is no Apostolical preaching Mr. Shepherd nor any other ever found that in Christ or his Apostles preaching I put that question to old Mr. Daniel Rogers Whether it were the duty of Ministers to preach the Soveraignty of Gods Grace to give it where he will when we are upon the work of Conversion or effectual Calling and the Soul under that work He answered To preach the Soveraignty of his Grace in triumphing over all the guilt and vileness of the broken hearted sinner that lyes under the sense of his sin is proper preaching of it This is very true but this is not Mr. Shepherd's sense How sparing is holy Writ in this great point but how abundant is it in setting out his Goodness Grace Mercy towards poor sinners who feel the want of it and would gladly embrace it upon his terms Let us observe the Apostle in his practical Catechisme the Epistle to the Romans when he had opened the state of every man by nature in his first second and part of the third Chapter quite outed him and shewn where our remedy lay how we came to be justified by the righteousness of Christ imputed and reconciliation through his blood in the end of the third fourth and fifth Chapters and touched the Doctrine of Sanctification in the sixth Chapter the spiritual Combate in the seventh Chapter excellent priviledges of Believers in the eighth Chapter then indeed upon the occasion of an Objection that might be made about the Jews in the ninth Chapter he openeth this Soveraignty but the Apostle doth not use to preach this to awakened Souls as Mr. Shepherd doth and Mr. Hooker while under the work of Conviction Compunction c. For Mr. Shepherd's Similitude which he brings to illustrate his Reason but illustration and probation are different things from a Beggar coming to our doors asking alms and will have what he desires else he falls a quarrelling with the Master of the house draws his knife What saith the Master Away proud Beggar shall I not do with my own what I will c. Laying by this quarrelling drawing the knife and so that devil-like fierceness against God which Mr. Shepherd mentions and which is another question this must not be I acknowledge I shall with this holy mans leave give him a Similitude which answers the case and Scriptures more aptly then his doth For the beggar if one man doth not relieve him another may and save his life But let us suppose first There is but one man that can relieve a poor man in a miserable painful starving condition Secondly This rich man calls this poor man to his door Thirdly Promiseth him if he will submit to such a condition he will relieve him and save him from perishing Fourthly He commands him to come Fifthly Threatens him if he will not come Now for this poor man to go and beg at his door and declare that he doth and will submit to his condition and to have a servant of the house come and tell this poor beggar my Master is Lord of his own goods may do what he please with them you must be content to starve and dye if the beggar quarrels with the servant yea and Master too I cannot blame him For the Reddition or Application of the Similitude the case is the same Man hath dealt vilely with God brought himself into a miserable undone and damned condition God hath made the man sensible of this his state and lies under the burden of it God who is rich in grace and only able to help this man calls him to his Son whom he hath sent to redeem such miserable Creatures and by Christ he calls him to himself Secondly In calling him he offers to him if he will come and submit to his condition he will save him from his woful misery perfectly give him his Love Grace Pardon Image c. Thirdly He commands him to come to his Son Fourthly He threatens him with damnation if he will not come Fifthly He promiseth covenants and sets seals to his Covenant that he will do all for him in the second Head upon that condition This man now finds the Lord hath wrought in him a willingness to submit to the condition oh with all my heart do I yield if thou wilt give me what thou hast said To have a servant now come and tell me the Lord is soveraign over his Grace true he can pardon sanctifie c. but he will dispose of his Grace where he pleaseth you must be content to have no Grace but be damned for ever though it 's true I would not fly like a Devil against God nor draw my knife yet I will quarrel with this servant and tell him his Master is of a sweeter nature and told me otherwise bad me come and promised he would save me if I did come to his condition which I heartily submit to Whatever thoughts people have of God while they are filling themselves with their lusts and dead in sins yet when once people come to be awakened Conscience roars people then are apt to have ill surmises and hatd thoughts of God the Devil will throw them in fast enough we had need keep up as good thoughts of God as we can in the hearts of awakened sinners This answer may serve to another kind of argument like this p. 148. when he saith It is the greatest pride when the Soul will be discontent and grow sullen because God denies it not small things but treasures of Grace Mercy Christ and all that he is worth This he illustrates from a Beggar that must have a thousand pounds c. To which I answer I grant they are wonderful things indeed but considering the infinite fulness of himself and the fulness of Christs purchase it is no more for