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A77608 Heaven on earth or a serious discourse touching a wel-grounded assurance of mens everlasting happiness and blessedness. Discovering the nature of assurance, the possibility of attaining it, the causes, springs, and degrees of it, with the resolution of several weighty questions. By Thomas Brooks, preacher of the Gospel at Margarets Fishstreet-Hill. Brooks, Thomas, 1608-1680. 1654 (1654) Wing B4943; Thomason E1446_1; ESTC R209539 332,772 663

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earth for the discovery of rich mines and treasures Which made one of the Rabbins cry out veniat Messias at ego non videam let the Messias come but let not me see him Church much in selfe-examining selfe-judging selfe-loathing c. upon this ground That God had hid his face and drawne a curtaine between him and them and stood at a distance from them and would not speak comfortably and friendly to them Now if you aske me why God will put his children upon those duties of Religion that are most costly and contrary to flesh and blood I answer first That his strength and power may appear in their weaknesse 2 Cor. 12. 7 8 9. 2 To discover not onely the truth but also the strength of their graces a little grace will put a man upon those Religious duties that are easie and pleasing to flesh and blood and not chargeable but rather profitable and pleasureable but it must bee strength of grace that puts a man upon those services that are costly and crosse to the Old man 3 That they may bee more fully and eminently conformable to Christ their Head who from first to last who even from the cradle to the crosse was most exercised in those duties and services that were most costly and crosse to flesh and blood as is most evident to all that study the writings of the Holy Ghost more then the writings of men 4 Because in the performance of such duties they do in a more singular way bear up the name and credit the honour and glory of God Christ and the Gospel in the world the very world will cry out Ah these are Christians indeed 5 Because the more they are in the exercise of such duties the greater at last will be their reward 6 That Satans plots and designes Heb. 11. 7. may be the better prevented and the wicked world more justly condemned who doe not onely despise the hardest duties of Religion but also neglect Mat. 25. 4. 46. the easiest The third Reason why God denies Assurance to his most precious ones is Ier. 2. 19. that they may be the more cleerly and fully convinced of that exceeding sinfulnesse and bitternesse that is in sinne Ah Lord sayes the soule that sits sighing and mourning under the want of Assurance I see now that sinne is not onely evil but the greatest evill in the world in that it keeps mee from an Assurance of my interest in thee who art the greatest good in the world and from an Assurance of that favour of thine that is better then life Sin is Malum Catholicum T is aeterna macula T is corruptio optimi pessima Ps 63. 3 4. Ps 4 7. and from the light of thy sweet countenance that is better then corne and wine and oyle and from those joyes and comforts that can onely make a Paradise in my soule Ah This made one cry out Quid restat O peccator nisi ut in tota vita tua deplores rotam vitam tuam O what then remains but in our whole life to lament the sins of our whole life Lord now I finde sinne not onely to bee bitter but to bee the very quintessence of bitternesse Ah no bitternesse so bitter as sinne that keeps my soule from that sweet assurance that is not onely the top and crowne of mercy but also the sweetner of all mercie misery and glory Oh what unspeakable evill do I now see in that evil that keeps me from the most desirable good Oh what bitternesse do I now find in that which Satan the Heb. 3. 13. Sin hath its original from a deceitfull subtle Serpent and is the ground of all the deceit in the world and is the great couzner of souls Yea peccatum est Deicidium Sin is a killing of God world and my owne deluded heart told me I should finde sweetnesse in Ah now I finde by experience that to be true which long since the faithfull Messengers of the Lord have told me viz. That sinne debaseth the soule of man that it defiles and pollutes the soule of man that it renders the soule most unlike to God who is optimum maximum the best and greatest who is omnia super omnia all and above all and renders it most like to Satan who is a very sea and sinke of sinne That it hath robbed the soule of the image of God the holinesse of God the beauty of God the glory of God the righteousnesse of God and that keepes the soule from wearing this Golden Chaine of Assurance A fourth reason why God denies Assurance to his dearest ones is because Christus op er nostra non tam actibus quam finibus pensat Zanchius The glory of God must consume all other ends as the Sun puts our the light of the fire they seeke Assurance more for themselves then they doe for his honour and glory more that they may have joy without sorrow comfort without torment peace without trouble sweet without bitter light without darknesse and day without night then that he may bee exalted and admired and his name alone made great and glorious in the world Many Christians are like the Bee that flyes into the field to seek honey to eat but brings it not into the Masters hive So they seek for Assurance that they may feed upon that sweet hony-comb more then to fill their Lord and Masters hive with thanks and praise That servant that mindes his wages more then his worke must not wonder if his Master be slacke in paying no more should hee that mindes comfort more then obedience that minds It was a notable saying of Nazianzen Let me sayes he be cast into the Sea let me lose my place rather then the name of Christ should suffer so tender was he of the honour and glory of Christ assurance more then divine honour wonder that God delayes the givings in of assurance though it bee sought with many prayers and teares He that is most tender of Gods honour shall finde by experience that God is most mindful of his comfort God will not see that soule fit long in sackcloath and ashes that makes it his businesse to set him up upon his Throne He that minds Gods glory more then his owne good shall quickly finde that God will even obscure his owne glory to doe him good If wee are not wanting to Gods glory he will not long bee wanting to our joy A fifth reason why God denies Assurance to his children is that when they have it they may the more highly prize it the more carefully keep it the more wisely improve it and the more affectionately and effectually blesse God for it none sets such a price upon light as hee that hath laine long in a Dungeon of darknesse Life without light is but a life-lesse life Mich 7. 8 9. So none sets such a price upon Assurance as those children of light that have walked most in spirituall darknesse Ah!
souls as makes them bid defiance to the greatest dangers and as Crowns them Conquerors of the greatest difficulties Ah says a soul that hath walked some turns in Paradise what is dross to gold what is darkness to light what is Hell to Heaven no more is all difficulties and oppositions to me who have found As they said once of the Grecians in the Epigramme whom they thought invulnerable we shoot at them but they f●ll not down we wound them and yet not kill them c. the sweetness of Divine Grace and have had the happiness to lie in the bosom of God Dioclesian the worst and last Persecutor in all the Ten Persecutions observed That the more he sought to blot out the name of Christ the more it became legible and to block up the way of Christ the more it became passible and whatever of Christ he thought to root out it rooted the deeper and rose the higher in the hearts and lives of the Saints among whom he had scattered the beams of his love and the rich pearls of his grace Such souls as have once been in the arms of God in the midst of all oppositions they are as men made all of fire walking in stubble they consume and overcome all oppositions all difficulties are but as whetstones to their Fortitude The Moon will run her course though the Dogs bark at it so will all those choice souls that have found warmth under Christs wings run their Christian race in spight of all difficulties and dangers The Horse neighs at the Trumpet the Leviathan laughs at the Spear so does a Saint under the power of assurance laugh at all hazards and dangers that he meets with in the Lords service The sense of Gods love and goodness makes him to triumph over the greatest difficulties Fourthly and lastly God gives his Reas 4 people some tastes of his love when he puts them upon hard and difficult services that the mouths of the wicked may be stopt should God lay heavy burdens upon his peoples shoulders and not put under his finger to give some ease should God double their tale of brick and yet deny them straw should God engage them against a potent enemy and then desert them should God send them upon some weighty embassage and not give proportionable encouragements to them what would the world say would Exod. 32. 12. Num. 14. 12 13 14 15 16. they not say That he is a hard Master and that his ways are not equal would they not say Verily they are lyers that say he is glorious in power and wonderful in counsel and infinite in mercy and admirable in goodness and rich in grace and unsearchable in his understanding for surely were he he could not he would not put his children upon such hard and dangerous services but he would own them and stand by them he would assist them and smile upon them he would be as careful to bring them bravely off as he hath been ready to bring them freely on O he could not see them in garments rouled in blood but his bowels would yern towards them and he would arise and have compassion on them Then thirdly Waiting times are times wherein God is pleased to give his people some sweet tastes of his love and to lift up the light of his countenance upon them I waited patiently Psal 40. 1 2 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the Lord saith David and he inclined unto me and heard my cry Waiting I waited He brought me up also out of an horrible pit or out of a pit of noise out of the miry clay and set my feet upon a rock and established my goings And he hath put a new song in my mouth even praise unto our God After God had exercised Davids patience in waiting he sweetly breaks in upon him and knocks off his bolts and opens the prison doors and takes him by the hand and leads him out of the pit of noise and confusion in which he was and causes his love and goodness so to beam forth upon him as causes his heart to rejoyce and his tongue to sing So after devout Simeon had waited for the consolation Luke 2. 25 to 33. of Israel that is for Christs coming the Holy Ghost falls upon him and leads him to a sight of Christ in the Temple and this makes the good old man sing nunc dimittas Now let thy servant depart in peace Ah says Simeon I have lived long enough now I have got Christ in my heart and Christ in my arms who is my light my life my love my joy my crown let me depart according to thy Word Ah Saints I appeal to you have not many of you found by experience the sweet breathings of Christ upon you even whilest you have been waiting at the door of Mercy while you have been weeping and waiting hath not the Lord Jesus come in and said Peace be to you waiting souls be of good cheer it is I be of good cheer your sins are pardoned surely you have Hath not God made that word good unto you Wait Psal 37. 14. on the Lord be of good courage and he shall strengthen thine heart Wait I say on the Lord yes And hath he Isa 49. 23. These words Shall not be ashamed in the Hebrew Dialect do not simply import that such shall not be brought to shame or shall not perish but that he shall be advanced to great dignity and glory to everlasting happiness and blessedness Isai 30. 18. Lam 3. 25. not made that good to you They shall not be ashamed that wait for me that is they shall not be deceived or disappointed of their hopes and expectations that wait for me yes And have you not found that word made sweet to your souls Therefore will the Lord wait that he may be gracious blessed are all they that wait for him Yes And hath not the Lord made that word good to you The Lord is good unto them that wait for him to the soul that seeketh him Yes Waiting souls remember this assurance is yours but the time of giving it is the Lords the Jewel is yours but the season in which he will give it is in his own hand the Gold Chain is yours but he onely knows the hour wherein he will put it about your necks Well wait patiently and quietly wait expectingly wait believingly wait affectionately and wait diligently and you shall finde that Scripture made good in power upon your souls Yet a Heb. 10. 37. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hab. 2. 3. Mal 3. 1. little little while and he that shall come will come and will not tarry he will certainly come he will seasonably come he will suddenly come as the Prophet Malachi speaks Behold I will send my messenger and he shall prepare the way before me and the Lord whom ye seek shall suddenly come to his Temple even the messenger of the Covenant whom ye delight in Behold he
see the worth of Assurance I have long sought Assurance and now I finde the sweetness of Assurance Ah it is such a Pearl of price it is such a Beam of God it is such a spark of glory that makes my Soul a rich amends for all its waiting weeping and wrastling So when it pleased Gal. 1. 15 16. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In me God to call Paul by his grace and to reveal Christ in him and to him Ah how doth he labor as for life to bring others to an acquaintance with Christ and to an acceptance of Christ and to an Assurance of Everlasting Happiness and Blessedness by Christ After Paul had been in Paradise he makes it his 2 Cor. 12. all to bring others to Paradise So the Spouse in the Canticles having assurance Cant. 5. 10 ult 6. 1 c. of her interest in Christ how doth she labor by all holy and heavenly Rhetorick and Logick by all the strains of love and sweetness to draw the daughters of Jerusalem to a sight of Christ and to an assurance of the love of Christ When a Beam of Divine light and love had shined upon Andrew John 1. 40 41 42. he labors to draw his Brother Simon to the Fountain of all light and love and when Philip had but a cast of Vers 43 44 45 46 47. Christs countenance his pulse beats and his heart calls upon Nathaniel to come and share with him in that loving kindness that was better then life The constant cry of Souls under the power of Assurance is Come taste and Psal 34. 8. see how good the Lord is Ah sinners sinners his wayes are wayes of pleasantness Prov. 3. 17. 1 John 5. 3. and all his paths are peace his commands are not grievous but joyous his yoke Matth. 11. 30. is easie and his burden is light not onely for keeping but also in keeping of Psal 19. 11. his commands there is great reward Assurance will strongly put men upon winning of others by counsel by example by prayer and by communicating their Spiritual Experiences to them Assurance will furnish a man with will skill and experience to confute all those false reports that vain men frequently cast upon the Lord and his ways It will make a man proclaim to the world That one Psal 84. 10. day in the Lords courts is better then a thousand years elswhere That there are more glorious joyes more pure comforts more abiding peace more royal contents more celestial delights in one dayes walking with God in one hours communion with God c. then is to be found in all things below God And by these and such like wayes Souls under the power of a wel-grounded Assurance do endeavor to make others happy with themselves A Soul under Assurance is unwilling to go to Heaven without company he is often a crying out Father bless this Soul too and crown that Soul too Let us to Heaven together let us be made happy together Sixthly A wel-grounded Assurance of Gods love and of a mans Everlasting Happiness and Blessedness will exceedingly arm and strengthen him against all wickedness and baseness No man loaths sin and himself for sin Ezek. 16 60 61 62 63. as such a man no man wars and watches against sin more then such a man no man sighs and mourns Rom. 7. 22 ult bleeds and complains under the sense of sinful motions and sinful operations Luke 7. 44. ult more then such a man Every stirring of sin makes a man that is under the power of Assurance to cry out O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of death Psal 85. 8. I will hear what God the Lord will speak for he will speak peace unto his people and to his Saints And let them not turn again to folly or as the Hebrew will bear And they shall not return to folly Gods speaking peace to his people fences and fortifies them against folly and vanity The Assurance that Joseph had of his Masters love armed him against the lascivious assaults of his lustful Mistress and will not Divine love that is stronger then death do this Cant 8. 6 7. and more Assurance makes a man say to his sins as he to his Idols get you hence for What have I any Hosea 14. 8. compared with the 2 3 4 5 6. vers●● more to do with Idols So sayes the assured Soul away pride away passion away worldly mindedness away uncleanness away uncharitableness c. For what have I any more to do with you Assurance makes the Soul speak to sin as David speaks to sinners Psal 119. 115. Depart from me ye workers of iniquity for I will keep the Commandments of my God So sayes the assured Soul depart from me O my lusts for I have tasted of the love of God and I have given up my self wholly and one●y to God and I cannot but keep the Commandments of my God The Jewish Rabbins report that the same night that Israel departed out of Egypt towards Canaan all the Idols and idolatrous Temples in Egypt by Lightning and Earthquakes were broken down So when Christ and Assurance comes to be set up in the Soul all the Idols of Satan and a mans own heart are cast down and cast out as an abomination Sound Assurance puts a man upon purifying himself even as Christ is 1 John 3. 2 3. pure The assured Christian knows That it is dangerous to sin against light that it is more dangerous to sin against love that it is most dangerons to sin against love revealed and manifested God may well say to such a Christian Is this thy kindness to thy friend To sin under Assurance is to sin against the Bowels of Mercy it is to sin against the choicest Remedy it is to sin against the highest Hopes of Glory and this will certainly provoke God to be angry 1 Kings 11. 9. And 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Lord was angry with Solomon because Vaiithannaph in Pihil to shew that the Lord was greatly angry with Solomon the Root 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies properly to snuff with anger It notes such anger as appeareth in the paleness of the face and snuffing of the nose his heart was turned from the Lord God of Israel that had appeared to him twice To sin under Assurance is to sin in Paradise it is to sin under the flaming sword it is to sin in the Suburbs of Heaven it is to run the hazard of losing that favor that is better then life of that joy that is unspeakable and full of glory and of that peace that passes understanding To sin under Assurance is to cast reproach upon Christ to grieve the Spirit to wound Conscience to weaken your Graces to blur your Evidences to usher in Calamities to imbitter your Mercies and to provoke the Tempter to triumph over your Saviour Verily that Assurance is but
