leaneth on my hand and I bow my self in the house of Rimmon when I bow down my self in the house of Rimmon The Lord pardon thy servant in this thing verse 18. He will be still an idolater rather then he will lose the countenance of the king his master This is the mercenary love of an harlot for which the Divell accused Job though very injuriously Job 1. 9 10. Secondly the love of an harlot is hypocriticall doubtless Sampsons harlot Dalila did profess very much affection towards him before she could win him to tell her wherewith he might certainly be bound But if her love had been reall and sincere she would not have delivered him into the hands of the Philistines As Jud. 16. 18 c. This was Judas his charity to the poor Jo. 12. 4. c. And his love to his Lord Mat. 26. 49. And this is the love of all such as will serve both God and Mammon Thirdly the love of an harlot is unconstant when God complained of Judah for her inconstancy and apostacy Thou hast played the harlot saith he with many lovers Jer. 3. 1. And truly that love which is mercenary must needs be unconstant that which was bought will be sold The love of a poor passive Christ will never continue long in a mercenary bosom And whosoever loveth God for giving will cease to love if God shall cease to give or at least if he shall take away that which he formerly did give This is one of the Divells surest weapons and it is to be feared that there are but few Jobs to beat him at it And lastly the love of an harlot becometh contemptible Thus saith the Lord because thy filthiness was poured out and thy wickedness discovered through thy whordoms with thy lovers c. Behold therefore I will gather all thy lovers with wbom thou hast taken pleasure and all them which thou hast loved with all them that thou hast hated I will even gather them round about against thee and will discover thy nakedness unto them and they shall see all thy nakedness Ezek. 16. 36 37. And I will also give thee into their hand c. verse 39. And to conclude with this particular observe the shamefull end of Jezebel 2 Kings 9. 30. c. But the virgins love is of another nature Because of the favour of thy good oyntments thy name is as ointment poured forth therefore do the virgins love thee saith the chaste spouse unto her loving Lord Chap. 1. 3. You know that a pleasant sent or savour hath nothing that is outwardly beneficiall but being drawn in with the breath it refresheth and comforteth the inward parts And oyntment or unction or anoynting do signifie unto us the Spirit of God 1 Joh. 2. 20. Wherewith their blessed Bridegroom was anointed to be their Priest their Prophet and their King And by the influence of the same Spirit the very name of Jesus Christ infuseth both life and sweetnesse into all his Saints and therefore do their Virgin chaste Souls love him Thus it appeareth that the Virgins Love unto her Lord is neiher mercenary nor carnal but most pure and spiritual And it is most excellently compleated through these four passages First it is improved by Contemplation Secondly it is manifested by Profession Thirdly it is confirmed by Preparation And fourthly it is perfected by Practice When a chast Virgin first begins to love her heart delighteth much in Contemplation Her thoughts are very much upon the object of her affections alwayes meditating upon his amiable person his outward greatnesse and his inward graces In his person she considereth the beauties or comelinesse of his countenance and composition In his outward greatnesse she reflecteth upon his birth his wealth his power deserts and dignities Concerning his inward graces she recordeth his love his goodnesse his mercy truth Justice and wisdom With these and with the like sweet contemplations she feeds her fancies and augments her fires For the coals of love are coals of fire which hath a most vehement flame Cant. 8. 6. By this poor scantling you may partly aim at things that are incomprehensible Thus the sweet Soul that is in love with Christ with God in Christ revolves her amorous thoughts first on the person of her Lord and Lover Thou art fairer then the children of men saith she Psal 45. 2. Of this you shall finde a most elegant and excellent description Cant. 5. 10. c. Where she setteth forth his beauty sweetnesse strength and lovelinesse by way of allusion or similitude My beloved saith she is white and ruddy the chiefest among ten thousand his head is as the most fine Gold his locks are bushy and black as a Raven his eyes are as the eyes of Doves by the Rivers of water washed with Milk and fitly set His cheeks are as a bed of spices as sweet flowers his lips like lilies dropping sweet smelling myrrhe his hands are as Gold rings set with the beril his belly is as bright Ivory overlaid with Saphires his legs are as pillars of Marble set upon sockets of fine Gold his countenance is as Lebanon excellent as the Cedars his mouth is most sweet yea he is altogether lovely This is my beloved and this is my friend O daughters of Jerusalem In the second place she surveyeth his greatnesse his outward greatnesse according to our apprehension and expression As first the greatnesse of his birth where she findeth that he is the Son of God Lu. 1. 35. Not an adopted Son or younger brother But the onely begotten Son of God 1 John 4. 9. Secondly the greatnesse of his wealth or estate He is the Heir of all things Heb. 1. 2. The earth is his and the fulnesse thereof the world and they that dwell therein Psal 24. 1. Thirdly the greatnesse of his power Even the windes and the Sea obey him Mat. 8. 27. Yea all power is given to him in Heaven and in Earth Mat. 28. 18. Fourthly the greatnesse of his deserts or worthinesse Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honour and glorie and blessing Rev. 5. 12. And fifthly the greatnesse of his Dignities He is the blessed and onely Potentate the King of Kings and Lord of Lords 1 Tim. 6. 15. In the third place she admireth his inward essential Graces And first his Love that he should love her so as to purchase her with his own bloud Acts 20. 28. As to die for her Rom. 5. 6. Even a cursed death Gal. 3. 13. Next this she wondreth at his matchlesse goodnesse the goodnesse of his Love or his goodnesse in loving her when she deserved no such thing as love when no eye pitied her to have compassion upon her but she was cast out into the open field to the loathing of her person Ezek. 16. 5. Then even then he passed by her and looked upon her and behold her time was a time of Love and he spread his shirt
