enlarged in duty most assisted in his Christian course Remember Christian when thou hast thy best suit on who made it who paid for it Thy grace thy comfort is neither the work of thy own hands nor the price of thy own desert be not for shame proud of anothers cost That assistance will not long stay which becomes a nurse to thy pride thou art not Lord of that assistance thou hast Thy Father is wise who when he alloweth thee most for thy spiritual maintenance even then keeps the Law in his own hands and can soon curb thee if thou growest wanton with his grace Walk humbly therefore before thy God and husband well that strength thou hast remembring that it is borrowed strength Nemo prodiget quod mendicat Who will waste what he begs or who will give that beggar that spends idly his almes when thou hast most thou canst not be long from thy God his door And how canst thou look him on the face for more who hast imbezell'd what thou hast received CHAP. III. Of acting our faith on the Almighty Power of God THe third Branch followeth which contains an encouraging Amplification annexed to the exhortation in these words And in the Power of his might where a twofold enquiry is requisite for the explication of the phrase First what these words import The Power of his might Secondly what it is to be strong in the Power of his might For the first the Power of his might It is an Hebraism imports nothing but his mighty Power like that phrase Eph. 1.6 To the praise of the glory of his grace that is to the praise of his glorious grace And his mighty Power imports no lesse then his Almighty Power sometimes the Lord is stiled mighty and strong as Ps 24.8 sometimes most mighty sometimes Almighty no lesse is meant in all then Gods infinite Almighty Power For the second to be strong in the mighty Power or Power of the Lords might implies these two acts of faith First a setled firme perswasion that the Lord is Almighty in Power Be strong in the Power of his might that is be strongly rooted in your faith concerning this one foundation-truth that God is Almighty Secondly it implies a further act of faith not only to believe that God is Almighty but also that this Almighty Power of God is engaged for its defence so as to bear up in the midst of all trials and temptations undauntedly leaning on the arme of God Almighty as if it were his own strength for that is the Apostles drift as to beat us off from leaning on our own strength so to encourage the Christian to make use of Gods Almighty Power as freely as if it were his own when ever assaulted by Satan in any kinde As a man set upon by a thief stirs up all the force and strength he hath in his whole body to defend himself and offend his adversary so the Apostle bids the Christian be strong in the Lord and in the Power of his might that is Soul away to thy God whose mighty Power is all intended and devoted by God himself for thy succour and defence Go strengthen and entrench thy selfe in it by a stedfast faith as that which shall be laid out to the utmost for thy good From whence these two Notes I conceive will draw out the fatnesse of the words 1. That it should be the Christians great care and endeavour in all temptations and trials to strengthen his faith on the Almighty Power of God 2. The Christians duty and care is not only to believe that God is Almighty but strongly by faith to rest on this Almighty Power of God as engaged for his help and succour in all his trials and temptations First it should be the Christians great care in all temptations and trials to strengthen his faith on the Almighty Power of God When God holds forth himselfe as an object of the souls trust and confidence in any great strait or undertaking commonly this attribute of his Almighty power is presented in the promise as the surest hold fast for faith to lay hold on as a Father in rugged way gives his childe his arme to lay hold by so doth God usually reach forth his Almighty power for his Saints to exercise their faith on Abraham Isaac and Jacob whose faith God tried above most of his Saints before or since for not one of those great things which were promised to them did they live to see performed in their dayes and how doth God make known himself to them for their support but by displaying this Attribute Exod. 6.3 I appeared unto Abraham Isaac and Jacob by the Name of God Almighty This was all they had to keep house with all their dayes with which they lived comfortably and died triumphantly bequeathing the promise to their children not doubting because God Almighty had promised of the performance Thus Isa 26. where great mercies are promised to Judah and a Song penn'd before-hand to be sung on that gaudie day of their salvation yet because there was a sharp Winter of Captivity to come between the Promise and the Spring-time of the promise therefore to keep their faith alive in this space the Prophet calls them up to act their faith on God Almighty v. 4. Trust ye in the Lord Jehovah for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength So when his Saints are going into the furnace of persecution what now doth he direct their faith to carry to prison to stake with them but this Almighty power 1 Pet. 4.19 Let them that suffer commit the keeping of their souls to him as to a faithful Creatour Creatour is a name of Almighty Power we shall now give some Reasons of the Point Reas 1 First because it is no easie work to make use of this truth how plain and clear soever it now appears in great plunges of temptation that God is Almighty To vindicate this Name of God from those evil reports which Satan and carnal Reason raise against it requires a strong faith indeed I confesse this principle is a piece of natural divinity That light which finds out a Deity will evince if followed close this God to be Almighty yet in a carnal heart it is like a rusty sword hardly drawn out of the scabbard and so of little or no use Such truths are so imprisoned in natural conscience that they seldome get a faire hearing in the sinners bosome till God gives them a Goal-delivery and brings them out of their house of bondage where they are shut up in unrighteousnesse with a high hand of his convincing Spirit Then and not till then the soule will believe God is holy merciful Almighty nay some of Gods peculiar people and not the meanest for grace amongst them have had their faith for a time set in this slough much ado to get over those difficulties and improbabilities which sense and Reason have objected so as to relie on the Almighty Power of