with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour for to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins And as they are pardoned freely so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The gracious gift of God Charisma signifies a gift flowing from the free-grace and favor of God John 10. 28. they shall be saved freely Rom. 6. ult For the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Thus you see O despairing souls that all is of free-grace from the lowest to the highest round in Jacobs Ladder all is of Grace Christ is a Donative the Covenant of grace is a Donative Pardon of sin is a Donative Heaven and Salvation is a Donative Why then O despairing souls should you sit down sighing under such black sad and dismal apprehensions of God and your own state and condition Verily seeing all happiness and blessedness comes in a way of free-grace and not in a way of doing not in a way of works you should arise Revel 21. 6. 22. 18. O despairing souls and cast off all despairing thoughts and drink of the waters of life freely What though thy heart be dead and hard and sad what though thy sins be many and thy fears great yet behold here is glorious grace rich grace wonderous grace matchless and incomparable riches of free-grace spread before thee O let this fire warm thee let these waters refresh thee let these Cordials strengthen thee that it may be day and no longer night with thee that thy mourning may be turned into rejoycing and that thy beautiful garments Isa 52. 1. may be put on that so the rest of thy days may be days of gladness and sweetness and free-grace may be an everlasting shade shelter and rest unto thee Again tell me O despairing souls do you understand and most seriously and frequently ponder upon those particular Scriptures that do most clearly sweetly and fully discover the mercies of God the bowels of God the grace and favor of God to poor sinners as that Psal 86. 5. For thou Lord art good and ready to forgive and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee Gods mercies are above all his works and above all ours too his mercy is without measures and rules All the acts and attributes of God sit at the feet of mercy the weapons of Gods artillery are turned The Rainbow is signum gratiae foederis into the Rainbow a Bow indeed but without an Arrow bent but without a string The Rainbow is an emblem of mercy it is a sign of grace and favor and an assurance that God will remember his Covenant it is fresh and green to note to us that Gods mercy and grace to poot sinners is always fresh and green Again tell me O despairing souls have you seriously pondered upon Nehe. 9. 16 17. But they and our Fathers dealt proudly and hardned their necks and hearkned not to thy Commandments And refused to obey neither were mindful of the wonders that thou didst among them but hardned their necks and in their rebellion appointed a Captain to return to their bondage but thou art a God ready to pardon gracious and merciful slow to anger and of great kindness and forsookest them not Thou art a God says he ready to pardon or rather as it is in the Original and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thou a God of pardons There is a very great emphasis in this Hebraism a God of pardons it shews us that mercy is essential unto God and that he is incomparable in forgiving iniquity transgression and sin Here Nehemiah sets Micah 7. 18. him forth as one made up all of pardoning grace and mercy as a circle begins every where but ends no where so do the mercies of God When Alexander did sit down before a City he did use to set up a light to give those within notice that if they came forth to him whilest that light lasted they might have quarter if otherwise no mercy was to be expected O but Luke 13. 7. Jere. 3 1. to 15. such is the mercy and patience of God to sinners that he sets up light after light and waits year after year upon them When they have done their worst against him yet then he comes with his heart full of love and his hands full of pardons and makes a proclamation of Grace that if now at last they will accept of mercy they shall have it Why then O despairing soul dost thou make thy life a hell by having such low and mean thoughts of Gods mercy and by measuring of the mercies and bowels of God by the narrow scantling of thy weak and dark understanding Again tell me O despairing souls have you seriously pondered upon those words in Isai 55. 7 8 9. Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Veish Aven The man of iniquity i. e. One that makes a trade of sin man or rather as it is in the Original the man of iniquity his thoughts And let him return unto the Lord and he will have mercy upon him and to our God for he will abundantly pardon or as it is in the Original 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He will multiply to pardon or he will increase his pardons as the sinner increases his sins He will multiply to pardon For my thoughts are not your thoughts neither are your ways my ways saith the Lord. For as the Heavens are higher then the Earth so are my ways higher then your ways and my thoughts then your thoughts Turn O despairing souls to these Scriptures Numb 14. 19 20. Exod. 34. 6 7. Micah 7. 18 19. Isai 30. 18 19. Psalm 78. 34 to 40. 103. 8. to 13. Jere. 3. 1. to 12. Luke 15. 20. to 24. 1 Tim. 1. 13. to 17. and tell me whether you have seriously and frequently pondered upon them O how can you look so much grace and mercy so much love and favor and such tender bowels of compassion in the face as appears in these Scriptures and yet rack and tear your precious souls with despairing thoughts O there is so much grace and goodness so much love and favor so much mercy and glory sparkling and shining thorow these Scriptures as may allay the strongest fears and scatter the thickest darkness and chear up the saddest spirits c. Again tell me O despairing souls do you not do infinite wrong to the 1 Pet. 1. 19. precious blood of the Lord Jesus Three things are called precious in the Scripture the blood of Christ is called precious blood and faith is called precious 2 Pet. 1. 1 4. faith and the promises are called precious promises Now what a reproach is it to this precious blood that speaks better things then the blood of Abel Heb. 12. 24. for you to faint and sink under the power of delpair what doth this speak out O doth it not proclaim to all
when he comes to die that his hope will be like the morning dew like the Spiders web like the crackling of thorns under a pot and like the giving up of the ghost Job 8. 13 14. 11. 20. 27. 8. Prov. 14. 32. 11. 7. And this is now the upright mans joy that who ever leaves him yet his hope will not leave him till he hath put on his Crown and is set down in Paradise And thus you see what Hope that is that doth accompany Salvation before I close up this Chapter take these two Cautions with you they make for your comfort and settlement The first Caution is this That all Caution 1. The Scripture tells you of Saints of several sizes some are babes some are children some are yongmen some are old men now all these do no● attain to the same degree but h●ppy is he that hath the least degree Saints have not these things that accompany Salvation in the same degree if thou hast but the least measure or degree of that Knowledge that accompanies Salvation or of that Faith that accompanies Salvation or of that Repentance or of that Obedience or of that Love c. that accompanies Salvation thou mayest be as assuredly confident of thy Salvation as if thou wast already in Heaven The least degree O Christian of those things that accompany Salvation will certainly yeeld thee a Heaven hereafter and why then should it not yeeld thee a Heaven here It will undoubtedly yeeld thee a Crown at last and why should it not yeeld thee Comfort and Assurance now I judge it may if thou art not an enemy to thine own Soul and to thy own Peace and Comfort The second Caution is this Though Caution 2. No Saints are at all times ens●ble that all those precious things that accompany Salvat●●n a●e i● them It is not always day with the Saints thou doest not finde every one of those things in thee that do accompany Salvation yet if thou doest finde some of those things I though but a few of those things yea though but one of those things that accompanies Salvation that comprehends Salvation that borders upon Salvation thy estate is safe and happiness will be thy portion at last Thy sense and feeling of one of those precious things that accompanies Salvation should be of more power to work thee to conclude that thy estate is good then any other thing should work thee to conclude that all is naught and that thou shalt miscarry at last Do not alwayes side with sin and Satan against thine own precious Soul Having thus discovered to you the Way and Means of attaining to a wel-grounded Assurance I shall now hasten to a close CHAP. VI. Shewing the difference between a true and a counterfeit Assurance between sound Assurance and Presumption FIrst A sound and wel-grounded Assurance is attended with a deep admiration of Gods transcendent love and favor to the Soul in the Lord Jesus The assured Soul is often a breathing it out thus Ah Lord who am I what am I that thou shouldst give into my bosome the white stone of Absolution Revel 2. 17. The white stone given among the Romans was a sign of Absolution and the black stone was a sign of condemnation when the world hath given into their bosoms onely the black stone of Condemnation Lord what mercy is this that thou shouldst give me Assurance give me water out of the Rock and feed me with Manna from Heaven when many of thy dearest ones spend their days in sighing mourning and complaining for want of Assurance Lord what manner of love is this that thou shouldst set me upon thy knee embrace me in thy arms lodge me in thy bosome and kiss me with the sweet kisses of thy blessed mouth with those kisses that are better then Cant. 1. 2. Psal 63. 3. wine yea better then life when many are even weary of their lives because they want what I enjoy Ah Lord by what name shall I call this Mercy Assurance is a wonderful Alchimy it changeth Iron to Gold Ignominies to Crowns and all sufferings to delights this Assurance that thou hast given me It being a mercy that fits me to do duties to bear crosses and to improve mercies that fits me to speak sweetly to judge righteously to give liberally to act seriously to suffer cheerfully and to walk humbly I cannot sayes the assured Soul but sing it out with Moses Who is like unto thee O Exod. 15. 11. Lord amongst the gods Who is like thee glorious in holiness fearful in praises doing wonders And with the Apostle O the height the depth the length and Eph. 3. 18 19. Assurance of Christs love made Jerome admiringly to say O my Saviour didst thou die for love of me alone more dolorous then death but to me a death more lovely then love it self I cannot live love thee and be longer from thee breadth of the love of Christ which passeth knowledge If the Queen of She●a sayes the assured Soul was so swallowed up in a deep adm●ration of Solomons wisdom greatness goodness excellency and glory that she could not but admiringly breathe it thus out Happy are thy men happy are these thy servants which stand continually before thee and that hear thy wisdom O then how should that blessed Assurance that I have of the love of God of my interest in God of my union and communion with God of my blessedness here and my happiness hereafter work me to a deep and serious to a real and perpetual admiration of God! Secondly A wel-grounded Assurance doth alwayes beget in the Soul an earnest and an impatient longing after a further a clearer and fuller enjoyment of God and Christ Psal 63. 1. O God thou art my God here is David though in a wilderness seeks not for bread or water or protection but for more of God Phil. 1. 23. Assurance well what follows Early will I seek thee My soul thirsteth for thee my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty Land where no water is The assured Soul cryes out I desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ And Make haste Cant. 8. 14. my beloved And Come Lord Jesus come Revel 22. 17. quickly O Lord Jesus sayes the assured The assured Souls Motto is O my God when shall I be with thee when shall I be with thee Soul thou art my light thou art my life thou art my love thou art my joy thou art my crown thou art my heaven thou art my all I cannot but long to see that beautiful face that was spit upon for my sins and that glorious head that was crowned with thorns for my transgressions I long to take some turns with thee in Paradise to see the glory of thy Jerusalem above to drink of those Rivers of pleasures that be at thy right hand to taste of all the delicates of thy Kingdom and to be acquainted with those
The Lord hath in much mercy and love propounded in his Word the wayes and meanes whereby Beleevers may obtain a wel-grounded assurance of their everlasting happiness and blessedness and therefore it may be obtained take three Scriptures to evidence this The first is in that 2 Pet. 1. chap. 5-13 if you 2 Pet. 1. ch 5. 13. turne to the words you shal finde that the Lord does not only presse them to give all diligence to make their calling and election sure but he shewes them plainly the way and meanes whereby this may be done namely by adding to your faith vertue and to vertue knowledge c. The second Scripture is 1 Cor. 11. 28 that in the 1 Cor. 11. 28. But let a man examine himselfe and so let him eate of that bread and drinke of that cup. By examination the Soule comes to see what right it hath to Christ and all the precious things of his House and beleevingly to eate so of that Bread of Life of that heavenly Manna as that it may live for ever The third Scripture is that 2 Cor. 13. 5. Examine 2 Cor. 13. 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Goldsmith does the gold in the fire 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. unapproved or counterfeit not reprobates as it is translated vide Gr●tius your selves whether yee be in the faith prove your selves know yee not your owne selves how that Christ is in you except yee be reprobates or unapproved or rejected by a serious examination of a mans owne estate he may know whether he hath faith or not whether he be Christs Spouse or the Devils strumpet whether there bee a worke of grace upon his heart or not and certainly it cannot stand with the glorious wisdome unspotted righteousness and transcendent holiness of God to put men upon the use of such E●od 15. 11. and such meanes in order to the obtaining of such an end if that end could not be obtained by the use of the meanes prescribed Man that hath but a sparke of that wisdome righteousnesse Job 38. 5. 5. 18. 21. 33. verses compared and holinesse that is in God wil not put any upon the use of such o● such meanes for the obtaining of health wealth or the like unlesse there be a proper tendency in the use of those means prescribed to reach such Abstracts do better expresse God then concretes and adjectives ends and will God who is wisdome righteousnesse and holiness in the abstract Surely no God is one infinite perfection in himselfe which is eminently and virtually all perfections of the creatures and therefore it is impossible that God should act below the creature which he should do if he should put the creature upon the use of those meanes that would not reach the ends for which the means were used Thus you cleerly see by this seventh Argument that beleevers may in this life attain to a Well-grounded Assurance of their everlasting happiness and blessedness Eightly It was the principal end of Christs institution of the Sacrament of the Supper that he might assure them of his love and that hee might seale up to them the forgivenesse Matth. 