that be said by Isa 40. 13. Who hath directed the Spirit of the Lord or being his counsellour hath taught him Ver. 14. With whom took he counsell who instructed him and taught him in the path of judgement and taught him knowledge and shewed him the way of understanding Or what needs that Job 21. 22. Shall any teach God knowledge seeing he judgeth things that are high What a God is an unknowing God who needs a lesson from the creature or from some higher God and then who taught that other God who is supposed to be higher then the most high what a carnal mind is this that chaseth the Almighty God out of the world 4. What doe they who curse the day the stars the twilight the birth as Job chap. 3. A gracious heart saith let the Lord be the Lord and closes with all the attributes of God and with all the influences of Omnipotency wisedome goodness and justice on men and of love mercy grace bounty forbearance to the Saints and to their own soul this is to sing mercy and to sing judgement whereas its a note of Atheisme to wish and vote out of the world God his attributes and all the acting and influences of mercy justice truth grace soveraignty and to say It s not the Lord the Lord can neither doe good neither can be doe evil Zeph. 1. 8. So would we beware to fight with the Lord's dispensations of grace he is Lord and Soveraign disposer of his own comforts whether we look upon comforts as duties commanded 2 Thes 5. 17. Jer. 31. 15. or as a reward of duties from the Lord Rom. 15. 4. Psal 27. 14. 2 Thes 2. 16. Isa 66. 13 14. he is the Lord of all influences to work in us to will and to doe and Master of his own rewards The Lord is Master of his own love-visits and is neither debtor to the man Christ nor to the elect Angels yea the Lord 's saving influences go along with his free decree of Election and look as the Lord of nature preserves the speces of Roses of Vine-trees though this or that individual rose or vine-tree may wither and be blasted so he holds on the work of believing praying of hoping and persevering to the end though there may be a miscarrying in this or that particular act of faith and some deadness in praying hic nunc And as in a great work of a water-mill some one of the wheels may be broken and yet the Mill is kept a going and the Ship still under sayl though some instrument or other be wanting and laid aside for a while So when there is a withdrawing of feeling of a presence in praying as Cantic 5. 6. I called him but he answered me not yet influences flow in another duty of praising ver 10. My Beloved is white and ruddy and the chief among ten thousand And when there are withdraw-drawings of God as touching vigourousness of believing Why art thou disquieted O my soul c. yet are there very large outlettings of God in love-sickness and strong desires after the Lord Psal 42. 2. My soul thirsteth for God for the living God So is it that some River which floweth a far other way in a new cutted out Channel the former being dried up So the bloud runs in another vein and still furnisheth strength to the body nor is there cause to complain as if all strength were gone for when the afflicted man eats ashes for bread and drinks tears the heart is withered as grass and the mans bones are burnt as an hearth Psal 102. the flood breaks out in another corner Ver. 12. But thou O Lord shalt endure for ever and thy remembrance unto all generations V. 19. He looks down from Heaven 20. To hear the groaning of the Prisoner to loose them that are appointed for death There is some spiritual compensation in the Lord 's forbidding the wind to blow in one earth when it strongly blows in another Some deadned deserted ones are much meekned and made to speak out of the dust and fed and fatned also with hunger yea if it were but lying at the gate of Christ and knocking though no answer at all be returned it hath much of Christ in it in other considerations deadness may be on and want of holy vigorous acting of faith and yet spiritual complainings yea and with the complainings fervent praying Psal 119. 25. My soul cleaveth unto the dust quicken thou me according to thy word Ver. 28. My soul melteth for heaviness strengthen me according to thy word Ye would judge righteously of the Lord and see whether or no ye complain without cause for though there be fainting yet there is hoping Psal 119. 81. My soul fainteth for thy salvation but I hope in thy word Some children are always malecontent and still weeping nothing in the house can please them it s the fault of some greedy wretches who have abundance and yet still complain of want It were good to turn our censuring of the Lord's providence into complaining of our own evil hearts it follows humble and diligent obedience that hath sweetness of submission Psal 119. 165. Great peace have they that keep thy Law and nothing shall offend or as the word is stumble their feet There is a heart-covenanting with God when the man saith God shall doe nothing that shall stumble me his killing of me his casting me out of his presence into hell shall not offend me Job 1. 22. 2 Sam. 16. 10. The man Christ could be broken or offended at nothing whether the traytor sell him or the disciples forsake him or the Jews apprehend him or the souldiers spit on his face or Pilate condemn him or the people nod the head shoot out the lip and mock him there is nothing can break Christ but the Scriptures must be fulfilled in Christ's sufferings If the Lord slay Aaron's sons Aaron holds his peace Let me be rained upon with showres of influences from Heaven or let my fleece be dry and let me be a bottle in the smoke yet there is no unrighteousness with God and in him is no darkness Ah I am dead but the Lord guides well ah he is a Lion to me and a Leopard but the Lord is good to the soul that waits for him The man that stumbles least at the sins of others and their falls is the man nearest to God's heart Psal 18. 18. They prevented me in the day of my calamity They wronged me ver 25. But I kept my self from my iniquity and what can ye say against his withdrawings will ye make it a quarrel that he hides his face there is a deep of soveraignty between the Lord 's withdrawing from Hezekiah and Hezekiah's pride God hardens Pharaoh's heart and Pharaoh hardens his own heart Joshua 11. 19 20. Isaiah 57. 17. Psalm 81. 11 12. Qu. But what shall be done under deadness Ans 1. If there be any life life helps life the one
Jer. 31. 31. Ezech. 36. 26. Heb. 8. 8 9 10. for though the Lord of free grace give wicked free-will may refuse to receive the new heart 11. The faithfulness and power of God interposed in the promise of perseverance 1 Joh. 4. 4. Joh. 10. 27 28. 1 Pet. 1. 5. Jude v. 24. Eph. 5. 25 26 27. Isa 54. 10. Isa 59. 20 21. Jer. 32. 39 40. must be broken if free-will may resile from God and disanul and resist all the actings of God in bringing many sons to glory 12. There can be no place to infinite wisedome free grace pardoning mercy to the merits of Christ in dying to bring us to God 1 Pet. 3. 18. in delivering and redeeming us from a present evil world Gal. 1. 4. from all iniquity Tit. 2. 14. from our vain conversation 1 Pet. 1. 18. that we should live unto righteousness 1 Pet. 2. 24. as wisedome grace mercy are effectually experienced in sinners if it be in free-wills independent power to admit or reject the saving actings of God in these let any teach and shew a midst betwixt the Lords granting of effectual grace to any one rather then to another from his absolute dominion will and differencing grace and predeterminating grace 4. Since the Adversaries grant that the concurrence of God to the entitative act of sinning is causative they are obliged to roll away the stone and to clear to us how the Lord is not as well by their way the joynt and collateral cause of sin hallowed be his Name as he is the praedeterminating cause as is pretended by our way for Francis Silevias Lo. Meratins Schoolmen not to be despised with reason say If he be the cause of theft who concurs and consents and helps a man to climb in at a window to steal no less then he who praedetermines the man to steal by either command or counsel or then by reall efficiency then must the holy Lord be judged the cause of Adam's first act of sinning as it is an act both the one way and the other 5. Neither does the concurrence or non-concurrence either way hurt the natural way of free-wills working though the Author make out-crys O here be three necessities what if there be four or ten the Author well knows the learned of both ways teach there be divers necessities that hurt not freew ill 6. Neither is it to be forgotten that the Lords saving concurrence to bring the Elect to glory is of an higher and more excellent nature then the influence of God to Adam For that influence to Adam was 1. connatural and not the fruit of Christs merit as are saving influences in Christ 2. That influence to Adam was not given to Adam as praedestinated to obtain the Law-reward of life I judge Adam was not praedestinate to any such Law-life but to obtain life and pardon in the satisfactory death of Christ Nor 3. was that influence given to Adam in order to perseverance for perseverance was commanded indeed to Adam but it was neither promised of God to him nor was it ever in the purpose or decree of God to bestow it on him therefore Gods influence to Adam's obedience must be a far lower and weaker causality then the saving influences of Christ It was said by me that God withdrew his influence from Aâ—am who in the same moment was willing to want it not that Adam formally refused it but that materially interpretatively and in his actual consenting to sin he refused it The Adversary crys out but soft words and strong and hard Arguments were best It is questioned saith he whether Adam 's will to eat was before the Lords denial of his influence or posterior and later then the denial or at once it is of no moment whether they were at once in time they dare not say before because then Adam had sinned before he sinned if his will to eat be posterior to the want of God's influence there is manifestly an antecedent necessity therefore Dr. Tuiss saith they were coexistent in the same moment of nature and so the necessity yet stands Ans Armini in his collation with Junius could have made this Argument stronger But 1. The Lord by order of nature withdraws his influence and in the same moment of time which is of great moment Adam sins and refuses the influence And it follows not that Adam sins before he sins nor follows it that Adam sins by any necessity destructive to the liberty of the will yea it is a necessity helping and aiding freedome because the Lord withdraws no influence from Adam against his will but in the same moment of time that the Lord withdraws his influence from Adam to the act Adam withdraws his consent to the act virtually subscribes to the wanting of the influence of God The Adversary is most angry at the distinction as dark and not intelligible and says it cannot be taught the people why The want of the influence of God by order of nature is before the virtual and interpretative merit of wanting that influence if the virtual merit be an evil merit malum meritum or a sin so it must be posterior and later then the want of Gods influence and not before it but it is like a fiction that there be two demerits in Adams sin one culpable another unculpable Ans 1. It is still said by me that the want of divine influence by order of nature is before Adam's sin 2. It is not theologically spoken that the merit of sin reatris penae is sin or evil it 's a fiction that the merit of sin is either culpable or unculpable it 's rather good and an obligation to wrath and a consequent of sin and is not sin No merit of reward is either formally obedience but posterior to obedience nor is a merit or demerit of punishment is formally sin but posterior to sin Christ is liable to punishment for our sins and as an ingaged surety debet puniri ought to be punished for our sins that were laid on him Isa 53. 6. 2 Cor. 5. 21. Gal. 3. 13. but there was formally and inherently no sin in Christ nor any evill or any thing culpable in Christ 3. Adam's virtual consenting to want the influence of God was his very first sin formally he who refuses to stand and wilfully falls he virtually refuses a staff or a pillar to lean upon he who formally wanders he virtually hates his guide and leader he who formally loves darkness and practically walks therein he virtually hates light and desires virtually that the light should not have shined on him and so he who willingly falls and willingly shuâ—s his eyes virtually deserved the staff should have been taken from him and that the Sun should not have shined on him he who willingly wanders out of the way doth virtually deserve to be depraved of his guide and who so wanders are said to despise the word of the Lord their guide and rule So
letter which is common to Seneca and other humane Writers and the Prophets though even the style liveliness majesty and divinity that may be seen in the letter of the Scripture are eminently above the like in other Writers The Spirit immediately inspiring and the Spirit quickning in the Word are both the same Spirit that Christ promised to send John 16. of which Christ ver 14. He shall glorifie me he shall receive of mine a word most mysterious and shall shew it unto you and believers are afraid that their hearts receive some other quickning between the sound of the Word and the actings of the Lord upon their hearts which causeth them to pray for no quickning but according to the Word The like may 3. be said of the salvation of the Lord Psal 91. 16. I will shew him my salvation Isa 12. 2. For the Lord Jehovah is my strength and my song he also is become my salvation Psal 119. 170. Let my supplication come before thee deliver me according to thy word for we are apt to seek strange and whorish influences the like whereof the Lord bestows not upon his people Psal 119. 132. Look thou upon me and be merciful unto me as thou uses to doe to those that love thy name Psal 106. 4. Remember me O Lord with the favour that thou bearest to thy people O visit me with thy salvation V. 5. That I may see the good of thy chosen that I may rejoyce in the gladness of thy Nation that I may glory with thine inheritance It s cold comfort we reap without the word its true his omnipotency was eternal before there was a Word or Promise made to us but now the Lord will have the Word or Promise to be the officina the work-house of his Spirit and of the quickning influences thereof 5. As also there is a salvation and escape out of prison by keys of our own making and by putting out the hand to iniquity Psal 125. and the heart is much for the bulk of a deliverance from Hell and for the body and lump of a mercy were it Heaven and Baalam's paradise or the end of the righteous whether it be purchased by the ransome of Christ's bloud or no and faith laying hold thereon or no. 6. And we love to have the remission and the righteousness of Christ in his bloud the separated from holiness and sanctification but the Scripture conjoyneth them 1 Cor. 1. 30. Gal. 1. 4. 1 Cor. 6. 11. Heb. 10. 10. Heb. 13. 12 13. 1 Pet. 2. 24. yea is a holy justification to speak so is the cleanly kindly sure absolution of the sinner for Christ loves noâ— and washes not in his bloud but such as he makes Kings and Priests unto God Rev. 1. 5. in so saying I honour good works more then Mr. Baxter doth who makes them as good as Christ's bloud even the price of pardon Ephes 1. 7. Col. 1. 14. Yea and 7. We could be satisfied with dumb and scrupulous influences and inspirations contrary unto and separated from the Word as Evah Gen. 3. 4 5 6. 1 Kings 13. 18. Matth. 4. 3 6 8 9. 8. What could the powerful influences of God Creator separated from Christ the treasure-house of love and mercy doe to us and if Omnipotency were separated from the promises of the Gospel could it save us in the Lord's way through the bloud of Christ for power in God cannot to speak so save men but by the Name of Jesus Christ the only saving Name under Heaven Acts 4. 12. nor can Omnipotency work a redemption now in this Gospel-dispensation but that which is by bloud Ephes 1. 7. Col. 1. 13. And that which is to declare the righteousness of God for the remission of sins Power acts by way of compleat satisfaction as the exceeding greatness of God's power to us-ward who believe is of the same size with the mighty power which raised Christ from the dead and set him on the right-hand of God in heavenly places Ephes 1. 14 20. The power of translating a sinner from Satans Kingdome to the Kingdom of the Son of his love works as acted as it were and set on work to act righteously to translate no man but the person for whom a ransome of bloud is given to justice as the Princes right power is only for the good of free and legal subjects Col. 1. 11 12 13. and that all power in Heaven and Earth to save Matth. 28. 18. John 17. 2. Matth. 11. 27. and that Kingly and Royal power to give repetance to Israel and forgiveness of sins Acts 5. 31. to forgive sins Matth. 9. 6. to raise and quicken the dead John 5. 26 28 29. is a power in a way purchased by the bloud of attonement Rom. 14. 9. For to this end Christ both dyed and rose that he might be Lord both of the dead and living And by the way it s a righteous power over all flesh and in Heaven and Earth though he died not for all flesh and for all the Angels in Heaven and all the men on Earth it were strange to say Christ died for the reprobate and not for their sins and final unbelief and rejecting of Christ to obtain a power to pardon some of their sins and not all and to give them repentance from some dead works and not from all dead works and to purge them from some but not from all their sins 3. It s most unjust to lay the blame of our sinful omissions upon holy Soveraignty because he withdraws influences For 1. That is to reproach God this is like the malecontentedness of Satan and of Hell for the damned complain that ever they were born and that they cannot be annihilated and that hils and mountains cover them not quick in soul and body yea they storm and rage because God gives them a being capable of eternal woe 2. The wakened consciences of men out of Christ often fall upon this recrimination the gnawing of conscience of Judas is I have sinned and of the young man Prov. 5. 12. How have I hated instruction and my heart dispised reproof Yet it is a more commendable complaining and more hopeful to complain of sinful neglect of means then of divine permissive providence of sin upon the Lord 's withdrawing of gracious influences but conscience in its kindly acting is the tormenting worm that eats self No Divel alledges this its true Satan bites at providence God hedges about a hypocrite Job and God commends him says he Christ torments us before the time Satan trembles and frets at the existence of God and that God is above him Joh 1. 9 10. Matth. 8. 29. Jam. 2. 19. and so all his words to Christ speak a barking at providence Matth. 4. its wrong that the Son of God should want bread it is an useless providence that the man Christ go down stairs for God saith he should save him though he throw himself down headlong Satan is a better
