appointed us to waite for Him And if He think good to come another way more immediat Let Him alwayes be welcome but let not us limite Him nor prescribe wayes to Him but follow his directions 2. When any thing is borne-in upon their Spirit as a truth to be received or as an errour to be rejected more immediately they would beware of admitting of every such thing without tryal and examination for we are expressely forbidden to beleeve every Spirit and commanded to try them whether they are of God or not 1 Iohn 4 1. The Lord will not take it ill that even his own immediat motions and revelations be tryed and examined by the word because the word is given us for this end to be our teste and standart of truth The way of immediat revelation is not the ordinary way now of God's manifesting his minde to his people He hath now chosen another way and given us a more sure word of prophecie than was even a voice from heaven as Peter sayeth 2 Pet. 1 18 19. It is commended in the Bereans Act. 17 11. who upon this account were more noble then those of Thessalonica in that they received the word with all readinesse of minde searched the scriptures dayly whether those things were so Even Pauls words though he was an authorized infallible Apostle of Christ's are here put to the touch stone of the word Many false Prophets may go out and deceive many and speak great swelling words of vanity 1 Iohn 4 1. 2 Pet. 2 18. and the devil can transchange himself into an angel of light 2 Cor. 11 14. And though an Angel out of heaven should preach any other thing than what is in the written word we ought not to receive his doctrine but to reject it and to account him accursed Gal. 1 8. So that the written word must be much studied by us and by it must we try all motions all doctrines all inspirations all revelations and all manifestations 3. Much more would they beware of thinking that the dictats of their conscience obligeth them so as that alwayes they must of necessity follow the same Conscience being God's deputy in the soul is to be followed no further than it speaketh for God and according to truth An erring conscience though it binde so far as that he who doth contrary to the dictats thereof sinneth against God in that knowing no other than that the dictats of conscience are right and consonant to the minde of God yet dar counteract the same and thus formally rebel against Gods authoritie yet it doth not oblige us to beleeve and to do what it asserteth to be truth and duty It will not then be enough for them to say my conscience and the light within me speaketh so and instructeth me so for that light may be darknesse and errour and a delusion and so no rule for them to walk by To the law and to the testimony and if their conscience minde or light within them speak not according to this word it is because there is no ligâ—…t in them Esai 8 20. I grant as I said they can not without sin counter act the dictats even of an eâ—…ing 〈◊〉 because they know not better but that these dictats are according to truth and thus an erring conscience is a most dangerous thing and bringeth people under a very sad dilemma that whether they follow it or not they sin and there is no other remedie here but to lay by the eâ—…ing conscience and get a conscience rightly informed by the word puting it in Christ's hand to be better formed and informed that so it may do its office better This then would be especially guairded against for if once they lay downe this for a principle that whatever their conscience and minde or in ward light as some call it dictat must be followed there is no delusion how false how abominable so ever it be but they may be at length in hazard to be drawn away with and so the rule that they will walk be be nothing in effect but the Spirit of lies and of delusion and the motions and dictates of him who is the Father of lies that is the Devil 4. Such as pretend so much to walk by conscience would take hâ—…ed that they take not that for the dictate of conscience which really is but the dictat of their own humors inclinations preoccupyed mindes and byassed wills When conscience speaketh it groundeth on the authority of God whether truely or falsely and proposeth such a thing to be done or to be refrained from meerly because God commandeth that and forbiddeth this though sometimes it mistaketh but though the dâ—…ctats of mens humors inclinations preoccupyed judgements and wills may pretend God's authority for what they say yet really some carnal respect selfish end and the like lyeth at the bottom and is the chiefe spring of that motion and also the dictats of humor and byassed willes are usually more violent and fierce then the dictats of conscience for wanting the authority of God to back their assertions and prescriptions they must make up that with an addition of a preternatural force and strength Hence such as are purely led by conscience are pliable humble and ready to heare and receive information whereas others are headstrong and pertinacious unwilling to receive instruction or to heare any thing contrary to their mindes lest their conscience receiving more light speak with a higher voyce against their inclinations and former wayes and so create more trouble to them whileas now they enjoy more quiet within so long as the cry of their selfwill byassed judgment is so loud that they can not well hear the still and low voyce of conscience 5. They would labour for much self denyal and sincerity and to be free from the snares and power of selfish ends as credite a name and applause or what of that kinde that may be like the fear of man that bringeth a snare Prov. 29 2. 