26 27 28. of their sinnes the acceptation of their persons and the salvation of their soules The nature of a Seale is to make things sure and firme among Dan. 6 8. Mat. 27. 66. men So the Supper of the Lord is Christs Broad-seal it is Christs Privy-seale whereby he seals and assures his people that they are happy here that they shall be more happy hereafter that they are everlastingly beloved of God that his heart is set upon them that their names are written in the 2 Tim. 4. 8. Book of life That there is laid up for them a crowne of righteousnesse and that nothing shall be able to separate them from him who is their light their life their Col 3. 11. crowne their all in all In this Sacrament Christ comes forth and shews his love his heart his bowels his blood that his children may no longer say Doth the Lord Jesus love us doth he delight in us c but that they may say with the Spouse I am my beloveds Ca● 7. 10. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and his desire is towards me Many precious Christians there are that have laine long under feares His desirous affection is towards me as the wive● is towards her dearest husband So the Hebrew word signifies and doubts sighing and mourning and that have run from Minister to Minister and from one duty to another c. and yet could never be perswaded of the love of Christ to their poor soules but still their fears and doubts have followed them till they have waited upon the Lord in this glorious Ordinance by which the Lord hath assured them of the remission of their sins and the salvation of their soules In this Ordinance God hath given Rev 2. 17. them mannah to eat and a white stone and new name which no man knoweth but he that receiveth it Tell me you precious beleeving souls whether you have not found God in this Ordinance often whispering of you in the ear saying Sons and daughters be of Mat. 9. 2. good cheer your sinnes are forgiven you I know you have Those Scriptures that do expresly require Saints to be abundant and constant in rejoycing and in praising of God to have alwayes harps in their Nulla verior miseria qu●m falsa laetitia there is no ●●uer misery then false joy● hands and Hallelujahs in their mouths doe clearly evidence that beleevers may attaine to a well-grounded Assurance in this life How can they rejoyce and glory in God that doe not know whether hee will bee an everlasting friend or an everlasting enemy to them whether hee will alwayes breath out love or wrath upon them how can they Psal 13 7. 2. but hang their harps on the Willows that do not know but that they may live in a strange land yea in a land of darknesse all their dayes How can they be cheerful or thankful that doe not know but that they may at last heare that heart-breaking that conscience-wounding that soul-slaying word Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting Matth. 25. 4. It would even be an endlesse businesse to cite every Scripture wherein this duty is injoyned It is a duty that is much pressed in both Testaments as little practised by all whimpering Christians fire prepared for the devil and his Angels Now there is no duty in the whole Book of God that is more frequently and abundantly prest upon beleevers then this of joy and rejoycing of praise and thanksgiving as all know that know any thing of the Scripture 1 Thess 5. 16. Rejoyce evermore God would not have his children alwayes a putting finger in the eye Ah Christians remember what Christ hath done for you and what he is still a doing for you in heaven and what
how sweet was the Jonah 2 2. light to Jonah that had been in the belly of hell so is Assurance to those that through slavish fears and unbeliefe have made their beds in hell as the Psalmist speaks Gold that is Psal 139. 8. far fetched and dearly bought is Socrates prized the Kings countenance above his coyn his good looks above his gold so do Saints prize Assurance above all worldly enjoyments most highly esteemed so that Assurance that costs the soule most paines and patience most waiting and weeping most striving and wrestling is most highly valued and most wisely improved As by the want of temporals God teaches his people the better to prize them and improve them when they enjoy them so by the want of spirituals God teaches his people the better to prize them and improve them when they enjoy them Numb 14. 33. 34. Exod. 11. Ezra 1. Ah how sweet was Canaan to those that had been long in a wildernesse How precious was the gold and ear-rings to Israel that had been long in Egypt and the gifts and Jewels to the Jewes that had been long in Babylon so is Assurance to those precious souls The longer I stay for the Empire said the Emperors son the greater it will be So the longer a Saint stayes for Assurance the greater at last it will be that have been long without it but at last come to enjoy it After the Trojans had been wandring a long time in the Mediterranean Sea as soon as they espied land they cryed out with exulting joy Italy Italy so when poore soules shall come to enjoy Assurance who have been long tossed up and downe in a sea of sorrow and trouble how will they with joy cry out Assurance Assurance Assurance The sixth reason why God denies Assurance to his dearest ones at Humility is Conservatrix virtutum saith On●● least for a time is that they bee kept humble and low in their owne eyes as the enjoyment of mercy glads us so the want of mercy humbles us Davids heart was never more low then when he had a Crowne onely in hope but not in hand No sooner was the Crowne set upon his head but his blood rises with his outward good and in the pride of his heart he sayes I shall never be removed Hezekiah was Psal 30. 6. 2 Chron. 32. The whole Chapter is worthy of reading a holy man yet hee swels big under mercy No sooner doth God lift up his house higher then others but hee lifts up his heart in pride higher then others When God had made him As I get good by my sins so I get hurt by my graces said Mr. Fox they being accidental occasions of pride to him high in honours riches victories I and in spiritual experiences then his heart flyes high and he forgets God and forgets himselfe and forgets that all his mercies were from free mercy that all his mercies were but borrowed mercies Surely it is better to want any mercy then an humble heart it is better to have no mercy then want an humble heart A little Augustine saith that the first second and third vertue of a Christian is humility little mercy with an humble heart is far better then the greatest mercies with a proud heart I had rather have Pauls coat with his humble heart then Hezekiahs lifted up heart with his rich Treasures and royal Robes Well Christians remember this God hath two strings to his bow if your hearts will not lye humble and low under the sense of sinne and misery he will God hath two hands a hand open and a hand shut and he makes use of both to keep souls humble make them lye low under the want of some desired mercy The want of Assurance tends to bow and humble the soul as the enjoyment of Assurance doth to raise and rejoyce the soule and therefore doe not wonder why precious soules are so long without assurance why Christs Charet Assurance Judg. 5 28. is so long a coming The seventh and last reason why God denies Assurance for a time even to his dearest ones is that they may live cleerly and fully upon Jesus Christ that Jesus Christ may be seen Col. 3. 11. Omne bonum in summo bono All good is in the chiefest good Christ is all things to a Christian he is bread to feed them a fountaine to refresh them a Physitian to heal them a rock to shelter them a light to guide them and a crown to crown them to bee all in all It is naturall to the soule to rest upon every thing below Christ to rest upon creatures to rest upon graces to rest upon duties to rest upon divine manifestations to rest upon celestial consolations to rest upon gracious evidences and to rest upon sweet Assurances Now the Lord to cure his people of this weaknesse and to bring them to live wholly and solely upon Jesus Christ denies comfort and denies assurance c. and for a time leaves his children of light to walk in darknesse Christians this you are alwayes to remember that though the enjoyment of assurance makes most for your consolation yet the living purely upon Christ in the want of assurance makes most for his Heb 11. 27. Isa 60. 19. Mic. 7. 3. 9. Iohn 20. 28 29 exaltation No Christian to him that in the want of visibles can live upon an invisible God that in thicke darknesse can live upon God as an everlasting light Hee is happy that beleeves upon seeing upon feeling but thrice happy are those soules that beleeve when they doe not see that love when they doe not know that they are beloved and that in the Christ is omni● super omnia want of all comfort and assurance can live upon Christ as their onely all He that hath learned this holy art cannot bee miserable hee that is ignorant of this art cannot bee happy The second Proposition is this That the Scripture hath many sweet significant words to expresse that well-grounded Assurance by which beleevers may attaine to in this life sometimes it is called a perswasion Rom. 8. 38. I am perswaded that neither 1 There is a natural perswasion namral principles may perswade a man that there is a God and that this God is a great God a beauteous God c. but this will not make a man happy 2 There is a moral perswasion 3 There is a traditional perswasion death nor life c. shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is ●n Christ Jesus our Lord. It is rendred a perspicuous and peculiar manifestation of Christ to the soul John 14. 21 22 23 24. It is often rendred to know as in that 1 John 3. chap. 2. 14. 19. 24. verses and chap. 5. 13. 19 c. but the word that the Scripture doth most fully expresse this by is plerophoria full assurance that is when the soule by the Spirit and word
perfect in weakness which filled his heart with joy and gladness The hidden Manna the New name and the Revel 2. 17. White stone is given to the conqueror to him that hath fought with principalities Ephes 6. 12. and powers and spiritual wickedness in high places and is come off with his garments dipt in blood After the Roman Generals had gotten victory over their enemies the Senate did use not one way but many ways to express their loves to them So after our Faith hath gotten victory over Satan God usually takes the soul in his arms and courts it and shews much kindness to it Now the soul shall be carried in triumph now the Chariot of state attends the soul now White Revel 3. 5. 7. 9. rayment is put upon the soul now Palms are put into the Conquerors hands now the Garland is set upon the Conquerors head and now a Royal feast is provided where God will set the Conqueror at the upper end of the Table and speak kindly and carry it sweetly towards him as one much affected and taken with his victory over the Prince of darkness Conflicts with Satan are usually the As many have found by experience sharpest and the hottest they spend and waste most the vital and noble spirits of the Saints and therefore the Lord after such conflicts doth ordinarily give his people his choicest and his strongest Cordials And thus by Divine assistance we have shewed you the special times and seasons wherein the Lord is graciously pleased to give his people some tastes of his love some sweet assurance that they are his favorites that all is well and shall be for ever well between him and them and that though many things may trouble them yet nothing shall separate them from their God their Christ their Crown CHAP. III. Containing the several Hinderances and Impediments that keep poor souls from Assurance with the Means and Helps to remove those Impediments and Hinderances NOw the first impediment 1. Impediment and hinderance to Assurance that we shall instance in is Despairing thoughts of mercy O these imprison the Soul and make it always dark night with the Soul these shut the windows of the Soul that no light can come in to cheer it Despairing There is a threefold Despair 1. Worldly 2. Moral 3. Spiritual And this last is the worst and greatest thoughts make a man fight against God with his own weapons they make a man cast all the Cordials of the Spirit against the wall as things of no value they make a man suck poyson out of the sweetest promises they make a man eminent in nothing unless it be in having hard thoughts of God and in arguing against his own Soul and happiness and in turning his greatest advantages into disadvantages his greatest helps into his greatest hinderances Despairing It makes a man call good evil and evil good light darkness and darkness light sweet bitter and bitter sweet a Saviour a destroyer a Redeemer a revenger c. thoughts of mercy make a man a beast yea below the beast that perisheth Pliny speaks of the Scorpion that there is not one minute wherein it doth not put forth the sting as being unwilling to lose any opportunity of doing mischief Such Scorpions are despairing souls they are still a putting out their sting a rangling with God or Christ or the Scripture or the Saints or Ordinances or their own Souls A despairing soul is Magor Missabib a terror to himself it cannot rest but like Noahs Ark is always tost here and there it is troubled on every side it is full of fears and fightings A despairing soul is a burden to others but the greatest burden to it self it is still a vexing terrifying tormenting condemning and perplexing it self Despair makes every sweet A despairing soul is like the spider that draws poyson out of the sweetest flowers bitter and every bitter exceeding bitter it puts Gall and Wormwood into the sweetest Wine and it puts a sting a cross into every cross Now whilest the soul is under these despairing thoughts of mercy how is it possible that it should attain to a well-grounded assurance therefore for the helping of the soul out of this despairing condition give me leave a little to expostulate with despairing souls Tell me O despairing souls is not despair an exceeding vile and contemptible sin is it not a dishonor to God a reproach to Christ and a murderer of souls is it not a belying of God a denying of Christ and a crowning of Satan it doth without doubt proclaim the Devil a Conqueror and lifts him up above Christ himself Despair is an evil that flows Despair is Satans master-piece it carries men he adlong to hell it makes a man twice told a childe of hell it is a Viper that hath stinged many a man to death from the greatest evil in the world it flows from unbelief from ignorance and mis-apprehensions of God and his Grace and from mistakes of Scripture and from Satan who being for ever cast out of paradise labors with all his art and might to work poor souls to despair of ever entring into paradise O despairing souls let the greatness of this sin effectually awaken you and provoke you to labor as for life to come out of this condition which is as sinful as it is doleful and as much to be hated as to be lamented Again tell me O despairing souls Acts 2. Plus peccavit Judas desperando quàm prodendo Christum saith one hath not despairing Judas perished when as the murderers of Christ believing on him were saved Did not Judas sin more hainously by despairing then by betraying of Christ Despairing Spira is damned when repentting Manasseh is saved O despairing souls the arms of mercy are open to receive a Manasseh a Monster a Devil incarnate he caused that Gospel Prophet Isaiah to be sawed in the midst with a Saw as some Rabbins say he turned aside from the Lord to commit 2 Chro 33. 1 to 15. Idolatry and caused his sons to pass thorow the fire and dealt with familiar spirits and made the streets of Jerusalem to overflow with innocent blood The soul of Mary Magdalen Mark 6. 9. was full of Devils and yet Christ casts them out and made her heart his house his presence Chamber why dost thou then say there is no hope for thee O despairing soul Paul was full Acts 1. 1 2. 26. 11. of rage and malice against Christ his people and ways and he was full of blasphemy and impiety and yet behold Paul is a chosen Vessel Paul is 1 Tim. 1. 13 15 16. caught up into the third Heaven and he is filled with the gifts and graces of the Holy Ghost Why shouldst thou then say there is for thee no help O despairing soul Though the Prodigal Luke 15. 13 14. had run from his Father and spent and wasted all his estate in ways
