of the Almighty that is the pricking stinging sense of Gods displeasure were within him Chap. 6.4 the poyson whereof drunk up his spirits and the terrouts of God set themselves in aray against him yet afterwards God shined upon Job graciously Job 42.4 turned his face and favour towards him and Job saw God with the seeing of the eye which imports clearer discoveries of God to him than hee had formerly and the Lord blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning Vers 12 Heman the Ezrahite who was one of the wisest men in all Israel 1 King 4.31 Psal 88. next after Solomon who is described to bee under as heavy a condition of a deserted wounded spirit as any wee read of complains as grievously in that sad Psalm of terrours and anguish as if hee was in Hell Vers 3. My soul is full of troubles and my life draweth nigh to the grave Thou hast laid mee in the lowest pit Vers 6. in darknesse in the deep as if hee was already possessed of the torments of hell Vers 7. and in the gult of despair Thy wrath lieth hard upon mee and thou hast afflicted mee with all thy waves the waves of Gods wrath beat with endlesse and violent dashings upon his soul Vers 14. Lord why castest thou off my soul why hidest thou thy face from mee I am afflicted and ready to dye Vers 15. from my youth up while I suffer thy terrours I am distracted Vers 16 thy fierce wrath goeth over mee thy terrours have cut mee off c. What a deep sense had Heman of Gods wrath and the effects thereof as 1 That it was fierce wrath 2 Overwhelming it went over him 3 Affrighting cutting killing wrath thy terrours have cut mee off 4 Surrounding wrath compassing him about like deep waters They i. e. thy wraths came about mee like water Vers 17. 5 Continuing wrath all the day yea many years even from his youth up was hee exercised with the terrours of the Lord with the fears and feeling of his wrath so that hee thought the reviving of his soul by comfort would be no less than wonders shewed to the dead a miracle of mercy and causing of the dead to arise and praise God Vers 10. Now though Heman was cast down so low yea cast off as to his sense yet not indeed for hee had support in the deeps of his distresse because he could in some measure exercise faith and prayer O Lord God of my Salvation Vers 1. I have cryed ngiht and day before thee let my prayer come before thee c. Vers 2. yea hee resolved to continue praying till God gave him an answer of peace and comfort Vers 13. Doubtlesse God compensated his delay with exuberancy of comfort David a man after Gods own heart Psal 143.4 42.11 119.25 yet even his heart was sometimes full of heaviness and desolate and his soul was disquieted and dejected within him and did cleave unto the dust Psal 38.2.3 Thine arrows saith he to God stick fast in mee and thy hand presseth mee sore There is no soundnesse in my flesh because of thine anger neither is there any rest in my bones because of my sin for mine iniquities are gone over my head as an heavy burden Vers 4. they are too heavy for me I am troubled I am bowed down greatly I go mourning all the day long Uers 6. I am feeble and sore broken I have roared by reason of the disquietnesse of my heart Uers 8. Yet in duetime God quickned him according to his word and made him full of joy with the light of his Countenance Jesus Christ was a perfect Anatomy of an afflicted soul as Mr. Mat. 26.38 Greenham calls him in his agony both in the garden when hee said my soul is exceeding sorrowful even unto death which made him pray thrice most fervently Luk. 22.44 to his father If it bee possible let this cup passe from mee and made him sweat great drops of blood falling down to the ground and on the crosse for his agony continued lesse or more till his death when hee cryed out being ready to breath out his last my God my God why hast thou forsaken mee when the wrath of God for our sinnes lay upon his humane soul in the weight of it the Godhead with-drawing it self for a while as to sense not to support Christs example in this case is most comfortable for an afflicted conscience you may read of such dreadful desertions storied in the lives of many who were dear to God I will relate three remarkable examples which are well collected by Mr. Bolton in his instructions for comforting afflicted consciences because this little peece may come into some hands who have not read the same in any other book Mr. Peacock a worthy servant of God when hee reckoned with himself about some smaller sinnes for these saith hee I feel now an Hell in my conscience upon other occasions as the visits and speeches of his friends hee groaned and cried out lamentably Oh mee wretch Oh mine heart is miserable Oh Oh miserable and woful the burden of my sinnes lyeth so heavy upon mee I doubt it will break my heart oh how woful and miserable is my state that thus must converse with hell-hounds But before his end hee was wonderfully recovered and raised up from his depth of spirituall misery to a height of heavenly joy and comfort as appears by his speeches I do saith hee God be praised feel such comfort from that what shall I call it Agony said one that stood by nay saith hee that is too little had I five thousand worlds I could not make satisfaction for such an issue Oh the Sea is not more full of water nor the Sunne of light than the Lord of mercy yea his mercies are ten thousand times more what great cause have I to magnify the great goodnes of God that hath humbled nay rather exalted such a wretched miscreant to an estate so glorious and stately The Lord hath honoured mee with his goodnesse The joy that I feel in my heart is incredible Mr. Glover of whom you may read in the Acts and Monuments was exercised divers years with tentations stings of Conscience unexpressible pangs of grief and buffetings of Satan Upon apprehension of some backsliding hee was so perplexed that if hee had been in the deepest pit of hell he could almost have despaired no more of his salvation which exceedingly wasted his body decayed his senses so as he could have no joy of his meat yet hee was forced to eat against his appetite to defer the time of his damnation so long as hee might conceiving he should be thrown down into hell as soon as the breath was out of his body yet afterward hee was so raised ravished and spiritualized that as Mr. Fox relates hee was like one placed in heaven already and dead
