with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour for to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins And as they are pardoned freely so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The gracious gift of God Charisma signifies a gift flowing from the free-grace and favor of God John 10. 28. they shall be saved freely Rom. 6. ult For the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Thus you see O despairing souls that all is of free-grace from the lowest to the highest round in Jacobs Ladder all is of Grace Christ is a Donative the Covenant of grace is a Donative Pardon of sin is a Donative Heaven and Salvation is a Donative Why then O despairing souls should you sit down sighing under such black sad and dismal apprehensions of God and your own state and condition Verily seeing all happiness and blessedness comes in a way of free-grace and not in a way of doing not in a way of works you should arise Revel 21. 6. 22. 18. O despairing souls and cast off all despairing thoughts and drink of the waters of life freely What though thy heart be dead and hard and sad what though thy sins be many and thy fears great yet behold here is glorious grace rich grace wonderous grace matchless and incomparable riches of free-grace spread before thee O let this fire warm thee let these waters refresh thee let these Cordials strengthen thee that it may be day and no longer night with thee that thy mourning may be turned into rejoycing and that thy beautiful garments Isa 52. 1. may be put on that so the rest of thy days may be days of gladness and sweetness and free-grace may be an everlasting shade shelter and rest unto thee Again tell me O despairing souls do you understand and most seriously and frequently ponder upon those particular Scriptures that do most clearly sweetly and fully discover the mercies of God the bowels of God the grace and favor of God to poor sinners as that Psal 86. 5. For thou Lord art good and ready to forgive and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee Gods mercies are above all his works and above all ours too his mercy is without measures and rules All the acts and attributes of God sit at the feet of mercy the weapons of Gods artillery are turned The Rainbow is signum gratiae foederis into the Rainbow a Bow indeed but without an Arrow bent but without a string The Rainbow is an emblem of mercy it is a sign of grace and favor and an assurance that God will remember his Covenant it is fresh and green to note to us that Gods mercy and grace to poot sinners is always fresh and green Again tell me O despairing souls have you seriously pondered upon Nehe. 9. 16 17. But they and our Fathers dealt proudly and hardned their necks and hearkned not to thy Commandments And refused to obey neither were mindful of the wonders that thou didst among them but hardned their necks and in their rebellion appointed a Captain to return to their bondage but thou art a God ready to pardon gracious and merciful slow to anger and of great kindness and forsookest them not Thou art a God says he ready to pardon or rather as it is in the Original and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thou a God of pardons There is a very great emphasis in this Hebraism a God of pardons it shews us that mercy is essential unto God and that he is incomparable in forgiving iniquity transgression and sin Here Nehemiah sets Micah 7. 18. him forth as one made up all of pardoning grace and mercy as a circle begins every where but ends no where so do the mercies of God When Alexander did sit down before a City he did use to set up a light to give those within notice that if they came forth to him whilest that light lasted they might have quarter if otherwise no mercy was to be expected O but Luke 13. 7. Jere. 3 1. to 15. such is the mercy and patience of God to sinners that he sets up light after light and waits year after year upon them When they have done their worst against him yet then he comes with his heart full of love and his hands full of pardons and makes a proclamation of Grace that if now at last they will accept of mercy they shall have it Why then O despairing soul dost thou make thy life a hell by having such low and mean thoughts of Gods mercy and by measuring of the mercies and bowels of God by the narrow scantling of thy weak and dark understanding Again tell me O despairing souls have you seriously pondered upon those words in Isai 55. 7 8 9. Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Veish Aven The man of iniquity i. e. One that makes a trade of sin man or rather as it is in the Original the man of iniquity his thoughts And let him return unto the Lord and he will have mercy upon him and to our God for he will abundantly pardon or as it is in the Original 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He will multiply to pardon or he will increase his pardons as the sinner increases his sins He will multiply to pardon For my thoughts are not your thoughts neither are your ways my ways saith the Lord. For as the Heavens are higher then the Earth so are my ways higher then your ways and my thoughts then your thoughts Turn O despairing souls to these Scriptures Numb 14. 19 20. Exod. 34. 6 7. Micah 7. 18 19. Isai 30. 18 19. Psalm 78. 34 to 40. 103. 8. to 13. Jere. 3. 1. to 12. Luke 15. 20. to 24. 1 Tim. 1. 13. to 17. and tell me whether you have seriously and frequently pondered upon them O how can you look so much grace and mercy so much love and favor and such tender bowels of compassion in the face as appears in these Scriptures and yet rack and tear your precious souls with despairing thoughts O there is so much grace and goodness so much love and favor so much mercy and glory sparkling and shining thorow these Scriptures as may allay the strongest fears and scatter the thickest darkness and chear up the saddest spirits c. Again tell me O despairing souls do you not do infinite wrong to the 1 Pet. 1. 19. precious blood of the Lord Jesus Three things are called precious in the Scripture the blood of Christ is called precious blood and faith is called precious 2 Pet. 1. 1 4. faith and the promises are called precious promises Now what a reproach is it to this precious blood that speaks better things then the blood of Abel Heb. 12. 24. for you to faint and sink under the power of delpair what doth this speak out O doth it not proclaim to all
is true even in his Son Jesus Christ this is the true God and eternal life 2 Pet. 1. 3. According as his Divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and vertue What this Knowledge is that accompanies Salvation I shall shew you anon Secondly Faith is another of those special things that accompanies Salvation 1 Thes 2. 13. But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you Brethren Beloved of the Lord because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation thorow sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the Truth 1 Pet. 1. 5. You Vide Parcus Esteum Gerhardum on the Text. who are kept by the power of God through Faith unto Salvation Vers 9. Receiving the end of your Faith even the salvation of your souls Heb. 10. 30. But we are not of them who draw back to perdition but of them that believe to the saving of the soul John 3 14 15 16. Mark 16. 16. Acts 16. 31. Rom. 10. 9. Isa 45. 22. Phil. 2. 8. Joh 11. 25 26. 1 John 5. 10. All â—hese and many more Scriptures speaks out the same truth This dâ—uble asseveration or protestation is used onely in matters of weâ—ght and unhappy are we â—hat we cannot believe without them And as Moses lifted up the Serpent in the Wilderness even so must the Son of Man be lifted up that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have eternal life for God so loved the world that he gave his onely begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life Vers 36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life Chap. 5. 24. Verily verily I say unto you he that heareth my Word and believeth on him that sent me hath everlasting life and shall not come into condemnation but is passed from death unto life Chap. 6. 40. And this is the will of him that sent me that every one that seeth he Son and believeth on him may have everlasting life and I will raise him up at the last day Vers 47. Verily verily I say unto you he that believeth on me hath everlasting life Thirdly Repentance is another of those choice things that accompanies salvation 2 Cor. 7. 10. For godly sorrow The very word repâ—nt was very displeasing to Luther till his conversion but afterward he took delight in the work Paehitens de peccato dolet de dolore gaudet Luth to sorrow for his sin and then rejoyce in his sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of but the sorrow of the world worketh death Jere. 4. 14. O Jerusalem wash thy heart from wickedness that thou mayest be saved Acts 11. 18. When they heard these things they held their peace and glorified God saying Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life Matth. 18. 3. And Jesus said verily I say unto you except ye be converted and become as little children ye shall not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven Acts 3. 19. Repent ye therefore and be converted that your sins may be blotted out when the time of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord. Fourthly Obedience is another of those precious things that accompanies salvation Heb. 5. 9. And being Vide B. Dewâ—h of Justification 17. c. 7. made perfect speaking of Christ he became the Author of Eternal Salvation unto all them that obey him Psal 50. 23. whoso offereth praise glorifieth me and to him that ordereth his conversation aright will I declare the Salvation of God Fifthly Love is another of those singular things that accompanies salvation Deus nihil corenat nisi dona sui August When God câ—ownâ—th us he doth but crown hâ—s own gifts in us 2 Tim. 4. 8. Henceforth there is laid up for me a Crown of Righteousness which the Lord the righteous Judge shall give me at that day and not to me onely but unto them also that love his appearing James 2. 5. Hearken my beloved brethren haâ—h not God chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the Kingdome which he hath promised to them that love him 1 Cor. 2. 9. It is written eie hath not seen nor eare heard neither hath it entred into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them that love him James 1. 12. Blessed is the man that indureth temptation for when The word Crown notes to us the perpetuity of that life the Apostle speaks of for a Crown hath neither beginning nor ending 2. It notes plenty the Crown fetches a compasse on every side 3. It notes dignity it notes majesty Eternal life is a coronation day It notes all joys all delights in a word it notes all good it notes all glory he is tryed he shall receive the crown of life which the Lord hath promised to them that love him Matth. 19. 28 29. And Jesus said unto them verily I say unto you that yee which have followed me in the regeneration When the Son of Man shall sit in the Throne of his glory yee shall sit upon twelve Thrones judging the twelve Tribes of Israel And every one that hath forsaken houses or Brethren or Sisters or Father or Mother or Wife or Children or Lands for my name sake shall receive an hundred fold and shall inherit everlasting life The whole is as if Christ had said whosoever shall shew love to mee this way or that in one thing or another out of respect to my Name to my Honor mercy shall bee his portion here and glory shall bee his portion hereafter Sixthly Prayer is another of those sweet things that accompanies salvation Rom. 10. 10. 13. For with the heart man beleeveth unto righteousnesse and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation For whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved Act. 2. 21. And it shall come to passe that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved That is saith one hee shall be certainly sealed up to salvation Or as another saith he that hath this grace of Prayer it is an evident sign and assurance to him that he shall be saved Therefore to have grace to pray is a better and a greater mercy then to have gifts to prophesie Matth. 7. 22. Praying souls shall finde the gates of heaven open to them when prophecying souls shall find them shut against them Seventhly and lastly Perseverance is another of those prime things that accompanies salvation Matth. 10. 22. And yee shall be hated of all men for my name sake but he that indureth to the end the same shall be saved Chap. 24. 12 13. And because iniquity shal abound the love The same words you have in Mark 13. 13. of many shal wax cold but he that indureth unto the end the same shal be saved Rev. 2. 10. Fear none of
when he comes to die that his hope will be like the morning dew like the Spiders web like the crackling of thorns under a pot and like the giving up of the ghost Job 8. 13 14. 11. 20. 27. 8. Prov. 14. 32. 11. 7. And this is now the upright mans joy that who ever leaves him yet his hope will not leave him till he hath put on his Crown and is set down in Paradise And thus you see what Hope that is that doth accompany Salvation before I close up this Chapter take these two Cautions with you they make for your comfort and settlement The first Caution is this That all Caution 1. The Scripture tells you of Saints of several sizes some are babes some are children some are yongmen some are old men now all these do noâ— attain to the same degree but hâ—ppy is he that hath the least degree Saints have not these things that accompany Salvation in the same degree if thou hast but the least measure or degree of that Knowledge that accompanies Salvation or of that Faith that accompanies Salvation or of that Repentance or of that Obedience or of that Love c. that accompanies Salvation thou mayest be as assuredly confident of thy Salvation as if thou wast already in Heaven The least degree O Christian of those things that accompany Salvation will certainly yeeld thee a Heaven hereafter and why then should it not yeeld thee a Heaven here It will undoubtedly yeeld thee a Crown at last and why should it not yeeld thee Comfort and Assurance now I judge it may if thou art not an enemy to thine own Soul and to thy own Peace and Comfort The second Caution is this Though Caution 2. No Saints are at all times ensâ—ble that all those precious things that accompany Salvatâ—â—n aâ—e iâ— them It is not always day with the Saints thou doest not finde every one of those things in thee that do accompany Salvation yet if thou doest finde some of those things I though but a few of those things yea though but one of those things that accompanies Salvation that comprehends Salvation that borders upon Salvation thy estate is safe and happiness will be thy portion at last Thy sense and feeling of one of those precious things that accompanies Salvation should be of more power to work thee to conclude that thy estate is good then any other thing should work thee to conclude that all is naught and that thou shalt miscarry at last Do not alwayes side with sin and Satan against thine own precious Soul Having thus discovered to you the Way and Means of attaining to a wel-grounded Assurance I shall now hasten to a close CHAP. VI. Shewing the difference between a true and a counterfeit Assurance between sound Assurance and Presumption FIrst A sound and wel-grounded Assurance is attended with a deep admiration of Gods transcendent love and favor to the Soul in the Lord Jesus The assured Soul is often a breathing it out thus Ah Lord who am I what am I that thou shouldst give into my bosome the white stone of Absolution Revel 2. 17. The white stone given among the Romans was a sign of Absolution and the black stone was a sign of condemnation when the world hath given into their bosoms onely the black stone of Condemnation Lord what mercy is this that thou shouldst give me Assurance give me water out of the Rock and feed me with Manna from Heaven when many of thy dearest ones spend their days in sighing mourning and complaining for want of Assurance Lord what manner of love is this that thou shouldst set me upon thy knee embrace me in thy arms lodge me in thy bosome and kiss me with the sweet kisses of thy blessed mouth with those kisses that are better then Cant. 1. 2. Psal 63. 3. wine yea better then life when many are even weary of their lives because they want what I enjoy Ah Lord by what name shall I call this Mercy Assurance is a wonderful Alchimy it changeth Iron to Gold Ignominies to Crowns and all sufferings to delights this Assurance that thou hast given me It being a mercy that fits me to do duties to bear crosses and to improve mercies that fits me to speak sweetly to judge righteously to give liberally to act seriously to suffer cheerfully and to walk humbly I cannot sayes the assured Soul but sing it out with Moses Who is like unto thee O Exod. 15. 11. Lord amongst the gods Who is like thee glorious in holiness fearful in praises doing wonders And with the Apostle O the height the depth the length and Eph. 3. 18 19. Assurance of Christs love made Jerome admiringly to say O my Saviour didst thou die for love of me alone more dolorous then death but to me a death more lovely then love it self I cannot live love thee and be longer from thee breadth of the love of Christ which passeth knowledge If the Queen of Sheâ—a sayes the assured Soul was so swallowed up in a deep admâ—ration of Solomons wisdom greatness goodness excellency and glory that she could not but admiringly breathe it thus out Happy are thy men happy are these thy servants which stand continually before thee and that hear thy wisdom O then how should that blessed Assurance that I have of the love of God of my interest in God of my union and communion with God of my blessedness here and my happiness hereafter work me to a deep and serious to a real and perpetual admiration of God! Secondly A wel-grounded Assurance doth alwayes beget in the Soul an earnest and an impatient longing after a further a clearer and fuller enjoyment of God and Christ Psal 63. 1. O God thou art my God here is David though in a wilderness seeks not for bread or water or protection but for more of God Phil. 1. 23. Assurance well what follows Early will I seek thee My soul thirsteth for thee my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty Land where no water is The assured Soul cryes out I desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ And Make haste Cant. 8. 14. my beloved And Come Lord Jesus come Revel 22. 17. quickly O Lord Jesus sayes the assured The assured Souls Motto is O my God when shall I be with thee when shall I be with thee Soul thou art my light thou art my life thou art my love thou art my joy thou art my crown thou art my heaven thou art my all I cannot but long to see that beautiful face that was spit upon for my sins and that glorious head that was crowned with thorns for my transgressions I long to take some turns with thee in Paradise to see the glory of thy Jerusalem above to drink of those Rivers of pleasures that be at thy right hand to taste of all the delicates of thy Kingdom and to be acquainted with those
souls as makes them bid defiance to the greatest dangers and as Crowns them Conquerors of the greatest difficulties Ah says a soul that hath walked some turns in Paradise what is dross to gold what is darkness to light what is Hell to Heaven no more is all difficulties and oppositions to me who have found As they said once of the Grecians in the Epigramme whom they thought invulnerable we shoot at them but they fâ—ll not down we wound them and yet not kill them c. the sweetness of Divine Grace and have had the happiness to lie in the bosom of God Dioclesian the worst and last Persecutor in all the Ten Persecutions observed That the more he sought to blot out the name of Christ the more it became legible and to block up the way of Christ the more it became passible and whatever of Christ he thought to root out it rooted the deeper and rose the higher in the hearts and lives of the Saints among whom he had scattered the beams of his love and the rich pearls of his grace Such souls as have once been in the arms of God in the midst of all oppositions they are as men made all of fire walking in stubble they consume and overcome all oppositions all difficulties are but as whetstones to their Fortitude The Moon will run her course though the Dogs bark at it so will all those choice souls that have found warmth under Christs wings run their Christian race in spight of all difficulties and dangers The Horse neighs at the Trumpet the Leviathan laughs at the Spear so does a Saint under the power of assurance laugh at all hazards and dangers that he meets with in the Lords service The sense of Gods love and goodness makes him to triumph over the greatest difficulties Fourthly and lastly God gives his Reas 4 people some tastes of his love when he puts them upon hard and difficult services that the mouths of the wicked may be stopt should God lay heavy burdens upon his peoples shoulders and not put under his finger to give some ease should God double their tale of brick and yet deny them straw should God engage them against a potent enemy and then desert them should God send them upon some weighty embassage and not give proportionable encouragements to them what would the world say would Exod. 32. 12. Num. 14. 12 13 14 15 16. they not say That he is a hard Master and that his ways are not equal would they not say Verily they are lyers that say he is glorious in power and wonderful in counsel and infinite in mercy and admirable in goodness and rich in grace and unsearchable in his understanding for surely were he he could not he would not put his children upon such hard and dangerous services but he would own them and stand by them he would assist them and smile upon them he would be as careful to bring them bravely off as he hath been ready to bring them freely on O he could not see them in garments rouled in blood but his bowels would yern towards them and he would arise and have compassion on them Then thirdly Waiting times are times wherein God is pleased to give his people some sweet tastes of his love and to lift up the light of his countenance upon them I waited patiently Psal 40. 1 2 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the Lord saith David and he inclined unto me and heard my cry Waiting I waited He brought me up also out of an horrible pit or out of a pit of noise out of the miry clay and set my feet upon a rock and established my goings And he hath put a new song in my mouth even praise unto our God After God had exercised Davids patience in waiting he sweetly breaks in upon him and knocks off his bolts and opens the prison doors and takes him by the hand and leads him out of the pit of noise and confusion in which he was and causes his love and goodness so to beam forth upon him as causes his heart to rejoyce and his tongue to sing So after devout Simeon had waited for the consolation Luke 2. 25 to 33. of Israel that is for Christs coming the Holy Ghost falls upon him and leads him to a sight of Christ in the Temple and this makes the good old man sing nunc dimittas Now let thy servant depart in peace Ah says Simeon I have lived long enough now I have got Christ in my heart and Christ in my arms who is my light my life my love my joy my crown let me depart according to thy Word Ah Saints I appeal to you have not many of you found by experience the sweet breathings of Christ upon you even whilest you have been waiting at the door of Mercy while you have been weeping and waiting hath not the Lord Jesus come in and said Peace be to you waiting souls be of good cheer it is I be of good cheer your sins are pardoned surely you have Hath not God made that word good unto you Wait Psal 37. 14. on the Lord be of good courage and he shall strengthen thine heart Wait I say on the Lord yes And hath he Isa 49. 23. These words Shall not be ashamed in the Hebrew Dialect do not simply import that such shall not be brought to shame or shall not perish but that he shall be advanced to great dignity and glory to everlasting happiness and blessedness Isai 30. 18. Lam 3. 25. not made that good to you They shall not be ashamed that wait for me that is they shall not be deceived or disappointed of their hopes and expectations that wait for me yes And have you not found that word made sweet to your souls Therefore will the Lord wait that he may be gracious blessed are all they that wait for him Yes And hath not the Lord made that word good to you The Lord is good unto them that wait for him to the soul that seeketh him Yes Waiting souls remember this assurance is yours but the time of giving it is the Lords the Jewel is yours but the season in which he will give it is in his own hand the Gold Chain is yours but he onely knows the hour wherein he will put it about your necks Well wait patiently and quietly wait expectingly wait believingly wait affectionately and wait diligently and you shall finde that Scripture made good in power upon your souls Yet a Heb. 10. 37. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hab. 2. 3. Mal 3. 1. little little while and he that shall come will come and will not tarry he will certainly come he will seasonably come he will suddenly come as the Prophet Malachi speaks Behold I will send my messenger and he shall prepare the way before me and the Lord whom ye seek shall suddenly come to his Temple even the messenger of the Covenant whom ye delight in Behold he
upon thee Divine Wisdom sparkles much in this in giving milk to Babes that are more carnal then spiritual and meat i. e. Assurance to strong men that have more skill and will that have a greater ability and choicer faculty to prize and improve this Jewel Assurance then babes have The Hebrew word Chabodh signifies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So the Chaldee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 both weight and glory and verily glory is such a weight that if the body were not upheld by that glorious power that raised Jesus Christ from the grave if it were not bore up by everlasting Arms it were impossible it Deut. 33. 27. should bear it Now assurance is the top of glory it is the glory of glory Psal 45. 13. then certainly they had need be very glorious within that shall be crowned with such a weight of glory as assurance is Well remember this It is mercy to want mercy till we are fit for mercy till we are able to bear the weight of mercy and make a divine improvement of mercy Thirdly You must distinguish between Answ 3 Every audience increaseth love thanks and trust Psa 116. 1 2 3. And those mercies are best improved which we receive after we have been long upon our knees delays and denials God may delay us when he does not deny us he may defer the giving in of a mercy and yet at last give the very mercy begged Barren Hannah prayes yeer after yeer for a mercy God delayes her long but at last gives her her desire and the Text sayes expresly that her countenance was no more sad 1 Sam. 1. 18. After many prayers and tears the Lord comes in and assures her that she should have the desire of her soul and now she mourns no more but sits down satisfied comforted and cheered After much praying waiting and weeping God usually comes with his hands and his heart full of mercy to his people He loves not to come Vacuis manibus empty handed to those that have sate long with wet eyes at Mercies door Christ tries the faith patience and constancy of the Canaanite woman he deferred Matth. 15. 21 to 29. and delayed her he reproached and repulsed her and yet at last is overcome by her as not being able any longer to withstand her importunate requests O woman great is thy faith Be Exclamat tanquam victus Brugensis He cryes out as conquered it unto thee even as thou wilt Christ puts her off at first but closes with her at last at first a good word a good look is too good for her but at last good words and good looks are too little for her Be it unto thee even as thou wilt At first Christ carries himself to her as a churlish stranger but at last as an amorous lover though at first he had not an ear to hear her yet at last he had a heart to grant her not onely her desires but even what else she would desire over and above what she had desired God heard Daniel at Dan. 9. 15. to 25. the beginning of his supplications and his bowels of loâ—â— was working strongly towards him but the Angel Gabriel doth not inform Daniel of this till afterwards Praying souls you say that you have prayed long for assurance and yet you have not obtained it Well pray still O pray and wait wait and pray the Vision is for Hab. 2. 3. an appointed time but at the end it shall speak and not lie though it tarry wait for it because it will surely come it will not tarry God hath never God will never fail the praying soul at the long run thou shalt be sure to obtain that assurance that will richly recompence thee for all thy praying waiting and weeping therefore hold up and hold on praying though God doth delay thee and my soul for thine thou shalt reap in due season such a harvest of Gal. 6. 9. joy and comfort as will sufficiently pay thee for all thy pains Shall the Husband-man wait patiently for the precious fruits of the Earth and wilt Jam. 5. 7. not thou wait patiently for assurance which is a Jewel more worth then Heaven and Earth Praying souls remember this It is but weakness to think that men shall reap as soon as they sow that they shall reap in the Evening when they have but sowed in the Morning Titus Vespasian never Suelonius dismist any Petitioner with a tear in his eye or with a heavy heart and shall we think that the God of compassions will always dismiss the Petitioners of Heaven with tears in their eyes Surely no. Ninthly Sometimes before the This truth many choice Christians have found by experience soul is deeply engaged in fore conflicts with Satan the Lord is graciously pleased to visit his people with his loving kindness and to give them some sweet assurance That though they are tempted yet they shall not be worsted though they are tried yet they shall be crowned though Satan doth roar as a Lyon upon the soul yet he shall not make a prey of the soul for the Lyon Revel 5. 5. John 10. 28. of the Tribe of Judah will hold it fast and none shall pluck it out of his hand God first fed Israel with Manna from Heaven and gave them water to Exâ—d 17. 8 c. drink out of the Rock before their fore fight with Amalek Before Paul 2 Cor. 12. 1. to 8. was buffetted by Satan he was caught up into the third Heaven where he had very glorious visions and revelations of the Lord even such as he was not able to utter Before Jesus Christ Matth. 3 ult was led into the wilderness to be tempted by Satan to question and doubt of his Son-ship he heard a voice from Heaven saying This is my beloved Son in whom I am wel-pleased The Spirit of the Lord did first descend upon him as a Dove before Satan fell upon him as a Lyon God walks with his people some turns in paradise and gives them some tastes of his right-hand pleasures before Psal 16. ult Satan by his tempting shall do them a displeasure But I must hasten to a close of this Chapter and therefore Tenthly and lastly After some sharp conflicts with Satan God is graciously pleased to lift up the light of his countenance upon his people and to warm and cheer their hearts with the beams of his love Matth. 4. 11. Then the Non tanquam misericordes indigenti sed tanquam subjecti om ipotenti Aug. Hom. 8. Devil leaveth him and behold Angels came and ministred unto him When Christ had even spent himself in soiling and quelling in resisting and scattering Satans temptations then the Angels come and minister cordials and comforts unto him So after Paul had 2 Cor. 12. 7 â—â— 10. been buffetted by Satan he heard that sweet word from Heaven My grace is sufficient for thee for my strength is made
perfect in weakness which filled his heart with joy and gladness The hidden Manna the New name and the Revel 2. 17. White stone is given to the conqueror to him that hath fought with principalities Ephes 6. 12. and powers and spiritual wickedness in high places and is come off with his garments dipt in blood After the Roman Generals had gotten victory over their enemies the Senate did use not one way but many ways to express their loves to them So after our Faith hath gotten victory over Satan God usually takes the soul in his arms and courts it and shews much kindness to it Now the soul shall be carried in triumph now the Chariot of state attends the soul now White Revel 3. 5. 7. 9. rayment is put upon the soul now Palms are put into the Conquerors hands now the Garland is set upon the Conquerors head and now a Royal feast is provided where God will set the Conqueror at the upper end of the Table and speak kindly and carry it sweetly towards him as one much affected and taken with his victory over the Prince of darkness Conflicts with Satan are usually the As many have found by experience sharpest and the hottest they spend and waste most the vital and noble spirits of the Saints and therefore the Lord after such conflicts doth ordinarily give his people his choicest and his strongest Cordials And thus by Divine assistance we have shewed you the special times and seasons wherein the Lord is graciously pleased to give his people some tastes of his love some sweet assurance that they are his favorites that all is well and shall be for ever well between him and them and that though many things may trouble them yet nothing shall separate them from their God their Christ their Crown CHAP. III. Containing the several Hinderances and Impediments that keep poor souls from Assurance with the Means and Helps to remove those Impediments and Hinderances NOw the first impediment 1. Impediment and hinderance to Assurance that we shall instance in is Despairing thoughts of mercy O these imprison the Soul and make it always dark night with the Soul these shut the windows of the Soul that no light can come in to cheer it Despairing There is a threefold Despair 1. Worldly 2. Moral 3. Spiritual And this last is the worst and greatest thoughts make a man fight against God with his own weapons they make a man cast all the Cordials of the Spirit against the wall as things of no value they make a man suck poyson out of the sweetest promises they make a man eminent in nothing unless it be in having hard thoughts of God and in arguing against his own Soul and happiness and in turning his greatest advantages into disadvantages his greatest helps into his greatest hinderances Despairing It makes a man call good evil and evil good light darkness and darkness light sweet bitter and bitter sweet a Saviour a destroyer a Redeemer a revenger c. thoughts of mercy make a man a beast yea below the beast that perisheth Pliny speaks of the Scorpion that there is not one minute wherein it doth not put forth the sting as being unwilling to lose any opportunity of doing mischief Such Scorpions are despairing souls they are still a putting out their sting a rangling with God or Christ or the Scripture or the Saints or Ordinances or their own Souls A despairing soul is Magor Missabib a terror to himself it cannot rest but like Noahs Ark is always tost here and there it is troubled on every side it is full of fears and fightings A despairing soul is a burden to others but the greatest burden to it self it is still a vexing terrifying tormenting condemning and perplexing it self Despair makes every sweet A despairing soul is like the spider that draws poyson out of the sweetest flowers bitter and every bitter exceeding bitter it puts Gall and Wormwood into the sweetest Wine and it puts a sting a cross into every cross Now whilest the soul is under these despairing thoughts of mercy how is it possible that it should attain to a well-grounded assurance therefore for the helping of the soul out of this despairing condition give me leave a little to expostulate with despairing souls Tell me O despairing souls is not despair an exceeding vile and contemptible sin is it not a dishonor to God a reproach to Christ and a murderer of souls is it not a belying of God a denying of Christ and a crowning of Satan it doth without doubt proclaim the Devil a Conqueror and lifts him up above Christ himself Despair is an evil that flows Despair is Satans master-piece it carries men he adlong to hell it makes a man twice told a childe of hell it is a Viper that hath stinged many a man to death from the greatest evil in the world it flows from unbelief from ignorance and mis-apprehensions of God and his Grace and from mistakes of Scripture and from Satan who being for ever cast out of paradise labors with all his art and might to work poor souls to despair of ever entring into paradise O despairing souls let the greatness of this sin effectually awaken you and provoke you to labor as for life to come out of this condition which is as sinful as it is doleful and as much to be hated as to be lamented Again tell me O despairing souls Acts 2. Plus peccavit Judas desperando quà m prodendo Christum saith one hath not despairing Judas perished when as the murderers of Christ believing on him were saved Did not Judas sin more hainously by despairing then by betraying of Christ Despairing Spira is damned when repentting Manasseh is saved O despairing souls the arms of mercy are open to receive a Manasseh a Monster a Devil incarnate he caused that Gospel Prophet Isaiah to be sawed in the midst with a Saw as some Rabbins say he turned aside from the Lord to commit 2 Chro 33. 1 to 15. Idolatry and caused his sons to pass thorow the fire and dealt with familiar spirits and made the streets of Jerusalem to overflow with innocent blood The soul of Mary Magdalen Mark 6. 9. was full of Devils and yet Christ casts them out and made her heart his house his presence Chamber why dost thou then say there is no hope for thee O despairing soul Paul was full Acts 1. 1 2. 26. 11. of rage and malice against Christ his people and ways and he was full of blasphemy and impiety and yet behold Paul is a chosen Vessel Paul is 1 Tim. 1. 13 15 16. caught up into the third Heaven and he is filled with the gifts and graces of the Holy Ghost Why shouldst thou then say there is for thee no help O despairing soul Though the Prodigal Luke 15. 13 14. had run from his Father and spent and wasted all his estate in ways
They know that it is not their profession but living up to their principles that will effectually stop the mouths and convince the consciences of vain men 1 Pet. 2. 15. For so is the Will of God that by wel-doing that is by living up to your own principles you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men There is no such way in the world to still and silence wicked men to make them dumb and speechless to muzzle and tie up their mouths as the Greek word notes as by living up 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to your own principles The lives of men convince more strongly then their words the tongue perswades but the life commands thirdly They know by living up to their principles they cast a general glory upon Christ and Matth. 5. 16. 1 Pet. 2. 11 12. his ways This makes Christ and his ways to be well thought on and well spoke on fourthly They know that the ready way the onely way to get 2 Pet. 1 5. to 13. and keep Assurance Joy Peace c. is to live up to their principles fifthly They know that by their living below their own principles or contrary to their own principles they do but gratifie Satan and provoke wicked men to blaspheme that worthy Name by which they are called They know Jam. 2. 7. The very Heathen as Salvian observes did thus reproach Christians that walked contrary to their principles Where is that good law which they do believe they read and hear the holy Scriptures and yet are drunk and unclean they follow Christ and yet disobey Christ they profess a Holy Law and yet do lead impure lives that by their not living up to their own principles they do but multiply their own fears and doubts and put a sword into the hand of Conscience and make sad work for future Repentance Now these and such like Considerations do exceedingly stir and provoke Believers to labor with all their might to live up to their own principles to get to the very top of Holiness to be more and more a pressing towards the mark and to think that nothing is done till they have attained to the highest perfections that are attainable in this life It is true many Hypocrites may go up some rounds of Jacobs Ladder such as make for their Gen. 28. 12. profit pleasure applause c. and yet tumble down at last to the bottom of Hell as Judas and others have done Hypocrites do not look nor like nor love to come up to the top of Jacobs Ladder to the top of Holiness as you may see in the Scribes and Pharisees and all other Hypocrites that the Scripture speaks of Thirdly It is their greatest desire and endeavor that sin may be cured rather then covered Sin most afflicts a gracious soul David cryes not perii Psal 51. out peccavi not I am undone but I have done foolishly Daniel complains Dan. 9. 5. not we are reproached and oppressed but we have rebelled Paul cryes not Rom. 7 23. If a Snake should sting thy dearly beloved Spâ—use to deaâ—h wouldst thou preserve it alive warm it at the fire hug it in thy bosom and not rather stab it wâ—th a thousand wounds You are wise and know how to apply it out of his Persecutors but of the law in his members rebelling against the law of his minde A gracious soul grieves more that God by his sin is grieved and dishonored then that for it he is afflicted and chastned The heart feeling within her the operation of the Serpents poyson runs from the thorns and thickets and runs over he green and pleasant Pastures that she may drink of the Fountain and be cured So gracious souls being sensible of the poyson and venom of sin runs from the Creatures that are but as thorns and thickets and runs over their own duties and righteousness which are but as pleasant Pastures to come to Christ the Fountain of Life that they may drink of those Waters of Consolation of those Wells of Salvation that be in him and cast up and cast out their spiritual poyson and be cured for ever Believers know that their sins do most pierce and grieve the Lord they lie hardest and heaviest Amos 2. 13. upon his heart and are most obvious to his eye The sin of Judah is written Jere. 17. 1. with a Pen of Iron and with the point of a Diamond their sins are When Brutus went to stab Julius Caesar he cried out What thou my sen Brutus c. So may God well cry out what thou my Son what wilt thou stab me wâ—th thy sins is it not enough that others stab my honor but wilâ— thou my Son against beams of strongest light they are against the bowels of tenderest mercy they are against the manifestations of greatest love they are against the nearest and dearest relations they are against the choicest and highest expectations And this makes believing souls cry out O a cure Lord a cure Lord O give me purging grace give me purging grace though I should never taste of pardoning mercy yet give me purging grace It was a notable Speech of Câ—smus Duke oâ— â—lorence I have read saith he that I must forgive my enemies but never that I must forgive my friends The sins of Gods friends of Gods people provoke him most and sad him most and this makes them sigh and groan it out Who shall deliver us from this body of death O but now wicked men labor not that sin may be cured but onely that sin might be covered and that the consequents of sin viz. Afflictions and the stingings Hosea 7. 10. to ult of Conscience may be removed as you may see in Cain Saul Judas and divers others In their affliction they Hosea 5. 14 15. will seek me early saith God they wâ—ll then seek to be rid of their affliction but not to be rid of their sins that hath brought down the affliction upon them Like the patient that would fain be rid of his pain and torment under which he groans but cares not to be rid of those evil habits that hath brought the pain and torment Sin doth ill in the eye worse in the tongue worser in the heart but worst of all in the life upon them Psal 78. 34 35 36 37. When he slew them then they sought him and they returned and enquired early after God And they remembred that God was their Rock and the High God their Redeemer Nevertheless they did flatter him with their mouth and they lied unto him with their tongues For their heart was not right with him neither were they stedfast in his Covenant In these words Ah England England as face answers faee so doth thy carriâ—ge towards God answer the carriage of these people whose baseness and falseness God hath put upon record to this very day c. you see plainly that these people are very early and earnest in
for a finite work Work yea work hard sayes Faith O believing soul for thy actions in passing pass not away every good work is a grain of Seed for eternal life There is a Resurrection Rev. 14. 13. of works as well as of persons and in that day wicked men shall see that it is not a vain thing to serve God they shall see the most doing souls to be the most shining souls to be most advanced and rewarded O the sight of this Crown of this Recompence makes souls to abound in the work of the Lord they knowing 1 Cor. 15. ult that their labor is not in vain in the Lord. Again Faith draws from Christs fulness it sucks vertue and strength John 1. 16. from Christs brests Faith looks upon Christ as a Head and so draws from him it looks upon Christ as a Husband and so draws from him it looks upon him as a Fountain and so draws from him it looks upon him as a Sea as an Ocean of goodness and Col. 1. 19. so draws from him it looks upon him as a Father and so draws from him it looks upon him as a Friend and so draws from him and this Divine power and strength sets the soul a working hard for God it makes the soul full of motion full of action In a word Faith is such a working Grace as sets all other graces a working Faith hath an influence upon every Grace it is like a silver thred that runs thorow a chain of Pearl it puts strength and vivacity into all other vertues Love touched by a hand of Faith flames forth hope fed at Faiths table grows strong and casts anckor within the vail Joy courage Acts 5. 16. Rom. 15. 13. and zeal being smiled upon by Faith is made invincible and unconquerable c. Look what Oyl is to the wheels what weights are to the clock what wings are to the bird what sails are Except it be winter with the soul to the ship that Faith is to all Religious duties and services And thus you see that that Faith that accompanies Salvation is a working faith a lively faith and not such a dead faith as most please and deceive themselves with for ever The second Property of that Faith that accompanies Salvation is this It is of a growing and increasing nature it is like the waters of the Sanctuary that rise higher and higher as Ezekiel speaks it is like a tender Plant that naturally grows higher and higher Matth. 13. 32. The righteous shall flourish like the Palm tree Psal 92. 12 13 14. Now the Palm tree never looseth his leaf or fruit saith pliny it is like a grain of Mustard-seed which though it be the least of all Seeds yet by a Divine power it grows up beyond all humane expectations Faith is imperfect as all other graces are but yet it grows and increases gradually Rom. 1. 17. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from Faith to faith As it is written The just shall live by Faith As a gracious soul is still a adding knowledge to knowledge love to love fear to fear zeal to zeal so he is a adding faith to faith A gracious soul knows That if he be rich in Faith he cannot be poor in other Graces he knows the growth of faith will be as the former and the latter rain to all other graces he knows that there is no way to out-grow his fears but by growing in Faith he knows that all the pleasant fruits of paradise viz. Joy comfort and peace flourishes as faith flourishes he knows that he hath much work An old man being once asked If he grew in grace answered Yea doubtless I believe I do for God hath said in his Word that we shall flourish and bring forth fruit in old age Ille non est bonus qui non vult esse melior upon his hands that he hath many things to do many temptations to withstand many mercies to improve many burdens to bear many corruptions to conquer many duties to perform And this makes the believing soul thus to reason with God Ah Lord whatever I am weak in let me be strong in Faith whatever dies let Faith live whatever decayes let Faith flourish Lord let me be low in repute low in parts low in estate so thou wilt make me high in Faith Lord let me be poor in any thing poor in every thing so thou wilt but make me rich in Faith Lord let the eye of Faith be more opened let the eye of Faith be more quick-sighted let the eye of Faith be the more raised and it shall be enough to me though Joseph 2 Thâ—s 1. 3. That is but a Wooden leg that grows not no more is that any more but a Wooden faith a counterfeit faith that grows not be not though Benjamin be not It was the glory of the Thessalonians that their faith growed exceedingly A growth in Faith will render a man glorious in life lovely in death and twice blessed in the morning of the Resurrection so will not a growth in honors a growth in riches a growth in notions a growth in opinions That Faith that accompanies Salvation The union between Christ and the Saints is the nearest and the highest union and so it advantages their graces and advances them to a higher degree of happiness then any other Creatures whatsoever John 17. Christ would have his people one with him and the Father though noâ— essentially nor personally yet really and spiritually unites the soul to Christ and keeps the soul up in communion with Christ And from that union and communion that the soul hath with Christ flows such a Divine power and vertue that causes Faith to grow Yet that no weak Believers may be stumbled or sadded Let them remember First That though that Faith that accompanies Salvation be a growing faith yet there are some certain seasons and cases wherein a man may decay in his faith and wherein he may not have the exercise and the actings of his faith This blessed Babe of Grace may be cast into a deep slumber this Heavenly Pearl may be so buried under the thick clay of this world and under the ashes of corruption and temptation as that for a time it may neither stir nor grow as might be shewn in Abraham David Solomon Peter and others Secondly Remember this That the strongest faith at times is subject to shakings as the strongest men are to faintings as the stoutest ships are to tossings as the wisest men are to doubtings as the brightest stars are to twinklings c. Therefore if at certain times thou shouldst not be sensible of the growth of thy faith yet do not conclude that thou hast no faith Faith may be in the habit when it is not in the act there may be life in the root of the Tree when there is neither leaves blossoms nor fruit upon the Tree the life that is in the root
