the promise of Jesus Christ Of God being our God and of the holy Ghost Others are derivative depending and rivolet-promises as the promises of all outward comforts here and of eternal life hereafter Now it is our duty to take notice of every ray of gold to meditate upon all the Promises both spiritual temporal and eternal both conditional and absolute both of grace and to grace both general and particular but especially of the Original and fundamental Promises the Fountain-promises from whence all others as so many streams and rivolets are deduced and derived 8 You must meditate on the usefulness and profitableness of the promimises The eight Meditation meditate on the usefulness of the Promises I have already shewed you that they are the conduits of grace and comfort that they have a soul-sanctifying and a soul-comforting-power Give mee leave to adde That the Promises are 1 The breathings of divine love and affection 2 The life and soul of Faith 3 The Anchor of Hope 4 The Wings of Prayer 5 The Foundation of Industry 6 The Raies and Beams of the Sun of Righteousness and upon all those accounts are very useful and advantageous 1 They are the breathings of divine The Promises are the breathings of divine love love and affection It is an Argument of Gods wonderful love to his children that hee is pleased to enter into a Promise and Covenant to bee their God and to give them Christ and in Christ all blessings here and hereafter Wee read Gen. 17. 2 3. when God told Abraham that hee would make a Covenant with him hee fell on his face as astonished at so great a mercy and as thankfully acknowledging the goodness of God towards him The like wee read of David When God by Nathan made a promise to him hee 2 Sam. 7. 11 18 19. goes into Gods house and prayes Who am I O Lord and what is my house that the Lord my God should do this c. The Promises are the Cabinets of the tender bowels of God they contain the dear and tender love of God towards his elect children God by promising makes himself a debtor to them Now that God who is bound to none no not to the Angels of Heaven should enter into bonds and binde himself to give grace and glory to his elect children this is love above expression And there is nothing moved God to do this but as I have said his free grace and mercy For though God bee now bound out of justice and faithfulness to fulfil his Promises yet nothing moved him to make these promises but his love and mercy as David saith of what God had promised to him 2 Sam. 7. 21. According to thine own heart ex mero motu voluntatis and according to thy Word not for any thing in mee For what am I O Lord c. Thus you see how the promises are the breathings of divine love and affection and upon this account are very useful and profitable For love is loves loadstone therefore the Apostle saith Wee love him because Magnes amoris amor 1 Joh. 4. 19. hee loved us first The sense of Gods love to us will kindle a love in us to God Even as the beams of the Sun reflecting upon a Wall heats those that walk by the Wall So the beams of Gods love shining into our souls warms our hearts with the love of God The love of God constrains us as saith Paul 2 Cor. 5. 14. There is a compulsive and constraining power in love What did not Jacob do for the love of Rachel How was Mephibosheth affected with the love of David 2 Sam. 9. 8. It is our duty to love those that hate us but not to love those that love us is more than heathenish and brutish 2 They are the life and soul of The Promises are the life and soul of Faith Faith Faith without a Promise to act upon is as a body without a soul as a dead flower which hath no beauty or sweetness in it But faith grounded upon the Promises will inable a Christian to advance in all manner of holiness What made Abraham forsake his Country and his Fathers house and go hee knew not whither Nothing moved him to this but because God had promised to make him a great Nation and hee beleeved it Of all graces none so causal of holiness as the grace of Faith It is a world-over-comming heart-purifying life-sanctifying wonder-working grace and therefore the Promises must needs bee very useful because they are the life and foul of Faith 3 They are the Anchor of Hope The Promises are the anchor of Hope Heb. 6. 9. Hope is called an Anchor of the soul both sure and stedfast But the Promises are the Anchor of Hope All Hope of Heaven which is not founded upon a Promise is presumption and not Hope Presumption is when a man hopes to go to Heaven upon no ground or upon an insufficient ground But true Hope is a Hope grounded upon a Scripture-Promise And Hope bottomed upon divine Promises will mightily avail unto purity and holiness Abraham Isaac and Jacob lived as pilgrims and strangers upon earth because they looked and hoped for a City which hath foundations whose builder and maker is God The Old Heb. 11. 9. 10. Heb. 11.35 Testament Saints would not accept deliverance upon sinful termes because they hoped for a better resurrection The Papists and Arminians are much mistaken in teaching that the assurance of salvation is an enemy to godlinesse The Scripture saith the quite contrary 1 Joh. 3. 3. Hee that hath this Hope purifieth himself even as hee is pure The true Hope of Heaven will make us live heavenly 4 They are the Wings of Prayer The Promises are the wings of Prayer Prayer is a divine cordial to convey grace from Heaven into our souls It is a key to unlock the bowels of mercy which are in God The best way to obtain holiness is upon our knees the best posture to fight against the Devil is upon our knees and therefore Prayer is not put as a part of our spiritual armour but added as that which must bee an ingredient in every part Ephes 6. 18. and which will make every part effectual But now The Promises are the Wings of Prayer Prayer without a Promise is as a Bird without Wings And therefore wee read both of Jacob Gen. 32. 12. and Jehoshaphat how they urged 2 Chron. 20. 8 9. God in their prayers with his Promises And certainly the prayers of the Saints winged with divine promises will quickly flye up to Heaven and draw down grace and comfort into their souls And upon this account it is that the Promises are so useful to a Christian because they are so helpful in prayer When wee pray wee must urge God with his Promises and say Lord hast not thou said Thou wilt circumcise our hearts to love thee thou wilt subdue our sins Thou wilt give the
