terrible avenger and you may confess his judgements to be just but can you amicably embrace the consuming fire and love to dwell with the everlasting burnings O therefore as ever you would have the Love of God to animate and sanctifie and delight your souls study the greatness of his Love to you and labour with all possible speed and diligence to find that Christ by his spirit is within you It is the whole work of sanctification that Satan would destroy or weaken by your doubts And it is the whole work of sanctification that by Love would be promoted if you knew your interest in the Love of Christ 12. It is the knowledge of Christ dwelling in you and so of the special Love of God that must acquaint you with a life of holy Thankfulness and prase These highest and most acceptable duties will be out of your reach if Satan can hide from you that mercy which must be the chiefest matter of your Thanksgiving Will that soul be in tune for the high Praises of the Lord that thinks he meaneth to use him as an enemy Can you look for any cheerful thanksgiving from him that looks to lie in hell will he not rather cry with David Psal 6.5 In death there is no remembrance of thee in the grave who shall give thee thanks Psal 30.9 What profit is there in my blood when I go down to the pit shall the dust praise thee shall it declare thy truth shall the damned praise thee or shall they give thee thanks that must be scorched with the flames of thine indignation Can you expect that Joy should be in their hearts or cheerfulness in their countenances or praises in their mouths that think they are Reprobated to the fire of Hell Undoubtedly Satan is not ignorant that this is the way to deprive God of the Service which is most acceptable to him and you of the pleasures of so sweet a life And therefore he that envyeth both will do his worst to damp your spirits and breed uncomfortable doubts and fears and wrongful suspitions in your minds Whereas the Knowledge of your interest in Christ would be a continual storehouse of thanksgiving and praise and teach your hearts as well as your tongues to say with David Blessed is the man whose transgression is forgiven whose sin is covered Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity and in whose spirit there is no guile Be glad in the Lord and rejoyce ye Righteous and shout for joy all ye that are upright in heart Psal 32.1 2 11. Bless the Lord O my soul and all that is within me bless his holy name Bless the Lord O my soul and forget not all his benefits Who forgiveth all thine iniquities Who healeth all thy diseases Who redeemeth thy life from destruction and crowneth thee with loving-kindness and tender mercies Psal 103.1 2 3 4. O Lord my God I cried unto thee and thou hast healed me O Lord thou hast brought up my soul from the grave thou hast kept me alive that I should not go down to the pit sing unto the Lord O ye saints of his and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness for his anger endureth but for a moment in his favour is life Psal 30.2 3 4 5. Thanksgiving would be the very pulse and breath of your assurance of Christ dwelling in you You would say with Paul Eph. 1.3 4. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in celestials in Christ According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and blameless before him in Love having predestinated us to the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself according to the good pleasure of his will to the praise of the glory of his grace wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved In whom we have redemption through his blood the remission of sins according to the riches of his grace wherein he hath abounded toward us c. Thus faith and assurance as they have an unspeakable store to work upon so it is natural to them to expatiate in the praise of our Redeemer and to delight in amplifications and commemorations of the ways of grace Just so doth Peter begin his first Epistle Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead to an inheritance incorruptible undefiled that fadeth not away reserved in Heaven for you who are kept by the power of Goâ— through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time wherein ye greatly rejoyce c. No wonder if the Heirs of Heaven be inclined to the language and the work of Heaven I think there are few of you that would not rejoice and by your speech and countenance express your joy if you had assurance but of the dignities and dominions of this world And can he choose but express his Joy and Thankfulness that hath assurance of the crown of life What fragrant thoughts should possess that mind that knoweth it self to be possessed by the Spirit of the living God! How thankfull will he be that knows he hath Christ and Heaven to be thankfull for What sweet delights should fill up the hours of that mans life that knows the son of God liveth in him and that he shall live in Joy with Christ for ever How gladly will he be exercised in the praises of his Creator Redeemer and Sanctifier that knows it must be his work for ever No wonder if this Joy be a stranger to their hearts that are strangers to Christ or strangers to their interest in his love No wonder if they have no hearts for these celestial works that have no part in the celestial inheritance or that know not that they have any part therein How can they joyfully give thanks for that which they know not that they have or ever shall have or have any probability to attain But to that man that is assured of Christ within him Heaven and Earth and all their store do offer themselves as the matter of his Thanks and do furnish him with provisions to feed his Praises What a shame is it that an assured heir of Heaven should be scant and barren in comfort to himself or in Thanks and Praise to Jesus Christ when he hath so full a heap of Love and mercy to fetch his motives from and hath two worlds to furnish him with the preciousest materials and hath no less then Infinite goodness even God himself to be the subject of his Praise O give thanks unto the Lord for he is good because his mercy endureth for ever what ever others do Let Israel say let the house of Aaron say let them that fear the Lord say that his mercy endureth for ever Psal 118.1 2 3 4. The
ready to discourse about matters of â—he heart and that they so much relish â—â—ch discourse and that they have so much 〈◊〉 say when you come to such a subject â—t is because they know themselves in some â—ood measure They have studied and â—re acquainted with the Heart And thereâ—ore can talk the more sensibly of what is â—ontained in a book which they have so â—ften read and are so conversant in â—alk with them about the matters â—f the world and perhaps you may â—ind them more simple and ignorant then many of their neighbours But when you â—alk about the Corruptions of the heart â—nd the secret workings of them the matâ—er and order and government of the thoughts and affections and passions 〈◊〉 wants and weaknesses of believers the nâ—â—ture and workings of inward temptationâ— the wayes of grace and of the exercise 〈◊〉 each grace the motions and operatioâ— of the spirit upon the heart the breathiâ—â— of Love and desire after God the aâ—â—dresses of the soul to Christ by faitâ— and dependance on him and receiviâ—â— from him about these secret matters 〈◊〉 the Heart he is usually more able in dâ—â—â—course then many learned men that are 〈◊〉 sanctified And hence it is that upright self-obsâ—â—â—ving souls are so full in prayer and 〈◊〉 to pour out their hearts so enlargedly â—â—â—fore the Lord in confessing their sins 〈◊〉 petitioning for grace and opening thâ— necessities and thanking God for spiritâ—â—â— mercies Some that are themselves acquaiâ—â—â—ed with themselves and the workings 〈◊〉 grace despise all this and say It is but 〈◊〉 ability to speak of the things which they 〈◊〉 most used to I doubt not but meer acâ—quired abilities and custom may advanâ—â— some hypocrites to pray in the languagâ— of experienced Christians And I doubt noâ— but natural impediments and want of use anâ— of right education may cause many to 〈◊〉 â—onvenient expressions that have true deâ—â—res But the question is from whence it â—â—mes to pass that so great a number of â—hose that are most carefull and diligent â—or their souls are so full in holy conference â—â—d prayer when very few others that exâ—â—ll them in learning and natural parts â—ave any such ability And doubtless the â—hief reason is that the care and study of â—hese Christians hath been most about their â—piritual estate And that which they set â—heir hearts upon they use their tongues â—pon Generally it cannot be imagined why they should use themselves to those â—tudies and exercises which procure those â—bilities but that they highlyest esteem â—nd most seriously regard the matters that concern their salvation which are the subâ—ect I doubt not but God bestoweth his gifts upon men in the use of means and that it is partly use that maketh men able and ready in these services of God But what reason can be given why one part of men use themselves to such imployments and another part are unable through disuse but that some do set their hearts upon it and make it their business to know themselves their sins and wants and seek relief when by the others all this is neglected Some hypocrites may be moved by lower ends both in this and in other duties of Religion but that 's no rule for our judgeing of the intentions of the generality or of any that are sincere As a man that hath lived in the East or West Indies is 〈◊〉 to discourse of the places and people which he hath seen and perhaps another by a Map or historie may say somewhat of the same subject though less distinctly and sensibly but others can say nothing of it so a man of holy experience in the mysteries of sanctification that is much conversant at home and