and so it makes a Christian to stand and triumph over all afflictions oppositions and temptations A third property of that Hope that accompanies Salvation is this It makes the Soul lively and active Psal 119. 166. Lord I have hoped for thy salvation and done thy commandments Hope puts the Soul upon doing upon obeying 1 Pet. 1. 3. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ which according to his abundant or much mercy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Much. hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead It is called a lively hope A mans duties and services usually are as his hopes are if his hopes are weak and low so will his services be but if his hopes are spiritual noble and high so will his motions and actions be Divine hope makes Saints as far excel all other men in their actings as the Angels do excel them Some say hope and fasting are the two wings of Prayer fasting is but as the wing of a bird but hope is as the wing of an Angel bearing our prayers to the throne of Grace because it brings life and comfort into the Soul and it is called a lively hope in opposition to the withering and dying hopes of Hypocrites and wicked men and it is called a lively hope because it flows from lively causes viz. The Spirit of Christ and the Souls union and communion with Christ but mainly it is called a lively hope because it puts the Soul upon lively endeavors Hope will make a man pray as for life hear as for life and mourn as for life and obey as for life and work and walk as for life Hope will not say this work is too hard and that work is too hot this work is too high and the other work is too low Hope will make a man put his hand to every work Hope makes a man more motion then notion it makes a man better at doing then at saying c. Hope gives life and strength to all religious duties and services 1 Cor. 9. 10. He that plougheth should plough in hope and he that thresheth in hope shall be partaker of his hope Hope will put a Christian upon ploughing and threshing that is upon the hardest and difficultest services for God and his glory If fleshly Fleshly hopes put the Romans upon doing very strange and wonderful exploits as you may see in Plutarch and other Historians hopes of gaining the honors riches and favors of this world made Absolom Ahitophel Jehu Haman and many Heathens full of life and activity full of motion and action Verily holy and heavenly hopes will make men much more lively and active by how much heavenly hopes are more excellent then earthly A man full of hope will be full of action a lively hope and a diligently hand are inseparable companions Hope will make a man do though he dies for doing A fourth property of that Hope that accompanies Salvation is this It will make a man sit Noah like quiet and still in the midst of all storms and tempests in the midst of all combustions concussions and mutations when others are at their wits end then hope will house the Soul and lodge it safe and quiet in the bosom of God Job 11. 18. And thou shalt be secure because there is hope yea thou shalt dig about thee and thou shalt take thy rest in safety The Hebrew word that is here rendred rest 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To rest as men rest in their beds or as the body rests in the grave is from a root that signifies to rest and sleep quietly as in ones bed Hope will bring the Soul to bed safely and sweetly in the darkest night in the longest storm and in the greatest tempest Heb. 6. 19. Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul both sure and stedfast and which entreth into that within the veil Hope is that Anchor of the Soul that keeps it quiet and still in all storms and tempests it keeps the soul from dashing Chrysostome saith that hope is not onely the Anchor but the Ship to that good Anchor upon the Rocks and from being swallowed up in the Sands Hope is an Anchor that is fastned above not below in Heaven not in Earth within the veil not without therefore the ship the Soul of a Believer must needs be safe and secure That ship will never be split upon the Rocks Hypoerites in stormy times are like ships without Anchors â—ost up and down with every wave and in danger of being split upon every Rock Job 27. 9 10. whose Anchor is in Heaven Hope enters within the veil and takes fast Anchor-hold on God himself and therefore blow high blow low rain or shine the soul of a Saint is safe Divine hope settles the heart he that cannot look for more then he hath can never be settled nor satisfied our best and greatest estate lies in invisibles our perfect and compleat estate here lies not in re but in spe it lies not in what we have in possession but in what we have in expectation in reversion A fift property of that Hope that accompanies Salvation is this It will work the Soul to a quiet and patient Patience is nothing else but Hope spun out If you would lengthen Patience be sure to strenthen Hope waiting upon God for mercy though God should delay the giving in of mercy Rom. 8. 25. But if we hope for that we see not then do we with patience wait for it Psal 130. 5 6. I wait for the Lord my soul doth wait and in his word do I hope My soul waiteth for the Lord more then they that watch for the morning I say more then they that watch for the morning Hope will make a man wait yea wait long for a mercy as it did Abraham Rom. 4. 18 19 20 21. Though the vision stay yet hope will Hab. 2. 1 2 3. Heb. 10. 36 37. Hopes Motto is Quod defertur non aufertur For bearâ—nce is no acquittance wait for it yet a little little while sayes hope and he that shall come will come and will not tarry The longer I wait for a mercy the greater better and sweeter at last the mercy will prove sayes Hope It is not mercy if it be not worth a waiting for sayes Hope and if it be mercy thou canst not wait too long for it sayes Hope The men of Bethulia resolved to wait upon God but five dayes longer but Deliverance stayed seven dayes and yet came at last So sayes Hope Pittacus one of the seven Sages used to say A wise man must recover that by patience which force cannot command though Deliverance stay though this and that mercy stayes as it were in the birth yet it will come at last therefore wait Hope is not hasty in prefixing the time when God shall shew mercy neither will it
limit God to the way or manner of shewing mercy but leave both the time and the manner to him that is wise and faithful Sayes Hope Christ knows his The Lord shews much mercy in timing our mercies for us own time and his own time is best though he stayes long yet he will certainly come and he will not stay a moment beyond the time he hath prefixt and therefore sayes Hope be not weary O Soul but still wait patiently upon the Lord. 1 Thes 1. 3. Remembring without ceasing your work of faith and labor of love and patience of hope Hope is the Mother of Patience and the Nurse of Patience Hope breeds Patience and Hope feeds Patience If it were not for hope the Spes est mestorum Drusius heart would die and if it were not for hope patience would die Look as Faith gives life and strength to Hope so doth Hope give life and strength to Patience Therefore Patience is called Patience of Hope Hope maintains Patience as the Fuel maintains the Fire A sixth property of that Hope that accompanies Salvation is this It is Soul-purifying Hope it puts a Christian upon purifying himself as Christ is pure 1 John 3. 3. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself even as Christ is pure Divine hope runs In quality though not in equality As is not a note of parility or equality but of resemblance and similitude As there is a similitude betwixt the face it self and the image of the face in the glass but no equality out into holiness he that hath the purest and strongest hopes of being saved is most studious and laborious to be sanctified The Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is rendred purifieth is a Metaphor taken either from the Ceremonial purifications in time of the Law or else from Goldsmiths purifying Metals from their Dross and it notes thus much to us That those that have hopes to reign with Christ in glory that have set their hearts upon that pure and blissful State that Paradise that holy and spiritual State of Bliss that is made up of singleness and purity they will purifie both their insides and their outsides both body and soul that they may answer to that excellent Copy that Christ hath set before them knowing that none shall enjoy Everlasting Glory but those that labor after perfect purity Now Hope purifies the heart and life thus by keeping the purest objects as God Christ the Word and the Soul together and by making How lively Hope makes the Soul in Religious services I have shewed in the third property the Soul serious and conscientious in the use of all Soul-purifying Ordinances and by being a fire in the Soul to burn up all those corruptions and principles of darkness that are contrary to that purity and glory that Hope hath in her eye and by working the Soul to lean upon Christ to live in Christ and to draw purifying vertue from Christ who is the Spring and Fountain of all Purity and Sanctity And thus Hope purifies those that expect to be like to Christ in Glory The seventh and last property of that Hope that accompanies Salvation that comprehends Salvation is this It is permanent and lasting it Prov. 10. 28. Austins hope made him long to die that he might see that head that was once crowned with thorns will never leave the Soul till it hath lodged it in the bosome of Christ Prov. 14. 32. The righteous hath hope in his death The righteous mans hope will bed and board with him it will lie down with him and rise up with him it will to the Grave to Heaven with him his Motto is Cum expiro spero My hope lasts beyond life The Hope made the Ancients to call the days of their death Natalia not dying but birth days Jews ancient custom was by the way as they went with their Corps to pluck up every one the Grass as who should say They were not sorry as men without hope for their Brother was but so cropt off and should spring up again in the morning of the Resurrection And the Jews to this very day stick not to call their Golgotha's Batte Catim the houses or places of the living That Hope that accompanies Salvation is a long-lived hope it is a living hope 1 Pet. 1. 3. Blessed be the God and Heb. 3. 6. 6. 11. 1 Pet. 1. 13. Psal 131. 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Living Father of our Lord Jesus Christ which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope or a living hope A hope that will not die a hope that will not leave a man in life nor death Psal 71. 14. But I will hope 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 continually and will yet praise thee more In prosperity and adversity in wealth and sickness in life and death I will hope it is neither the smiles nor the frowns of the world that shall bury a Christians hope A Christians hope will live in all weathers and it will make a Christian bear up bravely in all storms and under all changes and more No trials no troubles no afflictions no oppositions shall keep down my hope says David I am peremptorily resolved in the face of all dangers difficulties and deaths to keep up my hopes come what will come on it I will rather let my life go then my hope go I will hope continually A hopeless condition is a very sad condition it is the worst condition in the world it makes a mans life a very Hell If hope deferred maketh the heart sick as the Wiseman speaks Prov. 13. 12. then the loss of hope will make the soul languish it will make it chuse strangling rather then life it will make a mans life a continual death A Soul without hope is like a ship without anchors Lord where will that soul stay that stayes not upon thee by hope A man were better part with any thing then his hope When Alexander went upon a hopeful expedition he gave away his Gold and when he was asked what he kept for himself he answered Spem majorum meliorum The hope of greater and better things A Believers hope I have read of a Rhodian who being cast into a dungeon full of Adders and Snakes for some horrid crimes by him committed Some perswaded him to rid himself out of that misery by a violent way but he answered No For saith he as long as I have breath in my nostrils I will ever hope for my deliverance is not like that of Pandora which may flie out of the Box and bid the Soul an everlasting farewel No it is like the morning light the least beam of it shall commence into a compleat Sun-shine It is Aurora Gaudii and it shall shine forth brighter and brighter till it hath fully possessed the Believer of his Christ and Crown This will be the Hypocrites hell and horror
Holy Spirit and the Hissings of the old Serpent c. p. 565. to p. 578 CHAP. VII COntaining Answers to several special Questions about Assurance As first How those should strengthen and maintain their Assurance that have obtained it c. This Question is answered Nine ways p. 579. to p. 589 The second Question is How such sad Souls may be supported from fainting and languishing that have lost that sweet and blessed Assurance that once they had Six Answers are given to the Question p. 589 to p. 597 The third Question is How such Souls may recover Assurance who once had it but have now lost it Five Answers given to this Question p. 597. to p. 602 Some Uses of the Point from p. 603 â—o the end THe greatest thing that we can desire next the glory of God is our own Salvation and the sweetest thing we can desire is the Assurance of our Salvation In this life we cannot get higher then to be assured of that which in the next life is to be enjoyed All Saints shall enjoy a Heaven when they leave this Earth Some Saints enjoy a Heaven while they are here on Earth That Saints might enjoy Two Heavens is the project of this Book that this project may be published and by a Blessing from the Third Heaven prospered The Book is Licensed by Joseph Caryl The nineth of the first Mneth commonly called March 1653. A Serious Discourse touching A Well-grounded Assurance CHAP. I. Shewing that beleevers may in this life attain unto a Well-grounded Assurance of their everlasting happiness and blessedness FIrst The ground on which the Apostle Paul builds his Assurance is not any special Revelation but such a foundation as is common to all Beleevers as cleerly appears in that Rom. 8. 32 33 34. Hee that spared not his owne Sonne but delivered Rom. 8. 32 33 34. him up for us all how shall he not with him also freely give us all things Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect it is God that justifieth who is he that condemneth It is Christ that dyed yea rather that is risen againe who is even at the right hand of God who also maketh intercession for us It is cleer from these words that this blessed Apostle Immediate Revelations are fleeting inconstant and therefore men had need be carefull how they build upon them had not that glorious Assurance that he speaks of in the two last verses of this Chapter by immediate Revelation for he concludes it from such arguments as are generall or common to all the godly and therefore it roundly follows that beleevers may in this life attain unto a Well-grounded Assurance of their everlasting happinesse and blessednesse So Hezekiahs assurance did spring from a principle that is common to all beleevers 2 King 20. 3. Ergo. Secondly It is the very scope and end of the Scripture to help beleevers to a well-grounded Assurance of their everlasting happinesse and blessednesse These things saith John have I written unto you that beleeve on the name 1 Joh 5. 13. of the Sonne of God that yee may know that yee have eternal life These precious T it 1. 2. soules did beleeve and they had eternal life in respect of the promise of eternal life and in respect Eph. 2. 6. of Christ their head who had taken up their roomes aforehand in heaven and who as a publick person Surely glory is nothing else but a bright constellation of grace happinesse is nothing but the quintessence of holinessâ— doth represent all his people and they had eternal life in respect of the beginnings of it for what is grace but glory begun and what is glory but grace perfected Grace is Glory in the bud and Glory is Grace at the full Now though they had eternal life in all these respects yet they did not know it though they did beleeve yet they did not beleeve that they did beleeve therefore the Apostle in those precious Epistles of his doth make it his businesse by variety and plenty of arguments to helpe all but especially such as are weak in the faith to a Well-grounded Assurance of their eternal welfare It is the very drift and design of the Gregory calls the Scripture Cor animam Dei the heart and soule of God whole Scripture to bring souls first to an acquaintance with Christ and then to an acceptance of Christ and then to build them up in a sweet assurance of their actual interest in Christ which made Luther to say That hee would not live in Paradise if he might without the word but with the word he could live in hell it selfe Adoro plenitudinem Scripturarum I adore the fulnesse of the Scripture Tertul No Histories are comparable to the Histories of the Scripture First For Antiquity Secondly For Rarity Thirdly For Variety Fourthly For Brevity Fifthly For Perspicuity Sixtly For Harmony And seventhly For Verity The Word evidences truth it evinces falshood it fights against folly it opens the bowels of mercy and it assures beleeving soules of eternal felicity That is a precious word Heb. 6. 18. Assurance produces such strong consolations as swallows up all worldly griefs As Moses Serpent did the Sorcerers Serpents or as the fire doth the fuel in that Heb. 6. 18. God hath given us his word his oath his seale that our consolation may be strong and that our salvation may bee sure Now what comfort can a beleever have without Assurance It is the assurance of my interest in the land of Canaan in Gospel cordials in precious promises and in a precious Christ that comforts and delights my soul It is not enough to raise strong consolation in my soul barely to know that there are Mines of gold mountaines of pearle heaps of treasures a land flowing with milke and honey but it is the knowledge of my interest in these that raises joy in my soule To know that there are such things and that I have no interest in them is rather a vexation Non in honorum cognitione sed fruitione then a consolation to me To know that there is a feast of choisest Delicates but not a taste for me that there are pleasant fountaines and streames but I must perish for thirst in a wildernesse to know that there are royall Robes for such and such but I must dye in my rags to know that there is a pardon for such and such but I must be turned off the ladder of life to know that there is preferment for such and such but I must still lie with Lazarus at Dives doore such knowledge as this may well adde to my vexation but it will not adde to my consolation It was rather matter of sorrow then joy to the men Spira cryed our Christ is to me a grief a torment because I despised him I rejected him and I have no part in him of the old world to know that there was an Arke when
how sweet was the Jonah 2 2. light to Jonah that had been in the belly of hell so is Assurance to those that through slavish fears and unbeliefe have made their beds in hell as the Psalmist speaks Gold that is Psal 139. 8. far fetched and dearly bought is Socrates prized the Kings countenance above his coyn his good looks above his gold so do Saints prize Assurance above all worldly enjoyments most highly esteemed so that Assurance that costs the soule most paines and patience most waiting and weeping most striving and wrestling is most highly valued and most wisely improved As by the want of temporals God teaches his people the better to prize them and improve them when they enjoy them so by the want of spirituals God teaches his people the better to prize them and improve them when they enjoy them Numb 14. 33. 34. Exod. 11. Ezra 1. Ah how sweet was Canaan to those that had been long in a wildernesse How precious was the gold and ear-rings to Israel that had been long in Egypt and the gifts and Jewels to the Jewes that had been long in Babylon so is Assurance to those precious souls The longer I stay for the Empire said the Emperors son the greater it will be So the longer a Saint stayes for Assurance the greater at last it will be that have been long without it but at last come to enjoy it After the Trojans had been wandring a long time in the Mediterranean Sea as soon as they espied land they cryed out with exulting joy Italy Italy so when poore soules shall come to enjoy Assurance who have been long tossed up and downe in a sea of sorrow and trouble how will they with joy cry out Assurance Assurance Assurance The sixth reason why God denies Assurance to his dearest ones at Humility is Conservatrix virtutum saith Onâ—â— least for a time is that they bee kept humble and low in their owne eyes as the enjoyment of mercy glads us so the want of mercy humbles us Davids heart was never more low then when he had a Crowne onely in hope but not in hand No sooner was the Crowne set upon his head but his blood rises with his outward good and in the pride of his heart he sayes I shall never be removed Hezekiah was Psal 30. 6. 2 Chron. 32. The whole Chapter is worthy of reading a holy man yet hee swels big under mercy No sooner doth God lift up his house higher then others but hee lifts up his heart in pride higher then others When God had made him As I get good by my sins so I get hurt by my graces said Mr. Fox they being accidental occasions of pride to him high in honours riches victories I and in spiritual experiences then his heart flyes high and he forgets God and forgets himselfe and forgets that all his mercies were from free mercy that all his mercies were but borrowed mercies Surely it is better to want any mercy then an humble heart it is better to have no mercy then want an humble heart A little Augustine saith that the first second and third vertue of a Christian is humility little mercy with an humble heart is far better then the greatest mercies with a proud heart I had rather have Pauls coat with his humble heart then Hezekiahs lifted up heart with his rich Treasures and royal Robes Well Christians remember this God hath two strings to his bow if your hearts will not lye humble and low under the sense of sinne and misery he will God hath two hands a hand open and a hand shut and he makes use of both to keep souls humble make them lye low under the want of some desired mercy The want of Assurance tends to bow and humble the soul as the enjoyment of Assurance doth to raise and rejoyce the soule and therefore doe not wonder why precious soules are so long without assurance why Christs Charet Assurance Judg. 5 28. is so long a coming The seventh and last reason why God denies Assurance for a time even to his dearest ones is that they may live cleerly and fully upon Jesus Christ that Jesus Christ may be seen Col. 3. 11. Omne bonum in summo bono All good is in the chiefest good Christ is all things to a Christian he is bread to feed them a fountaine to refresh them a Physitian to heal them a rock to shelter them a light to guide them and a crown to crown them to bee all in all It is naturall to the soule to rest upon every thing below Christ to rest upon creatures to rest upon graces to rest upon duties to rest upon divine manifestations to rest upon celestial consolations to rest upon gracious evidences and to rest upon sweet Assurances Now the Lord to cure his people of this weaknesse and to bring them to live wholly and solely upon Jesus Christ denies comfort and denies assurance c. and for a time leaves his children of light to walk in darknesse Christians this you are alwayes to remember that though the enjoyment of assurance makes most for your consolation yet the living purely upon Christ in the want of assurance makes most for his Heb 11. 27. Isa 60. 19. Mic. 7. 3. 9. Iohn 20. 28 29 exaltation No Christian to him that in the want of visibles can live upon an invisible God that in thicke darknesse can live upon God as an everlasting light Hee is happy that beleeves upon seeing upon feeling but thrice happy are those soules that beleeve when they doe not see that love when they doe not know that they are beloved and that in the Christ is omniâ— super omnia want of all comfort and assurance can live upon Christ as their onely all He that hath learned this holy art cannot bee miserable hee that is ignorant of this art cannot bee happy The second Proposition is this That the Scripture hath many sweet significant words to expresse that well-grounded Assurance by which beleevers may attaine to in this life sometimes it is called a perswasion Rom. 8. 38. I am perswaded that neither 1 There is a natural perswasion namral principles may perswade a man that there is a God and that this God is a great God a beauteous God c. but this will not make a man happy 2 There is a moral perswasion 3 There is a traditional perswasion death nor life c. shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is â—n Christ Jesus our Lord. It is rendred a perspicuous and peculiar manifestation of Christ to the soul John 14. 21 22 23 24. It is often rendred to know as in that 1 John 3. chap. 2. 14. 19. 24. verses and chap. 5. 13. 19 c. but the word that the Scripture doth most fully expresse this by is plerophoria full assurance that is when the soule by the Spirit and word
is so fully perswaded of its eternal happinesse and blessednesse that it s carried like 4 There is a divine perswasion that flows from divine principles and causes Noahs Arke above al waves doubts and fears and Noah-like fits still and quiet and can with the Apostle Paul triumph over sinne hell wrath death and devill This is sometimes called Col. 2. 2. Heb. 6 11. 18 19 cha 10. 22. full assurance of understanding sometimes it is called full assurance of hope and sometimes it is called full assurance of faith because these are the choice and pleasant springs from whence assurance flows Now though this full assurance is earnestly desired and highly This full Assurance is the maximum quod sic the highest pinacle of Assurance prized and the want of it much lamented the injoyment of it much endevoured after by al Saints yet t is only obtained by a few Assurance is a mercy too good for most mens hearts it is a Crowne too weighty for most mens heads Assurance is optimum maximum the best and greatest mercy and therefore God will onely give it to his best and dearest friends Augustus in his solemne feasts gave trifles to some but gold to others honours and riches c. are trifles that God gives to the worst of men Rev. 3. 18. But Assurance is that tryed gold that God onely gives to tried friends Among those few that have a share or Most Saints I beleeve can give aloud testimony to this truth I shall rejoyce when their experiences shall confute â—r portion in the special love and favour of God there are but a very few that have an assurance of his love It is one mercy for God to love the soule and another mercy for God to assure the soule of his love God writes many a mans name in the Book of life and yet will not let him know it till his houre of death as the experience of many precious soules doth cleerly evidence Assurance is a flower of Paradise that God sticks but Rom. 8. 16 17. in a few mens bosomes It is one thing to be an heire of heaven and another thing for a man to know or see himselfe an heire of heaven The childe in the arms may be heire to a Crown a Kingdome and yet not understand it so many a Saint may bee heire to a Crowne a Kingdome of glory and yet not know it As the babes that passes the pangs of the first birth do not presently cry Father Father so the new borne Babes in Christ that have 1 Pet. 2. 2. past the pangs of the second birth doe not presently cry Abba Father they doe not presently cry out Heaven Heaven is ours Glory Glory is ours The third Proposition is this That The third Proposition a man may have true grace that hath not Assurance of the love and favour The blinde man in the Gospel called his faith unbeleef of God or of the remission of his sins and salvation of his soule A man may be truly holy and yet not have assurance that he shall be eternally happy A man may be Gods and yet he not know it his estate may be good and yet he not see it he may Mat. 15. 22. 29. be in a safe condition when he is not in a comfortable condition All may be well with him in the Court of glory when hee would give a thousand worlds that all were but well in the court of conscience The Canaanite woman shewed much love wisdome zeale humility and faith yea such strength of faith as makes Christ admire her and yeeld to her grace her and gratifie her and yet shee had no assurance that wee read of So Paul speaking of the beleeving Eph 1. 13. They that honour God by sealing to his truth those God will honour by sealing them with his Spirit Ephesians saith In whom ye also trusted after that yee heard the word of truth the Gospel of your salvation in whom also after that yee beleeved yee were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise First They heard the word and then secondly they beleeved and then thirdly they were sealed that is fully assured of a heavenly inheritance of a Saints have eternal life 1 In praetio 2 In promisso 3 In primitiis purchased possession So 1 John 5. 13. These things have I written unto you that beleeve on the name of the Sonne of God that yee may know that yee have eternal life and that yee may beleeve on the name of the Son of God So in that Isa 50. 10. Who is among you that feareth the Lord that obeyeth the voyce of his servant that walketh in darknesse and hath no light let him trust in the name of the Lord and stay himselfe upon his God So in that Mich. 7. 8. 9. verses Rejoyce not against me O mine enemy when I fall I shall arise when I sit in darknesse the Lord shall be a light unto me I will bear the indignation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the Lord because I have sinned against him untill he plead my cause and Zagnaph Signifies vehement anger with a sad and lowring countenance Dan. 1. 10. vide Merâ— execute judgement for me he will bring me forth to the light and I shall behold his Righteousnesse Asaph was a very holy man a man eminent in grace and yet without assurance as may bee seen at large in that 77. Ps Heman doubtlesse was a very precious soule and yet from his youth up hee was even distracted with terrours Psalm 88. There are thousand Christians that are in a state of grace and shall bee Isa 8. 17. Chap. 49. 14 15 16. Ch. 54 6 7 8 9 10 11. saved that want assurance and the proper effects of it as high joy pure comfort glorious peace and vehement longings after the coming of Christ Assurance is requisite to the well-being of a Christian but not to the being it is requisite to the consolation of a Christian but not to the salvation of a Christian it is requisite to the well-being of Grace but not to the meer being of Grace Though a man cannot be saved without faith yet he may bee saved without assurance God hath in many places of the Scripture declared that without faith God never said except you be assured I will pardon you I will never pardon you except you are assured I will save you I will never save you this is language God never spoke and why then should men speak it there is no salvation but God hath not in any one place of Scripture declared that without assurance there is no salvation A man must first bee saved before he can be assured of his salvation for he cannot be assured of that which is not and a man must have saving grace before he can bee saved for hee cannot be saved by that which hee hath not Againe a man must be ingrafted into Christ before
