as Mal. 1. 8. and that of David 2 Sam. 24. 24. So on the other side if childish bashfulnesse come in in stead of childlike reverence or servile fear in stead of filial awfulnesse he considers Gods mercy bounty truth Christs merits and mediation his own relations through him c. And so balanceth that scale when it weighs too low Such counter considerations as these the soul hath at hand to balast it selfe even in all the parts of Duty And this shall suffice for the clearing of these cases CHAP. LVI Some comfortable informations from this Thesis and for an upshot a Case how I shall know whether my actual fervency and boldnesse bee from Gods Spirit or Satan or any natural principle c. THis affords matter of abundant comfort to all who have this boldnesse and fervency from the operation of this witnessing Spirit in prayer 1. In the work it self Certainly it is a sweet thing to be able in all things to make a mans requests known to God with confidence How incomparable an ease is it to a man to have a bosome-friend and him such a one as is able not only to hear but hear and help to make of ones counsell in the weightiest and most important businesses in the greatest and most unsupportable burthens especially to a child to have such a father This is the happinesse ascribed to the Jews above all other nations meerly upon the account of an outward propriety a visible Church propriety and liberty of approach Deut. 4. 7. to have God so nigh to them in all that they called upon him for 2. In the rise of it This is a main work of the Spirit of Adoption You are arrived as high in point of communion with God as you can possibly in this state of distance The witnesse of the Spirit is our most comfortable enjoyment and the prayers and prayses that proceed from it our most comfortable employment that we are capable of here below And the comfort of it lies in this that it is an act of influence from the Spirit of the most noble and heavenly nature of any other 't is an evidence of a large and abundant measure of the Spirit 3. In the Issue of it what may not such an one do with God But that the cause of miraculous works is ceased and so 't is a tempting God to put him needlessely to extraordinary expences surely I may say such an one might as our Saviour saith say to this or that mountain be thou plucked up by the roots and cast into the depth of the Sea and that with assurance of successe Mat. 17. 20. 21. 22. Now if this be true of the least degree and measure of faith though but reliance as it is much more undoubtedly of acts of assurance and such an one is this spiritual boldnesse and confidence in prayer Qu. But how shall I know whether my fervency and boldnesse of spirit in prayer come from Gods Spirit of Adoption or mine own spirit or possibly Satans spirit of delusion Answ This question is weighty and I must answer distinctly to both parts 1. For fervency it is true 1. Sometime 't is but natural Great wants produce earnest intreaties Beggers ready to starve begge in earnest Terrours of God and frights of conscience many times make fervent 2. Sometimes it may also be the work of a deluding and prestigious spirit who I know not why he may not counterfeit the Spirit of prayer in this operation as well as the Spirit of grace in many others But 3. The discovery of the difference lies in these particulars 1. In the nature of this fervency and that consists in these things 1. In the lively actings of all our graces in prayer This I have shewed you before is the course of Gods Saints to stirre up all within them to the performance of the duty The bow that is serviceable must bee bent in all parts alike else it will faile the expectation of the Archer A counterfeit fervency or a meer natural fervency is partial Desire may seem to be fervent in prayer but humility and sorrow for sinne and thankfulnesse are cold Many a man askes what he wants with great earnestnesse but confesseth sinne and gives thanks for mercies received superficially This puts a great suspicion upon the Duty 2. In a zealous watchfulness over a mans heart against all those things that may coole deaden or distract it And thus a gracious soul is not only then fervent when it may be a landfloud of affections drownes for the present the actings of formality wandring thoughts c. but even when these are most stirring it shews its fervency by labouring and wrestling against them Another may be fervent now and then upon such or such a particular impression of spirit as suppose in the sense of some imminent danger some extraordinary conviction but hee doth not keep his watch or stand so upon his guard as to preserve himselfe in that temper but suffers himself to decline into formality and deadness again as soon as that impression is a little layd by the vent it finds in a Duty 2. In the matter wherein one is fervent A man may be fervent in such things as concern his own present necessity Isai 26. 16. They powred out a prayer when thy chastening 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was upon them effuderunt or liquefecerunt orationem they seemed to be meltingly fluent as mettal when it runs by the force of fire but that is a fervency that holds no longer then the fire lasts In those things that concerne the glory of God and are more remote from a mans private concernment there is more coldnesse and indifferency In petitions for pardon of sin much heat little in petitions for grace c. 3 In the concomitants of this fervency It doth beget a sutable frame of spirit 1. In all places Many an one is very appearingly fervent when hee prayes before others But is there the same heat in private or rather are our private closet prayers cold and formal Satans spirit a spirit of vain-glory c. may make a man fervent before others but the Spirit of God only supplies a private fervency to wrestle with God in private as Jacob did by night and alone is likely to be gracious fervency 2. In all duties A man that hath a kindly heat of affections in prayer will not bee without some impressions of it in other duties In the hearing of the word a mans heart will burne Luke 24. 32. In his place and calling there will be a zealous endeavour to do good a zealous anger against sinne a zealous grief for sin This is seen in David Ps 119. 32. 139. 102 Ps throughout a zealous and fervent love to all the Saints 1 Pet. 1. 22. 4. In the rise of it 1. It is gotten in the Saints by industry kindled by meditation and most commonly they know how they come by it how much ado it costs them
to eternity But 2. That thou acknowledgest the Justice of God herein gives good hope of thee To accept of the punishment of our iniquity and to acquit God is one good sign of the truth and soundnesse of humiliation When a man is humbled as low as hell takes it for his portion and deserved too sure God useth not to be deaf to such an acknowledgment as this The Judg at the Bench is never more inclined to mercy then when an Offendor takes his guilt on him and acquits the Bench and the Jury and confesseth his condemnation is and execution will be just 3. We may possibly offend in bringing down God to the line of men in this case and therefore there are Promises of acceptance to such as thou art Hos 14. 4. Jer. 3. 22. Though thou canst not go to God upon meer grounds of probability yet thou maist upon his own Promises and Engagements Object But possibly I have sinned against the Holy Ghost Answ 1. Every sin against the Holy Ghost is not the sin against the Holy Ghost the emphatical sin against the Holy Ghost Every Apostasie is not that sin then Peter had sinn'd unpardonably and Cranmer and divers others in the late times that have recanted the Truth and have returned againe to their stedfastnesse and dyed for it Every wilful sin against convictions is not that sin then had David no doubt in his plotted murder and adultery sinned against the Holy Ghost in this unpardonable way So had Abraham in denying his wife and Peter also in denying his Master sure they knew such acts were sins That sin is all these but you must add to make up the full nature of it that it must be a total Apostacy against full light ending in a malicious persecution of the knowne Truth and wayes of holinesse The Pharisees were such Persecutors and Reproachers of the Doctrine and Works of Christ as coming from Satan which by the miracles that accompanied him they could not but in their consciences believe came from God and therefore Christ chargeth them justly with that sin Malice there must be for persecution out of ignorance in Pauls example is pardonable 1 Tim. 1. 17 18. And in an heat of passion one godly man hath persecuted another So Asa 2 Chron. 16. 10. Lastly That thou hast not sinned that sin is clear in that thou art affraid of it and that fear is thy greatest grief and burthen c. That sinne carries with it an heart that cannot repent a seared conscience However look on thy present condition as very dangerous although not desperate Penal hardnesse of heart and the fore-mentioned attendants of it are a rode way to it Timely caution may prevent thy falling so far Please not thy selfe in such sins with this conceit that yet thou hast not sinned the sin against the Holy Ghost and therefore mayst yet go on in them with hope of mercy Presumptuous sinnes are the ushers to the great transgression Psalm 19. 