quidem opus est sed hujus conatum frustra sumi si solus erit non enim laboris sedulitas sed Dei benedictio rem faecundatet omnia perficit Luther farrago Epistol especially where Prayer and paynes Religion and Righteousness Frugallity and Liberallity are in conjunction some are much for payns taking and Little for Prayer Others are much for Prayer and little for paynes taking some are much for Religion and little for Righteousness others are much for Righteous dealings and little for Religion some are much for Frugallity little for Liberallity others are much for Liberallity little for Frugallity but blessed is that Family where Prayer and paynes Religion and Righteousness Frugallity and liberality meet and dwel together under one Roof Now those things I have seen amongst you Only as heretofore so now labor to abound therein more and more that you and your Family may be as the field which the Lord blesseth And as God hath raised you to an outward greatness in the world Nec quicquam in te mutaverit fortunae amplitudo nisi ut prodesse tandundem posses et velles Plin. Epist ad Vespas so let your hearts be great for God that what Pliny reported of Vespasian may be truely said of you your abundance hath changed nothing in you but this that your power to do good is now made answerable to your wil counting it greater mercy to lay out for God than to lay up for your selves for it may be when you come to die you wil have more comfort in what you have laid out for God than in what you have laid up for your Children And why should we not give that to God by an act of our Faith which he gave to us by an act of his Love And as for your Children if I might not exceed the bounds of an Epistle I would say to them 1. Children O Children know your Fathers the God of your Fathers Know your parents for that is the first Comandement with Promise you shal honor your selves in honoring them Camerar oper subcis Centur. 1. cap. 66. It s recorded of the Catanenses that they made a Stately Monument of kingly Magnificence in remembrance of two Sons who took their Aged Parents upon their Backs and carried them through the Fire when their Fathers House was al in a Flame And of al the Birds the Stork hath the Name for the good Bird and why but because the younger of them do help and bear up the Elder their weak Parents 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pia aviâ— ciconâ—s eximia inest pietas etonim quantum temporis impenderint foetibus educandis tancum et ipsae à pullis suis invicem aluntur Solinus cap. 11. Schind Parentes senectute confectos humeris suis gestare dicuntur Avenar but though your Parent is to be honored yet your God is more to be honored If you know God when you are young God wil know you when you are Old remember therefore your Creator in the daies of your Youth and your Creator wil remember you in the daies of your Age. 2. Take heed of youthful sins for the sweet sins of our Youth do bite sore in our Age. 3. Get an inward principle of Grace in your own Soules For if you live on your Parents Root when your Parents die your goodness wil die too and therefore look wel to the laying of your Foundation which is not to be laid in disputation but Humilation 4. Be not unwilling to bear the Yoak in the daies of your Youth For he that can carry a calfe when he is Young wil carry an Ox when he is old Affliction gives you understanding it is the School of Experience Vituli triturantes quotidir ligantur vituli mactandi quotidie in pascuis libere relinqountur August The Oxen that are for use are kept tied up when those that are fatted for the Shambles are let loose into the Pastures to feed at their pleasure 5. Be not too confident of what you can do or wil do Young Men are apt to be too confident as Old Men are apt to be too fearful but the best Swimmers are the soonest drowned because of their confidence wherefore in all thy waies acknowledg the Lord and leane not to thine own understanding Pro. 3. 6. When you come to the great turns of your life be sure that you make a right choyce For every Man is as his choyce is if there be any Dirt on the Hands it wil appear in the Knuckles the turning places and if there be Dirt in your Lives it wil be found and appear in your great turns 7. Let your dwelling place be where God dwels and he dwels where his Ordinances are For there he records his Name but though you live under Ordinances in regard of your Station yet live above them in regard of your affection passing through them unto Christ and through Christ into the Bosome of the Father it was not Davids sling that killed Goliah but the Name of God in the use of the sling 8. Seek not great things for your selves in this world For if your Garments be too long they wil make you stumble and one staff helps a Man in his Journey when many in his Hands at once hinder him but labor to do great things for God Infima pars faelicitatis perfectae est terrena faelicitas Austin and God wil do great things for you Terrene or earthly Faelicity is the lowest Part of perfect Faelicity 9. Be much in private Prayer for the more you come to God the more welcome you are his Customers have the best Penny-worths and if God do much for you in the Morning-duty do much for him al the day after A prece principium and if you have little from God in the morning walk humbly all the day after 10. Let your company be alwaies such as you may get good from or do good unto When you are alone think of good things and when you are in company speak of good things 11. Keep the truth and the truth will keep you 12. And whatever mercy or blessing you receive trace it to Heaven Gates and to Christs Blood For it flowed from Christs Blood and leades you to Heaven And the God of peace that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus that great Shepheard of the Sheep through the Blood of the everlasting Covenant make you all Parents and Children perfect in every good work to do his wil working in you that which is wel pleasing in his sight through Jesus Christ to whom be glory for ever and ever Your Servant in the Gospel of Christ WILLIAM BRIDGE TO THE READER Good Reader THe following Sermons on Psal 42. I have perused and find that they are the same which I Preached divers years since being then taken by a good Pen as they fell in Preaching They have been long buryed in silence and should have rested in their Grave had not the importunity of some
Because and it may be so translated Although the Imagination of mans heart is evil c. Yet the Chaldee Paraphrase â—eptuagint Hierom 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sept. and Montanus render it Because But though it be so translated yet that is enough to make good the Truth and Doctrine which I urge from this Scripture Qaia cogitatio Montanus The Covenant that the Lord makes with his People is such a Covenant as the Lord made with Noah 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chaldee Par. so saith â—he Prophet Isaiah What then Therefore if God be in Covenant with a man he shall never lie under wrath again for though the World sin the World shall never be drowned again and so though he do sin he shall never lie under wrath again Now as for the People of God they are all in Covenant with God they are under this gracious Covenant and therefore though the Mountains may be removed Gods Mercy shal never be removed from them and though the great Hills may be thrown into the Sea the People of God once in Covenant with God shal never be thrown into Hell and tell me then Have you that are the People of God any just cause or reason to be cast down or to be discouraged Answ 3 Thirdly If the very sins of Gods People through the over-ruling hand of Grace shall be an occasion of more Grace and Comfort to them than ever they had in all their lives before then surely they have no reason to be discouraged in this respect Now mark it and you shall find That God doth never suffer his People to fall into any sin but he intends to make that sin an in-let unto further Grace and Comfort to them This ye see in the first great Sin that ever was committed by the Children of Men the Fall of Adam the Lord himself came and preached the Gospel preached Christ unto fallen Man and surely when God himself preached the Gospel we are to think the man was converted Now the greatest Blessing that ever the World saw was the Righteousness of Jesus Christ but how came that about God suffers man to fall and mans Unrighteousness must usher in Christs Righteousness The Scripture tells us that the Lord suffered Hezekiah to fall that Hezekiah might know all that was in his heart he did not know his own heart before and therefore the Lord let him fall that he might know his own heart But if you look into the Romans Chap. 11. you shall find in so many words what I am now speaking verse 32. For God hath concluded them all in unbeleef Why That he might have mercy upon all O! what a blessed design upon Unbeleef is here Therefore God concludes all under Unbeleef that he might have mercy upon all Sin gets not but is a loser by every fall of the Godly And if ye look into the Scripture ye shall observe That when the People of God fall usually they fail in that Grace wherein they do most excel and wherein they did most excel therein they did most miscarry Abraham did most excel in Faith and therein he did most miscarry Moses did most excel in Meekness and therein he did most miscarry we read of no other sin concerning Moses but his Anger Job did most excel in Patience and therein he did most miscarry Peter did most excel in Zeal and Resolution for Christ Though all the World for sake thee yet will not I and therein he did most miscarry denying Christ at the voyce of a Damzel I say ye shall observe this That the Saints fell and failed in that Grace wherein they did most excel and they did most excel wherein they did most miscarry what 's the Reason of this but because the Lord by the over-ruling hand of his Grace did make their very miscarriages in-lets and occasions to their further Grace and Holiness God hath a great Revenue from the very infirmities of his People He doth never suffer any of his People to fall into any sin but he hath a design by that fall to break the back of that sin they do fall into Now then have the Saints and People of God any reason to be discouraged in this respect By their sin they may be and are often times suspended from their Comforts and use of their Priviledges but by their sin they do not lose their right thereunto Ye know how it was with the Leper in the times of the Old Testament among the Jews when he was carried out of the City or Town from his own House by reason of his uncleanness Or now if a man that hath the Plague and be carried from his own House by reason thereof the Leper then and the man that hath the Plague or the Pest now may say Though I be removed from mine own House and have not the use of my House yet I have a right to my House still and though I cannot come to the use of my Land yet I have a Right to my Land still So a Godly man may say as concerning his sin This sin of mine indeed it is a Pest and the Plague of my Soul and a Leprosy but though by this Leprosy of mine I am now suspended from the use of my Comforts yea from the full use of my Interest in Jesus Christ yet notwithstanding I have an Interest in Christ still I have not lost my Interest still I have Right to Christ although I cannot come to the use of him as I did before yet I have right unto Jesus Christ now as I had before And if all these things be so Why should a godly man be cast down or discouraged in this respect Surely he ought not to be so Object But suppose a mans sins be such as never were pardoned before and truly that is my case for I have sinned a great sin and I do not read in all the Word of God any example that ever such a sin as mine was pardoned Have I not reason now to be quite discouraged and cast down Answ No For I pray what do you think of Adam Adam sinned a great sin in our first Fall the Lord himself came and preached the Gospel to him The Seed of the Woman shall break the Serpents head Should Adam have said O! but there is no hope for me for I have no example or precedent of pardon Adam could have no Example of any that was pardoned before him because he was the first man and the first that sinned Should he have sate down and been discouraged because he could not find any Example for the pardon of the like sin that he had committed You know what our Savior Christ said Every sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unless it be the sin against the Holy Ghost every sin though it be boyled up to blasphemy You say you have no example for the pardon of such a sin as yours is but doth not your sin come within the compass of these words Every Sin
and become his Enemy and did not Job's Friends think that God loved them and was their Friend and his Enemy yet if you look into Job 42. you find that God was more pleased with Job for he was fain to pray for them before they could be accepted and know ye not that it is Christs usual manner to personate an Enemy when he intends the most Friendship to seem a stranger when he intends the most communion It is said that God was angry with Moses Exod. 4. yet even then he gave him such a Promise of mercy as he had not before ver 14 15 16. Ye know what Davids choyce was Lord let me fall into thy hands and not into the hands of men for with thee is mercy It is somtimes a mercy to be immediately chastised by the hand of God our Father God might turn us over to the hands of men but if God wil take us into his own hand and chastise with his own hand immediately there is love in it If a Prince should say to his Officers My whol Kingdom is before you do right and execute Justice and Judgment but as for such and such a Family if they shall commit any fault I wil chastise them immediately with mine own hand you shal not meddle with them I wil do it my self would not this argue love Thus it is with the Saints in the time of Desertion then God takes the soul into his own hand all Creatures and Officers of his Anger stand by and meddle not in other Afflictions God turns us over to his Officers but in Desertion there he doth correct immediately and therefore though he strikes yet there is Love at the bottom and the more Christ doth sympathize with you in any Affliction the less cause you have to be discouraged Christ is our sympathizing High-Priest in al our Afflictions but the more we are like to him in any Affliction the more he doth sympathize and his heart let out the more unto us Jesus Christ was in Desertion himself and not only forsaken but for our sakes under the wrath and displeasure of God his Father and therefore when he sees a soul not only deserted but under anger and displeasure of God then he saith O! there is a soul that is in my case and so he does most commiserate and compassionate that person have you then any reason to be discouraged in this respect Object 3 But this is not my case For I am not only deserted forsaken under manifestations of Christs displeasure but I have sinned and drawn down this Desertion upon my own soul and therefore now it is that I am thus discouraged and have I not reason for it Answ No For God doth not alwaies desert and forsake his People for their sins somtimes he doth and somtimes he doth not as appears by comparing the 3d and 5th Chapters of the Canticles and it may be he doth now withdraw from you not for your sin and if there be but a may be of it there is no reason for discouragement But suppose it be so look I pray into Isay 57. again and see what the Lord hath promised to a poor soul in this condition ver 17. For the iniquity of his covetousness was I wroth and smote him I hid me and was wroth and he went on frowardly in the way of his heart Wil ye say the Lord doth not only hide his fâ—ce from you but he hath smitten you So here Wil ye say O! but I have sinned and drawn this desertion upon my self So here For the iniquity of his Covetousness I was wroth and smote him Will ye say O! but I have sinned on both sides of this Desertion I have sinned before the Desertion came which sin was the cause of it and I have sinned since I have been deserted by my frowardness and peevish carriage So here For the iniquity of his covetousness was I wroth and hid me there is sin on the one side and he went on frowardly in the way of his heart there is sin on the other side of Desertion Here is sin on both sides what then is there any hope or comfort or mercy for a heart in this condition Yes saith the Lord I will restore comfort unto him and to his mourners O! but it is not comfort that my soul desires but I have a foul filthy unclean wicked heart of mine own O! that my heart were healed Is there any hope of healing mercy in this condition Yes saith the Lord in the Text I have seen his waies and will heal him O! but though I be healed I shal sin again and wander from God again nay saith the Lord But I have seen his waies and will heal him and will lead him also But I see no means or likelihood of al this how can it be Yes very well for saith the Lord ver 19. I create the fruit of the Lips Peace peace peace to him that is afar off and I will heal him again O! what Comfort is here what an upholding Promise is here Can you read it or think of it and your heart sink before it Object 4 This is but part of my condition for I have sinned Christ hath forsaken me I have sinned Christ hath smote me and he goes on smiting goes on angry goes on displeased I have been deserted a long while in the dark a long while and I am so far from the light that it doth even grow darker and darker my condition being more sad every day than other every day I am more deserted and my condition worser have I not reason to be cast down and discouraged now Answ No For when was it worst with the Israelites They had an ill time of it al the while they were in the Land of Egypt a dark time but was it not worst with them immediately before their deliverance Did not the Task-Masters then beat them When was it worst with David ill at al times in the Wilderness but was it not worst with him at Ziklag when he had lost his Wives and his own men took up stones against him Psal 10. we read that David saith Why standest thou afar off O Lord and hidest thy self in the time of trouble hiding is more and worâ—er than standing afar off When the Sun is going down then it seems to be far off but when it is hidden then it is set and is further off So saith David Lord thou art not only afar off but even out of sight quite out of sight and art hidden from me his Desertion grew higher and higher And if you look into Psal 13. you find that he speaks to the like purpose How long wilt thou bide thy face from me how long wilt thou forget me O Lord for ever As hiding is more than standing afar off so it is worse than forgetting For as Musculus observes wel forgetting is but Remissio amoris a man that loves another may forget him yet he may love him well but
Ages and from Generations And saith the Psal He sheweth his Word unto Jacob his Statutes and his Judgments unto Israel he hath not dealt so with any Nation and as for his Judgments they have not known them He doth not say they have not known them as Israel but he saith The Lord hath not dealt so with other Nations as for his Judgments they have not known them neither can it be said that God was ready to have made known this Truth unto al the World but did not because of their sin for then it should have been declared to them that such Truths of the Gospel should be made known to them if they did not sin but that hath not been declared to al the particular men of the World and therefore Christ did not die for al men thus conditionally Seventhly If Christ did die and merit thus conditionally for al men then al the particular men in the world are under a Covenant of Grace for those that he died for are to receive the Blessings of the new covenant upon the performance of the Condition saith this Objection But al the particular men of the World are not under the Covenant of Grace for the Apostle saith of the Ephesians before their Conversion that they were strangers from the Covenants of Promise having no hope and without God in the World Ephes 2.12 And God wil write his Laws in the hearts of all those that are under the Covenant of Grace Heb. 8. But al the particular men in the World shal not have the Laws of God written in their hearts therefore the Covenant of Grace is not made with them and therefore Christ hath not merited that the Blessings of the Covenant shal be given out unto al the World upon Conditions Eightly If al the Benefits of Christs Death and Blessings of the new Covenant should be given out upon some Condition to be performed by us as Faith and Repentance then our Faith should give us a Right and Title unto al those Blessings and Benefits As if I sel a thing upon Condition that a man pay me so much Money his payment of the Money being the performance of the Condition gives him a Right and Title to the thing Or if I promise to give a man an hundred pound upon condition that he go of such an Errand for me if he go his very going gives him a Right and Title to the hundred pound because he performs the Condition But though Faith be our hand whereby we receive the Benefits of Christs Death and Blessings of the Covenant yet it doth not give us any Right or Title to them al our Right and Title is in Christs Blood his Death his Satisfaction and his Obedience and in that alone Ninthly This Objection doth suppose the Covenant of Grace to be Conditional but the Covenant of Grace is free absolute and without al Conditions to be performed by us For The Lord hath delivered it without al such Conditions We read of the Covenant of Grace in Jer. 31. in Ezek. 36. in Heb. 8. but where do we find any Condition annexed to it And if God make no Conditions why should we Shal I hang my Pad-lock upon Gods Door of Mercy This Covenant saish the Lord is as the Covenant which he made with Noah Did he promise Noah that the World should be drowned no more upon Conditions of our Faith or Obedience No but saith the Lord I will not again curse the ground any more for mans sake although the Imaginations of mans heart be evil Gen. 8.21 It may be you wil translate the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because but it comes al to one In the Covenant of Grace the Lord saith He wil write his Laws in our hearts there is Converting mercy promised and that we shal al know him there is enlightening Mercy promised both the Habit and the Act of Grace promised and he gives this reason For I will be merciful to your unrighteousness and your sin and iniquity I will remember no more Heb. 8.11 12. Now if forgiving mercy be the reason of sanctifying Mercy if our forgiveneâ—s be the cause of our holiness then no act of our Grace or Holiness can be the Condition of our forgiveness or of the Covenant The Spirit of God is promised in the Covenant I wil put my Spirit into you saith God but Faith and Repentance are not before the In being or Gift of the Spirit Surely therefore all the Blessings of the Covenant are not given out upon these Conditions If the Covenant of Grace should be thus Conditional then the Covenant of Grace should be harder than the Covenant of Works made with Adam in Paradice for then the Condition was to be performed by our common Person who was strong and free from al sin but now we are weak and ful of al sin and therefore if the performance of the Condition lie upon our hands the terms of this Covenant wil be worse and harder for us than the terms of that Covenant of Works neither can it be said that if al men have a sufficiency of Grace and power to beleeve that the performance of the Condition of this Covenant wil be easier than of that for who doth not know that it is an harder thing for one of us sinful Creatures to beleeve than for Adam to abstain from eating the forbidden Fruit But surely the Covenant of Grace is easier and sweeter than the Covenant of Works and therefore the Condition thereof was performed by Christ our Second Adam and there is now no Condition of the Covenant to be performed by us Yet it is our Duty to beleeve and repent and obey which we are commanded to do by the Gospel but al our Repentance Faith and Obedience is a Fruit of that Covenant not the Condition of it As in case Adam had stood his Seed should have obeyed yet their Obedience should not have been the Condition but the Fruit of the Covenant and as his Posterity could not have had Life unless they had obeyed yet that their Obedience was not the Condition of that Covenant So though we cannot be justified unless we beleeve nor be saved unless we repent and obey yet our Repentance Faith and Obedience is not the Condition but the Fruit of the Covenant Christ and Christ alone our Second Adam did perform the Condition as to us the Covenant of Grace is free absolute and without al Conditions Obj. But all Divines say That Faith and Repentance are the Condition of the Covenants Ans Not all not so Luther Duplices sunt promissiones Dei legales quae nituntur deorsum in nostris operibus sicut illae si feceritis bona terrae comedetis aliae sunt promissiones gratiae sicut Jer 31. scribam legem meam in cordibus eorum hae promissiones non nituntur deorsumsed simpliciter bonitate et gratia Dei quid ipse velit facere Luther in Gen. 4. cap p. 88. Hos 2. Desponsabo
〈…〉 â—nointed by Samuel yet a darkness presently rose upon him buâ— it was the darkness of a cloud only and not of the 〈◊〉 Why Because it was such a darkness as arose immediately aâ—ter he â—hinings forth of a Promise And I pray you shew me any â—cripture where you find that ever any darkness arose presently aâ—ter the breaking shining forth of a Promise which was more than the darkness of a cloud which vanished away Or whe e do you find in all the Scripture that ever any poor soul came into the dark immediately after the giving out of a Promise but that soul did come to the light again Now as for the darkness that covers the Saints it is usually a darkness that comes after the giving and shining out of a Promise and therefore that darkness is but the darkness of a cloud and they may say a cloud a cloud and it will pass away Answ 2 Secondly If a man be so in the dark as yet he can see to work and dig up pits it argues that the darkness is but the darkness of a cloud a man cannot see to work artificially in the night but though there be much darkness by reason of a cloud yet he may see to work and to dig up pits because it is day Now in Psalm 84. the Psalmist faith at verse 5. Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee and in whose hearts are the waies of them who passing through the Valley of Baca dig up pits the rain also filleth the pits they go from strength to strength till they appear before God in Zion It is an alluâ—ion to the practice of the Jews when some of them went up to Jerusalem their way lay through the Valley of Baca which was a very dry Valley where no houses were where no Water was for their relief and refreshment whereupon they digged up pits and to the rain fell and they were refreshed got strength and went on to Jerusalem where they saw the Lord in his Ordinances So saith the Psalmist Blessed are they in whose heart the Law of God is There are a Generation of men in the world that have the Law of God in their hearts though they cannot act and work towards God as they would these somtimes are in a dry and barren condition where no Water or Comfort is yet if in this condition they dig up pits go to prayer wait upon God in Duty though they find no Comfort springing up in their Duty for the present yet in due time the rain of Gods Blessing will fill those dry pits and empty duties whereby their Life shall be like unto a Pool of Water and they shall go from strength of Grace to strength of Grace till they see the Lord. Know ye therefore any man that is in this Valley of Baca where no Water is yet if he can find in his heart to dig up pits to pray read hear meditate confer and perform Duties though those duties be empty of Comfort for the present yet the rain of Grace and Mercy shall fall upon those Pits and he shall go from strength to strength till he appears before the Lord in Glory Now thus it is with the Saints though darkness and a great darkness be upon them yet in that dark condition they are still digging up pits and therefore this darkness is not the darkness of the night but the darkness of a cloud and they may say this is a cloudy darkness and it wil over ere long Answ 3 Thirdly If the darkness which a man is under be such as there are some openings of Light withal then it is the darkness of a cloud and not of the night though the cloud may cause much darkness yet ever and anon it opens and there are some interims of light withal but the night opens not there are no interims of light then Now interims and intermissions of Light are sure and certain pledges of a greater light which is yet to come You know that when David fled from Absolon he was in a dark condition for the Text saith He went and he wept and he went bare-foot his own son persecutes him drives him from his Throne a great consederacy was raised against him by wicked men with the child of his own bowels here was darkness upon darkness matter of great discouragement but it was a cloud and no more You wil say How should David have known that it was but the darkness of a cloud David prayed The Lord turn the Counsels of Ahithophel into folly and before David had overcome Absolon and was restored to his Kingdom Ahithophel did hang himself David singled out Ahithophel to pray against and the Lord heard his prayer that Judgment of Ahithophel was the return of Davids Prayer here the cloud opened and this Answer of his Prayer in the interim was a Seal to David of the full deliverance that came afterwards Deus uno Sigillo Sigillat diversas materias for God seals divers matters with the same Seal So when a man is in the dark by reason of some temptation affliction or desertion which he cannot see the end of if in this interim before the full deliverance comes he hath some lesser deliverance that lesser deliverance in the interim is a Seal unto him of the future deliverance and he may say here is a pledg of my full deliverance for here is the opening of the cloud Now thus it is alwaies with the People of God they never are in any affliction temptation or desertion but before their great deliverance comes they have some special Providence some reviving in the midst of their trouble some interim of light some openings of the cloud and therefore in the midst of all they may say surely this my darkness is not the darkness of a night but of a cloud I say there is no discouragement doth befall the Saints but the matter thereof is a cloud and they may say it is but a cloud it will pass over and therefore why should they be discouraged Surely there is no reason for their discouragements whatever their condition be If these things be so Applic. How heavily doth this Doctrine fall in reproof upon some I wish I might not say some of the Servants and People of God A godly man hath no true reason for his discouragements whatever his condition is although it be never so sad and some are alwaies discouraged whatever their condition be although it be never so good whatever falls out the Saints should not be discouraged no not at any thing and yet many are discouraged at every thing and upon every occasion O! what unworthy walking is this how contrary do you walk to God And do you know what it is to walk contrary to him Hath he not said If you walk contrary to me I will walk contrary to you Object But I have reason to be discouraged for I have no sence and feeling of Gods Love Answ 1 We do not live
did Why Because he feared the Lord. So then if a man be employed in way of Love and Mercy to himself he doth not make his Employment a shooing-horn to his own Preferment 'T is enough for me my Masters work is done saith he neither doth God use to pay them al their wages here whom he employes in mercie to themselves But as the Merchant if he have to deal with a stranger for a less Commodity he paies him down presently but if with a friend for some great priced Commodity he takes time and doth not pay down his money presently So if God have to do with a stranger as Nebuchadnezzar he wil pay him wages presently but if God deals with a friend whom he employes in mercy to himself then he doth put off his ful payment til afterwards He doth Gods work without any great noise or notice of himself like Christ He lifts not up his voyce in the street and as the Angels in Ezek. 1. His hands are under his wings he hath four hands to work with but they are not seen they are under his wings Let your Light so shine before men saies Christ that they may see your good works not your selves and glorifie your Father not your selves As it is with the Fisher so with him he shews the bait but hides himself he holds forth the word of Truth but not himself though he have four hands to work with yet they are all under his wings hidden but saies Jehu Come and see my zeal for the Lord of Hosts This is another difference If God do use and Employ a man in a way of Love and Mercy to himself he is willing to be used and contented to be laid by and to 〈…〉 more Another man is not so if he have been used 〈…〉 â—ng he thinks he must be used in other things and 〈…〉 cannot bâ—ar it that God should lay him by and use anoâ—â— Thus iâ— was with Sâ—ul he could not be conteâ—◠〈…〉 should use David But when God told Eli that he 〈…〉 and his House by he answered Good is the Word of 〈◊〉 Lord for he was a good man and one whom God had â—sed 〈◊〉 Love and Mercie to himâ—elf and so when God had done wiâ—h him he was conâ—ent thereâ—â—th He thâ—t is â—red and eâ—ployed in way of Love and Mercie to himself wil do the Work oâ— the Loâ—dfully though he do his own works by halfs Caleb did his own work by halfâ— and the Work of God â—ully for he was used in Mercy to himself and others Jehu did the Work of the Lord by halfs and his own work fully for though he was uâ—ed in Mercy to some and Judgment to others yet not in Love to himself When God doth use a man in a way of Judgment he hath ordinarily more skil at pulling down and destroying what is mans than in setting up and building what is Gods But when God doth use him in a way of Love and Mercy to his own soul he hath a dexterity in and a heart to the setting up of what is Gods witness Jehu on the one hand and Nehemiah on the othâ—r hand How is it therefore with thee Hast thou a skil at pulling down what is mans and no skil nor heart to set up what is Gods Hast thou been employed and used in Gods Service and have you done your own work fully and Gods work by halfs Art thou not contented to be laid by and that God should use another Doest thou make a noise in the work and thy hands not under thy wings Hast thou made a goodly outward Bargain of the Lords Work and his Service as a shooing-horn to thine own ends Hast thou not grown in Experience Faith and Holiness by this work but in Pride rather Hast thou not been very tender of the Name of God in thy Service nor been acquainted with Gods Design nor thine heart drawn out the more to love the Lord Then surely God hath not used or employed thee in Love and Mercy to thine own soul But if thine heart have been drawn out with Love to God by thy very Service and Employments and thou hast been in some measure acquainted with Gods Design in that Service and hast been very tender of the Name of God and more willing to hazard thy self than to defile his Name and hast grown in Grace by the exercise of thy Gifts and hast made no Bargain of the Lords Service but hast had thy hands under thy wings and hast not done Gods Work by halfs and now after all art contented that God shall lay thee by and make use of others then surely the Lord hath used and employed thee in a way of Love and Mercie to thine own Soul and therefore why should'st thou be discouraged in this respect Certainly you have no just cause or true reason for it Quest But suppose that the Lord either shall not use me in his Service or if he do that difficulties and oppositions press in upon me or that I meet with no success in my work according to my desire what shall I do that I may be able to bear up my heart against all discouragements in this kind Answ 1 First In case that God do not cal you forth to any work or special Employment Then Consider that you have now the more time to mind your own soul and to attend to your own Condition Some are so employed that they have not time enough to pray read meditate examine their own hearts and to look into their own Condition yea though a mans work do lie in the Ministry 't is possible that he may so mind his publick work as to neglect his private But now if thou hast no publick Employment or Service then you have the more time for to spend upon your own soul the more time to converse with the Lord in private and to look into your own Condition And if you be not called forth to work and yet are willing to work you shal be paid for that work and service which you never did As some men shal be punished for those sins which they did never commit in the gross act because they were willing and had a desire to commit the same so some shal be paid for that work and service for God which they never did perform because they were willing to have done the same Now is it not a great mercy to be paid for that work which I never did Such is the Priviledg of al those that are not called to Service and yet are willing to it Answ 2 Secondly In case That you are employed in Gods Work and Service and difficulties press in upon you Then Consider That the greater the Difficultie is the greater shall your Obedience be in carrying on the Work and the more you do follow after Dutie and redeem it from the hand of Difficulty the greater shall your Comfort and reward be when all is done And the more that any Service Work or