doth or can make good our Title to eternal salvation That more then most excellent inheritance which the Saints of God do and shall injoy in the Kingdom of glorie And this in spite of the Devil and all his adherents is most manifest throughout the whole word of God Faith is the evidence of things not seen saith the Apostle Hebr. 11. 1. And eye hath not seen nor eare heard neither have entered into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them that love him 1 Cor. 2. 9. Verily Verily I say unto you he that believeth on me hath everlasting life saith our Lord and Saviour Joh. 6. 47. Ye are all the children of God by Faith in Christ Jesus saith St. Paul Gal. 3. 26. And if children then Heirs Heirs of God and joynt Heirs with Christ saith the same Apostle Rom. 8. 17. Thou hast known the Holy Scriptures which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through Faith which is in Christ Jesus 2 Tim. 3. 15. Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in Faith and Heirs to the Kingdom which God hath promised to them that love him saith the Apostle James Jam. 2. 5. Ye are kept by the power of God through Faith unto Salvation saith St. Peter 1 Pet. 1. 5. And to confirm us yet more perfectly in this general truth we finde Faith to be the onely condition exemplified in this Copy of that Covenant whereby we stand intituled to everlasting life even from all eternity God so loved the world that he gave his onely begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life ANd now concerning the right Heir to this inheritance you shall very hardly meet with any man or woman whatsoever but they will be ready to lay claim thereunto Yea and they will inforce their Allegations and produce their evidences such as they are And therefore to avoid confusion in this case I shall endeavour to reduce the multitude of Pretenders amongst us that will be called Christians unto these few heads As namely The obstinate Offender The ignorant Infidel The good honest Man The zealous Reformer And The legal Professour And in them I shall briefly consider their Actions their Allegations and their Evidences The first in this Catalogue is the obstinate Offender And by him I intend such a one as runneth on in his sins according to a Reprobate sense without contradiction or remorse of conscience I shall give you no other account of his actions then what I finde recorded by the Spirit of God Least by lighting accidentally upon the corruptions of some particular persons I be looked upon either as envious or injurious In the tenth Psalm beginning at the fourth verse the Prophet David describeth him thus First by his Pride The wicked through the pride of his countenance will not seek after God God is not in all his thoughts verse 4. Secondly by his Behaviour His wayes are alwayes grievous thy judgements are far above out of his sight as for all his enemies he puffeth at them verse 5. Thirdly by his Security He hath said in his heart I shall not be moved for I shall never be in adversity ver 6. Fourthly by his Subtilty His mouth is full of cursing and deceit under his tongue is mischief and vanity ver 7. Fifthly by his Treachery He sitteth in the lurking places of the Villages in the secret places doth he murder the innocent his eyes are privily set against the pâ—or He lyeth in wait secretly as a Lion in his Den he lieth in wait to catch the poor he doth catch the poor when he draweth him into his Net he crouhceth and humbleth himself that the poor may fall by his strong ones verses 8 9 and 10. Sixthly and lastly by his Blasphemy He hath said in his heart God hath forgotten he hideth his face he will never see it verse 11. These are his Actions Neither are his Allegations any thing unsuteable For let either Magistrate or Minister or any private friend reprove or admonish him concerning the evil of his ways or the sad condition of his poor Soul And they shall soon finde that he will return reproaches for reproofs and bad language for good counsel What do you think he knows not what he hath to do as wel as any foolish Hypocrite of them all Is there any man that doth not sin He that saith to the contrary is a lyar What are his offences but infirmities or humane frailties And he can say as much or more by other men then they can say by him These are his best thanks But commonly he is so throughly instructed by the Devil his Master that with lying accusations and scornfull Allegations he is able to silence the most confident Christian living But you will say dares any wicked wretch so odious in the sight of God and man lay claim unto this heavenly inheritance Yea verily dares he For if pride and contempt will afford him so much patience as to hear or discourse concerning the same he is ready presently to produce his evidence And commonly part of it will be this He believes that God is mercifull for did he not proclaim himself after this manner The Lord The Lord God mercifull and gracious long-suffering and abundant in goodnesse and truth keeping mercy for thousands forgiving iniquity transgression and sin Exod. 34. 