loathsom Dungeon the pavement whereof was sharp shells and his bed to lie on a bundle of thorns All which this blessed Martyr received without so much as a groan breathing out his spirit in these words Vincentius is my name and by the grace of God I will be still Vincentius inspight of all your torments Persecution brings death in one hand and life in the other for while it kills the body it crowns the soul The most cruel Martyrdom is but a crafty trick to escape death to pass from life to life from the prison to paradise from the cross to the crown Justin Martyr says that when the Romans did immortalize their Emperors as they called it they brought one to swear that he see him go to Heaven out of the fire But we may see by an eye of Faith the blessed Souls of suffering Saints flie to Heaven like Elias in his fiery Judg. 13. 20. chariot like the Angel that appeared to Manoah in the flames John Hus Martyr had such choice discoveries of God and such sweet in-comes of the Spirit as made his patience and constancy A patient man under reproaches is like a man with a Sword in one hand and a Salve in the other he could wound but he will heal invincible When he was brought forth to be burned they put on his head a Triple Crown of Paper painted over with ugly Devils but when he saw it he said My Lord Jesus Christ for my sake did were a Crown of Thorns why should not I then for his sake wear this light crown be it never so ignominious truly I will do it and that willingly And as they tied his neck with a chain to the stake smiling he said That he would willingly receive the The Motto of patient souls is plura pro Christo toleranda we must suffer more then so for Christ same chain for Jesus Christs sake who he knew was bound with a far worse chain for his sake Well remember this their names that by a patient suffering are written in Red Letters of blood in the Churches Calender are written in Golden Letters in Christs Register in the Book of Life A second Reason why the Lord Reas 2 lifts up the light of his countenance upon his people in suffering times and that is for the confirmation of some for the conversion of others and for the greater conviction and confusion of their adversaries who wonder and are like men amazed when they see the comfort and the courage of the Saints in suffering times Pauls choice carriage in his bonds was the Phil. 1. 14. vide Estius confirmation of many And many of the Brethren in the Lord waxing confident by my bonds are much more bold to speak the Word without fear And as the sufferings of the Saints do contribute to the confirmation of some so by the blessing of God they contribute to the conversion of others I beseech thee says Paul for Philem. v. 10. my son Onesimus whom I have begotten in my bonds It was a notable saying of Luther Ecclesia totum mundum convertâ—t sanguine oratione The Church converteth the whole world by blood and prayer Basil affirms That the They knew it could be but a days journey between the cross and paradise between that short storm and an eternal calm Primitive Saints shewed so much comfort and courage so much Heroick zeal and constancy that many of the Heathens turned Christians so that choice spirit that the Saints have shewed in their sufferings when Christ hath overshadowed them with his love and stayed them with flagons and comforted them with apples hath madded grieved vexed and extreamly It would be too tedious to give you an account of all particular persecutors in this case whom the courage faith and patience of the Saints have tyred out tormented and made weaty of their lives and also bred wonder and astonishment in beholders and readers tormented their tormentors Lactantius boasts of the braveness of the Martyrs in his time our children and women not to speak of men do in silence overcome their tormentors and the fire cannot so much as fetch a sigh from them Hegesippus reports an observation of Antoninus the Emperor viz. That the Christians were most couragious and confident always in Earth-quakes whilest his own Heathen Souldiers were at such accidents most fearful and dis-spirited Certainly no Earth-quakes can make any Heart-quakes among the suffering Saints so long as the countenance of God shines upon their face and his love lies warm upon their Hearts The suffering Saint may be assaulted but not vanquished he may be troubled but can never be conquered he may lose his head but he cannot lose his Crown which the 2 Tim. 4. 7 8. righteous Lord hath prepared and laid up for him The suffering Saint shall still be master of the day though they Mori posse vinci non posse kill him they cannot hurt him he may suffer death but never conquest And they overcame him by the blood of Rev. 12. 11. the Lamb and by the word of their testimony O Lord Jesus said one I love thee plusquam mea plusquam meos plusquam me more then all my goods more then all my friends yea more then my very life and they loved not their lives unto the death They love not their lives that love Christ and his truth more then their lives they that slight contemn and despise their lives when they stand in competition with Christ may be truly said not to love their lives In these words you see that the Saints by dying do overcome They may kill me said Socrates of his enemies but they cannot hurt me A Saint may say this and more The Herb Heliotropium doth turn about and open it self according to the motion of the Sun so do the Saints in their sufferings according to the internal motions of the Sun of Righteousness upon them A third Reason Why the Lord Reas 3 causes his goodness to pass before his people and his face to shine upon his people in suffering times and that is for the praise of his own Grace and for the glory of his own Name God would lose much of his own glory if he should not stand by his people and comfort them and strengthen them in the day of their sorrows Ah the dirt the scorn the contempt that Exod. 32. 12. Num. 14. 13. vain men would cast upon God Look as our greatest good comes thorow the sufferings of Christ so Gods greatest glory that he hath from his Saints comes thorow their sufferings If ye be reproached for the name of Christ. 1 Peâ— 4. 14. Vide Bezam happy are ye for the Spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you On their part he is evil spoken of but on your part he is glorified It makes much for the glory of God that his people are cleared and comforted quickned and raised spiritualized and elevated in
9 13 14 17. Divine Love is not stinted nor limited to one sort of duty but is free to all He that loveth flieth he that loveth runneth he that loveth believeth he that loveth rejoyceth he that loveth mourneth he that loveth giveth he that loveth lendeth he that loveth beareth he that loveth waiteth he that loveth hopeth c. Heb. 6. 10. For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labor of love Love makes the soul laborious that Love that accompanies Salvation is very Active and Operative it is like the vertuous Woman in the Proverbs that sets all her Maidens on work it is never quiet but in doing the Will of God it will not suffer any Grace to sit idle in the Soul it will egg and put on all other Graces to act and operate Love sets Faith upon drawing from Christ and Patience upon waiting on Christ and Humility upon submitting to Christ and Godly-sorrow upon mourning over Christ and Self-denial upon forsaking of the nearest and dearest comforts for Christ c. As the Sun makes the Earth fertil so doth Divine love make the Soul fruitful in Works of Righteousness and Holiness He that loves cannot be idle nor barren Love makes the Soul constant and aboundant in wel-doing 2 Cor. 5. 14. The love of Christ constraineth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Loves property is to do eternally it is an eternal lasting principle and actions will last as long as principles its action is as abiding as it self us it doth urge us and put us forward it carries us on as men possessed with a vehemency of spirit or as a ship which is driven with strong winds towards the desired Haven Natural love makes the Childe the Servant the Wife obedient so doth Divine love make the soul better at obeying then at disputing A Soul that loves Christ will never cease to obey till he ceases to be That Love that accompanies Salvation is like the Sun the Sun you know casteth Beatus qui amat te amicos in te inimicos propter te Aug. Confess his beams upward and downward to the East and to the West to the North and to the South so the love of a Saint ascends to God above and descends to Men on Earth to our Friends on the right-hand to our Enemies on the left-hand to them that are in a state of Grace and to them that are in a state of Nature Divine love will still be a working one way or another Thirdly That Love that accompanies Salvation is a sincere and incorrupt love Eph. 6. 24. Grace be with all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Word for word in incorruption or with incorruption i. e. That love Christ in sincerity and not feignedly and hypocritically them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity Amen The true bred Christian Amat Christum propter Christum loves Christ for Christ he loves Christ for that internal and eternal worth that is in him he loves him for his incomparable excellency and beauty for that transcendent sweetness loveliness holiness and goodness that is in him he is none of those that loves Christ for loaves neither will he with Judas kiss Christ and betray him nor yet will he with those in Matth. 21. 9 15. the Gospel cry out Hosanna Hosanna one day and Crucifie him crucifie him the next They love Christ with a Virgin love Cant. 1. 3. The Virgins love thee They love thee in much sincerity purity and integrity they love thee for that fragrant savor for that natural sweetness for that incomparable goodness that is in thee so in the fourth Verse The upright love thee or as it is in the Hebrew Uprightnesses 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 love thee Uprightnesses being put for upright ones the abstract for the concrete Judas was kin to the bag he was not kin to Christ and he in Clemens was not his but his riches Kinsman Christ hath many such Kinsmen A Christian cares not for any thing that hath not aliquid Christi something of Christ in it He sayes with him Sine Deo omnis copia est egâ—stas Without Christ all plenty is scarcity Austin prayes Lord saith he whatever thou hast given take all away onely give me thy self God gave him himself and cast in many other mercies as Paper and Packthred into the bargain or they love thee in uprightnesses that is most uprightly most intirely most sincerely and not as Hypocrites who love thee for base carnal respects who love thee in complements but not in realities who love thee in word and tongue but despise thee in heart and life who love the gift more then the giver That Love that accompanies Salvation is real and cordial Love it is sincere and upright love it makes the Soul love Christ the giver more then the gift it makes the Soul love the gift for the givers sake it will make the Soul to love the giver without his gifts And verily they shall not be long without good gifts from Christ that love Christ more then his gifts Vespasian commanded a liberal reward should be given to a woman that came and professed That she was in love with him and when his Steward asked him What item he should put to it in his Book of Accounts the Emperor answered Vespasiano adamato Item to her that loved Vespasian Ah Christians shall Vespasian an Heathen Prince reward her liberally that loved his person and will not the Lord Jesus much more reward them with his choicest gifts that love him more then his gifts Surely Christ will not be worse then a Heathen he will not act below a Heathen He shall never be a loser that loves Christ for that Spiritual sweetness and loveliness that is in Christ Christ will not live long in that mans debt Fourthly That Love that accompanies Salvation is a vehement Love an ardent Love it is a spark of heavenly fire and it puts all the affections into a holy flame Can. 1. 7. Tell me O thou whom my soul loveth where thou feedest c. This amiable amorous Pathetical Compellation O thou Anima est ubi amat non ubi animat The soul is where it loves not where it lives whom my soul loveth speaks the Spouses love to be hot and burning towards Christ So in Isa 26. 8 9. The desire of our souls is towards thee and to the remembrance of thy name With my 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In the midst of me it is an emphatical phrase soul have I desired thee in the night yea with my spirit within me will I seek thee early This affectionate this passionate form of Speech With my soul have I desired thee and that with my spirit within me will I seek thee does elegantly set forth the vehement and ardent love of the Church to Christ so doth that pathetical exclamation of the Church Stay me with flagons comfort Cant. 2. 5. me with apples for I am sick of love
The betrothed Virgin cannot shew more strong and vehement love to her beloved then by being sick and surprised with love-qualms when she meets him when she enjoyes him it was so here with the Spouse of Christ The love of Christ to Believers is a vehement love an ardent love witness his leaving his Fathers bosom his putting upon us his Royal Robes his bleeding his dying c. And it doth naturally beget Amor non nisi donum amantis Gul. Par. vehement and ardent Love in all the beloved of God Where Christ loves he always begets somewhat like himself Amor semper habet quid sui simile That love that is flat luke-warm or cold will leave a man to freeze a this side Heaven it will fit him for the warmest place in Hell Dives love was very cold and he found the flames of Hell to be very hot That love that accompanies Salvation is full of heat and fire Fifthly That Love that accompanies Salvation is lasting Love it is permanent Love the objects of it are lasting the springs and causes of it are lasting the nature of it is lasting The Primitive Christians loved not Revel 12. 11. their lives unto the death Persecutors have taken away the Martyrs lives for Christ but could never destroy their love to Christ Ephes 6. 24. Grace be 1 Cor. 13. 8. Love never faileth or as it is in the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 never falleth away but shall last for ever in Heaven in which respect the Apostle lifts it up above Faith Hope and all the common gifts of the Spirit in the same Chapter with all that love the Lord Jesus in sincerity or in incorruption as the Greek word signifies whereby the Apostle gives us to understand That true love to Christ is not liable to corruption putrifaction or decay but is constant and permanent lasting yea everlasting That Love that accompanies Salvation is like to the Oyl in the Cruse and the Meal in the Barrel that wasted not it is like the Apple-Tree of Persia that buddeth blossometh and beareth fruit every moneth it is like the Lamp in the story that never went out it is like the Stone in Thracia that neither burneth in the fire nor sinketh in the water Cant. 8. 6 7. Love is stronger then death many waters 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Contemning it would be contemned Omnia vincit amor Love rides in her chariot of triumph over all calamities and miseries and cryes Victory victory cannot quench it nor thâ— floods cannot drown it If a man would give all the substance of his house for love it would be contemned Love will out-live all enemies temptations oppositions afflictions persecutions dangers and deaths Loves Motto is Nulli cedo I yeeld to none Love is like the Sun the Sun beginning to ascend in his circle never goes back until he comes to the highest degree thereof True love abhors Apostacie it ascends to more perfection and ceases not until like Eliahs Fiery-Chariot it hath carried the Soul to Heaven Many mens love to Christ is like the Morning Dew it is like Jonahs Goard that came up in a night and vanished in a night But that love that accompanies Salvation is like Ruthes love a lasting and an abiding Ruth 1. love it is Love that will bed and board with the Soul that will lye down and rise up with the Soul that will to the fire to the prison to the grave to Heaven with the Soul Sixthly That love that accompanies Salvation is an abounding This is clear throughout the whole Book of Cantiâ—les as all may ruâ— and read love an increasing love Love in a Saint is like the Waters in Noahs time that rose higher and higher The very nature of true Love is to abound and rise higher and higher Phil. 1. 9. This I pray that your love may abound yet more and more The longer a Believer lives the more eminent and excellent Causes of Love he sees in Christ Christ discovers himself gradually to the Soul Now a Believers love to Christ rises answerable to the causes of love that he sees in Christ The more light the more love Knowledge and Love like the Water and the Ice beget each other Man loves Christ by knowing and knows Christ by loving Mans love is always answerable to his light he cannot love much that knows but little he cannot love little that knows much As a man rises higher and higher in his apprehensions of Amat Deus non aliunde hoc habet sed ipse est unde amat Aug. Christ so he cannot but rise higher and higher in his affections to Christ Again the daily Mercies and Experiences that they have of the love of Christ of the care of Christ of the bowels and compassions of Christ working more and more towards them cannot but raise their affections more and more to him As fire is encreased by adding of fuel unto it so is our love to Christ upon fresh and new manifestations of his great love towards us As the Husband abounds in his love to his Wife so the Wife rises in her love to her Husband the more love the Father manifests to the Childe the more the ingenuous Childe rises in his affections to him so the more love the Lord Jesus shews to us the more he is beloved by us Christ shewed much love to Mary Luke 7. 47 48 Magdalen and this raises in her much love to Christ She loved much for much was forgiven her As the Israelites in the three and thirtieth of Numbers removed their Tents from Mithkah to Chasmonah from sweetness to swiftness as the words import so the sweetness of Divine love manifested to the soul makes the soul more sweet swift and high in the exercise and actings of love towards Christ A Soul under special manifestations of Love weeps that it can love Christ no more Mr. Welch a Suffolk Minister weeping at Table and being asked the reason of it answered It was because he could love Christ no more The true lovers of Christ can never rise high enough in their love to Christ they count a little love to be no love great love to be but little strong love to be but weak and the highest love to be infinitely below the worth of Christ the beauty and glory of Christ the fulness sweetness and goodness of Christ The top of their misery in this life is That they love so little though they are so much beloved Seventhly and lastly That Love that accompanies Salvation is open love it is manifest love it is love that cannot be hid that cannot be covered and buried it is like the Sun it will shine forth and shew it self to all the world A man cannot love Christ but he will shew it in these and such-like things as follow First Divine Love makes the Soul even ready to break in longing after a further clearer and fuller enjoyment of Christ The voice of Divine love is
descend upon him like a Dove and he shall hear a voice from heaven saying This is my beloved Sonne in whom I am well-pleased that so he may be strong in resisting and glorious in triumphing over all the assaults and temptations of Satan So many times at first conversion the Lord makes out sweet manifestations of his love to the soule that so the soule may stand fast and not give ground and in the sense of divine love may so manage the shield of faith as to quench all the fiery darts of the Devil The Lord knows that when hee sets upon the delivering of a poor soule from the Kingdome of darknesse and translating it into the Kingdome of his dear Sonne that Satan will roar and Col. 1. 13. rage rend and tear as he did him in Pharaoh in his furious and violent pursuing after Israel when he saw that God would bring them from under his power was a type of Satan Mark 9. 25 26. When Jesus saw that the people came ranning together hee rebuked the foule spirit saying unto him Thou dumb and deaf spirit I charge thee to come out of him and the spirit cryed and rent him sore and came out of him and he was as one dead in so much that many said He is dead No sooner did Jesus Christ look with an eye of love pity and compassion upon the Boy but the Devil in his rage and wrath The Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies to tear and rent as the dog doth falls a renting and tearing of him as mad dogs do those things they fasten upon This poor childe had never so sore a fit as now he was nearest the cure when rich Mercy and Glorious power is nearest the soul then Satan most storms and rages against the soul The more the Bowels of Christ do work towards a sinner the more furious will Satan assault that sinner Therefore Divine Wisdom and Goodness does the more eminently shine in giving the poor soul some sight of Canaan and some Bunches and Clusters of that Land upon its first coming out of the Wilderness of Sin and Sorrow But that no soul may mistake this last Proposition give me leave to premise these two Cautions First That God does manifest his Caut. 1. love onely to some at their first conversion not to all Though he dearly loves every penitent soul yet he does not manifest his love at first conversion to every penitent soul God is a free Agent to work where he will and when he will and to reveal his love how he will and when he will and to whom he will It is one thing for A man may enjoy the warmth and heat of the Sun when he cannot see the Sun so a man may have grace when he cannot see that he hath grace God to work a work of Grace upon the soul and another thing for God to shew the soul that work God oftentimes works Grace in a silent and secret way and takes sometimes five sometimes ten sometimes fifteen sometimes twenty years yea sometimes more before he will make a clear and satisfying report of his own work upon the soul Though our Graces be our best Jewels yet they are sometimes at first conversion so weak and imperfect that we are not able to see their lustre The being of Grace makes our estates safe and sure the seeing of Grace makes our lives sweet and comfortable The second Caution is this A man Caut. 2. I have conversed with several precious souls that have found this true by experience and upon this very ground have questioned all and strongly doubted whether they have not taken Satans delusions for divine manifestations may at first conversion have such a clear glorious manifestation of Gods love to him and of his interest in God and his right to glory that he may not have the like all his days after The fatted Calf is not every day slain the Robe of Kings is not every day put on every day must not be a Feastival day a Marriage day the wife is not every day in the bosom the childe is not every day in the arms the friend is not every day at the table nor the soul every day under the manifestations of Divine Love Jacob did not every day see the Angels ascending and descending Steven did not every day see the Heavens open and Christ standing on the right hand of God Paul was not every day caught up to Heaven nor John was not every day rapt up in the Spirit No Saint can every day cry out I have my Christ I have my Comfort I have my Assurance as the Persian King cryed out in his dream I have Themistocles I have Themistocles Job had his Job 30. 31. Harp turned into mourning and his Organ into the voice of them that weep The best of Saints are sometimes put to hang their Harps upon the Willows and Psal 137. 2. cry out Hath God forgotten to be gracious Psal 77. 7 8. 9. and will he be favorable no more The second special season or time wherein the Lord is pleased to give to his children a sweet assurance of his 2 Cor. 5. 14. favor and love and that is when he intends to put them upon some high and hard some difficult and dangerous service O then he gives them some 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Divine love hath a compulsive faculty it is very powerful to put the soul upon acting in the highest and hardest services for Christ sweet taste of Heaven before hand Now he smiles now he kisses now he embraces the soul now he takes a Saint by the hand now he causes his goodness and glory to pass before the soul now he opens his bosom to the soul now the soul shall be of his Court and Councel now the Clouds shall be scattered now it shall be no longer night with the soul now the soul shall sit no longer mourning in the valley of darkness now Christ will carry the soul up into the Mount and there reveal his glory to it that it may act high and brave noble and glorious in the face of difficulties and discouragements Christ did intend to Matth. 17. 1 2 3 4 5 6. put Peter James and John upon hard and difficult service and therefore brings them up into an high mountain and there gives them a vision of his Beauty and Glory there they see him transfigured metamorphosed or transformed there they see his face shining as the Sun and his Rayment glistering In the Mount he shews them such beams of his Deity such sparkling glory as did even amuse them and amaze them transport them and astonish them and all this Grace and Glory this Goodness and Sweetness Christ shews them to hearten and encourage them to own him and his truth to stand by him and truth to make him and his truth known to the world though hatred bonds and contempt did attend them in so doing
souls as makes them bid defiance to the greatest dangers and as Crowns them Conquerors of the greatest difficulties Ah says a soul that hath walked some turns in Paradise what is dross to gold what is darkness to light what is Hell to Heaven no more is all difficulties and oppositions to me who have found As they said once of the Grecians in the Epigramme whom they thought invulnerable we shoot at them but they fâ—ll not down we wound them and yet not kill them c. the sweetness of Divine Grace and have had the happiness to lie in the bosom of God Dioclesian the worst and last Persecutor in all the Ten Persecutions observed That the more he sought to blot out the name of Christ the more it became legible and to block up the way of Christ the more it became passible and whatever of Christ he thought to root out it rooted the deeper and rose the higher in the hearts and lives of the Saints among whom he had scattered the beams of his love and the rich pearls of his grace Such souls as have once been in the arms of God in the midst of all oppositions they are as men made all of fire walking in stubble they consume and overcome all oppositions all difficulties are but as whetstones to their Fortitude The Moon will run her course though the Dogs bark at it so will all those choice souls that have found warmth under Christs wings run their Christian race in spight of all difficulties and dangers The Horse neighs at the Trumpet the Leviathan laughs at the Spear so does a Saint under the power of assurance laugh at all hazards and dangers that he meets with in the Lords service The sense of Gods love and goodness makes him to triumph over the greatest difficulties Fourthly and lastly God gives his Reas 4 people some tastes of his love when he puts them upon hard and difficult services that the mouths of the wicked may be stopt should God lay heavy burdens upon his peoples shoulders and not put under his finger to give some ease should God double their tale of brick and yet deny them straw should God engage them against a potent enemy and then desert them should God send them upon some weighty embassage and not give proportionable encouragements to them what would the world say would Exod. 32. 12. Num. 14. 12 13 14 15 16. they not say That he is a hard Master and that his ways are not equal would they not say Verily they are lyers that say he is glorious in power and wonderful in counsel and infinite in mercy and admirable in goodness and rich in grace and unsearchable in his understanding for surely were he he could not he would not put his children upon such hard and dangerous services but he would own them and stand by them he would assist them and smile upon them he would be as careful to bring them bravely off as he hath been ready to bring them freely on O he could not see them in garments rouled in blood but his bowels would yern towards them and he would arise and have compassion on them Then thirdly Waiting times are times wherein God is pleased to give his people some sweet tastes of his love and to lift up the light of his countenance upon them I waited patiently Psal 40. 1 2 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the Lord saith David and he inclined unto me and heard my cry Waiting I waited He brought me up also out of an horrible pit or out of a pit of noise out of the miry clay and set my feet upon a rock and established my goings And he hath put a new song in my mouth even praise unto our God After God had exercised Davids patience in waiting he sweetly breaks in upon him and knocks off his bolts and opens the prison doors and takes him by the hand and leads him out of the pit of noise and confusion in which he was and causes his love and goodness so to beam forth upon him as causes his heart to rejoyce and his tongue to sing So after devout Simeon had waited for the consolation Luke 2. 25 to 33. of Israel that is for Christs coming the Holy Ghost falls upon him and leads him to a sight of Christ in the Temple and this makes the good old man sing nunc dimittas Now let thy servant depart in peace Ah says Simeon I have lived long enough now I have got Christ in my heart and Christ in my arms who is my light my life my love my joy my crown let me depart according to thy Word Ah Saints I appeal to you have not many of you found by experience the sweet breathings of Christ upon you even whilest you have been waiting at the door of Mercy while you have been weeping and waiting hath not the Lord Jesus come in and said Peace be to you waiting souls be of good cheer it is I be of good cheer your sins are pardoned surely you have Hath not God made that word good unto you Wait Psal 37. 14. on the Lord be of good courage and he shall strengthen thine heart Wait I say on the Lord yes And hath he Isa 49. 23. These words Shall not be ashamed in the Hebrew Dialect do not simply import that such shall not be brought to shame or shall not perish but that he shall be advanced to great dignity and glory to everlasting happiness and blessedness Isai 30. 18. Lam 3. 25. not made that good to you They shall not be ashamed that wait for me that is they shall not be deceived or disappointed of their hopes and expectations that wait for me yes And have you not found that word made sweet to your souls Therefore will the Lord wait that he may be gracious blessed are all they that wait for him Yes And hath not the Lord made that word good to you The Lord is good unto them that wait for him to the soul that seeketh him Yes Waiting souls remember this assurance is yours but the time of giving it is the Lords the Jewel is yours but the season in which he will give it is in his own hand the Gold Chain is yours but he onely knows the hour wherein he will put it about your necks Well wait patiently and quietly wait expectingly wait believingly wait affectionately and wait diligently and you shall finde that Scripture made good in power upon your souls Yet a Heb. 10. 37. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hab. 2. 3. Mal 3. 1. little little while and he that shall come will come and will not tarry he will certainly come he will seasonably come he will suddenly come as the Prophet Malachi speaks Behold I will send my messenger and he shall prepare the way before me and the Lord whom ye seek shall suddenly come to his Temple even the messenger of the Covenant whom ye delight in Behold he
