a fault and a man takes the one and correct him and let the other go it argues rather that he is his Father than not So though Chastisements do not alwaies argue God to be our Father yet it doth rather argue his Fatherly Love than not Answ 2 And is there any thing in God that is not a friend to all the Saints When a man is a friend to another not only his Purse is his Friend his Estate is his Friend his Staff is his Friend but his Sword is his Friend So if God be a Friend to a man then not only his Love is his Friend and his Mercy his Friend but his Sword is his Friend his Anger is his Friend Now God is a Friend to all the Saints and therefore his very Anger and Justice is a Friend too But Answ 3 In the third place What are those visible Characters of Love which are engraven upon an Affliction First If Affliction be a blessing to one then it doth come from Love and if a man can bless God under Affliction then it is a blessing to him Jobs Affliction was a blessing to him Why Because he blessed God under it The Lord gives and the Lord takes away blessed be his Name c. Secondly If an Affliction do end in our Love to God then it comes from Gods Love to us for our Love is but a reflection of Gods Love and it doth flow from his and if I can say I love God never the worser for this Affliction then I may say God loves me never the lesser notwithstanding this Affliction Thirdly If an Affliction teacheth the mind of God then it doth come from Love As many as he loveth he chastiseth And blessed is the man whom thou chastiseth and teachest out of thy Law So that if Affliction be a teaching Affliction then it doth come from Love Fourthly If it be laid on in measure and imposed in due and seasonable time so as a man may grow thereby then it doth come from Love When a man intendeth to kill and destroy a Tree or to bring it unto the fire he cuts it at any time so as it shal grow no more but if he cut it in a due time it argueth that he intendeth it for growth So when God pruneth and cuts by Afflictions in such a time as men may grow in Grace it argues his Love Fifthly When God is especially present in Affliction and more present in an Affliction than at another time it argues that the Affliction doth come from Love Now whoever you are that make this Objection and fear the Affliction doth not come from Love are you not able to say Thus I find it indeed though I have been much afflicted yet through Grace I have bâ—en able to bless the Lord under my Affliction and to say The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away c. I love the Lord never the lesser for mine Affliction and the Lord hath taught me much in this mine Affliction I have gained more by my sickness than by many a Sermon yea and he hath cut me in due time for if I had not met with such an Affliction at such a time I did not know what evil I should have fallen into and this I must needs say I have had more of Gods Presence in my Affliction than ever I had before Well then be of good Comfort though your Affliction be very grievous yet it doth come from Love And thus it is with all the Saints and People of God and therefore why should they be discouraged whatever their Affliction be Object 8 But though a Christian have no reason to be discouraged in regard of his own private Affliction yet hath he not reason to be discouraged when it goes ill with the Publick And thus it is now with us we see how it is with this poor Nation Troubles and Calamities from every Part therefore I am thus discouraged and have I not cause to be cast down and to be much disquieted now Answ Indeed this is a sad thing and O! that we could weep day and night and pray too for this poor bleeding Nation If ever Gods People here in England had cause to be afflicted troubled and humbled under the hand of the Lord and to run together in Prayer surely they have reason now yet saith the Scripture Say to the Righteous in evil times it shall go well with him Did ever any Calamity come down like a storm upon a Kingdom but God did provide some hiding for his own Children Did he not provide an Ark for Noah in the time of the Flood and a Mountain for Lot in the time of the fire of Sodom The worst that man can do is but to kill his neighbor Death is the worst that can fall and what is death but an in-let to Eternal Life unto the People of God When the Saints in the Primitive Times came to bear witness by their deaths unto the Truth of Christ then they said Now we begin to be Christians indeed now we begin to be like to Christ There is a Three-fold Death Spiritual Death in sin Eternal Death for sin And Temporal Death which came in by sin If God spare me from the two former Deaths the Spirituâ—l Death and Eternal Death and only inflict the Temporal Death have I any cause to complain Thus it is with the Saints though they die Temporally yet they are free from the Spiritual and Eternal Death and what Godly man may not say I could not live long in Nature and shall I now bear witness unto the Truth with this little spot of time that remains Christ died for us the Just for the Unjust and shal not I that am unjust be willing to die for the just The worst of all is Death the worst of Death is gain When my Body is broken may I not say if Godly now a poor Pitcher is broken and shall go no more to the Well now a poor Prisoner my soul is delivered and I go home unto my Father But if you look into Rev. 7. you shal â—ind what a glorious issue God doth give unto al his People in the times of publick troubles ver 9. After this I beheld and so a great multitude which no man could number of all Nations Kindreds and People stood before the Throne and before the Lamb cloathed with white Robes and Palms in their hands A Robe is a Garment of Majesty Palms are an Ensign of Victory and saith he I saw them with Robes and Palmâ— The world looks upon my Servants as poor and of low spirits but saith Christ I look upon them as under a royal Princely Garment in Robes and of a Princely spirit And though the world look upon them as discomforted yet saith Christ here they shal overcome for they have Palms in their hands but who are these This Scripture tels ver 14. These are they which come out of great Tribulations and have washed their Robes and made them
be our future Judg yea our best Friend and our dear Husband Now if you abstract the terror of any Object from the sweetness of it no wonder if you be much discouraged It is our Duty to behold things as God presents them and to take things as God doth give them What God hath joyned together no man may put asunder If you consider the sweetness of an Object or Condition without the sowrness of it then you may grow too wanton if you consider the terror of an Object or Condition without the sweetness of it then you may be too fearful But if you think on both together then you will fear and beleeve and beleeve and fear and so be kept from Discouragement Fifthly If you would not be discouraged whatever your condition be Labor more and more to get your self-love mortified even Religious self-love All your Dscouragements are from self-love not from the venom of your condition but from the poyson of self-love O but I am discouraged because I have no assurance Well but suppose you had assurance what then then I should have Comfort And is not here Self O but I am discouraged about my everlasting Condition And is not that Self doth not that word Condition sound ones Self I dare boldly say there is no tumult or immoderate Discouragement in the soul but hath Self at the bottom Could I leave my self and my Condition with God and Christ and mind his Service Glory and Honor more God would take care of my Comfort but when I mind my self and my condition so much and his Service Glory and Honor so little no wonder that I am so much discouraged Therefore labor more and more to mortifie self-love and so shall you never be discouraged whatever your condition be Sixtly In case that Temptation press in upon you and urge you to sad Discouragements speak to this purpose unto your own soul Why should I buy my Repentance at so dear a rate There is none of all these doubtings unbeleeving fears and discouragements but you will be ashamed and repent of afterwards You know how it is with the Traveller he thinks the Sun is not yet up and so he loyters and sits down but the Sun creeping up behind the cloud at last breaks out upon his face and is got before him and then he saies O what a fool was I to think the Sun was not up because I saw it not what an unwise man was I thus to loyter and sit down So it will be with you you now lie down upon the Earth and your belly cleaves to the dust by reason of your Discouragements but the Grace of God and the Love of Christ is creeping up behind the dark cloud and it will break out at the last upon you and shine into your face with the Golden beams of mercy it will prevent you and be before you and then you wil say O what a fool was I to be thus discouraged what an unworthy Creature I to doubt thus of Gods Love I have sinned I have sinned by all my unbeleef now the Lord pardon me all my doubtings I am O Lord ashamed of these my doubtings and questionings of thy Love pardon them O Lord unto my soul This is that which you must come to you must at last be ashamed and repent of these your unbeleefs doubtings and fears and therefore when-ever they press in upon thee say at the first unto thy self Why should I buy my Repentance at so dear a rate by yielding unto these Discouragements And for this very reason because that Discouragements are to be repented of Therefore the Saints and People of God have no reason to be discouraged whatever their Condition be And thus have I spoken to this Truth under a more General Consideration through Grace I shall labor to cleer it further to you by Particulars A LIFTING UP In case of GREAT SINS Serm. IV PSALM 42.11 Stepney May 7. 1651. Why art thou cast down O my Soul and why art thou disquieted within me c. THE Doctrine or Observation that now we are pressing from these words is this That the Saints and People of God have no reason for their Discouragements whatever their condition be no just true Scripture Reason for their Discouragements whatever their Condition be It is cleer by the Words and proved the last day by some General Considerations Now more Particularly to make it out by divers Instances Nine things there are which usually are the Grounds and Occasions of the Discouragements of Gods People 1. Somtimes their Discouragements are drawn from their greater and grosser sins 2. Somtimes they do arise from the weakness of Grace 3. Somtimes they are taken from their failing in and non-acceptance of Duty 4. Somtimes they are drawn from their want of Evidence for Heaven and non-assurance of the Love of God 5. Somtimes they do come from their Temptations 6. Somtimes from their Desertions 7. Somtimes from their Afflictions 8. Somtimes from their Unserviceableness 9. Somtimes from their Condition it self Now if in all these Respects the Saints and People of God have no reason to be discouraged then we may safely conclude That a godly man should not be discouraged whatever his condition be I shall labor therefore through the Grace of Christ to make out this great Truth unto you in all these Respects and begin with the First at this time Somtimes the Discouragements of the Saints and Instance 1 People of God are drawn from their Sins their greater and grosser Sins The Peace and Quiet of the Saints and People of God is many times interrupted by their Sins O saies one I am a man or woman of a rebellious heart I have so sleight a Spirit so unholy and uneven a conversation that when I reflect upon my heart and life I cannot but be discouraged I know indeed it is a great evil for a man to labor under a â—ore temptation or a sad desertion but were my heart good my life good my conversation good I should not be discouraged but as for me I have committed and do commit such and â—uen great sins have I not reason and just reason now to be discouraged Answ No For Discouragement it self is a sin another sin a Gospel sin now my sin against the Law is no just cause why I should sin against the Gospel I confess indeed there is much evil in every sin the least sin is worse than the greatest affliction Afflictions Judgments and punishments are but the Claws of this Lyon it is more contrary to God than the Misery of Hell Chrysostom had so great a sence of the evil of it that when the Empress sent him a threatening Message Go tell her said he Nil nisi peccatum metuo I fear nothing but sin And in some respects the sins of the Godly are worse than the sins of others for they grieve the Spirit more they dishonor Christ more they grieve the Saints more they wound the Name
your own condition and pitch upon sin as a breach of Gods Law a transgression of the Law of God a dishonor done to God and as a breach of the Law of Love between Christ and you Thus I say if you would be humbled and not discouraged rather mourn over your Condition in order to your Sin than for your Sin in order to your Condition Answ 4 Fourthly In your Humiliation take heed that you do not meddle too much with Gods Prerogative and with Gods Peculiar In Humiliation a man is to meddle with that which belongs to man Some things there are that are peculiar to God and are his Prerogative You see how it is with the Birds of the Air so long as the Birds fly up and down here in the Air they do live comfortably but if the Birds do fly up to the Element of Fire it wil burn their Wings and they will fall down head-long So here so long as a man in his Humiliation keeps within his own Compass and Element he may walk comfortably there but if a man in Humiliation will soar up unto Gods Prerogative certainly his Soul wil fal down upon the Earth and be much discouraged Now I pray what is more the Prerogative and Peculiar of God than this To know who is a Reprobate and who is not When a man is humbled and grieved about his Sin and he finds that he hath sinned much against God and thereupon he concludes himself to be a Reprobate is not this â—o come upon Gods Prerogative The Scripture tels a man indeed what he is for the present That a man for the present is a Drunkard or a Swearer or a Sabbath-breaker or an Adulterer and therefore the Scripture tels him for the present that he is in the state of Nature and under the wrath of God but doth the Scripture tel him that he is a Reprobate that he can never be converted and turned to God Surely this is Gods great Prerogative to know his Secret which he reserves to himself and therefore when a man goes to be humbled before God and concludes O! I am a Reprobate and there is no hope for me and I shal never be converted this is to soar too high into Gods Prerogative and he wil burn his wings and he wil fal down into great Discouragement Therefore in al your Humiliation take heed that you do not fal upon any thing that is the Peculiar and Prerogative of God for then you wil not be humbled but discouraged Answ 5 Fifthly The more you are humbled and grieved by the Sight of Gods free Love and Grace the more you wil be humbled and the less discouraged When you come to Humiliation you are humbled because you have sinned against God but how do you present this God to your own soul Do you present him as a Judg only or as a Father also Do you present the Lord unto your soul only under the Notion or Attribute of his Greatness or under the Notion and Attribute of his Goodness also Luther said thus When my heart is brisk and jolly I present God unto my self under the notion of his Greatness but when my heart is low and fearing then I present God to me under the notion of his Goodness One while I consider Christ as my Example another while as my Gift when my heart is too high then I consider Christ as my Example when my spirit is too low I consider Christ as my Gift So do you also I know you wil say I cannot somtimes present the Lord unto my soul under the notion of a Father because I have no assurance of his Love Yet you may consider the Lord as gracious in himself as good in himself and loving in himself and say I have thus and thus Sinned against a gracious God and although thou hast not assurance of Gods Love to thee in Particular yet if you can present God to your soul under the Notion of his general Goodness as good in himself you will never be discouraged but be humbled Answ 6 Sixtly and lastly If you would be truly humbled and not be discouraged not discouraged and yet humbled then beat and drive up all your sins to your unbeleef and lay the stress and weight of all your sorrow upon that Sin As in matter of thankfulness if a man do run up every Mercy unto the Fountain Mercy the Blood of Jesus Christ he wil be most thankful So in the matter of Humiliation If a man do run up every Sin unto the Fountain the Head Sin he wil be most humbled Now what is the great Sin the Fountain Sin the Head Sin of al your Sins but Unbelief and beleeve it he is never far from Faith that is humbled for his Unbeleef and he wil never be discouraged that is not far from Faith Now therefore if at any time you find your soul in any Sin then say This hath my Unbeleef done I did not think that I had had such an unbeleeving heart O! what an unbeleeving heart have I This even all this Sin hath my Unbeleef brought forth Now the Lord heal my unbeleeving heart A soul grieved for unbeleef wil never be discouraged too much nor be humbled too little he wil be humbled in truth for sin because he is humbled for his unbeleef which is the mother Sin yet he wil not be discouraged because he is humbled for that which doth cause al discouragements Lay therefore the weight of your sorrow upon this Sin and you shal be truly humbled without unjust discouragement And thus I have dispatched the first particular by al which you see That a Gracious Godly man though he hath just cause for humiliation yet he hath no just and scripture reason to be discouraged for his Sin though he have Sinned and Sinned greatly yet no discouragement is to grow upon this condition And thus I have done with the First Instance A LIFTING UP In case of WEAK GRACE Serm. V PSALM 42.11 Why art thou cast down O my Soul and why art thou disquieted within me c. Instance 2 SOmtimes the Discouragements of the Saints do arise from the weakness of their Graces O! saies one I am a poor feeble and a weak Creature some are strong in the Lord and in the power of his Might who do a great deal of Service for God in their day but as for me I am a poor Babe in Christ if a Babe and so am able to do little or nothing for God Therefore I am thus discouraged and cast down have I not just cause and reason for it Answ No For God is able to make all Grace to abound towards you that ye alwaies having all sufficiency in all things may abound to every good Work 2 Cor. 9.8 And if God have recompenced your weakness with Wisdom then surely you have no cause to complain of your weakness Admonemur nullam creaturam propter parvitatem contemnendam esse quando qui dem quod illis in
not therefore withdraw himself from them that he might draw them to himself Doth he not therefore hide his face for a moment that he may not turn his back upon them for ever Doth he not therefore forsake them for a moment that they might die unto all the world and long after Heaven where there is no forsaking Doth he not therefore forsake them for a moment that they might die unto the way of sence and learn to live by Faith which is the proper work of this Life Doth he not therefore forsake them for a moment that in this Winter of their Desertion the Weeds and Vermin of their sins may be killed and mortified Doth he not therefore forsake them for a moment that he may see their Love to him In time of his Presence we have the sence of his Love to us but in the time of his absence then he seeth and we our selves have the sence of our Love to him Doth he not therefore forsake them for a moment that their very Joyes and Comforts may be more fervent exalted and enlarged It is our Nature to rejoyce most in a Comfort when it is redeemed from the hand of Death and recovered from loss The wise men when they saw the lost Star again then they rejoyced with exceeding great joy Did they not rejoyce i◠the Star before Surely they did But they rejoyced more even with exceeding great joy when they had found the lost Star And this is our Nature we rejoyce most in the finding of lost mercies Now the Lord Christ knows our Nature and therefore that he may raise our joy our praise our thankfulness for his Presence Face and Manifestation of his Love he doth somtimes withdraw them So that in al his withdrawings he hath a Design of Love upon our souls have we any reason then to be much discouraged though deserted Answ 3 Thirdly Though it pleaseth God to hide his Face from his People somtimes insomuch as they are in the dark and in a very dark Condition yet they are never so much in the dark but that they have light enough to work by For what day is there in all the yeer that is so short dark and gloomy but a man may see to work by Indeed somtimes the Sun is in the Eclipse somtimes behind a Cloud somtimes it breaks not forth with his Golden beams as at other times but if the Sun be up and it be day a man hath alwaies light enough to work by Now the Sun is alwaies up with the Saints it is alwaies day with them though the Beams of the Sun of Righteousness do not shine yet it is alwaies day they are not Children of darkness they may have a dark day of it but though it be never so dark they may find light enough to do the great Work which they came into the World for which is to beleeve and trust and stay themselves on God this ◠man may do in the darkest time when he hath no light and therefore saith the Prophet Let him that walks in darkness and seeth no light stay himself upon the Name of the Lord. What then though you have not so much light as you would have to refresh your selves by yet if you have light enough to do your Fathers Work by and the greatest work of this Life is to trust in God and beleeve have you then any reason for your discouragements Thus it is with al the Saints though they may be in the dark and the Sun shines not out upon them yet it is alwaies day with them and they have light enough when it is darkest to do their Father◠work and business by and therefore certainly the Saints have no reason to be cast down and discouraged although they be much forsaken deserted and in the dark Object 1 But Jesus Christ hath not only deserted forsaken and withdrawn himself from me in regard of Vision but I fear also in regard of Vnion not in regard of comfortable feelings only but in regard of strength and power and therefore I am afraid and discouraged and have I not cause for it Answ No. For a man that is in the dark is not able to judg of his own Grace or Christs Strength in him Now you are in Desertion therefore in the dark therefore not able to judg of your own Grace and Christs Strength in you yet if you can judg in this Condition and wil deal faithfully with your own souls is there not as much of Christs Strength and Grace in your Lives and Conversations as when ye had that presence which ye mourn after excepting your enlargements in Duties I confess indeed that ◠Gracious man in time of Desertion hath not those enlargements as he had when Gods Face shined upon him but setting aside your enlargements what is there in your Conversations wanting now which you had then and is the very want of enlargement a sufficient reason to say that Christ is gone and hath forsaken me not only in regard of Vision but in regard of Union Strength and Grace We read in Cant. 5.5 That when Christ withdraws from the Spouse there is some Mirrh left upon the ringles of the door the Spouse ariseth follows after him and enquireth for him saying Did you see my beloved She met with the Watchmen they smote her and she was willing to bear their smiting that she might hear of Christ she stands and admireth at the beauty and excellency of her Beloved White and ruddy the fairest of ten thousand Now in this Desertion of yours is there not some Mirrh upon the ringles of your heart Do you not still stand admiring Christ and his Excellencies Do you not enquire after your Beloved going to one and to another saying Did you see him whom my soul loveth Are you not willing that the Watchmen should smite you so ye may but meet with Christ again And wil ye say then he is not only gone in regard of Vision but in regard of Union Power Strength and Grace too Surely you have no reason for it Object 2 But I am not only forsaken and deserted and want the Comfortable feelings and manifestations of Love which I once had and do now desire to have but I do find the contrary tokens of Gods Displeasure manifestations of his Anger were it only the withdrawings of Love I might bear it but Christ is angry God is angry appears to be mine Enemy and have I not reason now to be much discouraged Answ No For if this hath been the condition of the Saints before you why should you fear your state in this respect Now look into Isay 57. and you shal 〈◊〉 that God saith I was wroth and smote him he did not only hide his face but he was wroth yea he is not only wroth but he smote his People too and yet the Promise is I will restore comfort to him and to his mourners Did not Job think and say that God was angry with him
and become his Enemy and did not Job's Friends think that God loved them and was their Friend and his Enemy yet if you look into Job 42. you find that God was more pleased with Job for he was fain to pray for them before they could be accepted and know ye not that it is Christs usual manner to personate an Enemy when he intends the most Friendship to seem a stranger when he intends the most communion It is said that God was angry with Moses Exod. 4. yet even then he gave him such a Promise of mercy as he had not before ver 14 15 16. Ye know what Davids choyce was Lord let me fall into thy hands and not into the hands of men for with thee is mercy It is somtimes a mercy to be immediately chastised by the hand of God our Father God might turn us over to the hands of men but if God wil take us into his own hand and chastise with his own hand immediately there is love in it If a Prince should say to his Officers My whol Kingdom is before you do right and execute Justice and Judgment but as for such and such a Family if they shall commit any fault I wil chastise them immediately with mine own hand you shal not meddle with them I wil do it my self would not this argue love Thus it is with the Saints in the time of Desertion then God takes the soul into his own hand all Creatures and Officers of his Anger stand by and meddle not in other Afflictions God turns us over to his Officers but in Desertion there he doth correct immediately and therefore though he strikes yet there is Love at the bottom and the more Christ doth sympathize with you in any Affliction the less cause you have to be discouraged Christ is our sympathizing High-Priest in al our Afflictions but the more we are like to him in any Affliction the more he doth sympathize and his heart let out the more unto us Jesus Christ was in Desertion himself and not only forsaken but for our sakes under the wrath and displeasure of God his Father and therefore when he sees a soul not only deserted but under anger and displeasure of God then he saith O! there is a soul that is in my case and so he does most commiserate and compassionate that person have you then any reason to be discouraged in this respect Object 3 But this is not my case For I am not only deserted forsaken under manifestations of Christs displeasure but I have sinned and drawn down this Desertion upon my own soul and therefore now it is that I am thus discouraged and have I not reason for it Answ No For God doth not alwaies desert and forsake his People for their sins somtimes he doth and somtimes he doth not as appears by comparing the 3d and 5th Chapters of the Canticles and it may be he doth now withdraw from you not for your sin and if there be but a may be of it there is no reason for discouragement But suppose it be so look I pray into Isay 57. again and see what the Lord hath promised to a poor soul in this condition ver 17. For the iniquity of his covetousness was I wroth and smote him I hid me and was wroth and he went on frowardly in the way of his heart Wil ye say the Lord doth not only hide his fâ—ce from you but he hath smitten you So here Wil ye say O! but I have sinned and drawn this desertion upon my self So here For the iniquity of his Covetousness I was wroth and smote him Will ye say O! but I have sinned on both sides of this Desertion I have sinned before the Desertion came which sin was the cause of it and I have sinned since I have been deserted by my frowardness and peevish carriage So here For the iniquity of his covetousness was I wroth and hid me there is sin on the one side and he went on frowardly in the way of his heart there is sin on the other side of Desertion Here is sin on both sides what then is there any hope or comfort or mercy for a heart in this condition Yes saith the Lord I will restore comfort unto him and to his mourners O! but it is not comfort that my soul desires but I have a foul filthy unclean wicked heart of mine own O! that my heart were healed Is there any hope of healing mercy in this condition Yes saith the Lord in the Text I have seen his waies and will heal him O! but though I be healed I shal sin again and wander from God again nay saith the Lord But I have seen his waies and will heal him and will lead him also But I see no means or likelihood of al this how can it be Yes very well for saith the Lord ver 19. I create the fruit of the Lips Peace peace peace to him that is afar off and I will heal him again O! what Comfort is here what an upholding Promise is here Can you read it or think of it and your heart sink before it Object 4 This is but part of my condition for I have sinned Christ hath forsaken me I have sinned Christ hath smote me and he goes on smiting goes on angry goes on displeased I have been deserted a long while in the dark a long while and I am so far from the light that it doth even grow darker and darker my condition being more sad every day than other every day I am more deserted and my condition worser have I not reason to be cast down and discouraged now Answ No For when was it worst with the Israelites They had an ill time of it al the while they were in the Land of Egypt a dark time but was it not worst with them immediately before their deliverance Did not the Task-Masters then beat them When was it worst with David ill at al times in the Wilderness but was it not worst with him at Ziklag when he had lost his Wives and his own men took up stones against him Psal 10. we read that David saith Why standest thou afar off O Lord and hidest thy self in the time of trouble hiding is more and worâ—er than standing afar off When the Sun is going down then it seems to be far off but when it is hidden then it is set and is further off So saith David Lord thou art not only afar off but even out of sight quite out of sight and art hidden from me his Desertion grew higher and higher And if you look into Psal 13. you find that he speaks to the like purpose How long wilt thou bide thy face from me how long wilt thou forget me O Lord for ever As hiding is more than standing afar off so it is worse than forgetting For as Musculus observes wel forgetting is but Remissio amoris a man that loves another may forget him yet he may love him well but