strong and fear not and tells us for our comfort Isa 35. 4 that God will look with an eye of favour upon him that is poor and of a contrite spirit and trembleth at his word Isa 66. 2 Rule 3. 3 The more sensible thou art of thine The third Rule for the right Application of the Promises own unworthiness to lay hold upon the Promises the more thou art fitted and qualified to lay hold upon them For the Promises are as I have shewed the fruit of Free-grace Nothing moved God to enter into a Covenant with his people and thereby to become their debtor but his free love Free grace brought Christ down from Heaven and it is free grace must carry us up to Heaven Christ himself is Sola misericordia deducit Deum ad homines sola misericordia reducit homines â—d Deum called the gift of God Joh. 4. 10. Moses tells the Israelites Deut. 7. 7 8. The Lord did not set his love upon you nor chuse you because you were more in number than any people c. but because the Lord loved you and because hee would keep the oath which hee had sworn unto your Fathers hath the Lord brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you c. God doth not love us because wee are worthy of his love but because hee loves us therefore hee makes us worthy Wee must not bring worthinesse to Christ but fetch worthinesse from Christ And therefore if thou beest sensible of thine own nothingnesse emptinesse and unworthinesse lay hold upon that excellent Promise Blessed are the poor in Mat. 5. 3 spirit for theirs is the Kingdome of Heaven Blessed are those who are sensible of their spiritual wants for to them belongs the Kingdome of Heaven as certainly as if they were already in it Rule 4. 4 Study thy interest in the main and fundamental Promise and that will The fourth Rule for the right Application of the Promises 2 Cor. 1. 20. help thee to make out thy interest in all the other The main and fundamental Promise is the Promise of Christ For all Promises whether spiritual or temporal are made to us in and thorough him God hath promised never to leave us nor forsake us and that all things shall work together for our good That is if wee bee in Christ God hath said all things are ours whether Paul or Apollos whether life or 1 Cor. 3.2 death whether things present or things to come but it is with this promise If wee bee Christs Whosoever takes any comfort from any temporal promise and is not in Christ doth but delude and cheat himself This then is thy work O Christian study thy interest in Christ make out that and make out all If no interest in Christ no interest in the promises If an interest in Christ an interest in the Promises let this then bee thy daily businesse to make it out to thy soul that Christ is thine Quest How shall I bee able to do Three things to be fludied in order to the making out of our interest in this Answ For this purpose you must diligently study three things 1 The Universality of the Promise of Christ 2 The Freenesse of it 3 The condition upon which hee is tendred 1 The Universality of the promise of First the universality of the Promise of Christ Mark 16. 15 16. Christ Christ Jesus with all his benefits is promised to every one who is willing to lay hold on him as hee is tendred in the Gospel The Apostles are commanded to go into all the world and to preach the Gospel to every creature hee that beleeveth and is baptized shall bee saved c. If thou hast a heart to beleeve bee thy sins never so great it is for the honour of Jesus Christ to pardon them As the Sea covers great Rocks as well as small so the Mercy of God in Christ will pardon great sins as well as little It will cost Christ as little to wash away the guilt of great sins as of small Christ is a great Physitian Magnus de caelo venit medicus quia magnus in terra jacebat aegroms Aug. And David prayeth pardon my iniquity for it is great Psal 25. 11. Though thy sins bee never so bloudily circumstanciated though never so often reiterated though thou beest never so loathsome yet if thou canst beleeve There is a Fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness and therefore let no man exclude himself from a right to Christ who is willing to take Christ upon Christs termes Hee that excludes himself offers the greatest injury imaginable First Unto Jesus Christ for hee makes him a lyar Christ hath said If any man come to mee I will in no wise cast him out and hee saith John 6.37 Christ will cast mee out although I do come to him Secondly Unto his own soul For hee necessitates himself unto damnation For Christ hath said expresly Hee that beleeveth not shall bee damned Object But I am afraid that I am a Reprobate and that God hath excluded mee from having any interest in Christ Ans Who told thee so It is one great sign thou art not because the Devil would perswade thee that thou art But howsoever Secret things belong to God but those things which are revealed to us and our children God hath kept the black book of Reprobation secret Hee openeth the whole book of Election to some of his children but hee keeps his black book unrevealed It is a sin for any man to think himself a Reprobate unlesse he can prove that hee hath sinned the sin against the Holy Ghost for this thought would hinder him from the use of means for his salvation and cause him to despair which is a sin of the first magnitude and therefore take heed of complementing thy self into Hell by a sinful modesty in refusing to beleeve in Christ Take heed of dallying or delaying in the great work of laying hold upon Christ upon Christs termes Remember God excludes none from Christ but such as exclude themselves by unbeleef And remember Whosoever beleeveth not the John 3.36 Son shall not see life but the wrath of God abideth on him 2 You must study the Freenesse of Study the freeness of the Promise of Christ Isa 55. 1 the Promise of Christ God promiseth Jesus Christ freely Ho every one that thirsteth come yee to the waters and hee that hath no mony come yee buy and eat yea come buy Wine and Milk without mony and without price c. Christ is offered in the Gospel sine precio sine merito sine motivo without price without merit and without any motive inducing on our parts Therefore the Holy Ghost saith Whosoever will let him take the water of life freely Rev. 22. 17. Let not then thy undeservednesse hinder thee from laying hold upon Christ as thy portion Say
and that no man knoweth love or hatred by any thing that is before him The best of Saints sometimes are upon the Dunghil when the vilest of men are upon the Throne The best of men are afflicted when the worst of men are in prosperity 2 That there is not so much evil in affliction or so much good in prosperity as the world imagineth For if there were God would not bestow so much prosperity upon the wicked and exercise his dear children with so many afflictions 3 That there will come a rewarding day in which it shall certainly bee well with the Righteous When I see a wicked man prosper I say Surely there will come a punishing day in which the wicked shall bee turned into Hell When I see a godly man in adversity I say Verily there is a reward for the Righteous verily there is a God that judgeth in the earth Such examples Psal 58. prove that there is another life besides this And that if the godly had hope onely in this life they were of all people most miserable I will not trouble you with a relation of her Christian carriage in the time of her health because it is sufficiently known to most here present I shall only take notice of her great care and diligence in making her calling and election sure Shee had not her Ark to build when the flood came nor her Corn to get when the seven years of Famine came Shee had laid up a stock of graces and comforts against the evil hour Shee had not her evidences for Heaven to get at the hour of death But shee had collected and composed them in the time of her life and when shee came to die shee had neither her graces nor her comforts nor her evidences for Heaven to seek