private when he finds an indisposition of mind unto it SUndry converts when they perceive the unfitnesse of their spirits to offer immediat worship to God in prayer praises or thanksgiving especially in private do fall in doubt with themselves whether it be better to delay the offer of their worship till they find themselves well disposed for it or to go on as they may albeit they apprehend their lips polluted and their hearts far away from God Their fear on the one hand is lest they should pollute the worship and take Gods name in vain on the other hand they fear lest they fall in the guiltinesse of omitâ—ing a prescribed duty The question shall be what the doubting convert should determine and do 2. For answer this case is spoken unto before 2. Book Chap. 17. in as far as the convert determineth not and doth not what is right but goeth wrong and pleaseth himself in his bad condition But here we speak to this case as the convert is in doubt only and desireth to be keeped from deceiving himself In which case we say that as it is the converts doubt so we must confesse that this case of indisposition and unâ—itnesse for spiritual exercises is very frequent and is ordinarily and oft-times a chastisement of us drawn on by our selves because we do not watch unto prayer we do not study to keep our hearts in the fear of the Lord all the day long we do not foster that tendernesse of conscience which might furnish us mater of humiliation and of thanksgiving to God upon observation of our faults against God and of Gods favours daily and hourly remarkably running toward us Hence it is when our ordinar time of secret worship doth come we find our vaiging minds hardly called home from their wandering our conscience challenging us for our loose and uncircumspect walking our affections dull and dead and all the powers of our souls taken as with a palsie that we cannot bestir our selves in worship as we should and would Therefore in this case let the convert be humbled and confesse his fault and take with this chastisement and â—â—ye unto Christ who heareth and taketh away the iniquity of our pollution of holy things and let him nor defer his worship till another occasion but wrestle against all impediments and follow out the work in hand blessing God for his pointing out unto him his wants and weaknesse his wandering and vanity of mind his slipping and sliding in his wayes and for opening unto him a â—ountain in Christ for washing his pollutions and healing his wounds And that the convert may be encouraged to aim at and follow on this way let him consider that the converts worship may be pleasant and acceptable to God when the convert is much displeased with himself in the discharge of it for there is a worshiping of God in faith without sense and feeling of the hearts inlargement and there is a worshiping of God with felt enlargement of heart The worshiping of God in faith is pleasant unto God albeit the worshiper in perplexity and wrestling with temptations and corruptions be much displeased with himself The worshiping of God with inlargement of heart is pleasant both unto God and to the worshiper also as Ps. 119. 32. David gives us to understand I will run the way of thy Commandments saith he when thou shalt enlarge my heart But when this inlargement by sensible assistance of the holy Ghost is not perceived the Psalmist is but a dead man in his own estimation yet he doth not forbear or delay to worship God as well in bonds as in freedom Quicken me saith he according to thy loving kindnesse Therefore let the convert in this case 1. follow the example of the Psalmist who Ps. 5. 3. resolveth to call on God with his voice that is to follow the work of prayer externally pre-suppose his spiritual powers were bound up and he unable to back his peâ—itions with suteable affections My voice saith he shalt thou hear in the morning O Lord in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee and will look up And Ps. 27. 7. Hear me when I cry with my voice have mercy also upon me and answer me 2. For his incouragement in this case to go on in his worship let him confesse unto God the truth as it is presenâ—ed unto him by his conscience and say O Lord my God these are my sins which I ought to acknowledge before thee with tears which for the present are dryed up c. These are thy favours and benefits wherewith I am loadenâ—d which I should acknowledge with joy and sense of thy goodnesse c. but thou Lord delights in truth in the inward parts Ps. 51. 8. This will be found our reasonable service which the Apostle calleth for Rom. 12. 1 2. The eight question is how to satisfie the convert doubting what is the sin which God pursueth by long-lasting affliction IT falleth forth oft-times when a true convert being a long time pressed under some lasting crosse or calamity doth inquire after the special causes of his affliction and when he cannot be clear what to determine doth doubt what to think of his condition for he acknowledgeth his sins common to him and other converts to be innummerable but apprehendeth that it is some special sin pursued by God which is the cause of his affliction which because he cannot condescend upon he is at a stand and doubteth what to think or do 2. For answer we say 1. such a case is more troublesom then dangerous for so long as he is observing his sins common to him and other converts and in the exercise of repentance is daily humbled before God for his known sins he must not be anxious albeit he know not the particular sin pursued as he apprehendeth for albeit the Lord afflict no man but such as have sin in them yet he doth not alwayes in afflicting of his children pursue unknown sin in them For sometime he afflicteth his child to preveen his sinning hedging up his way with thornes lest he should follow after beloved lusts Sometime he doth afflict him to try his faith to teach him patience meeknesse temperance and other virtues such as are dying to the world seeking after things spiritual compassion toward others in affliction 2. When the afflicted hath composed his mind to reverence Gods dispensation whatsoever it is or shall be then let him yet again look upon his affliction and it may be he shall read in the rod what is the Lords quarrel 3. Whether he shall find the special cause of his affliction or not let him turn all his indignation zeal and hatred against the body of death the bitter root and bulk of actual sins and watch diligently over the motions of original sin or concupiscence in himself 4. And let his whole exercise stir him up to have Christ in greater estimation to make use of Christs righteousnesse imputed to believers and
due to us in full measure but also because that which Christ suffered in the point of torment and vexation was in some respect of the same kind with the torment of the damned for in the punishment of the damned we must necessarily distinguish these three things 1. the perverse disposition of the mind of the damned in their sufferings 2. the duration and perpetuity of their punishment and 3. the punishment it self tormenting soul and body The first two are not of the essence of punishment albeit by accident they are turned into a punishment for the wickednesse vilenesse and unworthinesse of the damned who neither will nor can submit themselves to the punishment and put the case they should submit are utterly unable to make satisfaction for ever do make them in a desperat dolefull condition for ever though obstinat sinners do not apprehend nor believe this but go on in treasuring up wrath against themselves pleasing themselves in their own dreams to their own endlesse perdition Of these three the first two could have no place in Christ Not the first because He willingly offered Himself a sacrifice for our sins and upon agreement payed the ransom fully Not the second because He could no longer be holden in the sorrows of death then He had satisfied Justice and finished what was imposed on Him and His infinit excellency made His short suffering to be of infinit worth and equivalent to our everlasting suffering The third then remaineth which is the reall and sensible tormenting of soul and body in being made a curse for us and to feel it so in His reall experience And what need we question hellish pain where pain and torment and the curse with felt wrath from God falleth on and lyeth still till Justice be satisfied Concerning which it is as certain that Christ was seased upon by the dolours of death as it is certain in Scripture that He could not be holden of the sorrows of death Acts. 2. 24. Quest. But what interest had Christ God-head in His humane sufferings to make them both so short and so precious and satisfactory to Justice for so many sins of so many sinners especially when we consider that God cannot suffer Ans. Albeit this passion of the humane nature could not so far reach the God-head of Christ that it should in a physicall sense suffer which indeed is impossible yet these sufferings did so affect the person that it may truly be said that God suffered and by His blood bought His people to Himself Acts 20. 28. for albeit the proper and formall subject of physicall suffering be only the humane nature yet the principall subject of sufferings both in a physicall and morall sense is Christs person God and man from the dignity whereof the worth and excellency of all sort of sufferings the merit and the satisfactory sufficiency of the price did flow And let it be considered also that albeit Christ as God in His God-head could not suffer in a physicall sense yet in a morall sense He might suffer and did suffer for in as much as He being in the form of God and without robbery equall to God did demit His person to assume humane nature and empty Himself so far as to hide His glory and take on the shape of a servant and expose Himself willingly to all the contradiction of sinners which He was to meet with and to all railings revilings contempt despisings and calumnies shall it seem nothing and not enter in the count of our Lords payment for our debt Obj. But how could so low a downthrowing of the Son of man or of the humane nature assumed by Christ consist with the Majesty of the person of the Son of God Ans. We must distinguish in Christ these things which are proper to either of the two natures from these things which are ascribed to His person in respect of either of the natures or both the natures for infirmity physicall suffering or mortality are proper to the humane nature The glory of power and grace and mercy and superexcellent Majesty and such like are proper to the Deity but the sufferings of the humane nature are so far from diminishing the glory of the divine nature that they do manifest the same and make it appear more clearly for by how much the humane nature was weakned depressed and despised for our sake by so much the love of Christ God and man in one person toward man and His mercy and power and grace to man do shine in the eyes of those that judiciously look upon Him Obj. But seing Christs satisfaction for sinners doth not stand in any one part of His doings and sufferings but in the whole and intire precious pearl and compleet price of His whole obedience from His incarnation even to the death of His crosse how cometh it to passe that in Scripture the whole expiation of our sins is ascribed so oft to His passion and particularly to His blood Ans. This cometh to passe 1. Because the certainty and verity of His assumed humane nature and the certainty of His reall suffering and the fulfilling of all the leviticall sacrifices did most evidently appear unto sense in the effusion of His blood 2. Because the expression of His sufferings both in soul and body appeared in the effusion of His blood for in the garden while His body was not as yet touched or hurt by man from the meer pains of His soul drops of blood fell down out of all His body to the earth 3. Because His blood-sheding and death was the last act of compleeting the payment of the ransom to the Father for us which payment began in His humble incarnation and went on through all His life and was compleeted in His bloodshed and death whereof our Lord gave intimation on the crosse when He cryed as triumphantly victorious it is finished The use of this article of the covenant of Redemption WE have at some length spoken of the price of Redemption and of Christs defraying the debt by His passion 1. That hereby the merit of our sins may the more clearly be seen 2. That the sublimity and excellency of divine Majesty offended by sin may appear 3. That we may behold the severity of Gods justice till He have satisfaction and reparation in some sort of the injuries done to Him 4. That the admirable largenesse of Gods mercy may be acknowledged and wondered at For in the price of Redemption payed as in a mirror we may see how greatly the Lord hateth sin how great His love is to the world in sending his Son Christ amongst us how heavy the wrath of God shall lye upon them that flee not to Christs satisfaction for their delivery how great the dignity and excellency of the Lord our Redeemer is for whose cause reconciliation is granted to all that take hold of the offer of grace through him how great the obligation of believers is to love God and serve him and how