not a Husband-man who for bears plowing and sowing upon the account only that he finds not a season so desirable as he craves and that he is indisposed to plow spiritually as a Christian He who observes the wind shall not sow and he that regardeth the clouds shall not reap Eccl. 11. 4. So are we to refer to his holy Soveraignty the flowings of the Spirit and to set about holy duties as if these flowings were in our power We are to know that the command and precept of spiritual duties is laid on us as we are reasonable creatures as hearers of the Gospel not under the reduplication as spiritually or not spiritually disposed as the Creditor and the Law charge men to pay their just debts not as they are poor or rich but as they are debters yea precepts from the Lord bind the creature as the creature and moral precepts bind Men and Angels as capable to obey though not fit and disposed Therefore must we here distinguish betwixt nature capable or having at any time power to obey and the real or as it were the physical aptitude and idoneous disposition to obey The latter takes not away the obligation to pray or believe David's being overclouded with a temptation is not an excuse of adultery and murther nor is he thereby freed from praying Lord lead me not into temptation As 1. Under indispositions moral we rejoyce that sinful indispositions do befriend us and smile upon us to promote sin as some love them well who counsel them and joyn with them in drunkenness and are their brethren in iniquity so do we foment indispositions and welcome and fatten them and do not violence to our corruption and deadness and heardness and some expone false light to be God's secret and virtual approving Will they should commit the sin as Evah saw the fruit that it was good for food and that it was pleasant to the eyes and a tree to be desired to make one wise Gen. 3. 6. Here Evah substitutes the tentation in place of the precept and false light fosters and cherisheth a sinful lust and a wicked disposition to sin It is a sort of tempting of the tempting disposition whereas is were good to complain under a sinful disposition as under the bondage of a part of the body of sin as Paul doth Rom. 7. for a sinful disposition is but a branch and bud of the body of sin which we are to wrestle against as a most dangerous opposite to spiritual obedience Indeed sometime a spiritual disposition to pray or praise or hope goes along with the command Now the obligation of the command to praise is ever one and its good when the man can say My heart is fixed I will praise Psal 5â— and the command to wait on the Lord lies ever on it is a rich mercy when the disposition goes along with the command as Psal 25. 15. Mine eyes are ever in the habit and holy disposition toward the Lord and Psal 130. 6. My soul waiteth for the Lord more then they that watch for the morning Farther not to pray till the Spirit move us and simply to abstain from praying or any other spiritual duty upon simple ignorance that we are not obliged to pray except the spirit move us is weakness in some godly who may be overtaken with that error but in knowing and judicious men who are Libertines it is wickedness and somewhat more then weakness for it is to abstain from spiritual duties though not considering or without religious weighing the Commandment pray continually and is a making of the Spirit 's acting our Bible and to confound the Scripture and the Spirit as Libertines did so Calvin saith of them and so do others 2. The sense of this pray continually cannot be pray assiduously at all occasions except the Spirit withdraw his influences for here three things are considerable If 1. The providential call of God to pray suppose that sickness incursions of Divels or extreme suffering be on If 2. A more special supernatural providence of a heavenly fervor and stirring of the Spirit be on If 3. Only the obligation of a command be on to pray upon all occasions Christian prudence directing to obey affirmative Precepts Now as to the First Ass 1. Suppose there be some seeming contradiction betwixt extreme pain and absence or withdrawings yet a seeming contradiction only and not real it is and the man is called to an habitual praying disposition because what commands obligeth us to be renewed in the spirit of our mind Ephes 4. 23. lays a tie on us to doe it without delay Isa 55. 6. Psal 55. 7 8. Joel 2. 12. and consequenter ever to be in a savoury disposition and to savour of the things of the Spirit whether the spirit actually heat the soul with such savoriness for otherwise our Saviour rebukes the disciples on no just ground when they were sleepy for want of an actual heavenly disposition to pray Could ye not watch with me one hour The physical indisposition to pray does not take away the moral obligation to pray then 2. Though pain and extreme soul-heaviness that the man cannot speak Psal 77. 4. and Hezekiah can but chatter as a crane or a swallow Isa 38. 14. and the Church can scarce breath out a word of prayer Lam. 3. 36. yet doth not the Lord in sending on a physical or judicial indisposition contradict his own moral tie which he hath laid on by his command to pray at all times Ass 2. If a more spiritual heat of Spirit enclining to pray or prophecy or preach or praise be on David Psal 39. 1 2 3. on Ezekiel chap. 3. 14. on Paul Acts 17. 16 17 22 c. on the same Royal Prophet Psal 57. 7 8 9 10. Psal 45. 1 2. then two fires being stirred should flame more vehemently when to this fire there is a command added now though Oars be laid aside as uselesse when the wind is fair and favourable on the Sayls and it be not possible that a man can both ride on a spirited nimble horse and also walk the same time on foot yet here by no means must the word or conscience of the command of God be laid aside For as the physical facility comes from the spirit 's holy impulsion and spiritual warmness that is on so the savoury and gracious morality flows from the considered and believed precept and the sanctified heart would close sweetly both with the one and the other for specially the moral or obediential part is from the command and the most genuine and kindly obedience comes from the Word It is the real and physical part that comes from the Spirit and that is onely so far good and morally lawful as the Spirit and Word goe along together Ass 3. It must be holden that duty as duty is a moral motive we are to be led withal and we to look with fear and trembling to the command what
me hope when I was on my mothers brest c. So is there Psal 102. fainting ver 3. My bones are consumed like smoke and my bones are burnt as an hearth Ver. 4. My heart is smitten and withered like grass And ver 12. there is a rising of faith But thou O Lord shalt endure for ever and thy remembrance to all generations Ver. 13. Thou shalt arise and have mercy upon Sion Psal 77. 4. Thou holdest mine eyes waking I am so troubled that I cannot speak Ver. 7. Will the Lord cast off for ever It s low enough now and yet how doth the Church lift up her head Ver. 13. Thy way O God is in the sanctuary who is so great a Lord as our God So Lam. 1. 2 3 4 5 6. 7 8 c. compared with ver 2 22 23. in which actings under unbelief and customary formality with some glimmering of fainting faith eying the command of God in the darknesse when there is no light Isa 60. 10 11 c. there go along some farther actings of the spirit not that we think there is any truth of that of the School-men To him who doth what he can by the strength of nature God denies not helps and influences of grace Yet in these we see God comes along with his influences But if we say 4. That there are in the renewed child of God some stirrings of the spirit in all these acts we go about under deadness then one act of praying and the influence of grace makes way physically to another and that to a third for to say nothing of the promise To him that hath it shall be given of which hereafter I do but provoke to the experience of the Saints if here the second pull of prayer be not stronger then the first and the third then the second and the fourth above the third for when the wheels are a going the Organs of the spirit do not weary And there is a reserve of fresh strength and a stronger recruit and supply in Jacobs wrestling until the dawning reserved and more strength of heavenly violence to prevail with God then in his wrestling all the night Gen. 32. 26. Let me go saith the Angel of the Covenant Christ for the day breaketh And he said I will not let thee go except thou blesse me 28. As a Prince thou hast power with God saith the Lord to him And we see one throwing about of the key when the lock of the door is rusted maketh the second throwing obout more easie and the third throw does yet more and the seventh or the tenth throw makes the passage of the iron bolt yet most easie and the door at length with little violence is opened when now the rust and straitnesse is removed And a flaming of the fire prevailing over a dry tree makes easie way to a second flaming and that to a third and so to all the rest till the timber be consumed and the fire be fully victorious Believing adds to believing praying begets more praying and we see motion breeds warmnesse and that stronger motion and cold hearts that are dead and almost frozen by one smiting of influences grow hotter and by two or three or seven actings of the spirit grow yet hotter and yet more â—ot And there is something in that Cant. 6. 11. I went down to the garden of nuts 12. Or ever I was aware my soul made me like the chariot of Aminadab or of my wilâ—ing people There is some stiffnesse upon the living man when he first begins to move but a little motion makes him more agile Dr. Preston may aim at the like truth If a man saith he were to run a race if he were to doe any bodily exercise there must be strength of body he must be fed well that he may have ability but the use of the very exercise it self the very particular act which is of the same kinde with the exercise is the best thing to fit him for it So in this dutie of prayer it 's true to be strong in the inner man to have much knowledge to have much grace makes a man fit and able for the duty But if you speak of the immediate preparation for it I say the best way to prepare us for it is the very duty it self as all actions of the same kind increase the habits so prayer makes us fit for prayer and that is a rule The way to godlinesse is the compass of godlinesse it self that is the way to grow in grace is the exercise of that grace I wish this man of God and others more experienced then I had said more of this unknown subject and that the Lord would sit builders in both Kingdomes to draw up a body of Theologia practica that Divinity were more in our hearts it s too much in the heads of many only I speak here of preparation to receive influences D. Preston of the preparation to duties to praying under indisposition But I would not be understood so as if I thought acts of influences which are acts of Omnipotency might be sharpened and facilitated by our actings Only my meaning is that the passive capacity of the soul may be widened and enlarged to receive showres of quickening influences from the Lord by frequent acts Experience in my weak apprehension may speak influence of grace oyls the wheels of the soul Prov. 1. 5. A wise man will hear and encrease learning and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels We grow hot like hot iron redded in the fire by praying and are softned and macerated like dry and parched ground by frequent showres and though the heart be frozen and cold when we begin to duties of praying praising meditating conferring of the word hearing yet incalescimus we grow warm by acting the rising of the Sun causeth the Ice to drop off the houses It s a naughty heart that is in the same case after frequent prayer that it was in before It says that the man hath been sweating at the letter and bark of the duty little of the bark or letter of the duty takes glewing with the heart but hardly can the grace of the duty go along with the heart but there is much that cleaves to the heart so that influences thaw the heart Luke 24. 32. Did not say the Disciples our hearts burn within us while he talked with us by the way and while the opened to us the Scriptures Cant. 1. 4. When the King brought me into his chambers we will be glad rejoyce in thee and remember thy love more then wine Sure when the influences of Christ are fiery and live coals it is no wonder they leave lively warmings upon the heart Cant. 4. 16. Awake O North wind and come thou South and blow vpon my garden that the spices thereof may flow out It must be a speech to the Spirit to breath upon the Saints that they may smel and flow more in the actings of
strong convictions come upon the spirit we are to yield our hearty assent to him Matth. 27. 54. the Centurion and the watchers of Christ seeing the earth-quake and other wonders from heaven say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Luke 23. 47. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 true certainly undoubtedly this was the Son of God this was a righteous man but ah he calls and we answer not we love to be wrought on as stones and blocks and could wish to be carried sleeping to heaven in Christs bosome 2. We often suffer the heart to cool and obey not the Spirit in his heavenly disposition and let the fire die out and the furnace cool 3. It were good if we did not counter-work heavenly dispositions by refusing and shifting Cant. 5. 3. of God and the actings of his Spirit Cant. 5. 2. open to me nay saith the Spouse how can I open The third particular is that David speaketh this prayer-ways to God there may be so heavenly a disposition upon the child of God as he dare lay it before God in point of sincerity that it is not rotten David prayer-ways lays before God the fervor of his desire of God Psalm 42. 1. As the hart panteth after the water-brooks so panteth my soul after thee O God Psalm 63. 1. My soul thirsteth for thee my flesh longeth for thee Psalm 73. 25. Whom have I in heaven but thee Psalm 119. 103. How sweet are thy words unto my mouth v. 97. O how love I thy law Psalm 139. 17. How precious are thy thoughts to me And the Church saith Isa 26. 8. Yea in the way of thy judgements we have waited for thee O Lord the desire of our soul is to thy name Jer. 15. 16. Thy words were found and I did eat them and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoycing of my heart for I am called by thy name O Lord God of hosts Q. 1. May we not lay out rotten and unclean hearts before God A. No doubt the pained man may lay out his boils before the Physitian and confession of sins and of the evil of our ways make way to making of a new creation in us Psalm 51. 5 10. Q. To what end should we speak to God of the sincerity of heavenly dispositions and fixedness of heart A. 1. Because neither David nor any of the Saints can order their own hearts under heavenly dispositions therefore the telling of this to God is a seeking help from him to improve these dispositions Peter cannot make use of the glory of Christs transfiguration which he saw except grace help in a manner glory and the Lord inable Peter to make the right use of it as he doth 2 Pet. 1. 16 17. and not as he doth Mark 9. 5 6 7. The Spouse banqueting with Christ in his garden eating honey and the honey-comb is in greater danger to miscarry and turn sleepy and carnally secure as it fell out Cant. 1. 2 3. then when she wants his presence Cant. 3. 1 2 3. It s not easie to guide a new heart or to guide and use well the heaven of a fixed heart and such heavenly disposition at the Kings banquet of wine when he gives the hidden manna and the white stone when Christs banner over you is love and his left hand under the head and the right embracing you there is then if ever need to pray and Christ is our precedent in this when he was transfigured and in that heaven so as he seemed to be beyond praying in a state of praising yet he prays Luke 9. 29. and then there is need of watching yea a believer is to pray in a good sense to be delivered from the evil of our prayers and from the sinful abusing of spiritual acts of a renewed heart from the evil of the flowings of free grace and heavenly dispositions so to speak and therefore should we tremble for fear that our sinful abuse of the impressions of the Spirit and heavenly dispositions move not the Lord to hide his face from his own shinings of grace and darken his own Sun and overcloud his noon-day beams and rays of light and love and who knows that God may mar his own feast and remove the table before the believer eat because he was sinfully wanton at the sight of dainties and prayed not humbly that Christ would bless his coming down to his garden and his banqueting with his Spouse Psalm 141. David prays for his own prayers it s a great art to carry equally the running over cup of consolation or to guide the comforts of the Spirit when the man is high the head is giddy Psalm 77. 6 7. I will offer in his tabernacle sacrifices of praise I will sing yea I will sing praises to the Lord this hath been a warmly condition of his spirit therefore he follows it with prayer v. 7. Hear O Lord when I cry with my voice The body being warm and sweating there 's need to take heed that cold get not into the heart 2. To tell the Lord of our fixedness of heart is a sort of in aging of him to perfect his own new building and to send rain and summer warmness on his own sowing and to perfect what he hath begun and it s a secret praying that God would make an eik to his own work that he would give influences of grace and would be pleased to milk out holy actings willing and doing out of holy dispositions Psalm 119. 35. Make me to go in the path of thy precepts for therein do I delight If the Lord give freely of grace a disposition to delight in his precepts he will also give grace to walk in his paths he that made the plant creates the tree and the fruit he who made the vine-tree makes the Summer-sun to nourish it v. 159. Consider how I love thy precepts quicken me O Lord according to thy loving kindness The Lord who gives the life of love and a warmly disposition of heart to the precepts of God must also give more quickning to that life he that brings the sown corn to a blade brings it to an ear of corn and to be bread the saving work of grace is one piece one building foundation walls and covering it s one growing tree root bulk and branch one compleat new man Doth the Lord of free grace create half a new man or rear up half a new building No grace is grace is grace going on and advancing till it be reaped grace and so glory 3. He tells the Lord of his fixed heart by way of thanksgiving and praise as Psalm 131. Lord my heart is not haughty he lays before the Lord the depth of the mercy of heavenly dispositions and of a fixed and prepared heart though he was at the mouth and entry of death the cave was like to be his burial place being chased for his life into it yet he tells the Lord he feared no evil in the valley of death Hence 1. Try
calling and what is the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the Saints and what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe Eph. 1. 17 18 19 20. And if as touching the will and the affections he be wicked in all the frame and imaginations of the heart Gen. 6. 5. Gen. 8 21. Jer. 17. 9. Ezech. 36. 26. Ezech. 11. 19 20. and that he cannot believe or come to Christ mediatly or immediatly except it were given him of God John 6. 65. Phil. 1. 29. 1. Act. 5. 31. 2 Tim. 2. 25. and except the Father draw him Joh. 6. 44 45. Eph. 2. 1 2 3 4. Tit. 3. 3. Why should the Masters of general grace tell us that Christ enlightens every man that comes in the world Joh. 1. 9. for men enlightned by Christ the true light are no more blind then seeing men and because this is actual illumination give us a place of Scripture where it is said that all the Brasilians Indians and other Gentiles are actually illuminated by Christ the true light even from the womb If from the womb when was that true Eph. 5. 8. Sometimes ye were darkness but now ye are light in the Lord for such as are actually illuminated by Christ were never darkned for the actual illumination denominates men as truly as the morning light names the air lightsome And when did the Ephesians and other Gentiles walk in the vanity of their minds having the understanding darkned being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them because of the blindness of their heart And if Christ shall destroy in this mountain the face of the covering cast over all people and the vail that is spread over all nations Isa 25. 7. then there is such a covering and vail over all faces and if people be blind in darkness and under the power of Satan Acts 26. 18. untill the preached Gospel open their eyes If Christ the true light do actually illuminate the Brasilians Indians Turks those of China who never heard the Gospel is a question 2. If Christ stand at the door of the heart of Brasilians Indians and knock and they have power of free-will to open as Martinez saith and the Lord every moment knock and awaken up the will by moral swasion or preaching of the Gospel the Pelagian grace by inspiration which adds no new strength to the will then is there here a market for the buying of influences of saving grace how comes it that never man in Brasilia India was ever converted to Christ and professed Christ The Scripture which saith there is no name under heaven by which men are saved but by the name of Jesus Act. 4. 12. is here silent all stories of human writers are silent 3. The place Rev. 3. 20. is meant of the visible Church of Laodicea v. 14. to the Angel of the Church of the Laodiceans write These things saith the Amen c. 18. I counsel thee to buy of me fine gold tried in the fire c. Did ever Christ by John or any other Apostle or Pastor write Gospel and command faith and repentance to the Angels of the Churches of Brasilia India and those who never heard any such Gospel-counsel to buy fine gold and white raiment and eye-salve from Jesus Christ as also the Jesuit with the same breath names this converting and saving Gospel grace for he cites that of John 15. without me ye can do nothing and the other texts hereafter which our Saviour clearly expones to be growing in Christ as branches in the vine-tree by faith drawing life from Christ v. 4. Abide in me and I in you as the branch cannot bear fruit of it self except it abide in the vine no more can ye except ye abide in me 5. I am the vine 8. for without me the true vine ye can do nothing ye can bring forth no saving fruit Now the bastard-grace which the Jesuit will have to be saving and Christ knocking at the door is nothing but cogitationes affectiones naturales honesti and I should gladly know if Christs meaning John 15. 5. Without me ye Brasilians and Indians and except by faith ye abide in me as branches in the vine-tree you exercise no acts of desiring or thinking on an honest object nor can ye do what is in you to attain to natural thoughts of the same kind Must the Jesuit have the Apostle to speak to the Brasilians and Indians O ye Brasilians work out your salvation with fear and trembling for it 's God that works in you to will and to do Phil. 2. in all honest natural thoughts And 2 Cor. 12. 6. God is in you working all in all that is v. 11. All these worketh the same Spirit of God giving to you Brasilians the spirit of wisedom the gift of healing the gift of working miracles as v. 7 8 9 10. And the God of peace Heb. 13. 20 21. make you Brasilians perfect in every good work to do his will revealed in the Gospel working that which is well pleasing in his sight through Jesus Christ If this be not abusing of Scripture what is it for he cites these Scriptures So Prov. 1. Wisedom crys without she uttereth her voice in the streets Christ the eternal wisedom of the Father never proclaimed the wisedom of the Gospel which hath so many Gospel-promises annexed to it to the stupid Brasilians read Prov. c. 2. c. 3. c. 4. c. 8. and the manifestation that God makes to the Gentiles Rom. 1. is a natural not a Gospel manifestation But I cannot stay see the Authors on the Margin 3. He who loves persons and hates them e're they be born or do good or ill and hath mercy upon these same by softning and hardning their hearts not because they run or run not or will or will not but because the Lord hath mercy on whom he will then there is no purchasing by our endeavours of the work of conversion 4. All Gospel-promises and all Gospel-threatnings are revealed in the Old and New Testament as well as the Gospel it self and the Gospel-commandment for an unwritten Law and Gospel binds not us But neither in Old or New Testament is there such a promise The nation and the person that doth such things shall be rewarded with the blessing of the preached Gospel Nor is there any such threatning that the nation or person that commit such sinnes and omit such duties shall be punished with the want of the preached Gospel for ever and with the want of faith and repentance only the latter suffers an exception in persons that sin against the holy Ghost for of Nations that sin and that before they hear the Gospel we read not It 's true the word of the Kingdome for great sins may be removed Zech. 11. 5 6 8 9. v. 12 13 14. Amos 8. 4 5 6. v. 11 12. Matth. 21. 33 34 35 41 42 43. Acts 13. 44 45 46 47.
