humble and what they do want at the first they have it afterwards by degrees soaking into their souls Have they then any reason to be discouraged in these respects surely no. Quest But should not a Godly Gracious man be fully grieved and humbled for his sin Answ Grieved humbled for his sin yes surely though the Lord through the over-ruling hand of his Grace do work never so much good out of my sin unto me yet I am to be humbled for it and the rather to be humbled for it because he works good out of it I have read indeed of the Mother of those three Learned men Lumbard Gratian and Comaestor the three great pillars of the Roman Church for Lumbard wrote the sentences and Gratian the Popish Decretals and Comaestor Historiam Scholasticam that when she lay on her death bed and the Priest came unto her and called upon her for repentance of her whoredomes Hos tres Gratianum viz. Pet. Lumbardum et Pet. Comaestorem fuisse Germanos ex adulterio natos quorum mater cum in extremis peccatum suum confiteretur et confessor redargueret crimen perpetrati aduâ—terii quia valde grave esset et ideo multum deberet dolore et penitentiam agere respondet illa Pater scio quod adulterium peccatum magnum est sed considerans quantum bonum secutum est cum isti silii mei sint lumina magna in Ecclesia Ego non valeo paenitere Cui confessor hoc ex dono Dei est ex te autem adulterium crimen magnum et de hoc doleas c. Decret fol. 1. Gratiani vita for these three Lumbard Gratian and Comaestor were her bastards as the very popish writers do record it he telling her that she must be greatly afflicted grieved and humbled for her uncleanness or else she could not be saved why said she I confess indeed that whoredom and uncleanness is a great sin but considering what a great deal of good hath come to the Church of God by my sin that three such great lights have been brought forth into the world by my sin Non valeo paenitentiam agere I cannot I wil not repent thus it is with many poor ignorant souls when they see how the Lord by his over-ruling hand doth work good unto them out of their sin as some outward blessings mercys they do not repent of their sin but rather justify themselves in their sins but now take a Godly man a gracious soul and the more that he sees the Lord working good out of his sin the more he is humbled for it and upon that very ground because God works good of it therefore he is humbled the more Yet further it is observed that though the Lord did ordinarily cal David his servant yet when David had sinned that great sin he sent the prophet to him saying Go say to David he had lost the title of servant now bare David now single David now David without the title my servant And so though God ordinarily called the people of Israel his people yet when they had committed that great sin of Idolatry in the matter of the Golden Calfe the Lord doth not cal them his people but he saith to Moses The people not My people but The people and Thy people Moses now they had lost their old title Thus I say the sins of Gods own people do deprive them and divest them of their spiritual priviledges and can a gracious heart look upon this and consider how he is divested and disrobed of his spiritual priviledges and not mourn under it Can one friend grieve another friend and not be grieved himself The Saints by their sins they grieve God who is their best friend and therefore certainly they must needs be grieved they must needs be humbled or there is no Grace not grieved not humbled not Gracious But now because they are grieved and humbled for sin committed therefore they are not discouraged I say because they are grieved and because they are humbled for sin committed therefore they are not discouraged for discouragement is a hinderance to humiliation and the more truly a man is humbled for sin committed the less he is discouraged and the more a man is discouraged the less he is truly humbled Quest You wil say then but what is the difference between these a man is to be humbled and not discouraged not discouraged and yet to be humbled what is the difference between these two being humbled and being discouraged Answ It is a profitable question and worth our time by way of answer therefore thus First When a man is humbled truly humbled the object of his grief sorrow or trouble is sin it self as a dishonor done unto God the object of discouragement is a mans own condition or sin in order to his own condition the ultimate object of discouragement being a mans own condition when a man is discouraged you shal find stil that his trouble runs al out upon his own condition O! saith a discouraged person I have sinned I have thus sinned and therefore my condition is naught and if my condition be naught now it wil never be better Lord what wil become of my soul Stil his trouble is about his own condition But when a man is grieved and truly humbled for sin his trouble is about sin it self as a dishonor done unto God To clear this by scripture you know Cain was discouraged but Cain was not humbled how may that appear Cain was troubled about his condition Ah! saith he My punishment is greater than I can bear on the other side the poor prodigal was humbled but not discouraged how may that appear his trouble was about his sin and not about his condition I wil return unto my Father saith he and I wil say unto him I have sinned against Heaven and before thee and I am no more worthy to be called thy Son make me as one of thy hired servants David sometimes was both discouraged and humbled and then you find his repentance and humiliation to be very brackish but if you look into the Psal 51. you shal find David humbled but not discouraged for it is a penitential Psalm therefore humbled and not discouraged for stil he did keep his Assurance vers 14. Deliver me from blood-guiltiness O God thou God of my Salvation But what was his repentance his trouble about It was about his sin and not about his condition read vers 23. and so on Wash me throughly from mine iniquity and clense me from my sin for I acknowledg my transgression and my sin is ever before me Against thee thee only have I sinned and done this evil in thy sight Behold I was shapen in iniquity and in sin did my mother conceive me stil ye see his eye is upon his sin and not upon his condition only So that I say when a man is truly humbled and grieved for sin the object of his grief is sin as a dishonor
periclitari causam cujus patrocinium suscepit ibid. because it is mixt with his Thirdly If our acceptance of duty do not come in by the door of performance but by another door and that door is Christ then a Godly man hath no reason to be discouraged though there be many failings in his performance Now al our acceptance of duty comes in by Christ because our Sacrifices are mingled with Christs perfumes Revel 8. vers 4. And the smoak of the incense which came with the prayers of the Saints ascended up before God out of the Angels hand Our prayers go unto God the Father through the hand of Christ did our prayers go immediatly out of our own hands into the Fathers hand we might have causâ— to fear but it goes by the hand of Christ Christ takes it and hath it into the preâ—ence of God the Father As it is with your soul or your body when you die through your body be crooked or deformed and your soul defiled yet when you die Christ meets your soul and invests it with Glory and so brings it into the presence of God the Father so it is with your duty your duty it may be deformâ—d defiled or a crooked duty but Christ meetes your duty and he clothes it with his Glory and so hath it into the presence of God the Father and thus it is with al the Saints and people of God surely then though they have cause to be afflicted by reason of their failing in duty yet they have no reason at al why they should be discouraged Object But I have no Parts or Gifts in duties therâ—fore I am thus discouraged some there are that have great abilities in duty they pray and can pray with great abilities they go to a sermon and can bring away every word and have a great Gift in conference but as for me I am a poor creature who want al these Gifts I have no utterance in conference I have no abilities in prayer I have no memory for a Sermon my memory is even as a sieve good things run out presently I have no Gifts at al a poor Sea-man or Trades-man I am that have no Parts no Gifts in duty and have not I just cause and reason now to be discouraged Answ 1 No For whosoever you are that make this objection Do ye not know That the Glory of the second Temple was greater than the first Solomon you know built a great House and it was a Glorious building much Gold and Silver in it the second Temple was not so ful of Gold and Silver and yet it is said of the second Temple That the Glory of it was beyond the Glory of the first why this reason is given because The desire of al Nations should come into it That is Christ who is indeed The desire of al Nations De facto Gold and Silver is the desire of al Nations but De jure and by right the Lord Jesus Christ is the desire of al Nations and because that Christ the desire of al Nations should come into the Second Temple therfore the Glory of it was beyond the Glory of the first Now thy soul is the Temple of the Holy-Ghost it may be thou hast not so much Gold and Silver not such Golden Parts and Golden Gifts as another hath but if the desirâ— of al Nations the Lord Jesus Christ be come into thy soul hast thou any reason to complain Thus it is with every child of God though he hath not those Parts and Gifts that another hath yet the Lord Jesus the desire of al Nations is come into his Temple into his soul and therefore he hath no reason to be discouraged Answ 2 If the want of Parts and Gifts be better for you then you have no reason to be discouraged for the want of them Now you know that it is better for a man that hath but a little stock to have a little farm than to have a great farm and a little stock a man that hath but a little stock and a great farm may for the present brave it out and converse with company that are in estate beyond him but at last he wil decay and break better that a man who hath but a little stock should have a little farm sutable to his stock Now God our Father sees that thou hast a little good there are some good things found in thee but these good things this little stock is not big enough for a great farm of Parts and Gifts and because the Lord sees that thy stock of Grace is not great enough for such a great farm of Parts therefore in design of mercy he hath thus ordered it that thou shouldest have a less farm of Gifts Answ 3 If our Parts and Gifts do not commend our services and duties unto God then have you no reason to be discouraged for the want of them Now so it is that they do not commend us nor our services unto God When you have good meat in a dish possibly you wil lay flowers upon it cut Oranges and Lemons and lay upon the side of the dish but a wise man knowes that the meat is never the better for tho e flowers or for the sugar that lies on the side of the platter a wise man knowes that if those were wanting the meate were never the worse Beloved God our Father is of infinite wiâ—dom these Parts and Gifts are flowers indeed and they help to cook ouâ— a duty and to make it more acceptable to men but the Lord who is wisdom knowes that the duty is never the beâ—ter and he knows that when these flowers are wanting the duty is never the worse All flesh is grass and the flower thâ—reof and it fades away Parts and Gifts are but flesh and our wise God knows the â—eat is never the worser when these flowers are wanting Yea if I had al Parts and al Gifts that I were able to preach and speak like an Angel and that I were able to cast out Devills yet notwithstanding if I have not Christ and Grace within my Parts and Gifts will but sink me deeper into Hell Two men suppose do fall into the River one man hath bagâ— of Gold about him and the other none he that hath none makes a shift to swim and get away but he that hath the bags of Gold about him sinks by his Gold and he cries out as he sinks O! take away these bags of Gold this Gold undoeth me this Gold sinks me So these Golden Parts and Golden Gifts if a man hath not Grace withal hath not Christ within shall but sink him the deeper into Hell These commend us not I say nor our Service unto God nor doth the want thereof discommend us unto him Answ 4 You say and complain That you have no Parts or Gifts but I pray hath not the Lord recompenced the want of them some other way unto you Phylosophy saith of Nature Vbi deficit in uno abundat
did Why Because he feared the Lord. So then if a man be employed in way of Love and Mercy to himself he doth not make his Employment a shooing-horn to his own Preferment 'T is enough for me my Masters work is done saith he neither doth God use to pay them al their wages here whom he employes in mercie to themselves But as the Merchant if he have to deal with a stranger for a less Commodity he paies him down presently but if with a friend for some great priced Commodity he takes time and doth not pay down his money presently So if God have to do with a stranger as Nebuchadnezzar he wil pay him wages presently but if God deals with a friend whom he employes in mercy to himself then he doth put off his ful payment til afterwards He doth Gods work without any great noise or notice of himself like Christ He lifts not up his voyce in the street and as the Angels in Ezek. 1. His hands are under his wings he hath four hands to work with but they are not seen they are under his wings Let your Light so shine before men saies Christ that they may see your good works not your selves and glorifie your Father not your selves As it is with the Fisher so with him he shews the bait but hides himself he holds forth the word of Truth but not himself though he have four hands to work with yet they are all under his wings hidden but saies Jehu Come and see my zeal for the Lord of Hosts This is another difference If God do use and Employ a man in a way of Love and Mercy to himself he is willing to be used and contented to be laid by and to 〈…〉 more Another man is not so if he have been used 〈…〉 â—ng he thinks he must be used in other things and 〈…〉 cannot bâ—ar it that God should lay him by and use anoâ—â— Thus iâ— was with Sâ—ul he could not be conteâ—◠〈…〉 should use David But when God told Eli that he 〈…〉 and his House by he answered Good is the Word of 〈◊〉 Lord for he was a good man and one whom God had â—sed 〈◊〉 Love and Mercie to himâ—elf and so when God had done wiâ—h him he was conâ—ent thereâ—â—th He thâ—t is â—red and eâ—ployed in way of Love and Mercie to himself wil do the Work oâ— the Loâ—dfully though he do his own works by halfs Caleb did his own work by halfâ— and the Work of God â—ully for he was used in Mercy to himself and others Jehu did the Work of the Lord by halfs and his own work fully for though he was uâ—ed in Mercy to some and Judgment to others yet not in Love to himself When God doth use a man in a way of Judgment he hath ordinarily more skil at pulling down and destroying what is mans than in setting up and building what is Gods But when God doth use him in a way of Love and Mercy to his own soul he hath a dexterity in and a heart to the setting up of what is Gods witness Jehu on the one hand and Nehemiah on the othâ—r hand How is it therefore with thee Hast thou a skil at pulling down what is mans and no skil nor heart to set up what is Gods Hast thou been employed and used in Gods Service and have you done your own work fully and Gods work by halfs Art thou not contented to be laid by and that God should use another Doest thou make a noise in the work and thy hands not under thy wings Hast thou made a goodly outward Bargain of the Lords Work and his Service as a shooing-horn to thine own ends Hast thou not grown in Experience Faith and Holiness by this work but in Pride rather Hast thou not been very tender of the Name of God in thy Service nor been acquainted with Gods Design nor thine heart drawn out the more to love the Lord Then surely God hath not used or employed thee in Love and Mercy to thine own soul But if thine heart have been drawn out with Love to God by thy very Service and Employments and thou hast been in some measure acquainted with Gods Design in that Service and hast been very tender of the Name of God and more willing to hazard thy self than to defile his Name and hast grown in Grace by the exercise of thy Gifts and hast made no Bargain of the Lords Service but hast had thy hands under thy wings and hast not done Gods Work by halfs and now after all art contented that God shall lay thee by and make use of others then surely the Lord hath used and employed thee in a way of Love and Mercie to thine own Soul and therefore why should'st thou be discouraged in this respect Certainly you have no just cause or true reason for it Quest But suppose that the Lord either shall not use me in his Service or if he do that difficulties and oppositions press in upon me or that I meet with no success in my work according to my desire what shall I do that I may be able to bear up my heart against all discouragements in this kind Answ 1 First In case that God do not cal you forth to any work or special Employment Then Consider that you have now the more time to mind your own soul and to attend to your own Condition Some are so employed that they have not time enough to pray read meditate examine their own hearts and to look into their own Condition yea though a mans work do lie in the Ministry 't is possible that he may so mind his publick work as to neglect his private But now if thou hast no publick Employment or Service then you have the more time for to spend upon your own soul the more time to converse with the Lord in private and to look into your own Condition And if you be not called forth to work and yet are willing to work you shal be paid for that work and service which you never did As some men shal be punished for those sins which they did never commit in the gross act because they were willing and had a desire to commit the same so some shal be paid for that work and service for God which they never did perform because they were willing to have done the same Now is it not a great mercy to be paid for that work which I never did Such is the Priviledg of al those that are not called to Service and yet are willing to it Answ 2 Secondly In case That you are employed in Gods Work and Service and difficulties press in upon you Then Consider That the greater the Difficultie is the greater shall your Obedience be in carrying on the Work and the more you do follow after Dutie and redeem it from the hand of Difficulty the greater shall your Comfort and reward be when all is done And the more that any Service Work or