shee had nothing to do but to dye Her sickness was very long and very painful concerning which I shall briefly acquaint you with these few particulars 1 God moved the hearts of very many godly people to take compassion of her sad and afflicted condition and to contribute liberally shee being poor towards her relief this merciful providence wonderfully comforted her She saw Gods love in it and was so much affected with it that she was for a little while really and exceedingly afraid notwithstanding her great torments by reason of a cancer in her breast lest she should have her heaven in this life and lest this mercy should bee all her portion The Lord recompence that labour of love and that Christian charity a thousand fold into the bosomes of those who manifested so much kindnesse to her 2 Her Patience was very great As God increased her pains hee increased her patience even to the admiration of such of us as were frequent spectators of it She was brought to such a sweet frame of spirit as to bee willing to live under all her torments as long as God pleased and to dye whensoever he pleased 3 Shee was a woman of a very fearful nature and in the time of her health had many doubts and scruples notwithstanding all her care forementioned about her salvation But in her sickness all her doubts vanished God chained up Satan The Devil had no power to tempt her shee felt a great calmness in her soul and had much inward peace and injoyed more of God and his consolations in the time of her sickness than in the time of her health 4 Shee was very forward in spreading and diffusing those graces which God had bestowed upon her and in giving good counsel to those who visited her I have heard her often and often perswading her friends to prize health and to improve it for the good of their souls to lay up against an evil day and to stock themselves with grace before sickness come Shee would frequently say O the benefit of health O prize health praise God for health and improve health for your eternal good 5 Shee was very well vers't in the Scriptures The Law of God was her delight and this kept her from perishing in her affliction Shee was continually fetching cordials out of the Word to comfort her under her great pains and to preserve her from fainting The twelfth Chapter of the Hebrews was a precious cordial to her so was the eight of the Romans and the 2 of the Corinthians the 4. Chapter and the 17 18. verses For our light affliction which is but for a moment worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory While wee look not at the things which are seen but at the things which are not seen for the things which are seen are temporal but the things which are not seen are eternal 1 Cor. 15. 53 54 55 56 57. For this corruptible must put on incorruption and this mortal must put on immortality So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption and this mortal shall have put on immortality then shall bee brought to pass the saying that is written death is swallowed up in victory O death where is thy sting O grave where is thy victory The sting of death is sin and the strength of sin is the Law But thanks bee to God which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ Phil. 3. 21. Who shall change our vile body that it may bee fashioned like unto his glorious body according to the working whereby hee is able even to subdue all things unto himself A little before her death shee said In the Lord Jehovah there is righteousness and strength righteousness for justification and strength for supportation Shee said that the Word of God was the best cordial in the world And that one minutes being in Heaven would make amends for all her pain and misery 6 And lastly I cannot but take special notice of the happy close of her life and of the blessed end shee made It is said of Job James 5. 11. Yee have heard of the patience of Job and have seen the end of the Lord c. This our Christian Sister did in a great measure partake both of Jobs pains and Jobs patience and made as happy an end as hee did though in another kinde In the morning of that day in which shee dyed shee fell into a slumber in which shee heard as shee thought one saying to her This day thou shalt bee with mee in Paradise Immediately shee awaked full of joy and though hardly able to speak yet shee uttered it to those who stood by and was much comforted with it Now though I am far from putting any confidence in dreams and doubt not that a man may dream hee shall go to Heaven and yet bee cast into Hell Though I do not think that comfortable dreams are sufficient evidences of salvation Nay when they are brought as proofs of erronious opinions I account them Diabolical delusions and when wicked men have them pleasant presumptions Yet notwithstanding when a woman who hath spent many years in the service of God and is visited by
to himself and rule over mee as to bee my High-Priest to make atonement by offering up of himself for mee and washing mee in his blood by which I must bee justified 6 The Lord brought mee to see a soul-satisfaction in the Lord Jesus Christ alone and I think I should bee as fully satisfied with Christ alone as my heart can desire If I know my heart it panteth after Christ and Christ alone None but Christ none but Christ The whole world in comparison or competition with Christ is nothing to mee But in him I see full contentment To see and know my interest in him and to injoy communion with him is that which if the Lord would bestow upon mee I should with Jacob say it is enough and with old Simeon Now let thy servant depart in peace for my eyes have seen thy salvation Now I desire to set down some other Scripture Evidences that I finde upon search and examination of my heart by laying it to the Rule The Word of God My Second Scripture Evidence is Evidence Second taken from Mark 2. 17. Where Christ saith They that are whole have no need of the Physitian but they that are sick and hee came not to call the Righteous but sinners to repentance Now through Gods mercy I can say that I am a sin-sick-sinner the Lord make me more sick I am not righteous in mine own eyes but a Sinner and see my self undone for ever without the righteousness of Christ bee imputed to mee and therefore I hope I am amongst the number of those whom Christ was commissionated by his Father to come to save From Matth. 11. 28 29. I am weary Evidence Third and heavy laden now Christ hath promised to give ease to such And I am willing to take his yoak upon mee and would fain learn of him the lesson of meeknesse and lowlinesse and therefore am invited to come unto him I can say with David that my sins Evidence Fourth are a heavy burden to mee they are too heavy for mee Psal 38. 4. and I can say that I mourn because I cannot mourn no more for my sins now Christ saith Blessed are they that mourn for they shall bee comforted Matth. 5.4 From Matth. 5. 3. I think if my Evidence Fifth heart do not deceive mee I am poor in spirit now theirs is the Kingdome of Heaven saith Christ From Matth. 12 20. I am a bruised reed and smoaking flax and therefore Evidence Sixth Christ hath promised hee will not break such a reed nor quench the smoak of grace if it bee true grace but hee will increase it more and more as hee saith until judgement break forth into victory And hee came to set at liberty them that are bruised Luk. 4. 