faithfully acquit himself in the duty of his Office for by office he conferrs influences 2. It s to question his nature whether the Head shall inlive its members CHAP. IV. The necessity of influences of Grace Of the Soveraignty of God in dispensing influences IT is easie to determine that there is a sort of necessity of the Lords bestowing influences upon all natural causes of this before In so far as willing and nilling are acts of second causes in the same sphere with natural causes there seems to be no more reason for denying influences to nilling and willing simply yea or for literal hearing and praying then for plowing and sowing except that here God acts in a dreadful way of Justice toward Pharaoh and other reprobates in leaving them to the actings of their own heart only it may be said that God finding his child under deadness and acting in a dead and literal way as he hath bowels of compassion toward his chosen under the evil of sin that are ready to be drowned he joynes his help of influences seeing his own goe about duties with wrestling and pain since he knows some one way or other they must be over the water and helped otherwise they cannot stir 2. As there are some saving graces from the Mediator so must there be some mediatory influences bestowed covenant wayes upon the chosen of God But 1. Free goodness and not natural necessity made the world and that same freedome intervenes in continuing being and acting in creatures which act by nature Fire casteth heat the Sun light and influences the Sea ebeth and floweth by nature yet there must also be a free new commission sealed from eternity to every acting of nature he commandeth the Sun and it riseth not forbideth the fire to cast out heat and it obeyeth Job 9. 7. Heb. 11. 34. Dan. 3. 27. and it is an obliging and an indearing of the heart to God to come dayly under new debt and multiplied free gifts and it renews acts of love in us as fresh actings of salvation flow whether it be new deliverances Psal 18. 1 2 6 7. Psal 116. 1 2 3 4. or new acts of keeping faith from drying up in the fire 1 Pet. 1. 3 4. so as you being tried as gold verse 8. y◠love having not seen him 2. It extracts acts of praying sense of spiritual slownesse seems to pray Cant. 1. 4. Draw me we will run and sense of spiritual dulnesse Psal 119. 33. Teach me O Lord the way of thy statutes 3. Hence comes humble relying upon God when faith is put to believe that at every stirring of the members and at every lifting of the foot for a new step the head must stir in heaven and let down new influences of life and the bottles of Heaven and well of life must let down new flowings of rain every moment upon the withered garden if as much rain fell in one day as would suffice the earth for seven years and a man might eat so much at one meal as he should neither be hungry nor thirsty for five years there should not be such dayly dependance upon new influences for rain and dew dayly and for our dayly bread this day We can but 4. hence but believe the infinite wisedome of the Lord who well knows how to husband and steward his showres for in the man Christ they are continual John 8. 29. He that sent me is with me the Father hath not left me alone 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nor dismissed me for I do always 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the thing that please him When ever we do what is displeasing to God the Father of Christ leaves us out of the depth of his soveraignty of dispensing influences Christ was never so morally deserted 1. As the Lord would have a falling law Adam to whom he denied influences that nature might be nature so he also would have a standing and never sinning-Adam that grace might appear to be grace 2. Upon supposition that the second Adam is God man it was impossible but the man Christ in all his actions moral should want influences or ever sin or be left alone of the Father but he must always do the thing that pleaseth the Father nor is there any murmuring to be against the dispensation of deepest wisdom why we have not at our pleasure influences of grace that we should never sin as the man Christ never sinned 3. Say we could see no reason the thing is notire the Lord acts in the first elect Angels that they never sin he denied in the first fall influences to the reprobate Angels and since the Lord hath condemned them and tied them with chains of darknesse that their whole actions except the acts of intellectual being and living and the acts of knowing believing desiring fearing c. in the substance of the act should be only moral and only sin in all the substantial circumstances John 8. 44. Satan was a man-slayer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and stood not in the truth being created in the first truth adhering to God 1 John 3. 8. the Divel sinned from the beginning hence he is called 1 Peter 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the contrary party in law and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 goes about like a roaring Lion seeking whom he may drink over So that though there be in men actions of the phansie as to claw the head rub the beard actions of the vegetative life to grow to age to decline in old age senescere pubescere adolescere that are under no Law and so no sins yet all Satans actions are moral these excepted of which we spoke and influences to moral actions granted to reprobate men as to gives alms to go and hear the word visit the sick and imprisoned are denied to Satan Some men are also 2. Reprobate to good works Tit. 1. 16. and cannot believe and here is soveraignty that God works in some vessels of mercy to will and to do not in others 3. As touching the measure of grace and the degrees of saving influences the Lord walketh in a latitude of freedome all men have not alike measure of saving grace and faith 4. His freedome shines in the work of conversion John Baptist is filled with the holy Ghost from the womb Luke 1. 15. but 2. the woman of Samaria Matthew Zachaeus Magdalen Abraham Saul go on in a wretched state of nature for some considerable tract of years and then are visited with influences of life and 3. the Thief that was crucified with Christ upon the Cross in his outgoing is converted and not till then except the soveraign liberty of God silence us no other reason can occur of these things to mans understanding 4. In the Saints this liberty is clear fewer falls in Joseph then in David and so he must be nearer to dayly influences to the one then the other So the Lord left Hezekiah to try him that he might know all that
that or the woman whom thou gave to be with me she 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 she gave me of the tree There is an Emphasis in the Woman The or that Woman 2. An Emphasis in the Lord's liberality Thou gave her by way of goodness and liberality but I wish the Lord never had been good nor liberal in that kind 3. To be with me as an helper who now is a tempter 4. She as the chief cause gave me of the fruit and I did eat I repent says he in sense that thou was that graciously Good as to give me a tempter but I am not grieved for my own sin in eating So the common excuse woe to the Providence that God sent such an unhappy counseller to me oh what had I to do there So does Job repent in some respect in his weakness not that he came in the world an heir of wrath and a sinner but ah the fatal and wrathful Decree of God that ever I was born to such misery Job 3. 3. Let the day perish wherein I was born Jerem. 20. 14. But the Lord willeth the Crucifiers of Christ to mourn that they 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with wicked hands crucified and slew Christ and yet Peter counsels them Acts 2. 23. to submit humbly to the determinate Counsel and Fore-knowledge of God Our deceitful hearts are readier to repent for the holy Events and Facts of divine Providence then for our own sins as if the holy Lord did erre in his permissive providence and we doe not amisse in transgressing of an holy Law But such as are most active to doe the will of God and esteem it their meat and drink to obey his will as Jesus Christ Jo◠4. 34. and go about doing good Acts 10. 38 39. are most passively savoury and graciously submissive to suffer the will of God as he was Matth. 26. Nevertheless not my will but thy will be done Isa 53. 7. He was oppressed and he was afflicted yet he opened not his mouth he as a Lamb to the slaughter and as a Sheep before her shearers is dumb so he opened not his mouth 1 Pet. 2. 23. Who when he was reviled reviled not again when he suffered he threatned not but committed himself to him that judgeth rightously And Jeremiah who mourned so for sin as he desired his head were waters and his eyes a fountain of tears that he might both be humbled for the judgements and the sins of the people Jer. 9. 1 2. hath said much in the book of the Lamentations for justifying God Lam. 1. 18. Lam. 3. 38 40 41 42. Lam. 4. 10 11 12 13. Lam. 5. 19 20. and was willing himself to be carried captive So was Daniel who mourns and confesseth and fasteth three full weeks Dan. 4. Dan. 10. 2 3. and ascribeth righteousness to God The more submission there is in Job there is the more spiritual frame of a gracious spirit in him Job 1. 21 22. 2 Sam. 16. 10. and they who fret most at suffering as Cain Gen. 4. 13. and Jehoram 2 Kings 6. 23. Shall I wait any longer upon the Lord are most froward and unwilling to doe or act the will of God And on the contrary such are most impatient and blasphemous in suffering as damned reprobates who are less active in doing God's will and denying it 2. The Lord requires unto holy Soveraignty a submission to that permissive providence of his he suspends his gracious influences and what can we doe but sin Say a milstone were tied with Chains in the Air if the Chain break the stone must fall Remove the Sun and it must be dark night The Lord knowingly and of purpose withdraws his influences and Angles or Men in their strength cannot stand Convene and summon the wittiest thoughts of Men and Angels who acknowledge a providence and answer to this suppose a master of a house excellent in goodness and of a deep reach of wisdome to let fall out of his hand two precious stones of incomparable worth Jewels of the price of the half of the Earth and he only can keep them safe yet he suffers them knowingly and purposely to fall and be broken The Lord who hangeth the Earth upon nothing and it s not moved might and could have kept Men and Angels in their integrity but of purpose he suffers them to fall and be broken upon a mighty rock 2. A husbandman hath a huge broad and vast plat of ground most fertile for wheat olive trees the most delicious and excellent vines in great abundance it s a wide land of honey of Milk of many gardens of incomparably fragrant herbs with meadows and grass for millions of flocks he sees a great River shall overflow all this land this husbandman only can fence off the river with a strong bank yet he knowingly suffers the Flood to overflow and drown all that nothing can more grow in it then the bottome of the Sea 3. A Governour of Ten rich and populous Cities knows of a train of fire which by degrees shall at length consume in one flame men women sucking children gold silver houses gardens he can quench the train if he please yet he suffers a strong wind to blow upon it withdraws not water from it which is a sort of fomenting thereof until all be consumed What can here be said to him who gives not account of any of his matters this is the free dispensation of the only wise God to standing and to falling Angels and Men and who can judge God or find him out in this It may seem needless curiosity to determine which of the two Providences and which of the two Wills in the holy Lord must be first or choicest Whether that by which Adam should have stood happy in perfect obedience without fall or sin given to the Covenant of works or that Providence and Will by which the Lord designed to bring in the wonder of mercy and grace Emanuel God manifest in the flesh the delight of Men and Angels it seems to say that the Lord's will is more set upon Adam's final dutie which never had being and which the Lord immutably from Eternity decreed should never be then his holy Will is fixed upon that wonder of the World of Heaven and Earth the riches of the glory of his grace and other attributed in that precious and incomparable mystery God manifested in the flesh It s true God wills us rather to obey and not to wound our selves by sin then put him to pardon our disobedience or to seek a Mediator or remedy for sin But the Lord by his commanding will in his Law chargeth us under the pain of condemnation to obey but the Lord by no commanding will in his Law chargeth himself to provide and seek a Satisfier and Mediator he provides a Redeemer by his will of purpose and holy decree nor willed he ever fallen Adam to solicite his author commanding or decreeing will to provide a
Physician for sick sinners But except we seek a knot in a Rush 1. It s Adam's duty and all mankinds in him to stand obey and never sin and God wills this obligation to lie upon man as an eternally obliging duty And this is true even now and eternally Adam ought never to have sinned 2. God never willed Adam nor commanded him in Law or Gospel either absolutely or comparatively to put the Lord to seek a remedy or a Saviour to satisfie for us or to pardon sin we read of no such will 3. Nor is it fit to say that the Lord had rather David committed adultery and murther by God's permission and be pardoned for it then not to commit it for if this be meant of the commanding will of God no man can justly charge us with putting such contradictory wills upon God as also its unpossible that God can will the adultery of David to be by any other will then his will of purpose and hloy decree And then 4. The righteous Lord loves righteousnesse yet the Lord absolutely and simply willed rather the holy free submissive obedience of the second Adam to be then he wills the final obedience of the first Adam and he wills more the manifestation of the glory of his free grace pardoning mercy revenging justice in that excellent of the most excellent our Emanuel then the legislative glory of Adam and all his possible final obedience and the Lord wills no end rather then his own glory but the Lord never commands us to will but what he approveth and its needless to enquire whether a more eminent declarative glory could be then that which is the delight of the Lord's soul the pleasure of the Lord love greater then any man hath the rejoycing of the Lord loved and desired to be read looked unto with wondring and adoring by the holy Angels nor can any inherent righteousness of man please the Lord in any imaginable measure and manner as the obedience of Christ in offering himself to God through the eternal Spirit Heb. 4. 14. And if it be true that lost man gains more in the second Adam Christ Jesus then he lost in the first Adam clear it is that there is no comparison between the declarative glory of the Gospel to wit the glory of the humble willing and eminently and admirably excellent obedience of Christ God-man in dying tali modo and the declarative glory of the Law 2 Cor. 3. or between the glory of the righteousnesse of God through saith and the glory of the inherent righteousness through the grace of God for the righteousness of God through faith must be more excellent then the righteousness of man or then all the acts of man by grace believing hoping lovering repenting praying praising eternally in Heaven suffering of martyrdome and therefore it cannot be said that God would rather in an antecedent and principal intention have us to forbear sin and Adam to stand in Law-obedience then to put him to remedy sin and out of the greatest love of God to man to send his Son in the World to save sinners as if the intention and heart-purpose of God had been principally that the first Adam should stand and all in him and the Court of the Law of Works should be for ever and that the Lord in a second intention and as if it were compelled by a cross wind must sail into a next best and second harbour which yet undoubtedly is the excellentest and highest declarative glory of the Lord which the conceptions of Angels or Men can reach and was if I may so speak the eternal delight of the Lord while as yet he had not made the earth or the fields Pro. 8. 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31. though I am far from thinking that any thing without God doth conclude his holy Soveraignty yet the Lord's soul delighting in the holy obedience of Christ and the eternal declarative glory thereof shall be highest to me and in the hearts I conceive of the godly the most eminent revealed end and to Scripture 4. Neither is it better pleasing to God not to sin then when the man hath sinned to seek pardon for sin in the bloud of Christ I know not what Scripture so speaks or so teacheth both the one and the other is the approving and commanding will of God and if the Gospel be more glorious and excellent then the Law 2 Cor. 3. as it must be the seeking of a pardon is a duty commanded in the Gospel and Covenant of grace and not sinning is as such an act commanded in the poor and simple Covenant of works given to Adam I shall heartily yield to sin upon hope of pardon if any intelligent pure and only Antinomians so teach is utterly unlawful but upon supposition that the person is a sinner it is a more gracious act of obedience yea more glorious if I may so speak to fly to our Sanctuary and Citie of refuge Jesus Christ upon Gospel-principles then upon Law-principles not to sin And thus must the comparison of betterness and excellency be made But the arguing seems to infer that it is our mind that God willeth us to desire and practically to will rather that Christ the Physician should appear in the declarative glory of grace mercy pardoning punishing justice then that we should practically will our own Law-odedience but this is forced on us and is not our mind but a wicked Principle of Libertines for we ought rather to obey the Law and practically to will final obedience to the Law of works and eschew sinning as Hell rather then desire and with a more intense and a stronger practical will seek the incarnation of God for that practical will can never be in us without sinning Yea 4. It is a shame to compare together the righteousness of God and we are in Christ made this righteousness of God 2 Cor. 5. 21. and the inherent mixt imperfect righteousness of a renewed man for the one needs no pardon and the other is sinful and as menstruous cloaths without a pardon Isa 64. 6. I mean not that the believing praying c. of the regenerate are formally and in the substance of the act sins but by accident they are sinful and polluted but even in the substance of the act they are nothing comparable to the acts of obedience in Christ which are every way complete and perfect according to the strictest rule of the Law of works Yea 5. It s a false ground to say that by justification or remission of sins as some say but they are not every way the same only the guilt of sin is removed or only deliverance from eternal punishment for Christ's dying and satisfying is ours he dying in our stead and place and we dying in him legally not physically and so are we not only by his satisfaction which is made ours and by faith applyed to us negatively freed from Hell but positively righteous
ever withdrawing of the Spirit or of his influences there be its true what promises of a richer dispensation of grace are made in the Messiah Zech. 12. 10. Ezech. 11. 19 20. Isa 55. 11 12. Isa 44. 1 2 3 4 c. are to be considered by us but yet so no Scripture saith Stand still and act no duties until the Spirit of grace first strongly breath upon the heart that is to say no obeying of God is to be gone about until feeling of the breathings of the Spirit go before faith and praying and all duties and what is this but a tying of the spirit to our spiritual senses men then cannot be accused nor condemned for not calling upon God and not believing because natural men truly can say we could not walk before on◠Guide nor sayl without our Steers-man the Spirit Now the Spirit 's drawings we never felt and this were to render the Word of God useless it s enough to us the command cries to the conscience the voice of the Lord sounds in the Word and none can alledge any contrary actings of the Spirit As also how shall the feelings of the Spirit be known but by the Word and the Spirit not simply but the spirit with the word is the only Guide since we are bidden try the spirits whether they are of God or not 1 John 4. 1. and as hard it were to put converted ones to such a method it were to render Duties suspicious and dangerous and to condemn Scripture-light as guilty of darkness 2. We are now after Scripture is closed and the compleat Canon given to us to follow no duty but what is warranted by the Word and that the Spirit alone works not by the Word it must then be wild-corn and no part of the Lord's husbandry and so not from the Lord that we are not to pray while first we feel the actings of the Spirit for that position is both beside and contrary to the Word Something might be said for this we are not to eat while we feel hunger nor to sleep while we feel drouziness though if eating and sleeping be looked on as duties it cannot bear the weight of Scriptural truth yet to look to feelings as a Rule before we obey a Command of God and to make the feelings of breathings our Rule hath no colour of truth Ass 4. It may be looked on as another extremity to look to no actings nor dispositions of the heart before we pray for though the disposition of the heart be no rule morally obliging us yet to fall upon duties looking only to the Rule knowing the duty is a duty and sutable to the Rule and no more but to flie to acting in our own strength is not good For 1. It is required that beside it be an uncontroverted duty other Spiritual and Evangelick circumstances would be considered as whether Jehu intend the honour of God in killing the Priests of Baal whether the intended honour of God breath upon Pharisees in praying and in almes-giving or if only a thirst to be seen of men do blow the trumpet and encourage men to the work 2. The frame of the heart in doing would be looked to as we suppose Elisha did right in that he would not prophecy while as a passion of Anger was upon him and therefore called for a Ministrel to sing a Psalm and then the Spirit of the Lord acted upon him and whether while wrath is on pure hands can be lifted up to God see 1 Tim. 2. 8. possible out of eager opposition to Enthysiasts and Libertines we run on another extreme that we rush on duties upon no other account but only the Scripture is clear Do this in remembrance of me and that warranted us to eat at the Lord's Supper prepared or not prepared but to rush on the dutie while some preparation or self-examination go before is clear against another command of God Let a man try and examine himself and so let him eat some duties are of that nature that ex natura rei of themselves they require fixed preparations as the Priests sanctifying of themselves and these who offered before they came to the Altar Psal 26. 6. Exod. 40. 31 but whether this may warrant none to pray while they first prepare themselves to pray before they pray by praying and so that prayer which is preparatory must be prepared by another preparatory prayer and so without end spiritual preparations must in infinitum go on before spiritual preparations is another question A fixed and set preparation before every duty is not requisite but sure a preparing of the heart to seek the Lord should go before solemn actions 1 Sam. 7. 3. Job 11. 13. 1 Chron. 29. 18. 2 Chron. 12. 13. and beyond all controversie we sin against God and stumble many in headlong rushing upon duties not looking to a spiritual frame of heart in comming to the house of God and not taking heed to the feet and in yoaking the Cart before the Horse When we first sacrifice and then hear Eccles 5. 1. godly prudence which dwels with wisedom saith both a fools bolt is soon shot and a fools sacrifice is soon offered Some receive the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 suddenly Mark 4. 16. 1. Sayling is more safely delay'd in the time of an extreme storm and sowing when the wind is mighty then attempted and if the affections be raveiled and the heart smoaking with some fiery disorders that distemper would be mourned for and prayed against headlong and precipitate duties done in hast argue great profanness and irreverence to the holy Lord whom we serve and worship 2. They speak an irreverent not eying of God 3. Want of bendedness of heart in holy duties I speak not this as if praying either set or instructed or ejaculatory suits were to be delayed Ass 5. To wait upon the flowings of the Spirit hath not one single meaning Libertines waiting on the actings of the spirit and there professed feriation and abstinence from praying hearing is a sad delusion 1. It s a hardning of the heart while it is to day and then the foolish Virgins had good reason to be foolish and to neglect the market and buy no Oyl while the market of Mercy was gone and over why the spirit blew never fair for their spiritual trading and therefore they are to be excused in that they sleeped all their life 2. It s a confounding of the Rule the Word of God and of the Spirit which quickens the Word and makes it effectual 3. It s to excuse all wicked men and to loose them from the law of God We can doe no better blame the Spirit say they which blows not and many other absurdities hence follow 2. To wait on the Spirit 's flowings that is with a lesse measure of the spirit to fetch more and by two talents to gain four is so lawful a waiting for the breathings of the spirit as to plow and wait