of baseness and wickedness yet upon his resolution to return his Father meets him and instead of killing him he kisses him instead of kicking him Vers 22 23. he embraces him instead of shutting the door upon him he makes sumptuous provisions for him And how then dost thou dare to say O despairing soul that God will never cast an eye of love upon thee nor bestow a crumb of mercy on thee The Apostle tells you of some monstrous miscreants that were unrighteous fornicators idolaters 1 Cor. 6. 9 10 11. adulterers effeminate abusers of themselves with mankinde theeves covetous drunkards revilers extortioners and yet these monsters of mankinde thorow the instant goodness and free-grace of God are washed from the filth and guilt of their sins and justified by the Righteousness of Christ and sanctified by the Spirit of Christ and decked and adorned with the precious Graces of Christ Therefore O despairing souls are you good at burning that you have no mercy on your selves but to argue to your own undoing do not say O despairing soul that thou shalt die in thy sins and lie down at last in everlasting sorrow Did it make for the honor and glory of his free grace to pardon them and will it be a reproach to his free-grace to pardon thee Could God be just in justifying such ungodly ones and shall he be unjust in justifying of thee Did not their unworthiness and unfitness for mercy turn the stream of mercy from them No. Why then O despairing soul shouldst thou fear that thy unworthiness and unfitness for mercy will so stop and turn the stream of mercy as that thou must perish eternally for want of one drop of special Grace and Mercy Again tell me O despairing soul Is not the Grace of God free-grace is Sub laudibus naturae latent inimici gratiae Aug. The Patrons of mans freewil are enemies to Gods free-grace not mans salvation of free-grace By grace ye are saved Ephes 2. 8. Every link of this golden chain is Grace It is free-grace that chose us Rom. 11. 5. Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of Grace It is free-grace that chuses some to be Jewels from all eternity that chuses some to life when others are left in darkness The Lord Jesus Christ is a gift of free-grace Christ is the greatest the sweetest the choicest the cheifest gift that ever God gave and yet this gift is given by a hand of love God so loved the John 3 16. Isa 9. 6. world that he gave his onely begotten Son c. Here is a sic without a sicut God Johâ— 4 10. But God O thou despâ—iâ—ing soul is Pater misâ—rationum he is al 's bâ—wels he will not stand upon giving his most lovely Son to most unlovely souls so loved the world so freely so vehemently so fully so admirably so unconceivably That he gave his onely Son His Son not his servant his begotten Son not his adopted son yea his onely begotten Son I have read of one that had four sons and in a Famine being sore opprest with hunger the Parents resolved to sell one for relief but then they considered with themselves which of the four they should sell they said The eldest was the first of their strength therefore loth they were to sell him the second was the very picture of the Father and therefore loth they were to part with him the third was like the Mother and therefore they were not willing to part with him the fourth and the yongest was the childe of their old age their Benjamin the dearly beloved of them both and therefore they were resolved not to part with any of them and so would rather suffer themselves to perish then to part with any of their children O but Gods heart is so strongly set upon sinners Heb. 1. 1 2 3. Matth. 3. ulâ— that he freely gives Jesus Christ who is his first-born who is his very picture who is his beloved Benjamin who is his cheifest joy who is his greatest delight as Solomon speaks Then I was Prov. 8. 30. by him as one brought up with him and I was daily his delight in the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his delights that is his greatest delight rejoycing always before him or sporting greatly before him as little ones do before their parents Why then O despairing soul dost thou sit down sighing and walk up and down mourning and sadly concluding that there is no mercy for thee Hold up thy head O despairing Christ is called the gift of God and the free gift of God five times together in Rom. 5. 15 16 17 18. soul Jesus Christ himself is a gift of free-grace the consideration of his free boundless bottomless and endless love may afford thee much matter of admiration and consolation but none of despairation And as Jesus Christ is a gift of free-grace or a free-grace gift so the precious Covenant of Grace is a gift of grace Gen. 17. 2. I will make my Covenant betwixt me and thee but in the Original 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is I will give thee my Covenant Here you see that the Covenant of Grace is a free gift of grace God gave the Covenant of the Priest-hood unto Phineas as a gift so God gives the Num 25. 12 Covenant of Grace as a gift of favor and grace to all that he takes into Covenant with himself from first to last all is from free-grace God loves Hosea 14 4. freely I will heal their back sliding I will love them freely c. So Moses The Lord saith he set his love upon you Deut 7. 7 8. to take you into Covenant with him not because you were more in number then other people but because he loved you and chose your Fathers The onely ground God will have all blessings and happiness to flow from free-grace 1. That the worst of sinners may have strong grounds for hope and comfort of Gods love is his love the ground of Gods love is onely and wholly in himself There is neither portion nor proportion in us to draw his love there is no love nor loveliness in us that should cause a beam of his love to shine upon us there is that enmity that filthiness that treacherousness 2. For the praise of his own glory 3. That vain man may not boast 4. That our mercies and blessings may be sure to us unfaithfulness to be found in every mans bosom as might justly put God upon glorifying himself in their eternal ruine and to write their names in his black Book in characters of blood and wrath And as God loves freely so God justifies us freely Rom. 3. 24. Being justified freely by his grace through the Redemption that is in Jesus Christ And as poor sinners are justified freely so they are pardoned freely Acts 5. 31. Him hath God exalted speaking of Christ
this and live like this nothing will make a man humble and thankful contented and chearful like this nothing will make a man more serious in Prayer nor ingenuous in praises then this nothing will make â— man more chearful and joyful then this nothing will make a man fit to live and more willing to die then this Ah Christians if ever you would act as Angels in this world get an assurance of another world then you shall be dumb no more nor dull no more but be active and lively like those whose hopes and whose hearts are in Heaven Tenthly Assurance will sweeten Christ and all the precious things of Christ to thy soul Ah how sweet is Ipse Deus sufficit ad praemium Bern. It is Heaven enough to see your interest in Christ the Person of Christ the Natures of Christ the Names of Christ the Offices of Christ the Benefits of Christ the Blood of Christ the Word of Christ the Threatnings of Christ the Spirit of Christ the Ordinances of Christ the Smiles of Christ the Kisses of Christ to an assured soul Now thy Meditations on Christ will be no more a terror nor a horror to thee nay now thy heart will be always best when you are most in pondering upon the sweetness and goodness the kindness and loveliness of the Lord Jesus Now all the Institutions and Administrations of Christ will be precious to thee upon every thing where Christ hath set his Name there thou wilt set thy heart Now thou wilt call things as Christ calls them and count things as Christ counts them that shall not be little in thy eye that is great in the eye of Christ nor that shall not be great in thy eye that is but little in the eye of Christ Assurance will also exceedingly sweeten your carriage to all that bear the Image of Christ nothing Rom. 14. Assurance is like fire very operative Si non operatur non est if it do not work it is an argument it is not at all will make men bear with those weak Saints whose light is not so clear as yours whose parts are not so strong as yours whose enjoyments are not so high as yours whose judgements are not so well informed as yours whose consciences are not so well satisfied as yours and whose lives are not so amiable as yours Assurance We are united in the same Head and Hope Eodem sanguine Christi glutinati We are cemented with the same blood of Christ as Augustine said of his friend Alypius and himself makes men of a God-like disposition easie to pardon ready to forgive abundant in goodness admirable in patience It makes men to study the good of others and joy in all opportunities wherein they may strengthen the feeble and comfort the dejected and enrich the impoverished and recover the seduced and enlarge the straitned and build up the wasted Verily the reason why men are so bitter and sowre and censorious is Because God hath not given into their bosoms this sweet flower of delight Assurance Ah were their souls fully assured that God had loved them freely and received them graciously and justified them perfectly and pardoned them absolutely and would glorifie them everlastingly They could not but love where God loves and own where God owns and embrace where God embraces and be one with every one that is one with Jesus Were there Magnes amoris est amor Love is the attractive Loadstone of love more assurance among Christians there would be more of Davids and Jonathans spirit among Christians then there is this day were there more assurance among Christians there would be more life and more love more sweetness and more tenderness were there more assurance there would be less noise less contention less division less distraction less biting and less devouring among the Saints Assurance will make the Lion and the Calf the Wolf and Isai 11. 6 7 8. the Lamb the Leopard and the Kid the Bear and the Cow lie down together and feed together Men that want assurance love their Brethren as Flies love the Pot so long as there is any meat in the Pot the Flies love it so those men will love as long as there is an external motive to draw love but when that ceases their love ceases Dionysius loved his bottles when they were full but hurled them away when they were empty so many that want assurance love the Saints while their bags are full and their houses full of the good things of this life but when they are empty then they throw them away then they cast them off as Jobs friends did him Ah but assurance will make a man love as God loves and love as long as God loves The assured Christian will not cease to love so long as the least Buds and Blossoms of Grace appears Lazarus in his rags is as lovely to an assured Christian as Solomon in his robes Job is as delightful to him upon the dung-hil as David is upon his throne It is not the outward pomp and bravery but the inward beauty and glory of Saints that takes the assured Christian The last Motive to provoke you to Motive 11. get a wel-grounded assurance of your Everlasting Happiness is this Consider that as there is a great deal of counterfeit knowledge counterfeit faith counterfeit love counterfeit repentance c. in the world so there is a great deal of counterfeit assurance in the world Many there be that talk high and look big and bear it out bravely that they are thus and thus and that they have such and such glorious assurance whereas when their assurance comes to be weighed in the ballance of the Sanctuary it is found too light and when it comes to withstand temptations it is found too weak and when it should put the soul upon Divine action it is found to be but a lazy presumption Shall the counterfeit gold that is in the world make men active and diligent to get that which is currant and that will abide the Touchstone and the Fire and shall not that counterfeit assurance that is in the world provoke your hearts to be so much the more careful and active to get such a wel-grounded assurance that God accounts as currant and that will abide his Touchstone in the day of discovery and that will keep a man from shame and blushing when the Thrones shall be set and the Books shall be opened I have been the longer upon these Motives to provoke your souls to get a wel-grounded assurance because it is of an eternal concernment to you and a work to which mens he arts are too backward though assurance carries a reward in its own bosom yet few look out after it though the pains of getting it be nothing to the profit that accompanies it yet few will sweat to gain it If the inducements laid down will not awaken and provoke you to be restless till you have got the White stone and New
7. 4 5 6 7. Isa 58. 1 2 3 c. Assurance of your Everlasting Happiness is to be much yea to excel in those choice particular things that may clearly and sully difference and distinguish you not onely from the prophane but also from the highest and most glistering Hypocrites in all the world It is nothing to be much in those duties and performances wherein the worst of sinners may equalize yea go beyond the best of Saints O but to excel in those things that the most refined Hypocrites cannot reach to This cannot but much help you on in assurance He that hath those Jewels in his bosom that God gives onely to his choicest favorites needs not question whether he be a favorite c. If he doth it it is his sin and will hereafter be his shame But you may say to me What are those choice particular things that may difference and distinguish Christs true Nathaniels from all other persons in the world Now to this question I shall give these following answers First A true Nathaniel in his constant course labors in all duties and services to be approved and accepted of God he is most studâ—ous and in dustrious to approve his heart to God in all that he puts his hand to So David Search me O God and know my Psal 139. 23 24 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 heart try me and know my thoughts and see if there be any wicked way in me and lead me in the way everlasting So Peter To make a strict search and inquisition John 21. 15 16 17. approves his heart to Christ three several times together Lord thou knowest that I love thee Lord thou knowest that I love thee Lord thou knowest all things thou knowest that I love thee Thou knowest the sincerity and reality of my love and therefore to thee I do appeal to the same purpose the Apostle speaks in 2 Cor. 5. 9. Wherefore we labor that whether present or absent we may be accepted of him The Greek word that is here translated labor is a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 very emphatical word it signifies to labor or endeavor with all earnestness and might to endeavor with a high and holy ambition to be accepted of God judging it the greatest honor in the world to be owned and accepted of the Lord. Ambitious men are not more diligent earnest studious and laborious to get honor among men then we are saith the Apostle to get acceptance with God Ah but your most Maâ—th 6. 23. Also it is Chrysostoms observation that she that paints tears and blubberings is worse then a wanton woman that paints to seem fair Hom. 6. in Matth. refined Hypocrites labor onely to approve themselves to men in their Praying Fasting Talking Hearing Giving c. Let them have but mans eye to see them and mans ear to hear them and mans tongue to commend them and mans hand to reward them and they will sit down and bless themselves saying it is enough Ah ha so would we have it They say of the Nightingale that when she is solitary in the Woods she is careless of her note but when she conceives that she hath any auditors or is near houses then she composes her self more quaintly and elegantly Verily this is the frame and temper of the best of Hypocrites O but a sincere Nathaniel Noli peccare Deus videt angeli astant Take â—eed what thou doest God beholds thee Angels observe thee saith one labors in all places and in all cases and services to approve himself to God he labors as much to approve himself to God in a Wood where no eye sees him as he doth when the eyes of thousands are fixt upon him The Sun would shine bright though all men were a sleep at High noon and no eyes open to see the glory of his Beams so a sincere heart will shine he will labor to do good though all the world should shut their eyes yet he will eye his work and eye his God he knows that God is totus oculus all eye and therefore he cares not though others have never an eye to observe him to applaud him Let God but secretly whisper him in the ear and say Well done good and faithful servant and it is enough to his soul enough to satisfie him enough to cheer him and enough to encourage him in the ways and the work of his God Secondly He labors to get up to He cannot be satisfied with so much grace as will keep him from dropping into Hell but he must have so much Grace as will make him shine gloriously in Heaven the very top of Holiness he labors to live up to his own Principles He cannot be satisfied with so much Grace as will bring him to glory but he labors to be high in Grace that he may be high in glory Phil. 3. 11. I desire if by any means I might attain unto the Resurrection of the Dead That is to that perfection that the dead shall attain to in the morning of the Resurrection Verily that man is ripe for Heaven who counts it his greatest happiness to be high in holiness that man shall never be low in Heaven a door-keeper in Heaven that cannot be satisfied till he be got up to the very top of Jacobs Ladder till he hath attained to the highest perfection in Grace and Holiness Psal 45 13. The Kings daughter is all glorious within her clothing is of wrought gold Her inward principles are all glorious and her outward practise ecchoes to her inward principles her clothing is of wrought gold It was the honor and glory of Joshua and Caleb that they Num. 14. 24. followed the Lord fully That is they lived up to their own principles So those Virgins in Revel 14. 4 5. that were without spot before the Throne of God They followed the Lamb wheresoever he went That is they lived up to their Profession there was a sweet harmony betwixt their principles and practises And thus the Apostles Vivimus praceptis non factis We live by precepts not by deeds Legibus Dei non eâ—emplis homiâ—um by the Laws of God not by the examples of men lived 2 Cor. 1. 12. For our rejoycing is this the testimony of our conscience that in simplicity and godly sincerity not with fleshly wisdom but by the Grace of God we have had our conversation in the world and more abundantly to you wards 1 Thes 2. 10. Ye are witnesses and God also how holily and justly and unblameably we behaved our selves among you that believe Thus we see these worthies living up to their own Principles Blested Bradford and Bucer lived so up to their principles that their friends could not sufficiently praise them nor their foes finde any thing justly to fasten on them Believers know first That their living up to their own principles doth best evidence Christ living Gal. 2. 20. in them and their union with him secondly
to the right-hand or to the left So gracious Souls go strait along the High-way to Heaven which A Christians emblem should be an house moving towards Heaven saith Clemens is the way of Obedience though they go loughing and weeping yet they still go on and turn not aside to the right-hand nor to the left If by the violence of temptation or corruption they are thrust out of the way at any time they quickly return into it again They may sometimes step out of the way of Obedience but they cannot walk out of the way of Obedience Psal 119. 3 4. The honest Traveller may step out of his way but he soon returns into it again and so doth the honest Soul Eightly and lastly Passive Obedience accompanies Salvation as well as Active Every one that will live godly in Christ Jesus must suffer persecution 2 Tim. 3. 12. 2. 12. Rom. 8. 17 18. Acts 14. 22. from Tongue or Pen from Hand or Heart If we suffer with him we shall reign with him there is no passing into Paradise but under the flaming Sword Thorow many afflictions we must enter into the Kingdom of Heaven A sincere heart is as willing I might produce a cloud of witnesses that have been excellent at suffering at burning to obey Christ Passively as Actively Acts 21. 13. I am ready not to be bound onely but also to die at Jerusalem for the Name of the Lord Jesus I am willing says Paul to lofe my comforts for Christ I am ready to endure any dolors for Christ I am willing to lose the Creature and to leave the Creature for Christ Paul Phil. 3. 8. speaks of himself as having been like one in a Sea tempest that had cast out all his precious wares and goods for Christs sake For whom says he I have suffered the loss of all So must we in stormy times cast all over-board for Christ and swim to an Immortal Crown thorow sorrows blood and death But because I have in this Treatise spoke at large of the sufferings of the Saints I shall say no more of it in this place And thus you see what that Obedience is that accompanies Salvation The fift thing that I am to shew you is What Love that is that accompanies Salvation That Love doth accompany Salvation I have formerly shewed you but now I shall shew you what that Love is that doth accompany Salvation and that I shall do in these following particulars I shall not speak of the firstness freeness fulness sweetness and greatness of Christs love to us but of that Love of ours that accompanies Salvation concerning which I shall say thus First That Love that accompanies Salvation is a Superlative Love a Transcendent Love True love to Christ doth wonderfully transcend Matth. 10. 37 38. Luke 14. 26 27 34. and surpass the Love of all relations The love of Father Mother Wife Childe Brother Sister yea Life it self Psal 73. 25. Whom have I in Heaven but thee And there is none upon Earth that I desire besides thee Christ Friends may have the Milk of a Believers love but Christ hath the Cream will be Alexander or Nemo he will be all or nothing at all There are the greatest causes of love there are the highest causes of love there are all the causes of love to be found in Christ in Angels and Men there are onely some particular causes of love all causes of love are eminently and onely to be found in Christ Col. 1. 19. It pleased 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Father that in him should all Fulness dwell There is not onely plenitudo abundantiae but plenitudo redundantiae an over-flowing of Fulness in Jesus Col. 2. 3. Christ All Wisdom all Knowledge all Light all Life all Love all Goodness all Sweetness all Blessedness all Joys all Delights all Pleasures all Beauties all Beatitudes all Excellencies all Glories are in Christ The true lovers of Christ know that Christ We so far love as we know Tantum diligimus quantum cognoscimus loves as a Head as a King as a Father as a Husband as a Brother as a Kinsman as a Friend The love of all relations meets in the Love of Christ and this raises up a Believer to love Christ with a transcendent love They know that Christ loves them more then they love themselves yea that he loves them above his very life Joh. 10. 11 17 18. And Magnes amor is amor Certe non amant illi Christum qui aliquid plusquam Christum amant Aug. Certainly they do not love Christ who love any thing more then Christ Love is the Loadstone of Love Christ is amiable and lovely he is famous and conspicuous he is spotless and matchless in his Names in his Natures in his Offices in his Graces in his Gifts in his Discoveries in his Appearances in his Ordinances he is full of Gravity Majesty Mercy and Glory He is white and ruddy the chiefest Cant 5. 10. ult among ten thousand His mouth is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sweetnesses yea 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all of him is desires or all of He that holds not wholly with Christ doth very shamefully neglect Christ Aut totum mecum tene aut totum omitte Greg. Nazian him is delights Christ is wholly delectable he is altogether desirable from top to toe he is amiable and lovely he is glorious and excellent Christ is lovely Christ is very lovely Christ is most lovely Christ is always lovely Christ is altogether lovely He is the express Image of God he is the brightness of his Fathers glory if the soul can but anatomize him it shall finde in him all high Perfections and supereminent Excellencies And upon these and such-like considerations the Saints are led forth to love Jesus Christ with a most transcendent Love Secondly That Love that accompanies Salvation is Obediential Love it is Operative and Working Love the Love of Christ makes a man subject to the commands of Christ If any John 14. 21 22 23. man love me he will keep my Commandments And again He that hath my Commandments and keepeth them he it is that I have read a story of an Elephant who being fâ—ln down and unable to help himself or get up again by reason of the inflexibleness of his legs a Forrester coming by helped him up wherwith the Elephant by the very instinct of nature was so affected that he followed this man and would do any thing for him and never left him till his dying day Ah Sirs will not Divine Love make a man do more loveth me Divine Love is very Operative Psal 116. 1. I love the Lord says David Well but how doth this Love work Why says he I will walk in his ways I will pay my vows I will take the cup of salvation I will offer the of thankssgiving and I will call upon the Name of the Lord as long as I live Vers 2
when one would have struck at his Father the affection that he had to his Father broke the bars of his Speech and he cryed out Take heed of killing the King You know how to apply it Moses was as a dumb childe in his own cause yet when the Israelites by making and dancing about their Golden Calf had wounded the honor and glory of God he shews himself to be much affected and afflicted for the dishonor done to God The statue of Apollo is said to shed tears for the afflictions of the Grecians though he could not help them so a true lover of Christ will shed tears for those dishonors that are done to Christ though he knows not how to prevent them It is between Christ and his Lovers as it is between two Lute strings that are tuned one to another no sooner one is struck but the other trembles so no sooner is Christ struck but a Christian trembles and no sooner is a Christian struck but Christ trembles Saul Saul Acts 9. why persecutest thou me Seventhly That Love that accompanieâ— Salvation doth shew it self by working the Soul to observe with a curious critical eye Christs countenance Vbi amor ibi oculus As love came in by the eye so it delights by the same door to run out to Christ and carriage and by causing the soul to be sad or chearful as Christs carriage and countenance is towards the soul when Christ looks sad and carries it sadly then to be sad as Peter was Christ cast a sad look upon him and that made his heart sad he went forth and wept bitterly And when Christ looks sweetly and speaks kindly and carries it lovingly then to be chearful and joyful as the Church was in Cant. 3. 4. It was but a little that I passed from them but I found him whom my soul loveth I held him and would not let him go until I had brought him into my Mothers house and into the Chamber of her that conceived me So the Church in Isai 61. 10. I will greatly rejoyce in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In rejoycing I will rejoyce That is I will exceedingly rejoyce the Lord my soul shall be joyful in my God for he hath cloathed me with the garments of Salvation he hath covered me with a robe of Righteousness as a Bridegroom decketh himself with Ornaments and as a Bride adorneth her self with her Jewels A true Lover of Christ hath still his eye upon Christ and as his countenance stands so is he glad or sad chearful or sorrowful Tigranes in Xenophon coming to redeem his Father and Friends with his Wife that were taken prisoners by King Cyrus was asked among other Questions this viz. What ransom he would give for his Wife he answered He would redeem her liberty with his own life But having prevailed for all their liberties as they returned together every one commended Cyrus for a goodly man and Tigranes would needs know of his Wife what she thought of him Truly said she I cannot tell for I did not so much as look on him or see him Whom then said he wondering did you look upon Whom should I look upon said she but him that would have redeemed my liberty with the loss of his own life So a Christian a true lover of Christ esteems nothing worth a looking upon but Christ who hath redeemed him with his own Blood Eighthly That Love that accompanies Salvation reaches forth a hand Jâ—rom professed how much he loved Christ in Augustine and Augustine in Christ of kindness to those that bear the Image of Christ 1 John 5. 1 2. Every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him By this we know that we love the Children of God when we love God and keep his Commandments He that loveth not his Brother whom he hath seen how can he love God whom he hath not seen Now because many mistake in their love to the Saints and the consequences that follow that mistake are very dangerous and pernicious to the souls of men I shall therefore briefly hint to you the properties of that love to the Saints that accompanies Salvation And The first is this True Love to the Saints is spiritual it is a love for the Image of God that is stamped upon the Soul Col. 1. 8. Epaphras hath declared to us your love in the Spirit A Soul that truly loves loves the Father for his own sake and the children for the Fathers sake Many there are that love Christians for their goods not for their good they love them for the money that is in their purse but not for the grace that is in their hearts Many like the Bohemian Cur fawn upon a good suit Love to the Saints for the Image of God stamped upon them is a flower that grows not in Natures Garden No man can love Grace in another mans heart but he that hath grace in his own Men doth not more Remember wicked men God himself is wroâ—ged by the injury that is done to his Image The contempt and despight is done to the King himself which is done to his Image or Coyn. naturally love their parents and love their children and love themselves then they do naturally hate the Image of God upon his people and ways True love is for what of the Divine Nature for what of Christ and Grace shines in a man It is one thing to love a godly man and another thing to love him for godliness Many love godly men as they are Politicians or Potent or Learned or of a sweet Nature but all this is but natural love but to love them because they are spiritually lovely because they are all Psal 45. 13. glorious within and their rayment is of imbroidered gold is to love them as becometh Saints it is to love them at so high and noble a rate that no Hypocrite in the world can reach to it Tho Wasps flie about the Tradesmans shop not out of love to him but the Honey and the Fruit that is there This age is full of such Wasps Ephes 1. 15. Col 1. 4. It was the glory of the Ephesians and Colossians that their Faith and Love reached to all the Saints It was not narrow and confined to some particulars but it was universal Secondly True Love to the Saints is universal to one Christian as well as another to all as well as any to poor Lazarus as well as to rich Abraham to a despised Job as well as to an admired David to an afflicted Joseph as well as to a raised Jacob to a despised Disciple as well as to an exalted Apostle Phil. 4. 21. Salute every Saint the meanest as well as the richest the weakest as well as the strongest the lowest as well as the highest They have all the same Spirit the same Jesus the same Faith they are all Fellow Members Fellow Travellers Fellow Souldiers Fellow Citizens Fellow Heirs and therefore must they
all be loved with a sincere and cordial love The Apostle James doth roundly condemn that partial love that was among Professors in his days Jam. 2. 1 2. Not that the Apostle doth absolutely prohibit a civil differencing of men in place from others but when the rich Non gens sed mens non genus sed genius Not race or place but grace truly sets forth a man mans wealth is more regarded then the poor mans godliness and when men carry it so to the rich as to cast scorn contempt disgrace and discouragement upon the godly poor This is a sin for which God will visit the sons of Pride Pompey told his Cornelia it is no praise to thee to have loved Pompeium Magnum Pompey the Great but if thou lovest Pompeium Miserum Pompey the Miserable thou shalt be a pattern for imitation to all posterity I will leave you to apply it Romanus the Martyr who was born of Noble Parentage intreated his Persecutors that they would not favor him for his Nobility For it is not said he the blood of my Ancestors but my Christian Faith that makes me noble Verily he that loves one Saint for Yet there is a love of familiarity which we may lawfully shew more to one godly man then to another Thus Christ loved John more then the other Disciples the Grace that is in him for that Holiness that Image of God that is upon him he cannot but fall in love with every Saint that bears the lovely Image of the Father upon him he cannot but love a Saint in rags as well as a Saint in robes a Saint upon the dunghill as well as a Saint upon the throne Usually the most ragged Christians are the richest Christians they usually have most of Heaven that have least of Earth Jam. 2. 5. The true Diamond shines best in the dark Thirdly Our Love to the Saints is Yet this must be granted That grace in a rugged unhewn nature is like a Gold Ring on a leprous hand or a Diamond set in Iron As a Gold Ring is most pleasing and taking when it is on a neat clean hand and as a Diamond when it is set in a Ring of Gold so grace is most pleasing and taking to us in a sweet nature and not so much when it is in a rugged unhewn nature the beauty and glory of it being clouded and darkned by a rugged nature right when we love them and delight in them answerable to the Spiritualcauses of love that shine in them as the more holy and gracious they are the more we love them Psal 16. 2 3. My goodness extendeth not to thee but to the Saints that are in the earth and to the excellent in whom is all my delight This is most certain If godliness be the reason why we love any then the more any excel others in the Love Spirit Power and practise of Godliness the more we should love them There are those that seem to love such godly men as are weak in their judgments low in their principles and dull in their practises and yet look with a squint-eye upon those that are more sound in their judgments more high in their principles and more holy in their practises which doubtless speaks out more hypocrisie then sincerity Verily he hath either no grace or but a little grace that doth not love most where the Spiritual causes of love do most shine and appear Surely those Christians are under a very great distemper of spirit that envy those gifts and graces of God in others that out-shine their own Johns Disciples muttered and murmured because Christ had more followers and admirers then John And Johns Disciples are not all dead yea they seem to have a new Resurrection in these days Well as the fairest day hath its Clouds the finest Linnen its spots the richest Jewels their flaws the sweetest Fruits their Worms So when precious Christians are under temptations they may and too often do envy and repine at those excellent Graces Abilities and Excellencies that cloud darken and out-shine their own The best of men are too full of pride and self-love that makes them sometimes cast dirt and disgrace upon that excellency that themselves want Eusâ—bius speaks of him in his Ecclesiastical History As that great man that could not write his own name and yet called the Liberal Arts a Publick Poyson and Pestilence There is no greater Argument that our grace is true and that we do love others for grace sake then our loving them best that have most grace though they have least of worldly goods A Pearl is rich if found on a dunghil though it may glister more when set in a Ring of Gold so many a poor Believer is rich and glorious in the eye of Christ and should be so in ours though like Job he sits upon a dunghil though to the world he may seem to glister most when adorned with riches honor and outward pomp c. Fourthly True Love to Saints is constant 1 Cor. 13. 8. Love never faileth it continues for ever in Heaven that love was never true that is not constant Heb. 13. 1. Let brotherly love continue True love is constant in prosperity Consalvus a Spanish Bishop and Iâ—quisitor wondered how the Christians had thâ—t Commandment Thou shalt love thy Neighbor as thy self so indelibly Printed in their hearts that no torture could blot it out and make them confess and betray one another or cease from loving one another and adversity in storms and calms in health and sickness in presence and in absence Thy own friend and thy Fathers friend forsake not A friend sayes the Wiseman loves at all times and a brother is born for adversity Prosperity makes friends and Adversity will try friends A true friend is neither known in prosperity nor hid in adversity True love is like to that of Ruths to Naomi and that of Jonathans to David permanent and constant Many there be whose love to the Saint is like Jobs Brooks Job 6. 15 16. which in Winter when we have no need over-flows with tenders of service and shews of love but when the season is hot and dry and the poor thirsty Travellor stands in most need of water to refresh him then the Brooks are quite dried up They are like the Swallow that will stay by you in the Summer but flie from you in the Winter It is observed by Josephus of the Samaritans that when ever the Jews affairs prospered they would be their friends and profess much love to them Augustus Caesar was a constant friends to those whom he loved he used to say Amare nec cito desisto nec teâ—ere incipio Late ere I love as long ere I leave but if the Jews were in trouble and wanted their assistance then they would not own them nor have any thing to do with them This age is full of such Samaritans yet such as truly love will always love In the Primitive