did Why Because he feared the Lord. So then if a man be employed in way of Love and Mercy to himself he doth not make his Employment a shooing-horn to his own Preferment 'T is enough for me my Masters work is done saith he neither doth God use to pay them al their wages here whom he employes in mercie to themselves But as the Merchant if he have to deal with a stranger for a less Commodity he paies him down presently but if with a friend for some great priced Commodity he takes time and doth not pay down his money presently So if God have to do with a stranger as Nebuchadnezzar he wil pay him wages presently but if God deals with a friend whom he employes in mercy to himself then he doth put off his ful payment til afterwards He doth Gods work without any great noise or notice of himself like Christ He lifts not up his voyce in the street and as the Angels in Ezek. 1. His hands are under his wings he hath four hands to work with but they are not seen they are under his wings Let your Light so shine before men saies Christ that they may see your good works not your selves and glorifie your Father not your selves As it is with the Fisher so with him he shews the bait but hides himself he holds forth the word of Truth but not himself though he have four hands to work with yet they are all under his wings hidden but saies Jehu Come and see my zeal for the Lord of Hosts This is another difference If God do use and Employ a man in a way of Love and Mercy to himself he is willing to be used and contented to be laid by and to 〈…〉 more Another man is not so if he have been used 〈…〉 â—ng he thinks he must be used in other things and 〈…〉 cannot bâ—ar it that God should lay him by and use anoâ—â— Thus iâ— was with Sâ—ul he could not be conteâ—◠〈…〉 should use David But when God told Eli that he 〈…〉 and his House by he answered Good is the Word of 〈◊〉 Lord for he was a good man and one whom God had â—sed 〈◊〉 Love and Mercie to himâ—elf and so when God had done wiâ—h him he was conâ—ent thereâ—â—th He thâ—t is â—red and eâ—ployed in way of Love and Mercie to himself wil do the Work oâ— the Loâ—dfully though he do his own works by halfs Caleb did his own work by halfâ— and the Work of God â—ully for he was used in Mercy to himself and others Jehu did the Work of the Lord by halfs and his own work fully for though he was uâ—ed in Mercy to some and Judgment to others yet not in Love to himself When God doth use a man in a way of Judgment he hath ordinarily more skil at pulling down and destroying what is mans than in setting up and building what is Gods But when God doth use him in a way of Love and Mercy to his own soul he hath a dexterity in and a heart to the setting up of what is Gods witness Jehu on the one hand and Nehemiah on the othâ—r hand How is it therefore with thee Hast thou a skil at pulling down what is mans and no skil nor heart to set up what is Gods Hast thou been employed and used in Gods Service and have you done your own work fully and Gods work by halfs Art thou not contented to be laid by and that God should use another Doest thou make a noise in the work and thy hands not under thy wings Hast thou made a goodly outward Bargain of the Lords Work and his Service as a shooing-horn to thine own ends Hast thou not grown in Experience Faith and Holiness by this work but in Pride rather Hast thou not been very tender of the Name of God in thy Service nor been acquainted with Gods Design nor thine heart drawn out the more to love the Lord Then surely God hath not used or employed thee in Love and Mercy to thine own soul But if thine heart have been drawn out with Love to God by thy very Service and Employments and thou hast been in some measure acquainted with Gods Design in that Service and hast been very tender of the Name of God and more willing to hazard thy self than to defile his Name and hast grown in Grace by the exercise of thy Gifts and hast made no Bargain of the Lords Service but hast had thy hands under thy wings and hast not done Gods Work by halfs and now after all art contented that God shall lay thee by and make use of others then surely the Lord hath used and employed thee in a way of Love and Mercie to thine own Soul and therefore why should'st thou be discouraged in this respect Certainly you have no just cause or true reason for it Quest But suppose that the Lord either shall not use me in his Service or if he do that difficulties and oppositions press in upon me or that I meet with no success in my work according to my desire what shall I do that I may be able to bear up my heart against all discouragements in this kind Answ 1 First In case that God do not cal you forth to any work or special Employment Then Consider that you have now the more time to mind your own soul and to attend to your own Condition Some are so employed that they have not time enough to pray read meditate examine their own hearts and to look into their own Condition yea though a mans work do lie in the Ministry 't is possible that he may so mind his publick work as to neglect his private But now if thou hast no publick Employment or Service then you have the more time for to spend upon your own soul the more time to converse with the Lord in private and to look into your own Condition And if you be not called forth to work and yet are willing to work you shal be paid for that work and service which you never did As some men shal be punished for those sins which they did never commit in the gross act because they were willing and had a desire to commit the same so some shal be paid for that work and service for God which they never did perform because they were willing to have done the same Now is it not a great mercy to be paid for that work which I never did Such is the Priviledg of al those that are not called to Service and yet are willing to it Answ 2 Secondly In case That you are employed in Gods Work and Service and difficulties press in upon you Then Consider That the greater the Difficultie is the greater shall your Obedience be in carrying on the Work and the more you do follow after Dutie and redeem it from the hand of Difficulty the greater shall your Comfort and reward be when all is done And the more that any Service Work or
out your skil and strength and hath no design but of Love upon you wil you then be discouraged Thus it is with all the Saints surely therefore they have no reason to be cast down in this respect Object 3 O! but I am not so much troubled about my outward Condition as about the condition of my Soul the Lord knows my Souls Condition is very sad for somtimes I am under the Ordinances and somtimes not somtimes I can stir out to an Ordinance but somtimes oppositions keep me at home I am not under a setled Ordinance and when I am under the Ordinance I get little good thereby I hear and I do not remember my heart is hard and dead and dull and it is little that I profit and therefore I am thus discouraged have I not cause and reason now Answ 1 No not yet For â—iâ—st As for your want of Ordinances if God lead you to the want of an Ordinance he wil make the very want of an Ordinance to â—e an Ordinance to you When the Children of Israel came into the Land of Canaan where there was ordinary food then Manna ceased but when ordinary food could not be had as in the Wilderness then they had Manna Bread that was baked in the Clouds then they had Angels Food immediately from God and immediate Mercies that come immediately out of the hand of God are the sweetest Mercies God doth alwaies give some opportunities of good unto his People either of doing good or receiving good and the less opportunity they have of receiving good usually the more opportunity they have of doing good what though your hand be empty of receiving opportunities yet if your hand be full of doing opportunities have you any cause to be discouraged God knows how to give the comfort of an Ordinance in the want of an Ordinance When Jonah was in the Whales belly he prayed and in his prayer he looked towards the Temple though he was absent from it and the Lord heard his prayer And Beloved if the Lord do remember your carriage labor of Love Longings Groanings Mournings after the Ordinances as much when you want them as he remembers your enlargements under them then you have no reason to be discouraged in this respect Now look into Psal 132. and you shal see how David presseth the Lord to remember him verse 1. Lord remember David and all his afflictions he was in great Afflictions and he desired the Lord to remember him but under what Notion would he have the Lord remember him why saith he remember him How he sware unto the Lord verse 2. and vowed unto the mighty God of Jacob surely I will not come into the Tabernacle of my House nor go up into my Bed I will not give sleep to mine eyes or slumber to mine eye-lids until I have found out a place for the Lord an Habitation for the mighty God of Jacob. He wanted the Ordinance and his heart was restless after it and now he desires the Lord to remember him for this So that I say God wil in a special manner remember your carriage labor of Love longings and groanings after Ordinances when you want them O! but though the Lord do remember us in due time yet what shal we do in the mean time Mark what follows at verse 6. Lo we heard of it at Ephrata we found it in the fields of the woods What is that Lo we heard of it at Ephrata we heard of it that is we heard of the Ark which he had spoken of before and the Habitation of the mighty God of Jacob. We heard of it at Ephrata as if he should say it was commonly reported and thought that the Lord would settle his Ark and his House and Habitation at Ephrata at Bethlehem a plentiful place but now we have found it in the fields of the Wood. Now we find that the Lord wil settle his House and his Ark at Jerusalem which is compassed about with Hills full of Woods in the Fields of the Forrest have we found it Beloved our eye is all upon Ephrata upon Bethlebem upon the plentiful place but the Lord doth so order things in his Goodness that when he brings his People into the Woods the Fields the Forrest there they find his Ark his Presence and his Habitation in the midst of it And what godly man is there whom God hath called at any time from the Ordinance but he may say thus Lo we heard of it at Ephrata but we have found it in the Fields of the Woods and if you do not find the Presence of God and the Ark of God and his Habitation at Ephrata yet if ye find him in the Fields of the Woods in the barren Forrests have you any cause to complain No surely you have not O! but I am in a plentiful place for the present I am at Ephrata I am not in the barren Fields I am under plentiful and precious Ordinances but I do not remember I hear and I remember not Answ 2 Secondly Therefore ye must know That as for your want of Memory there is an Head-Memory and there is an Heart-Memory Some have an Head-Memory whereby they are able to give an account presently of all they have heard in their due order but they want an Heart-Memory to suggest the things to them when they should use the same Some again have an Heart-Memory so as they can remember the things when they should use them but they have no Head-Memory Now if you can remember the things as you are to use them though you forget the words and Method have you any cause to complain 〈◊〉 â—â—ugh the words heard do depart from you yet your heart 〈◊〉 â—e kept sweet by the hearing of them Water is often poured into a Vessel and runs out presently yet it keeps the Vessel sweet So now though you hear and hear and hear again and you cannot remember and the things heard do not stay by you as you desire yet your soul may be kept sweet thereby Answ 3 Thirdly As for your Deadness It is some life to feel ones own deadness for there is a Death and a Deadness as I may so speak There is a Life and a Liveliness a man may be alive and yet not lively as a sick person So a man may be under some deadness and yet not be dead unto death There is a deadness that is opposite to liveliness and there is a deadness that is opposite to life Now you complain O! my heart is dead my heart is dead this argues that it is but a deadness that is opposite to liveliness else you could not feel your own deadness A man that is stark dead cannot feel that he is dead I say therefore in that you feel your own deadness it argues that it is but a deadness that is opposite to liveliness and not that deadness that is opposite to Life it self and if you be alive in opposition to death though you have a
things This Doctrine lies upon the surface of the words and al the words together speak it but for the further opening and cleering of it First I shal labor to shew you that it is possible that a true Beleever one very precious in the Eyes of God may meet with most unworthy things from the hands of men Secondly That faith wil carry through these And Thirdly How and by what means faith wil carry a man through these First It is possible that a true Beleever one very precious in the eyes of God may meet with most unworthy usage from the hands of men these were hard things and unworthy that these Beleevers suffered yet they were such of whom the world was not worthy You know there is an old enmity between the Seed of the Woman and the Seed of the Serpent a malignant disposition in the men of the world against the Saints and People of God they must work as they are the wicked and men of the world are an unworthy people But because you judg your selves unworthy saith the Text Lo we turn to the Gentiles because ye judg your selves unworthy Go saith our Savior unto his Disciples and preach and if any be worthy stay the men of the world are unworthy an unworthy people Yea they are an unreasonable people absurd men impertinent men that have not Faith They are compared in Scripture unto beasts for their unreasonableness Beware of Dogs saith the Apostle When our Lord and Savior Christ did send out his Disciples to preach the Gospel Beware of men saith he I do not say takâ— heed and beware of Lyons and Bears but beware of men you shal find such unreasonable dealing by men therefore beware of men Now if the men of the world be an unworthy People and unreasonable wil ye wonder that the Saints and People of God meet somtimes with unworthy usage from them It is possible To raise it a little higher possibly the more precious a man is the more unworthy usage he may meet withal The Apostle Paul was a most precious man in his day and Generation and yet what unworthy usage had he It is said in 1 Cor. 4.11 Vnto this present hour we both hunger and thirst and are naked and are buffeted and have no certain dwelling place and labor working with our own hands being reviled we bless being persecuted we suffer it being defamed we intreat we are made as the filth of the world and the off-scouring of all things unto this day We are the filth we are made the filth of the world and the off-scouring of al things unto this day Some think that the Apostle here doth relate unto that of one man dying for the People the guilt of al the People being upon him Others that it is a similitude taken from a kind of Tumbrel and Vessel that goes up and down the City that ye throw al the filth into But I rather take the two Greek words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to relate unto that in Lament 3. verse 45. Thou hast made us as the off-scouring and reffuse in the midst of the People In the Hebrew Thou hast made us the off scouring and the filth and reffuse in the midst of the People Thus Paul was made and yet Paul a precious man he labored more abundantly than they al. So that I say it is possible that the more precious a man is the more unworthy usage he may meet withal from men Yea to raise it a little higher It is possible that a man may meet with most unworthy dealings therefore because he is precious in the eyes of God not only in regard of men but in regard of God For God doth somtimes so order things in his Providence that he doth put men to suffer hard things because they are precious in his Eyes Vnto you it is given not only to beleeve but to suffer Suffering somtimes is a Gift it is a great Gift A suffering Gift saith Chrysostom is a greater Gift than the Gift of Miracles for saith he if God do give me a Gift to work Miracles by I am in Gods debt but if God do give me a suffering Gift he is pleased thereby to become my Debtor suffering somtimes becomes as a reward for Doing Ye read of the Heifers that brought home the Ark out of the Philistims Country that when they brought the Ark home the Israelites they take the Heifers and they offer up the Heifers unto God for a Sacrifice why so saith one it is an il requital to the Heifers No the Heifers could not have a higher Honor put upon them this their Suffering is a Reward for their Doing And so what greater Honor can a man have after al his Doing for God than to be called forth to Suffer and to bear witness to the Truth Indeed we do not think thus but you wil say O! surely God doth not love me because he puts such hard suffering work upon me But I pray tel me Suppose that a General should have some great Work or Service to do and he should single and pick some half a dozen Soldiers for to go upon this work would these Soldiers say surely the General doth not prize us he doth not honor us nor love us because he puts us upon this hard Service No but they wil say the contrary surely the General prizeth us loves us and honors us because he puts us upon such a hard Service as this is So here it doth rather argue that the Lord doth honor love and prize you in that he puts you upon a hard work and Service But now if these things be true then surely this first Branch is sufficiently made out That a man may be very precious in the Eyes of God and yet meet with most unworthy usage from the hands of men That is the first thing Quest Secondly You wil say How shall a man be able to go through these hard things and Sufferings what will carry him through them Answ True saving Faith wil do it and nothing but this Faith wil do it I had verily fainted in mine affliction saith David but that I beleeved It is Faith and Faith alone that wil keep from fainting under suffering And to make this out a little unto yâ—u First The more assurance of Gods Love any man hath the more able he wil be to encounter with Sufferings and with afflictions the sight of Gâ—ds Love doth cause Love in us to God Amor amoris causa Love is the cause of Love and much Water cannot quench Love it endures al. Now the Assurance of Gods Love grows upon Faith it is the Flower of Faith Faith is the Stalk Assurance is the Flower Assurance is the Cream of Faith Let us draw neer with ful assurance of Faith Secondly The more that any man is â—ble to gather up and to mannage his Experiences the more able he wil be to suffer to encounter with Sufferings Experience is
in by way of performance but by way of Christ Page 94 Object I have no parts in Duty therefore I am discouraged ibid. Answ 1 God accepts the desire for Christs sake Page 94 2 Thy parts are â—â—swerable to thy grace Page 95 3 Parts and gifts do not commend our Services unto God ibid. 4 Parts recompenced some other way Page 96 Object I want the grace and holiness of Duty ibid. Answ Pearls may grow on Rocks so may some graces on thy rockie heart Page 97 1 Are you contented with the straightness of your condition Answ Negatively ib. 2 If your condition here be no other than the condition of the Saints you have no cause to be discouraged ibid. 3 You would fain have enlargements represent your condition to God Page 98 4 It is Gods way to restrain prayer before he gives enlargements ibid. 5 Dulness in prayer is an ill sin yet the sence thereof is a good sign Page 99 6 Prayer is not powring out of many words but the powring out of the Soul unto God ibid. Object I am not only dull in duty buâ— full of distraction Page 100 Answ This is a great evil yet no cause of discouragement for three Reasons ibid. 1 All men have some distractions in dâ—ty ibid. 2 Distractions shall not hurt us because they please us not Page 101 3 Our distractions move the Lord to pity us ibid. Object I pray and am never the nearer should not that discourage me Page 102 Answ Negatively 1 It is a great mercy that God wil receive my prayer though I never receive the thing I pray for ibid. 2 Gods Children usually think God hears not their prayers when he doth ibid. 3 The Lord not granting your prayer is not alwaies matter of discouragement but somtimes of encouragement Page 103 4 Whoever waited on God by prayer but be received more than he prayed for Page 104 5 Should God presently answer our prayers alwaies we should be discouraged Page 105 Object 1. I fear God denieth my prayer ibid. 1 Answ Affirmatively It may be so to his own children ibid. 2 If the thing you pray for be good for you and you continue praying it is a sign that God rather delaies than denies you ibid. Object 2. I fear God is angry with me Page 106 Answ Was not God angry with Jonah and the Canaanitish woman Page 106 Object 3. But she beleeved there is much unbelief in my prayer ibid. Answ Was it not so with David ibid. Object 4. I am self-ish and pray only by reason of affliction ibid. Answ So it was with Jonah ibid. Object 5. My prayer is not well prepared ibid. Answ Hezekiah prayed for those that came unprepared ibid. Object 6. I am full of passions ibid. Answ What think you of Elijah ibid. Object 7. My condition is such or such ibid. Answ The condition of distressed men paralel'd in Scripture when they look toward Christ ib. Application 1 What encouragements here are for all poor souls to come unto Christ Page 107 2 What a vast difference there is here between a godly and a wicked man ibid. Quest What must I do against discouragements that come from mine own failing in duty or Gods not answering me Page 108 Answ 1 Lay not the weight of your comfort upon duty ibid. 2 Consider that difficulty commends duty ibid. 3 Leave the success of our spiritual things unto God himself Page 109 Sermon VII INSTANCE IV. Object O! I want assurance of the love of God must I not be then discouraged Page 111 Answ Negatively Yet it is a sore evil Page 112 He that wants the assurance of Gods love is neither fit to receive mercy from God nor to praise God ibid. He that wants the assurance of Gods love converseth too much with Satan ibid. Quest How may it appear we must not be discouraged when we want this assurance Page 113 1 Answ negatively For want of Assurance is not that unbelief that condemneth us ib. 2 Want of Assurance shal turn to the Saints good Page 114 They gain experience by it to see the emptiness of their own righteousness ibid. A man learns thus to comfort others Page 115 3 A good man may have comfort though he want assurance Page 115 Object I have no Promise to bring me comfort Page 116 Answ Negatively 1 That must not discourage a Christian for have you not the word of the Gospel ib. 2 The promise of grace belongeth to you proved by three Reasons 1 You do or have rested on the Promise 2. If the Command belong unto you why not the Promise 3. It is your duty to rest on the Promise Page 117 Object 2. Gods Promise in Scripture runs upon some Condition which I cannot perform ib. Answ 1 A good man may apply the Promise though he hath not performed the Condition ib. 2 The condition of one promise is the thing promised in another promise Page 118 3 The condition of the promise is performed for you better than you can perform it ib. Object Instead of a promise there is a threatening on my Soul Page 119 Answ 1 God hath two Arms to draw his Children to him the Arm of Love and the Arm of Anger ibid. 2 Joshua somtimes lost the sight of the promise and for the threatening you know how it was with David Page 120 3 A Threatening from God may be repealed but a promise shall never be repealed ibid. The Reason is God never repeals in the matter of the Gospel Page 121 Object I have assurance of Gods displeasure must I not then be discouraged Page 122 Answ Negatively 1 It may be you look on the back side of Gods dispensation wherein appears his Anger ibid. 2 There is no such testimony of Reprobation in all the Scripture ibid. Object I have been without assurance these many yeers yet living under Gospel means therefore I look for none Page 123 Answ Negatively 1 Our evidence for Heaven is in Gods keeping ibid. 2 Consider four Propositions 1 A man may have saving Faith who hath no assurance of Gods love ibid. 2 A man may have strong Faith and assurance yet many doubts Page 124 3 A man may have strong faith and assurance yet for a long time be deprived of the feeling of it ib. 4 A godly man may live and die doubting ibid. 3 Though some may die doubting and yet be saved a man may from Scripture fetch Arguments from whence he may ordinarily conclude he shal be saved Page 125 Arg. 1. There is a faith of Reliance from whence we may conclude a faith of Assurance Page 125 Arg. 2. God hath done great things for thy soul in trouble thou maiest conclude he will do more ibid. Arg. 3. If thy heart be upright in the matter of assurance God wil give it thee ibid. Arg. 4. If a man can praise God for what he hath though his condition be very sad Page 126 Arg. 5. If the Lord be the health of your countenance you shall
