of his burthen were so unsensible that God complains against them Amos 6. 6. They were not grieved at the affliction of Joseph they were so far from easing him or freeing themselves from provoking of God to bring them into such like trouble that they were not so much as grieved had no burthen upon them were therefore fit matter to be indeed deservedly brought themselves into the like condition a most remarkable and profitable example if heeded by Christians we have to this very purpose in Daniel that holy man Chap. 9. vers 2. when he understands by reading that there were a number of years for Jerusalems captivity how was he burthened that he might know it is evident if you read but what he did vers 3. I set my face to seek the Lord God by prayer and supplication with fasting and sack-cloth and ashes behold here a gracious pattern for Christians that want to know great things from God Daniel sets his face unto the Lord with such qualifications attending this performance as though Daniel would be content with no denial so Chap. 10. 2 3. A thing was revealed to Daniel but the time appointed was long In those dayes I Daniel was mourning three full weeks I eat no pleasant bread neither came flesh nor wine in my mouth till three whole weeks were fulfilled That such manner of burthen and trouble as this at the sense of ones ignorance is not only the way to get profit but indeed a most acceptable way with God and so liked as to speed presently Let us see then what is written in Dan. 9. 23. At the Beginning of thy supplication mark that the Commandment came forth and I am come to shew thee therefore understand the matter and consider the vision Had not Daniels supplications fasting sackcloth ashes proved a prevailing cause with God to send an Angel to make him understand Wherefore serves this thus written At the beginning of thy supplication so Chap. 10. 12. An Angel said in a vision Fear not Daniel for from the first day that thou didst set thy heart to understand and chasten thy soul before thy God thy words were heard and I am come forth because of thy words Doth not all this call upon Christians to do three things First to get a mighty sense of their ignorance which is the grand cause they do not profit Secondly to be greatly burthened that it is so with them Thirdly to set their faces towards the Lord God by prayer and supplication without ceasing both to be and to abide otherwise Is not the Prophet Daniels Writing for our learning and to encourage us to take the same course God sorely dislikes the contrary Isa 32. 9. Rise up ye women that are at ease not troubled or burthened hear my voyce ye careless Daughters and be troubled Thus much may serve to inform a willing mind how to get from under the power of this Dying Sign of indifferency to Assemble and so pass to the second third and fourth Signs of Dying to Christ in which I shall be somewhat brief they having some kind of dependance upon this first Sign CHAP. II. Containing three Causes of weariness to spiritual Worship and the principal Reasons thereof SIGN II. VVHen in your purest Worship you are quickly weary It is possible to come to this pass at but a seeming occasion and persons create some kind of pretence why they are weary if it happen that at some time they are not so particularly and personally concerned in that part of Gods Worship where they are present It so falling out that the matter God is intreated about they are not so at want in or what is preached they to some considerable degree are informed in already This may fall out in numerous Congregations where different conditions ministers different occasions as to the manner of carrying on their Worship and though at such a time for a growing Christian there is no room to be weary he being as well delighted occasionally to hear or pray over again what he knows as he is to hear what he knows not in the one he takes occasion to praise for what was in the other to praise for what is yet declining persons will in such a case as this when they are not so nearly concerned take advantage not only to be weary but from hence plead their justification so to be but this Sign speaks to persons under a further consideration such as in their purest Worship are quickly weary in their most intimate private personal closet performances retired from company and set to the most intimate Worship of God in fasting praying self-examining and the like yea from a sense of mighty Need drawn to this and yet quickly weary must needs argue them deep in this decay and that in such there is a very strong combate who shall now gain the field they being a weary in their purest Worship It is evident hence that the enemy hath got more than ordinary advantage and strikes now at the very root of their Religion aiming at once as it were to make a speedy end and puts such Christians instead of Worshiping faintly to cease Worshiping at all its high time therefore at the first sight of such declining which in our dayes is not the portion of a few for surely surely many there are in Churches that in their purest Worship are quickly weary I say again its high time that those that find the case thus with them do even like the Ninevites at the preaching of Jonah They beleived God proclaimed a fast from the greatest to the least Jonah 3. 