13. as we render the word CHAP. XXV An exhortation to certain duties proper to this condition of bondage HEre is also an Exhortation to such as are under this condition 1. Be patient under the present hand of the Spirit A man will bear a great trouble patiently when he can see likelyhood of a good issue in it A sick man is contented to be made sicker for healths sake Finis confert amabilitatem mediis say the Schoolmen and a man that hath a gangrened arm or legge will endure the sawing it off willingly to save the whole body Troubles of conscience are grievous troubles But so long as they are in the hand of the spirit as instrumental means to facilitate conversion how patiently shouldest thou undergo them If they were to thy eternal confusion patience were meet partly as to a punishment deserved and of thy own choice partly as to a condition which repining at it may augment but never remedy How much more when these troubles are converting saving troubles or are used by the spirit to that end The good ground brought forth its fruit with patience Luke 8. 15. And if ever thou wilt see fruit of thy soul troubles thou must stay the time 2. Keep up hope under all discouragements I know a thousand discouragements are ready upon every occasion to beat thee off thy hold and hopes And against them set those promises which Scripture is every where full of to persons in thy condition together with the examples of others recorded there and to these add thy own experience both in the persons of others and thine own Think how many such sad souls in all ages Gods Spirit hath conducted through the wildernesse and caused them to rest in the full assurance and undoubted evidence of his love Read over the sad complaints of David in his convictions and soul troubles and how God at last compassed him about with songs of deliverance set in joynt all his broken bones and bestowed on him the joy of his salvation Nay how many of those Saints that you dayly do or may converse withall can speak no lesse from their own experience Thou art under a condition of hope whiles thou art under this work it is the method of the Spirit in conversion as was before shewed It is with thee as with the people Ezra 10. 2. though thy case be sad yet now God hath affected thy heart with thy sinne and misery and made thee confesse and bewail thy sinnes before him now there is hope in Israel concerning this as Shechaniah saith after the humiliation of the people for their strange wives in the preceding Chapter Thou art yet a prisoner but a prisoner of hope Zech. 9. 12. See what advice and encouragement the Church from her own experience gives Lam. 3. 26 27 28 c. It is good for a man to hope for the salvation of the Lord why so See verse 31 32. For the Lord will not cast off for Lam. 3. ever but though he cause grief yet will hee have compassion according to the multitude of his tender mercies O saith the soul what is my strength that I should hope as Job 6. 11. alas the Lord hath cast me off for ever I see my present agony and distresse of spirit that he intends to break all my bones and send me ver 4. to hell with all my bones broken on the wheele of his displeasure The more I cry ver 8. the more deaf he seems to be unto my prayer ver 4 6. he hath brought me into darknesse and made my skin old he hath builded against me fortified ver 5. his kingdome against all my attempts by a resolution that I shall not enter into his rest he hath compassed me with gall and travel hee ver 5. 6. 7. 8. 10. 11. 12. 13. 15. 16. hath set me in dark places he hath hedged me about and made my chain heavie he shuts out my prayer he is a bear and a lion
dyed in Egypt How often have we longed for quails for our lust bin discontented at Gods allowance and thought all we had even precious manna gracious meltings for sin a tender fear of offending God an holy importunity in following after God c. nothing if we were not presently assured of his love and kissed with the kisses of his mouth Think how much of unbeliefe impatience pride peevishnesse unthankfulnesse despaire hard thoughts against God wearinesse of his service unjust censures against your selves blasphemous murtherous thoughts c. hath God past by and in all these provocations kept you from falling off from your present convictions and the benefit of them and held you in his hand and conducted you through the wild and roaring wildernesse till he hath brought you to Canaan 4. The multitude of those who perish under convictions and notwithstanding them nay perish the deeper for them When a man considers that the same troubles of spirit which drove Judas to the Gallowes and Cain to despair and to many thousands under the means of grace become barely means of hardening the heart and increasing their condemnation prove to him the throws of a new birth the rough passage to a Kingdom of liberty and glory the straight doore to a pallace of spiritual peace and comfort Distinguishing mercy is engaging mercy And distinguishing mercy is greatest when to the persons distinguished every thing is common but that very distinction As if in a common guilt some are pardoned whiles others dye and in a common disease some perish and others are preserved so here in common soul troubles one man despairs and sends himself to hell the sooner another presumes and fends himself thither the surer c. Others are effectually converted and eternally saved Oh what a deep engagement to thankfulnesse is this 4. Pitifulnesse and tendernesse to other persons in that condition Our own experience may tell us what grievous burthens soul troubles are and how much need there is that those that are with young should be gently led Our Saviour was pleased to submit to temptation for that very reason that he might be a mercifull high Priest able to succour them that are tempted Heb. 2. 18. But I have spoken to this also before CHAP. XXII Several considerations to humble such as have gone through this work ineffectually II. HEnce also let all those be exhorted that have been under these troubles of spirit and have gotten over them without any real work of conversion or saving grace attained by them to 1. Labour seriously to bewail the inefficacy of such hopefull means for their good O friends 't is a sad thing to come out of any trouble muâ—h more such a trouble as this is and get nothing by it What a complaint do the Church make in relation to their temporal afflictions Isay 26. 17 18. We have been with child we have been in pain we have brrught forth wind c. That that comforts a woman in her throws is the hope of a child and this is that that makes her forget it when it is over John 16. 21. But if a woman fall into grievous pains and all proves but a Tympany or an abortive conception or a monster this will not quit the cost of such throws and therefore when shee thinkss on this time she bewails it ever after Much more should such an affection as this possesse a man when he considers how near he was to the Kingdom of God as Christ saith to the Scribe Mar. 12. 34. To perish within sight of the harbour and so to come within a stride of the goale and misse it O how vexing a thought should this be 'T were well if it were so with most men in this World whiles they have time to repaire their losses Hereafter 't will be a trouble to eternity irremediable and that irremediablenesse will be the greatest part of the trouble Here to help this work may be considered that hereby 1. The Spirit of God is disappointed quenched resisted 'T is Gods Spirit that hath contested with thy proud obstinate rebellious heart and 't is that Spirit whom thou hast so often repulsed That Spirit is a free spirit and is not bound to move any more Psal 51. 't is a Spirit of grace and if he move not Zach. 12. 10. thou canst never recover again and when he hath been so repulsed how canst thou expect his farther attempts God doth justly resolve many times concerning such persons as Gen. 6. 3. That his spirit shall strive no more 2. Your hearts are hardened Believe this for a certain truth that the more the heart is melted and softened if it grow hard again it grows the harder for it Thence 't is it may be for I am not certain the sin against the Holy Ghost is there meant that the Apostle saith it is impossible to renew such to repentance when they fall away Heb. 6. 6. impossible that is as to the strength and power of ordinary means that work on other men and if God convert such an one it is by an act of his absolute power besides the ordinary regulated way of his proceedings So is the word taken Mat. 19. 26. that that is impossible with men i. e. which is beyond the reach of men to conceive how it can be done is possible to God Now for such a man to be converted is impossible to men not only in that he hath no power in nature to effect it for so is every mans conversion impossible but in that a man cannot rationally judge him capable of benefit by any of the ordinary supernatural means of conversion The Word of God and whatever other means of conversion will grow so familiar with such a man that all that was affecting in them will through acquaintance grow contemptible and sinnes which at first view and in a mans first convictions appeared fearful and terrible having once or twice affrighted the soul and done no more will afterwards lose their monstrousnesse by a frequent fruitlesse view of them nay hell it selfe as bug hears to children after they begin to find that there is nothing in them but the name will appear but an old wives fable and its fire but a painted flame such as scares more then it hurts and so no wonder if all these restraints removed such an one 's latter end be worse then the beginning 2 Pet. 2. ult Sins before softenings are like weeds in a ground which before plowing and harrowing wee hope to root out thereby but afterwards they are like invincible weeds that no plough or harrow will tear up and therefore such ground is nigh unto cursing 3. Conscience is checked and discouraged That tendernesse which before possessed it upon every sinne is in a great measure lost and whereas it before passed a right censure concerning thy estate now it is grown partial and flattering For there is no man can get out of soul troubles without the leave of his