nor receiving of a new heart is our sin The sowrness and naughtiness of the Earth in bringing forth poysonable weeds is the Earth's own indispotion the Sun and Clouds extract these poysonable herbs the natural driness of some rocky Earth and the not raining of the clouds meet both in one to wit the barrenness of the earth and this takes not away the faultiness of this earth so rocky 2. Our guiltiness that appears is evident in our eik which we make to original and natural malice for acquired pravity meets with natural and original corruption like two floods to make a Sea or a great River or as when a man forceth a wound to bleed which of it self would bleed And again what ever may be said of the result of the Lord 's withdrawing of influences we add an impulsion to his withdrawing as the adding of the heat of an Oven neer the root of a fruit tree to cause it to ripen adds something to the heat of the Sun and the Influences of the Heavens and when the heart walketh after the heart of our detestable things as it is Ezech. 11. 21. and with the intended bensil of the free-will we put our seal and consent to the Lord's withdrawing there is no ground to complain of his withdrawing Q. But does not the Lord 's withdrawing of his influences since without his concurrence of that kind our actings are impossible doe violence to free-will which must be indifferent to act or not to act to doe or not to doe Ans This is a weak reason for to our willing the influence of God is natural and so is it to our nilling the Lord â—akes his influences and the withdrawing thereof connatural to all our actions to both willing and to nilling driness and barrenness is as connatural to the tree as budding and fruit-bearing if God add his influences either to the one or to the other yea since the Lord's concurrence is sutable to the nature of second causes the fire leaves not off to be fire nor is its nature destroyed if the Lord withdraw his influence so that the fire burns not the three children nor is violence done to nature by the Lord 's joyning of his influence to the fire to burn in acts of righteousness or of sin there is still nilling and willing And suppose that the Martyr chose to die a violent death for the confirming of the truth there is no violence done to free will nay there is no miracle in the Lord 's concurring to the material acts of sin 2. To have dominion over the Soveraignty of God is no part of the creatures liberty but only it is free in order to its own actings nor is it essential to the free-will of Men or Angels or any creature to have the influences of God in its power or at hand As it is no part of the Sun's power of yielding light or of the fires quality of casting heat to have dominion and command over the influences of God the supreme and first cause but the Lord hath so a dominion over second causes both in acts natural and supernatural that his influence as Midwife ever attends saving his holy Soveraignty the bringing forth of all births and effects of second causes So as in the free-wills moral actings the not acting of free-will or the marring of the birth of new obedience to a law of God is never from the Lord 's physical withdrawing of his influence as from a culpable cause but the sinfulness of the action is ever from our own sinful withdrawing of our will from under the moral sway of the holy command of God and let it be a mystery how the Lord withdraws his concurrence as being above a law he is holy and spotless in so doing and how we are under a law and sinfully guilty in that we love to want his holy influence and it s our sin and he loves to withdraw his influence and it is his holy Soveraignty Both which are clear in Scripture if we confess that we are debters to the Lord and to his just Law and his holy Soveraignty in that he yieldeth his influences and in his having mercy on whom he will and in hardning whom he will in the Lord 's drawing of men or his not drawing of them to Christ in revealing the Gospel mystery savingly to whom he will Rom. 9. 18. John 6. 44 63. Matth 11. 26 27. nor can the Lord be a debter to the Creature in these And this mysterie is a clear revealed truth if we yield that the Lord 's active drawing calling inviting of sinners to come to Christ is his holy and sinless work and our passive not being drawn and not being effectually called and invited to come to Christ is our sin of unbelief and our refusing and rebellious rejecting of his call Isa 65. 1 2. Prov. 1. 24 25 26. John 5. 40. and that he so calleth and hath mercy on whom he will because he will as it is the flesh and carnal wisedom that objecteth But God so calling some as they must come because so he willeth and so calling other some as they must be hardened because he willeth gives a seeming ground to two great Objections 1. Why then doth God find fault and rebuke and eternally refuse the so called for if they were called with that drawing power that others are called with sure they would believe and come but they are not so called therefore God cannot blame us find the fault in unbelievers Rom. 18. 19. 2. If God so call some as they obey and others as they obey not because he will who can resist his will his will is as himself then do we reject God's calling and eternally perish because God so doth will Now not any ever breathing moved any such Objections but the carnal Jew in Paul's time and the Socinians Jesuits and Arminians in the age we now live in and stumblers at the word for all such enemies to grace turn the Objection into an argument against the absolute will and invincible grace of God and answer not with the holy Ghost who Rom. 9. calls it a bold fleshly replying unto God v. 20. for the holy Ghost asserts the Soveraignty of God as the potter over the clay the guiltiness of vessels of wrath Rom. 9. 22. and their disobedience in refusing the call of God v. 29. their following like Pharisees Law-righteousness by works and stumbling at Christ the stumbling stone laid in Sion Rom. 9. 31 32 33. wheras the Gentils were called of free grace v. 24. 25 26. therefore they must be of the same stamp with the fleshly Jews who thus object against us and such are the Patrons of universal grace and free-will Hence let that be discussed 1. Would God give me grace I would be a man according to God's heart as well as David But 2. I was born in sin and I cannot have more grace then God hath given me
have been no Saviour no Emanuel no declared free grace no gracious design in God to open experimentally to Men and Angels the wonder of Christ and free grace but that must come upon the Soveraign Lord by some bide-by design of nature and created free will 3. Were influences at our disposal we might make our prayers only to our own free will who only can by this way hear and help but we pray to God only for quickning determining leading and stirring up influences and for effectual teaching and influences are in a good hand when the matter is so 4. The unregenerate as in Shepherd's select Cases page 96. pag. 102. are not within the compass of any conditional promise though in Baxter's Append. to Aphor. to Obj. 10. 11. p. 28. he puts a note of censure on it for if the new heart were in the power of Cain and Judas and this were holden forth to all and every one of mankind run well and win the crown of conversion and of the life of grace and of glory For 1. You have sufficient grace to win it 2. You have the influences of grace at your own disposal and power be you Brasilian Indian or what else Then were all men made independent Lords of salvation and damnation and of the holy and deep decrees of Election and Reprobation And if so there were not such a thing as a decree of Reprobation but as a sort of over-birth and a decree of some after-wit in the holy Majesty of God after he were disappointed of his former Gospel-decree of choosing all to glory who wisely yea out of his manifold wisedom willed and decreed all to be saved so they would use the universal power and the influences of grace well as they might and could but unto what God should such make their prayers whether to God the Father of our Lord Jesus or to themselves I cannot divine 5. If so be influences be at mans disposal could he kisse the Mediator stoop to free grace and adore it praise and sing his glory who sits upon the Throne and commend the Lamb who redeemed sinners out from among lost sinners 6. In reason we can no more time and dispose of the measure manner and kind of our own comforts and of the kind and measure of the Lord's influences then the Earth can dispose of the quantity of rain and dew and herbs corn or growing trees can determine of the influences of the Sun Moon and Heavens The third Classe of Answers to the Lord 's restrained way of giving of grace and to him who says Had I more grace I should be more holy must be taken from the holy attributes of God for this quarrel why would not the Lord make me holier and let out richer influences of grace is a reproaching of his Soveraignty He makes not all the lumps of the great masse of clay vessels of honour that is true Nor have they all alike nearness to the Throne of glory or the like measure of glory that are in Heaven nor alike measure of gifts all are not Apostles nor alike measure of grace and holiness nor are they all equally poor or equally rich or equally wise and learned or equally believing in the same measure of assurance the same measure of joy For when Paul disputes thus he hath mercy on whom he will and hardens whom he will it comes to this Why doth he then find fault it is not in him that runs and wills if the Lord would effectually call us Jews we should run and will and obey as vigorously as the Gentiles doe But the Lord doth not so call us therefore he cannot rebuke us or find fault with us that we believe not and receive not the Messiah and the righteousnesse of God through faith which is the very Objection in hand 2. As the Objection is against the Soveraignty of God so it is against the infinite wisedom of God Why should the infinitely wise Lord knowing if Judas and all the disobedient refusers of Christ had the same grace and influences of grace bestowed upon them which he freely bestowed on his own they would have obeyed deny that grace and these influences he knowingly denies them After the Apostle in three Chapters hath discussed this Rom. 11. 33. he acknowledges there is a deep in it O the depth of the riches both of the wisedom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgements and his ways past finding out No wonder it be a depth to me but there is no more deep in it if all have universal sufficient grace and if all have the influences of grace in their power then this is no depth He that believes shall be saved he that believes not shall be condemned and God rewards those who seek him I deny not there is a depth in all God's ways in the industry of a Pismire of a Coney of a Locust yea how the bones grow in the womb of her that is with child But because the Apostle having discoursed of Election and Reprobation and of the Righteousness of Faith and of the Law Rom. cap. 9. c. 10. and of the casting off the Jews for a time and the incomming of the Gentiles Rom. 11. and then concludes ver 33. O the depth both of the riches and knowledge of God c. there must be another sort of profundity in the words to humane reason then that wisedom of God shining in the works of Creation and providence Rom. 1. 19 20. Psal 92. 5 6 7. Psal 107. 43. Psal 58. 10 11 c. Now the Doctors of universal grace and such as submit election and reprobation obedience to the call of God and disobedience and all the influences of grace to the determination of free will arise no higher then the depths of mans willing and nilling As also the Objector in this saith God might have more honour and service of me if so it had pleased him and what is this but God would be wiser should he bestow grace and the influences of grace on me and all mankind for even such Arminians who cannot deny but God foresees what motions and influences shall prevail with free will what not are burthened with this doubt as we are if mans carnal wisedom be judge 3. This is a complaining against the free grace of God there is a sort of grace of Creation and a Comet or a Star is here left to complain why made not the Lord me a shining Sun and the Thistle must challenge God why made he not me a Fig-tree or a Vine-tree are not here beggars at the Lord's door boasting the Lord because they get not an Almes of begged and borrowed being after their own carnal will So here what ebness of grace was this that the Lord would not bestow the same influences of grace on Beelzebub the prince of divels before he fell as upon the Angel Gabriel and the Seraphims who flie with wings to doe his will and cover
before and above God whereas the Rose warms not the Sun but the Sun warms and nourishes the Rose and the corn and herbs do not refresh the Heaven and the Clouds but Heaven and Clouds nourish and refresh the corn and grass and it must be untoward and froward divinity that the sick man heals the Physician It is the grace to speak so of the Lord 's free grace that the Lord prevents us not we him its impossible that nature can prevent grace Prop. 2. Though the Lord's promise and his free decree hath tyed himself in a manner to be prevented by a moral cause yet that moral cause even the praying man stirs not until God first prevent him to pray Hence the Lord moves and wheels about the heart and will of the man who is most free and most absolute among all the sons of men even the King Prov. 21. 1. and that not if the King will and say amen with his prior or former or collateral consent but whithersoever Jehovah will Hence our prayers that God would incline our hearts to his testimonies Psal 119. 36. Not incline the heart to any evil thing Psal 141. 4. Vnite the heart to fear his name Psal 86. 11. So Jacob prays the Lord would give his sons favour in the eyes of the Governour of Egypt a Heathen man as to him Esther and her maids pray for grace in the eyes of Ahasuerus see Gen. 43. 14. The Lord Almighty give you mercy before the man If God could not indecliuably bow the will to his own way side or end be it by antecedent predetermination or what way else you shall call it so the Lord be the more Master of willing and nilling then the creature but in so doing he should destroy free will we should in all such petitions pray for the destroying of free will where sure we pray for perfecting and the sanctified bowing of free will to obey God 2. If the dominion of free acts remain strongly in the creatures power we must in these suits incline my heart unto thy testimonies lead us not into temptation pray the Lord for that which is not in his power to give 3. If God do carry free will whithersoever he pleaseth then we must not defer the only praise of our obedience and of our victory over temptations to the grace of God but to free will which made the discriminating difference 1. Hence we are to commit our free will to the Lord's dominion of grace and not to believe that such a tottering Goddesse as free will which hath lost and destroyed Angels and the first man Adam can guide well enough Yea 2. we are to bless the Lord for that impotency if so it may be called that the soveraign Lord's heavenly influences are not in the creatures coffers to be husbanded by the creature how false is it that Christ hath bought free will to himself 3. How sweet is it that our head Christ and we in him are more masters of mens hatred and favour then they are themselves Prov. 3. 1 4. Psal 106. 46. for would enemies and haters shew us favour and love if they were absolute Masters and Lords of their own hatred and love not at all we must thank and blesse an higher hand then such men 4. Should we pray more we should be more rained upon in our withered condition by showrs of influences of grace Object By your way we cannot pray for influences except the Lord bestow on us other foregoing influences Answ What follows but that we are to pray that we may pray and that we are to pray for our own prayers that they may be steeled with faith and strength of grace And David prays for his own prayers Psal 5. 2. Psal 28. 2. Psal 88. 2. Psal 141. 2. 2. Would the Objector relish prayers without influences of grace can nature pray in the holy Ghost can Christ intercede for the accepting of natures work Prop. 3. Because God only is Lord and Master of free-will and of the actings of all creatures we are not to be idle and upon that account to act nothing for then should not the husband-man plow sow and labour for God only is Lord and Master of the actings of the husband-man and without the influences and blessing from on high the husband-mans labours from the beginning of the year to the end were no better then to plant Vine-trees in the bottom of the river Euphrates or to sow Barley or Wheat in the Ocean sea And so should the Sea-man never sayl for God only can create winds and tide and God only is Master of the ebbing and flowing of the Sea and of sayling and of right steering of the Vessel for since the Lord declares not his mind on the contrary by forbidding men to pray and others to plow and sayl 2. Since the Lord offers no positive violence to hinder these actings And 3. because he commandeth us to doe them it becomes us to set to work and to act with and under him and to commit the event and blessing to him Indeed if the Lord were so Lord of our actings as he did all and whole the work and we did act nothing at all in praying yea and in plowing but were meer dead and useless patients as Libertines dream something might follow to justifie our idleness but our corruption following Satan teacheth us either to sacrifice to our own net and say vainly either we doe all and God does nothing and so we darken his glory who works all our works in us and for us or then we say on the other extreme we doe nothing and God does all and therefore must we say let God pray labour the earth trade and sayl and put our hand in our bosome and sleep but the former is sacriledge and idolatry and robs the Lord of his glory and the latter is proclaimed disobedience Yea and whether the influence of God antecedently master the creatures actings or we joyntly and collaterally be mastered and determined by the creature we are in both cases to act and doe what is good and are not to make God's influence our rule of doing or not doing Prop. 4. Hence to have or not to have the influence of God is not commanded in the Word nor have we any physical power over the Lord's acts of Omnipotency for we do not formally love God and keep his Commandments in a way commendable if we speak of the moral cause of obedience because he works in us both to will and to doe but because he hath commanded us to love him and to keep his Commandments John 14. 15. Psal 119. 4 5 6. Hence 1. The Libertine is blasphemously wide the creature can doe says he nothing good or evil God worketh all sin all obedience immediately in us it s in vain to read pray hear the word meditate confer or go about works of reforming abuses in religion because all these are to no purpose without the
a stranger on earth hide not thy Commandments from me The Commandments are the way and a hid and covered way is a misery to a stranger or pilgrim A frequent sight of ignorance and errors and a being in love with the spirits leading is good Though a man could get the work through be it praying hearing reading warring governing eating and drinking yet he is not satisfied with the bulk of the work except the spirit be the doer This gracious spirit looks not so much to praying as to praying in the Holy Ghost nor to hearing as to hearing in the spirit of faith nor to fighting though David be stronger then the enemy except the spirit of the Lord lead the army Psal 60. 1 2 9 10. Psal 140. 7 8. Psal 18. 29 30 31. Nay it 's not enough to eat and drink except the spirit act the man to eat and drink for God Men spend and waste away their actings and call not for the spirit to get them compassed about We are men abundance to build the Temple and mighty Kings favour us and work-men have strength in legs and arms to lay stones in the wall O but that will not doe it Zach. 4. 6. Not by might nor by power but by my spirit saith the Lord of hosts and so only is the Temple builded 6. There is a spiritual facility in the spiritual actings of a spiritual man 1. The acting is connatural and easie when it comes from an inward principle the stream naturally without violence flows from the fountain and so doth heat from the fire nor is it any pain to the earth to fall down and descend or for the light bodies fire and air to ascend it 's neither toyl nor labour to the Sun to give light for all these come from principles internal There is violence in the motion of an Horologue and therefore the wheels shall be worn out by time but the actings of the spirit are sweet and facile grace makes the Commandments not grievous it s no pain but easie to a gracious pastor to love Christ it breaks neither leg nor arm to desire Christ and be sick for him and to feed his flock for love to the chief shepherd 2. Psal 25. 9. The meek will he guide in judgement the meek will he teach is ways It 's easie for God to guide any man to guide and lead Lions and Unicorns but in the very object there is a facility to counsel a broken and danted spirit If a man be in his flower and prime and rich and mighty healthy and prosperous readily he will doe but what he will but if the man be in chains and broken and meekned with the rod of God he is easily bowed and counselled to what is good as iron red hot will bow and yield to the smitings of the hammer i'ts hard to lead a Lion The Lord speaks like the Lord to Job cap. 39. 9. Will the Vnicorn be willing to serve thee or abide by thy cribs Canst thou bind the Vnicorn with his band in the furrows or will he harrow the valleys after thee but it is easie to bind a lamb Meeknesse is easily led and drawn when the spirit comes in the man is made pliable for counsel he is a plowed and a broken man who saith Acts 9. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lord what wilt thou have me to doe There was no pride in him but the fulnesse of the spirit of the anointing above all his fellows and all mankind who said not my will but thy will be done And if any living man should have had his will or a piece of his will it was a man whose holy will could never crook and it was now when sinlesse holy harmlesse nature was debating the greatest question that ever Heaven or Angels knew But the fulnesse of the spirit bids him quit his will and so he did The sweet passive tractablenesse of the spirit of grace will enjoyn the man to be ranged bridled and led of God there be some whom God can neither lead nor drive any inspiration fals upon him a moral influence this I should and ought to doe but I shall not I will not doe it let God doe his best and it is as if a burning cole were cast into the sea or river will it burn the sea will it be welcomed and received no it s presently quenched An unbroken Tyrant void of the spirit when he heard that charge Let my people goe They are my servants saith the Tyrant not thy people Exod. 5. 2. Who is the Lord that I should obey his voice and let Israel goe Let his influences be lodged with meeknesse O wrestle not against warnings but yield to them So are all gracious influences sweet delectable and easie is it pain nay its sweet and pleasant for a field of Roses of Vine-trees to receive showers and summer influences from the Sun and Heaven It was sweet for the baptised man Christ to receive and lodge the Holy Ghost who came down in the form of a Dove on him in all his influences 7. To act much in the spirit brings more abundance of the spirit 1. The more publick the work be the more is the man under the spirit Christ must have been under mighty flowings of the spirit who for the publick Catholick duty of redeeming mankind was willing to be suspended from the influences of his personal comfort and to be under that sad cloud of being forsaken of God that God might embrace us It 's the proper work of the spirit to glorifie God John 16. 14. He shall glorifie me saith Christ of the spirit for he shall receive of mine Then the more we glorifie God and Jesus Christ his Son we testifie we partake the more of the flowings of the spirit The Church hath so much the more of the spirit that she is willing to bear the Lord's indignation because she hath sinned Mic. 7. 9. and bear publick sufferings to illustrate the glory of his justice 2 We are also with Magdalen and other godly persons so far to be dead to the private comforts of love to Christ and his presence and waiting about the grave to anoint his body that we are to wait upon the more publick duties of resting in and of sanctifying of the Sabbath though otherwise the rescuing of the life of an oxe be mercy above this sacrifice If we have much of the spirit we shall patiently submit to the Lord's dispensation of his soveraign withdrawing of influences of comfort yea and delight in other inferior duties What though he will not feast me with the apples of the tree of life and suspend his comforts what if he withdraw joyful influences of believing of glorying and rejoycing in the Lord and feed the poor sinner with absence and exercise him with sad desertions 3. It 's a spiritual condition when Christ casts in feelings and discernable motions of the spirit and not only knocks but Cant. 5. 2 4.