heart commonly cool and wither when the occasion of them ceaseth But true desires flowing out of the heart are sed with the lasting spring of grace in it the waters whereof shall not sail They are restlesse never quiet till they be satisfied uncessant till prevalent ever rising and rolling till they rest in the Center of obtaining They that desire Christ and grace pardon and peace c. aright are not only importunately but uncessantly greedy for them and will bee Gods Remembrancers night and day and give him no rest till hee give them their hearts desires Neither delayes nor repulses can crush or quash sincere desires Mat. 15. See this exemplified in the woman of Canaan Desires are true when they are the bias of the soul which inclines or leads it the right way scil Christ-ward Grace-ward Heaven-ward when they do as by a proper Motion carry out our souls freely and constantly after these as sparks flye upward as the stone moves downard and waters run forward Psal 119.20 My soul breaketh for the longing it hath to thy judgements at all times saith David and my soul thirsteth after thee Psal 143.6 as a thirsty land that gapes continually till God give Rain So much for the first direction for the right comforting of afflicted souls The second Direction is this Caution them against four evills to take heed 1 That they do not dishonour God in the time of their desertions and distractions by unworthy thoughts of him or hard speeches against him by murmurings at him or quarrelings with him for his assaultings of them with Terrours and anguish for his withdrawings from them of light and influences and for his far distance and long absence from them Hereupon they are apt to think and say that God is not so loving and kind tender and ready to help as his word reports him to bee The Psalmist when his spirit was overwhelmed his soul troubled and refused to bee comforted then hee began to call Gods mercy Psal 77.2 Vers 7 8. Truth and faithfulness into question will the Lord cast off for ever will hee bee favourable no more Is his mercy clean gone for ever doth his promise fail for evermore Vers 10. But hee checks himself for it I said this is mine infirmity or this doth make mee sick It should bee the chief care of Gods people what ever they suffer from God not to sin against God whatever God doth to them to think and speak only the thing that is right and to justifie God when ever they judge themselves This was Jobs comfort and commendation in his great affliction In all this did not Job sin with his lips Job 1.22 with cha 2.10 nor charge God foolishly Despair of Gods mercy is high treason against his Majesty and a flat denyall of his Deity Gods glory should bee dearer to us than our lives souls or the salvation of them and the more tender wee are of it the more will God tender the comfort of our souls and lives It was the frequent and fervent petition of a Godly man in his tentations Lord maintain honourable thoughts of thy self in mee 2 Caution that they do not destroy their own souls either 1 By denying what God hath done for them to wit the work of grace begun in their hearts his love to them his choice and calling of them saying they have no grace they are Reprobates cast-awayes whereby they bear false witnesse 1 Against themselves which is unnatural 2 Against the grace of God and against the God of grace his work in them and goodnesse to them which is most unworthy and ungratefull 2 Or by refusing what God would give to them scil grace mercy peace and joy wilfull refusal whereof is wilfull murder like cutting of the throat or stabbing to the heart yea self murder It isblood-guiltinesse yea guilt of the blood of souls yea of their own souls and should not your precious immortal souls be dearer to you than all the world labour to convince them that by such a denyall or refusall they make themselves false witnesses and murderers 3 Caution Joh. 8.44 that they do not gratifie Satan who is 1 A Lyar the Father of Lyes because there is no truth in him 2 A Murtherer sc of souls from the beginning and will be so to the end 3 An Accuser of the Brethren the children of God unto God their Father Job 1.9 as hee was of Job to God that he was an Hypocrite or hireling Doth Job fear God for naught and an accuser of God unto them as if hee was a hard Master cruel to crush poor souls under his feet and took pleasure in their destruction or at least that God doth not with them all the good or so well as hee might Thus Satan in the Serpent calumniated God to out first Parents of untruth as if the word which hee had spoken in threatning death was not true Gen. 3.4 yee shall not surely dye and of envy as if God had out of ill will forbid them that Tree or for fear lest by eating thereof they should become as wise as himself Presse and perswade poor afflicted souls to beware they do not gratifie Satan 1 By entertaining parley with him as Eve did which was the cause of her foil and fall The old Serpent being full of all subtlety will bee too hard for them It is the first game hee desires to play with troubled souls to argue the case with them about their spirituall condition to circumvent and deceive them with his wiles 2 By hearkning to his tentations and suggestions as these and the like 1 To cast off ordinances neglect duties in publick and in private which are the means of grace peace and comfort to hear read pray meditate c. as if these were needless or to no purpose and they should bee no better for them This is Satans plot to starve poor souls by cutting off provision from them or them from it This perswasion commeth not from God that calleth you but from the Devil who seeketh to subvert and devour you 2 To harbour Jealousies and evil surmisings of God or derogatory dishonourable thoughts such as Satan casts into your mind as if God was not mercifull pittifull faithfull c. These and the like suggestions are the bolts which Satan makes for disconsolate discontented souls to shoot at God or a coat of dis-honour which Satan shapes or cuts out for them to few and put upon the Lord. 3 To cast away their confidence and lay hope aside and give over seeking and waiting on God any longer and to throw themselves into a Gulf of despair This is to do the Devil a real kindness and to give their souls a fatal blow for hereby they make themselves a prey to Satan 4 To make a wrong judgement of themselves and of their condition by false Reasonings which are Satans Sophistry to conclude themselves out of the state of Grace out of