of baseness and wickedness yet upon his resolution to return his Father meets him and instead of killing him he kisses him instead of kicking him Vers 22 23. he embraces him instead of shutting the door upon him he makes sumptuous provisions for him And how then dost thou dare to say O despairing soul that God will never cast an eye of love upon thee nor bestow a crumb of mercy on thee The Apostle tells you of some monstrous miscreants that were unrighteous fornicators idolaters 1 Cor. 6. 9 10 11. adulterers effeminate abusers of themselves with mankinde theeves covetous drunkards revilers extortioners and yet these monsters of mankinde thorow the instant goodness and free-grace of God are washed from the filth and guilt of their sins and justified by the Righteousness of Christ and sanctified by the Spirit of Christ and decked and adorned with the precious Graces of Christ Therefore O despairing souls are you good at burning that you have no mercy on your selves but to argue to your own undoing do not say O despairing soul that thou shalt die in thy sins and lie down at last in everlasting sorrow Did it make for the honor and glory of his free grace to pardon them and will it be a reproach to his free-grace to pardon thee Could God be just in justifying such ungodly ones and shall he be unjust in justifying of thee Did not their unworthiness and unfitness for mercy turn the stream of mercy from them No. Why then O despairing soul shouldst thou fear that thy unworthiness and unfitness for mercy will so stop and turn the stream of mercy as that thou must perish eternally for want of one drop of special Grace and Mercy Again tell me O despairing soul Is not the Grace of God free-grace is Sub laudibus naturae latent inimici gratiae Aug. The Patrons of mans freewil are enemies to Gods free-grace not mans salvation of free-grace By grace ye are saved Ephes 2. 8. Every link of this golden chain is Grace It is free-grace that chose us Rom. 11. 5. Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of Grace It is free-grace that chuses some to be Jewels from all eternity that chuses some to life when others are left in darkness The Lord Jesus Christ is a gift of free-grace Christ is the greatest the sweetest the choicest the cheifest gift that ever God gave and yet this gift is given by a hand of love God so loved the John 3 16. Isa 9. 6. world that he gave his onely begotten Son c. Here is a sic without a sicut God Joh● 4 10. But God O thou desp●i●ing soul is Pater mis●rationum he is al 's b●wels he will not stand upon giving his most lovely Son to most unlovely souls so loved the world so freely so vehemently so fully so admirably so unconceivably That he gave his onely Son His Son not his servant his begotten Son not his adopted son yea his onely begotten Son I have read of one that had four sons and in a Famine being sore opprest with hunger the Parents resolved to sell one for relief but then they considered with themselves which of the four they should sell they said The eldest was the first of their strength therefore loth they were to sell him the second was the very picture of the Father and therefore loth they were to part with him the third was like the Mother and therefore they were not willing to part with him the fourth and the yongest was the childe of their old age their Benjamin the dearly beloved of them both and therefore they were resolved not to part with any of them and so would rather suffer themselves to perish then to part with any of their children O but Gods heart is so strongly set upon sinners Heb. 1. 1 2 3. Matth. 3. ul● that he freely gives Jesus Christ who is his first-born who is his very picture who is his beloved Benjamin who is his cheifest joy who is his greatest delight as Solomon speaks Then I was Prov. 8. 30. by him as one brought up with him and I was daily his delight in the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his delights that is his greatest delight rejoycing always before him or sporting greatly before him as little ones do before their parents Why then O despairing soul dost thou sit down sighing and walk up and down mourning and sadly concluding that there is no mercy for thee Hold up thy head O despairing Christ is called the gift of God and the free gift of God five times together in Rom. 5. 15 16 17 18. soul Jesus Christ himself is a gift of free-grace the consideration of his free boundless bottomless and endless love may afford thee much matter of admiration and consolation but none of despairation And as Jesus Christ is a gift of free-grace or a free-grace gift so the precious Covenant of Grace is a gift of grace Gen. 17. 2. I will make my Covenant betwixt me and thee but in the Original 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is I will give thee my Covenant Here you see that the Covenant of Grace is a free gift of grace God gave the Covenant of the Priest-hood unto Phineas as a gift so God gives the Num 25. 12 Covenant of Grace as a gift of favor and grace to all that he takes into Covenant with himself from first to last all is from free-grace God loves Hosea 14 4. freely I will heal their back sliding I will love them freely c. So Moses The Lord saith he set his love upon you Deut 7. 7 8. to take you into Covenant with him not because you were more in number then other people but because he loved you and chose your Fathers The onely ground God will have all blessings and happiness to flow from free-grace 1. That the worst of sinners may have strong grounds for hope and comfort of Gods love is his love the ground of Gods love is onely and wholly in himself There is neither portion nor proportion in us to draw his love there is no love nor loveliness in us that should cause a beam of his love to shine upon us there is that enmity that filthiness that treacherousness 2. For the praise of his own glory 3. That vain man may not boast 4. That our mercies and blessings may be sure to us unfaithfulness to be found in every mans bosom as might justly put God upon glorifying himself in their eternal ruine and to write their names in his black Book in characters of blood and wrath And as God loves freely so God justifies us freely Rom. 3. 24. Being justified freely by his grace through the Redemption that is in Jesus Christ And as poor sinners are justified freely so they are pardoned freely Acts 5. 31. Him hath God exalted speaking of Christ
before the Lord for that you have so eagerly pursued after lying vanities for that you have in so great a measure forsaken the Fountain of living water for that with Martha you have been busied about many things when Christ and Assurance the two things necessary have been so much neglected and disregarded by you Get this World this Moon under your feet take no rest till you have broken thorow this silken net till you have got off these Golden Fetters A heart that is full of the world is a heart full of wants Ah the Joy the Peace the Comfort the Confidence the Assurance that such hearts wants The Stars which have least circuit are nearest the Pole and men whose hearts are least entangled with the world are always nearest to God and to the Assurance of his Favor Worldly Christians remember ●his You and Mundus cadaver est petentes ●um sunt ca●es is an Arabick Proverb that is The world is a carcass and those that hunt after it are dogs This Proverb makes a great many of our glistering Professors to be but dogs the world must part or else assurance and your souls will never meet When a worldly Christian is saved he is saved as by fire and before ever he shall be assured of his salvation he must cry out Omnes humanae consolationes sunt desolationes All humane consolations are but desolations God will not give the Sweet meats of Heaven to those that are gorged and surfetted with the delicates of the Earth The Cock upon the Dunghil prefers a Barley Corn above the choicest Pearl such Dunghil Christians that prefer a little Barley Corn above this Pearl of price Assurance that with Esau prefer Heb 12. 16 17. a morsel of meat before this Blessing of blessings that prefer Paris above Paradise Gods coyn above his countenance may at last with Esau seek and seek with tears this Heavenly Jewel Assurance and yet as he be rejected and repulsed The tenth and last Impediment that 10. Impediment keeps Christians from Assurance is The secret cherishing and running out of their hearts to some bosom darling sin It is dark night with the soul when the soul will cast a propitious eye upon this or that bosom sin and secretly say Is it not a little one and my soul shall live though God and Conscience hath formerly checkt and whipt the soul for so doing Ah how many be there that dally play with sin even after they have put up many prayers and complaints against sin and after they have lamented and bitterly mourned over their sins Many there be that complain of their deadness barrenness frowardness conceitedness cenforiousness and other baseness and yet are ready at every turn to gratifie if not to justifie those very sins that they complain against No wonder that such want Assurance After the Israelites had eat Manna in the Wilderness and drunk water out of the Rock after God had been to them a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night after he had led them by the arms and kept them as the apple of his eye after he had made them spectators of his wonders they hankered after the flesh-pots of Egypt so when after God hath given a man a new name and a white stone after he hath made a report of his love to the soul after he hath taken a man up into paradise after he hath set a man upon his knee and carried him in his bosom after he hath spoke peace pardon to the soul Psal 85. 8. for the soul to return to folly O this cannot but prove a woful hinderance to Assurance this will provoke God to change his countenance and to carry it not as a Friend but as an enemy When Love is abused Justice takes up the Iron Rod God will strike hard and home when men kick against the Bowels of Mercy God hath made an Everlasting separation betwixt Sin and Peace betwixt Sin and Joy and betwixt Sin and Assurance God will be out with that man that is in with his sin if sin and the soul be one God and the soul must needs be two He that is resolved to dally with any sin he must resolve to live in many fears Never forget this he that favoreth any one sin though he forgoeth many doth but as Benadab recover of one disease and die of another yea he takes pains to plunge himself ●nto two hells a hell here and a hell hereafter Therefore as ever thou wouldst have Assurance offer up thy Isaac part with thy Benjamin pull out thy right eye cut off thy right hand otherwise Assurance and Joy will not be thy portion Now that I may remove this Impediment which is of such a dangerous consequence to Christians souls and keeps Christians for ever from smiling upon any bosom sin I shall first lay down a few considerations to provoke them to dally and play no more with sin but to put off that sin that does so easily beset them that sticks so close Heb. 12. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unto them and then in the second place I shall propound some means that may contribute to the bringing under of bosom sins that so it may be no longer night with the soul The first Motive to provoke you to Motive 1. put out all your strength and might against bosom sins that you are so apt to play withal is Seriously to consider that this will be a strong and choice Demonstration and evidence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gnimme With him of the Sincerity and uprightness of your hearts Psal 18. 23. I was also upright with him and I kept my self from mine iniquity I kept a strict and diligent watch upon that particular sin that I found my self most inclined unto And this says David is a clear evidence to me of the uprightness of my heart with God The truth is there is no Hypocrite in the world but doth dandle and dally with some Job 20. 12 13. bosom sin or other And though at times and upon carnal accounts they seem to be very zealous against this and that sin yet at the very same time their hearts stand strongly and affectionately engaged to some bosom sin as might be shewed in Saul Jehu Judas and Herod therefore as ever you would have a sure Argument of your uprightness trample upon your Dalilaes This very evidence of thy uprightness may yeeld thee more comfort and refreshing in a day of trouble and darkness then for the present thou dost apprehend or hast Faith to believe Some there be that can tell thee that the joy of the Bridegroom nor the joy of the Harvest is not to be compared with that joy that arises in the soul from the sense and evidence 2 Cor. 1. 12. of a mans own uprightness Sincerity is the very queen of vertues she holds the throne and will be sure to keep it yea the very sight of it in
As it is a Christians glory to be eminent in every grace so it is a Christians special dutie to excel in that particular grace that is most contrary to his darling sins Is it pride is it the world is it hypocrisie c. that is thy bosom sin that is the cheif favorite in thy soul O then labor above all to be cloathed with humilitie to abound in Heavenly-mindedness to transcend in sinceritie c. I know no surer no choicer no sweeter way effectually to crucifie a bosom sin then this He that comes up to this counsel will not be long held in golden fetters it will not be long before such a soul cries out Victory victory The third Means to help us to trample Means 3. upon bosom sins is To look upon bosom sins now as they will appear to us at last to look upon them in the time of health as they will appear to us in times of sickness to look upon them in the time of our life as they will appear to us in the day of our death Ah souls of all unpardoned sins your bosom sins will be presented by God Conscience and Satan at last as the most filthy and ugly as the most terrible and dreadful your bosom sins at last-will appear to be those Many there be that have found these things by woful experience Wo wo to that soul that shall put it to the tryal monsters those fiends of Hell that have most provoked God against you that have shut up Christs bowels of Love and Compassion from you that have armed Conscience against you that have barred the Gates of Glory against you that have prepared the hottest place in Hell for you and that have given Satan the greatest advantage eternally to triumph over you Ah Souls at last your bosom sins will more press and oppress you more sad and sink you more terrifie and amaze you then all your other transgressions Those sins that seem most sweet in life will prove most bitter Job 20. 11 to ult at death those pleasant morsels will prove thy greatest Hell when there is but a short step between thy soul and eternity Ah Christians never look upon bosom sins but with that eye which within a few hours you must behold them and this you will finde by experience will be a singular means to bring under your bosom sins The fourth Means to subdue bosom Means 4. sins is To apply your selves to extraordinary means as Fasting and Prayer c. Ordinary Physick will not remove extraordinary distempers nor ordinary duties will not remove bosom sins who by long and familiar acquaintance with the soul are exceedingly strengthned and advantaged You read of some devils in the Gospel that could not be cast out but Matth. 17. 14 to 22. by Prayer and Fasting So bosom sins are those white devils that will not that cannot be cast out but by fervent and constant Prayer joyned with Fasting and Humiliation Souls that are serious and conscientious in observing of this rule will finde such a Divine power to at●end their endeavors as will give them to lead captivity captive and to triumph Col. 2. 14 15. over those white devils within as Christ triumphed over Principalities and Powers upon the Cross Fifthly and lastly As you would Means 5. have victory over bosoms sins keep off from all those occasions that tend to lead thee to the gratifying of them He that shuns not the occasions of sin tempts two at once Satan and his own heart he tempts Satan to tempt him to taste of forbidden fruit and he tempts his own heart to feed upon forbidden fruit Abstain from all appearance of 1 Thes 5. 22. Jude v. 23. evil hate the garment spotted by the flesh What ever carries with it an ill show or shadow savor or suspition that abstain from that you may neither wound God nor the Gospel your own Consciences nor others If there be any fuel to feed thy bosom sin in thy house remove it or before thine eie remove it or in thy hand remove it put it far away thy soul cannot be safe it cannot be secure so long as the occasions of sin are thy companions Wouldst thou have a clear evidence of the truth of thy grace then shun the occasions of sin wouldst thou imitate the choicest Saints then shun the Gen. 39. 10. Job 31. 1. Psal 26. 4 5 6. occasions of sin wouldst thou stand in shaking times then keep off from the occasions of sin wouldst thou keep alwaies peace with God and peace with Conscience then keep of● from the occasions of sin wouldst thou frustrate Satans greatest designes and countermine him in his deep 〈…〉 plots then keep off from the occasion of sin wouldst thou keep thy bones from breaking and thy heart from bleeding then keep off from the occasions of sin wouldst thou keep down fears and doubts and keep up faith and hope then keep off from the occasions of sin wouldst thou have assurance in life and joy and peace in death then keep off from the occasions of sin Do this and you do all if you do not this you do nothing at all And thus I have done with the Impediments that hinder Souls from Assurance as also with the Means to remove those Impediments CHAP. IV. Containing several Motives to provoke Christians to be restless till they have obtained a wel-grounded Assurance of their Eternal Happiness and Blessedness NOw the first Motive that Motive 1. I shall lay down to provoke you to get a wel-grounded Assurance is Solemnly to consider that many are now dropped into Hell that have formerly presumed of their going to Heaven as those that came bouncing at Heaven gate crying out Lord Lord open to us for we have prophesied Matth. 7. 22 26 27. So few in the old world feared an eternal miscarriage Matth 25. So were the Jews that cryed out The Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord. in thy Name and in thy Name have cast out devils and in thy Name have done many wonderful works and yet that direful and dreadful sentence is past upon them Depart from me ye workers of iniquities The foolish Virgins were in a golden dream that they were as happy as the best and yet when they were awakned they found the Bridegroom entred into his glory and the door of mercy shut against them Men are naturally prone to Isa 40. 27. Deut. 29. 19. flatter themselves that their sins are not sins when indeed they be and that they are but small sins when they are great and grievous and they are apt to flatter themselves that they have grace when they have none and that Prov. 30. 12. their grace is true when it is but counterfeit and that their condition is not Revel 3. 17 18. so bad as others when it is worse and with Agag that the bitterness of Micah 3. 11 death is past when God hath his