doest not go up to heaven and pry into Gods secrets but heaven comes down to thee and reveals them Again he will ask the Christian what was the time of his Conversion Art thou a Christian will he say and dost thou not know when thou commencedst now keep the Plains content thy self with this that thou seest the streams of grace though the time of thy Conversion be like the head of Nylus not to be found God oft comes betimes before grosse sins have deflowered the soule and steals into the creatures bosome without much noise In such a case Satan doth but abuse thee when he sends thee on this errand you may know the Sun is up though you did not observe when it rose Again what will become of thee saith Satan if God should bring thee into such an affliction on trial when thou must burn or turn or when all thy outward estate shall be rent from thee no meal in the barrel no money in the purse darest thou have so good an opinion of thy selfe as to think that thy faith will hold out in such an houre of temptation It thou hast but half an eye Christian thou mayest see what Satan drives at this is an ensnaring question by the feare of future troubles he labours to bring thee into a neglect of thy present duty and indispose thee also for such a stare whenever it falls If a man hath much businesse to do on the morrow 't is his wisdom to discharge his minde thereof when composing to sleep lest the thoughts thereof break his rest and make him the more unfit in the morning The lesse rest the soule hath in God and his promise concerning future events the lesse strength it will finde to beare them when the pinch comes When therefore thou art molested with such feares pacifie thy heart with these three plain Conclusions First every event is the product of Gods Providence not a sparrow much lesse a Saint falls to the ground by poverty sicknesse persecution c. but the hand of God is in it Secondly God hath put in caution he will never leave thee nor forsake thee He that enables thee in one condition will in another God learns his servants their whole trade Grace is an universal principle At the first moment of thy spiritual life suffering grace was infused as well as praying grace Thirdly God is wise to conceale the succours he intends in the several changes of thy life that so he may draw thy heart into an entire dependance on his faithful promise Thus to try the mettal of Abrahams faith he let him go on till his hand was stretch't forth and then he comes to his rescue Christ sends his disciples to sea but stayes behinde himself on a design to try their faith and shew his love Comfort thy self therefore with this though thou seest not thy God in the way yet thou shalt finde him in the end Secondly Satan perplexeth the tender consciences of doubting Christians with obscure Scriptures whose sense lies too deep for their weak and distempered judgements readily to finde out and with these he hampers poor soules exceedingly indeed as melancholy men delight in melancholy walks so doubting soules most frequent such places of Scripture in their musing thoughts as encrease their doubts how many have I known that have look't so long on those difficult places Heb. 6.7 Heb. 10.26 which passe the understanding as a swift stream the eye so that the sense is not perceived without great observation till their heads have turned round and they at last not able to untie the difficulties have fallen down into despairing thoughts and words of their own condition crying out O they have sinned against knowledge of the truth and therefore no mercy remains for them who if they would have refreshed their understandings by looking off these places whose engraving is too curious to be long pored on by a weak eye they might have found that in other Scriptures plainly exprest which would have enabled them as through a glasse more safely to have viewed these Therefore Christian keepe the Plaines thou mayest be sure 't is thine enemy that gives thee such stones to break thy teeth when thy condition calls rather for bread and wine such Scriptures I mean as are most apt to nourish thy faith and cheere thy drooping spirit When thou meetest such plain Scriptures which speak to thy case go over where it is fordable and do not venture beyond thy depth Art thou afraid because thou hast sinned since the knowledge of the truth and therefore no sacrifice remains for thee See David and Peters case how it patterns thine and left upon record that their recovery may be a Key in thine hand to open such places as these mayest thou not safely conclude from these this is not their meaning that none can be saved that sin after knowledge Indeed in both those places it is neither meant of the falls of such as ever had true grace nor of a falling away in some particular acts of sin but of a total universal falling away from the Faith the doctrine of it as well as seeming practice of it Now if the root of the matter were ever in thee other Scriptures will first comfort thee against those particular apostasies into which thou hast relapsed by sweet promises inviting such to return and Precedents of Saints who have had peace spoken to them after such folly and also they will satisfie thee against the other by giving full security to thy faith that thy little grace shall not die being immortal though not in its proper essence because but a creature yet by Covenant as it is a childe of Promise Thirdly Dark Providences From these Satan disputes against Gods love to and grace in a soule First he got a commission to plunder Job of his temporal estate and bereave him of his chilchildren and then labours to make him question his spiritual estate and sonship his wife would have him entertain hard thoughts of God saying Curse God and die and his friends as hard thoughts of himself as if he were an hypocrite and both upon the same mistake as if such an afflicted condition and a gracious state were inconsistent Now Christian keep the Plaines and neither from this charge God foolishly for thine enemy nor thy self as his Reade the saddest Providence with the Comment of the Word and thou canst not make such an harsh interpretation As God can make a streight line with a crooked stick be righteous when he useth wicked instruments so also gracious when he dispenseth harsh Providences Joseph kept his love when he spake roughly to his brethren I do not wonder that the wicked think they have Gods blessing because they are in the warme Sun Alas they are strangers to Gods counsels void of his Spirit and sensual judging of God and his Providence by the report their present feeling makes of them like little children who think every one loves
to do them good Surely God will have something for the sweat yea lives of his servants which were worne out in striving with such rebellious ones May be yet sinners your firmament is clear no cloud to be seen that portends a storme but know as you use to say winter does not rock in the clouds you shall have it at last every threatening which your faithful Ministers have denounced against you out of the Word God is bound to make good He confirmeth the Word of his servant and performeth the counsel of his messengers and that in judgement against sinners confirming the threatenings as well as in mercy performing the promises which they declare as the portion of his children But it will be time enough to ask such on a sick-bed or a dying houre whether the words of the Lord delivered by their faithful Preachers have not taken hold of them Some have confessed with horrour they have as the Jewes Zech. 1.6 Like as the Lord of hosts thought to do unto us so hath he dealt with us Secondly the Spirit strives with men more immediately when he makes his inward approaches to the consciences of men debating in their own bosoms the case with them one while he shews them their sins in their bloody colours and whether they will surely bring them if not look't to timely which he doth so convincingly that the creature smells sometimes the very fire and brimstone about him and is at present in a temporary hell another while he falls a parlying and treating with