descend upon him like a Dove and he shall hear a voice from heaven saying This is my beloved Sonne in whom I am well-pleased that so he may be strong in resisting and glorious in triumphing over all the assaults and temptations of Satan So many times at first conversion the Lord makes out sweet manifestations of his love to the soule that so the soule may stand fast and not give ground and in the sense of divine love may so manage the shield of faith as to quench all the fiery darts of the Devil The Lord knows that when hee sets upon the delivering of a poor soule from the Kingdome of darknesse and translating it into the Kingdome of his dear Sonne that Satan will roar and Col. 1. 13. rage rend and tear as he did him in Pharaoh in his furious and violent pursuing after Israel when he saw that God would bring them from under his power was a type of Satan Mark 9. 25 26. When Jesus saw that the people came ranning together hee rebuked the foule spirit saying unto him Thou dumb and deaf spirit I charge thee to come out of him and the spirit cryed and rent him sore and came out of him and he was as one dead in so much that many said He is dead No sooner did Jesus Christ look with an eye of love pity and compassion upon the Boy but the Devil in his rage and wrath The Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies to tear and rent as the dog doth falls a renting and tearing of him as mad dogs do those things they fasten upon This poor childe had never so sore a fit as now he was nearest the cure when rich Mercy and Glorious power is nearest the soul then Satan most storms and rages against the soul The more the Bowels of Christ do work towards a sinner the more furious will Satan assault that sinner Therefore Divine Wisdom and Goodness does the more eminently shine in giving the poor soul some sight of Canaan and some Bunches and Clusters of that Land upon its first coming out of the Wilderness of Sin and Sorrow But that no soul may mistake this last Proposition give me leave to premise these two Cautions First That God does manifest his Caut. 1. love onely to some at their first conversion not to all Though he dearly loves every penitent soul yet he does not manifest his love at first conversion to every penitent soul God is a free Agent to work where he will and when he will and to reveal his love how he will and when he will and to whom he will It is one thing for A man may enjoy the warmth and heat of the Sun when he cannot see the Sun so a man may have grace when he cannot see that he hath grace God to work a work of Grace upon the soul and another thing for God to shew the soul that work God oftentimes works Grace in a silent and secret way and takes sometimes five sometimes ten sometimes fifteen sometimes twenty years yea sometimes more before he will make a clear and satisfying report of his own work upon the soul Though our Graces be our best Jewels yet they are sometimes at first conversion so weak and imperfect that we are not able to see their lustre The being of Grace makes our estates safe and sure the seeing of Grace makes our lives sweet and comfortable The second Caution is this A man Caut. 2. I have conversed with several precious souls that have found this true by experience and upon this very ground have questioned all and strongly doubted whether they have not taken Satans delusions for divine manifestations may at first conversion have such a clear glorious manifestation of Gods love to him and of his interest in God and his right to glory that he may not have the like all his days after The fatted Calf is not every day slain the Robe of Kings is not every day put on every day must not be a Feastival day a Marriage day the wife is not every day in the bosom the childe is not every day in the arms the friend is not every day at the table nor the soul every day under the manifestations of Divine Love Jacob did not every day see the Angels ascending and descending Steven did not every day see the Heavens open and Christ standing on the right hand of God Paul was not every day caught up to Heaven nor John was not every day rapt up in the Spirit No Saint can every day cry out I have my Christ I have my Comfort I have my Assurance as the Persian King cryed out in his dream I have Themistocles I have Themistocles Job had his Job 30. 31. Harp turned into mourning and his Organ into the voice of them that weep The best of Saints are sometimes put to hang their Harps upon the Willows and Psal 137. 2. cry out Hath God forgotten to be gracious Psal 77. 7 8. 9. and will he be favorable no more The second special season or time wherein the Lord is pleased to give to his children a sweet assurance of his 2 Cor. 5. 14. favor and love and that is when he intends to put them upon some high and hard some difficult and dangerous service O then he gives them some 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Divine love hath a compulsive faculty it is very powerful to put the soul upon acting in the highest and hardest services for Christ sweet taste of Heaven before hand Now he smiles now he kisses now he embraces the soul now he takes a Saint by the hand now he causes his goodness and glory to pass before the soul now he opens his bosom to the soul now the soul shall be of his Court and Councel now the Clouds shall be scattered now it shall be no longer night with the soul now the soul shall sit no longer mourning in the valley of darkness now Christ will carry the soul up into the Mount and there reveal his glory to it that it may act high and brave noble and glorious in the face of difficulties and discouragements Christ did intend to Matth. 17. 1 2 3 4 5 6. put Peter James and John upon hard and difficult service and therefore brings them up into an high mountain and there gives them a vision of his Beauty and Glory there they see him transfigured metamorphosed or transformed there they see his face shining as the Sun and his Rayment glistering In the Mount he shews them such beams of his Deity such sparkling glory as did even amuse them and amaze them transport them and astonish them and all this Grace and Glory this Goodness and Sweetness Christ shews them to hearten and encourage them to own him and his truth to stand by him and truth to make him and his truth known to the world though hatred bonds and contempt did attend them in so doing
as cannot be exprest as cannot be declared Christ in this Ordinance opens such boxes of precious Oyntments as fill the Saints with a spiritual savor he gives them a cluster of the Grapes of Num. 13. 23 24 25. Canaan that makes them earnestly look and long to be in Canaan The Cypr. l 4. ep 6 Aug. in John Tract 27 c. Christians in the Primitive times upon their receiving the Sacrament were wont to be filled with that zeal and fervor with that joy and comfort with that faith fortitude and assurance that made them to appear before the Tyrants with transcendent boldness and cheerfulness as many Writers do testifie Now there are these Reasons why God is pleased to lift up the light of his countenance upon his people when they are a hearing the Word of Life and a breaking the Bread of Life First That they may highly prize Reas 1 the Ordinances the choice Discoveries that God makes to their souls in them works them to set a very high Psal 63. 2 3. Cant 2 3. Psal 19. 10. This age is full of careless Gallioes Acts â—8 17. that care not for these things price upon them O say such souls we cannot but prize them we cannot but affect them for what of God we have enjoyed in them Many there are that are like old Barzillai that had lost his taste and hearing and so cared not for Davids feasts and musick so many there are that can see nothing of God nor taste nothing of God in Ordinances they care not for Ordinances they slight Ordinances O but souls Psal 84. 10 11. that have seen and heard and tasted of the goodness of the Lord in Ordinances they dearly love them and highly prize them I have esteemed thy Word says Job above my necessary food Job 23. 12. Better that the Sun shine not then that Chrysostom Preach not And David sings it out The Law of thy mouth is better unto me then thousands of gold and silver Luther prized the Word at such a high rate that he saith He would not live in Paradise if he might without the Word At cum verbo etiam in inferno facile est vivere but with the Word he could live in Hell it self Secondly God lifts up the light of Reas 2 his countenance upon his people in Ordinances that he may keep them Psal 27. 4. close to Ordinances and constant in Ordinances the soul shall hear good news from Heaven when it is waiting at Wisdoms door God will acquaint Prov. 8. 34 35. the soul with Spiritual Mysteries and feed it with the droppings of the Honey Comb that the soul may cleave to them as Ruth did to Naomi Ruth 1. 15 16 17. and say of them as she said of her Where these go I will go where these lodge I will lodge and nothing but death shall make a separation between Ordinances and my soul After Joshua Josh 1. 5. had had a choice presence of God with his spirit in the service he was put upon he makes a Proclamation Chuse you whom you will serve I and my Josh 24. 15. houshold will serve the Lord. Let the issue be what it will I will cleave to the service of my God I will set my soul under Gods spout I will wait for him Mal. 3. 1. in his Temple I will look for him in Revel 2. 1. the midst of the seven Golden Candlesticks I have found him a good Master I will live and dye in his service I have found his work to be better then wages I have found a reward not onely for keeping but also in keeping his Commandments as the Psal 19. 11 Psalmist speaks The good words the sweet aspects the choice hints the heavenly intercourse that hath been between the Lord Jesus and my soul in his service hath put such great and glorious engagements upon my soul that I cannot but say with the servant in the Law I love my Master Exod. 21. 5. Deut. 15. 16 17. and I will not quit his service because it is well with me my ear is bored and I will be his servant for ever The third Reason Why the Lord Reas 3 causes the beams of his love and the brightness of his glory to shine forth upon his people in Ordinances is To fence and strengthen their souls against all those temptations that they may meet with from Satan and his Ephes 4. 14. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies cogging with a Dy such slights as cheaters and false-gamesters use at Dâ—ce instruments that lie in wait to deceive and by their cunning craftiness endeavor with all their might to work men first to have low thoughts of Ordinances and then to neglect them and then to despise them Now the Lord Chrysostom saith That by the Sacrament of the Lords Supper we are so armed against Satans temptations that he fleeth from us as if we were so many Leones ignem expuentes Lyons that spit fire by the sweet discoveries of himself by the kisses and love tokens that he gives to his people in Ordinances does so indear and engage their hearts to them that they are able not onely to withstand temptations but also to triumph over temptations thorow him that hath loved them and in Ordinances manifested his presence and the riches of his grace and goodness to them the sweet converse the blessed turns and walks that the Saints have with God in Ordinances makes them strong in resisting and happy in conquering of those temptations that tend to lead them from the Ordinances which are Christs bankquetting-house Can 2. 4. Beith Haiin is Domus vini the House of Wine where he sets before his people all the dainties and sweet-meats of Heaven and bids them eat and drink abundantly there being no danger of surfeiting in eating or drinking of Christs delicates Truly many a soul hath surfeited of the worlds dainties and died for ever but there is not a soul that hath had the honor and happiness to be brought into Christs bankquetting-house and to eat and drink of his dainties but they have lived for ever The fourth Reason Why the Lord Reas 4 is pleased to give his people some sense of his love and some tastes of Heaven in Ordinances is That he may fit and ripen them for Heaven and make them look and long more after a perfect compleat and full enjoyment of God Souls at first conversion are but roughcast but God by visiting of them Isa 64. 5. and manifesting of himself to them in his ways doth more and more fit those Vessels of Mercy for Glory Ah Christians tell me do not those Holy Influences those Spiritual Breathings those Divine In-comes that you meet with in Ordinances make your souls cry out with David As the Hart panteth after the water Psal 42. 1 2. The Greeks derive their word for desire from a root that signifieth to burn Now if one should
heap never so much fuel upon a fire it would not quench it but kindle it the more so nothing can satisfie the desires of a Saint but a full celestial enjoyment of God brooks so panteth my soul after thee O God My soul thirsteth for God even for the living God When shall I come and appear before the presence of God So in that Psal 63. 1 2. O God thou art my God early will I seek thee my soul thirsteth for thee my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty Land where no water is To see thy power and thy glory so as I have seen thee in the Sanctuary In these words you have Davids strong earnest and vehement desires here you have desire upon desire here you have the very flower and vigor of his spirit the strength and sinews of his soul the prime and top of his enflamed affections all strongly working after a fuller enjoyment of God Look as the espoused Maid longs for the marriage day the Apprentice for his freedom the Captive for his ransom the condemned man for his pardon the Traveller for his Inn and the Mariner for his Haven so doth a soul that hath met with God in his Ordinances long to meet with God in Heaven It is It is not drops but swimming in the Ocean that will satisfie a soul that hath looked into paradise not a drop it is not a lap and away a sip and away that will suffice such a soul No. This soul will never be quiet till it sees God face to face till it be quiet in the bosom of God The more a Saint tastes of God in an Ordinance the more are his desires raised and whetted and the more are his teeth set on edge for more and more of God Plutarch faith That Plutarch in vita Camilli when once the Gauls had tasted of the sweet Wine that was made of the Grapes of Italy nothing would satisfie them but Italy Italy So a soul A full enjoyment of God is the most sparkling Diamond in the Ring of Glory that hath tasted of the sweetness and goodness of God in Ordinances nothing will satisfie it but more of that goodness and sweetness a little mercy may save the soul but it must be a great deal of mercy that must satisfie the soul The least glimps of Gods countenance may be a staff to support the soul and a cordial to cherish and comfort the soul and an ark to secure the soul and a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night to guide the soul but it must be much very much of God that must be enough to satisfie the soul The fifth and last Reason Why the Reas 5 Lord is graciously pleased to give his people some sense of his love and some assurance of his favor in Ordinances is That they may have wherewithal to silence and stop the mouths of wicked and ungodly men whose words are Mal. 3. 13 14. stout against the Lord who say it is in vain to serve God and what profit is there in keeping his Statutes and Ordinances and in walking mournfully before the Lord of Hosts Now the The Saints by the gracious Experiences that they have of the sweet breathings of God upon them in Ordinances are able to confute muzzle halter or button up the mouths of vain and wicked men who say unto the Lord Depart from us for we desire not the knowledge of thy ways Lord causes his face to shine upon his people in Ordinances that they may stand up and bear him witness before the wicked world that he is no hard Master that he reaps not where he sows not In Ordinances he kisses them and there he gives them his love and makes known his goodness and glory that his Children may from their own experiences be able to confute all the lies and clamors of wicked men against God and his ways And blessed be God that hath not left himself without witness but hath many thousands that can stand up before all the What is the Almighty that we shouâ—d serve him and what profit should we have if we pray unto him Job 21. 14 15. world and declare That they have seen the beauty and glory of God in his Sanctuary that they have met with those joys and comforts in the ways of God that do as far surpass all other joys and comforts as light does darkness as Heaven does Hell That they have met with such heart meltings such heart humblings such heart revivings such heart cheerings as they never met with before in all their days Ah say these Souls One day in his Courts is better then a thousand years elswhere O! we had rather with Moses loose all and be whipped and stripped of all then lose the sweet enjoyments of God in Ordinances O! in them God hath been Light and Life a Joy and a Crown to our Souls God is tender of his own glory and of his Childrens comfort and therefore he gives them such choice aspects and such sweet visits in Ordinances that they may have Arguments at hand to stop the mouths of sinners and to declare from their own experience that all the ways of God are ways of pleasantness Prov 3. 17. Psal 65. 11. and that all his paths drops fatness And thus much for the Reasons Why God lifts up the light of his countenance upon his people in Ordinances before I pass to the next particular it will be necessary that I lay down these Cautions to prevent weak Saints from stumbling and doubting who have not yet found the Lord giving out his favors and making known his Grace and Love in such a sensible way to their souls in breaking the Bread of Life as others have found Now the first Caution I shall lay Caut. 1. down is this That even Believers may sometimes come and go from this Ordinance without that comfort that assurance that joy that refreshment that others have and may meet with And this may arise partly from their 2 Chro. 30. 19 20. 1 Cor. 11. 20. to ult unpreparedness and unfitness to meet with God in the Ordinance and partly from their playing and dallying with some bosom sin or else it may arise from their not stirring up themselves to lay hold on God as the Prophet Isaiah complains There is none Isa 64. 7. that calleth upon thy name that stirreth up himself to take hold of thee or else it may arise from the Spirits standing at Sam. 1. 16. a distance from the Soul it may be O soul that thou hast set the Comforter the Spirit a mourning and therefore it is that he refuses to comfort thee and to be a sealing and witnessing spirit unto thee Thou hast grieved him with thy sins and he will now vex thee by his silence thou hast thrown his Cordials against the Psal 77. 2. wall thou hast trampled his Manna under thy feet and therefore it is that he
applying precious promises and suitable remedies to all your maladies Have you not found God a bringing in unexpected mercy in the day of your adversity suitable to that promise Hosea 2. 14. I will allure her and bring her into the wilderness and speak comfortably to her or I will earnestly speak to her heart as the Hebrew reads it yes Have you not found that God hath so sweetned and sanctified afflictions to you as to make them a means to discover many sins that lay hid and to purge you from many sins that cleaved close unto you and to prevent you from falling into many sins that would have been the breaking of your bones and the loss of your comfort yes Have you not found that you have Musk saith one when it hath lost its sweetness if it be put into the sink amongst filth it recovers it so doth afflictions recover and revive decayed graces been like the Walnut tree the better for beating and like the Vine the better for bleeding and like the ingenious childe the better for whiping yes Have you not found afflictions to revive quicken and recover your decayed graces have they not inflamed that love that hath been cold and put life into that Faith that hath been dying and quickned those hopes that have been withering and put spirits into those joyes and comforts that have been languishing yes O then stand up and declare to all the world That times of affliction have been the times wherein you have seen the face of God and heard the voice of God and sucked sweetness from the brests of God and fed upon the delicates of God and drunk deep of the consolations of God and have been most satisfied and delighted with the presence and in-comes of God When Hezekiah in his great affliction lamentingly said I shall go mourning Isai 38. 9. to 21. to my grave I shall not see the Lord in the Land of the living he will cut me off with pining sickness he will break all my bones Like a Crane or a Swallow so did I chatter I did mourn as a Dove mine eyes fail with looking upward O Lord I am oppressed undertake for me So now God comes in a way of mercy to him and prints his love upon his heart Vers 17. Thou hast in love to my soul delivered it from the pit of corruption or rather as the Hebrew reads 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it Thou hast loved my soul from the grave for thou hast cast all my sins behinde thy back Ah says Hezekiah I have now found that in my afflictions thy affections have been most strongly carried towards me as towards one whom thou art exceedingly taken with O now thou hast warmed me with thy love and visited me with thy grace thou hast made my darkness to be light and turned my sighing into singing and my mourning into rejoycing So when Habakkuks belly trembled Hab 3. 16 17 18. and his lips quivered and rottenness entered into his bones and all Creature comforts failed yet then had he such a sweet presence of God with his Spirit as makes him to rejoyce in the midst of sorrows Yet says he I will rejoyce in the Lord I will joy in the God of my salvation And thus you see it clear That in times of affliction God makes sweet manifestations of his love and favor to his Childrens souls Eighthly Praying times are times wherein the Lord is graciously pleased to give his people some sweet and comfortable assurance of his love and favor towards them Prayer crowns Nunquam abs te absque te recedo Bern. ep 116. O Lord saith he I never go away from thee without thee He was a man very much in prayer as some Writers observe God with the honor and glory that is due to his Name and God crowns prayer with assurance and comfort usually the most praying souls are the most assured souls There is no service wherein souls have such a neer familiar and friendly entercourse with God as in this of prayer neither is there any service wherein God doth more delight to make known his grace and goodness his mercy and bounty his beauty and glory to poor souls then this of prayer The best and sweetest flowers of paradise God gives to his people when they are upon their knees Prayer is Porta coeli clavis padisi the Gate of Heaven a Key to let us into paradise when John was weeping in prayer doubtless the Sealed Book was open to him Many Christians have found by experience praying times to be sealing times times wherein God hath sealed up to them the remission of their sins and the salvation of their souls They have found prayer to be a shelter to their souls a sacrifice to God a sweet savor to Christ a scourge to Satan and an in-let to assurance God loves to lade the wings of prayer with the choicest and chiefest blessings Ah! how often Christians hath God kist you at the beginning of prayer and spoke peace to you in the midst of prayer and filled you with joy and assurance upon the close of prayer That nineth of Daniel from the seventeenth to the four and twentieth verse is full to the point in hand I shall onely cite the words of the four last Verses And whilest I was speaking and praying Dan. 9. 20. and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel and presenting my supplication before the Lord my God for the Holy Mountain of my God Yea whilest I was speaking in prayer even the man Gabriel whom I had seen in the vision at the begining 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 With weariness or flight tired as it were with his making speed being caused to flie swiftly touched me about the time of the Evening Oblation And he informed me and talked with me and said O Daniel I am now come forth to give thee skill and understanding At the beginning of thy supplications the commandment came forth and I am come to shew thee for thou art greatly beloved therefore understand the Matter and consider the Vision In these words you see whilest Daniel was in prayer the Lord appears to him and gives him a Divine touch and tells him That he is a man greatly beloved or as the Hebrew hath it a man of desires So 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chamudoth a man of desires that is one singularly beloved of God one that is very pleasing and delightful to God Act 10. 1 2 3 4. There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius a Centurion of the Band called the Italian Band a devout man and one that feared God with all his house which gave much alms to the people and prayed to God alway He saw in a vision evidently about the ninth hour of the day an Angel of God coming in to him and saying unto him Cornelius And when he looked on him he was afraid and said What is it Lord And he said unto him Thy
