thou maist have peace joy strength another none of these to day God may shew himselfe to thee and in a moment of time he may hide himselfe to day rich and injoy many friends with health to morrow sicke and poore and friends all gone c. Gods acting in us and upon us is not alwayes as he is unto his as God is in himselfe unchangeable ever the same so he is to his ever the same however he may seeme to be Heb. 13. 8. Isa 45. 7 8. 15. with Song 5. 6. Isa 8. 17. Therefore make a good construction of all that God doth do to thee his actings in us or upon us is the accomplishing of his will for his glory and the good of his that which I thinke worst for me may be best for me however it be God is good and good to me Psal 73. 1. This I see and say and injoy in both Pray to God that he may give unto thee the Spirit of wisdome and revelation in the knowledge of him that yee may know what is the hope of your calling Eph. 1. 17 18 19. Say unto my soule I am thy salvation Psal 35. 3. I beseech thee shew me thy glory Exod. 33. 18. Cause thy face to shine upon me Psal 80. 3. Establish O God that which thou hast wrought in us Psal 68. 22. Avoyd sadnesse of spirit and rejoyce evermore 1 Thes 5. 16. Sadnesse of spirit hinders us in thankfulnesse to God also it breeds uncomfortablenesse and unsetlednesse in us an unchearfull spirit is unfit for duty for what wee goe about unchearfully we are soone weary in it if not of it When our spirits are calme united and chearfull then we act more comfortably and such a frame of spirit is fittest to praise God sadnesse of spirit fitteth us to yeeld to discouragements if we be sad wee injoy not the comfort of any thing chearfulnesse is as it were the life of our spirits chearfulnesse inlargeth our spirits and fits us to receive happinesse and to expresse it Frequent and wisely improve those whom God hath setled who are able to direct thee and informe thee in the knowledge of the grace that is revealed in which is fulnesse of joy 1 Job 1. 4. Mind and remember that which makes for your peace and joy if yee forget your resting place as Jer. 50. 6. it is no wonder if yee be troubled Yee have forgotten the exhortation that speaketh unto you as unto children Heb. 12. 5. Wee have no present actuall comfort further then we have remembrance Know no meanes of themselves are sufficient to quiet and settle thy soul it 's the work of the Spirit to answer all discouragements it is God alone that creates the fruit of the lips peace peace to him that is afar off and to him that is neere saith the Lord and I will heale him Isa 57. 19. It 's God which stablisheth us 1 Cor. 1. 21. These things I write unto you that your faith and hope may be in God 1 Pet. 1. 21. Now the God of peace give you peace alwayes by all meanes 2 Thes 3. 16. Vse of Exhortation to all that beleeve 1. To admire the greatnesse and sweetnesse of Gods love in his free grace to thee it is a mercy to heare of it how much more to have interest in it and to injoy it being possessed of it Isa 61. 2. Take thy own portion and treasures provided for thee Col. 2. 3. and ever live in the eternall love of God in Christ to thee this object is sweet sâ—ll durable sufficient to satisfie thee at all times rest satisfied in Christ 3. Dedicate thy selfe and all thou hast freely to him who gave himselfe fully and freely for thee who suffered yea dyed so freely for thee Oh how should this love ingage our hearts to walke with God to be holy as he is holy c. yea doe all and suffer for him for the wayes of the Lord are right and the just shall walke in them Hosea 14. 9. 4. Declare to others Gods goodnesse unto thy soule use meanes that others may injoy the same mercy with thee Be yee mercifull as he is mercifull forgive and give unto others soules or bodies freely for so thou hast received 5. Be content with thy estate inward or outward though many crosses and miseries attend thee for if God be enough as he is thou hast enough oh let not many nor great troubles inward or outward dismay thee 1 Cor. 10. 13. for though they may seeme long yet they cannot last long The God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly Rom. 16. 20. Loe I come quickly Rev. 22. 20. 6. As Christ is all thy happinesse so let him be all thy comfort and the supply of all thy wants expect all you need and can desire yea that God can give that is for thy good it is certaine thou shalt have all thou needest Psal 34. 10. Seeing he hath freely given us his Sonne how shall he not with him give us all things freely Rom. 8. 32. 7. Watch and pray lest yee fall into temptation and abuse this favour and turne this grace into wantonnesse 8. Stand fast in this libertie of Christ in which he hath made you free as Gal. 5. 1. 9. Rejoyce alwayes evermore and let thy joy be full in God thy portion They shall rejoyce in their portion Isa 61. 7. 10. Be wonderfully thankfull to God for all his exceeding grace and mercy unto thee in that he hath given thee beautie for ashes and everlasting joy shall be to thee Isa 61. 3. 7. 2. Vse of Comfort and Consolation to all that beleeve Oh deare yea most deare and precious souls who can expresse your happinesse glory for the Lord hath done great things for us whereof we are glad Psal 126. 3. Oh now the great work of your Redemption is finished to your hands by him whose works are all perfect Heb. 10. 14. So that there is nothing of this work left for thee to doe Now thou maist come unto the throne of grace boldly now all is payd it 's God that justifieth who shall condemne surely none Rom. 8. 38 39. It 's not sin nor Satan nor any thing else shall hinder thy interest in Christ or injoyment of him for thy union with the Lord Jesus shall never be dissolved Christ lives for ever Heb. 7. 25. and seeing Christ lives yee shall live also Joh. 14. 19. Therefore thou art not onely happy now but thou shalt be so for ever thou shalt receive the end of thy faith the salvation of thy soule 1 Pet. 1. 9. Joh. 5. 24. Christ is enough to comfort us in the sight of all our sinnes and to make us happy in all our miseries There is a day a coming which will make amends for all in the meane time make mention of the loving kindnesse of the Lord and the praises of the Lord according to all the Lord hath bestowed on us c. according
But I have sinned against Gods intreaties to returne So did they I said after shee had done all these things Turn thou unto me but shee returned not Jer. 3. 7. But I have sinned against Gods Reproofes So did they Thou hast a whores forehead that refusest to be ashamed Jer. 3. 3. 8. But I have sinned against Gods corrections in not being reformed by them So did they In vaine have I smitten your children they have received no correction Jer. 2. 30. But I have committed one sin often So did they Thou hast played the harlot with many lovers Jer. 3. 1. 6. But I have continued sinning for a long continuance of time So did they We have not obeyed the voyce of the Lord from our youth unto this day Jer. 3. 25. 2. 22. But my sinnes are against knowledge and Conscience So was Davids sin concerning Bathshebah and putting to death Vriah And so did Peter sin when he said and swore he knew not Christ and that he was not with him Mat. 26. 69. to 75. But I am fallen back from what I have been So did they Returne thou backsliding Israel Jer. 3. 6. 12. But I have willingly and resolvedly forsaken God So did they saying We are Lords wee will come no more at him Jer. 3. 31 32. But I have willingly chosen sin So did they saying I have loved strangers and after them will I goe Jer. 2. 25. But I have seduced others and caused them to sin So did they Thou hast also taught the wicked ones thy wayes Jer. 2. 33. And Manasseh seduced them to doe more evill then did the Nations whom the Lord destroyed and made Judah also to sin 2 King 21. 9. 11. 16. And Paul compeld men to blaspheme Act. 26. 11. 16. Manasseh a great sinner obtained mercy 2 Chron. 33. 18 19. And a lesser sinner perisheth in his sin that men may know the Lord will have mercy on whom he will Rom. 9. 15. But I have committed as much sin as I could So did they Behold thou hast spoken and done as evill things as thou couldst Jer. 3. 5. But my sins are after vowes and Covenants So were theirs Thou saidst I will not transgresse when upon every high hill and under every greene tree thou wanderest playing the harlot Jer. 2. 25. But I have justified my selfe in all my sinnes So did they Because thou saidst I have not sinned I will plead with thee Jer. 2. 35. But I despaire and have no hope of mercy This is worst of all yet so did they Thou saidst there is no hope Jer. 2. 25. And when I cry he shutteth out my prayer and I said My strength and my hope is perished with the Lord said Jeremiah Lam. 3. 8. 18. And Job said My hope hath he removed like a tree Job 19. 10. My dayes are spent without hope Job 7. 6. 13 14 15 16. David in his hast said I am out off before thine eyes Psal 31. 22. Abraham beleeved against hope Rom. 4. 18. Yee were sometimes afar off without God and without hope Ephes 2. 12. yet at last they were made nigh by the bloud of Christ Eph. 2. 13. Behold all these were once like unto thee and the Lord hath had mercy upon them and so he may have mercy upon thee also therefore poore soule be not out of hope mind what David said I was brought low and he helped me Psal 116. 6. God is able to save to the uttermost Heb. 7. 25. Consider what the name of the Lord is Exod. 34. 5 6 7. Oh the unsearchable riches of his grace all that know his Name will trust in him Psal 9. 10. And because the greatnesse of sin is one of the greatest discouragements to a soule under the sense of sin Consider these things which are incouragements of hope unto thee 1. Incouragement to hope The multitude or greatnesse of sinne ought not to be a discouragement unto thee because the fewnesse or smalnesse of thy sinnes are not to be any ground or cause of thy confidence in God for pardon but in the promise of God of pardon in which promise the truth and faithfulnesse is 2. Incouragement to hope Because the word of God doth no where say that great sinners shall not be saved therefore to conceive so is folly and no lesse then a delusion of Satan 3. Incouragement to hope Because the word of God saith the contrary that Jesus Christ came to save sinners yea and the chiefe sinners and this is a saying worthy of all acceptation 1 Tim. 1. 15 16. Come now let us reason together saith the Lord though your sinnes were as crimson they shall be made white as snow though they were red like scarlet they shall be made as wooll Isaiah 1. 18. The word of God declares many great and sweet promises to great sinners as Jer. 3. Isa. 55. 7 8 9. 43. 24 25. There be many examples of great sinners received to mercy as Manasseh 2 Chron. 33. 18 19. Paul and one who was a sinner with a witnes Luk. 7. 37. 47. And many others yea the rebellious also Psal 68. 18. 4. Incouragement to hope Because there is a fountaine set open for sin and for uncleannesse Zach. 13. 1. And Christ is mightie to save Isa 62. 1. He will abundantly pardon Isa 55. 7. And his compassions faile not Lam. 3. 22. 5. Incouragement to hope Because great sinners that are heavie laden with sinne are called to come to Christ Mat. 11. 28. If any man thirst let him came to me and drinke Joh. 7. 37. Every one that thirsteth come ye to the waters Isa 55. 1. Rev. 22. 17. 6. Incouragement to hope The Saints have made their greatnesse of sinne an incouragement to beleeve Lord pardon my sinnes for they are great Psal 25. 11. How great is his goodnesse much greater then thy sinnes Zach. 9. 17. Isa 43. The greater our sinnes are the greater our faith should be Loe here is great consolation 7. Incouragement to hope Because God doth not sell Christ or grace but he gives Christ and all that is his freely Yee that have no silver come buy and eate come buy without money Isa 55. 1. And the Spirit and the Bride say Come and let him that heareth say come and let him that is athirst come and let whosoever will take of the water of life freely Rev. 22. 17. Jesus stood crying saying If any man thirst let him come to me and drinke Joh. 7. 37. 8. Incouragement Because such as Jesus Christ saves are unworthy ungodly and without works Rom. 4. 5 6. The most perfect Saint that ever hath been did stand in need of mercy and was unworthy Behold he found no stedfastnesse in his servants and chargeth his Angels of folly how much more in them that dwell in