acquainted with his own heart is able if other helps concur to speak what he feels to God and man and from his particular observation and experience to frame his prayers and spiritual conference and an hypocriâ—â— from Reading and common observation may do something affectedly that 's like it but careless self-neglecting worldlings are usually dumb about such matters and hear you as they do men of another Countrey that talk in a language which they do not understand or at least cannot make them any answer in But if any of you will needs think more basely and maliciously of the cause of holy prayer and conference in believers let us leave them for the present to the Justification of him that gave them the spirit of supplication which you reproach and let us only enquire what is the Reason that men that can discourse as hansomely as others about worldly matters have nothing to say beyond a few cold affected words which they have learnt by rote either to God or man about the matters of the soul the methods of the spirit the workings of a truly penitent heart or the elevations of faith and the pantings of desire after God Why are you dumb when you should speak this language and frequently and delightfully speak it Is it because your Reason is lower then those mens that do speak it whom you despise and that you are naturally near kin to ideots No you are wise enough to do evil You can talk of your trades your honours or employments your acquaintance and correspondencies all the day long You are more wordy about these little things then the Preachers themselves that you count most â—edious are about the greatest You are â—uch longer discoursing of your delusory â—oyes then the Lovers of God whose souls â—ong after him are in those Prayers which trouble you with their length Many a time have I been forced to hear your dreaming incoherent dotage how copious you are in words that signifie no greater matters then flesh pleasing or fancifull honourâ— and accomodations I had almost said theâ—â— chaff or straw or dirt One may heâ—â— you from morning to night from day to day discoursing in variety of company on various subjects with freedom and plausible ingenuity And when all is seâ— together it is but a hodge podge of earth and flesh and windy vanity a frothy puddle Aâ— the ridiculous Orator Magno Conatu hiatu nihil dicitis You strein and gapâ— an hour or a day together to say nothing set all the words of a day together and peruse them at night and see what they are worth There 's little higher then visible materials that I say not then the dunghil or your shadows then meat and drink and play and complement then houses or lands or domineering affections oâ— actions in many hours or days discourse I think of you sometime when I see how ingeniously and busily children do make up their babies of clouts and how seriously they talk about them and how every 〈◊〉 and clout is matter of employment and disâ—ourse and how highly they value them and â—ow many dayes they can unweariedly â—pend about them Pardon my compariâ—on If you repent not of your discourses â—nd imployments more then they and do not one day
excellency on the skie The Eternal God hath been your refuge and underneath are the everlasting armâ— Deut. 34.26 27. You may remembeâ— the mercies of your younger years of youâ— maried state and of your widdow-hood your comforts in your truly Noble Lord though troubled and interrupted by his death yet increased by the consideration of his feâ—licity with Christ your comfort in youâ— hopeful issue though abated by the injurâ— of Romish theft which stole one of the Roseâ— of your Garden that they might boast of thâ— sweetness when they called it their own 〈◊〉 may well say stole it when all the cheaâ— was performed by unknown persons in thâ— dark and no importunity by you or 〈◊〉 could procure me one dispute or conference iâ— her hearing with any of the seducers beâ—fore her person was stoln away Though comforts conveyed by creatures must havâ— their pricks yet your experience hath partly taught you and more will do that by all thâ— mixtures of sower and bitter ingredients your Father doth temper you the most wholeâ—some composition He chasteneth you foâ— your profit that you may be partaker oâ— his Holiness Heb. 12.10 and the leasâ— degree of Holiness cannot be purchased at too dear a rate His rod and staffe have comforted you and whatever are the beginnings the End will be the quiet fruit of Righteousness when you have been exercised therein And though man be mutable and friends and flesh and heart have failed you yet God is still the strength of â—our heart and your portion for ever Psal â—3 26 O the variety of learning that is â—ontained in the secret writings of a sanctified heart The variety of subjects for the most â—ruitful and delightful thoughts which you â—ay find recorded in the inwards of your â—oul How pleasant is it there to find the â—haracters of the special