5. for that will be like a gift that blindeth the eyes of the wise Exod. 23 8. love to carry on a party or a designe to be seen and accounted some body to maintaine their credite and reputation lest they be accounted changelings and the like will prove very dangerous in this case for these may forcibly carry the soul away to imbrace one errour after another and one errour to strengthen and confirme another that it is hard to know where or when they shall stand and these by-respects may so forcibly drive the soul forward that he shall neither heare the voice of conscience within nor any instruction from without 6. They would study the word of truth without prejudice and any sinfull preingadgment lest they be made thereby to wiredraw and wrest the word to their own destruction as some of whom Peter speaketh 2 Pet. 3 16. It is a dangerous thing to study the word with a prejudicat opinion and to bow or wiredraw
perish O Lord. How to make the whole more useful for thee for whose advantage it s mainly intended I leave to the Author 's own direction onely this I must say his method and mould wherein he casts this sweet matter and his way of handling this so seasonable a subject it so accommodat to each case and brought home to the conscience and down to the capacity of the meanest Christian which was his aim that the feeble in this day might be as David that howbeit many worthy men have not onely hinted but enlarged upon the same matter yet thou canst not but see some heart-endeareing singularity in his way of improveing and handleing this great gospel truth Next I must tell thee that as I my self read it with much satisfaction though Alas I dar not say I have by reading reaped the designed advantage so that thou mayest be blushed into a peruseal thereof and profiting thereby I must likewise tell thee I say it hath been turned into dutch and that it hath not onely met with great acceptation amongst all the serious and Godly in these parts who have seen it but is much sought after and they professe themselves singularly thereby edified and set a going after God by its efficatious perswasivenesse with a singing alacrity and if it have not the same effect upon thee and me they and it will rise up against us in judgment Up therefore Christians and be doing listen to such a teacher who lest thou tire in thy race or turne bake teacheth thee a certaine and sweet way of singular proficiency and progresse in the wayes of God It may be it is not thy work nor mine to writ books against these soul murthering however magnified methods of takeing men off Jesus Christ but our peâ—…ury of parts for that should 1. Put us to seek plenty of teares that we may weep to see our Master so wounded by the piercing pens of those who to patronize their mock religion wrest the Scriptures and with wicked hands wring the word of the Lord till it weep blood this I say should provoke thee and me to weep upon Him till He appeare and beat the pens of such deceivers out of their hand by a blow of his 2. It should provoke us to know the truth that we may contend earnestly for the faith delivered to the saints and to have these contradicted truths so impressed in their life upon our souls that the pen of the most subtile pleader for this perversion of the gospel may neither delet thâ—…se nor be able to stagger us but we may from the efficacious workings of these have the witnesse in our selves and know the men who teach otherwayes not to be of God 3. It should be our ambition when the all of religion is cryed down and a painted shadow a putrid however perfumed nothing put in its place to make it appeare by our practise that Religion is an elevation of the soul above the sphere and activity of dead morality and that it is no lesse or lower principle that acts us than Christ dwelling in us and walking in us how can the love of God of Christ of the Spirit be in us if these perverse pratters against the power of godlinesse provoke us not to emit a practical declaration to the world extort a Testimony to his grace by our way from the enemies thereof Improve therefore this his special help to that purpose which in a most sensonable time is brought to thy hand But to sum up all shortly there are but three things which make religion an heavy burden First the blindnesse of the minde here thou art taught to make use of that eye-salve whereby the eyes of the blind see out of obscurity and out of darkenesse he who formerly erred in Spirit by the light held forth in these lines may see a surpasseing beauty in the wayes of God Secondly That aversion and unwillingnesse which is in the minde whereby the sweet easy yoke of his commands iâ—… spurned at as heavy in order to