them making gracious overtures to the sinner if he will return at his reproof presents the grace of the Gospel and opens a door of hope for his recovery yea falls a wooing and beseeching of him to throw down his rebellious armes and come to Christ for life whose heart is in a present disposition to receive and embrace the first motion the returning sinner makes for mercy Now when the Spirit of God follows the sinner from place to place and time to time suggesting such motions and renewing his old suit and the creature shall fling out of the Spirits hands thus striving with him re infectâ as far from renouncing his lusts or taking any liking to Christ as ever This is to resist the Spirit to his face and it carries so much malignity in it that even where it hath not been final poor humbled soules have been so over-set with the horrour of it that they could not for a long time be perswaded but that it was the unpardonable sin Take heed therefore sinners how you use the Spirit when he comes knocking at the door of your hearts Open at his knock and he will be your guest you shall have his sweet company repulse him and you have not a Promise hee 'll knock again And if once he leave striving with thee unhappy man thou art lost for ever thou liest like a ship cast up by the waves upon some high rock where the tide never comes to fetch it off Thou mayest come to the Word converse with other Ordinances but in vain 'T is the Spirit in them which is both tide and winde to set the soule afloat and carry it on or else it lies like a ship on dry ground which stirs not Secondly we wrestle against God when we wrestle with his Providence and that two wayes First when we are discontented with his providential disposure of us Gods carving for us doth not please us so but that we are objecting against his dealings towards us at least muttering something with the fool in our hearts which God heares as lightly as man our words God counts then we begin to quarrel with him when we do not acquiesce in and say Amen to his Providence whatever it is He calls it a contending with the Almighty Iob. 40.1 yea a reproving of God And he is a bold man sure that dare finde fault with God and article against heaven God challengeth him whoever he is that doth this to answer it at his peril He that reproveth God let him answer it v. 2. of the chapter fore-mentioned It was high time for Iob to have done when he heares what a sense God puts upon those unwary words which drop't from him in the anguish of his Spirit and paroxysme of his sufferings contend with the Almighty reprove God Good man how blank he is and cries out I am vile what shall I answer thee I will lay my hand upon my mouth Let God but pardon what is past and he shall hear such language no more O Sirs take heed of this wrestling above all other Contention is uncomfortable with whomsoever it is we fall out Neighbours or friends wife or husband children or servants but worst of all with God If God cannot please thee but thy heart riseth against him what hopes are there of thy pleasing him who will take nothing kindly from that man who is angry with him And how can love to God be preserved in a discontented heart that is alwayes muttering against him Love cannot think any evil of God nor endure to heare anyspeak evil of him but it must take Gods part as Ionathan Davids when Saul spake basely of him and when it cannot be heard will like him arise and be gone When afflicted love can allow thee to groan but not to grumble If thou wilt ease thy incumbred spirit into Gods bosome by prayer and humbly wrestle with God on thy knees love is for thee and will help thee to the best arguments thou canst use to God But if thou wilt vent thy distempered passions and shew a mutinous spirit against God this stabs it to the heart Secondly we wrestle against Providence when uncorrigible under the various dispensations of God towards us Providence has a voice if we had an eare mercies should draw afflictions drive now when neither faire meanes nor foule do us good but we are impenitent under both this is to wrestle against God with both hands Either of these have their peculiar aggravations One is against love and so dis-ingenuous the other is against the smart of his rod and therein we slight his anger and are cruel to our selves in kicking against the pricks Mercy should make us ashamed wrath afraid to sin He that is not ashamed has not the spirit of a man He that is not afraid when smitten is worse then the beast who stands in aw of whip spur Sometimes mercy especially these outward mercies which have a pleasing relish to the carnal part in a Christian hath prov'd a snare to the best of men but then affliction useth to recover them but when affliction makes men worse and they harden themselves against God to sin more and more while the rod is on them what is like to reclaim them few are made better by prosperity whom afflictions make worse He that will sin though he goes in pain will much more if that once be gone But take heed of thus contesting with God
willing to live here so long as now it is to perswade them to be willing to die so soon CHAP II. Wherein is shewed what is meant by flesh and blood how the Christian doth not and how he doth wrestle against the same SECT I. NOw followes the description of the Saints enemies with whom he is to wrestle First described Negatively Not with flesh and blood Secondly Positively But against Principalities and Powers c. First for the Negative part of the Description we are not to take it for a pure negation as if we had no conflict with flesh and blood but wholly and solely to engage against Satan but by way of comparison not only with flesh and blood and in some sense not chiefly It is usual in Scripture such manner of phrase Luke 14.12 Call not thy friends to dinner but the poore that is not only those so as to neglect the poor Now what is meant here by flesh and blood there is a double interpretation of the words First by flesh and blood may be meant our own bosome-corruptions that sin which is in our corrupt nature so oft called flesh in the Scripture The flesh lusteth against the Spirit and sometimes flesh and blood as Matth. â—6 17 Flesh and blood hath not revealed this that is this Confession thou hast made comes from above thy fleshly corrupt minde could never have found out this supernatural truth thy sinful Will would never have embraced it So 1 Cor 15.20 Flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdome of God that is sinful mortal flesh as it 's expounded in the words following So Gal. 1.21 I consulted not with flesh and blood that is carnal reason Now this bosome-enemy may be called flesh partly from its derivation and partly from its operation from its derivation because it 's derived and propagated to us by natural generation thus Adam is said to beget a son in his own likenesse sinful as he was as well as mortal and miserable yea the holiest Saint on earth having flesh in him derives this corrupt and sinful nature to his childe as the circumcised Jew begat an uncircumcised childe and the wheat cleans'd and fann'd being sowen comes up with a husk John 3.6 That which is borne of the flesh is flesh Secondly it s call'd flesh from the operations of this corrupt nature which are fleshly and carnal The reasonings of the corrupt minde