that wrestled with him desired him to let him go said I will not let thee go except thou bless me and he blessed him there Gen 32. 24 26 29. Elias prayed earnestly that it might not rain and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six moneths and he prayed again and the Heavens gave rain Jam. â— 17. â—eas 1. God hath tied himself by promise to hear such Prayers Mat. 7. 7. 2. Such Prayers are put up in the Name of Christ John 16. 23. 3. Christ maketh Intercession for us Rom. 8. 34. and his Father alwaies heareth him John 11 42. 4. Christ presents our Prayers unto his Father with the Incense of his merits Rev. 8. 3. 5. The Spirit maketh Intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered Rom. 8. 26. Use 1. Prayers to Saints are vain they are ignorant of us Isa 63. 16. 2. Go confidently to God in the alone Name of Christ and thou art sure to speed John 16. 23. 3. Though thine infirmities in Prayer be many yet be not discouraged the holy Spirit helps them and intercedes for thee Rom. 8. 26. Resol Whatsoever my wants are I will ask in the name of Christ and then I am certain I shall receive and my joy shall be full John 16 24. Ejâ—c I love the Lord because he hath heard my voice and my supplications because he hath enclined hiâ— ear unto me therefore will I call upon him as lonâ— as I live Psal 116. 1 2. Paral. V. Circ The Mercy was discovered to me but new â— humbled by a wounded Spirit Obs God recompenseth the great afflictions of hâ— Children with greater mercies SOme years before this great affliction was laid upâ—â— me I had often called my waies to remembrance and humbled my self for my sins but there were soâ—â— yet behind undiscovered which indeed some of the at least I thought not to be such Notwithstanding it was the Lords pleasure whatsoever to that time I had thought of them to make me throughly sensible that they were sins and of so high a nature as called for a low Humiliation To this end he took the same course with me as he did with David in a third person setting them before me and after a most sharp sentence by me pronounced against them secretly saying unto me within my self Thou art the man 2 Sam. 12. 7. Then began Conscience Gods Attorney-General to accuse and condemn Then did the Word applied unto my past actions like a two edged sword cut on both sides making two deep wounds in my soul In The apprehension of the loss of my God Isa 59. 2. In The Fear of the dreadful effects of his vengeance Gal. 3. 10. O the horrours of the wounded spirit my then present condition Who can bear their weight Prov. 18. 14. Who is able to express the anguish Yet the Lord was pleased to support me though his wrath lay heavy upon me and he afflicted me with all his waves almost to distraction while I suffered his terrours Psal 88. 7. 15. After some dayes being a little come to my self I bath'd my wounds with the tears of true repentance and Faith poured in the balm of Christs Merits And when the Lord saw that I did bear his Rod as became his humble child that I was brought so lon that I was now in a sit capacity for mercy then did the great Physitian of my Soul the Sun of Righteousness arise with healing in his wings Mal. 4. 2 Not despising my contrite heart Psal 51. 17. But healing my broken spirit and with his own hand gently binding up my wounds Psal 147. 3. Speaking peace unto my soul and raising me again by a clear sense of his Love and Presence O the sweetness of his Mercy Psal 34. 8. Then did he soon after afford unto me these great and gracious vouchsafings O the riches of his Mercy Eph. 2. 4. Obs God recompenseth the great Afflictions of his Children with greater Mercies And that In this Life In the Life to come In this Life Texts Isa 61. 7. For your shame you shall have double For confusion they shall rejoyce in their portion Mar. 10. 28. There is no man that hath left House or Brethren c. for my sake and the Gospels but he shall receive an hundred fold now in this time Inst. Job for what he had lost had twice as much at his latter end Job 42. 12. Joseph from the Dungeon was raised to highest honour in Pharaoh's Court Gâ—n 41. 40 43. After this Life Texts Isa 54. 8. In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment but with everlasting kindness I will have mercy on thee 2 Cor. 4. 17. Our light affliction which is but for a moment worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of Glory Inst Christ assures his Disciples that they who had forsaken all and followed him when he should sit in the Throne of his Glory they should sit upon twelve Thrones judging the Twelve Tribes of Israel Mat. 19. 28. They who came out of great tribulation here in Heaven are arrayed in white Robes and are before the Throne of God c. and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes Rev. 7. 13 14. c. Reas 1. The Lord is rich in Mercy Eph. 2. 4. 2. He would have his Children to bear his Rod with Patience Heb. 11. 9 10 11. Use 1. Blessed are they that mourn for they shall be comforted Mat. 5. 4. 2. Count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations Jam. 1. 2. The Recompense will sufficiently countervail the Trial. 3. Hearken to Christ He is sent to proclaim Liberty to the Captives the opening of the Prison to them that are bound Isa 61. 1. Resol I will greatly rejoyce in the Lord my soul shall be joyful in my God for he hath put off my Sackcloath and girded me with gladness Psal 30. 11. He hath cloathed me with the garments of salvation he hath covered me with the Robe of Righteousness Isa 61. 10. Ejac. O thou that bindest up the broken-hearted Appoint unto the Mourners in Zion give unto them beauty for ashes the Oyl of Joy for mourning the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness Isa 61. 3. Paral. VI. Circ The discovery as touching those missed secular preferments was onely craved but much more granted Obs The Lord often grants more then his Servants sue unto him for THE Lord is good and plenteous in mercy to all that call upon him Psal 86. 5. Had he onely heard me in what I craved the condescension had been greater then unworthy dust and ashes might expect My desire was to be setled as touching those missed expectations whether God in mercy had withheld me from their enjoyment The assurance of this had been a gracious return of my Prayer But O! I am rapt with the contemplation of the magnificence of his Bounty and Goodness That to this assurance he should
from the multitude of business Eccles 5. 3. Not to be heeded but by the Physitian as they may somtimes be caused by the temper of the Body Diabolical which are filthy superstitious deluding forbidden as by no means to be observed Deut. 13. 1 3. Heavenly proceeding from God Acts 26. 19. Known to be such by their agreeableness unto his Word and whereby he is pleased more evidently to manifest his Will touching things past present to come Such was this which was now represented before the eye of my soul That every one is bound to believe and diligently to endeavour to gain a particular assurance unto himself of his salvation is evident 2 Pet. 1. 10. 2 Cor. 13. 5. This Assurance is to be attained By the Light of Faith John 3. 36. By the Presence of the Spirit in the Soul 1 John 4. 13. By the Testimony of the Spirit Rom. 8. 16. By applying of the Promises with Comfort Hebr. 6. 18. By Confidence in Prayer Heb. 10. 22. Which Assurance when in some measure attained the Lord by special Revelation if he so please may make it yet more evident and more strongly confirm it as he did To Peter 2 Pet. 1. 3. To Paul 2 Tim. 4. 8. as Augustine observes on that place To the Apostles Luke 22. 29 30. To the Seventy Disciples Luke 10. 20. To my self in this Vision Or he may reveale unto man his Salvation without a former assurance of it as To Mary Magdalen Luke 7. 47 48 50. To the Malefactor on the Cross Luke 23. 43. I was never a waiter for Revelations The Scripture is full and contains enough to bring us to Heaven â— Tim 3. 16 17. Nor have I been an Observer of Dreams I know that in them are divers Vanities Eccles 5. 7. This how long and how much I slighted it I have before set down But being now so freshly and strangely brought back unto my memory I could not but take special notice of it as I do of the way of Gods dispensation in discovering of its meaning First He only in an evident way manifested unto me so much of it as in answer to my Prayer served to settle me touching those missed expectations My entertainment whereof with due thankfulness and blessing of his Name prepared the way for a further discovery For many moneths after having upon his former lateâ— great Mercies a perswasion raised in me that as to my soul I was in a happy condition and being desirous to attain a more evident assurance thereof I purposely made choice of that text to preach upon both to my self and my people 2 Pet. 1. 10. Wherefore the rather give diligence to make your Calling and Election sure Wherein I took some pains and before I had fininished it I was made clearly to understand the meaning of my Apprehenders hand being taken off me at the Prison Gate of my descent into the Building those most material things in the Vision touching my soul which before I had not so much as minded The faithful Witness who cannot lye in whom all Gods Promises are Yea and Amen 2 Cor 1. 20. so making good those unto me Seek and ye shall â—ind Mat 7. 7. To them that seek for Glory Honour and Immortality he will render eternal life Rom. 2. 7. And that with such a strong undoubted and full perswasion that nothing can ever move me from it Which unspeakeable Mercy I trust by Gods powerful support and assistance I shall alwaies be so far from abusing that as thereupon the Comforts of my soul are unutterable so I shall strive to the utmost in my power earnestly beseeching his help without whom I can do nothing John 15. 5. To proportion my Love and Thankfulness to the greatness of it Luke 7. 47. To purifie my soul from sin 1 John 3. 3. To walk holily and without blame before my God Eph. 1. 4. To fear and serve him in truth with all my heart 1 Sam. 12. 24. To go on chearfully and confidently in mine obedience unto his Will Psal 119. 32. With all diligence putting in practise those duties as all other to which he hath now directed me from Heaven This high favour for which I can never sufficiently magnifie my Gracious Lord was revealed To me seeking for assurance of mine effectual Calling Do thou seek and trust the Lord Christ upon his Promise To me who had been so wicked a man O with me give God the Glory of the riches of his Mercy And whosoever thou art that readest this though thy sins be never so â—ainous despair not of it To me a lawfully called setled Minister maintained by Tithes O slight not this eye-salve from Heaven Rev. 3. 28. Open your eyes poor blinded people The Lord open them for you that you may see and return from the errours of your waies Obs Heavenly Visions are to be observed Texts Joâ— 33. 14. In a dream in a Vision of the night c. Then he openeth the ears of men and â—ealeth their instruction c. Acts 2. 17. Out of Joel 2. â—t shall come to pass in the last daies I will pour out of my spirit upon all flesh c. and your young men shall see Visions and your old men shall dream Dreams Inst Peter thought on the Vision of the great Sheet wherein were all manner of Beasts creeping things and Fowls and doubted in himself what it should mean Acts 10. 17 19. The Lord spake to Paul in the night by a Vision be not afraid c. Acts 18. 9. Reas 1. God calls by them to repentance Job 33. 14 c. 2. They are a means of enlightning Acts 10. 28. 3. They are given to profit withal 1 Cor. 12. 7. Use 1. Compare them with the Word that thou maist be sure they are from God Acts 2. 2 3 4 16. 2. Mind diligently what Gods end is in them Acts 10. 28. 3. Pray to God to enlighten thee that thou maist understand them Mat. 13. 36. 4. Improve them for thine own for others benefit 1 Cor. 12. 17. Resol Sâ—nce thou hast given me O Lord this manifestation of thy Spirit to profit withal as I am stedfastly purposed to obey thy will as to my self thy Grace assisting so I will and cannot but speak those things unto others for the good of their souls which I have seen and heard Acts 4. 24. O Lord for thy Servants sake and according to Ejac. thine own heart hast thou done all this Greatness in making known all these great things O Lord there is none like thee neither is there any God beside thee 1 Chron. 17. 19 20. The Vision AT London I was apprehended by a shag-hair'd Fellow without an Hat of a deformed Countenance He led me on I knew not whither untill we came unto a Prison scituated where Westminster-Hall stands at the Entrance into the Hall The Front of the Prison was toward the Thames The Gate was wide and stood wide open The chief Prison-House was
I could if not match him yet closely follow him in his humiliation and amendment By the Grace of God I am what I am Which Grace of his to new mould and make me what I am hath most richly yet strangely wrought Some heaâ—ts are by the Holy Spirit gently softned for gracious Impressions some dealt with more roughly that they may be new made and reformed God hath his Oyl and his Hammer to work upon those who are ordained to Eternal Life to bring them home What the one doth not dissolve the other shall break This last way the Lord was pleased to use towards me First and that some years since by a great and long distemper in the right use of my Reason from which in much mercy he released me The work upon that being not throughly wrought hath given him just occasion now lately to visit me by laying upon me the weighty burden of a wounded spirit whereof by a sweet and I trust lasting peace in my Soul he hath at length graciously eased me Lord What is man What sinful man What I the chief among all sinful men That thou shouldst so mind me so wait for my Amendment and use so many means for my Reclaiming Thy Justice which with a remarkeable retaliation hath often paid me in my own coâ—n might long since have made a quick dispatch and have cast me into Hell But if ever any I may experimentally say thy Mercy is above thy Justice That thou O â—ord maist receive the due Glory of thy Mercy O come hither all you that fear God â—nd I will tell you what he hath done for my Soul I was under his smarting Rod under the without his support as-to the-soul-intollerable burden of a wounded spirit for some sins whereof some of them at least I knew not formerly though I had often called my wayes to remembrance my self to be guilty But the Lord was pleased after a wonderful manner not only to set them before me but to make me so sensible of their heinousness of my desert by them of his terrours then upon me for them that I was exceedingly troubled in my spirit almost to distraction while his fierce wrath went â—ver me I humbled my self low before the Lord for them and thereupon expected Peace and settlement but for some dayes could not find or feel any tâ—ough earnestly with Tears I often sued for it At length taking into my hands that rich cellar of Cordials for the sin-sick Soul the Book of Psalmes and beginning at the First I read on until I came unto the 8 v. of the 85th Psalm at those words I will hear what God the Lord will speak for he will speak Peace unto his People and to his Saints but let them not turn again to Folly At which it was the Lords pleasure I should stay and fix my thoughts upon them Which I had not loâ—g done but I found a river of unspeakaâ—le comfort flowiâ—g into my Soulâ— Which I then â—â—uld not but entertain with nor can I now mention without abundance of Tears of unfeigned Thankfulness and exceediâ—g Joy I found that Bâ—east of Consolation full of sweetness And that I might suck it to satisfaction I made choyce of the word of the next Suâ—jâ—ct which I would insist upon by way of discharge of my Pastoâ—al Office when the Lord should please in such a measure to restore me to my self that I might in some degree be though most most unworthy yet not unfit as to the right use of my Reason to appear again to serve my Lord Christ in his Ministry Having now finished my weak Meditations upon them I should be most unthankful to my Great and Gracious Restorer should I nâ—t tâ—us render unto him the due Glory of the Riches of his exceeding Mercy toward me by communicating them unto you mâ— Brethren that you may know whithâ—r to go for Peace if ever the Lord should please to bring any of you into the like Condiâ—ion I have been in O blesse the Lord with me who of very Faithfulnesse brought me into iâ— by his Glorious power suâ—ported me under it and of his abundant Goodnesse led me out of it Blessed be the God of all Comfort who haâ—h comforted us in our Tribulation that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble with the comfort wherewith we our selves have been comforted of God 2 Cor. 1. 