is establish them by comforting them 2 Thes 2.17 Ver. 2. and that they may not bee soon shaken in mind nor troubled Consolation is a means of confirmation 6 Comfort is commodious to edify others in holiness and obedience for consolation is a means of Edification Comfort as well as Counsell builds men up further into the body of Christ Phil. 3.13 for it corroborates the heart it heightens and raiseth up their spirits to a higher pitch of resolutions and indeavours with Paul to forget those things that are behind former attainments and performances and to reach forth unto those things which are before that is a greater measure of grace from God or of actings for God Hence the Churches in Judea and Galilee were edified and multiplied while they walked in the fear of the Lord and comfort of the Holy Ghost Act. 9.31 Paul exhorts the Thessalonians to comfort and edifie one another that is to edifie by comforting 1 Thes 5.11 1 For Comfort is a great incouragement to duties as Hezechiahs comfortable words were to the Levites hearts that taught the good knowledge of the Lord to excite them to go on 2 Chron. 30.22 and to the hearts of the people commanders and souldiers to fortifie and animate them against the fear of the King of Assyria and his multitude 2 Chron. 32.6 7 8 2 Consolation is a means to lead others forward towards perfection therefore Paul joyns them together 2 Cor. 13.11 finally brethren farewell be perfect be of good comfort Secondly 1 Comfort may bee needfull also in respect of the bodyes of others or outward man which would perish in their afflictions were not their souls strengthened by comforts to stand under the weight and pressure thereof Comforts are sinnews to the Soul and great repairers of strength and refreshers or cheerers of spirits even to the body Reas 2. From the misery of them that want comfort It s a most sad condition to be in affliction and to have no comforter Eccl. 4.10 for such are alone and woe to him that is alone and they bear their burdens alone and so are like to sink under them This was a great aggravation of Davids troubles when reproach had broken his heart Isal 69 19 20 and hee was full of heavinesse I looked for some to take pity but there was none and for Comforters but I found none And when hee was in the cave Psal 143.3 4 whither hee fled from Sauls persecution and his spirit was overwhelmed within him I looked on my right hand and beheld but there was no man that would know mee Lam. 1. verse 2.8 16 17.21 no man cared for my soul And of Sions miseries that shee had no comforter which is five times repeated in the first Chapter of Lamentations Solomon considered this to bee a great evil under the Sun scil the tears of the oppressed and the power of the oppressor Eccl. 4.1 and the oppressed had no Comforter This was the deplorable estate of the Jews in their captivity Isaiah 54.11 so some understand that in Isaiah O thou afflicted tossed with tempest and not comforted This was Ninevehs said case in her miserable ruine she had none to bemoan her nor to comfort her Nah. 3.7 Reas 3. From the excellency of the duty in it self this is high and honourable imployment to comfort others for it is 1 The work of God 2 The practice of the godly 1 It is the work of God to comfort poor souls Isa 57.15 2 Cor. 7.6 of the highest God to comfort the lowest hearts even abjects God is not ashamed of the businesse no hee gloryeth in it as in a title of Excellency 2 Cor. 1.3 Isa 51.12 to be called the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort as in a beam of Majesty stream of mercy and exercise of delight I Ver. 3 even I am hee that comforteth you and the Lord shall comfort Sion as a Father doth his Sonne Psal 103.13 and a mother doth hers As one whom his mother comforteth saith God So will I comfort you Isa 66 13 and yee shall bee comforted in Jerusalem yea Gods compassions and comforts toward his people farre exceed those of the most tender hearted mother to her sucking child Isa 49.19 Can a mother forget her sucking child c. yea they may but I will not forget thee saith God to Sion To comfort is the act as of the Deity so of the Trinity and of every person in it 1 Of God the Father 2 Cor. 1.3 The Father of our Lord Jesus Christ is the Father of mercies the God of all comfort 2 To comfort is the act of God the Sonne for hee as God-man and Mediatour is the fountain of all consolation If there be any Consolation in Christ saith Paul Phil. 2.1 Hee doth not question it but suppose it or takes it for granted q. d. seeing there is or as ever yee look to receive comfort from Christ fulfil yee my joy Isa 61.1 2 c. Christ is appointed by the Father and annointed by the Holy Ghost to comfort his people by office as their Prophet Christ suites comfort to the sufferings of his people for kind and proportions them for measure 2 Cor. 1.5 as Paul saith As the sufferings of Christ abound in us so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ Joh. 14.18 Christ promiseth comfort to them as hee did to his Disciples I will not leave you comfortlesse Joh. 16.20 22 I will come to you 3 To comfort is the act of God the holy Ghost It is his proper work to speak or apply comforts to the hearts of Gods people from the father and the Son Hence 1 Hee is call'd the Comforter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the prime and principal of all comforters 2 Hee is prayed for by the Sonne to the Father and promised both by the Father and the Sonne to bee sent as from both John 14 16.26 15.26 16.7 under this name and Notion or for this purpose to bee a comforter to his people God the father is the author of all comfort by destination or appointment of it to us for hee hath appointed us to obtain as salvation so consolation by Jesus Christ 2 Cor. 1.3 4 5 and hee comforteth us by his Son hence our consolation is said to abound by Christ 2 God the Son is the Author of Consolation 1 By redemption or purchase as of us so of joy and comfort for us by his bloud as the price thereof so that the Christians comfort is a dear-bought commodity to Christ it cost him not only exceeding sorrow but his bloud and his life 2 By reception of it as Christ bought it so he took it and keeps it for our use when he ascended up on high he received as gifts Psal 68 18 so comforts for men to give forth the same to them thus it