who heard them Preached raised them from that Death Mine own Notes were not legible enough for the Press In answer therefore to their desires I have corrected these some things I have altered some things added and some Repetitions fit enough for the Pulpit I have filed off what is wanting let thy goodness supply I have also joyned with them some other Sermons of more doctrinal concernment these being mostly practical that so thy mind and Heart may be at once exercised wherein I have rather applyed my self to the Jnstructive part of Preaching than to Scholastical disputation For I know the Universities have able and faithful Men more fit for that work Neither have I undertaken any English Adversary and if I have troaden upon any Mans Toes I hope he wil excuse me for I can say truly Sir I saw you not And if any Man shal say to me as Davids Brother Eliab spake to him 1 Sam. 17.29 I know thy pride and Malice of thine heart that thou art come down to see the battle I might answer as David did Is there not a Cause When strange Opinions and Errors are dayly Published is there not a Cause that every man who loves the truth should bear his Testimony for it In performance therefore of mine own Duty and for thine Establishment I have spoaken somthing to many truths which are now questioned Hold fast what thou hast lest another take thy Crown And the Lord Jesus Christ and our God even the Father which hath loved us and hath given us everlasting Consolation and good Hope through Grace Comfort thine heart and Stablish thee in every word and good work Thine in the Service of the Gospel WILLIAM BRIDGE The Names of several Books Printed by Peter Cole in Leaden-Hall London and are to be sold at his Shop at the sign of the Printing-press in Corn-hil neer the Exchange Nineteen several Books of Mr. William Bridge Collected into two Volumns Viz. 1 The Great Gospel Mystery of the Saints Comfort and Holiness opened and applied from Christs Priestly Office 2 Satans Power to Tempt and Christs Love to and Care of His People under Temptation 3 Thankfulness required in every Condition 4 Grace for Grace or the Overflowing of Christs Fulness received by all Saints 5 The Spiritual Actings of Faith through Natural Impossibilities 6 Evangelical Repentance 7 The Spiritual Life and In-being of Christ in all Beleevers 8 The Woman of Canaan 9 The Saints Hiding-place in time of Gods Anger 10 Christs Coming is at our Midnight 11 A Vindication of Gospel Ordinances 12 Grace and Love beyond Gifts 13 Scripture Light the most sure Light compared with 1. Revelations and Visions 2. Natural and Supernatural Dreams 3. Impressions with and without Word 4. Light and Law within 5. Divine Providence 6. Christian Experience 7 Humane Reason 8. Judicial Astrology Delivered in Sermons on 2 Pet. 1.19 14 Christ in Travel Wherein 1 The Travel of his soul 2. The first and after effects of his Death 3. His Assurance of Issue 4. And His satisfaction therein Are opened and cleered in three Sermons on Esay 53.11 15 A Lifting up for the Cast-down in case of 1. Great sin 2. Weakness of Grace 3. Miscarriage of Duties 4. Want of Assurance 5. Affliction 6. Temptation 7. Dissertion Unserviceableness 9. Discouragements from the Condition it self Delivered in thirteen Sermons on Psalm 42.11 His Four Sermons concerning 16 Sin against the Holy Ghost 17 Sins of Infirmities 18 The False Apostle tried and Discovered 19 The Good and means of Establishment Eleven Books of Mr. Jeremiah Burroughs lately published also the Texts of Scripture upon which they are grounded 1 The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment on Phil. 4.11 Wherein is shewed 1 What Contentment is 2 It is an Holy Art and Mystery 3 The Excellencies of it 4 The Evil of the contrary sin of Murmuring and the Aggravations of it 2 Gospel Worship on Levit. 10.3 Wherein is shewed 1 The right manner of the Worship of God in general and particularly In Hearing the Word Receiving the Lords Supper and Prayer 3 Gospel Conversation on Phil. 1.17 Wherein is shewed 1 That the Conversations of Beleevers must be above what could be by the Light of Nature 2 Beyond those that lived under the Law 3 And sutable to what Truths the Gospel holds forth To which is added The Misery of those men that have their Portion in this Life only on Psal 17.14 4 A Treatise of Earthly Mindedness Wherein is shewed 1 What Earthly mindedness is 2 The great Evil thereof on Phil. 3. part of the 19. Verse Also to the same Book is joyned A Treatise of Heavenly Mindedness and Walking with God on Gen. 5.24 and on Phil. 3.20 5 An Exposition on the fourth fifth sixth and seventh Chapters of the Prophesie of Hosea 6 An Exposition on the eighth ninth and tenth Chapters of Hosea 7 An Exposition on the eleventh twelfth and thirteenth Chapters of Hosea being now compleat 8 The Evil of Evils or the exceeding Sinfulness of Sin on Job 36.21 9 Precious Faith on 2 Pet. 1.1 10 Of Hope on 1 John 3.3 11 Of Walking by Faith on 2 Cor. 5.7 Ten several Books by Nich. Culpeper Gent. Student in Physick and Astrology 1 The Practice of Physick containing seventeen several Books Wherein is plainly set forth The Nature Cause Differences and Several Sorts of Signs Together wtth the Cure of all Diseases in the Body of Man Being chiefly a Translation of The Works of that Learned and Renowned Doctor Lazarus Riverius Now living Councellor and Physitian to the present King of France Above fifteen thousand of the said Books in Latin have been Sold in a very few Yeers having been eight times printed though all the former Impressions wanted the Nature Causes Signs and Differences of the Diseases and had only the Medicines for the Cure of them as plainly appears by the Authors Epistle 2 The Anatomy of the Body of Man Wherein is exactly described the several parts of the Body of Man illustrated with very many larger Brass Plates than ever was in English before 3 A Translation of the New Dispensatory made by the Colledg of Physitians of London Whereunto is added The Key to Galen 's Method of Physick 4 The English Physitian Enlarged being an Astrologo-Physical Discourse of the vulgar Herbs of this Nation wherein is shewed how to cure a mans self of most Diseases incident to Mans Body with such things as grow in England and for three pence charge Also in the same Book is shewed 1 The time of gathering all Herbs both Vulgarly and Astrologically 2 The way of drying and keeping them and their Juyces 3 The way of making and keeping al manner of useful Compounds made of those Herbs The way of mixing the Medicines according to the Cause and Mixture of the Disease and the part of the Body afflicted 5 A Directory for Midwives or a Guide for Women Newly enlarged by the Author in every sheet and Illustrated with
divers new Plates 6 Galen's Art of Physick with a large Comment 7 A New Method both of studying and practising Physick 8 A Treatise of the Rickets being a Disease common to Children wherein is shewed 1 The Essence 2 The Causes 3 The Signs 4 The Remedies of the Disease Published in Latin by Dr. Glisson Dr. Bates and Dr. Regemorter translated into English And corrected by N. Culpeper 9 Medicaments for the Poor Or Physick for the Common People 10 Health for the Rich and Poor by Dyet without Physick A Godly and Fruitful Exposition on the first Epistle of Peter By Mr. John Rogers Minister of the Word of God at Dedham in Essex The Wonders of the Load-stone By Samuel Ward of Ipswitch An Exposition on the Gospel of the Evangelist St. Matthew By Mr. Ward Clows Chyrurgery Marks of Salvation Christians Engagement for the Gospel by John Goodwin Great Church Ordinance of Baptism Mr. Love's Caâ—e containing his Petitions Narrative and Speech Vox Pacifica or a perswasive to peace Dr. Prestons Saints submission and Satans Overthrow Pious Mans Practice in Parliament Time Mr. Symsons Sermon at Westminster Mr. Feaks Sermon before the Lord Major Mr. Phillips Treatise of Hell of Christs Gâ—nealogy Eaton on the Oath of Allegiance and Covenant shewing that they oblidg not A Congregational Church is a Catholick Visible Church By Samuel Stone in New England A Treatise of Politick Powers wherein seven Questions are Answered 1 Whereof Power is made and for what ordained 2 Whether Kings and Governors have an Absolute Power over the People 3 Whether Kings and Governors be subject to the Laws of God or the Laws of their Countrie 4 How far the People are to obey their Governors 5 Whether all the people have be their Governors 6 Whether it be Lawful to depose an evil Governor 7 What Confidence is to be given to Princes The Compassionate Samaritan Dr. Sibbs on the Philippians The Best and Worst Magistrate By Obadiah Sedgwick The Craft and Cruelty of the Churches Adversaries By Matthew Newcomen A Sacred Penegerick By Stephen Martial Barrissâ— Military Discipline The Immortality of Mans Soul The Anatomist Anatomized King Charls his Case or an Appeal to all Rational Men concerning his Tryal Mr. Owâ—ns stedfastness of the Promises A Vindication of Free Grace Endeavoring to prove 1 That we are not elected as holy but that we should be holy and that Election is not of kinds but persons 2 That Christ did not â—y his Death intend to save all men and touching those whom he intended to save that he did not die for them only If they would beleeve but that they might beleeve 3 That we are not justified properly by our beleeving in Christ but by our Christ beleeving in him 4 that which differenceth one man from another is not the improvement of a common ability restored through Christ to all men in general but a principle of Grace wrought by the Spirit of God in the Elect. By John Pawson Six Sermons preached by Doctor Hill Viz. 1 The Beauty and Sweetness of an Olive Branch of Peace and Brotherly Accommodation budding 2 Truth and Love happily married in the Church of Christ 3 The Spring of strengthening Grace in the Rock of Ages Christ Jesus 4 The strength of the Saints to make Jesus Christ their strength 5 The Best and Worst of Paul 6 Gods eternal preparation for his Dying Saints The Bishop of Canterbury's Speech on the Scaffold The King's Speech on the Scâ—ffold The Magistrates Support and Burden By Mr. John Cordel The Discipline of the Church in New England by the Chu ches and Synod there A Relation of the Barbadoes A Relation of the Repentance and Conversion of the Indians in New England By Mr. Eliot and Mr. Mayhew The Institutes of the Laws of England by John Cowel Octavo A description of the Grand Signiors Seraglio or the Turkish Emperors Court By John Greaves Octavo The reigning error Arraigned at the Bar of scripture and Reason By Franscis Fulwood Octavo The state of Future Life By Thomas White Twelves The Royal and delightful Game of Picquet written in French and now rendered into English Octavo De copore Politico or The Elements of Law moral and politick By Thomas Hobbs of Matnisbury The London Dispensatory in Latin in Folio The London Dispensatory in Latin in Twelves These several Books of Physick and Chyrurgerie will shortly be printed in English Riverius Observations with fifteen hundred and seventie other Histories and Observations of other men Riolanus Anatomy Bartholinus Anatomy All the Works of Daniel Sennertus except some few not proper for Translation The Idea of Practical Physick being a compleat Body of Physick And Fernclius his Works Francisci Tayleri Capitula Patrum Hebraicè Latinè edita Una cum Annotationibus sensum locorum difficilium Exprimentibus Francisci Taylâ—ri Lamentationes Jeremiae vatis Denuo è fontibus Hebraicis translatae cum Parâ—phrasi Chaldaica Masora magna parva Commentariis Rabbi Shelomoh Jarchi Abeâ— Ezrae è Buxtoâ—fii Bibliis magnis excerptis Eleven Books made in NEW-ENGLAND by Mr. Thomas Hooker And printed from his own Papers written with his own hand are now Published in three Volums two in Quarto and one in Octavo Viz. The Application of Redemption by the Effectual work of the word and Spirit of Christ for the bringing home of lost sinners unto God The first Book on 1 Pet. 1.18 19. The second on Math. 1.21 The third on Luk. 1.17 The fourth on 2 Cor. 6.2 The fift on Math. 20 5 6 7. The sixt on Revel 3.17 The seventh on Rom. 8.7 The eight on Joh. 6.44 The Ninth on Isa 57.15 The Tenth on Act. 2.37 The Last Viz. Christs Prayer for Beleevers On Joh. 17. Riolanus Anatomy in which with the Anatomy is exactly described 1 The Diseases incident to every Part of the Body of Man 2. How the Diseases are Seated in each Part. 3. The Cure of each Disease as it s Seated in that Part. Mr. Burroughs on 1 Cor. 5.7 and 18 19 29. And fifty nine Sermons on Matthew 11. 28 29 30. Are Printing SCRIPTURE-LIGHT The most Sure LIGHT Compared with 1. Revelations and Visions 2. Natural and Supernatural Dreams 3. Impressions with and without the VVord 4. Light and Law within 5. Divine Providence 6. Christian Experience 7. Humane Reason 8. Judicial Astrology By William Bridge Preacher of the Gospel at Yarmouth LONDON Printed by Peter Cole in Leaden-Hall and are to be sold at his Shop at the sign of the Printing-Press in Cornhil neer the Royal Exchange 1656. SCRIPTURE-LIGHT The most Sure LIGHT Sermon I. 2 PET. 1.19 We have also a more sure Word of Prophesie whereunto ye do well that ye take heed as unto a Light that shineth in a dark place until the day dawn and the Day-star arise in your hearts IN these words ye have an Exhortation to a great Duty Viz. Attention or taking heed to the Word of God in dark and dangerous Times
and discern but in the Hive doth the several Honeys of the Creatures meet and dwel that is the House thereof So there is a sweet tast of the several Attributes of God in al the Creatures but in Christ doth his fulness dwel bodily and in his suffering you may see the Wisdom Power Justice and Mercy of God in Conjunction and so know God indeed which knowledg was more worth to Paul than al other Knowledges for saith he I desire to know nothing but Christ and him crucified Hereby also I mean by the consideration of this great and sore Travel you wil prize and value Christ more and have your hearts drawn out with Love to him for shal I not prize him that suffered the Wrath of God and the torments of Hel for me The more you see his Love to you the more wil your hearts be inflamed with Love to him Now the greater his sufferings for you do appear to you the more you see his Love to you When I am lift up saith he I will draw all men after me that is when I am lift up on the Cross he doth not say when I am transfigured at Mount Tabor I wil draw al to me yet there was a drawing glory which made Peter say It is good for us to be here But his Love is the most drawing Object and that was glorious in suffering Thereby you wil learn to prize al your enjoyments for thus you wil see what they cost what rate they are at in the Kings Book there is no blessing or mercy which ye do enjoy but was bought in by Christ he laid down his Life for you and in him are you blessed with al Spiritual Blessings But did Christ suffer such hard things for my enjoyments O! what infinite cause have I then to prize them al Hereby also you wil be made willing to suffer any thing for Christ to become low and mean for him to endure the reproach anger and wrath of men for him For shal Christ suffer so hard a Labor for me in his Body in his Soul and shal not I suffer in my Estate and Name for him Shal he suffer the Wrath of God for me and shal not I be willing to suffer the wrath of man for him Shal he endure the very torments of Hel for me and shal not I be willing to suffer a little on Earth for him Thereby you wil be made unwilling to put him to a new Suffering for you those that fal away and decline do crucifie the Lord afresh saith the Apostle and put him to an open shame when Professors walk scandalously they put Christ to an open shame to a new Suffering But is this true That Christ hath suffered so great things for me and shal he now suffer by me what hath he not suffered enough already He hath suffered in his Body in his Soul the Wrath of God the very Torments of Hel and is not this enough God forbid that ever I should so walk that Christ should yet suffer by me who hath suffered such things for me Hereby also you shal be able to overcome your Temptations Corruptions and to be more fruitful and profitable and gracious in your lives here is the Shop of Vertues Officina virtutum whatever Grace or Vertue you want you may have in this Shop if you wil come for it Dost thou want hatred of sin here you may see it in its own colors and the reward thereof for if God spared not his own Son but he endured the Wrath of God and the very Torments of Hel when sin was but imputed to him O! what an Hel and flaming Fire shal those endure who have sin of their own and must bear it themselves And saies Gerard would you see the Torments of Hel the true punishment of sin Ito ad Montem Calvariae Go to Mount Calvary Or dost thou want Patience in thine Afflictions behold the Travel of Christ as a Lamb he opened not his mouth before the Shearer Or dost thou want a tender broken heart truly his heart is hard indeed which the sight of these breakings of Christ wil not break Hereby also you wil be engaged unto his Commandements and Ordinances For what are the Ordinances which now we enjoy but the Representation of a Suffering Christ whereby we hold forth the Lords Death til he come What is al our Preaching and your Hearing but of Christ crucified What is Baptism Lords Supper or any other Ordinances but that Bed wherein we have communion with a suffering Christ and shal Christ suffer such bitter things for us in his Soul and Body and shal we throw up those Ordinances whereby we are to have Communion with him in these Sufferings God forbid And hereby also you that are of a fearful heart may fully conclude the willingness of God to save Sinners For if God the Father had not been very willing he would never have put his own only Son to so great a Suffering for their Salvation What can be more abhorrent from the heart of a tender Father than to put his own only and obedient Son unto Death it goes to the heart of a tender Father to see his Child die I will not see the death of the Child said Hagar and she sate down over against him and lift up her voyce Gen. 21.16 and wept but to lay his own hands upon him in reference to his Death this is a grief beyond al expression yet this did God the Father do for he bruised his Son he put him to grief he smote him and he laid on him the iniquities of us al. Surely if God the Father had not been infinitely willing to save Sinners he would never have done a thing so contrary to him and if Christ himself were not willing he would never have suffered such hard things for their Salvation What is not a Woman willing to do for that Child whom she hath had a sore Travel for Now Christs Travel was a sore Travel surely therefore he is infinitely willing to save sinners and if God the Father be willing and Christ be willing then why should not every poor doubting drooping Soul say Lord I beleeve help thou mine unbelief I once doubted of thy Love because I doubted of thy willingness to save such as I am yea often have I put an If upon thy willingness saying with the Leper Lord if thou wilt thou canst make me clean But now I see thou art willing to save sinners why should I then doubt again And upon this account al poor sinners may be encouraged to come to Christ for if Christ did come down from Heaven for you wil he refuse you when you come to him If he have suffered such hard and bitter things for sinners do ye think he wil cast them away that do come to him surely he wil not O! what great encouragement doth this Doctrine proclaim unto al poor and great sinners for to come to Christ And hereby also your
Savior give this as a Reason why they did not beleeve because they were not of his Sheep 5. The Apostle Paul saith Rom. 10.14 How shal they beleeve in him of whom they have not heard and how shal they hear without a Preacher and how shall they preach except they be sent But now al the particular men in the world have not heard of a crucified Christ by the preaching of the Gospel And if it be said Yes but the Sun Moon and Stars do preach Christ as the Apostle saith in the same Chapter Their sound and words is gone forth into all the Earth I answer It 's true indeed that the Apostle doth here allude to that 19. Psalm where it 's said that the Voyce of the Sun Moon and Stars is gone forth unto al the Earth but the Apostle doth not contradict himself for he saith How can they beleeve in him of whom they have not heard and how can they hear without a Preacher and a Preacher sent If men can hear of Christ by the Preaching of the Sun Moon and Stars then they can hear of Christ without the preaching of one sent which he denies ver 14 15. And if the Sun Moon and Stars do preach Christ crucified then is the Matter of the Gospel no Divine Revelation And then why might not Adam beleeve in Christ in the state of Innocency the Sun Moon and Stars preach the same Doctrine now that they preached then and then the same that they preach now if therefore they do preach Christ crucified now then also they preached him in the state of Innocency and so Adam in the state of Innocency had a power to beleeve on Christ which the Maintainers of this Opinion deny Neither can it be said That if al men have not a Power to beleeve Quando homo non potest si volit propter voluntatem impossibilitas non imputatur si autem non vult propter impossibilitatem voluntas non excusatur Hugo de St. vict L. 2. de Sacr. part 14. Cap. 6. Cornel. Jansen August lib. 3. de gratia Christi salvatoris then God should be unjust in punishing so many for Unbelief for besides that al had a Power in Adam God doth punish and damn men for their will not for their want of Power for as Hugo observes wel when a man cannot if he wil for the wil the impossibility is not imputed but if he wil not for impossibility the wil is not excused Eightly Some again do think that Christ died to obtain a Power Dominion Smalcius Cateches Racov. de officio Christi Regio Theses Francis Davidis Thes 5. and Lord-ship over al things especially a power to forgive sins which he had not before his Death and that the next Effect of his Death was the obtainment of this Power and Dominion But this cannot be for if Christ had this Dominion Power and Lordship over al by vertue of the Hypostatical Vnion then it was not meri ed by his Death but this he had by that mysterious Union and therefore as soon as he was born the Angel said unto the Shepheards For unto you is born this day in the City of David the Savior which is Christ the Lord Luke 2.11 2. Christ did not merit for himself as the Protestants speak against the Papists for if Christ should merit such a glory and Dominion for himself then the Love of Christ to man in his Death would be much lessened it 's said indeed Dio non causam sed ordinem et consequentiam notat Acts 20.26 Heb. 3.7 2 Pet. 1.10 sic Luc. 24 26. oportuit illum pati et sic intrare sic sancti per multos tribulationes debent regnum ingâ—odi quae tamen hujus non sunt Causae Quistorp Annot. Bibl. in Psal 110. that upon his Suffering as a Consequent thereof or by way of Declaration say some God gave him a Name above every Name c. Phil. 2. but that relates to the former words also Who thought it no robbery to be equal with God yet took on him the form of a Servant verse 7. which notes the Hypostatical Union 3. If Christ bought in this Power and Dominion by his Death then he purchased it with his blood but his blood iâ— propitiatory and satisfactory not procuring Lordship and Dominion 4. The Power Lordship and Dominion which Christ hath is either Essential or Dispensatory and â—ediatorian His Essential Power and Lordship was not merited by his Death for he hath that as he is God and he had it before his Incarnation for Esaiah saw his Glory and did see him chap. 6. verse 5. For mine Eyes saith he have seen the King what King Even the Lord of Hosts verse 5. the holy holy holy Lord of Hosts which the Evangelist John doth apply unto Christ and tels us plainly that this Lord whom Esaiah saw was Christ Chap. 12.41 These things said Isaiah when he saw his Glory and spake of him His Mediatorian Power and Lordship could not be merited by his death for he was Mediator before he died and therefore had his Mediatorian Power before his Death 5. We find him actually possessed of this Power and Lordship over al before his death witness his casting out of Devils commanding Winds and Seas which obeyed him and his answer to the Owner of the Ass which he sent for Say the Lord hath need of him And 6. As for his Power to forgive sins as if he would on purpose obviate the Doctrine of the Socinians he doth declare it in so many words But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on Earth to forgive sins c. Matth. 9. Now if he had this Power on Earth then the obtainment of it was not the great and next Effect of his Death no nor any thing which his Soul travelled for in his Death Quest If these things be not the next and immediate Effects and Fruits of Christs Death and Sufferings what are and what is that Issue of his Death which he did presently see and was possessed of Answ Affirmatively Look what the first Adam destroyed that the Second Adam did build up again for his Seed the Second Adam recovered and gained that in a better Edition for his Seed which the first Adam lost from his Seed Therefore First As the first Adam by his Sin and Disobedience did break the Law of God affront his Justice and provoked the Anger and Wrath of God against his Posterity so the Second Adam did by his Obedience and Death satisfie the Law and Justice of God for al his Seed whom he died for which Satisfaction he did perform immediately For 1. When he died our sins were imputed to him and laid and charged on him for he was made sin for us who knew no sin 1 Cor. 5.21 that is the guilt of our sin was imputed to him The meaning of the words is not He was made a Sacrifice for it 's said that he knew