presumption that works men to play with sin to be bold with sin to make light of sin to walk on in wayes of sin Such Assurance will never bring a man to Heaven it will never keep him from dropping into Hell yea it will double his damnation and make him the most miserable among all damned miserable forlorn spirits Ah Lord from This made Auselm say That he had rather be thrust into Hell without sin then go into Heaven with sin such an assurance deliver my Soul and give me more and more of that Divine Assurance that makes sin to be more hateful then Hell and that makes the Soul to be more careful to avoid the one then it is fearful of falling into the other Seventhly A wel-grounded Assurance is alwayes attended with three fair Handmaids or with three sweet Companions The first is Love O! the Assurance 1. Handmaid of Divine Favor doth mightily inflame a mans love to Christ Mary Magdalen Luke 7. loved much Christs love to her drew out her love very much to Christ Assurance makes the Soul sing it out with that sweet Singer of Israel I will dearly love thee O Lord my Psal 18. 1. strength Lovers know not how to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To love intimately and dearly as a tender mother loves the fruit of her womb keep silence lovers of Christ are full of gracious expressions Magnes amor is est amor Love is the attractive Loadstone of love It is impossible for a Soul not to love Christ that knows he is beloved of Christ Christs love constrains the Soul to love not by forcible but loving necessity Praxiteles exquisitly drew Love taking the pattern from that Passion which he felt in his own heart A Believer cannot finde the heart of Christ to be beating towards him but his heart will strongly beat towards Christ Divine love is like a rod of myrtle which as Pliny reports makes the Traveller that carries it in his hand that he shall never be faint or weary of walking or loving Love alone over-powereth all power Love is the Diadem none but the Queen must wear it Love is the Wedding Garment none but the Spouse can fit it Love is a Loadstone to draw as well as a fire to warm he that doth not love Christ was never assured of the love of Christ The second Handmaid or Companion 2. Handmaid that attends a wel-grounded Assurance is Humility David under Assurance Psal 22. 6. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Hebrew word Tolagnah that is here rendred Worm signifies a very little worm which a man can hardly see or perceive cryes out I am a worm and no man Abraham under Assurance cryes out that he is but dust and ashes Jacob under Assurance crves out that he was less then the least of all mercies Job under Assurance abhors himself in dust and ashes Moses had the honor and the happiness to speak with God face to face he was very much in Gods books in Gods favor and yet a more humble Soul the earth did never bear The great Apostle Paul under all the revelations and glorious manifestations of God to him counts himself less then the least of all Saints Ephe. 3. 8. That is Presumption that is a delusion of the Devil and no sound Assurance that puffs and swels the Souls of men that makes men prize themselves above the market above the value that God hath put upon them The third Handmaid or Companion 3. Handmaid that attends Assurance is holy Joy Ah this Assurance causes the strong waters of Consolation to overflow the Soule Assurance raises the strongest joyes in the Soul Luk. 1. 46 47. And Mary said My soul doth magnifie the Lord and my Spirit hath rejoyced in God my Saviour When a man comes to be assured that God is his Savior presently his Spirit rejoyces in God this truth is held forth by three Parables in that of Luk. 15. So in that of 1 Pet. 1. 8 9. Whom having not seen ye love in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to dance and leap for joy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 glorified already they have heavens happinesse before hand whom though now ye see him not yet bebeleeving ye rejoyce with joy unspeakable and full of glory Receiving the end of your faith even the salvation of your souls O the Joy the Joy the inexpressible Joy that attends a wel-grounded Assurance Assurance raises a Paradise of delight in the soul In quibus operamur in ill is gaudemus saith Tertull. In what things or persons we act in those things we rejoyce a Christian under the power of Assurance works all his works in Christ in him therefore and in him alone he rejoyceth Eightly and lastly A wel-grounded Assurance sometimes springs from the Testimony and Witnesse of the Spirit of God The Spirit sometimes witnesses to a Beleevers spirit that he is born of God that he is beloved of God that he hath union and communion with God that he shal reign for ever with God Rom. 8. 16. The Spirit it self beareth witness with our 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That same spirit The Spirits work is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to witnesse together with our Spirit that is to confirme and ratifie what ou◠spirits have asserted concerning our Adoption c. spirit that we are the children of God The Spirit it self witnesseth not onely the Gifts and Graces of the Spirit but the Spirit it self witnesseth together with our own spirit that we are the children of God Sometimes the Saints have two Witnesses joyning their testimonies together to confirm and establish them in these blessed and glorious Truths that they are the Sons of God and Heirs of Glory And this is their honor as well as their comfort that the blessed Spirit should bear witness at the bar of their Consciences that they are the Sons of God 1 Cor. God sometimes assures his people of heaven aforehand 2. 12. Now we have received not the spirit of the world but the Spirit which is of God that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God That is that we may know our Election Vocation Justification Sanctification and Glorification A man may receive many things that are freely given of God and yet not know them till the Spirit comes and makes them known to the soul Quest But you may say to me how shall wee know the whispering of the holy Spirit from the hissing of the old Serpent how shall we know the report the witnesse and testimony of the Spirit of Christ from that report witnesle and testimony that the old Serpent deludes and deceives many by in these daies wherein he mostly appears in his Angelicall Robes I Answer you may know the whispering Answ of the Spirit from the hissing of the old Serpent c. by these following things which I desire that you
Sirs Is it madness to feast the Slave and starve the Wife and is it not greater madness to feast the Body and starve the Soul To make liberal provision for the Body and none for the Soul Do not they deserve double damnation that prefer their Bodies above their Souls Me thinks our Souls should be One of the cheifest mirrors to behold God in is a reasonable Soul which findes it self out saith one like to a Ship which is made little and narrow downwards but more wide and broad upwards Before all and above all look to your Souls watch your Souls make provision for your Souls When this is done all is done till this is done there is nothing done that will yeeld a man comfort in life joy in death and boldness before a Judgement Seat Callenuceus tells of a Nobleman of Naples that was wont prophanely to say He had two souls in Had I a purse suitable to my heart not a poor godly Souldier or Sailor in England who carries his life in one hand but should have one of these Books in the other c. his body one for God and another for whosoever would buy it Verily they will make but a bad bargain of it that to gain the World shall sell their Souls Dear Sirs I had much more to say but I am afraid that I have already kept you too long from sucking of the Honey Comb from drinking at the Fountain I have held you too long in the Porch and therefore I shall onely crave That you will bear with my plainness and over-look my weakness Remembring that other Addresses would savor more of flattery then of sincerity more of policy then of piety and would be both unlovely in me and displeasing to you Now the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ bless you and yours with all Spiritual blessings in Heavenly places and make you yet more and more Instrument al for his glory and this Nations good that your names may be for ever precious among his people that they may bear you still upon their hearts before the Lord which is and shall be the earnest and constant Prayer of him who is Right Honorable and worthy Sirs Yours in all Christian observance Thomas Brooks TO All Saints that hold to CHRIST the Head AND That walk according to the Lawes of the New Creature Grace Mercy and Peace be multiplyed from God the Father through our Lord Jesus Christ Beloved in our dearest Lord YOu are those Worthies of whom this world is not worthy Heb. 11. 38. You are the Princes that prevail with God You are Gen. 32. 28 those exellent ones in whom Psal 16. 3. is all Christs delight You are his glory Isa 4. 5. You are his pickt cull'd prime Instruments which he will make use of to carâ—yon Rev. 17. 14. 19. 8. 14. Cant. 8. 6. Isa 49. 16. his best and greatest Work against â—is worst and greatest Enemies in these latter daies You are a Seale upon Christs heart you are engraven on the palms of his hand Your names are Exod. 28. 29. 2 Cor. 2. 3. 1 Joh. 2. 27. 1 Cor. 2. 10 12 15 16. You will not with Pythagoras his Scholars magnifie the ipse dixerit of the greatest Clerks neither will you beleeve with Anaxagoras that Snow is black nor yet wil you say as Antipater King of Macedonia did when one presented him with a book treating of happiness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I have no leasure neither will you judge like those that like nothing but the Manerva's of their owne brains written upon his Breasts as the names of the Children of Israel were upon Aarons Breast-plate You are the Epistle of Christ You are the anointed of Christ You have the spirit of discerning You have the mind of Christ You have the greatest advantages and the choycest privileges to enable you to trie Truth to taste Truth to apply Truth to defend Truth to strengthen Truth to uphold Truth and to improve Truth and therefore to whom should I dedicate this following Discourse but to your selves you have the next place to Christ in my heart your good your gain your glory your edification your satisfaction your confirmation your consolation your salvation hath put me upon casting in my little little mite into your treasure Beloved You know that in the time of the Law God did as kindly accept of Goats haire and Badgers skins of Turtle Doves and young Pigeons they being the best things that some of his children had then to offer as he did accept of Gold Jewels Silk and Purple from otherâ— I hope you will shew out the same God-like disposition towards me in a kind accepting of what is offered in this Treatise to your wise and serious consideration I could wish it better for your sakes yet such aâ— it is I do in all love and humility presenâ— you with desiring the Lord to make it an internal and eternal advantage tâ— you I shall briefly acquaint you with the Reasons that have moved poor me unworthy I who am the least of all Saints who am not worthy to be reckoned among the Saints to present this following Discourse to publick view and they are thesâ— that follow First To answer the desires and gratifie the earnest and pious requests of several precious souls who long to have these things printed upon their hearts by the The Philosopher could say that desires are properly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to what is necessary hand of the Spirit that are printed in this Book God speaks aloud through the serious and affectionate desires of the Saints and this hath made me willing to eccho to their desires If great mens desires are to be looked upon as commands why should good mens desires be looked upon with a squint eye Seneca a Heathen could say that ipse aspectus boni viri delectat The very looks of a good man delight one How much more then should the desires of a good man overcome one Secondly The good acceptance the fair quarter that my Labors of the like Them that are extant are sold by the same man that sels this at the first shop in Popes-head-Alley next to Cornhill nature have found among those that fear the Lord especially that Treatise called Precious Remedies against Satans devices hath incouraged me to present this to publick view not doubting but that the Lord will bless it to the good of many as I know he hath done the former Which that he may I shall not cease to pray that Rom. 15. 21. my weak service may be accepted of the Phil. 1. 9 10 11 Saints and that their love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all sence that they may approve things that are excellent that they 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sense may be sincere and without offence til the day of Christ Being filled with the fruits of righteousnesse which are by Jesus Christ
not been soundly prest thereunto of the Reasons that have prevailed with me to publish this Treatise to the World and to dedicate it to your selves Let your hearts dwell on Truth as the Bee doth upon the Flower every Truth being a Flower of Paradise that is more worth then a World Now the God of all Grace fill your Hearts and Souls with all the Fruits of Righteousness and Holiness that you may attain unto a full Assurance of your Everlasting Happiness and Blessedness which that you may is the sincere earnest and constant desire of him who is Your Souls Servant Thomas Brooks THE PREFACE touching the nature of Assurance TO be in a state of true Grace is to be miserable no more it Psal 144. 15. Mal. 3. 17. Rom. 8. 16 17. is to be happy for ever A Soul in this state is a Soul near and dear to God it is a Soul much beloved and very highly valued of God it is a Soul housed in God it is a Soul safe in everlasting Arms Deut. 33. 26 27. 1 Cor. 3. 22 23. it is a Soul fully and eminently interested in all the highest and noblest Priviledges The being A man may be Gods and yet not know it his estate may be good and yet he not see it Ephes 1. 13. 1 John 5. 13. Gal 4. 6. in a state of Grace makes a mans condition happy safe and sure but the seeing the knowing of himself to be in such a state is that which renders his life sweet and comfortable The being in a state of Grace will yeeld a man a Heaven hereafter but the seeing of himself in this state will yeeld him both a Heaven here and a Heaven hereafter it will render him doubly blest blest in Heaven and blest in his own Conscience Now Assurance is a reflex act of a gracious Soul whereby he clearly and evidently sees himself in a gracious blessed and happy state it is a sensible feeling and an experimental discerning of a mans being in a state of Grace and of his having a right to a Crown of Glory and this rises from the seeing A man cannot see the Sun but by the light of the Sun in himself the special peculiar and distinguishing Graces of Christ in the light of the Spirit of Christ or from the testimony and report of the Spirit of God the Spirit bearing witness with his Spirit that Rom. 8. 16 17. he is a Son and an Heir apparent to Glory It is one thing for me to have It is one thing to be an Heir and another thing to know that one is an Heir the childe in the Womb or in the Arms may be an Heir to a Crown and yet understands it not Grace it is another thing for me to see my Grace it is one thing for me to believe and another thing for me to believe that I do believe it is one thing for me to have Faith and another thing for me to know that I have Faith Now Assurance flows from a clear certain evident knowledge that I have Grace and that I do believe c. Now this Assurance is the beauty and top of a Christians glory in this life it is usually attended with the strongest joy with the sweetest comforts and with the greatest peace It is a Pearl that most want a Crown that few wear His state is safe and happy whose Soul is adorned with Grace though he sees it not though he knows it not Assurance is not of the essence of a Christian it is required to the bene esse to the wel-being to the comfortable and joyful Being of a Christian but it is not required to the esse to the being of a Christian A man may be a true Believer and yet would give all the World were it in his power to know that he is a Believer to have Grace and to be sure that we have Grace is glory upon the Throne it is Heaven a this side Heaven But more of these things you will finde in the following Discourse to which I refer you THE CONTENTS THe Preface touching the Nature of Assurance CHAP. I. PRoving by Ten Arguments that Persons may in this life attain to a wel-grounded Assurance of their Everlasting Happiness and Blessedness Page 1 to 30 This truth improved against Papists and Arminians P. 30. to p. 35. CHAP. II. COntaining several weighty Propositions about Assurance P. 35. to p. 77 Further in this Chapter is shewed Ten special Seasons and Times wherein the Lord is pleased to give to his people a sweet Assurance of his favor and love p. 77. to p. 155 CHAP. III. COntaining Ten Hinderances and Impediments that keep poor Souls from Assurance with the means and helps to remove those Impediments and Hinderances p. 155. to p. 207 Further in this Chapter is laid down Six Motives to provoke Christians to put out all their strength and might against bosom sins against the iniquity of their heels against the sins that do so easily beset them p. 207. to p. 218 Also Five Means to help on the Mortification and Destruction of bosom sins p. 218. to p. 224 CHAP. IV. COntaining Ten Motives or Incentives to provoke all that want Assurance to be restless in their spirits till they have obtained it p. 225. to p. 251 Also in this Chapter you have Ten Advantages that will redound to such Souls that get a wel-grounded Assurance of their Everlasting Happiness and Blessedness p. 251. to p. 270 CHAP. V. SHewing Nine Ways and Means of gaining a wel-grounded Assurance c. In the handling of which several considerable Questions are also resolved p. 272 to p. 320 Also in this Chapter Eight special things are discovered As first What knowledge that is that doth accompany Salvation p. 320. to p. 362 Secondly What Faith that is that accompanies Salvation that borders upon Salvation p. 362 to p. 399 Also several Hints are given both concerning strong and weak Faith p. 399 to p. 405 Thirdly What Repentance that is that accompanies Salvation p. 405. to p. 424 Fourthly What Obedience that is that accompanies Salvation p. 424. to p. 445 Fifthly What Love that is that accompanies Salvation p. 445. to p. 460 Fourteen wayes whereby that love that accompanies Salvation doth display and manifest it self p. 460. to p. 487 Sixthly What Prayer that is that doth accompany Salvation p. 487 to p. 504 Eight Differences betwixt the Prayers of Souls in Christ and Souls out of Christ betwixt the Prayers of Believers and Unbelievers p. 504 to p. 516 Seventhly What Perseverance that is that doth accompany Salvation p. 516 to p. 522 Eighthly What Hope that is that doth accompany Salvation p. 522 to p. 544 Two Cautions upon the whole p. 544 545 CHAP. VI. SHewing Eight notable Differences between a true and a counterfeit Assurance c. p. 546 to p. 565 Also in this Chapter is set forth in Nine special things the difference between the Whisperings of the
they were shut out and to the Israelites to know that there was a Brazen-serpent set up whereby others were cured when they died with the stinging of the Fiery serpents So how can it comfort mee to know that there is peace in Christ and pardon in Christ and righteousnesse in Christ and riches in Christ and happinesse in Christ c. for others but not for me Ah this knowledge Psal 15. Ps 24. Ps 119. Ps 1 2 3 will rather be a hell to torment me then a ground of joy and comfort to me But now God hath in the Scripture discovered who they are that shal be eternally happy and how they may reach to an assurance of their felicity and glory which made One to say That he would not take all the world Luther for one leafe of the Bible The Bible is a Christians Magna Charta his chiefe evidence for heaven Men highly prize and carefully keep their Charters Priviledges Conveyances and Assurances of their Lands And shall not the Saints much more highly prize and carefully keep in the closet of their hearts the precious word of God which is to them instead of all assurances for their maintenance Psal 119 11. 12. verses compared deliverance protection confirmation consolation and eternall salvation Thirdly Other beleevers have in an ordinary way attained to a sweet assurance of their everlasting happinesse and blessednesse Wee know saith the Apostle in the name of the 2 Cor. 5. 1 2. Saints that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved wee have a building of God â—n house not made with hands eternal in the heavens for in this we groan earnestly desiring to be cloathed upon with our house which is from Nec Christus nee Câ—lum patitur hyperbolem Neither Christ nor heaven hyperbolized heaven Their assurance sets them in triumph upon the Throne We have a house a house above a house in heaven a house not made with hands eternal in the heavens Wee have a house a heavenly house a house made by the greatest wisdom and the highest Love a house that for honour pleasures riches safety stability glory and perpetuity transcends all the royal Pallaces in the world It is a house not made with hands but eternal in the heavens So the Church Can. 2. 16. in that Solomons Song 2. 16. My beloved is mine and I am his I know sayes the Spouse that Jesus Christ is mine I can with the greatest confidence Eph. 1. 22 23. 1 Cor. 1. 30. c. 6. 26. Ps 110. 3. Joh. 10. 29. Joh. 5. 16. Ezek. 16 8. Hos 2. 19 20 and boldnesse affirme it hee is my head my husband my Lord my Redeemer my Justifier my Saviour And I am his I am as sure that I am his as I am sure that I live I am his by purchase and I am his by conquest I am his by donation and I am his by election I am his by covenant and I am his by marriage I am wholly his I am peculiarly his I am universally his I am eternally his This I well know and the knowledge thereof is my joy in life and my strength and crown in death So the Church in that Isa Jsa 63. 16 vide Calvin Psal 73. 25 26. Psal 19. 94. Job 19. 25. Ioh. 20. 28. 63. 16. Doubtlesse thou art our Father though Abraham be ignorant of us and Israel acknowledge us not Thou O Lord art our Father and our Redeemer thy name is from everlasting David could say The Lord is my portion for ever And at another time he could sweetly sing it out I am thine save me Job could looke through the darkest cloud and see that his Redeemer lives Thomas cryes out My Lord and my God And Paul trumpets it out That nothing Rom. 8. 38. 2 Tim. 4. 7 8. should separate him from the love of Christ and that he had fought a good fight and finished his course and that there was Quicquid fieâ—i potuit potest that which hath been done may be done laid up for him a crowne of Righteousnesse By what hath been said it clearly appears that other beleevers have obtained assurance in an ordinary way and therefore beleevers now may attain to a sweet assurance of their everlasting happinesse and blessednesse Certainly God is as loving and his bowels of compassion are as strong towards Heb. 13. 8. Rev. 1. 8. 11. Plato a heathen saith that God is one and the same and always like himself Beleevers now as ever they were to Beleevers of old and it makes as much for the honour of God the lifting up of Christ the stopping of the mouthes of the wicked and the rejoycing of the hearts of the righteous for God to give assurance now as it did for God to give it then Fourthly God hath by promise engaged himselfe to assure his people of their happinesse and blessednesse The Psal 84. 11. Antiochus promised often but seldome gave but God gives as much and as often as he promiseth he hath a kings heart as wel as a kings purse Lord will give grace and glory and no good thing will he with-hold from them that walke uprightly If hee will with-hold no good thing then certainly he will not alwayes withhold assurance which is the great good thing the only thing the chiefest thing the peculiar thing that beleevers seek after So in that thirty fourth of Ezek. 30 31. Thus shall they know that I the Lord their God am with them and that they even the house of Israel are my people saith the Lord God And yee my flock the flock of my pasture are men and I am your God saith the Lord God So in that John 14. 21. 23. He that hath my Commandements and keepeth them he it is that loveth me and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father and I will love him and will manifest my Nil Deo diffiâ—ilo there is nothing hard for God Tully an heathen frequently called God optimum maximum the best and greatest 2 Cor. 1. 20. Plato called God the Horn of plenty and the Ocean of beauty withouâ— the least spot of injustice Isa 64 4. 1 Cor. 2. 9. Psal 21. 3. Isa 65. 24. selfe to him If any man love me saith Christ he will keep my words and my Father will love him and we will come unto him and make our abode with him Now hath the Lord spoken it and shall it not come to passe Men say and unsay they eate their words as soon as they have spoken them but will God do so Surely no Hee is faithful that hath promised All the Promises of God in him are yea and in him Amen that is they are stable and firme and shall really be made good The Promises are a precious Book every leaf drops Myrrhe and Mercie Therefore set down and suck at these brests warme thy self at this fire God hath been always as good as his word yea hee hath
sometimes been better then his word he hath ever performed and he hath over performed hee promised the children of Israel only the Land of Canaan but he gave them besides the whole Land of Canaan two other Kingdoms which hee never promised Ah! how often hath God prevented us with his blessings and hath given Viâ—es reports of a Jew that having gone over a deep river on a narrow planck in a dark night comming the next day to see what danger he had escaped fell down dead with astonishment Ah the astonishing mercies that we have had in these late yeers us in such mercies as have been as far beyond our hopes as our deserts How hath God in these dayes of darknesse and blood gone beyond the prayers desires hopes and confidences of his people in this Land and beyond what we could read in the Book of the Promises Satan promises the best but payes with the worst hee promises honour and pays with disgrace hee promises pleasure and pays with pain he promises profit and pays with losse he promises life and pays with death But God pays as he promises all his payments are made in pure gold therefore take these promises wherein God hath engaged himself to assure thee of his love and spread them before the Lord and tell him that it makes as well for his honour as thy comfort for his glory as for thy peace that he should assure thee of thy everlasting happinesse and blessednesse Fifthly There is in all the Saints the springs of assurance and therefore they may attain to assurance precious Faith is one spring of assurance and this is in all the Saints though in different degrees 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Obtained by loâ— I may say of Faith as Luther says of Prayer it hath a kind of Omnipotency in it it is able to do all things Est quaedam omnipotentia preâ—um Tantum possumus quantum credimus Cyp. 2 Pet. 1. 1. Simon Peter a Servant and an Apostle of Jesus Christ to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousnesse of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ Faith in time will of its own accord raise and advance it self to assurance Faith is an appropriating grace it looks upon God and saith with David this God is my God for ever and ever and hee shall be my guide unto the death It lookes upon Christ and saith with the Spouse I am my Beloveds and his desire is towards me It looks upon an immortall crowne and saith with Paul Henceforth is laid up for me a crown of righteousnesse It looks upon the righteousnesse of Christ and saith this righteousnesse is mine to cover me It looks upon the Mercy of Christ and saith this mercy is mine to pardon me It looks upon the Power of Christ and saith this power is mine to support me It looks upon the Wisdome of Christ and saith this wisdome is mine to direct me It looks upon the blood of Christ and sayes this blood is mine to save me c. As Faith so Hope is another spring of Assurance Col. 1. 27. Christ in you saith Paul the hope of glory So Heb. 6. 19. which hope wee have as an anchor of the soule both sure and stedfast and which entreth into that within the vaile Hope taketh fast hold upon heaven it selfe upon the sanctum sanctorum A Christians hope is not like that of Pandora which may flye out A Saints motio is Spero meliora the hypocrites hope is like the morning dew Job 8. 13 14. Iob 20. 11. Prov. 7. of the box and bid the soule farewell as the hope of the hypocrites do no it is like the morning light the least beame of it shall commence into a compleat Sun-shine it shall shine forth brighter and brighter till perfect day When Alexander went upon a hopefull expedition hee gave away his gold and when he was asked what he kept for himselfe he answered Spem majorum meliorum the hope of greater and better things So a Christian will part with any thing rather then with his hope hee knows that hope will keep the heart both from aking and breaking from fainting and sinking he knowes that hope is a beame of God a sparke of glory and that nothing shall extinguish it till the soul bee filled with glory Soules that are big in hope will not be long without sweet assurance God loves not to see the hopeing soule go alwayes up and downe sighing and mourning for want of a good word from heaven for want of possessing what it hopes in time to enjoy hold out hope and patience a little little longer and he that hath promised to Heb. 10. 37. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 come will come and will not tarry Againe a good conscience is another spring of assurance 2 Cor. 1. 12. Tolle conscientiam Tolle omnia For our rejoycing is this the testimony of our conscience that in simplicity and godly sincerity not with fleshly wisdome but by the grace of God we have had our conversation in the world and more abundantly Conscientia pura semper secura to you wards So in that 1 Joh. 3. 21. Beloved if our heart condemne us not then have we confidence towards God A good conscience hath sure confidence he that hath it sits Noah-like in the midst of all combustions and distractions sincerity and serenity uprightnesse and boldnesse a good conscience and a good confidence go together What the probationer Disciple said to our Saviour in that Mat. 8. 19. Master I will follow thee whithersoever It is a notable speech of SalviÌ„ Such as are truly blessed in their owne consciences cannot be miserable by the false judgements of others thou goest that a good conscience sayes to the beleeving soule I will follow thee from duty to duty from ordinance to ordinance I will stand by thee I will strengthen thee I wil uphold thee I wil be a comfort to thee in life and a friend to thee in death though all should leave thee yet I will never forsake thee A good conscience will look through the blackest clouds and see a smiling God Looke as an evill conscience is attended with the greatest fears and doubts so a good conscience is attended with the Innocency is bulwark enough if you be not guilty saith Seneca greatest clearnesse and sweetnesse And as there is no hell in this world to an evill conscience so there is no heaven in this world to a good conscience He that hath a good conscience hath one of the choysest springs of Assurance And it will not be long before God will whisper such a man in the eare and say unto him Son be of good Matth. 9. 2. chear thy sinnes be forgiven thee Again real Love to the Saints is another spring of Assurance and this spring is a never failing spring this spring is in the weakest as wel as in the strongest Saints Joh. 3. 14. Wee know