pleased the Father that all comfort should bee laid up in Christ as in a Treasury or Store house for all his people and that Christ should send forth the same to them as the fountain doth water 3 By Dispensation or by Office as he is our Prophet Isa 61.1 2 3 which he executes and so comforteth us by his Spirit which he hath given us 3 God the Holy Ghost is the Author of Consolation by application of it to us for that is his proper work of all that comfort to our hearts which the Father hath appointed to us and which Christ hath obtained and keeps for us As by Baptism wee are dedicated to the service and committed to the protection of the Trinity Father Son and Spirit so we should devote our selves freely to the imitation of the blessed Trinity as in Sanctification to be holy as all the three Persons Father Son and Spirit are holy so in compassion and in consolation to be merciful as they are merciful and to comfort others as they are all comforters wee should count it our glory to be followers of the glorious Trinity herein Secondly To comfort others hath been the practice of the godly even of the most eminent Servants of God as of Job the most rich and religious man in the East Behold Job 4.3 4 saith Eliphas thou hast instructed many and thou hast strengthened the weak hands and the feeble knees thy words have upholden him that was falling Thus to support the weak and comfort the faint was not only Jobs practice but his praise therefore it is ushered in with an ecce Behold c. for so Eliphas speaks of it as a thing that many could attest to Jobs commendation and of the Prophets in the Old Testament Isa 40.1 2 to whom God gave charge to comfort his people And of the Apostles in the New Testament and of their Ministers and Fellow-labourers as Timotheus Tychicus Titus and others And of the Primitive Christians no doubt according to Apostolick injunctions Paul had confidence in Philomous obedience Philem. 21 knowing that he would do even more than hee said and great joy and consolation in his love because the bowels of the Saints were refreshed by him Vers 7. How Ans By commiseration consolation contribution intercession and the like Reas 4. From the equity of the duty in respect of us we ought to comfort others 1 Because we would bee comforted by others in our distress and whatever we would that others should do to us we should do the same to them Mat. 7.12 for this is the Law and the Prophets This duty should be mutual and reciprocal among Christians even those that comfort others may stand in need to be comforted by others as Eliphaz told Job Job 4.4 5 Thou comfortedst others c. But now it that is the affliction and misery is come upon thee and thou faintest it toucheth thee and thou art troubled i.e. Thou now hast as much need to be comforted by others as others had to be comforted by thee Is not this thy fear and thy confidence c. Vers 6. This was the errour of Jobs friends to lay down good premises and to infer bad conclusions by misapplying the same to Job as if he were an Hypocrite Vers 7 and all his Graces counterfeit 2 Because all true Christians have an interest in comfort it is their portion in comforting them wee give them that which is their own and in not doing it we with-hold from them what of due belongs to them 3 To this end God gives us abilities and experiences that we may be able to comfort others upon the account whereof wee are Debtors to others 2 Cor. 1.4 God comforteth us in all our Tribulations saith Paul that wee may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble by the comfort where-with wee our selves are comforted of God that even as persons of ability keep Bottles of Strong Waters Cordials and other comfortable things to refresh their friends or strangers when sick or faint we should keep the like in the closets of our hearts to comfort others in their afflictions As the Moon and Starres receive light from the Sun not to hoard it up in themselves like dark Lanthorns but to reflect it upon the earth and things below so we receive comfort freely from the Lord to the end we should give comfort freely to others 4 Lastly This is our Office as wee are members of the same body with others As the Stomack first feeds it self with the food it concocts then communicates nourishment to all other members the Heart and Liver send forth spirits and bloud throughout the body when they have received nourishment and strength so every Joynt or Member in Christs mystical Body should make a supply of consolation or instruction c. that is of what may nourish strengthen and encrease to his Fellow-members Ephes 4.16 according to the measure of that gift or grace hee hath received from his head Christ Jesus The bond of Brother-hood that is among Christians ties them thereunto to communicate what they have received from the Lord to the good of others Jude 20. Edifie your selves in your most holy faith To this end Love knits Christians together to make them communicative of good one to another and receptive thereof one from another to make them partakers in the graces and comforts one of another as the members of the body being tied together receive nourishment one from another Q. How may we comfort afflicted consciences that are wounded and dejected with sense of sin and of Gods Wrath and want of grace and draw nigh to the pits brink of despair and refuse to be comforted Ans 1. Set before them and apply to them as before our selves in the like case these Eight Grounds of consolation 1 The boundlesness and freeness of Gods pardoning reconciling accepting healing mercies to Sinners infinitely exceeding all their sins Psal 103.11 12 Vers 17 and all their unworthinesses in multitude and in magnitude in all dimensions and in duration Gods mercy is like the great deep Ocean without bank or bottom which can as easily swallow up mountains of sins as mole-hills or motes Therefore to doubt or despair or to give way to despondency of mind is to forsake our own mercy to sin against mercy which is one of the highest and most confounding aggravations of sin Lam. 3.22 Set also before them the bowels of Gods compassions which are most tender and yearning and fail not the riches of his free Grace which are the Treasures of Eternity that cannot be diminished by distribution but rather like the five Loaves wherewith Christ fed the five thousand men beside women children they multiply with breaking and the freeness unchangeableness and everlastingness of his love to poor sinners Hos 14.4 Jer. 31.3 that never deserved it or any thing from God but Wrath and Judgement Obj. But God