variable contingency or differency of mans will but can work upon the will of man and by the will of man what pleaseth him and by second causes whether working freely and contingently or by a naturall necessity can wisely holily and powerfully bring about his own purpose in his set time the dayes come saith he wherein I will make a covenant with the house of Israel Wherein he taketh upon him the effectuall work of covenanting promising not only for his own part but also for the elect of Israel and Judahs part for his promise is that it shall come to passe that by inclining their will unto reconciliation they shall willingly consent unto a covenanting with God for he saith I will make a covenant with them he saith not if they will but absolutely I will make them close a covenant with Me heartily 9. The party to be converted and to enter in covenant is not all men nor every society but the Church Gods own family not every nation but Gods people chosen out of all nations on the whole earth I will make a covenant with the house of Israel as it is also cleared Deut. 7. 6 7 8. 10. The Church of Christ under the Gospel as the Apostle looketh on this place is comprehended under the name of Israel and Iudah partly because Israel hath the priority of all other people in Gods covenant and partly because all the Christian Church of the Jews and Gentiles is comprehended under the name of the house of Iudah which is Christs tribe whereof he came who is the prince and head of all believers and confederat persons reconciled to God and partly because the Israelits or Jews have this prerogative above all other people and nations on the earth that of that race of people the posterity of Abraham Isaac and Iacob there shall be in all ages some elected persons till the great bulk of the now scattered people turn Christians and till the end of the world Rom. 11. 5. 11. No age old nor young no sex man nor woman nor any externall difference of men that can be put between one and another in this life doth exclude any man from the benefit of this covenant or commend a man to God that his person should be respected of God but all and every one whom God shall externally call may safely accept the offer of grace and joyn themselves to Jesus Christ for the grace of God here is extended unto all degrees and sorts of men from the least to the greatest 12. In the mean time God knoweth his own man be man both great and small and with the same love doth embrace them all for the promise is that all those elect who are known to God shall know him from the greatest even to the least 13. The great obstacle which may be supposed to exclude any from coming in to God through Christ is here removed to wit the greatness and multitude of by-gone sins cast up against the in-coming of some when they are called The mercy and grace of Christ the Testator taketh this doubt out of the way saying I will forgive their iniquity and their sins I will no more remember Jer. 31. 34. 14. This promised remission the Lord will not have limited nor abridged neither by the number of sins nor grievousness thereof nor kinds of sins but he purposeth and promiseth to take away all iniquity by forgiveness and to forget their by-gone sins ver 34. And confirmeth this by repeating the promise of not casting them off who shall acknowledge him ver 37. 15. From this promise the Apostle Heb. 10. draweth this consequence that under the Gospel or new covenant there is but one offering for sin which offering cannot be repeated in regard that full remission thereby is purchased For ver 14. he saith by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified and this he proveth from the words of the covenant ver 15 16 17. whence he concludes ver Now where remission of these are there is no more offering for sin 16. If any shall ask for the cause of so rich mercy and grace covenanted he shall find none in man at all The only cause is set down here to wit the will and good pleasure of God I will forgive their iniquity saith the Lord and their sins will I remember no more that is I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy 17. Because the Lord our God and Mediatour is here making his Testament wherein also he taketh upon him to be executor of his own latter will and to perform all that is promised therefore in confirmation he subscribeth and sets down his name Ier. 31. 35. Thus saith the Lord and that his subscription may be of weight with all men he designs himself by his stately stiles or titles taken from his creation and government of the creatures Thus saith the Lord which giveth the sun for a light by day and the ordinances of the moon and of the starrs for a light by night which divideth the Sea when the waves thereof roar the Lord of hosts is his name This he saith least the faith of his people should be shaken by their looking to impediments and difficulties and that they may gather strength and courage to go on in the Lords way constantly when they consider the power of God in the workmanship and government of the world 18. Unto his subscription he addeth both witnesses and pledges of his promises ver 36. If those ordinances depart from before me saith the Lord then the seed of Israel which comprehendeth the seed of Abrahams faith shall cease from being a nation before me forever ver 36. 19. Last of all least any man in the consideration of the grievousness of his sin or of the apparent impossibility of performing these promises should doubt of remission of sins to be granted to the confederat or of the perseverance of the true believer or of the perpetuation of the Church the Lord bids his people that come in to him be confident and quiet ver 37. saying If heaven above can be measured and the foundations of the earth searched out beneath I will also cast off all the seed of Israel for all that they have done saith the Lord Now both these are impossible that we can measure the heavens or search the bottom of the earth Therefore it is impossible that this covenant and the promises made therein should fail The maner of dispensing the new covenant outwardly and inwardly AS to the dispensation of this covenant both outwardly and inwardly first this promise of a new covenant is a challenge against the mis believing fathers who slighted the offer of grace and followed after the covenant of works seeking righteousness by works which covenant of works they were not able to perform and it served unto them only for their condemnation This the Apostle doth collect from this place of Ieremiah Heb. 8. 8. He found fault with
so doth harden and obdure himself against all threatenings and goeth on in his own wayes resolved to take ease and pleasure in the world so long as he liveth and not to make himself miserable before the time Such was the desperation of carnall Israelits Isa 22. 13. who hearing the threatenings of the Prophets concerning the just Judgments of God to come upon them when they should have humbled themselves in prayer and fasting in sackcloth and ashes and sought mercy from God they did set themselves to make good cheer and to feast one another saying Let us eat and drink for to morrow we shall die Of this sort were also these in Ezekiels time chap. 33. 10. Thus ye speak saying If our sins and transgressions be upon us and we pine away in them how shall we then live They do not deny that they are loadened with iniquity they doubt nothing of the righteousnesse of the threatned Judgment but comparing the justice of Gods Judgment with their sins and laying aside all thought of a remedy from Gods mercy they flatly despair as if there had been no remedy provided in the Word of God for them or as if the threatenings had been pronounced as sentences pronounced absolutely without exception of their repentance 5. The causes of this evil are specially these three the first is grosse misbelief of Gods Word contemning all threatenings as but the words of an angry prophee stirred up to vent his passions against people The second is the perversenesse of corrupt nature so hardened with the custom of sinning that the conscience not being terrified with Gods threatenings is nothing moved with inward accusations which they know to be just whereupon they resolve neither to seek for mercy nor care for reconciliation with God not to shed with their carnal pleasures and sinfull lusts but will go on in their own wayes and take their hazard The third is a false perswasion that it is impossible they can be reconciled to God arising partly from the vileness of their former life and grosseness of their sins partly from the ignorance of the Gospel and of the rich grace of God offered to the worst of sinners who shall forsake their former wayes and flye unto Christ and partly arising from the ignorance of the scope and end of the law which is appointed to be a pedagogue to lead and draw men unto Christ after their conviction of sin by the law how grievous soever their sins have been 6. The remedy of this sort of secure desperation is very hard and in some incurable namely these who do not believe the threatenings and go on still in unbelief or do believe the threatenings but are so wedded to their lusts that they will not change their course and maner of sinfull carriage come what may come but resolve to eat and drink and be merry while they live Concerning whom the Prophet Isaias sayeth chap. 22. 14. It was revealed in mine ears by the Lord of hostes surely this iniquity shall not be purged from you till ye die saith the Lord of hostes The best ground of hope is of such who through ignorance of the end of the law and offer of the Gospel have taken up a false perswasion of their desperat estate Now because the Pastor hath no warrand to read the decree of any mans reprobation in particular his care must be in private and publick to waken epicures and all besotted in their sins out of their deadly sleep laying before them from Scripture the unextinguishable fire of hell and the torments of the damned to be endured for ever by the impenitent and unbelieving sinner on the one hand and on the other hand making offer of remission of sin and reconciliation to all who shall forsake their former vitions wayes and be content to embrace Christ Jesus for their righteousnesse sanctification and salvation And to this end let him certifie all his hearers that threatenings are not intended of God to drive any man to desperation but to lead all to repentance that they may be saved and that the exception of repentance and faith in the Redeemer is to be understood in every threatening for so the Lord hath made a plain commentary upon all his threatenings and all his promises also that he be not for ever mistaken which is this in summe that by his threatenings he doth not intend to make any man to despair but to repent and turn to God and that by his promises he doth not intend that any man should presume to sin or turn his grace into wantonnesse as is at large set down Ezek. 33 from ver 10. to ver 21. and chap. 18. from ver 21. to the end Of anxious tormenting desperation ANxious and tormenting desperation is when a sinner from the apprehension of his guiltinesse of irremissible sins and fear of inextricable wofull misery wherein he hath thrown himself doth cast away all hope of relief to be had and so is tortured and vexed within himself without rest In this sort of desperation the miserable man having wrestled a while doth either turn himself to a carnal temporary consolation in this world and maketh choyce of a carelesse and secure desparation that he may be rid of present anxiety or else he resolveth to dispatch himself by some sort of self-murder counting it more easie to die by his own hand than to live and endure the tormenting vexation of his own mind 2. As for that sort of anxious desperation which after the sore byteing of the conscience once wakned falleth back again in carnal security it is most perilous and giveth very small hope to the Pastor or faithfull friends who perceive the man after fearfull wakening of his conscience to have fallen back to his old wayes and turned carelesse of the means of salvation for such a man is of set purpose and resolvedly wicked Such was the desperation of Cain who after a whiles lamentation and houling for the curse pronounced upon him by God plucked up his heart departed from the society of the Church where God giveth his presence and goeth into the land of Nod or voluntary banishment and giveth himself over to building of Cities Gen. 4. 13 14. Such also was the desperation of Esau who when he saw he was excluded from the spiritual blessing of the birthright laments a little and then turned himself toward the earthly blessing and sought all his consolation in it Gen. 27. 34 38. yet such men must be dealt with if God possibly may bless the means 3. As for the other sort of anxious desperation except it be cured by Gods blessing of the means used it draweth on voluntary and deliberat self-murther We put a difference between brute self-murther and voluntary or deliberat self-murther for this beastly brute self-murther may befall mad persons furious melancholious distracted persons or such as are beset by some evil spirit in whom the faculty of reasoning is so impeded that without the use of
of such as they hate hoping how false and groundlesse soever the calumnies be that yet something shall prove likely and probable and so fasten something upon the innocent In which case let the afflicted lift up his mind to the Lord and pray him to rebuke Sathan 2. Let him humble himself in acknowledgment of his natural corruption and having fled to Christ for righteousnesse let him take the shield of faith for quenching that dart 3. Let him as he is inabled contemn these devilish slanders of Sathan and set his mind on some better employment then to dispute with so impudent and restless an adversary for we have other businesse to go about then to take notice of the dogs barking at us but if it please God to continue that exercise from day to day let the afflicted in patience submit himself to God and direct his speech and thoughts unto God only not answering directly such a Shimei at all It is not safe to direct our speech to Sathan at all but let us say to God the Lord rebuke Sathan 3. Sometime Sathan falleth on with suggestions blasphemous against God and all the grounds of religion and fathers all these blasphemies on the afflicted as his proper sins In which case let the afflicted be humbled before God because of original sin whereof Sathan maketh use as of something of his own in us 2. Let him renew the grips of faith on Christ the Mediatour in whom the fulnesse of the Godhead dwelleth reconciling the elect world to himself not imputing their sins unto them 3. Let not the afflicted look upon these blasphemies otherwayes then as Sathans malice against God for so they are indeed and not the sins of the poor soul vexed with such suggestions 4. Let the afflicted beware of discouragments misbelief or weakening of his faith in God of impatiency and fretting under this sad exercise for there is more cause of fear from Sathans second subtile tentations then from his grosse suggestions whereby at the back of the former grosse blasphemies he goeth about to draw the afflicted to the suspicion of the former work of grace in him and of Gods love unto him His wiles in this case are much more dangerous then his violence in his furious lyon-like assaults for he may more easily get the consent of the afflicted to some sits of misbelief and impatience or some other sins then to admit or consent unto any of these grosse blasphemies suggested 4. Sometime when the young and tender convert is reading or hearing in Sermon the sad sentences of God against such and such sins which do reign in the wicked Sathan flyeth on him with a false application saying thou art the man and doth not a little disquiet the weak in faith In which case let the afflicted consider that whatsoever is spoken in or from Scripture of the maledictions of the law are spoken against them that are under the curse of the law and covenant of works 1 Tim. 1. 