Testator Heb. 9.17 4. Then also the Miracles that Christ wrought and the Apostles preaching with the Gifts that Christ gave to them upon his Ascention should confirm the Covenant for saith the Apostle Heb. 2.3 How shall we escape if we neglect so great Salvation which at the first began to be preached by the Lord and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him God also bearing them witness both with signs and wonders and with divers Miracles and Gifts of the Holy Ghost verse 4. It seems then that the Truth of the Goâ—pel was confirmed to us by Miracles and the Apostles preaching yet the Miracles and preaching of the Apostles are not said in Scripture to confirm the Covenant which yet might very wel be said if Christs Death should confirm it by way of Testimony 5. If the Death of Christ doth confirm the Covenant by way of Testimony then the blood of Buls and Goats might have confirmed the Covenant for when God testified the Truth of his Promise to Adam Gen. 15. He said to him Take thee an Heifer of three years old and a shee Goat of three yeers old and a Turtle Dove and a yong Pidgeon and he took them and divided them in the mid'st ver 9 10. But the Apostle tels us plainly Heb. 9. That the blood of Buls and Goats could not confirm the Covenant 6. The Ordinance of the Lords Supper doth testifie Gods willingness to forgive sinners That Cup is the New Testament in Christs blood shed for many for the remission of sins But though the Lords Supper be a Seal of the Covenant sealing to us evidencing testifying and assuring us of Gods Love bâ— Christ yet it is not a Seal of the Covenant as Christs blood was which did not only â—eal to us but was a Seal of the Covenant it self as it lay between God the Father and him But if Christs death did only confirm the Covenant by way of Testimony then the Lords Supper might as wel be said to confirm the Covenant which is no where affirmed in the Scripture But 7. Look how the Obedience of the first Adam should have confirmed the Covenant in case he had stood and look how he broke that Covenant by his Disobedience so did the Death and Obedience of Christ the Second Adam confirm the new Covenant Now if the first Adam had stood and confirmed that Covenant he had confirmed it by performing the Condition of it and he brake it by not observing and not doing the Condition of it so the Second Adam Christ did confirm the new Covenant by his Death and in that by his Obedience he did perform the Condition of the New Covenant for his Seed Thus I say he confirmed the Covenant of Grace even by performing the Condition of it and this confirmation of the Covenant was the next and most immediate Fruit and Effect of his Death And thus you have seen both Negatively and Affirmatively what are not and what are the next and immediate Effects of the Death of Christ Secondly As for the remote Effects of the Death of Christ they are many As 1. Freedom from the Law Curse and the Wrath of God Gal. 3.13 1 Thes 1.10 2. Our Effectual Vocation or Calling 2 Tim 1.9 3. Our Justification and actual Reconciliation with God Rom. 5.1 Ephes 1.8 4. Our Sanctification and holiness of Soul and Life Ephes 5.25 26 27. Heb. 9.14 1 John 1.7 5. Our Adoption and al those Spiritual Priviledges whâ—ch belong to the Sons of God Gal. 4.4 5. 6. Our Peace Comfort and Freedom from Fears 1. Luk. 74.2 Heb. 14 And to name no more but this 7. Our Salvation in the World to come Heb. 9.15 Al which I cal the more remote Effects of the Death of Christ which though he did not presently see the obtainment of yet he shal surely see them And so I come to the Second thing propounded to be cleered and evidenced Viz. The Assurance of his Issue and the sight thereof Quest Having therefore seen what are the Fruits and Effects of the Death of Christ How may it appear that Christ shal certainly see the obtainment of these last Effects and what assurance had or hath he thereof Answ He had the Assurance of the Pre-salvation of many thousand Souls for when Christ died on the Cross many thousands were in Heaven upon the account of his Death God the Father took Christs word promising to die for sinners and so saved many aforehand As the Son died and took the Fathers Word for the Salvation of many after his Death so the Father took the Sons Word and saved many before his Death upon the account thereof Now when Christ died this pre-salvation of so many thousands was a great Assurance to him of the accomplishment and obtainment of al those things which he travelled for Secondly He had the Assurance also of his own Merit and his Fathers Faithfulness Merita Christi sunt causae omnium auxiliorum et totius gratiae quae in Natura lapsa conferuntur hominibus et idem dicendum de omnibus dispositionibus tam proximis quam remotis justificantem gratiam antecedentibus et de augmento gratiae Meruit gratiam et gloriam Thom Aquin. quest Q. 29. de gratia Châ—isti art 7. ad arg 8. Scotus Lib. 3. dist 19 qu. unica Altissiod Lib 3. Tract 1. quest 7. Aâ—uarez de anxil disput 29 Conclus 1. Molina de Lib art 6. concord qu. 23. ar 4 5 disp 2 conclu Vasquez in 3 part Thom. Tom. 1. disput 77. cap. 2. 3 4. Suarez in 3. part Thom. disput 41. Sect. 2 3. Astunicens de gratia Christi q. 5. 2 conclus Râ—ph Aversa pars prima qu 23. sect 15. Aureolus Lib. 3. in sent dist 20 q 1. Roder. de Ariaga in part 3. Thom. Tâ—â— 6 477 Zumel in 1 part Thom. qu 23. art 5. Bâ—nner in 1 part Thom. qu 23 art 5. Tâ—nnerus disput de incarnat q. 6 dub 5. Tom 4. T B Medina in 3. part Tho. 9. q 19 art 4. â—â—râ—aâ—iens in â— qu. contra Gent. Lib. 4 Cap. 55. Si qâ—is dixâ—â—it eandem gratiam Dâ—i â—eâ— Jâ—â—um Christum Dominum nostâ—um propter hoc taâ—uÌ„ nos acjuvaâ—e ad noâ— peccandum quod pâ—r ipsâ—m nobis revelatur â—t â—peâ—â—tur intelligentâ—a mâ—ndâ—toâ—umâ—â—â— sciamus quid appeâ—â—re quid vitare dâ—beanâ—us non autem per iliam nobis prâ—staâ—i ut quod fâ—ciendum cognovâ—timus etiam facere diligamus atque valeanius anathema â—it cum enim dicit Apostolus scientia â—â—slat charitas vero edificat valde impium est uâ—câ—edamus ad eam quae inslat nos habere gâ—atiam Christi ad eam quae edificat non habere cum sit utrumque donum Dei et scire quae facere debeamus et diligere ut faciamus Concil Milevitan 2. can 4. Bin. Tom. 1. For 1. He did not only merit Heaven and Salvation for those whom he died for but he merited Grace Holiness and Regeneration
coming from the root 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifying to run up and down to and fro with solicitude and carefulness as the Wife doth run up and down looking to and caring for her sick Husband being afflicted with him in al his afflictions So Christ doth carefully tender and is solicitous for the Saints good his heart as it were running up and down for them and being afflicted with them in al their afflictions she saith here and his desire or his running up and down affection is towards me Now what greater argument of delight and contentment can there be Is it not an high expression of his delight and satisfaction in them to spend and lay out his time and eternity for them and on them Thus it is before he came into the World he saith Prov. 8.31 I was by him rejoycing in the Habitable Parts of his Earth and my delights were with the Sons of Men When he came into the World he came to and for them Isa 9. For unto us a Child is born unto us a Son is given while he lived here he lived for them Behold thy King comes to thee meekly riding on an Ass when he died he died for them The Just for the unjust he died for our sins and when he rose again he rose for them who died for our sins saith the Apostle and rose again for our Justification when he went to Heaven he went for them I go to prepare a place for you saith he John 14. when he ascended he did ascend for them that he might give Gifts unto men and when he appeared before the Father he did appear for them Heb. 9.24 and now he continues in Heaven for them Seeing he ever liveth saith the Apostle to make Intercession for us Heb. 7 there he negotiates for them stil and doth transact al their business why should not we negotiate for him on Earth who doth negotiate for us in Heaven why should not we spend of al our time for him who hath and doth spend of the daies of his Eternity for us But if Christ do thus spend and lay out himself and day and time and eternity for his Seed then surely he doth and must needs take much contentment and satisfaction in them Is it not a great Argument of his delight and satisfaction in his Seed that he wil not suffer a cold wind to blow upon them to hurt them When a Mother is so render of her Child that she wil not suffer a cold wind to blow upon it you say see how she loves and delights in that Child Now Christ hath said concerning his People He that toucheth you toucheth the Apple of mine Eye Zach. 2. The Eye of man is the most tender part you know and men are the most tender of that but I pray observe what kind of men they were that Christ was thus tender of in Deut. 32.10 it 's said that God kept the People of Israel in the Wilderness as the Apple of his Eye There they were in a low and sad condition yet there was the Love of their youth expressed in following God but now these men were in Babylon and they were that part of the People of the Jews which did stay behind when others were gone to re-build the Temple and through Unbelief did this part stay behind therefore saith the Prophet verse 6. Come forth and flee from the Land of the North yet concerning these even these rebellious and unbeleeving Residue doth the Lord say He that toucheth you toucheth the Apple of mine Eye verse 8. Surely then if Christ had â—uch tender care of theâ—e in reference to al that might touch or hurt them I may truly say in regard of his Seed he wil not suffer a cold wind for to blow upon them herein is his delight and love manifested The neglect of himself whilst he lived in reference unto their good and Salvation speaks thus much also If a Child be fallen into the fire or water the Mother laies by al other business to pul it out she laies by her very Meat and Drink and dressing forgets and neglects her self til she have obtained the safety of her Child and this argues her delight in it So it was with Christ in the daies of his flesh he forgâ—t and neglected himself altogether til he had setled the great business of Mans Salvation I have Meat to eat that ye know not of saith he he had not whereon to lay his Head and did not mind himself but was restless til he had set al things in safety in reference to the Salvation of his Seed why but because of that great delight and satisfaction which he took in his work and their good And when he went away and could no longer stay here on Earth he left his Seed a blessed Token of Love which he would have them wear in their Bosoms til he comes again I mean the Lords Supper Do this as oft as ye do it saith he in remembrance of me When a Man goes from a place and doth leave his Friends he bestows some token of Love upon his best Friends or if he die he gives his choyce and beloved Friend a Token of Remembrance he doth not so by those whom he loves not but by such as he loves much and delights in Thus did our Savior Christ when he went away and died he left a Crucifix as I may so cal it this Ordinance of the Supper to be worn in the Bosom of al the Churches as a Memorial or Remembrance of him The Socinians who are Enemies to the Cross of Christ Ex istis Pauli verbis apparet graviter errasse illos qui existimarunt verbum ut vulgata et Erasmi interpretatio habet commemorationem quod in Graeco est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mutari debere in recordationem neque enim dicit Paulus mortem Domini recordamini c. Non est igitur quod quis ex verbo illo colligat ernam Domini in eum finem institutum fuisse ut nobis suggerat et in memoriam revocet mortem ipsius Domini id quod nulla alioqui sacratum litterarum authoritate nullave ratione probari potest Faust Socinus de usu et fine â—â—nae Domini tel us that the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Remembrance should rather be translated Celebration do this in the Celebration of me and that the word doth signifie Celebration and not Remembrance but if ye look into Heb. 10.3 ye shal find it 's said But in those Sacrifices there is a remembrance again made of sin every year it is the same word that is used for the Lords Supper and should it be translated a Celebration there should the words be read thus but in these Sacrifices there is a Celebration of sin every year surely no wel then is the word translated in the Institution of the Lords Supper do this in remembrance of me and in that Christ hath left such a remembrance for his Seed
what doth this argue but that they should delight in him as he doth delight in them And lastly Is it not a very great and high expression of his Love and delight in them that he carried al their names upon his heart into the presence of God the Father owning and Interceding for them When the High Priest went into the Holy of Holies he carried the Names of the Twelve Tribes upon his Breast-plate and with the Blood of the Sacrifice he sprinkled the Mercy Seat seven times and prayed for them So when our great High Priest went into Heaven he did carry the Names of al those whom he died for sprinkling the Mercy Seat seven times for them and doth yet pray and intercede for such of them as are not in Heaven and as if al this were not enough he did presently send the Comforter another Advocate to intercede within them Rom. 8. that aâ— he took their flesh upon him and was made one with them so they should take of his Spirit and be made one with him Now can â—his and al these things be without great contentment and delight in them Surely the delight and Satisfaction which Christ takes in his Seed is exceeding great and very ful Prov. 8. he saith his delights in the plural Number are in them and Psal 16. he saith all his delight is in them Quest But why and upon what account doth our Lord and Savior Christ take such delight and satisfaction in his Seed Answ He hath travelled for them saith this Doctrine and wil ye ask why a Woman takes so much delight in the Child which she hath had a sore Travel for without doubt this delight is not raised from any worth in themselves considered But They are his own and men do naturally delight in their own Now they are not his own only as a mans Goods are his own Pâ—oprietas delectationis causa but they are his own as his Wife is his own and his own Body They are given him of the Father a man loves and delights much in that which is given him by a most precious Friend such is the Father and saith Christ Thine they were and thou gavest them to me They are related to him with al the Relations of Love they are his Brethren He is not ashamed to call them Brethren Heb. 2. Unumquodque in quantuÌ„ amatur efficitur delectabile Aquin. They are his Children Behold I and the Children whom God hath given me saith he Heb. 2. They are his Spouse Ephes 5. A man loves and delights in him that is related to him but with one single Relation but if one person could be invested with all relations of Love he would be much delighted in Thus it is with the Seed of Christ when they beleeve for so I speak of them now they are related to him with al the Relations of Love If any man saith Christ hear my words and do them he is my Mother and Brother and Sister Yea They are one with him he with them and they with him one with the greatest oneness of mutual In-being I in you and you in me saith Christ And they are very like him too and suitable to him al delight arises from a conjunction of suitables Christ Omnis delectatio oritur ex conjunctione convenientis cum convenienti Aquin. and his beleeving Seed are not only joyned into one but in this Union there is a Conjunction of suitables Christ suiting with them and they with him again being of the same mind and affection Doth Christ say unto his Spouse Cant. 4.10 Thy Love is better than Wine so doth the Spouse say to him Cant. 1.2 Thy Love is better than Wine Doth he say to his Spouse Thou art all fair my Love there is no spot in thee Cant. 4.7 so doth she say of him He is altogether lovely Cant. 5.16 Doth he contemplate her Beauty Cant. 4. so doth she contemplate his Beauty Cant. 5. Only herein he doth exceed even as David exceeded Jonathan yet there is an answerableness of Affection between Christ and his Seed By them also I mean his beleeving Seed he liveth Da mihi filios quod si non morior ego Gen. 30. motior 1. è memoria mei plane emorietur et onliterabitur dum enim parentes post se relinqunt filios in illis quafi adhuc vivere et superesse viden ur untle vulgo apud Hebraeos jâ—ctata est sententia cui non sunt liberi perinde est ac si mortuus sit et Hebraei dicunt qui non habet filios non est aedificatus sed quasi d ssipatus Paulus Fag in Ch. Paraphr in Gen. 30. Psal 72.17 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 filiabitur nomen ejus Ar. Montan. and his Name is continued and born up in the World unto al Generations He shal prolong his daies saith Iâ—aiah 53.10 But how so He shal see his Seed and so shal prolong his daies His Name shall continue for ever saith the Psal 72.17 But how so even by the continual filiation of his Seed and Name Now if he do yet live in them and they only do hear up his Name in the World then no wonder that our Lord and Savior Christ doth take so much delight contentment and satisfaction in them surely his delight in them is beyond al expression for saith he Cant. 7.6 How fair and how pleasant art thou O Love for delights Secondly As for the Issue of Christ which he travelled for namely The Fruits and Effects of his Death his delight and satisfaction must needs be great in the sight thereof For Thereby he sees the good pleasure of God prosper in his hands Isa 53.10 He shall see his Seed and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his Hands a good man delights to see the work of God prosper in his hands and the greater the work is and the more it prospers the more delight he hath and contentment and when doth the Work of God prosper in a mans hands but when it attaineth the ends and due effects thereof Now the work that Christ under took was the greatest work in the world and it was God the Fathers Work insomuch as Christ is called his Servant and saith Christ Lo I come to do thy Will Whenever therefore he sees the Travel of his Soul in the saving effects thereof then he sees the good pleasure of the Lord prospering in his hands and so his heart is at rest Thereby the reproach is rowled away from his Sufferings great was the Scandal of the Cross the greatest scandal that ever was and the greatest reproach cast upon it that ever was It was a reproach to a Woman to be barren but when she brought forth a Child her reproach was rowled away So when the Cross and Sufferings of Christ do bring forth then the reproach and scandal of the Cross is rowled away and therefore when Christ doth see the Travel of his Soul in the effects thereof
onely so far discouraged as to refuse comfort for soul and body but my soul refuseth Duty and casts off Duty too for the present Answ 3 Thirdly therefore It is possible that a good and gracious mans discouragments may extend thus far too You wil think it strange that I find an instance for this in that holy man Jeremiah yet if you look into Jer. 20.7.8 and 9. verses you find it made good Indeed saith he The word was as fire in my bones and I could not forbear But for the time he did resolve to forbear preaching in the name of God which was his duty which he had commission to do for saies he I wil not make mention of him nor speak any more in his name This Holy Gracious man was under temptation he was much discouraged and thereupon he said so Yet verse 13. he saith Sing to the Lord praise the Lord for he hath delivered the soul of the poor from the hand of evil doers But then mark the next words Cursed be the day wherein I was born let not the day wherein my mother bare me be blessed Cursed be the man who brought tidings to my Father saying A man child is born to thee What a sudden change was here even in the best of the Saints from incouragments to discouragements O! but I have not only cursed the day of my birth as Jeremie and wished that I had never been born But I am weary of my life and have sought after mine own death and was there ever any Godly Gracious man that was thus discouraged and cast down Answ 4 Yes What think you of Job I was weary of my life Job 10.1 And in the 3. Job pouring out his complaint in regard of himself he saith vers 20. Wherefore is light given to him that is in misery and life to the bitter in soul vers 21. Which long for death but it cometh not and dig for it more than for hid treasures Now ye know that those which dig for Gold and Silver dig industriously and earnestly Thus it is with me saies Job I am so afflicted and distressed and in such bitterness of soul that I long for death and dig for it as for hid treasures O! what a mighty deep of discouragments may the Saints and people of God fal into and yet be Godly Gracious Quest 2 But why doth God suffer his own people and dearest children to be thus discouraged and their peace to be interrupted I know wil some say that al our present joy and comfort is but a creature and so may be ecclipsed and that Satan is near unto the best of Gods children thrusting and pushing them forward into these discouragments that they may be like unto himself who is a discouraged Spirit Answ Sic verus justitiae Sol nonnunquam oritur ad nos accedit a liquando rursus a nostro climaâ—e aberrat utrumque tamen benesicium nostrum est Frumentum in Terram jactum eget aliquo tempore ut congelatur induretur aliquo etiam ut molliatur neutrum illi obest utrumque nâ—cessarium est unum ut crescat alterum ut Radices agat Granat but why will God suffer it to be so In General It is for their good for their good they have and for their good they do want their Peace and Comfort The Star which led the wise men to Christ did not alwaies go before them but somtimes it appeared somtimes it was hidden from them but both appearance and hiding was for their benefit its first appearance invited them to Christ and its withdrawance made them more diligent in seeking after him So when Christ hid himself from his Mother Mary she sought him the more and when she found him she rejoyced the more but both his absence and his presence her fear and her comfort was for her good for his absence did encrease and draw out her desires and his presence did encrease and draw out her joyes When God is absent from us then we have testimonies of our Love to God by our desires after him and when he is present then we have testimonies of his Love to us by the shines of his Countenance so that whether God shines or not whether we have comfort or not both is for our good Thus in the General but yet more Particularly First Ye know it is Gods way and manner to deal with the Children of men according to their own dispositions to stoop and condescend unto their infirmities Therefore saies the Prophet Hosea Hos 11.4 He draws us with the Cords of a man Now it is mans disposition to come to God at the second hand So long as man can find a fulness in any Creature he comes not to God but first he sees an emptiness in the Creature Duty and Ordinance and then he saies O what a fulness is in God himself in Christ himself 1 Tim. 5.5 The Widdow that is desolate trusteth in God though a Widdow yet if not desolate somtimes she would not trust and therefore God suffers a desolation to come upon her Widdowhood When Davids men took up stones to have stoned him then the Text saies He encouraged himself in the Lord his God 1 Sam. 30.6 So long as man hath encouragement els-where he doth not encourage himself in the Lord his God This being mans Nature and God having a design of Love upon his own Children he suffers a damp and discouragement to pass upon all their Comforts their Peace to be interrupted their hearts disquieted and their souls discouraged that so they may encourage themselves in God alone Secondly This inward Peace and quietness of soul is so great a Commodity that God would have the price to be inhanced and raised Common and ordinary blessings once lost and found again are extraordinary It is a common and ordinary mercy that a man sits in his Shop and walks up and down in his Trade but if he be sick a while lose his health and not able for five or six weeks to look into his Shop if then he can get down but one day O saies he what an extraordinary mercy and blessing is it that I should go down again Thus the interruption of an ordinary blessing does raise it to an extraordinary So long as a man hath his health and strength though he be able to travel forty fifty three-score miles a day he is not much affected therewith but if he be sick a little and at deaths door and then begins to recover though he can but put forth his Hand or stir his Leg he blesses God and saies O Friends I can stir my self in my bed I can move my Hand or my Leg what an extraordinary mercy and blessing is this So in this caie So long as a man hath inward Peace and quietness of soul without interruption he looks upon it as a common mercy and blessing but if his Peace be a little interrupted and his soul buffeted by Satan
by feeling but by faith it is the Duty of a Christian to begin with Faith and so to riâ—e up to feeling you would begin with feeling and so come down to faith but you must begin with faith and so rise up to feeling And I pray tell me Is it not sufficient to be as our Master was Did not Christ want the sence of Gods Love when he said My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Yea had not Christ the sence of Gods Anger upon him when he did perform the greatest act of Obedience that ever the Sun saw yet did he then say I am not the Child of God because I want the sence of Gods Love because I am under the sence of Gods Anger No but with the same breath that he said he was forsaken he said My God my God and at the same time he called God Father Father forgive them c. So may you do though God hath forsaken you though you want the sence of his Love yea and are under the sence of Gods Anger yet at the same time you may say the Lord is my Father and you may go to him as your Father and if ye can say God is my Father have ye any reason for your Discouragements Yet how often are Gods own People discouraged and cast down O! you that are the Disciples of Christ labor more and more to follow your Master and as David here so do you often say Why art thou cast down O my soul Answ 2 Secondly What a mighty vast difference is there between a Godly man and a wicked upon this account A godly gracious man hath no reason for his discouragements whatever his Condition be a wicked man hath no reason for his encouragement whatever his Condition be A gracious man is apt to be much discouraged but he hath no true reason for it a wicked man is apt to be much encouraged but he hath no true reason for it It 's said of the wicked Psalm 7. God is angry with the wicked every day whatever the day be God is angry with them though it be a day of Fasting and Prayer yet then is God angry with them though it be a day of Praises and of Thanksgiving then is God angry with them when he sins most and when he sins least God is angry with him not one day goes over his head but God is angry with him and one blow or another that Gods Anger reacheth forth to him every day he doth not alwaies feel those blows but God is smiting of him and is angry with hâ—â—â— every day and therefore whatever his condition be there is no reason for his encouragement Suppose a man were in Priâ—on committed for some great Offence and condemned to die under the diâ—pleasure of his Prince or State and his Servant should come unto him saying Sir Be of good Comfort your Wife is well at home you have very sweet children an excellent Crop of Corn your Neighbors love you deerly your Sheep and Cattel thrive and al your Houses are in good repair and order would he not answer that Servant and say What 's all this so long as I am condemned to die Thus it is with every wicked man he is under the displeasure of the great God a condemned man and God is angry with him every day and if his heart were open to be sensible of it he would say you tell me of my Friends and Goods and Name and Trade but what is al this so long as I am a condemned person and God is angry with me every day I rise but for the present he feeleth not his displeasure is not sensible of it yet let him know that there is a day a coming when he will find the Truth of this matter no reason for his encouragement whatever his condition be And as Saul once cryed out saying God hath forsaken me and the Philistins are upon me so shal he cry out and say God hath forsaken my soul temptations are now upon me my sins and guilt are upon me God hath forsaken me and the Devils are now upon me But now as for a godly gracious man though his condition be never so sad and his soul never so much cast down yet he hath no reason to be discouraged I say whatever his condition be what a glorious condition are the Saints in who would not be in love with this condition who would not be in Christ who would not leave the waies of the wicked who would not be Godly O! you that are ungodly labor to become Godly Answ 3 Thirdly The exhortation is specially directed to the Saints and with you I must leave a word of exhortation Take heed and beware of discouragements of being cast down you have no reason for it much reason against it Thereby You rejoyce the heart of Satan he claps his hands and laughs to see you cast down now O now faith he this man is like to me I am a despairing spirit and so is he I am discouraged and cast down and so is he he stands triumphing over you to see you under these discouragements when you are sad he is glad And as you rejoyce the heart of Satan so you grieve the heart of God one friend is grieved at the grief sorrow and discouragement of another and the more real friendship the greater is the affliction and trouble of the one if the other be grieved now God is the friend of the faithful Abraham the friend of God actively passively God was a friend to him and he a friend to God So with al beleevers Christ is their friend Hence-forth cal I you no more Servants but friends saith Christ and the Holy Ghost is their friend for it is the Spirit that comes and dwels in them and manifests himself to them and we are said to grieve the spirit As God is the worst enemy so he is the best friend the truest friend the most real friend in al the world therefore when you are cast down and discouraged ye grieve him you grieve the Father you grieve the Son you grieve the Spirit and do you know what you do when you grieve the Lord is it nothing to grieve such a friend Thereby you do in some measure yea in a great measure make void and frustrate the end of Christs coming who came not onely to free us from hell but from our present fears That being delivered out of the hands of our enemies we might serve him without fear Luke 1. And wil you then go drooping discouraged bowed down under your fears al your dayes Thereby you unfit your selves for the service of Christ the Passover of old was not to be eaten with any old leaven the old leaven was to be purged our and none that were sad and sorrowful were to eat of the holy things Now saith the Apostle Christ our passover is Sacrificed for us therefore let us keep the feast that is the Gospel feast not with old leaven