satisfied There is as much difference between these two acts of the Spirit as there is between such a plea as diverts a judgment against a man at present and that wherein by an evident deed or writing it is certainly determined on his side And so we may distinguish Comfort and Assurance and Comfort and Peace For though Comfort alwayes follow Assurance so that there can be no assurance but it must comfort yet where ever there is comfort it followes not there must be Assurance For there may be comfort in a lesse evil compared with a greater and a poor soul may take comfort in this that although he be not sure he is included in the Promise yet he is not excluded but Assurance presupposeth an actual perswasion that a man hath a share in the Promise A man may be comforted with this that although it is bad with him now yet it may be better but Assurance supposeth a sense of his good condition at present Now to apply this distinction to the answer of the Question propounded I am not satisfied that any man can draw Assurance as it is thus distinguished from support and comfort from an Absolute Promise because an Absolute Promise is no legal plea for me in particular as to my present Title to God though it be for my future hopes of such a Title And my ground is this That which all are called upon to believe and which is offered to all alike cannot be a grounded plea to put a distinction between me and others but particular Assurance puts a special Mark of distinction between me and others and absolute Promises are offered to all alike and therefore Assurance cannot flow from an Absolute Promise Nay let me add it is the constant guise of Presumption to plead Absolute Promises in point of Evidence as the Promise of giving Christ to dye for sinners and therefore they are confident he is theirs as well as others All that Gods Saints draw from hence is a comfortable ground of applying themselves to Christ with constancy and perseverance because the Spirit testifies to them that they are capable of the mercy that is held forth in such Promises if they so adhere to them and leave not to urge God with them And the case is the same with general offers Gods general Offers and absolute Promises are of the same nature in this case Both may support comfort a man for the present but are no evidences for the future As a Prince proclaimeth an Act of Grace an Act of Pardon and Oblivion to Traitors and invites in general terms all persons to come and receive it upon such and such conditions among the rest one that apprehends himself more guilty then all others doubts whether it shall reach to him or no he comes into such a Market and hears the Proclamation to all Traitors c. whatsoever hereby is the man so far quieted and supported with this newes Now saith he I hear I am not excluded I am not unpardonable But now if this man go no farther but a while after come to tryal of Law for his Treasons and he thinks to plead the general Proclamation and the mercy of the Prince extending it selfe to all Malefactors will this serve for a Legal evidence to a Jury that he is a pardoned man Will it not be asked Sir What Evidence have you that you laid down your Arms and accepted this pardon Here now is required another kind of testimony So here God proclaims mercy in Christ to the greatest sinners and this he declares to proceed from his vast and unspeakable love and therupon invites all sinners to come and accept of it for he is a God merciful and gracious abounding in mercy and truth and Exod. 34. 6. will abundantly pardon returning sinners Now a poor soul doubts whether he be included in this offer Doubt it not saith the Spirit in a Sermon or other Ordinance be of good cheer man the pardon offered concerns all Now if a man rest here and believe hereupon that he is pardoned because in Gods absolute and unconditioned invitation he is not excluded when conscience is awake it will say But might not Judas and Cain c. plead as much as that How can you make it appear that you have accepted that pardon by Faith Here need Marks and conditional Promises I may plead absolute Promises and general offers to God in Prayer but I cannot plead them before God in Court God saith I will give you a new heart I will powre out the spirit of grace and supplication and so in Zech 12. 10 general offers Let whoever will come and drink of the water of life freely I may go to Apoc. 12. 17 God on these Promises and Offers and say Lord give me a new heart Lord give me Christ But if I stand before the Court of Conscience and plead these in way of Evidence That I have a new heart that I have Christ I must not prove it by Gods promising these blessings in general to me with all others but by the Evidences of my acceptance of these Offers and Gods fulfilling of these Promises I must be able to say here Lord thou hast made such offers and my heart hath accepted them Thou hast tendred Christ unto me and I have taken him upon thine own terms Thou hast promised a new heart and I blesse thy name I find my heart renewed Are not these the badges and proper cognizances of thy children and servants May I not conclude a saving interest in thee who have received such saving mercies and bounties from thee Thus have I showen you that although general offers and absolute Promises may support and in a sort comfort yet conditional promises alone properly assure CHAP. IX The maine Proposition applyed A Case concerning Election and that the misapprehension thereof hinders its Evidence NOW comes to hand the application of this point And in the first place this may reconcile the thoughts of many precious ones under bondage to a good opinion of their present condition in that it is not only the Spirits usual method where hee becomes a Spirit of Adoption to become first a spirit of of Bondage as in the former Thesis was declared but that when he hath been such a spirit of bondage hee usually becomes a Spirit of Adoption witnessing our Adoption It is a great encouragement to a sick man though hee be grievously pained at present that his disease is such out of which most recover that though sometimes it be yet seldome it is mortal Object Yea but you tell us the persons to whom it is not mortal and to whom it usually ends in ravishing comforts are the elect of God But I doubt I am none of them and therfore I may and shall die of this disease for any thing you have said and never see the face of God in comfort here or hereafter Answ 1. Observe the policy of Satan in dealing with thy soule Now
hee hath gotten an oar into the spirits boat Thou maist discerne him by his usual guise of tempting which is to direct thee from the study and care of things revealed to things secret and uncertaine In mens unregeneracie when they wallow in sin securely the word threatens curses and wrath against them see then how Satan withdrawes them from the study of and surrendring their hearts unto the power of that word by a false prophecie I shal have peace Deut. 29 19. I may live many a fair day yet and repent and die a child of God Ye shal not die Gen. 2. And so he drives men to presume And if I be elected saith such a wretchlesse sinner I shal be saved at the last let me walke how I will in the meane while But I hope I am not a reprobate c. will such an heart bee apt to assume and the issue is a resolution to continue in sinne and put it upon the adventure But when a soul is under a Spirit of bondage he turns his note but how is it Is it not the same plot new dressed Now he prophesies an utter irrecoverablenesse to thy condition and upon what ground why forsooth hee hath looked over Gods booke of life and hee cannot find thy name there and therefore do what thou wilt thou canst hope for no better but worse rather then what thou now feelest He will not suffer thee now to conclude at the same rate as before that thou hopest thou art not a Reprobate but maist for any thing thou knowest be elected as well as any other The only remedy thou hast in such cases is to consult the written Word of God Satan saith thou art not elected but is there any Mark in the whole Word of God by which a man may know he is not Elected No God in his infinite wisdom and goodnesse hath not given any such Marks by which men may know Reprobation that so he might retard no mans endeavours after grace Indeed there be marks of Election by which we may make that sure to our selves 1 Pet. 1. but the want of these doth not discover Reprobation because these are all wanting in the dearest Saints of God till they be truly converted and so if that consequence were sound Such true Graces discover Election therefore the want of them discovers Reprobation it would follow that Gods Saints before they are converted seeing they want those graces are either not elected and so Election would not precede Calling contrary to Rom. 8. 