5. Even so let such go to their knees humble themselves and cry mightily that they perish not Now the Causes of this decay seems to be these three First Self-conceitedness that they know enough Secondly Luke-warmness in their Religion Thirdly Unaptness to personal Duties Which may serve as helps to remove it where begun or prevent it where like to come First Self-conceitednesse that they know enough Now this comes to pass either First Through ignorance of what they ought to know or Secondly Through Carlesness to put in practise what they do know Let the Law of God as the Law of a Nation be never so plain in it self lâ—â—d down yet without studious industry to understand what is Gods own injunction we may remain ignorant of the same and that ignorance prove a sin to us it being the effect of sloathfulness contrary to Prov. 2. beginning If thou seek for wisdome as for silver and search mark that for it as for hid treasure then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord and find the Knowledg of God Psal 1. 2. Secondly Through carelesness to put in practice what they do know persons are very apt to complain of their ignorance of plain duties yea as though they were holden and hindred when as all experience speaks the only way to know more is to put in practice what we do know already Thou oughtest
under Gods woe though they do what they ought to do yet in leaving undone something weightier that ought to be done also Multitudes as the Scripture witnesseth have been and God knows in our dayes are deceived in this matter who content themselves some in being mighty just between man and man which in it self is good yet loose in other matters others great Church-men yet abominable proud covetous or both much like those Isa 58. 2. That seek God daily and delight to know his wayes mark that as a Nation that did righteousness and delight in approaching to God yea they fast and and afflict their Souls How excellent are all these things mentioned and worthy our noting that though found in this practice yet sent to by God to be told of their sins all which noted together proves that faithfulness in some truths while unfaithful in other truths more or as material renders the services of such to be of no account all which I have briefly noted for caution to two sorts of people in special First Such as live out of most way of Gospel seperation and yet keeping themselves under the observation of some truths that conscience the light of nature dictates to them though under apparent neglect and in disobedience to many known Gospel truths that they know or easily may know following the Counsel of God to cry after knowledg and lift up their voyce for understanding searching as they search for their silver digging as they dig for their hid treasure That is taking as great pains for the knowledg of the true treasure as they take to possess themselves with worldly treasure for the getting whereof they rise up early go to bed late and eat the bread of painfulness but all this while content themselves with lazie desires and saint wishes after the true treasure and will not close with any thing that proves costly in getting or keeping James 2. 19. Thou believest there is one God thou dost well the Devils also believe and tremble but wilt thou know O vain man that faith without work 〈◊〉 dead being alone therefore faith must be of a Gospel kind and proved to be so by Gospel works Though a man should beg pardon of his sin of lying cheating covetousness or uncleanness or such like works of the flesh all his dayes and yet continue in any or all of these yea though he could cry for it till his heart-strings break he must miss of it asking out of the way of the promise in which pardon is decreed by the God of Heaven to be given so that every repentance supposed to be right may be wrong and that faith not of a Gospel kind 〈◊〉 of a Gospel show If a man would havâ—â—â—â—vation with his sins or Christ and his 〈◊〉 he goes out of the channel of the penitent who are wont to meet God in sorrow fâ—â— sin and turning from sin Prov. 18. 13. H◠〈◊〉 covereth his sins shall not prosper but wâ—â—â—â—â— confesseth and Forsaketh them shall have â—eâ—cy Now deceitful hearts through the Dâ—â—â—â— wiles misconstrue promises of Glory 〈◊〉 part for the whole having confident dependance upon the promises of life and can 〈◊〉 many Scriptures wherein are gracious promises made by God to sinners but never consider what Kinds of sinners theâ— be to whom the promises are made neither take any due care to perform the condition the promisâ— is made upon so please themselves in the hope of Heaven not diligently weighing the foundation their hope is built upon It is like to prove with such as with a hungry man he dreameth and behold he eateth but he awaketh and his soul is empty Isa 29. 8. Many will say to Christ in the great day we have eaten and drunk in thy presence and thou hast taught in our streets therefore Lord Lord open to us depart from me ye workers of iniquity whose hope must perish in being not of that purifying kind that renews the soul God-ward but still allows the flesh a commanding power forgetting that great mark which proves the hope of Gods Elect to be of the right kind John 1. 