we see nothing of the Mercy promised it 's no presumption then to hold and keep fast the Promise Quest But suppose the Lord hath given me a Promise and now after the Promise given I see nothing of the mercy promised and that all my Comforts are out of sight how shal I be able to bear up my heart against all Discouragements notwithstanding I see nothing but what is contrary to the thing promised and to the mercy desired Answ Either thou hast assurance of Gods Love or else thou hast not If thou hast assurance of the Love of God then put thy self often to this disjunction O my soul either it is thy Duty to beleeve or it is not If it be not thy Duty to beleeve why dost thou beleeve at al If it be not thy Duty to beleeve and rest on Christ why dost thou rest upon Christ at al And if it be thy Duty to rest on Christ and beleeve why then should st thou not beleeve at al times and trust perfectly unto the Lord And if you have Assurance then actuate your Assurance mind your self of your Priviledges and your Interest in Christ then you wil say unto your self what though I have nothing but bad tidings from this world yet notwithstanding I have nothing but good tidings from the other world and from my Father above and if Christ be mine then al is mine Life is mine and Death is mine and what though al my Comforts be dead and are gone and are al out of sight yet Christ is a living Christ Christ is a living Savior and therefore be of good Comfort O my soul But if you do want assurance of the Love of God then yet you must and may look on Christ who is the Brazen Serpent the only Brazen Serpent and your very looking upon him in the time of your Discouragement shal go for Faith Look unto me â—aith he from all the ends of the Earth and be saved Again If you want Assurance you may and must turn your eye and your thoughts from those Objections that do invade your Faith 'T is said of Abraham That he considered not the weakness of his own Body and this was imputed unto him for beleeving that he considered not what might invade his Faith And so this shal be imputed unto you for Faith if when these Objâ—ctions shal come in upon you you turn your Eye from them unto Jesus Christ and do not consider them And if you do want Assurance then set your selves to beleeve that you do beleeve Faith is the Evidence of thâ—n â—s not seen and therefore if your Faith be not seen you must beleeve that you do beleeve thou â—ust beleeve somtimes that thou hast Faith As there is a feeling in Prayer so Faith haâ—h it's feeling too and therefore iâ— you cannot see your Faith you must beleeve that you do beleeve And whether you have Assurance or have not Assurance consider these few things as some Helps to your Faith in this case First That God doth never lead his People unto any great Mercy but first he doth put the Sentence of Dâ—ath upon al the means that do rend unto it Thus it was with Abraham so with Joseph so with David and many others Secondly That it iâ— a great sin to liâ—â—t â—ods Mercy as wel as to limit his Power You say it is a great sin to limit the Power of God the Children of â—â—rael are condeâ—â—ed for this they limited the Holy One of Iâ—rael they tempted the Lord and limited the Holy One of Israel Now dâ—â—h not a man limit God when he limits his Mercy as wel as when he limits his Power And when you say you shal never have such a mercy granted because I now see the contrary is not this to limit his Mercy Thirdly That when the Lord hath given out a Promise to his People he doth then somtimes try whether they wil trust to his naked Word or no. Christ hath his times to try men and when he gives out a Promise and bringeth the soul into a quite contrary condition this is his trying time And therefore hath the Lord now given out a Promise unto you and do you see nothing but what is contrary to the thing promised Say unto thine own soul O my soul it may be Christ is now trying of me it may be this is my trying time and therefore now wil I wait on God Fourthly That God doth oftentimes fulfil one Promise by denying another Hath the Lord therefore given thee a Promise and doest thou see nothing but what is contrary to the thing promised Now know and remember That we have by not having God doth give by denying and fulfils some Promises by not fulfilling others Fiftly That when we see nothing but what is contrary unto our help then is Christs time to help I read as I remember but twice in the new Testament that mention is made of Christs Hour once in John 13. And he knowing that his hour was coming and that was the hour of darkness Once in John 2.4 when his Mother came unto him for Wine he said Woman my hour is not yet come But afterwards when their own Wine was done and their pots were fill'd with Water then he turns their Water into Wine then Christs hour was come So now when al our Bottles are dry when there is no Wine of Comfort in our own Bottles then is Christs hour and when the hour of darkness is upon our Condition then is Christs hour And if thou would'st but say so unto thine own soul Soul Christs time and hour is an hour of darkness Christs time is a time when there is no Wine in our own Bottles Now thus it is with me I have no Wine left in my own Bottles my Bottles are al dry and empty and there is an hour of darkness upon my Condition therefore this time is the time for Christ to help me This would cause you to wait on God and exercise Faith in the lowest Condition even when you see nothing but the contrary unto your desires and the Lords Promises Sixtly That either you are under an extraordinary Affliction or an ordinary Either you are under an ordinary Temptation or an extraordinary Either you are under an extraordinary Desertion or an ordinary Either thy streit or stress and trouble is ordinary or else it is extraordinary If it be an ordinary trouble why then are you troubled more thâ—n ordinary why are you discouraged extraordinarily If your Affliction or Misery be extraordinary then either God hath brought you into this condition and hath led you heretofore in a way of extraordinary deliverance or of ordinary deliverance if God have led you heretofore in a way of ordinary deliverance what means those wonderful incomes of Love and supporting Grace that you have had when your soul have been ready to sink and to die within you And if the Lord hath heretofore led you in a way of extraordinary deliverance and
King said It 's a vain thing to wait on God any longer but the Prophet in the next words saith To morrow about this time shall a measure of sine flower be sold for a shekel and two measures of barley for a shekel in the Gates of Samaria Chap. 7. verse 1. So that deliverance doth somtimes come when men give over waiting And if deliverance do thus come to you what shame and grief wil this be to you how wil you befool your self and say O! what a fool was I that I could not wait a little longer I have given over waiting and lo now deliverance is come and I have no comfort in it When you give over waiting then you lose al your former labors though you have performed many Duties yet if you do not wait upon God therein you do lose al your prayers It 's said of Saul 1 Sam. 28.6 That he enquired of the Lord who answered him not and so he sought unto a woman that had a Familiar Spirit ver 7. yet 1 Chron. 10.14 it 's said That he enquired not of the Lord He enquired and he enquired not how doth this agree Wel for though he did enquire of the Lord yet because he did not wait upon God therein but gave over waiting his enquiring in Scripture Phrase is said to be no eâ—quiring Prayer without waiâ—ing in Scripture Phrase is no Prayer Look when a man doth give over waiting then d th he lo e al his labor his former Prayer is noâ—hing his former Duty noâ—hing it shal not once be remembred or imputed to him On the other side If you wait on God he wil not alway forget your work of Faith though he may seem to forget you yet the patient abiding of the meek shall not be forgotten for ever Psal 9.18 God wil come and visit you in due time He that doth come wil come and will not tarry yea and your very waiting that I may speak with reverence wil make him come the sooner 'T is not so with men if you expect a friend you do go forth to meet him but 't is not your expecting waiting that wil make him come But so it is with God your very expecting of him and waiting for him wil make him come and therefore the holy men in Scripture use this Argument with God for mercy Let me not be ashamed for I have waited on thee yea and if God do come he wil come with a recompence and pay you al your forbearance-Money Es 35. yea and when he doth come you shal be able to triumph in his appearing and say Lo this is our God we have waited for him if you have not waited you cannot triumph in his appearance but if you wait you shal say when he comes Lo this is my God and I have waited for him yea the Lord wil not only câ—me buâ— he wil come with a blessing for Blessed are all those that wait on him yea he wil not only bless you upon your waiting but he wil strengthen you therein Esai 40. Those that wait on the Lord shall renew their strength O! what a blessed thing is it then for to wait on God who would not hope trust wait on the Lord Is there any thing to be gotten by your sad Discouragements O ye of little Faith Are you able to alter one hair of your Condition by al your thoughtfulness Is it not much better now for to wait on God Why then do you not call your own heart aside and say Come O my soul Why hast thou limited the Holy One of Israel thus long Why hast thou dishonored Christ thus long by thy vain fears Why art thou cast down O my soul and why art thou disquieted within me Hope trust wait on God for he is the health of my Countenance and my God And thus now I have done with this great Argument ye have had the Patience to hear it Isa 35.4 the Lord give you Grace to practice it I conclude all with the words of my Commission Ye that are of a fearful spirit be strong fear not behold your God will come even God with a recompence he will come and save you OF THE SIN Against the HOLY GHOST Wherein is shewed I. What this Sin against the Holy Ghost is II. How and in what respect this Sin against the Holy Ghost is above all other Sins the Vnpardonable Sin By William Bridge of Yarmouth LONDON Printed by Peter Cole in Leaden-Hall and are to be sold at his Shop at the sign of the Printing-Press in Cornhil neer the Royal Exchange 1656. OF THE SIN Against the HOLY GHOST Matthew 12.31 32. Preached At Stepney Decemb. 29. 1650. VVherefore I say unto you All manner of sin and blasphemy shal be forgiven unto men but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man shall be forgiven but whosoever speaketh a word against the Holy Ghost it shall not be forgiven him neither in this world neither in the world to come HERE are two great Arguments laid before you in these words First The largeness of Gods heart in forgiving sins unto the Children of men Every sin All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men Secondly You have here the unpardonableness of the Sin against the Holy Ghost But the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men I would rather chuse to speak unto the former Argument but if I should do so at the first possibly some poor soul would say Though Gods heart be very large in forgiving sins yet there is one sin that shal never be forgiven the Sin against the Holy Ghost and I fear I have committed that That I may therefore take away this Obstruction and make your way plain and easie to the forgiving mercy of the Lord I shal at this timâ—â—eak unto the last of these two Arguments But the blaspheâ—â—â—â—â—ainst the Holy Ghost shal not be forgiven Whosoever speaâ—â—â— against the Holy Ghost it shall not be forgiven him neither in this world neither in the world to come For the opening of which words two Questions must be answered Quest 1 The First is Whether these Jews that our Savior spake these words unto did then sin against the Holy Ghost Answ Some think No. But I rather conceive That these Pharisees did sin this Sin against the Holy Ghost for if you look into the 3d Chapter of Mark ye shal find that our Lord and Savior spake this because of some words that they had spoken against him he had cast out Devils and they said He â—ast out Devils by the Prince of Devils verse 22. Whereupon our Savior reasoned with them and at last he saith 〈◊〉 verse â—8 Verily I say unto you All sins shall be forgiven unto the Sons of men and blasphemies Verse 29. But he that shall blaspheme against the holy Ghost shal never be forgiven And the reason
a dispersed People Be it so yet your Sufferings are but a Modicum a little 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 both in regard of measure and time and after you have thus suffered a little and a little while the God of al Grace wil restore stablish strengthen and settle you This have I prayed for you So that the Doctrine from the Verse is this DOCT. It is a great Blessing of God and worthy of all our Prayer to be Established and Setled in the Truth and Good Waies of God Setling Grace and Mercy in opposition both to outward and inward trouble is a great Mercy and well worth praying for It is a great Mercy and Blessing to be outwardly setled The Apostle speaks here in reference to that opposition and hatred which they met with from the world in scattering them as a People and as a Church for saith he verse 9. Be stedfast in the Faith knowing that the same Afflictions are accomplished in your Brethren that are in the world As also in reference to those Temptations of Satan which they labored under for saith he verse 5. Your Adversary the Devil as a roaring Lyon walketh about seeking whom he may devour So that I say 1 It is a great Mercy for a Nation and State to be setled 2 A Mercy and great Blessing for a Church to be setled 3 A great Blessing and Mercy for a Particular Soul to be setled in the good VVaies of God First It is a great Mercy and Blessing for a Nation or Kingdom to be in a setled Estate and Condition outwardly for it is the Mercy promised and promised Mercies are no smal Mercies Now the Lord promiseth to his People when he deals with them in a way of Mercy to settle and establish them Jer. 24.6 For I will set mine eyes upon them for good and I will bring them again to this land and I will build them and not pull them down and I wil plant them and not pluck them up So chap. 32. verse 37. And I will cause them to dwel safely yea verse 41. I will rejoyce over them to do them good and I will plant them in this Land assuredly with my whol heart and with my whol soul This also was that Mercy which the Lord Promised to David 2 Sam. 7.16 But thine House and thy Kingdom shall be established for ever before thee and thy Throne shal be established for ever And if ye look into 2 Chron. 9.8 ye shal find that this establishing of a Nation or Kingdom is both a sign and a fruit of Gods Love Blessed be the Lord thy God said the Queen of Sheba to Solomon which delighteth in thee to set thee on his Throne to be King for the Lord thy God because thy God loved Israel to establish them for ever therefore made he thee King over them c. On the other side when God is angry with a People then he pours a Spirit of Giddiness and Perversness on them that they run to and fro and stagger like a drunken man and are as the Leaf shaken with every wind 1 Kings 14.15 The Lord threatens Israel to smite them as a reed is shaken in the water because they had made them Groves provoking the Lord to anger A great Judgment then it is to be shaken like a reed in the Water This also is a Fruit of Gods Anger and when a People are in this posture it argues that God hath smitten them in his Anger But when may a People be said to be thus smitten as a Reed shaken in the Water Even then when they are driven to and fro with every wind when they are easily moved and put by their Station Sicut solet moveri arundo in aqua Scilicet quia arundines faciliter moventur in aqua quocunque vento impellente aut levi aquarum decursu ita Israell incideret ìn magnas calamitates et Deus faceret cum tam passibilem ut à quocunque insurgente contra eum posset percuti Abulens in Loc. so that any one that rises up against them may afflict them and lay them low And if this unsetled shaking Condition be a great Judgment upon a Nation or People then surely the contrary is a great Mercy it is a great Blessing indeed for any Kingdom or Nation to be in a setled Estate and Condition Secondly As it is a Mercy and Blessing for a Nation to be settled and established so for the Church of God For when the Church hath this rest then it is edified walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost Acts 9.31 Establishment is the Mercy promised to the Church also Esai 2.2 It shall come to pass in the last daies that the Mountain of the Lords House shall be established in the top of the Mountains What is more setled on Earth than a Mountain The House of the Lord shal be as a Mountain upon the Mountains in the last daies great shal be the glory of the latter Daies As the Sins and Apostacies of the latter Daies shal be the greatest Sins and Apostacies so the Glory of the Churches shal be the greatest in the last daies And the Establishment of the Churches is not only promised but promised as part of the Glory of the latter Times It is that Mercy and Blessing which the Apostles labored for continually 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Fâ—rst they took a great deal of pains to convert and bring men home to God being converted the Apostles then formed them into several Churches and Churches being planted then their great work and business was to Establish them Acts 14.21 And when they had preached the Gospel to that City or had Gospellized that City and had taught many or had Discipled many or those that were sit and worthy they returned again to Lystra to Iconium and Antioch confirming the souls of the Disciples and exhorting them to continue in the Faith c. This they also prayed for and therefore as the Apostle Peter shuts up his Epistle with this Prayer for the dispersed Christian-Jews so the Apostle Paul doth close up his Epistle to the Corinths with the same desire and Prayer for them 2 Cor. 13. And this also we wish even your perfection verse 9. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And Rom. 16.25 he concludes thus Now to him that is of power to establish you c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 where the Apostle Paul useth two of these four words that are used by Peter The closing wish doth alwaies fal upon some precious mercy And as it is the Mercy prayed for so somtimes it is made the Signal Mercy whereby the Church is declared to be the Church of Christ Whose House ye are saith the Apostle to the Hebrews if you hold fast the Confidence of your rejoycing stedfast to the end An House is setled fixed and established a Tent is removable but an House is not so unworthy are those of the Name of the House
like a drunken man Job 12.25 Again He girdeth their Loynâ— with a Girdle verse 18. He speaketh the word and it standeth fast who said to Solomon and so to al the Princes of the Earth If thou wilt walk before me in integrity of heart and in uprightness to do according to all that I have commanded thee and wilt keep my Statute â—and my Judgments then I will establish the Throne of thy 〈◊〉 as upon Israel for ever 1 Kings 9.4 5. As for a Church it is â—e alone who doth settle and establish it Psal 87 â—â— â—â—â—â—â—d of Zion it shall be said this and that man was born in her and the Highest himself shal establish her And as for a â—â—â—icuâ—â— person â—t is God alone that doth settle him both in hâ—â—â—â—â—wâ—rd and Spiritual Condition In his outward Condition Prâ—â— 15.25 The Lord â—â—ll destroy the House of the proud â—ut he will estâ—blâ—sh the â—â—rder of the Widdow And in his Spâ—â—iuaâ— Estâ—â— and Condition 2 Thes 2.17 Now our Lord Jesus Christ hâ—â—â—elf and God our Father comfort your heart saith the Apostle and establâ—sh you in every good word and Work and Psal 90.17 the Psalmist doth address himself unto God for this saâ—ing Establish thou the Work of our hands upon us yea the work of our hands establish thou it And if it be so great a Blessing to be thus setled and established if we have so great need of establishing Grace and it belongs unto God alone to work it then surely it is not only a matter worthy of our Prayer but our Duty also to say and pray with the Psalmist Stabâ—ish thou O Lord the work of our hands upon us yea the work of our hands establish thou it And thus you have the Doctrine cleered in the Parts thereof If it be so great a Mercy and Blessing to be setled fixed Applicat and established in the Truth and good Waies of God then what cause have al thoâ—e that me now established to praise the Lord and say I was a poor unsetled person but through Grace I am now setled The more unto lâ—d the Times are and men in the Times the greater is the Mercy to be truly fixed and established Hath the Lord therefore setled your heart in these unsetled Times O! then give thanks unto the Lord and say My heart is fixed O God my heart is fixed I will sing and give praise Object O! but I cannot find this fixation of spirit in my soul nor that stedfastness in my life as I desire and therefore I cannot praise the Lord as I should Answ It may be so Yet know that there is much difference between variety of Grace and Instability of Spirit The exercise of various Graces is a great Blessing Instability of Spirit is a great Evil Ye may exercise one Grace which you did not exercise before and you may perform one gracious Work which you did not before yet this no instability of Spirit You must know also That there is a kind of shaking which is consistent with this true Setledness and Establishment of heart Ye see how it is with the Ships in the Harbor and with those Ships which lie at Anchor though they be not driven and tossed up and down with the Waves of the Sea yet in the time of a storm they do move and are shaken So it may be with thy soul Though thou hast cast Anchor within the Vail and art come into thy Harbor yet thou maist be somwhat moved and shaken But though you be in some measure shaken yet you are not tossed up and down as those that are not at Anchor and therefore O! what cause have you in these unsetled Times for to praise the Lord If Establishment be so great a Blessing what a sad Condition are those in that are not established not setled not fixed either in their Judgments or Lives Not a Mountebank come to Town but they must run to him for some of his Salves not a wandring Star appear but they must go to him for some of his Light These are those unlearned and unstable souls these are those that are laid out for a prey unto Satans Instruments as Satan goes up and down seeking whom he may devour so do his Instruments and there are a People that through the just Judgment of God shal be a prey unto them and who are those but these unlearned and unstable souls Some again are unsetled in their Lives and Practices somtimes they are for God and somtimes against him somtimes for his Service and somtimes against it These are those that are contrary to al men and to themselves These are those that are like to Ephraim whose Righteousness is like the morning dew fading and vanishing And both these are as the Picture or Map in the Frame which you may carry from one Room to another hang it in this room and it suits wel with it carry it into another Room hang it up there and it suits wel with that and whatever Room you hang it in it can comply therewith whereas if it be in no Frame only glewed or plaistered to the wall ye cannot remove it without tearing of it So in this ease Take a good and gracious fixed Soul and you may sooner tear him than remove him from the Truth or the good Waies of Christ but an unsetled person is for every Room and for every Company carry him into one Company and he can comply with it carry him into a second third or fourth he can comply with al Why but because his heart is unfixed not established But wo unto him for he is upon the Road to Apostacy Instability is the high way to Apostacy O! the sad condition of those that are not established Quest What shall we do then that we may be established It is a Mercy and great Blessing for a Nation Church and Particular person to be sâ—tled What shall we do that in all these respects we may be established Answ I As for a Nation or Châ—â—â—tian State It must first settle Religion such a Naâ—ion can never be setled til Religion be setled for Religion is the main Mâ—st and if that be not strengthened al the Tackling wil be loose Esai 33.23 The Tacklings are loosed saith the Prophâ—t they could not wel strengthen their Mast they could not sprâ—â—d their Sâ—â—l and Deut. 28.9 it 's said The Lord shal câ—mâ—â—â—â—â—e Bâ—â—ssing upon thee in thy Store-houses and in all that th usâ—â—â—t â—â—aâ—â— hand unto and he shal bless thee in the Land which the Loâ—d thy God giveth thee verse 8. Yea The Lâ—â—â—d shâ—◠〈…〉 if thou shalt keep the Commandemâ—nt oâ— he Lord 〈…〉 walk in his Waies v. 9. And all the peoplâ— of thâ— Earth sâ—â—â— be afraid of thee verse 10. And if ye look inâ—o thâ— Book of the Kings and Chronicles ye shal observe that in the latter Daies of he Kingdoms of Israel and Judah before theâ—â— Caâ—â—â—â—ty these Kingdoms were unsetled only upon
what doth this argue but that they should delight in him as he doth delight in them And lastly Is it not a very great and high expression of his Love and delight in them that he carried al their names upon his heart into the presence of God the Father owning and Interceding for them When the High Priest went into the Holy of Holies he carried the Names of the Twelve Tribes upon his Breast-plate and with the Blood of the Sacrifice he sprinkled the Mercy Seat seven times and prayed for them So when our great High Priest went into Heaven he did carry the Names of al those whom he died for sprinkling the Mercy Seat seven times for them and doth yet pray and intercede for such of them as are not in Heaven and as if al this were not enough he did presently send the Comforter another Advocate to intercede within them Rom. 8. that aâ— he took their flesh upon him and was made one with them so they should take of his Spirit and be made one with him Now can â—his and al these things be without great contentment and delight in them Surely the delight and Satisfaction which Christ takes in his Seed is exceeding great and very ful Prov. 8. he saith his delights in the plural Number are in them and Psal 16. he saith all his delight is in them Quest But why and upon what account doth our Lord and Savior Christ take such delight and satisfaction in his Seed Answ He hath travelled for them saith this Doctrine and wil ye ask why a Woman takes so much delight in the Child which she hath had a sore Travel for without doubt this delight is not raised from any worth in themselves considered But They are his own and men do naturally delight in their own Now they are not his own only as a mans Goods are his own Pâ—oprietas delectationis causa but they are his own as his Wife is his own and his own Body They are given him of the Father a man loves and delights much in that which is given him by a most precious Friend such is the Father and saith Christ Thine they were and thou gavest them to me They are related to him with al the Relations of Love they are his Brethren He is not ashamed to call them Brethren Heb. 2. Unumquodque in quantuÌ„ amatur efficitur delectabile Aquin. They are his Children Behold I and the Children whom God hath given me saith he Heb. 2. They are his Spouse Ephes 5. A man loves and delights in him that is related to him but with one single Relation but if one person could be invested with all relations of Love he would be much delighted in Thus it is with the Seed of Christ when they beleeve for so I speak of them now they are related to him with al the Relations of Love If any man saith Christ hear my words and do them he is my Mother and Brother and Sister Yea They are one with him he with them and they with him one with the greatest oneness of mutual In-being I in you and you in me saith Christ And they are very like him too and suitable to him al delight arises from a conjunction of suitables Christ Omnis delectatio oritur ex conjunctione convenientis cum convenienti Aquin. and his beleeving Seed are not only joyned into one but in this Union there is a Conjunction of suitables Christ suiting with them and they with him again being of the same mind and affection Doth Christ say unto his Spouse Cant. 4.10 Thy Love is better than Wine so doth the Spouse say to him Cant. 1.2 Thy Love is better than Wine Doth he say to his Spouse Thou art all fair my Love there is no spot in thee Cant. 4.7 so doth she say of him He is altogether lovely Cant. 5.16 Doth he contemplate her Beauty Cant. 4. so doth she contemplate his Beauty Cant. 5. Only herein he doth exceed even as David exceeded Jonathan yet there is an answerableness of Affection between Christ and his Seed By them also I mean his beleeving Seed he liveth Da mihi filios quod si non morior ego Gen. 30. motior 1. è memoria mei plane emorietur et onliterabitur dum enim parentes post se relinqunt filios in illis quafi adhuc vivere et superesse viden ur untle vulgo apud Hebraeos jâ—ctata est sententia cui non sunt liberi perinde est ac si mortuus sit et Hebraei dicunt qui non habet filios non est aedificatus sed quasi d ssipatus Paulus Fag in Ch. Paraphr in Gen. 30. Psal 72.17 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 filiabitur nomen ejus Ar. Montan. and his Name is continued and born up in the World unto al Generations He shal prolong his daies saith Iâ—aiah 53.10 But how so He shal see his Seed and so shal prolong his daies His Name shall continue for ever saith the Psal 72.17 But how so even by the continual filiation of his Seed and Name Now if he do yet live in them and they only do hear up his Name in the World then no wonder that our Lord and Savior Christ doth take so much delight contentment and satisfaction in them surely his delight in them is beyond al expression for saith he Cant. 7.6 How fair and how pleasant art thou O Love for delights Secondly As for the Issue of Christ which he travelled for namely The Fruits and Effects of his Death his delight and satisfaction must needs be great in the sight thereof For Thereby he sees the good pleasure of God prosper in his hands Isa 53.10 He shall see his Seed and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his Hands a good man delights to see the work of God prosper in his hands and the greater the work is and the more it prospers the more delight he hath and contentment and when doth the Work of God prosper in a mans hands but when it attaineth the ends and due effects thereof Now the work that Christ under took was the greatest work in the world and it was God the Fathers Work insomuch as Christ is called his Servant and saith Christ Lo I come to do thy Will Whenever therefore he sees the Travel of his Soul in the saving effects thereof then he sees the good pleasure of the Lord prospering in his hands and so his heart is at rest Thereby the reproach is rowled away from his Sufferings great was the Scandal of the Cross the greatest scandal that ever was and the greatest reproach cast upon it that ever was It was a reproach to a Woman to be barren but when she brought forth a Child her reproach was rowled away So when the Cross and Sufferings of Christ do bring forth then the reproach and scandal of the Cross is rowled away and therefore when Christ doth see the Travel of his Soul in the effects thereof
be our future Judg yea our best Friend and our dear Husband Now if you abstract the terror of any Object from the sweetness of it no wonder if you be much discouraged It is our Duty to behold things as God presents them and to take things as God doth give them What God hath joyned together no man may put asunder If you consider the sweetness of an Object or Condition without the sowrness of it then you may grow too wanton if you consider the terror of an Object or Condition without the sweetness of it then you may be too fearful But if you think on both together then you will fear and beleeve and beleeve and fear and so be kept from Discouragement Fifthly If you would not be discouraged whatever your condition be Labor more and more to get your self-love mortified even Religious self-love All your Dscouragements are from self-love not from the venom of your condition but from the poyson of self-love O but I am discouraged because I have no assurance Well but suppose you had assurance what then then I should have Comfort And is not here Self O but I am discouraged about my everlasting Condition And is not that Self doth not that word Condition sound ones Self I dare boldly say there is no tumult or immoderate Discouragement in the soul but hath Self at the bottom Could I leave my self and my Condition with God and Christ and mind his Service Glory and Honor more God would take care of my Comfort but when I mind my self and my condition so much and his Service Glory and Honor so little no wonder that I am so much discouraged Therefore labor more and more to mortifie self-love and so shall you never be discouraged whatever your condition be Sixtly In case that Temptation press in upon you and urge you to sad Discouragements speak to this purpose unto your own soul Why should I buy my Repentance at so dear a rate There is none of all these doubtings unbeleeving fears and discouragements but you will be ashamed and repent of afterwards You know how it is with the Traveller he thinks the Sun is not yet up and so he loyters and sits down but the Sun creeping up behind the cloud at last breaks out upon his face and is got before him and then he saies O what a fool was I to think the Sun was not up because I saw it not what an unwise man was I thus to loyter and sit down So it will be with you you now lie down upon the Earth and your belly cleaves to the dust by reason of your Discouragements but the Grace of God and the Love of Christ is creeping up behind the dark cloud and it will break out at the last upon you and shine into your face with the Golden beams of mercy it will prevent you and be before you and then you wil say O what a fool was I to be thus discouraged what an unworthy Creature I to doubt thus of Gods Love I have sinned I have sinned by all my unbeleef now the Lord pardon me all my doubtings I am O Lord ashamed of these my doubtings and questionings of thy Love pardon them O Lord unto my soul This is that which you must come to you must at last be ashamed and repent of these your unbeleefs doubtings and fears and therefore when-ever they press in upon thee say at the first unto thy self Why should I buy my Repentance at so dear a rate by yielding unto these Discouragements And for this very reason because that Discouragements are to be repented of Therefore the Saints and People of God have no reason to be discouraged whatever their Condition be And thus have I spoken to this Truth under a more General Consideration through Grace I shall labor to cleer it further to you by Particulars A LIFTING UP In case of GREAT SINS Serm. IV PSALM 42.11 Stepney May 7. 1651. Why art thou cast down O my Soul and why art thou disquieted within me c. THE Doctrine or Observation that now we are pressing from these words is this That the Saints and People of God have no reason for their Discouragements whatever their condition be no just true Scripture Reason for their Discouragements whatever their Condition be It is cleer by the Words and proved the last day by some General Considerations Now more Particularly to make it out by divers Instances Nine things there are which usually are the Grounds and Occasions of the Discouragements of Gods People 1. Somtimes their Discouragements are drawn from their greater and grosser sins 2. Somtimes they do arise from the weakness of Grace 3. Somtimes they are taken from their failing in and non-acceptance of Duty 4. Somtimes they are drawn from their want of Evidence for Heaven and non-assurance of the Love of God 5. Somtimes they do come from their Temptations 6. Somtimes from their Desertions 7. Somtimes from their Afflictions 8. Somtimes from their Unserviceableness 9. Somtimes from their Condition it self Now if in all these Respects the Saints and People of God have no reason to be discouraged then we may safely conclude That a godly man should not be discouraged whatever his condition be I shall labor therefore through the Grace of Christ to make out this great Truth unto you in all these Respects and begin with the First at this time Somtimes the Discouragements of the Saints and Instance 1 People of God are drawn from their Sins their greater and grosser Sins The Peace and Quiet of the Saints and People of God is many times interrupted by their Sins O saies one I am a man or woman of a rebellious heart I have so sleight a Spirit so unholy and uneven a conversation that when I reflect upon my heart and life I cannot but be discouraged I know indeed it is a great evil for a man to labor under a â—ore temptation or a sad desertion but were my heart good my life good my conversation good I should not be discouraged but as for me I have committed and do commit such and â—uen great sins have I not reason and just reason now to be discouraged Answ No For Discouragement it self is a sin another sin a Gospel sin now my sin against the Law is no just cause why I should sin against the Gospel I confess indeed there is much evil in every sin the least sin is worse than the greatest affliction Afflictions Judgments and punishments are but the Claws of this Lyon it is more contrary to God than the Misery of Hell Chrysostom had so great a sence of the evil of it that when the Empress sent him a threatening Message Go tell her said he Nil nisi peccatum metuo I fear nothing but sin And in some respects the sins of the Godly are worse than the sins of others for they grieve the Spirit more they dishonor Christ more they grieve the Saints more they wound the Name