3 4. Yours For Ye are Christs R. W. put them into the like or a worse condition Let them not turn again to Folly The Text consists of three Clauses in every of which each word hath its weight I shall by way of Illustration touch upon each of them and after a brief Paraphrase for their further clearing I shall propound the Doctrines The first Clause is I will hear what God the Lord will speak I will hear what he will speak to the distressed Soul by his Word by his Spirit I will hear what he will speak for I know it will be Comfort and Caution I will hear what God the Lord will speak He sees knowes and pities his people in their distresse and is most ready and able to help them I will hear God the Lord and him only I will hear him I will attend diligently to his Will that I may know it obey it acquaint others with it I will hear him My Resolutions are fixed to hear him against all gainsayers I will hear him My Greatness though a King exempts me not from this duty My holiness as a Saint and his true Servant binds me thereunto I will hear him I will give good example unto others I will teach exhort encourage pray for them But if notwithstanding all this they neglect their duty yet I will hear c. For c. In these two last Clauses are set down a twofold reason why the Psalmist in behalf of the Saints is so resolvedly set upon it to hear God the Lord and him alone The first being taken from that Comfort which the Lord would afford unto the Soul in speaking Peace to it The second from that good which might redound thereunto by his Fatherly Caution and Admonition He will speak Peace unto his People and to his Saints Unto his People not to the world not to stubborn impenitent sinners And to his Saints such are all his People and he owns none other for his but those who are truly such He will speak Peace Comfort Settlement Reconciliation Pardon Acceptance He will speak Peace by a full assurance thereof in the Soul He will speak Peace when his People shall have turned from their sins by true repentance and Faith in Christ He will speak Peace if not presently upon their humiliation and Faith yet most certainly in his good time But â—et them not turn again to Folly But let them not c. How tender is the Lord over his People How unwilling that they should provoke him Let them not turn again to Folly to the Folly of sin Let
is a sad sign of a Soul yet under the Dominion of Satan of one in whom sin reigns that is ready to take any occasion to obey it in the Luâ—ts thereof I must tell such that as yet they are not of the number of the Lords people that they are none of his Saints If they were they would make a better use of the fals of their Brethren they would pity them mourn over them and pray for them and that not only out of a sense of their weakness but likewise and chiefly out of a sad apprehension of those disturbances and unsettlements which they cannot but know will follow in their souls upon such their follies upon such their fals which is the Third Branch of the Point Branch 3. That when the Lords people and Saints do fall into the folly of hainous sins they lose their Peace and great disturbances perplexities unsettlements do thereupon arise in their souls This is clear out of v. 6. a little above the Text Where you may perceive that the Lords hand was so heavy upon his people that they were brought down even to the very gates of death Wilt thou not revive us again Reviving is a restoring to life as if they had been in a manner stricken dead with the sense of the Lords wrath upon them they were so distracted so disturb'd and unsetled They lâ—ved as to the natural life but as to Gods Favour in I which alone is true life Psal 30. 5. to this they were dead as to their sense and apprehension It is not thus with men of Brawny benummed Consciences Custom in sin hath beâ—eft them of all sense either of it or of wrath deserved by it But the Lords people their souls are of a more tender and soft temper and as in all known sins so especially in sins of an hainous nature in devouring sins that lay the Conscience wast their Conscience faithfully performs its Office and tels them thus and thus hast thou done Whereupon their former peace vanisheth and their souls are filleâ—â—ith peâ—plexities and perâ—urbations upon application of the Word unto their actions Reas The Word that sets down thâ— sentence of God against such and such sins so and so wâ—ll I deal saith God with such and such sinners The soul assumes by acknowledgment of its own wicked state accusing it self as guilty of those sins And thereupon it cannot but conclude and pass Judgment upon it self that it is justly liable unto the punishments threatned And hence upon serious consideration of what it hath done and what it hath deserved it becomes much troâ—bled perplexed unsetled Somtimes indâ—ed it so fals out that the Lords people do not presently upon their fals make this application by reason they do not presently consider their actions and weigh them and compare them with the Law of God as it was with David 2 Sam. 2. 5. 6. Who was quick and sharp in his sentence agaiâ—st the rich man that had taken away the Ewe-lamb from the poor man but considered not what he had done to Uâ—iah in taking away his wife and his life nor what he had deserved by it But whensoever the Application is made and it shall be at some tâ—me or other the soul loseth its former peace and becomes exceedingly troubled perplexed unsetled even to the breaking of the bones Psal 51. 8. to the wounding of the spirit Prov. 18 14. the smart whereof is insusterable and the weâ—ght insupportable O! unlâ—ss the Lord himself uphold the soul in this sad condition under this pain and pressure who can endure it Who can bear it or who is able to express it The heart knows its own grief as to temporal sufferings or its sorrow for sin but for that pain and load and trouble and horrour that accompanies the wounded spirit it is as its contrary peace past utterance past understanding Yet that I may in part acquaint you with the wofulness of that condition which the sin-burdened soul lies groveling and labouring under Know That when it is brought into this condition by the Application of the Word unto its actions the Word hath truly performed the Office of a sharp two-edged sword to which it is compared Heb. 4. 12. cutting on both sides and making two great gashes or deep wounds in the heart Two wounds In the apprehension of the losse of God In the fear of his Wrath. We have both of them before the Text. Wilt thou not revive us There is the Apprehension of the losse of Gods Favour the life of the soul v. 6. Shew us thy Mercy and grant us thy salvation ver 7. There they deprecate wrath and sue to have it removed from the seizure whereof they knew that without Mercy they could not be saved But it would burn against them and be drawn out and continue upon them 1. Then the Lords people and Saints when fallen into the Folly of hainous sins they lose their Peace and are disturbed and unsetled in their Souls and deeply wounded with the Apprehension of losse Of the losse of God Christ the Spirit God hides his Face and they are troubled Their Faith in Christ is seemingly dead and his Blood to them as a Fountain sealed up They cannot find any effectual workings no not so much as those discoveries of life the least stirrings of the Spirit in their souls They cannot pray with Confidence They cannot as formerly rely upon and shrowd themselves under Gods wing for Protection their hedge of defence is broken down and the Tents of those heavenly Guardians the Angels formerly pitched about them for their safety are overthrown So that in this regard they are in a worse-estate for the time then when first freed from the power of Darkness Then they were wounded and pricked at their hearts and had fearful apprehensions of wrath But now beside that they feel the smart of this wound of losse And this is all the good we get by sin it robs us of our God it makes a separation between him and us and causeth him to hide his Face from us Isa 59. 2. Happy is that people whose God is the Lord Psal 144. Ult. He is all-sufficient the Saints enjoy all things in him while they are his and he theirs all things are theirs and they are Christ's and Christ is Gods 1 Cor. 3. 22. 23. But on the other side when he is lost Christ is lost the Spirit is lost all is lost and gone And the loss is yet the greater and the wound the deeper and more smarting according to the Saints love towards God It goes to the heart of a man to lose what he loves Take away the worldly mans wealth which is his god you rob him of his life Micha thought he had lost all when he had lost his Idol Judges 18. 24. Mary Magdalen loved much and when she could not find the body of her beloved Lord in the Sepulcher how â—adly doth she mourn John 20. 15. Much more must it needs
super-add that clear manifestation of my being freed from the slavery of my Corruption with all those other soul ravishing comforts certainly following upon that freedom That He who humbleth himself to behold the things that are in Heaven Psal 113 6. Should stoop so low as to guid me with his Counsel and to shew unto me the path of life Psal 16. 11. What can I do What can I suffer enough for such a God What shall I render unto him for all his unspeakable benefits toward me who hath dealt so bountifully with me I will offer the Sacrifice of thanksgiving I will call upon his Name I will pay my vows now in the presence of all his people Let all his Saints with me praise him Psal 116. 12 17 18 19. Let them praise him according to his excellent Greatness Psal 150. 2. And let them know that as in all other his great Favours so in his magnificent Goodness in answering of their suits He is highly to be praised For Obs The Lord often grants more then his Servants sue unto him for Texts Psal 21. 3 4. Thou preventest him with the blessings of goodness He asked life of thee and thou gavest him length of dayes for ever and ever Rom. 10. 12. The Lord is rich unto all that call upon him Just. Solomon craved onely an understanding heart God gave him that with Riches and Honour which he did not ask 1 King 3. 12 13. The Servant that owed his Lord ten thousand Talents craved but his Lord's patience and forbearance and he forgave him the whole debt Math. 18 24 26 27. In my distress under my heavy burden I sued but for crums of mercy The Lord granted me a continual Feast in my Soul Prov. 15. 15. I sued for peace in any the least measure The Lord extended it to me like a River Is 66. 12. Reas God would be glorified in the riches of his bounty Psal 50. 15. Use 1. Do thou magnifie him according to the greatness of his magnificent goodness Psal 145. 3 6 7. 2. Sue unto him with confidence according to his Will He that gives more will not deny that which thou cravest of him 1 Jo. 5. 14. 3. Walk uprightly and no good thing shall be withheld from thee Psal 84. 11. Resol I will first sack the Kingdom of God and the righteousness thereof and then all these things shall be added unto me Math. 6. 33. Ejac. Unto him That is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think unto him be Glory in the Church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages world without end Amen! Eph. 3. 20 21. The Introduction BEfore I come to those Observations raised from the material circumstances of the Vision I think it not unseasonable here to premise these three following Parallels by way of Introduction This place where I am now Minister being the stage or Theatre where most of these great things were acted and the good of this little Flock I hope by all of them intended by the great Shepherd who hath intrusted me with it Paral. I. Circ I was sent back to the University Obs Our Lord Christ approves of humane learning in his Ministers THat all these other intended endeavoured preferments for me though more facile and feisible yet miscarried That this for my return to the Colledge with no little difficulty as the Times then were to be obtained yet succeeded it is not to be let pass without special observation Though I had not in that interval of my discontinuance lost all I had gathered when formerly a Gremial yet it was my Lord Christ's pleasure intending me now for his Ministry that I should take a larger draught from that Fountain and renew mine acquaintance with the Arts which absence and desuetude had in part worn out Had I then improved my hours as I might and ought I needed not now to have blushed at this mine acknowledgment that I have onely attained to that first step to learning to know mine own weakness and ignorance I am far from idolizing of humane learning but that it is not by any to be trampled upon that Doctor 's in these late Times being in a manner striken dumb when about to strangle it in the Nursery and to cry it down in his Pulpit even in the University gives a loud item to it's proudest Opposers whose either Ignorance might hope in the general Mist to pass undiscovered or Malicious subtilty would be glad of such an advantage that so their naked Adversaries might lie open to their mercy Our late fears indeed were great the Cloud began to look black and the stinking Fog to spread apace But blessed be God the Sun is risen seasonably whose bright beams we trust will soondispel them and restore our Hemisphere to it's former clearness Each Art and Profession hath it's proper instruments without which it cannot work We are God's Husbandmen we are his Builders 1 Cor. 3. 9 10. The Husbandman cannot carry on his tillage without his Plough and other necessary instruments of Husbandry The Flail Fan Skreen c. are required for preparing of the Seed for purging of the Floor Math. 3. 12. And Christ will not have the spiritual Structure reared upon him the alone Foundation 1 Cor. 3 11. with Gold and Silver in the Ore with precious Stones uncut unpolished much less with wood hay stubble 1 Cor. 3. 12. with untempered morter Ezck. 13. 10 11. Obs Our Lord Christ approves of humane learning in his Ministers Texts Prov. 12. 10. The Preacher sought to find out acceptable or delightful words 1 Cor. 12. 8 10. To one is given the Word of Wisdome to another the Word of Knowledge to another divers kind of Tongues to another the interpretation of Tongues Inst St. Paul bred up at the Feet of Gamalicl Acts 22. 3. accused by Festus to be mad with too much learning Acts 26. 24. yet was chosen to be an Apostle Aâ—ts 9. 15. Timothy is exhorted to give himself to reading to meditation to give himself wholly to these things 1 Tim. 4. 13 15. Reas It is a necessary hand-maid to Divinity and seâ—ves 1. For the unfolding of many places of Scripture which cannot otherwise be fully understood as Job 37. 38 39. Chap. Psal 104. with many other 2. To inable the mind to judge and discern between truth and falshood certainty and uncertainty of the truth of consequences deduced from Principles set down in the Word 1 Thes 5. 21. 3. For the instruction of those who have not heard of Christ who yet will readily hear the voice of Nature Acts 17 24. 4. To confound the Atheistical opposers of the Christian Religion and to beat them with their own weapons Acts 17. 18. 5. To prepare the Understanding and to clear it's passages for the more ready entertainment of the highest Knowledge 6. To quicken the Souls appetite after it's spiritual food Use 1. Miraculous assistance since the Apostles times is very rare God is pleased
