NOW and EVER SHEWING Where the Work of Conversion is throughly done it is done for ever ESA. 46.3 4. Hearken unto me O house of Jacob and all the remnant of the house of Israel which are born by me from the belly which are carryed from the womb And even to your old age I am he and even to hoar haires will I carry you I have made and I will bear even I will carry and will deliver you PSAL. 48.14 This God is our God for ever and ever he will be our guide even unto death By William Jemmat Preacher of the Gospel in Reading LONDON Printed by L. Miller for John Chandler Bookseller in Reading 1666. To the Serious Reader THere be two weighty truths about the grace of Conversion in a soul that shall be saved One that of necessity it must be done in this present life according to that of Salomon Eccl. 9.10 Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do do it with thy might for there is no work nor device nor knowledge nor wisdom in the grave whither thou goest Now or Never The other that when this work is once done well in some good manner as it ought to be done it is done for ever and shall never fail the Christian here or hereafter The former is a matter of serious diligence and carefulness The latter of strong and full consolation Happy is the soul that suffers it self to be perswaded and over-ruled in present to do this great business of coming home to his God and joyning it self to him in a perpetual Covenant that shall never be forgotten Hereby it hath done a work which shall last to Eternity and â—â—ver be undone any more Now and Ever And it is such a work as shall stand it in stead whatever sad occasions shall meet it in this evil and troublesome world Believers amidst all bodily infirmities and temptations and afflictions of this life yet in their God to whom through rich mercy they are come at conversion have a sure and strong stay to rest upon and may say as David Psal 73.26 My flesh and my heart faileth but God is the strength of my heart and my portion for ever O precious portion for a soul to find setling and contentment A portion is that wich falls to a man upon division of Land or Goods Now the Lord in his most wise dâ—spensation allots to some a portion in temporals They have their portion in this life Psal 17.14 To others he reserves himself for a portion who is infinitely better then the multitude of Riches Pleasures Honours and all the finest accommodations And because God is the portion of Believers therefore it is the good part or portion Luke 10.42 It is a blisfull portion and makes those for ever happy who share in it Psal 144.15 It is an all-sufficient portion and in every respect able to serve our turns and give complete contentment Gen. 17.1 And it is an everlasting portion my portion for ever saith David And thâ— us the Lord becomes the portion of a believing soul partly by his own free and voluntary giving himself to it both in his eternal Decree and purpose as also by actual application partly by the souls voluntary accepting owning and chusing the Lord for a portion with which it will rest satisfied Lam. 3.24 The Lord is my portion saith my soul The Lord himself perswade strengthen and establish our hearts by believing that we may rest contented with this our portion and be in some measure thankful for it that seeing he hath vouchsafed to be our portion we may ever think it fitting and necessary to be a peculiar people and portion unto him Deut. 32 9. The Lords portion is his people Jacob is the lot of his Inheritance W. J. Now and Ever ISAIAH 40.30 31. Even the youths shall faint and be weary and the young men shall utterly fall But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength they shall mount up with wings as Eagles they shall run and not be weary they shall walk and not faint IN the beginning of this Chapter the Lord by his Prophet had promised great and glorious things to his poor Church as return out of the Babylonish Captivity with wonderful mercies procuring and accompanying the same and such as reach to the times of the Gospel ver 3. Christ comes to do it and the Baptist makes way for him therefore Believers may expect performance Which that they may do the Prophet doth lively set forth the Power and Wisdom of God which are the main helps to accomplish his Decrees he knows how to do it and he is able to do it and a Believer may easily collect that if the Lord be so powerful and careful in the Government of the world how much more will he so be for the good of his Church and Chosen Then it might be objected Yea but the Church seems to be of all other most neglected and is most troubled in the world and this makes us even faint and cast hope away ver 27. For this they are blamed in the Verses following and told that God is sufficient for his Church against all her enemies and in all her faintness and they shall see Great Ones of the world fail and come to nothing when his people shall survive and be triumphant This last is the mind of the Holy Ghost in these two last Verses which have an amplification of the Churches strength by opposition to the strength of nature and of the world Even the youths shall faint and be weary and the young men shall utterly fall but they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength they shall mount up with wings as Eagles they shall run and not be weary they shall walk and not faint As if he had said None have the strength that Gods people have no not the stoutest and choycest men that are whom Generals and Commanders of War do pick out from the rest and most trust in and brag of their puissance yet faintness comes upon such by Hunger Cold Watching Travelling Fighting rumors that they hear of the enemies might fear which the Lord sends upon their spirits a thousand wayes to cool their courage But my people go upon better and higher Principles namely of my favour and of my special grace in them whereby through believing they shall become strong out of weakness and hold out to a full and glorious victory over all enemies both from hell and in the world Now this opposition of strength and strength leads us to these two Propositions One That all created strength is of a fainting and failing nature The other That the strength whereby true Christians stand in the favour of God and the expectation of heaven is greater and better then all the strength of nature even taken at the best and strongest Briefly of the former All created strength is of a fainting and failing nature Though there be not only a firm and healthy body but much