They know that it is not their profession but living up to their principles that will effectually stop the mouths and convince the consciences of vain men 1 Pet. 2. 15. For so is the Will of God that by wel-doing that is by living up to your own principles you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men There is no such way in the world to still and silence wicked men to make them dumb and speechless to muzzle and tie up their mouths as the Greek word notes as by living up 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to your own principles The lives of men convince more strongly then their words the tongue perswades but the life commands thirdly They know by living up to their principles they cast a general glory upon Christ and Matth. 5. 16. 1 Pet. 2. 11 12. his ways This makes Christ and his ways to be well thought on and well spoke on fourthly They know that the ready way the onely way to get 2 Pet. 1 5. to 13. and keep Assurance Joy Peace c. is to live up to their principles fifthly They know that by their living below their own principles or contrary to their own principles they do but gratifie Satan and provoke wicked men to blaspheme that worthy Name by which they are called They know Jam. 2. 7. The very Heathen as Salvian observes did thus reproach Christians that walked contrary to their principles Where is that good law which they do believe they read and hear the holy Scriptures and yet are drunk and unclean they follow Christ and yet disobey Christ they profess a Holy Law and yet do lead impure lives that by their not living up to their own principles they do but multiply their own fears and doubts and put a sword into the hand of Conscience and make sad work for future Repentance Now these and such like Considerations do exceedingly stir and provoke Believers to labor with all their might to live up to their own principles to get to the very top of Holiness to be more and more a pressing towards the mark and to think that nothing is done till they have attained to the highest perfections that are attainable in this life It is true many Hypocrites may go up some rounds of Jacobs Ladder such as make for their Gen. 28. 12. profit pleasure applause c. and yet tumble down at last to the bottom of Hell as Judas and others have done Hypocrites do not look nor like nor love to come up to the top of Jacobs Ladder to the top of Holiness as you may see in the Scribes and Pharisees and all other Hypocrites that the Scripture speaks of Thirdly It is their greatest desire and endeavor that sin may be cured rather then covered Sin most afflicts a gracious soul David cryes not perii Psal 51. out peccavi not I am undone but I have done foolishly Daniel complains Dan. 9. 5. not we are reproached and oppressed but we have rebelled Paul cryes not Rom. 7 23. If a Snake should sting thy dearly beloved Sp●use to dea●h wouldst thou preserve it alive warm it at the fire hug it in thy bosom and not rather stab it w●th a thousand wounds You are wise and know how to apply it out of his Persecutors but of the law in his members rebelling against the law of his minde A gracious soul grieves more that God by his sin is grieved and dishonored then that for it he is afflicted and chastned The heart feeling within her the operation of the Serpents poyson runs from the thorns and thickets and runs over he green and pleasant Pastures that she may drink of the Fountain and be cured So gracious souls being sensible of the poyson and venom of sin runs from the Creatures that are but as thorns and thickets and runs over their own duties and righteousness which are but as pleasant Pastures to come to Christ the Fountain of Life that they may drink of those Waters of Consolation of those Wells of Salvation that be in him and cast up and cast out their spiritual poyson and be cured for ever Believers know that their sins do most pierce and grieve the Lord they lie hardest and heaviest Amos 2. 13. upon his heart and are most obvious to his eye The sin of Judah is written Jere. 17. 1. with a Pen of Iron and with the point of a Diamond their sins are When Brutus went to stab Julius Caesar he cried out What thou my sen Brutus c. So may God well cry out what thou my Son what wilt thou stab me w●th thy sins is it not enough that others stab my honor but wil● thou my Son against beams of strongest light they are against the bowels of tenderest mercy they are against the manifestations of greatest love they are against the nearest and dearest relations they are against the choicest and highest expectations And this makes believing souls cry out O a cure Lord a cure Lord O give me purging grace give me purging grace though I should never taste of pardoning mercy yet give me purging grace It was a notable Speech of C●smus Duke o● ●lorence I have read saith he that I must forgive my enemies but never that I must forgive my friends The sins of Gods friends of Gods people provoke him most and sad him most and this makes them sigh and groan it out Who shall deliver us from this body of death O but now wicked men labor not that sin may be cured but onely that sin might be covered and that the consequents of sin viz. Afflictions and the stingings Hosea 7. 10. to ult of Conscience may be removed as you may see in Cain Saul Judas and divers others In their affliction they Hosea 5. 14 15. will seek me early saith God they w●ll then seek to be rid of their affliction but not to be rid of their sins that hath brought down the affliction upon them Like the patient that would fain be rid of his pain and torment under which he groans but cares not to be rid of those evil habits that hath brought the pain and torment Sin doth ill in the eye worse in the tongue worser in the heart but worst of all in the life upon them Psal 78. 34 35 36 37. When he slew them then they sought him and they returned and enquired early after God And they remembred that God was their Rock and the High God their Redeemer Nevertheless they did flatter him with their mouth and they lied unto him with their tongues For their heart was not right with him neither were they stedfast in his Covenant In these words Ah England England as face answers faee so doth thy carri●ge towards God answer the carriage of these people whose baseness and falseness God hath put upon record to this very day c. you see plainly that these people are very early and earnest in
is true even in his Son Jesus Christ this is the true God and eternal life 2 Pet. 1. 3. According as his Divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and vertue What this Knowledge is that accompanies Salvation I shall shew you anon Secondly Faith is another of those special things that accompanies Salvation 1 Thes 2. 13. But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you Brethren Beloved of the Lord because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation thorow sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the Truth 1 Pet. 1. 5. You Vide Parcus Esteum Gerhardum on the Text. who are kept by the power of God through Faith unto Salvation Vers 9. Receiving the end of your Faith even the salvation of your souls Heb. 10. 30. But we are not of them who draw back to perdition but of them that believe to the saving of the soul John 3 14 15 16. Mark 16. 16. Acts 16. 31. Rom. 10. 9. Isa 45. 22. Phil. 2. 8. Joh 11. 25 26. 1 John 5. 10. All ●hese and many more Scriptures speaks out the same truth This d●uble asseveration or protestation is used onely in matters of we●ght and unhappy are we ●hat we cannot believe without them And as Moses lifted up the Serpent in the Wilderness even so must the Son of Man be lifted up that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have eternal life for God so loved the world that he gave his onely begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life Vers 36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life Chap. 5. 24. Verily verily I say unto you he that heareth my Word and believeth on him that sent me hath everlasting life and shall not come into condemnation but is passed from death unto life Chap. 6. 40. And this is the will of him that sent me that every one that seeth he Son and believeth on him may have everlasting life and I will raise him up at the last day Vers 47. Verily verily I say unto you he that believeth on me hath everlasting life Thirdly Repentance is another of those choice things that accompanies salvation 2 Cor. 7. 10. For godly sorrow The very word rep●nt was very displeasing to Luther till his conversion but afterward he took delight in the work Paehitens de peccato dolet de dolore gaudet Luth to sorrow for his sin and then rejoyce in his sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of but the sorrow of the world worketh death Jere. 4. 14. O Jerusalem wash thy heart from wickedness that thou mayest be saved Acts 11. 18. When they heard these things they held their peace and glorified God saying Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life Matth. 18. 3. And Jesus said verily I say unto you except ye be converted and become as little children ye shall not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven Acts 3. 19. Repent ye therefore and be converted that your sins may be blotted out when the time of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord. Fourthly Obedience is another of those precious things that accompanies salvation Heb. 5. 9. And being Vide B. Dew●h of Justification 17. c. 7. made perfect speaking of Christ he became the Author of Eternal Salvation unto all them that obey him Psal 50. 23. whoso offereth praise glorifieth me and to him that ordereth his conversation aright will I declare the Salvation of God Fifthly Love is another of those singular things that accompanies salvation Deus nihil corenat nisi dona sui August When God c●own●th us he doth but crown h●s own gifts in us 2 Tim. 4. 8. Henceforth there is laid up for me a Crown of Righteousness which the Lord the righteous Judge shall give me at that day and not to me onely but unto them also that love his appearing James 2. 5. Hearken my beloved brethren ha●h not God chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the Kingdome which he hath promised to them that love him 1 Cor. 2. 9. It is written eie hath not seen nor eare heard neither hath it entred into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them that love him James 1. 12. Blessed is the man that indureth temptation for when The word Crown notes to us the perpetuity of that life the Apostle speaks of for a Crown hath neither beginning nor ending 2. It notes plenty the Crown fetches a compasse on every side 3. It notes dignity it notes majesty Eternal life is a coronation day It notes all joys all delights in a word it notes all good it notes all glory he is tryed he shall receive the crown of life which the Lord hath promised to them that love him Matth. 19. 28 29. And Jesus said unto them verily I say unto you that yee which have followed me in the regeneration When the Son of Man shall sit in the Throne of his glory yee shall sit upon twelve Thrones judging the twelve Tribes of Israel And every one that hath forsaken houses or Brethren or Sisters or Father or Mother or Wife or Children or Lands for my name sake shall receive an hundred fold and shall inherit everlasting life The whole is as if Christ had said whosoever shall shew love to mee this way or that in one thing or another out of respect to my Name to my Honor mercy shall bee his portion here and glory shall bee his portion hereafter Sixthly Prayer is another of those sweet things that accompanies salvation Rom. 10. 10. 13. For with the heart man beleeveth unto righteousnesse and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation For whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved Act. 2. 21. And it shall come to passe that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved That is saith one hee shall be certainly sealed up to salvation Or as another saith he that hath this grace of Prayer it is an evident sign and assurance to him that he shall be saved Therefore to have grace to pray is a better and a greater mercy then to have gifts to prophesie Matth. 7. 22. Praying souls shall finde the gates of heaven open to them when prophecying souls shall find them shut against them Seventhly and lastly Perseverance is another of those prime things that accompanies salvation Matth. 10. 22. And yee shall be hated of all men for my name sake but he that indureth to the end the same shall be saved Chap. 24. 12 13. And because iniquity shal abound the love The same words you have in Mark 13. 13. of many shal wax cold but he that indureth unto the end the same shal be saved Rev. 2. 10. Fear none of
for he hath found it so That Christ is the one Psal 27. 4. thing necessary for hee hath found him so That the favour of God is Psal 63. 3. better then life for he hath found it Psal 32. 1 2. so That pardoning mercy onely makes a man happy for he hath found it so a That wounded spirit is such Prov. 18. 14. a burthen that none can bear for he Psal 51. 17. hath found it so That an humble and a broken heart is an acceptable sacrifice to God for he hath found it so That the Promises are precious pearles for 2 Pet. 1. 4. hee hath found them so That the smiles of God will make up the want Psal 4. 6 7. of any outward mercy for he hath found it so that communion with Psal 48. 10. God can onely make a Heaven in a Beleevers heart for he hath found it so John 16. That if the Spirit be pleased and obeyed he will be a comforter to the soul for he hath found it so But if his motions and laws be slighted and neglected Lam. 1. 16. Isa 63. 10. 11. he will stand far off from the soul he will vex and gall the soule Well souls remember this That knowledge that is not experimental will never turn to your account it will only increase your guilt and torment as it did the Scribes and Pharisees What advantage had the men of the old world by their knowing that there was an Arke or by their clambering about the Arke when they were shut out and drowned in the flood What doth it profit a man to see heaps of Jewels and Pearles and mountains of Gold and Silver when he is monylesse and pennilesse It is rather a torment then a comfort to know that there is a pardon for other malefactors but none for me that there is bread for such and such hungry souls but none for me that there is water and wine to chear comfort and refresh such and such but not a sip a drop for me my bottle is empty and I may die for thirst whilst others are a drinking at the fountain head That there is houses and cloaths to shelter such and such from colds storms and tempests whilst I lie naked with Lazarus at Dives door exposed to the miseries of all weathers This kind of knowledge doth rather torment men then comfort them it does but adde fuell to the fire and make their hell the hotter the knowledge that Devils and Apostates have of God Christ and the Scriptures c. being onely notional is so far from being a comfort to them that it is their greatest torment James 2. 19. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies so roars the Sea and to tremble and shake horribly it is a worm that is eternally gnawing them it makes them ten thousand times more miserable then otherwise they would be They are still a crying out O that our light our light were put out O that our knowledge our knowledge were extinguished O that we might but change rooms change places with the Heathens with the Barbarians that never knew what we have known O how happy would damned Devils and Apostates judge themselves in hell if they should escape with those dreadfull stripes that shall be eternally laid upon the backs of fools Remember Reader that a little heart knowledge a little experimental knowledge is of greater efficacy and worth then the highest notions of the most acutest wits He doth well that discourses of Christ but he doth infinitely better that by experimental knowledge feeds and lives on Christ It was not Adams seeing ●ut his tasting of forbidden fruit that made him miserable and it is not your seeing Psal 34. 8. of Christ but your experimentall tasting of Christ that will make you truly happy As no knowledge will save you but what is experimental so let no knowledge satisfie you but what is experimental Fourthly that Knowledge that accompanies salvation is a heart-affecting-knowledge it affects the heart with Christ and all spiritual things O it doth wonderfully 1 John 4. 7 8. indear Christ and the things of Christ to the soul Can. 2. 5. Stay me with flaggons and comfort me with apples for I am sick of love O saith the Spouse my heart is taken with Christ it is raised and ravished with his love my soule is burning my soul is beating towards Christ O none but Christ none but Christ I cannot live in my selfe I Plusquam mea plusquam meos plusquam me Ber. cannot live in my Duties I cannot live in externall Priviledges I cannot live in outward Mercies I cannot live in common Providences I Col. 3. 3 4. Ignatius cryed out amor meus crucifixus my love my love is crucified c. can live onely in Christ who is my Life my Love my Joy my Crown my all in all O the hearing of Christ affects me the seeing of Christ affects me the taste of Christ affects mee the glimmerings of Christ affects me the more I come to know him in his Natures in his Names in his Offices in his discoveries in his appearances in his beauties the more I finde my heart and affections to prize Christ to Psal 73. 23 25 26. run after Christ to be affected with Christ and to be wonderfully indeared to Christ Cant. 5. 10. He is white and ruddy the cheifest of ten thousand The knowledge that she had of Christ did so affect and indear her heart to Christ that she cannot but make use of all her Rhetorick to set forth Christ in the most lovely and lively colours Gal. 6. 14. God forbid that I should glory in any thing save in Christ Jesus O God forbid that my heart should be affected or taken with any thing in comparison of Christ The more I know him the more I like him the more I know him the more I love him the more I know him the more I desire him the more I know him the more my heart is knit unto him His Beauty is taking his Love is ravishing his Goodnesse is drawing his Manifestations are inticing and his Person is inamoring His lovely Looks pleases me his pleasant Voice delights mee his precious Spirit comforts me his holy Word rules mee and these things make Christ to be a Heaven unto me O but now all that notionall knowledge that speculative knowledge that leaves a man on this side salvation never affects the heart it never draws it it never indears the heart to Christ or to the precious things of Christ Hence it is that such men under all their notions under all their light and knowledge have no affection to Christ no delight in Christ no workings of heart after Christ Well Reader remember this if thy knowledge doth not now affect thy heart it will at last with a witnesse afflict thy heart if it doth not now indear Christ to thee it will at last the more provoke Christ against thee if