The Lord hath in much mercy and love propounded in his Word the wayes and meanes whereby Beleevers may obtain a wel-grounded assurance of their everlasting happiness and blessedness and therefore it may be obtained take three Scriptures to evidence this The first is in that 2 Pet. 1. chap. 5-13 if you 2 Pet. 1. ch 5. 13. turne to the words you shal finde that the Lord does not only presse them to give all diligence to make their calling and election sure but he shewes them plainly the way and meanes whereby this may be done namely by adding to your faith vertue and to vertue knowledge c. The second Scripture is 1 Cor. 11. 28 that in the 1 Cor. 11. 28. But let a man examine himselfe and so let him eate of that bread and drinke of that cup. By examination the Soule comes to see what right it hath to Christ and all the precious things of his House and beleevingly to eate so of that Bread of Life of that heavenly Manna as that it may live for ever The third Scripture is that 2 Cor. 13. 5. Examine 2 Cor. 13. 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Goldsmith does the gold in the fire 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. unapproved or counterfeit not reprobates as it is translated vide Grâ—tius your selves whether yee be in the faith prove your selves know yee not your owne selves how that Christ is in you except yee be reprobates or unapproved or rejected by a serious examination of a mans owne estate he may know whether he hath faith or not whether he be Christs Spouse or the Devils strumpet whether there bee a worke of grace upon his heart or not and certainly it cannot stand with the glorious wisdome unspotted righteousness and transcendent holiness of God to put men upon the use of such Eâ—od 15. 11. and such meanes in order to the obtaining of such an end if that end could not be obtained by the use of the meanes prescribed Man that hath but a sparke of that wisdome righteousnesse Job 38. 5. 5. 18. 21. 33. verses compared and holinesse that is in God wil not put any upon the use of such oâ— such meanes for the obtaining of health wealth or the like unlesse there be a proper tendency in the use of those means prescribed to reach such Abstracts do better expresse God then concretes and adjectives ends and will God who is wisdome righteousnesse and holiness in the abstract Surely no God is one infinite perfection in himselfe which is eminently and virtually all perfections of the creatures and therefore it is impossible that God should act below the creature which he should do if he should put the creature upon the use of those meanes that would not reach the ends for which the means were used Thus you cleerly see by this seventh Argument that beleevers may in this life attain to a Well-grounded Assurance of their everlasting happiness and blessedness Eightly It was the principal end of Christs institution of the Sacrament of the Supper that he might assure them of his love and that hee might seale up to them the forgivenesse Matth. 26 27 28. of their sinnes the acceptation of their persons and the salvation of their soules The nature of a Seale is to make things sure and firme among Dan. 6 8. Mat. 27. 66. men So the Supper of the Lord is Christs Broad-seal it is Christs Privy-seale whereby he seals and assures his people that they are happy here that they shall be more happy hereafter that they are everlastingly beloved of God that his heart is set upon them that their names are written in the 2 Tim. 4. 8. Book of life That there is laid up for them a crowne of righteousnesse and that nothing shall be able to separate them from him who is their light their life their Col 3. 11. crowne their all in all In this Sacrament Christ comes forth and shews his love his heart his bowels his blood that his children may no longer say Doth the Lord Jesus love us doth he delight in us c but that they may say with the Spouse I am my beloveds Caâ— 7. 10. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and his desire is towards me Many precious Christians there are that have laine long under feares His desirous affection is towards me as the wiveâ— is towards her dearest husband So the Hebrew word signifies and doubts sighing and mourning and that have run from Minister to Minister and from one duty to another c. and yet could never be perswaded of the love of Christ to their poor soules but still their fears and doubts have followed them till they have waited upon the Lord in this glorious Ordinance by which the Lord hath assured them of the remission of their sins and the salvation of their soules In this Ordinance God hath given Rev 2. 17. them mannah to eat and a white stone and new name which no man knoweth but he that receiveth it Tell me you precious beleeving souls whether you have not found God in this Ordinance often whispering of you in the ear saying Sons and daughters be of Mat. 9. 2. good cheer your sinnes are forgiven you I know you have Those Scriptures that do expresly require Saints to be abundant and constant in rejoycing and in praising of God to have alwayes harps in their Nulla verior miseria quâ—m falsa laetitia there is no â—â—uer misery then false joyâ— hands and Hallelujahs in their mouths doe clearly evidence that beleevers may attaine to a well-grounded Assurance in this life How can they rejoyce and glory in God that doe not know whether hee will bee an everlasting friend or an everlasting enemy to them whether hee will alwayes breath out love or wrath upon them how can they Psal 13 7. 2. but hang their harps on the Willows that do not know but that they may live in a strange land yea in a land of darknesse all their dayes How can they be cheerful or thankful that doe not know but that they may at last heare that heart-breaking that conscience-wounding that soul-slaying word Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting Matth. 25. 4. It would even be an endlesse businesse to cite every Scripture wherein this duty is injoyned It is a duty that is much pressed in both Testaments as little practised by all whimpering Christians fire prepared for the devil and his Angels Now there is no duty in the whole Book of God that is more frequently and abundantly prest upon beleevers then this of joy and rejoycing of praise and thanksgiving as all know that know any thing of the Scripture 1 Thess 5. 16. Rejoyce evermore God would not have his children alwayes a putting finger in the eye Ah Christians remember what Christ hath done for you and what he is still a doing for you in heaven and what
loathed and long since crucified when those old sins which hath cost a soule many prayers and many tears and many sighs and may groans and many complaints when those sinnes that have been long buried shall bee againe revived and meet the soule and stare upon the soule and say to the soule We are thine and wee will follow thee wee are thine and wee will haunt thee Ah how will this cause a mans countenance to bee changed his thoughts to be troubled his joynts to be loosed and his heart to be amazed David and Job meeting with the sins of their youth long after they were Psal 25. 7. Job 13 26. lamented and pardoned makes their hearts startle and tremble Upon the new risings of old sinnes the soule begins to question all and thus to expostulate the case Surely my estate is not good my pardon is not sealed if it be how comes these sinnes to bee revived to be remembred hath not God ingaged himselfe in the promises Isa 43. 25 Jer. 31. 34. of Grace that those sinnes that are pardoned shall never be remembred and surely if these sinnes be not pardoned I have reason to feare that others bee not pardoned and if my sins bee not pardoned how shall I escape being destroyed Surely my repentance was not sound my sorrow was not sincere the blow the wound I gave sinne was not mortall if it had how comes it to passe that it now meets mee like an armed enemy Thus these new risings of old sinnes keeps many a mans soule and assurance asunder Again a man may have grace and yet want assurance and this may arise Perfection is desireable on earth but shall be onely enjoyed in heaven It was a sweet saying of One In libro tâ—o scribuntur omnes qui quod possunt faciunt si quod debent non possunt They are surely written all in Gods Book that doe what they can though they cannot but under do from his falling short of that perfection that the word requires and that other Saints have attained to Ah sayes such a soul surely I have no grace Oh how short do I fall of such and such righteous rules and of such and such precious Christians Ah how cleer are they in their light how strong are they in their love how high are they in their attainments how are their hearts filled with grace and their lives with holinesse all their motions towards God and towards man speaks out Grace Grace they pray indeed like Saints and live indeed like Angels Now many poore soules comparing themselves with the perfect rule of righteousnesse and with those that are in the highest formes in Christs Schoole and that are the noblest and choicest patterns for purity and sanctity and finding such a vast disproportion between their hearts and the rule between their actions and lives and the lives and actions of others they are apt to fit downe sadded and discouraged Suetonius reports of Julius Caesar that seeing Alexanders statue hee fetched a deep sigh because hee at that age had none so little So many precious Remember this Though your consolation depends upon degrees of grace yet your salvation depends upon the truth of grace soules sit downe sighing and weeping that they have lived so long and done so little for God and for their owne internal and eternal good This wounds and sinkes their spirits that they are so unlike to those in Grace that they desire to be like unto in Glory and that they are so far below such and such in spirituals whom they are so far above in temporals 5 Again a man may have true grace and yet want assurance and this may arise from that smoak and clouds those feares and doubts that corruption raises in the soule so that the soule cannot see those excellent The being of grace is a different thing from the seeing of grace The blind man you know in the Gospel calls his faith unbeleef graces that otherwise might bee discerned though there may bee many precious gems and jewels in the house yet the smoak may hinder a man from seeing them sparkle and shine So though there be many precious graces in the soules of Saints yet corruption may raise such a dust such a smoak in the soule that the soule is not able to see them in the beauty and glory Gen. 21. 19 20 The Wel of water was neer Hagar but she saw it not till her eyes were opened by the Lord. So grace is neer the soul yea in the soul sometimes and yet the soul doth not see it till God opens the Gen. 28. eye and shews it The Lord was in this Yet a Saint at worst is not like him in Plutarch who would not bee resolved of his doubts because he would not lose the pleasure in seeking for resolution No he loves and looks and longs for resolution to all his doubts place said Jacob and I knew it not so many a precious soule may say Grace was in my heart and I knew it not I saw it not Blessed Bradford in one of his Epistles saith thus O Lord meethinks I feel it so with me sometimes as if there were no difference between my heart and the heart of the wicked my minde is as blinde as theirs my spirit as stout stubborne and rebellious as theirs and my thoughts as confused as theirs and my affections as disordered as theirs and sâ—rvices as formal as theirs c. Ah Christians have not many of your soules found it so Surely yes no wonder then that though you have grace yet you have not seen it sparkling and shining in your soules as some have thought that their fields have had no corne because they have been so full of weeds and that their heap hath no wheat because nothing hath appeared but chaffe that their pile hath no gold because it hath been covered with much dross So some have thought that their hearts have been void of grace because they have been so full of Matth. 14 30 Mat. 12. 15. Gen 20. Chap. fears and doubts Peter at one time beleeves and walkes at another time he doubts and sinkes Abraham beleeves and offers up Isaac at one time hee feares and falls at another time Say thou art my sister lest they kill mee So David and Job they had their shufflings tremblings faintings shakings Psal 116. 11. Psal 31. 22. and questionings It is not alwayes high water with Saints sometimes they are reduced to a very low ebbe The best of Saints are like the Rara hora brevis mora Ber. Arke tossed up and downe with waves with feares and doubts and so it will bee till they are quite in the bosome of Christ 6 Lastly a man may have grace and yet not see it yet not know it and this may arise from his non-searching his non-examining his non-ransacking of his owne soule there is gold in the Mine and men might finde it if they would
but dig and search diligently after it There is grace in the heart and you might see it if you would but take the candle of the Lord and looke narrowly after it Looke as many a man upon a diligent search may finde his temporall estate to bee better then hee apprehends Worthlesse Dayses grow in sight upon the surface of the earth but the precious and richest rarities are hid within the bowels of the earth You are wise and know how to apply it it So many choice soules upon a diligent search may finde their spiritual estate to bee far better then they conceived or judged it to bee therefore soules cease from complaining cease from rash judging and dooming of your selves to hell and be diligent in enquiring what the Lord hath done and what the Lord is a doing in you and for you compare the books together compare his working upon you and others together what is there no light no love no longings no hungrings no thirstings after God what is there no The cry that was heard in the Temple was migremus hinc Let us go hence Let us go hence sighing no complaining no mourning under the sense of sinne and under the want of divine favour Surely if you search you will finde some of these things and if you doe prize them as jewels that are more worth then a world God will not despise the day of small things and will you will you dare you say that that is little that is more worth then heaven the least sparke of grace shall at last be turned into a crowne of glory Well remember this that as the least grace if true and sincere is sufficient to salvation so the sense of the least grace should be sufficient to your consolation The fourth Proposition is this viz. The fourth Proposition That God may deny assurance long and yet give it in to his children at last after patient waiting God appears to David and brings him out of an horrible pit or out of a pit of noise and Psal 4. 1 2 3 4. sets his feet upon a rocke and puts a new song into his mouth After the Church in the Canticles had run through Chap. 3. 5. many hazards and hardships many difficulties and dangers she findes him whom her soule loved The Prophet sits Psal 69. 2 3. downe and bewayles his sad condition Vers 20. thus I am weary of my crying my throat is dried mine eyes faile while I wait for my God And I am full of heavinesse and I looked for some to take pity but there was none and for comforters but I found none I but at last God appears and then sayes he I will praise the name of Vers 30. Job 8. 9. God with a song and will magnifie him with thanksgiving Job sighs it out Behold I goe forward but he is not there and backward but I cannot perceive him On the left hand where he doth worke but I cannot behold him he hideth himselfe on the right hand that I cannot see him Chap. 27. 5 6. But after this sighing he sings it out Till I dye I will not remove my integrity from me My righteousnesse I hold fast and will not let it goe my heart shall not reproach me so long as I live Mr. Frogmorten was as holy and as choice a Preacher as most was in England in those dayes and hee lived seven and thirty yeers without assurance and then dyed having assurance but an houre before hee dyed he went to dye at Mr. Dods who is now with the Lord and did dye there in full Assurance of the justification of his person Experience doth abundantly evidence that this is the manner of Gods dealing with abundance of those precious souls of whom this world is not worthy I could say much to this point from my owne knowledge but I must forbear lighting a candle to see the Sun at noon the remission of his sinnes and the salvation of his soule God denied assurance a great while to Mr. Glover though hee sought it with many prayers and tears and yet when hee was in sight of the fire the Lord shined forth in his favor so sweerly upon him that he cries out to his friend He is come he is come meaning the Comforter So Mrs. Katherine Bretterge after many bitter conflicts with Satan the day before she dyed she had sweet assurance of that Kingdome that shakes not of those riches that corrupt not and of that Crowne of righteousnesse that sades not away I have read of three Martyrs that were bound and brought to the stake and one of them gets from under his chaine to admiration and falls downe upon the ground and wrastles earnestly with God for the sense of his love and God gave it him then at that instant and so he came and imbraced the stake and died cheerfully and resolutely a glorious Martyr God delayed till he was bound and then le ts out himself sweetly and gloriously to him Now God doth delay the giving in of assurance to his dearest ones and that partly to let them know that hee will be waited on and that assurance Voluntas Dei necessitas rei God will have every childe of his to put his fiat his places to Gods go it never so much against the hair is a jewel worth waiting for The least smile from God when our last glasse is running will make our soules amends for all their waiting and partly that wee may know that hee is free in his workings and that he is not tied to any proportions or qualifications in the creature but is free to come when he will and goe when hee will and stay as long as hee will though the soule doth sigh it out How long Lord how long will it bee before my mourning bee turned into rejoycing Again God delayes the giving in of assurance not because he delights to keep his children in feares and doubts nor because hee thinks that assurance is too rare too great too choice a jewel to bestow upon them Isa 59. 1 2. Jer. 5. 25. but it is either because he thinks their soules doe not stand at a sufficient distance from sinne or because their soules are so taken up and filled with creature-enjoyments as that Christ is put to lodge in an out-house or else Luke 2. 7. it is because they pursue not after assurance with all their might they give not all diligence to make their calling 2 Pet. 2. 5. and election sure or else it is because their hearts are not prepared are not low enough for so high a favour Now Gods delaying assurance upon these weighty grounds should rather worke us to admire him to justifie him and quietly to wait for him then to have any hard thoughts of him or to carry it unkindly to him or impatiently Jud 5 28. to say Why is his Chariot so long a comming The fifth Proposition is this That
all lights When God is gone it is night with the soul cannot make up the want of the light of the Sun so all temporal comforts cannot make up the want of one spiritual comfort So Job sometimes sings Job 16. 19. 19. 25. Job 6. 4. it out My Witness is in Heaven and my Record is on high and my Redeemer lives c. At other times you have him complaining The Arrows of the Almighty stick fast in me and their poyson drinketh up my spirit the terrors of God do set themselves in array against me And in the 29 Chapter you have him sighing Job 29. 2 3 4 5. Tota vita boni Christiani sanctum desiderium est The whole life of a good Christian is an holy wish saith One. it out thus O that I were as in moneths past as in the days when God preserved me when his candle shined up on my head and when by his light I walked thorow darkness As I was in the days of my youth when the secret of God was upon my Tabernacle when the Almighty was yet with me c. Now by all these clear instances and by many others Saints Experiences it is evident That the choicest Saints may loose their assurance and the lustre and glory of it may decay and wither What the Soul should do in such a case and how it should be recovered out of this sad state I shall shew you towards the close of this Discourse The sixth Proposition is this That The sixth Proposition the certainty and infallibility of a Christians assurance cannot be made known to any but his own heart He can say as the blinde man once said This I know John 9. 25. that once I was blinde but now I see once I was a slave but now I am a son once I was dead but now I am alive Rom. 8. 6. 11 13. once I was darkness but now I am light in the Lord once I was a childe of wrath Ephes 5. 8 2. 3. John 8. 36. an heir of Hell but now I am an heir of Heaven once I was Satans bondman but now I am Gods freeman once I 2 Cor. 3. 17. was under the spirit of bondage but Gal. 5. 1 13. Eph. 1. 13 14. now I am under the spirit of adoption that seals up to me the remission of my sins the justification of my person and the salvation of my soul All this I Can you compass the Heavens with a span or contain the Sea in a Nut-shel then may you fully evidence your assurance to others know says the assured Saint but I cannot make you know it certainly and infallibly if you would give me a thousand worlds What I have found and felt and what I do finde and feel is wonderfully beyond what I am able to express I am as well able to tell the Stars of Heaven and to number the Sand of the Sea as I am able to declare to you the joy the joy the unconceivable joy the assurance the glorious 1 Pet. 1. 8. So my yong Lord Harrington and Nazianzen and Vincentius and Faniâ—us an Italian Martyr with many more that might be named assurance that God hath given me Severinus the Indian Saint under the power of assurance was heard to say O my God do not for pity so ever joy me if I must still live and have such consolations take me to Heaven c. So say souls under the power of assurance Lord we are so filled with joy and comfort with delight and content that we are not able to express it here on Earth and therefore take us to Heaven that we may have that glory put upon us that may inable us to declare and manifest those glorious things that thou hast wrought in us Parents do by experience feel such soundings such meltings such rowlings such sweet workings of their affections and bowels towards their children that for their lives they cannot to the life describe to others what it is to be a Father to be a Mother what it is to have such rowlings of bowels towards children Assurance is that white stone that none knoweth Vide Beza Bullenger Pererius and Brightman on the words but he that hath it Revel 2. 17. To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden Manna and I will give him a white stone and in the stone a new name written which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it White stones were in great use among the Romans 1. In white stones they used to write the names of such as were victorious and Conquerors so in that Text To him that overcometh will I give a white stone 2. They used to acquit the innocent And they gave black stones to note their condemnation in Courts of Justice by giving them a white stone and so here the white stone points out absolution and remission 3. They used to give a white stone to those that were chosen to any places of honor so the white stone of assurance Heb. 12. 28. Matth. 6. 20. 1 Pet. 1. 4. is an evidence of our Election of our being chosen to a Kingdom that shakes not to riches that corrupt not and to a crown of glory that fades not And thus much for this sixt Proposition viz. That the certainty and infallabillity of a Christians assurance cannot be made known to any but his own heart The seventh Proposition is this That The seventh Proposition there are some special seasons and times wherein the Lord is graciously pleased to give to his children a sweet assurance of his favor and love and they are these that follow First Sometimes I say not always at first conversion the Lord is pleased to make out sweet manifestations of his love to the penitent soul when the soul hath been long under guilt and wrath when the soul hath been long under the frowns and displeasure of God and hath long seen the gates of Heaven barred against him and the mouth of Hell open to receive him when the soul hath said surely there is no hope there is no help surely I shall loose God Christ and Heaven for ever Then God comes in and speaks peace to the soul then he says I will blot out thy iniquities for my name sake and will remember thy sins no more Hark soul hark says Christ My Isai 55. 8 9. thoughts are not as your thoughts nor my ways as your ways My thoughts toward you are thoughts of peace and thoughts of love Hark soul here is Mercy to pardon thee and here is Grace to adorn thee here is a Righteousness 1 Cor. 1. 30. to justifie thee here is eye-salve to enlighten thee and gold to Revel 3. 18. enrich thee and rayment to cloath thee and balm to heal thee and bread to nourish thee and wine upon the lees to chear thee and happiness to Isai 25. 6. crown thee and my self to satisfie thee
Ah souls have not some of you found it so surely you have God deals sometimes with rebellious sinners as Princes do with those that are in arms that are in open rebellion against them You know Princes will This hâ—â—h bâ—â—n a practise among all Princes whether they have been Christians or Heathens put such hard to it they shall fare hard and lie hard Chains and Racks and what not shall attend them and yet after the sentence is past upon them and they are upon the last step of the Ladder of Life ready to be turned off and all hope of escape is gone then the Princes pardon is put into their hand So the Lord brings many poor souls to the last steps of the Ladder to a hopeless condition and then he puts their pardon into their bosoms then he sayes Be of good chear I have received you into favor I have set my love upon you I am reconciled to you and will never be separated from you You know how God dealt with Paul after he had awakned Acts 9. 3 4 5 6. Vide Bezam Grotium Calvin and convinced him after he had unhorsed him and overthrown him after he had amazed and astonished him then he shews himself graciously and favorably to him then he takes him up into the third Heaven and makes such manifestations of his love and favor of his beauty and glory of his mercy and majesty as he is not able to utter So upon the prodigals return the fatted Calf is killed Luk. 15. 22 23. and the best Robe is put upon his back and the Ring is put on his hand and shoes on his feet Some understand by the Robe the Royalty of Adam others The dignity which Adam lost nay I think in this parable God sets forth his goodness and our happiness in restoring to us more by the death of the second Adam then we lost by the sin of the first Adam the Righteousness of Christ and by the Ring some understand the pledges of Gods love Rings being given as pledges of love some the seal of Gods Spirit men using to seal with their Rings Among the Romans the Ring was an ensign of Virtue Honor and Nobility whereby they that wore them were distinguished from the common people I think the main thing intended by all these passages is to shew us That God sometimes upon the sinners first conversion and returning to him is graciously pleased to give him some choice and signal manifestations of his love and favor of his good will and pleasure and that upon these following Grounds First That they may not be swallowed up of sorrow nor give up the ghost under the pangs and throws of the new birth Ah did not the Lord set in some beams of love upon the soul when it is magor Missabib a terrour to its self when the heart is a hell of horrour the conscience an An awakned conscience is like Prometheus Vulture it lies ever gnawing Acheldema a Field of black blood when the soul is neither quiet at home nor abroad neither at Bed nor Board neither in company nor out of company neither in the use of Ordinances nor in the neglect of Ordinances how would the soul faint sink and despair for ever But now when it is thus night with the soul the Lord sweetly comes in and tells the soul that all is well that he hath found a ransom for Job 33. 24. the soul that the Books are crost that all debts are discharged and that his favor and love upon the soul is fixed And so God by his sweet and still voice speaking thus to the soul quiets and satisfies it and keeps it from sinking and despairing Secondly God gives in assurance sometimes at first conversion that he may the more raise and inflame their love and affections to him Ah! How does a pardon given in when a man is ready to be turned off draw out his love and raise his affections to that Prince that shews bowels of mercy when he is upon the brink of misery So when a poor sinner is upon the last Titus Motro was Priâ—câ—ps bonus orbis amor All the world falls in love with a good Prince with a merciful Prince step of the Ladder upon the very brink of Hell and misery now for God to come in and speak peace and pardon to the soul Ah how does it inflame the soul and works the soul to a holy admiration of God and to a spiritual delighting in God King Antigonus his pulling a sheep with his own hands out of a dirty ditch as he was passing by drew his Subjects exceedingly to commend him and love him So King Jesus pulling of poor souls out of their sins and as it were out of Hell cannot but draw them to be much in the commendations of Christ and strong in their love to Christ Christ hath nothing more in his eye nor upon his heart then to act towards his people in such ways and at such seasons as may most win upon their affections And therefore it is that sometimes he gives the strongest consolation at first conversion Thirdly Christ sometimes at first conversion grants to his people the sweetest manifestations of his love that they may bee the more active servent abundant and constant in Amor Dei â—unquam otiosus est operatur enim magna si est fi vero operari renuit amor non est the love of God is never idle for if it is it worketh great things but if it resuse to work it is not love wayes of grace and holinesse hee knows that divine manifestations of love will most awaken quicken and engage the soule to wayes of piety and sanctity Look what wings are to the bird oyle to the wheels weights to the clock a reward to the coward and the load-stone to the needle that is the smiles and discoveries of God to a poore soule at his conversion The manifestations of divine So said Bradford and other blessed souls love puts heat and life into the soule it makes the soule very serious and studious how to act for God and live to God walk with God Ah saies a soul under the beams of divine love It is my meat and drinke it is my joy and crowne to doe all I can for that God that hath done so much for me as to know me in darknesse and to speak love to me when I was most unlovely to turn my mourning into rejoycing and my hell into a heaven Fourthly Christ sometimes at first conversion gives his people the sweetest manifestations of his love to fence and fortifie them against Satans fiery temptations before Christ shall bee led into the wildernesse to be tempted Mat. 3. 16 17. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is an emphatical word and signifies that infinite affection delight and contentt hat God the Father did take in Christ Eph. 6. 16. by the devill the Spirit of the Lord shall
Thus God dealt with Paul before he Acts 9. 1 to 23. put him upon that hard and dangerous service that he had cut out for him he takes him up into Heaven and sheds abroad his love into his heart and tells him That he is a chosen Vessel he appears to him in the way and fills him with the Holy Ghost that is with the gifts graces and comforts of the Holy Ghost And straightway he Chrysostom saith that he was Insatiabilis Dei cultor an unsatiable server of God falls upon Preaching of Christ upon exalting of Christ to the amazing and astonishing of all that heard him And as he had more clear full and glorious manifestations of Gods love and favor then others so he was more frequent more abundant and more constant in 2 Cor. 11. 21 ult the work and service of Christ then others And this hath been the constant It is sufficient to point at these instances they are so notoriously known to all that know any thing of the Scripture in power As he in Plutarch said of the Scythians that although they had no musick nor vines among them yet as better things they had gods so the Saints though they may want this and that outward encouragement in the service of God yet they shall injoy his presence that is better then all other things in the world dealing of God with the Patriarks as with Abraham Isaac and Jacob c. and with the Prophets as with Moses Isaiah Jeremiah Ezekiel c. when he hath put them upon weighty services he hath shed abroad his love into their hearts he hath set his seal upon their spirits and made them to know that he hath set them as a seal upon his hand he hath assured them of his countenance and of his presence and of his assistance he hath told them though others should desert them yet he will stand by them and strengthen them and support them and uphold them with the right hand of his Righteousness he hath told them that his power should be theirs to defend them and his wisdom should be theirs to direct them and his goodness should be theirs to supply them and his grace should be theirs to heal them and his mercy should be theirs to pardon them and his joy should be theirs to strengthen them and his promises should be theirs to chear them and his spirit should be theirs to lead them And this hath made them as bold as Lyons this hath made them stand fast and stand close to the work of God in the face of all dangers and difficulties this hath made them with stout Nehemiah scorn to desist or flie from the work of the Lord this hath made their Bows to abide in strength though the Archers have shot sore at them Now there are considerable Reasons why God is pleased to give his Children some sweet tastes of his love some assurance of his favor when he puts them upon some hard and difficult service and they are these that follow First That they may not faint nor Reas 1 faulter in his service but go thorow it Apollonius as Philostratus reports being asked if he did not tremble at the sight of the Tyrant made this answer God which hath given him a terrible countenance hath given also unto me an undaunted heart c. resolutely and bravely in the face of all difficulties and oppositions When God put Joshua upon that hard service of leading and governing his people Israel he assures him of his love and of his presence Fear not be of good courage I am with thee And this makes him hold on and hold out in the service of the Lord bravely and resolutely in the face of all discouragements Chuse you whom you will serve whether your fathers gods or the gods of the Amorites but as for me and my house we will serve the Lord. So when the Lord put Paul upon such service that Acts 20. 23. occasioned bonds and afflictions to abide him in every City he gives him a taste of Heaven before hand and lifts up the light of his countenance upon him and this makes him resolute and bold in the work of the Lord. Now Paul will not consult with flesh and blood Gal. 1. 15 16 17. now it is not reproaches nor stripes nor prisons nor whips nor perils nor deaths that can make him look back having put his hand to the Lords plough O the beamings forth of Divine Love upon his soul filled him with that courage and resolution that with Shammah one of Davids worthies he stands and defends the field 2 Tim. 4. 16 17. when others fall and flie and quit the field Secondly God gives his people Reas 2 some tastes of his love some sense of his favor when he puts them upon hard and difficult services because else he should not onely act below himself as he is a wise God a faithful God a powerful God a merciful God a righteous God c. But also act below his poor weak Creatures For And to imagine that ever the great God will act below the wisdom of those that are foolishness in the very abstract is the greatest madness and blasphemy in the world what Husband will put his Wife what Father will put his childe what Master will put his Servant what Captain will put his Souldier what Prince will put his Ambassadors upon hard and difficult services but they will smile upon them and speak kindly to them and make large promises to honor their persons and kindly to accept and nobly to reward their services c. Surely none And will God Isa 42. 8. 48. 11. will God who will not give his glory to those that have the most glorious Beings suffer his glory to be clouded and eclipsed by the prudent actings of weak worms Surely no. Thirdly God lifts up the light of Reas 3 his countenance upon his people when Solus amor nesciâ— difficultates Love knows no difficulties he puts them upon hard and difficult services that they may never repent of listing themselves in his service Ah did not the Lord warm the hearts of his people with the glorious beams of his love when he puts them upon hard work they would be ready when they meet with oppositions and hazards to throw up all and to sit down lamenting and repenting that ever they were engaged in his service they would be as peevish and froward as Jonah and with him venter a drowning to shift off Gods service Ah Melancthon was such a man whom Luther encourages thus Why should we fear a conquered world that have Christ the Conqueror on our side c. but now the Lord by letting his goodness drop upon their hearts and by putting an earnest-penny into their hands he causes them to go chearfully on in his work without sighing or repenting The kisses and embraces of God do put such life such spirit such mettle into their