But now when Faith comes it opens a mans Eyes to see things that are invisible it is the Evidence of things not seen By Faith Moses saw him that was invisible And therefore when the Apostle Peter doth direct his People for to see things past present and to come he exhorts them to a work of Faith Epist 1. ver 9. He that lâ—cks these things is blind one of those things is Faith as you read in verse 5. Give all diligence â—ad to your Faith c. then He that lacketh these things is blind at verse 9. But suppose a man do want Faith wherein is he blind Why saith the Apostle He cannot see things afar off he cannot see into the other world he cannot see unto the end of a Temptation or Affliction or to the end of a Desertion Well but though he cannot see things that are to come yet he may see things that are past Nay saith he if a man wants the Assurance of Gods Love and that is an Act of Faith he haâ—h forgotten that he was purged from his old sins Wherefore the rather saith he at verâ—e 10. Brethren give all diligence to make your Calling and Eleâ—tion sure If you would see things past present and to come then grow in Faith and Assurance of Gods Love and so saith he shal you be able to see things that are afar off Couâ—d a man but see what would be the end and issue of his Affliction he would be quiet under it It is in regard of our Affliction as it is in regard of your Salt or Sea Water Take the Water as it is in the Sea and so it is salt and brackish but drawn up by the Sun into the Clouds it becomes sweet and fals down into sweet Rain So take an Afflâ—ction in it self and it is salt and brackish but drawn up by Divine Love then it is sweet and if a soul can but tast the Love of God in it and see what a loving end the Lord wil make he wil then find it is very sweet and say I could not have been without this Affliction I do not know how any one twig of this rod could have been spared Now it 's only Faith that shews a man the end and the issue of all his troubles It stands upon the high Tower of the Threatening and Promise seeing over al Mountains and Difficulties it seeth into the other World it sees through Death and beyond Death it sees through Affliction and beyond Affliction it seeth through Temptation and beyond Temptation it seeth through Desertion and beyond Desertion it seeth through Gods Anger and beyond his Anger I say it seeth things past present and to come Now if a man had such a power as he were able to fetch in al his former experiences to see things present as they are and to see all the events and issues of things to come would he not be quiet notwithstanding all that might arise for the present Thus Faith is able to shew a man things past present and to come and to shew him greater matter of comfort than the matter of his troubles is and in so doing it must needs quiet the soul Answ 2 Secondly Faith true saving Faith doth see that in God and in Christ which answers unto all our fears wants and miseries For Faith closeth with the Name of God Let him stay himself upon the Name of God Isa 50. Now there is that in Gods Name that doth Answer unto all our Fears and wants For Example Exod. 34. the Lord descended in the Clouds at verse 5. and stood with Moses there and proclaimed the Name of the Lord ver 6. The Lord the Lord Jehovah Jehovah that is one that gives a being unto things that are not Will you say O! that it were thus or thus with me but as Rachel mourned for her Children and could not be comforted because they were not so do I mourn after Prayers because they are not and after Duties because they are not and afâ—er Humiliations because they are not Well saith the Lord be of good comfort for my Name is Jehovah who do give a Being to things that are not and this he repeateth The Lord the Lord or Jehovah Jehovah Well but though the Lord do give a Being to things that are not this doth not comfort me for though I praise the Lord I can say my Prayers are and my Duties are yet the Lord knows they are very weak and my Temptations are very strong and my Lusts mighty and therefore I am thus discouraged Yet be of good comfort for saith the Lord my Name is EL that is the strong or the mighty God and therefore though thou beest never so weak and thy Duties weak yet I wil carry on the work of my Grace in thee and though thy Temptations be never so strong and thy Lusts strong yet I am stronger for my Name is EL thâ— mighty God O! but though God be strong and able to help me yet I fear that God is not willing to help me I know God is able and that God is strong enough but I fear the Lord is not willing and therefore I am thus discouraged yet be of good comfort saith the Lord for my Name is Merciful that is the next word The Lord the Lord the Mighty God and as my Name is the Mighty God and therefore am able to help thee so my Name is Merciful and therefore am willing to help thee But though the Lord be willing to help me yet I am a poor unworthy Creature and I have nothing at al to move God to help me Yet be of good comfort for saith the Lord then my Name is Gracious I do not shew Mercy because you are good but because I am good nor do I stand upon your desert but I shew mercy out of free Love my Name is Gracious O! but I have been sinning I have been sinning a long time ten twenty thirty forty fifty yeers had I come in at sâ—â—â—â— I might have had mercy but I have been sinning long and therefore I fear there is no mercy for me Yet saith the Lord be 〈◊〉 good comfort for my Name is Long-suffering that is the noâ—â— Gracious and Long-suffering slow to Anger or Long-suffering O! but I have sinned exceedingly I have sinned abundantly so many Sins as I am never able to reckon up and to humble my self for I have broken al my Promises with God and al the Vows that I have made unto him and therefore I am thus discouraged Yet saith he be of good Comfort for I am abundant in Goodness and Truth Art thou abundant in sin I am abundant in Goodness And hast thou broken Faith with me yet I am abundant in Goodness and in Truth also O! but though the Lord be thus unto his own chosen Ones such as David Abraham or Moses yet I fear the Lord wil not be so to me Yes saith the Lord at verse 7. Keeping mercy for thousands I have
a dispersed People Be it so yet your Sufferings are but a Modicum a little 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 both in regard of measure and time and after you have thus suffered a little and a little while the God of al Grace wil restore stablish strengthen and settle you This have I prayed for you So that the Doctrine from the Verse is this DOCT. It is a great Blessing of God and worthy of all our Prayer to be Established and Setled in the Truth and Good Waies of God Setling Grace and Mercy in opposition both to outward and inward trouble is a great Mercy and well worth praying for It is a great Mercy and Blessing to be outwardly setled The Apostle speaks here in reference to that opposition and hatred which they met with from the world in scattering them as a People and as a Church for saith he verse 9. Be stedfast in the Faith knowing that the same Afflictions are accomplished in your Brethren that are in the world As also in reference to those Temptations of Satan which they labored under for saith he verse 5. Your Adversary the Devil as a roaring Lyon walketh about seeking whom he may devour So that I say 1 It is a great Mercy for a Nation and State to be setled 2 A Mercy and great Blessing for a Church to be setled 3 A great Blessing and Mercy for a Particular Soul to be setled in the good VVaies of God First It is a great Mercy and Blessing for a Nation or Kingdom to be in a setled Estate and Condition outwardly for it is the Mercy promised and promised Mercies are no smal Mercies Now the Lord promiseth to his People when he deals with them in a way of Mercy to settle and establish them Jer. 24.6 For I will set mine eyes upon them for good and I will bring them again to this land and I will build them and not pull them down and I wil plant them and not pluck them up So chap. 32. verse 37. And I will cause them to dwel safely yea verse 41. I will rejoyce over them to do them good and I will plant them in this Land assuredly with my whol heart and with my whol soul This also was that Mercy which the Lord Promised to David 2 Sam. 7.16 But thine House and thy Kingdom shall be established for ever before thee and thy Throne shal be established for ever And if ye look into 2 Chron. 9.8 ye shal find that this establishing of a Nation or Kingdom is both a sign and a fruit of Gods Love Blessed be the Lord thy God said the Queen of Sheba to Solomon which delighteth in thee to set thee on his Throne to be King for the Lord thy God because thy God loved Israel to establish them for ever therefore made he thee King over them c. On the other side when God is angry with a People then he pours a Spirit of Giddiness and Perversness on them that they run to and fro and stagger like a drunken man and are as the Leaf shaken with every wind 1 Kings 14.15 The Lord threatens Israel to smite them as a reed is shaken in the water because they had made them Groves provoking the Lord to anger A great Judgment then it is to be shaken like a reed in the Water This also is a Fruit of Gods Anger and when a People are in this posture it argues that God hath smitten them in his Anger But when may a People be said to be thus smitten as a Reed shaken in the Water Even then when they are driven to and fro with every wind when they are easily moved and put by their Station Sicut solet moveri arundo in aqua Scilicet quia arundines faciliter moventur in aqua quocunque vento impellente aut levi aquarum decursu ita Israell incideret ìn magnas calamitates et Deus faceret cum tam passibilem ut à quocunque insurgente contra eum posset percuti Abulens in Loc. so that any one that rises up against them may afflict them and lay them low And if this unsetled shaking Condition be a great Judgment upon a Nation or People then surely the contrary is a great Mercy it is a great Blessing indeed for any Kingdom or Nation to be in a setled Estate and Condition Secondly As it is a Mercy and Blessing for a Nation to be settled and established so for the Church of God For when the Church hath this rest then it is edified walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost Acts 9.31 Establishment is the Mercy promised to the Church also Esai 2.2 It shall come to pass in the last daies that the Mountain of the Lords House shall be established in the top of the Mountains What is more setled on Earth than a Mountain The House of the Lord shal be as a Mountain upon the Mountains in the last daies great shal be the glory of the latter Daies As the Sins and Apostacies of the latter Daies shal be the greatest Sins and Apostacies so the Glory of the Churches shal be the greatest in the last daies And the Establishment of the Churches is not only promised but promised as part of the Glory of the latter Times It is that Mercy and Blessing which the Apostles labored for continually 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Fâ—rst they took a great deal of pains to convert and bring men home to God being converted the Apostles then formed them into several Churches and Churches being planted then their great work and business was to Establish them Acts 14.21 And when they had preached the Gospel to that City or had Gospellized that City and had taught many or had Discipled many or those that were sit and worthy they returned again to Lystra to Iconium and Antioch confirming the souls of the Disciples and exhorting them to continue in the Faith c. This they also prayed for and therefore as the Apostle Peter shuts up his Epistle with this Prayer for the dispersed Christian-Jews so the Apostle Paul doth close up his Epistle to the Corinths with the same desire and Prayer for them 2 Cor. 13. And this also we wish even your perfection verse 9. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And Rom. 16.25 he concludes thus Now to him that is of power to establish you c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 where the Apostle Paul useth two of these four words that are used by Peter The closing wish doth alwaies fal upon some precious mercy And as it is the Mercy prayed for so somtimes it is made the Signal Mercy whereby the Church is declared to be the Church of Christ Whose House ye are saith the Apostle to the Hebrews if you hold fast the Confidence of your rejoycing stedfast to the end An House is setled fixed and established a Tent is removable but an House is not so unworthy are those of the Name of the House
Deus vult à suo templo exulare Ita est sed ulterius addo quod vitrum quam expeâ—s est coloris propâ—ii tam facile refert alicnoâ— quibuscunque enim liquoribus imbuitur statim concolor efficitur sub hoc igitur typo voluit Deus à suo obsequio arcere eos omnes qui non servant unam vivendi rationem sed in diversâ— studia seruntur et nunc hos nunc illos mores imitantur Mendoza in Reg. 1. Cap. 1. pag. 300. what a blessed fâ—anâ—e of heart is this fixed Spirit Surely it is that Grace wherein God is much delighted An unsetled Soul God cares not for nor for any Work or Service that is done by him We read of hundreds and thousands of Vessels of Gold Silver and Brass that were in the Temple but not of one Crystal Glass or Vessel why so saith one but because that is of a brittle fragile and uncertain Nature which as it hath no color of its own so its apt to receive the color of any Liquor So iâ— an unsetled man and unconstant whom God cares not for in his Temple and Service Who cares for the Service of a Fool or regards the Prayers Desires or Pâ—titions of a Fool If a Fool knock earnestly at your door you say to your Servant Go not to the door it is the Fool that knocketh and if a Fool com and speak to you you regard not what he saith Now an unconstant unsetled Soul is a foolish Soul It is the property of a Fool to be alwaies a beginning he begins a good work and then he leaves it off then he begins another and he leaves off that Stultus semper incipit vivere the Fool doth alwaies begin to live And the same word in the Hebrew and Scripture Phrase that signifies an Unconstant man signifies a Fool 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 stultus insipiens varius mobilis levis inconstans and if ye look into Eccles 5. ye shal find that the Sacrifice of Fools is called so upon account of Unconstancy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Unsetledness for saies Solomon When thou vowest a Vow unto God defer not to pay it for he hath no pleasure in Fools pay that which thou hast vowed ver 4. And therefore if an unsetled man pray and knock at Gods door he wil say Let him alone regard him not 't is that unsetled Fool that unconstant Fool who is off and on to and fro in my Service God hath no pleasure in Fools and an unsetled unestablished soul is a Fool in Scripture Language surely therefore he is so in the eyes of God But if a man be fixed and established the Lord delighteth in him Ut venti in autumno arbores non tollunt sed folia secum in auras ferunt sic tristia leves tamen mentes movent fortes et in pietate firmas non evertunt Origen Homil. 13. in Numb Maximum malae mentis indicium sluctuatio Sen. and in al those Works and Services that are done by him Establishing Grace is a great Mercy 5. And it is also the Character of a good and gracious person whereby he is distinguished from the ungodly of the World A good man lives and dwelleth at the sign of a setled Conversation he is planted by the Rivers of Water Psal 1. the wicked are as the Chaff that are driven to and fro not setled not planted It is true indeed that a moral civil man may be naturally of a fixed Spirit serious staid and setled in his Moralities but though he be setled in what is Morally good yet he is also setled upon his Lees in what is Spiritually evil setled in prejudice against the Saints and against the Power of Godliness setled in his neglect of the Sabbath c. and though he be of a fixed Spirit and temper Naturally yet that fixation doth not arise to any high or great matter It 's an easie thing to cast up the Account truly Virtus est circa difficile bonum sed in parvis opeâ—ibus constantem esse non est difficile Aquin. where the Sum is smal Morality is a smal Sum. When did ye hear of a Boat cast away in the River the narrow Waters 'T is the Ship that puts to Sea that doth make the Shipwrack smal Boats seldom miscarry in the narrow Waters Now the Civil Moral man doth trade in the narrow Waters and he boasts that he doth not miscarry some make Shipwrack of Faith and a good Conscience but as for me saith he I walk constantly evenly and these many yeers have made no Shipwrack of my Profession as others have done But I pray what is the reason He never put to Sea he never yet did lanch forth into the great Ocean of the Gospel he trades in the narrow Waters of his own Righteousness and therein he is exact and constant But now take a godly gracioâ—s man and he doth abound in the work of the Lord and ye◠〈◊〉 â—â—shed in it according to that of the Apostle 1 Cor. 15.58 Therefore my beloved Brethren be ye stedfast unmovable alwaies aâ—ounding in the Work of the Lord Why For as much as ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord. Surely therefore it is a great Mercy and blessing to be setled in the Truth and established in the good Waies of God a Mercy for a Nation a Mercy for a Church a Mercy for a Particular Person to be thus established And therefore In the Second place It is worthy of al our Prayers which is the Second Part of the Doctrine for saith the Doctrine It is a great Blessing and worthy of all our Prayers to be setled and established in the good Waies of God First It is that Mercy Grace and Blessing which we al need Man in his best estate or according to the Hebrew Expression Man in his most consistent and setled estate is altogether vanity Man at the best is a poor wavering and unsetled Creature yea saith the Scripture God saw no stability in his Angels and therfore if we do naturally labor under such instability we have al need to pray and to pray much for this Grace of Establishment Secondly It is God only who doth give out this Grace it belongs unto him alone to establish Nations Churches and Persons 1. He is able to establish those who do come to him for it Rom. 16.25 Now to him that is of power to establish you c. 2. He is willing to do it 2 Thes 3.3 But the Lord is Faithful who will establish you and keep you from evil 3. He is engaged to do it for he hath promised to do it as hath beâ—n proved already and it is his Prerogative 2 Cor. 1.21 Now he which establisheth us with you in Christ and hath anointed us is God As for a Land or Nation it is the Lord alone tâ—at doth settle it He looseth the Girdles of Princes and maketh them to wander or stagger