of baseness and wickedness yet upon his resolution to return his Father meets him and instead of killing him he kisses him instead of kicking him Vers 22 23. he embraces him instead of shutting the door upon him he makes sumptuous provisions for him And how then dost thou dare to say O despairing soul that God will never cast an eye of love upon thee nor bestow a crumb of mercy on thee The Apostle tells you of some monstrous miscreants that were unrighteous fornicators idolaters 1 Cor. 6. 9 10 11. adulterers effeminate abusers of themselves with mankinde theeves covetous drunkards revilers extortioners and yet these monsters of mankinde thorow the instant goodness and free-grace of God are washed from the filth and guilt of their sins and justified by the Righteousness of Christ and sanctified by the Spirit of Christ and decked and adorned with the precious Graces of Christ Therefore O despairing souls are you good at burning that you have no mercy on your selves but to argue to your own undoing do not say O despairing soul that thou shalt die in thy sins and lie down at last in everlasting sorrow Did it make for the honor and glory of his free grace to pardon them and will it be a reproach to his free-grace to pardon thee Could God be just in justifying such ungodly ones and shall he be unjust in justifying of thee Did not their unworthiness and unfitness for mercy turn the stream of mercy from them No. Why then O despairing soul shouldst thou fear that thy unworthiness and unfitness for mercy will so stop and turn the stream of mercy as that thou must perish eternally for want of one drop of special Grace and Mercy Again tell me O despairing soul Is not the Grace of God free-grace is Sub laudibus naturae latent inimici gratiae Aug. The Patrons of mans freewil are enemies to Gods free-grace not mans salvation of free-grace By grace ye are saved Ephes 2. 8. Every link of this golden chain is Grace It is free-grace that chose us Rom. 11. 5. Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of Grace It is free-grace that chuses some to be Jewels from all eternity that chuses some to life when others are left in darkness The Lord Jesus Christ is a gift of free-grace Christ is the greatest the sweetest the choicest the cheifest gift that ever God gave and yet this gift is given by a hand of love God so loved the John 3 16. Isa 9. 6. world that he gave his onely begotten Son c. Here is a sic without a sicut God Johâ— 4 10. But God O thou despâ—iâ—ing soul is Pater misâ—rationum he is al 's bâ—wels he will not stand upon giving his most lovely Son to most unlovely souls so loved the world so freely so vehemently so fully so admirably so unconceivably That he gave his onely Son His Son not his servant his begotten Son not his adopted son yea his onely begotten Son I have read of one that had four sons and in a Famine being sore opprest with hunger the Parents resolved to sell one for relief but then they considered with themselves which of the four they should sell they said The eldest was the first of their strength therefore loth they were to sell him the second was the very picture of the Father and therefore loth they were to part with him the third was like the Mother and therefore they were not willing to part with him the fourth and the yongest was the childe of their old age their Benjamin the dearly beloved of them both and therefore they were resolved not to part with any of them and so would rather suffer themselves to perish then to part with any of their children O but Gods heart is so strongly set upon sinners Heb. 1. 1 2 3. Matth. 3. ulâ— that he freely gives Jesus Christ who is his first-born who is his very picture who is his beloved Benjamin who is his cheifest joy who is his greatest delight as Solomon speaks Then I was Prov. 8. 30. by him as one brought up with him and I was daily his delight in the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his delights that is his greatest delight rejoycing always before him or sporting greatly before him as little ones do before their parents Why then O despairing soul dost thou sit down sighing and walk up and down mourning and sadly concluding that there is no mercy for thee Hold up thy head O despairing Christ is called the gift of God and the free gift of God five times together in Rom. 5. 15 16 17 18. soul Jesus Christ himself is a gift of free-grace the consideration of his free boundless bottomless and endless love may afford thee much matter of admiration and consolation but none of despairation And as Jesus Christ is a gift of free-grace or a free-grace gift so the precious Covenant of Grace is a gift of grace Gen. 17. 2. I will make my Covenant betwixt me and thee but in the Original 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is I will give thee my Covenant Here you see that the Covenant of Grace is a free gift of grace God gave the Covenant of the Priest-hood unto Phineas as a gift so God gives the Num 25. 12 Covenant of Grace as a gift of favor and grace to all that he takes into Covenant with himself from first to last all is from free-grace God loves Hosea 14 4. freely I will heal their back sliding I will love them freely c. So Moses The Lord saith he set his love upon you Deut 7. 7 8. to take you into Covenant with him not because you were more in number then other people but because he loved you and chose your Fathers The onely ground God will have all blessings and happiness to flow from free-grace 1. That the worst of sinners may have strong grounds for hope and comfort of Gods love is his love the ground of Gods love is onely and wholly in himself There is neither portion nor proportion in us to draw his love there is no love nor loveliness in us that should cause a beam of his love to shine upon us there is that enmity that filthiness that treacherousness 2. For the praise of his own glory 3. That vain man may not boast 4. That our mercies and blessings may be sure to us unfaithfulness to be found in every mans bosom as might justly put God upon glorifying himself in their eternal ruine and to write their names in his black Book in characters of blood and wrath And as God loves freely so God justifies us freely Rom. 3. 24. Being justified freely by his grace through the Redemption that is in Jesus Christ And as poor sinners are justified freely so they are pardoned freely Acts 5. 31. Him hath God exalted speaking of Christ
doth a Wife that hath been false and unfaithful to him and yet Gods heart and love is so set upon Jonah that he will save him by a miracle rather then he shall not be saved Jonah was much in the heart of God and God made his faith at last victorious To these I shall adde some other famous instances In King James his time there was one Mistress Honiwood of Kent an ancient and religious Gentlewoman who lived many years in much horror and terror of Conscience for want of assurance of the favor of God and of her eternal wel-being She would very often cry out She was damned she was damned Several men of eminent piety and parts left no means unattempted whereby her doubts might be answered her conscience pacified and her soul satisfied and cheared yet she being strongly under the power of despair persisted in crying out O she was damned she was damned When these Gentlemen The truth of this whole story is notoriously known were about to depart she called for a Cup of Wine for them which being brought she drank to one of them a glass of the Wine and as soon as she had done in an extream passion she threw the Venice-glass against the ground saying As sure as this glass will break so surely am I damned The glass rebounded from the ground without any harm which one of the Ministers suddenly caught in his hand and said Behold a miracle from Heaven to confute your unbelief O tempt God no more tempt God no more Both the Gentlewoman and all the company were mightily amazed at this strange accident and all glorified God for what was done and the Gentlewoman by the grace and mercy of God was delivered out of her Hell of despair and was filled with much comfort and joy and lived and died full of peace and assurance Take another instance There lived lately at Tilbury in Essex a Gentleman who was a long time under such an eminent degree of despair that he rejected all comfort that was tendered to him by any hand and would not suffer any to pray with him nay he sent to the Ministers and Christians that lived near him and did desire them that as they would not increase his torments in Hell they would cease praying for him he would not suffer any religious service to be performed in his family though formerly himself was much in the use of them yet God gave him at last such inward refreshings and by degrees filled him with such abundance of heavenly comsorts as he told all that came to him that it was impossible for any tongue to utter or heart to imagine that did not feel them at last God gave him the new name and the white stone that none knows but he that hath it He lived about three quarters of a year enjoying Heaven upon Earth and then breathed out his last in the bosom of Christ Poor I that am but of yesterday have known some that have been so deeply plunged in the gulf of despair that they would throw all the Spiritual Cordials that have been tendered to them against the walls they were strong in reasoning against their own souls and resolved against every thing that might be a comfort and support unto them they have been much set against all Ordinances and Religious Services they have cast off holy Duties themselves and peremptorily refused to joyn with others in them yea they have out of a sense of sin and wrath which hath lain hard upon them refused the necessary comforts of this life even to the overthrow of natural life And yet out of this horrible Pit this Hell upon Earth hath God delivered their souls and given them such manifestations of his grace and favor that they would not exchange them for a thousand worlds O despairing souls despairing souls you see that others whose conditions have been as bad if not worse then yours have obtained mercy God hath turned their Hell into a Heaven he hath remembred them in their low estate he hath pacified their raging consciences and quieted their distracted souls he hath wiped all tears from their eyes and he hath been a well-spring of life unto their hearts Therefore be not discouraged O despairing souls but look up to the Mercy-seat remember who is your Rest and kick no more by despair against the bowels of Divine love Now the second Impediment to 2. Impediment 2 Sam. 14. 19. Is not the hand of Joab with thee in all this You know how to apply it assurance is Mens entring into the lists of dispute with Satan about those things that are above their reach as about the Decrees and Counsel of God O by this Satan keeps many precious souls off from assurance since God hath cast him out of paradise and bound him in chains of darkness he will make use of all his skill power and experience to draw men into the same misery with himself and if he cannot prevent their entring at last into paradise above he will labor might and main to make their life a wilderness here below And to this purpose Eorum qua scire nec datur nec fas est docta est ignorantia scientiae appetentis insaniae species Aug. he will busie their thoughts and hearts about the Decrees of God and about their particular elections as whether God hath decreed them to Eternal Happiness or chosen them to Everlasting Blessedness c. That so by this means he may keep them from that desirable assurance that may yeeld beleevers two Heavens a Heaven of joy and comfort here and a Heaven of felicity and glory hereafter It is said of Marcellus the Roman General that he could not be quiet nec victor nec victus neither conquered nor conqueror Such a one is Satan if he be conquered by Faith yet he will be assaying if he conquers he will be roaring and triumphing Satans great design is eternally to ruine souls and where he cannot do that there he will endeavor to discomfit souls by busying them about the secret Decrees and Counsels of God if the soul break thorow his temptations as Davids â— Sam. 24. Worthies did break thorow the Hosts of the Philistims and snap his snares Judg. 15. 13 14. in sunder as Samson did his Cords then his next shift is to engage them in such debates and disputes that neither men nor Angels can certainly and infallibly determine that so he may spoil their comforts when he cannot take away their Crown Now thy wisdom and thy work O doubting soul lieth not in disputing but in believing praying and waiting on God No way to Heaven no way to assurance like this Adam disputes with Satan and falls and loses Paradise Job believes and resists Satan and stands and conquers upon the Dunghil When Satan O trembling soul would engage thee in disputes about this or that say to him Satan Deut. 29. 29. Revealed things belong to me but secret things belong to the
Lord. It is dangerous to be curious in prying into hidden matters and careless and negligent in observing known Laws say to him Satan thou hast been a lyer and a murderer John 8. from the beginning thou art a profest enemy to the Saints confidence and assurance to their consolation and salvation If thou hast any thing to say say it to my Christ he is my comfort and crown my joy and strength my redeemer and intercessor and he shall plead for me Ah Christians if you would but leave disputing and be much in believing and in obeying assurance would attend you and you should Lye down in peace and take Job 11. 13. to 20. your rest and none should make you afraid The third Impediment that keeps 3. Impediment poor souls from Assurance is the want of a thorow search and examination of their own souls and of what God hath done and is a doing in them Some there be that can read better in Conradus Motto was a notable rule Omnium mores tues imprimis observato observe all mens carriages but especially thy own other mens Books then in their own and some there be that are more critical and curious in observing and studying other mens tempers hearts words works and ways then their own This is a sad evil and causes many souls to sit down in darkness even days without number He that will not seriously and frequently observe the internal motions and actings of God in and upon his noble part his immortal soul may talk of assurance and complain of the want of assurance but it will be long before he shall obtain assurance O you staggering wavering souls you tossed and disquieted souls know for a certain that you will never come to experience the sweetness of assurance till your eyes be turned inward till you live more at home then abroad till you dig and search for the Mines that be in your own hearts till you come to discern between a work of Nature and a work of Grace till you come to put a difference between the precious and the vile between Gods work and Satans work When this is done you will finde the clouds to scatter and the Sun of Righteousness to shine upon you and the Day-star of assurance to rise in you Doubting trembling souls do not deceive your selves it is not a careless slight slender searching into your own hearts that will enable you to see the deep the secret the curious the mysterious work of God upon you If you do not seek as for silver and search for Prov. 2. 3 4 5. Christ and grace as for hid treasures you will not finde them Your richest So saith Pliny Seneca and others mettals lie lowest your choicest gems are in the bowels of the Earth and they that will have them must search diligently and dig deep or else they must go without them Doubting souls you must search and search again and dig and dig again you must work and sweat and sweat and work if ever you will finde those Spiritual Treasures those Pearls of price that are hid under the ashes of corruption that lie low in the very bowels of your souls Tell me O doubting souls hath that sweet word of the Apostle been ever made to stick in power upon you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to pierce tâ—orow c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to prove and try as Gold-smiths trie their mettal by the fire and the touchstone God brings not a pair of scales to weigh our graces but a touchstone to try our graces if our gold be true though it be never so little it will pass currant with him He will not quench the smoaking flax c. 2 Cor. 13. 5. Examine your selves whether you be in the Faith or Whether Faith be in you prove your selves c. The precept is here doubted to shew the necessity excellency and difficulty of the work to shew that it is not a superficial but a thorow serious substantial Examination that must inable a man to know whether he hath precious Faith or no whether he be Christs Spouse or the Devils strumpet All is not gold that glisters all is not Faith that men call Faith therefore he that would not prove a cheater to his own soul must take some pains to search and examine how all is within Climacus reports that the Ancients used to keep in a little Book a memorial of what they did in the day against their night reckoning But ah how few be there in these days that keeps a Diary of Gods mercies and their own infirmities of Spiritual Experiences and the inward operations of Heavenly Graces Seneca reports of a Heathen man that would every night ask himself these three Questions First What evil hast thou healed this day secondly What vice hast thou stood against this day thirdly In what part art thou bettered this day And shall not Christians take pains with their own hearts and search day and night to finde out what God hath done and is a doing there God hath his doing hand his working hand in every mans heart either he is a working there in ways of mercy or in ways of wrath either he is a building up or a plucking down either he is a making all glorious within or else he is a turning all into a Hell Well doubting souls remember this That the soundest joy the strongest consolations flow from a thorow examination of things within This is the way to know how it is with you for the present and how it is like to go with you for the future This is the way to put an end to all the wranglings of your hearts and to put you into a possession of Heaven on this side Heaven The fourth Impediment that keeps 4. Impediment many precious souls from Assurance is their mistakes about the work of grace Look as many Hypocrites do take a good nature for grace and those common gifts and graces that may be in a Saul a Jehu a Judas for a special distinguishing grace c. So the dear Saints of God are very apt to take grace for a good nature to take Pearls of price for stones of no value Mark 9. 24. to take special grace for common grace Many trembling souls are apt to call their Faith unbelief with the man in the Gospel and their Confidence presumption and their Zeal passion c. And by this means many are kept off from Assurance Now the way to remove this Impediment is wisely and seriously to distinguish between renewing grace and restraining grace betwixt common grace and special grace betwixt temporary grace and sanctifying grace Now the difference betwixt the one and the other I have shewed in Ten particulars in my * The same man sells that that sells this Treatise called Precious remedies against Satans devices from page 217. to page 230. And to that I refer thee for full and
before the Lord for that you have so eagerly pursued after lying vanities for that you have in so great a measure forsaken the Fountain of living water for that with Martha you have been busied about many things when Christ and Assurance the two things necessary have been so much neglected and disregarded by you Get this World this Moon under your feet take no rest till you have broken thorow this silken net till you have got off these Golden Fetters A heart that is full of the world is a heart full of wants Ah the Joy the Peace the Comfort the Confidence the Assurance that such hearts wants The Stars which have least circuit are nearest the Pole and men whose hearts are least entangled with the world are always nearest to God and to the Assurance of his Favor Worldly Christians remember â—his You and Mundus cadaver est petentes â—um sunt caâ—es is an Arabick Proverb that is The world is a carcass and those that hunt after it are dogs This Proverb makes a great many of our glistering Professors to be but dogs the world must part or else assurance and your souls will never meet When a worldly Christian is saved he is saved as by fire and before ever he shall be assured of his salvation he must cry out Omnes humanae consolationes sunt desolationes All humane consolations are but desolations God will not give the Sweet meats of Heaven to those that are gorged and surfetted with the delicates of the Earth The Cock upon the Dunghil prefers a Barley Corn above the choicest Pearl such Dunghil Christians that prefer a little Barley Corn above this Pearl of price Assurance that with Esau prefer Heb 12. 16 17. a morsel of meat before this Blessing of blessings that prefer Paris above Paradise Gods coyn above his countenance may at last with Esau seek and seek with tears this Heavenly Jewel Assurance and yet as he be rejected and repulsed The tenth and last Impediment that 10. Impediment keeps Christians from Assurance is The secret cherishing and running out of their hearts to some bosom darling sin It is dark night with the soul when the soul will cast a propitious eye upon this or that bosom sin and secretly say Is it not a little one and my soul shall live though God and Conscience hath formerly checkt and whipt the soul for so doing Ah how many be there that dally play with sin even after they have put up many prayers and complaints against sin and after they have lamented and bitterly mourned over their sins Many there be that complain of their deadness barrenness frowardness conceitedness cenforiousness and other baseness and yet are ready at every turn to gratifie if not to justifie those very sins that they complain against No wonder that such want Assurance After the Israelites had eat Manna in the Wilderness and drunk water out of the Rock after God had been to them a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night after he had led them by the arms and kept them as the apple of his eye after he had made them spectators of his wonders they hankered after the flesh-pots of Egypt so when after God hath given a man a new name and a white stone after he hath made a report of his love to the soul after he hath taken a man up into paradise after he hath set a man upon his knee and carried him in his bosom after he hath spoke peace pardon to the soul Psal 85. 8. for the soul to return to folly O this cannot but prove a woful hinderance to Assurance this will provoke God to change his countenance and to carry it not as a Friend but as an enemy When Love is abused Justice takes up the Iron Rod God will strike hard and home when men kick against the Bowels of Mercy God hath made an Everlasting separation betwixt Sin and Peace betwixt Sin and Joy and betwixt Sin and Assurance God will be out with that man that is in with his sin if sin and the soul be one God and the soul must needs be two He that is resolved to dally with any sin he must resolve to live in many fears Never forget this he that favoreth any one sin though he forgoeth many doth but as Benadab recover of one disease and die of another yea he takes pains to plunge himself â—nto two hells a hell here and a hell hereafter Therefore as ever thou wouldst have Assurance offer up thy Isaac part with thy Benjamin pull out thy right eye cut off thy right hand otherwise Assurance and Joy will not be thy portion Now that I may remove this Impediment which is of such a dangerous consequence to Christians souls and keeps Christians for ever from smiling upon any bosom sin I shall first lay down a few considerations to provoke them to dally and play no more with sin but to put off that sin that does so easily beset them that sticks so close Heb. 12. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unto them and then in the second place I shall propound some means that may contribute to the bringing under of bosom sins that so it may be no longer night with the soul The first Motive to provoke you to Motive 1. put out all your strength and might against bosom sins that you are so apt to play withal is Seriously to consider that this will be a strong and choice Demonstration and evidence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gnimme With him of the Sincerity and uprightness of your hearts Psal 18. 23. I was also upright with him and I kept my self from mine iniquity I kept a strict and diligent watch upon that particular sin that I found my self most inclined unto And this says David is a clear evidence to me of the uprightness of my heart with God The truth is there is no Hypocrite in the world but doth dandle and dally with some Job 20. 12 13. bosom sin or other And though at times and upon carnal accounts they seem to be very zealous against this and that sin yet at the very same time their hearts stand strongly and affectionately engaged to some bosom sin as might be shewed in Saul Jehu Judas and Herod therefore as ever you would have a sure Argument of your uprightness trample upon your Dalilaes This very evidence of thy uprightness may yeeld thee more comfort and refreshing in a day of trouble and darkness then for the present thou dost apprehend or hast Faith to believe Some there be that can tell thee that the joy of the Bridegroom nor the joy of the Harvest is not to be compared with that joy that arises in the soul from the sense and evidence 2 Cor. 1. 12. of a mans own uprightness Sincerity is the very queen of vertues she holds the throne and will be sure to keep it yea the very sight of it in