fleshly therefore called the carnal minde uncapable indeed of the things of God which it neither doth nor can perceive As the Sunne doth obsignare superiora dum revelat inferiora hide the Heavens which are above it from us while it reveales things beneath so carnal reason leaves the creature in the dark concerning spiritual truths when it is most able to conceive and discourse of creature-excellencies and carnal interests here below What a childish question for so wise a man did Nicodemus put to Christ though Christ to help him did wrap his speech in a carnal phrase If fleshly reason cannot understand spiritual truths when thus accommodated and the notions of the Gospel translated into its own language what skill is it like to have of them if put to reade them in their original tongue I mean if this garment of carnal expression were taken off and spiritual truths in their naked hue presented to its view The motions of the natural will are carnal and therefore Rom. 8.5 They that are after the flesh are said to minde the things of the flesh All its desires delights cares feares are in and of carnal things it savours spiritual food no more then an Angel fleshly Omnis vita gustu ducitur What we cannot relish we will hardly make our daily food Every creature hath its proper diet the Lion eats not grasse nor the horse flesh what is food to the carnal heart is poison to the gracious and that which is pleasing to the gracious is distastful to the carnal Now according to this Interpretation the sense of the Apostle is not as if the Christian had no combate with his corrupt nature for in another place it 's said the Spirit lusts against the flesh and the flesh against the Spirit and this enemy is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the sin that besets the Christian round but to aggravate his conflict with this enemy by the accesse of a forreign power Satan who strikes in with this domestick enemy As if while a King is fighting with his own mutinous subjects some out-landish troops should joyne with them now he may be said not to fight with his subjects but with a forrein power The Christian wrestles not with his naked corruption but with Satan in them were there no devil yet we should have our hands full in resisting the corruptions of our own hearts but the accesse of this enemy makes the battel more terrible because he heads them who is a Captain so skilful and experienced Our sin is the engine Satan is the Engineer lust the bait Satan the Angler when a soule is enticed by his own lust he is said to be tempted James 1.14 because both Satan and our own lust concur to the compleating the sinne First let this make thee Christian ply the work of mortification close it is no policy to let thy lusts have armes who are sure to rise and declare against thee when thine enemy comes Achish his Nobles did but wisely in that they would not trust David in their army when to fight against Israel lest in the battel he should be an adversary to them And darest thou go to duty or engage in any action where Satan will appear against thee and not endeavour to make sure of thy pride unbelief c. that they joyne not with thine enemy Secondly are Satan and thy own flesh against thee not single corruption but edged with his policy and backed by his power see then what need thou hast of more help then thy owne grace take heed of grapling with him in the strength of thy naked grace here thou hast two to one against thee Satan was too hard for Adam though he went so well appointed into the field because left to himself much more easily will he foile thee cling therfore about thy God for strength get him with thee and then though a worme thou shalt be able to deal with this Serpent SECT II. Secondly flesh and blood is interpreted as a periphrasis of man We wrestle not with flesh and blood that is not with man who is here described by that part which chiefly distinguisheth him from the Angelical nature Touch me saith Christ and handle me a Spirit hath not flesh Now according to this Interpretation observe First how meanly the Spirit of God speaks of man Secondly where he layes the stresse of the Saints battel not in resisting flesh and blood but Principalities and Powers where the Apostle excludes not our combate with man for the war is against the Serpent and his seed As wide as
lesse then a God like fear and dread of them by that power he puts forth through divine permission in smiting their goods beasts and bodies as among the Indians at this day Yea there are many among our selves plainly shew what a throne Satan hath in their hearts upon this account such who as if there were not a God in Israel go for help and cure to his Doctours wizzards I mean And truly had Satan no other way to work his will on the soules of men but by this vantage he takes from the body yet considering the degeneracy of mans state how low his soule is sunk beneath its primitive extraction how the body which was a lightsome house is now become a prisoner to it that which was its servant is now become its Master it is no wonder he is able to do so much But besides this he hath as a spirit a neerer way of accesse to the soule and as a superiour spirit yet more over man a lower creature And above all having got within the soule by mans fall he hath now far more power then before so that where he meets not resistance from God he carrries all before him As in the wicked whom he hath so at his devotion that he is in a sense said to do that in them which God doth in the Saints God works effectually in them Gal. 2.8 1 Thes 2.13 Satan worketh effectually in the children of disobedience Eph. 2.2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the same word with the former places he is in a manner as efficacious with them as the holy Spirit with the other His delusions strong 2 Thes 2.11 They return not re infectâ The Spirit enlightens he blindes the mindes of those that believe not 2 Cor. 4.4 The Spirit fills the Saints Ephes 5.18 Why hath Satan filled thy heart saith Peter to Ananias Acts. 5.3 The Spirit fills with knowledge and the fruits of righteousnesse Satan fills with envy and all unrighteousnesse The holy Spirit fills with comfort Satan the wicked with terrours As in Saul vexed by an evil spirit and Iudas into whom 't is said he entered and when he had satisfied his lust upon him as Amnon on Tamar shuts the door of mercy upon him and makes him that was even now Traitour to his Master Hangman to himselfe And though Saints be not the proper subjects of his power yet they are the chief objects of his wrath his foot stands on the wickeds back but he wrestles with these and when God steps aside he is far above their match He hath sent the strongest among them home trembling and crying to their God with the blood running about their consciences He is mighty both as a tempter to and for sin knowing the state of the Christians affairs so wel able to throw his fire-bals so far into the inward senses whether they be of lust or horrour and to blow up these with such unwearied solicitations that if they at first meet not with some suitable dispositions in the Christian at which as from loose cornes of powder they may take fire which is most ordinary yet in time he may bring over the creature by the length of the siege and continued volleys of such motions