8. who have not repented their sins nor fled to Christ nor are aiming at reformation of life and sanctification but these curses are not spoken against the righteous that is to say against such as in the sense of their sinfulnesse do loath themselves and are fled to Christ for refuge and have taken on his yoke upon them already justified and begun to be sanctified 5. Sometime Sathan doth abuse the Scripture and put a wrong sense upon it that thereby he may wound these that are weak in the faith For example it is written Rom. 14. 23. whosoever doubteth is damned if he eat But thou saith Sathan to the young and weak convert hast done many things whereof thou didst doubt whether they were lawfull or not yea thou hast eaten the Supper of the Lord with doubting therefore thou art damned Again it is written 1 Cor. 11. 29. He that eateth the sacramental bread of the Lord or dinketh of the cup of the Lord unworthily eateth and drinketh his own condemnation but thou saith Sathan hast eaten the bread and drunken the cup of the Lord unworthily for thou knowest thou art very unworthy therefore thou hast eaten and drunken thy own condemnation In this case and such other like let the afflicted convert inquire of the Pastor or some faithfull Christian better acquaint with Scripture concerning the sense of the words of Scripture which seem to make against him that the words being well understood the doubt may be dissolved As for example these foresaid abused Scriptures do only declare the sentence of the law against him that doth what he doubteth to be lawfull but doth not exclude him from mercy upon the acknowledgment of his sin and flying to the mercy offered in Christ Jesus And by eating and drinking unworthily we must not understand that every one who finding himself unworthy flyeth to the grace offered and sealed in the Supper of the Lord eateth unworthily for so no man should eat worthily for all worthy communicants in the sense of their unworthinesse must and do flye to free grace offered in Christ but the meaning is that these do eat and drink unworthily who profane the Sacrament and put no difference betwixt this holy banquet of the Lord and a common supper yea and even this sin of not discerning the Lords Body doth not exclude the man from mercy for the Apostle for remedy of this sin exhorteth these who are guilty to judge themselves that so they may not be judged by God who pardoneth the penitent 1 Cor. 11. 31. And so let the afflicted for strengthening of his faith know that every Scripture which speaketh against sin doth drive the guilty man unto repentance and faith in Christ without whose grace sought after and embraced there is no salvation 6. Sometime Sathan the adversary of all converts doth assault the faith of Gods children when he findeth them under some present guiltinesse lately contracted or under tryall of their faith as under desertion and disconsolation or some miserable condition whereof he taketh advantage to suggest to the child of God that his faith is but phantasie that God neither loveth him nor can love the like of him In which case let the afflicted humble himself before God and flye to him in Christ offering reconciliation let him 1. resolve firmly to adhere to the covenant of grace offered to self-condemned sinners through Christ. 2. Let him observe his present condition to be the day of his visitation tryal and probation what use he will make of Christ in his difficulties and straits 3. Let him in the use of Gods worship wait for the day-star of divine consolation promised to those that wait on the Lord Isa. 49. 10. 11 and Hos. 6. 3. and Isa. 40. 31. And last of all lest we insist too long in reckoning the innumerable wiles of the crafty serpent let every convert consider that there is no time while we dwell in the tabernacle of this body of death wherein we may be secure
is clear because the mercy of God the grace of God the good-will of God is put in Scripture for the only motive and impulsive cause of Redemption Ephes. 1. 7. 8. 9. In whom we have Redemption through his blood even the forgivenesse of sins according to the riches of his grace wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence having made known unto us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure which he had purposed in himself 3. The Scripture sheweth us that there is an innumerable multitude of redeemed persons and a sort of universality of them extended unto all nations and ages and states of men so that this hudge multitude for whose redemption Christs blood was shed Matth. 26. 29. is justly called by the name of a world an elect world Ioh. 3. 16. to be called out of that reprobat world for which Christ refuseth to interceed Ioh. 17. 9. the truth of this mater the redeemed do acknowledge in their worshiping Christ their Mediatour Rev. 5. 9. and they sang a new song saying Thou art worthy to take the book and to open the seals thereof for thou wast slain and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kinred and tongue and people and nation These are the all men whom God will have saved and doth save 1 Tim. 2. 4. these are the all men of whom the Apostle speaks 2 Pet. 3. 9. God is patient toward us to wit his elect not willing that any of us should perish but that we all should come to repentance And this the Apostle giveth for a reason of the Lords deferring his coming till all the elect should be brought in of whom many were not yet converted in the Apostles time and many were not yet born and if Christ should not delay his coming till they were born and brought in to reconciliation with God the number of the elect should be cut short 4. In no place of Scripture is it said that all and every man are elect or every man is given to Christ or every man is predestinat unto life in no place of Scripture is it said that Christ hath made paction with the Father for all and every man without exception But by the contrary it is sure from Scripture that Christ hath merited and procured salvation for all them for whom he entered himself Surety Their sins only were laid on Christ and in him condemned satisfied for and expiat Isa. 53. for these and in their place he offered himself to satisfie Justice for them he prayed them only he justifieth and glorifieth for the sentence of the Apostle 2 Cor. 5. 15. standeth firm in Christ all are dead to the law for whom and in whose room Christ did die And therefore for these his people the law is satisfied from these the curse is taken away to them heaven and all things necessary to salvation are purchased and shall infallibly in due time yea invincibly be applied Christ hath not sanctified consecrat and perfected all and every one Heb. 10. 14. only for his sheep predestinat he laid down his life Iohn 10. 15. 16. 26. he did not buy with his blood all and every one but his Church called out and severed from the world Acts 20. 28. he saveth not all and every man from their sins but his own people only to wit whom he hath bought with his blood to be his own Matth. 1. 21. whom he hath purchased to be his own peculiar whom he doth purifie and kindle with a servent desire to bring forth good works Tit. 2. 14. Such as Christ hath redeemed he loveth them infinitly and counted them dearer to him then his life But many shall be found to whom Christ shall say I never knew you to wit with approbation and affection Matth. 7. 23. They for whom Christ hath died shall sometime glory against all condemnation but so shall not every man be able to glory Rom. 8. 34. 35. Christ never purposed to lay down his life for those whom going to die he refuseth to pray for only for those who are given to him out of the world will he pray and die and rise and will raise them to eternall life Ioh. 17. 9. So far is it from Gods purpose and Christs to redeem all and every man that he hath not decreed to give every nation so much as the externall necessary means for conversion and salvation Psal. 147. 19. 20. He sheweth his word unto Iacob his statutes and his judgements unto Israel He hath not dealt so with any nation and as for his judgements they have not known them And for this wise and holy course of hiding the mystery of salvation from many even wise men in the world Christ Jesus glorifieth and thanketh the Father Matth. 11. 25. I thank thee O Father Lord of heaven and earth because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent and hast revealed them to babes even so Father for so it seemed good in thy sight The second article AS to the second article of the Covenant of Redemption concerning the price of Redemption and the sitting of the Redeemer for accomplishing the work of Redemption God would not have silver or gold or any corruptible thing 1 Pet. 1. 18. He refuseth all ransome that can come from a meer man Psal. 49. 8. But He would have His own co-eternall and only begotten Son to become a man to take on the yoke of the law and to do all His will that He alone might redeem the elect who by nature are under the curse of the law He would have Him the second Adam to be obedient even to the death of the crosse that by His obedience many might be justified Rom. 5. 19. This is clearly confirmed by the Apostle Heb. 10. 5. 6. 7. 10. commenting upon the 7. and 8. verses of Psal. 40. In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure then said Christ coming into the world Lo I come in the volumne of the book it is written of Me to do thy will O God by the which will we are sanctified by the offering up of the blood of Iesus once for all 2. By Christs obedience we understand not only that which some call his active obedience nor that only which some call his passive obedience for his active and passive obedience are but two notions of one thing for his incarnation subjection to the law and the whole course of his life was a continued course of suffering and in all his suffering he was a free and voluntary agent fulfilling all which he had undertaken unto the Father for making out the promised price of Redemption and accomplishing what the Father had given him command to do His obedience even to the death of the crosse did begin in his emptying himself to take on our nature and the shape of a servant and did run on till his resurrection and ascension As for these his sufferings in
cast out and were broken off the true olive tree So also the obligation of the baptized who turn the true covenant of grace in aâ—oâ—her of their own framing doth still stand tying them to perform the condition of the true covenant and their right to the external priviledges of the confederat doth remain still in some sort even when they are inter-dyted from the honourable possession thereof by excommunication For the Apostle teacheth us that the excommunicat remain as to their ecclesiastick state albeit not as to their present ecclesiastick condition citizens and members of the Church and subject to Jurisdiction ecclesiastick and to Christs discipline because when they are judged and are under censure they are said to be within the Kirk and not without it 1 Cor. 5. 12. What have I to do to judge also them that are without do not ye judge them that are within And these that were delivered unto Sathan as to their present external condition remained notwithstanding as to their external state the domesticks of God under the discipline of God's house and were pressed by the censure laid on them to learn to cease from their sinfull course and specially from these faults for which they were censured and corrected by their excommunication 1 Tim. 1. 20. Hymeneus and Alexander were given over to Sathan that they might learn not to blaspheme that is that being humbled and brought to repentance they might return to the acknowledgement of the truth and to a reverent speaking of holy things and so the right to be counted brethren and members of the Church albeit under censure restraint and dis-respect till they repented was not taken altogether from them even under excommunication nor yet were the private duties of charity due to brethren in that fearfull condition to be altogether denied unto them even when the possession of the former honour of blamelesse brethren was taken from them for the Apostle will have them albeit excommunicat to be esteemed still censured brethren and not looked upon as enemies â— Thess. 3. 14 15. If any man obey not our word by this epistle note that man to wiâ— by putting the censure of excommunication on him and have no company with him that he may be ashamed yet count him not as an enemy but admonish him as a brother and this is so much the more carefully to be observed that the constitution of the visible Church of such and such members and the use of excommunication may be the better understood least the excommunicat being over-burdened by the sharpness of the censure should seem to themselves altogether excluded from Church-society and so despair of returning to the full possession of their priviledges but might know that the right of citizens of the city of God was reserved unto them and was to be restored by way of possession after their repentance and that they were not cut off from the Christian charity of the brethren no not when they were lying under the sentence that they might so much the sooner return to repentance and to the possession of their Ecclesiastick honour Obj. But here there ariseth a greater doubt and objection how and upon what reason God doth require the condition of faith which men cannot perform except it be given of God as the Apostle testifieth Ephes. 2. 