in blood it made the Martyrs to complement with Lions to dare and tire their persecutors to kiss the stake to sing and clap their hands in the flames to tread upon hot burning coals as upon Beds of Roses The assured Soul knows that Death shall be the Funeral of all his sins and sorrows of all afflictions and temptations of all desertions and oppositions He knows that Death shall be the Resurrection of his joyes he knows that death is both an out-let and an in-let an out-let to sin and an in-let to the souls clear full and constant injoyment of God And this makes the assured soul to sing it sweetly out O 1 Cor. 15. 35 36 37. death where is thy sting O grave where is thy victory I desire to be dissolved Phil. 1. 23 Make haste my beloved Come Cant. 8. ult Revel 22. Lord Jesus come quickly Now Death is more desirable then life Now says the Soul Ejus est timere mortem qui ad Christum nolit ire Let him fear Death that is loth to go to Christ So I may be with Christ though I go in a Cloud I care not sayes the assured soul so I may be with Christ I care not though I go in a Fiery Charriot sayes the assured soul The Persians had a certain day in the year in which they used to kill all Serpents and venomous Creatures The assured Christian knows that the day of Death will be such a day to him and that makes Death lovely and desirable he knows that Sin Morimur dum non morimur was the Midwife that brought Death into the World and that Death shall be the Grave to bury Sin Ambrose said to his friends about him when he was dying I have not so lived that I am ashamed to live nor yet fear I death because I have a good Lord c. And therefore Death is not a terror but a delight unto him he fears it not as an enemy but welcomes it as a friend As Crook-back Richard the Third in his distress cried A Kingdom for a Horse a Kingdom for a Horse So souls that want assurance when they come to die will cry out A Kingdom for Assurance a Kingdom for Assurance And as Severus said If I had a thousand worlds I would now give them all for Christ So a Soul that wants Assurance when he comes to enter upon a state of eternity will cry out O had I now a thousand worlds I would give them all for assurance whereas the assured soul would not for a thousand worlds but die When his glass is out and his sun is set he cryes not out as that Lady did A World a World for an inch of time but rather why is it why is it Lord that thy chariots be so long a coming Eightly Assurance will very much sweeten that little oyl that is in the 1 King 17. 12 c. Cruse and that handful of meal that is in the Barrel Assurance will be sauce to all meats it will make all thy mercies to taste like mercies it will make Daniels pulse to be as sweet as Princes Dan. 1. delicates it will make Lazarus Rags Luke 16. as pleasurable as Dives Robes it will make Jacobs bed upon the stones to be Gen. 28. Amos 6. 4. as soft as those Beds of Down and Ivory that sinful great ones stretch themselves upon Look as the want of assurance imbitters all a sinners mercies that he cannot taste the sweetness and the goodness of them so the enjoyment of assurance casts a general beauty and glory upon the Believers meanest mercy And hence it is that assured souls Prov. 15. 16. live so sweetly and walk so chearfully when their little all is upon their backs and in their hands whereas the great men of the world that have the world at will but want this assurance that is more worth then the world live as slaves and servants to their mercies in the midst of all their abundance they are in straits and perplexities Job 20. 22. full of fears and cares and nothing pleases them nor is sweet unto them because they want that A Believer knows 1. That his little mercies are from great love Secondly That they are pledges of greater Thirdly That his blessings are blest unto him Fourthly That they shall not at last be witnesses against him assurance that sweetens to a Believer the ground he stands on the air he breaths in the seat he sits on the bed he lies on the bread he eats the cloaths he wears c. Ah were there more assurance among Christians they would not count great mercies small mercies and small mercies no mercies no no then every mercy on this side hell would be a great mercy then every mercy would be a sugared mercy a perfumed mercy Look as the Tree that Moses cast into the Exod. 15. 23 24 25. waters of Marah made those bitter waters sweet so Assurance is that Tree of Life that makes every bitter sweet and every sweet more sweet Ninthly Assurance will make a man The Rabbins say That the Angels attend in all Judicatories very Angelical it will make him full of motion full of action it will make him imitate the Angels those Princes of glory that are always busie and active to advance the glory of Christ they are still a singing the Song of the Lamb they are still pitching their Tents about them that Psal 34. 7. Heb. 1. ult fear the Lord they are Ministering Spirits sent forth for the good of them that are Heirs of Salvation Assurance will make a man fervent constant and abundant in the Work of the Lord as you may see in Paul The Assurance makes a Saint all fire it makes him like â—he burning Seraphims Isal 6. 2 3 4. assured Christian is more motion then notion more work then word more life then lip more hand then tongue When he hath done one work he is a calling out for another What is next Lord sayes the assured soul what is next His head and his heart is set upon his work and what he doth he doth it with all his might because there is no working in the Grave An assured Christian Bellarmiâ—â— is of opinion that one glimpse of Hell were enough to make a man not onely turn Christian but a Monk to live after the strictest rules to be abounding in wel-doing Surely assurance of Heaven will make a man do more will put his hand to any work he will put his shoulder to any burden he will put his neck in any yoke for Christ he never thinks that he hath done enough he always thinks that he hath done too little and when he hath done all he can he sits down sighing it out I am but an unprofitable servant In a word Assurance will have a powerful influence upon thy heart in all the duties and services of Religion nothing will make a man love like
out to his Father to help him to stand by him and to engage for him against his enemy so Faith being sensible of its own weakness and inability to get the victory over sin cries out to Christ and engages Christ who is stronger then the strong man and so Christ binds the strong man and casts him out Faith tells the soul That all purposes resolutions and endeavors without Christ be engaged will never set the soul above its sins they will never purifie the heart from sin Therefore Faith engages Christ and casts the main of the work upon Christ and so it purges the soul from sin Luther reports of Staupicius a German Divine that he acknowledged that before he came to understand the free and powerful grace of Christ that he vowed and resolved an hundred times against some particular sin and could never get power over it he could never get his heart purified from it till he came to see that he trusted too much to his own resolutions and too little to Jesus Christ But when his faith had engaged Christ against his sin he had the victory Again Faith purifies the heart from sin by the application of Christs Blood Faith makes a plaister It is the excellency of Faith that it can turn the Blood of Christ both into food and into Physick of Christs blessed Blood and layes it on upon the souls soars and so cures it Faith makes a heavenly vomit of this blessed Blood and gives it to the soul and so makes it cast up that poyson that it hath drunk in Faith tells the soul that it is not all the tears in the world nor all the water in the Sea that can wash away the uncleanness of the soul it is onely the Blood of Christ that can make a Blackmoor white it is onely the Blood of Christ that can cure a Leprous Naaman that can cure a Leprous soul This Fountain of Blood sayes Faith is the onely Fountain for Judah and Jerusalem to wash Zach 13. 1. themselves to wash their hearts from all uncleanness and filthiness of flesh and spirit Those spots a Christian findes in his own heart can onely be washed out in the Blood of the Lamb by a hand of Faith Again Faith purifieth the soul from sin by putting the soul upon heart-purifying Ordinances and by mixing and mingling it self with Ordinances The word profited Heb. 4 2. them not saith the Apostle because it was not mixt with faith in them that heard it Faith is such an excellent ingredient that it makes all potions work for the good of the soul for the purifying of the soul and for the bettering of the soul and no potion no means will profit the soul if this heavenly ingredient be not mixt with it Now Faith puts a man upon praying upon hearing upon the fellowship of the Saints upon publick duties upon family duties and upon Closet duties and Faith in these comes and joyns with the soul and mixes her self As Christ came and joyn'd himself to his Disciples with these soul-purifying Ordinances and so makes them effectual for the purifying of the soul more and more from all filthiness and uncleanness Faith puts out all her vertue and efficacy in Ordinances to the purging of Sin is like the wilde Fig-tree or Ivy in the Wall cut off stump body bough and branches yet some sprigs or other will sprout out again till the Wall be plucked down c. souls from their dross and Tin Not that Faith in this life shall wholly purifie the soul from the being of sin or from the motions or operations of sin no for then we should have our Heaven in this world and then we might bid Ordinances adue but that faith that accompanies Salvation doth naturally purifie and cleanse the heart from the remainders of sin by degrees Sound Faith is still a making the heart more and more neat and clean that the King of glory may delight in his habitation that he may not remove his Court but may abide with the soul for ever And thus you see that that Faith that accompanies Salvation is a heart-purifying Faith The fifth Property of that Faith that accompanies Salvation is this It is soul softning soul mollifying O nothing breaks the heart of a sinner like Faith Peter believes soundly and Matth. 26. ult Luke 7. weeps bitterly Mary Magdalen believes much and weeps much Faith sets a wounded Christ a bruised Christ a despised Christ a peirced Christ a bleeding Christ before the soul and this makes the soul sit down and weep bitterly I will pour upon the Zach. 12. 10 c. house of David the Spirit of Grace and of Supplications And they shall look upon him whom they have pierced and they shall mourn for him All Gospel-mourning flows from believing as one mourneth for his onely son and shall be in bitterness for him as one that is in bitterness for his first-born O the sight of those wounds that their sins have made will wound their hearts thorow and thorow it will make them lament over Christ with a bitter lamentation They say nothing will dissolve the Adamant but the Blood of a Goat Ah nothing will kindly sweetly and effectually break the hardned heart of a sinner but Faiths beholding the Blood of Christ trickling down his sides Pliny reports of a Serpent That when it stings it fetches all the blood out of the body but it was never heard that ever any sweat blood but Christ and the very thoughts of this makes the believing soul to sit down sweating and weeping That Christ should love man when he was most unlovely that mans extream misery should but inflame Christs bowels of love and mercy This melts the believing soul that Christ should leave the eternal bosom of his Father that he tha was equal with God should come in the form of a servant that he that was cloathed with glory and born a King should be wrapped in raggs that he that the Heaven of Heavens could not contain should be cradled in a Manger that from his Cradle to his Cross his whole life should be a life of sorrows and sufferings that the Judge of all flesh should be condemned that the Lord of Life should be put to death that he that was his Fathers joy should in anguish of Spirit cry out My God my God why hast thou forsaken me That that head that was crowned with honor should be crowned with thorns that those eyes that were as a flame of fire that were clearer then the Sun should be closed up by the darkness of death that those ears which were wont to hear nothing but Hallelujahs should hear nothing but Blasphemies that that face that was white and ruddy should be spit upon by the beastly Jews that that tongue that spake as never man spake yea as never Angel spake should be accused of blasphemy that those hands which swayed both a Golden Scepter and an Iron Rod and
was the great sin of Israel but after their return out of captivity they never set up Idols more but were wonderful zealous to keep their Temple from such defilements both in the time of Antiochus Epiphanes and of the Romans and do accunt them as a menstruous cloth to this very day iniquity of Jacob be purged and this is all the fruit to take away his sin When he maketh all the stones of the Altar as Chalk stones that are beaten in sunder the groves and images shall not stand up Here you see when God appears and acts graciously for and towards his people they put the hand of Repentance upon their Groves and Images these must down these must no longer stand The Groves and the Images shall not stand up they shall be utterly abandoned and destroyed demolished and abolished So in Isa 30. 22. Ye shall defile also the covering of thy graven Images of Silver and the ornament of thy molten Images of Gold Thou shalt cast them away as a menstruous cloth thou shalt say unto it Get thee hence Here you see the hand of Repentance is against their Idols of Silver and Gold and not onely against their Idols but also against whatsoever had any relation to them Now they shew nothing but a detestation of their Idols and a holy indignation against them Get you The Jews were willing in the Romans time rather to die then to suffer the Eagle the Imperial Arms to be set up in the Temple hence The hand of Repentance makes a divorce between them and their Idols between their Souls and their especial Sins Now they are as much in hating abhorring abominating and contemning their Idols and Images as they were formerly in adoring worshipping and honoring of them So Mary Magdalen in the seventh of Luke walks quite cross and contrary to her former self her sinful self she crosses the flesh in those very things wherein formerly she did gratifie the flesh So the penitent Jailor in that sixteenth of the Acts washes those very wounds that his own bloody hands had made He acts in wayes of mercy quite contrary to his former cruelty At first there was none so fierce so furious so cruel so bloody so inhumane in his carriage to the Apostles at last none so gentle so soft so sweet so curteous so affectionate to them The same you may see in Zacheus in the nineteenth of Luke In Paul Acts the ninth and in Manasse in that of the second of Chronicles chap. 33. 6. Fifthly That Repentance that accompanies Salvation is very large and comprehensive it comprehends and takes in these following particulars besides those already named 1. It takes in a sight and sense of sin Men must first see their sins they must be sensible of their sins before they can repent of their sins Ephraim had first a sight of his sin and then he repents and turns from his sin After I was instructed I smote upon my thigh Jer. 31. 18 19. A man first sees himself It was so with Paul who thought himsâ—lf in as good a way for Heaven as any Acts 9. and 26. compared out of the way before he returns into the way till he sees that he is out of the way he walks still on but when he perceives that he is out of the way then he begins to make inquiry after the right way So when the sinner comes to see his way to be a way of death then he cryes out O lead me in the way of life lead me in the way everlasting Psal 139. 24. 2. For I shall but touch upon these things That Repentance that accompanies Salvation doth include not onely a sight and sense of sin but also confession and acknowledgment Act 19. 18. Confessio peccati est vomitus sordium animâ— Aug. of sin Psal 51. 32. 3 4 5. While I kept close my sin my bones consumed but I said I will confess my sin and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin Job 33. 21 27. The promise of remission is made to confession 1 John 1. 9. If we Non dico ut confitearis conservo tuo peccata tuâ— diceto Deo qui curet ca. Chrys in Psa 50. confess our sins God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins So Prov. 28. 13. He that hideth his sin shall not prosper but he that confesseth and forsaketh it shall finde mercy If we confess our sins sincerely seriously humbly cordially pardon attend us Homo agnoscit Deus ignoscit Confession of sin must be joyned with confusion of sin or all is lost God is lost Christ is lost Heaven lost and the Soul lost for ever The true Penitent can say with Vivaldus I hide not my sins but I shew them I wipe them not away but I sprinkle them I do not excuse them but I accuse them Peccata enim non nocent si non placent My sins hurt me not if I like them not The beginning of my Salvation is the knowledge of my transgression 3. That Repentance that accompanies Salvation doth include not onely confession of sin but also contrition Jer. 13. 17. Joel 2. 13. David cryes not perii but peecavi not I am undone but I have done foolishly Basil wept when he saw the Rose because it brought to his minde the first sin from whence it had the prickles which it had not while man continued in innocence as he thought You know how to apply it for sin Psal 51. 4. 1 Sam. 7. 2. Zach. 12. 10 11. Ezra 10. 1 2. 2 Cor. 7. 11 c. It breaks the heart with sighs sobs and groans for that a loving Father is offended a blessed Saviour crucified and the sweet Comforter grieved Penitent Mary Magdalen weeps much as well as loves much Luke 7. Tears instead of gems were the ornaments of Penitent Davids Bed and surely that sweet Singer never sung more melodiously then when his heart was broken most penitentially How shall God wipe away my tears in Heaven if I shed none in Earth And how shall I reap in joy if I sow not in tears I was born with tears and shall die with tears why should I then live without them in this valley of tears saith the true Penitent The sweetest joys are from the sourest tears Penitent tears are the breeders of spiritual joy When Hannah had wept she 1 Sam. 1. 18. went away and was no more sad The True Repentance is a sorrowing for sin as it is Offensivum Dei aversivum à Deo Bee gathers the best Honey of the bitterest Herbs Christ made the best Wine of Water the strongest the purest the truest the most permanent and the most excellent joy is Peters was for sin Judas his for punishment Peter grieves because Christ was grieved Judas grieved because he should be damned Psal 42. 5. made of the Waters of Repentance If God be God they that sow in tears shall reap in joy But that no mourner may drown
it the greatest mercy in the world to be still a mourning over sin sayes the Penitent soul The Penitent soul never ceases repenting till he ceases living He goes to Heaven with the joyful tears of Repentance in his eyes He knows that his whole life is but a day of sowing tears that he may at last reap everlasting joyes That Repentance that accompanies Salvatition is a final forsaking of sin It is a bidding sin an everlasting adieu it is a taking an eternal farwel of sin a never turning to folly more What have I to do any more with Idols says Ephraim Hos 14. 8. I have tasted of the bitterness that is in sin I have tasted of the sweetness of divine mercy in pardoning of sin therefore away sin I will never have to do with you more you have robbed Christ of his service and me of my comfort and crown Away away sin you shall never be courted nor countenanced by me more That man that onely puts off his sins in the day of adversity as he doth his garments at night when he goes to bed with an intent to put them on again in the morning of prosperity never yet truly repented He is a dog that returns to the vomit again he is a swine that returns to the wallowing in the mire such a dog was Judas such a swine was Demas It is an extraordinary vanity in some men to lay aside their sins before solemn duties but with a purpose to return to them again as the Serpent layeth aside his poyson when he goeth to drink and when he hath drunk he returns to it again as they fable it It is sad when men say to their lusts as Abraham said to his servants Abide you here and I will go and worship and return again to you Gen. 22. 5. Verily such souls are far off from that Repentance that accompanies Salvation for that makes a final and everlasting separation between sin and the soul it makes such a divorce between sin and the soul and puts them so far a sunder that all the world can never bring them to meet as two lovers together The Penitent Soul looks upon sin and deals with sin not as a friend but as an enemy it deals with sin as Amnon dealt with Tamar 2 Sam. 13. 15. And Amnon hated her exceedingly so that the hatred wherewith he hated her was greater then the love wherewith he had loved her And Amnon said unto her Arise be gone Just thus doth the Penitent Soul carry it self towards sin And thus you see what Repentance that is that accompanies Salvation The fourth thing I am to shew is What Obedience that is that doth accompany Salvation That Obedience doth accompany Salvation I have formerly proved Now what this Obedience is that doth accompany or comprehend Salvation I shall shew you in these following particulars First That Obedience that accompanies Salvation is cordial and hearty the heart the inward man doth answer and eccho to the Word and Will of God The Believer knows That no Obedience but hearty Obedience is acceptable to Christ he knows Isa 29. 13. Matth. 15. 7 8 9. The heart is Camâ—ra omnipotentis regis i. e. The presence chamber of the King of Heaven and that upon which his eye his hand his heart is most set that nothing takes Christs heart but what comes from the heart Christ was hearty in his obedience for me sayes the Believer and shall not I be hearty in my obedience to him Christ will lay his hand of love his hand of acceptance upon no obedience but what flows from the heart Rom. 6. 9. Ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you So in Rom. 7. ult So then with the minde I myself serve the Law of God My heart sayes Paul is in my obedience So in Rom. 1. 9. God is my witness whom I serve with my spirit in the Gospel of his Son Many serve God with their bodies but I serve him with my spirit many serve him with the outward man but I serve him with my inward man God hath written his Law in Ezek. 36. 26 27. Believers hearts and therefore they cannot but obey it from the heart I delight to do thy will O my God how so why thy Law is within my heart or in the midst of my bowels as the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hath it The heart within ecchoes and answers to the Commandments without as a Book written answers to his minde that writes it as face answers to face as the impression on the wax answers to the character engraven on the seal The Scribes and Pharisees were much in the outward obedience of the Law but their hearts were not in their obedience and therefore all they did signified nothing in the account of Christ who is onely taken with outward actions as they flow from the heart and affections their souls were not in their services and therefore all their services were lost services They were very glorious in Matth. 23. their outward profession but their hearts were as filthy Sepulchres their out-sides shined as the Sun but their in-sides were as black as Hell They were like the Egyptians Temples beautiful without but filthy within Well remember this No action no service goes for current in Heaven but that which is sealed up with integrity of heart God will not be put off with the shell when we give the Devil the Kernel Secondly That Obedience that accompanies Salvation is universal as well as cordial the soul falls in with every part and point of Gods will so far as he knows it without prejudice or partiality without tilting the ballance on one side or another A soul Non eligit mandata He doth not pick and chuse He obeyes all in respect of his sincere purpose desire and endeavor and this God accepts in Christ for perfect and compleat Obedience c. sincerely obedient will not pick and chuse what commands to obey and what to reject as Hypocrites do he hath an eye to see an ear to hear and a heart to obey the first Table as well as the second and the second as well as the first he doth not adhere to the first and neglect the second as Hypocrites do neither doth he adhere to the second and contemn the first as prophane men do he obeys not out of humor but out of duty he obeys not out of choice but out of conscience Psal 119. 6. Then shall I not be ashamed when I have respect unto all thy Commandments Look as Faith never singles out his object but layes hold on every object God holds forth for it to close with Faith doth not chuse this truth and reject that it doth not close with one and reject another Faith doth not say I will trust God in this case but not in that I will trust him for this mercy but not for that mercy I will trust him in this way but not in