6 7. And what can any man desire more Why I desire that he would proceed a little further in that seventh verse And that will by no means clear the guilty But this is past his learning and contrary to his liking For by this it appears that this evidence of his is nothing worth For God is not so mercifull as to destroy his Justice Neither can he in Justice pardon sin without satisfaction But yet he is neverthelesse confident in his Title For this is but one clause of his evidence he proceedeth yet further and saith he groundeth his assurance upon that saying of Paul where he telleth Timothy That Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners of whom he is chief 1 Tim. 1. 15. Who doubts of that But he must know that the true saving Faith consisteth not in believing that Christ came into the World to save sinners But in receiving Christ and applying the promise to our own particulars whereby we get assurance that he is ours and we are his According to that of the faithful spouse My beloved is mine saith she I am his Can. 2. 16 And thefore the foresaid Apostle Paul Know ye not saith he that Jesus Christ is in you except ye be Reprobates 2 Cor. 13. 5. But how shall a man know whether Christ be in him or not Why If Christ be in you the body is dead because of sin but the spirit is life because of righteousnesse saith the same Apostle Rom. 8. 10. See how this miserable wicked wretch deceives himself to the dishonour of God and the destruction
thirdly it is by this carnall joy that we rejoyce in spirituall things after a carnal manner or to the satisfying of the flesh by any present of future commodity or injoyment whatsoever As for example when we do delight to professe religion to hear Gods holy word or to partake in any other of his Ordinances either for custom curiosity lucre or pride preferment or vain-glory Doubtlesse it was in reference to these or some of these or the like indirect intents or purposes That Herod heard John gladly Mar. 6. 20. And soon after commanded him to be beheaded verse 27. And that the Jewes were willing for a season to rejoyce in his light John 5. 35. And yet walked in darknesse and ignorance and unbelief neverthelesse verse 37. 28. That Simon the sorcerer would have purchased the gift of the holy Ghost Acts 8. 13. And was therefore reproved for an hypocrite verse 21. And that such hearers as our Lord resembleth to the seed that fell upon the rock receive the word with joy and in time of temptation do fall away Luke 8. 13. Verily it were much to be desired that all such false time-servers and self-servers were separated now from Gods true saints that so we might discover love and honour the Lords true Members with a safer conscience Christians let us not deceive our selves whosoever delighteth in any such thoughts words or works as are meerly carnal or rejoyceth in common or indifferent good things sensually or carnally or in spiritual things in order unto these or any of these foresaid or any the like carnall ends or purposes I say his joy is carnal or hypocritical For these are the abortives the unseasonable and unsanctified conceptions of a carnal minde And therefore contrary to the Spirit of God For to be carnally minded is death Because the carnall minde is enmity against God for it is not subject to the law of God neither indeed can be saith our Apostle Rom. 8. 6. 7. But the fift is a compleat joy And this is always in our Saviours presence In his presence is fulnesse of joy c. Psal 16. 11. And truly this most happy kinde of joy is not so much external or extream as it is both internal and eternal For albeit A merry heart maketh a cheerfull countenance as saith the wise man Pro. 15. 13. And the Prophet David exhorteth all lands To make a joyfull noise unto the Lord to serve him with gladnesse and to come before his presence with singing as Psal 100. 1. 2. Yet these joyful expressions are but the indices or evidences of a more joyful heart For this true christian joy is mainly spiritual and effectual very answerable unto the fountain from whence it proceedeth and the Object upon which it is placed and both these are the same God in Christ For whosoever can derive his joy from God in Christ reconciling the world unto himself he is likewise able to place his joy upon God in Christ and rateably upon all those Gospel mercies which as mediatour he hath procured and purchased for the sons of men And these Gospel mercies are of two sorts first such as are spiritual in nature and secondly such as are spirituallized by grace Those Gospel mercies which are spirituall in their own nature are such as are offered and evidenced and sealed unto us by the Spirit of God And which we do apprehend imbrace and apply and rely upon spiritually by Faith Those that are spirituallized by grace are such as are common to all mankinde upon the account of a generall dispensation or distribution But are received injoyed and imployed onely by the children of God after a spiritual manner And all these mercies whether they be spiritual or spirituallized are to be rejoyced in spiritually According to the exhortations examples and incouragements of our blessed Saviour and his dear saints by the Testimony of his most holy Spirit The first spiritual mercy which is also the first Object of a christians joy is our Election This our Lâ—rd Jesus Christ exhorteth us to rejoyce in Rejoyce not saith he that the spirits are subject unto you but rather rejoyce because your names are written in heaven Luke 10. 20. The second is our Redemption Look up and lift up your heads for your redemption draweth nigh saith our Redeemer himself Luke 21. 