18. Therefore I hope I am such a one as hee came to binde up and set at liberty yea and that hee was anointed and sent by his Father to mee and such as I am Isa 61. 1. From 1 Tim. 1. 15. This is a faithful Evidence Seventh saying and worthy of all acceptation saith Paul That Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners And so say I too it 's worthy all acceptation that Christ should come from the bosome of his Father who was infinitely glorious and happy that hee should come into the world to save mee mee a sinner mee the chief of sinners mee that if saved I do verily beleeve there is none in Heaven nor any that ever shall come thither that hath or will have the cause to magnifie and adore free grace as I shall have And herein doth God commend his love towards mee For if when wee were enemies wee were reconciled to God by the death of his Son much more being reconciled wee shall bee saved by his life Rom. 5. 10. I can say with Paul that I delight in Evidence Eighth the Law of God after the inward man and I am grieved that I cannot keep it I finde that spiritual war in mee between flesh and spirit which Paul complaineth of and I can say that Paul doth confess over my heart in his confessions Rom. 7. And I can go along with him there from vers 9. to the end of the chapter and from hence I gather that there is some spiritual life in my soul and an indeavour to walk after the spirit and therefore I hope and desire to conclude with him that there shall bee no condemnation to mee but that the Law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus shall make mee free from the law of sin and death I finde Rom. 8. 1 2. an earnest desire wrought in my soul to bee made like unto Jesus Christ and that it may bee my meat and drink to do and suffer his will as hee would have mee I can say that the Lord hath in Evidence Ninth some measure put his fear into my heart that I fear to offend him out of love to him and I love to fear him I can say with the Church to Christ Evidence Tenth Cant. 1. 7. O thou whom my soul loveth and if I know any thing at all of mine own heart Christ is altogether lovely and most desirable to my soul I think I can truly say with David that I have none in Heaven but thee and there is nothing on earth that I desire besides thee in comparison of thee in competition with thee Though all that is dearest to mee in the world should forsake mee yet if God whom I have chosen for my portion will not forsake mee I have enough 'T is my desire and indeavour more and more to account all things but loss and dung that I may win Christ I can with Peter make my appeal to him and say Lord thou who knowest all things thou knowest that I love thee and that it is the desire of my soul to love thee more and to love thee for thy self because thou art holy and good and gracious and the chiefest amongst ten thousand Yea God in Christ alone is worthy to be beloved and it is my highest priviledge that hee will give mee leave to love him who only can satisfie my soul and redeem it from death eternal who hath justified mee by his blood and sanctified mee by his spirit whom therefore I love with all my heart and all my soul and all my might and all my strength Finding therefore that God hath drawn out my heart to love him and make choice of him alone I from hence gather and ground my hope that God loveth mee according to that Scripture 1 Joh. 4. 19. Wee love him because hee first loved us I finde my heart much inflamed Evidence Eleventh with love to all the children of God because they are Gods children and the more I see or finde or hear of God in them the more I finde my heart cleaving to them and I think I can truly say with David that my delight is in the Saints and those that excel in grace not because they are friends to
Righteousness c. First before other things first more than other things You must seek after Heaven in the first and chiefe place and if you seek it in the least and last place you will never obtain it In matters of weight delay is dangerous Abigail made haste to prevent Davids fury Rahab made haste to hang out her Scalet threed The salvation of your souls â—s a matter of the greatest concernment and to delay providing for it is not only a sin against the command of Christ but a sleighting of the Heaven of Christ How justly may God deny to you who refuse when hee calls either space or grace to turn to him and say to you as it is reported hee said to a man who desired to repent in his old age ubi consumpsisti farinam ibi consume furfurem Where you have spent your flower there go spend your branne Therefore let my Counsel bee acceptable to you Make Christ your unum necessarium your one thing necessary and Heaven your primum quaerite Seek yee first the Kingdome of God and his Righteousness Say with David I made haste and delayed not to keep Psal 119. 60 thy Commandements 3 Take heed of resting in the Ministry of man You must not despise the teachings of Orthodox Ministers lawfully called for hee that despiseth them despiseth Christ hee that is above their teachings is above the teachings of Christ for Christ teacheth by them Eph. 2. 17 2 Cor. 5. 20 They are his Embassadors and they preach not only in his name but in his stead yet you must not rest satisfied with the teachings of men but pray That while the Minister speaks to your ears God would speak to your hearts That God would fulfil that blessed Promise Isa 54. 13. And all thy Children shall bee taught of God That hee would give you an unction from the 1 Joh. 2. 20 Holy One to teach you all things Psal 68 24. That you may see the goings of God in his Sanctuary you may behold the beauty of the Lord and see his power and Psal 27.4 glory in his holy Temple In a word Psal 63.2 That God would give you not only the presence of Ordinances but his presence in them That you may experimentally know what it is to injoy communion with God in Gospel-Administrations 4 Take heed of formality customariness and carelesness in the performance of holy duties Hee that serves God carelesly brings a curse upon himself instead of a blessing For cursed is hee that doth the work of the Lord negligently Hee that serves God formally and customarily doth not serve him but mock him If the Israelites had brought the skin of a beast for sacrifice instead of a beast it would have been counted a mocking of God rather than a worshipping of him So do they who serve God negligently and formally 5 Bee not contented to have a name to bee godly and religious but labour to bee really such as you are supposed by others to bee Remember what Christ saith of the Church of Rev. 3.2 Sardis That shee had a name to live but was dead What will it profit you to bee thought by men to bee godly if God knows that you are ungodly What will it advantage you to seem to go to heaven and yet at last to miss of it O labour to bee Christians not onely in word but in deed and in truth not onely by outward profession but by a holy conversation Rest not satisfied with a less degree of grace than that which will bring you to heaven It will be a double hell to go within an inch of heaven and yet at last to miscarry 6 Remember what Christ saith of Capernaum The Capernaites were not so bad as the Gadarens who desired Christ to depart from them much less as the Nazarites who thrust Christ out of their Coasts For they heard him Luke 4.29 Luke 4.32 preach every Sabbath-day and were astonished at his Doctrine And yet because they did not sincerely practise what was taught them Christ pronounceth a heavy doom against them Matth. 