not any man think that he will embrace other mens goods to forsake Christ who hath forsaken his own proper goods to follow Christ Love makes a man cry out when tempted as that worthy Convert did Ego non sum ego I am not the man that I was When my heart was voide of Divine Love I was as easily conquered as I was tempted O but now he hath shed abroad his love in my soul I am not the man that I was I had rather die then flie or fall before a temptation Twelfthly That Love that accompanies Salvation shews it self by secret kindnesses by secret visits by secret expressions of love A Soul that truly loves Christ loves to meet him in a corner to meet him behinde the door to meet him in the clefts of the Cant. 2. 14. Matth. 6. 6. Rock where no eye sees nor no ear hears nor no heart observes Feigned love is much in commending and kissing Christ upon the stage but unfeigned love is much in embracing and weeping over Christ in a Closet The Pharisee loved to stand praying in the Matth. 6. Market-place and in the Temple but Nathaniel was with Christ under the John 1. 48. Fig-tree and Cornelius was at it in the Acts 10. corner of his house and Peter was at it on the Leads and the Spouse Cant. 7. 11. was at it in the Villages Souls that truly love Christ are much in secret visits in secret prayer in secret sighing in secret groaning in secret mourning c. True love is good at bolting of the door and is always best when it is most with Christ in a corner The secret discoveries that Christ makes to souls do much oblige them to closet services Arcesilaus in Plutarch visiting his sick friend and perceiving his necessity that he wanted and yet his modesty that he was ashamed to ask that he might satisfie the one and yet salve the other secretly conveyed money under his Pillow which his friend finding after he was gone was wont to say Arcesilaus stole this So Christ steals secret kindnesses upon his people and that draws them out to be much in secret in closet services Thirteenthly That Love that accompanies Salvation shews it self by breathing after more clear evidence and full assurance of Christs love To the soul Divine love would fain have her drop turned into an Ocean her spark into a flame her penny into a pound her mite into a million A soul that truly loves can never see enough nor never taste enough nor never feel enough nor never enjoy enough of the love of Christ when once they have found his love to be better then Wine then nothing will satisfie them but the kisses of his mouth Cant. 1. 3. Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth Not with a kiss but with the kisses of his mouth A soul once kissed by Christ can never have enough of the kisses of Christ his lips drop myrrhe and mercy no kisses to the kisses of Christ The The more a Virgins love is drawn out to another the more she desires to be confirmed and assured of his love to her more any soul loves Christ the more serious studious and industrious will that soul be to have the love of Christ discovered confirmed witnessed and sealed to it That is a sweet word of the Spouse Cant. 8. 6. Set me as a seal upon thy heart as a seal upon thy arm for love is strong as death Set me as a seal upon thy heart that is Let me be deeply engraven as a seal into thy heart and affections Let the love and remembrance of me make a deep impression in thee and set me as a seal or signet on thy arm 1. The seal you know is for ratifying confirming and making sure of things O sayes the Spouse establish and confirm me in thy love and in the outward expressions and manifestations of it 2. Seals among the Jews were used not as Ornaments onely but as Monuments of love that were continually in sight and remembrance O says the Church Let me be still in thy sight and remembrance as a monument of thy love In the Old Law you know Exod. 28. 11 12 21 29. compared the High Priest did bear the names of Israel engraven on stones upon his heart and shoulder for a memorial Ah says the Church Let my name be deeply engraven upon thy heart let me be alwayes in thy eye let me be always a memorial upon thy shoulder 3. Great men have their signets upon their hands in precious esteem Jere. 22. 24. As I live saith the Lord though Coniah the son of Jehojakim King of Judah were the signet upon my right hand yet would I pluck thee thence Ah sayes the Spouse O highly prize me Lord Jesus highly esteem of me O let me be as dear and precious unto thee as the signet that thou carriest about with thee or as signets are to great men that wear them Lastly That Love that accompanies Salvation shews it self by working a true lover of Christ to commit his richest Treasures his choicest Jewels to the care and custody of Christ Where we love we will trust and as we love we will trust Little trust speaks out little love great trust speaks out great love The lovers of Christ commend to Christs Psal 31. 15. So Job so Paul 2 Tim. 1. 12. 4. 7 8 Micah 7. 8 9. Dan 6. 22. care their Pearls of greatest price their Names their Lives their Souls their Crowns their Innocency their All. It was a notable saying of Luther Let him that died for my soul see to the salvation of it Caesar received not his wounds from the swords of enemies but from the hands of friends that is from trusting in them Oh! but the lovers of Christ shall never receive any wounds by trusting in Christ by committing their choicest Jewels to his care for he hath a powerful hand and a wise and loving heart Christ will hold fast whatever the Father or the Saints put into his hand And thus I have shewed you what that Love is that doth accompany Salvation I come now in the sixth place to shew you what Prayer that is that doth accompany Salvation But I see that I must contract what remains into a narrow room lest I should tire out both the Reader and my self Which that I may not I shall endeavor by Divine Assistance to minde brevity in what remains Now that Prayer doth accompany Salvation I have formerly shewed Now I am briefly to shew you what Prayer that is that doth accompany Salvation and that I shall do in these following particulars First Prayer is a Divine Worship The matter of Prayer may be reduced to these heads 1. Petition 2. Deprecation 3. Intercession 4. Expostulation There are other distinctions in regard of the manner As first Mental Prayer which is the inward lifting up of the heart to God Secondly Vocal which is uttered by words
our daily Prayer saith one is Flagellum Diaboli fears our daily dangers our daily temptations c. be speak our daily Prayers Rom. 12. 12. Rejoycing in hope patient in tribulation continuing instant in Prayer It is a Metaphor 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 taken from dogs that hunt that will not give over the game till they have got it A dog of all Creatures is best Augustines usual wish was That when Christ came he might finde him Aut precantem aut praedicantem either praying or preaching able to endure hunger he will run from place to place and never leave till he hath got his prey So a childe of God in his hunting after God Christ Grace Peace Mercy Glory never gives over till he hath found his heavenly prey Cant. 3. 4. At length I found him whom my soul loved I held him and would not let him go The Spouse never left hunting after her beloved till she had found him Gracious souls reckon As a hungry man eats as if he had never eat before that they have nothing till they speed in the things they sue for they pray as if they had never prayed and think that they have done nothing till they have done the deed It is observed by some of Proteus that he was wont to give certain Oracles but it was hard to make him speak and deliver them but he would turn himself into several shapes and forms yet if they would hold out and press him hard without fear into whatsoever form or shape he appeared they were sure to have satisfactory Oracles So if we will continue Hypocrites are inconstant in their prayers Job 27. 10. they are onely at it by sits and starts they are onely constant in inconstancy constant in our wrestling with God for blessings though God should appear to us in the form or shape of a Judge an Enemy a Stranger c. yet still to press him hard for mercy verily mercy will come at the long run and we shall say That it is not in vain for men to hold on praying though God for a time delayes giving the particular favors they sue for As that Emperor said Oportet Imperatorem stantem mori It behoves an Emperor to die standing So may I say Oportet Christianum mori precantem It behoves a Christian to die praying Fifthly To pray in a right manner is To pray sincerely Psal 17. 1. Give ear unto my prayer that goeth not out of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The very Heathen gods woâ—ld be served in white the very emblem of purity feigned lips or as it is in the Hebrew without lips of deceipt Psal 145. 18. The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon him To all that call upon him in truth Your heart and tongue must go together word and work lip and life prayer and practise must eccho one to another or else all will be lost God lost Christ lost Heaven lost and the Soul lost for ever It is not the greatness of the voice nor the multitude of words nor the sweetness of the tone nor studied notions nor eloquent expressions that takes Jehovah Psal 51. 6. but truth in the inward parts When the Athenians would know of the Oracle the cause of their often unprosperous successes in battel against the Lacedemonians seeing they offered the choicest things they could get in sacrifice to the gods which their enemies did not The Oracle gave them this answer That the gods were better pleased with their inward supplication without ambition then with all their outward pomp in costly sacrifices Ah Souls the reason why you are so unsuccessful in your religious duties and services is Because you are no more sincere and upright in them were A Gentlewoman being in her Parlor in Meditation and Prayer cryed out O that I might ever enjoy this sweet communion with God and never change it The first part of her wish is precious in the latter part of the wish like Peter she said she knew not what there more singleness and sincerity of heart in your duties you would have surer and sweeter returns from Heaven One reports of Joachim the Father of the Virgin Mary that he would often say Cibus potus mihi erit oratio Prayer is my meat and drink Ah Christians the more sincere you are the more will Prayer be your meat and drink and the more prayer is a delight and pleasure to you the more will you be the pleasure and delight of God who delights in those that delight in his service and that count his work better then wages It was more troublesom to Severus the Emperor to be asked nothing then to give much when any of his Courtiers had not made bold with him he would call him and say Quid est cur nihil petis c. What meanest thou to ask me nothing So sayes Christ to upright souls Hitherto have ye asked nothing Aske and ye shall receive that your joy may be full John 16. 24. Christ hath a full purse a noble heart and a liberal hand The fourth requisit in Prayer is this viz. Your Prayer must be ad bonum Maxâ—milians Motto was Tene mensuram respice finem Keep thy self within compass and have alwayes an eye to the end of thy life and actions to a good end it must be to the glory of God and to the internal and eternal advantage of your own and others souls The chiefest end the white the mark at which the soul must aim in Prayer is Gods glory Whatsoever ye do do all to the glory of God When God crowns us he doth but crown his own gifts in us and when we give God the glory of all we do we do but give him the glory that is due unto his Name For he works all our works in us and for us God measures all mens actions by their ends if the end be good all is good if the end be naught all is naught The end determineth the action All actions of worship are good or bad as the mark is at which the soul aims He that makes God the object of Prayer but not the end of Prayer doth but lose his Prayer and take pains to undo himself God will Lord saith Austin whatever thou hast given take all away onely give me thy self Isai 1. 11. Zach. 7. 5 Amos 5 22. Hos 7. 14. Many Heathens as Aristides Cato Themistecles with divers others did unfeignedly many great services for the common good and not for their own gain but yet they could not hit the mark the white Divine glory and so their most glorious actions were but glorious sins and would never turn to their souls accounts be all in all or he will be nothing at all he will be Alexander or Nemo he will be both the object and the end of Prayer or else he will abhor your Prayer Those Prayers never reach his ear they are never lodged in his
deliver me from my Bonds but O Rom. 7. 23. wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from my sins from this body of death David cryes not Perii but Peccavi Psal 51. Not I am undone but I have done foolishly But wicked men strive in Prayer more to get off their chains then to get off their sins more to be delivered from enemies without then lusts within more to get out of the Furnace then to be delivered from their Spiritual Bondage as the Scriptures Psal 78. 34. Zach. 7. 5 6 7. Isai 26. 16 17. in the Margent do evidence Thirdly The Stream and Cream of a gracious Mans spirit runs most out in Prayer after Spiritual and Heavenly Psal 4. 6 7. 27 4. things as is abundantly evident by those Prayers of the Saints that are upon record throughout the Scripture But the Stream and Cream of vain mens spirits in Prayer runs most out after poor low carnal things as you may see in comparing the following Scriptures together Hos 7. 14. Zach. 7. 5 6 7. Jam. 4. 3 c. Fourthly A gracious Soul looks and lives more upon God in Prayer then upon his Prayer He knows though Prayer be his Chariot yet Christ is his food Prayer may be a staff to support him but Christ is that Manna that must nourish him and upon him he looks and lives Psal 5. 3. In the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee or Martial and set in order my Prayer as it is in the Hebrew and will look up or look out as it is in the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Pihil as a watchman looks out to dâ—scover the approaches of an enemy But vain men they live and look more upon their Prayers then they do upon God Nay usually they never look after their Prayers they never observe what returns they have from Heaven they are like those that shoot Arrows but do not minde where they fall Wicked men think it is Religion enough for them to pray and to look after their prayers to see how their prayers speed is no Article of their Faith But a gracious Soul is of a more noble spirit when he hath prayed he will stand upon his watch-tower and observe what God will speak Psal 85. 8. I will hear that God the Lord will speak for he will speak peace unto his people and to his Saints But let them not return to folly or as the Hebrew may be read And they shall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I will lissen and lay my obedient ear to what the Lord shall speak not return to folly Veal iashubu le Chislah Wicked men would have God to be all ear to hear what they desire when themselves have never an ear to hear what he speaks But deaf ears shall always be attended with dumb answers Justice always makes mercy dumb when sin hath made the sinner deaf Fifthly No discouragements can take gracious Souls off from Prayer but the least discouragements will Aristotle though a Heathen could say That in some cases a man had better lose his life then be cowardly Ethic. 3. c. 1. take off carnal hearts from Prayer as you may see in the following Scriptures compared together Psal 40. 1 2. 44. 10-23 Matth. 15. 21-29 Mal. 3. 14. Isai 58. 1 2 3. Amos 8. 3 4 5 c. When one of the Ancient Martyrs was terrified with the threatnings of his persecutors he replied There is nothing saith he of things visible nothing of things invisible that I fear I will stand to my profession of the name of Christ and contend earnestly for the Faith once delivered to the Saints come on it what will It is neither the hope of life nor the fear of death that can take a real Christian off from Prayer He is rather raised then dejected he is rather quickned then discouraged by delays or denials he will hold up and hold on in a way and course of Prayer though men should rage and Lyons roar and the Furnace be heat seven times hotter c. But it is not so with carnal hearts Job 27 9 10. Sixthly When a gracious man In his course his heart is in his Prayer he findes by experience that the heart is the Primum mobile the great wheel that moves all other wheels It is the chief Monarch in the Isle of Man prayes he hath his heart in his Prayer when he falls upon the work he makes heart-work on it So David in Psal 42. 4. When I remember these things I pour out my heart So Hannah in 1 Sam. 1. 15. I am a woman of a sorrowful spirit saith she and have poured out my soul before the Lord. So the Israelites in 1 Sam. 7. 6. Poured out their souls like water before the Lord. So the Church in Isa 26. 8 9. The desire of our soul is to thy name and to the remembrance of thee With my soul have I desired thee in the night yea with my spirit within me will I seek thee early Gracious Souls know The voice of God is Da Mihi cor that no Prayer is acknowledged accepted and rewarded by God but that wherein the heart is sincerely and wholly It is not a piece it is not a corner of the heart that will satisfie the Maker of the heart The true Mother would not have the childe divided As God loves a broken and a contrite heart so he loaths a divided heart God neither loves halting nor halving he will be served truly and totally The Royal Law is Thou shalt The heart as a Prince gives Laws to all other Members The Heart is Christs Bed of Spices it is his Presence Chamber it is his Royal Throne it is one of those four Keys that God keeps under his own girdle love and serve the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul Among the Heathens when the Beasts were cut up for Sacrifice the first thing the Priest looked upon was the heart and if the heart was naught the Sacrifice was rejected Verily God rejects all those Sacrifices wherein the Heart is not Now wicked men are heartless in all their Services in all their Prayers as you may see in comparing the following Scriptures together I shall not transcribe the words because I must cut short the work Isai 29. 13. Matth. 15. 7 8 9. Ezek. 33. 30 31 32. Zach. 7. 4 5 6. 2 Chro. 25. 1 2. As the body without the soul is dead so Prayer Prayer without the heart is but an empty ring a tinckling symbal without the heart be in it is but dead Prayer in the eye and account of God Prayer is onely lovely and weighty as the heatt is in it and no otherwise It is not the lifting up of the voice nor the wringing of the hands nor the beating of the brests but the stirrings of the heart that God looks at in Prayer God hears no more then the
appear that Hope doth accompany Salvation it doth boarder upon eternal life The second thing that I am to shew you is What Hope that is that doth accompany Salvation that comprehends Salvation and that I shall do with as much brevity and perspicuity as I can in the following particulars First That Hope that accompanies Salvation is A grace of God whereby Spes est expectatio eorum quae verè à Deo promissa fides credidit Calvin 1 Tim. 6. 17. This very title The God of Hope may serve as a soveraign antidote against the blackest and horridest temptations for why should any despair of his mercy who hath proclaimed himself to be the God of Hope Spes est virtus qua inclinamâ—r ad expectationem eorum quae Deus nobis promisit Perkins we expect good to come patiently waiting till it come First I call it a Grace of God because he is the donor of it and therefore he is called the God of Hope Rom. 15. 13. Now the God of Hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing Now God is called the God of Hope because he is objectivè the onely object of our Hope and he is effectivè the onely Author and Worker of Hope in the Soul Hope is no natural affection in men men are not born with hope in their hearts as they are born with tongues in their mouthes Hope is nobly descended it is from above it is a heavenly Babe that is formed in the soul of man by the power of the Holy Ghost And as Hope is no natural affection so Hope is no Moral vertue which men may attain by their frequent actions but Hope is a Theological vertue that none can give but God Secondly I say it is a Grace of God whereby we expect good to come I say good not evil for evil is rather feared then hoped for by any The object of this Hope hath four conditions 1. It must be Bonum good 2. Futurum future 3. Possibile possible 4. Arduum hard or difficult to obtain Thirdly I say Hope is a Grace of God whereby we expect good to come patiently waiting till it come Hope makes the Soul quiet and patient till it comes to possess the good desired and hoped for Rom. 8. 25. But if we hope for that we see not then do we with patience wait for it The Hebrew word Kavah that is often translated Hope signifies a very vehement intention both of body and minde a stretching forth of the Spirit or Minde in waiting for a desired good 2 Cor. 4. ult Hope fates well it keeps a Princes Table it lives upon Honey and Milk Oyl and Wine it sives upon the sweet meats the delicates of Heaven as God Christ and Glory Psal 31. 24. 33. 22. 38. 15. 42. 5. 43. 5. 39. 7. 71. 5. 65. 5. Secondly That Hope that accompanies Salvation is alwayes conversant about holy and heavenly objects as about God and Christ 1 Tim. 1. 1. Paul an Apostle of Jesus Christ by the commandment of God our Saviour and Lord Jesus Christ which is our Hope In these words Christ is set forth as the chief object of our Hope because by his merits and mercy we hope to obtain the remission of our sins and the eternal Salvation of our souls Sometimes Hope is exercised about the Righteousness of Christ Gal. 5. 5. For we through the Spirit wait for the Hope of Righteousness by Faith Sometimes Hope is exercised about God the Father 1 Pet. 1. 21. Who by him do believe in God that raised him up from the dead and gave him glory that your faith and hope might be in God Jere. 14. 8. O the Hope of Israel the Saviour thereof in time of trouble Chap. 17. 13. O Lord the hope of Israel all that forsake thee shall be ashamed Vers 17. Thou art my hope in the day of evil Sometimes Hope The Jewish Rabbins were wont to say That upon every Letter of the Law there hangs Mountains of profitable matter Ah then what abundance of comfort and sweetness may hope finde yea does hope finde in the Promises is exercised and busied about the Word and Promises Psal 119. 49. Remember the word unto thy servant upon which thou hast caused me to Hope Vers 81. My soul fainteth for thy Salvation but I hope in thy Word Verse 114. Thou art my hiding place and my shield I hope in thy Word Psal 130. 5. I wait for the Lord my soul doth wait And in his Word do I hope Psal 119. 74. They that fear thee will be glad when they see me Because I have hoped in thy Word Verse 147. I prevented the dawning of the morning and cryed I hoped in thy Word Hope in the Promise will keep the head from aking and the heart from breaking it will keep both head and heart from sinking and drowning Hope exercised upon the promise brings Heaven down to the heart The Promises are the Ladder by which Hope gets up to Heaven Hope in the Promise will not onely keep life and soul together but it will also keep the soul and glory together Hope in Psal 4â— 5. 119. 49 50. compared Hol. 6. 1 2. the Promise will support distressed souls Hope in the Promise will settle perplexed souls Hope in the Promise will comfort dejected souls Hope in the Promise will reduce wandering souls Hope in the Promise will confirm staggering souls Hope in the Promise will save undone souls The Promise is the same to Hope that Rom. 8. 24. The Promises are Hopes rich Magazin Hope is to the Soul the Promise is the Anchor of Hope as Hope is the Anchor of the Soul Look what the Brests are to the Childe and Oyl is to the Lamp that are the Promises to Hope Hope lives and thrives as it feeds upon the Promises as it embraces the Promises The Promises are the sweet-meats of Heaven upon Heb. 11. 13. which Hope lives And every degree of Hope brings a degree of joy into the Soul which makes it cry out Heaven Heaven Again Hope is exercised about the glory and felicity the happiness Psal 16. ult Tit. 3. 7. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Looking for Christs coming as earnestly as men look and long for the coming of some special friends or as Inn-keepers do for special guests and blessedness that is at Gods right hand Tit. 2. 13. Looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ. Hope makes a man stretch out his neck and put forth his hand and look as earnestly for the glorious appearing of Christ as Sisera's Mother did for the happy return of her Son The hoping Soul is often a sighing it out Why are his Charriot Wheels so long a coming Col 1. 5. For the hope which is laid up for you in Heaven Hope in this place So in Rom. 8. 24 25. Col. 1. 27. Rom. 5. 2
presumption that works men to play with sin to be bold with sin to make light of sin to walk on in wayes of sin Such Assurance will never bring a man to Heaven it will never keep him from dropping into Hell yea it will double his damnation and make him the most miserable among all damned miserable forlorn spirits Ah Lord from This made Auselm say That he had rather be thrust into Hell without sin then go into Heaven with sin such an assurance deliver my Soul and give me more and more of that Divine Assurance that makes sin to be more hateful then Hell and that makes the Soul to be more careful to avoid the one then it is fearful of falling into the other Seventhly A wel-grounded Assurance is alwayes attended with three fair Handmaids or with three sweet Companions The first is Love O! the Assurance 1. Handmaid of Divine Favor doth mightily inflame a mans love to Christ Mary Magdalen Luke 7. loved much Christs love to her drew out her love very much to Christ Assurance makes the Soul sing it out with that sweet Singer of Israel I will dearly love thee O Lord my Psal 18. 1. strength Lovers know not how to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To love intimately and dearly as a tender mother loves the fruit of her womb keep silence lovers of Christ are full of gracious expressions Magnes amor is est amor Love is the attractive Loadstone of love It is impossible for a Soul not to love Christ that knows he is beloved of Christ Christs love constrains the Soul to love not by forcible but loving necessity Praxiteles exquisitly drew Love taking the pattern from that Passion which he felt in his own heart A Believer cannot finde the heart of Christ to be beating towards him but his heart will strongly beat towards Christ Divine love is like a rod of myrtle which as Pliny reports makes the Traveller that carries it in his hand that he shall never be faint or weary of walking or loving Love alone over-powereth all power Love is the Diadem none but the Queen must wear it Love is the Wedding Garment none but the Spouse can fit it Love is a Loadstone to draw as well as a fire to warm he that doth not love Christ was never assured of the love of Christ The second Handmaid or Companion 2. Handmaid that attends a wel-grounded Assurance is Humility David under Assurance Psal 22. 6. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Hebrew word Tolagnah that is here rendred Worm signifies a very little worm which a man can hardly see or perceive cryes out I am a worm and no man Abraham under Assurance cryes out that he is but dust and ashes Jacob under Assurance crves out that he was less then the least of all mercies Job under Assurance abhors himself in dust and ashes Moses had the honor and the happiness to speak with God face to face he was very much in Gods books in Gods favor and yet a more humble Soul the earth did never bear The great Apostle Paul under all the revelations and glorious manifestations of God to him counts himself less then the least of all Saints Ephe. 3. 8. That is Presumption that is a delusion of the Devil and no sound Assurance that puffs and swels the Souls of men that makes men prize themselves above the market above the value that God hath put upon them The third Handmaid or Companion 3. Handmaid that attends Assurance is holy Joy Ah this Assurance causes the strong waters of Consolation to overflow the Soule Assurance raises the strongest joyes in the Soul Luk. 1. 46 47. And Mary said My soul doth magnifie the Lord and my Spirit hath rejoyced in God my Saviour When a man comes to be assured that God is his Savior presently his Spirit rejoyces in God this truth is held forth by three Parables in that of Luk. 15. So in that of 1 Pet. 1. 8 9. Whom having not seen ye love in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to dance and leap for joy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 glorified already they have heavens happinesse before hand whom though now ye see him not yet bebeleeving ye rejoyce with joy unspeakable and full of glory Receiving the end of your faith even the salvation of your souls O the Joy the Joy the inexpressible Joy that attends a wel-grounded Assurance Assurance raises a Paradise of delight in the soul In quibus operamur in ill is gaudemus saith Tertull. In what things or persons we act in those things we rejoyce a Christian under the power of Assurance works all his works in Christ in him therefore and in him alone he rejoyceth Eightly and lastly A wel-grounded Assurance sometimes springs from the Testimony and Witnesse of the Spirit of God The Spirit sometimes witnesses to a Beleevers spirit that he is born of God that he is beloved of God that he hath union and communion with God that he shal reign for ever with God Rom. 8. 16. The Spirit it self beareth witness with our 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That same spirit The Spirits work is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to witnesse together with our Spirit that is to confirme and ratifie what ou◠spirits have asserted concerning our Adoption c. spirit that we are the children of God The Spirit it self witnesseth not onely the Gifts and Graces of the Spirit but the Spirit it self witnesseth together with our own spirit that we are the children of God Sometimes the Saints have two Witnesses joyning their testimonies together to confirm and establish them in these blessed and glorious Truths that they are the Sons of God and Heirs of Glory And this is their honor as well as their comfort that the blessed Spirit should bear witness at the bar of their Consciences that they are the Sons of God 1 Cor. God sometimes assures his people of heaven aforehand 2. 12. Now we have received not the spirit of the world but the Spirit which is of God that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God That is that we may know our Election Vocation Justification Sanctification and Glorification A man may receive many things that are freely given of God and yet not know them till the Spirit comes and makes them known to the soul Quest But you may say to me how shall wee know the whispering of the holy Spirit from the hissing of the old Serpent how shall we know the report the witnesse and testimony of the Spirit of Christ from that report witnesle and testimony that the old Serpent deludes and deceives many by in these daies wherein he mostly appears in his Angelicall Robes I Answer you may know the whispering Answ of the Spirit from the hissing of the old Serpent c. by these following things which I desire that you