Love of God the â—â—eaments of his Image the transcript of 〈◊〉 Law the harmony of his gifts and graces â—â—e witness the seal and the earnest of his â—pirit and the foretasts and beginnings of â—ternal Life As Thankfulness abhors â—â—livion and is a Recording grace and keepâ—â—h Histories and Catalogues of Mercies so 〈◊〉 it a Reward unto it self and by these Reâ—â—rds it furnisheth the soul with matter for â—he sweetest employments and delights Is it 〈◊〉 pleasant to you there to Read how God â—â—th confuted the objections of distrust how 〈◊〉 he hath condescended to your weakness and pardoned you when you could not easily forgive your self how oft he hath entertained you in secret with his Love and visited you with his consolations How neer him sometimes you have got in fervent prayer and serious meditation And when for a season he hath hid his face how soon and seasonably he returned How oft he hath found you weeping and hath wiped away your tears and calmed and quieted your troubled soul How he hath resolved your doubts and expelled your fears and heard your prayers How comfortably he hath called you His Child and given you leave and commanded you to call him Father when Christ hath brought you with boldness into his presence How sweet should it be to your remembrance to think how the Love of Christ hath sometime exalted you above these sublunary things How the Spirit hath taken you up to Heaven and shewed to your faith the Glory of the New Hierusalem the blessed company of those Holy spirits that attend the Throne of the Majesty of God and the shining face of your glorified Head By what seasonable and happy Messengers he hath sent you the Cluster of Grapes as the first fruits of the land of promise and commanded you oft to Take and Eate the Bread of Life How oft he hath reached to your thirsty soul the fruit of the Vine and turned it sacramentally into his blood and bid you drink it in remembrance of him till he come and feast you with his fullest Love and satisfie you with the pleasure and presence of his Glory But the volumes of mercy written in your heart are too great to be by me transcribed I can easily appeal to you that are acquainted with it whether such Heart-employment be not more pleasant and more profitable than any of the entertainments that flashy wit or gaudy gallantry or merriments luxurit or preferments can afford Is it not better converse with Christ at home than with such as are described Psa 12. abroad To dwell with all that blessed retinue Gal. 5.22 23. than with Pride Vainglory Envy Dissimulation Hypocrisie Falshood time-wasting soul-destroying pleasures to say nothing of the filthiness which Christian years abhor the mention of and which God himself in time will judge Eph. 5.3 4 5 6. Heb. 13.4 and the rest recited Gal. 5.19 20 21. If ungodly persons do find it more unpleasant to converse at home no wonder when there is nothing but darkness and defilement and when they have put God from them and entertained Satan so that their hearts are like to haunted houses where terrible cries and apparitions do make it a place of fear to the inhabitants But if their souls had such blessed inhabitants as yours could they meet there with a reconciled God a Father a Saviour and a sanctifier had they souls that kept a correspondency with Heaven it would not seem so sad and terrible a life to dwell at home and withdraw from that noise of vanity abroad which are but the drums and trumpets of the devil to encourage his deluded followers and drown the cries of miserable souls Your dearest friends and chiefest treasure are not abroad in Court or Country but above you and within you where then should your delightful converse be but where your friends and treasure are Matth. 6.21 Phil. 3.20 Col. 3.1 2 3 4. When then is almost nothing to be found in the conversation of the world but discord and distraction and confusion and clamours and malice and treachery is it not better to retire into such a heart where notwithstanding infirmities and some doubts and fears there is order and concord and harmony and such Peace as the world can neither give nor take away O blessed be the hand of Love that blotted out the names of Honour and Riches and Pleasures and carnal interest and accommodations from your heart and inscribed his own in Characters never to be obliterate That turned out Vsurpers and so prepared and furnished your heart as to make and judge it such as no one is worthy of it but himself O what a Court have you chosen for your abode How high and Glorious how pure and holy unchangeable and safe How ambitiously do you avoid ambition How great are you in the lowliness of your mind How high in your Humility Will no lower a place than Heaven content you to converse in For Heart-converse and Heaven-converse are as much one as beholding both the Glass and Face Will no lower correspondents satisfie you than the Host of Heaven Cannot the company of imperfect mortals serve your