mind the Publique too A strong Christian is able to wait long on God he that waiteth long with quietness honors God but as your weaker Children cannot stay long for what they would have but must be served presently so the weak Christian also cannot wait long on God for what he would have but the strong Christian doth A Strong Christian is helpful unto others We that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak Rom. 15.1 And again Him that is weak in the faith receive you Chap. 14.1 Children and babes are fit to be carried in others armes but are not able to carry others The weak Christian is apt to be offended with others to censure and judg others and so to make burdens for others to bear Rom. 14.1.2 but the strong Christian is a bearing Christian a carrying Christian one that can displease himself that he may help another Now the more serviceable and helpful a man is to others the more he Glorifies God Thus the strong Christian is but the weak cannot in al these things give Glory to God as the strong Christian may Surely therefore there are many disadvantages which a weak Christian lyes under that the strong Christian doth not Secondly Yet there is no reason why he should be discouragâ—d For Weakness doth not exclude from mercy but inclines God unto mercy rather Psal 6.2 Have mercy on me O Lord for I am weak It is spoken of an out-ward weakness and iâ— that which is less doth incline God to mercy then much more that which is greater And if he have as great an Interest in Christ as many promises to run unto and as many embraces of love from God the Father as the strong Christian hath then there is no just cause why he should be cast down in regard of his weakness Now so it is though your Grace be never so weak yet if ye have truth of Grace you have as great a share and interest in the righteousness of Christ for your justification as the strong Christian hath You have as much of Christ imputed to you as any other It may be you have gathered less of this Manna for your spending Sanctifycation but if you be an Israelite indeed you have so much of this Manna as that you have no lack for it 's said of the Israelites They gathered some more some less yet he that gathered much Exod. 16.18 had nothing over and he that gathered little had no lack al which figured that equal proportion saith Mr. Ainsworth which al beleevers have in Christ the spiritual Manna And if ye look into Scripture Where doth Gods promises fal more thick than upon those that are weak in Grace Christ begins his Preaching with the Promises Math. 5. and I pray what are those persons whom the promises are especially made unto but such as are weak in Grace Blessed are the poor in spirit Blessed are those that hunger and thirst after righteousness Blessed are those that mourn He doth not say Blessed are those that are strong in Grace or Blessed are those that rejoyce in God or those that have ful assurance of their everlasting estate and condition No but as if his great work and business were to comfort uphold and strengthen the weak these he begins withal and many Gracious Rich and blessed Promises he doth make to them Yea the Promises are so made to them as attended to wil give a ful answer unto al their fears as for example The Lord Promises Math. 12. That he wil not break the bruised reed c. Wil the weak Christian say O! but I am exceeding weak and very feeble then our Savior saies He wil not break the bruised reed And what more weak and feeble than a bruised reed an whol reed is not vâ—ry strong at the best but bruised it is weak indeed Wil the weak Christian say O! but my weakness is mingled with many sins 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Matth. 7.5 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Matth. 9.38 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Matth. 10.5 so the fire in the smoaking flax is mingled with smoak yet saies Christ I wil not quench the smoaking flax Wil the weak Christian say O! but though God do not quench me yet I shal be quenched nay saith Christ But I wil bring forth judgment to victory it lyes on my hand to do it and I wil do it Wil the weak Christian say O! but I have much opposition in my way how can judgment come to victory then Christ saies he wil bring forth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thurst forth with violence it 's the same word that is used in other Scriptures noting a force as if Christ should say I wil force this victory through al opposition that it shal meet withal So that the Lord doth not only give several promises to those that are weak in Grace but he doth so lay them as he doth help to apply them And if ye look into your Experience Who have more kisses and embraces of Love from God our Father than the weak Christian hath The Parent kisseth the Babe and liâ—tle Child when the elder Child is not kissed for saies he this is but a little Child And so when the Prodigal comes home then the Father falls upon his neck and kisses him why but because upon his first return he is a Babe in Christ This is my little Child saith the Father and therfore I wil kiss him with the kisses of my mouth Thirdly And though it be a great affliction to be weak in Grace yet if Christ wil condescend unto mine infirmities why should I be discouraged in regard thereof Condescending Mercy is great and sweet Mercy Now though God doth shew mercy unto all his People yet he wil do it by Christ as an High-Priest and what is the work and Office of the High-Priest but to sympathize and bear with the infirmities of those that are weak We have not such an High-Priest saies the Apostle as cannot be touched with our infirmities Three things there are Heb. 4.15 which do speak out the condescending Love of God to those that are weak in Grace 1. He accepts their Duties though mingled with many weaknesses and their Services though they grow upon a weak Stock Revel 3.8 Christus fidem etiamsi infirmam fovet I know thy Works saith Christ to the Church of Philadelphia for thou hast a little strength and hast kept my word and hast not denied my Name 2. The Lord doth not over-drive those that are weak but is contented to go their pace with them Esai 40.11 He shall gather the Lambs in his Arms and carry them in his Bosom and shall gently lead those that are with yong 3. He doth somtimes yea often times yield unto their desires going as it were after them Matth. 9.18 There came a certain Ruler and worshipped him saying My Daughter is now dead but come and lay thine hand on her and Jesus arose and followed him The
event to God Go to prayer go and perform thy duty leaving the event of that unto God and the Lord that hath promised wil certainly fulfil it thou shalt be sustained and though thou art moved for the present thou shalt not be moved forever And thus I have done with the Third Instance A LIFTING UP IN THE Want of Assurance Sermon VII PSALM 42.11 Why art thou cast down O my Soul Stepney May 21. 1648. and why art thou disquieted within me c. Instance 4 SOmetimes the discouragements of Gods people are drawn From the want of their Evidence for Heaven And thus they reason or argue I am a poor creature who do want Assurance oâ— the love of God and of mine own Salvation therefore I am thus discouraged indeed if I had any evidence of an interest in Christ I should never be discouraged whatever my condition were but alas I want the Assurance of Gods love and of eternal life should I now die I do not know whether I should go to Heaven or Hell and what would become of my soul to al eternity O! I want Assurance of my Salvation and therefore I am thus discouraged have I not just cause and reason for my discouragements now Answ No no reason yet It is indeed a great evil and a sore affliction to want the Assurance of Gods love and of ones own Salvation yet notwithstanding the want of this Assurance is no sufficient ground or bottom for your discouragement I confess it is a great evil and a sore affliction for a man to want Assurance for sin and affliction are twisted together in the want of Assurance As of al blessings those are the greatest where Grace and comfort are joyned together so where sin and affliction are twisted together of al afflictions they are the most afflictive and thus it is in the want of Assurance for as in Assurance there is somthing of Grace and somthing of comfort or reward so in the want of Assurance there is somwhat of sin or unbelief and somwhat of affliction too sin and affliction affliction and sin are both twisted together in the want of Assurance The truth is a man that wants the Assurance of Gods love and of his interest in Christ is neither fit to receive mercy from God nor to make return of love and praise to God as he should Not fit to receive mercy as he should for though he would have Christ come in yet by unbelief he shuts the door against him and he makes an evil interpretation of mercies offered unto him if a mercy or blessing be tendered unto him he saith this comes in judgment to me it is a blessing indeed in it self but I fear it is a judgment to me Thus he makes an il interpretation of blessings and so unfit to receive And he is not fit to make returns of love to God again Assurance returns praise And therefore saith the text here O! my soul wait on God hope in God for I shal yet praise him why for he is my God praise grows upon assurance and upon this account I say he is neither fit to receive mercy nor to make return of praise as he should Yea further He that wants Assurance of Gods love converseth too much with Satan as he that hath the Assurance of Gods love doth converse with Christ the spirit bearing witness to him that he is the Child of God So he that doth want Assurance converseth with Satan and Sacan though falsly is stil bearing witness to his spirit that he is not the child of God and is it not a misery to be in these converses with Satan to be under his hellish droppings David felt one pang of unbelief and he cryed out and said It is too painful for me O! what a pain is it then to lie bed-rid of an unbeleeving heart you know a chast and a loving wife counts it an affliction to her to be followed with the solicitations of an unworthy person to suspect and be jealous of her husbands love for saith she he doth therefore follow me with these solicitations makeing me to suspect my husbands love that so he may attain his own filthy desires So saith a gracious soul the Devil is alwaies following and tempting me to suspect the Love of Christ and he doth therefore do it that he may attain his mind upon me for the Devil knows wel enough that the more I suspect Christs Love the more I shal embrace Satans love The truth is Beloved this want of Assurance of Gods Love or Interest in Christ is an in-let to many sins and miseries for first a man doubts of his own Salvation and after he hath continued doubting then he riseth up unto a full conclusion saying now know I that Christ doth not love me I did but doubt before but now I know he doth not love me And after he is risen to this conclusion then shortly he riseth higher and he goes further thus If Christ doth not love me now he will never love me and if I have not interest in Christ now after all the Preaching I have heard and Ordinances enjoyed if I have not an Interest in Christ now I shal never have it and so the longer I live the more I aggravate my condemnation therefore as good in Hel at first as at the last and therefore now I wil even make a way my self O! what a black Chain is here and the first link is the want of Assurance If you should see a Child â— pretty Child lie in the open streets and none own it would it not make your Bowels yern within you Come to the little one and say Child where 's thy Father I know not saith the Child Where 's thy Mother Child I know not Who is thy Father what 's thy Fathers name Child I know not Would it not make your heart ake to see such a little one in the streets But for a poor soul to lie in the street as it were and not know his Father whether God be his Father or the Devil be his Father for a soul to say I do not know my Father whether God in Christ be my Father yea or no this is pitiful indeed The word Father is a sweet word for it sweetens all our Duties take the word Father out of Prayer and how sour is it Surely therefore it is a sad and sore affliction to want the Assurance of Gods Love in Christ But now although it be a great evil and a sore Affliction for to want this Assurance yet I say the Saints and People of God have no reason to be cast down or discouraged although they do want the same Quest How may that appear Answ 1 First thus If the want of Assurance be not the damning unbelief then a man hath no reason to be quite discouraged although he do want Assurance Now though there may be much unbelief bound up in the want of Assurance yet I say the bare want of
reading of a Story although it doth not concern him for saith he although this Story doth not concern me yet I take a complacency and contentment in the reading of it because here I read of the Valor of such a man and of the Faithfulness of such a man to his friend and of the excellent Carriages and Vertues of men Now my Beloved is there no excellency in God himself to content the soul Is there no Faithfulness in God Is there no Love and Mercy in God himself Is not the Lord the God of all Consolation and God of Mercy without relation to my Condition Is there not an Ocean of Excellent Love and Grace in God himself How many sweet Stories of Love and Grace may you read in this little Book of the Bible Besides a man that hath no Assurance now and then may have some Promise thrown into his Soul to uphold him with When Elijah was by the Brook and could not enjoy the ordinary meat of the Land a Raven brought him meat And when ever was any godly man in such a condition but he had one Raven or other to bring him Comfort Somtimes a Temptation is a Raven God makes it so somtimes a Desertion is a Raven somtimes Affliction somtimes a Particular Word and Promise is thrown into his soul and is there no comfort there I say though a man do want Assurance for the present he may live comfortably Surely therefore a Godly man hath no reason for his discouragement although for the present he doth want Assurance Object But I do not only want this setled Assurance of Gods Love and so the ordinary food of the Land but I have no Raven to bring me any Comfort I mean I have no Promise no particular Word to bring in Comfort unto my soul and to uphold me in my dark condition thâ—â—gh I do want a setled Assurance yet if I had a particular Word and Promise to uphold my soul until I had this Assurance I should not be discouraged but I want this setled Assurance and I have no particular Word or Promise to uphold my soul with until it come and therefore I am thus discouraged have I not reason now Answ 1 I Answer No. For Christian what particular Word or Promise would'st thou have Have ye not the whol Gospel before you a bag of Golden Promises A Father hath two Children and he comes unto one and gives unto that Child a piece of Gold there Child saith he supply thy want with that but unto the other Child he saith here Child I know thou are in want and there are Bags of Silver and Gold in my Study take the Key of my Study and go in and take what thou wilt Is not this latter in as good a condition as the former or rather better Thus it is with the Saints the Lord is pleased to give now and then a particular Word to some of his Children but unto others he saith rather Here take the Key of Faith for Faith is the Key and hath a power to unlock all the Promises I give thee Faith and by this Faith I give thee a power to go into all my Promises Is not this latter in as good a Condition as the other Thus it is I say with all the Servants of God Having therefore these Promises saith the Apostle c. 2. Cor. 7.1 Answ 2 Secondly If the Promise of Grace do belong to you then you cannot say I have no Word no Promise to uphold me with Now that the Promise of Grace doth belong to you is cleared thus 1. Your very resting on the Promise makes it to belong to you and it becomes yours by your resting on it but you do or have rested on the Promise 2. If the Command doth belong to you then why not the Promise Doth not the Word of Commandement belong to you viz. Thou shalt not kill Thou shalt not steal Thou shalt not commit adultery Doth this word of Command belong to you Yea surely for the Command saith Thou and Thou and Thou shalt not c. and that word Thou doth include Me the word of Promise hath its Thou and Thee and Thy also Psal 37. Trust in the Lord and do good so shalt Thou dwell in the Land and verily Thou shalt be fed ver 3. Delight Thy self in the Lord and he shall give Thee the desire of Thy heart ver 5. And if you put your self within the compass of the Commandements Thou God will put you within the compass of the Promises Thou 3. If you may and it be your Duty to rest on the Promise then it belongs to you now you may rest on the Promise of Grace and Holiness for Sanctification and it is your Duty so to do else it were no sin not to rest on the Promise but unbelief and not resting on the Promise is a sin only ye must know that there is a great difference between the Promise of Consolation and the Promise of Sanctification to apply the Promise of Comfort without endeavor after Holiness is presumption but to apply the Promise of Sanctification that I may be more holy is no presumption but my Duty and if it be your Duty to apply and rest on this Promise then it belongs to you Object 2 O! but yet When I go unto the Word or the Scripture I find that Gods Promise still runs upon some Condition and I cannot perform that Condition I do not find that condition in my self and therefore I fear that I may not go unto these Promises and that I have no right to them Answ 1 But what if a good and gracious man may apply a Conditional Promise although he hath not performed the Condition Pray look into Nehemiah chap. 1 and there you will find That the Jews being in Captivity Nehemiah goes unto God in prayer and doth press the Promise which God had made unto the Jews by his Servant Moses verse 8. Remember I beseech thee thy Word that thou commandedst thy Servant Moses saying If ye transgress I wil scatter ye abroad among the Nations but if ye turn unto me and keep my Commandements and do them though there were of you cast unto the utmost part of the Earth yet will I gather them from thence and I will bring them unto the place that I have chosen to set my Name there Now these are thy Servants and thy People whom thou hast redeemed by thy great Power The Jews in Babylon were scattered according to the Word but alas they did not return unto the Lord and leave their sins according to the Condition of the Promise yet notwithstanding Nehemiah goes unto the Lord and presseth this Ptomise and the Lord heard him and he had acceptance as ye find in the following Chapter Answ 2 Secondly What if the Condition of one Promise be the thing promised in another Promise will ye then fear that the Promise doth not belong to you because you have not performed the Condition
of the Promise Now so it is that the condition of one is the thing promised in another Promise For Example In one Promise Repentance is the Condition of the Promise 2 Chron. 6.37 38. Joel 2.15 16 17 18 19. But in another Promise Repentance is the thing promised Ezek. 36.26 I will take away the heart of stone and give you an heart of flesh In one Promise Faith and coming to Christ is the Condition Come unto me all ye that are weary and I will give you rest Matth. 11.28 But in another Promise it is the thing promised John 6.37 All that the Father giveth me shall come unto me In one Promise Obedience is the Condition of it Esai 1.19 If ye consent and obey ye shall eat the good of the Land In another Promise it is the thing promised Ezek. 36. I will put my Spirit into you and cause ye to walk in my waies In one Promise Perseverance is the Condition Matth. 24. He that continueth to the end shall be saved But in another Promise it is the thing promised Psal 1. His Leaf shall not wither Ezek. 36. I will put my fear into your hearts and ye shall not depart from me In one Scripture of the old Testament the coming of the deliverer is promised to the Jews upon condition that they turn from ungodliness Esai 59.20 The Redeemer shall come out of Zion and unto them that turn from ungodliness in Jacob. But in another Scripture in the New Testament turning Jacob from ungodliness is the thing promised Rom. 11.26 There shall come out of Zion the Deliverer and turn ungodliness from Jacob. Now if the Condition in one Promise be the thing promised in another Promise will ye fear that the Promise doth not belong to you because ye have not performed the Condition Answ 3 Thirdly And again What if the Condition of the Promise be performed for you better than you could perform it In the beginning the Lord made a Covenant with man a Covenant of Works Do this and live and Adam the first man stood as a common person for us all to perform the Condition of Doing and if Adam had performed the Condition we all had performed the condition Now the Lord makes a new Covenant of Grace with man and the Lord Jesus Christ is a Second Adam and he stands as a Common Person and if he perform the Condition then all his Seed do perform the Condition Now the Lord Jesus Christ hath performed the Condition for all his Seed although the first Adam did not perform the Condition for his Seed yet the Second Adam hath performed the Condition of the Promise and of the Covenant for his Seed to the full Now if all these Three things be true namely That a man may go to the Promise the Conditional Promise with acceptance although he hath not performed the Condition That the Condition of one Promise is the thing promised in another Promise That the Lord Jesus Christ hath performed the Condition of the Promise for you better than you can perform it Have ye then any reason to be discouraged and to keep off from the Promise because you have not performed the Condition But so it is That a Child of God may go to a Conditional Promise with acceptance although he hath not performed the Condition And the Condition of one Promise is the thing promised in another And the Lord Jesus our Second Adam hath performed the Condition of all the Promises for all his Seed Surely therefore you have no reason to be discouraged in this respect Object But this is not my case For I do not only want Assurance of Gods Love and have no particular Promise but instead of the Promise I have a Threatening set upon my soul O! the bitter words of the Threatening have soaked into my heart Time was heretofore indâ—ed that I had a Promise I could say I had a Promise and I rejoyced in it but now I have lost my Promise and instead of the Promise a Threatening is come O! I see the smart and the anger of the Threatening and have I not just cause and reason to be discouraged now No For Answ 1 First If you be drawn to Christ is it material whether it be done with a Cord of Flax or with a Cord of Silk God hath two Arms whereby he draws us unto himself The Arm of his Love and the Arm of his Anger and Justice The Arm of his Love is put forth in the Promise the Arm of his Anger and Justice is put forth in his Threatening And with both these he doth lift up the fallen sinner What if God lift you up with his left Arm so you be lifted up Somtimes he lifts up with the Arm of his Threatening that he may carry us in the Arm of his Promise for as the Law was a School-Master to bring to Christ so the Threatening is a School-Master to bring us unto the Promise Is the Threatening therefore come then is the Promise a coming for the Threatening is given forth in order to that Answ 2 Secondly And if this which you complain of may be the condition of the Saints then you have no reason to be discouraged Now for the loss of the Promise you know how it was with Joshua The Lord gave Joshua a gracious Promise I will never leave thee nor forsake thee Be strong be not dismayed be not afraid be of good courage for I will not leave thee nor forsake thee Josh 1. But the Children of Israel were a little discomfited by the men of Ai and see how Joshua lost the sight of the Promise in Josh chap. 7. vers 6 7. Joshua rent his Cloathes and fell to the Earth upon his face before the Ark of the Lord he and the Elders of Israel and put dust upon their heads and said Alas O Lord God wherefore hast thou at all brought this People over Jordan to deliver us into the hands of the Amorites to destroy us Would to God we had been content to dwell on the other side Jordan O! what Unbelief is here what discouragement is here how had he lost the Promise O! Lord saith he what shall I say when Israel turns their backs before their Enemies and O! what shall we say when Joshua turned his back upon the Promise But so it was with Joshua here he had lost the sight of the Promise which once he had And as for the Threatening you know how it was with David having sinned greatly in the matter of Vriah the Lord threatens him That the Sword should never depart from his House And the Threatening did take hold upon him and David was under the stroak of the Threatening But was not Joshua Godly and was not David Godly So then a Godly man may possibly lose the sight of the Promise and have a Threatening set on his soul too Answ 3 But Thirdly If a Promise given out by the Lord shal never be reversed and a
