compound for the comfort of Souls really sick shall become thy poyson if thou offer to meddle with it Taste not one sip of it I charge thee and if thou dost I am guiltless of thy bloud having given thee a fair warning I have written it for the use of those whose hearts God hath touched and are sick of love for him who is altogether Lovely Not for such as turn the grace of God into wantonness So I commit it to the blessing of God and the approbation of the Churches of Christ †As namely the Churches of Christ in London meeting usually at the glasse-house in Broad street The Church in Coventry The Church in Warwick The Church at Hook-Norton in Oxfordshire And the Church meeting neer Martin-Hinmarsh in Gloucestershire or any others to whom I am neer related and such in them as are most experienced in the dealings of God with troubled souls And desire to continue as by the grace of God I am A servant to Christ and the meanest of his Saints DANIEL KING From the Lime-kiln at Pickle-Hering in Southwark this 7 th of the 11 th Moneth A Discovery of some troublesome thoughts wherewith many Godly Precious Souls are burthened and extreamly pressed Together with a Compound of Scripture and experimentall Cordials for the refreshing of those who are sick of such a Disease c. Luke 24.38 And he said unto them Why are ye troubled and why do thoughts arise in your hearts THe words contain a reproof or reprehension of the Disciples of Christ by Christ himself laid down by way of Interrogation Why are ye troubled and why do thoughts arise in your hearts Like that of Mar. 4.40 Why are ye so fearfull and Matth. 21.25 Why then do you not beleeve on him and according to that Isa 40.27 Why sayest thou O Jacob and speakest O Israel my way is hid from the Lord and my Judgement is passed over from my God Division The words consist of two parts 1. The thing for which Christ reproveth them though in a loving sweet manner I confess for being so troubled 2. The ground of this their trouble Thoughts arising in their hearts And it appears it was a reproof of them because he laboureth to take them off from this distemper in the next words Behold my hands and my feet that it is I my self for they were troubled through a mistake thinking they had seen a spirit and not Christ And therefore he did not appâ—ove of it but reproveth it Consider further 1. Who it was that speaketh here Christ himself 2. To whom he spake To his Disciples beleevers 3. At what time And that was when he himself came in among them and was present with them and saluted them with peace Vers 36. Meaning of the words For the meaning of the words I will be brief 1. Troubled Trouble This word is set out to us diversly in Scripture 1. Sometimes it signifieth povertie 1 Chron. 22.14 In my trouble or povertie saith David I have prepared for the house of the Lord. This is spoken Metonymically the cause for the effect 2. It signifieth to be shortened Job 21.4 Why should not my Spirit be troubled The Hebrew reading is shortened When a man is straightened and cannot be so enlarged as he would be It s a phrase taken from one that is overburthened and is so pressed down that he cannot look up nor go forward but falleth short of what he would reach or attain to And so is filled with perplexities and fears 3. It importeth weariness or to be tired under a burthen Nehem. 9.32 O our God let not all the trouble seem little before thee the Hebrew reading is Weariness It meaneth so to be burthened as not to be able to stand up under it Ps 38.6 I am troubled Hebr. Wryed I am bowed down greatly I go mourning all the day So that it is to be writhen or wryed aside and bowed down under some Burden into a mourning condition The word is sometimes joyned with anguish shewing the vexation of the heart Job 15.24 Trouble and anguish shall make him afraid sometimes with sorrow Psal 116.3 I found trouble and sorrow Now all these are ingredients into these thoughts and it is as if Christ should have said why are ye so poor that ye have no confidence nor no Joy in your hearts Why are so distempered and wearied and burthened in your selves Why are ye so straightened and so full of anguish and sorrow that ye cannot stretch out your hearts to beleeve and quiet your souls in God through Christ Again consider where the seat of this trouble was in the heart or spirit It was not upon the Body nor state nor name but upon the Soul Consider again whence this trouble arose from thoughts Some Translations read it doubtings It signifieth distracting thoughts turbulent thoughts or debatings and Reasonings whereby the heart is discouraged and begins to sink under its burthen and is tired with musings and tossings up and down through fear and doubt like that Mat. 6.25 Take no thought for your life that is distrustfull thought to be of doubtfull mind or to hang in carefull suspence * Luke Such thoughts Christ endeavoureth to Arm them against Mar. 13.11 And such thoughts David speaketh of Psal 94.19 In the multitude of my thoughts within me thy comforts delight my Soul Thoughts arising from a mixture of unbelief so this place sheweth they beleeved not that it was Christ and thereupon thoughts arose Contrary to that Matt. 21.21 If you have faith and doubt not But these were like