shall come saith the Lord of hosts Well I will say but this If assurance of Gods love be not a Jewel worth a waiting for it is worth nothing Fourthly Suffering times are times Non poenae sed causa facit martyrem wherein the Lord is pleased to give his people some sense of his favor when they are in sufferings for Righteousness sake for the Gospels sake then usually God causes his face to shine upon them Now they shall hear best news Adversus gentes gratias agimus quod à molestis dominis liberemur saith One. We thank you for delivering us from hard task-masters that we may enjoy more sweetly the bosom of Christ from Heaven when they hear worst from Earth God loves to smile most upon his people when the world frowns most when the world puts their Iron chains upon their legs then God puts his Golden chains about their necks when the world puts a bitter Cup into their hands then God drops some of his honey some of his goodness and sweetness into it when the world is ready to stone them then God gives them the white stone and when the world is a tearing their good names then he gives them a new name that none knows but he that hath it a name that is better then that of sons and daughters when the world cryes out Crucifie them crucifie them then they hear that sweet voice from Heaven These are my beloved ones in whom I am well pleased when the world cloaths them with rags then the Lord puts on his Royal Robes and makes a secret Proclamation to their spirits Thus shall it be done to the men whom the King is pleased to honor when the world gives into one hand a Cup of Water God gives into the other a Cup of Nectar a Cup of Ambrosia when the world gnasheth upon them and presents all imaginary tortures before them then the Lord opens paradise to them as he did to Stephen when Paul and Silas were in prison for the Acts 7. 50. 16. 23 24. Me thinks said one I tread upon pearls when he trod upon hot burning coals and I feel no more pain then if I lay in a bed of down and yet he lay in flames of fiâ—e Revel 1 9 10. He was banished thither by Domitian the Tyrant Vide Euseb l. 3. c. 18. Vide Pliâ— l. 4. c. 12. Gospel sake then God fills them with such unspeakable joy that they cannot but be singing when others were sleeping God turns their prison into a pallace a paradise and they turn his mercies into praises Paul and Silas found more pleasure then pain more joy then sorrow more sweet then bitter more day then night in the prison God will make some beams of his goodness and glory to break thorow stone walls to warm and glad the hearts of his suffering-ones When John was banished into the Isle of Fathmos for the Word of God and the testimony of Jesus then he is filled with the Spirit and hath the choicest manifestations and the most glorious Revelations that ever he had all his days Now God makes him one of his Court and Counsel and tells him what glorious and mighty things shall be in the latter days Now he is in a Spiritual rapture and extasie and carried above himself and above all outward things to attend those glorious Visions that God would make known to him It was Gods lifting up the light of his countenance that made the Martyrs to sing in the fire to clap their hands in the flames and to tread upon hot burning coals as upon Beds of Roses This made one say when he felt the flame come to Vincentius his Beard What a small pain is this to be compared to the glory to come what is a drop of vinegar put into an ocean of wine what is it for one to have a rainy day that is going to take possession of a Kingdom The smiles of God made another to sing under dreadful sufferings Christianus sum I am a Christian Sanctus And this made the Christians to sing in Tertullians time Crudelitas vestra gloria nostra Your cruelty is our glory This made a French Martyr to say when the rope was about his fellows neck Give me that golden chain and dub me a Knight of that noble order This made another to desire when he was to die the favor of having his chains buried with him as the ensigns of his honor This made Basil to say Fire Nihil seutit erux in nervo quando animus est in caelo sword prison famine are all a pleasure a delight unto me This made Paul to rattle his Iron chains and to glory in it more then worldly men glory in all their outward glory This made Theodoret to complain that his persecuters did him wrong when they took him off the Rack and ceased tormenting of him for said he All the while that I was on the Rack I found me thought there was a yong man in white an Angel stood by me which wiped off the sweat and I found a great deal of sweetness in it which now I have lost To Sufferings are the ensigns of heavenly nobisiry noâ— wonder then that the Saints are so joyful under them conclude the smiles of God upon the prisoners of hope is that which makes them more chearful and delightful in their sufferings then Jesus Christ was in his When Faninus an Italian Martyr was asked by one why he was so merry at his death sith Christ himself was so sorrowful Christ said he sustained in his soul all the sorrows and conflicts with Hell and Death due to us by whose sufferings we are delivered from sorrow and fear of them all and therefore we have cause of rejoycing in the greatest sufferings Now there are these special Reasons to be given why the Lord is pleased in suffering times to visit his people with his loving kindness and to lift up the light of his countenance upon them Reas 1 First That their patience and constancy Christian fortitude is in ferendo nâ—n in ferierdo not in smiting but suffering under the Cross may be invincible God knows right well That if his left hand in suffering times be not under his people and his right hand over them if he does not give them some sips of sweetness some rellishes of goodness they would quickly grow impatient and inconstant O but now the smiles of God William Flower Appoloâ—â—us Basil Fulgentius Giles of Brussels Alexander Hales Polycaâ—â—us Calvin Luther Brentius Bullinger these and many more have been eminent in patience under sore tryals the gracious discoveries of God makes their patience and constancy invincible as it did Vincentius who by his patience and constancy madded his tormentors wherefore they stripped him stark naked whipped his body all over to a gore blood sprinkled Salt and Vinegar over all his wounds set his feet on burning coals then cast him naked into a
certainty bless him and will bless his blessing to him and in multiplying he would multiply his seed as the stars of Heaven and as the sand which is upon the Sea shore Now the Angel of the Lord viz. the Lord Jesus as his own words shew Verse 12 15 16. calls unto Abraham out of Heaven not once but twice and now he shews his admirable love in countermanding of Abraham and in providing a Ram even to a miracle for a burnt-offering And thus you see that believing times are times wherein the Lord is graciously pleased to reveal his love and make known his favor to his people and to look from Heaven upon them and to speak again and again in love and sweetness to them Fifthly Hearing and receiving Reas 5 times are times wherein the Lord is graciously pleased to cause his face to shine upon his people when they are a hearing the Word of Life and a Psal 63. 3 4. breaking the Bread of Life then God comes in upon them and declares to them that love that is better then life Acts 10. 44. While Peter yet spake these words the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the Word As Peter was Also by the Holy Ghost is meant the extraordinary gifts of the Spirit Vers 45 46. Acts 11. 15. Therefore says the Apostle do not leave the substance for a shadow the Sun for a Candle and speaking the Holy Ghost that is the graces of the Holy Ghost viz. the joy the comfort the love the peace c. of the Holy Ghost fell upon them So in that Gal. 3. 2. This onely would I learn of you received ye the Spirit by the works of the Law or by the hearing of Faith By the Spirit here Calvin and Bullinger and other Expositors do understand the joy the peace the assurance that is wrought in the heart solid Meat for Milk which none would do except they were bewitched Gal. 3. 1. by the hearing of Faith that is by the Doctrine of the Gospel for in these words of the Apostle hearing is put for the thing heard and Faith for the Doctrine of the Gospel because the Gospel is the ordinary means of working Faith Faith comes by hearing saith the Apostle So in that 1 Thes 1. 5 6. By the Holy Ghost in this Text cannot be meant the extraordinary gifts of the Spirit and that first because they were no evidences of Election secondly because many vessels of wrath have been partakers of them thirdly many of Gods choice and chosen ones have been destitute of those extraordinary gifts For our Gospel came not unto you in word onely but also in power and in the Holy Ghost and in much assurance as ye know what manner of men we were among you for your sake And ye became followers of us and of the Lord having received the Word in much affliction with joy of the Holy Ghost In these words you have a Divine Power attending Pauls Ministry a power convincing enlightning humbling raising delighting reforming renouncing and transforming of them that heard him Also you have the sweet and blessed testimony of the Spirit attending his Ministry and assuring those of their Effectual Calling and Election upon whom the Word came in power and raising up their spirits to joy in the midst of sorrow Ah you precious Sons and Daughters of Sion that have sate waiting and trembling at Wisdoms door tell me tell me Hath not God rained down Manna upon your souls whilest you have been hearing the Word Yes Hath not God come in with power upon you and by his Spirit sealed up to you your Election the Remission of your sins the Justification of your persons and the Salvation of your souls Yes Without controversie many Saints have found Christs lips in this Ordinance to drop honey and sweetness marrow and fatness And as Christ in hearing times when his people are a hearing the Word of Life does lift up the light of his countenance upon them so when they are a receiving the Bread of Life he makes known his love to them and their interest in him in this feast of fat This Ordinance is a Cabineâ— of Jewels in it are abundance of Spiritual Springs and rich Mines heavenly Treasures things the Master of the Feast the Lord Jesus comes in the midst of his guests saying Peace be here Here the beams of his glory do so shine as that they cause the hearts of his Children to burn within them and as scatters all that thick darkness and clouds that are gathered about them When Saints are in this Wine Celler Christs Banner over them is Love When they are in this Canaan then he feeds them with Milk and Honey When they are in this Paradise then they shall taste of Angels Food When they are at this Gate of Heaven then they shall see Christ at the right hand of the Father When they are before this Mercy Seat then they shall see the Bowels of Mercy rowling towards them In this Ordinance they see that and taste that and feel that of Christ that they are not able to declare and manifest to others In this Ordinance Saints shall see the truth of their graces and feel the increase of their graces and rejoyce in the clearness of their evidences In this Ordinance Christ will seal up the Promises and seal up the Covenant and seal up his Love and seal up their pardon sensibly to their souls Many precious souls there be that have found Christ in this Ordinance when they could not finde him in other Ordinances though they have sought him sorrowingly Many a cold soul hath been warmed in this Ordinance and many a hungry soul hath been fed with Every gracious soul may say not onely credo vitam aeternam edo vitam aeternam I believe life eternal but I receive I eat life eternal Manna in this Ordinance and many a thirsty soul hath been refreshed with Wine upon the Lees in this Ordinance and many a dull soul hath been quickned in this Ordinance * Every wicked soul that takes the cup may say Calix vitae calix mortis the Cup of Life is made my death 1 Cor. 11. 27. I do not say That ever a dead soul hath been in livened in this Ordinance this being an Ordinance appointed by Christ not to beget Spiritual Life where there was none but to increase it where the Spirit hath formerly begun it In this Ordinance weak hands and feeble knees have been strengthned and fainting hearts have been comforted and questioning souls have been resolved and staggering souls have been setled and falling souls have been supported Ah Christians if you will but stand up and speak out you must say That in this Ordinance there hath been between Christ and you such mutual smiles such mutual kisses such mutual embraces such mutual opening and shutting of hands such mutual opening and closing of hearts as hath made such a Heaven in your hearts
as cannot be exprest as cannot be declared Christ in this Ordinance opens such boxes of precious Oyntments as fill the Saints with a spiritual savor he gives them a cluster of the Grapes of Num. 13. 23 24 25. Canaan that makes them earnestly look and long to be in Canaan The Cypr. l 4. ep 6 Aug. in John Tract 27 c. Christians in the Primitive times upon their receiving the Sacrament were wont to be filled with that zeal and fervor with that joy and comfort with that faith fortitude and assurance that made them to appear before the Tyrants with transcendent boldness and cheerfulness as many Writers do testifie Now there are these Reasons why God is pleased to lift up the light of his countenance upon his people when they are a hearing the Word of Life and a breaking the Bread of Life First That they may highly prize Reas 1 the Ordinances the choice Discoveries that God makes to their souls in them works them to set a very high Psal 63. 2 3. Cant 2 3. Psal 19. 10. This age is full of careless Gallioes Acts â—8 17. that care not for these things price upon them O say such souls we cannot but prize them we cannot but affect them for what of God we have enjoyed in them Many there are that are like old Barzillai that had lost his taste and hearing and so cared not for Davids feasts and musick so many there are that can see nothing of God nor taste nothing of God in Ordinances they care not for Ordinances they slight Ordinances O but souls Psal 84. 10 11. that have seen and heard and tasted of the goodness of the Lord in Ordinances they dearly love them and highly prize them I have esteemed thy Word says Job above my necessary food Job 23. 12. Better that the Sun shine not then that Chrysostom Preach not And David sings it out The Law of thy mouth is better unto me then thousands of gold and silver Luther prized the Word at such a high rate that he saith He would not live in Paradise if he might without the Word At cum verbo etiam in inferno facile est vivere but with the Word he could live in Hell it self Secondly God lifts up the light of Reas 2 his countenance upon his people in Ordinances that he may keep them Psal 27. 4. close to Ordinances and constant in Ordinances the soul shall hear good news from Heaven when it is waiting at Wisdoms door God will acquaint Prov. 8. 34 35. the soul with Spiritual Mysteries and feed it with the droppings of the Honey Comb that the soul may cleave to them as Ruth did to Naomi Ruth 1. 15 16 17. and say of them as she said of her Where these go I will go where these lodge I will lodge and nothing but death shall make a separation between Ordinances and my soul After Joshua Josh 1. 5. had had a choice presence of God with his spirit in the service he was put upon he makes a Proclamation Chuse you whom you will serve I and my Josh 24. 15. houshold will serve the Lord. Let the issue be what it will I will cleave to the service of my God I will set my soul under Gods spout I will wait for him Mal. 3. 1. in his Temple I will look for him in Revel 2. 1. the midst of the seven Golden Candlesticks I have found him a good Master I will live and dye in his service I have found his work to be better then wages I have found a reward not onely for keeping but also in keeping his Commandments as the Psal 19. 11 Psalmist speaks The good words the sweet aspects the choice hints the heavenly intercourse that hath been between the Lord Jesus and my soul in his service hath put such great and glorious engagements upon my soul that I cannot but say with the servant in the Law I love my Master Exod. 21. 5. Deut. 15. 16 17. and I will not quit his service because it is well with me my ear is bored and I will be his servant for ever The third Reason Why the Lord Reas 3 causes the beams of his love and the brightness of his glory to shine forth upon his people in Ordinances is To fence and strengthen their souls against all those temptations that they may meet with from Satan and his Ephes 4. 14. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies cogging with a Dy such slights as cheaters and false-gamesters use at Dâ—ce instruments that lie in wait to deceive and by their cunning craftiness endeavor with all their might to work men first to have low thoughts of Ordinances and then to neglect them and then to despise them Now the Lord Chrysostom saith That by the Sacrament of the Lords Supper we are so armed against Satans temptations that he fleeth from us as if we were so many Leones ignem expuentes Lyons that spit fire by the sweet discoveries of himself by the kisses and love tokens that he gives to his people in Ordinances does so indear and engage their hearts to them that they are able not onely to withstand temptations but also to triumph over temptations thorow him that hath loved them and in Ordinances manifested his presence and the riches of his grace and goodness to them the sweet converse the blessed turns and walks that the Saints have with God in Ordinances makes them strong in resisting and happy in conquering of those temptations that tend to lead them from the Ordinances which are Christs bankquetting-house Can 2. 4. Beith Haiin is Domus vini the House of Wine where he sets before his people all the dainties and sweet-meats of Heaven and bids them eat and drink abundantly there being no danger of surfeiting in eating or drinking of Christs delicates Truly many a soul hath surfeited of the worlds dainties and died for ever but there is not a soul that hath had the honor and happiness to be brought into Christs bankquetting-house and to eat and drink of his dainties but they have lived for ever The fourth Reason Why the Lord Reas 4 is pleased to give his people some sense of his love and some tastes of Heaven in Ordinances is That he may fit and ripen them for Heaven and make them look and long more after a perfect compleat and full enjoyment of God Souls at first conversion are but roughcast but God by visiting of them Isa 64. 5. and manifesting of himself to them in his ways doth more and more fit those Vessels of Mercy for Glory Ah Christians tell me do not those Holy Influences those Spiritual Breathings those Divine In-comes that you meet with in Ordinances make your souls cry out with David As the Hart panteth after the water Psal 42. 1 2. The Greeks derive their word for desire from a root that signifieth to burn Now if one should
heap never so much fuel upon a fire it would not quench it but kindle it the more so nothing can satisfie the desires of a Saint but a full celestial enjoyment of God brooks so panteth my soul after thee O God My soul thirsteth for God even for the living God When shall I come and appear before the presence of God So in that Psal 63. 1 2. O God thou art my God early will I seek thee my soul thirsteth for thee my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty Land where no water is To see thy power and thy glory so as I have seen thee in the Sanctuary In these words you have Davids strong earnest and vehement desires here you have desire upon desire here you have the very flower and vigor of his spirit the strength and sinews of his soul the prime and top of his enflamed affections all strongly working after a fuller enjoyment of God Look as the espoused Maid longs for the marriage day the Apprentice for his freedom the Captive for his ransom the condemned man for his pardon the Traveller for his Inn and the Mariner for his Haven so doth a soul that hath met with God in his Ordinances long to meet with God in Heaven It is It is not drops but swimming in the Ocean that will satisfie a soul that hath looked into paradise not a drop it is not a lap and away a sip and away that will suffice such a soul No. This soul will never be quiet till it sees God face to face till it be quiet in the bosom of God The more a Saint tastes of God in an Ordinance the more are his desires raised and whetted and the more are his teeth set on edge for more and more of God Plutarch faith That Plutarch in vita Camilli when once the Gauls had tasted of the sweet Wine that was made of the Grapes of Italy nothing would satisfie them but Italy Italy So a soul A full enjoyment of God is the most sparkling Diamond in the Ring of Glory that hath tasted of the sweetness and goodness of God in Ordinances nothing will satisfie it but more of that goodness and sweetness a little mercy may save the soul but it must be a great deal of mercy that must satisfie the soul The least glimps of Gods countenance may be a staff to support the soul and a cordial to cherish and comfort the soul and an ark to secure the soul and a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night to guide the soul but it must be much very much of God that must be enough to satisfie the soul The fifth and last Reason Why the Reas 5 Lord is graciously pleased to give his people some sense of his love and some assurance of his favor in Ordinances is That they may have wherewithal to silence and stop the mouths of wicked and ungodly men whose words are Mal. 3. 13 14. stout against the Lord who say it is in vain to serve God and what profit is there in keeping his Statutes and Ordinances and in walking mournfully before the Lord of Hosts Now the The Saints by the gracious Experiences that they have of the sweet breathings of God upon them in Ordinances are able to confute muzzle halter or button up the mouths of vain and wicked men who say unto the Lord Depart from us for we desire not the knowledge of thy ways Lord causes his face to shine upon his people in Ordinances that they may stand up and bear him witness before the wicked world that he is no hard Master that he reaps not where he sows not In Ordinances he kisses them and there he gives them his love and makes known his goodness and glory that his Children may from their own experiences be able to confute all the lies and clamors of wicked men against God and his ways And blessed be God that hath not left himself without witness but hath many thousands that can stand up before all the What is the Almighty that we shouâ—d serve him and what profit should we have if we pray unto him Job 21. 14 15. world and declare That they have seen the beauty and glory of God in his Sanctuary that they have met with those joys and comforts in the ways of God that do as far surpass all other joys and comforts as light does darkness as Heaven does Hell That they have met with such heart meltings such heart humblings such heart revivings such heart cheerings as they never met with before in all their days Ah say these Souls One day in his Courts is better then a thousand years elswhere O! we had rather with Moses loose all and be whipped and stripped of all then lose the sweet enjoyments of God in Ordinances O! in them God hath been Light and Life a Joy and a Crown to our Souls God is tender of his own glory and of his Childrens comfort and therefore he gives them such choice aspects and such sweet visits in Ordinances that they may have Arguments at hand to stop the mouths of sinners and to declare from their own experience that all the ways of God are ways of pleasantness Prov 3. 17. Psal 65. 11. and that all his paths drops fatness And thus much for the Reasons Why God lifts up the light of his countenance upon his people in Ordinances before I pass to the next particular it will be necessary that I lay down these Cautions to prevent weak Saints from stumbling and doubting who have not yet found the Lord giving out his favors and making known his Grace and Love in such a sensible way to their souls in breaking the Bread of Life as others have found Now the first Caution I shall lay Caut. 1. down is this That even Believers may sometimes come and go from this Ordinance without that comfort that assurance that joy that refreshment that others have and may meet with And this may arise partly from their 2 Chro. 30. 19 20. 1 Cor. 11. 20. to ult unpreparedness and unfitness to meet with God in the Ordinance and partly from their playing and dallying with some bosom sin or else it may arise from their not stirring up themselves to lay hold on God as the Prophet Isaiah complains There is none Isa 64. 7. that calleth upon thy name that stirreth up himself to take hold of thee or else it may arise from the Spirits standing at Sam. 1. 16. a distance from the Soul it may be O soul that thou hast set the Comforter the Spirit a mourning and therefore it is that he refuses to comfort thee and to be a sealing and witnessing spirit unto thee Thou hast grieved him with thy sins and he will now vex thee by his silence thou hast thrown his Cordials against the Psal 77. 2. wall thou hast trampled his Manna under thy feet and therefore it is that he
hath vailed his face and changed Gen. 31. 5. his countenance and carriage towards thee thou hast been unkinde to the Spirit and therefore he carries it towards thee as an enemy and not as a friend The second Caution is this That Caut. 2. The longer mercy is a coming the greater the sweeter and the better usually it is when it comeâ— Many a childe hath got a Benjamins portion a Hannahs portion a double potâ—ion by waiting so hath many a Saint got a worthy poâ—tion a double portion of comfort and assurance by waiting Ergo wait patiently and work heartily though God doth in this Ordinance withhold comfort and assurance from thee yet thou must hold on in thy duty thou must wait at Hopes hospital at this heavenly Pool thou must lie till the Angel of the Covenant the Lord Jesus comes and breaths upon thee at theâ—e waters of the Sanctuary thou must lie till the Spirit moves upon thy soul thou must not neglect thy work though God delayes thy comfort thou must be as obedient in the want of assurance as thou art thankful under the enjoyment of assurance Laban often changed Jacobs wages yet Jacob never changed nor neglected his work though God should change thy wages thy comforts into discomforts thy Spring into an Autumn c. yet thou must never change nor neglect thy work which is obeying believing and waiting till God in his Ordinances shall lift up the light of his countenance upon thee and turn thy night into day and thy mourning into rejoycing God is the same and the commands of the Gospel are the same and therefore thy work is the same whether it be night or day with thy soul whether thou art under frowns or smiles in the Arms or at the Feet of God A third Caution is this Many of Caut. 3. the precious Sons and Daughters of Sion have had and may have so much comfort and sweetness so much life and heat so much reviving and quickning so much marrow and fatness in this Ordinance as may clearly evidence the special presence of God with their spirits and as they would not exchange for all the world and yet would give a world were it in their power for those strong comforts and full assurance that others enjoy in this Ordinance In this Ordinance King Cyrus gave a kiss to Chrysaâ—tes and a golden cup to Artabazus Christ looks upon one and kisses another he gives a nod to one and his hand to another Some in this Ordinance shall have but sips of mercy others shall have large draughts of mercy some in this Ordinance shall see but the back parts of Christ others shall see him face to face to one he gives silver to another he gives gold to one he gives but a glass of Cant 2. 5. consolation to another he gives flaggons of consolation some shall have The least star gives light the least drop moystens the least pearl sparkles and the least dram of special Grace saves but drops others shall swim in the Ocean some shall have a large harvest others shall have but a few gleanings and yet they if rightly valued are more worth then a world The Sun of Righteousness is a free Agent and he will work and shine forth as he pleases and when he pleases and on whom he pleases and who art thou that darest say to Christ why doest thou so Ah Christians you may not you must not say we have not met with Christ in the Sacrament because we have not met with joy and assurance in the Sacrament for you may enjoy very much of Christ in that Ordinance and yet not so much as may boyl up to full assurance and make you go a way singing My beloved is Cant. â— 16. mine and I am his We may enjoy the warmth and heat of the Sun when we cannot see the Sun so souls may enjoy much of Christ by holy influences in the Sacrament when they cannot see Christ in the Sacrament Seventhly Times of personal afflictions are times wherein the Lord is graciously pleased to vouchsafe to his people sweet manifestations of his love and favor when his hand is heavy on them then he lifts up the light of his countenance upon them Psal 71. 20 21. Thou which hast shewed me great and sore troubles shalt quicken me again and shalt bring me up again from the depths of the Earth Thou shalt increase my greatnessâ— and comfort me on every side So in that Psal 94. 19. In the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 multitude of my careful troubled thoughts My cogitations i. e. My careful troubled thoughts perplexed as the branches of a tree by a strong wind It comes from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Branch by interposing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thy comforts delight my soul Ah Christians hath not God by all afflictions lifted up your souls neerer Heaven as Noahs Ark was lifted up neerer and neerer Heaven by the rising of the water higher and higher The Ball in the Emblem says percussa surgo The harder you beat me down in affliction the higher I shall bound in affection towards Heaven and heavenly things so afflictions do but elevate and raise a Saints affections to Heaven and heavenly things When Munster lay sick and his friends asked him how he did and how he felt himself he pointed to his sores and ulcers whereof he was full and said These are Gods gems and Qui non est crucianus non est Christianus saith Luther The Proverb is Smart makes wit and vexation gives understanding jewels wherewith he decketh his best friends and to me they are more precious then all the gold and silver in the world Afflictiones benedictiones Afflictions are blessings Gods corrections are our instructions his lashes our lessons his scourges our school-masters his chastisements our advertisements and to note this the Hebrews and Greeks both do express chastning and teaching by one and the same word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Musar â—aideia because the latter is the true end of the former Ah I bless God I know several precious souls of whom this world is not worthy that have found more of God in afflictions then in any other gracious dispensation Manasses got more by his Iron chain then ever he got by his Golden Crown 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Oculos quos peccatum claudit poena apcrit Pâ—r issem nisi perâ—issem I had perished if I had not perished you afflicted Sons and Daughters of Zion have you not had such sweet discoveries of God such sensible demonstrations of his love such bowels of affections working in him towards you have you not had such gracious visits and such glorious visions that you would not exchange for all the world yes Have you not had the precious presence of God with you quieting and stilling your souls supporting and upholding your souls chearing and refreshing your souls yes And have you not had the Lord