30. and Election would not be from eternity contrary to Ephes 1. 4 or else they could at one and the same time be Elect and Reprobate which implies a manifest contradiction The Word speaks plainly in this case Deut. 29. 29. Secret things belong unto God c. 2 Thou hast abundant grounds to believe the contrary viz. That thou art Elected if thine eyes were open to see them The Sanctification of the Spirit is a certaine consequent and therefore a sure evidence of Election 1 Pet. 1. 2. and Rom. 8 1. In stead therefore of searching the Decrees of God whether thou be elected or no search into thy own heart and see whether thou canst find that thou art called and so in any measure sanctified the discovery of grace in thy heart though but one grain and that of mustard seed will assure thee of thy Election and final salvation Canst thou not find in thy heart any sorrow for sin any earnest desires after holinesse any solicitousnesse to please God any tenderness of conscience and fearfulness to offend him c If thou canst think these be flowers that use not to grow in Natures garden Well conclude then I hope I am called and therefore elected and therefore shall be assured in due time CHAP. X. Excitation and encouragement to labour for the experience of this work IN the next place how effectually should this stirre up all of us that are converted by way of a Spirit of Bondage to labour after a Spirit of Adoption in its witnessing act 1. You see that the Spirit of Adoption is attainable and especially by you of all other men You are under the qualification of those to whom he doth especially belong See Isa 61. 1 2 3. To you is the word of this salvation sent Christ was annointed with the Oyl of gladnesse for your sakes Are not your hearts broken are not you mourners in Sion are not you the subjects of a spirit of heavinesse a wrinkled a contracted spirit as the Word signifies a Spirit even grown old and wrinkled with grief Here then is a word of encouragement for you let it not fall to the ground What striving is there for places when they fall in the Universities under such and such qualifications how doth every one within the qualifications bestirre himself for his interest And will you being in such a capacity lose the priviledge of that capacity 2 The Spirit of Adoption in its assuring act is a precious mercy Friends do you count it a great matter to be assured of such a temporal inheritance Will you think it worth your time to search Deeds and Records and Offices to confirm a title to your selves and your heirs and is it worth no pains to assure your immortal souls of an eternal inheritance When a Merchant adventures a ship to the sea if he adventure much in the Vessel how doth he hye him to the Assurance Office that if he can he may be no loser by his Adventure what ever chance befal him O Friends you are every day lanching forth into the Ocean of eternity your Fraught is your precious souls that are more worth then all the world The Spirit keeps an Assurance Office hye you to the Spirit and never leave till you have assured your present Adventure 1. I am assured of this Without the witnesse of the Spirit that you are the children of God no soul here deliberately dares to dye Possibly a Roman Valour may carry men on upon desperate dangers when the temptations of honour c. are present to put out of their minds the thoughts of an adventured eternity with the hopes of the present life Those Parents that sacrificed their children to Moloch could not have endured the cryes of their dear little ones roasted alive in the Arms of the cursed Idol had not the Drummes and other loud Instruments drowned the noise And truly no man can deliberately sacrifice his soul to Satan or adventure his soul neer the borders of hell whiles his ears are open to the fearful yellings scriechings of damned spirits and therefore Satan makes a terrible din in their eares jingles the fine things of this world and makes such a noise with them that he leads them first into a fools Paradise and from thence into utter darknesse Friends Did such thoughts as these possesse any of you now and then Here I crawle up and down in the world a poor worm of two or three cubits
Hebrews 6. 4 5 6. and 10. 26 27 28 29. And one in the second of Peter 2. 20 21. In the ambiguity of some dark phrases in those Texts of Scripture doth Satan perplex the soul and this is a strong hold that he will not presently surrender Thus he perswades them that every neglect of duty every vain thought or wicked action after illumination and the work of conviction utterly and totally excludeth them from repentance or pardon and therefore it is in vain to endeavour their comfort who have sinned against the Holy Ghost that should comfort them and that unpardonably and irrecoverably I have spoken to this already in the second point and shall again hereafter And therfore it shall suffice at present to warn you of this rub which Satan laies in the way of your peace and to intreat you to take no heed to it when it is obtruded to barre you from laying hold of the promises of mercy and pardon which are proclaimed unto you For take this for a certain rule God never intends any terrours of Scripture as bugbears to affright any sinner from Christ who earnestly desires him the severest scorpions of the Law are intended only to drive us to Christ Gal. 3. 24. much lesse doth he intend that any of them should conclude any soul under an apprehended impossibility of pardon for then he would be chargeable with all those desperate conclusions which men usually draw from such premises But he always encourageth the greatest sinners to beleeve and supposing that to take comfort from the boundlesnesse of his mercy in pardoning all maner of sinnes Isay 55. 7. and 1. 18. How frequently doth he for their sakes display his bowels of tender mercies as if he foresaw that the greatest difficulty of his work would lie in perswading them of those CHAP. XII Certain other Hinderances removed A Sixth Hinderance is 6. Keeping Satans counsel Many a soul bears sad burthens in this kind oftentimes because he is ashamed to utter what it is that troubles him As many a man bears a Disease in some part which he is loath to discover and will not be knowne of it till there be no remedy but he must dye of it This is Satans policy to represent the soul before conversion as beautiful in all the ornaments of civility and good nature as we say and formality as is possible But after conversion when the soul pants after Assurance of Gods love then to shew it its own face in as black a glasse as hell or its Landskip an accusing terrifying conscience can afford And therefore he enlargeth ordinary infirmities into monstrous Apostacies and sins against the Holy Ghost and if the soul be satisfied that its sins are not of that dye because it never entertained a thought of malice and envy against God or his wayes which is required to that sin Then he will inject fearful suggestions into the mind horribilia de Deo c. horrid thoughts of God Christ Religion Scriptures c. And then he acts as a wicked Whore when he hath laid these brats of his at a Saints door then he pursues him as the father of them for maintenance solicites Reason to defend them or at least to dispute them and if a soul throw them out as fast as he casts them in then he makes it his next businesse to perswade it to keep his counsel in these thoughts and temptations for saith he what will godly people think of thee if thou shouldst discover such things as these No one that fears God would ever come nigh thee any more So concerning thoughts of self-murder temptations to fearful and horrid pollutions c. If he cannot fasten them upon the heart he will labour at least to prevail for our secrecy in them And then he knowes he can make great advantages of those concealments As a loose companion when he hath tempted an honest woman to uncleannesse and cannot prevail his next designe is to perswade her to keep his attempt close and to allow him her company still which if he can do he will afterwards as being one that regards not his owne reputation blast her as if she were really guilty of the Fact and endeavor to make her concealment of his temptations and continued converse with him the Argument to prove her so So if Satan can prevail so far he will quickly perswade a soul that he hath consented to what he hath concealed and so lay all that load of desperate conclusions which would follow from the sins themselves upon the suspicion of them And therefore as a woman that is honest and wise will discover such sollicitations to an husband or near friend and desire them to watch over her lest she be overcome by importunity to an act she so much abhors