puts in his hand by the hole of the door if this follow my bowels were moved for him And it 's a spiritual condition when the soul fails and the spouse falls a swoon at these words Open to me my sister my love c. Cant. 5. 2 6. And these lesser feelings would be turned into consent and into fixed resolutions as the spouse I opened to my welbeloved I sought him but I found him not I called him but he answered me not And that came from the feeling of his hand put in by the hole of the door ver 4. compared with ver 6. For that word Quench not the spirit 1 Thes 5. 19. includes an affirmative that is cherish kindly and yield sweetly unto the flowings and sweet influences of the spirit 8. A watching condition is a spiritual condition The Spirit of God is much seen in keeping the soul watching Ephes 6. 18. Praying with all prayer and supplication in the spirit is joyned with watching For it 's added and watching thereunto with all perseverance and Jude conjoynes praying in the Holy Ghost with ver 21. looking for or watching after the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life The spirit is willing Matth. 26. 4. forward watchful so is the â—enewed part but the flesh is weak sleepy and lazy And as much as the man hath of the spirit so much holy watchfulnesse hath he and Matth. 25. 26. the evil servant that digged his Masters talent in the earth is called wicked and slothful 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sleepy in opposition to the watching and painful servant who ver 20. gained five talents to five talents Drowziness counter-works the knocking 's and gracious influences of the Spirit of Christ's calling Cant. 5. and answers Christ's piercing words Open to me my sister my love c. with a carnal excuse from drowzinesse it 's not time of night for Christ to seek lodging I have put off my coat how shall I put it on I have washed my feet how shall I defile them Cant. 5. 3. The flesh is a sleeping thing and a dead were we more diligent and painful we might be richer lesser motions closed with become the seed of larger motions The moving of the bowels at Christ's spiritual stirrings that he makes upon the heart grows to this I rose to open to my welbeloved Watching guards against sleeping and watchfulnesse puts the soul upon a resolution to watch sleeping guards no more against watching then then the privation fences off the habit or doth set a man to work against life We sit not watchfully upon the motions of the spirit to warm them and to draw life out of them as the Hen by careful sitting upon dead Eggs bringeth forth living birds Who would think a tree and a huge tree can come from a sorry plant or sixty or an hundred grains of wheat in harvest to be in one single grain cast in the earth in sowing time Can the flesh wait for the Lord is not hope an act of life Yea it 's lively hope opposite to a dead and rotten hope and waking is nearer to life and influences of life then sleeping which is the death of the man as touching the exercise of the sensitive life Then since the spirit is a spirit of life and a quickning and living spirit Rom. 8. 1 Cor. 15. the more watchfulnesse in any the more of the spirit For when the spirit enters in the dry bones they become an army of living men whereas before they were farther from life and spirit then sleeping bones Let us not sleep as do others but let us watch and be sober For they that sleep sleep in the night 2 Thes 5. 6 7. The night is far spent let us walk honestly as in the day not in rioting and drunkennesse not in chambering and wantonnesse nor in strife and in envying Rom. 13. 13. This is like the putting on of the Lord Jesus which is a work of the spirit for sleeping men put not on their garments Ministers especially are to watch yea to watch in all things then in sleeping they must watch 2 Tim. 4. 5. And hardly can fighting and enduring hardnesse as a good souldier of Jesus Christ commended to the Minister 1 Tim. 6. 12. 2 Tim. 2. 3. consist with sleeping if we know how near Satan the roaring Lion who sleeps not is to our quarters and camp 1 Pet. 5. 8. Who can sleep and be secure and resist Satan or stand against him stedfast and fixed in the faith ver 9. Christ is much upon this by Matthew Marke and Luke Watch Watch and pray and lest it slip them again I say to you Watch Matth. 26. 38 40 45. Matth. 24. 42. Matth. 25. 13. Mark 13. 23. Mark 14. 38. Luke 17. 26 27 c. Luke 21. 8 38. cap. 2. 2 46. How can sleeping men receive influences of grace doth the Lord cast influences upon sleeping mens bosomes So are we to act as our acting way be fathered on the spirit as the Spirit of the Lord came upon Gideon upon Sampson and they fight and the Spirit of the Lord upon Zechariah the son of Jehojadah and he prophecied 2 Chro. 24. 20. Luke 1. 64. the father of John Baptist was filled with the Holy Ghost and prophecied Simeon came by the spirit into the Temple This acting in the spirit is opposed to acting in the flesh and in the spirit of Satan as Bullinger of one brother who slew his brother and pretended the spirit and Pareus tels us the like As the Lord the Father and Son never spake to Abraham Moses to Patriarks or Prophets but he made them know it was the Lord so neither does the spirit act in any though the way seem violent as in Phineas and Samuel their executing of justice but the Spirit makes it known that it is the Spirit and that he is not in the mighty wind nor in the fire but in the calm voice So Samuel leisurely and advisedly convinceth Agag ere he kill him and gives a reason to his conscience from divine justice 1 Sam. 35. 32 33. though Samuel then had laid down the sword It 's an useful word Jude 20. Praying in the Holy Ghost and Ephes 6. 18. Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the spirit What is there a praying in the flesh yea if preaching may be from a principle of the flesh out of envy and strife Phil. 1. 15. so may praying be from some rotten principle of fleshly presumption Lord Lord open to us Which us to us workers of iniquity Matth. 25. 11. Luke 13. 25 26. And 2. some prayer flows from fleshly despair and not from the spirit Rev. 6. 16. Mountains and rocks fall on us and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne And 3. The enemies of David cry to the Lord out of fleshly fear and unbelief not in the spirit Psal 18. 41. There is a praying out of deadness and from the flesh
leave their name in the earth for a curse Be not satisfied while the wind breaths out of the right air even from a life of Christ and from the head Christ Christ lives in me Gal. 2. and the actual influences of grace from above are suitable having Christ living in you Christ shall furnish wind and sweet breathings of the Spirit to his own life it 's a cursed case of conscience when the man hath peace and so much quietness as to be satisfied with and to thank God for his formal fasting and paying of his debts to all Luke 18. 11. and such counterfeit influences please him all his life 2. How doe they undervalue Christ and his blood who father all influences of praying and seeking of God upon their own industry and nature in this the mouth may kisse the hand we kisse not the Son It speaks grace when every sincere sigh and every good word and thought is referred to the price and ransome of blood when the soule is at this O I would kiss Jesus Christ for this loosing and melting of heart and I am the endeared debtor of Jesus Christ for this lively breathing upon the heart This keeps from murmuring and fretting at other times when the man weeps over his deadness ah it 's saith the complainer long since I saw him 2. The differences betwixt the habit of grace and other habits of arts and sciences would be considered 1. In the rise industry and free-wills trading may purchase the habits of sciences and arts this is infused from heaven I will pour water on the thirsty ground saith the Lord for mine own sake do I this Isa 44. Ezek. 36. 32. This habit is indeed Christs trading and the fruit of the travel of his soul and stands Christ at a high price 2. Other habits may be forgotten and lost this is a part of the believers stock of Christs buying and so in Christs keeping Christ keeps his own purchase from wasting in shipwrack It 's the immortal seed the well that springs up to life eternal John 4. 14. the remaining anointing 1 John 2. 20. the imbiding seed of God 1 John 3. 9. 3. The lesse excellent the habit is the more it is under the dominion of free-wil the Musician may sing when he will he needs no influences of grace to stir up his habit the natural man from himself may blow upon the natural habits of arts and sciences and the remanents of the image of God and he may do much from common honesty but the more excellent and spiritual the infused habit is the further it is from being under the dominion of free-will only the North and South-wind of the Spirit can act upon this habit supernatural nor can we pray simply at the nod and stirring of free-will only the Spirit of Jesus is steeres-man here and this is to be holden that the Spirit so withdrawes as we are guilty consenters to his withdrawing and in the sinful omission of calling upon the Lord and when the Spirit acts upon the free-will and the habit of grace we are willing consenters to that blessed breathing and willing joyners in the work of praying and some commendation and praise the holy Ghost gives to his Saints in all holy actings Num. 14. 24. Gen. 22. 16. Gen. 32. 28. Num. 12. 7. Rev. 2. 3 13 19. Rev. 2. 4 8 9 10. So we are 1. not to engage in the strength of free-will and let us know thus much that when resolutions of relying upon the grace of Christ are taking and we say this we shall do by the grace of Christ we but use the name of grace but there is within 1. A fixedness of relying on nature and we follow not our resolution with prayer as David Psal 119. 106. I have sworn and will perform that I will keep thy righteous judgments He seconds his vow with prayer v. 108. Accept I beseech thee the free-will offering of my mouth O Lord and teach me thy judgments In praying for any mercy as for grace to keep the way of God which we have vowed to keep we are to interpose Christ as Surety for the performing of the vow 2. There is not godly fear and trembling in distrusting our selves David after the Lord makes a covenant with him and David by the Lords grace had accepted and engaged to stand to it he casts himself down to the dust 2 Sam. 7. 18. Who am I O Lord God and what is my house that thou hast brought me hitherto If we did but consider how cozening and unstable as water our hearts are we should fear our own bentness to backsliding when we so vow It speaks honest ingenuity after a man hath borrowed money and given word and writ to pay it when he is anxious how to answer the day and be acquit of the debt 3. Faith should rely upon the promise of God for influences of grace and look away from nature and cease from the breathings of free-will especially since they are involved in the promises of perseverance and in the promises of the covenant Isa 54. 10. Isa 59. 21. Jer. 31. 35. Ezek. 36. 27. For among men he who engageth for a good harvest doth also engage to labour to harrow and sow He that covenants to bring home to a Prince a ships loading of gold from India he must also engage to prepare a ship and sea-men and provision for them and to set out to the Sea for sailing and to take the opportunity of the winds Now since the Lord hath promised to bring many children to glory this puts on Christ a sort of engagement especially if we add to this the trust that the Father hath put on him John 17. 2. chap. 6. 37. to work in them to will and to doe and when they fall to raise them again and as faith relies upon the promise of glory so is faith to rely upon Christ for grace and influences and new breathings of the Spirit without which perseverance promised even undeclinable attaining to glory is impossible 3. The stronger and the more intense the habit is the more connatural and kindly and the more signal bended and strong are the acts that flow from the habit 1. Rain and sweet showres poured upon the dry ground make the growing the more easie and connatural and when a strong habit of the love of Christ stronger then death and the grave which many waters cannot quench was fixed and rooted in the heart of the Martyrs the acts of suffering even the torments of the rack of burning quick of the teeth of wild beasts of exquisite and long-enduring tortures were exceeding both easie and rejoycing and refreshing to themselves and others and they had answerable strong acts of influences and a mighty presence of God as the three children have the fourth man the Son of man walking in the fiery oven with them Daniel hath the increated Angel to stop the mouths of the lyons and there must have
and he rejoycingly triumphed over death In a moment there may come in a carnal disposition and drown and quench the smoaking and flaming of an heavenly kindling We might draw down rich influences and sweet actual breathings which are connatural and suitable to spiritual and supernatural influences the Lord though his liberty in breathing when and where he will be admirable yet should we more vigorously improve ordinances and specially promises for ordinarily the Lord would let out more of his breathings did we more improve the habits of grace and sure he that trades not at all with his stock may become poorer and we might make influences more near to us for the habit of grace is nearest of kindred of any thing else to the actual breathings of the Lord and the only culpable cause of our not growing in grace and augmenting of the habit of grace is our own sinful sluggishness CHAP. IV. Now the third particular we proposed to speak to was the connexion between the habits of grace and actual breathings and how we may by using habits fetch home the breathings of the Spirit The habit of grace is to be considered two ways 1. In order to God 2. In its own nature In order to God 1. The Father 2. The Son 3. The Spirit 1. IN order to God and his holy decree if the Lord ordain a certain number to glory and upon that account bestow the habit of grace upon these so chosen then God who doth nothing in vain when he creates powers and habits must intend to send influences to act upon these powers and habits as when God creates the Sun a heavenly body which is apt to move to send forth heat and light he must intend by constant law and decree to joyn his influences to the moving and shining of the Sun otherwise if he had created these heavenly bodies never to be acted upon for the sending forth of their vertues of light heat motion he had created Sun and Stars in vaiâ— â—o if the husbandman make a plough and never make use of it for tilling the ground and make a sickle and never put it in act for reaping he must have made the plougâ— and the sickle in vain If the Lord pour the habit of grace and supplication upon the house of David then have the inhabitants of Jerusalem who have received that gâ—ace ground of faith and hope that the Lord shall suitâ—bly to his intended end and begun work bestow saving influences on them to believe and repent to look on him by faith whom they have pierced and mourn over Christ whom they have slain by their sins as a man mournes and is in bitterness for his first-born Zech. 12. 10. otherwise the Lord bestowes that habit of grace in vain which we are not to imagine of the only wise Lord Psal 89. 47. If the Lord pour water upon the thirsty ground and his Spirit upon the seed of Jacob the nature of husbandry which joyns end and meanes requireth that he joyn to the new heart and new spirit influences for the growing of the seed of Jacob as the willows by the water courses and that he lead the trembling hand at the pen and give influences of grace to swear and subscribe that they shall be the Lords maried land joyned to him in a perpetual covenant Isa 44. 3 4 5. 2. The graciousness of the Lords holy nature revealed Exod. 34. 6. The Lord God merciful and gracious long-suffering and abundant in goodness and truth to fallen man for he hath revealed no pardoning grace and mercy to fallen Angels nor is that the scope of Moses Exo. 34. or of the Scripture any where Now if so he as the Lord is under some necessity upon supposal that he created men and Angels to declare his pure immixed justice in the fallen Angels so by some necessity of decency suitable to his goodnesse and holy nature he must choose some to glory and give them inherent habits of grace that he may carry them to heaven in a way of voluntary obedience so that upon supposal he hath so declared himself to Angels and men there must be glorious emanations and out-goings of free grace both to ordain some to glory and beautifie them with the habit of faith to believe in him that justifies the sinner and habits of sanctification I say upon supposal he so reveal himself in his word otherwise absolutely and simply the the contrary order that he had placed fallen Angels in mans room and men in the place of fallen Angels had been as just and good as that which now is 3. The holy Lord gives some to Christ and his enduing them with grace to come and giving to them of his free grace the habit of faith it 's an engaging of the holy Lord to give influences suitable to the habit upon the very account that the Lord make over a man to Christ and create his own image in him he intends to make him an honourable vessel in his house and to adorn the man so gifted to Christ as when the Lord builds a house he minds that some shall dwell in it And 2. the great designe of free grace in Christ must in these two bring him under a holy necessity to bring his many children to glory for the decree of election is an act of the three persons John 10. 16. Other sheep I have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and they are not yet in his actual possession but he hath an actual right to them I have paid a ransome for them them also I must bring in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Christ is under a necessity of driving them in then is Christ under a necessity of a decree common to him with the Father and the Spirit to breath upon and cherish the habit of grace that his great designe of free grace in the work of redemption may stand sure and attain its graciously designed end as also he is 2. Under an official and mediatory necessity to the chosen to bestow on them the freely given habit of grace and so I judge with reverence of the judgment of others that Christ hath an advocation and office of intercession for the elect even such as are not yet actually converted not that he extends the same acts of advocation to the chosen converted and to the chosen not yet converted 1. Because Christ as Mediator and high Priest prayes for them and so that habits of grace and influences may be bestowed on them John 17. 20. Neither pray I for these alone but for them also which shall believe on me through their word Nor can it be said that Christ intends not they should reap any mediatory fruit of his prayer till they be born and actually believe for he prayes and intercedes for their conversion and faith they yet being in nature and unrenewed for that is true in some sense Christ prays for their faith actual when it is in being and shall actually
sometimes cold and sometimes hot lively or dead as the Lord is pleased to visit Q. May we not then say that dispositions are the affections heavenly disposed Answ Not so neither the affections are not the compleat and adequate subject of heavenly dispositions because there is often a heavenly disposition in the mind to know spiritual truths so Elihu Job 34. 32. That which I see not teach thou me An heavenly propension in the mind to be taught of God Psal 119. 18 26. There is a heavenly disposition of the spiritual mind to believe the Scriptures and in place of that there is a slowness to believe divine truths rebuked by our Saviour Luke 24. 25. 3. There is a spiritual disposition in the conscience of the Centurion Luke 23. 47. in Thomas John 20. 27. in Peter 5. 8. The contrary whereof was in the Pharisees and Rulers wrestling against the manifest light of God Matth. 12. 22 23 24. Matth. 21. 33 34. 45 46. Matth. 28. 11 12 13. John 9. 13 14 15 16 17 18 19. 34 35. John 42. 47 48. Acts 4. 13 14 15. Acts 13. 44 45. As also there is a heavenly disposition in the memory to retain the word Psal 119. 11. forbidden Heb. 2. 1. And gracious dispositions goe through the whole soul in order to all gracious actings in mind conscience will memory affections of love faith hope desire fear anger and order to all the spiritual duties that can be performed by men as sinful dispositions may be in all the powers of the soul if so the heart being so ticklesome a piece so ill to be guided it is of great concernment to see with what dispositions the heart is seasoned and who they be that lodge here as heat and cold come in the water by turnes as the summer is hot and the winter cold so the soule even of the child of God hath ebbings and flowings of dead and lively dispositions as the frequent triumphing and rejoycing and the ordinary and much repeated complaints of the Saints doe abundantly evidence Psal 22. Psal 31. Psal 77. Psal 89. Lam. 3. Jer. 20. There is a sinful disposition 2. The children of God may act spiritually under sinful dispositions 3. What acts they then put forth 4. The obedience performed under greatest indispositions upon the sole motive of the word is the most spiritual obedience 5. Sometimes the lesse sense the more spiritual is the obedience That there be sinful and gracious dispositions in men can hardly be denied 1. In all men by nature there is the habit of natural and original sin Hence an indisposition and a reluctancy to believe in Christ to love desire fear God 2. There is an acquired wicked disposition in Doeg he loves to lye a disposition satanical and and hellish in Saul when the evil spirit troubles him he is disposed to kill David But the special ill disposition here is the dead untowardness of the children of God to pray or praise or confess Christ c. Hence these considerations of this indisposition 1. That it may befal the children of God 2. That they may act under this indisposition 3. What acts they may and ought to performe under it As to the first it needs not much probation 1. A doubting disposition comes on the disciples Matth. 8. when the ship is a drowning and they in hazard of sinking Christ reproves not the act not so much as the root and disposition v. 26. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 why are ye fearful He sayes not why fear ye and he rebukes both in Peter Matth. 14. 31. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for what end shouldst thou doubt and both are clearly reproved when they were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 affrighted 37 38. why are ye troubled jumbled or put out of order or why doe dialogues or bounded or racketted thoughts ascend in your hearts 2. Job David and Jeremiah sadly complaining and challenging God as an enemy as fiery and a God burning with hoâ— displeasure and as lying waters and that sayes that hardly could they but be under a disposition and fretting impatience 3. Elâ—sha is so jumbled that the soul is made like muddy water with indignation at Jehoram that he is in no spiritual disposition or capacity to see the visions of God 2 Kings 13. 14 15. and Jonah is distempered at tender mercy in the Lord towards great Ninive and old and young in it a straw the withering of a gourd the renewed soul may be hammered and knocked to pieces like a broken crystal glass while the Lord be pleased to soldar the broken pieces of the soul together again As to the second under such dispositions there may be some stirring of the habit of grace and of the new creation the soul either under swooning or sleeping is still acting as the soul one way or other it 's not to be supposed that the life of God in a believer can more intermit all sort of lively and vital actings then the soul can live of breathing or to communicate vital heat to the body the unbroken and intense habit of sin in the unrenewed is the mother-indisposition that hinders influences of grace as cast sparkles of fire on cold iron it makes no flaming because of the density and coldness of the object the Lord does not bestow every the same Sun-influences on the thistle or nettle and on the vintry nor is it supposed that God more bestowes actual influence of saving grace upon a man dead in sinne until there be a new heart and the life of God first infused in him then the Lord bestowes moral or rational influences on a horse or a mule that hath no understanding Now cast sparkles of fire upon flax or tow though the sparkles be small and there is presently flaming if the Lord but blow upon the smallest measure of the spiritual life of God though under many ashes and a huge deal of indisposition and there is some work flaming which will beger more fire There is much deadnesse and dulnesse of life in the affections to act in duties when there is life and some quickness of spiritual light the life and warmness retiring in to the heart the fountain of life when there is palenesse and coldnesse in the external members and as fire within creates fire in the nearest dry fewel there is an act of renewed light consenting Rom. 7. to the good to be done and yet deadnesse in the affections to perform and lively light in the half sleeping Spouse discerning the knock voice and words of the beloved and assenting that it were just to open to Christ and give him lodging in his own house and yet a prevailing drowsâ—esse in the affections refusing to let him in As to the Third under indispositions there may be divers lively actings As 1. Terrors and distractions and all the waves of Gods displeasure Heman Psal 88. 1. O Lord God of my salvation I cry day and night before thee v.