like a drunken man Job 12.25 Again He girdeth their Loynâ— with a Girdle verse 18. He speaketh the word and it standeth fast who said to Solomon and so to al the Princes of the Earth If thou wilt walk before me in integrity of heart and in uprightness to do according to all that I have commanded thee and wilt keep my Statute â—and my Judgments then I will establish the Throne of thy 〈◊〉 as upon Israel for ever 1 Kings 9.4 5. As for a Church it is â—e alone who doth settle and establish it Psal 87 â—â— â—â—â—â—â—d of Zion it shall be said this and that man was born in her and the Highest himself shal establish her And as for a â—â—â—icuâ—â— person â—t is God alone that doth settle him both in hâ—â—â—â—â—wâ—rd and Spiritual Condition In his outward Condition Prâ—â— 15.25 The Lord â—â—ll destroy the House of the proud â—ut he will estâ—blâ—sh the â—â—rder of the Widdow And in his Spâ—â—iuaâ— Estâ—â— and Condition 2 Thes 2.17 Now our Lord Jesus Christ hâ—â—â—elf and God our Father comfort your heart saith the Apostle and establâ—sh you in every good word and Work and Psal 90.17 the Psalmist doth address himself unto God for this saâ—ing Establish thou the Work of our hands upon us yea the work of our hands establish thou it And if it be so great a Blessing to be thus setled and established if we have so great need of establishing Grace and it belongs unto God alone to work it then surely it is not only a matter worthy of our Prayer but our Duty also to say and pray with the Psalmist Stabâ—ish thou O Lord the work of our hands upon us yea the work of our hands establish thou it And thus you have the Doctrine cleered in the Parts thereof If it be so great a Mercy and Blessing to be setled fixed Applicat and established in the Truth and good Waies of God then what cause have al thoâ—e that me now established to praise the Lord and say I was a poor unsetled person but through Grace I am now setled The more unto lâ—d the Times are and men in the Times the greater is the Mercy to be truly fixed and established Hath the Lord therefore setled your heart in these unsetled Times O! then give thanks unto the Lord and say My heart is fixed O God my heart is fixed I will sing and give praise Object O! but I cannot find this fixation of spirit in my soul nor that stedfastness in my life as I desire and therefore I cannot praise the Lord as I should Answ It may be so Yet know that there is much difference between variety of Grace and Instability of Spirit The exercise of various Graces is a great Blessing Instability of Spirit is a great Evil Ye may exercise one Grace which you did not exercise before and you may perform one gracious Work which you did not before yet this no instability of Spirit You must know also That there is a kind of shaking which is consistent with this true Setledness and Establishment of heart Ye see how it is with the Ships in the Harbor and with those Ships which lie at Anchor though they be not driven and tossed up and down with the Waves of the Sea yet in the time of a storm they do move and are shaken So it may be with thy soul Though thou hast cast Anchor within the Vail and art come into thy Harbor yet thou maist be somwhat moved and shaken But though you be in some measure shaken yet you are not tossed up and down as those that are not at Anchor and therefore O! what cause have you in these unsetled Times for to praise the Lord If Establishment be so great a Blessing what a sad Condition are those in that are not established not setled not fixed either in their Judgments or Lives Not a Mountebank come to Town but they must run to him for some of his Salves not a wandring Star appear but they must go to him for some of his Light These are those unlearned and unstable souls these are those that are laid out for a prey unto Satans Instruments as Satan goes up and down seeking whom he may devour so do his Instruments and there are a People that through the just Judgment of God shal be a prey unto them and who are those but these unlearned and unstable souls Some again are unsetled in their Lives and Practices somtimes they are for God and somtimes against him somtimes for his Service and somtimes against it These are those that are contrary to al men and to themselves These are those that are like to Ephraim whose Righteousness is like the morning dew fading and vanishing And both these are as the Picture or Map in the Frame which you may carry from one Room to another hang it in this room and it suits wel with it carry it into another Room hang it up there and it suits wel with that and whatever Room you hang it in it can comply therewith whereas if it be in no Frame only glewed or plaistered to the wall ye cannot remove it without tearing of it So in this ease Take a good and gracious fixed Soul and you may sooner tear him than remove him from the Truth or the good Waies of Christ but an unsetled person is for every Room and for every Company carry him into one Company and he can comply with it carry him into a second third or fourth he can comply with al Why but because his heart is unfixed not established But wo unto him for he is upon the Road to Apostacy Instability is the high way to Apostacy O! the sad condition of those that are not established Quest What shall we do then that we may be established It is a Mercy and great Blessing for a Nation Church and Particular person to be sâ—tled What shall we do that in all these respects we may be established Answ I As for a Nation or Châ—â—â—tian State It must first settle Religion such a Naâ—ion can never be setled til Religion be setled for Religion is the main Mâ—st and if that be not strengthened al the Tackling wil be loose Esai 33.23 The Tacklings are loosed saith the Prophâ—t they could not wel strengthen their Mast they could not sprâ—â—d their Sâ—â—l and Deut. 28.9 it 's said The Lord shal câ—mâ—â—â—â—â—e Bâ—â—ssing upon thee in thy Store-houses and in all that th usâ—â—â—t â—â—aâ—â— hand unto and he shal bless thee in the Land which the Loâ—d thy God giveth thee verse 8. Yea The Lâ—â—â—d shâ—◠〈…〉 if thou shalt keep the Commandemâ—nt oâ— he Lord 〈…〉 walk in his Waies v. 9. And all the peoplâ— of thâ— Earth sâ—â—â— be afraid of thee verse 10. And if ye look inâ—o thâ— Book of the Kings and Chronicles ye shal observe that in the latter Daies of he Kingdoms of Israel and Judah before theâ—â— Caâ—â—â—â—ty these Kingdoms were unsetled only upon
the time of his Liberty he was loose in the time of his Imprisonment he was sullen and when he was at the Stake he was mad with horror of Conscience mad O! but true saving Faith wil not flinch and give in at last The three Children did not only come to the Fire but rid out the storm But I say no more in this only thus Seventhly Though a wicked man may suffer much and that upon the account of his Religion yet he doth not bring forth the quiet fruit of Righteousness but true saving Faith doth it suffers and brings forth the quiet fruit of Righteousness So that now you see by al this that it is Faith alone it is true saving Faith and Faith alone that wil carry a man through Sufferings But then Quest Thirdly You wil say How and by what means can Faith do this What is there in Faith to do it to carry a man through hard things and through all Sufferings although they be never so great Answ 1 First It is the work of Faith to make a man resign and give up his wil to the wil of God and when a man can do so what may he not suffer Answ 2 Secondly It is the work of Faith the proper work of Faith to cleave close unto the Commandement of God True Satan I am an unworthy Creature but God hath commanded me to beleeve True I am a great Sinner but God hath commanded me to beleeve Faith doth peremptorily stick unto the Commandement and it leaves God to answer unto the Objections and Inconveniences that follow upon his Obedience to the Commandement it leaves that to God By Faith Abraham when he was called to go out obeyed not knowing whether he should go Now when a man can do this what may he not suffer Answ 3 Thirdly It is the proper Work of Faith to close with the Gospel whereby the Soul doth receive the fulness of the Spirit the Promise of the Father Now when a mans heart is filled with the Spirit of God what may he not suffer Pray do but consider the Apostles after that the Spirit came upon them you know they would suffer any thing though it were never so great before the Spirit came upon them though they had the Personal presence of Christ they could not suffer any thing though it was never so smal Now Faith doth close with the Promise of the Gospel whereby the Soul doth receive the Spirit of God the Promise of the Father Answ 4 Fourthly It is the proper Work of Faith to look upon the recompence of Reward By Faith Moses had an Eye to the recompence of Reward and so chose Affliction with the People of God Saith our Savior to his Disciples Let not your hearts be troubled How so Lord Saith he I go to prepare a place for you In my Fathers House there are many Mansions Faith shews one the Glory and the Joyes of Heaven and when a man sees those things what may he not suffer Answ 5 Fiftly The more that a man can see the hand of God as a Father upon the Rod the more able he wil be to suffer and the more cheerful Ye bring a Child to School and he sees the School hung with Rods in every corner a Rod and the Child is afraid but if his Fathers House be set with Rods the Child is not afraid in his Fathers House Now Faith true savâ—ng Faith wil shew one the hand of a Father upon the Rod. The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away saith Faith I was dumb and opened not my mouth for thou Lord hast done it saith Faith Answ 6 Sixtly The more a man can see to the end of his Affliction and Suffering the more able he wil be to go through it Now Faith tels a man that there is an end No temptation saith the word of Faith hath befallen you but what is common and with the Temptation there is an out-let there is a door a door in the Ark although the door may be under water and the out-let may be under water Faith doth not only tel a man that there is an end but that the end shal be good and al shal work together for his good yea it tels a man that his affliction shall be but for a moment and that moment shal be recompenced with abundance of Comfort Psal 30. ver 5. For his Anger endureth but a moment in his Favor is Life Weeping may endure for a night but Joy cometh in the morning So also in Isa 54. verse 7. For a smal moment have I forsaken thee but with great mercy will I gather thee In a little Wrath I hid my Face from thee for a moment but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee saith the Lord thy Redeemer Faith tels us this Now when a man knows and considers this what may he not suffer Answ 7 Seventhly It is the proper work of Faith to look on both sides of the Dispensation there is a dark side and there is a light side in Affliction and Suffering Sence and Reason looks only on the dark side but Faith looks to both sides of the Dispensation It is written of Mr. Latimer the blessed Martyr that when he was to go to the Stake taking leave of his fellow Prisoners saith he Be of good Comfort O my Friends and Brethren for though we go to the Stake to day and be burnt to Fire we shal light such a Candle in England as shal never be put out we shal make such a Fire in England to day as shal never be quenched he saw both sides of the Dispensation because he beleeved Faith wil shew one both sides of the Dispensation Answ 8 Eightly It is the proper Work of Faith to see one contrary in another or through another it wil see the Smiles of God in the midst of Frowns it wil see Love in the midst of Anger it will see Order in the midst of Confusion it wil see Mercy in the midst oâ— Misery it wil see a door of Hope in the Valley of Achor Faith it looks upon things with the Prospective of the Promise and the Promise speaks on this wise in Deut. 32. verse 36. saith the Lord there The Lord shall judg his People and repent himself for his Servants when he sees that their power is gone and there is none shut up or left Faith I say sees one contrary in another or beyond another and when a man can do so what may he not suffer And Answ 9 Ninthly and lastly If God do engage to help and succor in afflictions and if the Lord do count himself engaged to succor deliver and help in Affliction because men trust in the Lord surely Faith can do very much in the day of Affliction Now I pray look into Scripture and you shal see that the Lord is engaged upon this account in Psal 37. last And the Lord shall help them and deliver them he shall deliver them from the
quidem opus est sed hujus conatum frustra sumi si solus erit non enim laboris sedulitas sed Dei benedictio rem faecundatet omnia perficit Luther farrago Epistol especially where Prayer and paynes Religion and Righteousness Frugallity and Liberallity are in conjunction some are much for payns taking and Little for Prayer Others are much for Prayer and little for paynes taking some are much for Religion and little for Righteousness others are much for Righteous dealings and little for Religion some are much for Frugallity little for Liberallity others are much for Liberallity little for Frugallity but blessed is that Family where Prayer and paynes Religion and Righteousness Frugallity and liberality meet and dwel together under one Roof Now those things I have seen amongst you Only as heretofore so now labor to abound therein more and more that you and your Family may be as the field which the Lord blesseth And as God hath raised you to an outward greatness in the world Nec quicquam in te mutaverit fortunae amplitudo nisi ut prodesse tandundem posses et velles Plin. Epist ad Vespas so let your hearts be great for God that what Pliny reported of Vespasian may be truely said of you your abundance hath changed nothing in you but this that your power to do good is now made answerable to your wil counting it greater mercy to lay out for God than to lay up for your selves for it may be when you come to die you wil have more comfort in what you have laid out for God than in what you have laid up for your Children And why should we not give that to God by an act of our Faith which he gave to us by an act of his Love And as for your Children if I might not exceed the bounds of an Epistle I would say to them 1. Children O Children know your Fathers the God of your Fathers Know your parents for that is the first Comandement with Promise you shal honor your selves in honoring them Camerar oper subcis Centur. 1. cap. 66. It s recorded of the Catanenses that they made a Stately Monument of kingly Magnificence in remembrance of two Sons who took their Aged Parents upon their Backs and carried them through the Fire when their Fathers House was al in a Flame And of al the Birds the Stork hath the Name for the good Bird and why but because the younger of them do help and bear up the Elder their weak Parents 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pia aviâ— ciconâ—s eximia inest pietas etonim quantum temporis impenderint foetibus educandis tancum et ipsae à pullis suis invicem aluntur Solinus cap. 11. Schind Parentes senectute confectos humeris suis gestare dicuntur Avenar but though your Parent is to be honored yet your God is more to be honored If you know God when you are young God wil know you when you are Old remember therefore your Creator in the daies of your Youth and your Creator wil remember you in the daies of your Age. 2. Take heed of youthful sins for the sweet sins of our Youth do bite sore in our Age. 3. Get an inward principle of Grace in your own Soules For if you live on your Parents Root when your Parents die your goodness wil die too and therefore look wel to the laying of your Foundation which is not to be laid in disputation but Humilation 4. Be not unwilling to bear the Yoak in the daies of your Youth For he that can carry a calfe when he is Young wil carry an Ox when he is old Affliction gives you understanding it is the School of Experience Vituli triturantes quotidir ligantur vituli mactandi quotidie in pascuis libere relinqountur August The Oxen that are for use are kept tied up when those that are fatted for the Shambles are let loose into the Pastures to feed at their pleasure 5. Be not too confident of what you can do or wil do Young Men are apt to be too confident as Old Men are apt to be too fearful but the best Swimmers are the soonest drowned because of their confidence wherefore in all thy waies acknowledg the Lord and leane not to thine own understanding Pro. 3. 6. When you come to the great turns of your life be sure that you make a right choyce For every Man is as his choyce is if there be any Dirt on the Hands it wil appear in the Knuckles the turning places and if there be Dirt in your Lives it wil be found and appear in your great turns 7. Let your dwelling place be where God dwels and he dwels where his Ordinances are For there he records his Name but though you live under Ordinances in regard of your Station yet live above them in regard of your affection passing through them unto Christ and through Christ into the Bosome of the Father it was not Davids sling that killed Goliah but the Name of God in the use of the sling 8. Seek not great things for your selves in this world For if your Garments be too long they wil make you stumble and one staff helps a Man in his Journey when many in his Hands at once hinder him but labor to do great things for God Infima pars faelicitatis perfectae est terrena faelicitas Austin and God wil do great things for you Terrene or earthly Faelicity is the lowest Part of perfect Faelicity 9. Be much in private Prayer for the more you come to God the more welcome you are his Customers have the best Penny-worths and if God do much for you in the Morning-duty do much for him al the day after A prece principium and if you have little from God in the morning walk humbly all the day after 10. Let your company be alwaies such as you may get good from or do good unto When you are alone think of good things and when you are in company speak of good things 11. Keep the truth and the truth will keep you 12. And whatever mercy or blessing you receive trace it to Heaven Gates and to Christs Blood For it flowed from Christs Blood and leades you to Heaven And the God of peace that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus that great Shepheard of the Sheep through the Blood of the everlasting Covenant make you all Parents and Children perfect in every good work to do his wil working in you that which is wel pleasing in his sight through Jesus Christ to whom be glory for ever and ever Your Servant in the Gospel of Christ WILLIAM BRIDGE TO THE READER Good Reader THe following Sermons on Psal 42. I have perused and find that they are the same which I Preached divers years since being then taken by a good Pen as they fell in Preaching They have been long buryed in silence and should have rested in their Grave had not the importunity of some