Peters thoughts about the vision Act. 10.17 When he knew not what to pitch upon nor how to have his heart satisfied But sticks in doubts and fears and scruples and cannot get our And such kind of thoughts trouble the heart exceedingly Dan. 5.6 Then the Kings countenance was changed and his thoughts troubled him so verse 10. O King let not thy thoughts trouble thee So Mary Luke 1.29 It is said She was troubled at the Angels saying and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be It stuck in her mind and troubled her for the present Arise in your hearts It is a metaphor taken from the rising of clouds or mists whereby the shining face of the Sun is obscured from the Earth So by the rising of these thoughts and doubts the sweet presence of Christ that was among them now was obscured and not so pleasant to them Sometimes me thinks The Interrogation carrieth the face of an Admiration Why are YE troubled YE And why do thoughts arise in YOVR hearts What you my Disciples that are beleevers John 14.1 Ye beleeve in
though he do not know it 1. I say The best state or Condition is for a man to be Gods and know it that he is so Though not to know it doth not cut up the mil-post and overthrow all though it may indeed take off the sailes I mean though it may put a man to a stand or make him go heavily yet it doth not prove his condition to be desperate A man is Gods two wayes A man is Gods two wayes By Election and Calling 1. By Election 1. By Election So a man may be a sheep not gathered John 10.16 Other sheep I have which are not of this fold them MVST I bring So that they are not yet brought and yet sheep which Christ must bring Therefore ye cannot make this conclusion that ye are none of Gods by Election 2. By Calling 1. Cor. 1.1 But Secondly A man is Gods by Calling And so he is a Saint For we are Saints by Calling Now the purpose of Gods electing is the calling of a man and the Evidencing of his Calling And therefore our Calling is effectuall and powerfull because it is a calling accotding to Gods purpose Rom. 8.28 And the purpose of God in Election is evidenced to us by Calling the first dawning and evidence of this love of God to us is this calling us to Christ 2 Pet. 1.10 Give diligence to make your Calling and Election sure So that the way of Evidence is from the second to the first Now it is best for a man to know himself Gods both wayes For though this assurance doth nor make a man to be a man in Christ yet it makes him to be a lively man in Christ for he is made a man in Christ simply by beleeving or taking Christ at the hands of God A double witness Now we are evidenced to be Gods both wayes by a double witness that gives evidence The evidence of our Spirit and the evidence of Gods Spirit Rom. 8.16 The Spirit it self beareth witness with our spirit that we are the Sons of God Now this Calling is evidenced two wayes Regeneration 1. By regeneration or being born of God Secondly by Adoption whereby being strangers we are made Sons by our incorporation into Christ For both these see John 1.12.13 As many as received him to them gave he power to become the Sons of God even to those that beleeve on his name Sons of God who are those Those that are born not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man but of God Now observe that the Sons of God by faith in Christ are Sons of God by the birth of the Spirit Therefore see whether your faith reach this or no They were born not of blood nor by the will of the flesh nor of the will of man but of God For prove one and prove the other Adoption Yet know that Regeneration and Adoption are two distinct things The one is the act of God towards us The other is the work of the Spirit in us But the Spirit of sanctification and the Spirit of Adoption are both one but they are two distinct acts The Spirit of Sanctification worketh in us a new life The Spirit of Adoption may rather be called the evidence So that prove one and prove the other Prove that a man breathes and by that you prove he liveth yet there may be a more proper proof as if he feel or see c. So that this is it that I would say That the witness of our spirit may properly be said to attest our Sanctification And the witness of Gods Spirit our Adoption And by both our spirit and Gods Spirit we are witnessed to be the Sons of God How our Spirits witness our new birth But observe that the witness of our spirits that witnesseth our new birth and Sanctification witnesseth it by Water and Blood 1. John 5.6.8 This is he that came by water and Blood even Jesus Christ not by water onely but by water and Blood And it is the Spirit that beareth witness because the spirit is truth And there are three that bear witness on earth the Spirit and water and blood and these three agree in one And it is by vertue of these two that our spirits do attest and witness that we are the Sons of God For blood and water all the Scripture over are said to purge and cleanse as in all the Legal Types yet God giveth to them an office of witnessing Properly they purge But they Witness by their work of purging This BLOOD the blood of Christ purgeth away the guilt of Sin as it bindeth a man over to hell and damnation This Water the Sanctifying Spirit of Christ purgeth away the love of Sin