is just as well as merciful how can he justifie and save great sinners Second Ground The infiniteness of Christs Merits of his Death and passion or obedience which is sufficient to satisfie Gods Justice pacifie his Wrath and fulfill his Law perfectly and is as able to take away the sins of the whole World as of one man and more able to save you than your sins are to condemn you Act. 20.28 his sufferings being the obedience of a God or of him that was God as wel as man whereas your sins are but the finite acts of men poor silly shallow Creatures that are before him or in comparison of him as nothing Isa 40.14 Psal 130.7 8 yea less than nothing and vanity Set before them also the plentiousness of Redemption that is in Christ that he can and will deliver them from all their sins and from all the evils that accompany them or arise from them and the prevalence of his intercession in Heaven to make application of his Redemption and the benefits thereof to sinners on earth Heb. 7.29 whereby he is able to save to the uttermost all that come to God by him Tell them that to refuse Jesus Christ his merits and benefits who came from Heaven on purpose to save them from their sins and from Hell and to receive them to glory in Heaven is to refuse salvation and how can they escape great damnation who thus reject great salvation Comfort cost Christ dear for them and should they cast it away Obj. What though the merits of Christs Death be of infinite value and vertue they do not belong to us what shall we bee better for them Ans Set before them Third Ground The free gracious and general tender of Christ and of pardon peace grace joy and glory with him to all and every one that will receive him without respect of persons made in the Gospel and in the promulgation or preaching of it as God so loved the World Joh. 3.16 that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever beleeveth in him should not perish but have everlasting life And Mark 16.15 16 Go yee into all the world preach the Gospel to every Creature what is the Gospel He that beleeveth in Christ shall be saved and he that beleeveth not shall bee damned 2 Cor. 5.19 20 that God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself not imputing to them their sins And Christ sends his Ministers as Embassadours to beseech sinners in Christs stead to be reconciled to God and commits unto them the word of Reconciliation To this end as Moses lift up the Serpent in the Wilderness so Christ is lift up upon the Pole of the Gospel in the sight of all sinners that whosoever beleeveth in him should not perish If yee thrust these tenders of Christ and Salvation away from you when made to you yea threaped upon you then you judge your selves unworthy of everlasting life as the Jews of Antioch did Act 13.46 when they put the Word of God away from them Obj. How can we expect Christ should bee willing to receive us or to be received by us What face can we have to come unto him or what hope to be welcome Fourth Ground Set before them Christs gracious invitation of all to him that feel any want of him or have any desire to him as Come unto me all yee that labour and are heavie laden and I will give you rest I said Mat. 11.28 behold me behold me Isa 65.1 unto a Nation not called by my name that is as some interpret it I invited the Gentiles and called upon them to look after mee and come in to mee I am sought of them that asked not for mee I am found of them that sought mee not that is the Gentiles whom hee called to bee his people or to his Covenant of grace who before were not his people or had no relation to him either of name or interest Hee prevented their seeking of him by his seeking and finding them of his own good will and pleasure Together with Christs invitation set before them Christs promise of Reception and of non rejection to any that will come unto him All that the Father giveth mee shall come to mee saith Christ and him that commeth to mee Ioh. 6.37 I will in no wise cast out Joh. 5.40 and his complaint that men will not come unto him that hee might give them life Object Did ever any obtain mercy and pardon that were so vile and unworthy as wee are The fifth Ground Set before them the experiences or examples of Gods mercy manifested 2 Chron. 33.2 3 11 12 13. and of Christs merits applyed to the greatest of sinners as to Manasseh a mighty sinner witness his idolatry diabolicall arts of severall kinds his cruelty for hee filled Jerusalem with innocent blood 2 King 24.4 and hee made Judah and the Inhabitants of Jerusalem to erre and to do worse than the Heathen Yet for all this hee besought the Lord in his Affliction and humbled himself greatly before the God of his Fathers and he was intreated of him and heard his supplication And to Paul who was before a Blasphemer a Persecutor 1 Tim. 1.13 14.15 and Contumelious yea the chief of sinners But I obtained mercy saith hee and the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant towards mee To Mary Magdalen Mar. 16.9 out of whom Christ had cast seven Devils to whom he appeared first after his Resurrection Luk. 7.37 38. 48. 1 Cor. 6.9 10 11. And to the woman in the City that had been a notorious sinner and to some of the Corinthians and if to such why then not to you why will you exclude or cut off your selves from Gods mercy and Christs merits which were held forth to others as bad or worse than you yet they imbraced the same why may not yea why should not you do the same Object Never any were plunged so deep in distresse of soul as wee are Is there any sorrow like unto our sorrow The sixth Ground Set this before them that some of Gods dear servants have drunk very deep of the cup of soul-troubles or of trembling of the wine of astonishment sc inward anguish horrours and terrours and gone down to their sense even to the gates of Hel whom God raised up afterwards and ravished with joy as if they were in Heaven having given them a full cup of Consolation to drink Such was Jobs condition Job 13.24 when God hid his face from him and held him for his enemy Vers 26 and writ bitter things against him When God skared him with dreams Chap. 7.14 15.20 and terrified him through visions so that his soul chose strangling and death rather than life when God set him as a mark to shoot at Job 30.18 so that he was a burden to himself and when hee went mourning without the Sun when the arrows