and discern but in the Hive doth the several Honeys of the Creatures meet and dwel that is the House thereof So there is a sweet tast of the several Attributes of God in al the Creatures but in Christ doth his fulness dwel bodily and in his suffering you may see the Wisdom Power Justice and Mercy of God in Conjunction and so know God indeed which knowledg was more worth to Paul than al other Knowledges for saith he I desire to know nothing but Christ and him crucified Hereby also I mean by the consideration of this great and sore Travel you wil prize and value Christ more and have your hearts drawn out with Love to him for shal I not prize him that suffered the Wrath of God and the torments of Hel for me The more you see his Love to you the more wil your hearts be inflamed with Love to him Now the greater his sufferings for you do appear to you the more you see his Love to you When I am lift up saith he I will draw all men after me that is when I am lift up on the Cross he doth not say when I am transfigured at Mount Tabor I wil draw al to me yet there was a drawing glory which made Peter say It is good for us to be here But his Love is the most drawing Object and that was glorious in suffering Thereby you wil learn to prize al your enjoyments for thus you wil see what they cost what rate they are at in the Kings Book there is no blessing or mercy which ye do enjoy but was bought in by Christ he laid down his Life for you and in him are you blessed with al Spiritual Blessings But did Christ suffer such hard things for my enjoyments O! what infinite cause have I then to prize them al Hereby also you wil be made willing to suffer any thing for Christ to become low and mean for him to endure the reproach anger and wrath of men for him For shal Christ suffer so hard a Labor for me in his Body in his Soul and shal not I suffer in my Estate and Name for him Shal he suffer the Wrath of God for me and shal not I be willing to suffer the wrath of man for him Shal he endure the very torments of Hel for me and shal not I be willing to suffer a little on Earth for him Thereby you wil be made unwilling to put him to a new Suffering for you those that fal away and decline do crucifie the Lord afresh saith the Apostle and put him to an open shame when Professors walk scandalously they put Christ to an open shame to a new Suffering But is this true That Christ hath suffered so great things for me and shal he now suffer by me what hath he not suffered enough already He hath suffered in his Body in his Soul the Wrath of God the very Torments of Hel and is not this enough God forbid that ever I should so walk that Christ should yet suffer by me who hath suffered such things for me Hereby also you shal be able to overcome your Temptations Corruptions and to be more fruitful and profitable and gracious in your lives here is the Shop of Vertues Officina virtutum whatever Grace or Vertue you want you may have in this Shop if you wil come for it Dost thou want hatred of sin here you may see it in its own colors and the reward thereof for if God spared not his own Son but he endured the Wrath of God and the very Torments of Hel when sin was but imputed to him O! what an Hel and flaming Fire shal those endure who have sin of their own and must bear it themselves And saies Gerard would you see the Torments of Hel the true punishment of sin Ito ad Montem Calvariae Go to Mount Calvary Or dost thou want Patience in thine Afflictions behold the Travel of Christ as a Lamb he opened not his mouth before the Shearer Or dost thou want a tender broken heart truly his heart is hard indeed which the sight of these breakings of Christ wil not break Hereby also you wil be engaged unto his Commandements and Ordinances For what are the Ordinances which now we enjoy but the Representation of a Suffering Christ whereby we hold forth the Lords Death til he come What is al our Preaching and your Hearing but of Christ crucified What is Baptism Lords Supper or any other Ordinances but that Bed wherein we have communion with a suffering Christ and shal Christ suffer such bitter things for us in his Soul and Body and shal we throw up those Ordinances whereby we are to have Communion with him in these Sufferings God forbid And hereby also you that are of a fearful heart may fully conclude the willingness of God to save Sinners For if God the Father had not been very willing he would never have put his own only Son to so great a Suffering for their Salvation What can be more abhorrent from the heart of a tender Father than to put his own only and obedient Son unto Death it goes to the heart of a tender Father to see his Child die I will not see the death of the Child said Hagar and she sate down over against him and lift up her voyce Gen. 21.16 and wept but to lay his own hands upon him in reference to his Death this is a grief beyond al expression yet this did God the Father do for he bruised his Son he put him to grief he smote him and he laid on him the iniquities of us al. Surely if God the Father had not been infinitely willing to save Sinners he would never have done a thing so contrary to him and if Christ himself were not willing he would never have suffered such hard things for their Salvation What is not a Woman willing to do for that Child whom she hath had a sore Travel for Now Christs Travel was a sore Travel surely therefore he is infinitely willing to save sinners and if God the Father be willing and Christ be willing then why should not every poor doubting drooping Soul say Lord I beleeve help thou mine unbelief I once doubted of thy Love because I doubted of thy willingness to save such as I am yea often have I put an If upon thy willingness saying with the Leper Lord if thou wilt thou canst make me clean But now I see thou art willing to save sinners why should I then doubt again And upon this account al poor sinners may be encouraged to come to Christ for if Christ did come down from Heaven for you wil he refuse you when you come to him If he have suffered such hard and bitter things for sinners do ye think he wil cast them away that do come to him surely he wil not O! what great encouragement doth this Doctrine proclaim unto al poor and great sinners for to come to Christ And hereby also your
and then he recovers his Peace O saies he what an extraordinary blessing and mercy is this Now God will somtimes raise the price of this Commodity from an ordinary to an extraordinary blessing and therefore he doth suffer his own Children and deerest Servants to be thus discouraged and their peace to be interrupted Thirdly God is a tender Father and he would have all the Love of his Children he would not have his Children to love their Nurse more than himself Our Joy and Peace and Comfort is but the Nurse of our Graces now when God sees that his Children fall in love more with the Nurse than with himself then he removes the Nurse and causes their Peace to be suspended and interrupted he will not have the Nurse to be loved more than himself Fourthly Somtimes God doth suffer this cloud to arise upon the Peace and Comforts of his People Ignorandum non est consolationes spirituales esse infantium ciâ—um lac dulce quo Deus nutrit suos a mundi voluptatibus avocat ut harum volupâ—atum inescati dulcedine alias omnes consolationes contemnant amoris Divini dulcedine capti omnem amorem mundi abjiciant Deus negat suis consolationes ut siant perfectiores Granateus that he may train them up unto more perfection Comfort is the Childrens Milk ye may observe therefore that the weaker Christian hath somtimes more lively sensible Comforts than the stronger Christian hath Why but because this inward Joy and Peace and Comfort is that Milk and sweet Honey whereby they are drawn off from the pleasures and sweetness of the world and as these Comforts do wean us from the worlds comforts so we have need to be weaned again from these weaners which God doth somtimes by restraining of them and so we grow up unto more perfection Fifthly Somtimes again God sees his Children do grow vain and light and froathy and wanton and secure under their Peace and Comfort and then he withdraws himself hides his face and so they do lose their Comfort This was the case in Canticles 5. where the Spouse saith My soul failed within me at verse 6. But why I opened to my beloved but my beloved had withdrawn himself And why had he withdrawn himself He comes and makes a tender of Love and Mercy verse 2. and she would none verse 3. I have put off my Coat how shall I put it on I have washed my feet how shall I defile them that is I am now laid to sleep they are words that import security and upon her security he withdraws himself and being withdrawn her soul fails within her And thus it is many times with the Children of God in their particulars the Lord sees that they grow secure vain froathy and wanton under their peace and comfort then he withdraws himself and their peace faileth Sixtly Our Lord and Savior Christ is a tender Chyrurgion who hath set all our bones which we our selves have broken by our sins You know that a wise and an honest Chyrurgion though he desire his Patient may be quickly cured yet if he sees the Plaister doth not lie right he takes it off again for it is not laid right saith he So doth Christ do he sees that the Comforts of his People somtimes are not right laid and therefore saith he though I desire this poor wounded soul may be quickly cured yet because this Comfort this Promise this Experience doth not lie right it must be taken off again Now the Comforts of the Saints are so laid somtimes as the very laying of them doth breed discomfort As in the sowing of Seed it is not enough that the Seed be good but it must be well sown else the very sowing thereof may cause weeds So though Light be sown for the Righteous yet somtimes it is so sown as that the very sowing thereof doth breed these weeds of fears and discouragements that you may say and that without Prophesie Here is a poor soul that ere long will be much discouraged though for the present full of comfort Object But this is hard to say Can ye foretel a mans Discouragements even in the time of his Comfort who is there among all the Saints so comforted concerning whom you may say surely this man will be much discouraged again Answ 1 First When a man a good man doth lay his Spiritual Comfort upon outward Blessings you may say before-hand this mans Comfort will never hold but ere long he will be much disquieted and this was the reason why the Saints in the time of the old Testament labored under so many Discouragements even because they measured the Love of God so much by these outward blessings Psal 143.4 Therefore my Spirit is over-whelmed within me Why so Verse 3. Because the enemy prevailed He measured Gods Love too much by these outward things and therfore when the Enemy broke in upon him he thought God did not love him and so he was over-whelmed thus in regard of all outward blessings Seest thou therefore a man who raiseth his perswasion of Gods Love from the smiles of any Creature say of such a man before-hand O this poor soul ere long wil be in the dark and under some discouragements Answ 2 When a man is unthankful for true Peace and unhumbled for false Peace he cannot hold his Peace long Before a man is converted he hath Peace within For when the strong man keeps the house all is at Peace but it is false Peace after a man is converted he hath Peace within and it is true Peace God expecteth that a man should be humbled for his former false Peace and thankful for his present true Peace Now when God sees one both unhumbled for false Peace and unthankful for his present true Peace the Spirit of the Lord is grieved so it withdraweth and the soul is comfortless Answ 3 When a man doth raise his Comfort only from somwhat that he doth find within himself from Grace that he doth find within and not from Grace without from Christ within and not from Christ without then his Comfort will not hold Perpetuum est quod habet causam perpetuantem that is perpetual which hath a perpetuating cause Grace without is perpetual Christs own personal Obedience in the merit of it is perpetual but the actings of Grace within us are not perpetual or not perpetually obvious to sight and therefore cannot perpetually comfort Indeed our Grace within and obedience is in some respects a cause of our Peace First a Causa sine qua non a cause without which we can have no Comfort for a godly man can have no comfort if he have no obedience Secondly A cause which doth removere prohibens remove what hinders our Comfort namely our sin Thirdly A Cause witnessing for there are three that bear witness The Spirit Water and Blood Water which is our Sanctification is one Fourthly A Cause confirming for by our Obedience and Sanctification our
it self We read of Saul indeed That when he was forsaken he cryed out and said God hath forsaken me the Philistims are upon me God hath forsaken me but it is in order to an outward evil the Philistims are upon me But the Saints when they are forsaken are sensible of this evil simply for it self and think the time long and tedious when they are so forsaken O Lord saith David how long wilt thou hide thy face from me what for ever But I say Was ever man forsaken was ever man quite forsaken of God that was sensible of this evil only and simply for it self Fourthly Did you ever read in al the Word of God That ever a man was finally forsaken who was tender in the point of sin who sate mourning after God We read in the Romans That when God gave up the Gentiles to their sins they gave up themselves unto al uncleanness and were past feeling The Saints and People of God on the contrary in the time of their Desertion are tender in the point of sin and they mourn after God When was a man ever forsaken whose heart was in this frame Fiftly Did you ever read that Christ did finally forsake a man in whose heart and soul stil he did leave his Goods Furniture and Spiritual Houshold-stuff A man somtimes goes from home and somtimes he doth quite leave his house There is much difference between those two If a man leave his house and comes no more then he carries away all his goods and when ye see them carried away ye say this man wil come no more But though a man ride a great Journey yet he may come again and ye say surely he wil come again why Because still his Goods Wife and Children are in his House So if Christ reject a man and go away finally he carries away all his Goods Spiritual Gifts Graces and Principles But though he be long absent yet if his Houshold-stuff abide in the heart if there be the same desires after him and delight in him and admiring of him and mourning for want of him ye may say surely he wil come again Why Because his Houshold-stuff is here still When did Christ ever forsake a man in whose heart he left this Spiritual Furniture Sixtly Did ye ever know a man finally forsaken of Christ who did long after the presence of Christ as the greatest good and looked upon his absence as the greatest evil and affliction in all the world being willing to kiss the feet of Jesus Christ and to serve him in the lowest and meanest condition so he might but enjoy him We find that the Saints desire above all things to be kist with the kisses of Christs mouth and therefore the Book of the Camicles doth so begin chap. 2. ver 1. Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth even because that is the first and the chiefest of the Saints desires in this Life but if Christ wil not kiss me with the kisses of his mouth saith a gracious soul yet I am willing to kiss his feet as Mary did There is a time a coming when he wil kiss me with the kisses of his mouth for ever but for the present if I can but kiss his feet here I have hope to be kissed by him in Heaven Now I say Did Christ ever forsake a man finally who did thus long after Christ himself Can those that are forsaken mourn after his presence as the best thing and for his absence as the greatest evil in al the world I appeal to your own Souls and Bosoms herein whoever you are that labor under this fear that Christ is gone and he wil return no more suppose that God hath hid his face from you seems to forget you and to be angry with you yet in the midst of all these darknesses Do you find an evil Spirit an envious malicious Spirit from the Lord seizing upon you Do you find that you can find in your heart to forsake God and the good Waies of God Yea rather do you not find the contrary though you want the sence of Gods Love Have you not the sence of your own sin and when you want the sence of your own perfection have you not some sence of your own imperfection Don't you look upon this Desertion as the greatest Affliction in al the world Can you not mourn after God and his Presence Doth not Christ every foot send in one token of his Love or another to visit your souls And are you not willing to kiss the feet of Jesus Christ O yes I must needs say though I have fears that Christ is gone and wil return no more yet I praise the Lord I do not find an envious malicious persecuting Spirit in my soul unto the Saints and People of God I don't find that my heart is willing to forsake Christ and the good waies of Christ But I find that I can mourn for the absence of Christ simply for it self and look upon it as the greatest affliction in the world That I am ever willing to kiss the feet of Jesus Christ And to be in the lowest and meanest Condition so he would but return unto my soul again Yea and I must needs say That every foot I receive one token or other one Promise or another to visit me in my condition Then be of good comfort though Christ be absent yet he wil return again and with great mercy and with everlasting kindness wil he gather your souls unto himself again and thus I say it shal be with all the Saints Surely therefore they have no reason for their Discouragements whatever their Desertions be Why therefore should not every one say Why art thou cast down O my soul and why art thou so disquieted within me Quest Vpon all this account I see I have not so much reason for my Discouragement but it is an hard thing to bear up ones heart from sinking in the time of Desertion when God hides his face What shall I do then and this may be the condition of us all that I may bear up my heart against this Discouragement even when I am most in the dark and Christ hides his face from me or forsakes me Answ 1 First Take heed that ye don't measure Gods eternal Affection by some present Dispensation There is an Eternal Displeasure against a man and there is a present Displeasure with a man Eternal Displeasure or hatred cannot stand with Eternal Love but Eternal Love and present Displeasure may stand together A Father may be displeased with the Child for the present and yet may love him with Paternal Love So God may and doth love though for the present displeased But when men measure Eternal Affection by present Dispensation then they are quite discouraged and you will find all Discouragements in this case do arise from hence Some there are that do walk by particular Providences Experiences Words Manifestations and In-comes of Love and when they have them then