8. you are saved of grace by faith and that not of your selves it is the gift of God Ans. The equity of the duty required doth not depend upon mens present power or strength of whom the condition is required but upon this ground that ability was given to Adam and to his posterity in him for all injoyned service and so the duty of believing in Christ is founded upon mans naturall obligation to obey the morall law for by vertue of the first command Adam was bound and we in him not only to believe the word of God already revealed unto him but to believe also every word of God to be revealed and he was bound to give unto God the glory of all his attributes not only of these which already did shew forth themselves in his works but also of these attributes which as yet did not put forth themselves in actuall exercise for as it cannot be denied that man was bound to give God the glory of his avenging justice upon his threatning to inflict the punishment of death in case man should sin albeit he could not see the execution of it before he fell So also it is manifest he was bound to give God the glory of his goodnesse and mercy albeit no object of shewing mercy was yet to be found and that partly because it was his duty to give the glory of all perfections unto God whereof mercy is one and partly upon the experience he had of Gods manifested goodnesse in his creation and Gods making a covenant with him about eternall life upon so easie and equitable tearms upon the same ground even after the fall Adam was bound not to despair nor flye nor hide himself from God from whom it was impossible he could escape It cannot then be reasonably denied but man by the law of nature is bound to give credit to God when he speaketh and bound to trust in God when He offereth himself as a friend and a father to him and when God bids him seek his face he is bound to obey him and seek his face and to follow after more and more near communion with him It is true indeed that Adam in his integrity could not formally and actually believe in God as a Redeemer partly because this mystery was not yet revealed partly because he not having yet sinned had not need of a Redeemer or of remission of sin but yet the power and ability of believing in God according as God should let forth his will and the power to adhere unto God and rest on his goodnesse and good-will was given to man in his creation for this perfection was a part of the image of God wherein man was created even as the habit of shewing mercy on the miserable though such an object was not to be found while man continued in the state of innocency was a part of that original holinesse in him and if this ground hold not sinners by their sinning once should make themselves free to sin for ever after and exempt themselves from all the duties of the morall law upon this pretence that they were unable to give obedience to it which is most unreasonable And 2. Because the hearers of the Gospel esteem themselves able to perform the condition of the covenant of grace offered and to believe in Christ yea and to give credit or not to what is preached unto them as they see reason is it not equitable then to put all men to it who judge themselves able to perform what is required to the end that after experience and tryall taken of themselves they should either acknowledge their naturall inability to believe in Christ and so go
to light by his long continued preaching of his word the obstinat enimity of the reprobat multitude against him opened up his decree against all that sort in the sad message committed to Isaiah Chap. 6. 9 10. Go and tell this people hear ye indeed and understand not see ye indeed but perceive not make the heart of this people fat and make their ears heavy and shut their eyes least they see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and convert and be healed vers 13. yet there shall be a tenth part the holy seed to wit the elect shall be the substance thereof And of this prophesie use is made when the multitude of misbelievers was like to obscure the glory of Christ Iob. 12. 37 38. to 42. they heard the offer of grace preached by Christ himself and saw his manifold wonders yet they believed not neither could they believe because God had rejected them as Iohn doth prove from the prophesie of Isaiah Secondly Is it not fair dealing when the Lord professeth that his word shall be preached and his wonders manifested for the elects cause albeit they were but as a tenth part to a cursed and reprobat multitude who should hear and see without his blessing and in his dispensation doth in effect as he hath professed As it is a reasonable answer of a husband man and Gardener to his child asking him why he beats the whole sheaf and watereth all the Garden seing the sheaf is most part straw and chaff and the garden full of weeds to say to his child that he beats the shâ—af that he may sever the corn from the straw and chaff and that he watereth the ground where herbs and weeds do grow together that he may make both to come up above ground and after that may pull out the weeds and foster the herbs for the masters use So it is a reasonable answer to such as cavil against the preaching of the Gospel to a mixed multitude of elect and reprobat to say that the Gospel is preached to both for the conversion of the elect and bringing to light the hatred of the reprobat against God and the offer of his grace Thirdly we grant the Lord knoweth mens wickednesse and inability to obey his commands and their naturall enimity against him but he knoweth also that all men by nature are proud and puffed up with the conceit of their own wisdom and righteousnesse and ability so as they will not acknowledge their sinfulnesse nor be sensible of their misery and danger of perdition but do entertain a high esteem and opinion of themselves and in speciall this that they love God above all things and that they can do any thing commanded at least in such a measure as may reasonably satisfie God as is to be seen in the example of the Israelits undertaking Exod. 19. therefore God in His wisdom before he convert any man doth pull down this false conceit by putting his ability to proof by the preaching of the law to the intent that as the Lord knoweth what is in man so man may know it also both in his own and other mens experience and this is brought to light yet more clearly by the preaching of the Gospel wherein albeit God make the precious offer of life and salvation to every hearer of the Gospel if he will acknowledge his sin and betake himself to Christ yet no man of himself will either believe or receive the offer but will go on in his own counsell and wayes till God by his grace convert him This sicknesse is common both to the elect and the reprobat but when the naturall perversnesse of both is manifested God cometh and maketh the difference of the one from the other out of his meer grace by drawing the elect powerfully to Christ and letting the rest go on to their own perdition in his righteous judgment And our Lord doth so expound the mater Ioh. 8. 47. He that is of God heareth Gods words ye therefore hear them not because ye are not of God Fourthly the Lord professeth plainly that in the dispensation of his word and works of providence he intendeth the tryall of men and the discovery of their hearts to themselves and to others and what fairer dealing can there be then this for Exod. 16. 4. He tells them that he will rain down Manna upon them to prove them whither they will walk in his law or not and Exod. 20. 20. He tells them he will give them his law and preaching of his word to prove them that his fear might be before them and Deut. 8. 2. that the dispensation of his providence toward them all the fourty years in the wildernesse was to humble them and to prove them to know what was in their heart whether they would keep his commands or not and Deut. 13. 1 2 3. that he would suffer false prophets to arise among them to prove them and to try whether they would love the Lord their God with all their heart And to this same intent we are advertised that Christ should be not only a tryed stone but also a stone for tryall set for the ruine of some and raising up of other some Isa. 28. 16 17. and 8. 14. compared with Luke 2. 34 35. for by this maner of dispensation the Lord maketh manifest that both the elect and reprobat are concluded under sin and unbelief of themselves and that no man can come to Christ except the Father draw him that he may have mercy on whom he will have mercy And this maner of probation of men by a common offer of grace unto all is a part of that prudence whereby Christ by his conditionall promises and exhortations and the preaching of the Gospel to all heaâ—ers maketh all these that are outwardly called to be without excuse and fisheth forth the elect out of the sea of sin and misery and out of the society of those that perish of which prudence Isaiah speaketh chap. 52. 13. Behold my servant shall deal prudently and prosper and be extolled and be very high Wherefore this wisdom of God in converting the elect without giving cause of stumbling unto any of the rest is rather to be admired and praised then to be disputed against as we are taught Rom. 11. 33 34 35 36. O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God how unsearchable are his judgments and his wayes past finding out Obj. But for all this the carnall wisdom of proud men is such as neither is it subject to God nor indeed can be but standeth in hostile enimity against him and will not be quiet but when it heareth what is said Rom. 9. 18. that God will have mercy on whom he will have mercy and whom he will he hardeneth will say as it is vers 19. why doth God yet find fault for who hath resisted his will this doctrine say they doth hinder mens repentance
altogether Ans. We answer with the Apostle vers 20. Nay but O man who art thou that replyeth against God whether dost thou compear procuratour for the reprobat and for Satan the enemy of God to quarrell and dispute with God anent his righteous decrees If thou wilt avow this we leave thee and all such proud and presumptuous misbelievers of plain doctrine to reckon with your Judge But if thou speak only for thy self we shall let thee see that this doctrine shall not hinder thee from repentance If then thou shalt say I will not dispute against God but do desire earnestly to be satisfied about my self for I believe that many are reprobat and few are chosen and my fear is that I be found of the worst sort and do not know how to rid my self of my doubts and fears For answer we shall deal with thee in a friendly maner and first we put thee in remembrance that God hath served an inhibition on all men not to medle with the secret counsell of God Deut. 29. 29. The secret things belong to the Lord our God but these things that are revealed belong unto us and our children for ever Therefore do not hearken to this suggestion but go about thy duty We ask then first art thou convinced of thy sin and ill deserving If thou say I am a sinner and cannot answer for one of a thousand of my by gone sins for which God may justly and I fear he shall in effect reject me we answer unto thee it is to good purpose that thou are so far convinced of sin as to judge thy self worthy of death and utter exterminion from his mercy mean time be comforted thus far that thou art not of the number of those who confide in their own righteousnesse nor of the number of them who trust in their own strength or power of their free-will We ask again doth thy by gone life displease thee and wouldst thou have thy sins forgiven and thy self reconciled with God doth Christ offering himself in the Gospel please thy soul when thou hearest from his word that he craveth nothing of thee save that thou welcome his offer and consecrat thy self to him that so in him thou mayest have righteousnesse and sanctification and salvation If thou answer that the searcher of hearts knoweth thy hearty desire to be reconciled to God in Christ to live before him hereafter as a reconciled child there is good hope of salvation for such a one as thou art Thirdly we say seing thou hast heard the law convincing thee of sin and hast believed Gods word so far why dost thou not believe him also when in the Gospel thou hearest his offer and call unto all self-condemned sinners to come unto Christ and rest their weary souls upon him who hath excepted thee from the embracing of mercy offered in Jesus Christ look therefore what his word saith to all sinners flying for refuge unto Christ who is the hope set before sinners and leave him not whatsoever be thy fears for he that hungereth and thirsteth for righteousnesse through Christ shall be satisfied CHAP. VII For a further clearing and confirmation of the doctrine about the three Covenants from Jer. 31. and Heb. 8. THe prophet Ieremiah giveth us a short compend of the former doctrine anent these three covenants chap. 31. vers 31. c. whereof the Apostle giveth a clear commentary Heb. 8. vers 6 7. c. As to the covenant of Redemption it is here presupponed to be past as the Apostle expounding this place of Ieremiah giveth us to understand while he sheweth us that the covenant of grace was no other wayes purchased then by the Mediation of our Lord Jesus transacting about the covenant of Redemption with the Father And that he may give us to understand this 1. Christ is called the Mediatour of a better covenant Heb. 8. to wit of the covenant of Grace 2. The covenant of Grace is designed by the name of a Testament which giveth us to understand that Christ the Mediatour did not obtain the making of this covenant on a lesse price then the laying down of his life that all the benefits contained in these better promises might first be his goods to dispone upon as he pleased and that he being resolved to die did make his Testament and leave them all in legacy to the redeemed his heirs and assigneys designed from eternity 3. The Mediatour making his Testament is called Iehovah not a meer man but God to be incarnat making an unchangeable Latter-will or Testament which of necessity required the death of the Testatour that it might be ratified Heb. 9. 15 16. and the death of a Testatour not a meer man but the Son of God to be incarnat and to die who had life in himself that he might lay down his life and take it up again 4. The goods which he purchased according to the covenant of Redemption and left in legacy to his heirs are all and every blessing which do belong to godlinesse and life eternall as remission of sin and writting of the law in their hearts c. 5. The redeemed and designed heirs are not all and every man but the elect only these that were to be saved only and who were to be effectually called and indued with the saving knowledge of God who from the least to the greatest were all of them to know the Lord not such as were the reprobat fathers nor their unbelieving children but the chosen society of the Israel of God and of Christs family the house of Iudah which is the tribe of Christ for the Apostle doth extend these promises unto the covenant between God and the elect to be gathered under the Evangel unto Christ out of Jews and Gentiles As to the covenant of works it is certain first that God made a covenant of grace in substance and upon the mater with the fathers that were brought out of Egypt as we may gather from the consideration of the parties and articles of that covenant for albeit God repeated the covenant of works and declared the force of the law for binding the curse upon all transgressours thereof yet he did presse the law on them in order unto their reconciliation by the sacrifice of the Lamb of God to be in due time offered up and did teach them that Christ was the end of the law for righteousnesse to every one that believed 2. It is certain that in the framing of this covenant of grace between God and the visible Church of the fathers God did make the promises of righteousnesse and eternall life and spirituall blessings under the vail of temporall types upon conditions more hard and difficile in appearance then the new covenant doth require for this the Apostle sheweth to us plainly Heb. 8. 6. 3. It is certain that the un-believing Fathers did not take up nor understand the covenant of Grace but turned it over in a covenant of Works which is manifest by