then indeâ—â— they are You cannot call off their thoughâ— from continual self-condemning and 〈◊〉 on their own misdoings and unhappiness They have a God a Christ a heaven a treasure of precious promises to meditate on 〈◊〉 and they cannot hold their thoughts to these unless as they aggravate their sin and sorrows but live as if they had nothing to think on but themselves and were made to be their own tormentors day and night even when they should labour and when they should sleep they are busie in a fruitless vexation of themselves These poor afflicted souls have need to be called from the excessive study of themselves Another sort is those Christians that are wholly taken up in enquiring whether they have saving grace or not while they neglect that exercise of their grace in doing all the good they can to others and following on the way of faithfull duty which might do more to their assurance then solitary tryals The former sort by overdoing in this one â—art of their work disable themselves to â—ll the rest They tire and distract their â—inds and raise such fears as hinder their â—nderstandings and cast their thoughts â—nto such confusion that they quite lose â—he command of them and cannot gather â—hem up for any holy work Yea while â—hey study nothing but themselves they â—â—se even the knowledge of themselves â—hey gaze so long upon their faults and â—ants till they can see nothing else and â—now no apprehenosins but dark and sad â—nd wilfully unlearn the language of thanksâ—iving and praise and the burden of all â—heir thoughts and speeches is Miserable â—nd Vndone as if there were for them â—o mercy no help no hope but they were utâ—â—rly forsaken and cast off by God The other sort do so exceed in the measure of that self-love which in it self is â—ood that they neglect the study of the Love of God And are still thinking what â—hey are and have been when they should â—onsider what they must be They spend â—o much time in trying their foundation that â—hey can make but little progress in the â—uilding They are lik Musicians that will â—pend all the day in setting Instruments in â—â—â—ne Or like a Mower that spends most of his time in whetting They are all 〈◊〉 preparing their tools while they should 〈◊〉 working And putting on their 〈◊〉 and preparing their weapons when thâ—â— should be fighting And enquiring which 〈◊〉 the way while they should be travelliâ—â— They leave undone too much of their 〈◊〉 without doors while they confine themselâ—â—â— to that within And that within goes on 〈◊〉 worse because they neglect that withâ—â—â— doors which should further it When thâ—â— should instruct the ignorant exhort 〈◊〉 obstinate confirm the weak or coâ—â—fort the afflicted they are complaining 〈◊〉 their own ignorance obstinacy weakneâ—â— or affliction and help not others becâ—â—â—â— they feel such need of help themselves As if they were like beggars that had noâ—thing to give but must live by asking and receiving They understand not that its 〈◊〉 of the mysteries of godliness that teaching others doth inform themselves and the Light which they bring in for others will serve themselves to work by and that reproving others doth correct themselves and exhorting others doth prevail with themselves and perswading the obstinate wills of others doth tend to bend and resolve their 〈◊〉 that comforting others doth tend to 〈◊〉 and raise themselves Their own spirits may be a little revived by the very smell of the Cordials they prepare for others In this case Giving is both Begging and Receiving Doing good is not the least effectual kind of prayer And that we may be so imployed is not the smallest mercy Many a one hath thus grown rich by giving Many a one hath convinced himself by confuting his own objections from another And many a one hath raised and comforted himself by offering comfort to others that have the same infirmities and have banished their own â—â—cessive doubts and fears by frequent compassionate answering the same in others whose sincerity they have less suspected then their own None thrive more then they that grow in the Sun shine of Gods blessing And God blesseth those most that are most faithfull in his work And the work of Love is the work of God To do good is to be most like him And they that are most like him do best please him In subordination to Christ in whom we are accepted we must by his spirit be made thus acceptable in our selves We must be amiable if we will be loved And those that God loveth best and is most pleasâ—â— with are like to receive most pâ—enâ—â—ously from his Love It is necessary therefore to our own safety and holiness and consolation that we look much abroad at the necessities of others and study our brethren and the Church of God as well as our selves That we look not every man on his own things but every man also on the things of others Phil. 2.4 There may be somewhat of inordinate selfishness even about our souls And