So in honoring God a man honors himself yea and thereby God doth put hâ—nor on him for what is honor but Testimonium de alicujus excellentia Testifying of anothers Excellency and the more I testifie of any Excellency in a man the more I honor him Now when God doth betrust a man with his Work he testifies of an excellency in him The Lord hath counted me faithful and put me into his Work saith Paul yea the greatest greatness in this world is to wait upon the great God Therefore faith our Savior of John the Baptist Amâ—ngst them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than he Matth. 11.11 And if ye look into Gen. 1. ye shal find That the Moon is câ—lled one of the two great Lights ver 16. And God made two great Lights the greater to rule the day and the lesser to rule the night But though the Moon is said to be lesser than the Sun yet it is said to be one of the two greaâ— Lights And why so are there not other Stars greater than the Moon Yes but because the Moon is the most influential and serviceable to the world therefore it is said to be greater than others So that in â—ods account the more service we do in the world the greater we are and the more honorable in Gods Eyes Answ 3 Thereby also we are kept from the dint of Temptations idleness breeds Temptation Our Vacation is the Devils Term Homines nihil agendo male discunt agere otium est vivi hominis sepultura Sen. when we are least at work for God then is Satan most at work about us By doing nothing men learn to do evil yea Idleness is the burying of a living man Answ 4 Great and good Employment is the Mercy promised That can hardly be a smal mercy which the great God doth promise promised Mercies are the sweeâ—est Mercies Now thâ— Lord promiseth Esay 58.18 That if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry c. The Lord shall guide thee continually and they that shall be of thee shal build the old wast places thou shalt raise up the Foundations of many Generations and thou shalt be called the Repairer of the Breaches the Restorer of Paths to dwell in Here is Employment and Betrustment promised Answ 5 The more useful and serviceable a man is to God the more apt and ready God wil be to pardon his failings not only the failings of his present employment but of the other part of his life also What a great failing was that in Rahab to say the Spyes were gone when she had hid them in the top of her house yet the Lord pardoned this failing to her Why Because she beleeved and was useful and serviceable unto Gods great design in that her day And if ye look into Numb 〈◊〉 ye shall find That though Aaron and Miriam were both engaged in the same sin and evil of envying and murmuring against Moses yet the Lord spaâ—ed Aaron when he strook Miriam with a Leprosie But why saith Abulensis was not Aaron smitten with the Leprosie as well as Miriam what because he was not so deeply in the Transgression as she was No for verse 1. it 's said Then spake Aaron and Miriam not as if she were put on by him Or because that Aaron confessed his sin as she did not No for so did Miriam also for she was a good woman Or because that God owed Aaron a punishment till afterwards 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysostom Hom. 3. ad Collos No for that appears not by the Text but he was the High-Priest and if he had been smitten with Leprosie it would have brought his Ministry under some contempt the Work of the Lord would have ceased for a time also and though he failed in this thing yet he was otherwise a very useful and serviceable man and God would shew his aptness and readiness to pardon such rather than others Answ 6 If a man be employed for God in any special Service and Work the Lord will not only pardon his failings but if he be faithful in his Work God will bless him and set a Character of Love and Favor upon him What a Character of Love did the Lord set on Caleb and Joshua Of all men in Scripture it 's said of Caleb that he followed the Lord fully and this Character God himself did set upon him Numb 15.24 But my Servant Caleb because he had another spirit with him and hath followed me fully c. But why did God own and dignifie Caleb thus Even because he was faithful in that Work Service and Employment which God did call him to Answ 7 Yea The Serviceable man is the only man who doth live and speak when he is dead I mean for God Some are very active and serviceable for the Devil whilst they live they write and print wanton filthy Books and they speak while they are dead but it is still for Satan Others are very active and serviceable for God while they live they write and print works of Faith and Holiness and they also speak when they are dead as it 's said of Abel Who being dead yet speaketh but how doth he speak now The Apostle tels us Heb. 11. by Faith By which 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It relates unto 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Faith Well but what cast of Faith did he do He offered a more excellent Sacrifice than his Elder Brother which was the work and Service of his day So that the Serviceable man is the only man who doth speak when hâ— is dead Surely therfore it is a very great Priviledg and Mercy to be used and employed for God in his Work and Service Yet if God will not use me why should I be discouraged or complain Is not God free and may not he employ whom he pleaseth Shall the poor Potsheard say unto him why doest thou lay me by What if God will cross hands and lay his right hand on anothers head and his left hand on mine Shall I think to direct and order the hands of Gods Providence as Joseph would have altered Jacobs Iâ— not his Work his own and may not he put it out unto whom he please and if I complain thereof is not this my pride Proud men scorn their own employment and envy at others It 's a mercy indeed to be employed for God yet if God will not trust me with his Service as I desire why should I be discouraged Yet I may be Gods Servant For First The Service of God is two-fold Somtimes it is taken for some special Employment which a man is called forth unto And somtimes it is taken for our ordinary Obedience unto Gods Commandements In the first sence it is used often in Numb 4. and frequently in the old Testament called The Service of the Tabernacle of the Congregation So in the new Testament also Rom. 15.31 That my Service may be accepted In the second sence it is used
toyled al their night or day and have caught nothing then no new thing doth befal you in case you want success Now ye know and have read how it was with Noah an hundred and twenty yeers he preached to the old World and not one soul was saved but his owâ—â—â—ily eight persons in the Ark. Did not Jeremiah also toyl in his day and night and what did he catch Read what he saies Jer. 6.29 The Bellows are burnt the Lead is consumed of the fire the Founder melteth in vain for the wicked are not plucked away Reprobate Silver shall men call them Yea doth not Christ himself say Cogitent sibi hanc causam cum Christo communem esse Calvin Esai 49. I have labored in vain I have spent my strength for naught And do you think to fare better in this case than Noah Jeremiah Christ himself I confess the want of success in our work is a great Temptation even one of the greatest Temptations yet if God will have me lay out my strength in vain why should I be discouraged The good Physitian doth not lose his Fee though the Patient die nor shal you lose your Reward though ye have no success Object 7 Yet this is not the thing which doth trouble me for I acknowledg that I have been entrusted with many Services and God hath called me to them I have been willing thereunto and have had some good success but when I look into the Scripture I find that some have been employed in way of Judgment as Nebuchadnezzar others in way of Mercy as Nehemiah c. Some again have been employed in way of mercy to others as Cyrus and Judas but not in Love and Mercy to themselves Others have been employed in way of Mercy to themselves and others too as Paul and Peter c. Now I fear that either I have been employed in away of Judgment or that I have not been employed in a way of Love and Mercy to my self but for others and therefore I am thus discouraged and cast down have I not just cause and reason now Answ No For if God have employed you and trusted you in his Service in a way of Love and mercy to your self as wel as to others then you have no reason to be discouraged in this respect Now when doth God employ a man in a way of Love and Mercy to himself as wel as for others good When a mans heart is thereby drawn out with Love to God That which ends in Love comes from Love that which ends in your Love to God came from Gods Love to you So in outward Blessings if they end in your Love to God then they came from Gods Love to you So in the matter of Afflictions if I do love God the more by them then did they come from Gods Love to me So also in the matter of Employments if you do love God by them and they do end in your love to God then they came from Gods Love to you When God doth employ a man in his Service in a way of Love and Mercy to him then he doth more or less acquaint him with his design therein and if God do acquaint me with his design in his Work then he doth employ me in a way of Love to me He employed the Assyrian as a Rod in his hand to scourge the People of Israel but they knew not Gods Design they went on upon their own design therefore saith the Prophet Isaiah in the Name of the Lord Cap. 10.6 I will send him against an Hypocritical Nation howbeit he meaneth not so neither doth his heart think so But it is in his heart to destroy Nations not a few The Lord employed Peter to open a door to the Gentiles in the Conversion of Cornelius and though he knew not Gods design at the first yet he did fully know it afterwards for saies he and the rest Now hath God also to the Gentiles granted Repentance unto Life When a man is employed in a way of special Love to his own soul he hath high thoughts of his Employment but low thoughts of his own actings under it therefore said John the Baptist I indeed baptize you with Water but there is one comes after me he shall baptize with the Holy Ghost and with fire whose shoo-latchet I am unworthy to unloose But though the Employment of Corah Dathan and Abiram was good and honorable yet they had low thoughts thereof and high thoughts of their own actings Numb 16.3 for said they to Moses and Aaron Ye take too much upon you seeing all the Congregation are holy as if they should say we are as good as you Why so even because they were not employed in Mercie to their own souls but for others good He that is employed and used in a way of Love and Mercy is very tender of the Name of God and doth so act and work as the Name of God may not suffer or be defiled by him Thus it was with Ezra though the Enemy lay in his way to Judea yet he would not ask a Convoy of the King for saies he I was ashamed to require of the King a Band of Soldiers Ezra 8. and Hors-men to help us against the Enemy in the way because we had spoken to the King saying the hand of our God is upon all them for good that seek him and his wrath is against all them that forsake him Now Ezra was a good man a man that God did call forth to this Employment not only out of Love to others but to himself and thus did he act for God being more careful of Gods Name in the work than of their own safety When a man is employed in a way of Love and mercy to his own soul also then he doth grow in Grace whilst he is exâ—rcising of his Gift A man that exerciseth a Gift for the good of others only grows in Parts and in Pride also But a good man grows in Experience and so he doth grow in Faith he meets with difficulties and deliverances so he doth grow in Faith God discovers himself to him in the way so he stil grows in Faith Love and Holiness God gives him a Promise when he sends him forth as he did give â—o Joshua Chap. 1. this he looks much upon and goes forth in the strength of and so as he uses his Gift in his work he doth grow in gâ—ace thereby but the other doth not He makes no great ouâ—ward bargain of Gods Service neither doth he labor to pocket up much for himself God employed Moses in a great Work but where do you read of any great Estate that he got for himself We read of Joshua That when he had brought the Children of Israel into Canaan and divided the Land by Lot to them then when he had served others in the last place he did serve himself and that in no great matter What did Nehemiah get by his Service not as the former Governors
doth not intercede for all and it must needs say so for Christ said Father I thank thee that thou hearest me alwaies therefore if Christ should pray for the conversion of al the particular men in the world then all the particular men in the world should be converted and so saved but all are not saved or converted therefore this Doctrine must needs divide between the Intercession and the Death of Christ and so pull down that great Pillar of our Christian Comfort which stands in the Conjunction of Christs Death and Intercession Arg. 3 That Doctrine which is contrary or repugnant to the free Grace of God cannot be a true friend to the comfort of a poor doubting soul for what is our great comfort on this side Heaven but the Free Grace of God Now what is Free Grace but the special Favor of God shewn to some more than to others And therefore if ye look into Romans 9. ye shal find that when the Apostle would set out the free Grace of God saying Whom he will he shews mercy to and whoâ— he will he hardens he first shews that Jacob and Esau were alike alike in regard of their Parentage for both were of Isaac and Rebecca alike in regard of their Work For the Children being not yet born and having done neither good or evil c. yet God did love the one and hate the other shewing mercy to the one and not to the other Why Because God will have mercy on whom he will have mercy and will have compassion on whom he will have compassion ver 15. So that it is the work of Free Grace to shew mercy to some and not to others who are alike unworthy So again Ephes 2. the Apostle proving that by Grace we are saved first he shews that the Ephesians by Nature were as unworthy as any other being al by Nature the children of wrath ver 1.2 yeâ— those Ephesians did obtain mercy and not others Why Because by Grace they were saved So that Free Grace is that distinguishing Mercy of God whereby he doth shew mercy to some and not to others who are alike miserable and unworthy But now this Doctrine of Universal Redemption tels us That as Christ died for all so he doth give a sufficiency of Grace unto all and therefore that which distinguisheth one man from another must be the free Will of man and not the free Grace of God for Commune quae tenus commune non distinguit That which is common as common cannot distinguish As suppose now that a Father doth bestow an equal Sum of Money upon two Children to purchase House or Land with one doth purchase and the other not the reason why the one purchases and the other not is Because the one wills it and the other not indeed he that purchaseth doth it by his Fathers help assistance and Money but what reason is there why he doth make a Purchase and the other not but because he wils it and the other not So if God give a sufficiency of Grace unto all that one man doth beleeve you 'l say is by the Grace of God but the reason why one beleeves and the other not is only the Will of Man that this man wils it and the other not Now where Free Will hath the casting Vote there the Free Grace of God doth not raign but according to the Doctrine of Universal Redemption Free Will is that which doth make the difference between man and man it is that which hath the casting Voyce surely therefore it is no friend but a real enemy to the free Grace of God and so an enemy to the comfort of a poor doubting soul Arg. 4 That Doctrine which is opposite to the assurance of my Salvation cannot be a friend to my Comfort in time of Temptation For what comfort can I have in my soul so long as I doubt of my Eternal wel-fare Now this Doctrine of Universal Redemption doth destroy the Assurance of our Salvation for who doth not know that according to that Doctrine a man may fall from Grace as long as he lives else it wil tel you that he should not act freely but be under a necessity and necessity and freedom cannot stand together But if a man may fall from Grace as long as he lives then he can have no assurance of his Salvation til he be dead And if a godly man cannot have assurance of his perseverance in Grace then he cannot have assurance of his Salvation But according to that Doctrine a godly man cannot have assurance of his perseverance in Grace for I can have no assurance of any Mercy without Gods Promise but this Doctrine wil tel you That God hath no where promised to any man that he shal certainly persevere in Grace Surely therefore it is no friend to our assurance of Salvation and therefore is a real Enemy to the Faith and Comfort of a poor doubting soul Arg. 5 The more any Doctrine doth hang the Mercy of God upon Conditions to be performed by us the less comfortable it is and the more it leaves a poor doubting soul in his fears Now according to this Doctrine of Universal Redemption the whol Mercy of God is made to depend and hang upon performance of our Conditions yea upon the performance of the Condition of Nature For say we If Christ died for all particular men and so God doth wil the Salvation of al the particular men in the world then he doth wil this either absolutely or conditionally if absolutely then it must needs come to pass conditionally therefore saith this Doctrine God doth will the Salvation of all men upon condition that they repent beleeve and obey if so say we then either God doth will this Condition viz. That all particular men should repent and beleeve or not if not then God doth not will the Salvation of all for he that doth not wil the means doth not wil the end Qui vult finem vult media ad finem If God do wil this condition viz. The Faith and Repentance of all the men in the World then say we he doth wil this either absolutely or conditionally if absolutely then it must needs come to pass that all men should repent and beleeve which they do not Conditionally therefore say the maintainers of this Doctrine and what condition is there precedent to Faith and Repentance but Nature and the work thereof yea what Grace or Mercy is there in the Gospel but they do tie it up unto our conditions Wil ye instance in the Purchase and Benefits of the Death of Christ these say they are to be given out upon condition Will ye instance in the Grace of the new Covenant all that say they is to be given out and is promised upon condition There is no absolute Promise of Grace say they in all the Scripture Now look what that Doctrine is which doth make all Grace conditional that must needs be very obstructive to the hope and