not by their own strength nor such a strength as men of the world stand by but a surpassing and excellent strength which shall carry them bravely through the briars to a place of rest and glory True ye bear about you a weak and mortal body and beside a sinful flesh which grieves you more then the other and ye fear sometimes that ye shall never hold out in the work of God to the end and blessed reward prepared for the Saints But pluck up your hearts and follow on carefully and conscionably in the use of means to attain the Resurrection of the just Herein ye labour and sweat and fear and only faint not and ye find many discouragements on earth and from hell Well your labour shall not be in vain in the Lord and know It is not your own strength that must do it but his as the quarrel and battel is not yours but his thousands shall fall on your right hand and ten thousands on the left but you shall escape as here it is said Even the youths shall faint and be weary but they that wait on the Lord shall renew their strength He that believes hath the witness in himself and he hath the fountain of life in himself even the Spirit of grace as living waters which shall refresh his soul in every year of drought Only believe and thou shalt surely be established Remember flesh indeed is an enemy but mortified and God hath given us the Victory through Christ our Lord. More as grace will make it our corruption of nature shall further the work of God in us by making us low in our own eyes and driving us to the means whereby we may be strengthned It makes us earnest in prayer to get a supply from heaven which we cannot find upon earth It preserves an Appetite to the word which is the main Cordial to revive a Christian heart now fainting It sends him often to the Lords Table where he may have a good Meals meat for the strengthning of his faith and comforting of his soul As likewise to the Society of the godly to reading and other props which God in love hath provided to uphold him Object There is a power from hell which opposeth this power of grace and may not this one time or other throw the Christian quite upon his back can Principalities and Powers do nothing think you Answ Nothing so as to foil or vanquish this strong grace of God in the Saints It is a mighty power indeed but created and infinitely inferiour to that Divine Power whereby a true Christian subsisteth The Devil is a chained enemy infatuated vanquished and while Gods people are wâ—lling to resist he will surely uphold them in the fight unto Victory the God of peace will tread Satan under their feet shortly and they may be perswaded as Paul that neither Principalities nor Powers nor any other creatures shall be ever able to separate them from the love of God in Jesus Christ Rom. 8 38 39. More comfort yet in â—hrist that loved them they shall be more then Conquerors the strength which was at any time abated shall be renewed again and God will perfect the work which he once began Psal 138.7 8. See some particulars 1. The Christian is sometimes strong in faith and gives much glory to God and gains much chearfulness to himself even the full assurance of faith By which he rests in the love of God with an holy security much joy many triumphs over hell and Satan these enemies are despised as feeble Philistines not able to hurt him He got so much ground by the last Sacrament and by his course of prayer reading and godly exercises that he cared not if he dyed presently in respect of himself and the safety of his own soul But after awhile comes a cloud over his spirit and he is fain to let go much of his confidence Yet he gets up again in little time his strength is renewed and he grows as confident as before witness those Vicissitudes of joy and sorrow in David Psal 30. the whole 2. Patience is a strong grace such as whereby a Christian can possesse his soul in hard times and distractul occasions Luke 21.19 Sometimes he is not troubled though he be mightily provoked great occasion disquiets him not nor removes him from his principles whereof Job is a notable example Yet afterward as in him great breaches are made and the soul even lost by impatience Yet as in him the end is with submission and quietness Ye have heard of the patience of Job and what end the Lord gave 3. The prayer of faith is omnipotent as Luther called it a godly man sometimes wrestles hard and prevailes much with God and gets much comfort at the Throne of grace a large and almost sensible answer to his prayers a firm assurance of the love of God and a part in Christ Take him at such a time he is the most resolute man living ready to do or suffer any thing prepared for any condition Yet sometimes his hands hang down as much as Moses and with many intercourses of valour and weakness he gets the victory over all the Amalekites in hell 4. In respect of the