loathsom Dungeon the pavement whereof was sharp shells and his bed to lie on a bundle of thorns All which this blessed Martyr received without so much as a groan breathing out his spirit in these words Vincentius is my name and by the grace of God I will be still Vincentius inspight of all your torments Persecution brings death in one hand and life in the other for while it kills the body it crowns the soul The most cruel Martyrdom is but a crafty trick to escape death to pass from life to life from the prison to paradise from the cross to the crown Justin Martyr says that when the Romans did immortalize their Emperors as they called it they brought one to swear that he see him go to Heaven out of the fire But we may see by an eye of Faith the blessed Souls of suffering Saints flie to Heaven like Elias in his fiery Judg. 13. 20. chariot like the Angel that appeared to Manoah in the flames John Hus Martyr had such choice discoveries of God and such sweet in-comes of the Spirit as made his patience and constancy A patient man under reproaches is like a man with a Sword in one hand and a Salve in the other he could wound but he will heal invincible When he was brought forth to be burned they put on his head a Triple Crown of Paper painted over with ugly Devils but when he saw it he said My Lord Jesus Christ for my sake did were a Crown of Thorns why should not I then for his sake wear this light crown be it never so ignominious truly I will do it and that willingly And as they tied his neck with a chain to the stake smiling he said That he would willingly receive the The Motto of patient souls is plura pro Christo toleranda we must suffer more then so for Christ same chain for Jesus Christs sake who he knew was bound with a far worse chain for his sake Well remember this their names that by a patient suffering are written in Red Letters of blood in the Churches Calender are written in Golden Letters in Christs Register in the Book of Life A second Reason why the Lord Reas 2 lifts up the light of his countenance upon his people in suffering times and that is for the confirmation of some for the conversion of others and for the greater conviction and confusion of their adversaries who wonder and are like men amazed when they see the comfort and the courage of the Saints in suffering times Pauls choice carriage in his bonds was the Phil. 1. 14. vide Estius confirmation of many And many of the Brethren in the Lord waxing confident by my bonds are much more bold to speak the Word without fear And as the sufferings of the Saints do contribute to the confirmation of some so by the blessing of God they contribute to the conversion of others I beseech thee says Paul for Philem. v. 10. my son Onesimus whom I have begotten in my bonds It was a notable saying of Luther Ecclesia totum mundum convertâ—t sanguine oratione The Church converteth the whole world by blood and prayer Basil affirms That the They knew it could be but a days journey between the cross and paradise between that short storm and an eternal calm Primitive Saints shewed so much comfort and courage so much Heroick zeal and constancy that many of the Heathens turned Christians so that choice spirit that the Saints have shewed in their sufferings when Christ hath overshadowed them with his love and stayed them with flagons and comforted them with apples hath madded grieved vexed and extreamly It would be too tedious to give you an account of all particular persecutors in this case whom the courage faith and patience of the Saints have tyred out tormented and made weaty of their lives and also bred wonder and astonishment in beholders and readers tormented their tormentors Lactantius boasts of the braveness of the Martyrs in his time our children and women not to speak of men do in silence overcome their tormentors and the fire cannot so much as fetch a sigh from them Hegesippus reports an observation of Antoninus the Emperor viz. That the Christians were most couragious and confident always in Earth-quakes whilest his own Heathen Souldiers were at such accidents most fearful and dis-spirited Certainly no Earth-quakes can make any Heart-quakes among the suffering Saints so long as the countenance of God shines upon their face and his love lies warm upon their Hearts The suffering Saint may be assaulted but not vanquished he may be troubled but can never be conquered he may lose his head but he cannot lose his Crown which the 2 Tim. 4. 7 8. righteous Lord hath prepared and laid up for him The suffering Saint shall still be master of the day though they Mori posse vinci non posse kill him they cannot hurt him he may suffer death but never conquest And they overcame him by the blood of Rev. 12. 