the removing thereof that thou mayest be among his willing people here thou hast Christ held forth in his conquering beauty displaying his banner of love over souls so that thou canst not look upon him as held forth but â—…ith will bow thy neck to take on his yoke because it sees it is lined with the love of Christ then this love that line the yoke shed abroad in the heart will constraine to a bearing of it O it must be an easy yoke because itis love tender love that imposeth it and it must be easy delightful to the bearer because itis the nature of love to think the greatest difficulties easy if thereby an evidence of loves reality may be given to the party beloved now if Christ thought the greatest burden easy even that which with its weight wrung these words from him now is my soul troubled c. to perswade souls of the reality and riches of his love to them Then the soul can think nothing heavy that he imposeth since he will interpret the bearing of it an evidence of its love to him none of his commandments can be grievous to the man now since he hath saide This is the love of God that yee keep his commandments Now there is a readinesse of minde to do all things without disputings murmurings as love knowes no lyon in its way so it is no murmuring disputant when this question is cleared Lord what wilt thou have me to do then love hath no moe questions its greatest difficulty is solved But Thirdly when the Spirit is willing there remains yet much weaknesse love kindled in the heart conquers the mind into a compliance with his will and a complacency in his commands but it s greatest strength is often to weep over a withered hand now that thy hands which fall down may be made strong for labour and thou mayest be girded with strength and have grace for grace yea all grace to make thee abound unto every good word and work The Author leads thee up unto the sull fountaine of all Gospel furniture and strength and teacheth thee how to make use of Jesus Christ as thy sufficiency for working all thy works in thee and for thee Take heart therefore unto thee when thy looking unto duâ—…y may make thee dispair of performance lift up thine eyes to him who is here set before thee look till every new look upward bring light and life inward and capacitat thee for makeing a new louse foreward in the power of 〈◊〉 might â—…he was but a wicked servant who said I 〈◊〉 thou art a hard master No it is false That religion which gives ease must be an easy religion and truely such 〈◊〉 Gospel holinesse not onely in regaird that it is the liberation of the soul from the basest bondage but in regaird that he who is thy Master will be served of his own the allowed supplies for all
Him in a day of tryall Confession of Him must be made with the mouth as with the heart we must beleeve Ro. 10 9. Let corruption speak against this what it will because it is alwayes desireous to keep the skinne whole yet reason cannot but say that it is equitable especially seing He hath said that whosoever confesseth Him before men He will confesse them before his Father which is in heaven Mat. 10. 32. And that if we suffer with Him we shall also reigne with Him 2 Tim. 2. 12. Is He our Lord and Master and should we not owne and avouch Him Should we be ashamed of him for any thing that can befall us upon that account What Master would not take that ill at his servants hands Hence then we see that there is nothing in all the conditions on which He offereth Himself to us that can give the least ground in reason why a poor soul should draw back and be unwilling to accept of this noble offer or think that the conditions are hard But there is one maine Objection which may trouble some and that is They cannot beleeve faith being the gift of God it must be wrought in them How then can they goe to God for this and make use of Christ for this end that their souls may be wrought up to a beleeving consenting to the bargan and hearty accepting of the offer To this I would say these things 1. It is true that faith is the gift of God Ephes. 2 8. and that it is He alone who worketh in us both to will to do Phil. 1 29 and none cometh to the son but whom the father draweth Iohn 6 44. and it is a great matter and no small advancement to win to the reall faith and through conviction of this our impotency for thereby the soul will be brought to a greater measure of humiliation and of despaireing of salvation in it self which is no small advantage unto a poor soul that would be saved 2. Though faith be not in our power yet it is our duty Our impotency to performe our duty doth not loose our obligation to the duty so that our not beleeving is our sin and for this God may justly condemne us His wrath abideth on all who beleeve not in his Son Jesus and will not accept of the offer of salvation through the crucified mediator And though faith as all other acts of grace be efficiently the work of the Spirit yet it is formally our work we do beleeve but it is the Spirit that worketh faith in us 3. The ordinary way of the Spirit 's working faith in us is by pressing home the duty upon us whereby we are brought to a despairing in ourselves and to a looking out to Him whose grace alone it is that can work it in the soul for that necessary 〈◊〉 and breathing without which the soul will not come 4. Christ Jesus hath purchased this grace of faith to all the elect as other graces necessary to their salvation and it is promised and convenanted to Him that He shal see his seed and shall see of the travell of his soull Esai 53 10 11. and that by the knowledge of him that is the rationall and understanding act of the soul griping to and laying hold upon Him as he is offered in the gospell many shall be justified Ibid. Hence he sayeth that all whom the father hath given to Him shall come unto Him Ioh. 6 37. and the Apostle tels us that we are blessed with all spiritual blessings in Him Ephes. 