11.23 24. And thou Capernaum which art exalted unto heaven shalt bee brought down to hell for if the mighty works which have beene done in thee had beene done in Sodome it would have remained unto this day But I say unto you that it shall bee more tolerable for the land of Sodome in the day of judgement than for thee It is not enough to praise the Sermons you hear to admire and stand astonished at the Doctrine delivered If you do not practise what is preached If you do not live Sermons as well as hear them it shall bee easier for Sodome and Gomorrha at the day of judgement than for you 7 Take heed that the love of the world doth not eat out the heart of Religion and at last Religion it self out of your hearts Remember what 1 Tim. 6. 10 the Apostle Paul saith That the love of money is the root of all evill which while some have coveted after they have erred from the faith and pierced theÌ„selves through with many sorrows 1 Joh. 2.15 And what the Apostle John saith Love not the world neither the things that are in the world If any man love the world the love of the Father is not in him There is no sin so contrary to true Saintship as worldly-mindedness A Saint is one who hath much of heaven in him and is much in heaven A Saint is one whose original is from heaven he is born from above his name Joh 3.3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is written in heaven his meditations affections and conversation is in heaven Hee is one who is elected to things above and called to partake of heaven and eternal happiness And for such a man to minde things earthly is a sin of the first magnitude Therefore Eph. 5.3 the Apostle would not have covetousness so much as named amongst Christians There is no sin more defiles the soul It will besmear you and make you spiritual Blackamores and Chimny-sweepers in Gods sight There is no sin doth more dead and dull the heart in the doing of good duties It hinders Mar 22 5 a man both from and in Ordinances The Farmer and Merchant made light of the call of Christ and one went to his Farm the other to his Merchandize There is no sin will more eclipse the light of Gods countenance from shining upon you The Moon is never in the Eclipse but when the earth comes between us and the Sun A childe of God is feldome without the light of Gods countenance unless it bee through the overmuch love of the world No sin will more hinder your flight up to heaven The Ostrich cannot flye high because of the greatness of her wings Jacob was forced in his travelling towards Canaan to go slowly and softly because of his multitude of children of flocks and herds And Gen. 33. 13 14 therefore let
of David abide upon your hearts God forbid I should serve the Lord with 2 Sam 24.24 that which cost mee nothing God hates your obedience to the first Table Isa 1. 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 if it bee not joyned with obedience to the second Works of mercy and charity are made in Scripture the touchstones of the truth of our piety and holiness This is pure Religion saith the Apostle and James 1. 27 undefiled before God and the Father to visit the Fatherlesse and Widdows in their affliction and to keep himself unspotted from the world If any man say saith Saint John I love God and hateth his Brother hee is 1 John 4. 20 a lyar for hee that loveth not his Brother whom hee hath seen how can hee love God whom hee hath not seen An unmerciful and an uncharitable man is a wicked and an ungodly man Let it bee the care of all those amongst you who are rich in estate to bee rich in good works Let every man lay up for the poor according as God hath prospered him remembring 1 Cor. â—â— 2 that saying of Christ Come yee blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdome prepared for you from the foundation of the world For I was an hungred and yee gave mee meat I was thirsty and yee gave mee drink I was a stranger and yee took mee in naked and yee cloathed mee I was sick and yee visited mee I was in prison and yee came unto mee 14 Take heed of separating from the publick Assemblies of the Saints I have found by experience that all our Church-calamities have sprung from this root Hee that separates from the publick worship is like a man tumbling down a hill and never leaving till hee comes to the bottome of it I could relate many sad stories of persons professing godliness who out of dislike to our Church-meetings began at first to separate from them and after many changes and alterations are turned some of them Anabaptists some Quakers some Ranters some direct Atheists But I forbear you must hold communion with all those Churches with which Christ holds communion you must separate from the sins of Christians but not from the Ordinances of Christ Take heed of Unchurching the Churches of Christ lest you prove Schismaticks instead of being true Christians 15 Though you never live to see the times setled yet labour to get your consciences setled Pray for the Spirit of Truth to guide you into all Truth in these erring dayes Remember that saying of Christ If thine eye bee evil thy Mat. 6. 23 whole body shall bee full of darknesse if therefore the light that is in you bee darkness how great is that darkness God hath given you your understandings to bee the guide of the whole man As the Eye is the guide of the body and the Sun of the world so is the understanding of the man therefore you must in praying pray that God would give you a right understanding in all things Pray not only for the grace of Sanctification but of Illumination Avoid as soul-poison all Doctrines 1 Which tend to liberty open a door to prophaneness and are contrary to godliness 2 Which hold forth a superstitious strictness above what is required in the Word 3 Which are Antimagistratical and Antiministerial 4 Which lift up corrupt nature and exalt unsanctified reason 5 Which preach free-grace to the utter ruine of good works 6 Which lessen the priviledges of Infants and makes their condition worse under the New Testament than under the Old 7 Which are contrary to the Analogy of Faith the ten Commandements and the Lords Prayer 16 Take heed lest being led away with the errour of the wicked you 2 Pet. 3. 