18. and making them two fold more the Children of Hell than themselves Mat. 23. 15. Thus Corruption with the temptations of Honour Wealth Pleasure wins natural men to the service of sin All these will I give thee Mat. 49. But it sings them to the Rock and smiles them to Ruine For What wages doth it pay them at the last Destruction Death Hell The wages of sin is death Rom. 6. 23. Obs Natural men are by their Corruption led on insensibly unto Hell They are led Texts Eph. 2. 3. Among whom also we had our conversation c. Fulfilling the desires of the flesh Rom. 6. 17. Ye were the servants of sin Inst. The Colossians walked in Fornication Uncleanness and other vile sins when they lived in them Col 3. 7. The Romans had yielded their Members servants to Uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity Rom. 6. 19. They are led on insensibly Texts Prov. 4. 19. The way of the wicked is as darkness they know not at what they stumble Eph. 5. 8. Ye were somtimes darkness Inst The simple young man goeth after the harlot as an Oxe goeth to the slaughter or as a Fool to the correction of the Stocks Prov. 7. 22. St. Paul before his Conversion thought verily that he ought to do many things contrary to the Name of Jesus Acts 26. 9. Unto Hell Texts Rom. 8. 6. To be carnally minded is death Jam. 1. 15. When lust hath conceived it bringeth forth sin and sin when it is finished bringeth forth death Inst The Malefactor on the Cross but a little before his death reviled Christ Mark 15. 32. St. Paul and the Romans when in the Flesh the motions of sin did work in their Members to bring forth fruit unto death Rom. 7. 5. Reas 1. The God of this world hath blinded their minds 2 Cor. 4. 4. 2. It wars against the Soul 1 Pet. 2. 11. Use 1. Think on its wages Rom. 6. 23. 2. Resist it betimes Psal 137. 9. 3. Bless God that though sin doth somtimes captivate thee yet it doth no longer lead thee Rom. 7. 22 23. Resol I will strive to be spiritually minded for that is life and peace Rom. 8. 6. Ejac. What fruit had I then in those things whereof I am now ashamed and whose end is death Rom. 6. 21. Paral. III. Circ The Apprehender Jaylor Prison Obs God hath his Ministers of Justice and his Prison for Punishment EArthly Princes have their rewards for their faithful and loyal Subjects 1 Sam. 22. 7. And as for the disloyal they have Inferiour Ministers of Justice so they have their Sergeants at Arms or armed Troops to fetch in Grand Delinquents and Prisons where to punish them Thus God the great Monarch of the world whose Kingdom ruleth over all Psal 103. 19. as he hath His Paradise to reward So His Prison to punish The good and faithful Servants had the Joy of their Lord to enter into Mat. 25. 21 23. For the wicked sloathful and unprofitable Servant there was a place of utter darkness Mat. 25. 30. Gods Children are an afflicted people Zeph. 3. 12. a weeping lamenting sorrowful people John 16. 20. Often under chastisement Psal 73. 14. For wicked men though in comparison of them They have no Changes Psal 55. 19. The â—od of God is not on them Job 21. 9. They are not plagued as they Psal 73. 5. Yet how often even in this life doth God execute his just pleasure upon them by his inferiour Officers The unbribed Beadle of their Conscience gives them many a secret jerk and stinging lash Rom. 2. 15. He makes man his Rod Isa 10. 5. Or He sends his great Armies of Caterpillers Canker-worms c. to take free quarter upon their fâ—uits of the earth Jocl 2. 25. He gives them up to Satan 1 Cor. 5. 5. To their own vile Affections Rom. 1. 26. But if he spare them as to these and seem to keep silence Psal 50. 21. Yet Death at length will find them â—ut often cutting off the number of their Moneths in the midst Job 21. 21. And when Christ shall appear in his Glory His Angels shall bring them forth to the day of wrath to which they are reserved Job 21. 30. At which day Christ will be a swift witness against them Mal. 3. 5. In a moment bringing to their memories all their wickedness here committed by them for which being accused and condemned By their own Conscience Rom. 2. 15. And so the Judge cleared from all Injustice Psal 51. 4. Immediatly after the Sentence is pronounced His good Angels shall cast them Into a Furnace of fire Mat. 13 42. Into his Prison of Hell there everlastingly to be punished With the Devil and his Angels Mat. 25 46 Probably not by them For there shall be no Order Job 10. 22. And all Authority shall cease 1 Cor. 15. 24. Obs God hath his Ministers of Justice and his Prison for Punishment He hath his Ministers of Justice Here Hereafter Here Temporal Spiritual Temporal Texts Joel 2. 15. The Locust Canker-worm c. my great Army which I sent among you Psal 103. 21. Bless the Lord all ye his Hosts ye Ministers of his that do his Pleasure Inst The Assyrian was the Rod of Gods Anger Isa 10. 5. Wicked men are his Sword his Hand Psal 17. 13 14. Spiritual Texts Psal 103. 20. His Angels that excel in strength which do his Commandments 2 Thes 2. 11 12. God shall send them strong delusions Inst God hardned Pâ—araoh's heart Exod. 7. 3. He sent â—vil Angels among the Egyptians Psal 78. 49. Hereafter Texts Mat. 5. 25. Lest the Judge deliver thee to the Officer Mark 9. 44. Where their worm dieth not and the fire is not quenched Inst. They who have transgressed against God their worm shall not die Isa 66. 24. Dives was tormented in Hell-flames Luke 16. 24. He hath his Prison Texts Isa 30. 33. Tophet is ordained of old he hath made it deep and large Psal 9 17. The wicked shall be cast into Hell Inst Dives was in Hell Luke 16. 23. The fearful unbelieving abominable murderers whore-mongers sorcâ—reâ—s Idolaters Liars shall have their portion in the Lake which burneth with fire and brimstone Rev. 21. 8. Reas 1. For the glory of his Power and Justice upon the Vessels of wrath Rom. 9. 17. 22. 2. To make known the riches of his Glory upon the Vessels of Mercy Rom. 9. 23. Use 1. God will render to every man according to his Deeds Rom. 2. 6. 2. Glorifie God in his Power and Justice Rev. 2. 23. 3. Gloriâ—ie him in the riches of his Mercy Remember what thou hast deserved Eph. 2. 7 8. 4. Tremble in the commission of sin Isa 33. 14. Resol Though the love of my Lord Christ doth chiefly constrain me 2 Cor. 5. 14. Yet I will serve God with reverence and godly fear because he is a consuming fire Heb. 12. 28 29. Ejac. Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first Resurrection on such the
an unworthy Member rejoycing in her unlikely unhoped return from her captivity and say When the Lord turned again the Captivity of Zion we were like them that dream The Lord hath done great things for us whereof we are glad Psal 126. 1 3. Obs Effectual Calling is of Gods free Grace Texts Isa 65. 1. I am sought of them that asked not for me I am found of them that â—ought me not Ezek. 11. 19. I will put a new spirit within you I will take the stony heart out of their flesh and will give them an heart of flesh Inst The Ephesians when dead in sins were quickned together with Christ c. to shew the exceeding riches of Gods Grace in his kindness toward them Eph. 2. 5 6 7. The Word of Truth or the Gospel came to the Colossians not they to it Col. 1. 6. Reas Gods great love to man Eph. 2. 4. Proceeding from the good pleasure of his Will Eph. 1. 5. Use 1. Attribute nothing to thine own will or to thy wary walking according to Natures rule Rom. 9. 16. 2. Give God the praise of the glory of his Grace Eph. 2. 6. Resol I will never boast of any works of mine It is by Grace I am saved through Faith not of my self it is the gift of God Eph. 2. 8. Ejac. Turn thou me and I shall be turned Jer. 31. 18. Lord let thy Kingdom come to me For I am not able by any strength in my self to come to it Mat. 6. 10. Paral. III. Circ My Apprehender's Hand was taken off me when others were within the Grates Obs The Lord hath mercy on whom he will havâ— Mercy THE Losse of the sight of God and The Sense of Pain are the torments of the damned in Hell Isa 66. 24. Infinite in extention as to time Mat. 25. 46. Mitigated in their intention and extremity as tâ— the Sufferers desert Psal 145. 9. These the condemned wretches within the Grates did and shall for ever undergo And What had I deserved that I should be freed froâ— them Nay what had I not deserved that I shoulâ— have felt them in the greatest height and horrour They who appeared at the grates were it may be oâ— those strict moral Ancients of whom we read who liveâ— most exactly according to Natures Rule Or of thosâ— who in Christs Name had prophesied cast out Devils done many wonders Mat. 7. 22. As for me I remember my own evil waies and my doings that were not good and cannot but be ashamed and confounded and loath my self in mine own sight for mine iniquities and abominations Ezek 36 31 32. Yet these are condemned to eternal torments tâ— me polluted in mine own bloud yea in my bloud it was said unto me Live Ezek. 16. 6. These are Vessels of wrath fitted unto Destruction I a Vessel of mercy prepared unto glory The Potter hath power over the Clay to make one Vessel unto honour another to dishonour Ro. 9. 21 22 23. Two shall be in the field the one shall be taken and the other left Two women shall be grinding at the Mill the one shall be taken and the other left Mat. 24. 40 41. Obs The Lord hath Mercy on whom he will have Mercy Texts Exod. 33. 19. I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy Rom. 19 18. Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy and whom he will he hardneth Inst I loved Jacob and I hated Esau Mal. 1. 2 3. The Malefactors on the Cross the one of them was received to mercy the other died in his sin Luke 23. 40. Reas God is a free Lord Rom. 9. 21. Having from before the foundation of the world by his unchangeable decree predestinated Some to eternal happiness for the manifestation of the glory of his Mercy Eph. 1. 5 6. Others to eternal punishment for the manifestation of the glory of his Justice Prov. 16. 4. Use 1. Despair not thou maist belong unto Gods Election 2. Judge not any to his own Master he standeth or falleth Rom. 14. 4. 3. Give diligence to make thy Calling and Election sure 2 Pet. 1. 10. 4. Rejoyce that thy Name is written in Heaven Luke 10. 20. Resol Thou hast predestinated me to be conformable to the Image of thy Son Rom. 8. 29. Thou hast noâ— effectually called me I will therefore strive more and more to put on the new man which after God is created in righteousness and true Holiness Eph. 3. 24. Ejac. O the depth of the riches both of the Wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his Judgments and his wayes past finding out Rom. 11. 33. Paral. IV. Circ My Apprehender's hand was taken off me at the Prison-Gate Obs God sometimes effectually calls men when they are at the Mouth of Hell O Daughter of Babylon who art to be destroyed c. Happy shall he be that taketh and dasheth thy little ones against the stones Psal 137. 8 9. So should sin be dealt with This Cockatrice should be crushed in the Egge resisted in it's beginning I way be given unto it it grows and gathers strength and in time contracts an hardness upon the Soul and What is then to be expected but ruine For wheâ— Lust hath conceived it bringeth forth sin and sin when it is finished bringeth forth death James 1. 15. Sin is not finished on a sudden Neither doth it bring unto death by an hasty and violent precipitation But it hath certain steps and degrees by which as by stairs it sâ—iely leads down thâ— Soul unto the Mouth of the Pit It begins by Suggestion Upon that follows delight Delight wins to Consent Consent proceeds unto Act. The Act brings on Custom Custom Necessity Necessity is attended with Blindnesse Blindnesse by hardnesse And the Close of all is an utter Exclusion from Gods Eternal Rest Psal 95. 8 11. I was now full ripe for Hell and had not great unexpected Mercy intervened I had for ever been one of those unhappy Exiles But He who with groaning in himself and crying with a loud voice thereby shewing the difficulty of the work as to the Soul to recover a customary sinner raised Lazarus when stinking in the Grave He was pleased to manifest his Almighty Power in raising me long long dead and stinking in my sins and trespasses and thereby deserving that with loathing he should have turned his face from me He who of stones is able to raise up Children unto Abraham Mat. 3. 9. was pleased to break my rocky heart to take away my heart of stone and to give unto me an heart of flesh Ezek. 36. 26. Obs God somtimes effectually calls men when they are at the very Mouth of Hell Texts Mat. 20. 6. And about the eleventh hour he went out c. And he saith unto them go ye also into the Vineyard c. Rev. 3. 9. Behold I will make them of the Synagogue of Satan which say they are Jews and are
not but do lye Behold I will make them to come and worship before thy Feet Inst Mary Magdalen so notoriously drowned in voluptuousness that she is branded with the name of sinner Luke 7. 37. as if all others had been Saints to her Yet she had seven Devils cast out of her Mark 16. 9. Her sins which were many were forgiven her Luke 7. 47. The Thief on the Cross a wicked Malefactor though he had but newly mocked Christ Mat. 27. 44. and reviled him Mark 15. 32. Yet but a little before his death had his heart changed and was received to Mercy Luke 23. 40 43. Reas 1. To shew his Almighty Power Eph. 4. 8. 2. To shew forth his Long suffering towards sinners 1 Tim. 1. 16. 3. For the greater Glory of his superabundant Grace Rom. 5. 20. 4. To lay the greater obligation unto Love and Thankfulness upon that soul so recovered Luke 7. â—2 Use 1. Let not the most wicked cast away all hope The day of Mercy lasts till death Luke 23. 43. John 9. 4. 2. Sin not that Grace may abound Rom. 6. 1. 3. Defer not thy Repentance Hear Gods Call to day Psal 95. 7. Presumptuous delaies are dangerous Mat. 24. 48 50. 4. Strive to proportion thy thankfulness to the greatness of the Mercy vouchsafed unto thee Luke 7. 47. Resol I will praise the Lord my God with all my heart I will glorifie his Name for evermore for great is his Mercy toward me who hath delivered my Soul from the lowest Hell Psal 86. 12 13. Ljac Much hath been forgiven me O that I could love thee answerably to thy great Mercy Lord thou knowest I love thee John 21. 15. Paral. V. Circ I ran from my Apprehender Obs Man effectually called hath a Will and Power to flee from sin AS it was not in me to free myself from my Apprehender so neither was it in me as of myself to flee from him That alone Divine Power which secretly and unexpectedly had freed me did both stir up my Will and enable me to make an escape Such is Christs goodness to sinful man that he is so faâ— from taking pleasure in his death that his desire is that he should turn from his wicked ness and live Ezek. 33. 11. He prayes and beseecheth him by his Ambassadors to be reconciled unto God 2 Cor. 5. 20. He stands at the door of the heart and knocks that He may be entertained Rev. 3. 20. He waits there with much patience until his head Is filled with dew and his Locks with the drops of the night Cant. 5. 2. In a word What can be done more than he doth to bring him to himself Isa 5. 4. And yet how few are there that open at his knock that answer to his Call What 's the Reason They are while in their natural estate so foundly asleep in sin Eph. 5. 14. So dead in it Eph. 2. 1. that they cannot hear they cannot open 2 Cor. 3. 5. There is no way then but for himself to open the heart to receive him to open the ear of the heart to hearken unto him This he doth but not unto all The Reprobate is outwardly called but it is only to leave him without excuse John 15. 22. His Elect Children they with the outward Call of the Word receive the inward and effectual Calling of the Spirit Acts 16. 14. Whereby Faith is infused for the enlightning of the before-darkned Understanding Eph. 1. 17 18. Grace is conferred for the changing and healing of the before-depraved Will Eph. 4. 24. The Will thus changed God's Image in which man was created and which by his own negligence he had lost is again restored in the sanctification of all the powers and inclinations of the Soul and in their conformity to the Will of God Eph. â— 24. To which Will he now yields all ready obedience Acts 9 6. Flying from sin and doing what is acceptable unto him Col. 1. 