and if need be will reveal them more publickly by way of Caution for her fuller Vindication So in this case it is the best way to deal with Satan Let no such thought arise but away first to God and then to a godly Minister or a godly friend and unbosom thy selfe for hereby thou shalt be able to call witnesse against Satan upon every occasion and take away the advantage from him of suggesting many desperate thoughts to thee which if he have so much footing as thy bare silence he will inject with a great deal of vehemency On the other side he will quickly be discouraged from tempting if what he speaks in secret were published upon the house tops 7 Secret tempting of God and dependance upon such means and such men for peace and limiting God to such and such a time and resolving not to wait on God beyond that time or not to expect it from any other meanes It may bee slighted means and an unexpected time shall bring thee that comfort which thou hast in vain looked for from more likely instruments and more probable seasons Truly friends God will have peace as well as grace to be every way free and unconfined Say not such a Minister indeed is an honest man and preacheth well but I shall never profit by him if ever I have comfort it must be from such or such a mouth Say not if God answer me not in such an ordinance or such a duty I am hopelesse c. It oftentimes falls out here as it doth in dangerous diseases among great personages They perswade themselves that such or such a plain honest Physician whom they vouchsafe to consult with in ordinary cases is able to do them no good in their present distempers he is not studied or hath not experience enough and therefore they must advise with such or such a Court Doctor of eminent practise and then they think they cannot misse of a cure But many times it so happens that after they have spent their strength and estate on fees and bills and are come down into the Country to dye a plain countrey Physician and a little Kitchin-physick hath restored them Truly friends 't is
the wings of duty if you present unconquerable difficulties before it And when once the wings of duty are clipped that it cannot fly abroad to gather sustenance for faith no wonder if that pine away and dye too And if faith dye assurance is hâ—pelesse CHAP. XIII Another Hindrance removed THere remains yet one Hindrance more to be discovered in this Chapter which is eleventhly and lastly over-scrupulousness and scepticall-question-fulness in the businesse in hand Satans policy in troubling souls is like that which he useth in deceiving them First He sets them a gogge as we use to say perswades them they must try all things therefore they must question all things they must hold no principles meerly by a tenure of faith but of their own reason and then he inveigles their snarled apprehensions and makes their entangled and immethodical reason to find knots in every bulrush and those knotts being too dâ—fficult to be untyed by their weak heads he brings them at last to condemn all truth upon meer suspicion of error and renders them so confident of the justice of that sentence that they become obstinate and irrecoverable hereticks So in troubling the conscience or continuing it in trouble he perswades the soul in the first place to question every thing that ever it hath had experience of from the first moment of convictâ—on nay those things that have been as sensible and palpable as can be yet they must now be suspected whether in point of past and present practice or in point of comfort In point of past practice whether it have not sinned in such or such things which when done were done with the fullest assurance possible of their lawfulnesse And so in present practice hee will scarce suffer a poor soul in such a troubled condition to eat drink or sleep without scruple A tender conscience is a great mercy but a scrupulous conscience is a great affliction Such a conscience doth not only hinder a man from that which is evill but abates much of the life activity and comfort that is in good actions And so in point of comfort Urge to a soul in trouble Such and such gracious works God hath wrought in you therefore sure you are one of his Such experiences you have had with which you have been formerly satisfyed I question that saith the soul whether there were any such things or no. I once believed that there were but I doubt I was then deceived c. and so I may be now if I grant any such things as you say A soul under this frame although very well experienced in the School of Christ and who hath been banquetted in Christs own Parlour many times may be turned quite off the hinges meerly by his own over-scrupulousnesse The Disciples were well acquainted with Christ yet when he came to them upon the sea they were afraid thinking it had been a spirit Matth. 14 26. And the reason was they were then in such a Tempest that they feared every thing and so suspected Christ himself when he came to relieve them Quest But what shall I do in such a case If I be over-credulous and too easie of belief I may ruin my self that way and if I bee too scrupulous I may undo my self that way too Ans 1 Labour for a distinct knowledg of the nature of grace in general and the known Marks by which it is distinguished from hypocrisie And although you labour for the greatest means of grace yet enquire diligently into the Signes and Tokens by which you may know the least I confesse this would be better done before trouble of mind comes There is a great advantage that a well catechized Christian hath of an ignorant person in this present case viz. the discrimination and distinguishing true grace from counterfeit 'T is bad laying principles in a mind full of confusion that by reason of darknesse can see nothing distinctly Those should be laid before in tender years or at least calmer seasons But if there have been a neglect either in the person or those under whose inspection he hath lived so that he be to learn to spell now when he had need be able to read the works of the Spirit of God distinctly then I would advise such a soul to search into the Word with the advice of godly Ministers and Christians after those proper distinguishing Marks betweene sincerity and hypocrisie upon which he may ground his own enquiry after his own condition If I should make an Hue and Cry after a man or cry an horse or cow in â—e Market and know not by what marks to describe him or if I search among many other cattel for mine own and know not what Ear-mark or Flesh-mark or Hair-mark they have I cannot hope but to spend my labour in vain I might say the like concerning thy spiritual condition If thou be to seek what grace is under darkness no wonder if thou be scrupulous to own it when it is presented to thee But thou must take heed here that thou do not enquire after the tokens of the least mâ—asure of grace that thou maist rest in it and think thou art well enough secured to eternity if thou have but just so much as denominates thee a child of God For this is a shrewd signe that thou dost not desire grace for its own sake but meerly as a bridge to heaven and if thou do so 't is a thousand to one but partly by Gods just judgment and partly by thy own spiritual sloath thou wilt be endangered to cut it an inch or two too short to reach the other side of the bank But if thou desire to know the least measure of grace meerly for this reason that thou maist not like an unskilful Gardiner weed it up when it is tender for a weed of hypocrisie but cherish it and water it and improve it to greater measures of perfection this is a good design 2. Give way to no Scruples without a word Enquire of thy own heart what word occasions such a doubt such a question and where thou findest no word lay it by This is a good rule in our actings There is much superstition oftentimes in Scruples if that may be taken for superstition which is supra institutum over and above Gods revealed will and the ground of superstitious fears is fancy The way to confute a superstitious Worshipper is to require a word for his practice so the way to silence a superstitious Scruple is to demand a Scripture reason for it Why art thou cast down O my soul and why art thou thus disquieted within me Psa 42. 5 11. and 43. 5. q d. Soul you are troubled but is that trouble a warrantable trouble is it a trouble that God allowes if so shew me his warrant for it So when Satan pursues thee with Scruples and Fears and arrests thee as a prisoner in Gods name ask him presently Quo warranto as Lawyers say Satan let me see your warrant 't