28. This is celebrated with a new song by all Gods elect both under the old and new Testaments as Reve. 5. 8 9. The third is our effectual calling and conversion manifested by our true Repentance For which If there be joy in heaven as Luke 15. 7. How much more ought we also to rejoyce on earth who do continually injoy the benefit thereof The fourth is our Justification Be of good cheer thy sins be forgiven thee saith our Saviour to the man sick of the palsie Mat. 9. 2. This was the matter of Saint Pauls triumph who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect saith he it is God that justifieth who is he that condemneth it is Christ that died yea rather that is risen again c. Rom. 8. 33 34. And in another place O death where is thy sting O grave where is thy victory The sting of death is sin and the strength of sin is the law But thanks be to God who hath given us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ 1 Cor. 15. 55 56 57. Who hath given us the victory by justifying us both against sin and the law The fifth Object of our joy is our sanctification Let thy saints rejoyce in goodnesse This was part of Solomons prayer And it was Pauls profession our rejoycing saith he is this the testimony of our conscience that in simplicity and godly sincerity not with fleshly wisdom but by the grace of God we have had our conversation in the world 2 Cor. 1. 12. The sixth is our Salvation This was the matter of good Hannas joy And Hanna prayed and said my heart rejoyceth in the Lord mine horn is exalted in the Lord my mouth is inlarged over mine enemies because I rejoyce in thy salvation 1 Sam. 2. 1. And of Davids rejoycing I will rejoyce in thy salvation saith he Psal 9. 14. And thus do all the godly in all ages with joy draw water out of the wels of salvation Isa 12. 3. The seventh Gospel mercy that we are to rejoyce in is Gods Ordinances I was glad when they said unto me let us go into the house ef the Lord saith holy David Psal 12 2. 1. And wherefore should David go into the house of the Lord but to partake of his Ordinances But principally we are to rejoyce in the word of God the voice of Christ in his Gospel These things have I spoken unto you that my joy might remain in you and that your joy might be full saith the Son of God John 15. 11. The eighth is the faithful ministery together with the lawful portions thereunto belonging For thus the Jews whom God had
made to rejoyce with great joy c. Nehe. 12. 43. At that time were some appointed over the chambers for the treasures for the offerings for the first fruits and for the tythes to gather into them out of the fields of the cities the portions of the law or appointed by the law for the Priests and Levites For Judah rejoyced for the Priests and for the Levites that waited verse 44. But especially the Ministery of the Gospel is to be rejoyced in As it is written How beautifull are the feet of them that preach the Gospel of peace and bring glad tidings of good things Rom. 10. 15. And the ninth spiritual blessing is faith by which we are inabled to believe that these And all other Gospel mercies are treasured up for us and given out unto us in and by our Lord Jesus Christ whom having not seen ye love in whom though now ye see him not yet believing ye rejoyce with joy unspeakable and full of glory saith that Apostle 1 Pet. 1. 8. And St. Paul prayeth Now the God of all hope saith he fill you with all joy and peace in believing Rom. 15. 13. These are such Gospel mercies as are principally spiritual For they are either the assistants or the assurance or the substance of our spiritual and eternall happinesse And therefore much to be rejoyced in Those that are spirituallized are such things as are common in their own nature and do more eminently concern the pilgrimage of this our present life as being the providences and provisions pertaining thereunto And they may all be referred unto these two generall heads Namely Prosperity and Adversity These are the two large arms of providence with our God stretcheth over all his creatures And in both these the righteous man rejoyceth First his joy is more general As when the Object thereof is the prosperity of Gods Church according to that sweet incouragement Rejoyce ye with Jerusalem and be glad with her all ye that love her rejoyce for joy with her all ye that mourn for her that ye may suck and be satisfied with the breasts of her consolation that ye may milk out and be delighted with the abundance of her glory Isa 66. 10 11. Secondly the joy of the godly is more particular as when it reflecteth upon those things that do more properly conduce to their own private prosperity Such are their preservations and deliverances I will be glad and rejoyce in thy mercy for thou hast considered my trouble thou hast known my soul in adversities Thou hast not shut me up in the hand of the enemy thou hast set my feet in a large room saith the Prophet David unto the Lord Psal 31. 7 8. And in the 32 Psalm verse 7. Thou art my hiding place thou shalt preserve me from trouble thou shalt compasse me about with songs of deliverance saith the same sweet singer of Israel Secondly the succesfull return of their prayers is the cause of their joy or rejoycing Ask and ye shall receive that your joy may be full saith our Lord and Saviour John 16. 24. But we have yet more particular and present Objects of our joy As first our wives live joyfully with the wife whom thou lovest all the dayes of the life of thy vanity saith the Preacher Eccl. 9. 9. Secondly our children Thus Sara rejoyced in the child that God had given her Gen. 21. 