God to give me them then to give me the bread I eat every day God may give his Grace Mercy Love Pardon to millions of men more then are in the world hath been or shall be and when he hath so done not one farthing the poorer I am the poorer by a penny if I give a penny less then these will not serve the turn our misery is so great Be they never so great his sweet heart intended them his Christ hath purchased them He hath pleased to promise them Covenants and Seals to give them upon condition submitted to He calls me commands me to come and take them He threatens me if I do not No pride then at all to be discontent disquieted without them Doth God call me thus command me to seek the lesser things of this world and threaten me with damnation if I do not pursue them The case then is not the same In page 147. I find another Argument I think he intends it for one and I would leave nothing untouched which I see may carry a shew of an Argument in it it is that which at first I noted Why art thou quiet and still when the Lord denies thee any common mercy
shew that all who live as he did shall be happy as he is being now risen but raised by God not by himself and ascended into glory A goodly business an excellent gift to set out the love of God by had his Power Wisdom and Goodness in the Creation been no more than this the invisible things of him the eternal power and Godhead Rom 1.20 had never been seen to convince a Heathen by the light of Nature His miraculous Conception what is in this Adam's forming out of the earth was infinitely more miraculous But this Son had no sin no more had Adam when God made him and though he did live without sin that is little the Angels do as much That he died so have many Martyrs more as bad deaths and worse to bear testimony to the Doctrine of God and God will raise them also So that if the gift of God be no more than the Socinians Jesus we will never wonder at this love of God the Text may well leave out the so loved for this is not love to set out a God by our understandings can easily grasp this being a pitiful small gift this is not as he said a gift like a thing I must give like a King But now for God to send his only begotten Son therefore of the same essence with the Father as Children are of the Father else no Son the wonderful the mighty God Isai 9.6 1 Tim. 3.16 to take on him then he must have a praeexistence for non ens cannot take the seed of Abraham Heb. 2.16 to redeem the seed of Abraham that he must be made of a Woman made under the Law that he might redeem them that are under the Law being made himself a curse Gal. 4.4 5. Gal. 3.13 This is a gift indeed this argues love like a God indeed The Creation doth not more demonstrate his power and wisdom to be infinite than this gift demonstrates his love to be infinite he may well put so to this love this confounds swallows up the understanding sets it in amazement and there leaves it as do the other Attributes of God this love bears a full proportion with his other Attributes The Socinians Jesus debase God and make his Attributes of love unbecoming God The Socinians make great use of Matth. 28.18 All power c. But that was Gods love to his Son as he had been a Servant and done his Fathers work this is part of his wages but his love to us is in the gift of his Son and his dying for us Rom. 5.8 there look for the so loved Again in 1 Pet. 1.12 we read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 propriae usitatur de iis qui studio intuendi penitius introspiciendi se inclinant quique summ◠studio omnia explorant ac diligenter fixis oculis intuentur Which things the Angels desire to look into the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to look into is used of John John 20.5 and of Peter Luke 24.12 when they stooped down and looked wishly to see whether Christ were not in the Sepulchre and in James 1.25 Who so looketh into the perfect Law which the Dutch translate thus he that narrowly looketh for such looking the Law requireth it notes a curious prying into that which hath some veiled or secret rarity in it Grotius saith the Apostle hath a respect to Exod. 25.20 where the Cherubims the representative Angels were made with their eyes looking down to the Mercy seat What our Lord said to the Multitude Matth. 11.7 concerning John What went ye out into the wilderness to see so may I have leave with honour to those blessed Creatures to say What is it ye bow your selves to see What is it you are curious to pry into a Socinian Jesus You see but a man yea but he is a man whose conception is wonderful in the womb of a Virgin But the forming of the woman of the rib of the man and Adam out of the earth is a thousand times more wonderful than the forming of a man of the seed of the woman which concurs to all generations of men But he is without sin So are ye and so was Adam once and though now we are fallen yet considering that body of death within and the temptations that arise from thence and without from Satan and World it is a wonder that so many Saints walk so holily as they do But he preached the way to Heaven And this was preached before by Moses and Prophets as well as by the Socinians Jesus Enoch Abraham the Patriarchs knew the way to Heaven and were Pilgrims here Heb. 11.13 14 15 16. But he died to confirm his Doctrine So have thousands of Martyrs But he was raised again the third day