that God he took him for that there was error personae in the Match 7 Beware of that which I have often before warned you of vain unprofitable Erroneous or ungodly company This will not only damp convictions I have shewed you so much before but comfort also Ordinarily our spirits by sympathy become much-what of the temper and alloy with those with whom we converse 'T is a difficult thing for a mans spirit to continue free from impressions of sadnesse that converseth with a mourning company And 't is no lesse difficult for a soul to be seriously affected though he have never so important businesse in hand when the persons he is most familiarly conversant with are all set as wee say upon a merry pin 1 Vain and unprofitable company have not weight enough in them to add any balast to a spirit under the full sails of gracious Assurance nay they substract and withdraw that which it hath before within it self and then it is no wonder if it be overturned whiles the heavenly gale that fills those sailes for want of a serious care to manage it leaves the soul to a blast of frothy carnal delight which will soon over-set it 2 Erroneous and for in this case we may very well put them together ungodly company on the other side will make it their businesse to bore holes in the vessel it self to corrupt a mans principles and let in upon him such a floud of brackish and unsavoury waters both opinions and practices as will so marre all the precious lading of the soule that the Spirit in just discontent will refuse to fill its sailes any more it being not worth the labour to bring that vessel to harbour which is laden with meer trash and rotten Commodities Erroneous company will endeavour to break the chain of Truth in which Assurance hangs One Truth lost loseth it In a word The holy Spirit of God will not partake in the scandal of such an Association If I be never so much an acquaintance or intimate friend to a man yet I will not accompany him into all Societies which possibly he may bee engaged unto If he will converse with me I expect that he should do it either in a way of privacy or if in a more communicative way yet in such company only as may sute my genius or disposition my quality and reputation or else there I will leave him and if I see hee intends to make a consolidation of acquaintance and converse between me and such as I cannot comfortably converse withall I will break off familiarity with him altogether And surely I cannot expect that the Spirit of Grace truth and holynesse should serve me otherwise if I abase him so far in my esteeme as to endeavour to draw him into Partnership with me in the Society of empty erroneous and wicked men No question but such an affront will cause him to withdraw CHAP. XXIX A fourth and fifth Direction concerning the use of our Evidences 4. BE much in the Actings of Love and Thankfulness 1 Love Coolings of affection on our part towards God God cannot bear It were an unnatural monstrous ingratitude at such a time to flag in our love when we are under the fullest and most enlarged enjoyments of his love to us Then if ever when Gods countenance shines upon us will it make our faces reflect the same smiling beams of love upon him again Surely such enjoyments act much beneath themselves if they produce not a love stronger then death it self If the Saints of God use to love God and 't is their duty so to do even then when he breaketh them in the place of Dragons and covereth them with the shadow Psal 44. 19. of death if when he will not vouchsafe them one smile upon their souls will not speak one good word to their aking hearts but all they see from him is ghastly frowns and all they fear from him is chiding and thunder How much more may we think it reasonable and just they should do so when he spreads his own banner of love over them when he brings them into the Banquetting Cant. 2. 4. house when he layes his left hand under their heads and his right hand embraceth them Cant. 8. 3. 1. 2 when he kisseth them with the kisses of his mouth and paves all those Chariots of Ordinances and Duties wherein he conveyes himself to them and them to himselfe with love And Cant. 3. 10. therefore if at such a time your love kindle not beyond the ordinary proportion you cannot but provoke him to with-draw in displeasure See what one cold entertainment of a visiting Christ cost the Church Cant. 5. I opened to my Beloved but my Beloved had with-drawne himself and was gone His love was hot in the visit but hers was too cold that gave him such an entertainment and therefore when she opened at last he was gone v. 6. And then when the Scene was changed and the visit fell out to be on her part he served her in the same fashion he would not be within She sought him but she found him not 2 Thankfulnesse I cannot imagine if a soul were to wish a good thing on this side heaven and have it what it could desire like spiritual Assurance of Gods love It is as near of kin to heaven it self as possibly can be It is a kind of beatifical vision proportioned to the capacity of a mortal creature And certainly the more we are admitted to the life of heaven in happiness the more near we ought to come to the life of heaven in thankfulness Because an heavenly life is a life of the greatest fruit ion therefore it is a life of greatest thankfulness To receive extraordinary mercies with an ordinary spirit a spirit not warmed into extraordinary sensibleness of it and thankfulness for it is among the greatest provocations of God the giver of them that can be Discoveries of Gods love have used to non-plus the utmost abilities of a thankful heart Psal 116. 11 12. What shall I render saith David to the Lord for all his benefits towards me And then is thankfulnesse greatest when like the peace of God which occasions it it passeth all understanding 5 Let love and thankfulness carry you on with delight in all the wayes of Duty and obedience The truth is this is the proper use of divine discoveries Why doth the father smile upon and make much of his child is it not that he may be thereby encouraged to dutifulness and obedience Why doth the Sun shine upon the earth except to make it fruitful Upon these termes the Church is engaged to run after Christ Cant. 1. 2. 3 4. If Christ draw with Ointments and kisses the fragrant allurements and temptations of his love 't is an addition of strength and agility to a poor crippled soul Now if Christ find that you receive his favours but reject his commands that his countenance is delightful and his
would seem to deny them See in David abundant proof of this Psalm 119. 25 Quicken me ver 28 Strengthen me ver 58. Be merciful to me ver 65. Let it be well with me ver 76 Let thy kindnesse be for my comfort ver 116. Vphold me ver 169 Give me understanding and all according to thy Word 2 In their challenges of Gods Justice Truth and faithfulnesse and all his Attributes to make them good So David Psal 31. 1. Deliver me in thy righteousnesse And Psalm 35. 24. Judge me according to thy righteousness Psalm 119. 40 Quicken me according to thy righteousnesse Ps 143. 1. In thy faithfulnesse answer me and in thy righteousnesse So Abraham appeales to Gods justice Shall not the Judge of all the World do right Gen. 18. 25. And they presse sometimes upon the very glory of God and challenge their petitions upon the forfeiture of his glory Josh 5. 7. What wilt thou do for thy great name 2. Fear 2 A Saints fear of God in prayer consists 1. In that conscience of Duty that brings him into the presence of God if there were nothing else to move him thereunto though he had no need though there were no threatnings to the neglect of it no promises to the performance of it yet because God requires it he dares not neglect it This is that fear that God requires as a master of all his people as servants Now we must know that all fear of God as a master that is all obedience out of conscience of duty is not servile fear but then 't is servile when it is not so much out of conscience of duty as out of conscience of wrath or punishment upon neglect A child is a Fathers servant and obeyes him as such yet obeys not servilely Therefore God calls for this fear upon this account If I be a master where is my fear that is dutifull obedience to my commands Mal. 1. 6. 2. In the matter of our performances it is a diligent care of what we offer to God keeping the soul from offering stange fire bounding a mans desires with the will of God A fear lest any thing should slip from a mans mouth or heart that is displeasing to God As a child though he may make bold with his Father yet is carefull not to aske any thing of his Father that he knows will displease him so in this a Saint takes care that all his petitions be warranted by a rule and encouraged by a promise and beyond these he dares not wish much lesse come into the presence of God to aske any thing He dares not tempt God by depending on him for or desiring at his hands what his word doth not warrant But it is not such a fear as discourageth the soul in asking such things as a man hath warrant to desire So farre as the promise goes a soul dares ask else 't is not a child-like but a childish fear not the fear of a Courtier but the fear of a clown 3. In the manner of performing such duties it is a deportment of the soul with that reverence as becomes the greatnesse and glory of God compared with our own basenesse and unworthinesse and jealousie of our own hearts lest we should do any thing unbeseeming such a God or such a duty 1. No soul hath more reverend and high thoughts of God then such a soul as hath most right to holy confidence in his presence The more acquaintance with God the more of this fear None waits upon a Prince with more reverence and observance then the greatest favourites the ordinary and standing Courtiers A man that comes out of the Country and is not acquainted with Majesty and State is not so observant of every punctilio of ceremony as those that are perpetually about the Prince This it is that David speaks of Ps 89. 