was the great sin of Israel but after their return out of captivity they never set up Idols more but were wonderful zealous to keep their Temple from such defilements both in the time of Antiochus Epiphanes and of the Romans and do accunt them as a menstruous cloth to this very day iniquity of Jacob be purged and this is all the fruit to take away his sin When he maketh all the stones of the Altar as Chalk stones that are beaten in sunder the groves and images shall not stand up Here you see when God appears and acts graciously for and towards his people they put the hand of Repentance upon their Groves and Images these must down these must no longer stand The Groves and the Images shall not stand up they shall be utterly abandoned and destroyed demolished and abolished So in Isa 30. 22. Ye shall defile also the covering of thy graven Images of Silver and the ornament of thy molten Images of Gold Thou shalt cast them away as a menstruous cloth thou shalt say unto it Get thee hence Here you see the hand of Repentance is against their Idols of Silver and Gold and not onely against their Idols but also against whatsoever had any relation to them Now they shew nothing but a detestation of their Idols and a holy indignation against them Get you The Jews were willing in the Romans time rather to die then to suffer the Eagle the Imperial Arms to be set up in the Temple hence The hand of Repentance makes a divorce between them and their Idols between their Souls and their especial Sins Now they are as much in hating abhorring abominating and contemning their Idols and Images as they were formerly in adoring worshipping and honoring of them So Mary Magdalen in the seventh of Luke walks quite cross and contrary to her former self her sinful self she crosses the flesh in those very things wherein formerly she did gratifie the flesh So the penitent Jailor in that sixteenth of the Acts washes those very wounds that his own bloody hands had made He acts in wayes of mercy quite contrary to his former cruelty At first there was none so fierce so furious so cruel so bloody so inhumane in his carriage to the Apostles at last none so gentle so soft so sweet so curteous so affectionate to them The same you may see in Zacheus in the nineteenth of Luke In Paul Acts the ninth and in Manasse in that of the second of Chronicles chap. 33. 6. Fifthly That Repentance that accompanies Salvation is very large and comprehensive it comprehends and takes in these following particulars besides those already named 1. It takes in a sight and sense of sin Men must first see their sins they must be sensible of their sins before they can repent of their sins Ephraim had first a sight of his sin and then he repents and turns from his sin After I was instructed I smote upon my thigh Jer. 31. 18 19. A man first sees himself It was so with Paul who thought hims●lf in as good a way for Heaven as any Acts 9. and 26. compared out of the way before he returns into the way till he sees that he is out of the way he walks still on but when he perceives that he is out of the way then he begins to make inquiry after the right way So when the sinner comes to see his way to be a way of death then he cryes out O lead me in the way of life lead me in the way everlasting Psal 139. 24. 2. For I shall but touch upon these things That Repentance that accompanies Salvation doth include not onely a sight and sense of sin but also confession and acknowledgment Act 19. 18. Confessio peccati est vomitus sordium anim● Aug. of sin Psal 51. 32. 3 4 5. While I kept close my sin my bones consumed but I said I will confess my sin and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin Job 33. 21 27. The promise of remission is made to confession 1 John 1. 9. If we Non dico ut confitearis conservo tuo peccata tu● diceto Deo qui curet ca. Chrys in Psa 50. confess our sins God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins So Prov. 28. 13. He that hideth his sin shall not prosper but he that confesseth and forsaketh it shall finde mercy If we confess our sins sincerely seriously humbly cordially pardon attend us Homo agnoscit Deus ignoscit Confession of sin must be joyned with confusion of sin or all is lost God is lost Christ is lost Heaven lost and the Soul lost for ever The true Penitent can say with Vivaldus I hide not my sins but I shew them I wipe them not away but I sprinkle them I do not excuse them but I accuse them Peccata enim non nocent si non placent My sins hurt me not if I like them not The beginning of my Salvation is the knowledge of my transgression 3. That Repentance that accompanies Salvation doth include not onely confession of sin but also contrition Jer. 13. 17. Joel 2. 13. David cryes not perii but peecavi not I am undone but I have done foolishly Basil wept when he saw the Rose because it brought to his minde the first sin from whence it had the prickles which it had not while man continued in innocence as he thought You know how to apply it for sin Psal 51. 4. 1 Sam. 7. 2. Zach. 12. 10 11. Ezra 10. 1 2. 2 Cor. 7. 11 c. It breaks the heart with sighs sobs and groans for that a loving Father is offended a blessed Saviour crucified and the sweet Comforter grieved Penitent Mary Magdalen weeps much as well as loves much Luke 7. Tears instead of gems were the ornaments of Penitent Davids Bed and surely that sweet Singer never sung more melodiously then when his heart was broken most penitentially How shall God wipe away my tears in Heaven if I shed none in Earth And how shall I reap in joy if I sow not in tears I was born with tears and shall die with tears why should I then live without them in this valley of tears saith the true Penitent The sweetest joys are from the sourest tears Penitent tears are the breeders of spiritual joy When Hannah had wept she 1 Sam. 1. 18. went away and was no more sad The True Repentance is a sorrowing for sin as it is Offensivum Dei aversivum à Deo Bee gathers the best Honey of the bitterest Herbs Christ made the best Wine of Water the strongest the purest the truest the most permanent and the most excellent joy is Peters was for sin Judas his for punishment Peter grieves because Christ was grieved Judas grieved because he should be damned Psal 42. 5. made of the Waters of Repentance If God be God they that sow in tears shall reap in joy But that no mourner may drown
it the greatest mercy in the world to be still a mourning over sin sayes the Penitent soul The Penitent soul never ceases repenting till he ceases living He goes to Heaven with the joyful tears of Repentance in his eyes He knows that his whole life is but a day of sowing tears that he may at last reap everlasting joyes That Repentance that accompanies Salvatition is a final forsaking of sin It is a bidding sin an everlasting adieu it is a taking an eternal farwel of sin a never turning to folly more What have I to do any more with Idols says Ephraim Hos 14. 8. I have tasted of the bitterness that is in sin I have tasted of the sweetness of divine mercy in pardoning of sin therefore away sin I will never have to do with you more you have robbed Christ of his service and me of my comfort and crown Away away sin you shall never be courted nor countenanced by me more That man that onely puts off his sins in the day of adversity as he doth his garments at night when he goes to bed with an intent to put them on again in the morning of prosperity never yet truly repented He is a dog that returns to the vomit again he is a swine that returns to the wallowing in the mire such a dog was Judas such a swine was Demas It is an extraordinary vanity in some men to lay aside their sins before solemn duties but with a purpose to return to them again as the Serpent layeth aside his poyson when he goeth to drink and when he hath drunk he returns to it again as they fable it It is sad when men say to their lusts as Abraham said to his servants Abide you here and I will go and worship and return again to you Gen. 22. 5. Verily such souls are far off from that Repentance that accompanies Salvation for that makes a final and everlasting separation between sin and the soul it makes such a divorce between sin and the soul and puts them so far a sunder that all the world can never bring them to meet as two lovers together The Penitent Soul looks upon sin and deals with sin not as a friend but as an enemy it deals with sin as Amnon dealt with Tamar 2 Sam. 13. 15. And Amnon hated her exceedingly so that the hatred wherewith he hated her was greater then the love wherewith he had loved her And Amnon said unto her Arise be gone Just thus doth the Penitent Soul carry it self towards sin And thus you see what Repentance that is that accompanies Salvation The fourth thing I am to shew is What Obedience that is that doth accompany Salvation That Obedience doth accompany Salvation I have formerly proved Now what this Obedience is that doth accompany or comprehend Salvation I shall shew you in these following particulars First That Obedience that accompanies Salvation is cordial and hearty the heart the inward man doth answer and eccho to the Word and Will of God The Believer knows That no Obedience but hearty Obedience is acceptable to Christ he knows Isa 29. 13. Matth. 15. 7 8 9. The heart is Cam●ra omnipotentis regis i. e. The presence chamber of the King of Heaven and that upon which his eye his hand his heart is most set that nothing takes Christs heart but what comes from the heart Christ was hearty in his obedience for me sayes the Believer and shall not I be hearty in my obedience to him Christ will lay his hand of love his hand of acceptance upon no obedience but what flows from the heart Rom. 6. 9. Ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you So in Rom. 7. ult So then with the minde I myself serve the Law of God My heart sayes Paul is in my obedience So in Rom. 1. 9. God is my witness whom I serve with my spirit in the Gospel of his Son Many serve God with their bodies but I serve him with my spirit many serve him with the outward man but I serve him with my inward man God hath written his Law in Ezek. 36. 26 27. Believers hearts and therefore they cannot but obey it from the heart I delight to do thy will O my God how so why thy Law is within my heart or in the midst of my bowels as the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hath it The heart within ecchoes and answers to the Commandments without as a Book written answers to his minde that writes it as face answers to face as the impression on the wax answers to the character engraven on the seal The Scribes and Pharisees were much in the outward obedience of the Law but their hearts were not in their obedience and therefore all they did signified nothing in the account of Christ who is onely taken with outward actions as they flow from the heart and affections their souls were not in their services and therefore all their services were lost services They were very glorious in Matth. 23. their outward profession but their hearts were as filthy Sepulchres their out-sides shined as the Sun but their in-sides were as black as Hell They were like the Egyptians Temples beautiful without but filthy within Well remember this No action no service goes for current in Heaven but that which is sealed up with integrity of heart God will not be put off with the shell when we give the Devil the Kernel Secondly That Obedience that accompanies Salvation is universal as well as cordial the soul falls in with every part and point of Gods will so far as he knows it without prejudice or partiality without tilting the ballance on one side or another A soul Non eligit mandata He doth not pick and chuse He obeyes all in respect of his sincere purpose desire and endeavor and this God accepts in Christ for perfect and compleat Obedience c. sincerely obedient will not pick and chuse what commands to obey and what to reject as Hypocrites do he hath an eye to see an ear to hear and a heart to obey the first Table as well as the second and the second as well as the first he doth not adhere to the first and neglect the second as Hypocrites do neither doth he adhere to the second and contemn the first as prophane men do he obeys not out of humor but out of duty he obeys not out of choice but out of conscience Psal 119. 6. Then shall I not be ashamed when I have respect unto all thy Commandments Look as Faith never singles out his object but layes hold on every object God holds forth for it to close with Faith doth not chuse this truth and reject that it doth not close with one and reject another Faith doth not say I will trust God in this case but not in that I will trust him for this mercy but not for that mercy I will trust him in this way but not in
deliver me from my Bonds but O Rom. 7. 23. wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from my sins from this body of death David cryes not Perii but Peccavi Psal 51. Not I am undone but I have done foolishly But wicked men strive in Prayer more to get off their chains then to get off their sins more to be delivered from enemies without then lusts within more to get out of the Furnace then to be delivered from their Spiritual Bondage as the Scriptures Psal 78. 34. Zach. 7. 5 6 7. Isai 26. 16 17. in the Margent do evidence Thirdly The Stream and Cream of a gracious Mans spirit runs most out in Prayer after Spiritual and Heavenly Psal 4. 6 7. 27 4. things as is abundantly evident by those Prayers of the Saints that are upon record throughout the Scripture But the Stream and Cream of vain mens spirits in Prayer runs most out after poor low carnal things as you may see in comparing the following Scriptures together Hos 7. 14. Zach. 7. 5 6 7. Jam. 4. 3 c. Fourthly A gracious Soul looks and lives more upon God in Prayer then upon his Prayer He knows though Prayer be his Chariot yet Christ is his food Prayer may be a staff to support him but Christ is that Manna that must nourish him and upon him he looks and lives Psal 5. 3. In the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee or Martial and set in order my Prayer as it is in the Hebrew and will look up or look out as it is in the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Pihil as a watchman looks out to d●scover the approaches of an enemy But vain men they live and look more upon their Prayers then they do upon God Nay usually they never look after their Prayers they never observe what returns they have from Heaven they are like those that shoot Arrows but do not minde where they fall Wicked men think it is Religion enough for them to pray and to look after their prayers to see how their prayers speed is no Article of their Faith But a gracious Soul is of a more noble spirit when he hath prayed he will stand upon his watch-tower and observe what God will speak Psal 85. 8. I will hear that God the Lord will speak for he will speak peace unto his people and to his Saints But let them not return to folly or as the Hebrew may be read And they shall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I will lissen and lay my obedient ear to what the Lord shall speak not return to folly Veal iashubu le Chislah Wicked men would have God to be all ear to hear what they desire when themselves have never an ear to hear what he speaks But deaf ears shall always be attended with dumb answers Justice always makes mercy dumb when sin hath made the sinner deaf Fifthly No discouragements can take gracious Souls off from Prayer but the least discouragements will Aristotle though a Heathen could say That in some cases a man had better lose his life then be cowardly Ethic. 3. c. 1. take off carnal hearts from Prayer as you may see in the following Scriptures compared together Psal 40. 1 2. 44. 10-23 Matth. 15. 