10. For the performance whereof he hath received upon his Change not only a will but a power having a new spiritual being infused into him 2 Cor. 5. 17. He lives a new life and hath in him a new Principle upon which follow new operations A new Principle not inbâ—ed Concupiscence but infused Grace New Operations or Fruits not those works of the Flesh Gal. 5. 19. But the Fruits of the Spirit v. 22. In which he now lives v. 25 and walking after it doth no longer fulfil the lusts of the Flesh v. 16. But dayly mortifies them more and more Col. 3. 5. Being thereunto assisted by a continual Supply of Grace from above John 15. 4 5. Which special assistance though Adam needed it not in his state of integrity being wholly void of Corruption yet the effectually-called by reason of the continual importunities and assaults of the Flesh can do nothing without it John 15. 5. Let it be withdrawn how weak is man David Peter and other of the Saints have â—ound the sad experience hereof My self unworthy to be numbred amongst them even while studying of this Parallel was taught to know the necessity of it Our endeavours in goodness are none unless stirred up and vain when stirred up unless he please to assist from above who worketh all our works in us and for us Isa 26. 12. Who worketh in us both to will and to do of his good pleasure Phil. 2. 13. Obs Man effectually called hath a Will and Power to flee from sin He hath a Will Texâ—s Luke 15. 17 18. And when he came unto himself he said c. I will arise and go to my Father and say to him c. Make me as one of thine hired Servants John 6. 44. No man can come to me except the Father draw him Inst Peters Auditors being upon his Sermon pricked at their hearts said unto him and to the rest of the Apostles Men and Brethren what shall we do Acts 2. 37. The Jaylor upon his Conversion came trembling and fell down before Paul and Silas and said Sirs What must I do to be saved Acts 16. 29 30. He hath a Power to flee from sin Texts 1 Cor. 15. 10. Not I but the Grace of God which was with me 2 Cor. 6. 1. We as Workers together with him beseech you that ye receive not the Grace of God in vain Inst Timothy is commanded to â—lee youthful lusts 2 Tim. 2. 22. The Colossiâ—ns are exhorted to mortifie their earthly Members Col 3 5. Reas He is a new Creature 2 Cor. 5. 17. He hath a new spiritual being infused into his soul and with it new Powers and Faculties by which he is enabled to will and act according to that new life that is in him Gal. 5. 25. Use 1. Man is not able to change his own Will John 1. 13. 2. Be diligent in exercising of that Power wherewith thou art indued 2 Pet. 3. 18. 3. Pray for assisting Grace that thou mayest be strengthened with might by the Spirit in the inner
way of Instance by which you may judge of the choyceness Priviledges of Saints and preciousness of the rest The Lord is their King Rev. 15. 3. He keeps their feet from falling 1 Sam. 2. 9. He preserves their Souls Psal 97. 10. He preserves them for ever Psal 37. 28. Their death is precious in his sight Psal 116. 15. He will spare them Mal. 3. 17. The Lord Christ prayes for them John 17. 9. The Holy Spirit prayes for them Rom. 8. 27. God admits them into the number of his Children 1 John 3. 1. And being so they have Him their Father The Church their Mother The Lord Christ their Brother Kings and Queens their Nurses The Holy Spirit their Tutor The Angels their Guardians All the Creatures their servants The Bread of life their Food Christ's Righteousness their Cloathing Heaven their Palace A Kingdom of Glory their Inheritance Such many many such Priviledges have the Lords People Such Honour have all his Saints Use 3. Doth the Lord own those only for his people who are true Saints true believers truly obedient Let us labour to gain an assurance to our selves that we are such and then we may confidently build upon it that we are Gods people That you may know whether you have true Faith take these three Marks of true Marks of Faith Faith in stead of many 1. True Faith is accompanied with a sweet peace in the soul arising from the assurance that our sins are pardoned and Christ's Righteousness made ours Being justified by Faith we have peace with God Rom. 5. 1. 2. True Faith purifies the heart Acts 15. 9. He that hath true Faith will still be cleansing himself from all filthiness of flesh and spirit perfecting holiness in the fear of the Lord 2 Cor. 7. 1. 3. True Faith where it is begets love towards God appâ—â—hending him as the Chief Good Hence the faithful have this Character in Scripture that they are lovers of God Rom 8. 28. It stirs up likewise love unto all Gods Children as bearing his Image 1 John 5. 1. That you may know whether your Obedience Marks of Obed. be true or not take these Marks of true Obedience True Obedience prefers Gods Will before our own or any Commands of men Acts 4. 19. 2. True Obedience is universal unto all and every part of Gods Will Psal 119. 6. 3. True Obedience is alwayes accompanied with fear of offending God Heb. 12. 28. 4. It is sincere and hearty Rom. 6. 17. 5. It is zealous in good duties Tit. 2. 14. Now examine thy self by these Marks Hast thou true peace in thy soul Dost thou strive to cleanse thy soul from sin Dost thou love God and his Children Thou hast true Faith Dost thou prefer Gods Will before thine own or before mans Hast thou a respect to all his Will Art thou afraid to offend him Art thou sincere and zealous in the Service of him Thine Obedience is true And thy Faith and thine Obedience being true thou art a true Saint thou art of the number of Gods people and interessed in all those Priviledges which belong unto them Use 4. Doth the Lord own the Saints for his people Let wicked men take heed how they despise them how they oppress vex and persecute them The Lord whose they are is very tender over them They who touch them touch the Apple of his eye Zech. 2. 8. They that persecute them persecute Christ himself Acts 9. 4. They who vex and persecute them vex and persecute those who shall be their Judges 1 Cor. 6. 2. Who shall one day wash their feet in their blood Psal 58. 10. and shall break them in pieces as a Potters Vessel Rev. 2. 27. Not by way of avenging of themselves that belongs not to them but in approving of the just Sentence of Christ against them and rejoycing in the justness of that Vengeance which according to that Sentence they shall see exâ—cuted upon them at that day when the great Judge of the world will be so far from owning such as dye in their Infidelity and disobedience that he will deny them before his Father and the holy Angels Mat. 10. 33. Use last This may serve much for the Comfort of all Gods truly Faithful obedient servants and keep their spirits under the worlds Contempt and Despight What though the World hate and reject them and count them as the Off scowring of all things Yet the Lord owns them they are his people and so interessed in those sweet Promises and high Priviledges wherein they that hate them shall not be sharers Here likewise the Lords People to their exceeding Comfort may as St. Peter adviseth 2 Pet. 1. 10. make their Calling and Election sure For thus they may argue upon Infallible Grounds If I am a Saint whereof by my true Faith and Obedience I am assured then am I effectually called For I am what I was called to be Rom. 1. 7. If I am a Saint then I am sure I am elected For I am what I was elected unto Eph. 1. 4. If I am elected then I am predestinated to Glory and shall most certainly enjoy it For he that elected me predestinated me Eph. 1. 4. And whom he predestinated them he also called and whom he called them he also justified and whom he justified them he also glorified Rom. 8. 30. In his eternal Decree which in his good time he will most certainly accomplish From hence I say may the Lords people draw exceeding Comfort However these sweet Comforts of theirs cannot but be much allayed by their sense of their weakness and frailty For though they are Saints though the Lord ownes them for his People yet are they subject unto sin and are prevailed over by it and fall into the Folly of it Which is the next Particular in this Second Branch of the Point Partic. 2. That the Lords own people his Saints may and do fall into the Folly of sin This is clear from the Text they could not turn again to it unless formerly fallen into it Which is the present sad condition they are now in guilty of the folly of some hainous sins for which they under-lye the sharp sense of Gods high displeasure I do not say that they live or walk in sin as do the Children of disobedience but they may and do fall into it and that often seven times a day Prov. 24 16. In many things Jam. 3. 2. And many many wayes By Omission Commission Ignorance Forgetfulness Infirmity by sinning against knowledge Motions Checks Vows Promises Blessings Patience Chastisements Mercies Judgments by Rashness Inconsiderateness Inconstancy Negligence Beside their other-mens-other-mens-sins whereof they become guilty by Commanding Exhorting Provoking Conâ—enting Commending Concealing Conniving Parâ—aking Defending not Reproving and other wayes That this is a most certain and sad truth is evident by those many â—xâ—mples of the Lords own people and Saints recorded in the Scripâ—ure who have been thus overtaken and thus fallen and some of them
believe this is not enough to settle the soul and to make its peace with God For notwithstanding such Faith a man may go to Hell And indeed such Faith is in the Devils themselves they believe and tremble James 2. 19. No it is a particular applying Justifying Faith which is the Soul setling and Peace obraining Faith The truth of the Word or the Word â—f Truth is the general Object of Faith But that Faith which must settle the soul and obtain its Peace must be fixed upon and eye a more particular Object namely the free Promises of Grace and Pardon in Christ which promises it layes hold upon and brings home to the soul by a particular application in assurance that the soul is a sharer and interessed in them upon which assurance all the tempests in the wounded spirit are allayed all the disturbances removed all the Fears of enmity and wrath do vanish and a sweet calm settlement and peace do follow thereupon in the soul Where I touched before upon Faith I spake of it as in its dayly exercise in the fruits of true Obedience and having its residence in a soul at peace with God which is the constant Attendant upon such Faith I now speak of it as reâ—iding in an unsetled soul and by reason of the folly of sin inâ—errupted in the exercise which notwithstanding the soul stretcheth forth as its yet benummed hand to lay hold upon the promises of the Gospel for the re obtaning of its lost Peace though it do nor as yet can apply them with the like strength of assurance as when it was more lively and the Spirit did more evidently act in it However it is living and true and may be known to be such and to be in the soul by these Discoveries Marks 1. He that hath it though it continues so weak and benummed as I said that it is not able to apply a promise yet such a man believes that his sins and follies be they never so heinous yet are pardonable that Gods Mercy to poor sinners is not limited to the number or quality of their sins but be they never so many never so heinous of never so deep a slain or loud a cry committed with never so high a hand yet the Lords Mercy is above them all And as he believes that they are pardonable so he gaspes and longs and earnestly desires that they may be pardoned and he sends up earnest and strong cries to the Throne of Grace that the Lord would pardon them Now these Gaspings Groanings Longings Desires and Cries of his soul do discover the Spirit of God to be in such a man For they proceed from the Spirit Rom 8. 26. It is the Spirit which in the sinners soul makes Intercession for him Postulat id est postulare facit It makes him send up unutterable cries and Groans unto the Throne of Grace for Mercy So S. Augusline interprets the place Now where Christs Spirit is there Christ himself is And where Christ and the Spirit are there must necessarily be Faith though but in a weak measure for they dwell not in a faithlesse soul 2. A man may know whether he hath true Faith or not by the Testimony of the Spirit which bears witness to his spirit that he is the Child of God Rom. 8. 16. This Spirit he is sealed with Eph. 1. 14. And it makes him to cry Abba Father The Spirit bears witness It perswades him to an assurance that he is Gods Child and hath Faith As if the Spirit were pleased to say to the weak Believer that doubts of his Faith Dost thou question whether thou hast Faith or not Be assured that thou hast I tell thee so who know thy heart better then thou thy self dost I tell thee so who am the Seal of thine Adoption God knows thee to be his Child by this his Mark and Seâ—l which he hath set upon thee even mee his Spirit without which he would never own thee as his Son Now it is thy Faith which made way for this thy Sonship Christ upon thy receiving of him upon thy believing in his Name gave thee power or priviledge and it is no mean one to be the Son of God He is however he now beholds thee with an eye of displeasure he is I say thy Father therefore go unto him and call him so and by that name sue unto him for mercy say Abba Father I have sinned against Heaven and against thee I am unworthy to be called thy Son Yet I beseech thee to have mercy upon me according to thy Fatherly goodness God delights that thou shouldst call him Father He is the Father of Mercies and will not deny Mercy to his now humbled Child 3. This Faith is known by that Confidence and boldness in a man to approach unto the Throne of Grace for the obtaining of Mercy and finding Grace to help in time of need Heb. 4. 16. The soul never stands in more need of Mercy of Grace of Help then when it lieth groaning under the burden of sin under the deep Wounds of the Apprehension of loss and fear of wrath it is then a sit Object for Mercy and Grace Now if in this distressed condition a man can come with boldness to God for Mercy and Help it is a most certain and strong evidence of true Faith When a man can take a Promise suppose this in the Text and spreading it before the Lord can press him with it and say Lord thou seest my sad condition thou knowest my soul in this mine adversity thou seest how it is perplexed and troubled I am now come unto thee for peace and settlement and I come with an assured Confidence that I shall obtain it â—or here is thy Promise of it this I lay claim to and thou canst not but perform it For thou art not as man that thou shouldst lye O be pleased then to make good this thy Promise unto me O speak peace to mine unsetled Soul and make the bones which thou hast broken to rejoyce He that can come unto God with such boldness and confidence he may assuâ—e himself that he hath true Faith For it is that which makes way for the souls access unto God It is that which makes the soul thus bold confident in its approaches and assurance of obtaining of what it sues for See a clear place for it Eph. 3. 12. In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the Faith of him 4. This particular Promise-applying Faith is known by thâ—t delight which a man takes in the Word wherein the Promises are contained It is sweeter then honey or the hony Comb to the truly Faithful Soul Ps 19. 10. There it tasts truly the sweetness of the Lord Christ Ps 3â— 8. The sweetness of his Grace and Favour 1 Pâ—t 2. 3. in those Promises which there it â—inds and meets withal When turning over the sacred Pages it lâ—ghts upon â— Promise and the Book of God is full