17 fall from your own stedfastness Take heed of a threefold Apostacy of which this Nation is deeply guilty Of Apostacy 1 In your Judgements from the Truths of Christ and from the Faith once delivered to the Saints 2 In your Affections from that ancient love desire and delight which the Saints of God have had heretofore and you your selves once had in and towards the Ordinances of Christ and the godly and learned Ministers of Christ 3 In your conversations from that humble and exact walking with God in all good duties both towards God and man which was the credit and honour of the good old Puritan in former daies Let mee speak to you in the words of the Apostles Paul and Peter Wherefore my beloved Brethren bee yee stedfast 1 Cor. 15. â—â— and unmoveable c. The God of grace who hath called you into his eternal glory by Jesus Christ make you perfect stablish strengthen and settle you 17 Remember that it is the will of Jesus Christ that you who partake of the same word of life and of the same Sacramental Bread and Wine should admonish one another exhort one another watch over one another bear the burdens of one another provoke one another to love and good works seek the good of one another and not your own good only That you should warn the unruly comfort the feeble-minded and support the weak That this is your duty appears from Col. 3 16. Phil. 2.4 Heb. 1. 24. Gal. 6. 1 Rom. 15. 2. Rom. 14. 7. 2 Cor. 5.15 1 Thes 5. 11 13 14. The 12th vers speaks of Ministerial and authoritative admonition but the 13 and 14. verses of fraternal and charitative These Texts will rise up in Judgement against thousands of Christians at the last day I do not say that you are to admonish none but those of your own Society Admonition is an act of mercy It is spiritualis Eleemosyna spiritual Almes and you are bound by the royal law of charity by the communion of Saints the communion of Churches and communion of natures to distribute these spiritual almes to all that need them as God shall give occasion But this I say you ought especially to admonish them and watch over them This is novum though not solum vinculum Some Divines think that one chief reason why the Israelites were punished for Achans sin was because they did not admonish him and watch over him For the Israelites were commanded in the plural number Josh 6.18 Keep your selves from the accursed thing c. Hee was one of the body and because they did not watch over him they communicated in his sin and in his punishment There is an excellent Law in this Nation That every Parish shall provide for its own poor And by parity of reason it is as just and equal That every Congregation should chiefly and especially look to the souls of their own members to warn them admonish them exhort them and watch over them That you may the better discharge this duty you must labour to bee acquainted one with another as far as your callings and relations will give you leave It is a great and common sin and much to bee lamented That there is so little knowledge
Gods Saints are in this life subject to many great and tedious afflictions David was a man after Gods own heart and yet hee was a man made up of troubles of all sorts and sizes insomuch as hee professeth of himself Psal 69. 1 2 3. Save mee O God for the waters are come in unto my soul I sinke in deep mire where there is no standing I am come into deep waters where the flouds over-flow mee I am weary of my crying my throat is dryed mine eyes fail while I wait for my God And in this Text hee professeth that his afflictions were so great that hee must necessarily have perished under them had hee not been sustained by the powerful comforts hee fetched out of the word There is an emphasis in the word Then I should then have perished That is long before this time then when I was afflicted then I should have perished Junius and Tremelius translate it Jam diu periissem c. I should long ago have perished Job was a man eminent for godliness and yet as eminent for afflictions Nay Jesus Christ himself was a man of sorrows Isa 53.3 Insomuch as that it is truly said God had one Son without sin but no Son without sorrow This our dear Sister at whose Funeral wee are met was a woman full of many and great afflictions which no doubt would have quite drowned and swallowed her up had not the word of God supported her therefore it was that shee desired that this Text might bee the subject of her Funeral Sermon Quest But why doth God afflict his own children with such variety of long and great afflictions Ans 1. God doth not do this because hee hates them but because hee loves them For whom the Lord loveth hee chastiseth c. Heb. 12.6 Did the Lord hate them hee would suffer them to go merrily to hel There is no surer sign of Gods reprobating anger than to suffer a man to prosper in wicked courses God threatneth this as the greatest punishment not to punish them Hos 4.14 And therefore because God loveth his children hee chastiseth them in this world that they may not bee condemned in the world to come 1 Cor. 11.33 2 God doth not do this because hee would hurt them but for their good Jer. 24 5. The good figs were sent into captivity for their good Heb. 12.10 Hee for our profit c. God hath very gracious and merciful ends and aims in afflicting his people Give mee leave here to inlarge my discourse and to give you an account of some of these divine aimes 1 Gods design is to teach us to know him and to trust in him and to know our selves It is a true saying of Luther Schola crucis est Schola lucis the School of Affliction is a School of Instruction Gods 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 His rods when sanctified are powerful Sermons to teach us 1 To know God And this is life eternal to know him Joh. 17. 3. It is said of Manasseh 2 Chron. 33. 13. Then Manesseh knew that the Lord hee was God Then when hee was caught among the thorns bound with fetters and carried to Babylon before that time hee knew not the Lord Afflictions teach us to know God not only in his power and greatnesse in his anger and hatred against sin but also in his goodnesse and mercy For God doth so sweeten the bitter cup of affliction that a child of God doth many times taste more of Gods love in one months affliction than in many years of prosperity 2 Cor. 1. 4 5. 2 Cor. 7. 4. Adde to this Afflictions teach us to know God Experimentally and affectionatively not cerebraliter as Calvin saith but cordialiter so to know him as to love and fear him and to flye unto him as our rock and hiding-place in the day of our distress It is said Cant. 3. 1. By night I sought him whom my soul loveth c. Some by the word Night understand the night of divine desertion and from the words Gilbertus hath this saying Qui quaerit in nocte non quaerit ut videat sed ut amplectatur Hee that seeks after God in the night of adversity doth not seek to see him and know him formally and superficially but to imbrace him and to love him really and cordially And therefore the Church never left till shee had found Christ and when shee had found him she held him and would not let him go Cant. 3. 2 3 4. 2 Not only to know God but also to trust in him 2 Cor. 1. 9. Wee had the sentence of death in our selves that wee should not trust in our selves but in God which raiseth the dead Note here 1 That an Apostle is apt in time of prosperity to trust in himself 2 That God brings his children to the gates of death that they might learn not to trust in themselves but in God which raiseth the dead that is from a dead and desperate condition 3 Not only to know God but to know our selves which two are the chiefe parts of Christian religion It is said of the Prodigal that when hee was in adversity then hee came to himself Luk. 15. 