The Socinians Jesus could not raise himself but if God raised him so shall all the Saints be raised as well as he the time on the third day makes nothing to raise the bodies of Saints dead so many hundred of years since is a wonder infinitely beyond the raising of a Socinians Jesus the third day And this wonder is to be performed by our Jesus John 6.39 40 44 54. This work is too hard for the Socinians Jesus therefore are the Socinians as faulty and erroneous in the Doctrine of the Resurrection Corpora haec quae nunc circum ferimus resurrectura non credimus saith Smalcius Now where is that Mystery where is that manifold wisdom of God Ephes 3.9 10. O ye blessed Angels that ye are so desirous to look into and find out Here is no such rare Invention in this Socinians Jesus to take up the thoughts of a man with admiration much less of Angels But to see God manifest in the flesh 1 Tim. 3.16 to see the second person in the Trinity united to that holy thing conceived in the womb of the Virgin to see him made under the Law yea made a Curse to see him made sin who knew no sin that we might be made the righteousness of God in him 2 Cor. 5. last For God to find a way how to justifie a sinful condemned wretch and yet he be just true and holy none of these Attributes suffer and yet Mercy triumph in saving a sinner yea that he should find out a way to give his offended Justice greater satisfaction while he sheweth mercy in saving sinners than he could ever have received either by the confusion or annihilation of them to see him reconciling a world of obstinate and rebellious enemies unto himself and all this by the blood and righteousness of our Jesus God in our flesh to see him incorporating Christ and his Church things in their own distinct natures as unapt for mixture as fire and water here is a mystery indeed here is manifold wisdom of God indeed worthy to set the blessed Angels on work to find out worthy to set heaven and earth admiring And now we can see good reason why it is said Worship him all ye Angels Heb 1.6 But the
till I enjoy these or if I cannot come to the enjoyment yet my affections and will pursue those I think meditation hath its end In meditation I see the object as it is I affect as I see and follow as I see and affect in my endeavours allowing here various degrees both in the sight and affections yet so as the prevalency is on Gods side I conceive this person hath in his measure performed this duty Now let this meditation be performed how it will let it be in what length or shortness of time what is that to the essence of the duty If a man can thus meditate as he sits in his house amongst others if as he walks in the streets about his other occaons if as he is at his work in his calling if as he walks in the fields or rides or in bed so the end of meditation be attained though he doth not separate himself only for meditation as for prayer if this meditation for the time be not a quarter of an hour or half quarter but often in a day as those who are plagued with their hearts followed with temptations all the day long are put upon these meditations frequently will not this meditation answer the Scripture-meditation unless we separate our selves one hour or half an hour to meditate and that upon the Joyes of Heaven If not let us hear a Scripture-reason to prove it For those who are able to contemplate and solace themselves with the Joyes of Heaven if it be ten hours together I only say they are the happier men and have great cause to bless God for such a mercy given to them But when I come to impose duties as meditation c. upon Christians to be performed by them in such a manner and for such a time and their soundness or unsoundness seriousness or slightness is determined according to their performance or non-performance according to that manner which I set down surely I had need bring clear Scripture proof to warrant what I impose and not speak or write that which shall perplex many sincere Christians and make them call all their work into question because they come not up to what I deliver Of the same opinion concerning meditation was that judicious and able Divine Mr. Nathaniel Rogers of whom I made mention in my Epistle to the Reader a man of solid judgment a close walker with God and awed with the reverent fear of God who could not be perswaded to publish any thing being troubled with an Haemoptysis or spitting of blood he thought it would kill him if he should go about such a work this excellency he had in his work that as he was very sound clear and searching so he was ever very tender and careful that he spake nothing which should perplex or trouble a poor sincere Christian Having handled a Christians daily walk with God which he did to the life and which deserved the Press as well as any practical piece of Divinity that is printed I observed he omitted that Head of meditation which I waited for I asked him in private why he did not preach upon it as others had done and that in such a manner as now we are speaking of as if meditation were not rightly performed unless men did separate themselves unto this duty daily as they do to prayer besides that meditation which they had as I instanced before To which he answered It is true men had printed so but he could not prove it out of the Word and he did not love to impose that upon the people of God which he could not find