and Blasphemy Surely it doth Have ye any reason then to be discouraged under the power of this Objection Object But suppose that a man have sinned greatly against his conscience or against his light against his knowledg hath he not just cause or reason then to be cast down and to be quite discouraged Answ No For if there be a Sacrifice for such a sin as this is then a man hath no reason to be quite discouraged cause to be humbled as you shal hear afterward but no reason to be discouraged Now in the times of the old Testament in the times of the Law among the Jews there was a Sacrifice not only for sin committed ignorantly but also for sin coâ—itted against light and against consc ence and I appeal to you who ever you are that make this objection do you not think that Peter when he denyed his Lord and Master sinned against his conscieâ—ce against his light and against his knowledg surely then there is no reason that a man should be quite discouraged no not in this respect Object But suppose that a mans sins be exceeding great gross and hainous for I do confess that possibly a Godly man may sin some sin against his light and against his conscience somtimes but as for me my sin is exceeding great gross and hainous and have I not just cause and reason now to be discouraged Answ No not yet For though your sin be great is not Gods mercy great exceeding great is not the Satisfaction of Christ great are the merits of Christs blood smal is not God the great God of Heaven and Earth able to do great things you grant that God is almighty in providing for you and is he not almighty also in pardoning wil ye spoil God of his almightiness in pardoning You say your sin is great but is it infiniteâ— is there any more infinites than one and that is God is your sin as big as God as big as Christ Is Jesus Christ only a mediator for smal sins wil you bring down the satisfaction of Christ and the â—ercy of God to your own model Hath not the Lord said concerning pardoning mercy That his thoughts are not as our thoughts but as the heavens are greater than the earth so are his thoughts in this respect beyond our thoughts Hath not the Lord said in Isa 43. unto the people of the Jews at vers 22. But thou hast not called upon me O Jacob but thou hast been weary of me O Israel Vers 23. Thou hast not brought me the smal cattel of thy burnt offering neither hast thou honored me with thy Sacrifices Vers 24. Thou hast bought me no sweet cane with mony neither hast thou filled me with the fat of thy Sacrifice but thou hast made me to serve with thy sins thou hast wearied me with thy iniquity yet vers 25. I even I am he that blotteth out thy transgression for my own sake and wil not remember thy sins Here are sins and great sins and if the Lord wil therefore pardon sin because it is great unto his people 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quoniam grandis est Hierom. then surely they have no reason to be quite discouraged in this respect Now look what David saith in Psal 25. vers 11. For thy name sake O Lord pardon mine iniquity for it is great mark his argument pardon mine iniquity 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Septuag 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chaldee Par. for it is great if David use this reason then may you also and if this be a reason why God should pardon sin because it is great then this cannot be a reason a just reason why you should be discouraged Object But suppose that a mans sin be the sin of revolting declining for this is my case wil some say I have striven and striven against my sin a long while and I return unto it again times were heretofore that I have been exceeding forward and ready unto what is good but now I am much declined abated and even gone backward with revolting and deep revolting and I have layn long so even for many years have I not reason and just reason now to be discouraged and cast down within my self Answ No not yet For though this be a sufficient cause of great humiliation for backsliding in scripture phrase is called rebellion and rebellion as the sin of witch-craft yet a good man hath no reason to be discouraged in this regard for thus saith the Lord Jer. 3.1 They say if a man put away his wife and she go from him and become another mans shal he return unto her again shal not that land be greatly polluted but thou hast played the Harlot with many lovers yet return again unto me saith the Lord. And vers 12. return thou back-sliding Israel saith the Lord and I wil not cause mine anger to fal upon you for I am merciful saith the Lord and I wil not keep anger for ever again vers 14. Turn O back-sliding Children for I am marryed unto you if ever the Lord Jesus Christ did betroth himself unto any soul he wil never put that soul away again I hate putting away saith God Men put away their wives among the Jewes but saith the Lord I hate putting away And Isae 50. vers 1. Thus saith the Lord where is the Bil of your mothers divorcement whom I have puâ— away or which of my creditors is it to whom I have sold you Among the Jews the husband did put away his wife upon smal occasions As for adultery you know that was death he did not put away his wife upon adultery she was to dy for it but the husbands put away their wives upon other occasions and when they put away their wives they gave the wife a bil of divorce that so upon al occasions the woman might shew thereby that she was free from such a man Now saith the Lord you that charge me and complain that I have put you away come and shew me the bil of divorce Thus saith the Lord where is the bil c. Poor soul thou complainest that I have put thee away come then and shew me the bil of divorce let any one who complains that I have put him away and cast him off come and bring out his bil of divorce This ye cannot do men indeed put away but if ever the Lord Christ doth match himself unto thee he wil never put thee away again And whereas you say That you are declined and have much revolted and so have continued even many yeers Consider whether you be not mistaken Every abatement in affection is not a declining in grace possibly we may not grieve for sin afterward so much as at our first conversion yet we may hate it more at first you may pray more against it yet afterward watch more against it we never see the face of sin so ugly as in the glass of Gods free love do you not see the
humble and what they do want at the first they have it afterwards by degrees soaking into their souls Have they then any reason to be discouraged in these respects surely no. Quest But should not a Godly Gracious man be fully grieved and humbled for his sin Answ Grieved humbled for his sin yes surely though the Lord through the over-ruling hand of his Grace do work never so much good out of my sin unto me yet I am to be humbled for it and the rather to be humbled for it because he works good out of it I have read indeed of the Mother of those three Learned men Lumbard Gratian and Comaestor the three great pillars of the Roman Church for Lumbard wrote the sentences and Gratian the Popish Decretals and Comaestor Historiam Scholasticam that when she lay on her death bed and the Priest came unto her and called upon her for repentance of her whoredomes Hos tres Gratianum viz. Pet. Lumbardum et Pet. Comaestorem fuisse Germanos ex adulterio natos quorum mater cum in extremis peccatum suum confiteretur et confessor redargueret crimen perpetrati aduâ—terii quia valde grave esset et ideo multum deberet dolore et penitentiam agere respondet illa Pater scio quod adulterium peccatum magnum est sed considerans quantum bonum secutum est cum isti silii mei sint lumina magna in Ecclesia Ego non valeo paenitere Cui confessor hoc ex dono Dei est ex te autem adulterium crimen magnum et de hoc doleas c. Decret fol. 1. Gratiani vita for these three Lumbard Gratian and Comaestor were her bastards as the very popish writers do record it he telling her that she must be greatly afflicted grieved and humbled for her uncleanness or else she could not be saved why said she I confess indeed that whoredom and uncleanness is a great sin but considering what a great deal of good hath come to the Church of God by my sin that three such great lights have been brought forth into the world by my sin Non valeo paenitentiam agere I cannot I wil not repent thus it is with many poor ignorant souls when they see how the Lord by his over-ruling hand doth work good unto them out of their sin as some outward blessings mercys they do not repent of their sin but rather justify themselves in their sins but now take a Godly man a gracious soul and the more that he sees the Lord working good out of his sin the more he is humbled for it and upon that very ground because God works good of it therefore he is humbled the more Yet further it is observed that though the Lord did ordinarily cal David his servant yet when David had sinned that great sin he sent the prophet to him saying Go say to David he had lost the title of servant now bare David now single David now David without the title my servant And so though God ordinarily called the people of Israel his people yet when they had committed that great sin of Idolatry in the matter of the Golden Calfe the Lord doth not cal them his people but he saith to Moses The people not My people but The people and Thy people Moses now they had lost their old title Thus I say the sins of Gods own people do deprive them and divest them of their spiritual priviledges and can a gracious heart look upon this and consider how he is divested and disrobed of his spiritual priviledges and not mourn under it Can one friend grieve another friend and not be grieved himself The Saints by their sins they grieve God who is their best friend and therefore certainly they must needs be grieved they must needs be humbled or there is no Grace not grieved not humbled not Gracious But now because they are grieved and humbled for sin committed therefore they are not discouraged I say because they are grieved and because they are humbled for sin committed therefore they are not discouraged for discouragement is a hinderance to humiliation and the more truly a man is humbled for sin committed the less he is discouraged and the more a man is discouraged the less he is truly humbled Quest You wil say then but what is the difference between these a man is to be humbled and not discouraged not discouraged and yet to be humbled what is the difference between these two being humbled and being discouraged Answ It is a profitable question and worth our time by way of answer therefore thus First When a man is humbled truly humbled the object of his grief sorrow or trouble is sin it self as a dishonor done unto God the object of discouragement is a mans own condition or sin in order to his own condition the ultimate object of discouragement being a mans own condition when a man is discouraged you shal find stil that his trouble runs al out upon his own condition O! saith a discouraged person I have sinned I have thus sinned and therefore my condition is naught and if my condition be naught now it wil never be better Lord what wil become of my soul Stil his trouble is about his own condition But when a man is grieved and truly humbled for sin his trouble is about sin it self as a dishonor done unto God To clear this by scripture you know Cain was discouraged but Cain was not humbled how may that appear Cain was troubled about his condition Ah! saith he My punishment is greater than I can bear on the other side the poor prodigal was humbled but not discouraged how may that appear his trouble was about his sin and not about his condition I wil return unto my Father saith he and I wil say unto him I have sinned against Heaven and before thee and I am no more worthy to be called thy Son make me as one of thy hired servants David sometimes was both discouraged and humbled and then you find his repentance and humiliation to be very brackish but if you look into the Psal 51. you shal find David humbled but not discouraged for it is a penitential Psalm therefore humbled and not discouraged for stil he did keep his Assurance vers 14. Deliver me from blood-guiltiness O God thou God of my Salvation But what was his repentance his trouble about It was about his sin and not about his condition read vers 23. and so on Wash me throughly from mine iniquity and clense me from my sin for I acknowledg my transgression and my sin is ever before me Against thee thee only have I sinned and done this evil in thy sight Behold I was shapen in iniquity and in sin did my mother conceive me stil ye see his eye is upon his sin and not upon his condition only So that I say when a man is truly humbled and grieved for sin the object of his grief is sin as a dishonor
mind the Publique too A strong Christian is able to wait long on God he that waiteth long with quietness honors God but as your weaker Children cannot stay long for what they would have but must be served presently so the weak Christian also cannot wait long on God for what he would have but the strong Christian doth A Strong Christian is helpful unto others We that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak Rom. 15.1 And again Him that is weak in the faith receive you Chap. 14.1 Children and babes are fit to be carried in others armes but are not able to carry others The weak Christian is apt to be offended with others to censure and judg others and so to make burdens for others to bear Rom. 14.1.2 but the strong Christian is a bearing Christian a carrying Christian one that can displease himself that he may help another Now the more serviceable and helpful a man is to others the more he Glorifies God Thus the strong Christian is but the weak cannot in al these things give Glory to God as the strong Christian may Surely therefore there are many disadvantages which a weak Christian lyes under that the strong Christian doth not Secondly Yet there is no reason why he should be discouragâ—d For Weakness doth not exclude from mercy but inclines God unto mercy rather Psal 6.2 Have mercy on me O Lord for I am weak It is spoken of an out-ward weakness and iâ— that which is less doth incline God to mercy then much more that which is greater And if he have as great an Interest in Christ as many promises to run unto and as many embraces of love from God the Father as the strong Christian hath then there is no just cause why he should be cast down in regard of his weakness Now so it is though your Grace be never so weak yet if ye have truth of Grace you have as great a share and interest in the righteousness of Christ for your justification as the strong Christian hath You have as much of Christ imputed to you as any other It may be you have gathered less of this Manna for your spending Sanctifycation but if you be an Israelite indeed you have so much of this Manna as that you have no lack for it 's said of the Israelites They gathered some more some less yet he that gathered much Exod. 16.18 had nothing over and he that gathered little had no lack al which figured that equal proportion saith Mr. Ainsworth which al beleevers have in Christ the spiritual Manna And if ye look into Scripture Where doth Gods promises fal more thick than upon those that are weak in Grace Christ begins his Preaching with the Promises Math. 5. and I pray what are those persons whom the promises are especially made unto but such as are weak in Grace Blessed are the poor in spirit Blessed are those that hunger and thirst after righteousness Blessed are those that mourn He doth not say Blessed are those that are strong in Grace or Blessed are those that rejoyce in God or those that have ful assurance of their everlasting estate and condition No but as if his great work and business were to comfort uphold and strengthen the weak these he begins withal and many Gracious Rich and blessed Promises he doth make to them Yea the Promises are so made to them as attended to wil give a ful answer unto al their fears as for example The Lord Promises Math. 12. That he wil not break the bruised reed c. Wil the weak Christian say O! but I am exceeding weak and very feeble then our Savior saies He wil not break the bruised reed And what more weak and feeble than a bruised reed an whol reed is not vâ—ry strong at the best but bruised it is weak indeed Wil the weak Christian say O! but my weakness is mingled with many sins 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Matth. 7.5 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Matth. 9.38 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Matth. 10.5 so the fire in the smoaking flax is mingled with smoak yet saies Christ I wil not quench the smoaking flax Wil the weak Christian say O! but though God do not quench me yet I shal be quenched nay saith Christ But I wil bring forth judgment to victory it lyes on my hand to do it and I wil do it Wil the weak Christian say O! but I have much opposition in my way how can judgment come to victory then Christ saies he wil bring forth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thurst forth with violence it 's the same word that is used in other Scriptures noting a force as if Christ should say I wil force this victory through al opposition that it shal meet withal So that the Lord doth not only give several promises to those that are weak in Grace but he doth so lay them as he doth help to apply them And if ye look into your Experience Who have more kisses and embraces of Love from God our Father than the weak Christian hath The Parent kisseth the Babe and liâ—tle Child when the elder Child is not kissed for saies he this is but a little Child And so when the Prodigal comes home then the Father falls upon his neck and kisses him why but because upon his first return he is a Babe in Christ This is my little Child saith the Father and therfore I wil kiss him with the kisses of my mouth Thirdly And though it be a great affliction to be weak in Grace yet if Christ wil condescend unto mine infirmities why should I be discouraged in regard thereof Condescending Mercy is great and sweet Mercy Now though God doth shew mercy unto all his People yet he wil do it by Christ as an High-Priest and what is the work and Office of the High-Priest but to sympathize and bear with the infirmities of those that are weak We have not such an High-Priest saies the Apostle as cannot be touched with our infirmities Three things there are Heb. 4.15 which do speak out the condescending Love of God to those that are weak in Grace 1. He accepts their Duties though mingled with many weaknesses and their Services though they grow upon a weak Stock Revel 3.8 Christus fidem etiamsi infirmam fovet I know thy Works saith Christ to the Church of Philadelphia for thou hast a little strength and hast kept my word and hast not denied my Name 2. The Lord doth not over-drive those that are weak but is contented to go their pace with them Esai 40.11 He shall gather the Lambs in his Arms and carry them in his Bosom and shall gently lead those that are with yong 3. He doth somtimes yea often times yield unto their desires going as it were after them Matth. 9.18 There came a certain Ruler and worshipped him saying My Daughter is now dead but come and lay thine hand on her and Jesus arose and followed him The
SOmtimes the discouragements of the Saints and people of God are drawn From their Duties the failings and successlessness of their Duties For they reason thus Through the Lords Grace and Mercy I have been kept from great and gross sins yet if the Lord loved me indeed he would draw my heart neer unto himself but when I come to prayer or duty I find so much deadness dulness and awkness of heart and spirit that I fear the Lord wil never accept such a one as I am nor such duties as mine are when I go to prayer either prayer is altogether absent from me or I have no life therein if I go to hear the word I am not attentive but filled with distractions and whatever duty I perform I want life and love in it O! my heart is like a rock or stone and therefore I fear the Lord wil not accept my duty and the rather because I find that I have been long at prayer and I am never the better the Lord hears me not the Lord regards me not and have I not just Reason and Cause to be discouraged now Answ No Here is reason indeed why you should be afflicted but no reason yet why you should be discouraged I confess indeed here is cause and reason of grief and of affliction for take Prayer to instance only in that and it is That act and work of the soul whereby a man doth converse with God God conversing with man and man with God And is it not a sore affliction for a poor creature to be shut out of Gods door such a freind as God is O! saith Chrisostome it is more bitter than death to be spoiled of Prayer and hereupon as he observes Daniel chose rather to run the hazard of his life than to lose his Prayer Prayer is the souls Weapon and is it not a grief to want a Weapon in our spiritual warfare Prayer is the souls Ornament the excellent Garment of a Christian and is it not an affliction to be without this Garment and to be found naked Prayer is the Christians Element And as the fish lives in the water as in its Element and dyes when it is out so a Christian lives in prayer as in his Element and his heart dies when he is out of it Prayer is the souls Provisioner fetcheth in Provision for the soul and for al its Graces The old bird the Dam goes abroad and fetcheth in meat for the young ones and they lye in the nest gaping to receive the meat upon its return and if the old one be kild abroad the young ones wil die presently at home So here Prayer goes abroad and fetcheth in provision for al our Graces and they al lye gaping to receive this provision from the mouth of Prayer if this be killed how can those other Graces live The truth is The more sweetness a Christian finds in any work the greater is his affliction if he want that work now what abundance of sweetness doth a Gracious soul find in Prayer therefore when a man is narrowed or shut up in Prayer it cannot but be a great affliction to him But though it be a matter of great affliction yet a good man hath no reason to be quite discouraged yea though he meet with many failings therein and cannot pray as he would nor perform duty as he should Quest How may that appear Thus. Answ First Every Godly Gracious man is in Covenant with God by Jesus Christ and that Covenant is a Covenant of Grace which is the great Charter the Magna-Charta of al his spiritual Privilidges and Immunities Now in this great Charter the Lord doth proclaim this That sincerity shal go for perfection That a little done for God in the time of temptation shal be counted much In this great Charter the Lord doth proclaim unto al his people That he doth rather regard the bent of the heart than the inlargment of the heart That he dorh rather regard the wil to do than the doing In this great Charter the Covenant of free Grace the Lord proclaims unto al his people That if they do fail in prayer and other duties for I speak not of prayer only though I instance in that He wil not cast them off but he wil rather be moved to pity them for the Covenant that the Lord makes with his people is as the Covenant that a man makes with his wife I wil betroth thee unto me for ever saith the Lord. Hos 2 Now a man wil not put away his wife for every failing neither wil the Lord put a way his people nor cast them off because he is betrothed to them though they do fail in duties Again in this great Charter and Covenant of Grace the Lord doth proclaim unto al his Children That what they want in performance he wil make up in indulgence He proclaims this unto them That he wil require no more than he gives he wil give what he requires and he wil accept what he gives Now therefore am I in that Covenant of Grace and are there many failings in al my duties yet if this be true That the Lord is more moved by my failings to pity me than to cast me off then I have no reason for to be discouraged And thus it is with every child of God he is in this Covenant of Grace and so the Priviledges and Immunities of al this great Charter belongs unto him Secondly Though there be many failings in a Godly mans duty yet so long as it is a duty there is som-what of Christ therein there is som-what of God therein Now God wil not cast away his own becauâ—e it is mixt with ours but he wil rather pardon ours and accept ours because it is mixt with his The Husband-man doth not cast away his wheat because it is mixt with chaff he brings it into his barn and there is a time when he wil seperate the chaff from the wheat but he doth not cast away the corn because it is mixt with chaff yet this grain of wheat hath nothing of the Image of the Husband-man upon it but there is never a duty of a Godly man but hath somwhat of the Image of Christ upon it and therefore I say he wil not cast away His because it is mixt with Ours but he wil rather pardon and accept of ours quamvis odibilis detestabilis et execrabilis sit causa mea in ore meo nihilominus in ore tuo benedicto in ore tuo sacratissimo et in labiis tuis quibus tanta gratia diffusa est est favorabilis Parisiens de Rhetor. Div. cap. 21. Est et alia firmitas et confirmatio meae partis quod tu ipse advocatus es et propitiatio qui es et Judex meus et propter hâ—c non est possibile ut patiaris causam meam periclitari in manibus meis Apud homines enim non est possibile ut advocatus fidelis et justus permittat
in altero Where Nature is deficient in one thing it is abundant in another thing If a man wants his Eyes he hears the better and the less he sees the more he remembers where Nature is wanting in one thing it is exceeding in another And as Nature so the God of Nature and the God of Grace too It may be you do want a Head-memory but hath not the Lord given you a Heart-memory to remember thâ— Sermon as you have occasion to use it Some have Parts and Gifts and they want plainness and openness of heart for God some again have a plain heart and they want Gifts and Parts It is said Jacob That he prevailed with God in Prayer and he was a plain man Mark how the Holy Ghost doth put these two together That that man should be the prevailing man with God in Prayer who was the plain man and that man that was the plain man should be the prevailing man in Prayer a plain man but prâ—vailing with God Well then though thou beest but a plain person and hast no Parts or Gifts as others have yet thou maiest prevail with God and thy Name may be called Israel prevailing with the Lord When God denies one he gives another Mercy Thus it is with all the Saints and People of God and a godly gracious man may say thus Well though I have not great Parts and Gifts yet blessed be the Lord I have a plain and an open heart for God and if the Lord hath done thus much for you and recompenced you in another way have you any reason then to be discouraged for want of Parts and Gifts in Duties Certainly you have not Object O! but yet this is not the matter of my Discouragement I am not discouraged for want of Parts or Gifts in Duty but I want the Grace and the Holiness of Duty I want the Grace and the Holiness of Prayer I go to Prayer and Duty but the Lord knows wiâ—h a dull dead and a straightened heart I think verily that there is not a more rockie stony flinty heart in the world than mine I offer my self to God somtimes in Prayer but when I come at it I am not able to speak a word my heart is so shut up and straightened and have I not cause and reason now to be discouraged is not this matter of just discouragement Answ No. For Pearls somâ—imes grow upon Rocks and possibly there may be some Pearl of Grace growing upon that rocky heart of thine Yet further First You say That you are straightened in Duty but are you satisfied and contented with that condition or if you had enlargeâ—ent in Duty would you be satisfied therein No I am not satisfied with my straightened condition and the truth is though I had never so much enlargement enlargement alone would never satisfie my soul but if I had more affection I would give it up to God yea if I had a Sea of Affection I would powr it out before the Lord and if I had Prayers and Tears and Enlargements like the Sands upon the Seâ—shore I would offer them all up to God Well and is not this to be enlarged towards God A poor man that hath never a penny in his Purse sees another or many others in want but he hath nothing to relieve them with yet saith he if I had wherewithal I would relieve all these men I would cloath them all or I would feed them all is not this mans heart enlarged now towards the poor though he hath not a penny to help them with So in your case for the present thy Affection is poor and thou aâ—â— straightened but thou sayest if I had a Sea of Affection I would give it all to God and if I had Prayers like the Sand upon the Sea-shore I would give them all to God is not this to be enlarged towards God God doth give by denying somtimes and thus he hath dealt by you Secoâ—dly If your Condition herein be no other than the condition of the Saints and People of God then you have no just cause and reason to be discouraged in this respect Now Psalm 77.3 4. saith the Plalmist there I remembred God and was troubled I complained and my spirit was over-whelmed Lord saith he at verse 4. Thou holdest mine Eyes watching I am so troubled that I cannot speak I cannot pray I am so troubled I cannot speak A Mother hears her child cry and saith she now doth this Child cry for the Breast yet the Child speaks not a word but the Mother knows the meaning of the childs crying and the language of it And doth a Mother know the language of her Childs crying and doth not God our Father know the Language of his Childs cry that cannot speak unto him The Beggar that follows you for an Alms is a Beggar though he be dumb and cannot speak and you say send him away with some gift for he follows us So here though your heart be shut up in Duty yet if you can follow God he looks upon you as a Beggar at the Throne of Grace and in due time he will serve you and send you away with Comfort Thirdly You would fain have enlargements and workings of the heart in Prayer but what would you do with those enlargements Would you shew your Enlargements your Excellencies your Graces to God when you come to Duty A Beggar you know if he have any excellent thing as Gold or Silver he hides that and he shews his wounds he shews his sores if you mean to give him a penny and ask him if he have any money I have two-pence or threepence Sir saith he or a penny but he hides his excellency and he laies open his wounds and if he can but open his sores before you he thinks he doth beg effectually Beloved we all go to God in Prayer in forma Pauperis every man sues in this Court in the form of a Beggar If thy heart then be straightened if thy heart be hard and if thy Spirit be dull in duty you may go to God and open your sores and wounds before him you may go and say Lord what an hard heart have I and what a dull and straighâ—ened Spirit have I This father becomes a Begger and you must come as a Begger when you come before him yet you must know Etsi non sit possib le per ea moveri immobilem et per omniaque immutabilem Deum potentia enim mihi videatur esse ad movendum ipsum recitantem vel meditantem ipsa ad moveadum inquam et preparandum ad gratiam devotionis etâ— gratitudinis et largitatis et beneficentiae incogitabibis Dei Parisiens Cap. 22. de Rhetor Div. That neither your Poverty nor your Riches neither your straightenings in Duty nor your enlargements do make any alteration in the Mind and Will of God Indeed God seems to deal by us somtimes as a Father doth by his little Child he holds a piece
cold in prayer then comes these ill distractions So that certainly there is a great deal of evil indeed in these distractions Yet there is no reason for Discouragement For First What Rock is there so firm or fast but hath some seams of dirt upon it and what foul is there so firm and fast and immovable in Duty but hath some seams or dirt or distractions growing upon it Abraham the Father of the Faithful had Birds coming down upon his Sacrifice and what Child of Abraham is therâ— but hath these foul Birds unclean Birds of distraction one time or other coming down upon his Sacrifice Secondly If that these distractions shall not hurt the Servants of God nor their Sacrifices neither them nor their Duties then they have no reason be discouraged under them though to be humbled for them Now it is a true Rule non nocet quod non placet that which doth not please doth not hurt These distractions in Duty do not please the Saints they lie under them as a heavy burden they do not please them therefore they shall not hurt them You know what the Psalmist saith If I regard iniquity in my heart the Lord will not hear my Prayer Psal 66.18 Distraction in Prayer is a great iniquity if I regard this iniquity in my prayer the Lord wil not hear my Prayer But when may a man be said to regard iniquity You know that if you regard a man thae comes to your house you run and meet him at the door you bid him welcom have him in and set a stool for him and you give him entertainment but if you bid the man be gone saying I will have nothing to do with you you are my burden I pray be gone then you do not regard this man Thus it is with the Saints and People of the Lord distractions press in upon their prayer and Duty but doest thou fetch a stool doest thou give entertainment and doest thou bid welcome to these distractions No the Lord knows I bid them be gone the Lord knows they are my burden then certainly as that is true If I regard Iniquity in my heart the Lord will not hear my Prayer so on the contrary if I do not regard iniquity in my heart the Lord will hear my prayer A man doth somtimes open a door for one of worth and others press and croud in with him and if the Master say to his Servant why did you let all these men in he answers Sir I did not open the door for these but for another and these did press and troud in upon me and I could not hinder then is the Master satisfied and the Servant excused So in this case it is and that often with the People of God Christ stands at their door and knocks they run to meet with him in Prayer and by Prayer they open the door of their heart to him but then distractions press and croud in upon them yet they can say in truth Lord I never opened my door for these but do desire that these and al these may be put out again What then do you not think that God wil be satisfied with this answer of uprightness Surely he will and therefore though these distractions do croud in upon you here is matter of affliction but not of Discouragement Thirdly If these destractions in Duties do move the Lord to pity then thou hast no reason to be quite discouraged though humbled under these distractions Ye know how it is with a loving Father a Father hath a Son whom he loves dearly this Child of his is crazy-brained but be hath his Lucida intervalla and he will speak very good reason somtimes his Father loves to hear this Child speak when he speaks reason but all on a sudden the Child is out What then doth his Father hate him for that No but the bowels of the man yerns O! now my Child is out then the Fathers heart doth ake over this Child whom he takes pleasure in Thus it is between God and a poor soul God loves his Children dearly Cant. 2.14 he loves to hear them pray Let me hear thy voyce and see thy face saith Christ for thy voyce is sweet and thy countenance is comely God loves to hear his Children pray but every foot they are out in and then out again out and then in again But what then is the Lord moved hereby to destroy his Children No but now the heart of your Father akes and now his bowels yern Shall there be bowels in the heart of an Earthly Father this way and shal there not be bowels in the heart of God our Heavenly Father this way Surely there is Well therefore though in regard of thy distractions thou hast cause for ever to be humbled yee certainly thou hast no cause to be quite discouraged Object O! but This is not my case For though I am troubled with many distractions for which I have cause to be humbled and though my heart be dead and dull and hard in duty and though I have no Parts and Gifts in Duty yet this is not the matter of my discouragement especially but that which discourageth me concerning Duty is this I pray and pray and am never the nearer I have been praying thus long thus many yeers and am never the neerer I have an undutiful disobedient child and I have been praying thus long and he is never the better I have been praying for the sence of Gods Love thus long and am never the neerer I have been praying for such and such a spiriâ—ual mercy thus and thus lâ—ng and am never the holier God regards me not for he answeâ—s me not and have I not just cause and reason for my discouragements now Answ No For First Though God doth not answer you presently yet he doth hear you presently Cito semper audit tardus aliquando respondet He heard Moses when he prayed though he did not gâ—ant his prayer and it is a great mercy that God will receive my prayer though I never do receive the thing that I pray for and I may yet say Father I thank thee that thou hearest me alwaies But Secondly It is usual with Gods own People and dearest Children to say and think somtimes that the Lord doth not answer their prayer when the Lord doth There is a Two-fold return or Answer of Prayer There is a Visible Return of Prayer and there is an Invisible Return of Prayer As it is with the Vapors that are drawn upward by the heat of the Sun some there are that do fall again in great Rain and Hail and ye hear and sâ—e the returns of those vapors in the day but somtimes the Vapors fall in a dew in the night and you do not see the return thereof but you go abroad in the morning and you find the dew upon the ground although you did not see when the dew fell So here your Prayers are drawn up by the heat of
Gods Love in Christ some return upon you again in the day visibly some return in the night invisibly when you see them not there is a visible and there is an invisible return of Prayer What more usual with Gods People than to say and think thaâ— the Lord doth not hear their Prayer nor make return to them when indeed he doth and that visibly unto others also Luke 1. you read of Zacharias and Elizabeth that they were very righteous verse 6. They were both righteous before God And Zacharias and Elizabeth had no Children but Zacharias prayed for Children for at verse 13. the Angel said unto him Fear not Zacharias for thy prayer is heard and thy Wife Elizabeth shall bear a Son and thou shalt call his name John The Lord heard his Prayer and sent an Angel to tel him his prayer was heaâ—d but Zachaâ—ias doubted thereof verse 18. Zacharias said unto the Angel Whereby shall I know this for I am an old man and my Wife well stricken in yeers Here he doubts and it was his sin thus to doubt as you may see by verse 20. Behold thou shalt be dumb and not able to speak until the day that these things shall be performed because thou beleevest not my words Here plainly now was a return of prayer yea here was a visible return of Prayer and yet Zacharias though a Godly and a Holy man doubâ—ed whether the Lord had heard his Prayer or no. So that I say this is no new thing with Gods own People and dearest Children to say and think somtimes That the Lord doth not answer their Pâ—ayer when the Lord indeed doth anâ—wer and thaâ— visibly too But Thirdly If the Lords not hearing granting and answering your Prayers presently be â—omtimes matter of great encouragement then it is not alwaies a matter of discouragement Now the Lords not hearing and granting your prayer preâ—eâ—tly is somtimes matter of great encouragement You have divers â—hildren at your Table some yonger and some elder some Babes and little ones some grown whâ—n you come to carve out your meat unto them you carve first to the little ones and you do noâ— carve first to the greater for say you these little ones will cry and they have not Patience to stay and thereâ—ore they shâ—â—l be first â—erved but those greater have more wiâ— and more patience and they will stay Beloved thus now it is between God and us The Lord hath two sorts of Children that come to him in Prayer and hâ— intends to serve them both but he looks upon those that are weak and serves them first as for thâ—â—â— that are strongâ—â— and have more faith and patience saith the Lord you are able to stay I see your faith and patience and therefore I wil serve the little ones first but as for you I wil serve you last Thus it was with Abraham after the Lord had made Abraham a Promise of a Seed he made him stay a great while Why Because he saw he had faith to stay So now thou hast not presently a return or answer to thy prayer Why Because the Lord it may be sees thou hast strength faith and patience to stay And is not this rather matter of encouragement than discouragement But Fourthly Who ever stayed and waited long upon God but he had more than he prayed for Either God answers your prayers presently or if he do not he will not only pay you the principal but he wil pay you forbearance money and you shal have good Security and a pledg for the principal too The desire is a pledg of the thing desired Prayer is a pledg of the thing prayed for a waiting heart is a pledg of the thing waited for and the longer you stay the more your hearts shal be weaned from the thing prayed for and the more you shal be taught to wait upon God and somtimes a waiting frame of heart is a greater mercy than the thing waited for By this means also you shal be weaned from your prayer so as not to rest on it A Child may so love the Nuâ—se as to forget the Mother and one may possibly so love Duty as to forget Christ but by Gods delaying to answer you are weaned from this Nurse and kept from resting on it Or it may be you came to Duty with too high esteem of your own performance and too low esteem of the Duty it self Hereby God teachech you to come to the Duty with high esteem of it and with low esteem of your own doing it Yea the longer you stay the more you shal be humbled and your self-despising thoughts because you cannot pray may please God more than your best prayer You see that when a man angles he throws his line into the Water and there is the hook and the bait those are heavy then there is the Cork and that is light and when the Fisher or the Angler sees that the light cork is drawn under water now the Fish bites saith he now there is hope now there is somthing coming So you go to prayer and there is somwhat heavy and weighty in your spirit but there is somthing that is of a corky and light Nature in your spirit the longer you stay the more your Cork shall be drawn under water that lightness of Spirit shal be drawn under water and so the more you shall be humble and humbled Thereby you are caught to fan your prayers There is much Chaff amongst the good Wheat of our Duties and Gods delaying time is our fanning time when the Fish doth not bite the Fisher mends his bait it may be saith he my hook is not well baited So should you do when you take nothing by prayer Gods delay cals for your amending Yea by this means you may remember how you delayed the Lord he spake often to you and it was long ere you heard him shal we think it long ere he hear us when it was so long ere we heard him it may be you have forgotten your delayes of God but by this forbearance he doth Graciously mind you thereof Yea by Gods forbearance to answer you the Lord teacheth you to forbear Gods forbearance doth teach us forbearance and is that nothing let al this be considered and you wil say indeed here is more matter of incouragement than discouragement Fiftly If you would be discouraged in case God should alwaies answer your prayer presently then you have no reason to be discouraged because he doth not answer you presently But now if the Lord should alwaies answer thy duty and prayer presently you would be discouraged why because you would say thus I look into the scripture and there I find that God doth not alwayes answer his children presently his children have prayed and then they have waited and this hath been the way that God hath taken with his children now God doth not take this way with me and therefore I fear I am none of Gods children and so you would