21-29 Mal. 3. 14. Isai 58. 1 2 3. Amos 8. 3 4 5 c. When one of the Ancient Martyrs was terrified with the threatnings of his persecutors he replied There is nothing saith he of things visible nothing of things invisible that I fear I will stand to my profession of the name of Christ and contend earnestly for the Faith once delivered to the Saints come on it what will It is neither the hope of life nor the fear of death that can take a real Christian off from Prayer He is rather raised then dejected he is rather quickned then discouraged by delays or denials he will hold up and hold on in a way and course of Prayer though men should rage and Lyons roar and the Furnace be heat seven times hotter c. But it is not so with carnal hearts Job 27 9 10. Sixthly When a gracious man In his course his heart is in his Prayer he findes by experience that the heart is the Primum mobile the great wheel that moves all other wheels It is the chief Monarch in the Isle of Man prayes he hath his heart in his Prayer when he falls upon the work he makes heart-work on it So David in Psal 42. 4. When I remember these things I pour out my heart So Hannah in 1 Sam. 1. 15. I am a woman of a sorrowful spirit saith she and have poured out my soul before the Lord. So the Israelites in 1 Sam. 7. 6. Poured out their souls like water before the Lord. So the Church in Isa 26. 8 9. The desire of our soul is to thy name and to the remembrance of thee With my soul have I desired thee in the night yea with my spirit within me will I seek thee early Gracious Souls know The voice of God is Da Mihi cor that no Prayer is acknowledged accepted and rewarded by God but that wherein the heart is sincerely and wholly It is not a piece it is not a corner of the heart that will satisfie the Maker of the heart The true Mother would not have the childe divided As God loves a broken and a contrite heart so he loaths a divided heart God neither loves halting nor halving he will be served truly and totally The Royal Law is Thou shalt The heart as a Prince gives Laws to all other Members The Heart is Christs Bed of Spices it is his Presence Chamber it is his Royal Throne it is one of those four Keys that God keeps under his own girdle love and serve the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul Among the Heathens when the Beasts were cut up for Sacrifice the first thing the Priest looked upon was the heart and if the heart was naught the Sacrifice was rejected Verily God rejects all those Sacrifices wherein the Heart is not Now wicked men are heartless in all their Services in all their Prayers as you may see in comparing the following Scriptures together I shall not transcribe the words because I must cut short the work Isai 29. 13. Matth. 15. 7 8 9. Ezek. 33. 30 31 32. Zach. 7. 4 5 6. 2 Chro. 25. 1 2. As the body without the soul is dead so Prayer Prayer without the heart is but an empty ring a tinckling symbal without the heart be in it is but dead Prayer in the eye and account of God Prayer is onely lovely and weighty as the heatt is in it and no otherwise It is not the lifting up of the voice nor the wringing of the hands nor the beating of the brests but the stirrings of the heart that God looks at in Prayer God hears no more then the
appear that Hope doth accompany Salvation it doth boarder upon eternal life The second thing that I am to shew you is What Hope that is that doth accompany Salvation that comprehends Salvation and that I shall do with as much brevity and perspicuity as I can in the following particulars First That Hope that accompanies Salvation is A grace of God whereby Spes est expectatio eorum quae verè à Deo promissa fides credidit Calvin 1 Tim. 6. 17. This very title The God of Hope may serve as a soveraign antidote against the blackest and horridest temptations for why should any despair of his mercy who hath proclaimed himself to be the God of Hope Spes est virtus qua inclinam●r ad expectationem eorum quae Deus nobis promisit Perkins we expect good to come patiently waiting till it come First I call it a Grace of God because he is the donor of it and therefore he is called the God of Hope Rom. 15. 13. Now the God of Hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing Now God is called the God of Hope because he is objectivè the onely object of our Hope and he is effectivè the onely Author and Worker of Hope in the Soul Hope is no natural affection in men men are not born with hope in their hearts as they are born with tongues in their mouthes Hope is nobly descended it is from above it is a heavenly Babe that is formed in the soul of man by the power of the Holy Ghost And as Hope is no natural affection so Hope is no Moral vertue which men may attain by their frequent actions but Hope is a Theological vertue that none can give but God Secondly I say it is a Grace of God whereby we expect good to come I say good not evil for evil is rather feared then hoped for by any The object of this Hope hath four conditions 1. It must be Bonum good 2. Futurum future 3. Possibile possible 4. Arduum hard or difficult to obtain Thirdly I say Hope is a Grace of God whereby we expect good to come patiently waiting till it come Hope makes the Soul quiet and patient till it comes to possess the good desired and hoped for Rom. 8. 25. But if we hope for that we see not then do we with patience wait for it The Hebrew word Kavah that is often translated Hope signifies a very vehement intention both of body and minde a stretching forth of the Spirit or Minde in waiting for a desired good 2 Cor. 4. ult Hope fates well it keeps a Princes Table it lives upon Honey and Milk Oyl and Wine it sives upon the sweet meats the delicates of Heaven as God Christ and Glory Psal 31. 24. 33. 22. 38. 15. 42. 5. 43. 5. 39. 7. 71. 5. 65. 5. Secondly That Hope that accompanies Salvation is alwayes conversant about holy and heavenly objects as about God and Christ 1 Tim. 1. 1. Paul an Apostle of Jesus Christ by the commandment of God our Saviour and Lord Jesus Christ which is our Hope In these words Christ is set forth as the chief object of our Hope because by his merits and mercy we hope to obtain the remission of our sins and the eternal Salvation of our souls Sometimes Hope is exercised about the Righteousness of Christ Gal. 5. 5. For we through the Spirit wait for the Hope of Righteousness by Faith Sometimes Hope is exercised about God the Father 1 Pet. 1. 21. Who by him do believe in God that raised him up from the dead and gave him glory that your faith and hope might be in God Jere. 14. 8. O the Hope of Israel the Saviour thereof in time of trouble Chap. 17. 13. O Lord the hope of Israel all that forsake thee shall be ashamed Vers 17. Thou art my hope in the day of evil Sometimes Hope The Jewish Rabbins were wont to say That upon every Letter of the Law there hangs Mountains of profitable matter Ah then what abundance of comfort and sweetness may hope finde yea does hope finde in the Promises is exercised and busied about the Word and Promises Psal 119. 49. Remember the word unto thy servant upon which thou hast caused me to Hope Vers 81. My soul fainteth for thy Salvation but I hope in thy Word Verse 114. Thou art my hiding place and my shield I hope in thy Word Psal 130. 5. I wait for the Lord my soul doth wait And in his Word do I hope Psal 119. 74. They that fear thee will be glad when they see me Because I have hoped in thy Word Verse 147. I prevented the dawning of the morning and cryed I hoped in thy Word Hope in the Promise will keep the head from aking and the heart from breaking it will keep both head and heart from sinking and drowning Hope exercised upon the promise brings Heaven down to the heart The Promises are the Ladder by which Hope gets up to Heaven Hope in the Promise will not onely keep life and soul together but it will also keep the soul and glory together Hope in Psal 4● 5. 119. 49 50. compared Hol. 6. 1 2. the Promise will support distressed souls Hope in the Promise will settle perplexed souls Hope in the Promise will comfort dejected souls Hope in the Promise will reduce wandering souls Hope in the Promise will confirm staggering souls Hope in the Promise will save undone souls The Promise is the same to Hope that Rom. 8. 24. The Promises are Hopes rich Magazin Hope is to the Soul the Promise is the Anchor of Hope as Hope is the Anchor of the Soul Look what the Brests are to the Childe and Oyl is to the Lamp that are the Promises to Hope Hope lives and thrives as it feeds upon the Promises as it embraces the Promises The Promises are the sweet-meats of Heaven upon Heb. 11. 13. which Hope lives And every degree of Hope brings a degree of joy into the Soul which makes it cry out Heaven Heaven Again Hope is exercised about the glory and felicity the happiness Psal 16. ult Tit. 3. 7. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Looking for Christs coming as earnestly as men look and long for the coming of some special friends or as Inn-keepers do for special guests and blessedness that is at Gods right hand Tit. 2. 13. Looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ. Hope makes a man stretch out his neck and put forth his hand and look as earnestly for the glorious appearing of Christ as Sisera's Mother did for the happy return of her Son The hoping Soul is often a sighing it out Why are his Charriot Wheels so long a coming Col 1. 5. For the hope which is laid up for you in Heaven Hope in this place So in Rom. 8. 24 25. Col. 1. 27. Rom. 5. 2
c. is taken by a Metonimy for the things hoped for viz. All that glory and felicity that blessedness and happiness that is laid up for us in Heaven So in Heb. 6. 18. Who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us Hope here is put for the object of Hope viz. Heaven and Happiness Hope layes such fast hold as the Greek word here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies upon Heaven and Happiness that none shall ever be able to take those precious things out of Hopes hand So Hope is put for the glorious things hoped for Ephes 1. 18. And thus you see those precious and glorious objects about which that Hope that accompanies Salvation is exercised Thirdly That Hope that accompanies Salvation that comprehends Salvation that borders upon Salvation is grounded upon the firmest foundations to wit the Promises of God as hath Psal 40. 4. Prov. 10. 28. been fully shewed before and it is built upon the Free-grace of God 1 Pet. 1. 13. It is built upon the infinite and glorious power of God Rom. 4. 21. It is built upon the truth and faithfulness of God 2 Tim. 2. 13. These precious and glorious Foundations do bear up the hopes of the Saints as the three Pillars bore up the hangings in the Tabernacle A Believers hope is founded upon the Love of Christ the Blood of Christ the Righteousness of Christ the Satisfaction of Christ and the Intercession of Christ c. But the hopes of Hypocrites and wicked men are always built upon weak slender and sandy foundations sometimes they build their hopes upon their outward profession upon their Lamps though Matth. 25. 3. they are empty Lamps and sometimes upon their duties and services as Isai 58 1 2 3. Matth. 6. Every false principle in Religion is a Reed of Egypt that will certainly deceive souls at last therefore take heed of leaning upon any of those Reeds the Jews Scribes and Pharisees did and sometimes upon their outward priviledges crying out The Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord and sometimes they build their hopes upon others good opinion of them and sometimes upon flashes of joy and sometimes upon enlargements in duties and sometimes upon the heat and vigor of their spirits in Religious services c. And all these are but sandy foundations and they that build their hope upon them will certainly fall and great will be their fall The hopes of the Saints are built upon the surest and the strongest foundations It was a good saying of one of the Ancients I Bernard S●rm 3. de fragm Sept. Miser consider saith he three things in which all my hope consisteth to wit 1. Gods love in my Adoption 2. The truth of his Promise And 3. his power of performance Therefore let my foolish cogitation murmur as long as it list saying Who art thou or what is that glory or by what merits dost thou hope to attain it For I can answer with sure confidence I know 2 Tim. 1. 12. on whom I have believed And I am certain First That in his love he adopted me Secondly That he is true in his promise And thirdly That he is able to perform it This is the threefold cord which is not easily broken Fourthly That Hope that accompanies Salvation that borders upon Salvation that comprehends Salvation that brings Salvation may be known from all false hopes by the excellent properties of it and they are these that follow The first property of that Hope that accompanies Salvation is this It Matth 6. 20 21. Phil 3. 20 Col 3. 1. Mark wicked mens hopes never raise them as high as Heaven under all their hopes they are as very enemies and as great strangers to God Christ and Heaven as ever elevates and raises the heart to live above where its treasure is This Hope is from above and it makes the heart to live above it is a spark of glory and it leads the heart to live in glory Divine hope carries a man to Heaven for life to quicken him and for wisdom to direct him and for power to uphold him and for righteousness to justifie him and for holiness to sanctifie him and for mercy to forgive him and for assurance to rejoyce him and for happiness to crown him Divine hope takes in the pleasures of Heaven before hand it lives in the joyful expectation of them it fancies to it self as I may say the pleasures and joyes of eternity and lives in a sweet anticipation of what it possesseth by Faith Hopes richest treasures and choicest friends and chiefest delights and sweetest contents are in the Country above and therefore Hope loves best to live there most A second property of that Hope that accompanies Salvation is this It will strengthen the Soul against all afflictions oppositions and temptations Dan. 3. 57. Psal 4. 6 7. Heb. 10 34. 11. 2 Cor. 4. 16 17 18. 1 Thes 5. 8. But let us who are of the day be sober putting on the brest-plate of faith and love and for an helmet the hope of salvation Look as the Helmet defends and secures the head so doth Hope defend and secure the heart Hope is a Helmet that keeps off all darts that Satan or the world casts at the Soul The hopes of heavenly riches made It was a wicked and hopeless Cardinal that said He would not leave his part in Paris for a part in Paradise those worthies in that eleventh of the Hebrews to despise the riches of this world The hopes they had of a heavenly Countrey made them willing to leave their own Countrey and to live in the very Land of Promise as in a strange Countrey The hopes they had of possessing at last a house not made with hands but eternal in the Heavens made them willingly and cheerfully to live in deserts and in mountains and in dens and caves of the Earth The hopes they had of a glorious Resurrection made them couragiously to withstand the strongest temptations c. A Saints hope will out-live Rom. 5. 2 3 4 5. Some are verily perswaded that the want of this Divine hope hath been the reason that many among the Heathen have laid violent hands upon themselves See Plutarch in Caesar and Catoes lives Heb. 11. 10 14 16 25 32 compared all fears and cares all tryals and troubles all afflictions and temptations Saints have much in hope though little in hand they have much in reversion though but little in possession they have much in the promise though but little in the purse A Saint can truly say Spero meliora my hopes are better then my possessions Hope can see Heaven through the thickest clouds Hope can see light through darkness life through death smiles through frowns and glory through misery Hope holds life and soul together it holds Christ and the Soul together it holds the Soul and the Promises together it holds the Soul and Heaven together