sinfull selfishness is alwayes a losing course As he that will be a self-saver in point of estate or honour or life taketh the ready way to lose them Mat. 16.15 so he that for the saving of his soul will confine all his care and charity to his own soul taketh not the way indeed to save it We keep not our selves We quicken not We comfort not We save not our selves but only as agents under Christ manuring the land and sowing the seed to which he alone can give the blessing It is not therefore our inordinate self-studying that will do it With all our care without his blessing we cannot add one cubit to the stature of our graces Therefore it must needs be our safest course to be as carefull and faithfull as we can in duty and lay out most of our study to please him and then if we come not to assurance of his love or discern not his image and grace upon us yeâ— we must trust him with our souls and leave the rest to his Care and Goodness that hath undertaken that none shall be losers by him nor be ashamed or frustrate of their hopes that wait upon him and obey him Let us commit the keeping of our souls to him in well doing as unto a faithfull Creator 1 Pet. 4.19 As the eyes of servants look to the hand of their Masters so our eyes in a way of duty must wait upon the Lord our God till he have mercy upon us Psal 123.1 2. And though we grow weary of crying and our throat be dryed and our eyes fail while we wait for God Psal 69.3 yet our hope is only in him and therefore we must continue to wait upon him Psal 39.7 And they that wait for him shall not be ashamed Isa 49.23 It is not the pretended necessity of one work that will excuse him that hath many as necessary to do Especially when they are conjunct
And some sins are also of so heynous a nature or degree that he that Habitually hateth sin cannot frequently commit them nor at all while his Hatred to them is in Act And he that truly Repenteth of them cannot frequently return to them because that sheweth that Repentance was indeed either but Superfiâ—ial or not Habitual But some sins are not so great and heynous and therefore do not â—o much deterr the soul and some are not so fully in the power of a sanctified will as â—assions thoughts c. and therefore may â—fter be committed in consistency with Haâ—itual Repentance or Hatred of sin To exâ—mine particulars would be tedious and digressive 2. And I must further answer that our â—afety and consequently our Peace and â—omfort lieth in flying as far from sin as we â—an And therefore he that will sin as much â—s will consist with any sparks of Grace shall â—ury those sparks by his sin and shall not know that he hath any Grace nor have the comfort of it as being in a condition unfit for Actual assurance and comfort till he be brought to Actual Repentance and amendment Thus I have shewed you by what you must try your sanctification if you will know â—t which I before proved to you from Scripture and further may do when the occasion will excuse me from the imputation of disproportion and unseasonableness â—n repeating the proofs of all that we speak in Explication or Application of the principal point 4. Another cause that many Christians are ignorant of their state of Grace is their looking so much at what they should be anâ— what others are that have a high degree 〈◊〉 grace and what is commanded as our duty that they observe not what they have already because it is short of what they ought 〈◊〉 have We are thus too much about oâ—â—â—ward mercies too We mourn more 〈◊〉 one friend that is dead then we rejoyce 〈◊〉 many that are alive We are more trouble for one mercy taken from us then comfortâ—â— in many that are left us We observe 〈◊〉 diseases and our sores more sensibly then 〈◊〉 health David for one Absalon is so afflicteâ— that he wished he had dyed for him though a rebell when his comfort in Soâ—lomon and his other children is laid aside As all the humours flow to the pained place so do our thoughts as was aforesaid and so we overlook the matter of our comfort 5. And it very much hindereth the knowâ—ledge of our Graces that we search upon 〈◊〉 great disadvantages as hinder a true discovery Among many others I will instance but in two or three 1. We surprize our souls with sudden questions and look for a full and satisfactory answer before we caâ—â— well recollect our selves and call up our evidences and we expect to know the summ or product before our consciences have had leisure deliberately to cast up their â—ccounts Yea when we have set to it and â—y diligent search with the best assistances â—ave discovered our sincerity and recorded the judgement if Conscience cannot presentâ—y recall its proofs and make it out upon every surprize we unjustly question all 〈◊〉 past and will never rest in any judgement but are still calling over all again as â—f the cause had never been tryed And â—hen the judgement passeth according to â—ur present temper and disposition when many