spiritual warfare a Christian is strong in the Lord and the power of his might having put on the whole Armor of God sometimes he weilds it stoutly and wisely and acquits himself bravely for the honour of his Captain and his own discharge safety glory prosperity inveigles him not adversity affrights him not neither friends allure him from God and duty nor enemies terrifie him his watchfulness and jealousie over his heart makes him invincible you would think ye saw some Alexander conquering the world or some Joshua driving down Kingdoms and Cities before him Yet sometimes Satan gets an advantage against him as over the Incestuous person and the other Corinthians 2 Cor. 2.11 The man either lay snorting in his great sin or was ready to be swallowed up with overmuch sorrow and they either neglected holy Discipline altogether or else held him too long under that terrible censure of Excommunication Yet both he and they came into right order again chap. 7.7 8 9 10 11. And so other of the Lords Warriors they forsake the field sometimes but soon get courage and soon return to the field afresh 5. In respect of active obedience sometimes the life is very press and strict and unblameable and profitable the ways very fair a very good mixture of zeal and discretion good Husbandry and heavenly-mindedness are well matcht together that the man is even a Mirror in his place many may take example by him many bless God for him and few can do better then he doth And if he could keep at this stay he should live like an Angel upon earth But after a while the doating fit comes and all is off the hooks he is either scandalous with David or secure with the Spouse in the Canticles A great flaw and
courage of mind with assistance of Arts and Parts and alliance of Friends and all encouragements that are to be had yet in the Event all prevailes not to attain the desired end Even the youths shall faint and be weary and the young men shall utterly fall The race is not to the swift nor the battel to the strong neither yet bread to the wise nor yet riches to men of understanding nor yet favour to men of skill Eccl. 9.11 It is true by those accomplishments nature may attain to live long in the world to rise high in the world to get a great Estate to have great Victories over enemies with other great matters which Weaklings may not once think to attain But beside the sad disappointments which these sometimes meet withall even amidst all their bravery they commit foul errours they shorten their dayes by Intemperance they fall into Consumptions or at best the longer they live the nearer they draw to their end and it is seen ordinarily that the Bell rings out and the Grave opens for young ones as well as for the old few now-a-days come to the Age set in Moses time of threescore and ten or fourscore The reason is by the fall sin hath disabled our nature both in powers of the body and mind and so ministers occasion to the great God of heaven to cut us short of our hope and possibilities Our sins withhold good things from us Jer. 5.25 And the Lord will have the finest Naturalists see that not by might or power but by his spirit great things are to be accomplished He takes the wise in their craftiness he turns their counsel into foolishness he shews strength with his arm he scatters the proud in the imagination of their hearts he puts down the mighty from their seats and exalteth men of low degree he filleth the hungry with good things and the rich he sends empty away Application make thus 1. See what a poor happiness the happiness of worldlings is When they are at their height and in the best estate they can be in here below or desire to be in with a real and regular desire so that their Neighbours take them to be happy creatures and they think no less of themselves yet indeed they fall much short of the true happiness and godly men shall not change Estates with them though poor and miserable as to the world Why because the best and most complete attainments they have are but fading Commodities the one stroke of Death cuts the thred of their whole happyness there comes a Fever or other mischievous Disease and so an end of the man and all his braveries So that neither himself hath cause to vaunt or please himself in his fine condition nor others to envy his prosperity while it holds most together It is but as the green Bay-tree flourishing in present but soon blasted or cut down and the place of it shall know it no more 2. Let godly Christians bless the Lord who hath laid their happiness in things of another nature and endurance namely spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ Jesus that though they be poor or weak or otherwise low in the world yet in the best matters through rich mercy they are highly exalted none so happy as they indeed none but they Therefore not only be contented with your short pittance but thankful that your lines are fallen unto you in pleasant places and ye have a goodly heritage Psal 16.6 Had your lot fallen otherwise to you you had been of all men most miserable Think of Dives tormented in those flames and of the rich Churl whose soul in a night was taken from him and so an end of all his plenty and jollity Think how David blessed himself from faring as worldly-minded men shall fare Let me not eat of their dainties Psal 141.4 and again Deliver my soul from the wicked from men which are thy hand O Lord from men of the world who have their portion in this life and whose belly thou fillest with thy hid treasure they are full of Children and leave the rest of their substance to their Babes Then refer all to the happiness that shall be revealed at the last day as the Prophet there concludes As for me I will behold thy face in righteousness I shall be satisfied when I awake with thy likeness Psal 17.14 15 16 17. 