5. Thou hast long mourned and gasped for peace Wouldst thou be sure that it is spoken unto thee thou maist know whether it be or not by these discoveries Marks 1. There will be by degrees an improvement in thy knowledge of spiritual things The eyes of thine understanding will be more and more enlightned thou wilt be more acquainted with the secrets of God and with his Covenant Psal 25. 14. And thou wilt find a clearer manifestation of Christ in thy soul John 14. 21. 2. Thou wilt walk more chearfully uprightly more firmly and stedfastly in the wayes of God The Holy Spirit will stablish and uphold thee Psal 51. 12. It will set thee in the way of his steps v. ult of this 85th Psal Or as the old Translation hath it it shall direct thy going in the way 3. If the Lord hath spoken peace unto thee thou wilt exceedingly rejoyce in this Mercy there will follow an exulting and triumphing in the soul as here beneath in the Text Mercy and Truth are met together The Soul will say with Joy I was under the sad effects of Gods Justice but the Lord in Justice hath remembred Mercy Mercy and Truth are met together and Mercy hath gotten the upper hand Righteousness and Peace have kissed each other The Lord hath looked upon my sincerity in my humiliation he hath looked upon the Righteousness of the Lord Christ which in the Promises I have made mine by a particular application and thereupon hath embraced me with Peace and filled me with all sweet manifestations of his Love Mercy and Truth are met together Righteousness and Peace have kissed each other 4. There will follow a forwardness in teaching of others and winning them unto God a teaching of Gods wayes unto the wicked that sinners may be converred unto him Psal 51. 13. An acquainting them with what the now setled and recovered soul hath experimentally found the danger of the Folly of sin the Lords readiness to forgive it and to speak peace upon a sinners true Repentance and Faith in Christ To acquaint them with his faithfulness and Justice how faithful he is in performing of his Promises how Just in requiring no more of a poor sinner having accepted the Lord Christs satisfaction for his sins Such I have found him and such you will find him if you will make Trial and do as I have done Thus the sinner that hath now peace spoken to his soul endeavours to perswade others and to convert others by his own experience of Gods mercy in speaking peace unto him 5. Upon peace spoken there will â—ollow in the soul a great enlargement of its love towards God Much was forgiven her for she loved much Luke 7. 4. To hear that comfortable speech in the soul Thy sins are forgiven thee it may be heinous often repeated exceedingly aggravated yet to hear These thy sins are forgiven thee the soul cannot but with all dearness of affection answer such a Mercy The Lords way to wash away the filth of the Daughters of Zion is by the Spirit of Judgment and by the spirit of Burning Isa â— 4. By the spirit of Judgment he wounds the Soul and brings it low for its filth and follies of sin And after upon its true humiliation and Faith speaking peace unto it by the spirit of burning he heats and enflames it with a true sense and exceeding love of his Goodness and Mercy towards it 6. There will follow true thankfulness where peace is once-spoken When the soul haâ—h found â—he Lord thus gracious and merciful in delivering it from its disturbances in curing of its wounds and speaking peace unto it as it will break forth into free proâ—essions of its love and say I love the Lord because he hath dealt so and so with me Psal 16. 1. So it will proceed to a quid retribuam What shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits towards me v. 12. And because it can find nothing else to render but Praise and Obedience it will give him the glory of his Mercy by â—elling those that fear him what he hath done for â—t Psal 66. 6. And in lieu of its Mercy it will give up its self with its body as a living sacrifice unto him in its reasonable serving of him Rom. 12. 1. 7. Lastly Where Peace is spoken to the soul and the Lord is again united to it in love there will be an earnest desire of a nearer union with him To this end as there will be a careful shunning of whatsoever may dissolve this Union principally under that Notion as it may cause a separation between God and the soul so there will be a diligent use of all Means which may bring him nearer to us and us to him Eâ—pecially there will be an earnest longing â—or the full enjoyment of him in Heaven there will be a desiring to be with Christ which is best of all a wishing for the day of his appearing and the hastning thereof Even so come Lord Jesus come quickly Rev 2. 20. Thus you have heard how the Lord upon the unfaigned humiliation of his people and their Faith in Christ will in his good time most certainly speak peace unto them for the resetling and recovery of their disturbed and wounded Spirits Who now would not hear such a God who would hear any other but him Who would not be very slâ—y lest he again provoke him Which is the Doct 3. That when the Lord upon their unfaigned Humâ—atâ—on and Faith speaks peace unto his people and Saâ—nâ—s they are to hear him and him alone And Peace being spoken they are to be very wary how they turn again unto â—olly This Point hath two Branches 1. That in speaking peace unto the Soul God the Lord alone is to be heard 2. That peace being spoken his People and Saints ought to be very wary how they turn again unto folly The first Branch That in speaking peace unto the unsetled and wounded soul God the Lord alone is to be heard When the Lords people are labâ—uring and languishing under his heavy hand under those fore mentioned smarting wounds of Loss of wrath the Devil useth all his skill to bring them if possibly he may to despair of Mercy and Peace When he finds that he cannot prevail that way but that the Lord doth still uphold the Soul though under a weighty burden he sets on the World which he hath at his Command to offer them Peace and that very freely and liberally to give it unto them without any conditions proviso's or reservations and he secretly suggests unto the carnal part that peace and settlement is there to be had and perswades them to accept of it The world comes and makes a very free tender of it And at the same time the Lord he offers Peace likewise but upon condition that they must humble themselves by true repentance for their â—ollies and must by Faith apply unto themselves the Promises of Pardon and peace made unto
again their Friend and affording them a continual Feast of Joy in their souls He is good to them in admonishing of them for the time to come to beware of turning again to Folly so to prevent a new and wider breach which such relapses might cause Let them not turn again to Folly O It is a dangerous thing for the Lords People when having been in such a wâ—ful condition under the smarting wounds of loss and wrath and the Lord hath graciously spoken peace unto their souls and hath assured them of his Love and Presence It is I say a most dangerous thing for them after Peace spoken to turn again to the Mire to the Vomit to the Folly of sin For so doing they make themselves justly liable to a severer punishment by more highly provoking the Lords wrath against them by a new and greater guilt which now they have drawn upon their souls If you ask the skilful Physitian why in the diseases of the body a Relapse is so dangerous as it is commonly said and found to be I suppose he will say Because the malâ—gnity of the humour which formerly nourished the disease returning upon a new distemper finds a readier entertainment in the parts and the spirits are so weak and unable to resist and struggle with it that if it do not wholly oppress the heart and so bâ—reave the life Yet it renders a second recovery far more difficult So is it with the soul after its recovery upon peace spoken to it If it relapseth and turns again to the folly of sin sin finds a more welcome entertainment in the carnal part and the spiritual part is so weak that it is not able to resist it So that though it do not nor can bereave the soul of spiritual life yet the recovery will be the more difficult and it will cost such a man many a heart-pang many a sad sigh and bitter Tear before he can again be â—id of it I might uâ—ge this as one reason why the Lords people are to be waâ—y how after peace spoken they fall into the folly of sin because upon such their backsliding they will find it an hard matter to shake it off and to rid the soul of it But the main Reason which I intend to speak of is because by their turning again unto Folly after Peace spoken they draw a greater guilt upon their souls and so do more provoke the Lords wrath against them and thereupon cannot but justly fear and expect to be corrected with a more stinging rod with a sharper and more smarting punishment Now the guilt of the soul turning again unto the Folly of sin after peace spoken unto it is heightened and enlarged exceedingly by the concurrence of many grievous sins committed in such backsliding For Aggrav Here is a falling back from those resolutions in Repentance wherein the soul in its distress did bind it self by promise and vow unto God that it would for the time to come abhor and decline the wayes of sinful Folly and walk before him in better Obedience If it did but barely resolve so yet not to keep up such resolutions and so to cherish them that they may be derived into act this failing and falling from them discovers a want of due care and diligence the neglect whereof after peace spoken renders the soul more guilty But if to such resolutions there were added a Promise and Vow so to walk before God which it was but meet the Soul should do surely it is meet to be said unto God I have born Chastisement I will not offend any more If I have done Iniquity I will do so no more Job 3â— 31 32. It is meet the soul should say thus in its distresse and if it hath and I am confident that whosoever haâ—h been under the horrours of a wounded spirit hath thus promised and vowed unto God if the soul hath thus said thus promised and thus vowed and yet breaks such Promise and Vow by relapsing and backsliding it must needs lay a greater guilt upon it selâ— For What is it but to mock God What but to take his Name in vain And so to do is it not a new and high provoking Folly Will the Lord hold such an one guiltless Pay that thou hast vowed God hath no pleasure in Fools Eccles 5 4. 2. The guilt is aggravated by forgetfulness of that deliverance which the Lord hath wrought David in Psal 103. cals upon his soul at the beginning of the Psalm and all that is in him to bless God to remember his Benefits who forgiveth saith he all thâ—ne Inâ—quity and healeth all thy diseases Thine Inâ—quity was high yet God hath forgiven it Thy Diseases and Wounds were painful and dangerous yet he hath healed them He hath restored thy peace he is become thy Friend thy near Friend dwelling in thy soul he hath delivered thee from all thy Fears and Terrours and hath crowned thee with loving kindness and tender mercy and canst thou so soon forget him who hath dealt thus by thee It was an high aggravation of Israels sin that they forgat God their Saviour Deliverer Ps 106 21. The Lord hath saved thee he hath delivered thee he hath had a regard to thine affliction he hath heard thy cry when thou wast brought low for thine Iniquity and yet dost thou forget him Dost thou provoke him again with new Follies 3. The guilt is aggravated by despising of Gods Rod by slâ—ghting and setting lâ—ght by it lâ—ke Pharaoh who returned to his Râ—bellion against God asâ—oon as the Plague was but removed Hath God corrected thee as his Son whom he loves in whom he delâ—ghts Prov 3. 11. And dost thou despise his Chastisemâ—nt Is that man happy whom God correcteth Jâ—b 5. 7. And dost thou slight the Chastening of the Almighty They who despise the reproof of Wisdomâ— can they expect other then to eat of the fruit of their own wayes and to be filled with their own devices Prov 1 31. 4. The guilt is aggravated and heightened by Presumption of new Peace or of the former to be continued It is a good â—â—m that is given Ecclus 3. Be not without fear after the sin is pardoned Neither add sin unto sin Say not Gods Mercy is great he will have mercy upon the multitude of my sins Is it not a bold wickedness springing from that root that beareth Gall and Wormwood for a man to bless himself and to say God is a God of Mercy and I shall have Peace though I walk in the Imagination of mine own heart adding Drunkenness to Thirst Deut. 29. 19. For a man so to say it is an high Provocation much more to add sin to sin upon such Presumption For what is it but a tempting of God in an high degree Had Christ cast himself down from the Pinacle of the Temple when there were stairs to come down by he had tempted God Wouldst thou have Peace use the Means forbear the Folly of sin if
The Only SOVEREIGN SALVE FOR THE Wounded Spirit Approved by the Author in himself Delivered by him in several Sermons after his Recovery And now Published for the Glory of his most Gracious Restorer and for the Comfort and Settlement of any Afflicted Soul that doth or may labour under that weighty Burden By Richard Wortley Minister of Christ in his Church in Edworth in Bedfordshire This is a Faithful saying and worthy of all Acceptation that Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners of whom I am chief 1 Tim. 1. 15. LONDON Printed for J. Rothwel at the Fountain in Goldsmths Row in Cheapside 1661. To the Reader Courteous Reader ST Paul who had the Spirit of God 1 Cor. 7 40. having by and from that Spirit assured us 2 Tim. 3. 16 17. that all Scripture is given by Inspiration of God that it is profitable for Doctrine Reproof Correction Instruction that the man of God may be perfect throughâ—â— furnished unto all good works 〈…〉 16. That â—â— Gospel is the power of God unto Salvatioâ—◠〈…〉 â—e that believeth â—pon the Spirit 's such assurance by him I do rely with â—â—sidence And as in my soul I do believe the Scripâ—â—â—es to be the very Word of God so as I boldly may 〈◊〉 ought taking heâ—d unto that sure Word of Proâ—â—ie 2 Pet. 1. 19. I do teach the Truths which there I â—â— as Parts of that inspired powerful perfecting and â—very good work throughly-furnishing Word not â—ting to seek further or to wait for the revelation of â—â— Truths not there set down lest I be found in the â—â—mber of the blasphemous adders thereunto and so beâ—â—e liable to that fearful punishment threatned against â—â—h Rev. 22. 18. Moses and the Prophets are to be heard Lu. 16. 29 The Scriptures are to be searched John 5. 39. However sinâ— as the natural man cannot aâ—◠〈…〉 â—â—ings wanting a spiritual eye to discern 〈…〉 â—evealed unto them 1 Cor. 2. 14. â—â— the â—â—generate though diligent hearers and searchers cannot clearly discern them unless revealed unto them Luke 24. 45. The Lord is pleased in such a measure as he sees fitting to give unto them the Spirit of wisdoâ— and revelation in the knowledge of him and to enlighten the eyes of their understandings Eph. 1. 17 18. and by the spirit of Truth to guid them into all needful Truths as he hath promised John 16. 13. This ordinary way of the Spâ—rit of Truth 's enlightening to the glory of the same Spirit I speak it I have experimentally found in my soul from the time that with a total resignation I have given my self up to bâ—led by it Which further to encouâ—â—◠〈…〉 a confident and chearful going on in the service of my Lord Christ in his Ministry hath lateâ—◠〈◊〉 an extraordinary and not so usual a 〈…〉 most unworthy dust and ashes of so low 〈◊〉 â—â—â—â—cention of my great God! been pleased not only to assure me That I have escaped the Corruption that is in the world through Lust 2 Pet. 1. 4. A blessed and most sweet assurance but likewise Clearly to manifest unto me The dangerous estate of the Natural man while such The manner of the great work of his Conversion To instruct me in the right understanding of many Scripture-truths relating thereunto To shew unto me and to all that are effectually called the path of life and by way of guiding of my steps to Heaven-ward secrâ—tly to say unto my soul this is the way walk in iâ— Isa 30. 