7. God is greatly to be feared in the Assembly of the Saints and to be had in reverence of all that are round about him Gods greatest Courtiers are most observant of him The more we converse with God the more wee know what becomes his glory and majesty and all irreverence proceeds from ignorance and ignorance from want of converse with God A country man reverences a Prince no otherwise then he doth his landlord because he is not conversant in the Court and observes not the state and ceremony kept and used there The Seraphims that are the constant Courtiers of heaven they cover their faces with a fear of awe and reverence Isai 6. 2. 2. None is more watchfull over his own heart in the manner of a performance then a Saint that hath most grounds of boldnesse and confidence in the presence of God He dares not run rashly into Gods presence and if but a low mean thought of God arise how doth his heart rise against it If but a stragling thought carry him off from his businesse how doth he send out post after it and call it in again This is a fear of jealousie This is called watching to prayer of which above Carnis enim ingenium est ut exultando dissolvatur Musc in Ps 2. and watchfulnesse proceeds from a fear of warinesse though not from fear of dastardlinesse Thus you see what fear a Saint is bound to bring to God in every performance A dutifull fear A carefull fear A reverend fear A jealous fear 3. Mixed That and how both these will stand together we shall shew in the next place in a word For I have in a sort prevented my selfe herein already Only 1. That it is so see one or two places for it Psal 2. 11. Even in those services that require highest expressions of joy rejoyce before him saith the Psalmist with trembling A more remarkable place is that Psal 147. 11. The Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear him in them that hope in his mercy Hope which in the old Testament is often taken for and always implies faith is here joyned with feare one would think doubting and fear might have been better matched but see God joyns hope or faith the mother of boldnesse and fear together So Psalm 5. 7. 2. Concerning the manner how these are conjoyned it is 1. By a joynt premeditation and collation of 1. Gods greatnesse and goodnesse majesty and mercy 2. Our own meannesse with our great relations 3. Our own unworthinesse and Christs worthinesse 4. Our own inabilty and the Spirits supplies These as they joyntly affect our hearts in meditation so they leave sutable joynt-impressions in prayer 2. By a diligent observance of our spirits in the extravagancies of them both wayes in duty and checking them with contrary meditations as when we find a petulant wantonnesse of spirit apt to break out whereby we are endangered to make too bold with God a Saint may correct that with apprehensions of Gods majesty Isai 6. 6. If carelessenesse and slightnesse of spirit a Saint quickens it with thoughts of Gods holinesse and glory such
our wants except we make them known in prayer Phil. 4. 6. All my springs are in thee saith the Psalmist Psal 87 ult i. e. in God conveyed in the way of Ordinances and Duties for he speaks there of the glory of the Church in its Ordinances So Jam. 1. 5. which I have quoted above If any lack wisdom i. e. special wisdom for an afflicted condition let him ask it of God If we be too proud to aske God is too wise to give 6. A man under affliction is lyable to many sinnes more then he is subject to in another condition As 1. Vnbelief Psalm 116. 11. Isai 38. 11. Unbelieving forecasts 2. Impatience as may be seen in Job himselfe the patterne of patience as he is recorded Jam. 5. 11. yet in the third Chapter of his book what a fit of passionate fervency is he in so great that he talks idlely 3. Putting forth our hands to iniquity and indirect means Thus in affliction oftentimes an Abraham shuffles and equivocates Gen. 20 2. A David dissembles 1 Sam. 21. 13. A Peter denies his Master Mat. 26. 69. Now against all these temptations next the word the readiest help is prayer whence the Apostle Ephes 6. after the enumeration of all the pieces of the Armour of God to be put on in a day of tryal that a man may be able to stand v. 13. to 17. will have them buckle on all those armes and handle them by prayer v. 18. Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit c. All prayer ejaculations and set duties publick and private alone and in company c. 7 An afflicted Saint hath then special arguments which he may urge in prayer which no other condition yeilds As 1. Gods bowels of fatherly pity and compassion Gods eyes and Gods hand and Gods heart are parts attributed to him in relation to all the ordinary affaires that concerne his people but the bowels of God are peculiar to the suffering and afflicted condition of his people only and mercy and pity affections which are most proper to an afflicted condition are set forth by bowels in the Scripture therefore when the Prophet expresseth great compassion and a grief sutable to it he cryes out O my bowels my bowels Jer. 4. 19. And towards Ephraim in affliction see what part of God is most affected Jer. 31. 20. My bowels are troubled for him Therefore the Church in affliction is expert in this Argument Where is thy zeale and thy strength the sounding of thy bowels and of thy mercies towards me Isai 63. 15. And God delights exceedingly to shew his pity and his tender mercies to his people in such a time he is a God that delighteth in mercy Micah 7. 18. and therefore delights to be urged with it and to have it pleaded in a time of misery And for this very reason he maketh our greatest misery and most forlorne condition a time of love and mercy Ezek. 16. 4 5 6. Ps 136. 23. Luk. 1. 48. And no wonder he takes such a time seeing hee hath most glory from his people for remembring them in a low estate 2. Adde to this another which indeed is the occasional motive to it our own misery the proper object of mercy and the correlative of it This is a good argument to plead with God Lord now I am a fit object of mercy thou art a God of tender mercies and thy compassions faile not If ever any soul needed tender mercies I am that soul Behold Lord my affliction see Lord and consider behold Lord and consider remember O Lord what is come upon us c. saith the Church often in the Lamentations Lam. 1. 9 20. 2. 20. 3. 1. Thence the people of God in Scripture use to make such large descriptions of their sad condition as Psalm 38. throughout Psalm 41. 5 6 7. 69 throughout Isai 37. 14 15. A beggar that hath a maim a souldier that hath the scarres of his dangerous wounds to shew hath a great advantage in begging above those ordinary beggars that can shew no such arguments and inducements to pity Misery speaks aloud when he that suffers it it may be hath not a tongue to utter it 3. The seasonablenesse of relief in such a time may bee a prevailing motive Gods season of mercy and pity is our depth of want and misery relief in such a condition divers times is double relief When God helps an Abraham upon the mount when he steps in between a man and the very brink of danger this endears a mercy Now when a man can plead with God thus Lord thou hast made me hear much of thy mercy pity and bounty Lord if ever thou wilt give me an experiment of it now is a fit time to do it now I am at a losse every way else now I am at the very brink of despaire O what a season mayest thou now take to engage my heart unto thee As it is prevalent with a friend to urge Sir You have often bid me make use of you you have promised me many times what you would do for me now Sir if you will ever relieve me now is the time when you may do me a most engaging kindnesse Thus David prayes Psalm 69. 13. My prayer is unto thee O Lord in an acceptable time save me now deliverance will be welcome So Psalm 143. 7. 4. The present hindrance that a man finds in the service of God by an affliction is of much importance by way of Argument in such a season For Gods main inducement in all that he doth is his own glory And 't is a great discovery of a gracious spirit when a man desires not his own ease so much as Gods glory nor his own ease but for and in subservience unto Gods glory in such petitions there is much self-denyal and therefore such petitions please God most These kinds of pleas are very usuall in the Saints and servants of God through all the Scripture In death saith David there is no remembrance of thee in the grave who shall give thee thanks Psalm 6. 5 And what profit is there in my bloud when I go down to the pit shall the dust praise thee Psalm 30. 9. And Heman Psalm 88. 10 11 12. Wilt thou shew wonders to the dead c. shall thy wonders bee known in the darke and thy righteousnesse in the land of forgetfulnesse In the same tune is Hezekiah Isai 38. 18 19 The living the living they shall praise thee the grave cannot praise thee Lord say they this sicknesse this danger of life hazards the the losse of many opportunities to do thee service in the World therefore grant life and health When a man can go to God and say in sicknesse Lord thou knowest I would live to glorifie thâ—e I have done thee little service I would fain do thee more ere I go hence and be no more seen cut me not off in the midst of my days c.