to listen to a parley with them if not a yielding to them Thus many times he even wearies out the soule with importunity SECT II. Vse 1 First let this O man make the plumes of thy pride fall whoever thou art that gloriest in thy power hadst thou more then thou or any of the sons of Adam ever had yet what were all that to the power of these Angels Is it the strength of thy body thou gloriest in Alas what is the strength of frail flesh to the force of their spiritual nature thou art no more to these then a childe to a giant a worme to a man who could tear up the mountaines and hurle the world into a confusion if God would but suffer them Is it the strength of thy parts above others doest thou not see what fooles he makes of the wisest among men winding them about as a Sophister would do an Idiot making them believe light is dark bitter is sweet and sweet bitter were not the strength of his parts admirable could he make a rational creature as man is so absurdly throw away his scarlet and embrace dung I mean part with God and the glorious happinesse he hath in him in hope to mend himself by embracing sin Yet this he did when man had his best wits about him in innocency Is it the power of place and dignity got by warlike atchievement Grant thou wert able to subdue Nations and give lawes to the whole world yet even then without grace from above thou wouldest be his slave And he himselfe for all this his power is a cursed spirit the most miserable of all Gods creatures and the more because he hath so much power to do mischief had the devil lost all his Angelical abilities when he fell he had gained by his losse Therefore tremble O man at any power thou hast except thou usest it for God Art strong in body who hath thy strength God or thy lusts some are strong to drink strong to sin Thy bands shall therefore be stronger Isa 28.22 Hast thou power by thy place to do God and his Church service but no heart to lay it out for them but rather against them thou and the devil shall be tried at the same bar it seems thou meanest to go to hell for something thou wilt carry thy full lading thither No greater plague can befall a man then power without grace Such great ones in the world while here make a brave shew like chief Commanders and field-Officers at the head of their Regiments the common souldiers are poor creatures to them but when the Army is beaten and all taken prisoners then they fling off their scarfe and feather and would be glad to passe for the meanest in the army Happy would devils be Princes and great ones in the world be if then they could appear in the habit of some poor sneaks to receiv their sentence as such but then their titles and dignity and riches shall be read not for their honour but further shame and damnation Vs e 2 Secondly it shewes the folly of those that think it is such an easie matter to get heaven If the devil be so mighty and heavens way so full of them then sure it will cost hot water before we display our banners upon the walls of that new Ierusalem Yet it is plain many think otherwise by the provision they make for their march If you should see a man walking forth without a cloak or with a very thin one you will say Surely he fears no foule weather or one riding a long journey alone and without armes you will conclude he expects no thieves on the road All if you ask them will tell you they are on their way to heaven but how few care for
of his own unworthinesse and great unrighteousnesse tell him of a pardon alas he is so wrapt up with the thoughts of his own vilenesse that you cannot fasten it upon him What will God ever take such a toad as he is into his bosome discount so many great abominations at once and receive him into his favour that hath been so long in rebellious armes against him he cannot beleeve it no though he heares what Christ hath done and suffered for sin he refuseth to be comforted Little doth the soule think what a bitter root such thoughts spring from thou thinkest thou doest well thus to declaim against thy self and aggravate thy sins indeed thou canst not paint them black enough or entertain too low and base thoughts of thy selfe for them But what wrong hath God and Christ done thee that thou shouldest so unworthily reflect upon the mercy of the one and merit of the other Mayest thou not do this and be tender of the good Name of God also Is there no way to shew thy sense of thy sin except thou asperse thy Saviour Canst thou not charge thy self but thou must condemn God and put Christ and his blood to shame before Satan who triumphs more in this then all thy other sins In a word though thou like a wretch hast undone thy self and damned thy soule by thy sins yet art thou not willing God should have the glory of pardoning them and Christ the honour of procuring the same or art thou like him in the Gospel Luke 16.3 who could not dig and to beg was ashamed Thou canst not earne heaven by thy own righteousnesse and is thy spirit so stout that thou wilt not beg it for Christs sake yea take it at Gods hands who in the Gospel comes a begging to thee and beseecheth thee to be reconciled to him Ah soule who would ever have thought there could have lien such pride under such a modest veile and yet none like it 'T is horrible pride for a beggar to starve rather then take an alms at a rich mans hands a malefactour rather to choose his halter then a pardon from his gracious Princes hand but here is one infinitely surpassing both a soule pining and perishing in sin and yet rejecting the mercy of God and the helpng hand of Christ to save him Though Abigail did not think her self worthy to be Davids wife yet she thought David was worthy of her and therefore she humbly accepted his offer and makes haste to go with the messengers That 's the sweet frame of heart indeed to lie low in the sense of your own vilenesse yet to believe to renounce all conceit of worthinesse in our selves yet not therefore to renounce all hope of mercy but the more speedily to make haste to Christ that wooes us All the pride and unmannerlinesse lies in making Christ stay for us who bids his messengers invite poor sinners to come and tell them all things are ready But may be thou wilt say still it is not pride that keeps thee off but thou canst not believe that ever God will entertain such as thou art Truly thou mendest the matter but little with this either thou keepest some lust in thy heart which thou wilt not part with to obtain the benefit of the promise and then thou art a notorious hypocrite who under such an out-cry for thy sins canst drive a secret trade with hell at the same time or if not so thou doest discover the more pride in that thou darest stand out when thou hast nothing to oppose against the many plain and clear promises of the Gospel but thy peremptory unbelief God bids the wicked forsake his wayes and turne to him and he will abundantly pardon him but thou sayest thou canst not believe this for thy own self Now who speaks the truth One of you two must be the liar either thou must take it with shame to thy self for what thou hast said against God and his promise and that is thy best course or thou must proudly yea blasphemously cast it upon God as every unbeliever doth 1 John 5.10 Nay thou makest him forsworn for God to give poor sinners the greater security in flying for refuge to