21. Of which great Mercies with soâ—e other vouchsafed to him not worthy to be beloved not worthy to be minded this following Narration will more fully inform thee The Narration IN my younger years being bred up in the University and having taken a Degree there I was admitted into one of the Inns of Court Where having spent about two years Means now failing for my support and continuance in that course I was received into the Family of an Honourable Personage mine Employments being in the way of a Scholar as to write Letters to read Divinity to pen Sermons to pray with the Family in the Chaplains absence c. It pleased God so to dispose the heart of the Honourable Governour toward me that great secular preferments were endeavoured for me But none of them succeeding I was at length by Mandate from his then Majesty procured by the means of that Noble Personage replanted into my old Nursery a Fellow of a Colledge there I yearly payd mine acknowledgment by attendance where I had received so much Favour the good will and endeavour of worldly preferments for me still continuing One at last was freely offered unto me of such a nature as I most desired with visible almost certainties of great wealth and temporal advancement had it been accepted but Providence had otherwise disposed of me For when upon the offer my answer of acceptance was expected I was surprized with a sudden amazement and standing silent like a Statue had not one word to speak by way of acknowledgment of mine own unworthiness or of the greatness of the intended Favour much less to express my ready acceptance thereof and due thankfulness for it and so for some time continuing was dismissed for the present and within shorttime after became a stranger to those Relations Having after this as I esteemed it unhappy rejection spent some years in the Colledge vainly and idly enough God knows it was the Lords pleasure to transplant me into his Church abroad And having by a remarkable manuduction brought me unto the Living which I now hold he was pleased at my first enâ—rance by a great though not total distemper in the right use of my Reason to break and fit me in some measure for his Service there and to prepare the way for that great Work which he had to do many years after I could here tell thee how in that distemper God did set me before my self aâ—ter a strange manner presenting to my view my hainous sins to that time and shewing me how many deaths I had deserved by them But I have acknowledged and humbled my self for them unto him who hath graciously assured me of his Pardon Upon my recovery I had some good motiâ—ns and faint stirrings in my soul toward God and Goodness which so long I had forgotten and indeed flighted My first Subject which I handled was the broken heart Psal 51. 17. The way which I should have taken but neglecting it the work was not throughly wrought Though I proceeded so far as to a just restitution as near as I could call to mind where I had wronged any and I remember the fâ—ax begâ—n to smoak in some weak dislike often stiâ—ring in my heart against those sins in which formerly I hâ—d livâ—d and wherewith it was over-run and I began by degrees to break off from them I had now continued at my Living five or six years or more when I do not remember that the day before or
for my sins To be stedfast in the Faith Couragiously to resist my Spiritual enemies To take off my heart from the things of the world To mind Heavenly things To improve in all Grace by degrees and to persevere therein To keep a diligent watch over my spiritual enemies To prepare my self for afflictions Acquainting me with many other instructing comforting directing Truths observable both from the Occasion and from the several Particulars of the Vision Which Truths the manifestation of the Spirit being given to profit withal 1 Cor. 12. 7. I have parallel'd with those material Circumstances whence they are collected I have set down in Doctrinal Conclusions I have further cleared and confirmed by Scripture by Instance by Reason as they would bear them I have drawn from them some Uses which I commend to thy Practise in thy Life to a confident and chearful diligence wherein thou hast here an encouragement from Heaven even from him whose Secret is with them that fear him and to whom he will shew his Covenant Psal 25. 14. Glory be to God on High The Observations From the occasion of recalling of the Vision 1. GOds negative Mercies are great Pag. 1 2. God takes the fittest time for Mercy p. 5. 3. God will be sued unto p. 9. 4. Rightly qualified Prayer hath a prevailing Power p. 15. 5. God recompenceth the great Afflictions of his Children with greater Mercies p. 18. 6. The Lord often grants more then his Servants sue vnto him for p. 22. By way of Introduction to the Vision 1. OUR Lord Jesus Christ approves of humane Learning in his Ministers p. 24. 2. Christs way is for an orderly-called setled Ministry in his Church p. 28. 3. The Word preached by a Lawful Minister is Christs ordinary way for changing of the heart p. 34. From the Vision in general 1 Heavenly Visions are to be observed Pag. 41. From the Branches of the Vision From the Danger 1. REigning Corruption renders a sinner vain bold in sin and loathsom in the eyes of God p. 51. 2. Natural men are by their Corruption led on insensibly unto Hell p. 56. 3. God hath his Ministers of Justice and his Prison for punishment p. 59. 4. The number of the Damned will be great their punishment endless p. 63. 5. Satan is the Prince of Darkness 67. 6. A seeming Godly House may be Satans Habitation p. 73. 7. The Course of the Law to some is the mouth of Hell p. 75. 8. The Lord is most ready to satisfie the doubtings of his Servants p. 78. 9. Satan and Corruption conspire against the soul p. 81. From the Deliverance 1. VVHen the Lord Christ pleaseth to free Corruption can no longer enslave p. 84. 2. Effectual Calling is of Gods free Grace p. 87. 3. The Lord hath Mercy on whom he will have Mercy p. 90. 4. God somtimes effectually calls men when they are at the very mouth of Hell p. 92 5. Man effectually called hath a will and power to flee from sin p. 95. 6. Corruption pursues the effectually called to re-enslave them 99 7. The Effectually-Called may discover and ought to observe how sin is weakned in them and how far they are improved in Grace p. 102. 8. The holy Spirit restrains Corruption in the effectually-Called p. 105. 9. Upon Effectual Calling the Spirit usually first weakens Corruption by taking the heart off from all affected vanities and pleasures p. 108. 10. The power of Corruption being once broken it shall never again recover it over the Effectually-Called so as to hinder them from Glory p. 112. From the Duties accompanying Effectuall Calling 1. THE Effectually-called are to humble themselves for sin p. 116. 2. Tbe Lord gives unto his Children oblique Memento's of their sins p. 119. 3. The Church of Christ is aptly resembled by a square Brick-Building c. p. 123. 4. Upon Effectual Calling the Fear of Hell is a principal means to bring the soul unto Christ p. 129. 5. Upon Effectual Calling Faith is necessarily required as the only Instrumental Means to unite the Soul unto Christ. p. 133. 6. The Souls Enemies upon Effectual Calling are most violent against its Faith p. 138. 7. The Souls Enemies resisted with Courage will flee away p. 142. From the Duties to be performed after Effectual Calling 8. AS for all other Mercies so especially for Soul-deliverances God expects that man should be thankful p. 145. 9. All worldly things are to be trampled upon in the way to Heaven p. 149. 10. Each true Member of the Church upon his heart being taken off from the World is freed from the fear of hell p. 253. 11. The Effectually-Called are to set their Affections upon Heavenly things p. 157. 12. God hath an invisible Paradice to reward his Servants which in his Service they may have a respect unto p. 161. 13. The Effectually-Called are to grow in all Grace by degrees and to persevere therein p. 165. 14. Our spiritual Enemies are to be watched with diligence lest they hinder us in our improvement in Grace p. 171. 15. Each true Member of the Church in his way to Heaven must expect afflictions and prepare himself with Patience to undergo them p. 175. The Occasion of Recalling of the Vision Paral. I. Circ When the Favour was offered unto me I was surprized with a sudden Amazement and stood silent c. and soon after became a stranger to the Family Obs Gods Negative Mercies are great VVHat could be required more to Enjoyment then A Real Intention to confer An unquestionable ability to effect A Chearful freedom in offering An earnest desire of what was offered A most willing readiness to accept And yet fail by a successeless Miscarriage What should be the reason God was lefâ— out I am certain he was on my part I fear on the other and so all doated upon expectations and byassed Designs were blasted Although the Semi-atheist confines God unto Heaven as not minding not knowing what is done here below Job 20. 13 14. Yet the undoubted Word of Truth teacheth that as all other things so the actions of men are ordered and disposed by the Divine Providence which stoopeth even to those lesser things of making of our Beds Psal 41. 3. of numbring of the hairs of our heads Mat. 10. 30. The River or Brook that it runs on with a free and constant Channel this it hath from the continual Supply from the Fountain That it runs this or that way it hath it from the ordering of the skilful Deriver God doth not impose a fatal necessity upon mens actions but leaves them to their own Freedom However he that knows mans Thoughts before he thinks them Psal 139. 2. who fashioneth the hearts of men Psal 33. 15. hath them so in his hand yea the heart of him who is most free and least subject to the power of any Prov. 21. 1. that he can and doth most wisely incline and order them as he pleaseth for the effecting of those ends which he
Inst Ananias laid his hands on Paul and gave him Instructions Acts 9. 6 17. He was separated unto the Gospel of God Rom. 1. 1. Timo by is warned to be wary in laying of his hands upon any before due trial of his sufficiency 1 Tim. 5. 22. For a setled Ministry Texts 1 Thes 5. 12. We beseech you Brethren to know them which labour among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you and to esteem them very highly in love for their work sake Heb. 13. 17. Obey them that have the rule over you and submit your selves for they watch for your souls as they that must give account Inst Epaphras was a Faithful Minister of Christ for the Colossians Col. 1. 7. The Seven Churches of Asia had each its several star Angel or Minister Rev. 1. 20. Reas 1. Christ is the God not of Confusion but of Order and will have all things done in order in his Church 1 Cor. 14. 33 40. 2. He would have people to love their Ministers Propriety is a strong Motive to love Col. 1 7. 3. He would have his Ministers to be faithful in their several Charges Acts 20. 28. Use 1. Take heed to all the Flock over which the Holy Ghost hath made thee Overseer Acts 20. 28. 2. Remember the account thou must give Heb. 13. 17. Wo be unto thee if thou preach not the Gospel whereof a dispensation is committed unto thee 1 Cor. 9. 16 17. 3. Serve God with thy Spirit in the Gospel of his Son Rom. 1. 9. Jer. 48. 10. 4. Obey them that have the rule over you for they watch for your souls Heb. 13. 17. 5. Beware of false Prophets which come unto you unsent by Christ they are ravening Wolves Mat. 7. 15. 6. Turn away From House-creepers They will lead thee captive 2 Tim. 3. 6. From such as separate themselves They are sensual having not the Spirit Jude 19. From wandring Stars They go in the way of Cain and run greedily after the Error of Balaam for reward Jude 11 13. From Gatherers of Congregations They gather not with Christ but are Scatterers Mat. 12. 30. Resol Being set over this his Houshold according to the dispensation of the great Lord thereof my care shall be as becomes a faithful and wise Steward to give unto them their portion of wholsom Food in due season Luke 12. 42. Ejac. Blessed is that servant whom his Lord when he cometh shall find so doing Luke 12. 43. Paral. III. Circ The Change in my Soul was first wrought upon hearing of a Sermon preached by a lawful Minister Obs The Word preached by a lawful Minister is Christ's ordinary way for changing of the heart WHen I first entered into the Ministry God knows I was a most unfit man for so high and Holy an employment and so continued until I came unto this Place The Sermons which I then preached before my Change it is possible might be a means to open the Gate of Heaven to others while I my self stood without Being setled here my Lord Christ was pleased as he dealt by his chosen Vessel St. Paul Acts 9 6 15. by a rough breaking to put my heart into a new frame and in part to fit me for the great Work to which he had called me I had now attained to the top of the Hill of man's age and was descending The sixth hour of my day was past yet then was I sent into the Vineyard Math. 20. 5 No time while the day of life continues can bar man from mercy 10. 9. 4. Being in the City I would needs on the Lord's day go to the new Church in Covent-garden whose inside I had never seen I went I confess more out of novelty then devotion My end was not to seek God Yet there I happily found him and was found by him Rom. 10. 20. The Minister was unknown to me His Text was about the unclean Spirit 's returning to his House c. and taking to him seven other Spirits more wicked than himself c. Math. 12. 43 44 45. Although for some time I did not much mind him yet at length upon his well-handling of his Matter I was perswaded with an attentive ear to listen unto him and before the conclusion of his Sermon somewhat was delivered by him which the Spirit was pleased to carry home to my heart and to make use of it as an Hammer to break that Rock in pieces Ier. 23. 29. I was there rouzed out of my security and began to think what a dangerous condition my Soul was in and could not forbear saying to the servant of the Inn who at night lighted me up to my Chamber We that teach others to be good should be good our selves which he departing answered with a curse My terrours increased upon me to the disturbance of my Reason and so I continued for some weeks after my return home Being somewhat come to my self upon the perswasion of a Neighbour-Minister my living being not many miles from the University I went to the Colledge of which I was yet a Fellow hoping there better to recollect my self and to shake off my melancholy amongst my old pleasant Companions And the truth is my thoughts by conversing with them were soon taken off from where they should have been fixed The Lord called to mourning and there followed indeed A Sermon of repentance A just restitution A weak dislike of my bad wayes A discovery of some tenderness in my Soul which one of my Companions a Minister slighting I forbear to say in what words afterwards came to a sudden and sad end But I found carnal men to be a means sooner to extinguish the smoaking flax then to inflame it which danger the Lord was pleased to prevent by withdrawing me from thence and bringing me back hither where my amendment following but slowly he saw it fit for the perfecting of the Work he had begun to wound me in my Soul and since his former rod when the sorrows of many temporal deaths compassed me had done but little good sharply to chastize me with his Scorpions The fear and horrours of Hell taking hold upon me Psal 116 3. The weight for the time was very heavy but I was Powerfully supported Graciously delivered Most richly recompenced They and onely they whom God by his eternal Decree hath freely predestinated unto Glory shall certainly enjoy it and be brought unto it by those means which to that end he hath fore-appointed Rom. 8. 30. The principal of these means are effectual Calling and Justification as there to which all others do refer To effectual Calling are required an offering of Christ a receiving of Him Christ is off râ—d in the Word Col. 2. 28. He is received by Faith 10. 1 12. The receiving of Christ is passive or active He is received passively in Baptism where he is put on Gal. 3. 27. We are ingraffed into him Iohn 15. 5. And becoming Members of his Body 1 Cor. 12. 12 13.