3. If all present comforts be so weak and fickle Let not the strong man glory in his strength nor the rich man in his riches nor the wise man in his wisdom Jer. 9.23 Fine accommodations these are and conduce much to make ones life comfortable and he that is a wise Master of them may do much good in his place and Generation and greatly further his accounts in the day of accounting with God But alass they are but moth-eaten and poor comforts in themselves very like to Jonahs Gourd which came up in a night and perished in a night When we think we have them safest and take most pleasure in them they dye in our hands as flowers which we gathered â—rewhile and we our selves pass away with them we know not how soon And the wise Salomon hath said Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not for riches certainly make themselves wings they fly away as an Eagle toward heaven Prov. 23.5 and Paul said by the wisdom given unto him Rejoyce as not rejoycing and in all your enjoyments be as if ye had them not 1 Cor. 7.30 Remember Christians and not over-joy in a lusty Child a setled estate of health tallness comeliness or properness of the body the increase of a wealthy estate a great inheritance either by descent or purchase There is death in the pot a secret worm lies at the root and bites shrewdly and all the joy may quickly be mar'd and then the more joy was the greater will be the grief at parting and shame for the former boasting to see things turned to the quite conâ—rary 4. If natural comforts be turned upon such a wheel then trust not in an arm flesh Put not your trust in Princes nor in the son of man in whom there is no help His breath goeth forth he returneth to his earth in that day all his thoughts perish Psal 146.3 4. Nor may Princes trust in mighty and puissant armies horses warlike provisions multitude of an hoste or the best counsel they can take all these have failed some that relied on them and may fail others who rest on them as able to save Nor may we rest upon potent friends who are able to do much themselves and use their interest in others for raising a party Nor upon health and strength of body nimbleness or other natural perfections Nor upon a strong wit a deep reach a firm and retentive memory eloquence in discoursing fitness of expressions with other gifts of the mind All compared to a staff of reed whereon if a man lean he may get a fall
it may be perish by the splinters running into his hand Certainly this trusting in creatures hinders faith in the Creator and brings a curse in stead of a blessing Jer. 17.5 Thus saith the Lord Cursed be the man that trusteth in man and maketh flesh his arm and whose heart departeth from the Lord and ver 7. Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord and whose hope the Lord is Take heed Christians and beware of the evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God Heb. 3.12 which in this our corrupt nature these Puppets are apt to do 5. This briâ—â—leness of nature and natural things yieldeth sundry good instructions to young people and to the Parents Parents briefly are admonished in three things First not to pride themselves in lusty and likely Children as too many use to do making them so many idols and promising themselves great comfort by them it may be insulting over other men whose Children are weak and sickly wherewith the Lord is offended and sometime the likely Children are taken away or prove crosses when 〈◊〉 weaklings survive and become comforts to their parents Secondly parents even from the beginning should commend their children to the Lord by hearty prayer that if they dye in the birth or in their youth yet by Jesus Christ it may be well with their poor souls to eternity Oh that Ismael might lâ—ve in thy sight Thirdly they should begin with them betimes that by their gracious instructions they may quickly come to know and fear the Lord their God and so whatever becomes of them in the world yet their poor souls may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus Christ the highest acts of charity that can be shewed to our children Next for young people 1. They learn to walk in all humbleness of mind as those that may be soon snatched away and while they continue here are subject to many faintings and failings It concerns all to be cloathed with humility but especially young people whose judgment is not yet setled and they want the experience which in time they may have neither are they acquainted with themselves and their manifold weaknesses as in time they may be so that it is neither safe nor seemly for such to be shewing their opinion in matters to be talking much in company of Elder people especially to take upon them without a Calling to teach others as some bold men in these days have dangerously adventured Consider and fear if ye have the grace of God in you of a truth yet ye ought to walk in humility so to be worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called Eph. 4.12 Much more if the work of grace be not yet begun or not well evidenced here come those rules to be observed Prov. 3.5 6 7. Lean not to thine own understanding be not wise in thine own eyes fear the Lord and depart from evil 2. Beware of loose and Libertine courses which most young people do chuse and delight to take as best agreeing with their wild and foolish humors therefore called the lusts of youth and must be carefully avoided 2 Tim. 2 22. Fly youthful lusts As fleshly lusts and worldly lusts and lusts of the mind so the lusts of youth which are either peculiar to young people or most