obtained mercy that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all long suffering for a pattern to them which should hereafter beleeve on him to life everlasting Paul commends himself for his grace and labour through grace to commend God for his mercy and grace to poor sinners that none may despair of either but apprehend a possibility and hope thereof seeing he obtained both who was so unworthy of it Fourth Case is Fourth Case To give others occasion and provocation 1 To pray for us as the Apostle did the Hebrews Heb. 13.18 Pray for us for we trust wee have a good Conscience in all things willing to live honestly Paul speaks of his good Conscience and honest living to them to bespeak their prayers to God for him 2 To praise God for us and glorifie God on our behalf Paul craved the Corinthians not only prayers but praises that thanks may be given to God by many on the behalf of him and Timothy 2 Cor. 1.11 12 Why so For our rejoycing is this the restimony of our Conscience that in all simplicity and godly sincerity and by the grace of God we have had our conversation in the World and more abundantly to you wards The conversion of sinners Gal. 1.24 Eph. 1.15 16 and the graees of the Saints are just occasion of great thanksgiving to God 3 To glory on our behalf before others especially those that seek to traduce and slander us 2 Cor. 5.11 12 We are made manifest in your Consciences saith Paul to the Corinthians that is we have attested and manifested our sincerity to you not to get praise from you Vers 12. but to give you an occasion to glory on our behalf that you may have somewhat to answer the false Apostles the enemies of our credit and comfort which glory in the face and not in heart 2 Thes 1.4 Paul gloried in the Thessalouians in the Churches of God for their faith and patience in all their tribulations Fifth case is Fifth Case when others require an account of our faith holiness obedience or experience as Christ asked the Disciples Mar. 16.19 Ioh. 21.15 Whom say yee that I am and Peter Simon thou Son of Jonas lovest thou me or when any ask us a reason of the hope that is in us either for their satisfaction to know what manner of persons we are whether the root of the matter be in us or what progress wee have made in Christianity or for their instruction to learn something from us concerning Gods dealings with us 1 Pet. 3.15 in this case we should be ready always to give an answer to every man be free and open to them Sixth Case Sixth Case When wee would propound our selves unto others as examples of faith patience godliness or the like to draw others to follow our steps To this end we should invite them to us and tell them what God hath done for our souls as the Psalmist did Psal 66.16 Paul commended himself to the Philippians as a pattern for their imitation or copy to write after Phil. 3.17 Brethren saith he bee followers together of me c. Wherein Hee declares his steps throughout the Chapter in worshipping God in the Spirit Vers 3. Vers ◠and rejoycing in Christ Jesus in counting all things dung for Christ in being found in Christ having on his righteousness Vers 9 10 Vers 12 13 14 20 and being made conformable to him in forgetting what is behind and pressing towards the mark in having his conversation in heaven Christs Ministers do often preach their own Graces Lives Experiences that the hearts and lives of their Hearers may bee fashioned and ordered accordingly Seventh Case Seventh Case When our enemies accuse us falsly and our friends who can and ought to vindicate us refuse or neglect to do it then we may commend our selves and bear witness to our selves 2 Cor. 12.11 as Paul saith he was compelled to doe because the Corinthians would not do it for him when the false Apostles did slanderously asperse him I am saith he become a fool in glorying yee have compelled or necessitated me 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for I ought to have been commended of you It was your duty to have attested my uprightness and unblameableness and to have maintained the honour of my Ministry and to have contested for me with my undermining false accusing Opposers but yee would not commend me therefore am I forced to commend my self and if I bee a fool in glorying yee have made yea constrained me to be so Eighth Case Eighth Case To shew and approve our integrity and reality that we are Israelites indeed sound at bottom not almost but altogether Christians before those to whom we relate or with whom wee have to do to make our selves manifest in their Consciences as Paul did to the Corinthians 2 Cor. 5.11 to stand right in their opinion and make it appear that wee seek not theirs but them 2 Cor. 12.14 1 Thes 3.4 5 6 not their praise nor their Temporal good but their Spiritual profit that they may be saved 1 Cor. 10.33 that we may appeal to God and them as witnesses thereof as Paul did to the Thessalonians Yee are witnesses and God also Vors 10.11 how holily justly and unblameably wee behaved our selves among you that beleeve Thus wee may commend our selves 1 To uphold the credit of our Callings as Paul did of his Ministry 2 To further the success of our labours as Paul did in his Epistles to the Churches to adde weight to his Doctrin 3 To promote the efficacy of the Counsel or charge we give to others and make it penetrate as Paul related to Timothy That he served God from his fore-fathers with a pure conscience and had remembrance of him in his prayers night and day To what end 2 Tim. 1.8 To perswade him to hearken to his advice which was to stirre up the gift of God which is in him 2 Tim. 1.6 by the putting on of Pauls hands i. e. execute the office to which he was set apart by imposition of hands 4 To manifest our love to others by unbosoming our selves or opening our hearts or the cabinet of our souls to them to let them look in and see the treasures of graces comforts and experiences the Jewels God hath laid up in them 2 King 20.13 as Hezekiah shewed the Embassadours of the King of Babylon the house of his precious things to testifie his respect to them and as men shew their best Rooms and Furniture Jewels and Ornaments to them they love best Also to gain their love to us to insinuate into their bosoms and bee a means of doing them more good to take prejudice off their spirits against us and jealousies of us and to obtain kindness from them Receive us saith Paul to the Corinthians 2 Cor. 7.2 Why so for wee have wronged no man defrauded no man