3. 1. And every one that hath This Hope in him purifyeth him-himself even as he is pure Secondly Let this serve for caution to such in Churches as are or are like to be curious in the lesser whiles careless in the greater Great hath been the trouble of such Churches as can witness this decay to have been amongst them it still took the most inconsiderate that lived too much below comparison in Gods Law where or when to be more or less in condescention in order to the best maintaining edification which is the great end of all institution they forgetting or not knowing this have gone so unseasonable about setting up the lesser that they have debased the weightier making the remedy prove far worse than the disease carrying on this work with such manner of management that an indifferent stander by could not but imagin that sure the whole will of God lay in the one two or three lesser things that they so pleaded for especially seeing it carryed on with that heat of Spirit resolution of taking place that the bonds of love and Church Communion could not hold them Whence hath the divisions among the baptized Churches both in affection and practice risen if not from this very root Cannot hundreds witness yea and mourn for what they know in this matter hath not the great law of love and the great design of all Ordinances to wit Edification been sacrificed for the will of some novelties I know what I speak to be truth and that I have many witnesses The honour of God the credit of his Religion when it hath come in competition hath been less preferred than some new apprehension if not some old error newly espoused doth not this preach persons wonderfully carnal and wise in their own conceits How far have such gone from Christs good example I have yet many things to say to you but ye cannot bear them now Let us mind a little their best season of receiving was Christs best season of declaring Doth not Christ by this teach every Disciple of his to digest well themselves First What they have to offer before they offer it and the best season too may not nay have not some by seeking before due season to set up some one lesser law thrown down several greater laws nay hath not some unseasonably bringing in the truth together with the ill management thereof brought into the Church by head and shoulders envying strife and devision and cast out humbleness of mind long-suffering gentleness and bowels doth not the holy Apostle set a copy for all how to walk in this respect 1 Cor. 3. 1. And I Brethren could not speak unto you as unto spiritual but as unto carnal even babes in Christ I have fed you with milk and not with meat for hitherto ye have not been able to bear it neither yet are ye able
come not in company with them yet if you must then rebuke them for any among their great friends kindred or any other by whom perhaps they have great gain to bear with swearing blaspheming deriding at religion or other vain communications plainly argues a great slavish fear to have possessed them Secondly another Cause of this may be an impotent love that is your love to God proves weak or lame There is no fear in love but perfect love casts out fear because fear hath torment Thirdly Unskilfulness in the Doctrine of self-denyal may prove a great Cause of this decay Whosoever doth not take up his Cross and follow me cannot be my Disciple behold I go bound in the spirit to Jerusalem not knowing the things that shall befal me there save that the holy Ghost witnesseth in every City saying bonds and afflictions abide me but none of these things move me neither count I my life dear to my self so I may finish my course with joy Fourthly A doubtful mind of Gods All-sufficiency and certainty to make up what damage may come through our care to his name and credit both in this life and that to come Gods All sufficiency is never so seen as in the time of greatest scarcity or under the highest straits Then stand still and see the salvation of the Lord and as Gods sufficiency is never so seen as then in like manner he is never so obliged as then When persons are suffering through his grace for his name-sake They shall lay their hands on you and persecute you and bring you before Rulers for my names-sake but I will give you a mouth and wisdome which all your adversaries shall not be able to gain-say Luke 21. 12. 13. CHAP. XVII Shewing that sinning through impatience under Offences is a certain mark of deep decay with Objections and Answers proving the degrees of anger and three Causes why Christians are impatient unto sin SIGN XVII VVHen at a small offence you are so impatient that you commit great sin It is not possible to live without offences giving or taking real or seeming and such is mans frailty in common that even under small provocations they are apt to yield to too deep an impression But for better understanding it may be necessary to make some Observation upon this Sign First As to the meaning of small Offences Secondly As to the kind of impatience here intended First By small Offences is meant either small with respect to the little occasion that is given perhaps but seemingly or if real yet so slender as it would be wisdome to wink at it and but folly to be moved by it Secondly Small as coming from the smallest occasions viz. earthly an error of life as to the things of heaven though small being that that is greater by many degrees than some error that may arise from the things of this life which by God are called the smallest matters A Christian may be easily read more or less strong or spiritual as he is more or less affected with the offences that this life minister to him Whereas there is envyings debate and strife among you are ye not carnal and walk as men 1 Cor. 3. 