speak at all Ezek. 2. 6. Self must be denied and shamefastness before Kings Psal 119. 46. see Psal 39. 1 2. laid aside Q. What then shall be done to be free of the indisposition of straitning and so to get influences of enlargement of heart Answ 1. Get and entertain large apprehension of God Who is a rock save our God Psal 18. 30 31. Be principled in the broad apprehensions of Christ he is altogether lovely all loves Cant. 5. 16. A touch of him can save 2. Rid marches betwixt the Law and grace some renewed ones must have their by past life and the strict law reconciled otherwise they but walk in the flesh and so live as they imagine in Law bondage and are sick of the old diseases and so weaken their faith Hence straitning Thou art under the Law and having made a bargain with the Law to keep it thou art in the flesh thou canst not speak to a strange King in another land a King of grace since thou hast fled back again to the old prison and if thou speak it is with much straitning and doubting thou art the Lawes man and not Christs 3. Keep near communion with God keep the vessel free of leaking and of under water sin weakens faith and saddens the spirit and where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty 2 Cor. 3. 4. Improve much faith Frequent believing shall come up to full assurance and that makes strong and bold knocking for a Son who hath right to come where his own flesh is within the vail is vigorous the servants knock is weak unbelief knocks faintly Yet mistake not heaviness as if it were unbelief Christ had much heaviness even to death in his suffering but no weaknesse of faith But Matth. 26. these O my Father O my Father as that also my God my God speak strong faith much enlargement in his heaviest case These four being observed influences are near 5. Grow in sonly love as a child to cry Abba Father a word of a child learning to speak Rom. 8. 26. 6. Get and cherish the inward witnessing of the Spirit Rom. 8. 16 17. and the confirmed assurance of justification by faith hence access and boldness Rom. 5. 1 2 3 4. Eph. 3. 16 17 18 19. The third question How far David or a child of God may undertake to run upon the supposal of an enlarged heart Hence these Assert 1. There is an undertaking as if the child of God had influences at his hand Of this nature in Scripture Psal 51. 10. Create in me a clean heart 11. Cast me not away from thy presence 12. Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation and uphold me with thy free Spirit 13. Then will I teach sinners thy ways So v. 15. O Lord open thou my lips and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise Psal 119. 27. Make me to understand the way of thy precepts so shall I talk of thy wondrous works 88. Quicken me after thy loving kindness so shall I keep the testimonies of thy mouth In which he lays it for a ground if God graciously give a new heart he will graciously give influences of grace to teach sinners If the Lord of free grace open the lips he will also give influences to make him shew forth the praises of God not that dispositions of grace doe necessarily determine us to gracious acts or can determine the Lord to bestow influences of grace but the Lords free promise determines him Where he opens one door he opens a second and then a third until his child be in his bosome when he gives one grace he gives another yea because he gives grace he layes holy bands on himself to give more grace the Lord of grace chooses some to savation and gives them to his son and because he chooses them he gives his Son to death for them and because the Lord redeems them by his Son therefore he gives to them strong faith and because he gives to them saving faith therefore he gives to them perseverance and glory and so gives influences of graces in a golden link and chain Rom. 8. 29 30. 2 Thess 2. 13. Acts 13. 48. Eph. 1. 4 5. 1 Pet. 1. 2 3. Assert 2. A believer under the sense of mercy and deliverance is to engage his soul to praise David delivered in the cave Psal 58. 7. I will sing and praise Psal 30. Thou hast turned from me my mourning into dancing v. 12. O Lord my God I will give thanks to thee for ever Psal 116. 8. Thou hast delivered my soul from death 9. I will walk before the Lord in the land of the living out of the sense of the Lords goodness to all Psa 104. 33. I shall sing unto the Lord in my lives or as long as I live Psal 63. 3. Because thy loving kindness is better then life my lips shall praise thee thus will I bless thee while I live Heb. in my lives Assert 3. The man Christ may absolutely undertake Psal 22. 22. I will declare thy name unto thy brethren I will praise thee in the midst of the congregation For he knows perfectly he neither can sin or come short of his vow nor can the Lord withdraw influences of grace from the man Christ but Peter had no assurance that under that particular temptation the Lord should not forsake him The general all the renewed have that the Lord will not suffer his own to be tempted above their strength Peter was obliged to watch and pray under all the particular temptations that could occur and especially under the trial of his suffering Saviour of which he was fore-warned by the mouth of Christ from that Prophecie Zech. 13. 7. I will smite the shepherd and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered Obj. The faith of believers is to rely upon the promised help of Christ in every temptation Then may the believer pray to be delivered not in the general but in every particular not to be tempted above his strength Answ The promise of preserving the elect and of giving promised perseverance Isa 54. 10. Jer. 31. 25. 32. 40. to them now converted is absolute that the Lord will put his fear in their hearts that they shall never depart from him 2. That his grace shall fortifie them against attrocious sins committed with the full strength of consent and inconsistent with the seed of God and the inbiding of that seed in them with the holy anointing 1 Joh. 2. 20 27. c. 3. v. 9. But there is not any promise in the New Covenant that David and Peter shall be delivered from particular sins hic nunc such as may consist with the habit of grace and the seed of God There faith is to relie upon God and his grace that he shall not lead them into temptation hic nunc in such particular sins not absolutely but conditionally so the Lord in his wisedom and holy soveraignty shall
thousand of the people that have set themselves round about me Psal 6. he prayes Lord rebuke me not in thy wrath have mercy on me return again O Lord deliver my soul That prayer is heard and the result is an heavenly disposition to part with wicked men 6. Depart from me ye workers of iniquity and a new disposition of assurance The Lord hath heard the voice of my weeping And assurance that God heard the man is a new seed of praying to him again Psal 116. 3 4 5 6. Psal 18. 3 4 5 6. So Psal 31. after complaints and heavenly petitions v. 4. Pull me out of the net 9. Have mercy upon me O Lord make thy face to shine upon thy servant c. follow heavenly dispositions 1. Of commending the seeking of God v. 19. O bow great is thy goodness which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee A disposition to encourage others to seek God v. 23. O love the Lord all ye his Saints c. A disposition to encourage fainters v. 24. Be of good courage and he shall strengthen your heart How shall I get praying Praying helps to praying How shall I get holy dispositions Holy dispositions beget holy dispositions How shall I get courage and spiritual strength Psal 31. 24. Be of good courage and he shall strengthen your heart that is be strong in the Lord and he shall make you strong in him So Psal 27. 14. Wait on the Lord be of good courage and he shall strengthen thy heart wait I say on the Lord. The courage of faith is commanded and the argument is God shall strengthen thy heart and give thee courage As if we were the beginners of the good work so does the Lord frame his precepts promises to shake us out of our laziness that we abuse not his grace and gracious influences to wanton idleness So the Apostle Be strong in the faith and couragious and God shall strengthen your heart and furnish you So the Father speaks to his child lift at this burden I will lift your arms and strengthen them to lift the burden and to bear it 2. They are refuted hence who say The Lord bids us be of good courage and he knows courage and strength is from himself yea but so as you are to goe about acts of courage He bids us pray and he knows prayer is his own gift and the work of his Spirit It 's so here but he bids you pray that you may pray believe that you may believe So he commands heavenly dispositions and he only can give them So he commands heavenly habits and heavenly dispositions but yet so as ye act When a Physician enjoyns one for such a disease strive to have your body and cloathes to cast a good savour does he not enjoyn also that this sick man should carry about roses precious oyntments Would we act more in God and pray more and haunt more in heaven we should savour more of heaven And when men complaines of deadness it is with reflection on God he quickens me not and therefore I am dead his Son is the resurrection and the life and he sends no inflnences of life on me That is the physical cause and the Lord is free of your sinful deadness and unsavouriness in so doing Why complain of the moral faulty cause that is complain of your self complain that ye lie not among the roses ye are not much meditating and drawing life out of the precious promises ye are not often in wisedomes house ye are not much with the King at his banquet ye draw not near to his house of wine habits and heavenly dispositions grow from multiplyed spiritual acts and spiritual acts come kindly from heavenly dispositions My heart is fixed What is the particular disposition here aimed at For clearing of this know a disposition in general of which I spake above is one thing and this disposition is another These three must be differenced 1. The state 2. The temper and constitution 3. The disposition The state is to be renewed in Christ or in nature born of the spirit or yet remaining and walking in the flesh acted by the prince of the air that rules in the children of disobedience the birth and state of living is neither up nor down to the temper and constitution which is either strong and vigorous or weakly and sickly or betwixt these the state of living or birth consists in indivisibili if the man breath and live in nature or in Christ being now a translated person he hath a natural or a spiritual life but howbeit some be born again some are fathers and experienced radicated and confirmed Christians others are young men strong in the faith and both these are of a good spiritual temper and constitution But there are a third sort that are babes in Christ and though born again yet weakly and sickly frequent out-breakings much doubting liable to strong unmortified passions 1 John 2. 12 13 14. And to be born of God is common to all the three sorts and the essence and nature of the new birth agrees equally and univocally to them all all have their own influences finished to them from Christ but the spiritual tempers may differ as weak and strong healthy or sickly good or bad at least lesse good But as for dispositions of the regenerate they are qualities that go and come now anon I judge you will say the new-birth and the heavenly disposition are all one For David was born of God while he was under a wicked disposition to deflour Bathsheba to kill Vriah to be avenged no Nabal all which were bad dispositions when the new-birth is the new-birth and saving work of the spirit And again the spiritual disposition differs not a little from the spiritual temper 1. The spiritual temper is permanent as one is a weak man until he come out of his childhood for so many years or months he is Infant so long a child so long a youth So one is so long a babe in Christ and grows to be stronger in the faith and at length comes to be a father in Christ but even while the same babes age in Christ continues and the same weakly and sickly temper and inclination to yield to temptations in David new born and a babe good dispositions may be on to pray to praise to commit his life to God in extream dangers to make Psalms and yet Davids spiritual temper and constitution is and may be bad and sickly as Peter before our Saviours death is born again and a believer Matth. 16. 16 17. and by his much ignorance and frequent slips as acting Satans part in disswading Christ from the necessary work of redemption his carnal confidence in himself in saying he should never deny Christ his smiting off Malchus eaâ— his denial of Christ with an oath it appears that the spiritual temper was weak and much carnal nor can it be denied all that time when
Peters temper was weak but when he gave a confession of Christ Matth. 16. he was under a gracious disposition and Peters continuing with Christ in his temptations did suppose a gracious dispoâ—â—tion in these acts of his and the rest of the believing Disciples Luke 22. 29 30. 3. The Lords Disciples are all born again Judas excepted but it were hard to say that John the beloved Disciple was of the same temper before the death of Christ with Peter who proved more sinfully rash in many things then John 2. A disposition is a transient impression that may be left upon the spirit by an occurrence of providence which though it sometime continue long is not necessarily alway so Upon the supposed death of Joseph Jacob refused to be comforted upon the departure of the Ark Phineas daughter in law is disposed to die for sorrow which in a great part was a gracious disposition it s like this great deliverance left a strong impression on Davids spirit and brought out praising of God But to the particular this disposition is a fixedness of resolution to believe pray praise having its rise from this present merciful deliverance it s opposed to the trepidation and doubting of unbelief which made him say elsewhere One day or other I shall perish by the hand of Saul which also saith that this was not ever Davids condition but being deserted of God he was under a contrary disposition but good it were alway to keep the heart under such a fixedness Ah but we are up and down out and in as touching stedfastness and unmoveableness in the work of the Lord the Galatians did run well a while the balasting of saving grace is most necessary it was a sad word 2 Tim. 1. 15. This thou knowest that all they which are in Asia are turned away from me John 6. 66. from that time many 2. of his disciples 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 took them to things behind went backward and 4. walked no more with him they left both Christ and the profession of Christ It was a sad suspending of influences when all the Disciples forsooke him and fled Matth. 26. My heart is fixed my heart is fixed The second particular is the doubling of the words In this and in the following words we have divers considerable characters and properties of heavenly dispositions 1. The doubling noteth the heat and fervour of affection in David as that My God my God notes the heat of faith two gripes of faith is better then one so saith the tripling of that prayer O my Father O my Father remove this cup Matth. 26. There is fire in the desire Psalm 57. 1. Be merciful to me O God be merciful to me and twice in this Psalm v. 5. Be thou exalted O God c. and again v. 11. Be thou exalted O God Psalm 46. that is doubled the Lord of hosts is with us v. 7 11. for his mercy endureth for ever is repeated twenty six times in one Psalm 1. In sinners in Christ it could not be it notes a sort of distrusting of the Spirit they will not believe the heart at the first word Not unto us O Lord that is not enough the heart is ready to steal the Lord's glory therefore he addeth not unto us but unto thy name give the glory therefore the doubling of it speaks the certainty Gen. 41. 32. 2. It notes that we are to make an eik to our assurance my heart is fixed O God therefore two witnesses are better then one he says it over again my heart is fixed for we shall deny that any such heavenly disposition was in the hour of temptation and say all is but false work in so doing he blows the coal when he finds it smoaking and blows twice and strikes the iron again and again when he finds it hot So he awakes up tongue and voice musick and harp gift and grace to praise the Lord as when he finds his heart in a praising disposition he desires an eik of all creatures in heaven and earth Psalm 103. all the Angels all his hosts all his works in all places of his dominion to joyne with his soule to blesse the Lord v. 20 21 22. 3. It notes a fiercenesse and a strong flaming of the affection and a sort of violence of assenting to the influences of grace which brought on that holy disposition which teacheth us when holy dispositions offer a divine violence to the soul to joyn our violence to his violence we will run that is our violence Draw me that is his violence Psalm 119. 32. I will run the way of thy commandments and press my self to willing and hot obedience if thou shall or when thou shall enlarge my heart 2. To this purpose we are to meet his actings of love Cant. 1. 4. The King brought me into his chambers with extolling and praising his love we will be glad and rejoyce in thee we will remember thy love more then wine the upright love thee 3. Let us intend and enlarge the acting of our heart to him Christ puts in his hand by the hole of the door which was a strong inward stirring of the Spirit of Jesus and the Spouse meets this with bended and mighty acts of loving obedience As 1. My bowels were moved for him For whom for him my Beloved who did stand and knock while his head was full of dew and his locks wet with the drops of the night v. 2. 2. I rose up to open to my Beloved and my hands dropped with myrrh and my fingers with sweet smelling myrrh upon the handles of the lock Here are both repentance in rising to open whereas she excused and shifted the business before and sense of the savouriness and heavenly feeling as of a sweet smell of myrrh joy sense of joy and delight in obedience to him 4. There is a formal holy violence offered to him the Angel Christ wrestles with Jacob which is a sort of fighting and opposing his strength to Jacobs strength and he opposeth trying and tempting reason to Jacob Let me go for its dawning and Jacob opposeth his violence on the contrary I will not let thee go until thou bless me And the Beloved is wrestling to win away after long absence and much painful seeking Cant. 3. 1 2 3. but the Spouse offers violence on the contrary with all her strength I held him and would not let him go until I brought him to my mothers house and unto the chambers of her that conceived me 5. Its sit to meet a thirst of the Lords Spirit in a flowing of feeling with a thirst of faith when Christ saith to Thomas John 20. 27. Reach hither thy finger and behold my hand and reach hither thy hand and thrust it into my side this was a great condescension of Christ in bestowing on him a flowing of feeling and Thomas answers it with a strong act of the application of faith My Lord and my God 6. When
the disposition of the heart see what hearts ye can bring out before the Lord its true the repenting thief could not as Hezekiah say Lord I have walked before thee with a perfect heart or as Paul 2 Tim. 4. 7 8. I have fought the good fight I have finished my course I have kept the faith yet the crown is laid for love and such as love his appearance though all cannot wind up to be such fighting souldiers as Paul was the repenting thiefs flock was small his race short yet what he wanted of inherent grace that Hezekiah and Paul had he had it of free righteousness and Christ crucified was the gloriation of both David brings not out his fixed heart in his extream danger as building his peace on it the influence of works on justification and peace is not causative no more then the poor bride can say she hath put a debt upon the bride-groom to love her with marriage love because she wears his golden chains his bracelets and jewels it s the bridegrooms comliness that he puts upon her nor can roses and lillies say our Creator is our debtor oweth us love because we are subjects bearing his colours smell vertue and beauty of the Creator What would the rose be if the Creator should take all from it he gave to it We know such a rock to be covered with water therefore its full sea here is smoke therefore here is fire And ah what a heart in death can the unrenewed man bring forth before the Lord except he say Lord I was never in Christ Lord I never wept for sin Lord I never did a good work for Christ but all for my self Lord I prophesied in thy name but I was never born again but hated all those that were born again 2. How strongly may the believer argue who hath any heavenly fixedness of heart or any thing of Christ in him It s a sort of holy obligation with reverence that he shall bring forth to acting all his own holy dispositions it speaks an ingaging of holy unchangeableness that he shall perfect the good work he hath begun but be not ye lazy and do not ye sleep and say God shall do of all his grace that is a strong argument that the man who habitually uses such logick hath nothing to do with Christ Ah the Spirit will do whether I will or not and in the mean time thou livest a sensual beast know that thou but foments lies of the holy Ghost Jude puts these two together v. 19. sensual not having the Spirit and before v. 8. Likewise all these filthy dreamers defile the flesh dreaming and filthiness are conjoyned Men dream the influences of grace shall go along with their dispositions for good and they are but natural dispositions at the best and the Lord never said he would perfect nature and finish works of nature that are begun in swinish dreamers woful secure dreaming destroys external professors men will not awake neither are they afraid of that condition but a trembling professor is the surest and safest professor Verse 7. I will sing and give praise V. 8. Awake my glory awake psaltery The fourth point in the text tells us what this fixedness of heart produced in David I will sing so we are led to the rest of the characters and properties of the heavenly disposition of fixedness for it brought forth holy actings as singing of praise and awaking of his gift and grace which flow from holy dispositions hence the second property of holy dispositions 1. Once grace brings forth another and so holy dispositions holy actings faith and trusting in God brings forth claiming of God as the mans own Psalm 16. 1. In thee do I put my trust Hence v. 2. O my soul thou hast said unto the Lord Thou art my Lord. The disposition of believing brings forth speaking Psalm 116. 10. I believed therefore I spake 2. A disposition of loving God brings forth praying Psalm 18. 1. I will love thee O Lord my strength 3. I will call upon the Lord who is worthy to be praised Hannah Jonah Hezekiah David the afflicted soul Psalm 102. graciously sad and heavy pray and call on God in that case 3. The disposition of felt mercy brings forth praises Psal 30. 5. O Lord thou hast brought up my soul from the grave v. 3. Hence that Sing unto the Lord O ye Saints of his and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness 4. David's joyful disposition to glory in the Lord brings forth his dancing before the Ark with all his might and his constancy therein to be yet more vile before the Lord what ever Michol said to the contrary and this is most sutable to the nature of heavenly dispositions motion comes kindly from the wheels when they are oyled the heavenly dispositions oyles and anoints the soul and renders the powers more active as they anointed wrestlers of old to make them more nimble and active in wrestling 2. The very intention apointment of God speaks so much God hath ordained heavenly dispositions for heavenly actings as he hath appointed the plant to be a tree the seed to be growing corn bread the Lord sends a praying disposition on David as a seed of praying a praising disposition that he must rise at midnight and praise Psalm 119. 62. and prevent the dawning and the night-watches to cry and pray v. 147 148. And an hoping disposition on Job that when he is dead bones lying in a bed he must profess his perswasion to see his living Redeemer stand the last man on the earth and desires his words were printed in a book and graven with a pen of iron and lead in the rock for ever Job 19. 24 25 26 27. And dispositions on Elihu to plead for the Lords Soveraignty so as if he should hold his tongue he should give up the ghost his belly should burst like new wine-bottles Job 32. 19. And Job must plead for God and for his own integrity that he was not an hypocrite as his friends slanderously said his disposition pressing him so as he saith Job 13. 19. Who is he that will plead with me for now if I hold my tongue I shall give up the ghost And the Lord gives such a disposition of zeal for God to Moses though he was a man of a meek disposition that he breaks the two Tables of stone containing the written law when he heard of the peoples worshipping of the golden calfe and such a heavenly self-denying disposition to prophecie on Jacob that in his testament he curses his two sons Simeon and Levi for their unjust anger against the Sichemites and there is such an impression of zeal and a feaver against Idolatry on Pauls spirit at Athens Acts 17. that he must dispute against their false gods Nor are we to think that holy dispositions are but as sailes to the ship and wings to the bird which adde no strength to the