go to Heaven and be saved for ever What then though thou hast stayed long and hast long wanted Assurance yet God hath not led thee so far as he hath led some and thy condition is no other than that which may befal the dear servants and children of God Answ 3 But Thirdly Though for the present you do want Assurance of Gods love and of your own Salvation yet if you may conclude by Scripture Arguments that you shal have it before you die then have you no reason to be discouraged Now though this or that particular Christian in a case not ordinary do die under a cloud and with much fear and doubting about his everlasting condition yet there are Arguments in scripture whereby a man may ordinarily know and conclude that he shal have peace and Assurance before he dies For example Arg. 1 First He that is content to stay and go without a mercy if God wil have it so shal not want it for ever For the Patient abiding of the meek shal noâ— be forgotten for ever Psal 9. As the way to have affliction continued is to be discontented under it so the way to have it removed is to be contented with it There is a Faith of Expectance a Faith of Relyance and the Faith of Assurance The Faith of Expectance wil rise up into a Faith of Reliance and the Faith of Reliance to the Faith of Assurance there is seldom a may-be Faith but hath a shal-be and it is at the bottom if God would make it float Arg. 2 Secondly If the Lord hath wrought wonders for thy soul when thou wert in the wilderness and in a desert then certainly he wil bring thee into the land of rest So he dealt by David so he dealt by Israel so he wil deal by thee Arg. 3 Thirdly If thy heart be upright in the matter of thine Assurance God will certainly give Assurance unto thee Psal 84.11 for ye know what the Psalmist saith The Losd wil give Grace and Glory and no good thing wil he withold from them that walk uprightly If therefore I say thy heart hath been upright in the matter of thine assurance the Lord wil give thee assurance though for the present thou want'st it Now I pray when is a mans heart upright in the matter of his Assurance but when he doth desire Assurance of Gods love and of his own Salvation rather that he may praise and serve God the more than for his own comfort For this look in Psal 9. and see how David reasons to this purpose vers 13. 14. Have mercy upon me O Lord consider my trouble which I suffer of them that hate me thou that liftest me up from the gates of death That I may shew forth al thy praise in the gates of the daughter of Zion I wil rejoyce in thy Salvation Here are three things observable First he was in a very low condition at the gates of death From the gates of death saith he Gates of death that is the power of death The gates of Hel shal not prevail that is the powers of Hel shal not prevail so here the gates of death that is the powers of death David was under the power of death at the gates of death and now in this condition he prayes unto the Lord for mercy that the Lord would lift him up but why doth he pray so mark his end At vers 14. Have mercy upon me O Lord consider my trouble why That I may shew forth thy praise in the gates of the daughter of Zion O Loâ—d bring me from the gates of death that I may praise thee in the gates of the daughter of Zion not for my own comfort Lord but that I may praisâ— thee Wel but what inference doth he make of this see what followes in the latter end of vers 14. I wil or shal rejoyce in thy Salvation O Lord my heart hath been upright in this petition and now I know thou wilt grant my prayer I wil I shal rejoyce in thy Salvation Arg. 4 Fourthly When a man can praise God for what he hath although his condition be very sad God wil give him more and give him a better condition If God shew mercy saith one or give a blessing and I praise God I pay my debt but if my case be low and sad and I praise God then then God is pleased to be called my debtor and he wil certainly pay his debt Arg. 5 Fiftly If the Lord be the health of your countenance you shal have the assurance of your Salvation in due time though now you want it Thus the Psalmist reasons in the text Wait on God or hope in God for I shal yet praise him why for he is the health of my countenance but when is God said to be the health of our countenance when his smiles make us look cheerly and his frowns make us look sadly if I look wel when God smiles though al relations frown and do look il when God frowns though al my relations smile then is God the health of my countenance Now I appeal to you beloved you that do want Assurance hath it not been thus with you Do ye not earnestly desire Assurance yet are content to stay wait and go without it if God wil have it so Hath not the Lord shewn wonders for thy soul when thou hast been in a wildered condition in preserving and keeping thee from doing evil to thy self and have not you been upright in the matter of your Assurance saying thus O Lord give me Assurance of thy love not that I may have comfort only but that I may be more fit to serve thee And have ye not praised the Lord in your sad condition for what you have And hath not the Lord been the health of your countenance so that when the Lord hath smiled upon you then you have looked wel and when the Lord hath frowned upon you then you have looked il surely you cannot but say I must not deny these things I cannot be faithful to mine own soul if I should deny them yea Lord thou knowest and my soul knowes it That thou hast done wonders for me when I have been in a low desert and wildered condition And O Lord thou knowest I desire Assurance of thy love not for my own comfort onely but that I may be more sit to praise and serve thee And Lord thou knowest I have praised thee in some measure for what I have Yea Lord thou art the health of my countenance when thou smilest upon me then I look wel and when thou frownest upon me then I look ill I may say in truth the Lord is the health of my countenance wel then I say unto thee from the Lord go in peace and be of good comfort though thou doest for the present want comfort and Assurance of thy Salvation thou shalt have it in due time And if al these things be true O! you that are the people of the
Lord have you any reason to be discouraged certainly you have not therefore why should you not check your selves as David here and say Why art thou cast down O my soul and why art thou disquieted within me Only by the way Let no man mis-apply this Doctrine saying If we should not be discouraged although we do want Assurance then I will neglect the getting of my Assurance Beloved ye see into what times we are now fallen times of War and Rumors of War times of Blood these are dying times and is this a time for any of you to want Assurance of Gods Love When your Hay lies abroad in the Summer and you see a shower coming you say Cock up Cock up And I would to God you might not see showers a coming and yet your Evidences for Heaven lie at random Wherefore in the Name of the Lord Cock up Cock up and you that have false Assurance for you have heard that a man may think his condition is good when it is naught yea that he may die so too look you well into your condition and consider your condition duly this is no time to have false Assurance labor then to get true Assurance and you that have Assurance labor to grow up more and more into it and the riches thereof Quest But suppose for the present I do want Assurance I confess indeed I ought not to be discouraged although I do want Assurance as I have heard but it is an hard thing to bear up ones heart against all discouragemâ—nts in the want of the Assurance of Gods Love In Sola Christi morte totam siduciam tuam constitue huic morti te totum committe hac morte te totum contege eique te totum involve si Dominus te voluerit judicare dic Domine mortem nostri Jesu Christi objicio inter me et te et judicium tuum aliter tecum non contendo ipsius meritum affero promerito meo quod habere debuissem et heu non habeo Anselm in Meditat. Cavendum est in lucta cum Deo ne fragili fundamento innitaris quod ille facit qui de meritis suis confidit nam ut ille qui solis meritis suis innititur Deo auxilio seipsum privat sic qui de seipso toâ—aliter diffidit et soli gratiae innititur Dei adjutorium ad se trahit Parisiensis in Lib. de Rhetor. Div. Propter incertitudinem propriae justitiae tutissimum est siduciam totam sola Dei miserecordia reponere Bellarm. Lib. 5. de Justif cap. â— but suppose I do want it for the present what shall I now do that I may bear up against Discouragements in this Condition Answ Some few things by way of Direction here and so I conclude this Argument First therefore Doest thou want Assurance of Gods Love and of thine own Salvation Labor more and more for to put to Sea I mean to the Sea and Ocean of Gods Love and the deeps of Christs Merit and Satisfaction When you are at Sea in a Storm or stress of Weather you desire Sea-room and if ye have Sea-room enough ye think all is well It may be there are some Passengers in the Vessel or Ship and they say For the Love of God set us ashore we are not able to ride out this storm O! set us upon some Land or other But the skilful Marriner saith Nay but still keep to Sea if ye come to the Shoar we are undone we are all lost Creatures So in this case the time of the want of your Assurance is a storm-time it is a time of great stress upon your soul and if ye skil not the Methods of Christ you wil say O! now set me upon some Duty upon the Coast of mine own Righteousness or mine own Holiness but if you have a skil in the way of the Gospel you will rather cry out and say O! Lord keep my soul in the Ocean of thy free Love Sea-room Sea-room and all is wel enough Now there is Sea-room enough in the Ocean of Gods free Love and of Christs Merits and Satisfaction but if you touch upon your own Righteousness you do but endanger your soul and sink your own heart into more despairing doubts and fears stand off therefore now from your own Shoar and keep to Sea even that great Sea of Gods Love and Christs Merits Secondly If you do want Assurance Take heed that you do not hearken unto any thing out of an Ordinance contrary unto the comfort which the Lord speaks to you in the time of an Ordinance Ye come to an Ordinance and there the Lord begins to comfort you so you go away and ye are satisfied and your souls are refreshed but then afterwards you sit down and parly with Satan and with your own souls and ye lose all again and doubt again turning Gods Wine into your own Vinegar and are unsatisfied again But suppose that a Father should give an Estate of Land unto his Child and make it over to him with the best Conveyance that the Law can provide and then this Son having laid down his Conveyance some where negligently a cunning Lawyer that he may get Money from him should come and write on the backside of this Conveyance For such and such Reasons this Conveyance is naught Should the Son do well thereupon to say my Father hath done nothing for me I have been deceived all this while my Father hath given me nothing Were this fair dealing with his Father and if he should run this course should he ever have any Assurance of his Land firm in his own thoughts Now so it is with you that are the People of God the Lord hath given you a fair Inheritance Heaven is your Inheritance the fairest and best Inheritance the Lord hath given it you under Hand and Seal and somtimes you think your Evidence is cleer and you lay it by and Satan comes and scribbles on the back of it and he saith it is naught and you beleeve it and then you doubt again and you are unsatisfied again Is this fair dealing with God Surely no. Wherefore then doest thou want Assurance The way to get it and the way not to be discouraged in the want of it is this Take heed that ye never hearken to any thing out of an Ordinance contrary to the Comfort which you have received in an Ordinance Answ 3 Thirdly Take heed that you be not discontented with your Condition Discontentment breeds Discouragement But doest thou want the Assurance of Gods Love Say thus with thine own soul However it be yet wil I wait on God when the Lord pleaseth he will give me Assurance I will only labor to be contented with my condition But if ye be discontented ye wil certainly be discouraged Answ 4 Fourthly If you do want Assurance of Gods Love and of your own Salvation Take heed that you do not say I shall never be Assured take heed you do not say I shal
never have a Promise take heed you do not say I shall never be Comforted take heed you do not say I shal never have the Testimony of the Spirit bearing witness with my Spirit that I am the Child of God do not say thus I shal never be helped I am in a sad condition and I shal never be better I am in an uncomfortable condition and I shal never be comforted I want Assurance and I shall never have Assurance Beloved this ye cannot say for who knows what God will do whose waies are in the deep and whose foot-steps are not known You know how it is with a sick person If the Physitian come and tels him there is hope of life then his heart dies not but if the Physitian saith to him Sir you are in a great and dangerous Feaver and I would wish you to settle your Estate and look out for comfort for your soul for the truth is you will never be recovered then his heart dies So here take a poor soul that wants Assurance If he saith there is hope that I may be assured he is not discouraged but if he saith I have no Assurance and I shall never have it then he is quite discouraged it is this word Never that doth discourage O! I shal never be encouraged and I shall never have Assurance and I shall never have the Testimony of Gods Spirit Take heed that you do not say I shall never be Assured that is a Temptation take heed of the word Never in this case Answ 5 Fiftly and lastly Carry this for a Rule with you and remember it much That the less Assurance you have the more precious your obedience may be and the more kindly God may take it at your hands It is no great matter for a man to write and to work by the Day light or Candle light but for a man to write or to work in the dark is hard So here it is no great matter comparatively for a man to pray and to work spiritually while he is in the light but for a poor soul to pray and to work towards God and to be obedient when he is in the dark and hath no Assurance of the Love of God is somthing I confess indeed that the more Assurance you have the more full your Obedience will be but the less Assurance you have the more ingenuous may be your Obedience I say The more full your Assurance is the more full and large your Obedience will be but the less Assurance you have the more ingenuous your Obedience may be Every Child will serve his Father for his Portion and for his Inheritance but when a Child shall doubt of his Fathers Love yea when a Child shall conclude and say I know that my Father will dis-inherit me I know that my Father will bestow nothing upon me yet I will serve him because he is my Father will not all men say Here is ingenuity indeed in this Child So between God and you It is good for a Christian to be obedient at all times and the more Assurance you have the more you are bound to obey but doth thy soul fear that God will dis-inherit thee and yet doest thou say However it be I will obey God for he is my Father though I cannot see him yet wil I serve him and though I have no Comfort from God yet will I be obedient to him for it is my Duty he is my Father The Lord will take this kindly at thine hands and what thou wantest in the largeness shal be made up in the ingenuity of thine Obedience Wherefore then doest thou want Assurance of the Love of God Comfort thy self with this and say within thine own soul well though I do want Assurance I hope through Grace I am in some measure Obedient and the less Assurance I haâ—e the more kindly God takes my Obedience at my hand and therefore why should I be discouraged or cast down Think and think often of this Rule and it will help you to be obedient and bear up your hearts also in the want of Assurance And thus I have done with the Fourth Instance A LIFTING UP In case of TEMPTATION Sermon VIII PSALM 42.11 Stepney May 28. 1648. Why art thou cast down O my Soul and why art thou disquieted within me c. Instance 5. SOmetimes the Discouragements of the Saints are drawn From their Temptations And thus they Argue with themselves I am a poor Creature that hath labored under many Temptations never any so tempted as I have been These two three four five six or many yeers that I have lyen under these Temptations and no relief comes no help comes have I not reason then to be discouraged and cast down Answ No No reason yet I grant That the least Temptations are great Afflictions for the more a man is unfitted by Affliction for Gods Service either in doing good or receiving good the worser and more heavy is that Affliction to a gracious Spirit Now though God doth so over-rule the Temptations of his People that they receive good thereby as appeareth afterward yet the Temptation in it self doth indispose a man unto what is good The more a man is tempted unto what is evil the more a man is hindred from what is good It is an Affliction to a gracious heart to be conflicting fighting and combating with a man but in Temptations we do combate and conflict immediately with Satan who is the Prince of the Air with Principalities and Powers with that evil One who for his devouring Nature is called a Lyon for his Cruelty is called a Dragon and for his subtilty an old Serpent and in every Temptation a poor soul goes into the field with Satan and fights a Duel with him Satan hath saith Christ to Peter desired you in which Duel and Combat a man doth not miscarry for this present Life barely but if he miscarry he miscarries to all Eternity he dies is killed and slain to all Eternity O! what a mighty hazard doth a poor soul â—un in every Temptation The Chast and good Woman counts it an Affliction to her so long as she lives if she be but once violenced if a filthy person meet her in the field and violence her though she do not consent unto him she wrings her hands and saith I am undone for ever Now these Temptations are the Solicitations of an unclean Spirit and what though a man do not consent unto them yet thereby his soul suffers violence O! saith a gracious soul what though I do not consent yet what an infinite misery is it to be thus abused defiled and violenced by these Temptations The more any affliction doth seize on soul and body the greater it is it is Comfort in a Family that the Wife is well when the Husband is sick or that the Husband is well when the Wife is down where both are down at once it is a sad Family indeed So though the Soul be
himself it is the darkening of the Sun which brings an universal darkness upon the soul and it imbitters al other Afflictions for as the presence of Christ sweetens all other Comforts so the absence or forsakings of Christ do imbitter al other Sufferings and cut off al our relief and remedy against them So long as the face of God shines upon a poor soul he may run to Christ and relieve and help himself against his Affliction true my Friends forsake me my Relations forsake me but Christ hath not forsaken me but if God and Christ forsake where shal a man relieve or refresh himself in this stormy day And as those sins are greatest that cut off our relief against other sins so those Afflictions are greatest that cut off our relief against other Afflictions Such is this of al Afflictions it looks the most like a Judgment to a Gracious Soul O Lord Psal 6.1 saith David Correct me not in thine Anger nor chasten me in thy hot Displeasure When God hides his face and forsakes the soul he seems to correct in Anger and in hot displeasure herein a Christian doth as it were combat with God himself he fights with men somtimes and then he is more than a Conquerer because Christ fighteth with him and in him he fights with Satan Principalities and Powers and then he doth overcome because Christ is with him but O! saith the soul in this Desertion God is mine Enemy here I must fight it out hand to hand with Divine Anger and what shal I do now how is it possible that I should now escape The truth is this Affliction above al others seems to draw a Curtain over al our Comforts and to put an end unto al our Spiritual joy What Birds sing in the Winter time some may but ordinarily they do not If you walk abroad in the Winter time and hear no Birds sing and one say to you What is the reason of this deep silence two or three months ago when we walked in the Fields every Wood had its several Musick how sweetly did the Birds sing then but now they are al silent what is the reason You wil easily answer I then indeed it was Summer time then the Sun shone upon them and â—o they sang â—ut now the warming and enlivening beams of the Sun are gone â—hey sing no more Beloved the Light of Gods Countenance is oâ—r Spring Desertion is our Winter show me that Sainâ— that is able to sing in this Winter time I confess it is possible for a man to â—o it and some there are Habakkuk was one that learned â—his song of Faith but â—ow few are able to sing and rejoyce when God hides himself No saith the soul two or three months ago the Lord shined upon me and then I could sing indeed but now God and Christ is gone and so al my songs are gone and joyes are gone and I fear I shal never see them again or rejoyce in Christ again It is said of Mary That when she went to Christs Sepulchre she wept and though the Angel came to her and said Why weepest thou yet she continued weeping the presence of an Angel could not comfort her Why O! saith she They have taken away my Lord and I know not where they have laid him Would it not grieve a Prince to be dispossest of and to lose his Crown to be made like an ordinary man This Presence of Christ is the Crown of a Christian and therefore when God had forsaken the Church as we read in Lam. 5. she complained verse 16. The Crown is falâ—en from my Head Why ver 20. Wherefore doest thou forget us for evâ—r and forsake us so long a time Ver. 22. Thou hast utterly rejected us thou art very wroth against us Take away the presence of Christ and ye set a Christian among the ordinary rank of men and must he not needs be troubled when his Crown is thus taken from his Head I have read of a Religious Woman that having born Nine Children professed That she had rather endure all the pains of those Nine Travels at once than endure the Misery of the loss of Gods Presence And indeed this Affliction of Gods forsaking a man is so great that if a man feel it not I even fear it is because he is forsaken indeed But now though there be never so much Gal and Wormwood in this Cup yet the Children of God have no reason to faint at the drinking of it no just cause or reason yet to faint or be discouraged or cast down Quest How may that appear Answ 1 First For the cleering of this Truth to you ye must know That God or Christ is said to forsake a man either in regard of his Power Grace or Strength or in regard of the comfortable feelings of his Love either in reâ—â—rd of Union or in regard of Vision 1. In regard of Union He never forsakes his own People 2. In regard of his Power Grace and Strength he never forsakes them totally 3. And in regard of Vision or comfortable feelings though he do forsake for a time yet he wil return again and if al these be true have they any reason to be much discouraged For the first ye know what is said Those whom he loves John 13.1 he loves unto the end As for the Second ye know what he saith also I will never leave thee nor forsake thee Heb. 13.5 1 Pet. 1.5 We are kept by the Power of God unto Salvation And as for the Third hath not the Lord promised Isay 54. that he wil return again with advantage ver 7. For a smal moment have I forsaken thee but with great mercy will I gather thee In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment but with everlasting kindness wil I have mercy on thee saith the Lord thy Redeemer ver 8. Now ye know that Friends are not much troubled at such a parting which is but for a time It is said of the Church of Ephesus That when Paul â—ook leave of them they wept Because he said they should see his face no more The Saints cannot say so in regard of Christ though they see not his face for the present yet they cannot say I shal see his face no more for he wil return again yea and return with advantage for though he forsakes for a moment yet with great mercy and with everlasting kindness wil the Lord have mercy on them What then though you be forsaken for a moment have you any just cause and reason for your Discouragement Answ 2 Secondly If Christ do therefore forsake his People that he may not forsake them and hath a design of Love and nothing but of Love upon them in his forsaking then have they no just cause for their Discouragements Now I pray What is the reason why God doth forsake his People for a time or a moment hath he any deâ—â—gn but Love upon them Doth he
hiding the face is Irae testimonium the testimony of anger and it is as if David should have said Lord thou doest not only restrain thy Love towards me but thou doest shew tokens of thy displeasure and anger and thy displeasure riseth So Psal 22. ver 1. My God my God why hast thou forsaken me I cry in the day time but thou hearest not ver 2. How can this be saith Augustine that God should forsake Christ in his Sufferings for these words are spoken of Christ when God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself Yes very well saith he for Christ was a common Person stood in our stead and place and so personating of us he saith Why hast thou forsaken me yea and Lord thou hast not only forsaken me but my Desertion ariseth yet higher for I cry in the day time and thou hearest not But you may see this abundantly made out in Job 30.20 I cry unto thee and thou doest not bear me I stand up and thou regardest me not thou art become cruel to me with thy strong hand thou opposest thy self against me Ver. 27. My bowels boyled and rest not the daies of affliction prevented me I went mourning without the Sun I am a brother to Dragons and a companion to Owls And ver 26. When I looked for good then evil came unto me and when I waited for light there came darkness Thus you see that it may be the condition of Gods own People to be worser and worser and their condition more and more dark in their own apprehensions and therefore no reason why you should be discouraged in this respect Object 5 But my Desertions have been so long that I fear it will never be otherwise with me God is now gone Christ is now gone Comfort gone and I fear now that Christ will never return again and this is that which even sinks my soul I confess the least desertion and forsaking is a great evil but though I were under the greatest cloud in the world I should bear it if I did but think that Christ would return again but I find in Scripture that there is a final rejection mentioned as well as a present desertion the Saints and People of God are it may be deserted for a time but they are never rejected David was deserted but he was not rejected Saul was rejected finally rejected and I fear that I am not only deserted for the present but finally rejected that God hath even cast me off and therefore I am thus discouraged have I not cause and reason for it now Answ 1 No not yet For first it is usual with the Saints in affliction to think that God is gone and wil return no more there is no affliction which the People of God meet withal and they meet with many wherein they are so apt and prone and ready to write a Never upon their condition as in this case of Spiritual Desertion If a godly gracious man fal sick he doth not say presently or conclude I shal never recover again if he be persecuted by Enemies he doth not conclude presently that he shal never be delivered but if God hide his Face at any time then comes out this Never I shal Never be delivered I shal never be restored to comfort again So Psal 13. How long wilt thou hide thy face what for ever So Psal 77. Will the Lord cast off for ever ver 7. Will he be favorable no more is his mercy clean gone for ever and doth his Promise fail for ever more This is the proper place and ground where this unbeleeving conclusion grows when they are in this condition they rise to a Never O! it wil never be otherwise with me Christ is gone Mercy is gone and I shal never see the face of God again This is usual and most usual with the Saints in this Condition Answ 2 Secondly Therefore you shal observe That when God doth give out a Promise to his Children in this condition the Promise is so cast and laid as may most obviate and face this Objection and take off our Never Psal 9.18 The needy shall not alwaies be forgotten the expectation of the poor shall not fail for ever So Psal 103. The Lord is merciful and gracious ver 8. Slow to anger and plenteous in mercy he will not alwaies chide neither will he keep his anger for ever So Iâ—ay 57. ver 16. For I will not contend for ever neither will I be alwaies wroth God seeth that in this condition his People are apt to write a Never upon their condition and therefore that he may condescend unto their Infirmities when he comes to give out a Promise he doth not barely promise Mercy but he puts in the Ever into his Promise that he may take off our unbeleeving Never Answ 3 Thirdly If it be made out unto you by Scripture That God or Christ is not so gone but that he wil return again then will you not say surely I have no reason for my discouragements Now for the cleering of that give me leave to propound several Questions to you First Did ye ever read in al the Word of God that a man was finally rejected and forsaken but an evil Spirit from the Lord did seize upon him presently Saul was finally rejected and the Text saith That an evil Spirit from the Lord seized upon him and what is the evil Spirit but an envious Spirit The envious man in the Gospel is the evil man and this evil Spirit seized on Saul as soon as God did forsake him for an envious malicious persecuting Spirit came upon him against David and the Saints with him So when God forsakes a man finally a persecuting Spirit enters him When God forsakes his own Children Satan that evil Spirit comes to them for when God goes Satan comes but there is much difference between a tempting Satan and a persecuting Satan tempting Satan comes to the Saints when they are deserted but a persecuting Satan doth not enter into them But did ye ever know or read of any finally rejected but an evil persecuting Spirit seized on them from the Lord Secondly Do you read of any in al the Word whom God did finally forsake that could not find in their hearts to forsake God and his Waies God doth not forsake us unless we forsake him Ye have rejected me saith the Lord and therefore I have rejected you Possibly a good man may want this sence of Gods Love but then he hath the sence of his own sins possibly he may want the feeling of his own perfection which is Divine Love but then he hath the feeling of his own imperfection But I say Did you ever read in al the Word of any man finally forsaken that could not find in his heart to forsake God and the good Waies of God Thirdly Did ye ever read in al the Word That God did ever forsake a man who was sensible of his forsaking and complained thereof simply for