2. Now the kind of impatience here intended is for offences to be so moved or inraged as to run beyond the bounds of Gods alowance Be angry but sin not let not the Sun go down upon your wrath Intimating a great aptness in persons when provoked to be so inraged as to continue and boyl in wrath seeking for revenge contrary to Gods counsel Be in malice as Children Object But it may be Objected whether an allowance of anger or impatience under provocation may not be Answ There is anger in good part and in bad part so to take offence or be angry or impatient as to thirst after personal revenge or requital surely is not good He that is so angry with his brother shall be in danger of Judgment for in their anger they slew a man and in their wrath they digged down a Wall cursed be their anger for it was fierce Gen. 49. 6 7. Here Impatience is taken in ill part and by Christians to be abhorred and avoyded it being not of that kind Exod. 32. 19. And Moses anger waxed hot full of zealous and sore displeasure not simply against their person but against their sin Thus God is said to be angry with his people when by their sins they provoke him Numb 11. 10. But Impatience and anger in ill part is such as runs out to the breaking the hedge of Government running into cursing swearing tumults fighting or brawling Object 2. But it may be again Objected that the Sign it self seems to give an allowance of great anger or impatience under great Offences for it saith When at a small offence you are so impatient that you commit great sin Answ Doubtless under great Offences greater displeasure may be manifested but let the growing heaven-born Christian set up his standard here that at no offence small or great he may dare at any hand to break down the wall in a word Be angry and sin not Ephes 4. 26. By this means we make our quarrel Gods whose vengeance is and he will righteously repay otherwise that is when impatience carries us into the path of sinning we make the quarrel our own and take Gods work from him and so incur his displeasure upon us The good Lord give in wisdome and strength to Christians here under all provocations whether great or smal in Church or Family from friend or enemy that they let patience have its perfect work rather to the suffering any wrong than committing the least sin how like our Head the Lord Jesus would this declare us to be Who did no sin neither was guile found in his mouth yet when he was reviled reviled not again when he suffered threatned not took it most meekly and committed himself to him that judgeth righteously Object 3. But it may be objected again whether by this Superiours as Governours Parents or Masters may or not be angry with their Inferiours Answ Yes and correct them to but it must be as their drinking was in Esthers time according to the Law of Gods allowance Read for our rule in this case and let us live and die by it Nehem. 5. 6 7 9. And I was very angry when I heard their cry and these words then I rebuked the Nobles and Rulers saying It is not good that you do ought ye not to walk in the fear of our God because of the reproach of the Heathen our enemies O let Christians make this their rule under all provocations to keep within the fear of God because of the reproach of the Adversary yea let your provocation be what it will or from whom it will friend or enemy child or servant them that have most cause or least cause still remember and keep to this it is better ten thousand times ten thousand patiently to suffer than impatiently to
blind a light to them in darkness at the same time under the dominion of Sin But what may be the Causes of this that persons should take such pains in Religion and at the same time be but meer painted Sepulchres Answ First gross ignorance Secondly Carnal security First Gross ignorance that God did never institute Laws for Laws sake but for his Name sake and sinners saving never placing happiness in them but in him that is the Author of them O then what ignorance and madness is it for people to content themselves with flesh-circumcision God will punish such with the uncircumcised Jer. 9. last Behold the dayes come saith the Lord that I will punish the circumcised with or as truly as the uncircumcised for the one hath it not in the flesh and the other not in the heart Secondly Carnal security That is dream they shall be accepted because great Prayers great Preachers great goers to Church though this be good in it self yet this is filthy and bad when either it is alone or rested in When they shall say peace and safety then suddain destruction cometh upon them as travail upon a woman with child and they shall not escape 1 Thes 5. 