are among the precious Sons and Daughters of Zion that have lost this Pearl of price and after waiting weeping and wrestling have found it again therefore be not discouraged O sighing losing Souls In the loss of emporals it is a great support to mens spirits that their loss may be made up and why should it not be so in spirituals also The fourth Support to keep their Support 4 hearts from sinking and breaking that have lost that sweet Assurance that once they had is seriously to consider that your loss is no greater nor no sadder then what the noblest and the choicest Saints have sustained as you may see by comparing the Scriptures Psal 30. 6 7. 51. 12. Job 23. 8 9. Isa 8. 17. in the Margent together Those that were once the Worthies of this world and are now triumphing in that other World among the Princes of glory have lost that sweet Assurance and sense of Divine love and favor that once they enjoyed therefore let not your spirits faint and fail In temporal Acts 16. trials it is a comfort and a support to have companions with us and why should it not much more be so in spirituals The fifth Support to bear up their Support 5 spirits that have lost that sweet Assurance that once they had is for them to remember and seriously minde that though they have lost Assurance yet they have not lost the blessed breathings and sweet influences of the Spirit Cant. 3. 5. Micah 7. 7 8 9. compared Isa 8. 17. Isa 50. 10. upon them witness their love to Christ their longing after Christ their fear of offending Christ their care to please Christ their high esteem of Christ and their mourning for the dishonors that by themselves or others are done to Christ c. A man may enjoy the warmth heat and influence of the Sun when he hath lost the sight of the Sun David had lost his Assurance he had lost the sight of the Sun and yet he enjoyed the warmth and influences of it upon his heart as is evident in the One and fiftieth Psalm Though thy Sun O Christian be set in a cloud yet it will rise again and in the interim thou hast and dost enjoy the warmth and influences of the Sun therefore sorrow not mourn not as one without hope Those warm influences that the Sun of Righteousness hath now upon thy heart are infallible evidences that he will shine Psal 42. 5 7 8 11. forth and smile upon thee as in the days of old therefore let thy Bowe still abide in strength The sixth Support to keep their Support 6 hearts from fainting and sinking that have lost that sweet Assurance that once they had is seriously to consider that it will be but as a day but as a short day before the loss of thy Assurance shall be made up with a more clear full perfect and compleat enjoyment of God ere long O mourning Soul thy Sun shall rise and never set thy joy and comfort shall be always Isa 57. 18 19 20. fresh and green God shall comfort thee on every side it shall be night with thee no more thou shalt be always in the bosom of God Psal 71. 20 21. Thou which hast shewed me great and sore troubles shalt quicken me again and shalt bring me up again from the depths of the Earth Thou shalt increase my greatness and comfort me on every side The day is at hand O perplexed Soul when thou shalt have smiles without frowns light without darkness day without night wine without water sweet without bitter and joy without sorrow The year of Jubile is at hand thou Levit 25. Psal 126. 5. Isa 35. 2. now sowest in tears thou shalt shortly reap in joy yea Everlasting joy shall be upon thy head and sorrow and sighing shall flee away therefore faint not The third Question is this viz. Quest 3 What means must Souls use to recover Assurance when it is lost I shall give a few short Answers to this Question and so draw to a cloze First If thou wouldst recover Assurance Austin saith Humanum est peccare diabolicum perseverare Angelicum resurgere It is a humane thing to fall into sin a devilish to persevere therein and an Angelical or supernatural to rise from it then thou must labor diligently to finde out that sin that Achan that hath robbed thee of thy Wedg of Gold of thy Assurance surely it is not for infirmities but enormities that God hath put out thy candle and caused thy Sun to set at Noon surely thou hast been feeding I say not tasting of forbidden fruit that God hath stript thee of thy robes and taken the crown from off thy head and turned thee out of Paradise But this is not all Therefore in the second place weep Reve. 2. 4 5. When ancient Rome was Heathenish if the Malefactor brought to be whipped sell upon his knees at his feet whom he had offended it was held as a sin if he suffered him to be whipt much mourn much over the Achan over those wickednesses that have turned thy day into night thy rejoycing into sighing c. David doth thus in that One and fiftieth Psalm and God takes him up from his knees and restores to him the joy of his Salvation Though God be displeased with your sins yet he is wel-pleased with your tears The promise is that he will revive the spirit of the contrite Isa 51. 15. It is said of Adam that he turned his face towards the Garden of Eden and from his heart lamented his fall Ah losing Souls turn your faces towards Heaven and from your hearts lament your fall lament your loss nothing puts God to it like penitent tears No sooner doth Ephraim weep over his sins Jere 31. 18 19 20. It is an excellent expression of Basil It grieves it irks it is tedi● is to our most munificient great glorious King If we ask any thing little of him he would have us ask great things of him but the bowels of God are stirring towards him and God cannot hold but he must proclaim to the world that mourning Ephraim bemoaning Ephraim is his dear son his pleasant childe and that he will surely have mercy on him or as the Hebrew hath it Rahhem arahhamenu I will having mercy have mercy on him or I will abundantly have mercy on him When our hearts are set to weep over our sins God will so act in ways of love towards us that it shall not be long night with our Souls God will never suffer them to be drowned in sorrow that are set upon drowning their sins in penitential tears The Jews have a saying That since the destruction of Jerusalem the door of Prayers hath been shut but the door of tears was Psal 39. 12. Job 16. 20. Mark 9. 24 25 c. never shut saith one God hath by promise engaged himself That those that sow in tears shall reap
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to know certainly we are as certain of it as we are certain that we live that we have passed from death unto life because we love the brethren hee that loveth not his brother abideth in death The Apostle doth not say we thinke we hope c. that we are translated from death to life but we know that we are translated from death to life because we love the brethren Love to the brethren is not the cause of our passing from death to life that is from a natural state to a spiritual state from hell to heaven but an evidence thereof I confesse it is very sad to consider how this precious stream of love is even dried up in many It was wont to be a Proverb Homo homini Deus One man is a God to another But now it may bee truly said Homo homini Daemon One man is a Or Homo homini Leo one man is a Lion to another Devil to another Hee that wants love to his brethren wants one of the sweetest springs from whence Assurance flowes A greater hell I would not wish any man then to live and not to love the beloved of God Now is it not as easie a thing as it is pleasant for a man that hath severall sweet Springs in his Garden to sit Joh. 4. 14. down draw water and drinke O beleeving souls there are Springs there are Wels of living water not only near Gen. 21. 15. to the 19. ver you but in you why then doe you with Hagar sit down sorrowing and weeping when you should be a tasting or a drinking not only of the springs above you but also of the springs within you A man that hath Gal. 5. 22 23 fruit in his Garden may both delight his eye and refresh his spirit with tasting of it certainly we may both eye and taste the fruits of the Spirit in us they being the first fruits of eternall life I thinke none but mad souls will say that grace is that forbidden fruit that God would have us neither Col. 1 27 Solomons Song 1. 5. Solomons Song 4. 7. Psal 45. 13. see nor taste we ought not so to minde a Christ in heaven as not to minde Christ in us the hope of glory Christ would not have his Spouse so to minde her owne blacknesse as to forget that she is all faire and glorious within Sixthly The Holy Ghost exhorts us to give all diligence to make our calling and election sure and presses us to looke to the obtaining of a full assurance therefore Beleevers may attaine unto an assurance of their everlasting happinesse and blessednesse Wherefore 2 Pet. 1. 10. the rather Brethren saith the Apostle give diligence to make your calling and election sure for if you doe these things you shall never fall The Greeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vide Beza and Jansen Luther saith he had rather obey then work Miracles translated give diligence signifieth two things 1. All possible haste and speed 2. All manner of seriousness and intention in doing make it your maine businesse your chiefest study your greatest care to make your calling and election sure saith the Apostle when this is done your all is done till this be done there is nothing done and to shew the necessity utility excellency and possibility of it the Apostle puts a rather upon it wherefore the rather give all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 firme or stable God loves curristas not quaeristas the runner not the questioner he is taken most with them that are more for motion then notion for doing then talking diligence to make your calling and election sure or as it is in the Originall firme or stable it is the one thing necessary it is of an internal and eternal concernment to make firme and sure work for your souls Assurance is a jewel of that worth a pearle of that price that he that wil have it must work and sweat and weep and wait to obtaine it he must not only use diligence but he must use all diligence not only digge but he must dig deep before he can come to this golden Mine Assurance is that white stone that new name that hidden Manna that none can obtaine but such as labour for it as for life Assurance is such precious gold that a man must win it before he can wear it win gold and wear gold is the language both of heaven earth The Riches Honours Languages Psal 127. 1 2. Luk. 5. 5. Prov. 14. 23 and favours of this world cannot bee obtained without much trouble and travell without rising early and going to bed late c. and do you think that assurance which is more worth then heaven and earth can be obtained by cold lazie heart-lesse services if you doe you doe but deceive your own soules There are five things that God Qui fecit te sine te non salvabit t● sine te Aug. wil never sell at a cheap rate Christ Truth his Honour Heaven and Assurance he that wil have these must ●ay a good price for them or goe for ever without them And as Peter exhorts you to give all ●iligence to make your calling and election sure So Paul presseth you to looke to the obtaining of full assurance which does clearly evidence that there is a possibility of attaining unto a full assurance of our happinesse and blessednesse in this life And we desire saith Heb. 6. 11. 12 Vide Calvin and Piscator on the text Praecepta decent exempla movent Precepts may instruct but examples doe perswade See from the 13. vers to the 19 ver of this chapter the Apostle that every one of you doe shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end that yee be not slothful but followers of them who through faith and patience inherite the Promises We must not only strive after assurance but we must strive and shew all diligence to the attaining of that rich and full assurance which wil scatter all feares and doubts which wil make a soule patient in waiting couragious in doing and cheerful in suffering and which wil make a heaven in a mans heart on this side heaven and make him goe singing into Paradise in despight of all calamities and miseries And certainly it can never stand with the holinesse righteousnesse faithfulnesse and goodnesse of God to put his people upon making their calling It was a good saying ●a quod ju●es jube quod vis and election sure and upon obtaining full assurance if there were not a possibility of obtaining a full and well-grounded assurance of their happinesse and blessedness in this life and therefore it doth undeniably follow that they may attaine unto a blessed assurance of their felicity and glory whilst they are in this vale of misery The contrary opinion we make a mans life a hell here though he should escape a hel hereafter Seventhly
presumption that works men to play with sin to be bold with sin to make light of sin to walk on in wayes of sin Such Assurance will never bring a man to Heaven it will never keep him from dropping into Hell yea it will double his damnation and make him the most miserable among all damned miserable forlorn spirits Ah Lord from This made Auselm say That he had rather be thrust into Hell without sin then go into Heaven with sin such an assurance deliver my Soul and give me more and more of that Divine Assurance that makes sin to be more hateful then Hell and that makes the Soul to be more careful to avoid the one then it is fearful of falling into the other Seventhly A wel-grounded Assurance is alwayes attended with three fair Handmaids or with three sweet Companions The first is Love O! the Assurance 1. Handmaid of Divine Favor doth mightily inflame a mans love to Christ Mary Magdalen Luke 7. loved much Christs love to her drew out her love very much to Christ Assurance makes the Soul sing it out with that sweet Singer of Israel I will dearly love thee O Lord my Psal 18. 1. strength Lovers know not how to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To love intimately and dearly as a tender mother loves the fruit of her womb keep silence lovers of Christ are full of gracious expressions Magnes amor is est amor Love is the attractive Loadstone of love It is impossible for a Soul not to love Christ that knows he is beloved of Christ Christs love constrains the Soul to love not by forcible but loving necessity Praxiteles exquisitly drew Love taking the pattern from that Passion which he felt in his own heart A Believer cannot finde the heart of Christ to be beating towards him but his heart will strongly beat towards Christ Divine love is like a rod of myrtle which as Pliny reports makes the Traveller that carries it in his hand that he shall never be faint or weary of walking or loving Love alone over-powereth all power Love is the Diadem none but the Queen must wear it Love is the Wedding Garment none but the Spouse can fit it Love is a Loadstone to draw as well as a fire to warm he that doth not love Christ was never assured of the love of Christ The second Handmaid or Companion 2. Handmaid that attends a wel-grounded Assurance is Humility David under Assurance Psal 22. 6. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Hebrew word Tolagnah that is here rendred Worm signifies a very little worm which a man can hardly see or perceive cryes out I am a worm and no man Abraham under Assurance cryes out that he is but dust and ashes Jacob under Assurance crves out that he was less then the least of all mercies Job under Assurance abhors himself in dust and ashes Moses had the honor and the happiness to speak with God face to face he was very much in Gods books in Gods favor and yet a more humble Soul the earth did never bear The great Apostle Paul under all the revelations and glorious manifestations of God to him counts himself less then the least of all Saints Ephe. 3. 8. That is Presumption that is a delusion of the Devil and no sound Assurance that puffs and swels the Souls of men that makes men prize themselves above the market above the value that God hath put upon them The third Handmaid or Companion 3. Handmaid that attends Assurance is holy Joy Ah this Assurance causes the strong waters of Consolation to overflow the Soule Assurance raises the strongest joyes in the Soul Luk. 1. 46 47. And Mary said My soul doth magnifie the Lord and my Spirit hath rejoyced in God my Saviour When a man comes to be assured that God is his Savior presently his Spirit rejoyces in God this truth is held forth by three Parables in that of Luk. 15. So in that of 1 Pet. 1. 8 9. Whom having not seen ye love in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to dance and leap for joy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 glorified already they have heavens happinesse before hand whom though now ye see him not yet bebeleeving ye rejoyce with joy unspeakable and full of glory Receiving the end of your faith even the salvation of your souls O the Joy the Joy the inexpressible Joy that attends a wel-grounded Assurance Assurance raises a Paradise of delight in the soul In quibus operamur in ill is gaudemus saith Tertull. In what things or persons we act in those things we rejoyce a Christian under the power of Assurance works all his works in Christ in him therefore and in him alone he rejoyceth Eightly and lastly A wel-grounded Assurance sometimes springs from the Testimony and Witnesse of the Spirit of God The Spirit sometimes witnesses to a Beleevers spirit that he is born of God that he is beloved of God that he hath union and communion with God that he shal reign for ever with God Rom. 8. 16. The Spirit it self beareth witness with our 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That same spirit The Spirits work is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to witnesse together with our Spirit that is to confirme and ratifie what ou● spirits have asserted concerning our Adoption c. spirit that we are the children of God The Spirit it self witnesseth not onely the Gifts and Graces of the Spirit but the Spirit it self witnesseth together with our own spirit that we are the children of God Sometimes the Saints have two Witnesses joyning their testimonies together to confirm and establish them in these blessed and glorious Truths that they are the Sons of God and Heirs of Glory And this is their honor as well as their comfort that the blessed Spirit should bear witness at the bar of their Consciences that they are the Sons of God 1 Cor. God sometimes assures his people of heaven aforehand 2. 12. Now we have received not the spirit of the world but the Spirit which is of God that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God That is that we may know our Election Vocation Justification Sanctification and Glorification A man may receive many things that are freely given of God and yet not know them till the Spirit comes and makes them known to the soul Quest But you may say to me how shall wee know the whispering of the holy Spirit from the hissing of the old Serpent how shall we know the report the witnesse and testimony of the Spirit of Christ from that report witnesle and testimony that the old Serpent deludes and deceives many by in these daies wherein he mostly appears in his Angelicall Robes I Answer you may know the whispering Answ of the Spirit from the hissing of the old Serpent c. by these following things which I desire that you