as it hath Dominion †Ezek. 36.25.26.27 Of both these the conscience of a regenerate man comes to be sensible in himself The sense of Blood purging by pacifying of his conscience that he cannot but look upon God with a conscience full of tranquility And the water purging by Sanctifyng him to make him walk with God out of the power of sin Now the witness of a mans spirit witnesseth that he is translated out of the guilt of sin and power of sin and then he is born again Objection But some may object and say This testimony may deceive Answer I answer If you consider the power of this blood and water in a man How wonderfully it removes a man from all inthralling lusts and how it compels him to walk in holiness yea the peace that riseth from blood-purging Sin which moves morally to holy walking and is full of infinite strength for the sence of the pardon of sin And that is an excellent adjunct unto and in Sanctification as can be the graces of Sanctification do determine the Soul to the wayes of God as a strong Byas sheweth which way the Bowl will go Consider that for one how the heart is moved in Gods way And that is by Faith and Love And then if you consider the respect or aim or end the new creature moves to That is In God for God and to God that he may be glorified Rom. 11. ult For of him and through him and to him are all things All things that are of him through him tend to him Consider all these together that they be in you the power of Moving how you are moved By Faith and Love And the end you aim at to glorifie God And it makes a good Testimony and witness that ye are the Sons of God The witness of Gods Spirit Now for the Testimony of Gods Spirit the Spirit of Adoption If we shall speak distinctly of it from our spirits for the spirit and water and blood are distinct though they agree in one 1 John 5.8 Now if you consider them distinct I conceive then the Spirit of God witnesseth by an immediate impression upon the Soul representing to the soul and conscience making you understand
Questions his conversion 3. He hath Discovered new sins and corruptions which before he did not observe after a long time in the state of grace And finds new ones which he did not know of And he knows not but there may be more behind And so fear ariseth 4. He finds his heart many times loose in spirituall duties the thoughts thereof roaring and ranging this way and that way when his heart should be kept to God By-thoughts come thick upon him as motes in the Sun and he is as sure to be haunted with them as to find his shadow in the Sun And hence he is troubled 5. He doth not find that growth in the Inward marrow of Religion that should be in him answerable to his time and means of knowledge For though he grant he hath grown in Knowledge and some externall parts and gifts as utterance and the gifts of Prayer and Prophesie c. yet he finds not that he is grown in Spirit and inward acquaintance with Christ 6 He finds the exercise of his graces Faith Love Patience c. failing sometimes when he hath most need of them And that the Disposition of his heart in the cause of God sometimes fails comes short of that activity that should be in it And the exercises of his graces in putting forth are many-times stained 7. He cannot attain to something that he sees in other men that peradventure were after him in Christ and are inferior in gifts yet he cannot attain to that life of Grace he sees in them nor to that Humility nor Love nor desire nor resoluteness for truth nor self-deniall nor Heavenly-mindedness And hence he fears his condition 8. He finds he enjoyes God least many times when he sets himself the best about it and goes about to fit his Soul to entertain Christ as in fasting c. 9. He hath hurt the Cause of God when God hath brought him upon the stage to have done something for God perhaps to have suffered for God And upon this questions the truth of his grace 10. He hath oftentimes relapsed it into the same sin which formerly he hath pursued with particular sorrow and grief And prayed and resolved against it and this troubles him 11. He hath grieved the Spirit and neglected Christ for trifles for smal matters things of the world vain pleasures c. 12. Lastly He hath found his heart apt to take liberty and to be loose when Occasion and opportunity hath suited to him when he might be secret from the eye of man close and hath had an opportunity to enjoy his self-pleasure he hath found his heart loose And from such like grounds as these he is many-times cast into reasonings and Questioning the truth of his state whether his conversion were ever right and so he is troubled How to setle a man oppressed with this thought Now for the setling of a mans state that is thus incumbred And to cut of all Questions and disputes which the heart of man may breed What if there may be a shorter course taken for the setling of a mans heart then to stand weighing of a mans Graces and corruptions together for though the least piece of money hath some distinct stamp upon it that a man may know it from a Counter And every grace in a mans soul hath some mark of truth upon it Yet I say what if there be another course that a Christian may take when his own heart raiseth storms in this manner to take another course to