so unhappy as to lose it will put thee to more pains and charge Of the two it is easier to keep Assurance now thou hast it then to recover it when thou hast lost it It is easier to keep the house in reparations then when it is fallen to build it up Ninethly and lastly consider solemnly the sad and wofull evils and inconveniencies that will certainly follow How can the bird flye without wings and the wheeles go without oyle and the workman worke without hands and the painter paint without eies c. upon the loss of your Assurance I will only touch upon a few 1 None of the precious things of Christ will be so sweet to thee as formerly they have been 2 You will neither be so fervent in duty nor so frequent in duty nor so abundant in duty nor so spirituall in duty nor so lively in duty nor so cheerful in duty as formerly you have been 3. Afflictions will sooner sink you temptations will sooner overcome you oppositions will sooner discourage you 4. Your mercies will be bitter your life a burden and death a terror to you you will be weary of living and yet afraid of dying c. Now the second Question is this Suppose Quest 2 Souls have not been so careful to keep and maintain their Assurance as they should have been but upon one account or another have lost that blessed Assurance that once they had how may such sad Souls be supported and kept from fainting sinking and languishing under the loss of Assurance To this Question I shall give these following Answers First Souls that have lost that sweet Support 1 Assurance that once they had may be supported and kept from fainting and sinking by considering that though they have lost their Assurance yet they have not not lost their Son-ship Rom. 8. 15 16 17. for once sons and always sons You are sons though dejected sons you are sons though comfortless sons you are sons though mourning sons Psal 89. 30 31 32 33 34. John 13. 3. Jere. 31. 3. Once children and always children once heirs and always heirs once beloved and always beloved once happy and always happy 2 Sam. 23. 5. Although my house be not so with God yet he hath made with me an Everlasting Covenant ordered in all things and sure For this is all my Salvation and all my desire although he make it not to grow Well sayes David though neither my self nor my house have been so exact and perfect in our walkings before God as we should but we have broken our Covenants with him and dealt unworthily by him and turned our backs upon him yet he hath made with me an Everlasting Covenant he hath engaged himself in an Everlasting Covenant that he will be my Father and that I shall be his Son And this is my Salvation and an Everlasting Ground of Consolation and Supportation to my Soul The second Support is this Consider Support 2 that though your Comfort Joy and Peace doth depend much upon your Assurance yet your Eternal Happiness and Blessedness doth not depend upon your Assurance if it did you might be happy and miserable in a day I in an hour Your Happiness lies in your Union with God in your Communion with God in your Interest in God and not in your seeing and knowing Your Interest your Joy and Comfort lies in your seeing and knowing your Interest in God but your Everlasting Happiness lies in your being interested in God The welfare and happiness of the childe lies in the interest that he hath in his Father but the joy and comfort of the childe lies in his seeing in his knowing of his interest in his Father It is so between the Lord and Believers Psal 144. 15. Happy be the people that be in such a case yea happy is that people whose God is the Nemo aliorum sensu miser est sed suo Sal. de Gub. Dei â— 1. A godly mans happiness or misery is not to be judged by the worlds sense or feeling but his own Lord. Among the Philosophers there were Two hundred and eighty Opinions concerning Happiness some affirming Happiness to lie in one thing some in another Ah but by the Spirit and Word we are taught that Happiness lies in our oneness with God in our nearness and dearness to God and in our conformity to God c. Mark the To make up happiness these things must concur First it must be a convenient good a suitable good to our natures Secondly it must be an excellent good a good that hath worth and excellency in it Thirdly it must be a sufficient good a few scrapings of gold will not make a man rich c. Fourthly it must be a permanent good it is permanency that sâ—ts the greatest price and hath the greatest influence into our happiness and felicity Scripture pronounces him happy whose hope is in God though he want Assurance Psal 146. 5. Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help whose hope is in the Lord his God Again he is happy that trusteth in the Lord though for the present he want Assurance Prov. 16. 20. And who so trusteth in the Lord happy is he Again he is happy that feareth the Lord that hath set up God as the object of his fear though he want Assurance of the love of God Prov. 28. 14. Happy is the man that feareth always That fears to offend that fears to disobey that fears to rebel c. Again he is happy that believes in Christ that rests and stayes upon Christ as the Scriptures every where testifie though he may want Assurance Happiness lies not in any transient act of the Spirit as Assurance is but in the more permanent and lasting acts of the Spirit The Philosopher could say That he was never a happy man that might afterwards become miserable If a mans Eternal Happiness did lie in the Assurance of his Happiness then might a man be crowned with Xerxes's Steersman in the Morning and be beheaded with him in the Evening of the same day But this is the Believers Blessedness That his condition is always good though he doth not alwayes see it to be good that his state is always safe though it be not alwayes comfortable The third Support to keep those Support 3 precious Souls from fainting and sinking that have lost that sweet Assurance that once they had is to consider that though their loss be the greatest and saddest loss that could befal them yet it is a recoverable loss it is a loss that may be recovered as the Scriptures in the Margent do clearly Psal 71 20 21. 42. 5 7 8 Isa 54 7 8. Micah 7. 18 19 Cant. 3. 4. Psal 84. 11 c. Glover and many others yea a cloud of witnesses might be found to testifie this truth evidence And doth not this age as well as former furnish us with many instances of this kinde Doubtless many there
are among the precious Sons and Daughters of Zion that have lost this Pearl of price and after waiting weeping and wrestling have found it again therefore be not discouraged O sighing losing Souls In the loss of emporals it is a great support to mens spirits that their loss may be made up and why should it not be so in spirituals also The fourth Support to keep their Support 4 hearts from sinking and breaking that have lost that sweet Assurance that once they had is seriously to consider that your loss is no greater nor no sadder then what the noblest and the choicest Saints have sustained as you may see by comparing the Scriptures Psal 30. 6 7. 51. 12. Job 23. 8 9. Isa 8. 17. in the Margent together Those that were once the Worthies of this world and are now triumphing in that other World among the Princes of glory have lost that sweet Assurance and sense of Divine love and favor that once they enjoyed therefore let not your spirits faint and fail In temporal Acts 16. trials it is a comfort and a support to have companions with us and why should it not much more be so in spirituals The fifth Support to bear up their Support 5 spirits that have lost that sweet Assurance that once they had is for them to remember and seriously minde that though they have lost Assurance yet they have not lost the blessed breathings and sweet influences of the Spirit Cant. 3. 5. Micah 7. 7 8 9. compared Isa 8. 17. Isa 50. 10. upon them witness their love to Christ their longing after Christ their fear of offending Christ their care to please Christ their high esteem of Christ and their mourning for the dishonors that by themselves or others are done to Christ c. A man may enjoy the warmth heat and influence of the Sun when he hath lost the sight of the Sun David had lost his Assurance he had lost the sight of the Sun and yet he enjoyed the warmth and influences of it upon his heart as is evident in the One and fiftieth Psalm Though thy Sun O Christian be set in a cloud yet it will rise again and in the interim thou hast and dost enjoy the warmth and influences of the Sun therefore sorrow not mourn not as one without hope Those warm influences that the Sun of Righteousness hath now upon thy heart are infallible evidences that he will shine Psal 42. 5 7 8 11. forth and smile upon thee as in the days of old therefore let thy Bowe still abide in strength The sixth Support to keep their Support 6 hearts from fainting and sinking that have lost that sweet Assurance that once they had is seriously to consider that it will be but as a day but as a short day before the loss of thy Assurance shall be made up with a more clear full perfect and compleat enjoyment of God ere long O mourning Soul thy Sun shall rise and never set thy joy and comfort shall be always Isa 57. 18 19 20. fresh and green God shall comfort thee on every side it shall be night with thee no more thou shalt be always in the bosom of God Psal 71. 20 21. Thou which hast shewed me great and sore troubles shalt quicken me again and shalt bring me up again from the depths of the Earth Thou shalt increase my greatness and comfort me on every side The day is at hand O perplexed Soul when thou shalt have smiles without frowns light without darkness day without night wine without water sweet without bitter and joy without sorrow The year of Jubile is at hand thou Levit 25. Psal 126. 5. Isa 35. 2. now sowest in tears thou shalt shortly reap in joy yea Everlasting joy shall be upon thy head and sorrow and sighing shall flee away therefore faint not The third Question is this viz. Quest 3 What means must Souls use to recover Assurance when it is lost I shall give a few short Answers to this Question and so draw to a cloze First If thou wouldst recover Assurance Austin saith Humanum est peccare diabolicum perseverare Angelicum resurgere It is a humane thing to fall into sin a devilish to persevere therein and an Angelical or supernatural to rise from it then thou must labor diligently to finde out that sin that Achan that hath robbed thee of thy Wedg of Gold of thy Assurance surely it is not for infirmities but enormities that God hath put out thy candle and caused thy Sun to set at Noon surely thou hast been feeding I say not tasting of forbidden fruit that God hath stript thee of thy robes and taken the crown from off thy head and turned thee out of Paradise But this is not all Therefore in the second place weep Reve. 2. 4 5. When ancient Rome was Heathenish if the Malefactor brought to be whipped sell upon his knees at his feet whom he had offended it was held as a sin if he suffered him to be whipt much mourn much over the Achan over those wickednesses that have turned thy day into night thy rejoycing into sighing c. David doth thus in that One and fiftieth Psalm and God takes him up from his knees and restores to him the joy of his Salvation Though God be displeased with your sins yet he is wel-pleased with your tears The promise is that he will revive the spirit of the contrite Isa 51. 15. It is said of Adam that he turned his face towards the Garden of Eden and from his heart lamented his fall Ah losing Souls turn your faces towards Heaven and from your hearts lament your fall lament your loss nothing puts God to it like penitent tears No sooner doth Ephraim weep over his sins Jere 31. 18 19 20. It is an excellent expression of Basil It grieves it irks it is tediâ— is to our most munificient great glorious King If we ask any thing little of him he would have us ask great things of him but the bowels of God are stirring towards him and God cannot hold but he must proclaim to the world that mourning Ephraim bemoaning Ephraim is his dear son his pleasant childe and that he will surely have mercy on him or as the Hebrew hath it Rahhem arahhamenu I will having mercy have mercy on him or I will abundantly have mercy on him When our hearts are set to weep over our sins God will so act in ways of love towards us that it shall not be long night with our Souls God will never suffer them to be drowned in sorrow that are set upon drowning their sins in penitential tears The Jews have a saying That since the destruction of Jerusalem the door of Prayers hath been shut but the door of tears was Psal 39. 12. Job 16. 20. Mark 9. 24 25 c. never shut saith one God hath by promise engaged himself That those that sow in tears shall reap
in joy Psal 126. 5. The tears of the Saints have such a kinde of omnipotency in them that God himself cannot withstand them 2 Kings 20. 5. I have seen thy tears behold I will heal thee on the third day thou shalt go up unto the House of the Lord. Thirdly If you would recover Assurance then sit not down discouraged but be up and doing Remember what a Pearl of price thou hast Revel 2. 4 5. As a man that hath been recovered formerly out of such or such a disease if he be relapsed he will to the same means again he will apply the same remedies again This did once do me good I will try it again lost and repent and do thy first works fall close to the good old work of Believing Meditating Examining Praying Hearing Mourning c. Begin the world again and set afresh upon those very ways by which at first thou didst get Assurance fall upon family Duties apply thy self to publick Ordinances be much in close◠Services stir up every gift that is in thee stir up every grace that is in thee stir up all the life that is in thee and never leave blowing till thou hast blowed thy little spark into a flame never leave turning thy penny till thou hast turned thy penny into a pound never leave improving thy mite till thy mite be turned into a million God will be found in the use of means and he will restore our lost mercies in the use of means Psal 22. 26. But this is not all Therefore in the fourth place wait patiently upon the Lord David did so and at length the Lord brought him Psal 40. 1 2 3. out of a horrible pit or out of a pit of noise and confusion and set his feet upon a rock and established his goings and put a new Song of praise into his mouth God never hath nor never will faile the waiting Soul though God loves to try the patience of his Children yet he doth not love to tire out the patience of his Children Isa 57. 16 18 19 therefore he will not contend for ever neither will he be alwaies wroth lest the spirits of his people should faile Assurance is a Jewel worth waiting for it is a Pearl that God gives to none but such as have waited long at mercies door It is a Crown that every one must win by patient waiting before he can wear God doth not think the greatest Mercies too good for waiting Souls though he knows the least Mercy is too good for impatient Soules The Breasts of the Promises lie fair and open to waiting Soules Isa 30. 18. 64. 4. 49. 23. The waiting soule shall have any thing of God but the froward and impatient soule gets nothing of God but frowns and blowes and wounds and broken bones Sad souls should do well to make that text their bosome companion Joh. 14. 18. I will not leave 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 you comfortless or Orphans I will come to you And that Text Heb. 10. 36 37. For ye have need of patience that after ye have done the will of God ye might receive the Promise for yet a little little while as it is in the Greek and he that shall come will come and will not tarry Fifthly and lastly If you would recover Assurance then take heed of refusing Comforts when God brings them to your door take heed of throwing Gospel-Cordialls against the wall This was Asaphs sin My Psal 77. 2. Ambrose saith If I would offer thee gold to day thou wouldest not say I will come tomorrow And wilt thou lightly and slightly put God off when he offers peace and comfort to thy soul c. soule refused to be comforted God comes and offers love to the soul and the soule refuses it God comes and spreads the Promises of Consolation before the Soul and the Soul refuses to look upon them God comes and makes tenders of the riches of grace and the soule refuses to accept of them Sometimes the hand the man that brings the Cordiall is not liked and therefore men refuse it Well remember this when gold is offered men care not how great or how base he is that offers it neither should we care by whom the Cordials and consolations of the Gospel are offered to us whether they are offered by the hand of Isaiah a Prophet of the blood royall as some think or by Amos from amongst the Heardsmen of Tekoa If the Sweet-meats of Heaven are set before thee it is thy wisdom and thy duty to taste of them and to feed upon them without stumbling at the hand that presents them Now for a cloze I shall make a few short uses of what hath been said and so conclude First You that have Assurance be Use 1 thankful for it it is a Jewel more worth then Heaven therefore be thankful Assurance is a mercy nobly descended it is from above Man is Jam. 1. 17. Plato was very thankful that God made him a man and not a woman a Grecian and not a Barbarian a Scholar to Socrates and not to any other Philosopher O what cause then have you to be thankful for Assurance not born with it in his heart as he is with a tongue in his mouth Assurance is a peculiar mercy it is a flower of Paradise that God sticks onely in his childrens bosoms Assurance is a mercy sweetning mercy it is a mercy that puts the Garland upon all our mercies Assurance makes every bitter sweet and every sweet more sweet he enjoyes little that wants it he wants nothing that enjoyes it therefore be you thankful that have and do finde the sweetness of it If Philip rejoyced that Alexander was born in the dayes of Aristotle How much more cause have you to rejoyce upon whose heads the Lord hath put the Crown of Assurance a crown of more worth and weight then all Princes crowns in the world Secondly If God hath given you Use 2 Psal 37. 1 7 8. Prov. 23. 17. Assurance then do not envy the outward felicity and happiness of the men of the world Ah lass what are Mountains of Dust to Mountains of Gold what are the Stones of the Street to Rocks of Pearl what are Crowns of Thorns to Crowns of Gold c. No more are all the treasures honors pleasures and favors of this world to Assurance The envious man hath so many tortures as the envied Socrates wished that envious men had more eyes and more ears then others that they might be more tormented then others by beholding others happiness hath praisers it is the Justice of Envy to kill and torment the envious The men of the world are real objects of pitty but not of envy who envies the Prisoner at the Bar who envies the Malefactor that is going to Execution who envies the dead man that is going to his grave God hath done more for thee by giving thee Assurance then if he had given thee
that way Faith doth not chuse its object Faith knows that he is powerful and faithful that hath promised and therefore Faith closes with one object as well as another So a true obedient soul singles not out the commands of God as to obey one and rebel against another it dares not it cannot say I will serve God in this command but not in that No In an Evangelical sense it obeyes all Luk. 1. 5 6. Zacharias and Elizabeth were both righteous before God walking in all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Without complaint An obedient soul is like a chrystal glass with a light in the midst which shines forth thorow every part thereof So that Royal Law that is written upon his heaâ—t shines forth into every parcel of his life his outward works do eccho to a Law within the Commandments and Ordinances of the Lord blameless They walked not onely in Commandments but also in Ordinances nor onely in Ordinances but also in Commandments They were good souls and good at both A man sincerely obedient layes such a charge upon his whole man as Mary the Mother of Christ did upon all the servants at the Feast John 2. 5. Whatever the Lord saith unto you do it Eyes ears hands heart lips legs body and soul do you all seriously and affectionately observe what ever Jesus Christ sayes unto you and do it So David doth Psal 119. 34 69. Give me understanding and I shall keep thy Law yea I shall observe it with my whole heart The proud have forged a lie against me but I will keep thy Precepts with my whole heart The whole heart includes all the faculties of the soul and all the members of the body sayes David I will put hand and heart body and soul all within me and all without me to the keeping and observing of thy Precepts Here is a soul thorow-paced in his obedience he stands not halting nor halving of it he knows the Lord loves to be served truly and totally and therefore he obeys with an entire heart and a sincere spirit I have read of a very strange speech that dropped out of the mouth of Epictetus a Heathen If it be thy will sayes he O Lord command me what thou wilt send me whither thou wilt I will not withdraw my self from any thing that seems good to thee Ah how will this Heathen at last rise in judgement against all Sauls Jehues Judases Demases Scribes Pharisees Temporaries who are partial in their obedience who while they yeeld obedience to some commands live in the habitual breach of other commands Verily he that lives in the habitual breach of one command shall at last be reputed by God guilty of the breach Jam. 2. 10. of every command and God accordingly will in a way of Justice proceed against him Ezek. 18. 10 11 12 13. It was the glory of Caleb and Joshua Num. 14. 24. that they followed the Lord fully in one thing as well as another So Cornelius Acts 10. 33. We are present before God to hear whatsoever shall be commanded us of God He doth not pick and chuse So in Acts 13. 22. I have found David the son of Jesse a man after mine own heart which shall fulfil all my will or rather as it is in the Greek he shall fulfil all my 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wils He mindes not onely general duties of Religion but also particular duties as a Magistrate as a Minister as a Father as a Master as a Son as a Servant wills To note the universallity and sincerity of his Obedience A sincere heart loves all commands of God and prizes all commands of God and sees a Divine Image stamped upon all the commands of God and therefore the main bent and disposition of his soul is to obey all to subject to all God commands universal obedience Josh 1. 8. Deut. 5. 29. Ezek. 18. The Promise of Reward is made over to Universal Obedience Psal 19. 11. Josh 1. 8. Universal Obedience is a Jewel that all will wish for or rejoyce in at the day of death and the day of account And the remembrance of these things with others of the like nature provokes all upright souls to be impartial to be universal in their Obedience Thirdly That Obedience that accompanies Salvation springs from inward Spiritual causes and from holy and heavenly Motives it flowes from Faith Hence it is called The obedience of Faith Rom. 16. 26. So in 1 Tim. 1. 5. Now the end of the Commandment is Love out of a pure Heart and of a good Conscience and of Faith unfeigned Faith draws down that Divine Vertue and Power into the soul that makes it lively and active abundant and constant in the work and way of the Lord. And Where Love is the Soul says of every command Bonus Sermo it is a good saying but where Love is wanting the man cryes out Durus Sermo It is a hard saying who can bear it as Faith so Love puts the Soul forward in ways of Obedience John 14. 21 23. If any man love me he will keep my Commandments So Psal 119. 48. My hands also will I lift up to thy Commandments which I have loved Divine Love is said to be the keeping of the Commandments because it puts the Soul upon keeping them Divine Love makes every weight light every yoke easie every command joyous it knows no difficulties it facilitates obedience it divinely constrains the soul to obey to walk to run the ways of Gods commands And as sound Obedience springs from Faith and Love so it flows from a filial Fear of God Psal 118. 119. Mine heart stands in aw of thy Word So Heb. 11. 7. Noah being warned of God touching things not seen as yet moved with fear prepared an Ark. Ah but Hypocrites and Temporaries are not carried forth in their Obedience from such precious and glorious principles and therefore it is that God casts all their services as dung in Isa 1. 11. their faces And as that Obedience which accompanies Salvation flows from inward Spiritual Principles so it flows from holy and heavenly Motives as from the tastes of Divine Love and the sweetness and excellency of communion with God and the choice and precious discoveries that the soul in wayes of Obedience hath Isa 64. 5. had of the beauty and glory of God The sweet looks the heavenly words the glorious kisses the holy embraces that the obedient soul hath had makes it freely and fully obedient to the Word and Will of God Ah! but all the Motives that move Hypocrites and carnal Professors to Obedience are onely external and carnal as the eye of Matth. 6. the Creature the ear of the Creature the applause of the Creature the rewards of the Creature either the love of the loaves or the gain of John 6. custom or the desire of ambition sometimes they are moved to obedience from the fear of the Creature and sometimes from the