of the Circumstances are forgotten and many of the witnesses are out of the way that last assisted us 2. Perhaps we judge as I said before in the fit of a passion of fear or grief which â—mperiously over-ruleth or disturbeth reason And then no wonder if in our haste we say that all men that would comfort us are â—yars And if with David Psal 77.2 3 7 8 9. in the day of our trouble our souls do even refuse to be comforted and if we remember God and are troubled more and if our spirit be overwhelmed in us when he holdeth our eyes waking and we are so troubled that we cannot speak and if we question whether the Lord will cast off for ever and will be favourable no more whether 〈◊〉 mercy be clean gone for ever and his promise fail for evermore Whether he hath forgotten to be gracious and hath shut up 〈◊〉 tender mercies in displeasure till a calâ— deliver us from the mistake and make 〈◊〉 say This is our infirmity We thinâ— that God doth cast off our souls and hideâ—eth his face from us when our soul is fuâ—â— of troubles and our life draweth nigh 〈◊〉 the grave When we are afflicted and reaâ—â—â— to die from our youth up and are distracted while we suffer the terrors of the Lord 〈◊〉 he complaineth Psalm 88.3.14 15 16 Passion judgeth according to its nature anâ— not according to truth 3. Or perhaps we judge when ouâ— friends our memory and other helps are 〈◊〉 of the way and we are destitute of 〈◊〉 assistance 4. Or when our Bodies are weak or distempered with Melancholy which representetâ— all this in black and terrible colours to thâ— soul and will hear no language but forsaken miserable annd undone You may aâ— well take the judgement of a man haâ—â— drunk or half asleep about the greateâ—â— matters of your lives as to take the judgement of Conscience in such a state oâ— â—isadvantage about the condition of your â—ouls 6. Another hinderance to us is that we â—annot take comfort from the former sight of â—race that we have had unless we have a conâ—inued present sight And so all our labour in â—rying and all our experiences and all Gods former manifestations of himself to â—he soul are lost as to our present comfort when over Grace is out of sight Like foolâ—sh travailers that think they are out of â—he way and are ready to turn back when ever any hill doth interpose and hinder them from seeing the place they go to As if it were no matter of comfort to us to say I did find the Evidences of Grace I once recorded a judgement of my sincerity But the former is still questioned rather then the later When with David we should consider the dayes of old the years of antient times and call to remembrance our songs in the night and commune with our hearts in such a diligent search and remembrance of the mercies formerly received Psal 77.5 6 7. 7. Lastly the operations of mans soul are naturally so various and from corruption are so confused and so dark that we are oft-times in a maze and at a loss when we are most desirous to judge aright anâ— scarce know where in so great disorder 〈◊〉 find any thing that we seek and knowâ— not when we find it so that our hearts 〈◊〉 almost as strange to themselves as to one aâ—â—â—ther and sometime more confident of othâ—â— mens sincerity then our own where thâ—â— is no more matter for our confidence HAving thus shewed you the Causes 〈◊〉 our Ignorance of our Sanctification I shall briefly tell you some Reasons thâ—â—
knowledge of our Interest sitteth us for his Praise Psal 118.28 Thou art my God and I will praise thee thou art 〈◊〉 God I will exalt thee Psal 116.16 17 O Lord truly I am thy servant I am thâ— servant and the son of thine handmaid thou hast â—â—â—sed my bonds I will offer 〈◊〉 thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving and wiâ—â— call upon the name of the Lord His Praisâ— is for the Congregation of his Saintâ— Psal 141.1 2. Let Israel rejoyce in him thâ—â— made him let the children of Zion be joyâ—ful in their King Psal 148.13 14 Let them praise the name of the Lord for his name alone is excellent his glory iâ— above the earth and heaven He also exalteth the horn of his people the Praise of all his Saints even of the children of Israel 〈◊〉 people near unto him Psal 132.16 I will also cloath his priests with salvation and his Saints shall shout aloud for joy Praise is a work so proper for the Saints and Thanksgiving must be fed with the knowledge of your mercies that Satan well knoweth what he shall get by it and what you will lose if he can but hide your mercies from you The height of his malice is against the Lord and the next is against you and how can he shew it more then by drawing you to rob God of his Thanks and Praise when he hath blessed and enriched you with the chiefest of his mercies Labour therefore Christians to know that you have that Grace that may be the Matter and Cause of so sweet and acceptable an employment as the Praises of your Lord. 13. Moreover you should consider that without the knowledge