man Eph. 3 16. 4. Give God the glory both of thy willing and acting what is good Phil. 2. 13. It is not of him that willeth nor of him that runneth but of God that sheweth mercy Rom 9. 16. 5. If sin be not more and more weaâ—ned in thee it is thine own Fault James 1. 14. Resol Old things are past away and all things are become new 2 Cor. 5. 17. I will now exercise that power wherwith I am endued in dayly mortifying of the old man with his Members and putting on the new man with his Graces Col. 3. 5 12. Ejac. To will is present with me but how to perform that which is good I find not Rom. 7. 18. O my Lord Christ do thou assist me For without thee I can do nothing John 15. 5. Paral. VI. Circ My Apprehender pursued me Obs Corruption pursues the effectually-called to re-inslave them THis brings to mind a Passage in my first distemper which may here not unseasonably be related I was walking by an hedge side and not far before me perceiving a Snake to draw back into an out growing shrub when I came at it I looked down and espying of her put down the end of my staffe upon her head and thought I had dispatched her Returning that way again and looking in to see what was become of her she being come to her self dâ—rted out and striking at my foot had bitten and spoyled me had I not been there well fortified Thus Corruption though Christ by his death hath bruised and broken his head yet assaults and would sting the soul were it not strengthened against its attempts by a stedfast Faith in him Eph. 6. 16. Upon the account of their Baptism St. Paul salutes the Ephesians by the name of Saints Eph. 1. 1. The soul is sainted or sanctified in Baptism by being by vertue of Christs Death and Resurrection into which we are baptized Rom. â— 3. cleansed from sin and endued with an habit of Grace infused Acts 2. 38. Where foreseen Infidelity doth not interpose a Bar. When the Lord is pleased to stir up this habit to manifest it self in act and exercise for which he takes his own time Mat. 20. 1 3 5 6. then are we effectually called The Souls true Sanctification being the end of our effâ—ctual Calling Rom. 1. 7. consists in Faith Col. 1. 2. And Obedience Psal 50 5. With 1 Sam. 15. 22. These in the course of a Christians life from the time that he first begins to act do find great opposition from the carnal part from Corruption from which the soul is not so cleansed but that it still resides there It is purged out in Baptism That it may not hurt Not that it may not be The Soul is freed from it As to Dominion it reigns not Rom. 6. 14. As to Guilt it condemns not Rom. 8. 1. Yet it remains As to its Nature Rom. 7. 17. As to its rebellious Motions Rom. 7. 23. Between this and the Spirit there is a continual warring Gal. 5. 17. And it often gets the upper hand Rom. â— 23. However Where the Will is against it Rom. 7. 18. Where there is not an allowing of it but an hatred against it Rom. 7. 15. Where there is an earnest desire of its utter extirpation Rom. 7. 24. With a Constant Tenour of life according to Gods Will 1 John 3. 9. Although it doth pursue assault and often prevail yet it shall never wholly regain the soul under its power John 10. 28. Obs Corruption pursues the effectually Called to re-inslave them Texts Rom. 7. 20. If I do that I would not it is no more I that do it but sin that dwelleth in me Gal. 5. 17. The Flesh lusteth against the Spirit and the Spirit against the Flesh and these are contrary the one unto the other So that ye cannot do the things that ye would Inst The Lord hardned the heart of Pharaoh and he pursued after the Children of Israel who went out of Egypt with an high hand Exod. 14. 8. St. Paul found a Law in himself that when he would do good evil was present with him Rom. 7. 21. Reas 1. Satan is unwilling to lose his Prey Mark 9. 26. 2. His Malice continues though his Power be broken 1 Pet. 5. 8. Use 1. Escape for thy life look not behind thee with a lingring desire after thy former sins Stay not in all the Plain shun all occasions of falling again escape to the Mountain of Gods powerful Support and Protection Gen. 19. 17. 2. Delight in the Law of God after the inward man Rom. 7. 22. 3. Walk in the Spirit and thou shalt not fulfil the Lusts of the flesh Gal. 5. 16. 4. Return not to thy Vomit Prov. 26. 11. Resol I am now no longer in the Flesh but in the Spirit Rom. 8. 9. Wherefore though with the flesh against my will I somtimes serve the Law of sin yet with my mind I will serve the Law of God Rom. 7. 25. Ejac. There is no Condemnation to them who are in Christ Jesus who walk not after the Flesh but after the Spirit Rom. 8. 1. Paral. VII Circ I looked back to see at what distance I had left my Pursuer and saw him a good way off Obs The Effectually-called may discover and ought to observe how sin is weakned in them and how far they are improved in Grace SIN in Scripture is compared unto darkness Grace unto light Isa 9. 2. Our great God whose first work in the Creation was to make light Gen. 1. 3. In mans recreation first infuseth the light of Faith into the soul 2 Cor. 4. 6. Darkness being but the privation of Light when the â—ight appears it withdraws and as the Light increaseth so it is more and more by degrees dispelled A Sinner upon his effectual Calling is translated out of the Kingdom of Darkness Col. 1. 13. And he is no sooner out of that but he is immediatly in the Kingdom of Christ in his marvellous Light 1 Pet. 2. 9. Upon his first Translation Light is but begun in him but he clears up more and more Mark 8 24 25. Sin decayes in him and Grace encreaseth The Path of the just is as the shining Light that shineth more and more unto the perfect day Prov. 4. 18. Though man knows not by what way the Light is parted Job 38. 24. How the Vayl of Darkness is put off how the Light gathers strength yet the perfect day is easily discerned from the Dawning Light is sown for the righteous Psal 97 21. It is sown The seed that is cast into the ground by the Husbandman though it springs and grows up he knows not how Mark 4. 26 27. Yet its growthâ—n few moneths iâ— plainly seen To every one is given Grace â—ccording to the measure of the Gift of Christ Eph. 4. 7. With his Blessing upon it Increase and multiply First he gives in a lesser proportion afterwards a larger James 4. 6. First a weak Faith
Son He is adopted Eph. 1. 5. by vertue of his Son-ship being interessed in the exceeding great and precious promises v. 4. Christ is made unto him sanctification 1 Cor. 1. 30. Communicating his Grace unto him so making him partaker of the Divine Nature v. 4. He is assured of Glory to which he is called as also to that way of Vertue in which he is and which leadeth thereunto v. 3. It is a sad truth that that sweet comfort which ariseth from this assurance may for a time be shaken and interrupted upon the prevailing of Corruption which while it abideth in us cannot but often be Our Enemies being so subtil We so weak Occasions of falling so many But though we fall yet we shall not be utterly cast down Psal 37 24. While God continues unchangeable Rom. 8. 30. While his Seed remaineth in us 1 John 3. 9. While Christ continues faithful John 10. 28. While his Prayer for us is effectual John 11. 42. While God continues a God of Almighty Power John 10. 29 30. Obs The Power of Corruption being once broken it shall never again wholly â—ecover it over the effectually-Called so as to hinder them from Glory Texts John 8. 36. If the Son shall make you free ye shall be free indeed Rom. 8. 30. Whom he did predestinate them he also called and whom he called them he also justified and whom he justified them he also gloriâ—ied Inst The Church with each true Member thereof is assured by Christ that the Gates of Hell shall not prevail against her Mat. 16. 18. Paul assures those in Rome beloved of God and called to be Saints Rom. 1. 7. That being dead unto sin and so under Grace sin should no more have dominion over them Rom. 6. 11 14. Reas 1. As to inchoation they are in present possession of eternal life John 3. 36. 2. As to Consummation of their happiness they have Gods Decree for it Rom. 8. 30. Christs Promise of it John 10. 28. His Prayer for it John 17. 24. Which his Father alwayes hears John 11. 42. His Assurance that they shall never perish that none shall pluck them out of his Hand John 10. 28. God's and Christ's Power to keep them against whomsoever shall endeavour it John 10. 29 30. Use 1. God's love is unchangeable John 13. 1. 2. Give diligence to make thy calling and Election sure 2 Pet. 1. 10. 3. Get an assurance that thou art united unto Christ and then thou art sure of Heaven 1 John 5. 11 12. The Bonds of the Union between Christ and the Soul are The Holy Spirit Rom. 8. 9. Faith John 6. 35. 4. Lead an holy Life and thou shalt never fall 2 Pet 1. 10. Resol Being now made free from sin and become thy Servant O Lord I will with an assured confidence having my fruit in holiness rely upon thy Love and Faithfulness for the end eternal life Rom. 6. 22. For thy Love wherewith thou hast drawn me is everlasting Jer 31. 3. And thou hast promised that the Mountains shall depart and the Hils be removed but never thy kindness from me nor the Covenant of thy Peace Is 54 10. Ejac. What shall be able to separate me from the love of my God which is in Christ Jesus my Lord Rom. 8. 39. The Duties Paral. I. Circ I ran down a pair of Stairs at the Savoy Obs The effectually-Called are to humble themselves for sin THE Duties to be performed by the effectually Called do either Accompany effectual Calling Or Follow it They that accompany it are Repentance Faith Acts 20. 21. Mark 1. 15. The first of these I was put in mind of by my running down the stairs By stairs we descend downwards In Humiliation for sin the soul is brought down even to a putting of the mouth in the dust Lam 3. 29. All mountains and hills in Christ's way are brought low Luke 3. 5. All Imaginations and every high thing which formerly exalted it self against the knowledge of God is cast down and every thought brought into captivity to the obedience of Christ who is now upon effectual Calling received into the soul 2 Cor. 10. 5. Christ is received into the soul by Faith John 1. 12. Of this Faith Repentance wrought in the heart at the same time by the same means 2 Tim. 2. 25. is an inseparable Companion The Will which in Faith is turned to the enjoyment of the true Good being in repentance turned to the doing of what is truly good with an hatred of and turning from the contrary evil There is a repentance which may be in the unregenerate arising from the Terrour of the Law having Gods Wrath alone for its Object This is but a compunction or pricking at the heart accompanied with fear of punishment such as was in Peters Auditors Acts 2. 37. However this as it did in them may dispose and prepare the heart for Faith But that repentance which is proper to the effectually-called is a turning from sin partly out of fear but chiefly as sin is an offence against and violation of Gods revealed Will Psal 51. 4. And where this is there will follow in that man A free Confession of sin 1 John 1. 9. Attended with shame Dan. 9. 8. An hearty sorrow for sin 2 Cor. 7. 11. Which will shew it self in Carefulness to shun it Indignation against it Fear of falling again into it Desire to be strengthened Zeal against it Revenge upon himself for it A constant and irreconcileable hatred against all sin Psal 119. 104. And that with all vehemency Rev. 2. 2. Fixed resolutions to avoid all sin Psal 39. 1. As also upon a Course of Godliness for the time to come with a diligent care in the use of all good means which may further him and in removing and avoyding all Impediments which might hinder him in such his course 1 Pet. 2. 1 2. This duty of Humiliation for sin although the fear and grief which accompany it be not alâ—ke in all yet without such humiliation none are effectually called at ripeness of years Luke 15. 17 18 21. From which time of effectual Calling unto our lives end it is vertually to be continued and often to be renewed Mat. 6. 12. Obs The effectually Called are to humble themselves for sin â—exts Psal 51. 17. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit a broken and a contrite heart O God thou wilt not despise Joel 2 13. Rent your heart and not your garments and turn unto the Lord your God Inst David acknowledgeth his Transgressions and beseecheth God according to the multitude of his tender Mercies to blot them out Psal 51. 1 3. St. Paul rejoyceth that the Corinthians sorrowed to repentance that he made them sorry after a godly manner 2 Cor. 7 9. Reas 1. Because sin separates from God Isa 59. 2. 2. It is inconsistent with our effectual Calling 1 Thes 4. 7. 3. Gods goodness shâ—uld lead us to repentance Rom 2. 4. 4. It is the only means with
21. 13. Sure Mercies Isa 55. 3. He hath a Multitude of them Lam. 3. 23. He is rich in them Rom. 10. 12. They are new every Morning Lam. 3. 23. They endure for ever Psal 106. 1. But among all his Mercies there is none so rich as that in his quickning us with Christ when we were dead in sins and trespasses Eph. 2. 4. None so great as that whereby he hath saved us by the washing of Regeneration and renewing of the holy Ghost Tit. 3. 5. None so abundant as that whereby he hath begotten us again unto a lively Hope to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled that fadeth not away reserved in Heaven for us 1 Pet. 1. 3 4. For all his other Mercies we are to give him thanks 1 Thes 5. 18. But for this our every thought of it should be accompanied with the strongest and heartiest Breathing forth from our souls of his due Praise and Glory Blessed be the Lord who hath visited and redeemed us Luke 1. 68. Blessed be God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ in whom we have redemption through his Bloud Eph. 1. 3. 7. We give thanks unto the Father who hath delivered us from the power of darkness and hath translated us into the Kingdom of his Dear Son Col. 1. 12 13. Glory is a clear knowledge of the worth and excellency of him whom we glorifie with an answerable praise of him This God willeth us to have a respect unto in our Praises of him Psal 150. 2. In offering thanks and praise unto him we glorifie him Psal 50. 23. â—nd the more we publish and tell of his Excellency unto oâ—â—ers the more and the further off do we make this clearness to be discerned and so make his Praise to be Glorious Psal 66. 2. Thankfulness shews it self In Acknowledgment of Mercies Jam. 1. 17. In Remembring of them Psal 106. 7. In requiting of them Psal 116. 12. We acknowledge them with our Toâ—gues Psal 57. 8. We remember them in our Hearts Psalm 103. 2. We require them as by Praise in our Lips so by Obedience in our Lives 1 Cor. 6. 20. This we are bound unto 2 Thes â— 13. It is Gods Will we should do it 1 Thes 5. 18. It is all that he expects from us Psal 50. 15. It is the utmost that we are able to render unto him Psal 116. 12 17. Obs As for all other Mercies so especially for Soul-deliverances God expects that man should be thankful For all other Mercies Texts Eph. 5. 20. Giving thanks alwaies for all things unto God Col. 3. 17. Whatsoever ye do in word or deed do all in the Name of the Lord Jesus giving thanks by him Inst. David blesseth God for all his Benefits Psal 103. 2. The Thessalonians are to give thanks in all things 1 Thes 5. 18. For Soul-deliverances Texts Psal 66. 16. Come and hear all ye that fear God and I will declare what he hath done for my soul Col. 1. 12 13. Giving thanks unto the Father who hath made us meet to be partakers of the Inheritance of the Saints in light Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness and translated us into the Kingdom of his dear Son Inst David is resolved to offer the Sacrifice of thanksgiving unto God because he had delivered his soul from death and broken his Bonds Psal 116. 8 16 17. Saint Paul thanks God for strengthening him against his Corruption Rom. 7. 25. Reas 1. It is Gods Will 1 Thes 5. 18. 