the fathers Secondly the Apostle observeth the wonderfull mercy of God that while he is finding fault with the incredulity of the fathers who lived under this old covenant he will avenge this their incredulity ignorance foolishness and ingratitude by telling them that he will make a new covenant and give them that were then living a taste of it for recovering them finding fault with them he saith the dayes come that I will make a new covenant Thirdly this covenant of grace mâ—de with the Church is procured by Christ to this end that the covenant of Redemption might be brought unto a reall accomplishment by the covenant of Grace This observation is grounded upon this that Christ is called the Mediatour of this better covenant Heb. 8. 6. For he will draw up a clear covenant of grace with his people that the blessings purchased unto them according to the covenant of Redemption may be applyed unto them by this covenant of grace and reconciliation Fourthly the preaching of the promise of this new covenant is a most fit mean to draw on and close this covenant of grace between God and his people who are the called according to his purpose This observation is gathered from Ieremiahs preaching and Pauls preaching of this unto the hearers of the Gospel to this very intent and purpose Fifthly in the promising and preaching of this covenant of grace God will have all mens opinions thoughts and conceptions about this mystery limited unto and depending upon his mouth alone revealing the same in his Word This observation is gathered from the Lords invitation of all men to take heed what he is to say and what he is to let forth in this mater Behold the dayes come saith the Lord wherein I will do such and such things which now I fore-tell I will do Sixthly both the making and way of making a covenant with man dependeth absolutely on God either to make a covenant or not to make what covenant he pleaseth to make upon what conditions he pleaseth and with what persons he pleaseth to make his covenant No man ever preveened God desiring him to make a covenant but God did preveen all men he preveened Adam once before his fall and again by preaching the Gospel in his audience after the fall he preveened the fathers in the wilderness he preveened his posterity that have lived or shall live in the latter dayes promising to make a covenant with those who were not come into the world but were to come long after the promise Seventhly the Lord will have all men to understand that the end of his covenanting with men both in that old dark form and in the new clear form is his own glory For he hath made all things for himself even the wicked for the day of evil This observation is gathered partly from this that the Lord bringeth forth his soveraignty for a reason of his rejecting of the misbelieving fathers in the wildernesse I despised them I regarded them not I Lorded it over them as the originall may bear And partly from this that he bringeth forth his own will and pleasure for a reason of his shewing grace to their posterity I will forgive their sins c. 8. He sheweth also that in his works he doth not depend upon man but that all his works are known unto him from the beginning and that it is determined by himself what and how and by what means he will do every thing This may appear from this that he doth fore-tell what he is to do about the saving of his elect Jews and Gentiles being no lesse certain to do what he promised about the posterity to come then he was certain of what was past already about their incredulous fathers 9. The Lord will have us to know that laying aside the consideration of his decrees it is simply in the power of God to punish sin in whom he will and to pardon sin through a Mediatour to whom he will that is to have mercy on whom he will have mercy and to pardon whom he will pardon This is collected from this that the fathers do sin in the wildernesse and justly perish and the posterity do sin and are graciously pardoned 10. In all this proceeding no violence is used upon the will of men whether of them that perish or of them that are saved The saved do walk freely and willingly in the way of salvation as their hearty choise and these that perish walk willingly in the way of perdition God proceeds with both by a volunâ—ary covenant as this place doth shew 11. In them that perish the meritorious and culpable cause of their perdition is in themselves but in them that are saved no cause is found at all but the cause is found in Gods grace alanerly This is collected from this that the Lord giveth the reason of the perdition of the misbelieving fathers from their sins and transgression of covenant they transgressed my covenant and I despised them and of the salvation of their posterity no other cause but this their sins I will not remember any more 12. The Lords justice is cleared in the perdition of them that perish because he gave precepts and promises and other morall motives to hinder them from sinning and to move them to keep his wayes albeit he did not effectually impede their running on to sin according to their inclination and pronenesse to follow their own way This is collected from this that the Lord saith he made a covenant with their fathers and they did break it 13. It pleaseth God not only to give his precepts unto men concerning their duty but also to condescend so far unto them as to open up in a part his decrees and deep designs about mens salvation that they being admitted somewhat near to the treasures of His wisdom goodnesse justice and mercy might be so much the more wise and the more stirred up to discharge their duty and make use of his dispensation This we collect from his revealing of the decree of election of the posterity of Israel and drawing them effectually into a covenant of grace with himself 14. The Lord doth reveal to the world the doctrine of election unto life only in the general and doth not descend to the nomination of them in particular This is collected from this that he doth promise to convert and draw into a new covenant of grace the posterity of Israel and Iudah without nameing particularly these that were designed for that salvation 15. Albeit the Lord keepeth up the names of the elect except of some few before their conversion yet he giveth forth marks and evidences whereby after their conversion they may be known both to themselves and others This we collect from this that He sets down infallible marks of the elect who are to be Gods covenanted people or worshipers of God that they do know God and have his law written in their hearts and inward parts 16. As for the reprobation of
the Pastor hath spoken to all these heads shortly and repeated again and inculcat at some other few meetings till the people have somewhat understood the business then he may draw forth these seven heads in some few questions taking answer of the people in their own words as they have conceived the purpose These grounds being laid the Pastor shall find by Gods blessing some desire and appetite raised in the people after more knowledge of these grounds and hope put in them to overtake a formed Catechise and to have it by heart as may be To which end the people must be encouraged by promises on the one hand and stirred up by threatenings on the other hand such as are Ioh. 17. 3. and 2 Thess. 1. 7 8. and other like places Now when the people or any ignorant before is begun to understand these seven grounds they must be pressed to make use thereof and that 1. they should acknowledge their sins and deserved judgment according to the covenant of works which curseth every sinner for every sin 2. That they should flye for refuge to Christ according to the covenant of grace And 3. that every one who is fled to Christ for grace and mercy must take on his yoke and endeavour new obedience of his holy commands by his grace and furniture For removing of the second impediment THe second impediment of self-examination which is an unrenewed mans infection with some deadly errour in religion and this is not easily removed for the conscience that is deceived by errour absolveth the sinner from the crime whereof the errour maketh him guilty how grievous soever it be and therefore so long as he lyeth in the errour he securely contemneth all accuâ—ations and threatenings for his errour and erroneous practice till he be convinced of his errour And usually four causes do concur to obdure him in his errour The first is the cunningness and malice of the devil who when he cannot altogether obscure and suppress all the articles of saving doctrine nor banish the Scripture out of the world he useth by his emissaries of old destinat to this damnation to spread doctrines of devils in the visible Church whereby so far as he can he may detain men in their sins The second cause is the wisdom of the flesh which is enimity to God and therefore very bent to defend every lust whereunto men are inclined and to sight against the truth of God contrair to their lusts The third cause is the multitude of these who consent with the perverted conscience and avouch the same errour The fourth is the righteous judgment of God who upon such as receive not the truth in love sendeth powerfull delusions and efficacy of errour that they may beleeve a lye and so be damned who have not received the truth in love but have pleasure in unrighteousnesse 2. But because the Pastor cannot know any mans reprobation in particular and therefore must take the best course he can for every mans salvation who is under his charge if the erroneous person cannot be content to fall upon Christian conference in private with the Pastor it seemeth not expedient to fall flat at the first upon the errour wherewith he is infected but to hold upon agreed unto principles and from these grounds lay open the merit of these sins whereof the erroneous party will grant himself no lesse guilty then other men will be â—ound to be and labour to convince him that for these common sins no ransom can satisfie Gods justice save the perfect obedience which Christ gave to the Father even to the death of the crosse in name of all that flee unto him for the benefit of Redemption If the erroneous party can condescend to cast himself wholly on Christs mercy offered in the Gospel for pardon of acknowledged sin then at another time the conference may be further followed and the danger of the errour may be laid out before the erroneous and he no more urged for the time but that he would consider what hath been told him and that he would by prayer for Christs cause beg light from God in the point questioned And so go on with him in all meeknesse and evidence of love to his soul as the Lord openeth a door for using of all means that may reclaim the party erroneous 3. But if the errour be likely to infect the flock let the Pastor openly refute the errour or heresie and that not only by hinting at some arguments against it but of set purpose once at least solidly shewing how contrair it is to the word of God and what are the fearfull consequences thereof that it may become in the sight of the judicious no lesse vile and odious then gross transgressions against the second table of the law which sort of sins is more hated of naturall reasonable men then sins against the first table for naturâ—s light is sharper sighted in the mutual duties of man to man then in the maters of God and Religion wherein a man hath no light at all in speciall save that which is by revelation of Scripture The true intent and meaning whereof if a man be ignorant of it or shall mistake it the conscience runneth headlong without the least secret check after the errour and darkness which men naturally love more then truth and light For removing the third impediment THe third impediment of self-examination to wit infidelity dissembled and covered with grosse hypocrisie whereof the man himself is conscious and studieth to hide and delighteth himself in his cheating of others of all evils is most hardly cured Of this sort of hypocrits are they who think they can give a reason of all their wayes to any man And because they respect the laws of the kingdom wherein they live more then the Scripture therefore they cover over all their avarice and cruelty with practice of law that beholders think what they please can say nothing against their following of the civil law for such men fear not God and are not afraid for his judgment And albeit they largely commend the piety of holy men before some auditors to whom they conceive their speach will be plausible yet under hand and among such as themselves are they do but laugh and scorn all such piety as puts men in hazard of any worldly inconvenience for in those mens eyes the simplicity of the godly is foolâ—shnesse and their faith in God in their estimation is madnesse especially if for defence of the truth of Religion they suffer persecution These hypocrits the Psalmist calleth unwise and foolish Psal. 14. 1. The fool hath said in his heart there is no God and vers 6. You have shamed the counsell of the poor because the Lord is his refuge Such men as these albeit they faign themselves to be holy yet in heart they are haters of all true saints in whom the sparks of grace and solid Religion doth appear for so saith the Lord of them Psal. 14.