the use of his meanes till he shall give thee faith that by it thou mayst know thy selfe to be elected Act. 13. 48. But I have used the meanes and yet I am no better but worser therefore God will never doe me good Are you sure you have used all Gods meanes doest thou know the number of them and have your ends been all good right placed and have you used them in a right manner measure time in sinceritie humilitie which I question and have you not rested in the use of means have you set God above his meanes and expected his blessing upon them without which they could doe no good If thou hast not used them all in faith say not thou hast used the meanes what are all meanes without faith they are as a shadow without the substance Heb. 11. 1. The word they heard profited them not for want of faith Heb. 4. 2. It is no good reason to say because God hath not answered me and supplied me therefore he never will consider Isa 64. 4. Isa 8. 17. They which had not obtained mercy did 1 Pet. 2. 10. They shall not be ashamed that wait for me Isa 49. 23. There be many that doe satisfie themselves with the meanes and their frequenting them and in what they doe that it is just with God yea a mercy to blast all to shew their emptinesse that we might look and long for Christ to blesse the meanes and be all in all unto us Men beleeve not that faith is the gift of God and the Spirits work Phil. 1. 29. so that they goe not to God in his promise for faith but endeavour to make a faith of their own to carry to God If thou hast a will that onely Christ should save thee God hath begun his work in thee and he will finish it Heb. 12. 2. and one day thou shalt know thy selfe to be pardoned and all thy sins shall be subdued Consider God may have mercy for thee though thou knowest it not for mens sinnes are first forgiven before they are to beleeve it or can be assured of it for if men should beleeve that their sins are forgiven before they be forgiven they should beleeve that which is false neither can any mans beleeving make that to be which had not a being before faith declares to us our pardon but our beleeving neither pardons nor procures the pardon of any sin if it could what need was there of the death of Christ I have waited a long time and many have received mercy since but not I. Even the Lords servants have waited a long time for God or at least they thought the time long David said I am weary of my crying my throat is dryed mine eyes faile while I waite for my God Psal 69. 3. If God have given thee a heart to wait upon him thou art blessed Blessed are all they that wait for him Isa 30. 18. Waiting implies perseverance patience long-suffering in holding out notwithstanding the tediousnesse of the time deferred courage in breaking through all difficulties that stand between waiting and to continue waiting though all things seem contrary till we enjoy what we waited for I wait for my God Psal 69. 3. I am now old in yeares and if God had intended to have done my soule good surely he would have done it before this time and now death is ready to take me away Yea though it be thus with thee yet mercy may be thy portion at last if mercy come at last it will be sweet and it may come at last The thiefe was saved upon the Crosse Mat. 20. Luk. 23. Oh how neere was he unto his end before mercy came unto him You may not set a time to God in which he shall shew mercy for he giveth what he will and when he will and will not be tyed to thy time it 's an exceeding great grace for God to shew mercy though it be at the last as he did to the thiefe upon the Crosse God hath all houres in the day to work the last houre God useth to call some as well as the third see Mat. 20. 1. to 10. for there is nothing too hard for God If I were filled with qualifications as humblenesse and brokennesse of heart and tooke delight to heare and pray as others I could have hope but now I cannot Alas poore soule thou art greatly deluded for these things can no way fit the soule for mercy Why doest thou seek the living among the dead Luk. 24. 5. Why doest thou look at and rest in such things as these for haddest thou these in the greatest measure they could not procure thy happinesse nor stand thee in any stead oh nothing but Christ can doe thy soule any good and truly comfort thee Consider what qualifications had they in Ezekiel 16. 3. to 9. of whom God was found Surely they had none except sinfull ones What saith God I was found of them that sought me not Isa 65. 1 2 3. Tell me what qualifications had they who were enemies yet Christ died for them Rom. 5. 9 10. All that are saved are saved by grace without any cause or condition in man 2 Tim. 1. 9. Under colour of devotion yee overthrow Christ can your duties c. procure Christ or what use is there of Christ if yee can have what yee need without him yee would have power abilitie and inlargements before yee dare believe in Christ Oh the greatnesse of thy pride and folly doth not Christ say true that without me yee can doe nothing Joh. 15. 5. As in nature none can worke before they have life so none can doe any thing that is spirituall before they live spiritually Christ must be in thee before thou canst beleeve the soule must beleeve before it can finde any sanctification or workes at all in it selfe yea without any regard to workes in any measure whatsoever for there is nothing to be done by man to be a preparation to his sanctification see Rom. 4. 5. 5. 8. 10. Thou hungerest and thirstest after a righteousnesse of thine own and wouldst establish it but it must be renounced I confesse this self-deniall is very hard oh how hard is it for the soule to be taken off its own bottom of workes and of self-concurrence strip them of all that is their own and yee take away their lives they must and will have something some humblenesse and brokennesse of heart some teares some good workes or abilities or a good heart something they must have for they think it cannot be that they should be accepted pardoned and saved and they to doe nothing at all themselves for it therefore as soone as they begin to espie a flaw in what they doe for who can say his heart is cleane Job 25. 4. they betake themselves to breake their hearts to make God amends for all and thinke if they can
be understood in a twofold consideration first for such a confidence as is without a ground or secondly against a ground For the first he that presumes he hath a confidence of pardon but it is without any ground he hath no word of God for his confidence and it may be he can give no reason at all for his confidence much lesse a good reason that this discouragement may be answered and removed consider wherein faith and presumption differs He that presumes he hath no ground no word of God for his confidence here confidence is fetched from their own conceits they seek no life in Christ his word and promise 1. But he that truly beleeves in Christ his confidence is from the Word Wee through the Scriptures have hope Rom. 15. 4. In his word doe I hope Psal 130. 5. But I hope in thy word Psal 119. 81. 2. He that truly beleeves in Christ doth not receive any promise of life but in and through Christ in the riches of his grace But he that presumes if he receives a promise he receives it upon his qualifications without respect to Christ and he gathers conclusions of life from what they are and can doe their own righteousnesse was never to them as drosse and dung as Phil. 3. 8. So they depend upon their faith and not upon Christ by faith the ground of their confidence is because they are so good or not so bad as others as the proud Pharisee but he was never fatherlesse Hos 14. 3. nor did they ever receive the sentence of death in themselves 2 Cor. 1. 9. So they were ever confident and it was ever very easie for them to beleeve 3. He that beleeves his hope and trust is onely in God and they hope in his mercy The eyes of the Lord are upon them that hope in his mercy Psal 33. 18. 21. 22. And this is the work of God to perswade the heart to rest upon the free mercy of God in Christ Psal 13. 5. Psal 33. 18. I trust in the mercy of God for ever and ever Psal 52. 8. With the Lord there is mercy Psal 130. 7. God is rich in mercy Eph. 2. 4. Presumption cannot doe so Joh. 12. 37. 1 Pet. 19. 20. Joh. 6. 28 29. For the second so the confidence of the presumer is contrary to the word of God the word approves of no such confidence but protests against them and their confidence as appeares Jer. 7. 9. 15. So their presumption hardens them and makes them bold to venture upon sinful practises as lying stealing drunkennesse uncleannesse cheating and the like as theirs was Jer. 7. 9. c. 4. He that truly beleeves abhorres that which is evill and cleaves to that which is good Rom. 12. 9. Every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himselfe as he is pure 1 â—oh 3. 3. Purifying their hearts by faith Acts 15. 9. The grace of God teacheth us to deny ungodlinesse and worldly lusts and to live soberly righteously and godly in this present world Tit. 2. 11 12. Christ is precious to them that beleeve 1 Pet. 2. 7. They count all things but losse for Christ and for him they will suffer the losse of all things as Phil. 3. 8. Yet many there be who say they are confident c. and yet they dare not speak for Jesus Christ his truth his servants c. these are far from suffering the losse of all things for him So others can hold Arminianisme and free-will setting themselves and their endeavours above God and his grace in affirming that notwithstanding all the grace God affords to any man yet unlesse man shall please to will and improve it well for as they say he may choose whether he will or no it shall never be effectuall to him if it be so they may thank God for his grace without which they can doe nothing but much more themselves for saving themselves for others had as much grace as they as they say Judas had shall be damned and they had been damned also if they had not willed well c. and it was in their power and choice whether they would will well or no which is so contrary to the Scriptures so then it is not of him that willeth nor of him that runneth but of God that sheweth mercy Rom. 9. 16. Not that we are sufficient of our selves to thinke any thing of our selves but our sufficiency is of God 2 Cor. 3. 5. Surely all those who have tasted of Gods free grace cannot but admire it and be thankfull for it and loath with the greatest indignation whatsoever shall intrench upon it although it were but in the least degree I have no grace because I grow not in grace my life is not holy nor am I like unto others who are the Lords Doest thou know thy age or degree in grace what art thou a child or a yong man or a father 1 Joh. 2. 12 13. there is a great difference between a childe and a man in nature so great is the difference between a babe in Christ 1 Cor. 3. 1. and a man in Christ 1 Joh. 2. 13. Also confider if thou canst whether if thou beest a babe in the wombe or borne Heb. 5. 13. He is a babe as a childe is begotten and alive while it is in the wombe before it be borne so thou maist be begotten from above and alive before thou canst be borne Christ must first be formed in us before we can be new borne babes Gal. 4. 18. 1 Pet. 2. 2. And when thou art delivered out of the state of bondage which is a place of darknesse of feares concerning thy soule thou art not borne and brought forth and as the wombe is a place of bondage so here and therefore canst not doe that service others doe if thou beest but new borne there cannot that be expected from thee as there is from a man in Christ as there is a difference between a childe and a man in nature so there is here learne to distinguish between the grace it selfe and the exercise of it it 's not the having of grace but the exercise of it which attaines to a holy conversation by the operation of the Spirit and when a soule is delivered from its enemies as Satan terrors wrath curse it 's borne being delivered we serve Luk. 1. 47. Deliverance is before working the time of doubting is a barren time men cannot fight and worke at the same time Regeneration consists in being begotten to the Lord to have union with him Joh. 17. 22. 23. 19. And for God to convey his power into the soule by which it is made conformable to the will of Christ and lives by faith in the Sonne of God Gal. 2. 20. is another thing in some of the Lords the first is where the latter is not at least in the degrees of it beleevers are of severall growths and states as first babes children secondly young men thirdly fathers 1 Joh. 2.