I say trust in the Lord first before you do work at all Answ 5 Fiftly If you would trust in the Lord so as you may not be discouraged what ever your Condition be Then trust in the Lord Jesus Christ in the first place before you trust in the Promise Christs Blood is the great and first Object of our Faith In times of the old Testament they came to Christ by the Promise because Christ was not then come but promised now Christ is come we come to the Promises by Christ Yet mistake not there is a Promise of Christ and a soul must come to Christ in that Promise But I speak of particular words and Promises Some wil not trust in Christ unless they have this or that particular word set upon their hearts and spirits and so indeed do rather rest on the bare letter of the Word or the sence and impression that is made upon the soul by the setting on of the Promise But al the Promises are Yea and Amen in Christ Christ therefore is first and if a man doth trust in the Promise first and so go unto Christ afterward then when he wants a particular Word or a Promise he wil not trust in Christ but be quite discouraged But when a man doth trust in the Lord Christ first and in particular Promises afterwards then though a particular Promise doth not shine forth yet his Faith lives and he is not diâ—couraged wherefore venture upon Jesus Christ first and then upon the Promise as given unto thee by the hand of Christ Answ 6 Sixtly if you would so trust in the Lord as you may not be discouraged whaâ—â—â—er your Condition be Then if ever it pleaseth the Lord to give our a Promise to you never let it go but hold it fast although you see nothing but the contrary unto the thing promised This was Abrahams case the Lord gave Abraham a Promise but Abraham saw the contrary to the thing promised yet Abraham did not dispute the Promise he did not stagger at the Promise and say Surely the Lord hath not given me this Promise it â—â—s but a delusion and I was deceived No but Abraham stil beâ—â—s up to the Promise and doth not dispute or stagger at the same So must you do likewise if ever the Lord give out a Promise to you hold it keep it never let it go although you do see the contrary Object O! but this is hard work indeed and if I should do so I fear that I should presume and that I should tempt the Lord What! trust in the Lord when there is no means in view yea when I see the contrary unto the thing promised I would do it but I fear I should presume and tempt the Lord. Answ Tempt the Lord say ye Dost thou know what it is for to tempt the Lord It is said oâ— the Children of Israel That they tempted the Lord and said Is God amongst us And when thou sayest after al the experience of Gods preâ—ence with thee Is God with me Is hot this rather for to tempt the Lord It is said of the Children of Israel That they tempted the Lord and limited the Holy One of Israel and when you limit God and say I shal never receive this Mercy for now I do see the contrary Is not this rather for to tempt the Lord Properly and according to Scripture Phrase to tempt the Lord is to put God upon a tryal for the satisfying of ones lust and therefore if you look into Psal 78. you shal find that these two go together at verse 18. They tempted God in their heart by asking meat for their Lust To put God upon a work for the satisfying of ones Lust is indeed to tempt the Lord Every putting God upon a tryal is not a tempting God but to put God upon a tryal for the satisfying of ones lust this is to tempt the Lord And therefore it is said the wicked Jews came to our Savior Christ tempting him and saying Shew us a sign Gideon desired a sign and yet he did not tempt the Lord Why Because he did not desire a sign to satisfie his Lust but to strengthen his Faith But now these Jews came and desired a sign to satisfie their Lust and therefore saith our Savior Christ unto them Ye wicked and Adulterous Generation How comes the word Adulterous in there Why look as it is with a woman that is nâ—ught filthy and unworthy her Husband sending a Message to her and warning her to take heed of such Company when the Messenger comes I doubt saith she whether you come from my Husband or no and what sign have you that you come from my Husband she knows that he comes from her Husband but because she may go on in her sin she asketh a sign How may I know that you come from my Husband So it was with these wicked Jews they asked a sign that so they might go on in their sins whereupon our Savior saith Ye wicked and Adulterous Generation But now when a poor doubâ—ing fearing trembling soul shal desire to beleeve and would fain have some token from the Lord to strengthen his Faith he is not Adulterous then nor doth he tempt the Lord nor presume for is it presumption for a man to keep the Sabbath day No Why Because it is commanded Is it presumption for a Child to obey his Parents No Why Because it is commanded So it is commanded for a soul to beleeve when al comforts are out of sight and when he sees nothing but what is contrary to the thing promised Presumption properly is the taking of a thing before it 's given or offered But in this case the Promise is given and therefore no presumption for to hold it fast There is a Two-fold Preâ—umption which you read of in Scripture One whereby men do rest upon their own Workâ— for Salvation without Christ So the Jews did and therein they presumed of mercy before it was given unto them Another whereby men do as they think or in their way rest on Christ for Salvation and yet live without Works and Obâ—dience and therein they preâ—â—me also because they take mercy â—hen it 's not given them Eâ—â— if I râ—â—l on the Promise or on Chrâ—st that I may be made the more holy doing what I can to be fruitful in every good work yet resting upon Christ for al this is no presumption Why Because I do not take mercy before it is offered and though I hold the Promise fast when I see nothing but what is contrary to the thing promised yet this is no presumption Why Because I do what 's commanded For saies the Apostle Let them that suffer according to the Will of God commâ—â— the keeping of their souls to him in well doing as unto a Faithful Creator Now Creation-Work is out of nothing it is light out of darkness Yet thus are we commanded to commit our souls unto God and therefore though al fail and
man have sinned this Sin he is past Prayer and past Pardon he is past Sacrifice the truth is this man is in the Devils case The Devil you know is reserved in Chains unto the great Day and he cannot get out So if a man hath sinned this Sin though he live ten yeers twenty yeers or thirty yeers he is reserved in Chains and he shal never be pardoned he is upon the Devils ground O! what a misery is it to commit this Sin O! what a mercy is it then to be kept from it Now here is Hope for the greatest Sinner in the Congregation upon this account saith our Savior All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men except the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost Hast thou therefore been a great Sinner Hast thou been a Drunkard Hast thou been a Wanton Hast thou been a Swearer Hast thou been an Opposer of the People of the Lord and hath the Lord kept thee from this great transgression Man or Woman here is Hope yet Who would not then turn to God Come Drunkard Swearer Wanton here is yet hope for thy soul who would not come in to Christ And O! What Comfort is here for Beleevers that are in Christ If thou beest in Christ and a Beleever thou canst not sin this Sin that look as it is with a man that hath sinned this Sin he cannot be pardoned so if a man be the Child of God a Beleever in Christ he cannot sin this Sin for he that is born of God sinneth not neither can he for the Seed of God abides in him O! you that are Beleevers comfort your selves with this Truth Here is Comfort for all the People of the Lord from this Doctrine Applic. 4 But in the fourth place If the Sin against the Holy Ghost be indeed the unpardonable Sin what cause have we al to look to our steps to our words to our actions Beloved this Sin against the Holy Ghost is the Professors Sin a man less than a Professor cannot sin this Sin against the holy Ghost this Sin against the holy Ghost is the knowing mans sin a man less than a knowing man cannot sin the Sin against the holy Ghost And as I said before a man may possibly go very far in sin and yet not commit this great unpardonable Sin So now on the other side I say Possibly a man may go very far in Religion and yet he may sin this Sin These Pharisees that committed it had the Key of Knowledg knowing they were and very knowing in the Scriptures as for Zeal they travelled Sea and Land to make a Proselyte for their Practice they fasted twice a week exceeding strict in observing the Sabboth day the Lights of the Church and the Eyes of all the People were upon them for their Guides and yet these men sinned this Sin against the Holy Ghost O! what care should there be in al our souls how had we al need to look to our waies The more Truth revealed the more danger of sinning this Sin the more great Works of God are done by the very Spirit and Finger of God if men do oppose and blaspheme the more danger of sinning this great Sin Now I wil appeal to you When was there ever more Light revealed than in these daies of ours yet when more opposing and blaspheming of it When were there ever such great Works done by the very Spirit and Finger of God and yet when more opposing and blaspheming Are there not some that have been convinced that the Spirit of God breathed upon their hearts in such and such Ordinances and such and such Waies and yet now oppose and blaspheme those very waies of God wherein they said heretofore they had the Spirit of God Are there not some that are convinced that in these Times great things are done by the very Finger by the Power and Arm of God among us and that in order to our salvation and yet how do men speak against them and blaspheme I wil not say that these men do it out of malice and therefore I do not charge this Sin against the Holy Ghost upon them But beloved in the Lord this is certain That in knowing Times Times when God is doing great things by his own Finger then is this Sin stirring most The Times of Christ and of the Apostles were Times of great Light when God wrought by his own Finger then was this Sin committed Now in these Times there is much breaking forth of Light and great things done by the very Finger of God therefore I say there is great danger if men do now blaspheme wherefore I say again take heed to your souls you that are Professors look to your steps in these daies of ours Quest But you wil say We grant indeed that this Sin against the Holy Ghost is the unpardonable Sin and wo be to them that do fal into it and it cannot be committed but by a knowing man but what shall we do that we may be kept from this great Transgression that whatsoever sin we do fall into yet we may be kept from this great Evil and this unpardonable Sin Answ I would that you would mind and consider the Description which you have heard and think of it But I wil tel you what David did saith David O Lord keep back thy Servant from presumptuous sins so shall I be free from the great transgression It seems then that presumptuous sinning makes way to this great Transgression When is a man said to sin presumptuously When a man sins upon this score That God wil shew mercy to him saying I know indeed it is not good for me to go to such a wicked Company it is a sin so to do but I wil venture and repent afterwards for God wil shew mercy To venture upon a sin presuming that God wil shew mercy and that a man shal repent afterwards is presumption and presumptuous sinning makes way to this great Transgression therefore would you be kept from this great Transgression go to God with David and say O Lord keep back thy Servant from presumptuous sins so shall I be free from the great transgression Again Be alwaies humbled for lesser sins He shal never fal into the greatest that is alwaies humbled for the least he shal never fall into the worst that is alwaies humbled for the smallest Besides Fear is the Keeper of Innocency Timor innocentiae custos Fear is the Guard of Innocency If you alwaies fear to commit it you shal never commit the same In case that you do at any time fal into sin say Well but through the Grace of God though I commit what is evil I wil never oppose what is good by the Grace of God I wil carry this Rule along with me Though I commit what is evil I wil never oppose what is good In case any great Work be done before you that lies beyond your reach and beyond your fatham say Though I do not understand
this Work I wil admire and though I cannot reach it yet I wil not blaspheme and â—peak against it And if heretofore Christian thou hast found God breathing upon thy heart in any Ordinance publick or private Hinc discimus quantopere nobis ab odio fratrum câ—â—ndum est quandoquidem eo sit ut quandoque odio hominis in ipsam Dei vâ—ritatem feramur precipites Cartw. Harm â—ag 357. or in any Way of God take heed as for thy life that thou dost never speak evil or blaspheme that way of God wherein thou hast sound the Spirit of God breathing This Sin is alwaies accompanied with invidentia fratrum with the envy of the Saints and therefore some have thought the Sin against the Holy Ghost did consist in it in the envying of the Saints but though that be not it yet that accompanies it Canst thou not find thy own heart rise to those heights of Graces that others do take heed you never envy the Saints lest you fal from envying those that are good to oppose Goodness it self which is the proper Work of the Holy Ghost And if indeed you would be kept from this great Transgression then take heed of al declinings and the steps thereof There are three steps as in our Conversion to God so in our Apostacy declining and going out from God Three steps in our coming in to God First a mans Affection is taken with that which is good Then his Judgment is convinced And then his Wilstrikes in and he resolves with al his heart and soul to cleave to the Lord for ever So in a mans Declining and going out from God First a mans Affection declines Then his Judgment alters I thought so and so indeed before but now I am of another mind And then it comes to his Will and he wil go on and let Parents say and Ministers say and Friends say what they wil yet he wil go on and that because he wil. Now saith the Apostle If any man sin wilfully after he hath received the knowledg of the Truth there remaineth no more Sacrifice for sin therefore as you desire to be kept from this great Transgression doth your Affections decline take heed your Judgment do not alter Doth your Judgment alter take heed that your Wil be not perverse O! take heed of al Declinings and the stepâ— thereof But finally Forsake not the Assembling of your selves together as the manner of some have been but as heretofore provoke one another to Love and good Works and so much the more as you see the day approaching and what I say to you I say to al and to mine own soul Let us breath after the Spirit and walk in the Spirit For there is no Condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus who walk not after the Flesh but after the Spirit O! let us pray to God for his keeping Grace it is he alone that keeps us and the Lord keep al our souls from this great Transgression OF THE SIN OF INFIRMITY Wherein is shewed besides other things I. That a man may possibly fall into the same Sin again and again yet be a true Disciple II. That this Sin may be but a Sin of Infirmity III. That being so Christ will not leave him in it but will come again and not cast him off By William Bridge Preacher of the Gospel at Yarmouth LONDON Printed by Peter Cole in Leaden-Hall and are to be sold at his Shop at the sign of the Printing-Press in Cornhil neer the Royal Exchange 1656. OF THE SIN OF INFIRMITY Matthew 26.43 Preached At Stepney And he came and found them asleep again for their eyes were heavy IN the Verses next precedent and consequent you may see the difference between the true and the false Disciple both sin'd but they differ in their sin and in the issue of it The true Disciple sleeps when he should have prayed and he slept again and again that was his sin for our Savior commanded them to watch and pray but Christ wakened them and would not leave them sleeping he came to them with his wakening mercy and they were awakened that was the issue of their sin But the false Disciple Judas was awake and he watched unto what was evil the good Disciple slept unto what was good and the false Disciple watched unto what was evil that was his sin For while Christ yet spake ver 17. Lo Judas one of the Twelve came and with him a great multitude with Swords and Staves from the chief Priests and Elders of the People Now he that betrayed him gave them a sign saying Whomsoever I shall kiss that same is he hold him fast and forthwith he came to Jesus and said Hail Master and kissed him This was his Sin wherein our Savior leaves him and doth not awaken him but suffered him to go on leading him forth with the Workers of iniquity That was the issue of his Sin In this 43. verse you have the true Disciples Sin and his Lords Grace his dealing by Christ and Christs dealing by him First He slept when he should have been at Prayer which Sin is described by the Cause thereof and by the Repetition of it The Cause of it in these words For their Eyes were heavy this sin therefore was a Sin of Infirmity a Sin of Weakness and so our Savior cals it verse 41. for saith he The Spirit indeed is willing but the flesh is weak The Repetition of this Sin you have in these words He found them asleep again Christ had wakened them before and commanded them to pray but they slept again and again thus did they deal by Christ Secondly But how did Christ deal by them he did not leave them in their Sin not cast them off as he did deal by Judas but he came to them again and as they slept again so Christ came again his waking Grace and Mercy was as high as their slumbring Sin they sin again and he comes again So that the Doctrine from the whol verse is this Doct. Though a man do sin again and again yet if his sin be a Sin of Infirmity Christ will not leave him in it but will come again and not cast him off For the opening and cleering whereof Three things will fall under our Consideration 1. That a man may possibly fall into the same sin again and again yet be a true Disciple 2. That this Sin may be but a Sin of Infirmity 3. That being so Christ will not leave him in it but will come again and not cast him off First It is possible that a good man may fall into the same sin again and again I confess it is an Evil thing so to do and a great Evil In some respects it may be worser to fal into the same sin than to fall into others for this may more wast ones Peace and destroy the Assurance of Gods Love sins against Light do the most darken Now when we have repented