thorn-tree brings forth a thorn-tree and the thistle-seed a thistle it 's clear in Cain the Pharisees So gracious dispositions produce acts of love faith hope godly sorrow works of righteousnesse and mercy As wine-grapes grow out of the vinetree and the Lord fits influences of grace for such dispositions like sowing like harvest and here also men gather not figs of thistles the vessel smells of good or sour wine Some must foam out their own shame and all wonder at the gracious words that proceed out of Christs mouth For dispositions in Christ were strong habits of grace and the running-over fountain and fulnesse of the holy Ghost the savour of the breath of the anointing and the dispositions that accompany the fulnesse of the holy Ghost is a very garden and a heaven and here there is some truth in that Cant. 2. 13. The vines with the tender grapes give a good smell Cant. 5. 8 9 10 11. Psal 45. 1 2 3 4. 2. Psal 119. 136. Rivers of teares run down mine eyes because they keep not thy Law Some fountaines that are lesse have small streams and ebb-brooks other large fountains have mighty rivers and floods issuing from them we may judg what a fountain both of habits dispositions are within where there comes out joy unspeakable and full of glory leaping for joy fulness of assurance like a ship with full sails and full wind As fulnesse of love and of all spiritual dispositions of tendernesse must be in the bowels and heart of Christ who sends out acts of enduring pain blood shame death horrour of wrath and the curse of a revenging God for sin The love of Christ needs no exhortation to acts of love nor is there need of earnest request and intreaties to the fire to cast out heat and the Sun to give light need you exhort an extreme pined-away sick man to be pained and weak or request the Sunne to shine How mighty and strong are the acts of longing and languishing after Christ that flow from love-sicknesse and then what suitable influences of grace must goe along with these actings what pullings of strength to pluck up mighty cedars what an influence of love in God to bear up all things and so to bear mountaines to bear torments to bear new deaths O what a mighty arm of omnipotent grace Col. 1. 11. Strengthened with all might according to his glorious power unto all patience and long-suffering with joyfulness A power above all that we think or ask Thoughts even of men can goe far and far in apprehending of power and strength ever that can remove out of their place as many millions of mountains and whole earths as Angels and men can write on the outmost and highest heavens East West South and North. Suppose they were all paper and double and treble and multiply them again to millions of millions of heavens and writ new figures of signes and excellencies on them yet the power of grace furnishing influences is above these acts of thinking and counting and yet the short thinkings of unbelief are at this can he help me to spit at fame glory riches and a whole earth of pleasures know ye his strength and his mighty puls that have translated many 3. When the disposition of grace is on a small object brings forth suitable actings Christ lets out one cast of his eye upon Peter and he went out and wept bitterly a small shake of the tree brings down ripe apples they fall of their own accord a gentle quiet gale of wind will cause a light swift vessel to make twice as much way as a huge ship a rent in the garment of a deadly enemy seemes a small transgression but to David it hath a mighty smiting of heart We are afraid to come under the pull of Christs arm as if it were pain and death to be loved and translated by Christ John 5. 40. Isa 30. 10. Jer. 51. 9. Ezek. 24. 13. Some will not be cured and are averse from being drawn to come to Christ and be saved and an hating of meanes is a virtual hating of the sweet and special alluring attractions of grace and we value actings of grace at so low a rate as if we could doe all our alone by pure nature I my self will awake early What was David sleeping or his tongue sleeping or his harp sleeping yea even when the heart is prepared and strongly fixed to praise there is some sleepinesse on the man I insist not on this that none run so swiftly for the price and wager of glory but a cramp or a stitch may come on so as they need a spur and turn dull and slow But the 5th Property of a heavenly disposition is to cause the man reflect upon himself and his own sleepinesse 8 my self will awake early What if tongue and voice awake what if harp and the gift of musick wake if mans heart sleep 1. Grace hath an immanent working and a reflect acting on it self and the mans own heart as well as a transient and a direct acting the vessel of honour or the chosen man purgeth himself 2 Tim. 2. 21. And every man that hath this hope purifies himself even as he also is pure 1 John 3. 3. Jude exhorts so v. 10. Building up your selves on your most holy faith praying in the holy Ghost Some think if the holy Ghost act pray sigh believe praise in them they need to doe nothing the holy Ghost prayes in me and in my stead Nay but Jude wills you to edifie your self the actings and influences of the holy Ghost are not given to this end that we should sleep and sport and play 21. Keep your selves in the love of God Will not the love of God keep the man in the love of God Shall not Christ in you the hope of glory keep Christ himself in you nay what need were there then of watching Watch thou in all things 1 Tim. 4. 16. Take heed to thy self and to thy doctrine Then may one take heed to reading and not take heed to himself Acts 20. 28. Paul to the Elders of Ephesus Take heed to your selves and to the flock They shall not heedfully watch over the flock who doe not carefully watch over themselves Is this right that men should doubt of the influences of God and fear that God forgets himself and his own begun work of grace and never fear their own lazy back-drawing Why but we should be on our wings and waken our selves and crow more loudly It 's a gracious complaint Cant. 1. 6. My mothers children were angry with me they made me the keeper of the vineyards but mine own vineyard have I not kept Ask hourly what your own heart does how the husbandry at home thrives The Spirit of the Lord was in Jehoshaphat without doubt but 2 Chro. 20. 3. When he heard of the host coming against him he feared and set himself to seek the Lord. The Spirit of the Lord came
young should it not be ill with the health of many Some cures are worse then the diseases there is a sickly and unnatural thirst on some persons sick of a feaver it would be ill with them if either abundance of wine or a fountain of water were at their bed-side the choise and elective faculty of the sick mans mind is often as sick as his body Let me not then be my own comforter but let the Spirit of infinite wisedome enjoy his own office and be the other comforter whom the Father sends in Christs name Q. May not such as are sick of love pray for sense and comfort Answ There are some relative mercies that the Saints may pray for and if they be denied praise and blesse the Lord for the denial of them because we often pray for sense comfort full assurance not as they are acts of gracious duties which were good but as they are taking and alluring rewards and wages before we doe our work Q. 2. Is not languishing pain in love-sickness after Christ an evil to be prayed against Answ No question we may pray against swooning and fainting of the life of God and may pray for the contrary comfort but with submission to infinite wisedom Some diseases are so diseases as some fluxes and some fevers as they are also medicinal helps of health and healthy and lively diseases The Lord and nature under the Lord gives excellent medicine who knows but Hezekiah's running botch which was otherwise deadly was a natural help to his fifteen yeares health and life which followed Look not on the holy Lord when he is acting as a Physitian as if he were acting as a Judge Want with good will the sense and comfort that the Lord would have you want in his infinite wisedome Obj. But whatever we pray for we are to pray for it with submission and a reserve to holy soveraignty as well as we are to pray for sense and comfort Answ It is a doubt and a great one whether with alike submission we are to pray for that which is bonum honestum and a gracious duty as we are to pray for bonum jucundum that which is pleasant or the reward of a duty Hence the question Whether it be lawful to pray for saving influences of grace and how far whether conditionally or absolutely Hence the first Assertion Assert 1. Whatever the clay suites from the potter it should be suited 1. With that general submission or rather subjection which all creatures as creatures owe to their Creator Hence the clay cannot contradict the potter though but a sinful man and say why hast thou made me thus Rom. 9. 20. 2. A negative submission is far required as the contrary to wit a chiding and contending with the Lord in any case whether he give or deny influences is unlawful it 's sin to reply on the contrary to judge or misjudge God v. 20. Isa 45. 9. Woe to him that strives with his Maker See the word in the Hebrew Assert 2. It is most lawful to seek influences of grace for duties at all times 1. The Saints doe pray for influences Psalm 119. 25. Quicken me according to thy word 27. Make me understand the way of thy precepts 29. Grant me thy law graciously 33. Teach me O Lord the way of thy statutes 35. Make me to goe in the paths of thy commandements Cant. 1. 4. Draw me 2. We may pray that God would withdraw his influences from sinful actings Psalm 119. 29. Remove from me the way of lying Psalm 141. 4. Incline not my heart to any evil thing to practice wicked works with men that work iniquity Matth. 6. 13. Lead us not into temptation 3. Influences to will and to doe are promised in the covenant of grace Deut. 30. 6. Jer. 32. 39 40. Ezek. 36. 27. and so doth Christ promise the Spirit and his teaching John 14. 26. convincing John 16. 7. guiding v. 13. Then we may suit from God what he promises to give 4. Our will is to be conform to the holy will of God in his law Rom. 12. 2. 1 Thess 4. 3. 1 Pet. 2. 5. Then may we seek necessary helps for these actings 5. Christ commends praying for the Spirit Luke 11. 13. Matth. 6. 9. John 16. 23. and James is clear in it Jam. 16. 6. and therefore he commands also praying for the saving operations of the Spirit and his influences Assert 3. There is a two-fold contradicting of the Lords will One by way of replying striving and challenging the Lord as doing unequally This is condemned in the cited places Rom. 9. 10. Isa 45. 9. There is another humble contradicting in the woman of Canaan Matth. 15. 26 27. In wrestling Jacob when the Lord sayes Let me goe Gen. 32. 26. In Moses interceding Exod. 32. 10 11 12. Yea when Christ commands the disciples to watch and in order to watching citeth the Prophecie of Zechariah c. 13. who foretold that the flock should be scattered and that they should sinfully forsake and deny their Master he also charges them to contradict that permissive will and decree of God by which it was ordained that the Lord shall withdraw his influences from Peter and the rest of the disciples that their sinful weaknesse might appear therefore suppose the Lord say it 's my decree and will to deny influences of grace to us in such particular actings it 's the Lords mind that we should humbly contradict that holy will and desire and pray in the contrary nor can the Lord command the reasonable creature to will or not to desire saving grace for so the holy Lord should command sin yea to desire and pray for grace is our duty commanded in the Law and by Christ Matth. 6. 12 13. Luke 11. 13. even when we pray that the Lords name may be hallowed his kingdome come and his will to be done by us and others cheerfully Matth. 6. 9 10 11 12. we desire to be kept from sin and to have grace in all things to obey the Lord though we know that he denies his saving influences to us and to many others Assert 4. With this holy contradicting of the Lord will is conjoyned an humble submitting to the Lords denying of saving influences without a sinful counter-working of his holy will now revealed or without charging folly or unequal dealing upon the Lord. For 1. His own grace is his own grace and he is free of all debt and obligation to give gracious influences to Angels or men as also grace to use the measure of grace given is rather to be sought then a large measure 2. There is in love-sicknesse for Christ a weakness of the soul and a fainting for the want of Christ and this may come from the apprehended curse and anger of God for sin which is a disease after conversion that the child of God may be sick of So David Psal 6. 1. Lord rebuke me not in thine anger
the solemn marriage betwixt Christ and the Bride the Lambs wife without parting for ever Rev. 22. 12. Behold I come quickly 17. And the Spirit and the Bride say Come And let him that heareth say Come And v. 20. Surely I come quickly Amen even so come Lord Jesus These five comes speak loves desire upon the Bridegrooms side and upon the Brides side in love-sickness 1. How sweet is it when pain it self makes prayers to Christ and want speaks to riches death and deadness to him who is the resurrection and the life 2. Yet sense alone speaking often mistakes and chides yea impatient sense mistaking the wise and holy dispensation of God for Christs absence is wise but not unkind and void of love he does not ever absent himself because he is angry or hates such from whom he withdraws his influences but to increase hunger and lively desire And 3. Holy missing of Christ 2. Careful seeking Cant. 3. 1 2 3 4. Cant. 5. 6 7 8. And 3. Strong desires of love-sickness are more solid and edifying graces then feeling sense and comfort of his presence as we use them and these are often stronger when Christ is absent then present and so the influences of the spirit that accompany missing of Christ 2. Seeking of him 3. And impatient longing for him are more useful then influences that accompanies sense See how lively they are in David when he wants Sanctuary-presence Psal 42. 1 2. Psal 63. 1 2. Psal 84. 1 2 3 4. In the Spouse Cant. 3. 1 2 3 4. Cant. 5. 6 7 8. compared with v. 10 11 12 13 c. Sense never brings forth such a love-song so highly extolling Christ as faith under absence 3. Strong believing and resting upon the promises when the Lord hides himself under love-sickness and apprehended wrath fetch sweeter influences then sense of presence as may be clear in the godly who 1. move questions yet so as love and faith encline most to the edifying conclusion and to faiths side rather then to the judgement of sense Psalm 71. 7. Will the Lord cast off for ever faith under a cloud believeth he will not cast off for ever and will he be favourable no more 8. Is his mercy clean gone for ever doth his promise fail for evermore 9. Hath God forgotton to be gracious hath he in anger shut up his tender mercies In these questions the flesh and unbelieving sense have a great hand the question in sense includes this Is the Lord the Lord and pure faith never moves such a question as that but the aim and scope of faith is to beat down such questions and the sense of faith in these is the Lord hath not cast off for ever the Lord will not leave off to be gracious for ever and ever his mercy is not clean gone his promise and covenant is everlasting and fails not 2. Under the sense of wrath faith eying the nature of God revealed in his word corrects sense Lam. 3. 8. When I cry and shout he shutteth out my prayers Ah no v. 25. The Lord is good to them that wait for him to the soul that seeketh him that is a harbour in place of a rock 2. He was unto me as a Bear lying in wait and as a Lion in secret places Ah not so v. 24. The Lord is my portion saith my soul therefore I will hope in him These are strong and edifying influences of grace under absence 9. What is thy beloved more then another beloved This is not the speech of enemies for they discern her to be the fairest among women and see heavenly beauty and grace in the Spouse 2. They are daughters of Jerusalem professors that seek the beloved with her c. 6. v. 1. yet they are less spiritual and more carnal then the Spouse For 1. They perceive her in a passion and they meet her with a sort of passion What is your Beloved whereof is your Christ made of more then ours either enemies or believers in so far as they are carnal or apt to mistake a spiritual state so must the world say of Noah who was just in his time sure the world thought him too just he 'll build an Ark and he 'll have all the world to be drowned but himself and his house Hence Jeroboams word 1 Kings 12. 28. It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem Why and the Lord commanded them doth God command too much is the Lord too strict So Satan Gen. 3. 1. yea hath God said ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden that is a strict Law-giver who laies bands on your eating of fruit which he hath created to be eaten The believing disciples Matth. 15. 23. Send her away 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 she cries and troubles us with her prayers Were there not some godly who might think Daniel needed not cry his prayers out at his window he might pray and not blow a trumpet There is an Idol called discretion and moderation pray profess Christ leisurely we think to be saved and come to heaven as well as you O what precise lips were Davids I will not name Baal with my lips Psal 16. 4. It 's too great Morosity for Moses to say to a King Not a hoof shall bide in Egypt What matter of cowes if the Church of God be brought out of the house of bondage what if there were not one Israelites four-footed beast breathing on earth so the Church live And 1. Men that find fault with too much zeal and cry moderation look to that walk 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eph. 5. 15. strictly precisely numbring all your foot-steps then shall we be called heady precise fools Nay walk as wise men not as fools 2. Moderate professors stint themselves this I le do and no more it shall do my business Ah speak of influences of grace the ebbing and flowing of spirits the breathings of Christ the Kings chambers the house of wine these are imaginations preach fundamentals faith and repentance what should more such truths as are beyond fundamentals are not necessary obliterate them out of the Scripture that eight souls were saved in the Ark sure it is not fundamental many are saved who know it not yet if any say its not necessary necessitate praecepti he is like a man who pulls off the covering off the house and saith what aileth you I touch not any foundation-stone of the house I hurt not the building What is thy Beloved All professors see not with one measure of light the Spouse is a wonder to many professors not so acquainted with Christ some are led to heaven through much love-sickness and pain and others with stronger influences of grace upon the soul then others it rebukes such as are censorious and uncharitable to others because they have not thronged through the same needle-eye with themselves Ah! 1. How many cast we out that Christ receives in Rom. 14. 3. Luke 7. 39. 2. We look to
Antinomians to exclude strict walking make repentance to be nothing but faith So Mr. Denne Hobson c. Again Socinians and Mr. Baxter a man of a strong wit on the other extream to exclude the loose faith of many make Gospel-faith to be nothing but repentance and new obedience But the place Acts 2. can no more prove that repentance and a fixed walk in good works is such a part of the new Covenant as this do and live the life of faith and be pardoned then that Baptism which is in the text joyned with repentance is necessarily required before pardon whereas both repentance faith baptism new obedience are the way to the possession of the crown not causes not the price not the ransome of the right and title to the crown and both as conditions of pardon and title to the crown and the place Acts 3. 19. speaks of repentance continued all the life for such a repentance is commanded in both places and all along in Scripture Matth. 3. 8 11. Matth. 3. 13. Acts 11. 18. Acts 13. 24. Acts 26. 20. Ezech. 14. 6. Matth. 4. 17. Mark 1. 15. Mark 6. 12. Acts 17. 30. Rev. 2. 7. Rev. 3. 19. as a work not of a day but of all the life also the words should bear that sins were not pardoned until the time of refreshment that is till the day of the eternal happiness and rest from our labours of this life in which day sins are only blotted out declaratively saith Diodati But let it stand repent that you may be pardoned and that a turning to God is a condition and a way and a means of remission of sins it shall not hold up the fabrick of Mr. Baxters justification by inherent righteousness for sure in concreto no man is pardoned who continues in his sinful way but he that repents and so continues repenting that he may be pardoned to himself and to others is the only justified man of all those that are adult and come to age For the Apostles Acts 2. 3. John Baptist Matth. 3. having to do with loose professors and hypocrites who sought righteousness by law-works and yet slighted Law and all Law-works do urge first repentance sincere 2. Continuing to the end 3. Visible to themselves and others nor do we bid proud and whole Pharisees and men going on securely and workers of iniquity as such immediately lay hold on Christ as their Saviour and it 's true the motive of Gods abundant pardoning and so the faith of pardoning mercy leads to repentance Isa 55. 6 7. let the wicked return for he will abundantly pardon and therefore faith goeth before repentance as touching some acts In these Matth. 6. 14 15. If ye forgive not your father will not forgive you Christ speaks not of the order as if we must first love our neighbour and our enemies as our selves before we be justified nor is the holy Ghost upon order 1 John 1. 19. Prov. 28. 13. Romans 10. 8 9 10 13. as if penitent confession of sin to Christ forsaking of all sin and sound and compleat repentance must go before justification and forgiveness but the Lord designs the persons pardoned that they must be such as forgive their enemies forsake their sins because men are ready to sooth themselves as if haters of their brethren might be while they habitually continue in such a wicked way justified before God Mr. Baxter in his confession c. 5. sect 1. concl 6. page 101. I believe that by the new law of grace or the promise God hath delivered all men in the tenour of the promise the promulgation reaches not to all from the guilt of sin and as to the destructive punishment on condition they will accept of Christ and life and no man is accepted out of this promise till they remediesly reject it but it is so general that whosoever will have Christ may have him on his terms though none will have him till Gods special grace make them willing yet whosoever will is called to drink of the water of life My doubts are shortly these 1. What Scripture saith that Christ hath delivered all men i. e. Brasilians Indians all the race of man from the guilt of sin as to the destructive punishment or from hell why not from their vain conversation 1 Pet. 1. 18. the same ransome is payed to save from the one as well as the other 2. How is it not a scenical and a poor delivery and satisfaction and ransome paid to justice if justice inflict eternal destructive punishment on all Brasilians Indians millions of this huge all must then be the covenanted people of God if they be saved conditionally can a covenant-promise be made to all if all be not the people of God by this covenant-promise 3. Can a promise of God never promulgated never by fame or sound of words reaching the ears of these to whom the promise is made be either promise or obliging Law the Lord's will to do good is but a meer decree never a promise till it be spoken was there such a thing from eternity as a promise of God to make the world a decree there was never a promise God said never in Old or New Testament if all the Brasilians Indians shall believe in Christ they are saved and to them come to age a promise conditional it cannot be when not only never promulgated but Apostles and others are expresly forbidden to promulgate it to the Gentiles Matth. 10. 5. Acts 16. 6. as being no people of God Lo-ammi not obtained mercy in Christ Hos 1. 10. 1 Pet. 3. 10. Rom. 10. 24 25. and yet for all these Christ died all these Christ saved conditionally they are saved and my people and I promise to them life in my Son so they believe but tell them not of it what a Gospel is this 4. How can the Brasilians be guilty of remedylesse rejecting of a Christ they never heard of for how shall they believe in him of whom they never heard Rom. 10. 14. how have they sin in hating Christ for Christ came never to them either in proper person or the Gospel John 15. 22 23. preached 5. How can this promise be so wide and general as none are excepted for either Christ dyed not for Infants and so no Infants are redeemed nor washed in the blood of Christ no Infants are part of the world or mankind or Infants are condemned for not actual accepting of Christ and life and for wilful and remedilesse rejecting of Christ because they will not come to Christ and drink as Rev. 22. 17. 6. If whosoever will have Christ may have him Brasilians and Indians and grace be universal as saith Mr. Baxter Brasilians and all Mankind must be freeholders and soveraigns of Heaven and Hell of the Decrees of Election and Reprobation of Effectual calling it must then be in him that runs and wills and not in God who shews mercy nor doth the Lord have mercy on whom he will It 's