that which hee seeth me to be or heareth of me Gods holy humble Servants take notice of the evils as well as of the good that is in themselves of their sins as well as of their vertues they can say Our transgressions are with us Isa 59.12 and as for our iniquities we know them and they are as free and forward as they have occasion to confess their sins before God and Man and take shame to themselves and to bewail their wants and failings as to shew forth their vertues yea they have usually conjoyned Selfvilification with Self-commendation that pride of heart might not bee either the Mother or the Daughter of their own praises that is that commending of themselves might not proceed from inward pride nor their spirits bee puffed up with outward praises of themselves or from others When they have commended themselves for their Graces or labours they have manifested a base esteem of themselves for their infirmities As Job when he had pleaded his integrity before God and righteousness before man as strenuously as he could he saith Behold I am vile Job 40.4 what shall I answer thee I will lay my hand upon my mouth When God lift up Job by giving him a sight of himself Now mine eye seeth thee Job 42 5 Job cast down himself in sense of his own vileness Wherefore I abhor my self Vers 6 and repent in dust and ashes Paul discommends himself for his former sinfulness and present unworthiness in 1 Cor. 15.8 9. I am the least of the Apostles not meet to be called an Apostle because I persecuted the Church of God before hee commends himself for his Grace and labours in vers 10. By the grace of God I am that I am I laboured more abundantly than they all c. Though hee magnified his Office yet he vilified himself as unworthy to bear it Unto me who am less than the least of all Saints is this grace given Ephes 3.8 that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ Paul calls himself the greatest of sinners 1 Tim. 1.13 14 15 when he speaks of the superabundant grace of God to him at his conversion and in him afterwards as faith and love and of Christs making him a pattern of his mercy and patience to future beleevers when he said Vers 16. I am in nothing behind the very chiefest Apostles he adds Though I be nothing when he declares his delight in the Law of God after the inner man in Rom. 7.22 and his serving it with the mind vers 25. he exclaims himself miserable from the sense of sin O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me c. It is good to mingle our commendations with an allay or addition of something to testifie the sense of our infirmities and to keep our spirits low and humble 3 Modestly when we speak of our Graces and performances soberly not in a boasting way Dan. 4.30 or vauntingly as proud Nebuchadnezzar did of his great Babylon which hee had built Dan. 4.30 Mark the modesty of the Saints expressions in their Self-commendations they have used to extenuate their praises and to aggravate their sins and unworthiness as Job Iob 12.3 when he saith to his friends I am not inferiour to you or as it is in the Hebr. I do not fall before you to wit in wisdom holiness integrity when he might have really asserted himself superiour to them herein How modest and sparing was Paul in speaking of matters that concerned his own praise and how oft doth he call himself a fool for his glorying though he was justly moved yea provoked and compelled thereto I suppose 2 Cor. 11.5 saith he I was not a whit behind the very chiefest Apostles q. d. I wanted not a hair breadth of their stature when indeed hee was above or before them both in labours and in sufferings 2 Cor. 11.24 to 29. so I think saith he to the Corinthians I have the Spirit of God he might have said I know it I am assured of it but hee speaks thus modestly but thinking to confute the confidence of their vain-glorious boasting Teachers as if they certainly had the Spirit of God yet had it not and the Corinthians too good conceit of them and their slighting of Paul Heb. 13.18 as if he had not the Spirit or boasted of it Pray for us saith Paul to the Hebrews for wee trust wee have a good conscience in all things desiring to live honestly Paul might truly have spoken oft of himself after a higher rate than he did 2 The manner of Self-commendation in respect of God when we speak of the good we have or do thankfully 1 With a free acknowledgement of God as the sole Author of all that whatsoever wee have we have received it from the Lord 1 Cor. 4.7 that it is his grace that makes us to be what we are that makes us to differ from others Phil. 4.13 and that whatsoever we do it is in his strength that it is God who worketh in us both to wil to do of his own good pleasure Isa 26.12 and that worketh all our works for us Let us ever speak of our havings or doings not as if they were originally our own but the free gifts of God bestowed on us and the works done through Gods assistance of us 2 When wee declare the same out of a sense of Gods goodness to us herein with high and honourable thoughts of God and fear of his Name and a heart inflamed in love to God and joy in God 3 The manner of Self-commendation in respect of others when wee commend our selves charitably and tenderly not to despise or disgrace or discourage others who are weak for whom God hath not done so much as for us not to insult over them The proud Pharisee when hee praised himself hee contemned the poor Publican whom God approved and justified but condemned the Pharisee 4 For the end Self-commendation is lawful when our aim therein is 1 In respect of us to do our selves Justice and right and to preserve our good Names not to get our selves praise from men nor to lift up our selves in the opinion of the world Hence Self commendation should proceed not from love of the praise of men nor from desire of vain glory but out of love of vertue and desire of doing good to others thereby and it should bee accompanied with Self-abnegation or a renouncing of all Self-conceit Self-sufficiency Self seeking or Self worthiness to prick the bladder of pride in us Luke 17.10 When we have done all we can wee should say as Christ teacheth us we are but unprofitable servants and as Paul did yet not I 1 Cor. 15.10 but the grace of God that is with me When we commend our selves before men we should not receive praise from men not suffer our spirits to be tickled or puffed up therewith for that