clear it from such Rocks and Shelvs And that is Generall propositions tending to the peace of such a soul In these Cases And in all these Cases to go immediately to Christ by faith And to cast your selves upon him yea to cast away your selves upon him not so much as questioning what shall become of you but to go out immediately to him Yea I say though your hearts be full of deceit and Hypocrisie yet I would go out for all this and intrude upon Christ as I may say by an impudent kind of beleeving and say thus Lord If my graces give me no comfort Christ shall And say thus God hath laid in Sion for a Foundation a Stone a tryed stone a precious Corner stone a sure Foundation Isa 28.16 And he that beleeveth on him shall not be confounded 1 Pet. 2.6 Now there must be a course taken to keep the heart from wrangling For some may say what is this to beleeve in a Stone That is to be in and to be by faith built upon Christ And by faith to lie fast in the fast lieing of this Stone And in the fast levelling and laying of this stone would I lie fast Friends If your Graces yeeld you but a little comfort then presently flie to Christs person and personal offices I would have you flie from your sins to Christ and I would have you flie from your graces to Christ too For he is the Boat to receive you both from damning sins and imperfect graces for the Alsufficiency of Christ needs not thy graces to make it perfect as if he could not save thee without the perfection of thy graces Thus doing thou shalt honour Christ above and sweeten him more then thy own graces And if at any time thy heart wrangle thee out of thy graces yet let it never wrangle thee out of Christ If thy graces be a quagmire that thou shake upon them then Christ is a Stone lies firm A man may trust too much upon his graces but he cannot trust too much upon Christ A man may take too much hold upon the Mil sailes for a man may take so fast hold he may be turned about but not upon the mil-post Learn the use of Faith which is of singular use to carry thee out of thy sanctified self to live out of thy self to build out of thy self to carry thee by faith and hope out of thy self to Christ Gal. 2.20 The life that I live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me See how Paul lives here not by any thing but faith in Christ I am crucified with Christ nevertheless I live saith he yet not I Lest any should think he lived upon his graces and sanctification He addes But Christ liveth in me Now lest any should dream that there is no other Christ then the creature hath within in graces qualifications c. he explains himself And the life that I live in the flesh I live by the FAITH of the Son of God And truely If a mans heart will not be setled this way it will scarce be setled any way Four considerable things Now for the use of faith in this case there are four things considerable 1. Whensoever thou art thus puzled labour to lay Christ in the other end of the ballance against all objections that thy heart can make This is the shortest cut that a man can make to plead Christ yet
not the outward name which is like a charm to charm Serpents But a faithfull opposing of Christ his merit his Love his Faith his Obedience to all that can be said And if all objections that thy heart can make be all true if they be thousands thou needest not be afraid of thy Inditement For the laying of Christ against them in the Ballance will still all As a man having a Declaration against him or an Indictment declared by some Lawyer or cunning Sophister Alas How is this man put to it to make his Answer with shifts and evasions But if he have a Pardon in his bosom he would confess guilty without fear for here is the Broad seal Here is that that puts a man out of doubt So here If conscience object all thy new and old sins that thou hast done from time to time and thou goest any other way to make good thy matter to thy conscience and not to Christ thou shalt be put to shifts with a great deal of fear to make thy answer to thy Conscience But now lay Christ in the ballance do but plead him and there is a full acquittance And if conscience object old and new sins now by faith lay Christ against these and no more If a man be upon a rock the waves that beat against it break themselves but drown not him Because he is upon a rock So when a man goes to Christ and hangs upon him by a pure faith these objections break themselves to pieces upon him A little water it may be may dash in his face but he need not fear drowning For the setling of thy self in such a case as this by faith set thy self before God in the confidence of the love of Christ and of the obedience righteousness and mediatorship of Christ alone set thy self before God in the consideration of Christ only If a subject dares not come before the king to contest with the king concerning his loyalty yet if the pardon be proclaimed then he dares come because of the proclamation So do thou If thou darest not come before God in respect of thy sins yet come because Christ is proclaimed And now you put the case to another issue for now you do not put your selvs upon trial but you put God upon trial whether he be true and faithful or no according to the word of promise which he hath delivered in the