affected Remember and consider how these lusts are apt to forestall all good instructions of the word that there is no room for them â—â—â—her they cannot enter or if they do they are soon thrust ouâ— gain Mark 4.19 The lusts of other things entring choak the word and it becometh unfruitful When our young people are nipt in the bud they are scarce good ever afterward Our loose times have shewed it abundantly And after such lawlesness of young people comes that fearful summons Eccl. 11.9 Rejoyce O young man in thy youth and let thy heart chear thee in the days of thy youth and walk in the ways of thy heart and in the sight of thy eyes but know thou that for all these things God will bring thee unto judgment 3. Seeing all within you and without you is so fading and uncertain lift up your eyes and hearts to the Creator to get in with him and by him to obtain a solid and lasting good which may be sufficient for you in all other faintings and failings Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth and which is the whole duty of man fear God and keep his Commandments Eccl. 12.1 13. The wise man there had reckoned up all the vanities of the world and prescribed remedies against them and then bids us hear the conclusion of the whole matter in those two precepts When the soul is tyred out with the consideration of earthly vanities and distractive occurrences it should be think it self of getting home to his Ark where it may find rest for the soal of his foot as Psal 116.7 Return unto thy rest O my soul for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee It should be good instruction both to young and old when they find themselves perplexed or pricked with thorns of the world as who of us doth not to return to our God from whom by sin we departed Never till then shall we find rest and assured confidence Hos 2 6 7. When the Lord hedged up the Churches way with thorns that she could not find her paths then she said I will go and return to my first husband for then was it better with me then now And if young people in their young days would bethink themselves of returning to the Lord their God they might save themselves many scratches and woundings which afterward they are put to endure 4. Seeing all these things are so ye should all receive the exhortation which we give so often Make sure of Christ Make sure of Christ in him alone ye can find rest for your souls there is no salvation in any â—â—â—er no Name else given under heaven by which yâ—â—â—n be saved not Saints and Angels nor any of the creatures nor all of them put together all together could not redeem one soul nor make up the peace with the great God But in and by Christ all is firm and stable everlasting love everlasting compassions everlasting arms to embrace the Penitent an everlasting covenant promises most certain and sure to be performed Yea and Amen 2 Cor. 1.20 Bear us witness Christians we invite you day by day to come and receive Christ for your own we urge you with many Motives we tell you of your sin and danger and in the mean time ye feel in your selves the decays of nature and see in the mortality of your Neighbours what your case must be and ye know not how soon Once at last therefore be wise and Kiss the Son of God that in the worst straights ye may find enlargement and be blessed Psal 2.12 Blessed are they that trust in him If ye were commanded to do some great thing for blessedness would ye not
God to hear all things that are commanded thee of God with ver 24. Cornelius waited for them and had called together his Kinsmen and near friends And it is a great sin in many to make the Minister and Congregation wait when they will please to appear 2. Wait till he have mercy Psal 123.2 Behold as the eyes of Servants look unto the hand of their Masters and as the eyes of a Maiden to the hand of her Mistress so our eyes wait upon the Lord our God untill that he have mercy upon us He hath promised great things to his people but his people must wait for performance The Vision of comfort will speak at last and not deceive but in the mean time we must wait to see when God will please to answer our expectation Hab. 2.3 And he that believeth must not make haste so limiting the Holy One of Israel much less rage or murmure or be impotent of mind least of all to utter that blaspheming voice This evil is of the Load and shall I wait for the Lord any longer 2 King 6.33 Remember it is a mercy to speed at the last if ever we be heard in prayer it is enough enough if ever an Isaac be had or supply or comfort or deliverance This that I said We must wait in the way of faith not only to the second and third watch of the night but till morning Davids soul waited for the Lord more then they that wait for the morning yea more then they that wait for the morning Psal 130.6 3. Wait upon the Office which God or man hath assigned thee unto Rom. 12.7 If we have received the ministery let us wait on our ministring or he that teacheth on teaching or he that exhorteth on exhortation And by the like reason a Magistrate must wait on governing an Housholder on looking to the ways of his Family a Servant on doing his business painfully and faithfully a Child in his place a poor creature in humble walking In every of which while we serve our Brethren or dispatch our own affairs yet doing all as we ought we shall serve the Lord Jesus Christ and wait on him in the way of our obedience especially if we make a business of our Calling and abide upon it and watch all opportunities for advancing the glory of God and our own reckoning not as those that are in and out when they have hit into a good way fickle uncertain only good by fits and starts who are not