17. And when hee came to himself He was spiritually distracted when hee was in prosperity Afflictions teach us to know that wee are but men according to that of David Psa 9. 2. Put them in fear O Lord that they may know themselves to bee but men Caligula and Domitian Emperors of Rome who in prosperity would bee called Gods when it thundred from Heaven were so terrified that then they knew they were but men In prosperity wee forget our mortality Adversity causeth us to know not only that wee are men but frail men that God hath us between his hands as it is Ezek. 21. 17. and can as easily crush us as wee do moths That wee are in Gods hands as the Clay in the hands of the Potter That hee hath an absolute soveraignty over us and that wee depend upon him for our being wel-being and eternal being These things wee know feelingly and practically in the day of affliction And it much concerns us to know these things and to know them powerfully For this will make us stand in awe of God and study to serve and please him Hee that depends upon a man for his livelihood knowing that hee hath him at an advantage and can easily undo him will certainly indeavour to comply with him and to obtain his favour The ground of all service and obedience is dependence And did wee really and experimentally know our dependence upon God and the advantages hee hath us at wee could not wee would not but comply with him and labour above all things to gain his love and favour 2 Gods aim in afflicting his children The second design of God in afflicting his children is either to keep them from sin or when they have sinned to bring them to repentance for it and
from it 1 To keep them from sin This made him send an Angel of Satan to buffet Paul lest hee should bee lifted up in pride and exalted above measure 2 Cor. 12. 7. 2 When they have sinned to bring them to repentance for it and from it God brings his children low not to trample upon them but to make them low in their own eyes and to humble them for sin Deut. 8. 2. God brings them into the deep waters not to drown them but to wash and cleanse them Isa 27. 9. By this shall the iniquity of Jacob be purged and this is all the fruit to take away sin c. Afflictions when sanctified are divine hammers to break and as Moses his rod to cleave our rocky hearts in peeces 1 They open the eyes to see sin Oculos quos culpa claudit paena aperit When the Brethren of Joseph were in adversity then they saw and not before the greatnesse of their sin in felling their Brother Gen. 42. 21. 2 They open the eare to discipline In prosperity wee turn a deaf ear to the voice of the charmer though he charm never so wisely But adversity openeth the ear and causeth us to attend When God spake upon Mount Sinah in a terrible manner then the people said unto Moses Speak thou unto us all that the Lord our God shall speak unto thee and wee will hear it and do it Deut. 5. 27. Memorable is that Text Jer. 2. 24. A wild Ass used to the Wilderness that snuffeth up the wind at her pleasure in her occasion who can turn her away all they that seek her will not weary themselves in her month they shall finde her in her month that is when she is great with young and near her time A wicked man in the day of his prosperity is like a wilde Ass used to the wilderness hee snuffeth at any that shall reprove him hee is of an uncircumcised ear and a rebellious heart but in his month that is when hee is bigge with afflictions then hee will be easily found this will open his ear to discipline 3 They will open the mouth to confess sin Judg. 10. 15. 4 They will command us to depart from iniquity Job 36. 8 9 10. Afflictions are Gods furnaces to purge out the dross of our sins Gods files to pare off our spiritual rust Gods fannes to winnow out our chaffe In prosperity wee gather much soil but adversity purgeth and purifieth us This is its proper work to work out unrighteousnesse Dan. 11. 35. Dan. 12. 10. 3 Gods end is not only to keep us The third design from sin but to make us holy and righteous therefore it is said Isa 26. 9. When thy judgements are in the earth the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness And Heb. 12. 10. hee for our profit that wee may bee partakers of his holinesse As the waters that drowned the old world did not hurt the Ark of Noah but bare it up above the earth and as they increased so the Ark was lifted up nearer and nearer to Heaven So afflictions when sanctified do not prejudice the Saints of God but lift them up nearer unto God in Holiness and heavenly-mindednesse 4 Gods design in afflicting his children is to make the world bitter unto The fourth design them and Christ sweet 1 To imbitter the world There are two lame leggs upon which all worldly things stand uncertainty and insufficiency All earthly things are like the earth founded upon nothing They are like houses made of wax that quickly melt away Riches and honours wife and children have wings and flye away they are like unto Absoloms Mule they will fail us when wee have most need of them They may puffe up the soul but they cannot satisfie it inflare possunt satiare animam non possunt They are all vanity and vexation of spirit so saith the Preacher but most people in time of health will not beleeve these things but when some great sicknesse betides them this is as a real Sermon to make out the truth of them then they see that a Velvet slipper cannot cure the Gout nor a golden cap the head ach Prov. 10. 4. That riches avail not in the day of wrath and this imbitters the world 2 To make Christ sweet and precious When Christ and his Disciples were in a ship together Mat. 8. 25. it is said that Christ was asleep and as long as the Sea was calm his Disciples suffered him to sleep but when they were ready to bee drowned then they awoke Christ and said Master save us wee perish Even the best of Saints when fatted with outward plenty and abundance are prone to suffer Christ to lye asleep within them and so neglect the lively actings of Faith upon Christ But when the storms of affliction and outward calamity begin to arise and they are ready to bee overwhelmed with distresses then none but Christ none but Christ 5 Gods design in afflicting his children is to prove and improve their graces 1 To prove their graces Rev. 2. 10. Deut. 8. 2. to prove the truth and the strength of them 1 The truth and sincerity of their graces For this cause hee loaded Job with afflictions to try whether hee served God for his Cammels and Oxen or for love to God As Solomons sword tried the true Mother from the false So the sword of affliction discovers the sincere Christian from the Hypocrite Distresses are divine touchstones to try whether wee bee true or counterfeit Saints That grace is true which upon tryal is found true 2 To try the strength of our graces For it requires a strong faith to indure great afflictions That Faith which will suffice for a little affliction will not suffice for a great one Peter had faith enough to come to Christ upon the Sea but assoon as the storm began to arise his Faith began to fail and Christ said Why art thou afratd O thou of little Faith Matth. 14. 30 31. It must bee a strong Faith that must keep us from sinking in the day of great distress 2 To improve our graces It is reported of the Lionesse that shee leaves her young ones till they have almost killed themselves with roaring and howling and then at last gaspe shee relieves them and by this means they become more couragious So God brings his children into the deeps and suffers Jonah to bee three daies and three nights in the belly of the Whale and David to cry till his throat was dry Psa 69. 3. and suffers his Apostles to bee all the night in a great storm till the fourth watch and then hee comes and rebukes the winds and by this means hee mightily increaseth their patience and dependence upon God and their Faith in Christ As the Palm-tree the more it is depressed the higher stronger and fruitfuller it growes So doth the graces of Gods people Lastly Gods aim in afflicting his people is to put an edge upon their prayers