6. Thirly our families and friends and all the good gifts of God Thou shult rejoyce in every good thing which the Lord thy God hath given unto thee and unto thine house thou and the Levite and the stranger that is among you Deut. 26. 11. But you will say do not all men rejoyce in these necessary and convenient comforts of this life The Reprobate as well as the Righteous They do indeed but their affections differ as much as their profession or their practice The natural mans joy spends it self upon some supposed excellency in the Creatures As their usefulnesse their beauty their bravery their pleasure profit preferment or the like carnal cause of commendations Is not this great Babylon that I have built for the house of the Kingdom by the might of my power and for the honour of my Majestie saith King Nebuchad-nezzar Dan. 4. 30. But they do not rejoyce in them as they are Gospel mercies gifts of grace for they scorne to own them as anothers purchace and they will have hold them and desire no favour But the spiritual man rejoyceth not so much in the goodnesse of the Creature as in the goodnesse of the Creator Not in the gift but in the giver He deriveth his interest in all good things from the just purchace of his Lord and Master He owns them as the blessings of his God and pledges of more large and lasting favours And he is carefull to dispose them to the glory of his Patron and Protectour He sees his God in all that he injoyes and so commends them to his gratefull Soul as Gospel mercies spiritualliz'd by grace But yet this spiritual joy is not compleat unlesse it smiles upon adversity What saith Job shall we receive good at the hand of God and shall we not receive evil Job 2. 10. Or shall we rejoyce in prosperity onely and shall we not rejoyce in adversity also Shall we bewayl Gods fatherly corrections Then surely 't is for want of exercise No chastening for the present seemeth to be joyons but grievous neverthelesse afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousnesse to them that are exercised thereby Hebr. 12. 11. Verily it is Gods good pleasure to keep his Saints in the continual exercise of afflictions that so they may be able to run and not be weary and walk and not faint as Isa 40. 31. Thus he dealt with Paul and the rest of his Apostles Till Paul was able to take pleasure in infirmities in reproches in necessities in persecutions in distresses for Christs sake 2 Cor. 12. 10. And other of the Apostles to rejoyce That they were counted worthie to suffer shame for the name of Christ Acts 5. 41. Wherefore my brethren count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations c. Ja. 1. 2. c. And the Apostle Peter Beloved think it not strange concerning the fierie tryal which is to trie you as though some strange thing hapned unto you But rejoice in as much as ye are partakers of Christs sufferings that when his glorie shall be revealed ye may be glad also with exceeding joy 1 Pet. 4. 12 13. And thus the Saints afflictions become the objects of their joy as Gospel mercies And through these passages their joy becometh a joy unspeakable and full of glory as 1 Pet. 1. 8. And not a compleat or a full joy onely but fulnesse of joy as Psal 16. 11. These six attendants ordinarily live in the presence of our Lord Christ Jesus New Life true Light and sound Humility Gospel Assurance safe Peace compleat Joy Which
over her and covered her nakednesse and sware unto her and entred into a Covenant with her and made her his own Then he washed her and anointed her he decked her with the richest Ornaments both of Jewels and Rayment he fed her with the chief est nourishment And her beauty was made perfect through his comelinesse that he had put upon her Ezek. 16. 8. to the 15. verse And in consideration of these so great so undeserved favours she crieth out with that good Prophet David O give thanks unto the Lord for he is good for his mercy endureth for ever Psal 107. 1. And so thirdly she falleth upon his mercy which she cannot but mightily commend for that so soon as she became sensible of her own lamentable condition he then appeard to her most mercifull For no sooner did she finde her self to be by nature the child of wrath Eph. 2. 3. And by sin the child of the Devil 1 Joh. 3. 8. But suddenly she perceived that he had redeemed her to God by his bloud Rev. 5. 9. That when she was yet his enemy he had reconciled her to God by his death and most assuredly saved her by his life Rom. 5. 10. And all this without the least satisfaction by or from her self For not by works of righteousnesse that she had done but according to his mercie he saved her Tit. 3. 5. And she is most confident that he will continue her in her now happy estate For he hath said I will never leave thee nor forfake thee Hebr. 13. 5. Neither can she doubt but what he hath said he will most certainly perform For she findeth Fourthly That he is full of Grace and Truth John 1. 14. Yea he is the very Truth it self John 14. 6. And therefore she sings with David Her Lord is good his mercie is everlasting and his truth endureth to all generations Psal 100. 5. Nor Fifthly is she afrighted at his Justice But rather she rejoyceth therein For albeit The wages of sin is death Rom. 6. 23. And every transgression and every disobedience must receive a just recompence of reward As Hebr. 2. 2. Yet the law of the Spirit of life in her Lord Christ Jesus hath freed her from the law of sin and of death Rom. 8. 2. And in such a case it is not the office of Justice to condemn but to acquit protect and justifie And sixthly she can never forget his wisdom who is the wisdom of God 1 Cor. 1. 24. She apprehendeth by faith that it was he which made the earth by his power which established the world by his wisdom and stretched out the heaven by his understanding As Isa 51. 