be discouraged Now I say if you would be discouraged in case the Lord should alwaies answer your prayer presently then you have no reason to be discouraged because he doth not hear you presently but you would be discouraged in case the Lord should alwaies hear you presently you would say then God doth go the same way with me that he goes and hath gone with his children Surely therefore you that are the Saints and people of God have no reason for your discouragement in this respect Object 1 O! but I fear that God doth not only delay his answer but that he denyes my prayer Answ 1 It may be so for God doth somtimes deny his own people the thing they pray for Ye ask and have not saith James because ye ask amiss Yet they were the people of God Abulensis observes that God doth somtimes grant a wicked man his petition and deny a Godly man his petition that he may encourage wicked men to pray and teach good men not to rest on their prayers Answ 2 Yet Secondly quicquid placet tibi ut petatur a te procul-dubio placâ—t et tibi ut et id â—rgiaris petâ—â—ti prâ—sertimâ—â— iâ—sum largiri tâ—â—i câ—lat ad gloraim peâ— aâ—â— vâ—ro expediat ad sâ—â—â—tem Paristâ—ns 346. If the thing you ask of God be pleasing to him he doth stil beare up your heart in praying and depending on him it argues rather that he delayes than denies For Psal 10.17 The preparing of your heart and the inclining of his eare go together and 1. John 3. vers 22. The Apostle saith And whatever wee ask we receive of him because as a sign thereof we keep his Commandements and do the things that are pleasing in his sight Object 2 O! but there lyes my grief for I have not kept his Commandements and God I fear is displeased and angry with me Answ Be it so did Jonah keep his Commandements when he ran to Tarshish and was not God angry with him when he threw him into the Sea yet even then he prayed the Lord heard his prayer And did not Christ seem to be displeased and angry with the poor Canaanitish woman when he said unto her It is not meet to take the childrens bread and call it before doggs Object 3 O! but she did beleeve but I fear God wil never hear my prayer at al because there is so much unbelief in my prayer as there was not in hers Answ But was it not so with Dâ—vid I said in my hast I am cast out of thy sight Psal 31. nevertheless the Lord heard my prayer What unbeleif was here I said in mâ— hast I am cast out of thy sight Nevertheless the Lord heard his prayer Object 4 O! but I am affraâ—â— yet that the Lord wil never hear my prayer or regard my duty because I am so Selfish in it I come unto God in mine affliction and my affliction makes me go to prayer my affliction doth make me pray I cry by reason of my affliction and this is selfish Answ And did not those seek themselves at first who came unto Christ for cure Omnis amor incipit a seipso al true love begins in self-love the sweetest flower grows on a dirty stalk And I pray what think you yet of Jonah The Lord heard me saith he out of hell and yet I cryed saith he by reason of mine affliction Object 5 O! but I fear the Lord wil never hear my prayer because I was no better prepared yea not at al prepared thereunto Answ Do you not know how the Lord dealt by Hezekiah Hezekiah prayed 2 Chron. 30.18 19 20. The Lord shew mercy to every one that is not prepared according to the preparation of the Sanctuary and saith the text the Lord hearkened and hea ed the people Yea God can rain without clouds without preparations Object 6 O! but yet I am affraid the Lord wil not hear my prayer or regard my duty for I am a man or a wâ—man of great distempers many passions and frowardnesses in my life and conversation Answ But what thiâ—k ye of Elijah Elijah prayed that there might be no rain and there was no rain â—or three yeers and a half and he prayed for rain and there was rain and yee saith the Apostle He was a mâ—n â—f like passions as we are Jam. 5.17 Object 7 O! but I fear I am affraid the Lord wil not regard my prayer or du y for I am such a one or such a one or such a one Answ What an one what an one art thou Art thou such a one as beginnest to look towards Christ but yet not fully come off you know what was said concerning Cornelius Acts 10.31 Cornelius thy prayer is come up before me Yet he did but begin to look towards Christ Are thou such a one as the Publican was the Publican stood and smote himself upon the breast and he said O Lord be merciful unto me a sinner And our Savior saith Luke 18.13 14. He went away justified rather than his fellow Or art thou such an one as the poor Prodigal he said to his Father I am not worthy to be called â—hy Son make me as one of thine hired servants and the Father heard him and over-granted his petition And if al these things be true what is there that can justly discourage any poor drooping doubting soul in regard of duty shal his want of Parts Gifts or his abundance of distractions c. No for though a Godly man have but weak Parts or Gifts Though his spirit and his heart be dul dead and streightened Though he labor under many distractions in duty Though the Lord hide his face and deser an answer to his prayer Though the Lord seem to be angry Though there be much unbeleif in his duty Though there be a great deal of selfishness Though his heart be not prepared according to the preparation of the Sanctuary Though he be a man of many passions and great distempers yet notwithstanding al this he hath no just cause or warrant to be discouraged cause there is to be humbled under al these things but no just cause to be discouraged and cast down Applic. 1 And if so then by way of Application 〈…〉 incouragement is here to every poor droopiâ—g 〈…〉 uâ—â—o God in duty though dead though dul 〈…〉 yet to come unto God in duty Applic. 2 And what a mighty difference is heâ—â— bâ—tween a 〈…〉 wicked man a wicked man goes to pâ—ayer and 〈…〉 abominâ—tion to the Lord. And if you look 〈…〉 8 you shal find at Vers 13. That the 〈…〉 men thus That when they do come to prayer and to offer a sacrifice to him that then he wil remember their iniquity At vers 12. I have written to you the great things of my law but they are accounted as a strange thing they Saâ—â—â—fice flâ—sh fâ—r the Sacrifices of my offering but the Lord accepâ—eth
them not now wil I remember their iniquity Mâ—â—k the word Now Now when Now when they do come to prayer now wil I remember your iniquity saith the Lord. I know saith the Lord al your carriage in such and such a pâ—â—ce I know your uncleanness and your adulteries when you wâ—â—e in the dark when the curtains were drawn about you and the candle out I know your carriage at such a Tavern and upon such an Ale bench how you sate there and scâ—rned and reviâ—â—d my children I know your opposing scoffing and jeering at tho e that are Godly I know al this and now thou comest to prayer now Swearer now Adulterer now Drunkard now thou comest to duty now wil I remember thine iniquity Is it not a sad thing that the Lord should remember a mans sin at the time when he comes to prayer yet thus the Lord deales with the wicked But as for the Godly and Gracious man it is not so with him when he comes to prayer though he have many failings in duty yet the Lord remembers his mercy then the Lord remembers his loving kindness then the Lord remembers his Covenant for he is ever mindful of his Covenant O! what incouragement is here then for every man to become Godly to get into Christ and what incouragement is here for the Saints and people of God to come to duty O! you that have but a little faith have you any reason to be discouraged wil you not at last say to your soul why art thou cast down O my soul and why are thou thus discouraged Quest But suppose that I have done foolishly and have sinned in being discouraged upon al occasions suppose I have many failings in duty and the Lord doth not answer my prayer presently what shal I do that I may bear up my heart against this discouragement either in regard of my own failing in duty or in regard of Gods not answering Answ 1 First Take heed that you do not lay the stress and weight of al your comfort upon duty cither the gift of duty or the Grace of duty or the present answer of it So much as ye lay the stress and weight of your comfort upon duty so much wil you be discouraged in case you do either want duty or an answer to it When Paul was tempted and buffetted he prayed thrice For this saith he I besought the Lord thrice thâ—t is often and the Lord gave him no other answer than this 2 Cor. 12.8 9. Paul My Grace is sufficient for thee for my strength shal be made perfect in thy weakness Whereupon Paul saith Now therefore wil I Glory in mine infirmities that the pâ—wer of the Lord may rest upon me Hast thou therefore been at prayer and hast thou prayed thrice or often and hast thou no answer but this My Grace is sufficient for thee know that thou hast a Pauls answer and therefore rather Glory in this that the Lord should find thee faithful for to wait upon him than be discouraged knowing that the Lords strength shal be perfected in thy weakness Answ 2 Secondly Consider seriously and frequently of this rule That difficulty doth commend duty the more difficulties your duties do press through to God the more acceptable they are to him The less there is to sweeten your duty to you the more sweet is your duty to God It is in our performing of duty as in the offering of the Jewish Sacrifice in the offering of their Sacrifice there was two things The Sacrifice and the Obedience in offering the Sacrifice and the more difficult it was for any poor Jew by reason of poverty or the like to offer this Sacrifice the more and greater was his Obedience in offering it the more difficulty in offering the greater the Obedience offered So also it is in our Gospel Sacrifices and in al our duties there are two things in them There is the Sacrifice the duty and there is the Obedience in bringing the duty and the more difficulty in performing the duty the greater is the Obedience to God in the performing of it Now is is not an hard thing and very difficult for a man to pray and continue praying when his heart is hardned and his spirit streightned especially if he be sensible thereof then he is ready to despond and say I can pray no more and is it not a very hard thing for a man to pray and persevere in prayer when he thinks that God doth not regard his prayer then he is apt to say why should I pray any longer for God regards me not yet now if you do pray and perform your duty your obedience is the more obediential the more acceptable and if you would but think of this rule Difficulty doth commend duty and the less you have to sweeten your action the more sweet it is to God I say if you would but remember this it would both incourage you to duty and keep you from discouragement in it And lastly We must al learn to leave the event and success of our spiritual things unto God himself so shal we never be discouraged in any duty For the word of the Lord is sure and God hath spoken it Psal 55. Cast thy Gift upon the Lord Heb. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chaldee Par. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Septuag 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hierom. projice super Dominum charitatem tuam Rab. Salv. Jar. abbreviate dictus Rashi vel Rasi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quod etiam pro dono usurpatur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Sam. 11.8 Bibl. Bomb. and he wil sustain thee he wil not suffer the righteous to be moved for ever You read it thus Cast thy Burden upon the Lord but in the Hebrew it is thy Gift Cast thy Gift upon the Lord. That is saith Shindler quicquid tibi dari donarive expetis Whatsoever thou dost desire that God should give thee cast that upon the. Lord thou comest to prayer and thou prayest for such a mercy or such a Gift cast that on God and leave it wholly to him O! but the mercy I pray for is a necessary mercy Be it so yet it is to be cast on God But it is a spiritual Gift I pray for pardon of sin the sence of Gods love growth in Grace consolation to my poor drooping soul Be it so yet thou must cast this on God Many there are that can leave the event and and success of these outward things unto God but to leave the event and success of prayer and their spiritual things unto God this they cannot understand and this they are utterly unacquainted with but whatever thy Gift be cast it upon the Lord leave the success and the event of al your spiritual things upon God what then And he wil sustain thee and thou shalt not be moved for ever Thou are moved for the present and thy heart is moved and thou art much discouraged yet do but try this way leave the
reading of a Story although it doth not concern him for saith he although this Story doth not concern me yet I take a complacency and contentment in the reading of it because here I read of the Valor of such a man and of the Faithfulness of such a man to his friend and of the excellent Carriages and Vertues of men Now my Beloved is there no excellency in God himself to content the soul Is there no Faithfulness in God Is there no Love and Mercy in God himself Is not the Lord the God of all Consolation and God of Mercy without relation to my Condition Is there not an Ocean of Excellent Love and Grace in God himself How many sweet Stories of Love and Grace may you read in this little Book of the Bible Besides a man that hath no Assurance now and then may have some Promise thrown into his Soul to uphold him with When Elijah was by the Brook and could not enjoy the ordinary meat of the Land a Raven brought him meat And when ever was any godly man in such a condition but he had one Raven or other to bring him Comfort Somtimes a Temptation is a Raven God makes it so somtimes a Desertion is a Raven somtimes Affliction somtimes a Particular Word and Promise is thrown into his soul and is there no comfort there I say though a man do want Assurance for the present he may live comfortably Surely therefore a Godly man hath no reason for his discouragement although for the present he doth want Assurance Object But I do not only want this setled Assurance of Gods Love and so the ordinary food of the Land but I have no Raven to bring me any Comfort I mean I have no Promise no particular Word to bring in Comfort unto my soul and to uphold me in my dark condition thâ—â—gh I do want a setled Assurance yet if I had a particular Word and Promise to uphold my soul until I had this Assurance I should not be discouraged but I want this setled Assurance and I have no particular Word or Promise to uphold my soul with until it come and therefore I am thus discouraged have I not reason now Answ 1 I Answer No. For Christian what particular Word or Promise would'st thou have Have ye not the whol Gospel before you a bag of Golden Promises A Father hath two Children and he comes unto one and gives unto that Child a piece of Gold there Child saith he supply thy want with that but unto the other Child he saith here Child I know thou are in want and there are Bags of Silver and Gold in my Study take the Key of my Study and go in and take what thou wilt Is not this latter in as good a condition as the former or rather better Thus it is with the Saints the Lord is pleased to give now and then a particular Word to some of his Children but unto others he saith rather Here take the Key of Faith for Faith is the Key and hath a power to unlock all the Promises I give thee Faith and by this Faith I give thee a power to go into all my Promises Is not this latter in as good a Condition as the other Thus it is I say with all the Servants of God Having therefore these Promises saith the Apostle c. 2. Cor. 7.1 Answ 2 Secondly If the Promise of Grace do belong to you then you cannot say I have no Word no Promise to uphold me with Now that the Promise of Grace doth belong to you is cleared thus 1. Your very resting on the Promise makes it to belong to you and it becomes yours by your resting on it but you do or have rested on the Promise 2. If the Command doth belong to you then why not the Promise Doth not the Word of Commandement belong to you viz. Thou shalt not kill Thou shalt not steal Thou shalt not commit adultery Doth this word of Command belong to you Yea surely for the Command saith Thou and Thou and Thou shalt not c. and that word Thou doth include Me the word of Promise hath its Thou and Thee and Thy also Psal 37. Trust in the Lord and do good so shalt Thou dwell in the Land and verily Thou shalt be fed ver 3. Delight Thy self in the Lord and he shall give Thee the desire of Thy heart ver 5. And if you put your self within the compass of the Commandements Thou God will put you within the compass of the Promises Thou 3. If you may and it be your Duty to rest on the Promise then it belongs to you now you may rest on the Promise of Grace and Holiness for Sanctification and it is your Duty so to do else it were no sin not to rest on the Promise but unbelief and not resting on the Promise is a sin only ye must know that there is a great difference between the Promise of Consolation and the Promise of Sanctification to apply the Promise of Comfort without endeavor after Holiness is presumption but to apply the Promise of Sanctification that I may be more holy is no presumption but my Duty and if it be your Duty to apply and rest on this Promise then it belongs to you Object 2 O! but yet When I go unto the Word or the Scripture I find that Gods Promise still runs upon some Condition and I cannot perform that Condition I do not find that condition in my self and therefore I fear that I may not go unto these Promises and that I have no right to them Answ 1 But what if a good and gracious man may apply a Conditional Promise although he hath not performed the Condition Pray look into Nehemiah chap. 1 and there you will find That the Jews being in Captivity Nehemiah goes unto God in prayer and doth press the Promise which God had made unto the Jews by his Servant Moses verse 8. Remember I beseech thee thy Word that thou commandedst thy Servant Moses saying If ye transgress I wil scatter ye abroad among the Nations but if ye turn unto me and keep my Commandements and do them though there were of you cast unto the utmost part of the Earth yet will I gather them from thence and I will bring them unto the place that I have chosen to set my Name there Now these are thy Servants and thy People whom thou hast redeemed by thy great Power The Jews in Babylon were scattered according to the Word but alas they did not return unto the Lord and leave their sins according to the Condition of the Promise yet notwithstanding Nehemiah goes unto the Lord and presseth this Ptomise and the Lord heard him and he had acceptance as ye find in the following Chapter Answ 2 Secondly What if the Condition of one Promise be the thing promised in another Promise will ye then fear that the Promise doth not belong to you because you have not performed the Condition
go to Heaven and be saved for ever What then though thou hast stayed long and hast long wanted Assurance yet God hath not led thee so far as he hath led some and thy condition is no other than that which may befal the dear servants and children of God Answ 3 But Thirdly Though for the present you do want Assurance of Gods love and of your own Salvation yet if you may conclude by Scripture Arguments that you shal have it before you die then have you no reason to be discouraged Now though this or that particular Christian in a case not ordinary do die under a cloud and with much fear and doubting about his everlasting condition yet there are Arguments in scripture whereby a man may ordinarily know and conclude that he shal have peace and Assurance before he dies For example Arg. 1 First He that is content to stay and go without a mercy if God wil have it so shal not want it for ever For the Patient abiding of the meek shal noâ— be forgotten for ever Psal 9. As the way to have affliction continued is to be discontented under it so the way to have it removed is to be contented with it There is a Faith of Expectance a Faith of Relyance and the Faith of Assurance The Faith of Expectance wil rise up into a Faith of Reliance and the Faith of Reliance to the Faith of Assurance there is seldom a may-be Faith but hath a shal-be and it is at the bottom if God would make it float Arg. 2 Secondly If the Lord hath wrought wonders for thy soul when thou wert in the wilderness and in a desert then certainly he wil bring thee into the land of rest So he dealt by David so he dealt by Israel so he wil deal by thee Arg. 3 Thirdly If thy heart be upright in the matter of thine Assurance God will certainly give Assurance unto thee Psal 84.11 for ye know what the Psalmist saith The Losd wil give Grace and Glory and no good thing wil he withold from them that walk uprightly If therefore I say thy heart hath been upright in the matter of thine assurance the Lord wil give thee assurance though for the present thou want'st it Now I pray when is a mans heart upright in the matter of his Assurance but when he doth desire Assurance of Gods love and of his own Salvation rather that he may praise and serve God the more than for his own comfort For this look in Psal 9. and see how David reasons to this purpose vers 13. 14. Have mercy upon me O Lord consider my trouble which I suffer of them that hate me thou that liftest me up from the gates of death That I may shew forth al thy praise in the gates of the daughter of Zion I wil rejoyce in thy Salvation Here are three things observable First he was in a very low condition at the gates of death From the gates of death saith he Gates of death that is the power of death The gates of Hel shal not prevail that is the powers of Hel shal not prevail so here the gates of death that is the powers of death David was under the power of death at the gates of death and now in this condition he prayes unto the Lord for mercy that the Lord would lift him up but why doth he pray so mark his end At vers 14. Have mercy upon me O Lord consider my trouble why That I may shew forth thy praise in the gates of the daughter of Zion O Loâ—d bring me from the gates of death that I may praise thee in the gates of the daughter of Zion not for my own comfort Lord but that I may praisâ— thee Wel but what inference doth he make of this see what followes in the latter end of vers 14. I wil or shal rejoyce in thy Salvation O Lord my heart hath been upright in this petition and now I know thou wilt grant my prayer I wil I shal rejoyce in thy Salvation Arg. 4 Fourthly When a man can praise God for what he hath although his condition be very sad God wil give him more and give him a better condition If God shew mercy saith one or give a blessing and I praise God I pay my debt but if my case be low and sad and I praise God then then God is pleased to be called my debtor and he wil certainly pay his debt Arg. 5 Fiftly If the Lord be the health of your countenance you shal have the assurance of your Salvation in due time though now you want it Thus the Psalmist reasons in the text Wait on God or hope in God for I shal yet praise him why for he is the health of my countenance but when is God said to be the health of our countenance when his smiles make us look cheerly and his frowns make us look sadly if I look wel when God smiles though al relations frown and do look il when God frowns though al my relations smile then is God the health of my countenance Now I appeal to you beloved you that do want Assurance hath it not been thus with you Do ye not earnestly desire Assurance yet are content to stay wait and go without it if God wil have it so Hath not the Lord shewn wonders for thy soul when thou hast been in a wildered condition in preserving and keeping thee from doing evil to thy self and have not you been upright in the matter of your Assurance saying thus O Lord give me Assurance of thy love not that I may have comfort only but that I may be more fit to serve thee And have ye not praised the Lord in your sad condition for what you have And hath not the Lord been the health of your countenance so that when the Lord hath smiled upon you then you have looked wel and when the Lord hath frowned upon you then you have looked il surely you cannot but say I must not deny these things I cannot be faithful to mine own soul if I should deny them yea Lord thou knowest and my soul knowes it That thou hast done wonders for me when I have been in a low desert and wildered condition And O Lord thou knowest I desire Assurance of thy love not for my own comfort onely but that I may be more sit to praise and serve thee And Lord thou knowest I have praised thee in some measure for what I have Yea Lord thou art the health of my countenance when thou smilest upon me then I look wel and when thou frownest upon me then I look ill I may say in truth the Lord is the health of my countenance wel then I say unto thee from the Lord go in peace and be of good comfort though thou doest for the present want comfort and Assurance of thy Salvation thou shalt have it in due time And if al these things be true O! you that are the people of the
Jesus Christ is engaged for my deliverance Do but think of Christs Engagement and you wil never be discouraged whatever your Temptations be Fourthly Think not to comfort or relieve your self in Temptation with meer Phylosophical or Moral Reasons for the Disease of Temptation is stronger than that Physick Temptations answered by Reason wil return again but Temptations dipt in the Blood of Christ wil return no more or not with such violence and success Ye see how it is with a Candle that is blown out it is easily lighted again but if you put it into Water then it is more hard to light So Temptations blown out with Resolutions and Moral Reasons do easily return but quenched in Christs Blood do not so Christ is an Universal good Reason can hold forth but a particular good Now there is that in an Universal Good which wil answer unto al your Ills but as for Moral Reasons the Tempter wil say to them Christ we know and the Promise we know but who are ye It is God himself saith the Apostle 2 Cor. 1. Who comforteth us in all our Tribulations Are we in the dark Christ only can light the Candle Fifthly Be not unwilling to advise with those that have trodden the way of Temptation though they be weaker than your self Christ was stronger than any Angel yet in the time of his Agony the Angels came and comforted him Possibly a stronger may be comforted and strengthened by a weak hand in the time of an Agony and Temptation-time is Agony-time Are you therefore tempted and in the dark Speak with those Children of Light that have gone through this dark Entry of Temptation Who knows but that God may speak that comfort to you by a weaker hand which you could never obtain by a stronger Sixtly But especially speak and converse with the Promise hear what the Promise speaketh The Lord by it saith That no Temptation shal overtake you 1 Cor. 10.13 but what is common to men O! say you never any one was troubled with such Temptations as I am but saith the Apostle say not so For no Temptation hath overtaken you but what is common to men You think that your Temptation is extraordinary and the truth is that is a second Temptation at the back of the first it is a Temptation to think that my Temptation is extraordinary yet say you O! my Condition is extraordinary my Affliction extraordinary and my Temptation extraordinary but saies the Apostle No Temptation hath overtaken you but what is common c. You think that you shal never be able to bear your Temptation O say you I am a poor weak Creature my Temptation is strong and great therefore I shal never be able to bear it But saies the Apostle God is faithful who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able Again you think that you shal never be rid of this Temptation O say you I have been tempted thus and thus long and no deliverance comes nor no likelyhood of deliverance surely therefore I shal never be delivered But the Apostle saith God is faithful who wil with the Temptation make a way for escape He will give an out-let open a door and window that this smoak may go out It may be you see not this door it may be out of sight so the door of the Ark was in the time of the Flood but when the Ark was built the door was built So when Satan built this Temptation God did build a door in the sides thereof and in due time you shal see it But may I be sure of that you 'l say Yes as sure as God is Faithful for he hath pawned his Faithfulness for the truth of this Promise But God is faithful saies the Apostle who wil with the Temptation make a way for escape O! that men would mind the Promise more and all the words thereof They are so hurried somtimes with the Temptation that they cannot hear the Promise But is all this true O! then attend the Promise hear what the Promise speaketh Seventhly and Lastly Consider also what Comforts lie behind your Temptations as Temptations somtimes lie in ambush behind your Performances so Comforts lie in ambush behind your Temptations and as the greatest Temptations do somtimes follow the highest manifestations of Gods Love witness the 3d and 4th Chapters of Matthew so the greatest Consolations do somtimes follow the worst Temptations When did the Angels minister unto Christ but when he had made a good dispatch of Temptations So it shal be with you also for Christ was tempted that by his Example and issue of Temptation he might succor you under your Temptation Ye have heard of the Patience of Job and what end the Lord made with him he had twice as much after the Temptation was over as he had before and if you ride out this storm assuredly the good Angels wil come and minister to you and your Consolations shal be doubled unto what ye had before Wherefore my Brethren take unto you the whol Armor of God that ye may be able to withstand in this evil day and having done al to stand And so much for the Fift Instance A LIFTING UP In case of DESERTION Sermon IX PSALM 42.11 Stepney June 1648. Why art thou cast down O my Soul and why art thou disquieted within me c. Instance 6 SOmtimes the Discouragements of the Saints are taken from their Desertiâ—tions spiritual Desertions And this was Davids case here for saith he verse 10. As a Sword in my bones mine Enemies reproached me while they say unto me Where is thy God And verse 9. I wil say unto God My Rock why hast thou forgotten me And this is the ordinary case of Gods Children O! saith one the Lord hath forgotten me hid his face from me and hath forsaken my soul and therefore I am thus discouraged I do not complain for want or loss of outward Mercies and Blessings yea though all the world should forsake me I should not be much afflicted if God and Christ were present with me but times were when the Candle of the Lord shined upon me when I walked as I thoâ—ght in the light of his Countenance but now the Lord hath hiâ— his face from me and hath left and forsaken my soul have I not just cause and reason to be cast down now and to be much disquâ—eted Answ No. I grant and it must neeâ—s be grâ—nted That it is a most sad thing for a gracious heart to wanâ— the â—race and presence of God and Christ to be deserted and forsaken by Christ yea I do not know any thing or any Affliction that is so afflictive to a gracious heart as this For take any other Affliction and though it be great yet it is but a particular Affliction the loss of some Particular Good and the putting out of some one Candle or the hiding of some one Star But if Christ hide his face and God withdraw or hide
himself it is the darkening of the Sun which brings an universal darkness upon the soul and it imbitters al other Afflictions for as the presence of Christ sweetens all other Comforts so the absence or forsakings of Christ do imbitter al other Sufferings and cut off al our relief and remedy against them So long as the face of God shines upon a poor soul he may run to Christ and relieve and help himself against his Affliction true my Friends forsake me my Relations forsake me but Christ hath not forsaken me but if God and Christ forsake where shal a man relieve or refresh himself in this stormy day And as those sins are greatest that cut off our relief against other sins so those Afflictions are greatest that cut off our relief against other Afflictions Such is this of al Afflictions it looks the most like a Judgment to a Gracious Soul O Lord Psal 6.1 saith David Correct me not in thine Anger nor chasten me in thy hot Displeasure When God hides his face and forsakes the soul he seems to correct in Anger and in hot displeasure herein a Christian doth as it were combat with God himself he fights with men somtimes and then he is more than a Conquerer because Christ fighteth with him and in him he fights with Satan Principalities and Powers and then he doth overcome because Christ is with him but O! saith the soul in this Desertion God is mine Enemy here I must fight it out hand to hand with Divine Anger and what shal I do now how is it possible that I should now escape The truth is this Affliction above al others seems to draw a Curtain over al our Comforts and to put an end unto al our Spiritual joy What Birds sing in the Winter time some may but ordinarily they do not If you walk abroad in the Winter time and hear no Birds sing and one say to you What is the reason of this deep silence two or three months ago when we walked in the Fields every Wood had its several Musick how sweetly did the Birds sing then but now they are al silent what is the reason You wil easily answer I then indeed it was Summer time then the Sun shone upon them and â—o they sang â—ut now the warming and enlivening beams of the Sun are gone â—hey sing no more Beloved the Light of Gods Countenance is oâ—r Spring Desertion is our Winter show me that Sainâ— that is able to sing in this Winter time I confess it is possible for a man to â—o it and some there are Habakkuk was one that learned â—his song of Faith but â—ow few are able to sing and rejoyce when God hides himself No saith the soul two or three months ago the Lord shined upon me and then I could sing indeed but now God and Christ is gone and so al my songs are gone and joyes are gone and I fear I shal never see them again or rejoyce in Christ again It is said of Mary That when she went to Christs Sepulchre she wept and though the Angel came to her and said Why weepest thou yet she continued weeping the presence of an Angel could not comfort her Why O! saith she They have taken away my Lord and I know not where they have laid him Would it not grieve a Prince to be dispossest of and to lose his Crown to be made like an ordinary man This Presence of Christ is the Crown of a Christian and therefore when God had forsaken the Church as we read in Lam. 5. she complained verse 16. The Crown is falâ—en from my Head Why ver 20. Wherefore doest thou forget us for evâ—r and forsake us so long a time Ver. 22. Thou hast utterly rejected us thou art very wroth against us Take away the presence of Christ and ye set a Christian among the ordinary rank of men and must he not needs be troubled when his Crown is thus taken from his Head I have read of a Religious Woman that having born Nine Children professed That she had rather endure all the pains of those Nine Travels at once than endure the Misery of the loss of Gods Presence And indeed this Affliction of Gods forsaking a man is so great that if a man feel it not I even fear it is because he is forsaken indeed But now though there be never so much Gal and Wormwood in this Cup yet the Children of God have no reason to faint at the drinking of it no just cause or reason yet to faint or be discouraged or cast down Quest How may that appear Answ 1 First For the cleering of this Truth to you ye must know That God or Christ is said to forsake a man either in regard of his Power Grace or Strength or in regard of the comfortable feelings of his Love either in reâ—â—rd of Union or in regard of Vision 1. In regard of Union He never forsakes his own People 2. In regard of his Power Grace and Strength he never forsakes them totally 3. And in regard of Vision or comfortable feelings though he do forsake for a time yet he wil return again and if al these be true have they any reason to be much discouraged For the first ye know what is said Those whom he loves John 13.1 he loves unto the end As for the Second ye know what he saith also I will never leave thee nor forsake thee Heb. 13.5 1 Pet. 1.5 We are kept by the Power of God unto Salvation And as for the Third hath not the Lord promised Isay 54. that he wil return again with advantage ver 7. For a smal moment have I forsaken thee but with great mercy will I gather thee In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment but with everlasting kindness wil I have mercy on thee saith the Lord thy Redeemer ver 8. Now ye know that Friends are not much troubled at such a parting which is but for a time It is said of the Church of Ephesus That when Paul â—ook leave of them they wept Because he said they should see his face no more The Saints cannot say so in regard of Christ though they see not his face for the present yet they cannot say I shal see his face no more for he wil return again yea and return with advantage for though he forsakes for a moment yet with great mercy and with everlasting kindness wil the Lord have mercy on them What then though you be forsaken for a moment have you any just cause and reason for your Discouragement Answ 2 Secondly If Christ do therefore forsake his People that he may not forsake them and hath a design of Love and nothing but of Love upon them in his forsaking then have they no just cause for their Discouragements Now I pray What is the reason why God doth forsake his People for a time or a moment hath he any deâ—â—gn but Love upon them Doth he