Christ who is that hope set before them Heb. 6.17 18. hath sworn they should have strong consolation O beatos quorum causâ Deus jurat O miserrimos si nec juranti credamus Tertul. de poenit O happy we for whose sake God puts himself under an oath but O miserable we who will not believe God no not when he sweares Secondly when the soul hath shot the great gulfe and got into a slate of peace and life by closing with Christ yet this mannerly pride Satan makes use of in the Christians daily course of duty and obedience to disturb him and hinder his peace and comfort O how unchearfully yea joylesly do many precious soules passe their dayes If you enquire what is the cause you shall finde all their joy runs out at the crannies of their imperfect duties and weak graces they cannot pray as they would and walk as they desire with evennesse and constancy they see how short they fall of the holy rule in the Word and the patterne which others more eminent in grace do set before them and this though it doth not make them throw the Promises away and quite renounce all hope in Christ yet it begets many sad fears and suspitions yea makes them sit at the feast Christ hath provided and not know whether they may eat or not In a word as it robs them of their joy so Christ of that glory which he should receive from their rejoycing in him I do not say Christian thou oughtest not to mourn for those defects thou findest in thy graces and duties nay thou couldest not approve thy self to be sincere if thou didst not A gracious heart seeing how far short his renewed state forthe present falls of mans primitive holinesse by Creation cannot but weep and mourn as the Jewes to behold the second Temple yet Christian even while the tears are in thy eyes for thy imperfect graces for a soule riseth with his grave-clothes on thou shouldest rejoyce yea triumph over all these thy defects by faith in Christ in whom thou art compleat Col. 1.10 while imperfect in thy selfe Christs presence in the second Temple which the first had not made it though comparatively mean more glorious then the first Hag. 2.9 how much more doth his presence in this spiritual temple of a gracious heart imputing his righteousnesse to cover all its uncomelinesse make the soule glorious above man at first This is a garment for which as Christ saith of the lilie we neither spin nor toile yet Adam in all his created royalty was not so clad as the weakest believer is with this on his soul Now Christian consider well what thou doest while thou sittest languishing under the sense of thy own weaknesses and refusest to rejoyce in Christ and live comfortably
must deliver thee up when that comes Even when thy strength is firmest and thou eatest thy bread with a merry heart that very food which nourisheth thy life gives thee withal an earnest of death as it leaves those dregs in thee which will in time procure the same O how unavoidable must this evil day of death be when that very staffe knocks us down to the grave at last which our life leans on and is preserved by God owes a debt both to the first Adam and second to the first he owes the wages of his sin to the second the reward of his sufferings The place for full payment of both is the other world so that except death comes to convey man thither the wicked who are the posterity of the first Adam will misse of that full pay for their sins which the threatening makes due debt and engageth God to perform The godly also who are the seed of Christ these should not receive the whole purchase of his blood which he would never have shed but upon the credit of thar promise of eternal life which God gave him for them before the world began This is the reason why God hath made this day so sure in it he dischargeth both bonds The third branch of the point follows That it behoves every one to prepare and effectually to provide for this evil day which so unavoidably impends us And that upon a twofold account First in point of duty Secondly in point of wisdome First in point of duty First it is upon our allegiance to the great God that we provide and arme our selves against this day Suppose a subject were trusted with one of his Princes castles and this man should hear that a puissant enemy was coming to lay siege to this castle yet takes no care to lay in armes and provision for his defence and so 't is lost how could such a one be clear'd of treason doth he not basely betray the place and with it his Princes honour into the enemies hand Our souls are this castle which we are every one to keep for God We have certain intelligence that Satan hath a design upon them and the time when he intends to come with all his powers of darknesse to be that evil day Now as we would be found true to our trust we are obliged to stand upon our defence and store our selves with what may enable us to make a vigorous resistance Secondly we are obliged to provide for that day as a suitable return for and improvement of the opportunities and meanes which God affords us for this very end We cannot without shameful ingratitude to God make waste of those helps God gives us in order to this great work Every one would cry out upon him that should basely spend that money upon riot in prison which was sent him to procure his deliverance out of prison And do we not blush to bestow those talents upon our lusts and Satan which God graciously indulgeth to deliver us from them and his rage in a dying houre what have we Bibles for Ministers and preaching for if we mean not to furnish our selves by them with armour for the evil day In a word what is the intent of God in lengthening out our dayes and continuing us some while here in the land of the living was it that we might have time to revel or rather ravel out upon the pleasure of this vaine world Doth he give us our precious time to be employed in catching such butterflies as these earthly honours and riches are It cannot be Masters do not use if wise to set their servants about such work as will not pay for the candle they borne in doing it And truly nothing lesse then the glorifying of God and saving our soules at last can be worth the precious time we spend here The great God hath a greater end then most think in this dispensation If we would judge aright we should take his own interpreration of his actions and the Apostle Peter bids us count that the long-suffering of the Lord is salvation 2 Pet. 3.15 which plate he quotes out of Paul as to the sense though not in the same forme of words which in Rom. 2.4 are these Or despisest thou the riches of his goodnesse and forbearance and long-suffering not knowing that the goodnesse of God leadeth thee to repentance From both places we are taught what is the minde of God and the language he speaks to us in by every moments patience and inch of time that is granted to us It is a space given for repentance God sees as we are death and judgement could bring no good news to us we are in no case to welcome the evil day and therefore mercy stands up to plead for the poor creature in Gods bosome and begs a little time more may be added to its life that by this iudulgence it may be provoked to repent before he be called to the bar Thus we come by every day that is continually superadded to our time on earth And doth not this lay a strong obligation on us to lay out every point of