15. He knoweth them that are his 2 Tim. 1. 19. And he knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgement to be punished 2 Pet. 2. 9. And she doubteth not but she may most safely and savingly resign her self to his direction and disposition For in him are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge Colos 2 3. The soul that adds a thousand fold to these shall yet fall short a thousand thousand fold of his essentiall super-excellencies and lose her self at last in admiration Yet by these dear indearing contemplations she acts and strengthens and improves her Love and works it to a prosperous conditon For as the roote by vertue of the Sap causeth the tree to put forth fair green leaves So worketh Faith by Love and fits the soul the chast soul for a flourishing profession ANd now though somewhat bashfull yet she dares discover her affections to her friends the sweet companions of her virgin Love I charge you O daughters of Jerusalem if you finde my beloved that ye tell him that I am sick of love Saith she Cant. 5. 8. And therefore as the virgin lover first delighteth much to meditate upon the rare perfections of her Paramore So in the second place she will be talking of him very often extolling and comending his person parts and properties that so he may the better come to the knowledge and assurance of her intire affection towards him In like manner the love-sick soul that panteth after Christ will not omit the least occasion or opportunity of conference concerning her dear Lord but will evermore be magnifying his goodness loving-kindness and the like and setting forth the promises due thereto Because thy loving-kindness is better then life therefore my lips shall praise thee saith David Psal 63. 3. And to that purpose she consorts her self with his true servants his trustie friends whom she inviteth kindly to a sweet harmoneous concord and conversation O come saith she let us sing unto the Lord let us make a joyfull noise to the rock of ovr salvation Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving and make a joyfull noise unto him with Psalms For the Lord is a great God c. Psal 94 to the 8. And from hence she proceedeth to a more eminent and evident Profession of her true zeal and pure integrity which will appear the more infallibly by loving that which he is known to love and hating that which he abhors and hates Resolved thus She findes he loveth righteousnesse and hateth wickednesse Psal 45. 7. And therefore she directeth her affections of love and hatred towards the same Objects In the first place she loveth righteousness whether it be the righteousness of faith which justifieth the person or the righteousness of the law which justifieth the faith of the person For she knoweth that as the one is the cause of her justification so the other is the evidence of her sanctification And this her Love appeareth very precious upon the account of these four properties First it is Cordiall secondly it is Constant thirdly it is Confident and fourthly it is Comprehensive First I say it is cordiall It is no brain-sick fancy begotten by imagination brought forth by opinion nursed by ignorance and maintained by impudence Neither is it an outward formall profession modalled by self-seeking and magnified by self-conceit These are degenerate monsters bastard brats abominable to her virgin brest She owns no other love but what proceeds from the assurance of a saving faith infused by the Spirit of her Lord into the hidden corners of her heart I sleep saith she but my heart waketh Cant. 5. 2. her loving heart is evermore in labour Neither can any thing prevent or hinder her amourous desires from running out towards the righteousness of her dear Lord Because He is the Lord her righteousnesse Jer. 23. 6. Secondly her love is constant She regardeth not the face of the times nor the course of the tide the praise of a parasite nor the partling of a Parrat Neither will she take the spirit of giddiness for her guide least by any means she should wax wanton against Christ and wed her self to some unworthy creature like the younger widows Tim. 3. 11. Profits Pleasures and preferments
the penalty that 's due to her transgressions eternal death in everlasting torments And being thus affrighted at her sins the onely cause of her afflictions the Soul bestirs her self about the Cure And to that end she sighs weeps vowes resolves and fasts and prayes and cries unto the Lord. Behold O Lord for I am in distresse my bowels are troubled mine heart is turned within me for I have grievously rebelled Lament 1. 20. Bowels of grief beg bowels of compassion and all to little purpose For now the more she mourns the more she may her spirit is ingaged in the conflict And a wounded spirit who can bear saith Solomon Prov. 18. 14. Poor Soul for life she labours does undoes she spends her spirits and torments her self and all to satisfie incensed Justice Which she is never able to perform by her own passions were they strong as death and deep as hell The Law is broken and it is Gods Law her sute is entred and her case reported one day of hearing craveth for another night unto night doth utter lamentations Justice must be appeas'd or no discharge every hour fresh summons to the barr she gives attendance but receives no comfort her time runs on her taske is but begun her work is always doing never ended And so her case seems to be desperate Because she seeketh not the cure by Christ by God in Christ Oh! there is heavenly musick That very name revives her and commands her ears and heart to dwell upon that sound which they suck in with a delitious relish For now that God and man that Mediator not won by tears but of his own free grace turns o're the mighty volume of his book the glorious records of free-election and finds her name written in that Book of life Revela 3. 