others in six respects 254 Reas 2 The Misery of them that want comfort 258 Reas 3 The Excellency of the duty in it self It is 1 The work of God to comfort poor souls Of God the Father 259 Of the Son and of the Holy Ghost 260 2 The practice of the Godly 262 Reas 4 The equity of the duty in respect of us in four particulars 262 Quest How may wee comfort afflicted consciences 264 Ans Take these five directions 1 Set before them these eight grounds of Consolation 1 The greatness and freeness of Gods pardoning and reconciling mercy 265 2 The infiniteness of Christs merits 265 3 Gods gracious and general tender of Christ and his benefits to any that will receive him 266 4 Christs invitation of all to him that feel any want of him or have any desire to him 267 5 The Examples or Experiences of Gods mercy manifested to the greatest of sinners 268 6 That some of Gods servants have drank deep of this cup of soul-troubles 269 7 Gods promises of healing 275. Quickning 276. Illightning 277. Of returns 278. Of peace and joy 280 8 Set before them and apply to them Two things 1 Grace may bee hid for a time and not discerned by them that have it 281. And they that have cannot lose it wholly for five Reasons 283 2 The desire of Grace is Grace 286. Proved by five Reasons True desires may bee descerned 1 By the root from which they spring which is threefold 290 2 By the fruit or effect of them 291 3 By the properties of them which are 4. 292 1 Syncere for ground and end 2 Vigorous stirring and strong 3 Seasonable for time 293 4 Constant and continual for duration 294 2 Direction Caution them against four evills to take heed 1 That they do not dishonour God 295 2 That they do not destroy their own souls 296 1 By denying what God hath done for them 2 By refusing what God would give to them 297 3 That they do not gratifie Satan 297 1 By entertaining parley with him 298 2 By hearkning to his Temptations which are five ibid. 4 That they do not satisfie their disquieted hearts in four things 299 3 Direction In dealing with afflicted souls cherish three Graces in them to wit 1 Repentance 300. 2 Faith 3 Patience 301 4 Direction Take a right course for healing their distempers 1 By searching the sore to the bottom 302 2 By turning the stream of their passions into another Channel 5 Direction Bear with their Infirmities as ignorance frowardness 303 The sixth and last Particular case is self-commendation This hath been the practice of Gods servants 303 This is lawfull in eleven cases 304 1 Of Afflictions from God 2 Of injuries from men 305 3 To shew forth the infinite riches of Gods free Grace 307 4 To give others occasion and provocation 308 1 To pray for us 2 To praise God for us 3 To glory on our behalf 5 When others require an account of our faith holiness c. 309 6 When wee would propound our selves to others as examples for their imitation 309 7 When enemies accuse us and friends will not vindicate us 310 8 To shew and approve our integrity to uphold the credit of our callings further the successe of our labours promote the efficacy of our counsel 310 and to manifest our love to others 311 9 When the cause of Christ or his Church and Name of God is like to suffer if wee be silent 312 10 When we leave the people or place where wee lived or the office wee did bear p. 312 11 Case To convince others of their sins against 1 God 2 Our selves 314 What Self-commendation is sinfull 314 315 What Self-commendation is lawfull in four respects 1 For the Matter when the things for which we commend our selves are 1 Good in themselves 317 2 Really ours 318 2 For the measure to speak rather under than over 319 3 For the manner in a threefold respect 1 Of our selves when we commend our selves 1 Forcedly not forwardly 319 2 Humbly out of a sense of our own Infirmities 320 3 Modestly without boasting 322 2 Of God thankfully out of a sense of Gods goodness to us 323 3 Of others charitably and tenderly 324 4 For the End Self-commendation is lawfull when our aim therein is in respect 1 of our selves to do our selves right not to get praise 324 2 Of God to give him glory 325 3 Of others to promote their good by our example and experience 326 Of Perfection in this life How Job did justifie himself as if he was perfect 327 In what sense we are said to be perfect in Scripture 332. scil 1 In respect of our being in Christ 333 2 Of our justification before God ibid. 3 In reference to our Sanctification in six respects 336 1 Of parts 1 When the whole man is sanctified in every part though not wholly 2 When he hath the seeds of all Grace in him What the Perfection of degrees is 337 2 Of progress When wee have attained to some good measure of grace here ibid. 3 Of uprightness that is called Perfection 339 4 Of furniture with gifts and graces for our work 341 5 Of desires and indeavours after perfection 342 6 In respect of establishment and perseverance in well doing p. 345. Perseverance is perfection Object God commands us to bee perfect here Answers thereto in p. 345 c. No man can be without sin or fully perfect in this life proved by six Arguments 1 Argu. This is contrary to the holy Scriptures 350. To the experience of all Saints ibid. To the state or constitution of all the Saints in this life 352 Object 1 Why are Gods people said to bee perfect if they bee not so Ans In three particulars p. 353 Object 2 Why God suffers sin to remain in his people here Ans In three particulars p. 354 2 Argu. Absolute Perfection was proper to Christ and is peculiar to Heaven p. 355 3 Argu. Those that plead their perfection discover much sin in their spirits speeches and carriage p. 356 4 Argu. The opinion of Perfection in this life shakes the fundamentals of religion p. 357 5 Argu. In every place of Scripture where Perfection is spoken of the Saints here something goeth before or followeth after which expresseth or implyeth their Imperfection p. 358 6 Argu. The Saints who are stiled perfect in the Scriptures are noted for their infirmities p. 360 Humane Testimonies against Perfection in this life 362 FINIS Reader Take notice 1 That there are sundry literall faults which thou mayest easily amend and pass by as speakin for speaking babbling for babling irresistably for irresistibly and for or and or for and a change of Numbers as word for words forces for force and of persons sometimes as he for the. And such like These as I have observed are the greatest Page 31. line 34. read reins p. 38. l. 32. r. bleate p. 62. l. 8. r. not p. 63. l. 7. r. I will bee with thy mouth p. 64. l. 1. r. that wee know not what to say p. 70. l. 1. r. his Altar p. 164. l. 13. r. piety p. 166. l. 16. r. opportunities p. 178. l. 29. r. as soon as it is sown p. 201. l. 30. r. 2 Chron. 25.16 p. 214. l. 2. r. some p. 223. l. 13. r. commends p. 227. l. 14. r. dexterity l. 18. r. jocing l. 22. r. seek p. 231. l. 13. blot out 1. p. 258. l. 8. blot out 1. p. 260. l. 23. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 344. l. 16. r. waxing 2 That there are some Marginall faults as Page 8. for Psal 30. read 39. 3. p. 51. for 2 Sam. r. 1. Sam. 25. p. 67. r. Psal 141. 3. p. 94. for Psal 102. r. 120. 3 4. p. 97. for Psal 136. r. 139. 4. p. 103. r. Deut. 33. 29. p. 105. r. Jonah 1. 3. p. 145. r. Gal. 1. 6. p. 173. l. 11. add Prov. 15. 12. p. 175. for Gen. 21. 22. r. Gen. 9. 21 22. p. 231. for Rom. 11. 11. r. Rom. 1. 11. p. 245. for Zachary 11. 13. r. Zach. 1. 13. p. 311. for 2 Tim. 1. 8. r. 2 Tim. 1. 3. p. 340. for Job 1. 1. 5. Job 1. â—