not therefore withdraw himself from them that he might draw them to himself Doth he not therefore hide his face for a moment that he may not turn his back upon them for ever Doth he not therefore forsake them for a moment that they might die unto all the world and long after Heaven where there is no forsaking Doth he not therefore forsake them for a moment that they might die unto the way of sence and learn to live by Faith which is the proper work of this Life Doth he not therefore forsake them for a moment that in this Winter of their Desertion the Weeds and Vermin of their sins may be killed and mortified Doth he not therefore forsake them for a moment that he may see their Love to him In time of his Presence we have the sence of his Love to us but in the time of his absence then he seeth and we our selves have the sence of our Love to him Doth he not therefore forsake them for a moment that their very Joyes and Comforts may be more fervent exalted and enlarged It is our Nature to rejoyce most in a Comfort when it is redeemed from the hand of Death and recovered from loss The wise men when they saw the lost Star again then they rejoyced with exceeding great joy Did they not rejoyce i◠the Star before Surely they did But they rejoyced more even with exceeding great joy when they had found the lost Star And this is our Nature we rejoyce most in the finding of lost mercies Now the Lord Christ knows our Nature and therefore that he may raise our joy our praise our thankfulness for his Presence Face and Manifestation of his Love he doth somtimes withdraw them So that in al his withdrawings he hath a Design of Love upon our souls have we any reason then to be much discouraged though deserted Answ 3 Thirdly Though it pleaseth God to hide his Face from his People somtimes insomuch as they are in the dark and in a very dark Condition yet they are never so much in the dark but that they have light enough to work by For what day is there in all the yeer that is so short dark and gloomy but a man may see to work by Indeed somtimes the Sun is in the Eclipse somtimes behind a Cloud somtimes it breaks not forth with his Golden beams as at other times but if the Sun be up and it be day a man hath alwaies light enough to work by Now the Sun is alwaies up with the Saints it is alwaies day with them though the Beams of the Sun of Righteousness do not shine yet it is alwaies day they are not Children of darkness they may have a dark day of it but though it be never so dark they may find light enough to do the great Work which they came into the World for which is to beleeve and trust and stay themselves on God this ◠man may do in the darkest time when he hath no light and therefore saith the Prophet Let him that walks in darkness and seeth no light stay himself upon the Name of the Lord. What then though you have not so much light as you would have to refresh your selves by yet if you have light enough to do your Fathers Work by and the greatest work of this Life is to trust in God and beleeve have you then any reason for your discouragements Thus it is with al the Saints though they may be in the dark and the Sun shines not out upon them yet it is alwaies day with them and they have light enough when it is darkest to do their Father◠work and business by and therefore certainly the Saints have no reason to be cast down and discouraged although they be much forsaken deserted and in the dark Object 1 But Jesus Christ hath not only deserted forsaken and withdrawn himself from me in regard of Vision but I fear also in regard of Vnion not in regard of comfortable feelings only but in regard of strength and power and therefore I am afraid and discouraged and have I not cause for it Answ No. For a man that is in the dark is not able to judg of his own Grace or Christs Strength in him Now you are in Desertion therefore in the dark therefore not able to judg of your own Grace and Christs Strength in you yet if you can judg in this Condition and wil deal faithfully with your own souls is there not as much of Christs Strength and Grace in your Lives and Conversations as when ye had that presence which ye mourn after excepting your enlargements in Duties I confess indeed that ◠Gracious man in time of Desertion hath not those enlargements as he had when Gods Face shined upon him but setting aside your enlargements what is there in your Conversations wanting now which you had then and is the very want of enlargement a sufficient reason to say that Christ is gone and hath forsaken me not only in regard of Vision but in regard of Union Strength and Grace We read in Cant. 5.5 That when Christ withdraws from the Spouse there is some Mirrh left upon the ringles of the door the Spouse ariseth follows after him and enquireth for him saying Did you see my beloved She met with the Watchmen they smote her and she was willing to bear their smiting that she might hear of Christ she stands and admireth at the beauty and excellency of her Beloved White and ruddy the fairest of ten thousand Now in this Desertion of yours is there not some Mirrh upon the ringles of your heart Do you not still stand admiring Christ and his Excellencies Do you not enquire after your Beloved going to one and to another saying Did you see him whom my soul loveth Are you not willing that the Watchmen should smite you so ye may but meet with Christ again And wil ye say then he is not only gone in regard of Vision but in regard of Union Power Strength and Grace too Surely you have no reason for it Object 2 But I am not only forsaken and deserted and want the Comfortable feelings and manifestations of Love which I once had and do now desire to have but I do find the contrary tokens of Gods Displeasure manifestations of his Anger were it only the withdrawings of Love I might bear it but Christ is angry God is angry appears to be mine Enemy and have I not reason now to be much discouraged Answ No For if this hath been the condition of the Saints before you why should you fear your state in this respect Now look into Isay 57. and you shal 〈◊〉 that God saith I was wroth and smote him he did not only hide his face but he was wroth yea he is not only wroth but he smote his People too and yet the Promise is I will restore comfort to him and to his mourners Did not Job think and say that God was angry with him
to suffer saith the Apostle It was the Speech of a good man now in Heaven being once under great Afflictions O Lord these Afflictions are thy Pearls and I wil wear them for thy sake 3. They are but seeeming Evils They are real Tryals and seeming Evils Therfore the Apostle saith Every Affliction seems grievous but considering altogether it is rather a Seeming than a real grief and therefore saith he 2 Cor. 6.9 10. We are as unknown and yet well known as dying and behold we hee as chastened and not killed as sorrowful yet alwaies rejoycing as poor yet making many rich as having nothing and yet possessing all things In which words as Austin observes he puts a tanquâ—m sicut AS upon his Afflictions as if his Sufferings were but as Afflictions and not Afflictions When a man takes any Physick he is sick withal yet because it is but Physick-sickness you do not call it a sickness it is as a sickness but not a sickness Now all the Afflictions of the Saints are but their Physick prescribed and given them by the hand of their Father and therefore though they be sick therewith yet it is but as a sickness not so indeed al things rightly weighed When an unskilful Eye looks upon the threshing of the Corn he saith Why do they spoil the Corn But those that know better say The Flail doth not hurt the Corn if the Cart-wheel should pass upon it there would be spoil indeed but the Flail hurts not Now there is no Affliction or suffering that a Godly man meets with but is Gods Flail And if you look into Isay 28. ye shal find the Lord promiseth under a similitude that his Cart-wheel shal not pass upon those that are weak ver 27. For the Fitches are not threshed with a threshing Instrument neither is a Cart-wheel turned about upon the Cummin the Fitches are beaten out with a staff and the Cummin with the Rod God wil alwaies proportion his Rod to our strength But though mine Affliction be not greater than I can bear yet if it lie too long upon me say some I shall never be able to bear it Nay saith the Lord ver 28. Bread-Corn is bruised because he will not ever be threshing it But what is this to us Yes it is a Parable for ver 26. His God speaking of the Plow-man doth instruct him to discretion and doth teach him And if the Plow-man have this discretion much more shal the Lord himself for verse 29. This also cometh forth from the Lord of Hosts who is wonderful in Counsel and excellent in working I am Gods Corn said the Martyr I must therfore pass under the Flail through the Fan under the Mil-stone into the Oven before I can be bread for him And if our Chaff be severed from our Graces by this Flail have we any reason to be discouraged because we are thus afflicted The truth is the day of Affliction and Tribulation is a godly mans Day of Judgment it is at his Judgment Day he shal never be judged again so as to be condemned at the Day of Judgment Ye are judged with the world saith the Apostle that ye may not be condemned with the world And when the Godly mans Affliction-Day is he may say Now is my Judgment-Day and I shal never be judged again why therefore should he be discouraged whatever his Afflictions be And in the Second place This wil appear also if you consider Whence their Afflictions come If al the Sufferings of Gods People do come from Divine Love the Love of God in Christ to them then have they no reason to be discouraged though they be much afflicted every Rod is a Rod of Rosemary to them fruits of their Fathers Love and if you look into Heb. 12. ye shal find both the thing proved and the Inference The thing is proved at ver 6. For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth and scourgeth every Son whom he receiveth Which he illustrates by a similitude Suppose a man have two Sons one a Bastard and the other Legitimate he wil rather give Education and Correction to the Legitimate Son and neglect the Bastard and saith the Apostle verse 8. If ye be without Chastisement then are ye Bastards and not Sons What then verse 12. Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down and the feeble knees As if the Apostle should say If al the Sufferings and Afflictions and Chastisements of the Saints do proceed from Love then have they no reason to hang down their hands or heads But so it is That all their Sufferings come from Love and therefore no reason for their Discouragements Thirdly This wil appear also if you consider What comes with the Afflictions of the Saints There comes much supporting Grace much Light much of Gods Presence Fëllowship and and Communion with Christ in al his Sufferings Much supporting Grace Thy Rod and thy Staff comforts me God never laies a Rod upon his Childrens back but he first puts a Staff into their hand to bear it and the staff is as big as the Rod it matters not what your Afflictions be great or smal it is al one you shal be upheld and upholding mercy is somtimes better Via Crucis via Lucis than a mercy that you are afflicted for the want of But the Lord doth not only uphold his People under Sufferings but he gives forth much Light therewithal The School of the Cross is the School of Light Affliction is our Free-School where God teacheth his Children and learns them how to write both their Sins and their Graces Their sins So long as Leaves are on the Trees and Bushes ye cannot see the Birds Nests But in the Winter when al the Leaves are off then ye see them plainly And so long as men are in Prosperity and have their Leaves on they do not see what Nests of sins and lusts are in their hearts and lives but when all their Leaves are off in the day of their Afflictions then they see them and say I did not think I had had such Nests of sins and lusts in my soul and life Job 36.7 He withdraweth not his Eye from the Righteous Verse 8. And if he be bound in Fetters and be holden in Cords of Affliction then he shows them their works and their trangressions that they have exceeded Yea Affliction do not only discover their sins unto them but it is Gods Plaister thereby he doth heal the same Before I was afflicted I went astray saith David And Job 36.10 He openeth also their Ear to Discipline and commandeth that they return from iniquity Yea these Afflictions and Sufferings of the Saints do not only discover and heal their sins but do put them upon the exercise of Grace In their Afflictions saith God they will seek me early Yea they do not only draw out their Graces but discover their Graces too which possibly they did never take notice of before I have read of some foolish Youths that
but Satan comes and wresteth his staff out of his hand and beats him therewithal then comes Jesus Christ and takes it out of the hands of both O! saith the Child of God but I pray thee Lord give me this Creature-Comfort for it is my Staff true Child saith Christ it is thy Staff but thou hast not strength to weild it against Satan he wil abuse thee with it therefore I wil keep it from thee and in due time thou shalt have it again Doth Christ our Lord and best friend do him any wrong in keeping it from him Object 2 O! but my Afflictions are not ordinary and usual but new and strange Answ You think so but the Apostle saith Think it not strange concerning the fiery tryal as if some new thing had befallen you And what if God wil carry you to Heaven by some back way and let you in at some back door hath not he promised to lead us in a way that we have not known Object 3 O! but I do not only want one mercy but I do want another and another Afflictions come thick and I see no end I feel no bottom Answ And was it not so with David the Type of Christ Psal 40.1 2. I waited patiently for the Lord and he inclined his Ear unto me and heard my cry he brought me out also of an horrible pit or as some read it out of an unbottomed pit out of the miry Clay and set my feet upon a Rock and established my goings Three things here that are most observable 1. David was in such an Affliction wherein he did feel no bottom at the first saw no end 2. Though he felt no bottom at the first yet at the last he did and a Rock which God set his feet upon and established his goings 3. Till he did find this Rock he prayed and waited patiently and he was not discouraged What therefore though our Afflictions be as thick as any mire that therein you do stick so fast as you cannot get out that you feel no bottom see no end yet if in this case you pray and cry and wait patiently on the Lord as David did you shal be set upon a Rock in due time and your goings shall be also established And whereas you say That your Afflictions are thick and long and hard How long man What! is your Bush consumed Do they not make you long more for Heaven When the Apprentiship is hard and tedious the yong man longs for the day of his Freedom O! saith he that I were in my Fathers House O! that the time of my Freedom were come So here Long and hard Afflictions make us long more for Heaven Now will ye count that too long which makes you long more for Heaven And as for your Relational Comforts Did God ever take away the Comfort of an outward Relation and not make it up in the sweetness of Spiritual Relations Object 4 But this is not all my case for I do not only want such and such Comforts I do not barely want the Comforts and the love of my Relations but I feel the anger and the smart of them for my own familiar friends and acquaintance are become mine Enemies they reproach me curse me speak all manner of evil of me without cause and this they do since I set my face towards Heaven Time was heretofore when they did love me dearly but now they hate me they persecute me and do all manner of evil to me and is this nothing is not this a just cause and reason for my Discouragement Answ No For if our worst Enemies be somtimes our best Friends then what reason is there that we should be discouraged although we be much opposed Now so it is many times as our best Friends are our worst Enemies by flattering us so our worst Enemies are our best Friends by making us more watchful So many Enemies so many School-Masters saith one Totidem inimici totidem paedagogi Hath not our Lord and Savior Christ said Our Enemies are those of our own house they shall ever revile you and persecute you but blessed are you when they do all this for my Name sake And I pray tell me Whether is it worser to be persecuted or to be a Persecutor Your Friends persecute you speak all manner of evil and do al manner of evil to you even since you have looked towards Christ and for his sake â—hey do it for his sake ye are persecuted opposed maligned but you might have been the Persecutor and they the persecuted Which is worst Will you not say O! it is infinitly better to be opposed for the way of God than to oppose and to be persecuted than to persecute I would chuse rather to be persecuted than to be a Persecutor God might have left you to be a Persecutor and your persecuting Friends might have been persecuted by you but now that God hath so ordered it by his Providence and Grace that you are persecuted and they persecutors have you any reason to complain or to be discouraged Know ye not that the world hateth his own So long as the por stands empty and there is no Honey in it the Bees and stinging Wasps do not gather about it but if once there be Honey in it then they flock about it And so long as you were empty of what is good and walked on with an empty heart no opposition was made unto you But now these stinging Bees and Wasps flock about you what doth this argue but that you have gotten some Honey somwhat that savoreth of good and of Christ which you had not before why should you not therefore rather praise God for what you have than be discouraged under your opposition Object 5 This is not my case For I praise God I do not meet with any opposition or persecution from my friends nor do I need for my very Affliction is an opposition unto what is good my Affliction doth indispose me unto what is good and expose me unto what is evil to temptations and many sins it keeps me from Duty from Ordinances and Opportunities of doing and receiving good and therefore I am thus discouraged under my Affliction have I not cause and reason now Answ 1 No For it may be that you are mistaken here and think that you are hindred from the Work of God when indeed you are not We read of Paul that he was whipped up and down the streets like a Rogue that he was oft imprisoned and who would not think but that his reproaches and imprisonments should hinder him in the work of his Ministry But he saith That his Sufferings turned to the furtherance of the Gospel Answ 2 When God leads a man into an Affliction then God doth call him to another work So long as a man is well and in health he is bound to go abroad and to hear the Word but when he is sick then his work is not to hear but to be patient
and quiet under the hand of God then he is called to that other work which his Affliction doth lead him to It may be your Affliction may hinder you from your former work which God hath call'd you from but it doth not hinder you from that work whereunto you are now called by your Affliction And what though my Affliction doth hinder me from my former work yet if God wil not fault me for the neglect of that have I any reason to be discouraged becaus I do not do it This is certain That if God cal me to a new work he wil never blame me if I lay by the former You wil not blame your Servants if they lay by their former work when you call them to a new and when God leads into a new Affliction then he doth cal to a new work Answ 3 And as for matter of Temptation and Sin this is certain That that Affliction doth never expose a man to a new sin which doth make him sensible of his former sin Now as you have heard the Afflictions of the Saints do both discover and heal their sins making them sensible of them which they were not before And if you look into Psal 125.3 you find a Promise to this purpose The Rod of the wicked shall not rest on the Lot of the Righteous lest the Righteous put forth their hand to iniquity As it is with a Master that sets his Servant to beat the dust out of his Garment though he cause the rod or stick to pass upon the Garment yet he will not suffer it to rest so long upon the Garment as it shal be torn thereby Your Affliction is Gods Rod and he suffers it to pass upon your Garment Why That he may fetch out your dust therewith but he wil not suffer this Rod to rest so long upon you as to tear your Garment Lest the Righteous put forth their hand unto iniquity saith the Text. Answ 4 And if this fear of yours be a good sign of your Grace then why should you be discouraged in this respect Now what better sign of Truth and Uprightness of heart have you than this That you are therefore troubled at your Affliction because it doth expose to Temptation and Sin and because it doth hinder you from what is good Do you not say so Lord thou knowest I am therefore afflicted under this Affliction not because of the burden of it so much but because thereby I am hindred from doing and receiving good and exposed to such Temptations as for the Affliction it self though it be great yet Lord thou knowest I should submit to it and be quiet under it were I not thereby exposed unto what is evil Here now is sincerity here is uprightness and will you then be discouraged nay rather have you not cause and reason to be much encouraged Object 6 This is not my fear or cause of my discouragement but I am under a great and sore Affliction so and so afflicted and I fear I have brought my self into this Affliction by my sin had not my sin been the cause of my Affliction I should not be troubled but O! my Affliction is great and long and I am perswaded that my own sin is the cause thereof yea and that which aggravateth the matter is I cannot find out what the sin is if God would but discover it to me I should be more at quiet but my sin is the cause of my affliction and I know not what the particular sin is that hath brought me into this affliction and have I not just cause and reason for my discouragement now Answ No For did not Jonah bring himself into his Affliction by his sin and yet when did God more fully appear to him than when he was in the Whales Belly Did not David bring himself into his Affliction by his sin he sinned in the matter of Vriah and the Lord said The Sword shall never depart from thy House and what was the Sword of Absolon but an Affliction which dropped out of that Threatening brought upon him by his sin and yet when was Davids heart in a better frame If saith he the Lord have any pleasure in me he will bring me back to the Ark again if not let him do with me what seemeth good in his Eyes And when did God more fully appear to David than under this Affliction for he prayed The Lord turn the Counsel of Achittophel into folly and God heard him presently And if ye look into Deut. 4. you shall find a standing Promise made for your Comfort in this matter verse 25. If you shall corrupt your selves and make a graven Image or the likeness of any thing and shall do evil in the sight of the Lord to provoke him to anger I call Heaven and Earth to witness against you this day That you shall soon utterly perish from the Land ye shal not prolong your daies the Lord will scatter you among the Nations and you shall be left few in number among the Heathen and there you shall serve gods the work of mens hands But if from thence thou shalt seek the Lord thy God thou shalt find him if thou seek him with all thine heart and all thy soul 1. Here was a great Affliction to be driven out into another Country 2. This Affliction was caused by their great sins 3. Yet the Promise is That if from thence from this valley and bottom they did seek the Lord he would shew mercy to them And all this in the times of the Law and is not God as gracious now in the times of the Gospel as then in the times of the Law And what though you cannot find out what the particular sin is it is good to search but somtimes it is better for a poor soul that it is not discovered For if I be under an affliction for some particular sin and find it out then I am once humbled for it and go no further but if I find it not out I search and search and so am humbled continually for many sins and therefore I say it is somtimes better that the particular sin is not discovered Why then should a godly gracious soul be discouraged in this respect Surely he hath no reason for it Object 7 Yet there is one thing sticks with me in regard of personal Afflictions I fear that they do not come from Gods Love were I certain that this Affliction did proceed from Gods Love then I should never be troubled but I even see the visible Characters of Gods displeasure and anger engraven upon my Afflictions and therefore I am thus discouraged have I not cause and reason now Answ 1 No For if Affliction do rather argue Gods Love than Hatred then have you no reason to be discouraged Now though Affliction do not argue Gods Love yet I say it doth rather argue Love than Hatred A man may be no Father to a Child yet he may correct him But if two Children commit
of it but be sure that you look as wel and as much upon what is with you as upon what is against you there is no mercy which you can lose but hath some burden with it there is no misery that can befal you but hath some mercy with it When men lose a mercy they only consider the sweetness of a mercy lost and not the burden that they do lose withal O! saith a poor woman I have lost my Husband so loving so gracious so helpful but not a word of the burden that is gone withal and so there is much discouragement When Affliction comes men only consider the evil and not the mercy that doth come withal and so they are much dejected Suppose that a loving Father in some high room throw down a bag of Gold to his Child and it lights on the Childs head insomuch as it breaketh his head and causeth blood to come whilst the Child feels the smart thereof he is impatient and froward while he looks only upon the Leathern bag he is not thankful but when he looks into the bag and sees what a great deal of gold his Father hath given him then he speaks well of his Father notwitstanding all the smart of his head There is never an Affliction but is a bag of Gold given unto the People of God though it seem a Leathern Bag without yet there is Gold within so long as they stand poring upon the Leathern Bag or attend unto the smart of their Affliction they are not thankful they do not praise the Lord but are much discouraged but if they would look into the Bag and tel their Gold then they would have Comfort and not be discouraged I tell you from the Lord there is Gold within look into this Bag the Bag of Affliction tell over all your Gold which the Lord hath given you in this Affliction and then you will be quiet If a mercy be taken from you Consider the burden that is taken away too If a misery come Consider the mercy that doth come withal labor ever labor to see both together as well what is for you as what is against you then will you never be much discouraged although your Affliction be never so great And thus I have done with the Seventh Instance A LIFTING UP In case of Unserviceableness Sermon XI PSALM 42.11 Why art thou cast down O my Soul and why art thou disquieted within me c. Instance 8 SOmetimes the Discouragements of the Saints do arise From their Employments Work and Service Either they are not called forth to work for God as they do desire or they do want abilities and skill to work or they have no success in their work O! saies one I am a poor unuseful and unserviceable Creature God hath done much for me but I do nothing for God others are used and employed for God but as for me I am cast by as an useless Vessel in whom God hath no pleasure and therefore I am thus discouraged have I not just cause and reason now Answ 1 No For is Family Work and Service nothing is Relation Work nothing There is a Three-fold Sweat saies Luther Political Sweat Ecclesiastical Sweat and Domestical Sweat A man may sweat at Family Work and it is a great betrushment to be betrusted with the Work of a Family and this Work you are betrusted with Answ 2 Is it nothing for a man to be trusted with the Work of his Christian Station The whol Body of Christ is divided into many Members every Member in the Body hath a work suitable unto it the Eye doth not hear as the Ear dâ—th nor the Ear see as the Eye doth but every Member worketh according to that Sâ—ation which it hath in the Body So ye being one Body are many Members saith the Apostle and all Members have not the same Office Look therefore as the Station is which ye have in the Body of Christ such is the Work that ye are betrusted with Answ 3 And is it nothing for a man to be employed in comforting relieving and supporting others This is so great a Service that the very Angels are employed therein quasi Angelus sibi munus consolandi miseros tanquam gloriosius percipiat munus autem objurgandi impios tanquam minus nobile hominibus remittat Cajetan Ac si Angeli proniores essent ad laborantem consolandum quam ad gratulandum triumphanti Mendoza in 1 Sam. Cap. 1. Sect. 6. as in a work most suitable to them For when the Lord would stir up and provoke the Children of Israel to repent he sent a Prophet to them Judges 6. ver 7.8 But when he would comfort strengthen and encourage Gideon he doth not employ that Prophet therein but he sends an Angel to him saying ver 12. The Lord is with thee thou mighty man of Valor And if ye look into the Story of the New Testament ye shal find That when Christ was on Mount Thabor in his Transfiguration then the Angels are not said to attend upon him but when he was sweating in the Garden then the Angels came and comforted and ministred to him Why Because this is Angelical work to comfort relieve and support others in the time of distress Now are you not trusted with this Work How many poor drooping tempted and deserted souls are there whom you may go and administer to And is this no Work at all Object 1 But there is a Generation Work a Work of special employment which God doth trust others with as for me I have none of this Work to do I am a poor useless and unserviceable person one that God doth not use at all and therefore I am thus discouraged for is it not a very great mercy to be used and employed for God in the world Answ 1 Yes It is a very great mercy and blessing I confess to be used in any Work or Service for God This was Moses his Commendation That he was the Servant of God Moses the Servant of the Lord is dead And in this Title David gloried more than that he was King of Israel Psal 18. A Psalm of David the Servant of the Lord He doth not say A Psalm of David the King of Israel Thus Paul Peter James and Jude do Entitle their Epistles Paul a Servant of Christ and Peter a Servant of Christ and James a Servant of Christ and Jude a Servant of Christ Yea and Christ himself doth glory in this Title of Gods Servant and the Father glories in Christ upon this account Matth. 12.13 Zach. 3.8 Behold my Seâ—vant whom I have chosen My Servant the Branch So that a great Priviledg it is to be Gods Servant used and employed for him Answ 2 The more Serviceable a man is to God the more he doth honor God and the more he honors God the more he honors himself Honor est in honorante Those that stand before and wait on Kings and Princes honor themselves in honoring their Masters
So in honoring God a man honors himself yea and thereby God doth put hâ—nor on him for what is honor but Testimonium de alicujus excellentia Testifying of anothers Excellency and the more I testifie of any Excellency in a man the more I honor him Now when God doth betrust a man with his Work he testifies of an excellency in him The Lord hath counted me faithful and put me into his Work saith Paul yea the greatest greatness in this world is to wait upon the great God Therefore faith our Savior of John the Baptist Amâ—ngst them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than he Matth. 11.11 And if ye look into Gen. 1. ye shal find That the Moon is câ—lled one of the two great Lights ver 16. And God made two great Lights the greater to rule the day and the lesser to rule the night But though the Moon is said to be lesser than the Sun yet it is said to be one of the two greaâ— Lights And why so are there not other Stars greater than the Moon Yes but because the Moon is the most influential and serviceable to the world therefore it is said to be greater than others So that in â—ods account the more service we do in the world the greater we are and the more honorable in Gods Eyes Answ 3 Thereby also we are kept from the dint of Temptations idleness breeds Temptation Our Vacation is the Devils Term Homines nihil agendo male discunt agere otium est vivi hominis sepultura Sen. when we are least at work for God then is Satan most at work about us By doing nothing men learn to do evil yea Idleness is the burying of a living man Answ 4 Great and good Employment is the Mercy promised That can hardly be a smal mercy which the great God doth promise promised Mercies are the sweeâ—est Mercies Now thâ— Lord promiseth Esay 58.18 That if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry c. The Lord shall guide thee continually and they that shall be of thee shal build the old wast places thou shalt raise up the Foundations of many Generations and thou shalt be called the Repairer of the Breaches the Restorer of Paths to dwell in Here is Employment and Betrustment promised Answ 5 The more useful and serviceable a man is to God the more apt and ready God wil be to pardon his failings not only the failings of his present employment but of the other part of his life also What a great failing was that in Rahab to say the Spyes were gone when she had hid them in the top of her house yet the Lord pardoned this failing to her Why Because she beleeved and was useful and serviceable unto Gods great design in that her day And if ye look into Numb 〈◊〉 ye shall find That though Aaron and Miriam were both engaged in the same sin and evil of envying and murmuring against Moses yet the Lord spaâ—ed Aaron when he strook Miriam with a Leprosie But why saith Abulensis was not Aaron smitten with the Leprosie as well as Miriam what because he was not so deeply in the Transgression as she was No for verse 1. it 's said Then spake Aaron and Miriam not as if she were put on by him Or because that Aaron confessed his sin as she did not No for so did Miriam also for she was a good woman Or because that God owed Aaron a punishment till afterwards 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysostom Hom. 3. ad Collos No for that appears not by the Text but he was the High-Priest and if he had been smitten with Leprosie it would have brought his Ministry under some contempt the Work of the Lord would have ceased for a time also and though he failed in this thing yet he was otherwise a very useful and serviceable man and God would shew his aptness and readiness to pardon such rather than others Answ 6 If a man be employed for God in any special Service and Work the Lord will not only pardon his failings but if he be faithful in his Work God will bless him and set a Character of Love and Favor upon him What a Character of Love did the Lord set on Caleb and Joshua Of all men in Scripture it 's said of Caleb that he followed the Lord fully and this Character God himself did set upon him Numb 15.24 But my Servant Caleb because he had another spirit with him and hath followed me fully c. But why did God own and dignifie Caleb thus Even because he was faithful in that Work Service and Employment which God did call him to Answ 7 Yea The Serviceable man is the only man who doth live and speak when he is dead I mean for God Some are very active and serviceable for the Devil whilst they live they write and print wanton filthy Books and they speak while they are dead but it is still for Satan Others are very active and serviceable for God while they live they write and print works of Faith and Holiness and they also speak when they are dead as it 's said of Abel Who being dead yet speaketh but how doth he speak now The Apostle tels us Heb. 11. by Faith By which 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It relates unto 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Faith Well but what cast of Faith did he do He offered a more excellent Sacrifice than his Elder Brother which was the work and Service of his day So that the Serviceable man is the only man who doth speak when hâ— is dead Surely therfore it is a very great Priviledg and Mercy to be used and employed for God in his Work and Service Yet if God will not use me why should I be discouraged or complain Is not God free and may not he employ whom he pleaseth Shall the poor Potsheard say unto him why doest thou lay me by What if God will cross hands and lay his right hand on anothers head and his left hand on mine Shall I think to direct and order the hands of Gods Providence as Joseph would have altered Jacobs Iâ— not his Work his own and may not he put it out unto whom he please and if I complain thereof is not this my pride Proud men scorn their own employment and envy at others It 's a mercy indeed to be employed for God yet if God will not trust me with his Service as I desire why should I be discouraged Yet I may be Gods Servant For First The Service of God is two-fold Somtimes it is taken for some special Employment which a man is called forth unto And somtimes it is taken for our ordinary Obedience unto Gods Commandements In the first sence it is used often in Numb 4. and frequently in the old Testament called The Service of the Tabernacle of the Congregation So in the new Testament also Rom. 15.31 That my Service may be accepted In the second sence it is used