We receive the Law from the hand of Jesus Christ to be a rule for us to walke by and herein is my Father glorified that yee bring forth much fruit Joh. 15. 8. And the Saints injoy sweet priviledges by walking close with God see 1 Pet. 4. 14. To him that orders his conversation aright will I shew the salvation of God Psal 50. 23. God sheddeth his love into the hearts of his in his time and measure which love so constraines them that they cannot choose but love God againe for his great love Rom. 5. 5. Ephes 4. 6. 2 Cor. 5. 14. Which love as it is apprehended by them so it constraines them to obey him and there is no faith true but that which workes by love Gal. 5. 6. and to all that love God his commandements are not grievous Joh. 14. 15. 1 Joh. 5. 1. 3. And God hath chosen us that wee should be holy and without blame before him in love Ephes 1. 4. 2. 10. 4. 1. But this doctrine hath ever been slandred and opposed by Papists Arminians and such as they are but let those that can see judge whose lives are most according to the Word they that hold with it or against it 3. The life of faith in Sanctification This consists in two branches The first is the soules cleaving to God in Christ our Sanctification which is for my pardon and peace and assurance of glory 1 Cor. 1. 30. Who is made unto us sanctification The second is the soules cleaving to Christ in his promises to change my nature clense and renew my heart and life and to worke all our workes for us and be a quickning Spirit in us 1 Cor. 15. 45. I will heale their backslidings Hos 14. 5. He will subdue our iniquities Micah 7. 19. Sinne shall not have dominion over you c. Isa 57. 18 19. I have seene his wayes and will heale him and heale all thy diseases Psal 103. 8. This was Christs prayer Sanctifie them with thy truth thy Word is truth for their sakes sanctifie I my selfe that they also might be sanctified through the truth Joh. 17. 17. 19. There is much unevennesse in us it should be a great griefe unto us that we cannot honour God no more in our conversation that our spirits are so much estranged from him as they are and unto holy and divine things which should be familiar and more delightfull unto us All that are the Lords have received great love from him which should greatly ingage their hearts to walke as becometh Saints in a holy course and conversation according to the Word of God every day and all the day long to injoy God and obey him according to his word Of infirmities An infirmitie is such a weaknesse as when the heart is upright yet by reason of some impediment it cannot doe the good it would and doth the evill it would not Infirmities are the imperfections of good actions There is an infirmitie which ariseth from some impediment which a man would faine remove but cannot There is an infirmitie that ariseth for want of growth in grace A sin of infirmitie is alwayes with griefe and sorrow and where there is no griefe for it it is no infirmitie It is a sin of infirmitie in him who desires to be informed of it and to be reproved for it and to know how to leave it when he is ashamed of it and will not plead for it but complaine to God against it and is grieved humbled for it and useth meanes against it There is no childe of God that is wholly free from infirmities therefore every beleever is to live by faith in all their infirmities 4. The life of faith in infirmities Which consists in two things First It is the soule cleaving to God in Christ that he will be to us according unto his promise a God of love and mercy unto us for ever notwithstanding all our omissions and commissions excesses and defects Secondly and that he will supply all our wants for soule or body as if we had never sinned according to his Covenant with Jesus Christ and us in him that it shall stand fast for ever with him Psal 89. 27 28 29. For the first If any man sin we have an advocate with the Father 1 Joh. 2. 1. Who forgiveth all thy iniquities Psal 103. 3. Whom he loves once he loves to the end Joh. 13. 1. I am the Lord I change not Mal. 3. 6. Jesus Christ the same yesterday and to day and for ever Heb. 13. 8. I will make an everlasting Covenant with you even the sure mercies of David Isai 53. 3. Which is confirmed by two immutable things Oath and Covenant c. That wee might have strong Consolation Heb. 6. 17 18. Through the bloud of the everlasting Covenant Heb. 13. 20. If his children forsake my Law and walke not in my Judgements if they breake my Statutes and keepe not my Commandements then will I visit their transgressions with a rod and their iniquitie with stripes Neverthelesse my loving kindnesse I will not take from him nor suffer my faithfulnesse to faile my Covenant will I not breake my mercy will I keep for him and my Covenant shall stand fast with him Psal 89. 30 31 32 33 34. They and our fathers dealt proudly and hardened their neckes and hearkened not to thy Commandements and refused to obey c. But thou art a God ready to pardon gracious and mercifull and slow to anger and of great kindnesse and forsakest them not Nehe. 9. 16 17 18 19 20. In our greatest falls when the soule is subject to doubt of pardon consider our God will abundantly pardon c. Isa 55. 7 8 9. I am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for my Names sake Isa 43. 25. And am mighty to save Isa 63. 1. With the Lord is plenteous redemption Psal 130. 7 8 9. I have blotted out thy sins returne unto mee for I have redeemed thee Isa 44. 22. He knoweth our frame and remembreth that we are but dust Psal 103. 14. If thou shouldst mark iniquities O Lord who shall stand But there is forgivenesse with thee that thou mayest be feared Psal 130. 3 4. But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that feare him As a father pitieth his children so the Lord pitieth them that feare him Psal 103. 13. 17 18. Thou art a God ready to forgive and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee Psal 86. 5. But thou art a God ready to pardon gracious and mercifull and slow to anger and of great kindnesse and forsakest them not though they dealt proudly and hardened their neckes and hearkened not to thy Commandements and refused to obey Neh. 9. 16 17. He hath not dealt with us after our sins nor rewarded us according to our iniquities Ps 103. 10. He was wounded for our transgressions he was bruised for our iniquities the chastisement of our peace was
eate or what yee shall drinke nor yet for your body what yee shall put on is not the life more then meate and the body then rayment Behold the fowles of the ayre they neither sow nor reape nor gather into barnes yet God feedeth them are yee not much better then they O yee of little faith Which of you by taking thought can adde one oubit unto his stature Take no thought for after these things seek the Gentiles you heavenly Father knoweth that yee have need of these things Mat. 6. 25. to the end see Rom. 8. 32. Luk. 12. 15. Cast all your care upon him for he careth for you be carefull for nothing but in every thing let your requests he made known to God with thankesgiving Phil. 4. 6. 1 Pet. 5. 7. Let your conversation be without covetousnesse and be content with such things as yee have for he hath said I will never leave thee nor forsake thee Heb. 13. 5. In thy ignorance consider Wee have such an high Priest as can have compassion on the ignorant Heb. 5. 2. If any want wisdome let him aske it of God who gives liberally and it shall be given him but let him aske in faith without wavering Jam. 1. 5. Having fallen into passion to keepe thee from sinking under it consider what the Apostles said Wee are also men of like passions with you Acts 14. 15. Elias was a man subject to the like passions as we are c. Jam. 5. 17. And so of all other infirmities He will heale all thy diseases c. Psal 103. 8. If wee did live in Christ by faith more our infirmities would be lesse For a supply of all wants My God shall supply all you need according to his riches by Christ Jesus Phil. 4. 6. 19. Christ is able and will supply all our wants 5. The life of faith for graces and in the exercise of them To beleeve They shall trust in the Name of the Lord Zeph. 3. 12. This is his Commandment that yee should beleeve on the Name of his Sonne Jesus Christ 1 Joh. 3. 23. To increase in faith They shall grow from faith to faith Rom. 1. 17. To live by faith The just shall live by faith Rom. 1. 17. To continue in the faith He that beleeves in me though he were dead yet shall be live c. Luk. 22. 32. 1 Pet. 1. 5. In exercise of faith Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on thee because he trusts in thee Isa 26. 3. Joh. 11. 25. 7. 38 39. He is a buckler to all them that trust in him Psal 18. 30. He that puts his trust in the Lord mercy shall compasse him about Psal 32. 10. To know God Thou shalt know the Lord Pro. 1. 23. They shall all know mee Jer. 31. 33 34. To love God Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart Mat. 22. 17. The Lord thy God will circumcise thy heart that thou maist love him with all thy heart and soule Deut. 30. 6. I have declared thy Name that thy love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them Joh. 17. 26. In loving God He that loves me shall be loved of my Father and I will love him and manifest my selfe unto him and dwell with him Joh. 14. 21. 23. To seeke God That they should seeke the Lord Act. 17. 27. Seeke yee the Lord. In seeking God Blessed are all they that seeke him with their whole heart Psal 119. 2. The Lord hath not forsaken them that seeke him Psal 9. 10. Your hearts shall live that seeke him Psal 69. 32. They shall praise the Lord that seeke him Psal 22. 26. They that seeke the Lord shall not want any good thing To feare God I will put my feare in their hearts and they shall not depart from me Jer. 32. 39 40. They shall feare the Lord and his goodnesse in the latter dayes Hosea 3. 5. In fearing God The Lord takes pleasure in them that feare him Psal 147. 11. He that feares the Lord him shall he teach the way that he shall choose Psal 25. 12. There is no want to them that feare him viz. feare lest they sinne against him Psal 34. 9. He will blesse them that feare the Lord both small and great Psal 115. 13. To hope in God In hoping in God The Lord takes pleasure in those that hope in his mercy Ps 147. 11. Wee are saved by hope Rom. 8. 24. Happy is he whose hope is in the Lord Ps 146. 5. Be of good courage he shall strengthen your hearts all yee that hope in the Lord Ps 31. 24. To waite on God Waite I say on the Lord and he shall strengthen thy heart Psal 27. 14. In waiting on God They shall not be ashamed that waite for me Blessed are they that waite for him Since the beginning of the world men have not heard nor perceived by the eare neither hath the eye seene O God besides thee what he hath prepared for them that waite for him Isa 49. 23. Isa 30. 18. 1 Cor. 2. 9. To delight and rejoyce in God Thou shalt have thy delight in the Almightie thou shalt rejoyce in God in thy Name shall they rejoyce all the day our hearts shall rejoyce in him Isa 41. 16. Psal 89. 16. Psal 33. 21. To praise God The living he shall praise thee daily shall he be praised they shall praise the Lord who so offereth mee praise glorifieth me Isa 38. 19. Psal 72. 15. Psal 63. 3. Psal 22. 26. Psal 50. 23. To injoy peace with God Let him take hold on my strength that he may make peace with me and he shall make peace with me Isa 27. 5. To love the Saints This is his Commandement that we should love one another 1 Joh. 3. 23. Little children love one another see that yee love one another with a pure heart fervently 1 Joh. 4. 7. 1 Pet. 2. 22. By this shall all men know that yee be my Disciples if yee love one another Joh. 13. 35. 1 Joh. 3. 14. To love enemies Love your enemies doe good lend hoping for nothing againe and your reward shall be great c. Mat. 5. 43 44. Luk. 6. 35. To judge our selves They shall judge themselves worthy to be destroyed Judge your selves and yee shall not be judged Ezek. 36. 31. 2 Cor. 11. 31. To mourne for sinning against God I will powre upon them the Spirit of grace and they shall mourne Your sorrow shall be turned into joy Blessed are they that mourn in faith for they shall be comforted Zech. 12. 10. Joh. 16. 20. Mat. 5. 4. In poverty of spirit To him will I look saith God that is poore and of a contrite spirit c. Blessed are the poore in spirit for theirs is the kingdome of heaven Isa 66. 2. Mat. 5. 3. In desires after Christ c. Hoe every one that thirsteth come yee to the waters and drinke if any man thirst let him come to me and drinke