God himself to impose That meditation was a duty was not the question and so instanced how and when Christians might meditate but the question was as to such a way and manner of performing the duty which some Divines had set down putting the stress in the performance of it after such a way and manner binding all Christians to that as if the duty were not performed unless so performed this he could not prove therefore would not preach it but omitted it Secondly I conceive the fixedness of the thoughts in meditation to hold long upon such or such a Subject which we would meditate upon depend First Upon the tempers and constitutions of men Some are of a temper inclining to Melancholy which temper renders men more fixed in what they fasten upon in meditation be it what it will If the humour be predominant it fixeth men too much Others are of a more volatile hot constitution which temper cannot fix as the other can Secondly It depends upon the strength of the Invention For a man to dilate upon a Subject in meditation as he must if he holds long and fixed it cannot be if his Invention be weak Hence that worthy Divine who makes the Abridgment of Mr. Rogers seven Treatises upon that Chapter of Meditation as I remember for I have not the Book though once I saw it teacheth men how to help themselves in meditation by carrying the Subject they meditate upon through Ramus Topicks Hence for men of vast parts large inventions and of a more fixed melancholy temper to be longer in meditation than others is no wonder Hence also many Christians who cannot separate themselves to meditate an hour or half hour yet can tell how to improve the Sermons they hear because in preaching the Ministers invention hath helped their inventions giving them Light Arguments Motives c. which move upon their wills and affections and help them to pray and follow God to teach them to profit I say many Christians can do thus But what shall we say to many plain hearted Christians who go with a sincere frame to hear Gods Word and profit by it set themselves to observe and lay up for themselves but sometimes through the imprudence of the Ministers lading the hearers heads with many heads what with darkness being not clear in what they deliver what through want of method or tediousness in preaching many poor Christians can bring away nothing they hear something which they think they will lay up then they hear more and that they would lay up and thus while they are greedy to catch and lay up the Word while they lay up one thing they loose another and in conclusion loose all their weak memories being not able to retain what they hear and would lay up but while they catch at much and would lay up much they loose all then they complain of their unprofitableness and dulness none so bad as they How can they meditate upon that which they do not remember Yet divers of these good Christians it was not their giving way to sleepiness so much or want of attention but weakness of understanding and memory that hindered Thirdly It depends upon the strength of habitual Grace received and the influences which that habitual Grace hath from the Spirit of Grace Men who have received great Grace and whom the Lord doth influence daily with second
with his Son-in-law Mr. Shepherd go both the same way yet Mr. Shepherd writing last hath done it more fully Mr. Hooker not putting forth his Book himself as I conceive therefore I shall attend Mr. Shepherd especially being I wrote to him about it and have his Letter in answer by me Let us see then whither we have brought the Soul the Spirit of God hath convinced it of its sinful undone miserable condition hath made it acquainted with fears and sorrows rising from that Conviction hath beaten it out of its self-confidence and self-righteousness it is very poor in its own eyes he hath made it willing or not unwilling to be divorced from its sins and lusts glad to take Christ upon any terms so it may have him What is next Faith in Christ close with him poor Soul say I take him upon those terms the Gospel tenders him which thou sayest and that truly thou doest heartily submit to and thinkest it is the best bargain that ever thou madest This Doctrine I dare preach to thee No saith Mr. Shepherd between those preparations and Faith in Christ there comes in one more to make up sound preparation What is that I pray The Soul in that condition must lye under God to be disposed of as he please quietly contented to lye still at his feet p. 125 143 150. But I pray what mean you by this That is It must have no sinking discouragements no secret quarrelling but content quiet though God will never work grace never manifest grace never pity it never help it never succour it never give it his Love p. 140 154. In one word saith Mr. Thomas Hooker if the Soul be rightly humbled it is content to bear the state of Damnation Souls Humiliation p. 112. This then is another requisite to right preparation for Christ So Mr Hooker Souls Humil. p. 145. expresseth it plainly p. 112. that the Soul so prepared as I have mentioned be content to be without Christ and bear the state of damnation if God will have it so These holy men tell us of damned Saints what else to call them I know not The Soul before it comes to Christ hath no goodness at all nothing that we can call Sanctification or Grace in them by way of habit these men acknowledge yet here I think is an Act and a high one too of Grace if it must be by the Word requiring it before the Soul hath Faith in Christ such a subjection to the holy Will and Soveraignty of God that if he will deny it the greatest good the rational Creature is capable of and inflict upon it his dreadful wrath to eternity the Soul is quiet contented well satisfied with his pleasure Can any man call this any other but Grace and it must be performed also from a habit of Grace Mr. Shepherd doth not tell us this is wrought by actual grace without a sanctified habit When Aaron heldhis peace Levit. 