difficulties then have you no reason to question your Call in regard of Difficulties Now I pray tel me when Moses went to bring the Children of Israel out of Egypt had not he a cleer Call for that yet what abundance of difficulties did he meet with in his way to â—t And when the Jews came out of Babylon did they not meet with many Difficulties Some at their coming out some in their way some at the building of the Temple yet had they not a Call and a cleer Call thereunto Without al doubt they had Surely then you mâ—y have a Call and a cleer Call to your Work and Service yet you may meet with many difficulâ—ies in your way and therefore have no reason to be discouraged in this respect Object 5 But I am not troubled afflicted or discouraged in regard of my Call for I am perswaded that God hath called me to his work and Service But I am most unserviceable I do not do that work and Service which I am called unto I lie like a dry log or chip in the family and place where I live O! I am most unserviceable and therefore I am thus discouraged Answ That 's ill indeed for every good and gracious man is a serviceable man more or less he is serviceable in his Place and Condition Onesimus before converted was unprofitable but being converted now profitable saies the Apostle A good man in Scripture is compared to those things that are most profitable Is the wicked compared to the green Bay-tree which doth bring forth no Fruit the gâ—dly is compared to the Olive Tree which is all profitable the Fruit profitable the Leaves Bark and the Tree profitable Is a wicked man compared to the Goat a good man is compared to the Sheep and what is in a Sheep not profitable its Flesh is profitable its Wool profitable its Skin is profitable yea it s very dung is profitable and such a Sheep was Paul nothing in Paul not profitable and serviceable will ye instance in his Jewish and Natural Priviledges he makes use of them Phil. 3. to advance the righteousness and knowledg of Christ yea All these saies he I count as dung and dross in regard of Christ Wil ye instance in his Conversion to Christ he doth make use of that to convert others and to establish others Acts 17.28 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aratus 1 Cor. 15.33 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Menander 1 Tit. 12. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Epimenides by frequent telling the story of it to others Wil ye instance in his Parts Gifts and Learning he makes use of his Hebrew somtimes somtimes of his knowledg in the Heathen Poets somtimes of his knowledg in the Roman Customs Wil ye instance in his friendship acquaintance and interest in men thâ—t he makes use of wiâ—h Philemon from Christ in the case of Onesimus Will ye instance in his Afflictions he doth make use of them to perswade his People to their Duty I Paul a Prisoner of Christ do beseech you c. Will ye instance in his Temptations he doth make use of them and tels the Corinths how he was buffered by Satan Wil ye instance in his Sins he doth improve them also for the Advancement of Gods Grace I was a Blasphemer c. saith he but I obtained mercy Thus ye see there was nothing in Paul not profitable he was all over serviceable and profitable and if ye be one of these Sheep you will be serviceable and profitable in your Place and Condition more or less I remember the Speech of a Martyr when he came to die and to be burnt for Christ O! said he Thus long have I grown in the Orchard of Christ and have born some Fruit though not much yet some and now that I grow old and dry and can bear Fruit no longer shal I be taken and thrown into the Chimney to make a fire for the warming of others what a great mercy and blessing is this Ye know what Solomon saith Whatever thou findest in thine hand to do do it with all thy might and what Jeremiah saiâ—h Cursed is he that doth the Work of the Lord negligently Art thou therefore unprofitable unserviceable then have you cause to be humbled Yet even in this respect you are not to be cast down or discouraged For Either you are unserviceable because you want abilâ—â—â—es or because ye want wil and heart thereunto If you say yoâ—â—â—t Abilities I have spoken to that already If you say you are unwilling and do want heart thereunto then why do you thus complain He that complains of his own unserviceableness is noâ— unwilling to serve the Lord But you complain and say O! I am most unserviceable therefore you are willing and have an heart to serve and if you can speak in truth with Samuel and say Speak Lord for thy Servant is ready to obey then you are not unwilling to serve the Lord. Now cannot you say thus in truth Yes through Grace I am able to say Speak Lord for thy Servant is ready to obey Surely then you are not unwilling this your unserviceableness doth not arise only from your unwillingnes and want of heart and therefore you have no just reason to be discouraged in this respect Object 6 But this is not the matter which doth pinch with me for according to my poor Abilities I have labored and have been truly willing to serve the Lord in my Generation but I labor work and take pains and all in vain I labor and have no success in my labor I work and have no success in work I serve and have no success in my Service and therefore I am thus discouraged have I not cause and reason now Answ 1 No For possibly you may be mistaken in the matter of success you may have good and great success and not know thereof There is a time when the Seed doth lie dead under the clods and saith our Savior Vnless the Seed dies it abides alone Should the Husband-man complain in this time that he hath no success in his sowing If the Devil do oppose by the World without and assault you with Temptations within it argues that there is good success though you know it not Now don't the World oppose you and don 't the Devil assault you with Temptations discouraging you for want of success Yes that he doth then there is some good success though for the present it be hidden from your Eyes This is a certain sign said Luther to Spalatinus That your Work is neither ungrateful to God nor unprofitable to the Church in that you are troubled with these Temptations for if it were unpleasing to God you would rather long after it as they do that run before they be sent Whereas Satan when he finds such as are truly sent by God and pleasing to him he makes them a weary of their work by these and the like Temptations Answ 2 And if Gods own dearest Children have somtimes labored or
comfort of a poor doubting soul Such is this Doctrine of Universal Redemption surely therefore it can be no true friend but is a real enemy to the consolation of a poor doubting and afflicted soul Object 6 But if Christ did not die for all and every particular man how can I conclude that he did die for me Can I raise a Conclusion of Faith unless the Proposition be universal Answ Although I need not answer this Objection because those that make it do themselves answer it from their own Principles and Experience saying That Faith is an assent to the Truth of the Gospel and that they were converted unto God and did beleeve before they held this Doctrine of Universal Redemption Yet for further Answer you must know There is a Faith of Relyance and there is a Faith of Assurance As the Faith of Assurance hath a Shall be of Mercy for its bottom so a May be of Mercy is a sufficient ground and bottom for the Faith of Relyance Jonathan and his Armor-bearer had but a may be of Mercy when they went against their Enemies It may be the Lord will work for us 1 Sam. 14.6 yet they relyed on God Now though Christ did not die for all particular men yet if he died for sinners indefinitly there is a may be of Mercy for me But so it is that Christ did die for sinners indefinitely though not for sinners universally and therefore there is a sufficient ground for me to beleeve and rely on him Ye know or may know That the Act of Relyance is before the act of Assurance I must indeed be assured that Christ is able to save me before I relie on him but I must first rely on him before I can be assured that he wil save me and by this Act of Relyance we grow up into Assurance I know that he will shew mercy to me by my coming to him and relying on him for he hath said Whoever comes unto me I will in no wise cast out Now if my Assurance be raised from the Act of Relyance then the first ground and bottom of the conclusion of my Faith is not this General Proposition Christ died for all but this Indefinite Proposition Christ died for sinners And if the conclusion of Faith must arise from a General Proposition then take it thus Whoever comes to Christ and relieth on him shall be saved or thus Christ died for all those that do come to him and rely on him But I come to him and rely on him therefore Christ died for me and I shal be saved by him So that thus now ye see the want of that General Proposition Christ died for all men is no hindrance to the Conclusion or Assurance of our Faith and therefore you have no reason to be discouraged in reference to this Objection Object 7 Yet there is one thing more that sticks with me even that old Objection which I cannot be rid of When I look into my Condition the Condition of my Soul or Body I find my condition is such as never any ones condition was I have conversed with many a godly man and woman but I do not find that ever he or she was in such a condition as I am and I have read the Scripture but I do not find there that ever any godly man was in such a condition as I am could I be but perswaded that ever any gracious man was in the like condition I should have hope and comfort but I am perswaded that never any godly soul was in such a condition as I am therefore I am thus discouraged have I not cause and reason now Answ 1 No For if it be usual with the Saints and People of God to think thus then you have no reason to be discouraged in this respect Now I pray look what the Church saith in Lam. 1.1 2. Is it nothing to you all ye that pass by behold and see if there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow if there be any condition like unto my condition and it seems that such were the thoughts of Gods People whom Peter did write unto in 1 Pet. 4.12 Beloved saith he think it not strange concerning the fiery tryal which is to try you as though some strange thing happened unto you you wil think that no bodies condition is like unto yours some strange thing is happened unto you And so in the 5. chap. and 9. verse of that Epistle Whom resist stedfast in the faith knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your Brethren that are in the world you think that you meet with such afflictions as never were in the World before be not deceived saith he Answ 2 But suppose that your condition be as never any bodies was hath not the Lord said Behold I work a new thing Is not the Name of Christ wonderful and are wonders wrought ordinarily If your condition be as never any bodies condition was then have you an opportunity of glorifying God more than ever any man or woman had then you have an opportunity of glorifying God either in doing or in suffering more than ever any man or woman had And then O! what Grace is here what Mercy is here what Love is here to overcome thy soul withal that thou shouldest have such an opportunity as never man or woman had before And therefore what I said unto you often I must now conclude with Gods People have no reason for their Discouragements whatever their condition be Thus I have now done with this Last Instance and with all the Instances Give me leave to speak somthing by way of Application in reference to the whol and so I wil shut up this Exercise Applic. If all these things be so if this be true That the Children of God have no reason for their Discouragements whatever their Condition be Then what a mighty necessity is there upon us all to look into our Conditions and to consider whether we be in Christ or no whether we be Godly yea or nay whether we have made our Peace with God I or not and whether we have Faith I or no All men have not Faith saith the Apostle Indeed all men say they have Faith and should I go from Seat to Seat and from Bosom to Bosom and knock at every Breast in the Congregation asking Whether doth Faith dwel here or no Unless it were some few troubled ones afflicted in Conscience every one of you would say I do beleeve I praise God I do beleeve I have Faith here within But all men have not Faith and few there be that do beleeve Children yong men and women Faith is not a thing that is born with you it is a harder thing to beleeve than to keep the ten Commandements when once you come to know what it is to beleeve you wil say O! it is a harder thing to beleeve than to do any thing I do not know any thing in al the world that is so hard
But now when Faith comes it opens a mans Eyes to see things that are invisible it is the Evidence of things not seen By Faith Moses saw him that was invisible And therefore when the Apostle Peter doth direct his People for to see things past present and to come he exhorts them to a work of Faith Epist 1. ver 9. He that lâ—cks these things is blind one of those things is Faith as you read in verse 5. Give all diligence â—ad to your Faith c. then He that lacketh these things is blind at verse 9. But suppose a man do want Faith wherein is he blind Why saith the Apostle He cannot see things afar off he cannot see into the other world he cannot see unto the end of a Temptation or Affliction or to the end of a Desertion Well but though he cannot see things that are to come yet he may see things that are past Nay saith he if a man wants the Assurance of Gods Love and that is an Act of Faith he haâ—h forgotten that he was purged from his old sins Wherefore the rather saith he at verâ—e 10. Brethren give all diligence to make your Calling and Eleâ—tion sure If you would see things past present and to come then grow in Faith and Assurance of Gods Love and so saith he shal you be able to see things that are afar off Couâ—d a man but see what would be the end and issue of his Affliction he would be quiet under it It is in regard of our Affliction as it is in regard of your Salt or Sea Water Take the Water as it is in the Sea and so it is salt and brackish but drawn up by the Sun into the Clouds it becomes sweet and fals down into sweet Rain So take an Afflâ—ction in it self and it is salt and brackish but drawn up by Divine Love then it is sweet and if a soul can but tast the Love of God in it and see what a loving end the Lord wil make he wil then find it is very sweet and say I could not have been without this Affliction I do not know how any one twig of this rod could have been spared Now it 's only Faith that shews a man the end and the issue of all his troubles It stands upon the high Tower of the Threatening and Promise seeing over al Mountains and Difficulties it seeth into the other World it sees through Death and beyond Death it sees through Affliction and beyond Affliction it seeth through Temptation and beyond Temptation it seeth through Desertion and beyond Desertion it seeth through Gods Anger and beyond his Anger I say it seeth things past present and to come Now if a man had such a power as he were able to fetch in al his former experiences to see things present as they are and to see all the events and issues of things to come would he not be quiet notwithstanding all that might arise for the present Thus Faith is able to shew a man things past present and to come and to shew him greater matter of comfort than the matter of his troubles is and in so doing it must needs quiet the soul Answ 2 Secondly Faith true saving Faith doth see that in God and in Christ which answers unto all our fears wants and miseries For Faith closeth with the Name of God Let him stay himself upon the Name of God Isa 50. Now there is that in Gods Name that doth Answer unto all our Fears and wants For Example Exod. 34. the Lord descended in the Clouds at verse 5. and stood with Moses there and proclaimed the Name of the Lord ver 6. The Lord the Lord Jehovah Jehovah that is one that gives a being unto things that are not Will you say O! that it were thus or thus with me but as Rachel mourned for her Children and could not be comforted because they were not so do I mourn after Prayers because they are not and after Duties because they are not and afâ—er Humiliations because they are not Well saith the Lord be of good comfort for my Name is Jehovah who do give a Being to things that are not and this he repeateth The Lord the Lord or Jehovah Jehovah Well but though the Lord do give a Being to things that are not this doth not comfort me for though I praise the Lord I can say my Prayers are and my Duties are yet the Lord knows they are very weak and my Temptations are very strong and my Lusts mighty and therefore I am thus discouraged Yet be of good comfort for saith the Lord my Name is EL that is the strong or the mighty God and therefore though thou beest never so weak and thy Duties weak yet I wil carry on the work of my Grace in thee and though thy Temptations be never so strong and thy Lusts strong yet I am stronger for my Name is EL thâ— mighty God O! but though God be strong and able to help me yet I fear that God is not willing to help me I know God is able and that God is strong enough but I fear the Lord is not willing and therefore I am thus discouraged yet be of good comfort saith the Lord for my Name is Merciful that is the next word The Lord the Lord the Mighty God and as my Name is the Mighty God and therefore am able to help thee so my Name is Merciful and therefore am willing to help thee But though the Lord be willing to help me yet I am a poor unworthy Creature and I have nothing at al to move God to help me Yet be of good comfort for saith the Lord then my Name is Gracious I do not shew Mercy because you are good but because I am good nor do I stand upon your desert but I shew mercy out of free Love my Name is Gracious O! but I have been sinning I have been sinning a long time ten twenty thirty forty fifty yeers had I come in at sâ—â—â—â— I might have had mercy but I have been sinning long and therefore I fear there is no mercy for me Yet saith the Lord be 〈◊〉 good comfort for my Name is Long-suffering that is the noâ—â— Gracious and Long-suffering slow to Anger or Long-suffering O! but I have sinned exceedingly I have sinned abundantly so many Sins as I am never able to reckon up and to humble my self for I have broken al my Promises with God and al the Vows that I have made unto him and therefore I am thus discouraged Yet saith he be of good Comfort for I am abundant in Goodness and Truth Art thou abundant in sin I am abundant in Goodness And hast thou broken Faith with me yet I am abundant in Goodness and in Truth also O! but though the Lord be thus unto his own chosen Ones such as David Abraham or Moses yet I fear the Lord wil not be so to me Yes saith the Lord at verse 7. Keeping mercy for thousands I have
not spent al my mercy upon David or upon Abraham or upon Paul or upon Peter but I keep mercy for thousands O! but yet my sins do recoyl I am the greatest Sinner in the world for I have sinned al kinds of sin I have sinned al sorts of sins and therefore I fear there 〈◊〉 no hope for me Yet saith the Lord be not discouraged for I keep mercy for thousands forgiving iniquity transgression and sin even all sorts and al kinds of sins the Sin of Nature and the Sin of Life the Sin of Weakness and the Sin of Presumption the Sin of Ignorance and the Sin against Knowledg these saith the Lord I forgive even al sorts and al kinds of Sins and this is my Name for ever O! but I am afraid to lay hold upon this Promise for I think this is a Doctrine of Liberty Say not so saith the Lord at the next verse I will by no means cleer the guilty But if there be ever a poor drooping fearing trembling soul that desires to know my Name Lo saith the Lord here is my Name whereby I wil be known for ever The Lord Jehovah that gives a Being to things that are not The Mighty God The Merciful God The Gracious God Abundant in Goodness and in Truth Reserving Mercy for thousands Forgiving iniquity transgression and sin and this is my Name for ever Now Faith comes and closeth with this Name of God leading the Soul into this rich Wardrop and so doth quiet the heart against all Discouragements Answ 3 Thirdly Faith doth put the Soul under Gods Commandement and leaveth God to Answer unto al such Objections and Inconveniences as may come thereby which if a man can do he may be very quiet Now true saving Faith wil enable him to do this for ye know how it was with the three Children Shadrach Meshach and Abednego they put themselves under Gods Commandement The Lord commanded and said Thou shalt not make to thy self any graven Image Well but the King commands them to fal down before his Image No say they we wil not stir we wil not bow but saith the King I wil make you bow or I wil heat the Furnace seven times hotter for you Well be it so say they as for that we are not solicitous we wil do the work that God hath set us to do we wil put our selves under Gods Command we know that our God is able to deliver us and whether he wil deliver us or no we wil leave that to him let him answer to the inconveniencies and mischiefs that follow upon his Work for saith the Text They trusted in the Lord. And so you know it was with Noah Noah was commanded to build an Ark for saith the Lord yet an hundred twenty yeers and the whol world shal be destroyed and therefore Noah build thou an Ark for thy self and thy family which Noah did and put himself under this Command But now the world the old world might speak thus as certainly the language of their Conversation was Noah Dost thou think that thou art the only man in al the world that God loves Dost thou think Noah that God loves thee one man more than al the men or the world and thy one Family more than al the Families in the world beside And if thou dost beleeve what thou preachest That the World shal be destroyed by Water in an hundred and twenty yeers why dost thou marry and begeâ— Châ—ldren as thou hast done since thou hast preached this Doctrine And Noah if thou dost make an Ark or a Ship who shal be the Pilate who shal be the Mâ—â—riner the Sâ—â—ler As for thy self thou hast been a Preacher and dost thou think that thou and thy few Sons are able to guide and gâ—vern so great a Vessel If it be as thou preacheâ—t That the â—easts the wild Beasts of the Field shal come unto this Ark the Lyon and the Bear and the Tyger wil they not tear thee to pieces And if all the Beasts of the field two by two shal come into the Ark Noah wil there not be such a stench in the Ark with their dung as wil poyson thee shalt thou be ever able to live thinkest thou Wel for al this Noah goes on and he built the Ark and leaves God that â—et him on work to answer to al these Objections and to all those Inconveniences that might come by the doing the thing which God commands And so doth Faith alwaies Faith puts a man under the Commandement of God and leaves God to answer to those Oâ—jections and inconveniences that may come thereby Now when a man can do thus must he not needs be quiet It is to speak more briefly the proper wâ—rk of Faith to resign and give up our wils unto God for by the resignation of the wil unto God we do trust God with our selves and Conditions It is the proper work of Faith to fal with a suitable Promise and to apply the same if that Plaister of the Promise be noâ— laid on the Soul with a warm hand it wil not stick And what is the reason that the Promise sticks not upon many souls but because it is laid on with the cold and chil hand of Unbelief Now the hand of Faith is a warm hand It 's the proper work of Faith to trade with the Call of God for true saving Faith is a venturing Grace but without a Call it wil not venture It is the proper work of Faith to see the hand of God in every Dispensation The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away saith Faith I was dumb and opened not my mouth for thou Lord hast done it saith Faith It 's the proper work of Faiâ—h to look on both sides of Gods Dispensation and of our own Condition there is a dark side of a Dispensation and there is a light side thereof Sence and Reason looks on the dark side alone Faith seeth both sides Come my beloved Brethren said Laâ—imer to his fellow Prisoners when he went to the Stake though we pass through he fire to day yet we shal light such a Candle in England as shal never be put out again He saw both sides of the Dispensation why but because he beleeved It is the proper work of Faith to see one Contrary in another for it speaks and concludes as the Word of Faith doth Now the word oâ— Faith speaketh on this wise I will give you a door of Hope in the Valley of Achor And the Lord shall judg his People and repent towards his Servants when he seeth that their power is gone and none shut up or left Deut. 32.36 It is the proper work of Faith to engage God to succor Psal 37.40 For the Lord shall save them because they trust in him So Esai 26.3 Thou will keep them in perfect peace because they trust in thee Now when a man can do al these things wil he not be quiet and free from Discouragements Surely he wil.
I say trust in the Lord first before you do work at all Answ 5 Fiftly If you would trust in the Lord so as you may not be discouraged what ever your Condition be Then trust in the Lord Jesus Christ in the first place before you trust in the Promise Christs Blood is the great and first Object of our Faith In times of the old Testament they came to Christ by the Promise because Christ was not then come but promised now Christ is come we come to the Promises by Christ Yet mistake not there is a Promise of Christ and a soul must come to Christ in that Promise But I speak of particular words and Promises Some wil not trust in Christ unless they have this or that particular word set upon their hearts and spirits and so indeed do rather rest on the bare letter of the Word or the sence and impression that is made upon the soul by the setting on of the Promise But al the Promises are Yea and Amen in Christ Christ therefore is first and if a man doth trust in the Promise first and so go unto Christ afterward then when he wants a particular Word or a Promise he wil not trust in Christ but be quite discouraged But when a man doth trust in the Lord Christ first and in particular Promises afterwards then though a particular Promise doth not shine forth yet his Faith lives and he is not diâ—couraged wherefore venture upon Jesus Christ first and then upon the Promise as given unto thee by the hand of Christ Answ 6 Sixtly if you would so trust in the Lord as you may not be discouraged whaâ—â—â—er your Condition be Then if ever it pleaseth the Lord to give our a Promise to you never let it go but hold it fast although you see nothing but the contrary unto the thing promised This was Abrahams case the Lord gave Abraham a Promise but Abraham saw the contrary to the thing promised yet Abraham did not dispute the Promise he did not stagger at the Promise and say Surely the Lord hath not given me this Promise it â—â—s but a delusion and I was deceived No but Abraham stil beâ—â—s up to the Promise and doth not dispute or stagger at the same So must you do likewise if ever the Lord give out a Promise to you hold it keep it never let it go although you do see the contrary Object O! but this is hard work indeed and if I should do so I fear that I should presume and that I should tempt the Lord What! trust in the Lord when there is no means in view yea when I see the contrary unto the thing promised I would do it but I fear I should presume and tempt the Lord. Answ Tempt the Lord say ye Dost thou know what it is for to tempt the Lord It is said oâ— the Children of Israel That they tempted the Lord and said Is God amongst us And when thou sayest after al the experience of Gods preâ—ence with thee Is God with me Is hot this rather for to tempt the Lord It is said of the Children of Israel That they tempted the Lord and limited the Holy One of Israel and when you limit God and say I shal never receive this Mercy for now I do see the contrary Is not this rather for to tempt the Lord Properly and according to Scripture Phrase to tempt the Lord is to put God upon a tryal for the satisfying of ones lust and therefore if you look into Psal 78. you shal find that these two go together at verse 18. They tempted God in their heart by asking meat for their Lust To put God upon a work for the satisfying of ones Lust is indeed to tempt the Lord Every putting God upon a tryal is not a tempting God but to put God upon a tryal for the satisfying of ones lust this is to tempt the Lord And therefore it is said the wicked Jews came to our Savior Christ tempting him and saying Shew us a sign Gideon desired a sign and yet he did not tempt the Lord Why Because he did not desire a sign to satisfie his Lust but to strengthen his Faith But now these Jews came and desired a sign to satisfie their Lust and therefore saith our Savior Christ unto them Ye wicked and Adulterous Generation How comes the word Adulterous in there Why look as it is with a woman that is nâ—ught filthy and unworthy her Husband sending a Message to her and warning her to take heed of such Company when the Messenger comes I doubt saith she whether you come from my Husband or no and what sign have you that you come from my Husband she knows that he comes from her Husband but because she may go on in her sin she asketh a sign How may I know that you come from my Husband So it was with these wicked Jews they asked a sign that so they might go on in their sins whereupon our Savior saith Ye wicked and Adulterous Generation But now when a poor doubâ—ing fearing trembling soul shal desire to beleeve and would fain have some token from the Lord to strengthen his Faith he is not Adulterous then nor doth he tempt the Lord nor presume for is it presumption for a man to keep the Sabbath day No Why Because it is commanded Is it presumption for a Child to obey his Parents No Why Because it is commanded So it is commanded for a soul to beleeve when al comforts are out of sight and when he sees nothing but what is contrary to the thing promised Presumption properly is the taking of a thing before it 's given or offered But in this case the Promise is given and therefore no presumption for to hold it fast There is a Two-fold Preâ—umption which you read of in Scripture One whereby men do rest upon their own Workâ— for Salvation without Christ So the Jews did and therein they presumed of mercy before it was given unto them Another whereby men do as they think or in their way rest on Christ for Salvation and yet live without Works and Obâ—dience and therein they preâ—â—me also because they take mercy â—hen it 's not given them Eâ—â— if I râ—â—l on the Promise or on Chrâ—st that I may be made the more holy doing what I can to be fruitful in every good work yet resting upon Christ for al this is no presumption Why Because I do not take mercy before it is offered and though I hold the Promise fast when I see nothing but what is contrary to the thing promised yet this is no presumption Why Because I do what 's commanded For saies the Apostle Let them that suffer according to the Will of God commâ—â— the keeping of their souls to him in well doing as unto a Faithful Creator Now Creation-Work is out of nothing it is light out of darkness Yet thus are we commanded to commit our souls unto God and therefore though al fail and
hath now brought you into this extraordinary condition then know from the Lord that it is as great a sin for you now not to trust in God for extraordinary mercy as it would have been for you not to have trusted in the Lord for ordinary deliverance in an ordinary case You know how it was with the Children of Israel they sinned greatly in the Wilderness so much that the Lord kept them out of the Land of Canaan and many of their Carkasses fel in the Wilderness what was the reason the Text tels us they did not beleeve Wherein was their Unbelief They did not trust God for meat in the Wilderness why but that had been a miracle to have Meat in the Wilderness true yet this was their Unbelief That they did not trust God for Meat in the Wilderness Again they sinned and did not trust God for Water why but it was a miracle for them to have Water in that place where no Water was naturally true yet because the Lord had led them in a way of miracles before they sinned now in that they did not trust God for miracles and it was as great a sin that they did not trust God for Miracles being led in a way of Miracles as that they did not trust God for ordinary mercies when the Lord led them in waies of ordinary mercies So I say to you If God lead you in a way of ordinaries then must you trust God for ordinaries but if ordinary means cannot be had and God have led you in a way of extraordinaries it is then a sin in you to tie God to ordinaries Are you therefore in an extraordinary case and streit know that it is no sin now to trust God for extraordinary mercy help and relief Seventhly And if after al these things your hearts fail you and you would so trust in God as that you may not be discouraged whatever your condition be then ask thine own soul these Questions First Whether there be any gain by doubting whether there is any Spiritual gain to be made by doubting Faith purifies the heart but doth doubting purifie the heart Secondly Whether there is any thing in all the World more pleasing to God than to trust the Lord in and by Jesus Christ when all Comforts are out of view and when you see nothing but what is contrary to the thing promised Thirdly Whether you must not venture upon Christ at the last and if you must venture upon Christ at the last why not now as wel as at the last When a man comes to go over a River though he ride once and again into the Water and comes out saying I fear it is too deep for me yet considering that there is no other way for him he resolves to venture for saith he the longer I stay the higher the Waters wil rise and there is no other way for me and I must through at the last as good at the first as at the last and so he doth venture through and is safe Thus it is here You must venture upon Christ at the last there is no other way but venturing upon Jesus Christ thou must do it at the last and were it not as good for you to do it at the first as at the last Surely the longer you stay the harder you wil find it to venture and the more difficulties wil arise upon the work of Beleeving You say now O! but my heart is not humbled O! but I am a great sinner and should I venture upon Jesus Christ But wil thy heart be more humbled by keeping from Christ and shalt thou be a less sinner by keeping from him No certainly but the longer you stay from Christ the harder work it wil be to venture upon Christ at the last Wherefore if there be ever a poor drooping doubting fearing trembling heart in al this Congregation know That I do here in the Name of the Lord call out to you and say O soul man or woman Venture venture venture upon Christ now for you must come to this venturing Work at the last and if ever it is true here better at the first than at the last Must you not venture upon Christ at the last and if at last why not now Thus ply and follow your own souls with these three Questions And Eighthly If you would so trust in God as that you may not be discouraged whatever your condition be Then consider frequently and seriously what a blessed thing it is for to wait on God and for God yea what a reasonable thing it is that you should wait for him and on him For He hath waited on you and for your Repentance He waited in the daies of Noah for the Repentance of the old World and he waited long 1 Pet. 3.20 a long while also hath he waited for your repentance if he had not waited long what had become of you Yea and he hath not only waited but he doth stil and wil wait to shew Mercy Esai 30.18 he waiteth to shew mercy on them that wait for his Mercy Now shal God wait for us and for our Repentance and shal not we wait for him and his Grace Ye have waited on others and do stil wait on others who is there in al the World that you deal with but you do wait upon Will ye instance in great men must you not wait long to speak with them yea though it be for their own good It 's recorded of Henry the Emperor of Germany That when he came to speak with the Pope the Pope made him and his Wife and eldest Son stand waiting three daies in the cold Winter season at his Pallace Gates before he would speak with the Emperor Wil ye instance in your Inferiors and such as are beneath you must you not wait even for them that do wait on you your Servants if you bid them do a thing you must wait til it be done and if you bid them come you must wait til they come Or wil ye instance in other Creatures Do you not wait on the Sun for Light on the Water for Coolness on the Fire for heat Now if we wait on the Creatures al the Creatures is it not reasonable that we wait on the Creator Yet further Do ye not somtimes wait on the Lusts of men yea ye have somtimes waited on your own Lusts The Adulterer waiteth for the twy-light saith Job And hâ—w often have you waited for an opportunity of sinning Now wil ye wait on Men your Inferiors other Creatures yea on the Wils and Lusts of Men and wil you not wait on the Grace of God Look when you give over waiting then may deliverance come and if it come then how wil you be filled with shame and confusion 2 Kingâ— 6. last the King said It is a vain thing to wait on God any longer And if ye look into the next Chapter at verse 1. ye shal find that deliverance came in the next words No sooner had the
them is wrought by the Spirit and Finger of God in order to mans Salvation yet out of malice do blaspheme the same But why is this Sin above all other Sins Unpardonable Quest 2 Answ Not in regard of Difficulty only or because it is hardly pardoned as some would for many Sins are hardly pardoned and yet are not the Sins against the Holy Ghost Peccatum dicitur irremissibile septem de causis vide Altissiâ—dorens Lib. 2. Tract 30. in Sent. for Zanchy doth wel observe if this Sin were only impardon because it is hardly pardoned then a mâ—n might pray for thoâ—â—â—at in this Sin but the Apostle saith There is a Sin unto 〈◊〉 I do not say that ye shall pray for it 1 John 5.16 Theâ—â—ore the impardonableness of it doth not lie here 2. Neither is it impardonable only in regard of event Because in event it shal never be pardoned for thâ—re are many Sins which in event shal never be pardoned which yet are not the Sins against the Holy Ghost There is many a wicked man that goes to Hel whose Sins in event are not pardoned and yet he did never sin against the Holy Ghost So that this Sin is not impardonable only in regard of event 3. Neither is it impardonable because it is so great as doth exceed the Power and Mercy of God for Gods Mercy and Power in forgiving sins is like himself Infinite If that be a good Argument that David useth Forgive my sin for it is wondrous great then the greatness of the Sin cannot be the only reason of the impardonableness of it There is nothing greater than that which is infinite Nunquam remittetur quod intellige regulatiter nam nec Divina potentia nec Divina miserecordia alligata est ad non remittendum spiritua blasphemiam sed secundum regâ—larem cursum eveniet non remissio quod comitem semper habet obstinationem Cajetan in Matth. 12. Dupliciter dicitur peccatum irremissibile dicitur uno quod nunquam remittetur alio dicitur irremissibile quod remitti non potest et sic non sequitur iste est similiter impenitens ergo habet peccatum irremissibile Holcot de imputabilitate peccati but Gods Mercy is Infinite 4. Neither is it impardonable because it is against the means of Pardon for then the Sin against the free Love of the Father and the Sin against the Son should be impardonable 5. Neither is it impardonable because a man doth not repent thereof for then al Sins unrepented of should be Sins against the Holy Ghost It is true That those who commit this Sin cannot repent as the Apostle speaks It is impossible that they should be renewed to repentance Heb. 6. because God doth give them up to impenitency but we do not find in Scripture that their not repenting is made the reason of the impardonableness of this Sin But the Sin is impardonable because there is no Sacrifice laid out by Gods Appointment for it If any man sin wilfully there remaineth no more Sacrifice Heb. 10. and without blood and Sacrifice there is no remission He that sinned ignorantly Numb 15. was pardoned Why Because there was a Sacrifice laid out for him but if any man sinned 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with an high hand he was to bear his own sin Why Because there was no Sacrifice laid out for him But why was there no Sacrifice for that Sin Not because the man did not repent after it but because that in the committing of that Sin he did despise the Commandement of God So now God hath declared That every Sin and Blasphemy against the Father and Son may be forgiven but if men come to that height of Sin as maliciously to oppose and blaspheme that very way and work of Gods Spirit which they have been convinced of by the Spirit then there shal be no Sacrifice for that and so no remission and pardon And thus now ye have seen what the Sin against the Holy Ghost is in what respects it is not and in what respects it is unpardonable and so the Doctrine cleered and proved That the Sin against the Holy Ghost is the impardonable Sin which shal never be forgiven neither in this world nor in the world to come The Application follows Applic. 1 If the Sin against the Holy Ghost be the Impardonable Sin Then surely the Holy Ghost is God very God true God as the Father is For can it be a greater evil or more dangerous to sin against a Creature than against God the Father It is God that is sin'd against now the Holy Ghost is sin'd against yea the Impardonable Sin is against the Holy Ghost The Socianians say That if he be a Person he must needs be God true God but ye see by this Scripture that he is joyned with the other Person of the Son so also he is joyned with the Father and the Son in Matth. 28. In whose Name we are to baptize he who hath a Name and in whose Name somthing is to be done must needs be a Person And I pray you what is proper and peculiar to a Person is not Understanding Willing and Speaking these are al given to the Spirit 1 Cor. 2.11 1 Cor. 12.11 and Rom. 8.26.27 Acts 13.2 Acts 20.23 But I need go no further than this Text here the Spirit is joyned with the Son and the Sin against the Holy Spirit is made the impardonable Sin surely therefore he is verily and truly God as the Father is Applic. 2 If this Doctrine be true then what a necessity is there upon us al to know and understand what this Sin against the Holy Ghost is for if a man have sinned this Sin we are to forbear praying for him 1 John 5.16 therefore we may know what this Sin is and we may know that another hath committed the same for how can we forbear prayer for him if we do not know and understand what this Sin is the not knowing what this Sin is makes many men fal into it before they are aware When the Laws of a Nation are written in an unknown Tongue the People break them before they are aware because they do not know them So the not knowing what this Sin is makes many a poor soul to fal into it yea the not knowing what this Sin is breeds many scruples doubts and fears in new Converts O! saith one I have sinned that great Sin against the Holy Ghost and I saith another have sinned the impardonable Sin and why but because the man doth not know what this Sin is O! what a necessity therefore is thereupon us al to know and understand what this Sin is and wherein it doth consist Applic. 3 If the Sin against the Holy Ghost be the unpardonable Sin what Mercy and what Grace is it that the Lord hath kept us from this great Sin that though ye have fallen into great and hainous sins and the Lord hath suffered you to fall into such sins