as Hilarius and Prosper witness God did predestinate to glory such only as he fore saw before the world was should believe and persevere to the end and that God will have all and every one to be saved and that God bestows grace upon all and every man and Pelagians and Jesuits shall find a market for merits and men shall be Lords and carvers of heaven and hell and stewards absolute and soveraign of their own salvation and damnation What more can be said to blow up and make proud silly free-will PART IV. CHAP. I. Of the impediments of heavenly influences upon the soul in general and of their cure 2. There be much using of means and no influences 3. Means would be used in much humility 4. We may marre influences of grace IT is not to be thought that influences being acts of omnipotency can properly be hindered but by way of promise and judicial threatning he hath revealed in his word that he will give grace to the humble and resist the proud James 4. 6. 1 Pet. 5. 5. and that he will guide and teach the meek and lowly Psalm 25. 9. he certainly promiseth influence of grace to the meek Hence 1. Quest Whether God gives ordinarily and always influences of grace at or in the using of means 2. Whether men can hinder the holy influences of God 3. What are the impediments in the soul in general and their cures with them 4. What are the impediments in special and their cures As to the first of these four the following conclusions may be considered 1. Concl. Often God reveals himself 1. To Moses waiting on his herding Exod. 3. he appears to him in the bush he reveals Christ to the Disciples while they are mending their nets the Angels declare to the shepheards the birth of Christ while they attend their flocks yet is there no necessary connexion betweene the one and the other But could we in conscience and in reference to God while we are yet in the state of unrenewed nature attend our callings we might lie neerer to the Son of righteousness and his influences of grace a sluggard spirituall may fear spiritual and judicial want of grace Ass 2. There is somtime much seeking of Christ and no finding Cant. 3. 1 2. for a time Magdalen is early up in the morning and finds for the present in lieu of Christ an empty grave and grave-cloaths only There is much crying to God and for the time no hearing Psal 22. 2. Psal 69. 1 2 3. It 's here as in other means early up much labouring no bread and the runner getteth not the garland The Lord will have 1. free grace to shine above our sweating 2. He will have us not to sacrifice to the creature and created diligence and to painful seeking and will have us to learn our folly who place our mercy and will have our Heaven to stand in running and willing and not in his free compassion Esa◠runs and hunts and obtains not the blessing Jacob stirs less and is blessed I speak it not to cry down means but to cry up Christ and free grace The Lord seems to forbid Jacob to pray Let me go for the day dawneth but he rather encourageth him to pray but he teacheth that God's hearing and blessing is more then my tears and wrestling 3. The Lord would have us to examine whether it be a humble and believing using of means that we go about or not The repenting Thief in three hours upon the Cross runs and the same day gets Paradise and many have a fair wind and sail seventy years in a profession yea hear much and believe not and the ship is broken and the man perishes For Matth. 8. 11. many shall come from the East and the West and sit down at table with Abraham Isaac and Jacob and the children of the Kingdome who were first called and in before them shall be cast into utter darknesse Do not some sail much and promove nothing to the harbour Read Rom. 9. 31 32. Ah tremble to see a man believed to have many thousands and a great stock in four in seven ships and yet the man goes a begging Ass 3. Some means are cursed of God and God sends judicial influences upon them Divels believe and horrour take hold on them Felix hears and trembles and shifts influences of believing Concl. 4. Where common influences are not entertained they produce loathing of and stumbling at the word in Capernaum the day of grace in the Gospel to Capernaum is the year of vengeance despise not if ye wonder O dreadful yea wonder and despise and hate Concl. 5. The more spiritual the actings of God are such as are Gospel-influences leading to 1. illumination and clear light 2. to astonishment and to wondering 3. to strong conviction they must be more spiritual especially above law-influences upon Barbarians and the more direful effects they work when the excellent element air or water is made contagious it is the more pestilentious and corrupt how doe diseases and pests rage were the element of water which is so excellent and useful turned into blood how unpleasant would it be to drink of it Who knows what influences of wrath follow the Pharisees hearing and hating of Christ and the Gospel the disposition of Children new born were good in hearing and James his word c. 1. 21. is very useful that we receive the engrafted word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in meeknesse otherwise ill soyl marrs the seed and renders it unprofitable and the good seed makes the soyl worse Concl. 6. We are so to use means in godly trembling in humility in faith as to look that the Lord will send showrs upon his own husbandry and malicious hearers are to be affraid that rain dew summer showrs shall cause the bad earth cast up more abundantly briars nettles and the like As to the 2. Though the procuring of influences be above our reach except in the way spoken of yet a small touch of an unskild man may marre the work of an Horologue that it cannot act but much art is required to temper it it 's in the power of a child with little strength to put a small stone in the wards of a lock so it can neither open nor shut we can marre our own comfort and the work of salvation and then complain of God to God as Matth. 25. 25. and the damned in Hell complain that God gives not sufficient means who denyes to send Preachers from the dead to them and gives them a dry and dead book of Moses and the Prophets to give them warning Luk. 16. 29 30. No husband-man can hinder the rain to fall the corn to grow nor the Sun to send down beams and influences of heat and life upon the earth nor can Saul in the rage of his persecution hinder Christ to shoot his arrowes at him Acts 9. Such as complain most of God are really most naughty and may sooner
meet with the Lord 's wrathful rebuke then with his softening and pitying mercy CHAP. II. The Lord keeps an order in sending influences 2. He maketh short work on some 3. There is a confluence of influences at one time and in one work 4. Despising of the Word 5. Refusing of Ordinances 6. Persecuting of the Prophets 7. Resisting of the operations of the spirit do all obstruct influences 8. Praying and praising promove influences 9. Hardening of the heart 10. Not profiting by means 11. Remaining in nature 12. Actings in wrath rancor malice bitternesse and inordinate passion obstruct influences 13. Keep the oyl of the spirit clean if ye would have influences 14. We are to act morally and physically with the spirit 15. Prayers obstruct not soveraigntys acting THe Lord 's ordinary way of working is here to be observing the spirit confers not upon Peter's hearers Acts 2. influences of faith and of gladly receiving of the word v. 41. at the first before he bestow influences to the pricking of the heart for sin v. 37. nor does the spirit act upon Saul Acts 9. and the Jayler Acts 16. for their rejoycing in the Holy Ghost and believing and applying Christ and the promises at the first until first a law-spirit humble and make the proud to tremble Then the spirit must use divers instruments and shoot arrowes and influences of law and wrath and wound the heart with arrows of love as the Artist the Carpenter useth sundry tools according to the diversity of timber that he works on and the Lord here accommodates his influences according to the nature of the soyl It 's like Christs spirit made shorter and more expedite work on the hearts of James John for when Christ said unto them Follow me Matth. 4. 19 22. they 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 straigthway or immediately leave their nets and their father and follow him It 's as little time betwixt Christs word to the man sick of the palsie Arise take up thy bed and walk and his walking Mark 2. 12. for immediately 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he took up his bed and went forth before them all It 's like Matthew's conversion is of the same nature Matth. 9. 9. Luke 5. 27 28. in which the Lord gives proof that as some Castles fall at the first shooting of the Canon so there is no standing out nor resisting of Christ for when he adds strength of omnipotency the work of humiliation of conviction of saving faith or repenting are all quickly done as if tilling sowing and harvest were all in one day or one hour 2. We see also that gracious influences are threeded as it were upon gracious influences every beating of the smiths hammer brings forth at once many sparkles of fire and a shour of rain is the falling of millions and hosts of drops of rain at once So in fervent prayer there must be a cluster of gracious influences in every sigh and groan there is an acting of the spirit Rom. 8. 26. The work of the spirit must be maimed imperfect if godly watching 2. Prayer 3 Fervent desire 4. Humble sense of unworthiness 5. Faith on the promise 6. Love to our Father have not every one their several influences of grace When the seven stars arise above the Horizon if six ascend the seventh must also ascend in all which the poor sinner is far below the influences of grace they are sent out as soveraignty thinks fit and here the Lord rains down showrs of grace and a showre is made up of a multitude of drops yet in the general may sinners counter-work and restrain as it were the influences of grace they may resist the word Zech. 7. 12. They made their hearts like an Adamant stone lest they should hear the Law Now the Lord cannot give influences out with the preached word where men turn away their ears from the Law Prov. 28. 9. and Act. 7. 57. they stop their ears Wicked men cannot be avenged on the Spirit in his person or in his several operations of saving grace yet they avenge themselves on the message and break in pieces the chariot that carries the Spirits operations and trample upon his word be in love with the word to count it your heritage Sweeter then the honey and the honey-comb and you as David upon suit shall have influences to be kept from presumptuous sins Psal 19. 7 8 9. compared with v. 13. and Psalm 119. 40. Behold I have longed after thy precepts therefore Quicken me in thy righteousness 2. Men can refuse to come and partake of Ordinances and to be Baptized as the Pharisees do Luke 7. 29 30. and so reject the counsel of God and refusing to be among the golden Candlesticks and the Assembly of his Saints comes neer to trampling on the blood of the Covenant doing despite to the Spirit of grace Heb. 10. 25 26 29. Rejoyce to stand within Jerusalem Psal 122. for the Church is his vineyard love a room in his Church for it lies neer to the Sun and is under the watering and showres of grace So Christ speaks to the Spirit Cant. 4. 16. Awake O North-wind and come thou South blow upon my garden that the spices thereof may flow out So there is a commission given that the Spirit in its efficacy blow upon the plants and flowers that grow there the Church is also his garden of red wine which he waters every moment Isa 27. 3. Acts 7. 51. Ye do alway resist the holy Ghost then must they obstruct the gracious actings of the holy Ghost this proves it to be true that Steven said that they resisted the holy Ghost Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted and they have slain them which shewed before of the coming of that just one of whom ye are murtherers saith he they who cast down the lodging they injure the indweller the godly prophet is the house and lodging of the holy Ghost 2 Chro. 36. 12. Zedekiah humbled not himself before Jeremiah the Prophet speaking from the mouth of the Lord. Now the Spirit acted on the Prophets when they spoke 2 Pet. 1. 12. then esteem the feet of the messengers of God to be pleasant upon the mountains for they bring glad tidings of peace and that they only do who have these gifts of the Spirit to pray and believe Rom. 10. 14 15. 4. The speaking against the manifest operations of the Spirit of the Lord by which Christ cast out divels draws so deep as the sin against the holy Ghost Matth. 12. and such are deprived of pardon of faith to lay hold on pardon and such having done despite to the spirit of grace must indite war against the Spirit and all his operations therefore cherish and obey the Spirits actings be willing to be led by him close with the counsels and breathings of the Spirit speak to edification that which ministers grace to the hearers and that cherishes the
119. 139. and Christ John 2. 17. 11. Fleshly uncleanness put them of Sodom to mock and persecute Lot a preacher of righteousness Gen. 19. 9. and their not hearing of Lot prove their influences were not of God The holy Ghost clears to us that David 2 Sam. 11. all along was carried by no saving influences for there we find 1. His idleness 2. His sluggishness in sleeping in day light when the Ark and people of God were in the fields 3. His adultery 4. His sending for Vriah to cover the matter 5. His causing Vriah to be drunk 6. His bloody letter to Joab to kill Vriah 7. His bloodshed 8. His Atheistical talking the state of the war 9. Whereas David mourned for the death of Saul and Abner his enemies and his not looking with godly trembling on workes of divine justice in the Army he passeth this over as a chance of war in all which the spirit that led him in composing heavenly Prayers and Psalms was now far away What actings of the Spirit can swine and dogs receive from God 2 Pet. 2. 12. 22. O but a clean hearth-stone and a chaste holy and clean house would be kept for the kindlings and flamings of the holy Ghost See Tit. 2. 3 4. 1 Thess 4. 2 3 4. 1 Cor. 6. 19 20. let the holy Ghost his temple that he dwells in be neat pure undefiled for influences are the breathings of the Spirit and the holy Spirit breaths not on bruite beasts and on slaves to the lust of the flesh 12. Malice and hatred called man-slaughter 1 Joh. 3. 15. must bemist the soul and darken and benight or over-night both conscience mind will and affections and so as stones or rocks or the sea sands can receive no influences from Sun and clouds to bring forth wheat and barley neither can the heart stuffed with malice for the very incapacity of the soil is the cause why such ground cannot close with such impressions and influences of God 2 Sam. 23. 1. The Spirit of the Lord spake by me there must be quickning influences his word was in my tongue The man that ruleth in the fear of the Lord shall be as the light of the morning when the Sun riseth a morning without a cloud as the tender grass springing out of the earth by clear shining after rain The just Prince and Ruler full of love and mercy to the people of God and full of righteousness is like a morning without a cloud that hath clear influences of a shining Sun the Lord quickning him with light of love mercy and righteousness to the people whom he feeds that he is as the earth receiving from the influence of the Sun clouds and rain warmness that casteth up tender grass and corn But v. 6. The sons of Belial shall be all of them as thorns thrust away because they cannot be taken with hands 7. But the man that shall touch them must be fenced with iron and the staff of a spear and they shall be utterly burnt with fire in the same place Then malice reigns so in wicked men that if a man touch them and keep society with them in duties of love they bleed the hands of these that touch them as briars and thorns doe except the hands be fenced with iron and steel He notes the Nations to whom David and Joshua offered peace but they blood the people of God and prepare war as is clear in the Ammonites to whom David sent a message of love and they came against him with the sword and war now they are such thorns as are for the fire saith David and that they may be burnt they require no influences of Sun and rain Prov. 4. 17. They eat the bread of wickedness and drink the wine of violence Acts of hatred are their meat and drink and what influences of the spirit can their way which is the way of darkness v. 19. require Rom. 3. 15. Their feet are swift to shed blood for v. 17. the way of peace they have not known and there is no fear of God before their eyes Be meek and gentle as Christ Isa 42. 2 3. Isa 53. 7. a lamb dumb before the shearer Luke 23. 34. 2 Cor. 10. 1. and that holy meek one lay neer the Sun and the influences of the Spirit Isa 11. 2. The Spirit of the Lord shall rest on him the Spirit of wisedom and understanding the spirit of counsel and might the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord Joh. 3. 34. for God giveth not the Spirit by measure to him neither acteth the Holy Ghost in his sweet breathings on bloody and cruel hearts of persecutors 13. Wordly sorrow counterworketh sound repentance and godly carefulnesse holy defences holy anger against our selves godly fear vehement desire zeal for God revenge such by which we are not to be satisfied with our selves who have committed such wickednesse now all these require influences of the Spirit 2 Cor. 7 9 10 11. 2. The Law-Spirit of bondage being hellish fear Rom. 8. 15. and must be another spirit then the witnessing spirit and the influences of the one different from the other as good wheat that comes of the plowing and sowing of the husband-man and wild corn that comes from no plowing or husbandry but such wild oats grow of their own accord in mountains and in the house-tops Rom. 8. 15 16 17. 3. The hypocritical sorrow of Esau weeping for the blessing and yet saying in his heart he would kill his brother could have no influences of the Spirit Genes 27. 38 41. for heart-prophanness which was in Esau Genes 25. 32. Heb. 12. 16 17. cannot consist with saving influences and Malach. 2. 13. the covering of the Altar with tears crying and weeping to God was bastard sorrow for they married the daughter of a strange God and compare David's godly sorrow Psal 51. wherein he seeks the new heart and the free Spirit to be restored to him there were there strong influences of the Spirit with his weeping and mourning for Absolom when he was killed and the difference is clear this latter seems to be but a wordly sorrow such as mourn excessively for their dead friends 1 Thes 4. 13. banish the Spirit of faith and hope which cheareth the heart with the comfort of the last resurrection Much sorrow spent on it's a case of conscience to be remembred the death of a father brother husband wife children loss of goods argues a carnal mind and blunteth the stirrings of the Spirit consider Martha her grief for her dead brother and her unbelief in tying the not dying of her brother to Christ's presence bodily as man John 11. 21. and her sorrow well near drowns her faith ver 39 40. 14. False joy in corn wine and oyl in full barns Psalm 4. 7. Luke 12. 19. in the pleasant things of a present world must not a little oppose the Spirit in his influences for where that joy is
but a mock to say that God's speciall grace doth make men willing for Americans and Brasilians are Lords having in their power both general and special grace except Mr. Baxter yield to us a grace which doth predetermine or indecâ—inably bow fix and set the free will the way the Lord decrees and that the Lord must infuse a new supernatural power and it is above us to have special saving grace and that the Lord bestows on his chosen because he hath freely chosen them and then the matter is not in their may have or may not have 7. Mr. Baxter would have done well to have put one Scripture at least to this For neither in that John 7. 37 38. nor Rev. 22. 7. cries the Lord to Brasilians and Indians Whosoever will let him come and drink of the water of life for that promise is made only to those within the visible Church who are the called of God and doe and may hear it But the Brasiilians and millions of that kind are not the called of God 8. A remedying Law we acknowledge in the new Covenant but it is remedying to clear the justice of God and to make these within the visible Church the refusers of the Gospel more inexcusable then Sodome Matth. 10. 15. then Tyrus and Sidon Matth. 11. 23 21 22 23 24 then a people of an unknown language Ezech. 3. 5 6 7. But 1. It should be proved from Scripture by Mr. Baxter before he had asierted with Mos Amyrald and other Universalists his new remedying Law as remedying the justly deserved misery of Americans and Brasilians For sure if Christ died for them and hath stricken with all the savages on earth â—ews and Gentiles for whom he died and with all generations of men a new Gospel-covenant of the greatest love among men in Christ's dying for them and yet this Covenant is never revealed to them by either revelation made by preachers nor by the works of Creation and Providence nor by the Law of the Gospel written in the hearts of these men There is 1. little Remedy for clearing the glory of divine justice to make their furnace hotter in Hell for a Chymerical and imaginary sin of which their conscience cannot accuse them for how can they be guilty in rejecting a Christ they never heard of and by no superable providence could hear in that the Gospel came neither by Angels nor by Men gifted with tongues nor by inspiration to their knowledge and this darkens the glory of God's justice It s true Abimelech and Pharaoh and others may be plagued for sins they actually know not but light of conscience teacheth that Adultery and Oppression of innocent strangers deserve judgement But read we ever that Brasilians Indians or the wisest of Heathen Socrates Plato Cicero and the most tender of them die with any such challenge ah we sinned against the blood of the Son of God shed for us What and shall the Lord write and speak to Israel in their hearing I brought you ouâ— of Egypt and yet he will not tell the millions of the Heathen Christ dyed for them and saved them from the guilt of sin and everlasting wrath as touching their everlasting destruction which love yet he expressed not to them 2. Though it ill becomes us to censure the wisedom of God if the Lord rebuke those within the visible Church for refusing offered mercy as Jer. 3. John 5. 40. John 8. 21. how doth he not reprove the Brasilians for rejecting a promise of so much love 3. As no reprobate can be guilty of love of Election to glory from eternity suppone such a love had been in the heart of God towards them because it was never revealed to them So if there be such a law of grace and Covenant-promise the Law-giver the Mediator God-man was never revealed to the Brasilians 2. Where is this wide promise and Covenant to be found in Scripture who are the parties 3. What is the nature of the Covenant whether is it a Covenant of works do this and live or a Covenant of grace believe this and you have the reward of the Gospel preached to wit the restored image of God and where is this in Scripture 4. A remedying Law must bring a remedy to men the remedy is either real and so some real help must be conferred upon fallen man shew if there be one Brasilian healed and saved thereby a real power of believing in Christ and laying hold on the Gospel-promise remote or nearer cannot be given to all in Christ for any thing we read in Scripture since the Brasilians are heirs of wrath cannot receive the things of God 1 Cor. 2. 14. cannot believe or come to Christ John 6. 44. cannot submit their wisedom to the Law of God Rom. 8. 7. cannot bring forth good fruit more then thistles or thornes can bring forth figs or wine grapes Luke 6. 43 44. Matth. 7. 16 17. being dead in sins Ephes 2. 2 5. Walking in the vanity of their mind having their underâ—tanding darkned being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them because of the blindness that is in their hearts Ephes 4. 17. 18. Enemies in their minds by wicked works Colos 1. 21. Foolish disobedient deceived serving divers hearts Tit. 1. 3. having an heart of stone Ezek. 36. 26. uncircumcised Deut 30. 6. Jer. 9. 26. deceitful above all things desperately wicked Jer. 17. 9. every imagination of mans heart only evill every day Gen. 6. 5. from his youth Gen. 8. 21. So that a Brasilian must be born over again or he cannot enter into the Kingdome of God John 3. 3. Nor can flesh and blood but the Father of Christ only cause us believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of the living God Matth. 16. 16. Now this is but a moral work to Mr. Baxter to cause a dead man live and if there were no intrinsecal wound impotency and deadness in the soul but only moral dimness of mind so as the literal clear external and objective proposal of the Gospel which wakens the stupid will as Pelagians and Arminians say perfects the whole work of the new-birth and grace is nothing but the letter of the Gospel and the strongest operation of this grace is onely moral swasion and counsel as if by Rhetorick and good words the mid-wife could bring forth the birth and this remedy that Christ brings to Brasilians is at best the raising of man dead and rotten in the grave by blowing a Trumpet beside him and by making a perswasive oration over his dead corps if so the man so raised was never dead Nor is the remedying Law so much for a preaching of the Gospel comes never to the ears of millions with whom this remedying Covenant is made and it were a strong inducement as any can be to move Brasilians Americans those of China and Turkey to receive the Gospel to shew them Christ by the blood of his Crosse hath made