2. It is Gods Rent reserved for those Blessings which the soul holds of him Psal 50. 15. 3. It is good pleasant and comly Psal 147. 1. 4. God is thereby glorified Psal 50. 23. 5. It prepares the way for new mercies Col. 1. 4. Use 1. In all things give thanks 1 Thes 5. 18. 2. Let thy thanks be active and obediential as well as verbal Psal 50. 14. 3. Strive to proportion thy thankfulness unto the greatness of the Mercy Luke 7. 43. 4. Get a clear assurance of the Mercy that thy thanks be not in vain Rom. 7. 25. 5. Beware of unthankfulness that brings all thy sins back again upon the score though not as to act yet as to guilt which is exceedingly aggravated thereby Mat. 18. 34. Resol Mine enemies are turned back they are fallen and perished at thy presence thou hast lifted me up from the gates of death therefore will I shew forth all thy praise in the gates of the Daughter of Zion and will rejoyce in thy salvation Psal 9. 3 13 14. Ejac. To him that hath loved me and washed me from my sins in his own bloud and hath made me a King and Priest unto God and his Father to him be Glory and Dominion for ever and ever Rev. 1. 5 6. Paral. IX Circ Being transferred into the Tower of the Temple-Church I stood where the Essigies of the Knights-Templers lie Obs All worldly things are to be trampled upon in the way to Heaven THE Tower of the Temple-Church into which I was now translated I look upon as a place made choyce of by the Spirit as most apt for the following imaginary representations as also in reference to that middle part of the Pavement whereon I was set and where lie the Essigies of the Knights-Templers Who they were what their Order where their chief Seats how they troubled the Christian world in those times when they flourished is set down to satisfaction by Mr. Fuller in that his excellent piece of the Holy War I am only to mind their Honour which is the chief of worldly things and most agreeable to the Heroick magnanimous height of mans soul comprising under it Wealth and Pleasure If in our way to Heaven this is not to be minded but to be esteemed as the dust under our feet Phil. 3. 8. Much less are we to idolize thick clay Hab. 2. 6. Or so much to forget the honour of our Creation as to stoop to brutish and sensual delights Psal 49. 20. Whatever that savage Spirit of Scythianism with which many are possessed teacheth our Religion destroyeth not civil regards but enjoyns them Honour is to be rendred to whom it is due Rom. 13. 7. It is due as to natural and spiritual Parents so to civil Exod. 20. 12. To Magistrates as such God is honoured in them they having a more than ordinary Impression of his Image upon them John 10. 34. Out of Psal 82. 6. For others God himself gives a rule in our honouring of him Psal 150. 2. There must be some excellent worth otherwise Honour is not due This Dignity can neither be conferred by the Prince nor purchased with a price Where it is not to render Honour is Injustice Where it is wanting it is servile flattery to give it As for that due to those who are eminent in Piety the sâ—wly mind will esteem others better than it self Phil. 2. 3. and accordingly will prefer them in honour Rom. 12. 10. He that feareth the Lord
the extremity of her Agony she threw it with violence against the ground saying she was as sure she should be damned as she was that that Glass would break But the Lord was pleased at that instant to raise her to an hope of pardon upon her repentance and so to an hope of salvation by a strange means For the Glass though so pure and cast with such violence did not break but was taken up whole Whosoever then may be or are in this sad condition let them by all means take heed of offering so high an indignity and affront unto God as to despair of his mercy as if his mercy which is above all his works were overcome by our sins or his hand so shortned that he could not save or the Fountain of Christ's Bloud opened for sin and for uncleanness were dried up Our sins may be greater then we can bear but they cannot be greater or more then he can forgive Neither let any defer the Cure of their wounds until they do stink and corrupt through such their Foolishness of delaying but let them hasten with speed unto the only soveraign remedy for their recovery Let them bath and supple them with the tears of true repentance Let them apply unto them the Balm of Christ's Merits and they will find in Gods time health and settlement in their Souls their broken bones shall rejoyce and the Lord will again cause the light of his countenance to shine upon them and will speak peace unto them Which is the 2 Observation Doct. 2. That when the Lords people do by unfeigned Repentance and true Faith in Christ turn from their Folly of sin the Lord in his good time will most certainly speak peace unto them This oint hath Two Branches 1. That Repentance and Faith are the only means to recover the wounded soul and to obtain its Peace 2. That when the Lords People do so turn from their folly of sin the Lord in his good time will most certainly speak peace unto them Branch 1. The first Branch directs us to a two-fold way or Means for the recovery of 2 Means the wounded Spirit Repentance and Faith The first Means is Repentance We speak noâ— of that Repentance at present which is required upon mans first Conversion but of that which is required afrer the fals of the Saints which is called Tabula post Naufragium a Board or Plank to bring a sinner safe unto the shore of Mercy when his soul is wracked upon the Rock of sin Which Repentance is nothing else but an hearty bewayling of sin with a serious study and endeavour in the use of all other good means to regain the lost favour of God This in Scripture is called by several names which do include the distinct acts of true Repentance It is called the breaking of the heart Psal 51. 17. A rendiâ—g of the heart Joel 2. 14. Changing of the mind Rev. 2. 5. Where the Word whâ—ch is there rendred repent doâ—â— properly signifie a changing of the mind from evil to good In these Three words of breaking rending changing the parts of true Repentance are contained The heart is broken in the Confession of sin It is rent in sorrow for and detestation of sin The Mind â—s changed in resolutions against sin and for better Obedience These then are the Four Particulars I shall briefly speak of The Lords People being by reason of hainous sins wounded in their souls if they desire recovery to regain the Lords Favour and to be restored to their former Peace and Settlement they must repent them of their sins that is They must confess them They must be sorry for them Four Acts of Repent They must hate them They must resolve against them and all other and upon better obedience for the time to come Act 1. Wouldst thou have Peace spoken to thy soul confesse thy sins unto God If we confesse God is Faithful and just to forgive 1 John 1. 9. If we confess and forsake we shall have Mercy Prov. 28. 13. Crude indigested matter in the stomack causeth much gnawing and trouble there but assoon as it is cast up the stomack is at ease The Comparison is but homely but it is the Spirits own Dialect good enough for sin which cannot be made too loathsom But with it then vomit it up by Confession and thy soul will be setled and at ease But what need we confess our sins to God doth not he already know them Yes he doth but he would have thee to know them he would have thee sensible of their hainousness and of that Corruption of thine heart which secretly conspiring with thine Arch Enemy hath insensibly led thee to those Follies whereby thou hast lost thy God and provoked his wrath against thee That thou maist perform this duty in an acceptable manner take notice of these requisites to and discoveries of true Confession Marks 1. There must be a pre-disposing and preparing of the heart unto this Duty by fore-consideration of the necessity thereof I said I will confess my sin faith David Psal 3â— 5. I will go unto my Father and say unto him c. said the Prodigal Luke 15. 18. 2. There must be a performance as well as a preparation He that rests himself at I will confess may be far enough off from Mercy from Peace David proceeded to an actual Confession The Prodigal arose and came to his Father and said Father I have sinned c. 3. Confession must be particular of all known sinâ— This is the true breaking of heart which must not only be attrite or broken into great pieces in the acknowledgment of some notorious scandalous sins but it must be contrite broken and pounded to powder in the confession of all our known Foâ—lies all our known sins especially those of newest discovery and of latest Commission Thus did David his secret faults were wraped up in a general Confession Psa 19. 12 But his Murder and Adultery acknowledged in particular Psal 51. So the Israelites 1 Sam. 12. 19. They confessed in general that their sins were many but in particular that to them they had added that evil to ask a King Paul thought it not enough to confess in general that he was sold under sin Rom. 7 But makes a particular acknowledgment of his hainous known sins 1 Tim. 1. 13. 4. In true Confession there will be an aggravating of sin a striving to set it forth in its own loathsomness and deformity I have sinned against Heaven and against thee said the Prodigal aâ—aâ—nst thee so loving so tender a Father who so carefully madest a Provision for me which most profusely I have wasted So the Israelites we have sinned in asking of a King we have shewed our selves weary of that Government the Lord had appointed over us We have most unthankfully rejected his Prophet who hath carried himself so uprightly that none of us can charge him with the least act of Injustice and so we have rejected
thou sin upon Presumption of Gods Mercy thou dost tempt God and so lay a new and greater guilt upon thy Soul What Shall we sin that Grace may abound 5. Lastly The guilt is aggravated and that in the highest degree by unthankfulness I forgave thee all that thy debt Mat. 18 32. He who hath had Talents 10000 Talents forgiven him many hainous sins and yet is such an unthankful wretch as to provoke his Gracious Lord by cruelty towards his Fellow-Servant or by any other hainous Follyes he must look to be delivered to the Tormentors until he hath paid all the debt which returns upon the Score not in respect of act but in respect of that high guilt which such ungratefulness layes upon the soul far exceeding the guilt of those sins whatsoever they were before peace spoken After all this is come upon us for our evil deeds and for our great Trespasses seeing that God hath punished us less then our Iniquities deserved and hath given us such deliverance as this should we again break his Commandments Would he not be angry with us till he had consumed us Ezra 9. 13 14. And would not his anger be yet the more provoked against us if we turn again to folly when upon peace spoken The understanding by Christs manifesting of himself unto it is more cleared to know Gods Will. When the Soul by the Spirits dwelling in it is more inabled to do his Will When so great an Obligation lies upon it calling for all ready Obedience unto his Will Now lay all these together Breach of Promise Forgetfulness of deliverance Despising of the Rod. Presumption of Mercy Unthankfulness for Peace All these meeting in backsliding into sin after Peace spoken and what is it but to increase Iniquity above our heads to cause our trespasses to grow up to Heaven Ezra 9. 9. What is it but to add Rebellion unto sin Job 34. Ult. And what a fearful case is the Soul in when by new Follies it hath thus provoked its God How will its former wounds of Loss of wrath lately by a sweet peace drawn together and cured rend themselves open afresh The much enlarged and longer continuing smart whereof it must unavoydably undergo He that sins again after that he is made whole must look for a worse thing to come unto him John 5. 14. He that hath been under Gods smoaking and kindling anger Psal 74. and yet again provokes him such a one must look to feel his burning anger the heat of his great anger Deut. 29. 24. His consuming anger Ezra 9. 14. And if his former Rod was so stinging and intolerable what will his Scorpions be Use I trust that what I have already said concerning backsliding and relapsing into the Folly of sin after peace spoken will make such an impression in your hearts that I shall but lose time to enâ—arge my self further in exhorting you to beware how by new Follâ—es you provoke the Lord. Neither shall I need to say much to stir you up to be careful to preserve Peace when it is spoken to your souls Motives Do but cast your thoughts back upon the anguish and horrour of the wounded Spirit upon the loss of its peace Cast them back upon that love of God and that exceeding Joy which Peace spoken doth assure the soul of and â—ill the Soul with and you will need none other motives Only I conceive it needful that I give you some brief Directions how to preserve peace when it is spoken to your Souls When the Church had found him whom her soul loved whom she had formerly lost Cant. 3. 4. she held him fast The Lord Christ is our Peace That thou mayest hold him fast and noâ— lose him again use these Means Means 1. Love his Word they who do so have great peace Psal 119. 165. 2. Get spiritual Wisdom all her pâ—ths are Peace Prov 3. 17. 3. Live in Unity and the God of Love and Peace will be with you 2 Cor. 13. 11. 4. Love Christ and he will make his abode with you John 14. 23. 5. Be obedient to his commands and you shall have Peace as a River Isa 48. 18. 6. Be spiritually minded to be so is Liâ—e and peace Rom. 8. 6. 7. Let God rule in thine heart his Kingdom consists in Righteousness Peace and Joy in the Holy Ghost Rom. 14. 17. 8. Let thy mind be sâ—aâ—â—d on God trust in him and he will keep thee in perfect peace Isa 26. 3. 9. Constrain Christ by fervent Prayer and he will tarry with thee Luke 24. 29. and cannot depart from thee Gen. 32. 26. The Authors Hymn upon his wounded Spirit recured Comprising many of the Principal Heads of the Former Discourse VVHen I felt that Heart-stinging Rod Of my Soul-wounding-Salving God In his Losse I was lost his eye Shot Beams of threatning Enmity I bath'd those wounds with Tears for sin Christ's Merit-Balm Faith poured in He came and gently them up-bound Spake Peace Joy Love and I was sound Bless him my Soul while Life doth last Prize Peace and hold thy Dear Christ fast O strengthen me my God most Holy That I return no more to Folly His Farewel to the World VVOrld since to sin to thee I 'm dead To new life rais'd where Christ my Head Doth dwell I 'le seek those things above Disdaining thy now Trash to love There my heart 's set In longing Cries To him my Clay-restrain'd Soul flies He there what doth it here It 's home Is Heaven Lord Jesu quickly come HEnce Bubble-Honour thy swoln gay Light Empty shews are blown away With a just Scorn I now despise Thy once ador'd great Nullities And well I may slight thy proud state Through Christ 'bove thee b'ing made so great Earth bounded thine Ambition I 'm Heavens great King 's Adopted Son VVEalth take thy Wings flie where thou list I 'l be no more a Mammonist To lade me with thick Yellow Clay Poor helpless Idol in wrath's day Gold 's not my hope My hope I 'le place On him who hath my Soul with Grace Inrich'd and made him mine me his In whom are hid all Treasuries PLeasure away away be gone Fair Sorceress thy Potion Is amber'd Poyson thy Songs Spell Wreaks in a Calm and lulls to Hell Welcom sweet Peace thou dost immure With Brass and set my soul secure Rapt from my self in Extasie To Heavens Joyes on thy wings I fly VVEalth Honour Pleasure all adieu My Rescued Heart once slave to you Hath now that best of Objects found Whose Rod hath cur'd your Balm-made Wound You neither last nor satisfie Fulness and Perpetuity Of Blisse he will my Soul afford Who cannot lie I 'le trust his Word 1 John 2. 15. Love not the World neither the things that are in the world If any man love the World the Love of the Father is not in him FINIS