that you may be humbled yet that the Lord should keep you from this Sin this unpardonable Sin for which there is no Sacrifice nor no remission O! what Mercy and what Grace is this Object 1 But I am afraid I have sinned this Sin and the truth is I have often feared it and my reason was and is Because my sins are so great so exceeding great Answ Great say ye How great man I have sinned against my Light I have sinned against my Knowledg I have sinned against my Conviction and therefore I fear I have sinned the unpardonable Sin But I pray for Answer did not Adam sin against Light when he eat the forbidden Fruit Did he not sin against his Knowledg against Conscience yet he sin'd not against the Holy Ghost though he brought al the World under Condemnation by his Sin for the Lord himself came and preached mercy to him The Seed of the Woman shall break the Serpents head And I pray did not Jonah when he run away from God sin against his Light and did he not sin against his Conviction and against his Knowledg yet he did not sin against the Holy Ghost for the Lord pardoned him and wonderfully delivered him Possibly this therefore may be and yet not a Sin against the Holy Ghost It is true indeed that those who sin against the Holy Ghost do sin against their Light Knowledg and Conscience but whoever sins against Light and Knowledg though he sins greatly doth not sin against the Holy Ghost Object 2 O! But I fear that I have sinned this Sin for I have fallen foully into gross sins Answ That is ill But I pray did not David sin so were they not great gross and foul sins that David fel into such as one of your civil moral men would abhor yet he did not sin against the Holy Ghost for the Lord pardoned him and Nathan said from the Lord The Lord hath forgiven thee Object 3 O! But yet I fear that I have sinned this great Sin for I am much declined I have lost my former acquaintance and communion with God I have lost my former heat and affections to good and in Duty and I fear upon this account that I have sinned this great Sin Answ Be it so yet did not the Church of Ephesus lose her first Love yet this Church of Ephesus did not sin the Sin against the Holy Ghost Why For the Lord saith unto her Repent and do thy first Works she could not have repented thus if she had sinned this Sin Object 4 O! but yet I fear that I have sinned this great Sin because that I have sinned directly against the Spirit I have quenched I have grieved I have resisted the Spirit the Spirit of the Lord hath come and fallen upon my heart in preaching and I resisted and grieved it the Spirit of the Lord hath fallen upon my heart in Prayer and I have grieved that therefore I fear I have sinned this great Sin that shall never be pardoned Answ This is ill too But those that you read of in Acts 7. resisted the Holy Ghost yet they did not sin the Sin against the Holy Ghost for then Stephen would not have prayed for them And indeed Beloved if every resisting of the breathings of the Spirit and grieving of the Holy Ghost were the unpardonable Sin what godly man would be free A godly man is more properly said to grieve the Spirit than a wicked man If an Enemy strike you you are angry if your Friend strike you ye are grieved If a wicked man strike at God he is angry with him if a godly man strike at God God is angry and his Spirit is grieved because he is a Friend Grieve not the Spirit of God whereby ye are sealed unto the day of Redemption So that thus far possibly a man may go and yet not sin this Unpardonable Sin Object 5 But I am afraid that I have sinned this great Sin the Sin against the Holy Ghost because I have not owned but denied the Truth the Work of the Spirit is to enlighten and to lead into Truth and I have not owned but denied the Truth rather therfore I fear that I have sinned this great Sin against the Holy Ghost Answ This is evil very evil I remember a Speech of Godteschalchus worthy to be written in Letters of Gold Timeo veritatem negare quia metuo à veritate negari I am afraid said he to deny the Truth lest I should be for ever denied by the Truth that is Christ But I pray did not Peter deny the Truth when he denied Christ and did he not do it again and again and did he not do it openly with Scandal and did he not do it after Admonition and did he not do it with Cursing and Swearing and yet he did not sin against the Holy Ghost for the Lord pardoned and took him into his bosom and made him a blessed Instrument in the Church Thus far yet a man may go possibly and yet not sin this Sin Object 6 O! But I am afraid yet that I have sinned it for I have been an Opposer of Goodness I have been an Opposer of the People of God and I have been a blasphemer therefore I fear I have sinned this Sin Answ This is ill indeed But I pray tel me Was not Paul an Opposer and Blasphemer of the Saints and Waies of God and yet he did not sin against the Holy Ghost for I did it ignorantly saith he I was a Blasphemer and a Persecutor but I obtained mercy for I did it ignorantly Object 7 O! But I have sinned and I have done it maliciously and therefore I fear I have sinned this same dreadful Sin Answ This is yet worser But what mean you by that word Maliciously Peccatum ex malitia quandoque dicitur peccatum ex habitu puta quando ex malo habitu quis est intemperatus vel gulosus et sic non loquimur in proposito alio modo dicitur quod procedit ex passione tamen deliberate et scienter puta si quis invideat c. nec sic loquimu◠in proposito sed vocatur peccatum ex malitia proprie quando movetur quis non ex habitu nec passione nec ignorantia sed ex mera libertate voluntatis Sc. quod sic placet et hoc modo dicitur peccatum in spiritum sanctum Aureol in Lib. 2. Sent. Dist 43. Art 1. A man may be said to sin ex malitia or maliciously three waies saith Aureolus Either because he sins from some evil habit and so al wicked men sin yet they do not al sin against the Holy Ghost Or because a man sins out of anger passion or evil wil against another so Paul sin'd when he persecuted the Church of God he was carried out with a malicious spirit against the Saints and People of God yet he did not sin against the Holy Ghost Or else because a man is moved to sin not
out of any evil habit passion or ignorance but meerly from the liberty of his own wil because it pleaseth him and because he doth hate that which his own Conviction tels him is right and good Now have you sin'd thus Surely no for then you would not be troubled about it but be wel pleased with it Obj. 8. O! But yet I fear I have sinned this great Sin for I have forsaken God and God hath forsaken me God is gone Christ is gone and Mercy is gone O! what freedom once I had but now God is departed from me God hath forsaken me and I fear it is upon this account Because I have sinned this great Sin Ans But doth not David say How long O Lord wilt thou forget me forsake me And our Savior himself saith My God my God why hast thou forsaken me There is a gradual forsaking and there is a total As with a man that goes from his house possibly he goâ—s a Voyage or is from home a quarter half a yeer or a yeer but he doth not leave his House for his Wiâ—e his Children and Goods are there stil But another man goes awâ—y from his House the House is let and he carries away al his Goods this is a total departure the other gradual So now it is with the Lord he doth somtimes forsake his own Childrâ—n for a time but he doth not pul down his Hangings or carry away his Goods he doth not go away but returns again this is gradual But there is a total forsaking of a man and then he givâ—s him up to his Sin Now this is not the burden that you lie under for if God had thus forsaken you you would be given up to your Sins and you would give up your selves unto â—l Uncleanness Object 9 O! But I am afraid yet that I am under the worst forsaking and that therefore I have sinned this great Sin for I do lie despairing saying God is gone and Mercy gone I am in the dark O! I despair I despair and upon this account I fear I have sinned this great Sin the Sin against the Holy Ghost Answ For Answer You know what Heman said I remember God and am troubled O Lord saith he all thy waves are gone over my head the waves of thy wrath are gone over my head and yet a Pen-man of Scripture Aretius tels us of a certain man in his time It is no feigned story saith he but I saw the man with my own Eyes one that had been a most vile and desperate Sinner a Drunkard a Swearer a Wanton a Gamester and so he continued to his gray hairs but at the last it pleased God to set his Sins in order before him and the man was so troubled in Conscience that he threw himself down upon the ground calling unto Satan to take him away provoking Satan to take him away Devil take thy own I am thy own take thy own whereupon saith Aretius prayer was made for him Christians prayed they fasted and prayed they prayed night and day and it pleased God at last this poor man revived converted to God lived a godly life and died comfortably So that it is not an easy thing saith he to pronounce what the Sin against the Holy Ghost is But now whosoever you are that have labored under this fear as indeed this fear I know hath oppressed many give me leave to ask you four or five short Questions The First is Whether canst thou not find in thy heart to forgive men that do trespass against thee Do not you find a disposition in your own heart to forgive others Yes I praise the Lord that I do Now if you can find in your heart to forgive others I am sure God can find in his heart to forgive you and therefore you have not sinned this great sin which is unpardonable Secondly Whether I or no have you ever opposed the waies of God the People of God and that out of malice No I confess I have opposed them but the Lord knows I did it ignorantly it was not out of malice then remember the description of this Sin Thirdly VVhether I or no do not you desire to be humbled for every Sin though it be never so smal Yes for though I know that my greatest Humiliation cannot placare Deum make an attonement for my Sin yet I know that the least Humiliation in truth doth placere Deo please God and it is my Duty to be humbled for every sin for the least sin is a great evil and he that commands Humiliation for the one commands it for the other also and through Grace I desire to be humbled for every sin why then you cannot have sin'd against the Holy Ghost for it is impossible that they that sin this Sin should be renewed to Repentance Fourthly Whether I or no do not you desire above all things the breathings of the Spirit of God upon your heart Yes O! that God would come and breath upon my poor soul in Duty But those that sin against the Holy Ghost do despight to the Spirit of Grace Hebrews 10. Fiftly Where do you find in al the Bible That those that sin this Sin against the Holy Ghost are afraid that they have sinned it those that sin against the Holy Ghost are never afraid that they have sinned against the Holy Ghost This alone satisfied Mistriss Drake a Woman much troubled in Conscience she was afraid she had sinned against the Holy Ghost Mr. Dod of blessed Memory came to her and told her That therefore she had not sinned the Sin against the Holy Ghost Because she feared she had sinned it for those that sin the Sin against the Holy Ghost are never afraid that they have sinned it and she acknowledged it did satisfie her and she was thereupon comforted Now therefore where is the man or woman that hath labored under such a fear as this O! I have sinned this unpardonable Sin Art thou one that fearest thou hast sinned it I tel thee from the Lord thou art free from it and thou maist go home and say thus Though I have sinned much for which the Lord humble me yet I bless God I am kept from this great Sin And O! my beloved what a mercy is it That among all the sins that we have committed That yet we should be kept from this great Sin The greater the evil is the greater is the mercy to be kept from it Now I pray What is the misery of this Sin Is it not a great misery to be past Prayer to be thrown out of the Prayers of the Saints For such a one pray not saith the Apostle Is it not a great misery for a man to be beyond the line of Mercy a man that hath sinned this Sin against the Holy Ghost is worser Spiritually than a man that is sick of the Plague outwardly for if a man be sick of the Plague ye pray for him and say Lord have mercy upon him but if a
man have sinned this Sin he is past Prayer and past Pardon he is past Sacrifice the truth is this man is in the Devils case The Devil you know is reserved in Chains unto the great Day and he cannot get out So if a man hath sinned this Sin though he live ten yeers twenty yeers or thirty yeers he is reserved in Chains and he shal never be pardoned he is upon the Devils ground O! what a misery is it to commit this Sin O! what a mercy is it then to be kept from it Now here is Hope for the greatest Sinner in the Congregation upon this account saith our Savior All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men except the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost Hast thou therefore been a great Sinner Hast thou been a Drunkard Hast thou been a Wanton Hast thou been a Swearer Hast thou been an Opposer of the People of the Lord and hath the Lord kept thee from this great transgression Man or Woman here is Hope yet Who would not then turn to God Come Drunkard Swearer Wanton here is yet hope for thy soul who would not come in to Christ And O! What Comfort is here for Beleevers that are in Christ If thou beest in Christ and a Beleever thou canst not sin this Sin that look as it is with a man that hath sinned this Sin he cannot be pardoned so if a man be the Child of God a Beleever in Christ he cannot sin this Sin for he that is born of God sinneth not neither can he for the Seed of God abides in him O! you that are Beleevers comfort your selves with this Truth Here is Comfort for all the People of the Lord from this Doctrine Applic. 4 But in the fourth place If the Sin against the Holy Ghost be indeed the unpardonable Sin what cause have we al to look to our steps to our words to our actions Beloved this Sin against the Holy Ghost is the Professors Sin a man less than a Professor cannot sin this Sin against the holy Ghost this Sin against the holy Ghost is the knowing mans sin a man less than a knowing man cannot sin the Sin against the holy Ghost And as I said before a man may possibly go very far in sin and yet not commit this great unpardonable Sin So now on the other side I say Possibly a man may go very far in Religion and yet he may sin this Sin These Pharisees that committed it had the Key of Knowledg knowing they were and very knowing in the Scriptures as for Zeal they travelled Sea and Land to make a Proselyte for their Practice they fasted twice a week exceeding strict in observing the Sabboth day the Lights of the Church and the Eyes of all the People were upon them for their Guides and yet these men sinned this Sin against the Holy Ghost O! what care should there be in al our souls how had we al need to look to our waies The more Truth revealed the more danger of sinning this Sin the more great Works of God are done by the very Spirit and Finger of God if men do oppose and blaspheme the more danger of sinning this great Sin Now I wil appeal to you When was there ever more Light revealed than in these daies of ours yet when more opposing and blaspheming of it When were there ever such great Works done by the very Spirit and Finger of God and yet when more opposing and blaspheming Are there not some that have been convinced that the Spirit of God breathed upon their hearts in such and such Ordinances and such and such Waies and yet now oppose and blaspheme those very waies of God wherein they said heretofore they had the Spirit of God Are there not some that are convinced that in these Times great things are done by the very Finger by the Power and Arm of God among us and that in order to our salvation and yet how do men speak against them and blaspheme I wil not say that these men do it out of malice and therefore I do not charge this Sin against the Holy Ghost upon them But beloved in the Lord this is certain That in knowing Times Times when God is doing great things by his own Finger then is this Sin stirring most The Times of Christ and of the Apostles were Times of great Light when God wrought by his own Finger then was this Sin committed Now in these Times there is much breaking forth of Light and great things done by the very Finger of God therefore I say there is great danger if men do now blaspheme wherefore I say again take heed to your souls you that are Professors look to your steps in these daies of ours Quest But you wil say We grant indeed that this Sin against the Holy Ghost is the unpardonable Sin and wo be to them that do fal into it and it cannot be committed but by a knowing man but what shall we do that we may be kept from this great Transgression that whatsoever sin we do fall into yet we may be kept from this great Evil and this unpardonable Sin Answ I would that you would mind and consider the Description which you have heard and think of it But I wil tel you what David did saith David O Lord keep back thy Servant from presumptuous sins so shall I be free from the great transgression It seems then that presumptuous sinning makes way to this great Transgression When is a man said to sin presumptuously When a man sins upon this score That God wil shew mercy to him saying I know indeed it is not good for me to go to such a wicked Company it is a sin so to do but I wil venture and repent afterwards for God wil shew mercy To venture upon a sin presuming that God wil shew mercy and that a man shal repent afterwards is presumption and presumptuous sinning makes way to this great Transgression therefore would you be kept from this great Transgression go to God with David and say O Lord keep back thy Servant from presumptuous sins so shall I be free from the great transgression Again Be alwaies humbled for lesser sins He shal never fal into the greatest that is alwaies humbled for the least he shal never fall into the worst that is alwaies humbled for the smallest Besides Fear is the Keeper of Innocency Timor innocentiae custos Fear is the Guard of Innocency If you alwaies fear to commit it you shal never commit the same In case that you do at any time fal into sin say Well but through the Grace of God though I commit what is evil I wil never oppose what is good by the Grace of God I wil carry this Rule along with me Though I commit what is evil I wil never oppose what is good In case any great Work be done before you that lies beyond your reach and beyond your fatham say Though I do not understand
Lavamini mundi estote Esa 1. Lavatur et mundus est qui et preterrita plangit et iterum non admittit lavatur et non est mundus qui plangit quod gessit nec descrit sed post lachrimas stenda haec quae sleverat repetit August Ser 66. de tempore and then fall into that very sin which they repented of they do sin against Light yea it is a kind of repenting of ones Repentance for as when a man hath gone on iâ— a sinful way and doth return unto God he doth then repent of his sin so when a man hath gone on in a good way and doth return to his sin then he doth as it were repent of his Repentance when God pardoneth a man he saith Go and sin no more do I therefore return unto the same sin then am I most unthankful dis-ingenuous and disobedient yea it is exceedingly displeasing unto the Lord for a man to fal into the same sin again and again ye shal observe therefore That although the Lord pardoned the Children of Israel that great sin of Idolatry in the matter of the Golden Calf yet in reference to the Land of Promise he did not pardon their Unbelief and murmuring for they entered not into Canaan Why Because of their Unbelief saith the Apostle Now if you look into Numb 14.19 you shal find that Moses prayed Pardon I beseech thee O Lord the iniquity of this People according to the greatness of thy mercy and as thou hast forgiven this People from Egypt even till now And the Lord said I have pardoned according to thy word But as truly as I live all the Earth shall be filled with the Glory of the Lord. At ver 22. Because all these men which have seen my Glory and my Miracles which I did in Egypt and in the Wilderness and have tempted me now these ten times and have not hearkened to my voyce surely they shal not see the Land which I sware to give unto their Fathers Though I pardon them saith God they shal never come into Canaan the Land of Rest that I have promised Why Because they have sinned these ten times murmuring again and again and again so that it is exceedingly displeasing unto the Lord for a man to fal into the same sin again and again But yet I say it is possible that a good man and true Disciple of Christ may fal into the same sin again and again It was a sin for them thus to sleep when our Savior had commanded them to watch and pray but they slept again and again Look I pray you it to Job 19. and see what Job saith concerning his friends These ten times saith bâ— at verse 3. have ye reproached me yet are ye not ashamed It is an evil thing to reproach a man it is worser to reproach a godly man it is yet worser to reproach a godly man under Affliction and to afflict the afflicted but to reproach a man ten times this is evil indeed yet saith Job These ten times have ye reproached me and yet Job's Friends were godly Possibly then a good man may fal into the same sin again and again ten times that is very often And you know how it was with Abraham the Father of the Faithful you read in Genesis 12. that when he was driven by reason of Famine into Egypt he desired his Wife Sarah to say that she was his Sister which indeed was no lye but his sin of Unbelief and very evil for thereby he put his Wife upon a great Temptation he was reproved for it as you read in the Chapter yet if you look into the 20. Chapter you shal find that he was at the same work again And Abraham journeyed towards the South Country and Abraham said at ver 2. of Sarah his Wife she is my Sister And so also if you look into 2. Chron. 19. you shal find it was thus with that good King Jehosaphat complying too much with the King of Israel for which he is reproved at verse 2. And Jehu went out to meet him and said to King Jehosaphat shouldest thou help the ungodly and love them that hate the Lord therfore is wrath upon thee from before the Lord yet if you look into the 20. Chapter you shal find that he fals into the same sin again And Eliazar prophesied against Jehosaphat saying at the last verse Because thou hast joyned thy self with Ahaziah the Lord hath broken thy works and the Ships were broken that they were not able to go to Tarshish Jehosaphat a good man yet he fals into the same sin again So that I shal not need to spend longer time in this it is too apparent Possibly a good man a true Disciple of Christ may fal into the same Sin again and again That is the First Secondly Though a man do fall into the same Sin again and again yet it may be but an Infirmity For the opening and cleering of this we must consider what a Sin of Infirmity is and what is the true notion of it which being cleered the Truth proposed wil Naturally fal into your bosom Properly therefore a Sin of Infirmity is that sin which doth rather arise from want of strength to resist than from wil to commit else it should be wickedness and not weakness But in Scripture Phrase it is called a weakness as here in this Chapter The Spirit is willing but the Flesh is weak and Rom. 6.19 I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity or weakness of your flesh And therefore It must be in one that hath Spiritual Life You do not say that a stone is infirm or weak Why Because a stone hath no life in it infirmity is a defect in one that hath life And I say it doth arise not from wilfulness but want of strength to resist Now this want of strength to resist doth either arise from some Natural cause which one cannot avoid of which Paul speaks in Rom. 7.19 The good that I would I do not but the evil which I would not that I do and why so he gives the reason at verse 21. I find then a Law that when I would do good evil is present with me and verse 23. I find a Law in my Members fighting against the Law of my Mind and leading me captive c. Or else it doth arise from some present distemper and that either in the Mind and Judgment and then it is called an Error Who knoweth the Errors of his Life Psal 19. Heb. 3.2 Or else this distemper doth arise from some present passion fear or the like whereby a man is hurried into evil and then he is said to be overtaken Gal. 6.1 So that when a man is alive unto God and doth commit a Sin for want of strength to resist then he is said to sin out of infirmity First Therfore if you ask The sins whereinto the godly falleth are not presumptuous but are ordinarily of weakness
if you ask him the reason saying such and such men are of your Trade and they wil spend their shilling with us and their time with us why wil not you do as they He answers presently True they do so and they may do so their Estate wil bear it but as for me my Stock is smal very little therefore I may not do as they do but I must be diligent and a good Husband I am but a yong Beginner and have little skil in the Trade therefore it behoves me to be diligent his very weakness is the cause of his diligence So here the more infirmities that a gracious soul labors under the more diligent he will be and if you ask him Why do you take so much pains in following the means and the like He answers Alas I am a poor weak Creature such and such an one there is that hath an excellent memory all that ever he reads or hears is his own but my memory is naught my head and heart is naught and therefore by the Grace of God I wil take the more pains in following after Christ Thus his very infirmity is a provocation unto al his diligence The Gibeonites served the Israelites and were hewers of wood and drawers of water for them Why but because the Gibeonites were at an under So now if your very sins be drawers of water servants and hand-maids to your Graces it argues that your sins are at an under and being so they are weak and but sins of infirmity if they be not gross foul and scandalous Sins Answ 10 Infirmity doth constantly keep a mans heart low down and humble Datus est mihi stimulus carnis ne extollar inquit Paulus o venenum quod non curatur nisi veneno caput caedebatur ne caput extolleretur o Antidotum quasi quod de serpente conficitur et propterea theriacum dicitur August de verbis Apost Serm. 3. If one have an infirmity in his speech he wil not be so forward to speak as others are but being conscious of his own infirmity he is alwaies low and afraid to speak So spiritually There are two sorts of sins that men do commit some are foul gross and scandalous sins other are weaknesses and infirmities those that fal into great and gross sins wil be much troubled much trouble and sorrow they do meet with presently in case they repent but those that lâ—e under a constant infirmity are constantly kept low and humble thereby Do you therefore complain of your sin and would you know of what sort of sins it is Why if it be not a gross and scandalous sin and thy heart be kept constantly low thereby then without doubt it is no other than this sin of infirmity For though God could have wholly delivered his People from the filth of Sin as wel as from the guilt of it and as wel from lesser sins as from great and scandalous yet he hath left these infirmities and weaknesses in the hearts and lives of his People that they may be constantly humbled in themselves and prize Christ the more And if this be the manner of an infirmity then surely a good man a true Disciple of Christ may possibly fal into the same Sin again and again and yet the sin be but a sin of Infirmity Which was the Second thing proposed to be cleered by us Quest But suppose that my sin be no other than a Sin of Infirmity what then Answ The Third Particular answers you Then your sin being but an infirmity Christ wil never leave you for it nor cast you off for it but if you sleep he wil waken you and if you sleep again he wil waken you again and if you yet sleep again he wil come again with his wakening mercy and wil never cast you off for it O! what sweet Grace is this Quest Is there no evil then in this Sin of Infirmity Answ Yes much very much For though it be a drawer of water to your Grace yet it is a Gibeonite a Native a Canaanite that wil upon al occasions be ready to betray you and to open the door unto greater Theeves and wil alwaies be a thorn and good in your sides and though it do not put out your light yet it is a thief in your Candle which may smare out much of your Comfort and blemish your Duty Ye know how it is with a good writing Pen if there be a smal hair in it though the hair be never so little a thing yet if it be not pulled out it wil blot and blemish the whol writing somtimes So may this Sin of Infirmity do your whol Duty may be blotted and blemished by this smal hair and although God can and doth make use of your infirmities for to keep your Graces yet they are but your Lees and Dregs whereas your Graces should be all refined the Word of God is as Gold refined seven times your Ordinances are refined Ordinances refifined by the hand of Reformation your Comforts and Mercies and Priviledges are refined Mercies Priviledges and Comforts surely therefore your Graces should be refined Graces and your Duties refined Duties When Christ shall sit as a Refiner and Purifier of Silver he shal purifie the Sons of Levi as Gold and Silver and then shall the Offerings of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant unto the Lord Malach. 3.3.4 O! what an evil thing therefore is it for a man to be unrefined Is it not an evil thing to be burdensom unto others By your sin though it be but an infirmity you may be a burden to others for the Apostle speaking of Infirmities Gal. 6.1.6 saith Bear ye one anothers burden And ye that are strong ought to bear the Infirmities of the weak Rom. 14.1 And although Christ wil not cast you off for a Sin of Infirmity yet you may provoke him thereby to chide you and to be angry with you the unbelief of the Disciples was but their infirmity yet Christ did upbraid them because of their unbelief The Remisness and loss of first Love in the Church of Ephesus is by Christ called a Somwhat Nevertheless I have somwhat against thee and yet Christ threatens her that he wil for this somwhat come against her quickly and remove her Candle-stick if she did not repent and Revel 2.16 the Lord Christ threatens the Church of Smyrna that unless she repented he would come unto her quickly yet he saith not to her I have many things but a few things against thee or if you wil for the word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I have some smal or little things against thee So that although your sin be not of so great a bulk as others yet you may provoke Christ thereby and he may be angry and chide you for it Thus here he did chide the Disciples yet their sin was but a Sin of Infirmity Surely therefore there is evil and much evil in the Sin though it be but a Sin of Infirmity Thirdly
of God that are unsetled in the Truth These things write I unto thee saith Paul to Timothy that thou mayest know how to behave thy self in the House of God which is the Church of the living God the Pillar and Ground of Truth Yea every Member of a Church should be a Pillar in the House of God So the Lord promiseth to the Church of Philadelphia Surely therefore it is matter of great Importance for a Church and people of God to be setled and established But Thirdly and especially It is a great Mercy and Blessing for a particular soul to be setled in the Truth and established in the good Waies of God It 's a good thing saith the Apostle that the heart be established with Grace not with Meats which have not profited them that have been exercised therein Possibly a mans heart may be comforted and strengthâ—ned with Meats Psal 104.15 it 's said And Wine that maketh glad the heart of man and Bread which strengtheneth mans heart Where the same word is used by the Septuagint that is here used in the Text. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Septuag But the Apostle Paul doth relate to the Ceremonial Law for the Jews converted to Christ Judaei ad Christum conversi supâ—â—stitiosius inhaerebant observationi legalium ceremoniarum cumprimis discriâ—â—ini ciborum a Moyse prescripto illis haec sententià est opposita Gerrard in loc were too superstitiously addicted to the observation of Legal Ceremonies especially those which concerned Meats and difference of Meats Rom. 14.2 Col. 2.16 and to those is this Speech opposed It is good that the heart be established with Grace as if he should say some think to find Establishment in the observation of Meats and Doctrines for the Jewish Ceremonies but the best Establishment is in the Doctrine of the Gospel Quidam in genere intelligunt interna et Spiritualia Dei dona quibus homines sanctificantur quidam doctrinam Christianam side susceptam Gratiam Christianismi ut sit sensus firmitatem et stabilimentum cordis quaerendum esse in gratia Dei quam N. T. mediator Christus attulit non in observatione ciborum quam Moses tradidit Ibid. and the Grace of God revealed in the Gospel Some think that by Grace here we are to understand Holiness and those Spiritual Gifts whereby men are Sanctified But having said in the former words Be not carried about with divers and strange Doctrines these words seâ—m to comply and correspond better with them if by Grace we understand the Doctrine of the New Testament from which the Galatians are said to fall Ye are fallen from Grace when they returned to the Law But in both respects it is a good or beautiful thing that the heart be established with Grace For It is the ground of all our Fruitfulness Ye know how it is with a Tree or Plant thâ—ugh in it self it be never so good yet if it be not setled in the Earth it bringeth forth no Fruit If the Plant be good and the Soyl good it may bring forth good Fruit but if you be alwaies removing it from one place to another it cannot bring forth Fruit. And what is the reason that many are so unfruitful in their lives but because they are so unsetled in their hearts and Judgments The Tree that is planted by the Waters side brings forth Fruit in its season Psal 1. But as for the Ungodly it is not so with them They are as the Chaff that brings forth no Fruit whom the wind drives to and fro And the Truth is an unsetled man is neither fit to receive good nor to do good So long as the Vessel is moved up and down ye cannot pour the Liquor into it and who can write exactly when his arm is jogged Can any man walk exactly in a crowd which one while carrieth him this way and anoâ—her while that way No surely Neither can an unsetled unestablished heart walk exactly with the Lord his God It is the bottom of al our Praises The Birds do not ordinarily sing til they be set they do not usually sing flying but when they are fixed then they begin to sing So saith David My heart is fixed O God my heart is fixed and what then then saith he I will sing and give praise but not til then and what is the reason that many pass â—o many yeers of their lives in doubtings and fears never praising God for any love or Mercy to them but because they are unsetled in their Spiritual Estate and Condition It is the beginning of our Perseverance Then I begin to persevere when I begin to settle and to established as Instability is the beginning of Apostacy so Settledness is the beginning of Perseverance It is that good thing which pleaseth God exceedingly God was so pleased with Jehosaphat upon that account that he passed by and winked at al his Infirmities even because his heart was fixed and established 2 Chron. 19.2 the Prophet reproves him for joyning with the Ungodly Nevertheless saith he there are good things found in thee in that thou hast taken away the Groves out of the Land and hast prepared thine heart So ye read it but I think rather And hast fixed established or set thine heart to seek God On the contrary it 's said of Rehoboam though he did many good things That he did evil in the sight of the Lord because he prepared not or because he fixed not established not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Niphal 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Paratus sâ—mus stabilis qui nec everti nec impediri qucat in Pirl et Hiphil paravit preparavit sinnavit confirmavit stabilivit includit firmitatem et certitudinem Shindlerg set not his heart to seek God 2 Chron. 12.14 it is the same word which we translate Establish in other Scriptures as Psal 40.2 He hath set my feet upon a Rock and established my goings and it notes such a fixation and settlement whereby a man doth so continue in his way and course that he wil not be put out of it This Rehoboam wanted for he was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a soft hearted man naturally and though he did many things that were right and good yet he was led by the Counsel of his yong men and his heart was not set and fixed to seek the Lord but Jehosaphat was of a stedfast Spirit and would not be put out of his way and therefore though he did some things amiss yet the Lord commends him and accepts of him So that although a man do many good things yet if his heart be not fixed and established the Lord will pass by and not regard the same But though a man do commit great evils yet if his heart be set to seek the Lord God wil pardon and pass by al his Failâ—ngs O! Cur quaeso in tanta multitudine valoâ—um ne naum quidem vitreum reperituâ— diâ—â—s quod cum facile frangâ—tur est symbolum inconstantiae quam