23. For deliverance out of trouble c. Many are the troubles of the righteous but the Lord delivers them out of them all Joh. 5. 19. Psal 19. 17 Psal 50. 15. For speedy deliverance My salvation shall not tarry Isa 46. 13. 9. Every day to live the life of faith concerning the time past Which is to consider and call to remembrance and to see God in his dealings to us ours and others both for soule and body I have considered the dayes of old and the yeares of ancient time Psal 77. 5. This is to injoy time past as present David made this a part of his meditation oh how sweet is it to muse of Gods mercies unto us from our birth that I should be borne of such as feared God and so injoy better education then others or else that I should be borne of haters of God and instead of good education had bad and was brought up in ignorance and prophanenesse and how I have been tempted to desperate sinnes or healed those breaches how strangely God brought us to better places unexpected or undeserved and how neere and often we have been to be cut off by death by sicknesse casualties desperate practices by others and by our selves and how great bondage we have been in by sinne being filled with despaire terror and wrath without hope of ever being pardoned Ephes 2. 12 13. and yet for God to fill my soule with joy peace in beleeving Rom. 5. 1. and in how great bondage I was unto sinne not able to restraine my selfe and out of hope of ever having strength against such strong lusts and yet God hath subdued them Oh great change and also how we were convinced of our state of death we are in by nature and by what meanes But if we had been borne in India or Turkey or Rome we should either have never heard of a Jesus or seene no light or to no purpose Also how God hath preserved us in Babylon and brought us out of it if thou beest so and preserved us from the errors of the wicked rotten tenets as Pelagianisme his free will and power by nature Arminianisme with his free will so by grace as he may choose whether he will be saved or no and so under pretence of inlarging Gods grace robs him of all to grace himselfe in his indeavours and sets the crowne upon his own head So some deny the Morall Law and word of God to be a Rule to them to walk by and so are lawlesse and where there is no Law there can be no transgression and now are the last times in which iniquitie and abominable errors doe abound and shall more abound that which God hath said shall be must be no man nor men can hinder it some denies Election and originall sinne c. the Lord in mercy open their eyes I was once wrapped up and sunke in Arminianisme and had so continued but the Lord in mercy pulled me out Oh how sweet should that love be to us which keepes us from these errors or brings us out of them and the Lord will in his time be full Redemption to all his Also consider how we have been freed from many sorrows and sicknesses which others indure having little or no rest day or night and what meanes we injoy for our soules which others want and it may be never heard of and blesseth them unto us Also in what straits wee have been in how the Lord hath helped us in them and delivered us from them and how God hath provided and doth provide for us meanes of living friends and comforts strangely and unexpected and how strangely God hath given us good wives or husbands or so orders it that bad ones sends us to God or weanes us from the world c. These mercies with a thousand more to us and ours requires our meditation to strengthen our faith and to endeare our hearts to God exceedingly and to be more inlarged in thankfulnesse and to sucke sweetnesse in the remembrance of such experiences Mercies forgot are as nothing to us and wee cannot be thankfull to God for them though they were never so many or great Who so is wise and will observe these things shall understand the loving kindnesse of the Lord Psal 107. 43. 10. Every day to live the life of faith in Glorification Which is to behold the rest peace glory and happinesse c. in heaven which is provided for us and also to beleeve that God will give us after this life all these things with himselfe which he hath promised us in his word see Acts 20. 23. Acts 26. 18. 1 Pet. 1. 4. For the resurrection of my body He that beleeves in me I will raise him up at the last day Joh. 6. 40. To have a spirituall body It is sowen a naturall body it is raised a spirituall body 1 Cor. 15. 44. Our bodies shall be more glorious then the Sun in the firmament because that is but a naturall body To have a powerfull body It is raised in power 1 Cor. 15. 43. To have a glorified body and like Christs It is raised in glory 1 Cor. 15 43 44. Who shall change our vile body that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body Phil. 3. 21. To have fulnesse of knowledge And to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge and be filled with the fulnesse of God Ephes 3. 19. And know even as I am known 1 Cor. 13. 12. To have fulnesse of joy and pleasures In thy presence is fulnesse of joy and at thy right hand are pleasures for evermore Ps 16. 11. Joy inward pure spirituall full in heaven wee shall have no misery no hunger cold nakednesse paine griefe wearinesse but rest 2 Thes 1. 7. To have Rest I shall have rest 2 Thes 1. 7. without labour In this Rest tranquillity in this tranquillity contentment in this contentment joy in this joy varietie in this varietie securitie in this securitie eternitie To have life We shall also live with him 2 Tim. 2. 11. Your life is hid with Christ in God Col. 3. 3. When Christ who is our life shall appeare Col. 3. 4. To have everlasting life Who shall receive life everlasting in the world to come Luk. 18. 30. Mat. 19. 29. Joh. 4. 40. Then shall I never die nor end being for continuance eternall To injoy the presence of God with Saints and Angels When Christ our life shall appeare then shall we appeare with him in glory Col. 3. 4. Father I will that they which thou hast given me be with me where I am Joh. 17. 24. To see the Lord as he is Beloved now are we the sonnes of God and it doth not appeare what we shall be but we know when we shall appeare we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is 1 Joh. 3. 2. Then shall we see him face to face 1 Cor. 13. 12. To behold his glory That they may behold my glory Joh. 17.
thee and sent unto thee and put into thy hand even some of his rarest and choicest dainties from his banquetting house some flagons of his most excellent and richest wine which is full of spirit and life one taste is able to cheare and revive thy heart yea raise and ravish thy fainting soule with love into love yet drinke freely the more the better be filled with them there is enough Christs dainties are durable his fountain is bottomlesse and infinite it can never be exhausted or drawne dry therefore eate O friends and drinke abundantly and be drunke with them Here are means proposed with some Scriptures which tends to settle a troubled soule in the sweet enjoyment of the love of God if God please to blesse them they will be sweet and profitable to thee in stead of darknesse light shall shine clearly sweetly pleasantly it 's the Lord onely that can cause the soule to see this light and love so as to live in it being over-powered with it and to walke sutable unto it if the Lord shall please to blesse this to thy soule acknowledge his goodnesse with thankfulnesse and joy as some have done the Lord give thee wisdome to know the truth and to receive thy own portion without which nothing can doe thee good 1 Cor. 3. 6 7. Men may speake comfort but they cannot comfort it 's God that creates the fruit of the lips peace if he speake the word it 's done Gen. 1. 3. The Lord speake so to thee that thou maist profit by it and that thy joy may be full Also to you belong all the promises of this life and that to come Heb. 6. 17. Which rich treasure God hath imparted in severall parts that all the sonnes and daughters of truth might be comforted in and satisfied with the injoyment of God in them To this end here are comprized many principal promises that you may with more ease and speed finde them and suck sweetnesse from them our lives cannot be sweet without them in respect of the many miseries that attend us within and without but those that live by faith are not troubled in a world of troubles faith supplies all wants this life of faith is the highest therefore the best such as live it know it to be a sweet precious and powerfull life as appeares Heb. 11. Faith honours God most and God honours them most that live by faith by it the Saints wrought righteousnesse stopped the mouths of Lyons of weake were made strong By faith Jacob had power with God Hos 12. 3 4. By it Job could trust God though God should kill him Job 13. 15. By faith we live to God a life of joy in God our righteousnesse as if we had never sinned by faith we live above sin infirmities temptations desertions sense reason feares doubts c. It sweetens the sweetest mercies yea the bitterest miseries faith makes great afflictions to be as none it maintaines the soules strength and comfort Christ lives in our hearts by faith by it wee obey God faith makes Christs yoke easie and sweet the fruition of God is all the soule can desire faith helps the soule to this it puts the soule into possession of heaven while the body is on earth by it we view the glory of heaven to know its worth to enjoy the purchaser and purchase it selfe by faith we know our selves to be happie even then when to a carnall eye we seeme most miserable by faith we can part with the sweetest outward comforts and welcome death because wee know we leave the worst place and things and goe to better they that live by faith live upon God himselfe and are feasted in our Lord Jesus banquetting house where there is all the desirable dainties and enough Eate then O friends drinke yea drinke abundantly O beloved because it is the pleasure of our sweet Lord Jesus that his doe so it 's their portion duty and priviledge to digest refresh and make their soules merry with his dainties to enjoy himselfe in them that so their joy may be full And because it is the will of Christ that those who have found rest and peace in him should take his yoke upon them as appeares Mat. 11. 38 39. Here is added the Saints dutie and service to Christ and the rather for now is the time the love of many waxeth cold to God and man Religion is esteemed of many to be but a bare notion or a little speculation nothing of practise iniquitie abounds many depart from the faith to needlesse disputes and principles that destroy the foundation of Religion no law no transgression no sinne all alike as appeares Rom. 4. 15. So that many run the round began at nothing and end in nothing so that many in stead of submitting to the yoke of Christ cavill against it so that few will submit unto it notwithstanding it 's holy just light easie sweet and a law of love Call persons to obey Christ and men are apt to think it legall and slavish but if men were to worke for life it were so indeed we cannot doe any thing to procure the pardon of sinne we only desire such as have received mercy and life from Christ to act from the same life and power according to the word of Christ to Christ againe out of love and thankfulnesse surely such as have received mercy from him vehemently desire to obey him esteeming it a great priviledge to be imployed in his service also in keeping his cōmands there is great reward Psal 19. By nature we are prone to desire libertie and abuse it we need to be exhorted that we use not our libertie as an occasion to the flesh Gal. 5. to sloath and ease c. Libertie to sinne is no libertie but the greatest bondage that can be to have a free heart to serve God and the lets outwardly removed is sweet libertie to enjoy God is libertie to be set free by Christ from sin Satan hell is to be freed indeed and though we have nothing to doe to be saved we have something to doe for his glory which is to be our meat and drinke therefore let no difficultie hinder thee in serving thy Lord say not it is impossible consider Luk. 1. 6. 1 Pet. 4. 13. 19. Presse after perfection the neerer the better watch and pray to prevent sinne to doe good make it thy businesse to keepe Christs commands Indeed all have not the like time to spend herein the necessitie of outward things hinders many that they cannot doe what otherwise they might and would one wants time another a heart another both we should consider whether we spare that time for these things we might we can and will spare time for what we list and love though they be things of lesse moment consider Song 8. 6 7. Were we so full of love wee could not but spare some time not onely from our recreation and idle visits but from our sleepe and callings wee would redeeme