1 3. 5. Not only hath Christ purchased this grace of faith and all other graces necessary for the salvation of the elect but God hath committed to Him the administration and actuall dispensation and outgiving of all those graces which the redeemed stand in need of Hence He is a Prince exalted to give repentance and forgivenesse of sinns Act. 5 31. all power in heaven and earth is committed unto him Mat. 28 18 19. Hence He is called the author and finisher of faith Heb. 12 v. 2. and He telleth his disciples Iohn 14 13. 14. That whatever they shall ask in his name He will do it He is made Prince and a Saviour having all judgment committed unto him Iohn 5 22. and He is Lord of all Act. 10 36. Rom. 14 9. 6. Hereupon the sinner being convinced of his lost condition through sin and misery of an utter impossibility of helping himself out of that state of death of Christ's alsufficiency and willingnesse to save all that will come to Him and of its owne inability to beleeve or come to Him for life and salvation or to lay hold on and leane to his merites and satisfaction and so despaireing in himself is to look out to Iesus the author of eternall salvation the foundation and chiefe corner stone the author and finisher of faith I say the sinner being thus convinced is thus to look out to Iesus not that that conviction is any proper qualification prerequisite as necessary either to prepare dispose and fit for faith or far lesse to merite any manner of way or bring on faith But because this is Christ's methode to bring a soul to faith by this conviction to the glory of his grace The soul naturally being averse from Christ and utterly unwilling to accept of that way of salvation must be redacted to that straite that it shal see that it must either accept of this offer or die as the whole needeth not a physitian so Christ is come to save only that which is lost and his method is to convince the world of sin in the first place and then of righteousnesse Iohn 16 8 9. 7. This looking out to Iesus for faith comprehendeth those things 1. The Souls acknowledgement of the necessitie of faith to the end it may partake of Christ and of his merites 2. The souls satisfaction with that way of partaking of Christ by a closeing with Him and a resting upon Him by faith 3. A sense and conviction of the unbeleefe and stubbornnesse of the heart or a seeing of its own impotency yea and unwillingnesse to beleeve 4. A persuasion that Christ can overmaster the infidelity wickednesse of the heart and worke up the soul to a willing consent unto the bargane 5. A hope or a half hope to speak so that Christ who is willing to save all poor sinners that come to Him for salvation and hath said that He will put none away in any case that cometh will have pity upon him at length 6. A resolution to lye at his door till he come with life till He quicken till He unite the soul to Himself 7. A lying open to the breathings of his Spirit by guarding against every thing so far as they can that may grieve or provok Him and waiting on Him in all the ordinances He hath appointed for begetting of faith such as reading the scriptures hearing the word conference with godly persons and prayer
for the breathings of his Spirit and open at his call least afterward they be put to call and seek and not attaine what they would be at as we see in the Spouse Cant. 5 2 3 4. 5 6. c. 7. They would also guaird against the quenching of the Spirit 1 Thes. 5 12. or greiving of the Spirit Ephes. 4 30. by their unchristian unsuteable carriage for this will much marre their sanctification It is by the Spirit that the work of sanctification is carryed on in the soul and when this Spirit is disturbed and put from his work how can the work go on When the motions of this indwelling Spirit are extinguished his work is marred and retarded and when He is grieved he is hindered in his work Therefore souls would guard against unbeleefe despondency unsuteable unchristian carriage c. 8. Especially they would beware of wasteing sinns Psal. 51 10. Sins against light and conscience such as David calleth presumptuous sinâ—… Psal. 19 13. They would beware also of favouring any known corruption or any thing of that kinde that may hinder the work of sanctification Secondly It were usefull and of great adâ—…antage for such as would grow in grace and advance in the way of holinesse to be living in the constant conviction 1. Of the necessity of holinesse without which no man shall see God Heb. 12 14. nothing entering in into the new Ierusalem that defileth Revel 21 27. 