applying precious promises and suitable remedies to all your maladies Have you not found God a bringing in unexpected mercy in the day of your adversity suitable to that promise Hosea 2. 14. I will allure her and bring her into the wilderness and speak comfortably to her or I will earnestly speak to her heart as the Hebrew reads it yes Have you not found that God hath so sweetned and sanctified afflictions to you as to make them a means to discover many sins that lay hid and to purge you from many sins that cleaved close unto you and to prevent you from falling into many sins that would have been the breaking of your bones and the loss of your comfort yes Have you not found that you have Musk saith one when it hath lost its sweetness if it be put into the sink amongst filth it recovers it so doth afflictions recover and revive decayed graces been like the Walnut tree the better for beating and like the Vine the better for bleeding and like the ingenious childe the better for whiping yes Have you not found afflictions to revive quicken and recover your decayed graces have they not inflamed that love that hath been cold and put life into that Faith that hath been dying and quickned those hopes that have been withering and put spirits into those joyes and comforts that have been languishing yes O then stand up and declare to all the world That times of affliction have been the times wherein you have seen the face of God and heard the voice of God and sucked sweetness from the brests of God and fed upon the delicates of God and drunk deep of the consolations of God and have been most satisfied and delighted with the presence and in-comes of God When Hezekiah in his great affliction lamentingly said I shall go mourning Isai 38. 9. to 21. to my grave I shall not see the Lord in the Land of the living he will cut me off with pining sickness he will break all my bones Like a Crane or a Swallow so did I chatter I did mourn as a Dove mine eyes fail with looking upward O Lord I am oppressed undertake for me So now God comes in a way of mercy to him and prints his love upon his heart Vers 17. Thou hast in love to my soul delivered it from the pit of corruption or rather as the Hebrew reads 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it Thou hast loved my soul from the grave for thou hast cast all my sins behinde thy back Ah says Hezekiah I have now found that in my afflictions thy affections have been most strongly carried towards me as towards one whom thou art exceedingly taken with O now thou hast warmed me with thy love and visited me with thy grace thou hast made my darkness to be light and turned my sighing into singing and my mourning into rejoycing So when Habakkuks belly trembled Hab 3. 16 17 18. and his lips quivered and rottenness entered into his bones and all Creature comforts failed yet then had he such a sweet presence of God with his Spirit as makes him to rejoyce in the midst of sorrows Yet says he I will rejoyce in the Lord I will joy in the God of my salvation And thus you see it clear That in times of affliction God makes sweet manifestations of his love and favor to his Childrens souls Eighthly Praying times are times wherein the Lord is graciously pleased to give his people some sweet and comfortable assurance of his love and favor towards them Prayer crowns Nunquam abs te absque te recedo Bern. ep 116. O Lord saith he I never go away from thee without thee He was a man very much in prayer as some Writers observe God with the honor and glory that is due to his Name and God crowns prayer with assurance and comfort usually the most praying souls are the most assured souls There is no service wherein souls have such a neer familiar and friendly entercourse with God as in this of prayer neither is there any service wherein God doth more delight to make known his grace and goodness his mercy and bounty his beauty and glory to poor souls then this of prayer The best and sweetest flowers of paradise God gives to his people when they are upon their knees Prayer is Porta coeli clavis padisi the Gate of Heaven a Key to let us into paradise when John was weeping in prayer doubtless the Sealed Book was open to him Many Christians have found by experience praying times to be sealing times times wherein God hath sealed up to them the remission of their sins and the salvation of their souls They have found prayer to be a shelter to their souls a sacrifice to God a sweet savor to Christ a scourge to Satan and an in-let to assurance God loves to lade the wings of prayer with the choicest and chiefest blessings Ah! how often Christians hath God kist you at the beginning of prayer and spoke peace to you in the midst of prayer and filled you with joy and assurance upon the close of prayer That nineth of Daniel from the seventeenth to the four and twentieth verse is full to the point in hand I shall onely cite the words of the four last Verses And whilest I was speaking and praying Dan. 9. 20. and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel and presenting my supplication before the Lord my God for the Holy Mountain of my God Yea whilest I was speaking in prayer even the man Gabriel whom I had seen in the vision at the begining 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 With weariness or flight tired as it were with his making speed being caused to flie swiftly touched me about the time of the Evening Oblation And he informed me and talked with me and said O Daniel I am now come forth to give thee skill and understanding At the beginning of thy supplications the commandment came forth and I am come to shew thee for thou art greatly beloved therefore understand the Matter and consider the Vision In these words you see whilest Daniel was in prayer the Lord appears to him and gives him a Divine touch and tells him That he is a man greatly beloved or as the Hebrew hath it a man of desires So 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chamudoth a man of desires that is one singularly beloved of God one that is very pleasing and delightful to God Act 10. 1 2 3 4. There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius a Centurion of the Band called the Italian Band a devout man and one that feared God with all his house which gave much alms to the people and prayed to God alway He saw in a vision evidently about the ninth hour of the day an Angel of God coming in to him and saying unto him Cornelius And when he looked on him he was afraid and said What is it Lord And he said unto him Thy
perfect in weakness which filled his heart with joy and gladness The hidden Manna the New name and the Revel 2. 17. White stone is given to the conqueror to him that hath fought with principalities Ephes 6. 12. and powers and spiritual wickedness in high places and is come off with his garments dipt in blood After the Roman Generals had gotten victory over their enemies the Senate did use not one way but many ways to express their loves to them So after our Faith hath gotten victory over Satan God usually takes the soul in his arms and courts it and shews much kindness to it Now the soul shall be carried in triumph now the Chariot of state attends the soul now White Revel 3. 5. 7. 9. rayment is put upon the soul now Palms are put into the Conquerors hands now the Garland is set upon the Conquerors head and now a Royal feast is provided where God will set the Conqueror at the upper end of the Table and speak kindly and carry it sweetly towards him as one much affected and taken with his victory over the Prince of darkness Conflicts with Satan are usually the As many have found by experience sharpest and the hottest they spend and waste most the vital and noble spirits of the Saints and therefore the Lord after such conflicts doth ordinarily give his people his choicest and his strongest Cordials And thus by Divine assistance we have shewed you the special times and seasons wherein the Lord is graciously pleased to give his people some tastes of his love some sweet assurance that they are his favorites that all is well and shall be for ever well between him and them and that though many things may trouble them yet nothing shall separate them from their God their Christ their Crown CHAP. III. Containing the several Hinderances and Impediments that keep poor souls from Assurance with the Means and Helps to remove those Impediments and Hinderances NOw the first impediment 1. Impediment and hinderance to Assurance that we shall instance in is Despairing thoughts of mercy O these imprison the Soul and make it always dark night with the Soul these shut the windows of the Soul that no light can come in to cheer it Despairing There is a threefold Despair 1. Worldly 2. Moral 3. Spiritual And this last is the worst and greatest thoughts make a man fight against God with his own weapons they make a man cast all the Cordials of the Spirit against the wall as things of no value they make a man suck poyson out of the sweetest promises they make a man eminent in nothing unless it be in having hard thoughts of God and in arguing against his own Soul and happiness and in turning his greatest advantages into disadvantages his greatest helps into his greatest hinderances Despairing It makes a man call good evil and evil good light darkness and darkness light sweet bitter and bitter sweet a Saviour a destroyer a Redeemer a revenger c. thoughts of mercy make a man a beast yea below the beast that perisheth Pliny speaks of the Scorpion that there is not one minute wherein it doth not put forth the sting as being unwilling to lose any opportunity of doing mischief Such Scorpions are despairing souls they are still a putting out their sting a rangling with God or Christ or the Scripture or the Saints or Ordinances or their own Souls A despairing soul is Magor Missabib a terror to himself it cannot rest but like Noahs Ark is always tost here and there it is troubled on every side it is full of fears and fightings A despairing soul is a burden to others but the greatest burden to it self it is still a vexing terrifying tormenting condemning and perplexing it self Despair makes every sweet A despairing soul is like the spider that draws poyson out of the sweetest flowers bitter and every bitter exceeding bitter it puts Gall and Wormwood into the sweetest Wine and it puts a sting a cross into every cross Now whilest the soul is under these despairing thoughts of mercy how is it possible that it should attain to a well-grounded assurance therefore for the helping of the soul out of this despairing condition give me leave a little to expostulate with despairing souls Tell me O despairing souls is not despair an exceeding vile and contemptible sin is it not a dishonor to God a reproach to Christ and a murderer of souls is it not a belying of God a denying of Christ and a crowning of Satan it doth without doubt proclaim the Devil a Conqueror and lifts him up above Christ himself Despair is an evil that flows Despair is Satans master-piece it carries men he adlong to hell it makes a man twice told a childe of hell it is a Viper that hath stinged many a man to death from the greatest evil in the world it flows from unbelief from ignorance and mis-apprehensions of God and his Grace and from mistakes of Scripture and from Satan who being for ever cast out of paradise labors with all his art and might to work poor souls to despair of ever entring into paradise O despairing souls let the greatness of this sin effectually awaken you and provoke you to labor as for life to come out of this condition which is as sinful as it is doleful and as much to be hated as to be lamented Again tell me O despairing souls Acts 2. Plus peccavit Judas desperando quà m prodendo Christum saith one hath not despairing Judas perished when as the murderers of Christ believing on him were saved Did not Judas sin more hainously by despairing then by betraying of Christ Despairing Spira is damned when repentting Manasseh is saved O despairing souls the arms of mercy are open to receive a Manasseh a Monster a Devil incarnate he caused that Gospel Prophet Isaiah to be sawed in the midst with a Saw as some Rabbins say he turned aside from the Lord to commit 2 Chro 33. 1 to 15. Idolatry and caused his sons to pass thorow the fire and dealt with familiar spirits and made the streets of Jerusalem to overflow with innocent blood The soul of Mary Magdalen Mark 6. 9. was full of Devils and yet Christ casts them out and made her heart his house his presence Chamber why dost thou then say there is no hope for thee O despairing soul Paul was full Acts 1. 1 2. 26. 11. of rage and malice against Christ his people and ways and he was full of blasphemy and impiety and yet behold Paul is a chosen Vessel Paul is 1 Tim. 1. 13 15 16. caught up into the third Heaven and he is filled with the gifts and graces of the Holy Ghost Why shouldst thou then say there is for thee no help O despairing soul Though the Prodigal Luke 15. 13 14. had run from his Father and spent and wasted all his estate in ways
cast water upon those Divine Motions that hath been 1 Thes 2. 18. kindled in you have you not often â—ound him a Lion and a Serpent a tempter and a deceiver a lyer and a murderer Yes O then never gratifie him any longer by living without assurance He that lives without assurance lives without a comfortable fruition of God and so gratifies Satan He that lives without assurance lives upon some Creature-enjoyment more then upon God and so gratifies Satan He that lives without assurance lives not like the beloved of God and so gratifies Satan He that lives without assurance is very apt to gratifie Satan sometimes by complying with him sometimes by following after him and sometimes by acting his part for him c. Verily Christians there is no way effectually to prevent this sore evil but by getting a wel-grounded assurance of your Everlasting Happiness and Blessedness Assurance will make a man stand upon terms of defiance with Satan it will make the soul constant in resisting and happy in over-coming the evil one And assured soul will fight it out to the death with Satan an assured soul will not flie like a coward but will stand and triumph like a David And as you gratifie Satan by living without Assurance so you wrong your own souls by living without assurance Rapit animam suaâ— He plundreth his own soul 1 In the point of comfort and joy you wrong your own souls 2 In the point of peace and content you wrong your own souls 3 In the point of boldness and confidence you wrong your own souls A man that lives without assurance lies his precious soul open to many blows and knocks to many frowns and wounds from God from the world from carnall friends from hypocrites and from Satan Therefore as you would not Christians gratify Satan and wrong your own soules and exercise over your selves spirituall cruelty and tyranny which is the very worst of all cruelty and tyranny give God no rest till hee hath made known to you the sweetnesse of his love and the secrets of his bosome till he hath gathered you up into himself till he hath set you as a seal upon Câ—nt 8. 6. his heart as a seal upon his arm The tenth Motive to provoke you Motive 10. to get a wel-grounded assurance is this consider the sweet profit and glorious advantage that will redown to you by gaining assurance and if the gain that will certainly redown to you by assurance will not provoke you to get assurance I know not what will First It will bring down Heaven into your bosomes it will give you a Heb. 11. 1 possession of Heaven on this side heaven an assured soul lives in Paradise and walks in Paradise and works in Paradise and eats in Paradise and rests in Paradise hee hath Heaven within him and Heaven about him and Heaven over him all his language is Heaven heaven Glory glory Secondly Assurance will exceedingly sweeten all the changes of this life this life is full of changes Assurance will sweeten sickness and health weakness 2 Cor. 4. 16 17 18. and strength wants and abundance disgrace and honour c. while a man lives in the sense of unchangeable loves no outward changes can make any considerable change in his spirit Let times change let men change leâ— powers change let Nations change yet a man under the power of assurance will not change his countenance nor change his Master nor change his work nor change his hopes though others under changes turn like the Camelion into all colours Souls that want assurance are like him in Aesop that blew hot and cold with the same breath The wind is not more subject to change and shift from one quarter to another from one corner to another then they are subject to change and shift in changing times to save their little all yet the assured soul under all changes is semper idem always the same Antistines a Philosopher to make his life happy desired onely that he might have the spirit of Socrates who was always in a quiet temper of spirit what ever wrongs injuries crosses losses c. befel him Let the trials be what they would that did attend him yet he continued one and the same Ah Christians the want of assurance hath made many changlings in these days but if ever you would be like Socrates if ever you would be like the Philosophers good man that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tetragonos Four-square that cast him where you will like a Dy he falls always sure and square then get assurance of Everlasting Happiness Assurance will make your souls like the Laws of the Medes and Persians that alters not it will sweeten the darkest day and the longest night under variety of changes it will Hab. 3. 17 8 19. make a man sit down with Habakkuk and rejoyce in the Lord and joy in the God of his Salvation Thirdly Assurance will keep the heart from an inordinate running out after the World and the glory thereof Moses having an assurance of the recompence of a reward and Heb 11. 24 25 26 27. of his love and favor that is invisible could not be drawn by all the honors pleasures and treasures of Egypt He slights all and tramples upon all the glory of the world as men trample upon things of no worth So after Paul had been in the 2 Cor. 12. 1 2 3. Rom. 8. Third Heaven and had assurance that no thing should separate him from the love of God in Christ he looks upon the world as a crucified thing The world is crucified to me saith Gal. 6. 14. he and I am crucified unto the world The world is dead to me and I am dead to it the world and I am well agreed the world cares not a pin for me and I care not a pin for the world The Loadstone cannot draw the Iron So when God gave Golâ—acius that Italian Maâ—quess an assurance of everlasting happiness he withstood many golden temptations and cryed out Cursed be he that prefers all the glory of the world to one days communion with Christ c. when the Diamond is in presence no more cannot the vanities of this world draw the soul after them when Assurance that choice Pearl of price is in presence I have read of Lazarus that after he was raised from the Grave he was never seen to smile the assurance that he had of more glorious things did deaden his heart to the things of this world he saw nothing in them worthy of a smile Ah were there more assurance among Christians there would not be such tugging for the world and such greedy hunting and pursuing after it as is in these days to the dishonor of God the reproach of Christ and the shame of the Gospel Justice would not be sold and bought as it is in these days were there more assurance in the world Get but more
Rom. 8. John 14. he is the great Comforter and the onely Sealer up of souls to the day of Redemption If you set him a mourning Eph. 1. 13. by your wilful sinnings that alone can glad you by whom will you be gladed Verily Christians when you turn your back upon the Spirit he will not turn his face upon your souls your vexing of the Spirit will Isai 63. 10. be but the disquieting of your selves Look as all lights cannot make up the want of the light of the Sun so all Creatures cannot make up the want of the testimony of the Spirit Let me speak to you as God once spake to his people in that of Exod. 23. 20 21 This Angel is the Lord Jesus as Expositors do generally agree 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 22 23. Behold sayes God I send an Angel before thee to keep thee in thy way and to bring thee into the place which I have prepared Beware of him and obey his voice provoke him not for he will Malachi which Hebrew word is here rendered Angel is by transposition of letters Michael as some of the Rabbins have observed not pardon your transgressions for my name is in him â— So I say Behold the Spirit of the Lord that is your guide and guard he also is onely able to make a soul satisfying report of the love and favor of the Father to you therefore as ever you would have assurance beware of him and obey his voice provoke him not for if you do by wilful transgressions he will neither comfort you nor counsel you he will neither be a sealing nor a witnessing spirit unto you nay he will raise storms and tempests in your souls he will present to you the Father frowning and your Saviour bleeding and himself as grieving and these sights will certainly rack and torture your doubting souls The Spirit of the Lord is a delicate thing a holy thing a blessed guest that makes every soul happy where he lodges Therefore Epâ—es 4. 30. This phrase is Tropically to be understood The Greek cannot be fully exprest in our tongue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. The Spirit the holy of that God To shew the transcendent excellency and glory of the Holy Spirit grieve not the holy Spirit of God whereby ye are sealed unto the day of Redemption You will not grieve your guests your friends but courteously and friendly entertain them Why then do you make so little conscience of grieving that holy Spirit that alone can stamp the Image of the Father upon you and seal you up to life and glory Ah Christians the way to assurance is Not to sit down sighing and complaining of the want of assurance but it lies in your eying of the Spirit in your complying with the Spirit in your cleaving to the Spirit in your following of the Spirit in your welcoming of the Spirit and in your honoring and obeying of the Spirit As he said of the sword of Galiah none like to that So I say no mans like to this to gain a wel-grounded Assurance of a mans Happiness and Blessedness And as he said If there be any way to Heaven on horse-back it is by Prayer So I say If there be any way in the world to assurance it is by being fearful to offend and careful to please the Spirit of the Lord whose office it is to witness to poor souls the remission of their sins and the salvation of their souls Fourthly If you would obtain Assurance Means 4. then be sincere be diligent and constant in assuring Ordinances He that will meet the King must wait Isai 64. 5. Revel 2. 1. on him in his walks Christs Ordinances are Christs walks and he that would see the beauty of Christ and taste of the sweetness of Christ and be ravished with the love of Christ must wait at Wisdoms door they Prov. 8. 34 35. must attend Christ in his own appointments and institutions that comfort and assurance that flowes not in thorow the Golden Pipes of the Sanctuary Hos 6. 4. 1 Pet. 1. 24. will not better the soul nor long abide with the soul it will be as the morning dew and as the flower of the field that soon fadeth away I have in the former Discourse shewed at large How the Lord is graciously pleased to cause his love and glory to beam forth upon souls in Ordinances and therefore I shall say no more unto this particular at this time The fifth Means to obtain Assurance Means 5. is wisely and seriously to observe What gift of God there is in thee that brings thee within the compass of the promises of eternal mercy Now let the gift be this or that if it be a gift that brings thee within the compass of the promise of Eternal Mercy that gift is an infallible evidence of thy Salvation For the better and further opening of this Truth premise with me these two things First No man can have any sure evidence to himself of his Happiness and Blessedness from absolute promises Absolute promises do not describe to whom Salvation and all Eternal Isai 42. 6. 49. 8. Joel 2. 28. Ezek. 36. 26 27. Jere. 32. 40. Heb. 8 10 11 12. Isai 23. 25. Blessings do belong the promise of giving Christ of giving the Spirit of giving a new heart and of pardoning and blotting out sin are all absolute promises Now God is free to make good these to whom he pleases therefore he often steps over the rich and chuses the poor the learned and chuses the ignorant the 1 Cor. 1. 25 26 27 28 29. strong and chuses the weak the noble and chuses the ignoble the sweet nature and chuses the rugged nature c. That no flesh may glory and that all may shout out Grace Grace Secondly Though no man can have any sure evidence of his Happiness and Blessedness from absolute promises because absolute promises do not describe the persons to whom Salvation and all Eternal Blessings do belong yet absolute promises are of most choice and singular use First In that they discover to us that our Salvation is onely from Free-grace and not from any thing in us or done by us Secondly They are a most sure and glorious foundation for the very worst of sinners to stay their filthy guilty wearied burdened perplexed souls upon seeing that God looks not for any peny or peniworth for Isai 55. 1 2. any portion or proportion in the Creature to draw his love but he will justifie pardon and save for his Name sake seeing all the Motives that moves God to shew mercy are in his Deut. 7. 7 8. Psal 68. 18 own bosom seeing they are all within doors there is no reason why the vilest of sinners should sit down and say There is no hope there is no help Thirdly Absolute promises may and doubtless often are choice Cordials to many precious souls who happily have lost the
is true even in his Son Jesus Christ this is the true God and eternal life 2 Pet. 1. 3. According as his Divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and vertue What this Knowledge is that accompanies Salvation I shall shew you anon Secondly Faith is another of those special things that accompanies Salvation 1 Thes 2. 13. But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you Brethren Beloved of the Lord because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation thorow sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the Truth 1 Pet. 1. 5. You Vide Parcus Esteum Gerhardum on the Text. who are kept by the power of God through Faith unto Salvation Vers 9. Receiving the end of your Faith even the salvation of your souls Heb. 10. 30. But we are not of them who draw back to perdition but of them that believe to the saving of the soul John 3 14 15 16. Mark 16. 16. Acts 16. 31. Rom. 10. 9. Isa 45. 22. Phil. 2. 8. Joh 11. 25 26. 1 John 5. 10. All â—hese and many more Scriptures speaks out the same truth This dâ—uble asseveration or protestation is used onely in matters of weâ—ght and unhappy are we â—hat we cannot believe without them And as Moses lifted up the Serpent in the Wilderness even so must the Son of Man be lifted up that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have eternal life for God so loved the world that he gave his onely begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life Vers 36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life Chap. 5. 24. Verily verily I say unto you he that heareth my Word and believeth on him that sent me hath everlasting life and shall not come into condemnation but is passed from death unto life Chap. 6. 40. And this is the will of him that sent me that every one that seeth he Son and believeth on him may have everlasting life and I will raise him up at the last day Vers 47. Verily verily I say unto you he that believeth on me hath everlasting life Thirdly Repentance is another of those choice things that accompanies salvation 2 Cor. 7. 10. For godly sorrow The very word repâ—nt was very displeasing to Luther till his conversion but afterward he took delight in the work Paehitens de peccato dolet de dolore gaudet Luth to sorrow for his sin and then rejoyce in his sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of but the sorrow of the world worketh death Jere. 4. 14. O Jerusalem wash thy heart from wickedness that thou mayest be saved Acts 11. 18. When they heard these things they held their peace and glorified God saying Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life Matth. 18. 3. And Jesus said verily I say unto you except ye be converted and become as little children ye shall not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven Acts 3. 19. Repent ye therefore and be converted that your sins may be blotted out when the time of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord. Fourthly Obedience is another of those precious things that accompanies salvation Heb. 5. 9. And being Vide B. Dewâ—h of Justification 17. c. 7. made perfect speaking of Christ he became the Author of Eternal Salvation unto all them that obey him Psal 50. 23. whoso offereth praise glorifieth me and to him that ordereth his conversation aright will I declare the Salvation of God Fifthly Love is another of those singular things that accompanies salvation Deus nihil corenat nisi dona sui August When God câ—ownâ—th us he doth but crown hâ—s own gifts in us 2 Tim. 4. 8. Henceforth there is laid up for me a Crown of Righteousness which the Lord the righteous Judge shall give me at that day and not to me onely but unto them also that love his appearing James 2. 5. Hearken my beloved brethren haâ—h not God chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the Kingdome which he hath promised to them that love him 1 Cor. 2. 9. It is written eie hath not seen nor eare heard neither hath it entred into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them that love him James 1. 12. Blessed is the man that indureth temptation for when The word Crown notes to us the perpetuity of that life the Apostle speaks of for a Crown hath neither beginning nor ending 2. It notes plenty the Crown fetches a compasse on every side 3. It notes dignity it notes majesty Eternal life is a coronation day It notes all joys all delights in a word it notes all good it notes all glory he is tryed he shall receive the crown of life which the Lord hath promised to them that love him Matth. 19. 28 29. And Jesus said unto them verily I say unto you that yee which have followed me in the regeneration When the Son of Man shall sit in the Throne of his glory yee shall sit upon twelve Thrones judging the twelve Tribes of Israel And every one that hath forsaken houses or Brethren or Sisters or Father or Mother or Wife or Children or Lands for my name sake shall receive an hundred fold and shall inherit everlasting life The whole is as if Christ had said whosoever shall shew love to mee this way or that in one thing or another out of respect to my Name to my Honor mercy shall bee his portion here and glory shall bee his portion hereafter Sixthly Prayer is another of those sweet things that accompanies salvation Rom. 10. 10. 13. For with the heart man beleeveth unto righteousnesse and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation For whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved Act. 2. 21. And it shall come to passe that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved That is saith one hee shall be certainly sealed up to salvation Or as another saith he that hath this grace of Prayer it is an evident sign and assurance to him that he shall be saved Therefore to have grace to pray is a better and a greater mercy then to have gifts to prophesie Matth. 7. 22. Praying souls shall finde the gates of heaven open to them when prophecying souls shall find them shut against them Seventhly and lastly Perseverance is another of those prime things that accompanies salvation Matth. 10. 22. And yee shall be hated of all men for my name sake but he that indureth to the end the same shall be saved Chap. 24. 12 13. And because iniquity shal abound the love The same words you have in Mark 13. 13. of many shal wax cold but he that indureth unto the end the same shal be saved Rev. 2. 10. Fear none of