Book of God and so in stead of putting thy self upon trial thou puttest God upon trial whether he will keep his word or no. And it is a work of faith for a man to stand before God in the Love which he bears to Christ and in the acceptance wherewith God accepts Christ and in the wel-pleasedness wherewith he is well pleased with Christ I stand not now before God in the way wherewith he is well-pleased with me but in the acceptation which God bears to his son John 17.26 And I have declared to them thy Name and will declare it that the Love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them and I in them that is That thy very Love to me may redound and be efficatious upon them Here 's a matter that puts a man out of quarrels and Objections 3. If so be you see an imperfection and ebbe in your graces then by faith put into Christs hand the managing of your graces for as the custody and keeping of those graces which we have do belong to Christ so doth the welding of them by Christ make them vigorous He can make a little grace a little faith do great things make a mustard-seed cast a Mountain into the Sea Dependance and resolution by faith on Christ is that which makes a man strong when Christ holds the plough then there is no balk made Peter had Faith when he denyed his Master but he had it in his own hands and it faints but not fails Christs prayer and looks did stir it up again Habituall grace is in a man But assisting grace helps a man to act do I can do all things through Christ that strengtheneth me Phil. 4. and 2 Cor 4.1 As we have received mercy we faint not These assistings are called Grace with me 1 Cor. 15.10 And Hebr. 4. ult Grace to help in time of need This is that which bears you up for when habituall grace is without assistings it soon fails as you may see in Adam 4. Look up to Christ alone to bear the iniquity of your holy things for he is our High-Priest that is to bear them To him therefore flie for we are compleat in him Col. 2.10 And if the work of Sanctification in us be imperfect the blood of Christ is absolutely perfect and they are coupled together 1 Pet. 1.2 Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father through Sanctification of the Spirit unto obedience and Sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ c. So much for the General Now I come to answer the particular objections briefly The first Ground of this fear 1. Thou fearest thy state and questionest thy conversion Because thou hadst not so extraordinary a work at thy first Humiliation not such a breaking by the Law as some others have had But by intermixing fits and a soft way Therefore thou fearest I answer It s good indeed for every man to make proof of his state whether he have Christ or no 2 Cor. 13.5 But yet we must not prescribe God a way in what order and Method he shall bring us in The manner and violence of Humiliation is not essentiall to the bringing a man into the state of grace nor it is no matter whether God open the door with an oiled Key or break it to pieces so he open it For the end of Humiliation is the ingrafting of Christ saving grace into the Soul And it s no matter how the plough go so the corn growing on the Land be as good And no matter for the manner of Humiliation look to the End look to the Issue look to the fruit of it If God have not broken thy heart with the Beetle of Humiliation but thawed it more gently thank God for it God made two Mediators Heb. 12. Moses a typicall Mediator to fear and quake exceedingly and Christ the true Mediator to sweat drops of blood and be in a pittifull agony Luke 22.44 And therefore if God gives thee the sight of sin in the Sweetness of a Father in the sweetness of a Saviour more then in the wrath of a Judge And if thy tears have flown more from sorrow of Love then from sorrow of fear If he have given thee a new birth in gentler pangs it may be as true Onely take heed to one thing that is that the sweetness of Christ in his dealings make Christ as sweet to thee as thy sowre sins would have done it Peradventure if thou hadst had some remarkable note of Humiliation of Soul thou mightst have rested in some such
world and creatures take up our thoughts at other times and then when we come to duty and would keep them in we cannot For our hearts are like unruly children if they use to have Liberty they will look for it When the heart hath got a custom of loosness it is hard to keep it in 4. For want of Considering the Excellency of Christ above all things For if thou didst taste and see the Excellency of him it would gather up thy spirits to him alone Thou wouldst like Paul forgo the things that are behind and press forward to the things that are before Phil. 3.7.8 c. And then thy thoughts would not so much rove after them The fifth ground of fear Fifth Objection A man complains he doth not find that growth in the Inward marrow of Religion which should be answerable to his time and means of knowledge Though he be grown in gifts yet he cannot find that he is grown in inward acquaintance and familiarity with Christ And hence he questions the truth of his conversion Tryals of growth I answer Thou mayst herein be deceived and therefore view over thy heart and life and try thy growth a little 1. By thy rooting