2. Of their owne inability to do any one act aright how they are not sufficient of themselvs to think any thing as of themselvs 2 Cor. 3 5. and that without Christ they can do nothing Iohn 15 5. 3. Of the insufficiency of any humane helpe or meanes or way which they may think good to choose to mortifie aright one corruption or to give strength for the right discharge of any one duty for our sufficiency is of God 2. Cor. 3 5. and it iâ—… through the Spirit that we must mortifie the deedâ—… of the body Rom. 8 13. 4. And of the treachery and deceitfulnesse of the heart which is bent to follow by wayes being not only deceitfull above all things but also desperatly wicked Ier. 17 9. That by this meanes the soul may be jealous of it self and despaire of doing any thing in its owne strength and so be fortified against that maine evill which is an enemy to all true sanctification viz confidence in the flesh Thirdly The soul would keep its eye fixed on those things 1. On Christ's alsufficiency to helpe in all cases that He is able to save to the uttermost Heb. 7 v. 25. 2. On his compassionednesse to such as are out of the way and ready nesse to helpe poor sinners with his grace and strength and this will keep up the soul from fainting and dispaireing 3. On the commands to holinesse such as those cleanse your hands and purify your hearts Iam 4 8. and be ye holy for I am holy 1 Pet. 1 15 16. and the like That the authority of God and conscience to a command may set the soul a work 4. On the great recompense of reward that is appointed for such as wrestle on and endure to the end and on all the great promises of great things to such as are sanctified whereof the Scriptures are full that the soul may be encouraged to run thorow difficultyes to ride out stormes to endure hardnesse as a good souldier and to persevere in duty 5. On the other hand on the many sad threatnings and denunciations of wrath against such as transgresse his lawes and on all the sad things that such as shake off the fear of God and the study of holinesse have to look for of which the Scripture is full that by this meanes the soul may be keeped in awe and spurred forward unto duty and made the more willing to shake off Leazynesse 6. On the Rule the word of God by which alone we must regulate all our actions and this ought to be our meditation day and night and all our study as we see it was Davids and other holy men of God their dayly work See Psal. 1. and 119. Fourthly In all this study of holinesse and aimeing at an hiegher measure of grace the beleever would lavell at a right end and so would not designe holinesse for this end that he might be justified thereby or that he might thereby procure and purchase to himself heaven and God's favoure for the weight of all that must lie on Iesus Christ who is our Righteousnesse and our holinesse must not dethrone Him nor rob Him of his glory which He will not give to another But would study holinesse to the end he might glorifie God Father Son and holy Spirit and please Him who calleth to holinesse and thereby be made meet to be partaker of the Inheritance of the saints in light Col. 1 10 12. and be made a meet bride for such a holy bridegroome and a member to such an holy head that hereby others might be edified Mat. 5 16 1. Pet. 2 12. and 3 1 2. that the soul may look like a temple of the holy ghost and like a servant of Christ's bought with a price 1 Cor. 6 17 18 10. 20. And have a clear evidence of his regeneration and justification and also that he may expresse his thankfulnesse to God for all his favours and benefites Fiftly The soul would by faith lay hold on and grip fast to the ground of sanctification that is to say 1. To what Christ hath purchased for his people 2. To what as a publike person He hath done for them And so by faith 1. Challenge a right to and lay hold on the promises of grace strength victory and throw-bearing in their combating with corruption within and Satan and a wicked world without 2. Reckon themselves dead unto sin through the death of Christ and alive unto God through his resurrection Rom. 6 4 11. and that the old man is crucified with Him that the body of sin might be destroyed vers 6. and that they are now not under the law but under grace vers 14. That by this meanes they may be encouraged to continue fighting against a vanquished enemy and not give over notwithstanding of disappointments discouragements prevailings of corruption c. and the beleever may know upon what ground he standoth and what is the ground of his hope and exspectation of victory in end and so he may run not as uncertanely and so fight not as one that beateth the aire 1 Cor. 9 26. Sixtly In this work of sanctification the beleever would be much in the lively exercise of faith fight by faith advance by faith grow up and bring forth fruit by faith and so 1. The beleever would be oft renewing his grips of Christ holding Him fast by faith and so abideing in Him that he may bring forth fruit Iohn 15 4 5. 2. Not only would he be keeping his union fast with Christ but he