it self We read of Saul indeed That when he was forsaken he cryed out and said God hath forsaken me the Philistims are upon me God hath forsaken me but it is in order to an outward evil the Philistims are upon me But the Saints when they are forsaken are sensible of this evil simply for it self and think the time long and tedious when they are so forsaken O Lord saith David how long wilt thou hide thy face from me what for ever But I say Was ever man forsaken was ever man quite forsaken of God that was sensible of this evil only and simply for it self Fourthly Did you ever read in al the Word of God That ever a man was finally forsaken who was tender in the point of sin who sate mourning after God We read in the Romans That when God gave up the Gentiles to their sins they gave up themselves unto al uncleanness and were past feeling The Saints and People of God on the contrary in the time of their Desertion are tender in the point of sin and they mourn after God When was a man ever forsaken whose heart was in this frame Fiftly Did you ever read that Christ did finally forsake a man in whose heart and soul stil he did leave his Goods Furniture and Spiritual Houshold-stuff A man somtimes goes from home and somtimes he doth quite leave his house There is much difference between those two If a man leave his house and comes no more then he carries away all his goods and when ye see them carried away ye say this man wil come no more But though a man ride a great Journey yet he may come again and ye say surely he wil come again why Because still his Goods Wife and Children are in his House So if Christ reject a man and go away finally he carries away all his Goods Spiritual Gifts Graces and Principles But though he be long absent yet if his Houshold-stuff abide in the heart if there be the same desires after him and delight in him and admiring of him and mourning for want of him ye may say surely he wil come again Why Because his Houshold-stuff is here still When did Christ ever forsake a man in whose heart he left this Spiritual Furniture Sixtly Did ye ever know a man finally forsaken of Christ who did long after the presence of Christ as the greatest good and looked upon his absence as the greatest evil and affliction in all the world being willing to kiss the feet of Jesus Christ and to serve him in the lowest and meanest condition so he might but enjoy him We find that the Saints desire above all things to be kist with the kisses of Christs mouth and therefore the Book of the Camicles doth so begin chap. 2. ver 1. Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth even because that is the first and the chiefest of the Saints desires in this Life but if Christ wil not kiss me with the kisses of his mouth saith a gracious soul yet I am willing to kiss his feet as Mary did There is a time a coming when he wil kiss me with the kisses of his mouth for ever but for the present if I can but kiss his feet here I have hope to be kissed by him in Heaven Now I say Did Christ ever forsake a man finally who did thus long after Christ himself Can those that are forsaken mourn after his presence as the best thing and for his absence as the greatest evil in al the world I appeal to your own Souls and Bosoms herein whoever you are that labor under this fear that Christ is gone and he wil return no more suppose that God hath hid his face from you seems to forget you and to be angry with you yet in the midst of all these darknesses Do you find an evil Spirit an envious malicious Spirit from the Lord seizing upon you Do you find that you can find in your heart to forsake God and the good Waies of God Yea rather do you not find the contrary though you want the sence of Gods Love Have you not the sence of your own sin and when you want the sence of your own perfection have you not some sence of your own imperfection Don't you look upon this Desertion as the greatest Affliction in al the world Can you not mourn after God and his Presence Doth not Christ every foot send in one token of his Love or another to visit your souls And are you not willing to kiss the feet of Jesus Christ O yes I must needs say though I have fears that Christ is gone and wil return no more yet I praise the Lord I do not find an envious malicious persecuting Spirit in my soul unto the Saints and People of God I don't find that my heart is willing to forsake Christ and the good waies of Christ But I find that I can mourn for the absence of Christ simply for it self and look upon it as the greatest affliction in the world That I am ever willing to kiss the feet of Jesus Christ And to be in the lowest and meanest Condition so he would but return unto my soul again Yea and I must needs say That every foot I receive one token or other one Promise or another to visit me in my condition Then be of good comfort though Christ be absent yet he wil return again and with great mercy and with everlasting kindness wil he gather your souls unto himself again and thus I say it shal be with all the Saints Surely therefore they have no reason for their Discouragements whatever their Desertions be Why therefore should not every one say Why art thou cast down O my soul and why art thou so disquieted within me Quest Vpon all this account I see I have not so much reason for my Discouragement but it is an hard thing to bear up ones heart from sinking in the time of Desertion when God hides his face What shall I do then and this may be the condition of us all that I may bear up my heart against this Discouragement even when I am most in the dark and Christ hides his face from me or forsakes me Answ 1 First Take heed that ye don't measure Gods eternal Affection by some present Dispensation There is an Eternal Displeasure against a man and there is a present Displeasure with a man Eternal Displeasure or hatred cannot stand with Eternal Love but Eternal Love and present Displeasure may stand together A Father may be displeased with the Child for the present and yet may love him with Paternal Love So God may and doth love though for the present displeased But when men measure Eternal Affection by present Dispensation then they are quite discouraged and you will find all Discouragements in this case do arise from hence Some there are that do walk by particular Providences Experiences Words Manifestations and In-comes of Love and when they have them then
to suffer saith the Apostle It was the Speech of a good man now in Heaven being once under great Afflictions O Lord these Afflictions are thy Pearls and I wil wear them for thy sake 3. They are but seeeming Evils They are real Tryals and seeming Evils Therfore the Apostle saith Every Affliction seems grievous but considering altogether it is rather a Seeming than a real grief and therefore saith he 2 Cor. 6.9 10. We are as unknown and yet well known as dying and behold we hee as chastened and not killed as sorrowful yet alwaies rejoycing as poor yet making many rich as having nothing and yet possessing all things In which words as Austin observes he puts a tanquâ—m sicut AS upon his Afflictions as if his Sufferings were but as Afflictions and not Afflictions When a man takes any Physick he is sick withal yet because it is but Physick-sickness you do not call it a sickness it is as a sickness but not a sickness Now all the Afflictions of the Saints are but their Physick prescribed and given them by the hand of their Father and therefore though they be sick therewith yet it is but as a sickness not so indeed al things rightly weighed When an unskilful Eye looks upon the threshing of the Corn he saith Why do they spoil the Corn But those that know better say The Flail doth not hurt the Corn if the Cart-wheel should pass upon it there would be spoil indeed but the Flail hurts not Now there is no Affliction or suffering that a Godly man meets with but is Gods Flail And if you look into Isay 28. ye shal find the Lord promiseth under a similitude that his Cart-wheel shal not pass upon those that are weak ver 27. For the Fitches are not threshed with a threshing Instrument neither is a Cart-wheel turned about upon the Cummin the Fitches are beaten out with a staff and the Cummin with the Rod God wil alwaies proportion his Rod to our strength But though mine Affliction be not greater than I can bear yet if it lie too long upon me say some I shall never be able to bear it Nay saith the Lord ver 28. Bread-Corn is bruised because he will not ever be threshing it But what is this to us Yes it is a Parable for ver 26. His God speaking of the Plow-man doth instruct him to discretion and doth teach him And if the Plow-man have this discretion much more shal the Lord himself for verse 29. This also cometh forth from the Lord of Hosts who is wonderful in Counsel and excellent in working I am Gods Corn said the Martyr I must therfore pass under the Flail through the Fan under the Mil-stone into the Oven before I can be bread for him And if our Chaff be severed from our Graces by this Flail have we any reason to be discouraged because we are thus afflicted The truth is the day of Affliction and Tribulation is a godly mans Day of Judgment it is at his Judgment Day he shal never be judged again so as to be condemned at the Day of Judgment Ye are judged with the world saith the Apostle that ye may not be condemned with the world And when the Godly mans Affliction-Day is he may say Now is my Judgment-Day and I shal never be judged again why therefore should he be discouraged whatever his Afflictions be And in the Second place This wil appear also if you consider Whence their Afflictions come If al the Sufferings of Gods People do come from Divine Love the Love of God in Christ to them then have they no reason to be discouraged though they be much afflicted every Rod is a Rod of Rosemary to them fruits of their Fathers Love and if you look into Heb. 12. ye shal find both the thing proved and the Inference The thing is proved at ver 6. For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth and scourgeth every Son whom he receiveth Which he illustrates by a similitude Suppose a man have two Sons one a Bastard and the other Legitimate he wil rather give Education and Correction to the Legitimate Son and neglect the Bastard and saith the Apostle verse 8. If ye be without Chastisement then are ye Bastards and not Sons What then verse 12. Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down and the feeble knees As if the Apostle should say If al the Sufferings and Afflictions and Chastisements of the Saints do proceed from Love then have they no reason to hang down their hands or heads But so it is That all their Sufferings come from Love and therefore no reason for their Discouragements Thirdly This wil appear also if you consider What comes with the Afflictions of the Saints There comes much supporting Grace much Light much of Gods Presence Fëllowship and and Communion with Christ in al his Sufferings Much supporting Grace Thy Rod and thy Staff comforts me God never laies a Rod upon his Childrens back but he first puts a Staff into their hand to bear it and the staff is as big as the Rod it matters not what your Afflictions be great or smal it is al one you shal be upheld and upholding mercy is somtimes better Via Crucis via Lucis than a mercy that you are afflicted for the want of But the Lord doth not only uphold his People under Sufferings but he gives forth much Light therewithal The School of the Cross is the School of Light Affliction is our Free-School where God teacheth his Children and learns them how to write both their Sins and their Graces Their sins So long as Leaves are on the Trees and Bushes ye cannot see the Birds Nests But in the Winter when al the Leaves are off then ye see them plainly And so long as men are in Prosperity and have their Leaves on they do not see what Nests of sins and lusts are in their hearts and lives but when all their Leaves are off in the day of their Afflictions then they see them and say I did not think I had had such Nests of sins and lusts in my soul and life Job 36.7 He withdraweth not his Eye from the Righteous Verse 8. And if he be bound in Fetters and be holden in Cords of Affliction then he shows them their works and their trangressions that they have exceeded Yea Affliction do not only discover their sins unto them but it is Gods Plaister thereby he doth heal the same Before I was afflicted I went astray saith David And Job 36.10 He openeth also their Ear to Discipline and commandeth that they return from iniquity Yea these Afflictions and Sufferings of the Saints do not only discover and heal their sins but do put them upon the exercise of Grace In their Afflictions saith God they will seek me early Yea they do not only draw out their Graces but discover their Graces too which possibly they did never take notice of before I have read of some foolish Youths that
So in honoring God a man honors himself yea and thereby God doth put hâ—nor on him for what is honor but Testimonium de alicujus excellentia Testifying of anothers Excellency and the more I testifie of any Excellency in a man the more I honor him Now when God doth betrust a man with his Work he testifies of an excellency in him The Lord hath counted me faithful and put me into his Work saith Paul yea the greatest greatness in this world is to wait upon the great God Therefore faith our Savior of John the Baptist Amâ—ngst them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than he Matth. 11.11 And if ye look into Gen. 1. ye shal find That the Moon is câ—lled one of the two great Lights ver 16. And God made two great Lights the greater to rule the day and the lesser to rule the night But though the Moon is said to be lesser than the Sun yet it is said to be one of the two greaâ— Lights And why so are there not other Stars greater than the Moon Yes but because the Moon is the most influential and serviceable to the world therefore it is said to be greater than others So that in â—ods account the more service we do in the world the greater we are and the more honorable in Gods Eyes Answ 3 Thereby also we are kept from the dint of Temptations idleness breeds Temptation Our Vacation is the Devils Term Homines nihil agendo male discunt agere otium est vivi hominis sepultura Sen. when we are least at work for God then is Satan most at work about us By doing nothing men learn to do evil yea Idleness is the burying of a living man Answ 4 Great and good Employment is the Mercy promised That can hardly be a smal mercy which the great God doth promise promised Mercies are the sweeâ—est Mercies Now thâ— Lord promiseth Esay 58.18 That if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry c. The Lord shall guide thee continually and they that shall be of thee shal build the old wast places thou shalt raise up the Foundations of many Generations and thou shalt be called the Repairer of the Breaches the Restorer of Paths to dwell in Here is Employment and Betrustment promised Answ 5 The more useful and serviceable a man is to God the more apt and ready God wil be to pardon his failings not only the failings of his present employment but of the other part of his life also What a great failing was that in Rahab to say the Spyes were gone when she had hid them in the top of her house yet the Lord pardoned this failing to her Why Because she beleeved and was useful and serviceable unto Gods great design in that her day And if ye look into Numb 〈◊〉 ye shall find That though Aaron and Miriam were both engaged in the same sin and evil of envying and murmuring against Moses yet the Lord spaâ—ed Aaron when he strook Miriam with a Leprosie But why saith Abulensis was not Aaron smitten with the Leprosie as well as Miriam what because he was not so deeply in the Transgression as she was No for verse 1. it 's said Then spake Aaron and Miriam not as if she were put on by him Or because that Aaron confessed his sin as she did not No for so did Miriam also for she was a good woman Or because that God owed Aaron a punishment till afterwards 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysostom Hom. 3. ad Collos No for that appears not by the Text but he was the High-Priest and if he had been smitten with Leprosie it would have brought his Ministry under some contempt the Work of the Lord would have ceased for a time also and though he failed in this thing yet he was otherwise a very useful and serviceable man and God would shew his aptness and readiness to pardon such rather than others Answ 6 If a man be employed for God in any special Service and Work the Lord will not only pardon his failings but if he be faithful in his Work God will bless him and set a Character of Love and Favor upon him What a Character of Love did the Lord set on Caleb and Joshua Of all men in Scripture it 's said of Caleb that he followed the Lord fully and this Character God himself did set upon him Numb 15.24 But my Servant Caleb because he had another spirit with him and hath followed me fully c. But why did God own and dignifie Caleb thus Even because he was faithful in that Work Service and Employment which God did call him to Answ 7 Yea The Serviceable man is the only man who doth live and speak when he is dead I mean for God Some are very active and serviceable for the Devil whilst they live they write and print wanton filthy Books and they speak while they are dead but it is still for Satan Others are very active and serviceable for God while they live they write and print works of Faith and Holiness and they also speak when they are dead as it 's said of Abel Who being dead yet speaketh but how doth he speak now The Apostle tels us Heb. 11. by Faith By which 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It relates unto 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Faith Well but what cast of Faith did he do He offered a more excellent Sacrifice than his Elder Brother which was the work and Service of his day So that the Serviceable man is the only man who doth speak when hâ— is dead Surely therfore it is a very great Priviledg and Mercy to be used and employed for God in his Work and Service Yet if God will not use me why should I be discouraged or complain Is not God free and may not he employ whom he pleaseth Shall the poor Potsheard say unto him why doest thou lay me by What if God will cross hands and lay his right hand on anothers head and his left hand on mine Shall I think to direct and order the hands of Gods Providence as Joseph would have altered Jacobs Iâ— not his Work his own and may not he put it out unto whom he please and if I complain thereof is not this my pride Proud men scorn their own employment and envy at others It 's a mercy indeed to be employed for God yet if God will not trust me with his Service as I desire why should I be discouraged Yet I may be Gods Servant For First The Service of God is two-fold Somtimes it is taken for some special Employment which a man is called forth unto And somtimes it is taken for our ordinary Obedience unto Gods Commandements In the first sence it is used often in Numb 4. and frequently in the old Testament called The Service of the Tabernacle of the Congregation So in the new Testament also Rom. 15.31 That my Service may be accepted In the second sence it is used
therein A LIFTING UP In case of Discouragements DRAWN From the Condition it self Sermon XII PSALM 42.11 Stepney June 18. 1648. Why art thou cast down O my Soul and why art thou disquieted within me c. Instance 9 SOmetimes the Discouragements of Gods People are drawn from their Condition the Condition it self O! saith one My Condition is exceeding sad both for Soul and Body there is no Condition that is like to mine my Affliction and my Condition are twisted and woven in together my Affliction Misery and my Calamity are seated in my very Condition they do not only grow upon my Condition but are in the Condition it self and therefore I am thus discouraged have I not cause and reason for it Answ 1 No I wil grant and must confess it 's possible that a Godly mans condition in regard of outwards may be very bad Cum bene sit malis et male bonis when it goes wel with those that are bad and ill with those that are good I am strongly solicited to beleeve there is no God said the Heathen but we have learned better Divinity than this A mans Condition may be very bad and yet the man himself may be very good and God may be good to him Yea Answ 2 It 's possible that a godly mans Condition in regard of the world may be worser than the Condition of a wicked man for what else is the meaning of the Parable of Dives and Lazarus Jacob was driven out of his Fathers house and lodged in the open fields in the night whilst wicked Esau prophane Esau staid at home and lay in his warm bed ye do not read that ever Esau did serve so hard a Service in Labans house as Jacob did nor are ye able to parallel Esau's misery with Jacob's yet saith the Lord Jacob have I loved and Esau have I hated So that it is possible for a good and godly mans Condition in regard of the world to be worser than the condition of the wicked Yea Answ 3 It is possible that a godly mans Condition may be worser in regard of outwards after his Conversion worser I say than before his Conversion Grace is fain somtimes to wear Sins Cloaths and a gracious man somtimes doth wear the punishment of that sin which he committed before his Conversion What think you of Paul do you read that ever Paul before his Conversion was put into the stocks that he was whipped up and down the streets like a Rogue that he was imprisoned that he was stoned by his Country-men But after his Conversion he was so used In the beginning of that 19. Chapter of the Acts he breatheth out threatenings against the Saints and goes out to kill the People of God but no sooner is Paul converted but the Jews sought to kill him So that I say possâ—bly a gracious mans Condition in regard of outwards may be worser at least for a time than it was before he was converted and drawn to God But now Take a godly mans Condition and though it be never so sad yet there is no reason why he should be discouraged or cast down because of his Condition in it self considered For By way of Demonstration First If his Condition be carved out unto him by the hand of his Father who is of infinite wisdom and love then he hath no reason to complain or to be disquieted Now look into Psal 16. see what David saith of Christ and Christ of the Saints at verse 6. My lines are fallen unto me in a pleasant place yea I have a fair Heritage or a goodly Heritage Why verse 5. The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup. Three Things are most considerable here First These words are plainly spoken of our Lord and Savior Christ and of his great Sufferings as appears by verse 10. For thou wilt not leave my soul in Hell neither wilt thou suffer thine holy One to see Corruption Men and Brethren saith the Apostle in Acts 2.29 Let me speak unto you of the Patriark David that he is both dead and buried and his Sepulchre is with us unto this day therefore being a Prophet and God had sworn unto him that of the fruit of his Loyns according to the Flesh he would raise up Christ to sit on his Throne he seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ At verse 27. of the 2d chapter ye have the same words that you have here in Psal 16. Thou wilt not leave my soul in Hell neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption So that plainly the words of the Psalm are spoken of Christ and of his great Sufferings But now in the Second place Though his Sufferings were very great and many yet saith he My lines are fallen unto me in a pleasant place and I have a goodly Heritage But why so The Reason is in the Third place in verse 5. The Lord is the portion of my Inheritance and of my Cup the Lord my Father saith he hath drawn out my lines for me he hath measured out my condition and the Lord himself is my portion and the portion of mine Inheritance Thus now may every godly man say My lines are fallen unto me in a pleasant place yea I have a goodly Heritage Why for the Lord is the Portion of mine Inheritance and of my Cup Surely therefore he hath no reason to be discouraged whatever his Condition be Again Secondly If a man do not live upon his Condition it self but upon his call into his Condition then he hath no reason to be discouraged in regard of his Condition it self Now as our Lord and Savior Christ said Man lives not by Bread but by every Word of God so say I Man lives not upon his Condition but upon Gods Call into his Condition and if God cal a man into a Condition he wil maintain him in it therefore you find those two go together in Psal 16. Thou maintainest my Lot at the latter end of verse 5. And my lines are fallen to me in a pleasant place And thus it was with the Children of Israel when they went through the red Sea it is said The Waters stood like a wall on each side of them ye never read before of a wall of water and yet then the waters were as a wall unto them a strange kind of Wall made of Waters but saith the Text The Waters were as a Wall stood as a Wall on each side of them Beloved Gods Call is our Wall which wil bear off and bear up ones heart under troubles and discouragements O! â—aith a gracious soul what abundance of opposition do I meet withal in my Condition but yet the Lord hath called me into this Condition and therefore I am quiet I am contented I am satisfied I confess I did not think to have met with so much Affliction in my Condition as now I do but God hath called me into it and therefore I have Comfort Thus it
But now when Faith comes it opens a mans Eyes to see things that are invisible it is the Evidence of things not seen By Faith Moses saw him that was invisible And therefore when the Apostle Peter doth direct his People for to see things past present and to come he exhorts them to a work of Faith Epist 1. ver 9. He that lâ—cks these things is blind one of those things is Faith as you read in verse 5. Give all diligence â—ad to your Faith c. then He that lacketh these things is blind at verse 9. But suppose a man do want Faith wherein is he blind Why saith the Apostle He cannot see things afar off he cannot see into the other world he cannot see unto the end of a Temptation or Affliction or to the end of a Desertion Well but though he cannot see things that are to come yet he may see things that are past Nay saith he if a man wants the Assurance of Gods Love and that is an Act of Faith he haâ—h forgotten that he was purged from his old sins Wherefore the rather saith he at verâ—e 10. Brethren give all diligence to make your Calling and Eleâ—tion sure If you would see things past present and to come then grow in Faith and Assurance of Gods Love and so saith he shal you be able to see things that are afar off Couâ—d a man but see what would be the end and issue of his Affliction he would be quiet under it It is in regard of our Affliction as it is in regard of your Salt or Sea Water Take the Water as it is in the Sea and so it is salt and brackish but drawn up by the Sun into the Clouds it becomes sweet and fals down into sweet Rain So take an Afflâ—ction in it self and it is salt and brackish but drawn up by Divine Love then it is sweet and if a soul can but tast the Love of God in it and see what a loving end the Lord wil make he wil then find it is very sweet and say I could not have been without this Affliction I do not know how any one twig of this rod could have been spared Now it 's only Faith that shews a man the end and the issue of all his troubles It stands upon the high Tower of the Threatening and Promise seeing over al Mountains and Difficulties it seeth into the other World it sees through Death and beyond Death it sees through Affliction and beyond Affliction it seeth through Temptation and beyond Temptation it seeth through Desertion and beyond Desertion it seeth through Gods Anger and beyond his Anger I say it seeth things past present and to come Now if a man had such a power as he were able to fetch in al his former experiences to see things present as they are and to see all the events and issues of things to come would he not be quiet notwithstanding all that might arise for the present Thus Faith is able to shew a man things past present and to come and to shew him greater matter of comfort than the matter of his troubles is and in so doing it must needs quiet the soul Answ 2 Secondly Faith true saving Faith doth see that in God and in Christ which answers unto all our fears wants and miseries For Faith closeth with the Name of God Let him stay himself upon the Name of God Isa 50. Now there is that in Gods Name that doth Answer unto all our Fears and wants For Example Exod. 34. the Lord descended in the Clouds at verse 5. and stood with Moses there and proclaimed the Name of the Lord ver 6. The Lord the Lord Jehovah Jehovah that is one that gives a being unto things that are not Will you say O! that it were thus or thus with me but as Rachel mourned for her Children and could not be comforted because they were not so do I mourn after Prayers because they are not and after Duties because they are not and afâ—er Humiliations because they are not Well saith the Lord be of good comfort for my Name is Jehovah who do give a Being to things that are not and this he repeateth The Lord the Lord or Jehovah Jehovah Well but though the Lord do give a Being to things that are not this doth not comfort me for though I praise the Lord I can say my Prayers are and my Duties are yet the Lord knows they are very weak and my Temptations are very strong and my Lusts mighty and therefore I am thus discouraged Yet be of good comfort for saith the Lord my Name is EL that is the strong or the mighty God and therefore though thou beest never so weak and thy Duties weak yet I wil carry on the work of my Grace in thee and though thy Temptations be never so strong and thy Lusts strong yet I am stronger for my Name is EL thâ— mighty God O! but though God be strong and able to help me yet I fear that God is not willing to help me I know God is able and that God is strong enough but I fear the Lord is not willing and therefore I am thus discouraged yet be of good comfort saith the Lord for my Name is Merciful that is the next word The Lord the Lord the Mighty God and as my Name is the Mighty God and therefore am able to help thee so my Name is Merciful and therefore am willing to help thee But though the Lord be willing to help me yet I am a poor unworthy Creature and I have nothing at al to move God to help me Yet be of good comfort for saith the Lord then my Name is Gracious I do not shew Mercy because you are good but because I am good nor do I stand upon your desert but I shew mercy out of free Love my Name is Gracious O! but I have been sinning I have been sinning a long time ten twenty thirty forty fifty yeers had I come in at sâ—â—â—â— I might have had mercy but I have been sinning long and therefore I fear there is no mercy for me Yet saith the Lord be 〈◊〉 good comfort for my Name is Long-suffering that is the noâ—â— Gracious and Long-suffering slow to Anger or Long-suffering O! but I have sinned exceedingly I have sinned abundantly so many Sins as I am never able to reckon up and to humble my self for I have broken al my Promises with God and al the Vows that I have made unto him and therefore I am thus discouraged Yet saith he be of good Comfort for I am abundant in Goodness and Truth Art thou abundant in sin I am abundant in Goodness And hast thou broken Faith with me yet I am abundant in Goodness and in Truth also O! but though the Lord be thus unto his own chosen Ones such as David Abraham or Moses yet I fear the Lord wil not be so to me Yes saith the Lord at verse 7. Keeping mercy for thousands I have