10.3 David was dumb Psal 38.9 I think they did manifest Grace in their quiet subjection to Gods Justice and Soveraignty But what petty nothings were their tryals unto this which the convinced Soul is now called to and yet must have no Grace Either Nature or Grace must do this not Nature I am sure then it must be Grace and yet no Faith no Christ no sanctified habit of Grace in it Content quiet well apayed satisfied words which both these Worthies express their minds by are words that carry much in them they imply not only a non-murmuring and devil-like fierceness flying out against God as Mr. Shepherd phraseth is but they carry in them abundance more something that is positive as will appear by both these Worthies Mr. Shepherd p. 147. makes this his second Argument to prove his Position Why art thou quiet and still when God denies thee any common mercy Is it not because the Lord will have it so Now look as we say of him that hates sin as sin that he hates all sin so he that is meekned with Gods good pleasure in any one thing because of his good pleasure in it upon the same ground will at least desire to stoop in every thing c. So if God will deny thee mercy c. By the way note this must not be any grace though the Soul hath this frame of heart for he speaks of one as yet not come to Faith Now in this Argument of his we shall find there is something positive and more then a non-murmuring There are many outward common mercies which God hath given to others and those of his own people but denied them to me which I could be glad of and think I should bless him if I had them yet I do not only not murmur against God and quarrel with him because I am denied them but I am very well pleased quiet and content with his Will in denying them a positive quiet well-pleased frame I feel upon what grounds I am so content whether only upon the account of his Soveraignty that I do not now express but may speak to it when I come to answer his Argument Mr. Hooker p. 139 140. shewing us how the humbled Soul answers the Devils Objections I shall only give the sum of one or two not willing to transcribe all 1. Satan objects Doest thou think to get mercy from the Lord when thine own Conscience dogs thee Go to the place where thou hast lived to the chambers where thou lyest see thy abominations God hears not the prayers of such vile sinners The Soul answers I have denied God and he may well deny me and if the Lord will cast me away and reject my prayers I am content But saith Satan this is not all for God will give thee over and leave thee to thy self thy lusts and corruptions thy end will be worse then thy beginning thou shalt call and cry and be overthrown God will leave thee to thy corruptions and lusts they shall prevail against thee thou shalt fall fearfully to the wounding of thy Conscience scandal of the Gospell and the reproach of thine own person To this the Soul answers If the Lord will give me up to my base lusts leave me to my sins and I fall one day yet let the Lord be honoured let not God loose the praise of his power and justice and I am contented if God leave me Blessed God what Divinity is this But Satan replies when God hath thus left thee to thy sins he will break out in vengeance against thee and get praise from that proud heart of thine The Soul answers If the Lord do come in judgment against me I am contented Hath the blessed God left no other way to answer the Devil but this Did the the Saints of God of whom we read in Scripture answer the Devil only thus We read of some that have been under their temptations but I remember not these answers But by what we read in Mr. Hooker we may observe this is not a bare
warm Sun of occasion and temptation shines upon that side of the dunghill of his corrupt heart this is his comfort that Jesus Christ whom I received for my King and Lord he will be my Redeemer from this lust also I chuse him and apply his Lordship to this he hath engaged against whatever it be that should come in between me and him to make my heart unsound and rotten If then they do rise as they will unexpected yet if thine eye be upon them and canst carry them to Christ and doest not say O spare me in this but let this lust feel the power of thy iron Mace Psal 2.9 deliver me from this enemy too strong for me Canst please thy self in thinking Christ is engaged for me against it he will undertake it for me and help me through his strength and redemption to be above it Thou mayest yet conclude thou hast truly received Christ for thy Lord though new corruptions which had the seeds in thy heart before do rise up and trouble thee Secondly Carry this general to thy particular relation see what doth this King there what authority bears he there Thou hast received Christ thy Lord thou sayest thou art a