2. He knows no other way of deliverance save that of his own either wholly or in part 3. He thinkes it concerns him most therefore it is his dutie to doe it who else should 4. He is perswaded he may deliver his soule or that without him it cannot be delivered Man can do no better till God manifest to him the perfection of Christs righteousnesse then shall he see the insufficiency of his own Rom. 10. 3. 8. He cannot deliver his soule all that man can doe it is impossible for man to save himselfe in whole or in part it is beyond his power he cannot doe it untill a soule be convinced he cannot deliver himselfe he rests in himselfe God hath not left it to the will and power of man to deliver himselfe Reasons 1. That no man may boast Ephes 2. 9. That the pride in man might be dashed in pieces 2. That no man might live in and upon himselfe nor joy in himselfe but rejoyce in the Lord Jesus Christ and have no confidence in the flesh Phil. 3. 1. 3. 3. That Gods power and free love might be manifested That we might know the exceeding greatnesse of his power to us-ward who beleeve his mightie power Eph. 1. 19. 4. That God might have all the glory Ephes 1. 6. That no flesh should glory 1 Cor. 1. 29. Gal. 6. 14. In the Lord shall all the seed of Israel be justified and shall glory Isa 55. 25. 9. All wayes besides Christ are by-paths aside out of the way I am the way Joh. 14. 6. 10. Christs way and mans way are contrary each to other Christs way leads the soule to Christ mans way leads to himselfe to deliver himselfe 11. Wee should not be led aside from Christ by any thing hearken then onely to Chrâ—â—â— 12. Nor say is there not a lye and that is he cannot aske a question c. 13. The meanes of deliverance is so hid from man that he hath no power to use them 14. A lye all that man doth rest upon while he is in the state of nature is nothing but a lye oh he is miserably deluded 15. The strength and confidence of a deluded man may be so great that it may seeme to him unreasonable once to question it 16. Mens confidence of salvation may be greater and stronger then the faith of some of the Lords and yet it is false and nothing but the delusion of a deceived heart and Satan 17. The greatnesse or strength of any mans confidence cannot assure him that hath it that it is not a delusion but it is proved to be true or false by the ground of it the cause and foundation of it If it be built or caused by any of mans qualifications either abstinence from sin doing good or from his inward peace comfort joy c. it 's false But if it be founded upon Christ onely in his free grace from the word and promise of God Rom. 15. 4. In his word doe I hope Psal 130. 5. But I hope in thy word Psal 119. 81. it is true did God so convince thee that thou becamest lost and fatherles Hos 14. 3. and perswaded thee he had mercy for thee and caused thee to hope in him for it Psal 33. 18. 21. 22. it is no delusion FINIS NEWES FROM HEAVEN OR A CORDIALL for a fainting Heart 2 COR. 5. 20 21. Now then we are Ambassadors for Christ as though God did beseech you by us we pray you in Christs stead be yee reconciled to God For he hath made him to be sin for us that knew no sin that we might be made the righteousnesse of God in him BEhold and hearken for here are tydings of great joy that Christ alone doth free the soule from sin and makes the soule to enjoy the righteousnesse of God in him in which is sure sweet cleare full durable divine consolation sufficient to cheare revive raise and ravish the sinking soule by reason of sin in the want of a righteousnesse of God in him These words containe many divine truths I shall endeavour to declare some observations from them for our instruction and consolation In that he saith Be yee reconciled to God you may observe That the best estate of men by nature is an estate of enmitie against God who is the chiefest good for if these need any reconciliation how much more enemies Rom. 5. 10. For he hath made him to be sin for us God hath in his wisdome and love found out a way to save lost man and hath sent the Lord Jesus to effect it Zach. 9. 10 11. and manifest it and hath sent Ambassadors and given us his word to declare his great grace Joh. 1. 17. infinite love Joh. 3. 16. and the unsearchable riches of Christ Be yee reconciled to God for he hath made him to be sin for us That there needs strong reasons and earnest intreaties yea the arme of the Lord must be revealed in them to reconcile a sinfull soule to God Isa 53. 1. As though God did beseech you God is more willing to pardon a sinner yea the chiefe of sinners then any soule is or can be willing to be pardoned This appeares in that God seeks to us to be reconciled man seeks it not I was found of them that sought me not Isa 65. 1 2 3. And in that God beseecheth a lost sinner to be reconciled to God and when we prodigals turne to God being turned by God we doe but goe and that softly but God who is that Father runneth to receive us as Luk. 15. 18. 20. And as running expresseth much more willingnesse then an easie going so it is here God beseecheth you by us wee pray you in Christs stead It appeares that all the doubts and feares the soule or Satan can frame as if God were unwilling to pardon a lost sinner Luk. 19. 10. are all groundlesse and false for he prayeth and beseeches to be reconciled as if he should say goe tell such a soule from me I will have him to be reconciled to me I am not angry with him he need not doubt of my love which is infinite without time or measure I am all-sufficient I can and I will passe by all his wickednesse against me Be yee reconciled we pray you That even such sinners as God sends after and will save they have many hard thoughts of God they are so foolish and so deceived by sin that they are contented to be as they are and stand in need to be prayed and intreated to be reconciled to God As though God did beseech you by us That all those into whom God hath put this word of reconciliation when it is declared unto us by them or in his Word we ought to receive it and beleeve it as if God did immediately speak unto us for they speake in his stead So also it is the duty of the Ambassadors of Christ to declare nothing but the message they receive from
for in thy sight shall no man living be justified Psal 143. 2. Dan. 9. 18. Tit. 3. 5. 7. All our righteousnesses are as filthy rags c. Isai 64. 4. 6. God reveales to a soule Christs righteousnesse and the soules interest unto it Joh. 16. 14. To comfort the soule and cause the soule to love God againe he doth not comfort us in the sight of our own righteousnesse before he declares and comforts the soule in the righteousnesse of Christ Righteousnesse in him That righteousnesse which justifieth us before God as it is not ours so it is not in us but as it is Christs righteousnesse so it is in him In the Lord have I righteousnesse and strength in me you shall have righteousnesse and strength Isa 45. 23 24 25. The cause or forme of our justification is by a reciprocall translation of our sin unto Christ and his righteousnesse unto us both which is done by God for us That we might be made Whatsoever Jesus Christ hath done and suffered was for those whose sinnes were laid upon him who are stated in him Ephes 1. 4. and are fully pardoned by him Rev. 1. 5. By the obedience of one man viz. Christ many are made righteous Rom. 5. 19. By his stripes we are healed Isa 53. 5. The bloud of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sin 1 Joh. 1. 7. In him God considers his to be in Christ before they had a beeing in themselves Ephes 1. 4. and he never lookes upon his children out of him for they are never out of him They dwell in Christ Joh. 6. 56. and shall ever live Joh. 9. 25. and be found in him Phil. 3. 8. Christ and all true beleevers are so united together that they are but one one body one spirit bone of his bone oh what union is like to this that is so reall full and intire wonderfull glorious spirituall eternall and infinite 1 Cor. 6. 17. Gal. 5. 30. c. Joh. 15. 5. Joh. 17. 22 23. If our faith in Christ were as strong as our union with Christ wee should ingrosse and possesse all that is in heaven and nothing in the earth could trouble us The state of a beleever in Christ as considered in him is an estate of perfection We are complete in him Col. 2. 9 10. 13. As Christ is so am I as I am so is Christ Joh. 1. 17. What is Christs is mine what is mine is his Christs righteousnesse is mine I am all righteous I need no more nor no other righteousnesse as I am in Christ I am as righteous and as acceptable as Christ God seeth no sin in me because there is none for I am all faire there is no spot in me Song 4. 7. Song 2. 10. Ephes 5. 25 26 27. For as he is even so are we in this world 1 Joh. 4. 17. Thou hast cast all my sinnes behinde thy backe Isa 38. 17. As far as the East in from the West so far hath he removed our transgressions from us Psal 103. 12. Seventy weeks are determined upon the people and upon the holy Citie to finish the transgressions and to make an end of sinnes and to make reconviliation for iniquitie and to bring in an everlasting righteousnesse to seale up the vision and prophecy and to anoynt the most Holy Dan. 9. 24. I will greatly rejoyce in the Lord my soule shall be joyfull in my God for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation he hath covered me with the robe of righteousnesse Isa 61. 10. All Saints are alike clothed with Christs righteousnesse the meanest the weakest as the best and is as acceptable by it as the best oh they are all alike perfect righteous and glorious as they are in Christ oh here is strong consolation for thy fainting heart to refresh it selfe withall Drinke O friends and make yee merry O welbeloved yea drink drink abundantly in this fountaine that is bottomlesse and therefore can never be drawne dry Song 5. 1. In the most perfect Saints as they are in themselves there is much sin 1 Joh. 1. 10. and God doth see it yet God cannot condemne them to wrath for it no more then God can condemne Christ for it who shall appeare without sin Heb. 9. 28. They being in him who hath suffered for it and Justice neither will nor can exact the payment of a debt twice now it 's justice in God to justifie Rom. 3. 25. yea God is as just in pardoning a sinner by the bloud of Christ as he is just in condemning any and now thou hast a full pardon by justice as well as mercy therefore drinke freely Song 5. 1. For us That which is spoken in generall to beleevers every beleever is to apply it to himselfe in particular so Paul he loved me and gave himselfe for me Gal. 2. 20. For us for me The word and promise of God that it is for me is that which my soule should fix its eye upon and by faith for ever relie upon and be a full satisfaction to my soule knowing that the word and promise of God is the onely ground of my faith and is securitie sufficient for my salvation As soone as the soule is convinced that Jesus Christ is made sin for me and that I am made the righteousnesse of God in him all the soules doubts feares objections vanish and Christ is beleeved in and lived upon with thankfulnesse and joy Jesus Christ being made sin for me is as good for me yea better for me then if I had never sinned as much better as a spirituall body is better then a naturall as much better as the image of the heavenly is better then the image of the earthly yea as much better as strength is better then weaknesse and as heaven is better then earth 1 Cor. 15. 43 44. to 55. But saith a discouraged soule I cannot beleeve the Lord Jesus was made sin for me Why not for thee Because my sins are greater then others be for my sins have all the aggravations upon them that can be For mine are many So were theirs in the second and third Chapter of Jeremiah yet notwithstanding God pardoned them all as appeares Jer. 3. 21. to 25. But my sins are great and hainous So were theirs and so were Manassehs as appeares 2 King 21. 4. 9. 11. 16. and so was the womans Luk. 7. 47. and so was Pauls 1 Tim. 1. 15. yet God pardoned them all as he hath done others But my sins are against the Gospel So was Pauls he persecuted them that professed the Gospel and made havock of the Church entring into every house haling men and women and committed them to prison Act. 8. 3. And Christ died for them that slew him Act. 2. 23. 38. But mine are afâ—er many mercies So was Solomons who sinned against God after the Lord appeared unto him twice 1 King 11. 9.