yet more practically First Go to God for Wisdom and the Spirit of Discerning it is Christ alone that doth see mens fruit under al their Leaves beg this Discerning Spirit therefore at the hands of Christ Secondly Take heed that you do not lie in any Sin or Error for al Sin and Error blinds How shal you see the Error of another if you be blinded with your own Sin and Error Thirdly In case any thing doth arise which hath difficulty in it consult with others for ye are not alone And saith David I will enquire in thine holy Temple Fourthly Be sure that you keep to the Scripture and take heed that you do not judg of Doctrines by impressions Let the Light within you be your Principle enabling you unto what is good but let it not be your Rule to judg of Doctrines that is the Word alone Fiftly Take heed that you have not too great a charity towards and Opinion of those that are suspected to be false Teachers Ye shal know them by their Fruits saith Christ And lest you should think that they may be good Plerique enim hominum ita impostorum liberalitate sascinantur ut quicquid proponunt monstruosae Doctrinae tamen pro bonis habeant Quibus Christus respondet non modo hujusmodi homines bonos non esse sed ne esse quidem posse Cartw. Harm p. 271. I tel you nay saies Christ in the next words for a corrupt Tree cannot bring forth good Fruit No man â—thers Grapes off Thorns or Figs off Thistles 〈◊〉 evil men and Seducers saies the Apostle If â—ducers you are to look upon them as evil me◠〈◊〉 wel as on Drunkards Swearers and Prophane â—sons which because some have not done they 〈◊〉 been deceived instead of making this Discovery 〈◊〉 Sixtly And if you would be sure to make 〈◊〉 right Judgment in this great Discovery then 〈◊〉 your time Si quis ex foliis et floribus judicium formare velit non expectata fructuum maturitate plane hallucinetur sic etiam qui de initiis quibusdam judicium sibi fingant c. tandem enim eorum amentia omnibus innotescet 2 Tim. 3. Cartw. Harm p. 270. and wait long before you close wiâ—â—â—ny of their Opinions for saith Christ Ye 〈◊〉 know them by their Fruit. Now the Fruit of a 〈◊〉 is not presently seen an ill Tree in Winter may seem to be as good as the best Stay therefore your time and you shal know them by their Fruit and so be able to make this Discovery which is so pleasing to and commendable in the Eyes of Jesus Christ Attendite a falsis Prophetis diligenter cavete non dixit aspicite sed attendite quod aspicere est ad illud quod palam videtur attendere autem est cum sollicitudine inquitere Abulens in Mat. 7. p. 2â—â— It may be some wil think and say This doth not concern or reach my Condition I am troubled with and labor under such or such a Temptation and in al this nothing hath been spoken unto that Temptation But remember that our Lord and Savior Christ hath not said to some but to al Beware of false Prophets not Behold but Beware we behold what is open and beware of what is hidden and both Christ and his Apostles tel us That in the last daies there shal arise false Christs false Prophets false Apostles and false Brethren insomuch as if it were possible they should deceive the very Elect and is this nothing then unto your Condition It may be it is your Temptation that you do not take heed and beware enough I date boldly say he is under a Temptation that thinks these things do not reach him or concern his Condition And what is the reason that many poor souls are so mis-led in these daies of ours but because they have not been prepared and underlaid with Knowledg for to make resistance al their work and business hath been about some particular Temptation striving against some Temptation if they have heard any thing about that wel if not then they think the matter concerns not them and so not being grounded in the Faith when Deceivers come they are taken Captive by them But I know you al desire to be commended by Christ at that great Day when he shal say Well done good and faithful Servant And this discovery of false Teachers is a matter of great Commendation in his Eyes now and what he commends now he wil commend then wherefore up and be doing It may be this may be some pains and labor to you but Christ saith I know thy Works and thy Labor It may be it may cost you much trouble and sorrow but he saith also I know thy Labor and thy Patience It may be some may think you are too busie and severe in the Work of this Discovery but he hath said I know thy Works and thy Labor and thy Patience and that thou canst not bear them which are evil and hast tried them which say they are Apostles and are not and hast found them Lyars Wherefore let us comfort and encourage one another with these words THE GOOD AND MEANS OF ESTABLISHMENT Wherein is shewed besides other things I. That it is a great Mercy for a Nation and State to be setled II. A Mercy and great Blessing for a Church to be setled III. A great Blessing and Mercy for a Particular Soul to be setled in the Good Waies of God By William Bridge Preacher of the Gospel at Yarmouth LONDON Printed by Peter Cole in Leaden-Hall and are to be sold at his Shop at the sign of the Printing-Press in Cornhil neer the Royal Exchange 1656. THE Good and Means OF ESTABLISHMENT 1 PET. 5.10 Preached At Stepney January 6. 1655. But the God of all Grace who hath called us unto his eternal Glory by Christ Jesus after that ye have suffered a while make you perfect stablish strengthen settle you SOme think these words are spoken in the way of a Promise from God Promissionem ad ungit Apostolus Salmeron Grotius Gerardus Vicinus Tho. Aquinus Ad precationem se convertir Apostolus Calvin Beza Piscator H. Illicitus Estius Gomarus Aretius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 others think they are spoken in the way of a desire Prayer to God They are a Promise say some because they are brought in to comfort and relieve these dispersed Saints against the Temptations of Satan and opposition of the World which the Apostle had mentioned in the former Verses 8 9. as also becauâ—e those words Perfect stablish strengthen settle you are found in some Books in the Future Tense of the Indicative Mood to be read thus Shal perfect stablish strengthen and settle you But I find the Copies ordinarily to give them in the Optative Beza tels us Omnes nostri codices tribus tamen exceptis Scripta haec habent optandi modo Beza in loc In nonnullis quidem exemplaribus Graecis verba
wicked and slave them because they trust in him So in Isai 26. verse 3. Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on thee because he trusteth in thee Mark the words Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace so you read it but in the Hebrew the words run thus Thou wilt keep peace peace not peace and doubting not peace and trouble but peace peace why because he trusteth in thee But I cannot trust in God I have no assurance of Gods Love Mark the words he wil keep him in peace peace whose mind is stayed on thee he doth not say who hath assurance of Gods Love but if it be but a Faith of Relyance though it be not a Faith of Assurance he wil keep him in peace peace whose mind is stayed on thee because he trusteth in thee Now if the Lord be thus engaged to help and succor men that do beleeve then certainly Faith can do very much in a suffering day Now I have given you an account of the General how it comes to pass that Faith can do it Faith wil carry us through al our Sufferings though they be never so great and you see how Faith can do it and so the Doctrine is cleer Now for Application If true saving Faith be such an accommodation unto al our Suffering Applic. then in case that any of you are to suffer any great Suffering the first thing you do cal in for Faith As I said upon the former Doctrine seeing that Faith wil do great things and therefore if you have any great thing to do cal in for Faith So now I say upon this Doctrine Seeing that true saving Faith can and wil suffer very hard things in case you have any thing to suffer first cal in for Faith cal in for Faith If you have a great sickness you wil send for the best Physitian that hath the most skil at such a Disease Faith hath the best skil at your Suffering and therefore send and call in for Faith as soon as ever you come to the brink of these Waters cal for your Faith and look to your Faith Object You wil say But these are no suffering times the Winter is past and there is no suffering now Answ Then bless God and praise the Lord that you have so much Gospel Liberty as you have But our Lord and Savior saith that in the last daies there shal be such great tribulation as never was and I am sure we are fallen into the last daies our Brethren in the Vallies of Pâ—edmont they have suffered and the Apostle commands us to be in bonds with those that are in bonds and to be afflicted with those that are afflicted what do you know what your Faith may do for them But to come a little neerer our selves Is there never a Servant here that suffers from an evil Master that would fain go to the Ordinance frequent the Ordinance but checked scorned and despised by his Master Is there never a Husband here or Wife here that suffers hard things from his or her Relation meerly upon the account of Religion Is there never a man or woman here that hath suffered hard things from the hand of his or her Kindred since they began to look towards Christ Is there never a Professor here that suffers from the hand of some Professor what devouring among us biting consuming one another Of al reproachings and sufferings you wil find those most bitter that come from Professors when one Professor doth reproach another and slander another and persecute another Now if there be any here unto you I speak cal in for Faith whatsoever your Sufferings be cal in for Faith But suppose there be none of these Sufferings among us who knows how soon you or I may be called forth to Sufferings if not in the PublicK yet in our Particular I have heard of a good man and woman that were feasting at a great Dinner upon the account of Gods Goodness and Mercy to their Family and while they were at Dinner celebrating the goodness of the Lord to their Family them and their Children comes a Messenger in and saith One of your Children is dropt into the Well and drowned Beloved in the Lord Who knows how soon a Relation of yours or mine may be in the Well how soon such a Comfort of yours or mine may be in the Well Wherefore cal in for Faith in al your Sufferings cal in for Faith Quest You wil say unto me What shall we do that we may so strengthen or improve our Faith as that we may bear up in a way of beleeving against Sufferings for I am a man or a woman that I confess have met with Sufferings and I am seldom out of Sufferings somtimes in my Body somtimes in my Name somtimes in my Estate somtimes in my Relation and the Lord knows what I may be called to suffer what shall we do that we may so strengthen or improve our Faith that we may bear up in a way of beleeving against al our Sufferings Answ 1 First of al Consider frequently what great things the Lord hath done for you already I will remember the years of the right hand of the most high I will remember all thy wondrous works saith the Psalmist stirring up his Faith and getting strength from Faith The Consideration of what great things God hath done for you already wil engage your heart and make you willing to suffer For Example go along wih me a little and I wil instance only in that great matter of your first Conversion and turning to God That day that thou were converted and brought home to God al thy sins were pardoned past present and to come I say vertually those that are to come That day that thou were converted and brought home to God thou wert made the Child of God and Heir of the Kingdom which is incorruptible undefiled and which fadeth not away That day thou wert converted and brought home to God thou hadst the Key of the Scripture put into thy bosom I say thou hadst the Key of the Scripture put into thy bosom to wear it I mean the Spirit of God That day that thou were converted and brought home to God thy old Nature was taken away and thou were made partaker of the Divine Nature That day that thou were converted and brought home to God thou wert received into Union with Christ and into Communion thou wert received into Union and into Communion with the Father and with Jesus Christ That day that thou wert converted and brought home to God thy Soul was freed those that the Son makes free they are free indeed though your wil were not libera yet it was liberata as soon as a man is converted and brought home to God he is free to Duty though not free from Duty and he is free from his sin though he be not free to his sin That day thou wert converted and brought home to God thou wert received
Doctrine Page 325 3 If you do beleeve then see that you walk answerable thereunto ibid. Sermon XIII Means against Discouragements Page 327 DOCT. Faith is the Help against all Discouragements Page 328 For your better understanding consider 1 What is Hope ibid. 2 That Faith quiets the heart in sad times ibid. 3 It is the day of all the Saints to trust in God especially at that time ibid. 4 What there is in faith and how faith can do it ibid. Quest 1. What is it to trust in God ib. Answ 1 To trust in God is to rely on God for help c. ibid. 2 He that trusteth in God doth trust unto him for some good thing that lieth out of sight Page 329 Quest 2. How may it appear that Faith will quiet the soul Page 330 Answ It is proved several waies out of Scripture ibid. Faith gives free access to God Page 331 There are three Vails in Scripture 1. Of Obscurity 2. The Vail of covering guilt 3. A Vail of shame Page 332 Quest 3. How may it appear that when discouragements arise Faith must then be exercised and then especially ibid. Answ It was Davids case and the Scripture is express for it ibid. Quest 4. What power hath Faith to allay discouragements what is in faith can do it and how doth faith do it Page 333 Answ 1 Faith gives a man the true prospect of things past present and to come And all Discouragements arise because men do not see things as they are ibid. 2 True saving Faith sees that in God and in Christ which answers all our fears Page 335 3 Faith puts the Soul under Gods Commandements to answer all Objections Page 336 More briefly of saving Faith 1 It is the proper work of Faith to resign our wils unto Gods wil. Page 337 2 It is the proper work of Faith to apply a suitable Promise ibid. 3 True faith will not venture without Gods Call Page 338 4 True faith sees the hand of God in every dispensation ibid. 5 True faith looks on both sides of Gods Dispensation and of our own Condition ibid. 6 Fath sees one contrary in another ibid. 7 It is the work of true faith to engage God to suffer ibid. Application Then if discouragements arise exercise your faith ibid. Quest Will every faith quiet a mans heart ibid. Answ Negatively For There is a feigned and uneffectual and there is an unfeigned and effectual faith A counterfet faith will not quiet a mans soul c. ibid. Quest How then shal a man exercise his faith that he may bear up against all Discouragements Page 339 Answ 1 You must be humbled for your unbelief c. ibâ—d 2 Go not to God without Christ Page 340 3 Trust in the Lord himself and not in your own duties ibid. 4 Trust in the Lord before you do act in your business ibid. 5 Trust in Jesus Christ before you trust in the Promise Page 341 6 If God give you a Promise never let it go though you see nothing but the contrary ibid. Object I fear I should presume and tempt the Lord ibid. Answ To doubt after so much experience were rather to tempt the Lord Page 342 Quest If God give me a Promise and I see no performance how shall I not be discouraged Page 343 Answ Either it is thy Duty to beleeve on Christ or not if not why dost thou beleeve at all If it be thy Duty why shouldest thou not rely on him ibid. Be of good comfort for 1 If you want assurance in God look on Christ Page 344 2 If you want assurance turn your eyes from those Objections that invade your faith ibid. 3 Beleeve that you do beleeve Helps for Faith Page 344 1 God never leads his People to any great mercy but he puts the sentence of death on all means that tend to it ib. 2 It is a great sin to limit Gods mercy as to limit his power ibid. 3 When God gives a Promise he somtimes trieth whether we will beleeve or not ibid. 4 God often times fulfils one Promise and denieth another ibid. 5 When we see nothing but what is contrary to help then is Christs time to help Page 345 6 Be your Affliction ordinary or extraordinary you must trust to God for mercy ibid. 7 Questions to ask a mans own Soul to encourage us Page 346 8 Consider frequently and seriously what a blessed thing it is to trust in God Page 347 It is reasonable to wait on God For 1 He waited on you for your Repentance ibid. 2 You have waited on men wil you not wait on God ibid. 3 When you give over waiting deliverance may come to your shame Page 348 4 If you give over waiting you lose all your former labor ibid. 5 If you wait on God he will not alwaies forget your work of Faith Page 349 The Sin against the Holy Ghost ON Matth. 12.31 32. THere are two Arguments in the words Page 353 1 The largeness of Gods heart in forgiving sins to men ib. 2 The unpardonableness of the sin against the Holy Ghost ibid. I had rather speak first to the former but to prevent Objections from some distressed soul I shal fiâ—st speak to the latter Page 354 For opening the words Quest 1. Whether the Jews our Savior spake then to did then sin against the Holy Ghost ib. Answ Some think No But I rather think Yes for the Reasons in the Text. ibid. Quest 2. Is there any so giveness of sins in the world to come ibid. Answ It is an unusual Phrase noting the eternity of misery Page 355 DOCT. The Sin against the Holy Ghost is an unpardonable sin Page 355 The Truth opened by the enquiry into two things 1 What the Sin against the holy Ghost is ibid. 2 How this sin is unpardonable beyond other sins ibid. For to say what this sin is ibid. I answer Negaâ—ively and Affirmaâ—â—vely ibid. 1 Negatively It is not that sin whereby men do barely deny the Deity of the Holy Ghost c. ibid. 2 Nor is it every opposition to the work of the Holy Ghost c. Page 356 3 It is not necessary that every man who sins against the holy Ghost should be an universal Apostate as iâ— is ordinarily thought ibid. There is a two-fold Apostate Either one that declineth from the profession of the Truth Or one that rebels against the Tâ—uth revealed and wil go no further cleered by an example Page 357 4 Final Vnbelief and Impenitency is not the sin against the holy Ghost neither that a man lives and dies in nor that he purposeth to live in to the last for many have so purposed to live yet have been converted ibâ—d 1 The Jews did then commit this sin yet they had not continued in it to their death ibid. 2 Final unbelief is rather sin against God the Son ibid. 3 If final unbelief be this sin then Christ should threaten that he which dieth in his sin should not be forgiven