reason or common sense they are carried to destroy themselves some way Such persons can hardly be called voluntary and deliberat self-murtherers because they are neither able to observe and discern their own condition nor their danger wherein they are nor any circumstances which might hinder them from the mischief and therefore it cannot properly in this case be called desperation because the miserable person is not so much capable of reason as to consider the grounds and motives of hope or despair But voluntary self-murther proceedeth from properly called desperation because the wretch after deliberation how to escape from misery lying on and coming on when all reason of hope seemeth to fail him he casts away any further inquisition after the remedy and out of apprehension that he can be in no worse case after his death then he presently feeleth and that he can no other way be rid of his present torment then by death wittingly and willingly putteth hand in himself In this voluntary self-murther sometime the sense of wrath for sin committed doth predomine as in Iudas the traitour his desperation and self-murther sometime the apprehension of more worldly misery more bitter then death doth predomine as in King Saul who choosed rather to fall on his own sword then fall alive into the hands of the Philistines 1 Sam. 31. 4. and in Achitophels hanging himself when he foresaw what misery should come upon himself when his counsel was not imbraced by Absalom 2 Sam. 17. 23. 4. To speak of self-murther in general requireth a Treatise larger then our purpose doth permit it sufficeth us to speak a little to it as the temptation thereunto and desperation of finding Gods mercy is a hindrance of regeneration To this end where any fear or suspicion of any intention toward this fearfull sin doth appear all meeknesse should be used by all that have interest in the person suspected that may serve to save the vexed party from such a mischief God must be in-called and requested for relief unto the patient Physicians should be called and moe Pastors then one if they can be had the soul in danger must by friends be watched and waited on in a prudent maner night and day that he never be alone If the person be capable of reason he must be dealt with freely to confesse his temptation and purpose toward this sin the causes moving him must be inquired after and if they be other then sense of sin and fear or feeling of Gods wrath then course must be taken to make the party sensible of sin and to fear Gods wrath and to consider that if they give way to that sin they are tempted unto they do no lesse in effect then cast themselves in hell where the justice and wrath of God shall lye upon them without hope of ease or ending of their everlasting torment from which fearfull destruction they may be preserved both in soul and body if they shall acknowledge their sin and flye to God in Christ offering grace and pardon of sin and delivery from hell and right unto heaven promised to all and every one who shall imbrace Jesus Christ for their redemption And for these whose vexation is mainly from the conscience of heinous sins and felt wrath of God pursuing them the grace offered in the Gospel must be cleared unto them and inculcated if they can be moved to give reasons of their fear and to propone their doubts who knoweth what blessing may follow on their free dealing and from faithfull answers from Scripture returned unto them Conferences of experimented Christians may with profit be made use of in the patients audience whereby the party may receive both increase of knowledge and some beginnings of comfort Among other means godly persons who have in their own exercise had experience of such temptations and have gotten victory by flying unto Christ may serve much by their conference to encourage them In some of those tempted souls tokens of good hope will shortly appear in others it may be none can conjecture what shall be the event till the time declare it whether justice or mercy was intended of God for both in the elect who are cured of this disease and in the reprobat who perish in their sin the same symptoms may appear if the anxiety and expressions of the one and the other be compared Therefore care must be had of every one under such temptations whatsoever the event may be and the Lords blessing waited for in the use of the means Scripture sheweth us how hard exercises Gods dear children have been under Beside many other Saints we shall only name two witnesses the one is Heman the Ezrait that precious soul not much inferiour to Solomon in wisdom 1 King 4. 31. of whom no man could say he was a weak brain and hypochondriack or melancholious person whose sad exercise stands registrated Ps. 88. for many mans comfort The other witnesse shall be Iob. whose perplexities we read in his dispute with his friends and how he tasted of this bitter temptation also Job 7. 13 14 15. When I say my bed shall comfort me my couch shall ease my complaint then thou skarest me with dreams and terrifies me with visions so that my soul chooseth strangling Behold there is a very sad exercise of the most holy and righteous man on earth there is a sore temptation even unto self-murther but how is this temptation over-come first he doth not hide his temptation but openeth it up in the worst shape this giveth the temptation vent he will not conceal it nor be Sathans secretar in this and this is one mean to weaken the temptation Then he presenteth it before God and poureth out his complaint unto the Lord and this giveth him the victory So let all souls tempted unto desperation do and cleave to God in Christ and they shall be victorious also CHAP. XI Concerning them that absolve themselves without warrand THe third rank of those that impede their own regeneration remaineth to be spoken of Of this kind are all they who after they have slightly exmined themselves and are convinced of sin and of deserved death if they were dealt with in rigour of justice do unwarrantably absolve themselves deceiving their own conscience by a fallacy false sylogisme or captious reasoning and from the conscience as from a blinded or seduced Judge do draw forth a sentence of absolution to themselves which God doth not allow All such persons do either lay down some false principle or ground for absolution of sinners or if they lay down a true ground they make wrong application of that ground to themselves and so beguile themselves miserably The first sort SOme do grant themselves to be sinners but do perswade themselves that God is so mercifull as he will not destroy any man for sin which principle being once laid down no wonder such men go on in their own way and sing a requiem to their own souls Of this
found the spirit of consolation with-drawn from him and the wrath of God breaking his bones and consuming the marrow thereof Ps. 51. 8 9 10 11 12. Make me to hear joy and gladness that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice c. 2. In answering this doubt we must proceed sutably to each degree severally In curing this case in the fiâ—â—t degree let the afflicted admit all the just aggravations of his sins against the Law which the conscience doth presse for by extenuation of sin neither is Gods justice glorified nor the conscience satisfied and consolation or hope of remission of sin must not arise from the few number oâ— lightnesse of sins but from the multitude and largenesse of Gods mercy and therefore we must not cut short the reckoning with the Lords law nor must we diminish the weight and estimation of our evil deservings but course must be taken that by the sense of guiltinesse the judgment of the afflicted person be not so confounded â—nd perplexed as if his case were desperat and possibility of salvation were passed but rather let the afflicted humble himself under the mighty hand of God who alone can destroy and make alive and who usually bringeth down to death and brink of hell and bringeth back again and who alone doth work wonders This doubt then arising from the multitude of sins may be loosed first by a fresh consideration of the infinit excellency and worthinesse of Christ Jesus God manifested in the flesh and of the incomprehensible value of the price of redemption payed by him for all who flye unto him for the Father hath declared himself satisfied by him in behalf of the redeemed for whom he did offer himself Matth. 3. 17. saying This is my well-beloved Son in whom I am well pleased And Heb. 7. 25. â—his is he who is able to save to the uttermost all that come to God by him Secondly by consideration of the infinit largenesse of Godâ— bounty grace and mâ—rcy wherein he hath set no bounds to himself in pardoning and abolishing the sins of those that come unto him how grosse and grievous soever they have been Isa. 44. 22. I have blotted out as a thick cloud thy transgressions and as a cloud thy sins return unto me for I have redeemed thee And Isa. 1. 18. Come now and let us reason together saith the Lord though your sins be as scaâ—â—et they shall be as white as snow though they be red as crimson they shall be as wool And Matth. 11. 28. Come unto me saith Christ all ye that labour and are heavy loaden and I will give you rest Thirdly by the consideration of the many examples and experiences of the mercy of God manifested in the pardon of hainous sinners both in the old and new Testament set down in Scripture of set purpose to invite such as are troubled with the sense of their manifold sins to come unto Christ the Mediator or to God in Christ reconciling the world to himself by not imputing sins to them who embrace the offer of grace and reconciliation tendered unto them in the Gospel As to the second degree wherein the doubt is augmented by the addition of the sins against the Gospel unto the sins against the Law by despiseing or slighting the means of salvation offered in the Gospel true it is that the despising or slighting of the offer of grace in Christ cannot be sufficiently aggreged because the sins of Sodom and Goâ—orah will be found lighter being laid in the ballance with the contempt of the Gospel Matth. 10. 14 15. yet notwithstanding when God is entered in reckoning with a sinner and is begun to challenge him for his sins against the Law and the Gospel also and hath by his terror humbled the man there is mercy insinuated unto that person in the bosome of the threatening Wherefore the soul born down with the sense of ill-deserving by his sins against both Law and Gospel must be exhorted to humble himself before God and flye in unto Christ who of set purpose 〈◊〉 he might answer this doubt hath declared that whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man it shall be forâ—iven him to wit if he repent this injury done to Christ Matth. 12. 32. and he standeth knocking at the door of luke-warm Laodicea with an ofter of coming in to them and supping with them that shall open to him notwithstanding they have slighted him long in their senslessenesse of sin nakednesse and misery As to the third degree wherein the afflicted doth suspect that he hath sinned against the holy Ghost because he hath sinned against the light of his conscience and diâ—ement of the holy Spirit let the afflicted consider that the sinning in actual grosse out-breakings against the light of the conscience is indeed a high provocation of God to his face for which the offender is to be humbled all the dayes of his life Secondly let him learn to glorifie Godâ— Justice who hath made a proud rebell to be scourged with scorpions and sore bitten with the remorse of a slighted and contemned conscience Thirdly let those particular transgressions objected to be done against the light of the conscience be examined with their motives and circumstances and out of the bitter rod of Gods correcting the offender that he should not perish with the world let the afflicted take up the Lords love in judging him that he may not be condemned As also let the Pastor or the prudent friend who goeth about to comfort the afflicted carefully observe if the afflicted be grieved for grieving of the holy Spirit if he desire and long after the consolation of God whom he hath offended if he purpose to walk more circumspectly afterward and eshew the snare he hath taken into or what other evidences of repentance can be seen in him whereof use may be made to assure the afflicted that he hath not sinned unto death Because the sin against the holy Ghost as it is described unto us in holy Scripture is either a malicious refusing and opposing wittingly and wilfully of Christ Jesus after that the Spirit of Christ hath convinced the person that Christ is the Redeemer and this was the sin of some Pharisees desperat professed and irreconciliable enemies to Christ Mat. 12. 24. to 33. or it is a totall apostasie from Christ after they have known him to be the Redeemer joyned with a malitious oppugning of the christian Religion as it is set forth Heb. 10. 26 27. to 32. and whosoever falleth in this sin he neither repents him of it nor desires to repent or be reconciled with God And therefore let the humbled and afflicted penitent longing to be reconciled unto God through Christ and to find the sense of his favour granted or restored not suspect himself any more guilty of this sin but let him make use of the offer of grace in the Gospel and of the example of penitents mentioned in Scripture Who knoweth how soon the