this time unto the same end 't is begged for Secondly in point of wisdome The wisdom of a man appears most eminently in two things First in the matter of his choice and chief care Secondly in a due timing of this his choice and care First a wife man makes choice of that for the subject of his chief care and endeavour which is of greatest importance and consequence to him fools and children only are intent about toys and trifles They are as busie and earnest in making of a house of dirt or cards as Solomon was in making of his Temple Those poor bables are as adequate to their foolish apprehensions as great enterprises are to wise men Now such is the importance of the evil day especially that of death that it proves a man a fool or wise as he comports himself to it The end specifies every action and gives it the name of good or evil of wise or foolish The evil day of death is as the end of our dayes so to be the end of all the actions of our life Such will our life be found at last as it hath been in order to this one day If the several items of our life counsels and projects that we have pursued when they shall then be cast up will amount to a blessed death then we shall appear to be wise men indeed but if after all our goodly plots and policies for other things we be unprovided for that houre we must be content to die fooles at last And no such fool as the dying fool The Christian goes for the fool in the worlds account while he lives but when death comes the wise world will then confesse they mis-call'd him and shall take it to themselves We fooles counted his life to be madnesse and his end to be without honour But how is he now numbred among the
not crying out upon the devil and declaiming against sin in prayer or discourse but fighting and mortifying it that God looks chiefly upon such a one else doth but beat the aire there are no marks to be seen on his flesh and unmortified lusts that he hath fought Paul was in earnest he left a witnesse upon his body made black and blew with stroaks of mortification It was not a little vapouring in sight of the Philistines that got David his wife but shedding their blood And is it so small a matter to be son to the King of Heaven that thou thinkest to obtain it without giving a real proof of thy zeal for God and hatred to sin Not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work this man saith the Apostle shall be blessed in his deed James 1.25 Mark not by his deed but in his deed he shall meet blessednesse in that way of obedience he walks in The empty Professour disappoints others who seeing his leaves expect fruit but finde none and at last he disappoints himself he thinks to reach heaven but shall misse of it Tertullian speaks of some that think Satìs Deum habere si corde animo suspiciatur licèt actu minus fiat God hath enough they think if he be feared and reverenced in their hearts though in their actions they shew it not so much and therefore they can sin and believe in God and feare him never the worse This saith he is to play the Adulteresse and yet be chaste to prepare poison for ones father and yet be dutiful but let such know saith the same father that if they can sin and believe God will pardon them with a contradiction also he 'll forgive them but they shall be turn'd into hell for all that As ever you would stand at last look you be found doing the work your Lord hath left you to make up and trust not to lying words as the Prophet speaks Jer. 7. SECT II. Secondly Observe that such is the mercy of God in Christ to his children that he accepts their weak endeavours joyn'd with sincerity and perseverance in his service as if they were full obedience and therefore they are here said to have done all O who would not serve such a Lord you hear servants sometimes complain of their Masters to be so rigid and strict that they can never please them no not when they do their utmost But this cannot be charged upon God Be but so faithful as to do thy best and God is so gracious that he will pardon thy worst David knew this Gospel-indulgence when he said Then shall I not be ashamed when I have respect to all thy Commandments Psal 119.6 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when my eye is to all thy Commandments The Traveller hath his eye on or towards the place he is going though he be yet short of it there he would be and is putting on all he can to reach it So stands the Saints heart to all the Commands of God he presseth on to come nearer and nearer to full obedience such a soul shall never be put to shame But wo to those that cover their sloth with the name of infirmity yea that spend their zeal and strength in the pursuit of the world or their lusts and then think to make all up when charg'd therwith That it is their infirmity and they can serve God no better These do by God as those two did by their Prince Francis the first of France who cut off their right hand one for another and then made it an excuse they were lame and so could not serve in his Galleys for which they were sent to the Gallowes Thus many will be found at last to have disabled themselves by refusing that help the Spirit hath offered to them yea wasted what they had given them and so shall be rewarded for hypocrites as they are God knows how to distinguish between the sincerity of a Saint in the midst of his infirmities and the shifts of a false heart But we will wave these and briefly speak to foure points which lie clear in the words First here is the necessity of perseverance Having done all 2ly here is the necessity of divine Armour to persevere til we have done al. Wherfore else bids he them take this armour for this end if they could do it without Thirdly here is the certainty of persevering and overcoming at last if clad with this Armour else it were small encouragement to bid them take that Armour which would not surely defend them Fourthly here is the blessed result of the Saints perseverance propounded as that which will abundantly recompence all their pain and patience in the war having done all to stand From these follow foure distinct Points First he that will be Christs souldier must persevere Secondly there can be no perseverance without true grace in the heart Thirdly where true grace is that soul shall persevere Fourthly to stand at the end of this war will abundantly recompence all our hazard and hardship endured in the warre SECT III. He that will be Christs souldier must persevere to the end of his life in this war against Satan This Having done all comes in after our conflict with death That ye may be able to withst and in the evil day then follows And having done all We have not done all till that pitch't battel be fought The last enemy is death The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 imports as much as to finish a businesse and bring a matter to a full issue so Phil. 2.12 where we translate it well Work out your salvation that is perfect it be not Christians by halves but go through with it the through Christian is the true Christian Not he that takes the field but he that keeps the field not he that sets out but he that holds out in this holy war deserves the name of a Saint There is not such a thing in this sense belonging to Christianity as an honourable retreat not such a word of command in all Christs military Discipline as fall back and lay down your armes No you must fall on and stand to your armes till call'd off by death First we are under a Covenant and Oath to do this Formerly souldiers used to take an oath not to flinch from their colours but faithfully to cleave to their Leaders this they called Sacramentum militare a military oath Such an oath lies upon every Christian It is so essential to the being of a Saint that they are described by this Psal 50.5 Gather my Saints together those that have made a Covenant with me We are nor Christians till we have subscribed this Covenant and that without any reservation When we take upon us the Profession of Christs Name we list our selves in his muster-roll and by it do promise that we will live and die with him in opposition to all his enemies Every Nation will walk in the name of his God and we will