3. CHAP. XIX Containing in it a description of a decaying Christian by his light trouble at Miscarriages though known to Gods eye while kept from mans eye with two special Causes of this Decay SIGN XIX VVHen you are not much troubled at your own Miscarriages while they are kept from publick view By Miscarriages here I would be understood the failings and fallings of Gods Children not wilfully nor altogether willingly but through infirmity being overtaken or as it were insnared before they are aware yet truly privy to what they have done and not ignorant they have gone out of the way Nevertheless if their going thus far in sight and sense of uneven walking be found without much trouble it is most evident then their case is very sad Now who is he that lives and sins not 1 King 8. 46. And who is he that can hide what he doth from an All-seeing eye Psal 139. 7. And what is it that puts distinction between a good mans sinning and a bad mans sinning but that the one sins with all his will the other with scarce any of his will to the one what he doth is matter of delight to the other what he doth is his sickness though it is true he doth it yet his heart is grieved for it now the more or less a good man is troubled upon this score the more or less is his decay where the awful fight of Gods eye is much reverenced there all Miscarriages are soon discerned and much avoided but the lesser any man is beset with this grace lessens his fear to the greater and heightens his fear to the lesser that is Gods eye is not so much run from as mans eye one of the highest temptations to sin being secresie and one of the greatest seasons to try whether a man hath good will to do amiss or no it having in it no kind of let to touch his sensitive part with care or fear to eschew it because that visible shame that sin brings in all probability cannot come then Satan is at work mightily having the highest opportunity unless the Conscience be found very tender to strike the heart into a trembling sense of that piercing eye of the Almighty saying with Job Doth not he see my wayes and count all my steps chap. 31. 42. What else can hinder closing with temptation to a high degree now such misdoing as this of secret sinning found in any and they not much troubled because it is not made known let the sin they have committed be never so small in account yet a sin doth prove such very desolate of the grace of God Amnon one of Davids Sons being evil disposed towards Tamar his Sister is not thoughtful at all of Gods secret eye but careful how to avoid mans eye as this saying proves Have all men out from me 2 Sam 13. 9. none but Tamar must stay with him towards home he is wickedly designed running into Gods eye without all fear so he may run from mans eye It was not thus with good Joseph Jacobs son when he had as much if not more secresie and the temptation without very strong to have drawn him into high miscarriages at such a time in a resisting way gives this reply How can I do this great wickedness and sin against God Gen. 39. 9. In like manner Annanias and Saphira that sold their possessions under pretence of giving the price as a Free-will Offering to the Lords use but when required to speak the truth whether or no they kept any thing back in fear to mans eye rather than Gods eye sins at a high rate Lying as the Scripture gives it to the Holy Ghost Acts 5. 1 2 3 4. But as it is the practise of decaying Christians to be most careful to keep their miscarriages from mans eye in like manner their sorrow at the sight of sin is distinguishable to be different from the sorrow of the growing Christian though his miscarriage may be only known to God saying with David Against thee thee only have I sinned and done this wickedness in thy sight that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest clear when thou judgest On the contrary as Jeremiah complains I hearkned and heard but they spake not aright no man repented him of his evil saying what have I done every one turneth to his course as the Horse rusheth into the battail But I shall proceed to the Causes of this Decay Now the Causes of this which being avoyded may serve also as Remedies against this Dying Sign and they may be these two First want of fear to God Secondly want of love to God First want of fear to God he whose heart is possessed with the fear of God as knowing his greatness and his goodness his mighty power and arme to save or destroy though such a one wants no power or secresie to offend this God by committing actual evil a-against this God yet dare not cannot will not do it But were it not for the fear of God could and would do what they cannot nor dare not this held good Joseph Gen. 29. 7. How can I do this great wickedness and sin against God Nehem. 9. 15. But so did not I because of the fear of God these persons wanted neither power nor secresie to have complyed with the temptations before them yet they are held by this precious grace the fear of God Secondly want of love to God is a Cause of this decay did we so love him as we ought we would not so wound him by our sinning as we do Had they known him indeed it may be said had they loved him they would not have crucified the Lord of glory 2 Cor. 2. 10. If any man love me he will keep my sayings and my father will love him