likely to inherit the promises the promise is to them that are constant unmoveable always abounding in the work of the Lord and this is the right waiting 4. Wait for the Lord in the way of his judgments Esa 26.8 Yea in the way of thy judgments O Lord have we waited for thee the desire of our soul is to thy Name and to the remembrance of thee namely to maâ—â— good use of afflictions and learn righteousness by them as ver 9. The Inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness The Lord sometimes corrects his people it may be with sore and grievous corrections yet even then they must abide with him each one according to his Calling and study to be better for the sharp Visitation saying What would the Lord have me to do or wherein may I be better or do better then I have done Lord shew me for what thou contendest with me and not only chastise me thus but teach me out of thy law that by all thy Discipline I may be blessed at the last Psal 94 12. It concerns Gods Children to wait on their Father not only when he causeth their way to prosper that they even wash their footsteps in butter but when he changeth his dispensations toward them that all is in clouds and storms and he seems an adversary to them for even then they may be made partakers of his holiness and when they are proved and humbled he means to do them good in their latter end 5. Wait all the days of thy appointed time as did Job chap. 14.14 If a man dye shall he live again all the days of my appointed time will I wait till my change come It is a great change when death comes so dye well is the greatest work we have to do in the world and we need to take all our time allotted for our being here to be fitting our selves for that great change All will prove little enough when we are entring into that narrow Wicket so to pass into another world And wait till Christ comes to judgment as the good servant who watcheth for the return of his Lord and will be careful to do up all his work before hand Christ comes to judge the quick and dead of all things done in the body good and evil and a strict account must be given of all therefore still wait and make ready thy accounts And wait till the Bridegroom open the door to the wise Virgins And to be able to enter provide Oil for thy Lamp in time and Oil that will hold till midnight that thou may not be put to borrow there will be no borrowing at that time Mat. 25.9 The wise answered the foolish Not so lest there be not enough for us and you but go ye rather to them that sell and buy for your selves Yet such foolishness reigns in many who profess to wait for the coming of Christ A lamp of outward profession they have but not sufficient Oil to feed their Lamp and so are excluded and left in the dark They seem good a little in the former part of their life and then wax râ—miss They begin in the spirit and end in the flesh either in respect of Doctrine or Practice and so they lose all the good they have done and are found trespassers against the truth which they have basely deserted Thus we see who they are that wait on the Lord. And these are they that renew their strength as the Eagles and persevere in the good way of God to the end So the conclusion remains firm The way whereby the strength of Gods Children is maintained is their attendance on him in an holy course of faith and obedience They must wait upon him by faith expecting the performance of his promises And they must wait upon him by their obedience in the use of his Ordinances as good servants ought to do and so they shall renew their strength out of all their faintings Christians complain sometimes of weakness in their faith dulness in prayer hardness of heart and the like corruptions They are ready to faint and be weary in their holy profession It grieves them that they proceed no better then they do They lack but little sometimes to cast up all and make Holy-day Now let such acknowledge and take notice where their great strength lieth Faith and obedience will in time remedy all this Let them believe above hope rather then cast away their confidence and let them still attend the good Ordinances of
God which he hath sanctified and set apart for their confirmation in grace and in time they shall see all this evil redrest they shall meet with a strength they know not whence but only from God and this shall increase grace and comfort in their souls and fortifie them yet more to the day of their Redemption Esa 25.9 It shall be said in that day Lo this is our God we have waited for him and he will save us this is the Lord we have waited for him we will be glad and rejoyce in his salvation and chap. 26.8 and 30.18 and Dan. 12.12 Blessed is he that waiteth Certainly God will not be wanting to his own wayes nor fail of his promises made to Believers and where is faith to call for them they shall surely be fulfilled Psal 9.18 The needy shall not alway be forgotten the expectation of the poor shall not perish for ever and Psal 10.17 Lord thou hast heard the desire of the humble thou wilt prepare their heart thou wilt cause thine ear to hear It is not for his glory to fail his people or if he should their hearts would fail them they would fall quite away their souls would be lost and their holy profession greatly disparaged Here it may be objected that many who waited upon God sometime are grown faint and weary and have utterly lost all their strength in the matters of Religion Answ No doubt but hypocrites may quite fall away it may be turn to be enemies they never waited on God in the way of faith and obedience and therefore might well let fall their hopeful beginnings and plausible forms of religiousness 1 John 2.19 They went out from