to an ordinary Office 1. He must be apparently Godly 2. He must be qualified for preaching 3. He must be chosen or desired by the Church 4. He must be separated to the work of the Ministry ibid. II. For the Doctrine Teachers may and must be tried by their Doctrine ibid. Particular Doctrines men must be tryed by are many I will name some few ib. 1 True Apostles ever exalted the Scriptures Page 414 2 True Apostles never denied the Deity of Christ ibid. 3 True Apostles never did deny Ordinances ibid. 4 True Apostles preached for Justification by faith and imputed righteousness in opposition to works Page 415 5 They never told us that there is a light in every man which followed wil bring him to Salvation ibid. 6 They never preached that any man might be perfect and without sin in this life ibid. 7 True Apostles never preached against respect unto Magistrates Parents Masters Page 416 8 True Apostles never preached against the resurrection and assention of the Body ibid. 9 The Apostles never preached that there is no place of Heaven or Hell after death ib. III. A Teacher may and must be tried by his Life and Fruits Page 417 Quest If they go in Sheeps Cloathing how shall I know they are Wolves ibid. Answ Yes 1 A Wolf is a Wolf in Sheeps cloathing for he is fierce and cruel Page 417 2 He howls at the Sheep and barks at the Shepheards ib. 3 He rends the Sheep Page 418 Quest What fruits doth our Savior mean we must know them by ibid. Answ 1 If you find they walk after the flesh ibid. 2 If they are given to lying ib. 3 If the height of their Religion be to maintain some Opinion that consists in voluntary Humility ibid. 4 If their Doctrine tends to draw men away from the Ordinance of God ibid. 5 If he fals short of him he would seem to be yet in shew goes beyond him ibid. 6 If you find that his great work is to destroy the Church of Christ Page 419 7 If he forsake the Assemblies of the Saints ibid. 1 It is the special work of Church Officers to try and discover false Teachers ibid. 2 It is a work incumbent upon all the Saints and Churches ib. More practically 1 Go to God for a spirit of discerning Page 420 2 Lie in no sin or Error for all sin blinds ibid. 3 Consult with others about it ibid. 4 Keep close to the Scripture ibid. 5 Have not too great charity towards an Opinion of such as are accounted false Teachers ibid. 6 Wait long before you close with any of their Opinions that you may not be deceived ibid. The Good and Means of Establishment ON 1 Pet. 5.10 Different Opinions how these words aâ—e spoken Page 425 The Authors Opinion Page 426 The words divided into 1 A Blessing prayed for 2 The Arguments ensuing it 1 The Blessing prayed for is expressed in four words Perfect Stablish Strengthen Settle you ibid. DOCT. Settling Grace in respect of all trouble is a great Mercy and Blessing Page 428 1 It is a great mercy for a Nation to be setled 2 It is a great mercy for a Church to be setled 3 It is a great mercy for a particular soul to be setled I. The first part proved by Scriture Page 429 II. The Second part proved by five Arguments Page 429 1 When the Church hath this settlement then it is edified 2 It is the mercy God hath promised to the Church Page 430 3 It is that the Apostles labored for ibid. 4 That they prayed for ibid. 5 It is somtimes the signal mercy of Christs Church ibid. III. The third part proved by five Arguments Page 431 1 It is the ground of all our fruitfulness ibid. 2 It is the bottom of all our praises Page 432 3 It is the beginning of our perseverance ibid. 4 It is that good thing which pleaseth God exceedingly ib. 5 It is the Character of a gracious person Page 433 The second part of the Doctrine It is worthy of all our pâ—ayers For Page 434 1 It is that mercy we all need 2 God only can settle us Page 435 Application How great cause have they that arâ— settled to praise God ibid. Object I find not this settlement therefore I cannot praise God Page 436 Answ It may be so yet there is much difference between variety of Grace and instability of Spirit ibid. 2 If Establishment be so great a Blessing how sad is their condition that are not established ibid. Quest What shall we do that we may be established Page 437 Answ I. For a Nation ib. 1 It must first settle Religion 2 There must be care â—aken for a succession of Godly Magistrates ibid. 3 They must do and govern in Righteousness Page 438 4 They must trust in the Lord. ibid. II. For a Church Page 439 1 All Churches must know that they are laid out for sufferings ibid. 2 A Church that would be setled must have al the Officers and Ordinances of Christ. 3 Let all Churches know and keep the word of Gods Patience ibid. 4 If difficulty arise in a Church it must call for help from other Churches Page 440 5 Especially al Churches must pray for this mercy of Establishment ibid. III. Particular Persons what they must do for this mercy ibid. Quest 1. What shall I do to be more setled in my Judgment and in the Truth Page 442 Answ 1 Get a cleer understanding in the truth of the Gospel ibid. 2 Take heed of unsetling Principles Page 443 3 Make no Impression the Rule and Square of your Judgment ibid. 4 Get into Gods House Page 444 5 Go not into the company of those where false Doctrine is taught ibid. 6 Practice what Truth you know Page 444 7 Go to God for his establishing Grace Page 445 Quest 2. What shal I do to be more setled in my practice ibid. Answ 1 You must be very sensible and humbled for your own unsetledness ibid. 2 Labor for a serious Spirit ib. 3 Live not on your Condition alone but upon the God of your Condition ibid. 4 Take heed of a divided heart Page 446 5 Put on the whol Armor of God ibid. 6 The more you delight in Gods waies the more will your heart be established Page 447 Rules to make the way to Heaven sweet and easie to a man ibid. 1 Do not separate between Gods Commandement and his Promise ibid. 2 Apply your self to Gods work according to Gods Method ibid. 3 Improve that variety which God hath given you ibid. 4 Do not stint your self in any Duty as to go no further Page 448 5 Naturallize Gods Gifts in your soul ibid. 7 Motives to establish a man in the waies of God ibid. 1 Free yourself from temptations ibid. 2 The fixation of your soul is a great honor to your Profession Page 449 3 You shall thereby rejoyce the hearts of those that are set over you in the Lord ibid. 4 You have been
white in the blood of the Lamb But why are they in white Robes and their Robes washed Because by their Tribulations they are washed from filth Affliction is Gods Soap before a godly man goes into Afflictions his very Graces are mixed with sin his Faith is mixed and dirtied with Unbelief and doubtings his Humility with Pride his Zeal with Luke-warmness but now by his Tribulation his Garments and Robes are made white and washed and he shall be of a more royal spirit and be cloathed with Robes But though the Lord make use of my Tribulations thus to wash yet I fear that by these publick Calamities I shall be driven from Ordinances the Temple and Worship of God nay saith he therefore at verse 15. They are before the Throne of God and serve him day and night in his Temple But what though we have the Ordinances if Christ be not present with them He ads therefore And he that sits on the Throne shall dwell amongst us But though we have the presence of Jesus Christ yet we may suffer much with want true yet verse 16. They shall hunger no more neither thirst any more neither shal the Sun light on them nor any heat for the Lamb which is in the midst of the Throne shall feed them and shall lead them unto living Fountains of Water O! but yet we may be brought in the mean while into grievous streits and be in a sad and mournful Condition True but there is a time a coming when all tears shall be wiped away from our Eyes and therefore he ads this at verse 17. And God shall wipe away all tears from their Eyes How should tears be wiped away hereafter if they were not shed for the present Though then you do fear it now and shed many tears yet all shall be wiped away and not one left O! what gracious dealing is here Thus will Christ deal with his People in troubleous times and therefore though our condition in regard of the Publick be exceeding sad and very grievous insomuch as we have all cause to mourn and weep yet if you be in Christ and have made your Peace with God you have no reason to be cast down And thus it is with every godly man surely therefore a godly gracious man hath no reason for his discouragements whatever his Affliction be Quest But what shall we do then that we may not be discouraged whatever our Affliction be whether Publick or Private National or Personal A good man indeed hath no reason to be discouraged under his Affliction but it is a hard thing to bear up against all discouragements under great Affliction what shall we do in this case Answ 1 First Either you have Assurance of Gods Love in Christ or not if not this Affliction shal be a Messenger to bring it to you So look upon your Affliction and if you have Assurance then actuate your Assurance reflect much on your Interest in and your Peace with God through Christ put your selves often upon this Disjunction Either there is enough in God alone or not If there be not enough in God alone how can the Saints and Angels live in Heaven who have no Meat Drink nor Cloaths there but God alone And if there be enough in God alone why should I not be contented with my Condition and comforted under it whatever it be What though man hate me if Christ love me O! labor more and more to see your Interest in Christ and ever hold it to your Eye Answ 2 Secondly If you would not be discouraged under your Afflictions remember much your fellowship with Christ in his Sufferings thus Now by these my Sufferings have I fellowship with Christ in all his Sufferings and therefore as Christ died and did rise again so though my Name dieth Estate dieth Body dieth and all my Comforts die yet they shall rise again The Apostle argueth and proves That the Romans should die no more in their sins Because Christ being risen from the dead died no more and therefore saith he though you fall into sins yet you shal die no more because you are risen with Christ So say I though your Afflictions be great and seem to swallow up all your Comforts yet your Comforts shall not be buried in them for if Godly you are risen with Christ and have fellowship with him and so die no more When therefore Affliction comes rejoyce in that you are made partakers of his Sufferings and say Rejoyce not over me O mine Enemy for though I fall yet I shal rise again for by my Sufferings I have fellowship with Christ in his Sufferings and so in his Resurrection Comforts and Glories Answ 3 Thirdly If you would not be discouraged under your Afflictions Labor more and more to be strangers to the world and to be acquainted with the waies of God under Affliction The Dog doth not bite or tear or hurt those that dwell in the House if a stranger comes he flies upon him and tears him because he is not acquainted with him And what reason is there that mens Afflictions fly upon them and tear them so much as they do but because they are strangers to and know not the way of God under them Labor therefore to live by Faith above the World to be a stranger to the world and be more acquainted with the way of Affliction Answ 4 Fourthly Consider what Christ hath born and left you to bear There are but two things to bear Sin and Sufferings Christ hath born all your sins wil not ye bear his Sufferings He hath born and carried the heavy end of the staff you have not one sin to bear and will you not then bear the Sufferings Answ 5 Fiftly Consider also and that frequently and seriously what abundance of good you and others get or may get by your Afflictions God by Afflictions le ts out nothing but corrupt blood Be of good comfort man said one now in Heaven to another complaining under his Afflictions Christ wil do thee no hurt in the latter end God never whips his Children but for their good and doth teach both them and others by them I was converted said one telling the story of his Conversion by seeing a man executed for thought I if a man be thus punished with death for breaking one of the Laws of men what do I then deserve who have broken all the Laws of God Affliction somtimes teacheth the by-stander much but especially it is teaching to your self thereby you see and read the fulness of God the emptiness of the Creature and the vileness of sin it recals sin past and prevents sin to come it quickens prayer and enlarges thankfulness and it may be thou mayest owe thy Conversion to some Affliction as a means thereof and if so much good do come by it will you be discouraged under it Think and think much of the good thereof Answ 6 Sixtly Whenever any Affliction comes do not stand poring on the evil
of it but be sure that you look as wel and as much upon what is with you as upon what is against you there is no mercy which you can lose but hath some burden with it there is no misery that can befal you but hath some mercy with it When men lose a mercy they only consider the sweetness of a mercy lost and not the burden that they do lose withal O! saith a poor woman I have lost my Husband so loving so gracious so helpful but not a word of the burden that is gone withal and so there is much discouragement When Affliction comes men only consider the evil and not the mercy that doth come withal and so they are much dejected Suppose that a loving Father in some high room throw down a bag of Gold to his Child and it lights on the Childs head insomuch as it breaketh his head and causeth blood to come whilst the Child feels the smart thereof he is impatient and froward while he looks only upon the Leathern bag he is not thankful but when he looks into the bag and sees what a great deal of gold his Father hath given him then he speaks well of his Father notwitstanding all the smart of his head There is never an Affliction but is a bag of Gold given unto the People of God though it seem a Leathern Bag without yet there is Gold within so long as they stand poring upon the Leathern Bag or attend unto the smart of their Affliction they are not thankful they do not praise the Lord but are much discouraged but if they would look into the Bag and tel their Gold then they would have Comfort and not be discouraged I tell you from the Lord there is Gold within look into this Bag the Bag of Affliction tell over all your Gold which the Lord hath given you in this Affliction and then you will be quiet If a mercy be taken from you Consider the burden that is taken away too If a misery come Consider the mercy that doth come withal labor ever labor to see both together as well what is for you as what is against you then will you never be much discouraged although your Affliction be never so great And thus I have done with the Seventh Instance A LIFTING UP In case of Unserviceableness Sermon XI PSALM 42.11 Why art thou cast down O my Soul and why art thou disquieted within me c. Instance 8 SOmetimes the Discouragements of the Saints do arise From their Employments Work and Service Either they are not called forth to work for God as they do desire or they do want abilities and skill to work or they have no success in their work O! saies one I am a poor unuseful and unserviceable Creature God hath done much for me but I do nothing for God others are used and employed for God but as for me I am cast by as an useless Vessel in whom God hath no pleasure and therefore I am thus discouraged have I not just cause and reason now Answ 1 No For is Family Work and Service nothing is Relation Work nothing There is a Three-fold Sweat saies Luther Political Sweat Ecclesiastical Sweat and Domestical Sweat A man may sweat at Family Work and it is a great betrushment to be betrusted with the Work of a Family and this Work you are betrusted with Answ 2 Is it nothing for a man to be trusted with the Work of his Christian Station The whol Body of Christ is divided into many Members every Member in the Body hath a work suitable unto it the Eye doth not hear as the Ear dâ—th nor the Ear see as the Eye doth but every Member worketh according to that Sâ—ation which it hath in the Body So ye being one Body are many Members saith the Apostle and all Members have not the same Office Look therefore as the Station is which ye have in the Body of Christ such is the Work that ye are betrusted with Answ 3 And is it nothing for a man to be employed in comforting relieving and supporting others This is so great a Service that the very Angels are employed therein quasi Angelus sibi munus consolandi miseros tanquam gloriosius percipiat munus autem objurgandi impios tanquam minus nobile hominibus remittat Cajetan Ac si Angeli proniores essent ad laborantem consolandum quam ad gratulandum triumphanti Mendoza in 1 Sam. Cap. 1. Sect. 6. as in a work most suitable to them For when the Lord would stir up and provoke the Children of Israel to repent he sent a Prophet to them Judges 6. ver 7.8 But when he would comfort strengthen and encourage Gideon he doth not employ that Prophet therein but he sends an Angel to him saying ver 12. The Lord is with thee thou mighty man of Valor And if ye look into the Story of the New Testament ye shal find That when Christ was on Mount Thabor in his Transfiguration then the Angels are not said to attend upon him but when he was sweating in the Garden then the Angels came and comforted and ministred to him Why Because this is Angelical work to comfort relieve and support others in the time of distress Now are you not trusted with this Work How many poor drooping tempted and deserted souls are there whom you may go and administer to And is this no Work at all Object 1 But there is a Generation Work a Work of special employment which God doth trust others with as for me I have none of this Work to do I am a poor useless and unserviceable person one that God doth not use at all and therefore I am thus discouraged for is it not a very great mercy to be used and employed for God in the world Answ 1 Yes It is a very great mercy and blessing I confess to be used in any Work or Service for God This was Moses his Commendation That he was the Servant of God Moses the Servant of the Lord is dead And in this Title David gloried more than that he was King of Israel Psal 18. A Psalm of David the Servant of the Lord He doth not say A Psalm of David the King of Israel Thus Paul Peter James and Jude do Entitle their Epistles Paul a Servant of Christ and Peter a Servant of Christ and James a Servant of Christ and Jude a Servant of Christ Yea and Christ himself doth glory in this Title of Gods Servant and the Father glories in Christ upon this account Matth. 12.13 Zach. 3.8 Behold my Seâ—vant whom I have chosen My Servant the Branch So that a great Priviledg it is to be Gods Servant used and employed for him Answ 2 The more Serviceable a man is to God the more he doth honor God and the more he honors God the more he honors himself Honor est in honorante Those that stand before and wait on Kings and Princes honor themselves in honoring their Masters