peace because I came so lightly by it Page 14 Answ All peace is the free gift of God for Christ his sake not for our sufferings Page 15 Object I want that Peace within how shall I come by it ibid. Answ The Lord only can speak this peace to thee which he doth speak in the way of his Ordinance ibid. Quest What doth the Lord speak in his Ordinances that may quiet my Soul ibid. Answ 1 You are willed to consider much of the fulness of Christs satisfaction ibid. God for Christs sake works all our works for us Page 16 2 Christ is our Peace-maker we must go to him ibid. The manner how we must go 1 Go in uprightness Page 17 2 Carry the Promise with you ibid. 3 Wait long on Christ till Peace do come ibid. Quest Must we not be humbled for sins committed ibid. Answ In all your Humiliation carry Christ along with you ibid. 4 Labor to mortifie your affections ibid. 5 Walk not with doubting company Page 18 6 When God speaks a little peace to thee refuse it not for it will encrease Page 19 This is amplified Page 20 Sermon II. DOCT. 2. The Saints may be under much discouragement Page 21 Two words in the Text most Emphatical Cast down Disquieted ibid. The words opened by four Questions Page 22 1 How far a good man may be discouraged 2 How it comes that he is discouraged 3 How discouragements can stand with Grace 4 How they may be cured Quest 1. How far may a good man be discouraged Page 22 Answ 1 A Saint may refuse Comfort for the Soul ibid. 2 For the Body also ibid. 3 A good man may refuse Duty Page 23 4 He may be weary of his life ibid. Quest 2. Why doth God suffer his Children to be so discouraged ibid. Answ In general It is for their good Page 24 More particularly 1 It is Gods way to deal so with men ibid. 2 This way God sets a greater price on our inward peace Page 25 3 God will have us to love him only ibid. 4 He thus trains up his Children to more perfection ib. 5 He doth this to keep his Chil-from security Page 24 6 This is explained by the similitude of a Chyrurgeon dealing with his Patient Page 26 Object Can any man foretel a mans discouragement ibid. Answ Affirmatively 1 It may be foretold when a man placeth his Spiritual Comfort on outward Blessings Page 27 2 When a man is unthankful for true peace and not humbled for false Peace ibid 3 When a man doth raise his Comfort only from Grace within and not from Christ without Yet Grace within is 1. A Cause sine qua non 2. It removes all impediments of Comfoâ—t 3. It is a witnessing Cause 4. It is a confirming Cause ibid. 4 When a man layeth his comfort on the impression or coming in of the Word rather than upon the Word iâ— self The words on Psal 16.4 critically expounded Page 28 Quest 3. How can all this stand with Grace ibid. Answ Affirmatively The Saints are never so discouraged but there is some Grace left ibid. Quest Is there no evil in Discouragements Page 29 Answ Affirmatively Very much ibid. Quest 4. What must a poor Soul do to recover its peace lost Page 30 Answered partly by way of Question partly by Direction ibid. 1 Hast thou quite forgot thy former peace Page 31 2 Do you not use the means for restoring your Comforts ibid. Some seek Comfort by way of reasoning with God Some seek it in Duty neglecting their Calling Both are dâ—ceived 3 Have you not so far strained for some outward comfort as to lose your inward comfort ibid. Quest What shall I do that my comforts may be restored Page 32 Answ By Direction in three things 1 Do what you would do to be justified ibid. 2 Seek whether God hath withdrawn his presence for your sin ibid. An Objection answered Page 33 3 Read the Scriptures much ibid. Object What if I do they may not comfort me ib. Answ You cannot tell till you prove it Page 34 Somtimes the Promise comes to us somtimes we go to it ib. Object I shall meet with threatnings in the Scripture ibid. Answ Negatively for Threatnings lead you to the Promise Page 34 Object There are many other things in Scripture that concern noâ— my Condition ibid. Answ Negatively Christ cureth us somtimes by diverting our minds ibid. Quest Where Peace returns what must I do Page 35 Answ 1 Be sure it be true Peace ib. 2 Fall upon Satans Quarters ibid. 3 Put all your Comforts into Christs hands ibid. 4 Spend all for Christ comfort others Page 36 Sermon III. DOCT. 3. Davids condition is put for a pattern Page 42 Habakkuks Condition ibid A Godly man may rejoyce in any Condition ibid. The Saints think they have reason for their Discouragements Page 43 The Saints may have reason for their Discouragements ibid. Quest What have the Saints that is a sufficient Bulwark against all discouragements ibid. Answ 1 A godly man hath a propriety in God ibid. How God is my God Page 44 2 God knows him and his condition ibid. 3 God will not have his People to be discouraged proved from God the Son to God the Father Page 45 4 The Saints have no discouragement but there is a greater Encouragement bound up with it Page 46 God makes our discouragements causes of encouragements Page 47 5 A prayâ—ng man can never be very miserable Page 48 4 The matter of our discouragements is but as a cloud ibid. Quest How shall it appear to be but a cloud ibid. Answ 1 If this Cloud come after the Promise Page 49 2 If a man can see to work Page 50 3 If there be some openings of light with the darkness by intermission ibid. Application Page 51 Object I have reason to be discouraged for I have no feeling of Gods Love ibid. Answ 1 We do not live by feeling but by Faith ibid. 2 The great difference between a Godly man and a wicked man in this Page 52 3 An Exhortation to the Saints not to be dscouraged for four Reasons ibid. 1 You rejoyce Satan when you are discouraged ibid. 2 You grieve the heart of God ib. 3 You do thereby make void the end of Christs coming ibid. 4 You make your self unfit for Christs Service ibid. Quest What shall a man do to bear up against all discouragements Page 54 Answ 1 Never lay your Comforts upon any Condition ibid. 2 Think of Christ in a right way Page 55 3 Check your self for being discouraged ibid 4 Mix the thoughts of your Discouragements with thoughts of Comfort ibid. 5 Mortifie Self-Love Page 56 6 Question your self for being discouraged ibid. So much for the Proof in general Page 57 Sermon IV. The Point is cleered and proved by nine particular Instances Page 58 1 Discouragements from gross sins Page 59 2 From weakness of Grace 3 From their failing in Duty 4 From want of evidence of Gods
have assurance of your salvation ibid. A Caution that no man may misapply this Doctrine Page 127 Quest Suppose I want assurance how shal I bear up against all discouragements Page 128 Answ by way of Direction 1 Seek earnestly after Gods love and Christs satisfaction ibid. 2 Hearken to no comfort out of an Ordinance contrary to the comfort the Lord speaks in his Ordinance ibid. 3 Be not discontented with your condition Page 129 4 Do not say I shal never havâ— assurance ibid. 5 The less assurance you have the more precious your Obedience may be Page 130 Sermon VIII INSTANCE V. I have been under Temptations many years and yet find no comfort must I not be discouraged Page 132 Answ Negatively Temptations are great afflictions ibid. They are an immediate combating with the Devil Page 133 They commonly seize on soul and body yet we must not be discouraged for them Page 134 Quest How shall that appear ibid. Answ By four demonstrations 1 Satan tempts Gods people to discourage them ibid. 2 God pitieth us under Temptations Page 135 3 Christ overcame all Temptations for us ibid. 4 All temptations shall turn to our good Page 136 1 Thereby they are more humbled ibid. 2 Thereby they are more occasioned to love God ibid. 3 Thereby Gods grace in Christ is more discovered Page 137 4 Thereby their graces are more encreased ibid. 5 Thereby all the Saints triumph over Satan ib. Object 1. I have been long tempted yet find no deliverance Page 137 Answ Christ was tempted in all things as we are ibid. Object 2. I doubt being so tempted whether I am the child of God Page 138 Answ Christ was so tempted in two of the three temptations in his forty daies temptation A comparison that illustrates the matter and is very sit against discouragement ibid. Object 3. I am tempted to make my self away to blaspheme God and to beleeve I have sinned against the holy Ghost Page 139 Answ I confess this is sad indeed but I dare not say they are damned though I read not of any such example in Scripture of any godly man that killed himself yet I dare not say they are saved Page 140 Object 4. But I am weak and yield to many temptations must I not be discouraged Page 141 Answ Negatively For out of weakness we are made strong ibid. Three sorts of People are in the world Old Men Middle aged Children The time of yong men is the overcoming time Yet the Apostle John writes unto them all So though you be weak yet you may overcome Page 142 Object 5. I have been overcome in my temptations ibid. Answ You are never overcome so long as you keep your weapon in your hand you may be overcome in skirmish yet overcome in battel ibid. Object 6. My temptations are not such as Gods children meet withal Page 143 Answ Negatively 1 For the godly are tempted to presume to despair unbelief The differences ibid. 2 The godly accuse themselves when they fal to sin by temptation but the wicked lay it on others and on the temptation ibid. 3 When a godly man is tempted to evil he rather startles at the sin than at the burden of it but the wicked startle at the punishment more than the sin Page 144 Temptations use to be greater after Conversion ib. 1 Peter did not deny Christ before he was converted to Jesus Christ ibid. 2 God never measures his children by what they are in temptations Page 145 Quest What shal I do then that I may not be discouraged Page 146 Answ If temptations arise from natural causes Physick is to be used ibid. 1 Expect not too much from any one means of help but wait on God Page 146 2 Say not of a Temptation this is no Temptation Page 147 3 Consider that Christ is engaged to help you when you are tempted ibid. 4 Think not to relieve your self under temptations with physical and moral Reasons Page 148 5 Advise with others that have been tempted though weaker than your self ibid. 6 Especially converse with the Promise ibid. 7 The greatest Consolations do somtimes follow the worst Temptations Page 149 Sermon IX INSTANCE VI. Spiritual Desertions are just cause of discouragement Page 150 Answ Negatively I know no affliction so great to a gracious heart as this yet Gods children must not faint here Page 151 Quest How may this appear Page 152 Answ 1. How God is said to forsake a man ibid. 1 In regard of union God never forsakes his own ibid. 2 In regard of his Power Grace and Strength he never forsakes them totally ibid. 3 In regard of Vision and comfortable feelings he forsakes them but for a time and returns again None of these can discourage us ibid. 2 God forsakes his People that he may not forsake them Page 153 3 Though Gods People are left somtimes in the dark they have alwaies light enough to work by Page 154 Object 1. I fear Christ hath withdrawn himself from me in regard of Vnion ibid. Answ Negatively You cannot judg of Grace under spiritual Desertions ib. Object 2. I find Gods Displeasure c. Page 155 Answ Negatively For this hath been the Saints condition before you ibid. Object 3. I have drawn this displeasure on my own head therefore c. Page 156 Answ Negatively For God wil hide his face and smite too yet not forsake ibid. Object 4. My condition is worse every day therefore c. Page 157 Answ Negatively For so were the Israelites in Egypt ibid. Object 5. I find in Scripture a final rejection therefore c. Page 158 Answ Negatively 1 The Saints usually think so that their Desertion is final Page 159 2 The Promise usually takes off this Objection ibid. 3 Scripture will make it clear to you ibid. Six Questions to resolve this by Page 159 1 Did you ever read in Scripture that a man was finally forsaken of the Lord but that an evil spirit from the Lord did seize upon him presently Page 160 2 Did you ever read that God did forsake any that were not willing to forsake God ibid. 3 Did you ever read that God forsook any man who was sensible of this forsaking and complained of it simply for it self ibid. 4 Did you ever read of any man forsaken by God who was tender in the point of sin ibid. 5 Did you ever read that Christ did forsake a soul in which he left his Soul furnished with spiritual houshold-stuf Page 161 6 Did you ever read that Christ forsook any man who longed after him as the greatest good ibid Quest What shall I do when Christ hides his face from me Page 262 Answ 1 Do not measure Gods Eternal affection by some present Dispensation ibid 2 Let fal no despairing speeches Page 263 3 Hear indifferently on both sides ibid. 4 Labor more to live by Faith Page 264 Your own Experience will convince you Page 265 Sermon X. INSTANCE VII The case was Davids therefore you need not be
discouraged Page 267 Obj. But besides National miseries I have many Personal Afflictions therefore c. Page 268 Answ Negatively for 1 It is no new-thing for the Saints to be personally afflicted ibid. 2 When they are afflicted they are in some respects more sensible of their affliction than the wicked are ibid. 3 As they will be sensible of affliction so they are very apt to be much discouraged by reason of them ibid. Four things considerable to cleer this Truth Page 269 1 What the Sufferings of the Saints are ibid. 2 Whence they proceed 3 What accompanies them 4 What follows them Page 269 For the first 1 They are parts of Christs Purchase for them ibid. 2 They proceed from Gods love Page 270 3 Much supporting Grace accompanies them Page 271 4 They bring forth quiet fruits of Righteousness Page 272 Object 1. My afflictions are without end therefore c. Page 273 Answ Negatively For God takes away your comforts for a time that you may not be drunk with them ibid. Object 2. My Afflictions are not usual but new ones and strange Page 274 Answ You think so but not truly ibid. Object 3. I want all kinds of Mercies my Afflictions have no bottom ibid. Answ It was Davids case ibid. Object 4. But my dearest friends hate me therefore c. Page 275 Answ negatively For Our greatest Enemies may prove our greatest Friends ibid. Object 5. But my afflictions expose me to all Temptations therefore c. Page 276 Answ negatively For 1 May be you are mistaken ib. 2 God by affliction cals a man to some other work ibid. 3 No affliction doth expose a man to a new sin that makes him sensible of his former sin ibid. 4 When a man thus fears it is a sign of Grace Page 277 Object 6. My sin is the cause of my affliction and I know not what sin it is therefore c. ibid. Answ negatively For So it was with Jonah so with David c. ibid. It is somtimes better for a particular sin to lie undiscovered Page 278 Object 7. But I fear my afflictions come from Gods displeasure therfore c. ibid. Answ negatively For 1 Afflictions argue Gods love rather than his hatred ibid. 2 Is there any thing in God that is not a friend to all the Saints ibid. 3 But what are those visible Characters of love engraven on affliction Page 279 1 If affliction be a blessing then it comes from love ibid. 2 If affliction end in our love to God then it comes from Gods love tâ— us ib. 3 If affliction teacheth the mind of God then it doth come from love ibid. 4 If iâ— be but in measure and at a seasonable time then it comes from love ibid. 5 God is more especially present in affliction than at other times Page 279 Object 8. But our whol Nation is afflicted therefore c. Page 280 Answ negatively This is a sad thing If ever England had cause to be humbled under the hand of the Lord it is now Yet say to the Righteous in evil times it shal go wel with him ibid. Quest What must we do to bear up against all discouragements Page 282 Answ 1 If you have assurance of Gods love in Christ hold to that if you have it not this afflâ—ction shal bring you to it ibid. 2 Remember much your Fellowship with Christ in his Sufferings ibid. 3 Labor more to be a stranger to the world and to live by Faith ibid. 4 Consider what Christ hath born and left you to bear Page 283 5 Consider frequently and seriously what abundance of good you and others may get by your afflictions ibid. 6 When afflictions come look not only on the evil of it but on the good of it too ibid. Sermon XI INSTANCE VIII Object Either men think they are not called forth to work for God or they want abilities or they have no success therefore Page 285 Answ negatively For 1 Is Family work nothing There is a three-fold sweat saith Luther Political Ecclesiastical Domestical Page 286 2 Is it nothing to be trusted with the work of your Christian Station ibid. 3 Is it nothing to be imployed to comfort others ibid. Object 1. But God doth not imploy me in the world I am an useless Creature therefore c. ib. Answ 1 It is a great blessing to be imployed in any Service of God ibid. 2 The more a man doth for God the more he doth honor God Page 287 3 By being imployed we are kept from Temptations ibid. 4 Great imployment is the mercy promised ibid. 5 The more serviceable a man is for God the more will God be apt to pardon his failings Page 288 6 If a man be faithful in Gods work God will bless him Page 288 7 The serviceable man for God is the only man that doth live and speak when he is dead ibid. I may be Gods Servant though I am not imployed by him in his Service For Page 289 1 The Service of God is two-fold either publick or private The private Service is the saving Service though we have no publick imployment ibid. 2 Special or publick imployment is various also either in a mean or a great imployment ibid. 3 Though God do not use me at present he may use me afterwards Page 290 4 A man may be so imployed and yet go to Hell and he may not be imployed and yet go to Heaven ibid. 5 You must rejoyce when others are imployed ibid. Object 2. But I want abilities therefore c. Page 291 Answ negatively For 1 Gods greatest works are not alwaies done by the greatest abilities ibid. 2 Our best abilities are from God ibid. 3 The Spirit of God doth not alwaies breath alike Page 292 4 If God call you to a work he will give you needful assistance in that time ibid. Object 3. I fear I intrude into Gods work because I want abilities ibid. Answ Negatively 1 God somtimes first calls a man and then gives abilities afterward ibid. 2 If Gods door-keepers do judg you able you must rest on their judgment Page 293 Though I am to judg of mine own grace yet others and not I must judg of my abilities ibid. Object 4. I fear I am an intruder because I meet with so many difficulties ibid. Answ 1 What good action doth not ibid. 2 The greatest Call from God usually finds the greatest difficulties Page 294 Obiect 5. God I beleeve hath called me to his Service but I am unserviceable ibid. Answ That is ill indeed ibid. But this complaâ—nt sheweth you are willing to serve God therefore be not discouraged Page 295 Object 6. I work and have no success in my work therefore c. ibid. Answ Negatively 1 You may mistake the success Page 296 2 Gods dearest Children here somtimes labored all night and caught nâ—thing Page 296 Object 7. I fear God hath imployed me in the way of judgment and not of mercy therefore Page 297 Answ negatively For 1
Ch. mâ—it 〈◊〉 cap. â—0 p. â— 2. is your Obedience in submitting unto your Condâ—tion and to the work thereof Luther said A poor woman knitting of a pair of stockens in a way of Faith doth a greater work than Alexander did in conquering the World It was the Speech of a good man that is now in Heaven The more Riches the more Debts for if a man be not in Christ al his present Riches wil be future Debts he wil wish O! that I had had less of them O! that I had had never a penny And I pray tel me who have most Promises in Scripture the Poor or the Rich the Oppressed or the Oppressor the High or the Low He that is most exercised hath the most Promises and a low Condition is an excellent Commentary upon those Promises When the Sun shines ye see not the Stars but in the night the Stars appear So whilst Prosperity shines upon us we do not see the Promises but when the night comes Adversity comes a dark and low Condition comes then we see those Promises which we saw not before But suppose that a Father hath two Children and to one he gives a brave Garment saying unto him Child take and wear this Garment but there is all thy Portion I shall give thee no more The other he gives a mean Garment to but saith he Child be contented it is nor thy Portion thy Brothers Garment is his Portion but though thy Garment be mean it is not thy Portion I have a good Inheritance for thee Will not this latter Child be contented will he be discouraged think you because he hath not so brave a Garment as the other hath Why take a wicked man and though he have a braver Garment yet it is all his Portion his Portion is in this Life there is all thou shalt have saith God there is thy Portion But now as for a godly man though he have a mean Garment yet it is not his portion O! you that are godly wil you then be discouraged because you have not so brave and fine a Garment as another hath Consider that the Lord himself is your Portion Object 2 O! but I praise the Lord I am not in a poor and low and base Condition my Condition is full enough but I am in an unsettled Condition I am never settled in my Condition somtimes in one Condition and somtimes in another could I be but set led though I had the lesser I should be contented but my Condition is never setled and therefore I am thus disquieted and discouraged have I not some reason now Answ 1 No For I pray what settlement would yon have here in this world The best Estate of men is altogether vanity Is there any settlement in vanity 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Stetit constitit constitutus sâ—â— Verily saith the Psalmist the best estate of every man or every man in his best estate is altogether vanity so you read it But in the Hebrew it is Every man standing Omnis homo stans as Montanus gives it every man in his most setled Estate so the word signifies Verily every man in his most setled estate is altogether vanity Answ 2 But suppose that your Condition be more unsetled than any others if God hath no design but Love upon you in your unsettlement then surely you have no reason to be disquieted because of this Now I pray why doth the Lord suffer the Condition of his People to be so unsettled in the world but that they may settle upon himself O! saith a gracious heart I see there is no abiding place here therefore I look for one that is to come that hath a Foundation had I been settled in the world I should never have been fixed upon God himself but being unsettled in the world I learn to settle upon God himself God doth therefore carry his Children from Vessel to Vessel from Condition to Condition that their filthy scent may not remain Beloved there is no condition here below that is able to grasp or hold the Love of God to his Children every Condition is too narrow a Vessel to hold the Love of God in and therefore God doth lead his People into several Conditions that so he may have the suller vent for his Love So long as you are in one Condition you do not see or observe your own self and carriage therein and therefore God leads you into a new Condition that you may see what you did in your former Condition For Example When a man is in health he doth not then observe his own carriage in the daies of Health therefore God leads him into sickness and when he is sick then he doth observe what his carriage was while he was in health then saith he how wanton was I how worldly was I how vain was I when I was in health But when a man is sick then he doth not observe his carriage in that Condition therefore Gods leads him into health again and when he is in health then he seeth what his carriage was while he was sick and then saith he how froward was I how impatient was I when I was sick I say a man doth not observe the present carriage of his soul in his present condition and therefore God leads him into a new Condition and then he sees what his carriage was in the old condition Phylosophy tels us Sensibile positum juxta sensorium nulla sit sensatio That if a sensible Object be laid close to the Organ of Sence there wil be no sensation as if a Book be held close unto your eye you wil not be able to read a letter but hold it at a convenient distance and then you may read it al. So here so long as a man is in a condition and that is held close unto him he doth not see his own carriage therein but at a distance he doth wherefore the Lord doth remove him to some distance from his former condition and so he sees and observeth what he was and did therein It is an easie thing for a man to sing when the Psalm is set a Child can do it but it requires some skil to begin it requires some singing skil to turn readily from one tune to another but when the Psalm is begun every one can go on then A poor weak Horse can go on in the Road so long as he keeps the same way but when he comes to turn out of that way into another then he stumbles it requires some strength in a Horse to go readily over the Cart-wracks to go readily from one way into another this requires strength So every poor weak man may go on in the same way and in the same condition this requires no great store of strength but to carry the sameness of heart towards God in variety of Conditions this argues strength this requires skil What therefore if the Lord wil lead you from one condition to another and so draw