us but they were not of us for if they had been of us they would no doubt have continued with us but they went out that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us Such are all our Apostates whether they be become Papists or Hereticks or Mockers of Zeal or Worldlings or Persecutors of their godly Brethren or profane in the course of their lives But whether may not a true Believer lose his strength and faint and be weary Answ Though it be a priviledge of the New Covenant that the grace of Christ in his people shall not fail and be extinguished yet they have no such priviledge as to flourish and remain still in the same vigor Their strength may be weakned though not annulled As in Nature a strong man may become weak by a Disease or by long fasting or by much travelling or the like so in matters of grace a tall and lusty Christian may become weak even as another who is but a Novice and beginner in the School of Christ I mean for a while and in some particular thing not wholly nor to the end A Brother may be overtaken in a fault and another may be tempted in like manner Gal. 6.1 And he that thinketh he standeth must take heed lest he fall Now in two respects may the strength of a true Christian be much abated both for his grace and for his comforts 1. His graces and gracious behaviour may be much weakned Ephesus left her first love that is the measure of love to the Gospel which she shewed at first receiving it Rev. 2.4 She loved it still and loved it heartily as appears by the second Verse I know thy works and thy labour and thy patience and how thou canst not bear with them that are evil and thou hast tryed them which say they are Apostles and are not and hast found them lyars And hast born and hast patience and for my Name sake hast laboured and hast not fainted But she loved it not so earnestly and heartily as she did at the beginning She had need to quicken up her self and do the first works So in chap 3.2 fainting Sardis must be watchful and strengthen the things which remain that are ready to dye for her works were not found perfect before God they wede not done in that entire manner as formerly they were So of other graces we feel too often and too much how our faith or hope or patience or humility and the rest do meet with knocks and cracks We make too many breaches in them Sometimes it is too too bad Our lives are nothing so profitable as they were The care and watch is broken up in comparison of the former diligence The tongue is even tyed and good speech is very rare over it was heretofore that if we should be still on the losing hand as we are now and then we should in time prove very Bankrupts in grace and be nothing worth toward God and toward the salvation of our souls 2. The comforts of a true Christian may be much weakned that he needs to pray with David Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation and Make me to hear joy and gladness that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoyce Psal 51.8 12. And often in the Psalms we read an alternation of joy and sorrow So unto this day Gods Children find great alteration in their comforts they have not the old feelings they miss the refreshings of the night which formerly they found they want the joys of the Spirit in the ancient liveliness their assurances are much decayed the head now hangs down like a Bull-rush which even was lifted up chearfully in looking for the day of Redemption the voice of joy is gone from their dwellings All is amort and in a dump and the man wonders what is come to him to make him so heavy He hath worldly comforts as he had before yea and he performs the same duties as he did before yet he hath not the same comfort either by failing in those duties or committing some presumptuous sin whereof hitherto he hath not repented as he sees at last and so recovers his hold of God but for the present he is very weak as wanting the joy of the Lord which should be his strength Neh. 8.10 But some will ask How far may the strength of a true Christian be abated Answ 1. With Caution the question is not of the being of a Christian but of his strength He that is once truly regenerate is ever regenerate and ever in the state of grace Only his grace is not alike strong at all times 2. Of them that faint all have not their strength in like manner or measure taken from them nor the same Christian every time of fainting Some are grievous falls some less some are lighter fears and sorrows some heavy Accordingly there needs more ado to recover some then other On some we must have compassion others we must save with fear plucking them out of the fire still putting a difference as the Apostle speaks Jude 22 2â— 3. It is lamentable to say how far the strength of a true Christian may be abated For graces not only the exercise and manifestation of them may be suspended but even the habits themselves much wasted and things