God with a notwithstanding Moses himself a starre of the first magnitude for grace yet see how his faith blinks and twinkles till he wades out of the temptation Numb 11.21 The people among whom I am are six hundred thousand and thou hast said I will give them flesh that they may eat a whole moneth shall the flocks and the herds be slain for them to suffice them This holy man had lost the sight for a time of the Almighty Power of God and now he is projecting how this should be done as if he had said in plain termes How can this be accomplished for so God interprets his reasoning v. 23 And the Lord said unto Moses Is the Lords hand waxed short So Mary John 11.32 Lord if thou hadst been here my brother had not died And her Sister Martha v. 39. Lord by this time he stinketh Both gracious women yet both betrayed the weaknesse of their faith on the Almighty Power of Christ one limiting him to place If thou hadst been here he had not died as if Christ could not have saved his life absent as well as present sent his health to him as well as brought it with him The other to time Now he stinketh As if Christ had brought his Physick too late and the grave would not deliver up its prisoner at Christs command and hast thou such an high opinion of thy self Christian that thy faith needs not thy utmost care and endeavour for further establishment on the Almighty Power of God when thou seest such as these dash their foot against this kinde of temptation The second Reason may be taken from the absolute necessity of this act of faith above others to support the Christian in the houre of temptation All the Christians strength and comfort is fetched without doors and he hath none to send of his errand but faith This goes to heaven and knocks God up as he in the parable his neighbour at midnight for bread Therefore when faith failes and the soul hath none to go to market for supplies there must needs be a poor house kept in the meane time Now faith is never quite laid up till the soul denies or at least questions the Power of God Indeed when the Christian disputes the Will of God whispering within its own bosome will he pardon will he save this may make faith go haltingly to the throne of grace but not knock the soule off from seeking the face of God even then faith on the Power of God will bear it company thither If thou wilt thou canst make me clean if thou wilt thou canst pardon thou canst purge But when the soul concludes he cannot pardon cannot save this shoots faith to the heart so that the soule falls at the foot of Satan not able more to resist Now it growes listlesse to duty indifferent whether it pray or not as one that sees the Well dry breaks or throwes away his Pitcher Reas 3 Thirdly because God is very tender of this flower of his Crown this part of his Name Indeed we cannot spell it right and leave out this letter for that is Gods Name whereby he is known from all his creatures Now man may be called wise merciful mighty God only all-wise all-merciful Almighty so that when we leave out this syllable All we nick-name God and call him by his creatures name which he will not answer to Now the tendernesse that God shews to this Prerogative of his appears in three particulars First in the strict command he layes on his people to give him the glory of his power Isa 8. 12 13. Feare ye not their feare but sanctifie the Lord of hostes himself that is in this sad posture of your affaires when your enemies associate and you seem a lost people to the eye of Reason not able to contest with such united Powers which beset you on every side Now I charge you sanctifie me in giving me the glory of my Almighty Power believe that your God is able of himself without any other to defend you and destroy them Secondly in his severity to his dearest children when they stagger in their faith and come not off roundly without reasoning and disputing the case to relie on his Almighty Power Zacharias did but ask the Angel How shall I know this because I am an old man and my wife stricken in yeares yet for bewraying therein his unbelief had a signe indeed given him but such a one as did not only strengthen his faith but severely punish his unbelief for he was struck dumb upon the place God loves his children should believe his Word not dispute his power so true is that of Luther Deus amat curristas nonquaeristas That which gave accent to Abrahams faith Rom. 4.21 was that he was fully perswaded that what God had promised he was able to performe Thirdly in the way God takes of giving his choicest mercies and greatest salvations to his people wherein he layes the scene of his Providence so that when he hath done it may be said Almighty Power was here And therefore God commonly puts down those means and second causes which if they stood about his work would blinde and hinder the full prospect thereof in effecting the same 2 Cor. 1.9 We received the sentence of death in our selves that we might not trust in our selves but in God which raiseth the dead Christ stayed while Lazarus was dead that he might draw the eyes of their faith more singly to look on his power by raising his dead friend rather then curing him being sick which would not have carried so full a conviction of Almightinesse with it Yea he suffers a contrary power many times to arise in that very juncture of time when he intends the mercy to his people that he may reare up the more magnificent pillar of remembrance to his own power in the ruine of that which contests with him Had God brought Israel out of Egypt in the time of those Kings which knew Joseph most likely they might have had a friendly departure and an easie deliverance but God reserves this for the reigne of that proud Pharaoh who shall cruelly oppresse them and venture his Kingdom but he will satisfie his lust upon them And why must this be the time but that God would bring them forth with a stretched-out arme The magnifying of his power was Gods great designe Exod. 9.16 In very deed for this cause have I raised thee up to shew in thee my power and that my Name may be declared throughout the earth Fourthly in the prevalency which an argument that is pressed from his Almighty Power hath with God It was the last string Moses had to his bowe when he begg'd the life of Israel Numb 14.16 The Nations which have heard the fame of thee will speak saying Because the Lord was not able c. And v. 17. Let the Power of my Lord be great And with this he hath their pardon thrown him The Application of