houses of clay Job 4. 18 19. And all those whom God hath revealed his Sonne unto they see an exceeding transcendent beautie in him and he is precious unto them 1 Pet. 2. 7. They loth and abhor themselves Job 42. 6. Because they see in themselves nothing else but vilenesse filthinesse and unworthinesse Ezek. 16. 63. and it sets out the mercy of God the more that it is freely given unto the unworthy Ezek. 16. 9. Incouragement It makes most for the glory of God to give great things and is it not a disparagement for a King to doe otherwise The Lord is a great King a mightie God Isa 9. 6. He doth great things past finding out and wonders without number Job 9. 10. Feare not the Lord will do great things Joel 2. 21. For with God nothing shall be impossible Luk. 1. 37. Measure not the Lord by thy selfe For my thoughts are not your thoughts neither are your wayes my wayes saith the Lord for as the heavens are higher then the earth so are my wayes higher then your wayes and my thoughts then your thoughts Isa 55. 8 9. And those who are made wise by God looke not so much to their basenesse as unto his greatnesse Zach. 9. 17. 10. Incouragement That which moves God to shew mercy is onely in himselfe nothing in the creature Ezek. 16. 3. to 9. Nor any thing the creature can doe cannot move God to shew mercy I will doe away thy sinnes for my Names sake Isa 43. 25. God shews mercy because he will Micah 7. 18 19. 11. Incouragement The greater our sinnes are and our sensiblenesse of unworthinesse the more we shall love God when we know that our sinnes are pardoned Luk. 7. 41 42 43 47. 12. Incouragement The mercy of God is infinite it hath no part or forme therefore it is not capable of any addition or defect therefore infinite shouldst thou need thousands of Seas of mercy to pardon thy sinnes God hath not the lesse notwithstanding he hath given so much If I had all the sins upon me that can be committed or but one sinfull thought this consideration makes it all one Oh I worlds of sin in this Ocean vanish and come to nothing Rom. 11. 33. Oh the depth of the unsearchable riches of Christ Ephes 3. 8. 13. Incouragement The Name of God it 's infinite also The Father of mercies 2 Cor. 1. 3. Yea it 's the nature of God The Lord is very pitifull and of tender mercies Jam. 5. 11. All mercy and pitie is from him and all that is or hath been is but a drop to that Ocean of that pitie and mercy that is in him We are ready to sin but God is much more ready to forgive mercy pleaseth him it 's his delight Micah 7. 18. He is plenteous in mercy Psal 86. 5. Thou art a God ready to forgive 14. Incouragement The price that is for the sinnes of such as beleeve is infinite also count all thy sins and still they are the acts of a finite creature and is not Christ satisfaction above them he is God 1 Joh. 5. 20. His righteousnesse is farre greater then thy sinnes therefore be they great or small he is able to disanull them all 15. Incouragement The Covenant of grace is not made with us nor can it be broken by us but with Christ If they break my statutes and keep not my Commandements neverthelesse my loving kindnesse will I not take from him nor suffer my faithfulnesse to faile my Covenant will I not breake nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips Psal 89. 31. 33 34. My Covenant shall stand fast with him vers 28. So then the Covenant is made with Christ and that it was not made for our good workes nor can we disanull it by our sinnes for it 's sure perpetuall and everlasting Heb. 13. 20. It 's not founded upon a rotten and sandy foundation as thy selfe and duties are Oh wonder at Gods wisdome and love that it is not made with us nor is it in our keeping loe it 's founded upon the word promise of an eternall God and what ever is in God is God God is unchangeable Micah 3. 6. therefore the Covenant stands sure for ever Heb. 13. 20. But the discouraged soule still replieth I am perswaded I have committed the sin against the holy Spirit and that is unpardonable Heb. 6. 4. Those who have committed this sin tread under foot the Sonne of God and count the bloud of the Covenant an unholy thing and doe hate God and Christ Joh. 15. 24. In that thou art afraid thou hast committed this sin it is certain thou hast not committed it because such as have so sinned are past feare or feeling being given up to a reprobate sense Ephes 4. 19. I am afraid the day of grace is past to me and so nothing can doe me good You must not give way to such a thought who knows but the Lord may returne Jonah 3. 19. Is this the way thinkest thou to enjoy the assurance of his love to nourish jealousies against his love Surely this is not the way Shouldst thou not rather say as David did How precious are thy thoughts to me O God great is the summe of them if I should count them they are more then the sands Psal 139. 17 18. The number of the sands are many yet Gods thoughts of love exceeds them Be not afraid onely beleeve Mark 5. 36. Christ received sinners Luk. 15. 1 2. If thou thinkest the day of grace is past because thy sinnes are great c. this will not prove it minde what God saith I have spred out my hand all the day to a rebellious people that provoke me to anger continually to my face Isa 65. 2 3. If thou desirest to returne to God thy day of grace is not past Rev. 2. 20. If we confesse our sinnes he is faithfull and just to forgive us our sinnes c. 1 Joh. 4. 9. I doe not beleeve I am elected c. so nothing can doe me good This is a secret and you must not meddle with Gods secrets Secret things belong to God and revealed things to us Deut. 29. 29. It 's one of Satans deceits to tell a soule that God hath no mercy for him when the soule hath obtained mercy or when it is not farre from him It is certaine these thoughts come from Satan because they are contrary to God in his word as Gen. 3. 2 3 4. It 's the nature of unbeliefe to be inquisitive and curious to find out any pretence that it may seeme to doe well in not harkening to what God saith in his word Heb. 10. We must not hearken unto Satan nor yeeld to him but resist him meddle not with election fix thy eye upon Christ as a sutable good for thee who is able to save thee and wait upon him in
beleeve or no for some shall not be saved and if I be one of them if I should beleeve I should be saved by Christ I should beleeve a lye The Gospel declares that whosoever beleeves in Christ shall be saved Joh. 3. 16. therefore those who beleeve cannot be any of them that shall perish and the Word saith be that beleeveth not is condemned already Joh. 3. 18. and shall not see life What God saith is truth and truth ought to be beleeved and whatsoever is contrary to truth no man is bound to beleeve therefore no unregenerate man is commanded to beleeve the forgivenesse of his sinnes in any other way then Gods word holds forth forgivenesse of sinnes which is he that beleeves shall be saved and have everlasting life Men are commanded to beleeve they shall have benefit by Christ life and salvation by Christ if they beleeve Joh. 3. 16. And no man is commanded to beleeve he shall be saved by Christ whether he beleeves or no for this is contrary to the Word which saith He that beleeves not is condemned already Joh. 3. 18. No man is to beleeve that which is not true yet this hinders not but all that see an absolute necessitie of Christ shall enjoy him they ought not to distrust in him but to cast away all their doubts and feares and beleeve in him and rest upon him for ever as Simon Peter said to Christ Master to whom shall we goe thou hast the words of eternall life Joh. 6. 67 68. But I have no love to Christ I am an enemie to Christ I am not fit for Christ The reason thou doest not love Christ is because thou seest not thy sinnes to be pardoned by Christ didst thou know he loves thee thou wouldst love him the love of Christ would constraine thee to love him 2 Cor. 5. 14. We love him because he first loved us 1 Joh. 4. 19. Doest thou apprehend thy selfe to be an enemy to God so were all those once that ever did beleeve Ephes 2. 12 13. While we were enemies wee were reconciled to God by the death of his Sonne Rom. 5. 8. 10. Enemies cannot discerne Christ yet God gives Christ to such Thou canst not fit thy selfe for Christ if thou seest such a necessity of Christ as without him thou art undone thou desirest Christ and goest to Christ He that commeth to me I will in no wise cast out Joh. 6. 37. hearken what Christ saith you shall speed you have the promise of Christ which is security sufficient to satisfie thy soule for Christ is in you and no man can hunger and thirst after righteousnesse viz. Christ but such as are blessed Mat. 5. 6. and the Spirit of God dwels in you and Christ is in you and they that are led by the Spirit of God out of themselves to Christ for light and life and strength are the children of God Rom. 8. 9 10 11 14. Indeed there are many sweet promises in the Word but they are all for beleevers but I am none I grant none may apply a promise of life but onely such as beleeve yet the promises are for all the elect thou knowest not but thou art one of them when God shall please to give thee faith thou shalt know thy interest in them Act. 13. 48. In the meane time stay thy selfe with this that the Lord Jesus gave himselfe for enemies and justifieth the ungodly Rom. 4. 5. Whilest wee were yet sinners Christ dyed for us While we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Sonne Rom. 5. 8. 10. Therefore be not discouraged God may save thee also The Lord saith I will have mercy upon her that hath not obtained mercy and I will say to them which were not my people Thou art my people and they shall say Thou art my God Hos 2. 23. Oh sweet place therefore by no meanes yeeld not to thy feares nourish no jealousies against God but resolve in Christs strength to cleave to his Word as Psal 119. 49. And here hold saying My beloved is mine and I am his Song 2. 16. I would gladly beleeve but I dare not Thou shouldst not admit nor give way to any discouragement to hinder thy going to Christ seeing Christ cryed saying If any man thirst let him come to mee and drinke Joh. 7. 37. The Spirit and the Bride say Come and whosoever will let him come Rev. 22. 17. The Lord takes pleasure in them that feare him and in them that hope in his mercy Psal 147. 11. He will not quench the smoaking flax Mat. 12. 20. From whence is thy feare sure it is occasioned or much increased by them who bid persons beleeve forbid them againe by their saying Take heed what you doe you may be deceived it is not so easie a matter to beleeve you must first be so sensible of sin and so humbled for it c. before you may beleeve Now they conceit they are not so and so qualified therefore they dare not beleeve also they are scared with the many things hypocrites may doe how farre they may goe and so set them short of hypocrites which must needs discourage them yet the word of God requires no such teaching for men to learne before they may beleeve for when the soule seeth it selfe lost by reason of sinne and is at a stand not knowing what to doe the first thing they are to doe is to beleeve in Jesus Christ as appeares Acts 16. 31. The word requires nothing of them before they may beleeve therefore wee may not for none may presume above what is written If thou desirest to beleeve thy will is in part regenerated and thou doest in some measure beleeve though weakly as he did that said Lord I beleeve help my unbeliefe Mark 9. 24. Gods servants are described by a desire to feare his Name Nehe. 1. 11. Psal 145. 19. Psal 147. 11. There can be no desires without faith 1 Pet. 2. 2 3. a man cannot desire that which he beleeves not to be so Heb. 11. 6. Many give God their hearts and doe not know it and so are troubled because they do not know what is meant by the heart nor where it is seated I speak not of the heart of flesh Rom. 8. 5 6 7. there is a carnall minde and a spirituall minde in men I speake of the heart mystically and spiritually which is principally seated in the will so that what it wills or desires there is the heart and to that which the will most wills or desires to that is the bent of the heart unto Now if the soule were to have its choice of every thing that one thing that the soule should chuse would any question whether they loved it and that their hearts were not unto it for as no soule can be sensible of the want of Christ untill the soule be possessed of him Rom. 8. 10 11. so no soule