that way Faith doth not chuse its object Faith knows that he is powerful and faithful that hath promised and therefore Faith closes with one object as well as another So a true obedient soul singles not out the commands of God as to obey one and rebel against another it dares not it cannot say I will serve God in this command but not in that No In an Evangelical sense it obeyes all Luk. 1. 5 6. Zacharias and Elizabeth were both righteous before God walking in all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Without complaint An obedient soul is like a chrystal glass with a light in the midst which shines forth thorow every part thereof So that Royal Law that is written upon his heaâ—t shines forth into every parcel of his life his outward works do eccho to a Law within the Commandments and Ordinances of the Lord blameless They walked not onely in Commandments but also in Ordinances nor onely in Ordinances but also in Commandments They were good souls and good at both A man sincerely obedient layes such a charge upon his whole man as Mary the Mother of Christ did upon all the servants at the Feast John 2. 5. Whatever the Lord saith unto you do it Eyes ears hands heart lips legs body and soul do you all seriously and affectionately observe what ever Jesus Christ sayes unto you and do it So David doth Psal 119. 34 69. Give me understanding and I shall keep thy Law yea I shall observe it with my whole heart The proud have forged a lie against me but I will keep thy Precepts with my whole heart The whole heart includes all the faculties of the soul and all the members of the body sayes David I will put hand and heart body and soul all within me and all without me to the keeping and observing of thy Precepts Here is a soul thorow-paced in his obedience he stands not halting nor halving of it he knows the Lord loves to be served truly and totally and therefore he obeys with an entire heart and a sincere spirit I have read of a very strange speech that dropped out of the mouth of Epictetus a Heathen If it be thy will sayes he O Lord command me what thou wilt send me whither thou wilt I will not withdraw my self from any thing that seems good to thee Ah how will this Heathen at last rise in judgement against all Sauls Jehues Judases Demases Scribes Pharisees Temporaries who are partial in their obedience who while they yeeld obedience to some commands live in the habitual breach of other commands Verily he that lives in the habitual breach of one command shall at last be reputed by God guilty of the breach Jam. 2. 10. of every command and God accordingly will in a way of Justice proceed against him Ezek. 18. 10 11 12 13. It was the glory of Caleb and Joshua Num. 14. 24. that they followed the Lord fully in one thing as well as another So Cornelius Acts 10. 33. We are present before God to hear whatsoever shall be commanded us of God He doth not pick and chuse So in Acts 13. 22. I have found David the son of Jesse a man after mine own heart which shall fulfil all my will or rather as it is in the Greek he shall fulfil all my 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wils He mindes not onely general duties of Religion but also particular duties as a Magistrate as a Minister as a Father as a Master as a Son as a Servant wills To note the universallity and sincerity of his Obedience A sincere heart loves all commands of God and prizes all commands of God and sees a Divine Image stamped upon all the commands of God and therefore the main bent and disposition of his soul is to obey all to subject to all God commands universal obedience Josh 1. 8. Deut. 5. 29. Ezek. 18. The Promise of Reward is made over to Universal Obedience Psal 19. 11. Josh 1. 8. Universal Obedience is a Jewel that all will wish for or rejoyce in at the day of death and the day of account And the remembrance of these things with others of the like nature provokes all upright souls to be impartial to be universal in their Obedience Thirdly That Obedience that accompanies Salvation springs from inward Spiritual causes and from holy and heavenly Motives it flowes from Faith Hence it is called The obedience of Faith Rom. 16. 26. So in 1 Tim. 1. 5. Now the end of the Commandment is Love out of a pure Heart and of a good Conscience and of Faith unfeigned Faith draws down that Divine Vertue and Power into the soul that makes it lively and active abundant and constant in the work and way of the Lord. And Where Love is the Soul says of every command Bonus Sermo it is a good saying but where Love is wanting the man cryes out Durus Sermo It is a hard saying who can bear it as Faith so Love puts the Soul forward in ways of Obedience John 14. 21 23. If any man love me he will keep my Commandments So Psal 119. 48. My hands also will I lift up to thy Commandments which I have loved Divine Love is said to be the keeping of the Commandments because it puts the Soul upon keeping them Divine Love makes every weight light every yoke easie every command joyous it knows no difficulties it facilitates obedience it divinely constrains the soul to obey to walk to run the ways of Gods commands And as sound Obedience springs from Faith and Love so it flows from a filial Fear of God Psal 118. 119. Mine heart stands in aw of thy Word So Heb. 11. 7. Noah being warned of God touching things not seen as yet moved with fear prepared an Ark. Ah but Hypocrites and Temporaries are not carried forth in their Obedience from such precious and glorious principles and therefore it is that God casts all their services as dung in Isa 1. 11. their faces And as that Obedience which accompanies Salvation flows from inward Spiritual Principles so it flows from holy and heavenly Motives as from the tastes of Divine Love and the sweetness and excellency of communion with God and the choice and precious discoveries that the soul in wayes of Obedience hath Isa 64. 5. had of the beauty and glory of God The sweet looks the heavenly words the glorious kisses the holy embraces that the obedient soul hath had makes it freely and fully obedient to the Word and Will of God Ah! but all the Motives that move Hypocrites and carnal Professors to Obedience are onely external and carnal as the eye of Matth. 6. the Creature the ear of the Creature the applause of the Creature the rewards of the Creature either the love of the loaves or the gain of John 6. custom or the desire of ambition sometimes they are moved to obedience from the fear of the Creature and sometimes from the
want of the Hos 7. 14. Creature and sometimes from the example of the Creature and sometimes from vows made to the Creature sometimes the frowns of God Hos 5. ult Psal 78. 34. the displeasure of God the rod of God moves them to obedience sometimes the quieting and stilling of Conscience the stopping of the mouth of Conscience and the disarming of Conscience of all her whipping racking wounding condemning terrifying and torturing power puts them upon some ways of Obedience Their Obedience always flows from some low base carnal corrupt consideration or other O but that Obedience that accompanies Salvation doth always flow as you see from inward and Spiritual causes and from holy and heavenly Motives Fourthly That Obedience that accompanies Salvation is a ready free willing and chearful Obedience First It is ready Obedience Psal 27. 8. When thou saidst Seek ye my face my heart said unto thee Thy face Lord will I seek Psal 119. 60. I made haste and delayed not to keep thy Commandments Psal 18. 44. Assoon as they hear of me they shall obey me the strangers shall submit themselves unto me I have read of one who Cassianus lib. 4. c. 24. readily fetched water near two miles every day for a whole year together to pour upon a dry stick upon the bare command of a Superior when no reason could be given for the thing O how ready then doth Grace make the Soul to obey those Divine commands that are backed with the highest strongest and choicest Arguments Secondly As that Obedience that accompanies Salvation is ready Obedience so it is free and willing Obedience Acts 21. 13. Then Paul answered Voluntaes semiplena est voluntas An half will an incompleat will an unwilling will is a will in Divine account What mean ye to weep and to break mine heart For I am willing not to be bound onely but also to die at Jerusalem for the Name of the Lord Jesus The beamings out of Divine love and glory make gracious souls willing in the day of his power Psal 110. 3. Those Divine principles that be in them make them willingly obey without coaction or compulsion So 2 Cor. 8. 3. The Macedonians were willingly obedient or as the Greek hath it They were voluntiers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not onely to their power but beyond their power All the motions and actings of Christ towards his people for his people and in his people are free He loves them freely he pardons them freely he intercedes for them freely he acts them freely and he saves them freely and so they move and act towards Christ freely they heat they pray they wait they weep they work they watch freely and willingly that Spirit of Grace and 1 Chron. 29. 6-18 1 Tim. 6. 18. 1 Thes 2. 8. A Saint at worst is obedient either Holiness that is in them makes them Voluntiers in all Religious duties and services It is reported of Socrates that when the Tyrant threatned death unto him he answered He was willing Voluntate plena or semi-plena with a will or an unwilling will like the Merchant that is unwillingly willing to throw his goods over board into the tempestuous Sea to save his life nay then says the Tyrant You shall live against your will he answered again Nay whatsoever you do with me it shall be my will Yet nature a little raised and refined will inable a man to do this will not Grace will not Union and Communion with Christ inable a man to do as much yea infinitly more Thirdly As that Obedience that accompanies Salvation is free and willing Obedience so it is cheerful and delightful Obedience it is a Believers meat and drink it is his joy and crown it is a pleasure a paradise to his soul to be still obeying his Fathers will to be still found about his Fathers business Psal 40. 8. I delight to do thy will O my God yea thy Law is in my heart As the Sun rejoyceth to Psal 19. 5 11. compared Tanto magis delectat opus bonum quanto magis diligitur Deus summum incommutabile bonum Aug. A good work so much the more delighteth by how much the more God the chiefest and unchangable Good is loved In hoc cognoscitur amor Christi si quis servat praecepta Christi Bern. run his race so do the Saints rejoyce to run the race of Obedience Gods work is wages yea it is better then wages therefore they cannot but delight in it not onely for keeping but also in keeping of his commands there is great reward Psal 112. 1. Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord that delighteth greatly in his Commandments that is in the studying and obeying of his Commandments Psal 119. 16. I will delight my self in thy Statutes I will not forget thy Word Vers 35. Make me to go in the path of thy Commandments for therein do I delight V. 47. And I will delight my self in thy Commandments which I have loved V. 143. Trouble and anguish have taken hold on me yet thy Commandments are my delight Divine commands are not grievous to a lover of Christ for nihil difficile amanti nothing is difficult to him that loveth The love of Christ the discoveries of Christ the embraces of Christ make a gracious soul studious and industrious to keep the Commandments of Christ in lip and life in word and work in head and heart in book and brest Thus you see that that Obedience that accompanies Salvation is Ready Free and Chearful Obedience Fifthly That Obedience that accompanies Salvation is Peremptory Obedience Josh 24. 15. I and my Josephus reports of such resolute Christians that in the face of al reproaches and difficulties followed Christ to the Cross houshold will serve the Lord. He is fully resolved upon it come what come can in the face of all dangers difficulties impediments and discouragements he will obey the Lord he will follow the Lord so those Worthies in the eleventh of the Hebrews of whom this world was not worthy obeyed Divine commands peremptorily resolvedly in the face of all manner of deaths and miseries So Paul was obedient to Acts 20. 23. Gal. 1. 15 16. You may as well stop the Sun from running his race as you are able to hinder gracious souls from obeying Divine commands Psal 44. 13. 24. As a wicked natuâ—e makes the wicked peremptory in their disobedience Jer. 44. 15 16 17. So the Divine nature makes gracious souls peremptory in their Obedience the heavenly vision though bonds did attend him in every place he is better at obeying then at disputing I conferred not sayes he with flesh and blood So Peter and John and the rest of the Apostles in despight of all threatnings and beatings they obey the Lord they keep fast and close to their Masters work Whether it be right in the fight of God to hearken more unto you then unto God judge ye for we cannot but
Come Lord Jesus come quickly Revel 22. 20. Cant. 8. ult 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Beâ—ahh dod Flee away speedily my beloved Make haste my beloved and be thou like to a Roe or to a yong Hart upon the Mountain of Spices I desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ which for me is best of all It is a mercy sayes Paul for Christ to be with me but it is a greater mercy for me to be with Christ I desire to die that I Austin longed to see that head that was crowned with thorns may see my Saviour I refuse to live that I may live with my Redeemer Love desires and endeavors for ever to be present to converse with to enjoy to be closely and eternally united to its object Christ The longing of the espoused Maid for the marriage day of the Traveller for his Inn of the Mariner for his Haven of the Captive for his Ransom c. Is not to be compared to the longings of the Lovers of Christ after a further and fuller enjoyment of Christ The Lovers of Christ do well God hath reserved the best Wine the best things till last know that till they are taken up into glory their chains will not fall off till then their glorious Robes shall not be put on till then all sorrow and tears shall not be wiped from their eyes till then their joy will not be full their Comforts pure their Peace lasting their Graces perfect and this makes them look and long after the enjoyment of the Person of Christ It was a notable saying of one Let all the Devils in Hell saith he beset me round let fasting macerat my body let sorrows oppress my minde let pains consume my flesh let watchings dry me or heat scorch me or cold freeze me Let all these and what can come more happen unto me so I may enjoy my Saviour Secondly Love to Christ shews it self by working the Soul to abase it self that Christ may be exalted to Revel 4. 10 11. Joh 3 26 to 31. Phil. 3. 7 8. throw down it self that Christ may be set up to lessen it self to greaten Christ to cloud it self that Christ aâ—one may shine Love cares not what it is nor what it doth so it may but advance the Lord Jesus Love makes the Soul willing to be a footstool for Christ to be any thing to be nothing that Christ may be all in all Thirdly That love that accompanies Salvation sometimes shews it self by working the Soul to be chearful and resolute to be patient and confident in sufferings for Christ 1 Cor. Acts 5. 16. 13. Love endureth all things Love will not complain Love will not say the burden is too great the Prison is too dark the Furnace is too hot the Chains are too heavy the Cup is too bitter c. A true lover of Christ can slight Acts 21. 13. his life out of love to Christ as that blessed Virgin in Basil who being condemned for Christianity to the fire and having her estate and life offered her if she would worship Idols cryed Let money perish and life vanish Christ is better then all So Alice Driver said I drove my Fathers Plough often yet I can die for Christ as soon as any of you all That Love that accompanies Salvation makes a Christian free and forward in suffering any thing that makes for the glory of Christ Fourthly That Love that accompanies Salvation shews it self by working the Soul to be pleased or displeased It is a saying in Natural Philosophy That it is Naturalissimum opus viventis generare sibi simile the most natural act or work of every living thing to produce another like unto it self Psâ—l 45. 7. 1â—9 104 113 128 163. as Christ is pleased or displeased A Soul that loves Christ hath his eye upon Christ and that which makes Christ frown makes him frown and what makes Christ smile makes him smile Love is impatient of any thing that may displease a beloved Christ Look what Harpalus once said Quod Regi placet mihi placet What pleaseth the King pleaseth me That sayes a true lover of Christ What pleaseth Christ that pleaseth me Holiness pleaseth Christ and holiness pleaseth me sayes a lover of Christ It pleaseth Christ to overcome evil with good to overcome Hatred with Love Enmity with Amity Pride with Humility Passion with Meekness c. And the same pleaseth me sayes a lover of Christ 1 John 4. 17. As he is so are we in this world Our love answers to Christs love and our hatred answers to Christs hatred he loves all Righteousness and hates all wickedness so do we say the Lovers of Christ Psal 119. 113 128 163. It is said of Constantines Children Eusebius in his Ecclesiastical History That they resembled their Father to the life that they put him wholly on The true Lovers of Christ resemble Christ to the life and they put him wholly on Hence it is That they are called Christs 1 Cor. 12. 12. Fifthly True love to Christ shews it self sometimes by working the Lovers of Christ to expose themselves to suffering to save Christ from suffering in his glory to adventure the loss of their own crowns to keep Christs Crown upon his head to adventure drowing to save Christs honor from sinking Thus did the Three Children Daniel Moses and other Worthies I Heb. 11. have read of a servant who dearly loved his Master and knowing that his Master was looked for by his enemies he put on his Masters Cloaths and was taken for his Master and suffered death for him Divine love will make a man do as much for Christ it will make a man hang for Christ and burn for Christ Revel 12. 11. They loved not their lives unto the death Christ and his Truth was dearer to them then their lives They slighted contemned yea despised their very lives when they stood in competition with Christ and his glory and chose rather to suffer the greatest misery then that Christ should lose the least dram of his glory Sixthly That Love that accompanies Salvation shews it self sometimes by working the lovers of Christ to be affected and afflicted with the dishonors that are done to Christ Psal 119. Mine eyes run down with Rivers Jere 9. 1 2. of tears because men keep not thy Law So Lots soul was vexed racked 2 Pet. 2. 7 8. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies two things 1. The search and examination of a thing 2. The racking and vexing a man upon the tryal and tortured with the filthy conversation of the wicked Sodomites The turning of his own flesh his Wife into a Pillar of Salt did not vex him but their sins did rack his righteous soul Psal 6â— â— The reproaches of them that reproached thee fell upon me A woman is most wounded in her Husband so is a Christian in his Christ Though Though King Craesus his son were dumb all his life time yet
times it was very much taken notice of by the very Heathen That in the depth of misery when Fathers and Mothers forsook their Children Christians otherwise strangers stuck close one to another their love of Religion and one of another proved firmer then that of nature They seem to take away the Sun out of the World said the Orator who take away friendship from the life of men And we do not more need fire and water then constant friendship Ninthly That Love that accompanies Salvation doth manifest and shew it self by working the Soul to be quiet and still under Christs rebukes John 21. 16 17 18 Peter sits down quiet under a threefold reproof Lord thou knowest all things thou knowest that I love thee So Eli It is 1 Sam. 3. 18. the Lord let him do what seems good in his own eyes And Aaron holds his peace Levit. 10. 3. when he saw the flames about his sons ears So David I was dumb I opened Psal 39. 9. not my mouth because thou didst it The lovers of Christ are like the Scythian that went naked in the Snow and when Alexander wondered how he could endure it he answered I am all forehead O the lovers of Christ are all forehead to bear the rebukes of the Lord Jesus The Lovers of Christ know That all his rebukes are from love whom he Revel 3. 19. loves he rebukes they can see smiles thorow Christs frowns They know that to argue that Christ hates them because he rebukes them is the Devils Logick They know that all the rebukes of Christ are in order to their internal and eternal good and that quiets them They know that all the rebukes of Christ are but fore-runners of some glorious manifestations of greater love to their souls Psal 71. 20 21. Thou which hast shewed me great and sore troubles shalt quicken me again and shalt bring me up again from the depths of the Earth Thou shalt increase my greatness and comfort me on every side They know that it is the forest judgment in the world to go on freely in a way of sin without rebukes Ebhraim is joyned to Idols let him alone Hos 4. 17. And therefore they keep silence before the Lord they lay one hand upon their mouthes and the other upon their hearts and so sit mute before the Holy One. Tenthly That Love that accompanies Salvation shews it self by working the heart to be affected and afflicted with the least dishonors that are done to Christ Love is curious of little things it is as much afflicted with an idle word or with an impure dream as lovers of Christ are with adultery or blasphemy David did but cut off the lap of Sauls Garment and his heart â—mote him 1 Sam. 24. 5. Though he did it to convince Saul of his false jealousie and his own innocency Love will not allow of the least infirmity Rom. 7. 15. That which I do I allow not Love will make a man aim at Angelical purity and perfect innocency love will be getting up to the top of Jacobs Ladder love can rest in nothing below perfection Love makes a man look more at what he should be then at what he is it makes a man strive as for life to imitate the highest examples and to write after the choicest copies Love fears The sin and the coat of the sin is to be hated saith Ambrose every Image of offence it trembles at the appearance of sin it doth not it cannot allow it self to do any thing that looks like sin it hates the Garment spotted with the flesh it shuns the occasions of sin as it shuns Hell it self This is the Divine curiosity and glory of a Christians love Love says Melius mori fame quam Idolothytis vesci Aug. Marcus Arethusius in Julians time It is better to die with hunger then to eat that which is offered to Idols I have read of a holy man who out of his love to Christ and hatred of Idolatry would not give one half-penny toward the building of an Idols Temple though he was provoked thereunto by intollerable torments Love The Nieene Fathers would not gratifie Arrius no not in one tittle knows that the least evils are contrary to the greatest good they are contrary to the Nature of Christ the Commands of Christ the Spirit of Christ the Grace of Christ the Glory of Christ the Blood of Christ Love knows that little dishonors if I may call any sin little make way for greater as little Theeves unlock the door and make way for greater Love knows that little sins multiplied become great As love knows that there is nothing lesser then a grain of Sand so love knows that there is nothing heavier then the Sand of the Sea when multiplied Eleventhly That love that accompanies Salvation will shew it self by keeping the doors of the heart shut against those treacherous lovers that would draw the heart from Christ Love is a Golden Key to let in Christ and a strong lock to keep out others Though many may knock at Loves door yet Love will open to none but Christ Cant. 5. 6. I opened to my Beloved 8. 7. Many waters cannot quench love neither can the floods drown it If a man would give all the substance of his house for love it would utterly be contemned Bon Jabuzu contemning it would be contemned When the world would buy So did Luther Galeaciouâ— that noble Italian his love he cryes out with Peter Thy money perish with thee Love makes a man look with a holy scorn and disdain upon all persons and things that attempt either to force or flatter her out of her love and loyalty to her Beloved It is neither force nor fraud it is neither promises nor threatnings it is neither the Cross nor the Crown the Palace nor the Prison the Rod nor the Robe the Hempton Halter nor the Golden Chain that will make love embrace a stranger in the room of Christ Go says Divine Love offer your Gold and empty Glories to others your Pleasures and your Treasures to others put on your Lyons skin and fright others As for my part I scorn and contemn your golden offers and I disdain and deride your rage and threats Love makes a man too noble too high too gallant and too faithful to open to any lover but Christ to let any lie between the Brests but Christ Cant. 1. 13. A bundle of myrrhe is my welbeloved unto me be shall lie all night betwixt my Brests When Basil was Plato saith Pliny took as much delight and glory in those dignities and honoâ—â— he denied as he did in those he did enjoy It â—s just so with the Saints tempted with money and preferment he answers Pecuniam da quae perma neat ac continuo duret gloriam quae semper floreat Give money that may last for ever and glory that may eternally flourish Love makes a man cry out when tempted Let
not any man think that he will embrace other mens goods to forsake Christ who hath forsaken his own proper goods to follow Christ Love makes a man cry out when tempted as that worthy Convert did Ego non sum ego I am not the man that I was When my heart was voide of Divine Love I was as easily conquered as I was tempted O but now he hath shed abroad his love in my soul I am not the man that I was I had rather die then flie or fall before a temptation Twelfthly That Love that accompanies Salvation shews it self by secret kindnesses by secret visits by secret expressions of love A Soul that truly loves Christ loves to meet him in a corner to meet him behinde the door to meet him in the clefts of the Cant. 2. 14. Matth. 6. 6. Rock where no eye sees nor no ear hears nor no heart observes Feigned love is much in commending and kissing Christ upon the stage but unfeigned love is much in embracing and weeping over Christ in a Closet The Pharisee loved to stand praying in the Matth. 6. Market-place and in the Temple but Nathaniel was with Christ under the John 1. 48. Fig-tree and Cornelius was at it in the Acts 10. corner of his house and Peter was at it on the Leads and the Spouse Cant. 7. 11. was at it in the Villages Souls that truly love Christ are much in secret visits in secret prayer in secret sighing in secret groaning in secret mourning c. True love is good at bolting of the door and is always best when it is most with Christ in a corner The secret discoveries that Christ makes to souls do much oblige them to closet services Arcesilaus in Plutarch visiting his sick friend and perceiving his necessity that he wanted and yet his modesty that he was ashamed to ask that he might satisfie the one and yet salve the other secretly conveyed money under his Pillow which his friend finding after he was gone was wont to say Arcesilaus stole this So Christ steals secret kindnesses upon his people and that draws them out to be much in secret in closet services Thirteenthly That Love that accompanies Salvation shews it self by breathing after more clear evidence and full assurance of Christs love To the soul Divine love would fain have her drop turned into an Ocean her spark into a flame her penny into a pound her mite into a million A soul that truly loves can never see enough nor never taste enough nor never feel enough nor never enjoy enough of the love of Christ when once they have found his love to be better then Wine then nothing will satisfie them but the kisses of his mouth Cant. 1. 3. Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth Not with a kiss but with the kisses of his mouth A soul once kissed by Christ can never have enough of the kisses of Christ his lips drop myrrhe and mercy no kisses to the kisses of Christ The The more a Virgins love is drawn out to another the more she desires to be confirmed and assured of his love to her more any soul loves Christ the more serious studious and industrious will that soul be to have the love of Christ discovered confirmed witnessed and sealed to it That is a sweet word of the Spouse Cant. 8. 6. Set me as a seal upon thy heart as a seal upon thy arm for love is strong as death Set me as a seal upon thy heart that is Let me be deeply engraven as a seal into thy heart and affections Let the love and remembrance of me make a deep impression in thee and set me as a seal or signet on thy arm 1. The seal you know is for ratifying confirming and making sure of things O sayes the Spouse establish and confirm me in thy love and in the outward expressions and manifestations of it 2. Seals among the Jews were used not as Ornaments onely but as Monuments of love that were continually in sight and remembrance O says the Church Let me be still in thy sight and remembrance as a monument of thy love In the Old Law you know Exod. 28. 11 12 21 29. compared the High Priest did bear the names of Israel engraven on stones upon his heart and shoulder for a memorial Ah says the Church Let my name be deeply engraven upon thy heart let me be alwayes in thy eye let me be always a memorial upon thy shoulder 3. Great men have their signets upon their hands in precious esteem Jere. 22. 24. As I live saith the Lord though Coniah the son of Jehojakim King of Judah were the signet upon my right hand yet would I pluck thee thence Ah sayes the Spouse O highly prize me Lord Jesus highly esteem of me O let me be as dear and precious unto thee as the signet that thou carriest about with thee or as signets are to great men that wear them Lastly That Love that accompanies Salvation shews it self by working a true lover of Christ to commit his richest Treasures his choicest Jewels to the care and custody of Christ Where we love we will trust and as we love we will trust Little trust speaks out little love great trust speaks out great love The lovers of Christ commend to Christs Psal 31. 15. So Job so Paul 2 Tim. 1. 12. 4. 7 8 Micah 7. 8 9. Dan 6. 22. care their Pearls of greatest price their Names their Lives their Souls their Crowns their Innocency their All. It was a notable saying of Luther Let him that died for my soul see to the salvation of it Caesar received not his wounds from the swords of enemies but from the hands of friends that is from trusting in them Oh! but the lovers of Christ shall never receive any wounds by trusting in Christ by committing their choicest Jewels to his care for he hath a powerful hand and a wise and loving heart Christ will hold fast whatever the Father or the Saints put into his hand And thus I have shewed you what that Love is that doth accompany Salvation I come now in the sixth place to shew you what Prayer that is that doth accompany Salvation But I see that I must contract what remains into a narrow room lest I should tire out both the Reader and my self Which that I may not I shall endeavor by Divine Assistance to minde brevity in what remains Now that Prayer doth accompany Salvation I have formerly shewed Now I am briefly to shew you what Prayer that is that doth accompany Salvation and that I shall do in these following particulars First Prayer is a Divine Worship The matter of Prayer may be reduced to these heads 1. Petition 2. Deprecation 3. Intercession 4. Expostulation There are other distinctions in regard of the manner As first Mental Prayer which is the inward lifting up of the heart to God Secondly Vocal which is uttered by words
limit God to the way or manner of shewing mercy but leave both the time and the manner to him that is wise and faithful Sayes Hope Christ knows his The Lord shews much mercy in timing our mercies for us own time and his own time is best though he stayes long yet he will certainly come and he will not stay a moment beyond the time he hath prefixt and therefore sayes Hope be not weary O Soul but still wait patiently upon the Lord. 1 Thes 1. 3. Remembring without ceasing your work of faith and labor of love and patience of hope Hope is the Mother of Patience and the Nurse of Patience Hope breeds Patience and Hope feeds Patience If it were not for hope the Spes est mestorum Drusius heart would die and if it were not for hope patience would die Look as Faith gives life and strength to Hope so doth Hope give life and strength to Patience Therefore Patience is called Patience of Hope Hope maintains Patience as the Fuel maintains the Fire A sixth property of that Hope that accompanies Salvation is this It is Soul-purifying Hope it puts a Christian upon purifying himself as Christ is pure 1 John 3. 3. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself even as Christ is pure Divine hope runs In quality though not in equality As is not a note of parility or equality but of resemblance and similitude As there is a similitude betwixt the face it self and the image of the face in the glass but no equality out into holiness he that hath the purest and strongest hopes of being saved is most studious and laborious to be sanctified The Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is rendred purifieth is a Metaphor taken either from the Ceremonial purifications in time of the Law or else from Goldsmiths purifying Metals from their Dross and it notes thus much to us That those that have hopes to reign with Christ in glory that have set their hearts upon that pure and blissful State that Paradise that holy and spiritual State of Bliss that is made up of singleness and purity they will purifie both their insides and their outsides both body and soul that they may answer to that excellent Copy that Christ hath set before them knowing that none shall enjoy Everlasting Glory but those that labor after perfect purity Now Hope purifies the heart and life thus by keeping the purest objects as God Christ the Word and the Soul together and by making How lively Hope makes the Soul in Religious services I have shewed in the third property the Soul serious and conscientious in the use of all Soul-purifying Ordinances and by being a fire in the Soul to burn up all those corruptions and principles of darkness that are contrary to that purity and glory that Hope hath in her eye and by working the Soul to lean upon Christ to live in Christ and to draw purifying vertue from Christ who is the Spring and Fountain of all Purity and Sanctity And thus Hope purifies those that expect to be like to Christ in Glory The seventh and last property of that Hope that accompanies Salvation that comprehends Salvation is this It is permanent and lasting it Prov. 10. 28. Austins hope made him long to die that he might see that head that was once crowned with thorns will never leave the Soul till it hath lodged it in the bosome of Christ Prov. 14. 32. The righteous hath hope in his death The righteous mans hope will bed and board with him it will lie down with him and rise up with him it will to the Grave to Heaven with him his Motto is Cum expiro spero My hope lasts beyond life The Hope made the Ancients to call the days of their death Natalia not dying but birth days Jews ancient custom was by the way as they went with their Corps to pluck up every one the Grass as who should say They were not sorry as men without hope for their Brother was but so cropt off and should spring up again in the morning of the Resurrection And the Jews to this very day stick not to call their Golgotha's Batte Catim the houses or places of the living That Hope that accompanies Salvation is a long-lived hope it is a living hope 1 Pet. 1. 3. Blessed be the God and Heb. 3. 6. 6. 11. 1 Pet. 1. 13. Psal 131. 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Living Father of our Lord Jesus Christ which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope or a living hope A hope that will not die a hope that will not leave a man in life nor death Psal 71. 14. But I will hope 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 continually and will yet praise thee more In prosperity and adversity in wealth and sickness in life and death I will hope it is neither the smiles nor the frowns of the world that shall bury a Christians hope A Christians hope will live in all weathers and it will make a Christian bear up bravely in all storms and under all changes and more No trials no troubles no afflictions no oppositions shall keep down my hope says David I am peremptorily resolved in the face of all dangers difficulties and deaths to keep up my hopes come what will come on it I will rather let my life go then my hope go I will hope continually A hopeless condition is a very sad condition it is the worst condition in the world it makes a mans life a very Hell If hope deferred maketh the heart sick as the Wiseman speaks Prov. 13. 12. then the loss of hope will make the soul languish it will make it chuse strangling rather then life it will make a mans life a continual death A Soul without hope is like a ship without anchors Lord where will that soul stay that stayes not upon thee by hope A man were better part with any thing then his hope When Alexander went upon a hopeful expedition he gave away his Gold and when he was asked what he kept for himself he answered Spem majorum meliorum The hope of greater and better things A Believers hope I have read of a Rhodian who being cast into a dungeon full of Adders and Snakes for some horrid crimes by him committed Some perswaded him to rid himself out of that misery by a violent way but he answered No For saith he as long as I have breath in my nostrils I will ever hope for my deliverance is not like that of Pandora which may flie out of the Box and bid the Soul an everlasting farewel No it is like the morning light the least beam of it shall commence into a compleat Sun-shine It is Aurora Gaudii and it shall shine forth brighter and brighter till it hath fully possessed the Believer of his Christ and Crown This will be the Hypocrites hell and horror