of your interest in Christ you cannot live to the honour of your Redeemer in such a measure as the Gospel doth require The excellency of Gospel mercies will be veiled and obscured by you and will not be revealed and honoured by your lives Your low and poor dejected spirits will be a dishonour to the faith and hope of the Saints and to the Glorious inheritance of which you have so full a prospect in the promises If you take the son of a Prince in his infancy and educate him as the son of a plowman he will not live to the honour of his birth which he is not acquainted with The heirs of Heaven that know not themselves to be such may live like the heirs of Heaven as to uprightness and humility but not in the triumphant Joy nor in the couragious boldness which becometh a Believer What an injury and dishonour is to our Redeemer that when he hath done and suffered so much to make us happy we should walk as heavily as he had done nothing for us at all Anâ— when he hath so fully secured us of eveâ—â—lasting happiness and told us of it so eâ—â—presly that our Joy may be full we shouâ—â— live as if the Gospel were not the Gospel 〈◊〉 such things had never been promised or râ—â—vealed When Heaven is the Object aâ—â— the promise of God is the groundwork 〈◊〉 our faith we should live above all earthâ—â— things as having the honours and pleasure of the world under our feet accountinâ— all as loss and dung for the excellency of 〈◊〉 knowledge of Jesus Christ Phil. 3.8 whoâ— we should love though we have not seen him in whom though now we see him not yet bâ—â—lieving we should rejoyce with joy unspeakaâ—ble and full of glory as those that 〈◊〉 receive the end of their faith the salvation oâ— our souls 1 Pet. 1.8 9. And how caâ— we do this if we are still questioning the Love of Christ or our interesâ— in it Believers should with undaunted resolution charge through the armies of temptation and conquer difficulties and suffer for the name of Christ with joy accounting it a bessed thing to be persecuted 〈◊〉 righteousness sake because that theirs iâ— the kingdom of Heaven Because of the greatness of the Reward they should rejoyce and be exceeding glad Matth. 5.10 12. And how can they do this that believe not that the Reward and Kingdom will be theirs The Joys of faith and confidence on the promise and strength of Christ should overcome all inordinate fears of man For he hath said I will never fail thee nor forsake thee So that we may boldly say The Lord is my helper and I wiâ—l not fear what man shall do unto me Heb. 13.5.6 And how can we do this while we are questioning our part in the Christ and promise that we should thus boldly trust upon 14. Lastly consider that the knowledge of your part in Christ may make all sufferings easie to you You will be so much satisfied in God your portion as will abate the desires and drown the Joys and sorrows of the world You will judge the sufferings of this present time unwâ—rthy to be compared to the Glory that shall be revealed in us Rom. 8.18 You will choose rather to suffer affliction with the people of God then to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches then the treasures of the world as having respect to the recompence of reâ—ward Heb. 11.25 26. All this must bâ— done and will be done by true believers that have an assurance of their own sinceâ—rity They must and will forsake all and take up the Cross and follow Christ in hopâ— of a Reward in Heaven as it is offered theâ— in the Gospel when they know their speciaâ— interest in it For these are Christs termâ— which he imposeth on all that will be hiâ— Disciples Luk. 14.33 18.22 24 25. But you may certainly perceive that iâ— will be much more easie to part with all and undergoe and do all this wen we have the great encouragement of our assured inetrest then when we have no more but the common offer To instance in some particulars 1. Do you live where serious Godliness is derided and you cannot obey the word of God and seek first the Kingdom of God and its righteousness without being made the common scorn and the daily jeast and by-word of the company Let it be so If you know that you have Christ within you and are secured of the everlasting Joys will you feel will you regard such things as these â— shall the jeast of a distracted miserable fool abate the joy of your â—ssured happiness Princes and noblemen â—ill not forsake their dominions or Lord-ships nor cast away the esteem and â—omfort of all they have because the poor â—o ordinarily reproach them as Proud â—â—merciful oppressors They think they may bear the words of the miserable while â—hey have the the pleasure of prospe And shall not we give losers leave to â—alke We will not be mockt out of the comfort of our health or wealth our habitaâ—ions or our friends and shall we be mockt â—ut of the comfort of Christ and of the presence of the comforter himself If they that go naked deride you for having cloaths and they