3. 28. If any man sin we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous 1 Joh. 2. 1. The bloud of Jesus Christ makes us cleane from all sin 1 Joh. 1. 7. To despaire of the mercy of God because our sinnes are great were to limit God in his mercy which is a greater sin and an adding sin to sin therefore for the greatest sinne a beleever can commit he ought not to moane without hope for no sin he can commit can never put him into a state of condemnation or under the curse Rom. 8. 1 2 3. And whilst we live in this world God healeth not our sinfull natures wholly nor takes it away quite the flesh lusteth Rom. 7. yet God ever esteemes his as they are in Christ and not simply as they are in themselves Eph. 1. 4. 1 Cor. 1. 30. Paul saith I my selfe keep the law of God but with my flesh the law of sin Sin doth the evill that beleevers doe see Rom. 7. 15. 17. 20. 1 Joh. 3. 9. Consider Nehe. 9. 16 17 c. He knoweth our frame and remembreth that wee are but dust Psal 103. 14. God is never an enemy to his though they greatly sinne against him Psal 51. We are not beloved for our own sakes nor any thing in our selves but for Christ in whom God is well pleased Mat. 3. 17. Therefore nothing in us or that we doe can make us to be loved more or lesse God may well say of himselfe I am the Lord I change not Mal. 3. 6. His love is as himselfe ever the same and Christ in whom we are beloved ever the same Heb. 13. 8. therefore a beleevers hope joy and coÌ„fidence is to be ever the same in Christ Ps 23. 1. So we are commanded to Rejoyce alwayes Psal 5. 11. 32. 11. Let them exceedingly rejoyce Psal 40. 16. Psal 68. 3. and to rejoyce evermore Againe I say rejoyce 1 Thes 1. 5. 16. Phil. 4. 4. The joy of the Lord is our strength Neh. 8. 16. Oh there is enough in the Lord Jesus to satisfie thee at all times he is an unchangeable object of true joy in him onely is all our hope and happinesse whose bloud hath payd all the debt of all thy sinnes It 's Christ that died who now shall condemn surely none Rom. 8. 33. Therefore let not thy fall cause thee to question the love of God seeing thy salvation depends not upon thy repentance or holinesse but from Gods free grace Rom. 9. 15 16. Isa 43. 24 25. 57. 17. Ezek. 16. 1. to 9. My little children these things I write unto you that yee sin not 1 Joh. 2. 1. And for any to turne the grace of God into wantonnesse that is the sweet mercy and consolations of God to incourage them in their sinning they are led by the Spirit of the Devill he is their father and his works they do Joh. 8. I speak to you that regard iniquitie Psal 66. 18. that love sin and delight in it and are bold and venturous upon it and can drinke downe iniquitie like water Job 15. 16. You at present are in the gall of bitternesse and whiles it is so with them here is no consolation for them thâ—â—e may not be numbred with them who through weaknesse and temptation or want of watchfulnesse are overtaken and fall into sinne which they hate by not shunning the occasions of sinne c. Surely all the Lords have need to pray as David did to God Hold up my goings in thy paths that my footsteps slip not Psal 17. 5. Howsoever it be be not out of hope although thou didst persecute the truth as Paul did and them that professed it Act. 9. 1 2. yet afterwards he preached the faith Gal. 1. 23. thou knowest not but God may convert thee also The servant of God having fallen into sinne is to rise by faith for shall a man fall and not rise Jer. 8. 4. When I fall I shall arise Micah 7. 7. Who is a God like unto thee that pardoneth the iniquitie and passeth by the transgressions of the Remnant of his people Micah 7. 18 19 20. God subdues the corruption that is in his not all at once but by degrees therefore he saith I will be mercifull to their unrighteousnesse and their sinnes will I remember no more Heb. 8. 12. God hath nothing against those who are in Christ 1 Cor. 1. 30. Yee are in Christ But alas I feele my heart is hardened There is much hardnesse of heart in a childe of God and they feele it and complaine of it and mourne under it which is from the new heart in them To feele hardnesse is from softnesse and the condition of an experienced childe of God O Lord why hast thou made us to erre from thy wayes and hardened our hearts from thy feare doubtlesse thou art our father thou O Lord art our father Isa 63. 16 17. Their hearts were hardened yet they were the children of God Motives or incouragements to beleeve NOtwithstanding faith is the gift of God Eph. 2. 8. Phil. 1. 29. it floweth from the Spirits operation in the heart therefore our beleeving is said to be the worke of God Joh. 6. 28. the operation of God Col. 2. 12. the Spirit of faith 2 Cor. 4. 13. The Spirit inlighteneth our understandings and boweth our hearts to beleeve So that without the Spirit of Christ we can doe nothing Joh. 15. 5. Ephes 1. 19. It is through grace that men beleeve Act. 18. 27. yet men are to use the meanes for when in the preaching of the Word we bid persons to doe so and so we expect the holy Spirit of God to put power to the words spoken to make them effectuall to enable the creature to obey as He said unto me Sonne of man stand up upon thy feet and the Spirit entred into me when he had spoken unto me and set me upon my feet Ezek. 2. 1 2. And the dead shall heare the voyce of the Sonne of God and they that heare shall live Joh. 5. 25. Else it were in vaine to speak to dead men 1 Pet. 4. 6. To beleeve c. is a spirituall worke and all men by nature are spiritually dead Eph. 2. 1. 5. 14. onely they beleeve whose hearts God opens as Acts 16. 14. None can beleeve but they to whom it is given Phil. 1. 29. Therefore such words as these Beleeve in the Lord Jesus and thou shalt be saved Act. 16. 30 31. in this sense are to be understood for it is not in him that willeth and him that runneth c. Rom. 9. 16. it is God that worketh both to will and to doe Incouragements to beleeve 1. Because the Gospel is to be preached to every creature he that beleeves shall be saved Act. 16. 16. There is no precept or command for any to doubt none are exempted or forbidden to beleeve see Act. 16. 30 31. 1 Joh. 3. 23. but men are commanded
no more Heb. 10. 17. So that now wee may draw neere with a true heart in full assurance of faith for he is faithfull that promised vers 22 23. Let not thy comfort depend upon thy personall Sanctification because from it there can no sure selected constant comfort flow To seek comfort from Sanctification and not from their Justification in Christ is a cause of much trouble in many a weake beleever for Sanctification hath nothing to doe with Justification nor salvation as any cause of it Also Sanctification admits of degrees but Justification admits of neither rules nor degrees and is more glorious then Sanctification our Justification depends not upon our apprehending of it nor in our receiving of it but upon the effectualnesse and merit of what our sweet Lord Jesus hath done for us Heb. 10. 14. 18 19. So that now wee may well have boldnesse to enter into the Holiest by the bloud of Jesus vers 20. Justification is apprehended by faith Heb. 11. 1. Joh. 8. 56. Faith doth evidence to us our justification for the Scripture saith all that beleeve are justified Act. 13. 39. It is possible to have a full assurance of faith Heb. 10. 22. therefore faith is an unquestionable evidence and when faith is hidden and doubtfull Justification is not apprehended and when faith is hidden and doubtfull Sanctification is not evident but doubtfull and so cannot evidence to us our Justification the effects of Sanctification cause men to question their Justification therefore no effect of Sanctification can evidence to the soule its Justification and that soule that by Faith apprehends his Justification by Christ not onely knoweth it but may live upon it injoying the sweet fruit of it peace joy strength without any considering the effects of Sanctification in himselfe And seeing Christ is made Sanctification to a beleever 1 Cor. 1. 30. why may not a beleever live upon his own and say I have Sanctification in Christ which is perfect my actuall righteousnesse doth often faile me but Christs righteousnesse indures for ever Psal 111. 3. therefore I will fetch all my comfort from Christ and my Justification by him and as wee are not to conclude our Justification from any effect of Sanctification so wee are not to conclude that apprehension of Justification to be from God as shall take men off the meanes and rules of Sanctification because it is to the dishonour of God for men not to walke holily according to the word of God Tit. 2. 14. Prize and preserve the peace of thy conscience Be sure yee allow your selves in no sinne but in the power and strength of Christ to hate and abhorre with the greatest indignation all sinne and the appearance of evill it is better to dye then to sinne there is that which accompanieth sinne which strikes at a beleevers peace and comfort and will damp straiten and oppresse their comfort joy and peace in God unlesse God doth wonderfully strengthen their faith in him And such as live by faith and injoy sweet peace in him have found sin to be an enemy and a let to their faith and comfort it having often unsetled and disquieted and clouded their soules peace though indeed it ought not so to doe for we are to remember that sweet place Heb. 10. 17. Their sinnes and iniquities will I remember no more This alone is able to settle a soule it being full of sweetnesse and life Doe not trouble thy selfe with any thing that may befall thee in case thou wert certaine great troubles shall befall thee be not troubled at any trouble much lesse for future trouble nor thinke not to incounter with supply a future trouble with a present strength if many and great troubles come God is alsufficient and will remove them or give strength to beare them when they come 1 Cor. 10. 13. Mind seriously those promises of God that are sutable to thy condition separate thy selfe to meditate upon them as Prov. 18. 2. hide them in thy heart as Mat. 13. 44. There is strength and sweetnesse in the promise thou maist venture thy soule upon God in his promise and live upon it thou knowest not but God may reveale his promise to thee and settle it sweetly and fully upon thy soule by his almightie power as Ephes 1. 19 20. Therefore let not Gods promises be strange to thee but feed upon them eat them Eate O friends drinke abundantly O beloved Song 5. 1. Leave not the promise untill thou beest refreshed revived raised ravished with Gods rich grace and infinite free love and thy heart inlarged with thankfulnesse and obedience unto God againe for the exceeding riches of his mercy Eph. 2. 9. His plenteous Redemption Psal 130. 7. Treasure up experiences of Gods goodnesse unto thy soule but who among you will give eare to this who will hearken and heare for the time to come Isa 42. 23. Remember the dayes of old I have considered the dayes of old and the yeares of ancient time Psal 77. 5. Thou hast been my helpe Psal 63. 7. I was brought low and he helped me see 2 Tim. 4. 17 18. Psal 89. 49. Keepe thy heart calme and quiet from all passions as feare griefe c. The still soule can best heare and know Christs voice his still voyce but where feare vexation and distempers dwell they are not aware of Christ nor themselves and commonly they that feare most have least cause as they had the Angel of the Lord came upon them and the glory of the Lord shone round about them and they were sore afraid and the Angel said unto them Feare not for behold I bring you tidings of great joy Luk. 2. 9 10. When the soule is troubled with any passion it is not at the command of faith Luk. 24. 41. the violence of their joy hindred their faith Let not your hearts be troubled Joh. 13. 1. Quietnesse is the stay of the soule to doe or receive Be contented with thy present estate and fill not thy head heart or hand with any more businesse then thou must needs Consider Heb. 13. 5. Take heed of the cares of this life Luk. 21. 34. 15. Trouble not thy selfe with needlesse supposed feares if thou doest thou drawest upon thy selfe reall sorrow and unnecessary discontent there be many that are possessed with bitter sorrows from supposed sufferings Order thy conversation aright To him that ordereth his conversation aright will I shew the salvation of God Psal 50. 23. Want of wisdome to dispose of of diligence to dispatch what necessitie requires to be done in the right time and place hath produced such inconveniences as hath unavoydably caused trouble a disquieted and an unsetled spirit Walke with God in his wayes ordinances they are for thy comfort strength joy and peace in him there is no quiet to those that worship the beast Rev. 14. 10 11. Use Gods means but live not upon ordinances but upon God in them for meanes alone are not sufficient to doe