when he comes to die that his hope will be like the morning dew like the Spiders web like the crackling of thorns under a pot and like the giving up of the ghost Job 8. 13 14. 11. 20. 27. 8. Prov. 14. 32. 11. 7. And this is now the upright mans joy that who ever leaves him yet his hope will not leave him till he hath put on his Crown and is set down in Paradise And thus you see what Hope that is that doth accompany Salvation before I close up this Chapter take these two Cautions with you they make for your comfort and settlement The first Caution is this That all Caution 1. The Scripture tells you of Saints of several sizes some are babes some are children some are yongmen some are old men now all these do noâ— attain to the same degree but hâ—ppy is he that hath the least degree Saints have not these things that accompany Salvation in the same degree if thou hast but the least measure or degree of that Knowledge that accompanies Salvation or of that Faith that accompanies Salvation or of that Repentance or of that Obedience or of that Love c. that accompanies Salvation thou mayest be as assuredly confident of thy Salvation as if thou wast already in Heaven The least degree O Christian of those things that accompany Salvation will certainly yeeld thee a Heaven hereafter and why then should it not yeeld thee a Heaven here It will undoubtedly yeeld thee a Crown at last and why should it not yeeld thee Comfort and Assurance now I judge it may if thou art not an enemy to thine own Soul and to thy own Peace and Comfort The second Caution is this Though Caution 2. No Saints are at all times ensâ—ble that all those precious things that accompany Salvatâ—â—n aâ—e iâ— them It is not always day with the Saints thou doest not finde every one of those things in thee that do accompany Salvation yet if thou doest finde some of those things I though but a few of those things yea though but one of those things that accompanies Salvation that comprehends Salvation that borders upon Salvation thy estate is safe and happiness will be thy portion at last Thy sense and feeling of one of those precious things that accompanies Salvation should be of more power to work thee to conclude that thy estate is good then any other thing should work thee to conclude that all is naught and that thou shalt miscarry at last Do not alwayes side with sin and Satan against thine own precious Soul Having thus discovered to you the Way and Means of attaining to a wel-grounded Assurance I shall now hasten to a close CHAP. VI. Shewing the difference between a true and a counterfeit Assurance between sound Assurance and Presumption FIrst A sound and wel-grounded Assurance is attended with a deep admiration of Gods transcendent love and favor to the Soul in the Lord Jesus The assured Soul is often a breathing it out thus Ah Lord who am I what am I that thou shouldst give into my bosome the white stone of Absolution Revel 2. 17. The white stone given among the Romans was a sign of Absolution and the black stone was a sign of condemnation when the world hath given into their bosoms onely the black stone of Condemnation Lord what mercy is this that thou shouldst give me Assurance give me water out of the Rock and feed me with Manna from Heaven when many of thy dearest ones spend their days in sighing mourning and complaining for want of Assurance Lord what manner of love is this that thou shouldst set me upon thy knee embrace me in thy arms lodge me in thy bosome and kiss me with the sweet kisses of thy blessed mouth with those kisses that are better then Cant. 1. 2. Psal 63. 3. wine yea better then life when many are even weary of their lives because they want what I enjoy Ah Lord by what name shall I call this Mercy Assurance is a wonderful Alchimy it changeth Iron to Gold Ignominies to Crowns and all sufferings to delights this Assurance that thou hast given me It being a mercy that fits me to do duties to bear crosses and to improve mercies that fits me to speak sweetly to judge righteously to give liberally to act seriously to suffer cheerfully and to walk humbly I cannot sayes the assured Soul but sing it out with Moses Who is like unto thee O Exod. 15. 11. Lord amongst the gods Who is like thee glorious in holiness fearful in praises doing wonders And with the Apostle O the height the depth the length and Eph. 3. 18 19. Assurance of Christs love made Jerome admiringly to say O my Saviour didst thou die for love of me alone more dolorous then death but to me a death more lovely then love it self I cannot live love thee and be longer from thee breadth of the love of Christ which passeth knowledge If the Queen of Sheâ—a sayes the assured Soul was so swallowed up in a deep admâ—ration of Solomons wisdom greatness goodness excellency and glory that she could not but admiringly breathe it thus out Happy are thy men happy are these thy servants which stand continually before thee and that hear thy wisdom O then how should that blessed Assurance that I have of the love of God of my interest in God of my union and communion with God of my blessedness here and my happiness hereafter work me to a deep and serious to a real and perpetual admiration of God! Secondly A wel-grounded Assurance doth alwayes beget in the Soul an earnest and an impatient longing after a further a clearer and fuller enjoyment of God and Christ Psal 63. 1. O God thou art my God here is David though in a wilderness seeks not for bread or water or protection but for more of God Phil. 1. 23. Assurance well what follows Early will I seek thee My soul thirsteth for thee my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty Land where no water is The assured Soul cryes out I desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ And Make haste Cant. 8. 14. my beloved And Come Lord Jesus come Revel 22. 17. quickly O Lord Jesus sayes the assured The assured Souls Motto is O my God when shall I be with thee when shall I be with thee Soul thou art my light thou art my life thou art my love thou art my joy thou art my crown thou art my heaven thou art my all I cannot but long to see that beautiful face that was spit upon for my sins and that glorious head that was crowned with thorns for my transgressions I long to take some turns with thee in Paradise to see the glory of thy Jerusalem above to drink of those Rivers of pleasures that be at thy right hand to taste of all the delicates of thy Kingdom and to be acquainted with those
would seriously consider as you tender the peace and settlement the satisfaction consolation and salvation of your own souls First The Spirit of Christ doth not witnesse by any outward voice as God Matth 3. ult Luk. 1. 30 31 32 33 34. did from Heaven of Christ nor by an Angell as to the Virgin Mary but by an inward secret glorious and unspeakable way he bids Beleevers be of good chear their sins are forgiven Matth. 9. 2. them as Christ said to the palsie man in the Gospel And this truth is to be solemnly minded against those poor deceived and deluded souls in Quakers and Raâ—ters these daies that would make the world beleeve that they have had such and such glorious things made known by an outward audible voyce from Heaven It is much to be feared that they never found the inward the sweet the secret the powerful testimony and report of the Spirit of Christ that boast and brag and rest so much upon an outward testimony In 1 King 19. you read of a great strong wind that rent the Vers 11. Mountains and brake in peeces the Rocks but the Lord was not in the wind and after the wind there was an earthquake but the Lord was not in the earthquake And after the earthquake a fire but the Vers 12. Lord was not in the fire And after the fire Vers 13. there was a still small voyce and the Lord spake to Elijah in that still small voice Ah Christians the Spirit of the Lord makes not a noise but he comes in a still small voice as I may say and makes a soft and secret report to the soul that it is beloved that it is pardoned and that it shall be for ever glorified Secondly The testimony and witnesse of the Spirit of Christ is onely gained enjoyed in holy and heavenly waies as you may clearly see by comparing Acts 10. 4. Dan. 9. 20. 21 22. Isa 64. 5. Act. 10. 44 c. the Scriptures in the margent together The Spirit of the Lord is a holy spirit he cannot he wil not make any report of the love of the Father to the soule out of a way of holinesse Verily all those glorious reports that many boast they have met with in sinfull waies in wretched and ungodly waies are from the hissing of the old Serpent and not from the whisperings of the Yet this age hath many such Monsters Spirit of Grace I think it is little less then blasphemy for any to affirm that the blessed Spirit of Christ doth make reports of the love and favour of God to persons walking in waies of wickednesse and basenesse Thirdly The testimony and witness of the Spirit of Christ is a clear a â—ul a satisfying testimony and witnesse the soul sits down under the home reports John 14 17. 1 John 3. 24. of the Spirit saith Lord it is enough the soul being full sits down and sweetly sings it out My beloved is mine and Cant. 2. 16. 7. 10. I am his I am my wel-beloveds and his desire is towards me The Lord is my portion Psal 16. 5. Psal 73. 25. and the lot of mine inheritance I have none in Heaven but thee neither is there any on earth that I desire in comparison of 2 Tim. 4 8. thee Henceforth is laid up for me a crown of righteousness Make haste my beloved Cant. 8. ult c. Such power majesty and glory attends the glorious testimony of the Spirit of Christ as scatters all clouds as resolves all doubts as answers all objections as silences the wrangling soul c. If the testimony of the Spirit of Christ were not a ful satisfying testimony it could never fill the soule with such joy as is unspeakable and full of glory and with such peace as passes understanding if the testimony were not satisfactory the soul would still be under fears and doubts the heart would still be a wrangling and quarrelling I may perish and I may be undone I may have the door of Mercy shut against me c. If you bring news to a condemned person that the King hath pardoned him and that he will receive him to favor and confer such and such dignity upon him yet this doth not quiet him nor satisfie him till he knows it is the Kings act till he is satisfied in that he cannot say it is enough he cannot be chearfull hee cannot be delightful c. But when hee is satisfied that it is the Kings act that the King hath certainly done this and that for him then he is satisfied and then sighing and mourning flies away and then he rejoyces with joy unspeakable So it is with a beleeving Soul under the testimony and witness of the Spirit of Christ Fourthly Though the Spirit be a witnessing Spirit yet he doth not alwaies witness to beleevers their adoption their interest in Christ c. There is a mighty difference between the working of the Spirit and the witness of the Spirit There are often times many glorious and efficacious works of the Spirit as Faith Love Repontance Isa 50. 10. Holinesse c. where there is not the witness of the Spirit David at that very time had the Spirit and Psa 50. 10 11 12 many sweet workings of the Spirit in him and upon him when he had by sin lost the witness and testimony of the Spirit Though the Spirit of the Lord be a witnessing and a sealing Spirit yet he doth not alwaies witness Job 23. 8 9. 1 Joh. 5. 13. Psa 88. Psa 77. Mich. 7. 8 9. Isa 8. 17. and seal up the love and favor of the Father to beleevers souls as you may see by the Scriptures in the Margent and as the experience of many precious Christians can abundantly evidence All beleevers do not see alike need of this testimony they doe not all alike prize this testimony they do not all alike observe it and improve it and therefore it is no wonder if the Spirit be a witnessing Spirit to some and not to others You do but gratifie Satan and wrong your owne soules when you argue that certainly you have not the Spirit because he is not a witnessing and a sealing Spirit to your soules Though it be the office of the Spirit to witness yet it is not his office alwayes to witness to beleevers their happiness and blessedness The Spirit may act one way in one room of the A man may be a doing in one Room when he is not in another So is the Spirit in the heart of a Saint soul when he doth not act in another sometimes the Spirit works upon the Understanding sometimes upon the Will sometimes upon the Affections sometimes upon Faith sometimes upon Fear sometimes upon Love sometimes upon Humility c. Our hearts are the Spirits Harps If a man should alwaies touch one string in an Instrument he should never play various tunes he
so unhappy as to lose it will put thee to more pains and charge Of the two it is easier to keep Assurance now thou hast it then to recover it when thou hast lost it It is easier to keep the house in reparations then when it is fallen to build it up Ninethly and lastly consider solemnly the sad and wofull evils and inconveniencies that will certainly follow How can the bird flye without wings and the wheeles go without oyle and the workman worke without hands and the painter paint without eies c. upon the loss of your Assurance I will only touch upon a few 1 None of the precious things of Christ will be so sweet to thee as formerly they have been 2 You will neither be so fervent in duty nor so frequent in duty nor so abundant in duty nor so spirituall in duty nor so lively in duty nor so cheerful in duty as formerly you have been 3. Afflictions will sooner sink you temptations will sooner overcome you oppositions will sooner discourage you 4. Your mercies will be bitter your life a burden and death a terror to you you will be weary of living and yet afraid of dying c. Now the second Question is this Suppose Quest 2 Souls have not been so careful to keep and maintain their Assurance as they should have been but upon one account or another have lost that blessed Assurance that once they had how may such sad Souls be supported and kept from fainting sinking and languishing under the loss of Assurance To this Question I shall give these following Answers First Souls that have lost that sweet Support 1 Assurance that once they had may be supported and kept from fainting and sinking by considering that though they have lost their Assurance yet they have not not lost their Son-ship Rom. 8. 15 16 17. for once sons and always sons You are sons though dejected sons you are sons though comfortless sons you are sons though mourning sons Psal 89. 30 31 32 33 34. John 13. 3. Jere. 31. 3. Once children and always children once heirs and always heirs once beloved and always beloved once happy and always happy 2 Sam. 23. 5. Although my house be not so with God yet he hath made with me an Everlasting Covenant ordered in all things and sure For this is all my Salvation and all my desire although he make it not to grow Well sayes David though neither my self nor my house have been so exact and perfect in our walkings before God as we should but we have broken our Covenants with him and dealt unworthily by him and turned our backs upon him yet he hath made with me an Everlasting Covenant he hath engaged himself in an Everlasting Covenant that he will be my Father and that I shall be his Son And this is my Salvation and an Everlasting Ground of Consolation and Supportation to my Soul The second Support is this Consider Support 2 that though your Comfort Joy and Peace doth depend much upon your Assurance yet your Eternal Happiness and Blessedness doth not depend upon your Assurance if it did you might be happy and miserable in a day I in an hour Your Happiness lies in your Union with God in your Communion with God in your Interest in God and not in your seeing and knowing Your Interest your Joy and Comfort lies in your seeing and knowing your Interest in God but your Everlasting Happiness lies in your being interested in God The welfare and happiness of the childe lies in the interest that he hath in his Father but the joy and comfort of the childe lies in his seeing in his knowing of his interest in his Father It is so between the Lord and Believers Psal 144. 15. Happy be the people that be in such a case yea happy is that people whose God is the Nemo aliorum sensu miser est sed suo Sal. de Gub. Dei â— 1. A godly mans happiness or misery is not to be judged by the worlds sense or feeling but his own Lord. Among the Philosophers there were Two hundred and eighty Opinions concerning Happiness some affirming Happiness to lie in one thing some in another Ah but by the Spirit and Word we are taught that Happiness lies in our oneness with God in our nearness and dearness to God and in our conformity to God c. Mark the To make up happiness these things must concur First it must be a convenient good a suitable good to our natures Secondly it must be an excellent good a good that hath worth and excellency in it Thirdly it must be a sufficient good a few scrapings of gold will not make a man rich c. Fourthly it must be a permanent good it is permanency that sâ—ts the greatest price and hath the greatest influence into our happiness and felicity Scripture pronounces him happy whose hope is in God though he want Assurance Psal 146. 5. Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help whose hope is in the Lord his God Again he is happy that trusteth in the Lord though for the present he want Assurance Prov. 16. 20. And who so trusteth in the Lord happy is he Again he is happy that feareth the Lord that hath set up God as the object of his fear though he want Assurance of the love of God Prov. 28. 14. Happy is the man that feareth always That fears to offend that fears to disobey that fears to rebel c. Again he is happy that believes in Christ that rests and stayes upon Christ as the Scriptures every where testifie though he may want Assurance Happiness lies not in any transient act of the Spirit as Assurance is but in the more permanent and lasting acts of the Spirit The Philosopher could say That he was never a happy man that might afterwards become miserable If a mans Eternal Happiness did lie in the Assurance of his Happiness then might a man be crowned with Xerxes's Steersman in the Morning and be beheaded with him in the Evening of the same day But this is the Believers Blessedness That his condition is always good though he doth not alwayes see it to be good that his state is always safe though it be not alwayes comfortable The third Support to keep those Support 3 precious Souls from fainting and sinking that have lost that sweet Assurance that once they had is to consider that though their loss be the greatest and saddest loss that could befal them yet it is a recoverable loss it is a loss that may be recovered as the Scriptures in the Margent do clearly Psal 71 20 21. 42. 5 7 8 Isa 54 7 8. Micah 7. 18 19 Cant. 3. 4. Psal 84. 11 c. Glover and many others yea a cloud of witnesses might be found to testifie this truth evidence And doth not this age as well as former furnish us with many instances of this kinde Doubtless many there
the world that there is no such worth and vertue no such power and Una guâ—tula plus valet quam caelum terra Luther efficacy in the blood of Christ as indeed there is O how will you answer this to Christ in that day wherein his blood shall speak and plead not onely with the profane that have trodden it under their feet but also with despairing Heb. 10. 29. souls that have undervalued the power vertue and merit of it Hath not the blood of Jesus Christ washed 1 John 1. 7 8 9. away the sins of a world of notorious sinners and is it not of vertue to wash away the sins of one sinner Hath it Sanguis Christi clavis coeli The blood of Christ is the Key of Heaven that hath let in millions Revel 7 9. Isai 66 8. A nation shall be born in a day When the Jews shall be converted a very glorious converting power shall accompany the means of salvation that Christ may rain from Sea to Sea c. had that vertue and power in it as to bring many thousands to glory already and is there not so much vertue left in it as to bring thy soul to glory Hath it actually delivered such a multitude from wrath to come as cannot be numbred and is the vertue of it so far spent as that it cannot reach to thy deliverance Are there not yet millions of thousands that shall hereafter be actually saved and justified by this blood Why then shouldst thou despair of being justified and saved from wrath to come by the vertue and power of this precious blood There were five Monks that were studying what was the best means to mortifie sin One said To meditate on death the second To meditate on judgement the third To meditate of the joyes of Heaven the fourth To meditate on the torments of Hell the fifth To meditate on the blood and sufferings of Jesus Christ and certainly the last is the choicest and strongest motive of all to the mortifying of sin O despairing souls despairing souls if ever you would cast off your despairing thoughts and get out of your present hell then dwell much muse much and apply much this precious blood to your own souls So shall sorrow and mourning flee Isai 5. 11. 56. 5. 60. 19 20. 62. 4 5. away and everlasting joy shall rest upon you and the Lord shall give you an everlasting name and be everlasting light and glory to you and you shall be no more called Forsaken for the Lord will rejoyce over you and be a wel-spring John 4. 21 23. of life unto you and make his abode with you and turn your sighing into singing your trembling into rejoycing and your prison into a paradise of pleasure so that your souls shall be able to stand up and say O blessed be God for Jesus Christ blessed be God for that precious blood that hath justified our persons and quieted our consciences and scattered our fears and answered our doubts and given us to triumph over Sin Hell and Death Who is Rom 8. 33 to 38. he that condemneth it is Christ that died The Apostle upon the account of Christs death of Christs blood cryes out Victory Victory he looks upon all his Enemies and sings it sweetly out Over all these we 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is Supervincimus We do over-overcome are more then conquerors or above conquerors O despairing souls to all your former sins do not adde this Of making light and slight of the blood of Christ as there is no blood that saves souls like the blood of Christ so there is no blood that sinks souls like the blood of Christ a drop of this blood upon a mans head at last will make him miserable for ever but a drop of it upon a mans heart at last will make him happy for ever In the day of vengeance the Exod. 12. 7. destroying Angel will spare you if this blood be found upon the door posts of your hearts otherwise you are lost for ever Lastly I can tell you O despairing souls that God hath brought some out of the very gulf of despair out of the very belly of hell and therefore thou mayest hope that thy sins that are thy present burden shall not be thy future ruine Doth not Asaph resemble the despairing soul to the life My soul Psal 77. refused to be comforted I remembred God and was troubled I complained and my spirit was overwhelmed Thou holdest mine eyes waking I am so troubled that I cannot speak Will the Lord cast off for ever and will he be favorable no more is his mercy clean gone for ever and will his promise fail for evermore Hath God forgotten to be gracious hath he in anger shut up his tender mercies Now out of this gulf God delivers him Verse 10. And I said This is my infirmity or this maketh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 me sick as it is in the Original Here Asaph checks himself for casting the cordials the comforts of the Spirit against the wall and for his having such hard sad and black thoughts of God And in the thirteenth Verse he speaks like one dropt out of Heaven Thy way O God is in the sanctuary who is so great a God as our God Formerly the thoughts of God troubled him and overwhelmed him but now at last the thoughts of the greatness of God and of his interest in God is matter of admiration and consolation to him So Heman sighs it out thus My Psal 88. All conclude that he was very holy and his soul very happy even while he was in this gulf of misery soul is full of troubles and my life draweth nigh unto the grave Thou hast laid me in the lowest pit in darkness in the deeps Thy wrath lieth hard upon me and thou hast afflicted me with all thy waves Lord why castest thou off my soul why hidest thou thy face from me I am afflicted and ready to die from my youth up while I suffer thy terrors I am distracted Thy fierce wrath goeth over me thy terrors have cut me off And yet for all this Hemans state was good his soul was safe and happy he calls God in the same Psalm The God of his salvation So Jonah when he was in the belly of Jonah 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Garash signifies to expulse and cast out as Adam was expulsed out of paradise Gen 3. 24. It signifies an ignominious expulsion Hell concludes That he was cast out of the sight of God The sense of his sin and of Gods anger and wrath was so eminent and transcendent upon him that it even distracts him and makes him speak like a despairing soul I am cast out from the presence of the Lord I am expulsed out of Gods sight as Moses was expulsed out of Egypt God hath cast me out as one in whom he can take no pleasure nor delight as a Husband
doth a Wife that hath been false and unfaithful to him and yet Gods heart and love is so set upon Jonah that he will save him by a miracle rather then he shall not be saved Jonah was much in the heart of God and God made his faith at last victorious To these I shall adde some other famous instances In King James his time there was one Mistress Honiwood of Kent an ancient and religious Gentlewoman who lived many years in much horror and terror of Conscience for want of assurance of the favor of God and of her eternal wel-being She would very often cry out She was damned she was damned Several men of eminent piety and parts left no means unattempted whereby her doubts might be answered her conscience pacified and her soul satisfied and cheared yet she being strongly under the power of despair persisted in crying out O she was damned she was damned When these Gentlemen The truth of this whole story is notoriously known were about to depart she called for a Cup of Wine for them which being brought she drank to one of them a glass of the Wine and as soon as she had done in an extream passion she threw the Venice-glass against the ground saying As sure as this glass will break so surely am I damned The glass rebounded from the ground without any harm which one of the Ministers suddenly caught in his hand and said Behold a miracle from Heaven to confute your unbelief O tempt God no more tempt God no more Both the Gentlewoman and all the company were mightily amazed at this strange accident and all glorified God for what was done and the Gentlewoman by the grace and mercy of God was delivered out of her Hell of despair and was filled with much comfort and joy and lived and died full of peace and assurance Take another instance There lived lately at Tilbury in Essex a Gentleman who was a long time under such an eminent degree of despair that he rejected all comfort that was tendered to him by any hand and would not suffer any to pray with him nay he sent to the Ministers and Christians that lived near him and did desire them that as they would not increase his torments in Hell they would cease praying for him he would not suffer any religious service to be performed in his family though formerly himself was much in the use of them yet God gave him at last such inward refreshings and by degrees filled him with such abundance of heavenly comsorts as he told all that came to him that it was impossible for any tongue to utter or heart to imagine that did not feel them at last God gave him the new name and the white stone that none knows but he that hath it He lived about three quarters of a year enjoying Heaven upon Earth and then breathed out his last in the bosom of Christ Poor I that am but of yesterday have known some that have been so deeply plunged in the gulf of despair that they would throw all the Spiritual Cordials that have been tendered to them against the walls they were strong in reasoning against their own souls and resolved against every thing that might be a comfort and support unto them they have been much set against all Ordinances and Religious Services they have cast off holy Duties themselves and peremptorily refused to joyn with others in them yea they have out of a sense of sin and wrath which hath lain hard upon them refused the necessary comforts of this life even to the overthrow of natural life And yet out of this horrible Pit this Hell upon Earth hath God delivered their souls and given them such manifestations of his grace and favor that they would not exchange them for a thousand worlds O despairing souls despairing souls you see that others whose conditions have been as bad if not worse then yours have obtained mercy God hath turned their Hell into a Heaven he hath remembred them in their low estate he hath pacified their raging consciences and quieted their distracted souls he hath wiped all tears from their eyes and he hath been a well-spring of life unto their hearts Therefore be not discouraged O despairing souls but look up to the Mercy-seat remember who is your Rest and kick no more by despair against the bowels of Divine love Now the second Impediment to 2. Impediment 2 Sam. 14. 19. Is not the hand of Joab with thee in all this You know how to apply it assurance is Mens entring into the lists of dispute with Satan about those things that are above their reach as about the Decrees and Counsel of God O by this Satan keeps many precious souls off from assurance since God hath cast him out of paradise and bound him in chains of darkness he will make use of all his skill power and experience to draw men into the same misery with himself and if he cannot prevent their entring at last into paradise above he will labor might and main to make their life a wilderness here below And to this purpose Eorum qua scire nec datur nec fas est docta est ignorantia scientiae appetentis insaniae species Aug. he will busie their thoughts and hearts about the Decrees of God and about their particular elections as whether God hath decreed them to Eternal Happiness or chosen them to Everlasting Blessedness c. That so by this means he may keep them from that desirable assurance that may yeeld beleevers two Heavens a Heaven of joy and comfort here and a Heaven of felicity and glory hereafter It is said of Marcellus the Roman General that he could not be quiet nec victor nec victus neither conquered nor conqueror Such a one is Satan if he be conquered by Faith yet he will be assaying if he conquers he will be roaring and triumphing Satans great design is eternally to ruine souls and where he cannot do that there he will endeavor to discomfit souls by busying them about the secret Decrees and Counsels of God if the soul break thorow his temptations as Davids â— Sam. 24. Worthies did break thorow the Hosts of the Philistims and snap his snares Judg. 15. 13 14. in sunder as Samson did his Cords then his next shift is to engage them in such debates and disputes that neither men nor Angels can certainly and infallibly determine that so he may spoil their comforts when he cannot take away their Crown Now thy wisdom and thy work O doubting soul lieth not in disputing but in believing praying and waiting on God No way to Heaven no way to assurance like this Adam disputes with Satan and falls and loses Paradise Job believes and resists Satan and stands and conquers upon the Dunghil When Satan O trembling soul would engage thee in disputes about this or that say to him Satan Deut. 29. 29. Revealed things belong to me but secret things belong to the