5. And now though haply he may forbear for some short time to utter his affections until her heart be throughly mollified and well prepared to receive impression yet he forgets not to compassionate the pining wretch but in the best of times his own good time he says concerning her like as he did concerning Ephraim Is this my dear daughter is she a pleasant child for since I spake against her I do earnestly remember her still therefore my bowels are troubled for ber I will surely have mercy on her saith the Lord Jer. 31. 20. And to her self as to his spouse he saith O my dove that art in the clefts of the rock in the secret places of the stairs let me see thy countenance let me hear thy voice for sweet is thy voice and thy countenance is comly Cant. 2. 14. In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment but with everlasting kindnesse will I have mercy on thee c. Isa 54. 8 9 10. And thus her Lord bemoanes and greets and cheers her till being big with Christ her comforter she singeth with the blessed virgin Mary My soul doth magnifie the Lord and my spirit hath rejoyced in God my Saviour For he hath regarded the lowe estate of his handmaiden c. Luke 1. 46 c. This is a happy progresse you may say But where appeareth this humility Truely she meets with it in every passage First she survayes her sorrows and she says Remembering mine affection and my misery the wormwood and the gall my soul hath them still in rememberance and is humbled in me Lament 3. 19 20. And secondly she sees the work of God in her afflictions and therefore She humbleth her self under the mighty hand of God According as St. Peter teacheth her 1 Pet. 5. 6. Thirdly perceiving sin to be the cause of all her miseries she humbly begs to have it done away Have mercy upon me O God saith she according to thy loving kindnesse according to the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions wash me throughly from mine iniquitie and cleanse me from my sin as Psal 51. 1 2. And with like meeknesse promiseth amendment I have born chastisement saith she I will not offend any more as Job 34. 31. But Justice pleads for satisfaction The soul saith he that sinneth it must die At this the poor soul seems as dead indeed she 's utterly dejected quite cast down She 's not so stiff in her opinion to bring in writs of errour or false-judgement All that she desires is to obtain the mercy of the Book where she is taught to read The wages indeed of sin is death But the gift of God is eternall life through Jesus Christ our Lord Rom. 6. 23. And here she breathes for here 's the breath of life And thus restor'd she humbly thanks the law her schole-master for bringing her to Christ She hangs upon this promise claims this gift and by this Jesus Christ her Surty she tenders satisfaction unto Justice and is dismissed without cost or dammage And not so onely But she 's made an heir an heir of God and a joynt-heir with Christ Rom. 8. 17. And is she proud of this preferment now No verily Till now she never felt the kindly force of sound humility All her humilty unto this present was meerly legal troublesome and slavish but now 't is evangelicall and free or if it be constrained any way It is constrained by the love of Christ Indeed The love of Christ constraineth her because she thus judgeth that if one died for all then were all dead 2 Cor. 5. 14. If all were dead then she amongst the rest And that she now lives or begins to live 't is onely by the purchace of his grace He died the death that she deserved to die that she may live with him eternally And where is boasting then it is excluded By what law of works Nay but by the law of faith Rom. 3. 27. Now she believes and loves and hence proceeds a modest willing sweet humility She 's not dejected through a servile fear but she is humbled by attractive love Because her Lord requires to have it so Take my yoak upon you and learn of me for I am meek and lowly in heart saith her beloved Lord Math. 11. 29. Let this minde be in you which was also in Christ Jesus who being in the form of God thought it not robbery to be equall with God But made himself of no reputation and took upon him the form of a servant and was made in the likenesse of men And being found in fashion as a man he humbled himself became obedient unto death even the death of the crosse saith his learned Apostle Phil. 2. 5. to the 9. Thus councel wooes her and example wins her And she walkes humbly with her God in Christ According to that of the Prophet Micah 6. 8. And thus effectuall humility is brought and wrought into the sinful soul But what doth this humility perform what doth it work For that is the fourth Question I answer that this true humility being impowred and improved by Faith hath principally these five operations It