deare though the Elect shall misse hell Lord bold up my goings in thy paths that my footsteps slip not Psal 17. 5. Hold thou me up and I shall be safe and I will have respect unto thy Statutes continually Psal 119. 117. 4. Watch thoughts Every day to watch that my thoughts be holy or lawfull and seasonable to ranke order and confine them within an holy compasse that I may gaze and meditate on God his unmeasurable goodnesse greatnesse beautie glory and to bring under and destroy every wicked and vaine thought and desire c. It is no burden to fix our minds and thoughts on things above where our life and joy and treasure is Where your treasure is there will your hearts be also The more wisdome leads us on high the more is our joy and the more we avoyd the snares below and the more wee injoy God in the invisible workings intentions desires elevations of heart with thoughts of sweetest raptures in which is peace joy triumph searching into the mysteries of grace in which is light is truth in its clearnesse purenesse fulnesse in gazing upon the most glorious object admiring God in his infinite attributes to contemplate on Gods boundlesse mercy in Christ Such as are exercised herein injoy great sweetnesse and delight they see and say as David How precious are thy thoughts to me O God c. Psal 139. 17. Such thoughts raise the heart and make it spirituall joyfull and thankfull willing and serious in all duties and holy services 5. Hearken unto conscience Every day to watch and hearken to the noyse of conscience that I may prise the peace of it indeavour to informe it and to doe nothing that shall offend it And herein doe I exercise my selfe to have alwayes a conscience voyde of offence towards God and towards man Acts 24. 16. Holding the mystery of faith in a pure conscience 1 Tim. 3. 9. 6. Watch affections Every day to watch that my affections be set right and that they move not without or contrary to my judgement and that they be set upon right objects and that they soare not too high nor descend too low but according as the object deserves meanly affecting meane things and not affecting corrupt reason as passion c. That my delight be not set immoderately upon any earthly things though never so excellent desirable or amiable and so to injoy them as expecting every day or houre to lose them Set your affections on things above Col. 3. 1. 5. Affections are the pulses of the soule and shew the state of it the affections are the motions of the will and the will is the principall seate of grace grace hath its birth in the understanding but her seate is more principally in the will actually and formally therefore the will is much to be observed in its tempers inclinations motions which are the affections of the soule all affections may be comprehended in love and hatred the first comprehends desire delight joy hope these are the acts of love and these are chiefly to be given to God wee must make him our trust love joy delight and our all in all esteeme and affect all things else under him and for him he is all-sufficient therefore we may well content our selves with him and to love him dearly then are the affections set right when with God wee are sicke of love Song 2. 5. Forsake not God who is a living fountaine for broken Cisternes Jer. 2. Love is the sweetest affection it 's pity it should be spent and lost upon vanities And when we set our affections strongly on things below it 's a mercy for God to take them from us to teach us and cause us to take more delight in God himselfe and those true unspeakeable and everlasting delights prepared for the Saints with himselfe Surely wee have cause to lament that we are so ready to set our affections on things below that they are so strong and unruly and so hardly subdued that it is not an easie thing to master our wils and appetites they so rage and dote so vehemently after vanities vanitie of vanities all is vanitie Eccl. 1. 2. 7. Watch time That every day I watch and endeavour to redeeme time because it is precious to improve it to know truth to injoy and obey God and to serve others in love redeeming the time because the dayes are evill Eph. 5. 16. Also our time is short it 's but as a thought a shadow a dreame a span long it is our duty and wisdome to preserve and redeeme time for every purpose and action Paul improves his time by the space of three yeares I ceased not to warne every one night and day with teares c. Act. 20. 31. Yet we lose many houres needlesly in sleeping in trifling in idle visits c. In which time good might have been done to many 8. Watch senses Every day to watch the windows of my soule my senses as eares eyes from unlawfull objects and lawfull when I perceive they would suck evill from them and shutting my eyes and eares if need be He shall dwell on high c. that stoppeth his eares from hearing of bloud that shutteth his eyes from seeing of evill Isa 33. 15 16. Thus we are commanded to take heed watch and pray Mark 13. 35. so take heed what yee heare It was Davids desire to God Turne away mine eyes from beholding vanitie Psal 119. 37. Job saw a necessitie to make a Covenant with his eyes Job 31. 1. For Satan is ready to convey much evill insensibly through these floud-gates of sin bad discourse inflames lust Davids roving eye caused him to fall foully and procured him much vexation and griefe who could have thought an idle glance could occasion so much mischiefe Expect no better fruit in suffering your hearts to run after your eyes fancy will take fire before we be aware but a foole will take no warning he will have his eyes in every corner of the earth Prov. 17. 24. he must and will hearken unto a tale-bearer Prov. 25. 23. And so he hath his heart filled with anger and revenge but when he is wiser he will cry out with shame and griefe that all is vanitie and vexation of spirit as Eccles 1. 2. 9. In outward things Every day to watch to make some good use and draw instruction from the creatures and passages of Gods providence so to mind heavenly things by naturall So did Christ upon mentioning of bread Mat. 16. These things below make themselves wings and fly away but fly thee by them from them before them 10. Watch in lawfull things Every day to watch narrowly with care and heedfulnesse in the use and injoyment of things lawfull viz. meat drinke sleepe apparell marriage visitations and recreations c. Our nature is prone to excesse herein and we oft sinne more and are in greater danger by lawfull things then by unlawfull because wee feare grosser evils more then we do the
literall sense of Scripture which ariseth from the words duly understood is the onely true and proper sense 14. Scriptures must be understood according to the largest extent of the words except there be some restraint of them by the matter phrase and scope of them as the word grace 1 Pet. 1. 13. or by some other place of Scripture it appeares they must be restrained 15. They must be expounded simply according to the letter except necessitie compell to depart from a literall sense to a figurative 16. Wee must not take a figurative speech properly nor a proper speech figuratively Mat. 26. 26 27. This is my body is a figurative speech it is a great servitude to take signes for things of which words be but signes 17. Where there is a sentence in Scripture which hath a tropicall or borrowed word we may not think the whole place figurative as Mat. 26. 28. 18. That which is said to one must be understood to be said to all in the like case and condition as appeares by comparing Joshua 1. 5. with Heb. 13. 5. For of the like things there is the like reason and judgement to be given let the circumstances be considered wisely 19. A particular example will afford a generall instruction when the equitie of the thing done is universall and the cause common otherwise not 20. The Scripture puts upon dead things the person of such as speake by a fiction of a person Ps 19. The firmament speakes c. So Rom. 19. 20 21. Psal 98. 7 8. By this manner of speech wee are moved to affect the things spoken and more easily brought to understand them 21. By bodily things the Scripture leads and lifts us up to divine thus a hand applied to God signifieth his working power so an eye his knowledge a heart his will his foot his presence or government wings his care or protection a mouth his word or commandement a finger his might and a soule put for the essence of God 22. The Scripture ascribes the names of things unto the similitudes and representations as 1 Sam. 28. 14 15. 23. That exposition that causeth an absurditie to follow is a false exposition Rom. 4. 14. 10. 14 15. 24. The word heart is commonly put for the soule of man 25. There is such a necessary and mutuall relation between faith and Christ the object that where one of these is expressed alone the other is included Christ onely is the matter of our righteousnesse 26. The Scripture divers times expresses the antecedent by the consequent Rom. 9. 33. with Isa 28. 16. For not making haste in Isaiah Paul saith Shall not be ashamed shame confusion being an effect which followeth haste 27. The Scripture useth one word twice in one sentence with a different signification Joh. 4. 35. Harvest is taken first for earthly and in the latter place for spirituall harvest So the word water in Joh. 4. 13 14. First elementary secondly spiritually viz. the graces of the Spirit 28. The word of commanding is often put for wishing as Let thy kingdome come â—hy Name be hallowed that is Oh that thy Name were hallowed Let him kisse me Song 1. 1. for oh that he would kisse me 29. Crying in Scripture doth often betoken a strong noyse outwardly but inwardly compunction and fervency of spirit and affection Rom. 8. 15. Heb. 5. 7. 30. Things proper to the body are ascribed unto the soule as hunger thirst to declare the earnest desire of the soule because the soule is unknowne unto us the Scripture very oft speaketh of invisible things by visible and shadoweth spirituall by corporall 31. A hyperbole is sometimes in Scripture this kind of speech expresseth more then can be signified by the proper acceptation of that speech it increaseth the truth as Gen. 13. 16. 15. 5. The meaning is no more then that his posteritie shall be very great as Gen. 17. 4. so Joh. 21. 25. 32. It is usuall in Scripture to put all for many 1 Tim. 2. 3. Mat. 3. All Jerusalem and Mat. 4. 23. All diseases So on the other side many is put for all as Rom. 5. 9. And whether all or many is meant may be knowne by observing the matter handled 33. Nothing is for little Joh. 18. 20. Also small and none for few Act. 27. 33. and alwayes for often 34. The negative particle not is often put comparatively and respectively not absolutely and simply as Hosea 6. Not sacrifice viz. rather then or not sacrifice in respect of mercy see Jer. 32. 33. So not is put for seldome Luk. 2. 37. 35. The word ever or everlasting doe not properly signifie eternitie in every place where it is used but great continuance as Psal 32. 14. 36. In Scripture the word untill doth not alwayes exclude the time following but signifies an infinite time or untill viz. eternitie 1 Cor. 15. Mat. 28. 28. Mat. 5. 26. That is to say never and also a certaine limit of time 37. The copulative particle and is often when it is not joyned to other matter as Psal 4. Ezek. 2. 1. 5. 1. And so often else-where Also this particle therefore or then is not alwayes illative or argumentative Rom. 8. 1. Oâ— it coupleth words outwardly to that which the Prophet heard inwardly 38. The particle if is not alwayes a note of doubting but of reasoning as Rom. 8. 31 Joel 1. 14. Acts 8. 22. Sometimes it notes the difficultie of the dutie and sometimes the necessitie of the thing and sometimes it is put for doubtingly Mat. 3. 14. 39. When a Substantive is repeated or twice mentioned in one case it signifieth emphasis or force as Lord Lord secondly a multitude as droves droves Gen. 32. 16. many droves thirdly distribution as 1 Chron. 16. a gate a gate 2 Chron. 19. 5. Levit. 17. 3. a Citie and a Citie that is every Citie fourthly diversitie or varietie as Pro. 20. 20. A weight and a weight that is divers weights An heart and a heart divers or a double heart 40. A Substantive repeated in divers cases if it be in the singular number it argueth certainty as Sabbath of Sabbath Lamentation of Lamentation Micah 3. 4. If it be in the plurall number it signifieth excellency as Eccl. 1. 1. Vanitie of vanities Song of Songs Cant. 1. God of Gods Psal 136. 2. King of Kings Lord of Lords for most high and excellent 41. Repeating of an Adjective and of a Substantive sometimes signifies increasing as Holy holy holy Jehovah Jehovah Temple Temple c. 42. A Verbe repeated or twice gone over in a sentence makes a speech more significant or else it shewes vehemency certainty speedinesse as to dye by dying Gen. 2. And is my hand shortened in shortening Isai 30. 2. 43. A Conjunction doubled doth double the deniall and increase it the more Shall not perceive Mat. 13. 14. 44. A figurative speech affords matter to nourish our faith as Mat. 15. 35. 1 Cor. 12. 12. Acts 9. 4.