Deity was the Word of Christs Patience Therâ— is alwaies some Truth or other the profession and owning whereof saith here is the Patience of the Saints Now if the Churches keep that word and overcome in the keeping of it the Lord Christ wil make every Member of them as a Pillar in the Temple of God that shal go no more out In case any Difficulty or Trouble do arise in a Church which is beyond their own Light and Strength they must cal in the help of other Churches For when there was such a knot as the Church of Antioch could not untie they sent to the Church and Apostles at Jerusalem Acts 15.16 who having setled the Matter they sent the result and Decrees unto other Churches concerned whereby they had Peace and Establishment But especially it is the Duty of al the Churches to pray and pray much for this great Mercy of Establishment for the Lord hath said Esai 62.6 Ye that make mention of the Lord keep not silence and give him no rest till he establish and make Jerusalem a praise in the Earth Such a time as this there is a coming we are commanded to pray and to pray earnestly for it and the Lord hath not only promised the Mercy but to give hearts to pray for it for saith he I have set Watch-men upon thy walls O Jerusalem which shal never hold their peace day nor night wherefore let us give him no rest So shal the Churches have rest and be established Thirdly As for Particular Persons Would'st thou be established in the Truth and good Waies of God Then observe what those things are which do make others unsetled and take heed thereof In case a man doth decay or break in his Estate some great Merchant Tradesman or Farmer break you wil diligently look into the causes of it and say this man lived at too high a rate beyond his Estate or he was bound for others or he kept ill Company or he did not keep his Accounts wel and therefore I wil take heed of these things Now wil ye observe the Causes of an outward Break and wil ye not observe what are the Reasons that so many are unsetled break and decay in the Trade of their souls Surely 1. Either it is because they do want primitive breakings for the stony Ground comes to nothing at the last though it hath much joy at the first because it wants depth of Earth The stick that is thrust into the Earth is more easily pulled up than the Plant which is rooted in the Earth So are al those who have no root in themselves 2. Or because they take up great Resolutions withouâ— answerable pre-deliberations whereas we know that the Needle must play about the Polar Point before it comes to stand and sâ—ttle he that would hit the mark must take his level before he parts with his Arrow And if men resolve before they have fully considered they wil ere long be unresolved again 3. Or because men do not walk by a setled Rule â—e can never be setled that doth not walk by a setled Rule A mans own thoughts and apprehensions are unsetled things the Hebrew word for Thoughts 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cogitationes quae in corde sunt sicut ramus in arbore hinc inde diffusus comes from a Root which signifies to move as the tops of Trees because as the tops of the Trees waver and are in continual motion so are our Thoughts and Apprehensions But the Word of the Lord is setled as the Heavens Psal 119. Thy Word is for ever setled in Heaven So long as I want the Divine Counsel of the Word my heart is like a Vagrant that is most unstable said Bernard for whilst I am not subject to God I am contrary to my self 4. Or because they are divided in their own hearts a double minded man is unstable in al his Waies saith the Apostle and when men have an heart and an heart 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an heart for the World yet a good mind to Christ how is it possible but thâ—y should be most unsetled 5. Or because they are too confident of their own strength and Judgment whereas the only way to be firm and stedfast is to be sensible of ones own Infirmity We read of a two-fold Confidence in Peter a Confidence in Christ and a Confidence in his own strength when he was confident in Christ saying Master if it be thou command that I come unto thee he did not miscarry but when he was confident in his own strength saying Lord though all men forsake thee yet will not I then he sel and fel fouly Hold thou me up said the Psalmist and I shall be safe Psal 119.119 and I will have respect unto thy Statutes continually But if men lean to their own Understanding are confident of their own strength and think that they are able to deal with al gain-sayers and so wil try al things God leaves them to their own Opinions and they scrabble upon the door and do change their behavior 6. Or because men do forsake the Ministry which Christ hath given to the Churches for their Edification Perfection and Establishment Ephes 4.11 12 13 14.7 Or because they have too fair an Opinion of those that are erroneous thinking that they may be Godly though they be never so unsound in their Judgments whereby they are drawn into Society and Communion with them and so fal from their own stedfastness whereas the Apost e â—els us of the error of the wicked 2 Pet. 3.17 and that men may be wicked upon the account of their errors in Judgment James 5.19 20. Bâ—â—thren if any of you do err from the Truth and one convert him let him know that he which converteâ—h a sinner from thâ— Eâ—ror of his way shal save a Soul from death and shal hide a multitude of sins And our Lord and Savior Christ calling upon us to beware of Falâ—e Prophets Matth. 7 15. tels us That they are corrupt Trees and cannot bring forth good Fruit verse 16 17 18. As if he should say if you would take heed and beware of them you must know them and not think that they are good men for if you think that they may be good notwithstanding their Errors in Doctrine you wil be mis-led by them and removed from your stedfastness 8. Or because that men do not improve their Christian Communion for the Life and Power of Godliness but for Light only and Discoursing Notions whereas the Apostle Paul writing to Timothy saith Keep that which is committed to thy trust avoiding oppositions of Science falsly so called which some professing have erred concerning the Faith 1 Tim. 6.20 21. And what is the reason that not only some but many have now erred concerning the Faith and have fallen from their stedfastness but because they have been thus affected 9. Or because they have not been built on the Rock Christ but on some
the time of his Liberty he was loose in the time of his Imprisonment he was sullen and when he was at the Stake he was mad with horror of Conscience mad O! but true saving Faith wil not flinch and give in at last The three Children did not only come to the Fire but rid out the storm But I say no more in this only thus Seventhly Though a wicked man may suffer much and that upon the account of his Religion yet he doth not bring forth the quiet fruit of Righteousness but true saving Faith doth it suffers and brings forth the quiet fruit of Righteousness So that now you see by al this that it is Faith alone it is true saving Faith and Faith alone that wil carry a man through Sufferings But then Quest Thirdly You wil say How and by what means can Faith do this What is there in Faith to do it to carry a man through hard things and through all Sufferings although they be never so great Answ 1 First It is the work of Faith to make a man resign and give up his wil to the wil of God and when a man can do so what may he not suffer Answ 2 Secondly It is the work of Faith the proper work of Faith to cleave close unto the Commandement of God True Satan I am an unworthy Creature but God hath commanded me to beleeve True I am a great Sinner but God hath commanded me to beleeve Faith doth peremptorily stick unto the Commandement and it leaves God to answer unto the Objections and Inconveniences that follow upon his Obedience to the Commandement it leaves that to God By Faith Abraham when he was called to go out obeyed not knowing whether he should go Now when a man can do this what may he not suffer Answ 3 Thirdly It is the proper Work of Faith to close with the Gospel whereby the Soul doth receive the fulness of the Spirit the Promise of the Father Now when a mans heart is filled with the Spirit of God what may he not suffer Pray do but consider the Apostles after that the Spirit came upon them you know they would suffer any thing though it were never so great before the Spirit came upon them though they had the Personal presence of Christ they could not suffer any thing though it was never so smal Now Faith doth close with the Promise of the Gospel whereby the Soul doth receive the Spirit of God the Promise of the Father Answ 4 Fourthly It is the proper Work of Faith to look upon the recompence of Reward By Faith Moses had an Eye to the recompence of Reward and so chose Affliction with the People of God Saith our Savior to his Disciples Let not your hearts be troubled How so Lord Saith he I go to prepare a place for you In my Fathers House there are many Mansions Faith shews one the Glory and the Joyes of Heaven and when a man sees those things what may he not suffer Answ 5 Fiftly The more that a man can see the hand of God as a Father upon the Rod the more able he wil be to suffer and the more cheerful Ye bring a Child to School and he sees the School hung with Rods in every corner a Rod and the Child is afraid but if his Fathers House be set with Rods the Child is not afraid in his Fathers House Now Faith true savâ—ng Faith wil shew one the hand of a Father upon the Rod. The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away saith Faith I was dumb and opened not my mouth for thou Lord hast done it saith Faith Answ 6 Sixtly The more a man can see to the end of his Affliction and Suffering the more able he wil be to go through it Now Faith tels a man that there is an end No temptation saith the word of Faith hath befallen you but what is common and with the Temptation there is an out-let there is a door a door in the Ark although the door may be under water and the out-let may be under water Faith doth not only tel a man that there is an end but that the end shal be good and al shal work together for his good yea it tels a man that his affliction shall be but for a moment and that moment shal be recompenced with abundance of Comfort Psal 30. ver 5. For his Anger endureth but a moment in his Favor is Life Weeping may endure for a night but Joy cometh in the morning So also in Isa 54. verse 7. For a smal moment have I forsaken thee but with great mercy will I gather thee In a little Wrath I hid my Face from thee for a moment but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee saith the Lord thy Redeemer Faith tels us this Now when a man knows and considers this what may he not suffer Answ 7 Seventhly It is the proper work of Faith to look on both sides of the Dispensation there is a dark side and there is a light side in Affliction and Suffering Sence and Reason looks only on the dark side but Faith looks to both sides of the Dispensation It is written of Mr. Latimer the blessed Martyr that when he was to go to the Stake taking leave of his fellow Prisoners saith he Be of good Comfort O my Friends and Brethren for though we go to the Stake to day and be burnt to Fire we shal light such a Candle in England as shal never be put out we shal make such a Fire in England to day as shal never be quenched he saw both sides of the Dispensation because he beleeved Faith wil shew one both sides of the Dispensation Answ 8 Eightly It is the proper Work of Faith to see one contrary in another or through another it wil see the Smiles of God in the midst of Frowns it wil see Love in the midst of Anger it will see Order in the midst of Confusion it wil see Mercy in the midst oâ— Misery it wil see a door of Hope in the Valley of Achor Faith it looks upon things with the Prospective of the Promise and the Promise speaks on this wise in Deut. 32. verse 36. saith the Lord there The Lord shall judg his People and repent himself for his Servants when he sees that their power is gone and there is none shut up or left Faith I say sees one contrary in another or beyond another and when a man can do so what may he not suffer And Answ 9 Ninthly and lastly If God do engage to help and succor in afflictions and if the Lord do count himself engaged to succor deliver and help in Affliction because men trust in the Lord surely Faith can do very much in the day of Affliction Now I pray look into Scripture and you shal see that the Lord is engaged upon this account in Psal 37. last And the Lord shall help them and deliver them he shall deliver them from the
wicked and slave them because they trust in him So in Isai 26. verse 3. Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on thee because he trusteth in thee Mark the words Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace so you read it but in the Hebrew the words run thus Thou wilt keep peace peace not peace and doubting not peace and trouble but peace peace why because he trusteth in thee But I cannot trust in God I have no assurance of Gods Love Mark the words he wil keep him in peace peace whose mind is stayed on thee he doth not say who hath assurance of Gods Love but if it be but a Faith of Relyance though it be not a Faith of Assurance he wil keep him in peace peace whose mind is stayed on thee because he trusteth in thee Now if the Lord be thus engaged to help and succor men that do beleeve then certainly Faith can do very much in a suffering day Now I have given you an account of the General how it comes to pass that Faith can do it Faith wil carry us through al our Sufferings though they be never so great and you see how Faith can do it and so the Doctrine is cleer Now for Application If true saving Faith be such an accommodation unto al our Suffering Applic. then in case that any of you are to suffer any great Suffering the first thing you do cal in for Faith As I said upon the former Doctrine seeing that Faith wil do great things and therefore if you have any great thing to do cal in for Faith So now I say upon this Doctrine Seeing that true saving Faith can and wil suffer very hard things in case you have any thing to suffer first cal in for Faith cal in for Faith If you have a great sickness you wil send for the best Physitian that hath the most skil at such a Disease Faith hath the best skil at your Suffering and therefore send and call in for Faith as soon as ever you come to the brink of these Waters cal for your Faith and look to your Faith Object You wil say But these are no suffering times the Winter is past and there is no suffering now Answ Then bless God and praise the Lord that you have so much Gospel Liberty as you have But our Lord and Savior saith that in the last daies there shal be such great tribulation as never was and I am sure we are fallen into the last daies our Brethren in the Vallies of Pâ—edmont they have suffered and the Apostle commands us to be in bonds with those that are in bonds and to be afflicted with those that are afflicted what do you know what your Faith may do for them But to come a little neerer our selves Is there never a Servant here that suffers from an evil Master that would fain go to the Ordinance frequent the Ordinance but checked scorned and despised by his Master Is there never a Husband here or Wife here that suffers hard things from his or her Relation meerly upon the account of Religion Is there never a man or woman here that hath suffered hard things from the hand of his or her Kindred since they began to look towards Christ Is there never a Professor here that suffers from the hand of some Professor what devouring among us biting consuming one another Of al reproachings and sufferings you wil find those most bitter that come from Professors when one Professor doth reproach another and slander another and persecute another Now if there be any here unto you I speak cal in for Faith whatsoever your Sufferings be cal in for Faith But suppose there be none of these Sufferings among us who knows how soon you or I may be called forth to Sufferings if not in the PublicK yet in our Particular I have heard of a good man and woman that were feasting at a great Dinner upon the account of Gods Goodness and Mercy to their Family and while they were at Dinner celebrating the goodness of the Lord to their Family them and their Children comes a Messenger in and saith One of your Children is dropt into the Well and drowned Beloved in the Lord Who knows how soon a Relation of yours or mine may be in the Well how soon such a Comfort of yours or mine may be in the Well Wherefore cal in for Faith in al your Sufferings cal in for Faith Quest You wil say unto me What shall we do that we may so strengthen or improve our Faith as that we may bear up in a way of beleeving against Sufferings for I am a man or a woman that I confess have met with Sufferings and I am seldom out of Sufferings somtimes in my Body somtimes in my Name somtimes in my Estate somtimes in my Relation and the Lord knows what I may be called to suffer what shall we do that we may so strengthen or improve our Faith that we may bear up in a way of beleeving against al our Sufferings Answ 1 First of al Consider frequently what great things the Lord hath done for you already I will remember the years of the right hand of the most high I will remember all thy wondrous works saith the Psalmist stirring up his Faith and getting strength from Faith The Consideration of what great things God hath done for you already wil engage your heart and make you willing to suffer For Example go along wih me a little and I wil instance only in that great matter of your first Conversion and turning to God That day that thou were converted and brought home to God al thy sins were pardoned past present and to come I say vertually those that are to come That day that thou were converted and brought home to God thou wert made the Child of God and Heir of the Kingdom which is incorruptible undefiled and which fadeth not away That day thou wert converted and brought home to God thou hadst the Key of the Scripture put into thy bosom I say thou hadst the Key of the Scripture put into thy bosom to wear it I mean the Spirit of God That day that thou were converted and brought home to God thy old Nature was taken away and thou were made partaker of the Divine Nature That day that thou were converted and brought home to God thou wert received into Union with Christ and into Communion thou wert received into Union and into Communion with the Father and with Jesus Christ That day that thou wert converted and brought home to God thy Soul was freed those that the Son makes free they are free indeed though your wil were not libera yet it was liberata as soon as a man is converted and brought home to God he is free to Duty though not free from Duty and he is free from his sin though he be not free to his sin That day thou wert converted and brought home to God thou wert received
in by way of performance but by way of Christ Page 94 Object I have no parts in Duty therefore I am discouraged ibid. Answ 1 God accepts the desire for Christs sake Page 94 2 Thy parts are â—â—swerable to thy grace Page 95 3 Parts and gifts do not commend our Services unto God ibid. 4 Parts recompenced some other way Page 96 Object I want the grace and holiness of Duty ibid. Answ Pearls may grow on Rocks so may some graces on thy rockie heart Page 97 1 Are you contented with the straightness of your condition Answ Negatively ib. 2 If your condition here be no other than the condition of the Saints you have no cause to be discouraged ibid. 3 You would fain have enlargements represent your condition to God Page 98 4 It is Gods way to restrain prayer before he gives enlargements ibid. 5 Dulness in prayer is an ill sin yet the sence thereof is a good sign Page 99 6 Prayer is not powring out of many words but the powring out of the Soul unto God ibid. Object I am not only dull in duty buâ— full of distraction Page 100 Answ This is a great evil yet no cause of discouragement for three Reasons ibid. 1 All men have some distractions in dâ—ty ibid. 2 Distractions shall not hurt us because they please us not Page 101 3 Our distractions move the Lord to pity us ibid. Object I pray and am never the nearer should not that discourage me Page 102 Answ Negatively 1 It is a great mercy that God wil receive my prayer though I never receive the thing I pray for ibid. 2 Gods Children usually think God hears not their prayers when he doth ibid. 3 The Lord not granting your prayer is not alwaies matter of discouragement but somtimes of encouragement Page 103 4 Whoever waited on God by prayer but be received more than he prayed for Page 104 5 Should God presently answer our prayers alwaies we should be discouraged Page 105 Object 1. I fear God denieth my prayer ibid. 1 Answ Affirmatively It may be so to his own children ibid. 2 If the thing you pray for be good for you and you continue praying it is a sign that God rather delaies than denies you ibid. Object 2. I fear God is angry with me Page 106 Answ Was not God angry with Jonah and the Canaanitish woman Page 106 Object 3. But she beleeved there is much unbelief in my prayer ibid. Answ Was it not so with David ibid. Object 4. I am self-ish and pray only by reason of affliction ibid. Answ So it was with Jonah ibid. Object 5. My prayer is not well prepared ibid. Answ Hezekiah prayed for those that came unprepared ibid. Object 6. I am full of passions ibid. Answ What think you of Elijah ibid. Object 7. My condition is such or such ibid. Answ The condition of distressed men paralel'd in Scripture when they look toward Christ ib. Application 1 What encouragements here are for all poor souls to come unto Christ Page 107 2 What a vast difference there is here between a godly and a wicked man ibid. Quest What must I do against discouragements that come from mine own failing in duty or Gods not answering me Page 108 Answ 1 Lay not the weight of your comfort upon duty ibid. 2 Consider that difficulty commends duty ibid. 3 Leave the success of our spiritual things unto God himself Page 109 Sermon VII INSTANCE IV. Object O! I want assurance of the love of God must I not be then discouraged Page 111 Answ Negatively Yet it is a sore evil Page 112 He that wants the assurance of Gods love is neither fit to receive mercy from God nor to praise God ibid. He that wants the assurance of Gods love converseth too much with Satan ibid. Quest How may it appear we must not be discouraged when we want this assurance Page 113 1 Answ negatively For want of Assurance is not that unbelief that condemneth us ib. 2 Want of Assurance shal turn to the Saints good Page 114 They gain experience by it to see the emptiness of their own righteousness ibid. A man learns thus to comfort others Page 115 3 A good man may have comfort though he want assurance Page 115 Object I have no Promise to bring me comfort Page 116 Answ Negatively 1 That must not discourage a Christian for have you not the word of the Gospel ib. 2 The promise of grace belongeth to you proved by three Reasons 1 You do or have rested on the Promise 2. If the Command belong unto you why not the Promise 3. It is your duty to rest on the Promise Page 117 Object 2. Gods Promise in Scripture runs upon some Condition which I cannot perform ib. Answ 1 A good man may apply the Promise though he hath not performed the Condition ib. 2 The condition of one promise is the thing promised in another promise Page 118 3 The condition of the promise is performed for you better than you can perform it ib. Object Instead of a promise there is a threatening on my Soul Page 119 Answ 1 God hath two Arms to draw his Children to him the Arm of Love and the Arm of Anger ibid. 2 Joshua somtimes lost the sight of the promise and for the threatening you know how it was with David Page 120 3 A Threatening from God may be repealed but a promise shall never be repealed ibid. The Reason is God never repeals in the matter of the Gospel Page 121 Object I have assurance of Gods displeasure must I not then be discouraged Page 122 Answ Negatively 1 It may be you look on the back side of Gods dispensation wherein appears his Anger ibid. 2 There is no such testimony of Reprobation in all the Scripture ibid. Object I have been without assurance these many yeers yet living under Gospel means therefore I look for none Page 123 Answ Negatively 1 Our evidence for Heaven is in Gods keeping ibid. 2 Consider four Propositions 1 A man may have saving Faith who hath no assurance of Gods love ibid. 2 A man may have strong Faith and assurance yet many doubts Page 124 3 A man may have strong faith and assurance yet for a long time be deprived of the feeling of it ib. 4 A godly man may live and die doubting ibid. 3 Though some may die doubting and yet be saved a man may from Scripture fetch Arguments from whence he may ordinarily conclude he shal be saved Page 125 Arg. 1. There is a faith of Reliance from whence we may conclude a faith of Assurance Page 125 Arg. 2. God hath done great things for thy soul in trouble thou maiest conclude he will do more ibid. Arg. 3. If thy heart be upright in the matter of assurance God wil give it thee ibid. Arg. 4. If a man can praise God for what he hath though his condition be very sad Page 126 Arg. 5. If the Lord be the health of your countenance you shall
their condition be John 14. vers 1. Let not your heart be troubled saith our Savior to his disciples As if he should say I am now to dy to leave you al to go to my Father and when I am gone you wil meet with many troubles but I would not have you discouraged Let not your heart be troubled But now if thou dyest we shal then lose thy presence and what greater trouble or affliction can there be than the loss of thy presence Wel saith Christ yet I would not have you troubled at heart Let not your heart be troubled But if we lose thee O Lord we shal lose al the ordinances and those many sweet opportunities of receiving good for our souls which we have injoyed by thy presence Be it so saith our savior yet I would not have you troubled at the heart Let not your heart be troubled But Lord if we lose thee we shal be as sheep scattered some wil deny thee al wil forsake thee and when the shepherd is smitten we as sheep shal be al disperst and fal into sad temptations afflictions and desertions Wel saith he however it be yet I would not have you troubled at the heart let not your heart be troubled however this is Christs mind wil and pleasure concerning his disciples And if you say how may it appear that God the father would have his people to be of the same mind and disposition never to be discouraged It appears plainly because God hath provided promises of comfort succour and relief sutable to al conditions I dare boldly challenge al men to shew me any one condition which God hath not provided a promise of comfort mercy and succor sutable unto it Yea and if you look upon the promises and mark them wel you shal find they are so laid worded and moulded as that al discouragâ—â—g objections may be fully answered and taken off as the rise For example suppose the Church of God be under perse ution of enemies Isa 54.17 No weapon that is formed aâ—â—â—i â—hâ—e shal prosper But you wil say our enemies O Lord are â—any they rise up against us and gather into bodies and conâ—â—â—â—rate against thy servants vers 15. he takes off that thus bâ—â—â—d they shal surely rather together but not by me whosoever shal gaâ—her together against thee shal fal for thy sake But O Lord they have go ten instruments of death and the whol power oâ— the Militia and Ammunition into their hands Be it so saith the Lord vers 16. Behold I have created the Smith that bloweth the coles in the fire and thaâ— bringeth forth an instrument for his work and I have created the waster to destroy no weapon that is formed against thee shal prosper But O Lord they have got authority on their side and they rise against us in judgment Mark then what follows vers 17. And every tongue that shal rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn But this is a promise made unto the Jewish Church only and not to us Not so this is the heritage of the servants of the Lord vers 17. So that if you be the Servants of the Lord this promise tels you it is made to you But we are in an unbeleeving condition and are not able to lay hold on this promise Wel but saith this promise this is the heritage or the servants of the Lord Children shal have their inheritance though for the present they are not able to sue for it it falls upâ—n them in course O! but we may sin against the Lord cut our selves off from this promise this inheritance Mark then what follows and their righteousness is of me saith the Lord not only this promise is of me but the righteousness whereby they shal beleeve and lay hold on it and walk under it is of me saith the Lord. O! how Graciously is this promise laid whereby al unbeleeving objections may be taken off so it is in al the promises do but observe and mark them they are so moulded ordered worded as that every word of the promise doth hold forth a distinct answer unto your objections Now if God have so laid his promises that al unbeleeving objections may be taken off as they rise what doth this argue but that God our Father would not have his people discouraged whatever their condition be therfore they have no reason for it Answ 4 There is no matter of discouragement which the Saints do or can meet withal but there is a greater incouragement bound up therewith or comes along with it God doth never more Graciously appear to his people than when there is the greatest matter for their discouragement John lay some years in the bosom of Jesus Christ whilst Christ lived but then he had not the revelation given him Christ dies John is afflicted persecuted driven into the Isle of Patmos there an exile and there Christ appears to him and gives him that blessed book of comfort the book of the revelation We read of Jacob that at one time especially he did so see the Lord that he called the name of the place Peniel for I have seen the Lord Gen. 32.30 saith he and when was that but when Churlish Laban was on one side of him and his rough brother Esau coming out against him in an hostile way on the other side Once he had a vision of a Ladder the top whereof was in heaven and the foot on earth Angels ascending and descending upon it which in John 1. Chap. Christ interprets to be himself You shal see the Angels ascending and descending upon the Son of man but when had he this vision not al the while he was in his Fathers house buâ— when he was fain to fly from the anger of his brother lay in the open field in the night and had no pillow but an hard stone to ly upon then doth Christ thus appear to him and make such a discovery and manifestation of himself as he never had before And when was it that Mr. Robert Glover was so filled with heavenly joyes that he cryed out he is come he is come ye read of him in the book of Martyrs that for five years together he was worn out consumed with fears and troubles he could neither eat nor sleep he was so afflicted in his soul upon the apprehension of some backsliding he thought he must needs be thrown down to hell when he died yea he thought saith the story of him that he could not more despair in hell yet after this long time of wrastling with this Temptation it pleased God to come in with comforts But I say when was this why then especially when he came within sight of the stake then he cryed out with clapping of his hands he is come he is come Thus doth God with whom are reserves of mercies reserve his sweetest consolations for the time of our sowrest afflictions and doth temper the one with the other in most fit proportion Yea
the Lord doth not onely give forth encouragement in time of discouragement and proportion his encouragements unto our discouragements but he doth make your discouragements occasional rises and bottoms unto your incouragements and comforts The Lord caused a deep sleep to come upon Adam and then he took a Rib from his side wherewith he made a help for him so doth God cause a deep sleep to come upon you in your discouragements out of which he taks a Rib and â—uilds up a help for you making the discouragements of the Saints to contribute to their very incouragements Hosea 2.14 Behold saith the Lord I wil allure her that is the Church his people and bring her into the wilderness and speak comfortably to her and I wil give her her vineyards from thence and the valley of Achor for a door of hope But a wildernessed condition is a lost condition and what comfort can one have in a lost condition True saith God ye cannot in and by your selves but there I wil speak friendly and comfortably to her and of al the times that I chuse to preach Gospel to a poor soul I chuse to do it in a wildernessed and lost condition But though the Lord do speak comfortably to us if we be in a wilderness a dry barren place where no food nor comfort is how can we be but discouraged Nay saith the Lord but I wil give her her vinyards from thence But if we sin murmur in the wilderness as the Israelites did the Lord wil cut us off as he did them a wilderness is a place of trouble wherein we are apt to murmur be discouraged Nay saith the Lord but I wil give her her vinyards from thence and the vally of Achor for a door of hope The valley of Achor was the valley of Perturbation trouble and of great discouragement when the men of Israel sled and fel before the men of Ai for the sin of Achan Joshua 7. vers the last yet it was an in-let to the Land of Canaan to the Land of rest Now saith the Lord look as it was with them though the Valley of Achor was a Valley of Trouble and Perturbation yet it was the door by which the Israelites came into the Land of Rest So shall it be with you I will make your Troubles and Discouragements the very door of your Hope the Valley of your Discouragements shall be the door and an in-let unto all your Rest and Comfort God takes the same way with the Members as he went with the Head Christs Cross an in-let of Glory his suffering time was the Valley of Achor to his Disciples and was it not a door of Hope unto them and unto all the Saints This is Gods way Discouragements bring Encouragements and the more Discouragements the Saints have the more Encouragements they shall have yea their Discouragements shall contribute to their Encouragements and be a door of Hope to them Now if the Valley of Achor shall by Promise be a door of Hope why should we be discouraged whatsoever the Valley of Achor be whatever our condition be Answ 5 A praying man can never be very miserable whatever his condition be for he hath the Ear of God the Spirit within to indite a friend in Heaven to present and God himself to receive his desires as a Father 't is a mercy to pray though I never have the mercy prayed for thereby God doth come down to us and we go up to God It is the souls Converse with God on Earth and a great ease to a burdened troubled Spirit for thereby he may go and empty all his heart into the bosom of his best friend Now every godly gracious man is a praying man more or less he prayeth It 's spoken as an Argument of Pauls â—onverâ—ion Behold he prayeth as Speech is common unto all men so Prayer unto all Christians God hath none of his Children born dumb as soon as one of your children is born it cries and it sucks and it â—lâ—eps So with every man that is born of God as sooâ—â—s â—e is both he cries unto God in Prayer he sucks the breast of â—he Promi e and he sleeps in the bosom of God by Divine Contentmentâ— beiâ—g dead unto all the world it may be he cannot pray as 〈◊〉 would but though he cannot pray as he would not hear as hâ—â—â—uld nor perform any duty as he would yet he prayeth it may be said of him behold he prayeth turn him where you will and behold he prayeth sick yet behold he prayeth tempâ—ed yet behold he prayeth at home or abroad yet behold he prayetâ— and can he be miserable while he prayeth Surely no why then should he be discouraged whatever his condition be Answ 6 If the matter of the Saints discouragements be but a cloud that wil blow over and melt away then no reason for their Discouragements whatsoever their condition be Now thus it is with the People of God though they be in a dark and very dark condition yet their darkness is but the darkness oâ— a cloud and as he said Nichecula est cito transibit it is but a cloud it wil soon over So may they say concerning every matter of their discouragement it is dark indeed but this darkness will over there is a storm comes down upon us but we shall see Land again the Shore again it is but a cloud but a cloud And upon this account David comforted his own heart here and checkt his soul for his immoderate dejection Why aâ—t thou cast down c. Hope in God For I shall yet praise him I shal be delivered this cloud will oveâ— it will not last it is but the darkness of a cloud Quest But how shall it appear that it is â—ut a cloud and the darkness of a cloud I think it is night and dark night with my soul yea such a night as shall never know morning indeed if I did know that the matter of my discouragement were but a cloudy darkness then I would conclude and say there is no reason for this discouragement but how shall I know whether this darkness be the darkness of a cloud or of the night Answ 1 First If the darkness be such as comes immediately after the rising and shining forth of the Promise then it is but the darkness of a cloud not of the night the Sun doth not rise to set immediately and therefore if darkness comes immediately after Sun-rising it is certainly the darkness of an Eclipse or of a Cloud not of the night There was a fair Promise rose and shined upon Joseph when the Lord said That his Sheaf should be higher than all the Sheaves of his Bâ—â—thren yet presently after that there arose a darkness upon him but iâ— was the darkness of a cloud and not of the â—igh 〈◊〉 why so Because he had a Promise first which did shâ—◠〈◊〉 â—â—m So David had a fair Promise of the Kingdom whâ—â—