miserable to have ones spiritual strength so weakned even as miserable as to become poor after great wealthiness or sickly after great healthiness A lamentable change will nature and reason say and grace will teach a godly man to say likewise of spirituals By faith the Elders out of weakness were made strong and waxed valiant in fight Heb. 11.34 And this man of strong is become weak and fainteth in fighting the battels of the Lord. How is he decayed Oh this woful bankruptness of the soul whither doth it tend and what will be the end of these things unless the wiser course be taken in time Christians it concerns us much to lament and bewail this faintness whatever it is found in any Say not therefore I am safe in the main I cannot fall from grace I may do well enough though I be weaker then I was O who would miss so many comforts of the Spirit as such a one must miss or walk so heavily as such a one must walk it may be feel so many terrours as such a one must feel that there is but little difference between hell and him and he le ts go that perswasion concerning perseverance and hath some cause to doubt and fear he shall fall quite away I say who would be in such a woful case Therefore it is time to renew thy repentance and thy covenant and thy endeavours in footing it along in the ways of God as now toward a Sacrament the Lord offers thee new strength and more occasions to recover what is decayed since the last Sacrament he spreads his Table for thee again and hath kild his fatlings all is prepared and ready only be not thou unprepared and unready c. Know the only comfort is to them that take notice of their fainting and bewail it and would fain redress it Our Text saith They shall renew their strength Though their strength do decay at times yet it shall be renewed the labour that they take against a Sacrament shall not be lost therefore go in faith and go with confidence this is a promise and shall surely be performed Thou waitest on the Lord therefore thou shalt renew thy strength Heed and believe it and hear no accusing voices to the contrary either of the Devil or of thine own unbelieving heart Say not I often grow weak after I have been strong therefore I fear whether ever I shall come to that pitch and stature in grace or comfort which sometimes I had Know it is our condition in this life still to ebb and flow in heaven only we renew not our strength And divers Saints have relapsed as we see in the Spouse Cant. 3. and 5. And the promises here are indefinite after Relapses strength shall be renewed as well as in other cases though perhaps with more ado Only follow on and pray still one day thou shalt say as David Psal 138.3 in the day when I cryed thou answeredst me and strengthnedst me with strength in my soul And it is greater glory to God to preserve so weak a Vessel as thou art to his heavenly Kingdom having said My grace is sufficient for thee my strength is made perfect in weakness 2 Cor. 12.9 If we be strong in the Lord and the power of his might we are safe we are sure to do well enough Troubled we may be and shall be The Devil and the World and the Flesh will provide us troubles but in all this Conflict we shall stand and in the end overcome and in overcoming is the Crown and Glory To him that overcome will I give such and such mercies Now all this serves for Information Consolation and Exhortation USE I. INformation in two things If those things stand for truths according to the Scripture 1. Hereby is established the Doctrine of Saints perseverance in the estate of grace whereinto they are brought at their conversion When they are once regenerate and wait on the Lord as before they are sure to continue in that holy and happy estate to the end yea to an endless glory Now and Ever I speak not any thing to magnifie our selves and our pure naturals as some have pratled but only to advance the grace of God in Christ by whom we are able to do all things And we say It is vain whatsoever the Adversaries object concerning a mans own weakness that he is apt to fall into gross sins and shake off the grace of God and become no sheep no Member of Christ no Child of God no Heir of Heaven True of himself he is apt to do so and there is no other likelihood but if a Christian were left to himself he would fall both fearfully and finally We have an evil heart of unbelief to depart from the living God and are not sufficient of our selves to persevere in the good estate wherein we are set But what saith our Doctrine the strength whereby a true Christian standeth is a strength above that of Nature even most refined It is a borrowed strength a strength derived from God and will suffice him against all his weaknesses and all oppositions from hell and the world It will work so strongly in his heart that he will not fall away will not become a Goat when he was a Sheep will not run out of the sheepfold will not of a Child of God become a Child of the Devil nor lose the possession of heaven which he hath had in his eye to quicken and encourage him in his way The fear of God is so put into his heart that he neither can nor will depart from him The gifts and calling of God are without repentance God will never repent that he so revealed himself to the Elect and the Elect by grace shall never repent 2. The world is hereby convinced and condemned of passing rash and erroneous judgment upon the godly because of their falls and failings Oh they are Hypocrites Dissemblers make a shew of Religion and talk much of profession but see how they do the contrary But beware of Blasphemy It were good to hush and be silent and not condemn the Generation of Gods Children Know the Christian may be true though weak or he may be strong though weak in this or that particular his God is able to raise him again and make him stand Rom. 14 4. His strength shall be renewed when another with his meer civilities and formalities shall fall and fall without recovery I marvel what these would have said if they had lived in the days of David and seen him so scandalous in the matter of Urâ—ah Were they not Gods enemies who blasphemed because of those sins 2 Sam. 12.14 By this deed thou hast caused the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme It were time for all our Mockers and Censurers to repent bitterly USE II. THis stability of a godly mans estate ministers singular comfort to all who upon good evidence have owned and applyed Gods mercy to their poor hearts Their comfort is that they stand