they do meet possibly with sad calamities which they did not foresee nor fear and being yoked in conflict with more fearfull tentations then ever before which they find themselves unable to overcome they seem to themselves to have just cause to call in question all the former work of grace in themselves and to doubt of their regeneration and of their reconciliation with God Of this sort some who lived in great wealth and outward prosperity do fall in so deep poverty that they are neither able to sustain themselves nor their families but are forced to live on the private charity of others or openly to beg Other some do fall in heavy sicknesses yea in uncouth diseases which but rarely do befall any which seem to be evidences of the wrath of God Other some do fall in horrible tentations and are troubled with blasphemous suggestions against God and the holy Scripture and the way of the Saints which as fiery darts do stick fast unto them and disquiet them continually Other some are tempted unto hainous sins and to such wickednesse against themselves or others as nature doth abhor to which acts of wickednesse they find themselves so powerfully solisted as they fear God hath decreed to give them over and that they shall be overcome with the tentations some after one way some after another way by one sort or other of vexation are tossed so as they suspect God is pursuing them in wrath and dealing with them otherwayes then with any of his children Whereupon oft-times they break forth in sad complaints and misbelieving suspicions saying if God loved me he would not deal thus and thus with me if I were a true convert and reconciled with God he would not thus pursue me my case is not the case of the children of God for any thing I know and other such like regrates and lamentations are uttered by them 2. For solving this doubt we neither esteem such exercises and tentations proper to the regenerat man or a token of regeneration neither do we deny that such exercises may befall true converts for all sorts of afflictions and calamities are common to the good and evil to the godly and the wicked so that by those troubles and miseries neither the love or hatred of God can be certainly concluded but thus much may be said in reason if these calamities do befall a man while he is walking in his own sinfull wayes then are they undoubtedly to be interpret as evidences of Gods wrath at least fatherly anger against the afflicted and to be esteemed as forewarnings of more and more heavy calamities to come upon him yea and finall perdition also if he do not repent 3. In which case the afflicted shall do well to humble himself before God and give a good construction of Gods purpose in sending on him such calamities in regard when he might forthwith have destroyed the sinner he hath sent forth these sad afflictions to waken his conscience and to warn him to flye from the wrath to come least he perish utterly 4. He shall do well also to consider with himself and to acknowledge that such a bitter potion was necessary in so deadly and desperat-like disease as his soul was lying into for what should the Lord do unto those who despise the worth of their own souls and of eternal life and do seek their felicity in vain and perishing pleasure profit and honour what shall he do with those whom he will not suffer to perish with this evil world but break their Idols in pieces and put themselves to grief who vex his holy Spirit Wherefore let the afflicted read his sin in the rod wherewith he is beaten if he be deprived of temporal goods or earthly comforts which he hath abused to the hazard of his own soul let God have the glory of his justice and mercy also in that he by cutting off earthly things from him is sending him to seek things spiritual and everlasting in heaven where Christ is at the right hand of the Father Col. 3. 2. If he be vexed with tentations unto blasphemies and such horrid fearfull sins which even nature doth abhor let him consider that misbelief of threatenings and promises are no lesse in effect than real asserting of blasphemies and that entertaining of sinfull lusts which fight against his soul is in effect a defiling and destroying of his own soul by which afflictions and tentations if the afflicted take not warning and repent he may justly fear these calamities and tormenting tentations are but the beginnings of sorrows But if these calamities and fearfull tentations befall a man walking in the wayes of God who is a believer in Christ who hath casten his anchor within the vail and studieth in any measure of uprightnesse to please God let not such a man be afraid for God is not pursuing him in wrath as Sathan his adversary suggesteth but as a most wise and loving father is trying and training his faith and bringing forth the evidence of grace bestowed upon him to the praise of his own name shaming of Sathan and edifying all beholders of this manâ— exercise Wherefore let the afflicted comfort himself in the Lord and be strong in the faith of holy Scripture which is granted to the Church for upholding of believers in patience and hope of the promised reward for even Iob the holiest man on earth in his generation was both sudainly surprized with a multitude of concurring calamities and also deprived of all consolation from God and man for a season for at once he was spoiled of all his goods deprived of all his children tempted by his wife to dispair despised by his servants judged to be a hypocrit by his most intire godly friends stricken by Sathan with an unusuall plague of botch-biles and how far the Lord did hide all comfort for a time the history of his complaints make evident Yea our blessed Lord Jesus Christ hath sanctified in his own person the hardest exercises of this sort which his children can fall into for albeit he could not be defiled with sin yet he was tempted of Sathan unto most abominable sins in special he was tempted to cast himself down from the pinacle of the Temple which was to kill himself he was tempted to fall down and worship the devil which O how horrible blasphemy is it yea for a time power was given to Sathan albeit not to hurt Christ yet to carry his body from one place to another as we read in Matth. 4. and therefore let this be for consolation to such of Gods children as are vexed with vile and blasphemous tentations and solistations to abominable sins Heb. 2. 18. for in that our Lord himself hath suffered being tempted he is able to succour them that are tempted 4. But if the afflicted insist and say he is so put to it by Sathans tentations to commit sin against his light and is ready to succumb because he neither hath strength in himself to
senselesse and secure and doth please himself in his pollutions for whatsoever he may be the holy Ghost points him forth among the unregenerat as a dog or sow If such a man after a time shall repent and bewail his condition and set himself to the seeking of God in Christ and to draw grace out of Christ to mortifie his lusts we shall not pronounce or determine of his former estate whether he was before that time regenerat or not but for the present case of his repenting he is on the way to evidence his regeneration more clearly then before only let him take heed to humble himself in earnest before God and to repent more seriously that so he may confirm himself and go on in the course of faith and obedience of the Evangel strengthening his brethren as Peter was commanded to do by our Lord Luk. 22. 22. 3. But if corruption of nature do not break forth to defile the whole man but inwardly stirreth and striveeth to bring its old servant into bondage again unto which tentations albeit the afflicted do not succumbe yet he is shaken and staggers in his faith doubting of his state and of the sincerity of his conversion because he findeth the power of sin in him more vigorous then he had found it before the change of his old conversation We do not deny but this case is readily incident unto such as are lately converted from formality in religion and fair civil carriage before men to true repentance and inward holinesse beseeming Christians This case because it may have sundry causes doth require also sundry cures 4. First this case may befall a young convert who because he hath not as yet gotten the experience of his own weaknesse is somewhat puffed up in the conceit of his own strength and is more confident then he hath reason that the sincerity of his purpose shall bear down and overcome all his spiritual enemies so oft as they shall oppose his holy resolution In this case what wonder is it that the Lord by a new proof of the mans weaknesse let him see that it is not in him that willeth or in him that runneth but in God that hath mercy to the intent his pride may be broken down and that he being humbled in himself may learn not to trust any more to himself but to God to Christ who by his Spirit maketh his children to mortifie sin in themselves as the Apostle teacheth us Rom. 8. 13. saying if ye mortifie the deeds of the flesh by the Spirit ye shall live Therefore the afflicted in this case must beware to fret or murmure or entertain suspicions of Gods grace in himself but rather let him after experience of his own weaknesse humble himself and renew the exercise of repentance and resolve in the use of the means to lean to the strength of Christ who doth help his souldiers in their conflict against sin and Sathan either by giving them the victory quickly or else sustaining them in the conflict by his grace as he did the Apostle 2 Cor. 12. 7. to whom Christ did not grant the victory till he despairing of his own ability to stand out against the messenger of Sathan did humbly beg deliverance from the tentation and then he gave him assurance that the assistance of his grace should prove sufficient to sustain him in the conflict and to deliver him in due time Secondly this case may fall out by the meer malice of Sathan who doth set himself to vex the young and â—ender convert lately taken out of his dominion to the intent he may make him repent his coming out of Egypt if it be possible and by leading out against him a new army of temptations may move him to despair of the victory and so bring him back to the flesh pots and taking on again the yoke of bondage if he can 2. And here consideration must be had of Gods wise and holy permission who suffereth Sathan to put a young convert to so hard tryals that in the weaknesse of his own child he may make evident his great power in upholding his young souldier against the forest assaults of Sathan and his wisdom in breaking by this mean the strength of in-born corruption raging against the work of grace in his child In this case let the afflicted remember he is called to give a proof of his faith and sincerity that he may acquit himself manfully and not be afraid of the power of temptations but bear out stoutly resisting Sathan being confident of the victory and of tramping Sathan under his feet shortly yea pre-suppose with inward temptations external persecution be joyned let the Lords souldier follow the example of the godly Hebrews whom the Apostle doth exhort to prepare themselves after spoliation of their goods to meet with grievous affliction under hope to overcome Heb. 10. 32. 36. and 12. 4. 3. This case may fall out not so much from the growing power of corruption as from the growing light of grace discovering sin more clearly then before regeneration for he who before regeneration was lying dead in sin did not feel the weight of sin at all or was sensible only of grosse out-breakings but when the clearer light of the Law doth come opening up the dens and caves of natures corruption out of which come forth legions of sinfull motions and amongst these sundry monsters of unperceived wickednesse are discovered to the young convert what wonder he be afraid and cast in many doubts and suspicions For if even the Apostle Paul himself out of the sense of inherent sin and of the bonds thereof where-with he did find himself bound was compelled with tears to cry out Miserable man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death Rom. 7. 24. what wonder is it that a novice in Religion do tremble when he seeth and smelleth the dunghill and filthy stable of his own unclean heart In this case all the comforts which the Gospel doth furnish are to be ministred to the afflicted hope is to be fostered in him of victory over all those evils the wisdom of God is to be set forth before his eyes under this exercise wherein the Lord hath brought to light the latent corruption of nature of set purpose that he might yoke his young souldier in combat with it and give him the victory by the holy Ghost over not only those evils which do trouble him for the time but also all other sins and so promoveth the mortification and abolition of the whole body of corruption in him 4. The fourth cause is or may be this that the afflicted hath not such estimation of the imputed righteousnesse of Christ as is requisit but with the slighting of Christs satisfaction and righteousnesse purchased to the believer by Christ goeth about to establish his own righteousnesse whereupon the Lord discovereth his short-coming in sanctification which in this life is imperfect and should indeed be followed after carefully
whether every sincere convert shall remain in the covenant of Grace if possibly they have so far abused grace as to defile themselves again with the pollutions which they seemed to repent of before And this erroneous opinion of the instability of the covenant of grace they do apply to themselves for when they have found by experience the power of sin as it were not only rageing but in appearance reigning in them as the conscience of their relapsing in their old sins beareth witnesse And when they know their nature so corrupt and ready to sin yet more they doubt if this condition can stand with being in the covenant of Grace and whatsoever they have found of their being in this covenant they now fear that they be fallen from grace because they have as they conceive broken the covenant of Grace on their part therefore they apprehend also that God in justice being provoked oft-times by them hath now at last dissolved the covenant of Grace on his part for say they it is no reason that God should be tyed unto them in covenant who so many wayes have violated that covenant but as Adam by sinning excluded himself from all benefit of the covenant of Works So is it reason that every one who have violated the covenant of Grace as I have done should be excluded from the covenant of Grace And here the afflicted doth stand as a miserable man uncertain what to do in which condition horrible temptations and heavy suspicions of their state do arise namely that they are in the condition and case wherein Esau was who when he had sold his birth-right for a messe of pottage found no place for repentance albeit he sought the blessing with tears Now what torment may be in the conscience of the afflicted in this case it is easie for them who at any time have felt the wrath of God to conjecture And this doubt doth vex the man most who is conscious of his often abuse of the grace of God for what shall I do saith he shall I defile my self and go and wash and again defile my self and go and wash and by this means augment my own guiltinesse from day to day what is if this be not to abuse the grace of God 2. That this evil may be removed we must confesse that there are many who after some remorse for some sins raised by a natural and unrenewed conscience do weep now and then as Saul did for his injust persecution of David and do think that by their tears they have washen away their sin and attained to some sort of quietnesse in their conscience for a time who yet do not cease from their wickednesse but remain in their natural state strangers from God and Christ. We must also acknowledge that some of the regenerat in their carnal security falling back in their old sins ordinarily are sharply chastised by God and indeed no wonder is that such as have once attained to peace with God do meet with broken bones after they have abused the grace of God in giving way to their sinfull lusts which was the case of David Ps. 51. 3. As for those who fall in open grosse scandalous sins which defile the whole man soul and body both it is safest for them whether they were before that time converted or not to let alone long disputation whether they were regenerat or not before their fearfull fall and to stir up themselves to a deep search of the wickednesse of their nature that they may be humbled before God and in the sense of their in-born sin and grosse actual out-breakings flye unto Christ for pardon and grace to bring forth better fruits then they have done 4. As for these who have not fallen in grievous open transgressions but in their wrestling against sin not obtaining the victory they would or hoped to have do find themselves polluted in their spirits and put to the worse in their conflict against their sinfull lusts and passions and that very frequently and thereupon they apprehend that either they were never in the state of grace or if they were in it that they have abused and broken the covenant of grace To these we answer that every transgression of the commands albeit it be a violation of the covenant of works yet is not a dissolution of the covenant of grace for it is one thing to fail in a duty which the covenanted party should have done another thing to break or dissolve the covenant of grace for it is provided in the covenant of grace as a special article that God will forgive the sin of his confederat people when they confesse their faults and sue for pardon according to the promise of mercy to the covenanted Ier. 31 32 and lest any humble sinner should be discouraged and not receive this solution of his doubt let him consider the words of the Apostle Gal. 6. 