God for above a year with great and most grievous pains shall at the close of her life when shee is upon the very brink of eternity have such a sweet refreshing and heart-chearing impression upon her spirit when heart fails and flesh fails When shee can hardly speak to express the greatnesse of her joy then to hear a voice as it were saying to her This day thou shalt bee with mee in Paradise This in all probability was the voice of God and not of man This was the Lords doing and it is marveilous in our eyes I for bear saying any more Shee is gone from a prison to a palace from a purgatory to a Paradise Shee is at rest with God where all tears are wiped away from her eyes The Lord fit us by has grace to follow her in due time into the Kingdome of glory Amen Mris. Elizabeth Moores EVIDENCES FOR HEAVEN Collected by her self in the time of her health in such manner and method as they are here presented to Publick view 1 Her Design in this Collection IN the examination of my self I finde that my Aims and Ends why I desire to gather together and clear up my Evidences for Heaven if my deceitful heart doth not deceive mee are these following 1 THat hereby as a means I may bee inabled to glorifie God in Design 1 the great work of beleeving that hereby with Gods blessing the dimme eye of my Faith may more clearly see the Lord Jesus Christ to bee a Peace-maker and Reconciler and Surety for mee even for mee who am by nature a fire-brand of Hell The time was I am sure when I was the Devils picture and had the black brand of Reprobation upon mee and therefore it doth neerly concern mee to search and trye what Evidences I have to prove that God fetching Arguments out of his own bowels and the riches of his free grace hath redeemed mee out of this lost estate 2 MY Aime is to strengthen that Design 2 longed for grace of Assurance A grace which though it bee not of absolute necessity for the being and salvation yet it is of absolute necessity for the well being and consolation of a Christian without this grace I can neither live nor dye comfortably and I have been often exhorted by Gods faithful Ambassadors to gather together my Scripture Evidences and to have the approbation of some godly and experienced Minister or Christian and this by Gods blessing may bee a means to strengthen Assurance Yea I finde in Scripture that the Lord saith that the Priests lips shall preserve Mal. 3.7 knowledge and thou shalt seek the Law at his mouth for hee is the Messenger of the Lord of Hosts 3 MY Aime is to obey God in his Word who hath commanded Design 3 mee by his Apostle to work out my own Phil. 2.12 2 Pet. 1. 10. 2 Cor. 13. 5. salvation with fear and trembling and to give all diligence to make my calling and election sure And I am exhorted to examine my self and prove my self whether I bee in the faith or no know yee not saith the Apostle that Christ is in you except you bee reprobates And if any man bee in Christ bee is a new Creature old things are passed away and all things are become new Now then to prove whether I bee in deed and in truth born again is my desire at this time the Lord help mee and give mee a sincere and upright heart and guide mee herein by his holy Spirit for the honour of his holy Name 2 A brief Collection of her Evidences for Heaven Blessed bee God who hath through his free mercy begotten mee to a hope Evidence First that I am regenerated and born from above and converted unto God Reason Because the Lord hath gone the same usual way with mee as with those hee pleaseth to convert to himself and this I shall make to appear in five or six particulars 1 The Lord by his Spirit accompanying the preaching of his Word caused the scales to fall from my eyes and opened them and set up a clear light in my understanding and made mee to see sin to bee exceeding sinful out of measure sinful and to look on it as the loathsomest thing in the world and on my self as a loathsome creature in Gods sight and in my own sight by reason of the Leprosie of sin wherewith I was over-run 2 The Lord brought mee to see the misery that I was in by reason of my sins I thought I was utterly forsaken of God and I thought that God would never accept of such a wretch as I saw my self to bee I could not think otherwise but that hell was my portion and that I by reason of my sins must go thither expecting every day when the Lord would glorifie himself in my damnation I saw my self in more misery because of my sins than I could then or now expresse to any body I looked upon God as a consuming fire and on my self as stubble ready to bee consumed by him c. 3 The Lord brought mee to a spiritual astonishment that I cried out What shall I do to bee saved and said with Paul Lord what wouldest thou have mee to do Do but make known to thy poor creature what thy will is and I thought I could do any thing or suffer any thing for the Lord. But since I have had some more knowledge of the holy Will of God woe is mee what a barren and unfruitful heart have I a heart that can neither do nor suffer any thing for the Lord as I ought to do But this I can say that the astonishment I was in by the sight of my sins and the misery I was plunged into put mee on the performance of holy duties especially prayer 4 The Lord took mee off my own bottome off my own righteousness and made mee to see that that was but a sandy foundation and would not hold out I was not taken off from the performance of holy duties no I thought with my self that I am commanded by God to perform holy duties which is the way and means whereby wee may meet with God For hee is ordinarily to bee injoyed no where but in his own ordinances but the Lord took mee off from resting and trusting in Ordinances And as hee made mee to see that without the practise of them hee would not accept of mee so also hee made mee to know that it was not for holy duties for which I was accepted The sins that cleave to my best performances are enough for which the Lord may justly condemn mee if I had no other sins 5 The Lord brought mee to see a Superlative beauty and excellency in the Lord Jesus Christ and my soul was deeply in love with him even with whole Christ in all his offices and if I know any thing at all of my own heart I desired Christ as much to bee my King and Prophet to teach and guide mee and subdue mee