special mercy of God and excellency in prayer that we become thereby so far Masters of our selves And so much the greater because it is the greatest misery in the world to be torn to pieces as Actoeon in the Poet by a mans own kennel of unmortified passions to bee condemned to eat up and devour a mans self because he cannot better his own condition or hurt others to gnaw a flint whence a man can get nothing but broken teeth and in a word to adde affliction to a mans affliction by acting 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in vexing himselfe and tire a mans selfe like a skittish Jade more with flinging then with his burthen 3 It is a comfortable evidence of and help unto the 1 Present Sanctification 2 Future good issue of our afflictions 1 Present sanctification of afflictions is both discovered and promoted by the kindly temper of the soul towards and in the duty of prayer 1 Discovered because it actually fulfils one of those gracious ends which God aims at in affliction the bringing us upon our knees Physick then doth most good when it opens proper passages to vent noxious humours Then the rod doth a child good when it brings down his stubborn heart to his knees Therefore we leave not whipping till a child begs forgiveness And on the other side take this for a certain Rule A prayerlesse affliction is alwaies an unsanctified affliction It was then grievousest charge that Jobs friends gave in against him that in his affliction he restrained prayer Job 15 4. 2 Promoted because it fetcheth a power from heaven to improve the rod. As every other creature of God so the rod is sanctified by the word and prayer But much of this hath been touched upon before Wherefore I passe it here 2. The future good issue of an affliction may be concluded and is promoted by the prayer fulnesse of the Spirit in trouble And this issue is 1. Partly the glory and honour of our graces arising from such a tryal 't is in prayer that a suffering Saint most acts faith patience humility sorrow for sinne c. The honour of our graces as the honour of Knighthood in England is usually received upon the knee And no wonder for Prayer is the paloestra the arena the theatre the artillery-yard of all our graces in which they shew their activity 2. Partly the removal of trouble it selfe God like a good Physician till wee sweat kindly lays on more cloaths and applies more heat but when we do so he withdraws them as fast in such a method and proportion as our necessity will permit I will not saith he contend for ever nor will I be alwayes wroth lest the spirit should faile before me and the soul which I have made Let God march never so much like an enemy towards a poor creature yet he is so generous an enemy that he never puts to the sword a submitting supplicating foe As 't is said of the Lion Satis est prostrasse c. Ira suum finem cum jacet hostis habet That prostration abates his rage and he never preyes upon a man that he finds fallen flat upon the ground Sure the Lord will not be so cruel as to give no quarter to a poor creature begging it at his hands You know how Benhadad escaped by casting himselfe upon the mercy of the King of Israel Coe tâ—ou and do likewise For the Lord delights not to grieve or vex the children of men Lam. 3. 33. He looketh on men and if any say I have finned and perverted that which is right and it profited me not He will deliver his soul from going down into the pit and his life shall see the light Job 33. 27 28. I might adde divers other motives but the reasons may all be revived here as inducements and I hasten Object But here lies the sadnesse of my condition I am under grievous afflictions and when I set my selfe to complain of them to God I cannot pray my tongue is strangely tyed that I have scarce a word to say what shall I thinke of my felf What shall I do in such a case Answ Thou that thus complainest art either 1. An utter stranger to the duty of prayer at other times or 2. One that at other times hast been well acquainted with God and that duty but now art in an unwonted deliquy or swound of spirit that thy wonted spirits faile thee to performe it And according to this difference of persons must my Answer to this Case be different 1 Thou that art a stranger to all acquaintance with God in this way 1. Look on this as a just band of God upon thee and that which is intended by him and should be received by thee as an heavy aggravation of his present judgment upon thy soule that thou who when thou wast free wouldst not pray and didst neglect to get acquaintance with God should'st now be so shut up as not to be able to speak a word for thy selfe in so needfull a time God deals with thee as justly as may be You would not pray saith God and now you shall not pray And 't is a sad symptome that at least for the present God intends little good to such a soul that he leaves at this passe For if when God intends no good to a people he forbids his servants to pray for them and stops the mouths of his Prophets as Jer. 7. 16. 11. 14. 14. 11. Much more when he restrains a man in misery from speaking in his own condition For when God intends to hear he prepareth the heart to pray Psalm 10. 17. 2. Be humbled and afflicted greatly before the Lord for the former neglect of acquaintance with him and know that God intends this straightening of thy spirit in so needfull a time of trouble as thy greatest affliction Take it then as such and account it thy greatest burthen that God should be so farre displeased with thee as that he will not only not hear thee when thou speakest but also shut up thy mouth that thou canst not so much as speak to him As when a Prince bids stop the mouth of a Petitioner As hardening the heart judicially is the greatest judgment that can befall a man on this side Hell because it shuts a double doore on a man to exclude him from mercy both a doore of mercy and admittance on Gods part during that condition and a door of repentance and penitent addresses on his own So doth this judicial shutting up the heart against prayer put a carnal man in the inner prison of judgment and wrath and puts his feet in the stocks so that the soul which ordinarily goes to God on the feet of prayer cannot now stirre so much as one step towards reliefe Now therefore acknowledge and bewayle thy former neglect of calling upon God whiles he was near God is farther off from unconverted sinners in adversity then in prosperity because then it is a