Hast thou taken root into Christ A tree that spreads and lives at root we say growes though it appears not to man to grow And because thou art worse in thy own sight wilt thou say thou growest not Why man Trees and corn grow downward and die or seemdead before they grow upward Thou fool that which thou sowest is not quickened except it die saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 15. It may be God intends thy Humility and Self-deniall that thou mayest be kept low in thy own sight And Self-deniall is the best sign of growth spiritually And when the duties you perform do not so much please the soul as the Love of God in the duty it argues growth 2. Men try their growth by their reaching to some mark set as to the top of some bed or beam or pin in a wall c. So art thou more Heavenly minded canst reach neerer God in prayer and duty is thy affection more inlarged towards him though thou find not him manifesting himself to thee as thou desirest thou art grown 3. Men try their growth by their Ability to lift a waight or bear a burden So if thou Canst not see that thou art any higher in affection yet if thou Canst suffer more hast more Patience and contentedness art able to bear more with more constancy and less fear c. thou art grown 4. By their skill Though one may not be grown in height yet he may be grown in wisdom and manliness So hast thou more skill to use the spirituall weapons able to find out Sathans designs able to confute an errour and give thy soul satisfaction in a truth then heretofore Surely it is growth But if this satisfie thee not make use of some means in which the Lord may make thee grow Means of growth They are such as these 1. Cast off all manner of sin and corruption Mortifie the deeds of the body by the Spirit Rom. 8.13 If ye live after the flesh ye shall die but if ye through the Spirit do mortifie the deeds of the body ye shall live If the body be sick or diseased it cannot grow especially if it be in a waste Why such a disease is sin Therefore get sin purged out by the Blood of Christ and faith in him otherwise it will poyson the soul and then it cannot grow as Job 20.14 Speaking of a man hiding and favouring his sins saith he His meat in his bowels is turned it is the gall of Asps within him This corrupts that which should nourish him And therefore get this out 2. Eat thy meat And eat wholsome meat Feed upon Christ and sound doctrine wholsom truths Alas if a child eat not at all or eat nothing but trash Coals Ashes Earth c. how should he grow So if thou feed upon vanities and not upon the wholsome food of the word how canst thou grow Psal 1.1.2.3 Blessed is the man that hath not walked in the councell of the ungodly nor stood in the way of sinners nor sate in the seat of the scorners But his delight is in the LAW of the LORD and in that Law doth he MEDITATE day and night That he takes down and disgests Now mark how he grows And he shall be like a tree planted by the Rivers of water that brings forth his fruit in his season whose leaf shall not wither and whatsoever he doth shall prosper So 1 Pet. 2.2 As new born babes desire the sincere milk of the WORD that ye may grow THEREBY 3. Get as much experience of Christ as thou canst learn to taste Christ in his Merits and Offices and Spirit Labour so to grow into Christ that thou mayst not trust to swellings in stead of growth I mean to outward gifts 2 Pet. 3.18 But grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ Ephes 4.15 Grow up into him in all things which is the head even Christ Col. 2.18.19 And not holding the HEAD saith he but mark the former vers Let no man beguiâ— you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of Angels intruding into those things which he hath not seen vainly pufft up with his fleshly mind And now mark And not holding the head from which all the Body by joynts and bands having nourishment ministred and knit together increaseth with the increase of God So that if thou wouldst grow thou must suck of the sap of life from Christ And because thou feelst not what thou wouldst feel in Christ thou canst not conclude thou art not grown The Apostle Ephes 3. prayeth for the Saints there that they might have a greater measure of Excellency and spiritual perfections That ye being rooted and grounded in love may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the length and bredth and depth and heighth And to know the Love of Christ that passeth knowledge that you may be filled with all the fulness of God 4. Be often praying to God to make thee grow and look up to him for help as Paul 1 Thes 3.12 The Lord make you to increase and abound in Love c. So the Disciples Luk. 17.5 Lord increase our Faith 5. Get a place in the House of God a station in the true Church Christian Society and fellowship of the Saints is a great help to growth There thou shalt hear of Christ and have the excellencies of the Spirit dispenced to thee Ps 92.13,14 Those that be planted in the HOVSE of the LORD shall FLOVRISH in the Courts of our God They shall still bring forth fruit in their old age they shall be fat and flourishing So Heb. 10.23,24,25 Let us hold fast the profession of our Faith without wavering for he is faithful that hath promised And let us consider one another