1. expresly set down for their comfort who having resolved to live holily justly and temperatly are overtaken in an offence and are not purposed to abuse mercy or turn the grace of God into lasciviousnesse and 1 Iob. 2. 1. These things I write unto you to wit believers in Christ carefull to live holily that ye sin not but if any man sin we have an advocat with the father Iesus Christ the just one And this article of the covenant for granting daily remission according to the necessity of the Saints maketh the covenant of grace perpetual and to be daily made use of as we are directed in the Lords prayer And in this doth the covenant of grace differ from the covenant of works which by any one sin is so violat as the curse doth follow till the sinner run in to the covenant of grace in Jesus Christ And by this doctrine a door is not opened unto sinning but the door only is closed to keep in the true convert from desperation and running away from Christ and to help him out of the mire of discouragement wherein he is fallen lest he sink in it and despair Neither is the study of holinesse hindered by this way or the diligence of the convert slakened in the duties of new obedience and pleasing of God but only servile fear in the maner of serving God is taken away and the obligation of love to God who is found to be so mercifull is more strictly tyed upon us which love as it is augmented daily by new confirmations of faith and fresh experiences of his grace to us doth cast out servile fear as the Apostle teacheth 1 Ioh. 4. 18. As for the afflicted convert his fear that he be like Saul who though he felt remorse and shame when all the beholders in his army saw him so confounded by Davids loyall carriage toward him yet did he not repent this sin at all nor amend his life at all there is no ground to suspect himself to be like unto him or to Esau who was solicitous only for an earthly blessing
sealed with the spirit of promise Ephes. 1. 11. As it is not sufficient to prove that wholsom water given to a feaver-sick person is not a wholsom drink because the cooling refreshment by it endureth but a short while So it is not sufficient to prove that consolation and joy given to a sorrowfull sinner seeking favour through Christ is not solid and true joy because it stayeth but a short while It is sufficient that it hath stayed so long as was needfull for after the word of promise was believed the joy was sent to ease the afflicted souls present grief and to give him earnest that full and lasting joy should be given in due time unto him When the messenger hath done his commission let him return to his master As the sheet let down in the vision from heaven to Peter after it had served for Peters instruction it was taken up to heaven again Act. 10. The Spouse in the Canticle knew by experience that her spiritual joyes would not last long and therefore chargeth the daughters of Ierusalem that they waken not her beloved till he pleased 5. Another objection is this If my joy had been solid saith the afflicted it should have brought forth better fruits then it hath done but joy spiritual as I then called it did degenerat into a carnal security and I was not the more holy by it To which objection the answer may be this the blame of this is not to be laid on spiritual joy but upon the abuse of this mercy by ingratitude for this gracious blink of felt favour negligence in the use of means to entertain this sense by sleepinesse of conscience and other sins and namely the laying too much weight upon this sense and not fixing the heart by so much more upon the word of promise when felt consolation may be withdrawn is a just cause for spiritual joy is not given to any to build upon its continuance but to make the convert hold the confirmed word of promise so much the faster when for the exercise of faith comfortable feelings are withdrawn The spouse in the Canticle after a feast of this kind falleth a sleep and giveth slight entertaining to the Bridegroom when called upon by his word for which she is chastised by his withdrawing of his comfortable presence Cant. 5. 1 2 3. c. But let us put the case that the felt joy of the spirit were not abused yet is it not unusual for God to withdraw consolation and to send trouble and anguish on the soul of his dear child to try his faith and train him on to hold the word of his grace in the hardest condition he can be into as he did exercise Iob and Ieremie the Prophet Ier. 20. and the Psalmist Ps. 77. In which condition to suspect that the consolation and joy of the spirit speaking to the heart by his word is not his gracious operation or is a delusion cannot but exceedingly grieve the Lord and give him cause to chastise this suspicion with desertion 6. But how may I know saith the afflicted that my joy was solid and was indeed the gracious operation of the holy Spirit For answer 1. If this joy was given to him when or after he was lamenting his sins and fearing wrath deserved and flying unto Christ offered in the Gospel he hath reason to reckon that joy to be such as the Word of the Gospel doth promise and approve 2. If during the time of his sweet feeling of peace and joy through Christ he found his faith in God and love to Christ confirmed and strengthned if the Word of the Gospel was in more estimation with him if his heart was inlarged to blesse praise and thank God for manifesting himself in Christ reconciled if the purpose of following after holinesse was renewed in him he hath no reason to suspect his joy and comfort 3. If after the removing of this sweet feeling he is going on in the study of holinesse believing in Christ how heavy in heart soever he may be by affliction and tentation he may be assured his sometime felt joy of the Lords Spirit was solid and his present suspicion thereof to be an evidence of his infirmity and of a tentation from Sathan This was the way how the Psalmist wrestled out of his sad condition Ps. 77. CHAP. XIV Of the converts suspecting that his zeal for God and against the sins of others hath been fleshly severity and imprudent temerity IT cometh to passe that they who love God sincerely and cannot endure the out-breakings of the wicked do sometimes transgresse the bounds of moderat zeal and being overtaken in some miscarriage for which being rebuked by their friends or by them in power censured or civilly chastised do in stead of moderating their zeal in time coming grow more slack and remisse in their zeal suspecting themselves inclined to unreasonable severity and rashnesse and ready to be esteemed haters of mens persons by those among whom they live as in some by-gone experience they have already felt And upon this occasion the tentation of Sathan falleth on tending to extinguish the fervency of true zeal required in all true converts And here there is danger lest true zeal grow cold and the convert become luke-warm both in curbing sin in others under his charge and in pursuing duties in his own person In which sicknesse he may be the better pleased with himself by so much as his friends and others do commend him for his moderation and prudence as they shall call it 2. As to the remedy of this evil there is no doubt but that may befall true zeal which is common to other vertues of which there is none so perfect but some in-lake or excesse may be observed in them And therefore as it is without reason to go back from pursuing duty in the exercise of other vertues because imperfections therein are remarkable from time to time So is it without reason to grow luke-warm in zeal which may render a man loathsome unto Christ Rev. 2. 3. Wherefore let the convert take heed what the Lords Word doth require of him in his calling and labour to discharge his duty towards others so as he may be found both zealous and prudent that in the expressions of his zeal against sin meeknesse and love to the offender may be manifested 2. To this intent let the convert carefully take heed to entertain these three properties of commendable zeal which are 1. The fear of God 2. Humility of heart 3. The love of his neighbour for the fear of God will not suffer the convert to depart from his commandments Humility of heart will make the man modest in his expressions and the love of his neighbour will make him mix meeknesse and compassion toward sinners with his zeal against offences This is the right seasoning of zeal which the Apostle calleth the zeal of God according to knowledge CHAP. XV. Of the converts suspecting his aiming at circumspect
renew accusations against them and so order that mater as neither Sathan shall prevail nor his child suffer damnâ—ge by the means for there is a great difference between Sathans renewing of accusations for sins forgiven and Gods making null the remission granted the Lord can suffer the one to be but the other he will never suffer to be for when a true convert groweth negligent and falleth in such sins after conversion as he lived in before conversion no wonder Sathan be permitted to call his former conversion in question yea the Lord may justly cast up to his child his former faults to humble him and shame him from going on albeit he doth not disannull the formerly granted remission 3 When thanksgiving for remission of sin granted for Christs cause beginneth to cool in the heart of a convert what wonder the Lord not only suffer but also present the vilenâ—ssâ— of by past sins to make the convert sensible of the remission and to cause him renew the acts of repentance and godly sorrow for his sins by-past as Ezek. 16. 63. and 36. 32. Then shall you remember your own evil wayes and your doings which were not good and shall loath your selves for your iniquities and abominations When the convert â—roweth remisse in watching over his own heart wayes and is in danger of falling back into these sins which he had repented of before what wonder the Lord by remembring him of his natural inclination and former wayes do warn him of his danger to make him preveen his fall 4. Wherefore let the convert maintain the solidity of former remission of sins and make good use of his former sins which went before his conversion and let him follow the example of Paul who did not suffer his former siâ—s go out of his mind but did renew the confession of them upon all occasions for his own daily humiliation for the edification of others and for magnifying the glory of the grace of God and yet for all this did not suspect the remission of sins received For by this means the convert shall preveen accusations and stop Sathans mouth and make his accusations have no force By this means the convert shall possesse firm and stable confidence of Gods unchangeable grace and mercy and of the stability of the remission of sin granted The sixth question is of a convert casten not only in an uncertainty for the time of his conversion but also in a doubt whether he be elected or not and knows not how to do in this case SOme converts fall in Heman the Ezrait his exercise whereof we read Ps. 88. especially ver 14. 15 While I suffer thy terrors I am distracted saith he Counsell hath been offered by some to the afflicted to follow the practice and experience of some eminent Theologues who being brought to such straits with good successe have submitted themselves to God to save them or destroy them as he pleased after which submission they have felt the marvellous sweet embracements of Gods loving kindnesse making them sure both of their conversion and election Whether to follow this example and experience of some notable Saints is the doubt wherein the convert is not clear and knoweth nor how to carry himself toward God in this case 2. For answer to this question It is free for God to comfort a soul casten down when and how he pleaseth it is free for God to passe by the infirmity and error of a terrified soul coming to him not in the wisest way prescribed to him and to look to the necessity of the mans consolation and not to his way of seeking of it But howsoever it pleaseth God to comfort some extraordinarily yet this is not the duty of the afflicted to come with such an unrequired submission unto God for it limiteth the Lord in a manner either to comfort the man speedily or suffâ—r him upon apparent refusal for the time to dispair For Gods order is to bring the sinner under the sense of sin and acknowledgment of deserved wrath for sin and then to charge him to believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and after believing in Christ to seal the believer with the stamp of holinesse and the earnest-penny of the inheritance which is peace with God and joy in the holy Ghost shed abroad in his heart 3. Wherefore as for the conversion of a man straitned in the pains of the new birth and fear of everlasting wrath and tempted to suspect that he is not elected It is a more safe way to lay aside all disputation about Gods decree because secret things belong to the Lord and to look to the Lords command and to his own duty of flying unto Christ So for the recovery of a convert fallen in Ionahs case and made to suspect that he is a reprobat cast off of God it is a more safe way not to dispute for the time either his election or conversion whatsoever suggestions may be cast in by Sathan then to offer unto God an absolute submission to be saved or destroyed as he pleaseth and then to lye in sorrow till God give an answer of consolation for God doth not require such a submission but calleth for an act of faith and obedience for God hath declared in his Word that he delighteth not in the death of a sinner but that he should repent and turn to God and be saved Secondly in this submission the heart will be found deceitfull which neither will nor can submit to be destroyed Thirdly this offer of such a submission as this is Lord I know not whether thou hast chosen me or rejected me in thy decree but I submit my self to thee absolutely If thou wilt destroy me thou shalt be found to be just and I do confesse so much unto thee but if thou wilt save me I shall proclame thy grace such a submission I say is but in effect a tempting of God speedily to reveal his secret counsel either by consolation if the submitter be an elect or refusal of consolation if he be a reprobat The only safe way in the foresaid case is to be humbled before God and flye to Christ by prayer as Heman did Ps. 88. and as Ionah did who choosed to look again to his holy Temple where the Mediator sat upon the mercy seat between the cherubims and not suffer such a thought as reprobation Thus did Heman Ps. 88. 13 14. But unto thee have I cryed O Lord and in the morning shall my prayer prevent thee Lord why castest thou off my soul why bidest thou thy face from me Let the command of God to every self-condemned sinner to believe in Christ prevail against all temptations to the contrair 1 Ioh. 3. 23. This is his commandment that we should believe on the name of his Son Iesus Christ. The seventh question is how to satisfie the convert doubting whether it be bâ—tter to forbear or go on in the outward exercise of religion at least in