ye believed in Christ saith Paul ye were sealed with the holy Spirit of promise which is the earnest of our inheritance untill the redemption of the purchased possession unto the praise of his glorie Eph. 1. 13 14. And thirdly he hath it in Christ by possession Christ hath taken possession of it and prepared it for all believers I go to prepare a place for you saith he And if I go and prepare a place for you I will come again and receive you unto my self that where I am there ye may be also Joh. 14. 2 3. And whither I go ye know saith he verse 4. For that Kingdom which was prepared for you from the foundation of the world upon promise of satisfaction I go to prepare for you after performance of satisfaction Where it shall be said unto you Come ye blessed of my father inherâ—t the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world as Math. 25. 34. What Soul can wish a more compleat assurance But haply you will say we do not doubt but every true believer is sure enough to have eternal life by Jesus Christ But what assurance have we of those good things that do concern this life Indeed the Prophet David telleth us There be many that say who will shew us any good Psal 4. 6. But in this case also we have both promise example and experience for our assurance For matter of promise God hath said I will never leave thee nor forsake thee Heb. 13. 5. But what is it poor Soul thou art afraid of Art thou afraid of poverty or want Why a little that a righteous man hath is better then the riches of many wicked For the arms of the wicked shall be broken but the Lord upholdeth the righteous The Lord knoweth the dayes of the upright and their inheritance shall be for ever They shall not be ashamed in the evil time in the dayes of famine they shall be satisfied Ps 37. 16 17. 18 19. Trust therefore in the living God who giveth us richly all things to injoy 1 Tim. 6. 17. Art thou afraid of discredit afraid to lose thy good name and reputation Why the Lord is able to make thee a name and a praise among all people of the earth as Zepha 3. 20. Admit that thy good name be reproched by the mouth of a scorner here upon the earth yet thou hast cause to rejoyce for that thy name is registred in heaven as Luke 10. 20. Art thou afraid of thine enemies Consider that of the Prophet David The Lord saith he is my light and my salvation whom shall I fear The Lord is the strength of my life of whom shall I be afraid When the wicked even mine enemies and my foes came upon me to eat up my flesh they stumbled and fell Psal 27. 1 2. And the Lord thy God will hold thy right hand saying unto thee fear not I will help thee as in Isa 41. 13. Art thou afraid of death Behold the eye of the Lord is upon them that fear him that hope in his mercie to deliver their Soul from death and to keep them alive in famine Psal 33. 18 19. But why should any man be such a coward as to fear an enemy that is already conquered Yea abolished or destroyed 2 Tim. 1. 10. Swallowed up in victory 1 Cor. 15. 54. Truely dear Christian thou hast cause to triumph over these enemies after this manner O death where is thy sting O Grave where is thy victorie The sting of death is sin and the strength of sin is the law But thanks be to God which giveth us the victorie through our Lord Jesus Christ as at 1 Cor. 15. 55 56 57. In a word whatsoever thou fearest or whatsoever thou feelest Thou shall finde God thy refuge and strength a very present help in trouble as well as David did Psalm 46. 1. Onely be carefull That thou suffer not as a Murderer or as a Thief or as an evil doer or as a busie-bodie in other mens matters And then assure thy self That the Lord is faithfull who shall stablish thee and keep thee from evil According unto St. Pauls confidence 2 Thes 3. 3. Again consider What doest thou desire Doest thou desire safety preservation deliverance victory wealth honour long-life or salvation after a moderate and godly manner Acquaint thy self with the substance of the 91 Psalm And with the 3 first verses of the 112 Psal In these words Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord that delighteth greatly in his Commandments his seed shall be mighty upon earth the generation of the upright shall be blessed wealth and riches shall be in his house and his righteousnesse endureth for ever And to confirm thee in thy confidence peruse the 6. 7. and 8. verses of the same Psalm Surely he shall not be moved for ever the righteous shall be in everlasting remembrance He shall not be afraid of evil tidings his heart is fixed trusting in the Lord. His heart is established he shall not be afraid untill he see his desire upon his enemies Thus of the promises If thou desirest yet further to establish thine assurance In the next place see and observe the stories of Abraham Isaac Jacob of Joseph Moses Mordecay David and Hezekiah And consider how the Lord guided and governed preserved and prospered exalted and incouraged them together with all his Prophets and Apostles and all the godly every where and in all ages And verily thou shalt finde sufficient cause to say with that discerning Prophet David The Lord hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servants Psal 35. 27. And lastly recollect thine own experience and meditate how graciously the Lord thy God hath dealt by thee in his outwad blessings and inward consolations his tender mercies and fatherly loving-kindnesses his patience and long-sufferings supplying thy severall necessities with sutable comforts preservations and deliverances wherein he hath prevented not onely thy deserts but often times thy desires also And when thou shalt thus walk with thy God in wisdom and singlenesse of heart Thou shalt finde sufficient in him and from him to say with that holy Prophet Return unto thy rest O my soul for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee Psal 116. 7. And furthermore to make thee confident That he shall deliver thee in six troubles yea in seven there shall no evill touch thee In famine he shall redeem thee from death and in war from the power of the sword c. Job 5. 19. to 27. Thus through ouâ— own discreet experience the saints exemplary prosperity And our dear Saviours never-failing promises as well spiritual as temporal we shall be sure to meet the full assurance of all or every kinde of happinesse Provided still that Christ be with or in us For where the true Christ is there is assurance And this assurance always brings in peace This is the fifth attendant that still waits upon the person of our royal Bridegroom And where