Husband or a Wife a Father Mother or a Child a Master or Servant hath this Lord any thing to do there hath he any Rules for these Relations to observe or any other Relations more publick than I have mentioned If I be a Father where is my honour If I be a Master where is my fear Mal. 1.6 Shew then thou hast received this Lord by endeavouring to yield obedience to the Rules of thy Lord in thy particular relation But what sad work will this Rule make among many Professours The man can talk of faith hath very good knowledge can pray at a meeting of Christians a man of excellent parts but a churlish Nabal a Tyrant rather than a Husband and his heart it may be not truly closed with the wife of his youth let her be studious to please him tender over him all her care respect obsequiousness towards him cannot obtain a loving tender conversation from him but carries himself like a surly imperious blockhead Take such a woman she is a Believer she hath taken Christ for her Lord goes to Sermons frequently and private Fasts you must look upon her for a Christian she can talk very well of good things see her in her relation of a Wife is Christ her Lord there doth she manifest that submission that reverence to her Husband which her Lord calls for This Doctrine I have observed by some will hardly be born it is strange to see what Wives some are how clamorous froward how far from being Sarahs Daughters how usurping authority over their Husbands they must not dare to do any thing but as they will have them for fear the house be too hot or the dumb devil possess them yet these must be accounted Christians they have received Christ their Lord. It was a worthy speech I once heard from a Lady a very comely person well bred of a good Family her Husband a man of no sweet temper but too blockish in our discourse some words falling which tended a little towards her duty intimating some difficulty that she must needs meet with in the discharge of her place she quickly perceived my meaning and answered me it was no difficulty to her I have the easiest part said she to perform my duty is to obey his duty is to love not but that the Wifes duty also is to love Titus 2.4 and so was she as loving as dutiful answering the Apostles charge there given proving by the discharge of her Lords command in her particular Relation as well as in other points that she had truly received Jesus Christ her Saviour Lord. As for Children it were a comely sight to see profession of faith in Christ adorned with dutifulness obedience and honour towards the Father and especially towards the Mother It was a custome not long since but now it is almost worn out for Children going to bed and in morning to ask their Parents blessing upon the knee that Ceremony did much tend to keep up Parents superiority and keep Children in mind of their duty since that hath been left off most Children have left off that reverent respect they owe to Parents For Servants those who do answer the Lords Rules let them have their commendation but never I think was there such a complaint of Servants since the Gospel was known as is in these dayes To shut up this Head I do not say but some have a hundred times more difficulty to quit their places than others have with some it is nothing but others have temptations enough especially in the relations of Husband and Wife some I do heartily pity when I see what strange kind of Creatures they have to love scarce one good quality in a Wife He that can erre alwayes in ber love Prov. 5.19 I count him an Orthodox man for such an error I know no Orthodox error but that I think they have obtained great mercy from the Lord who can thus love unlovely objects So on the other side what imperious Tyrants have some Wives to obey what pitiful Idols have some to reverence I do not look on a Christians grapling with and getting above his special lust to be an easie matter I do not think it so easie to discharge the duties of particular relations especially for some but this I say he that is not so loosed from his special lust that he receiveth Christ as King to make an eternal separation of that lust from his Soul he or she that makes not conscience of the discharge of the duty of their particular relation be it Husband Wife Child or Servant c. it is the thing they are labouring after humbled under their miscarriages and improving Christ to this end if these things be light with any person not worthy the regarding let your profession be what it will you did never yet truly receive Jesus Christ the Lord and your faith is but vain Thirdly Carry this general to thy particular Calling see how Christ is Lord there What diligence doest thou shew there What care and conscience doest thou express there Your Lord hath Rules for mens particular Callings Do you know what they are and doth your heart stand in aw of them Do you lay his Rule to your buying and selling to your commerce and dealing with men There are other Rules but I only instance in these Alas these are low things say you Then say I they are easily observed by you I hope if they be so low in your esteem but I have found some as high as they have been in their Gospel notions and very frequent at private Fasts yet very tardy in these low things Diligence in our Callings is a thing that light of Nature as well as light of Scripture doth teach Some think it a high attainment in Religion