11. the Lamb and by the word of their testimony O Lord Jesus said one I love thee plusquam mea plusquam meos plusquam me more then all my goods more then all my friends yea more then my very life and they loved not their lives unto the death They love not their lives that love Christ and his truth more then their lives they that slight contemn and despise their lives when they stand in competition with Christ may be truly said not to love their lives In these words you see that the Saints by dying do overcome They may kill me said Socrates of his enemies but they cannot hurt me A Saint may say this and more The Herb Heliotropium doth turn about and open it self according to the motion of the Sun so do the Saints in their sufferings according to the internal motions of the Sun of Righteousness upon them A third Reason Why the Lord Reas 3 causes his goodness to pass before his people and his face to shine upon his people in suffering times and that is for the praise of his own Grace and for the glory of his own Name God would lose much of his own glory if he should not stand by his people and comfort them and strengthen them in the day of their sorrows Ah the dirt the scorn the contempt that Exod. 32. 12. Num. 14. 13. vain men would cast upon God Look as our greatest good comes thorow the sufferings of Christ so Gods greatest glory that he hath from his Saints comes thorow their sufferings If ye be reproached for the name of Christ. 1 Peâ— 4. 14. Vide Bezam happy are ye for the Spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you On their part he is evil spoken of but on your part he is glorified It makes much for the glory of God that his people are cleared and comforted quickned and raised spiritualized and elevated in
Sirs Is it madness to feast the Slave and starve the Wife and is it not greater madness to feast the Body and starve the Soul To make liberal provision for the Body and none for the Soul Do not they deserve double damnation that prefer their Bodies above their Souls Me thinks our Souls should be One of the cheifest mirrors to behold God in is a reasonable Soul which findes it self out saith one like to a Ship which is made little and narrow downwards but more wide and broad upwards Before all and above all look to your Souls watch your Souls make provision for your Souls When this is done all is done till this is done there is nothing done that will yeeld a man comfort in life joy in death and boldness before a Judgement Seat Callenuceus tells of a Nobleman of Naples that was wont prophanely to say He had two souls in Had I a purse suitable to my heart not a poor godly Souldier or Sailor in England who carries his life in one hand but should have one of these Books in the other c. his body one for God and another for whosoever would buy it Verily they will make but a bad bargain of it that to gain the World shall sell their Souls Dear Sirs I had much more to say but I am afraid that I have already kept you too long from sucking of the Honey Comb from drinking at the Fountain I have held you too long in the Porch and therefore I shall onely crave That you will bear with my plainness and over-look my weakness Remembring that other Addresses would savor more of flattery then of sincerity more of policy then of piety and would be both unlovely in me and displeasing to you Now the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ bless you and yours with all Spiritual blessings in Heavenly places and make you yet more and more Instrument al for his glory and this Nations good that your names may be for ever precious among his people that they may bear you still upon their hearts before the Lord which is and shall be the earnest and constant Prayer of him who is Right Honorable and worthy Sirs Yours in all Christian observance Thomas Brooks TO All Saints that hold to CHRIST the Head AND That walk according to the Lawes of the New Creature Grace Mercy and Peace be multiplyed from God the Father through our Lord Jesus Christ Beloved in our dearest Lord YOu are those Worthies of whom this world is not worthy Heb. 11. 38. You are the Princes that prevail with God You are Gen. 32. 28 those exellent ones in whom Psal 16. 3. is all Christs delight You are his glory Isa 4. 5. You are his pickt cull'd prime Instruments which he will make use of to carâ—yon Rev. 17. 14. 19. 8. 14. Cant. 8. 6. Isa 49. 16. his best and greatest Work against â—is worst and greatest Enemies in these latter daies You are a Seale upon Christs heart you are engraven on the palms of his hand Your names are Exod. 28. 29. 2 Cor. 2. 3. 1 Joh. 2. 27. 1 Cor. 2. 10 12 15 16. You will not with Pythagoras his Scholars magnifie the ipse dixerit of the greatest Clerks neither will you beleeve with Anaxagoras that Snow is black nor yet wil you say as Antipater King of Macedonia did when one presented him with a book treating of happiness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I have no leasure neither will you judge like those that like nothing but the Manerva's of their owne brains written upon his Breasts as the names of the Children of Israel were upon Aarons Breast-plate You are the Epistle of Christ You are the anointed of Christ You have the spirit of discerning You have the mind of Christ You have the greatest advantages and the choycest privileges to enable you to trie Truth to taste Truth to apply Truth to defend Truth to strengthen Truth to uphold Truth and to improve Truth and therefore to whom should I dedicate this following Discourse but to your selves you have the next place to Christ in my heart your good your gain your glory your edification your satisfaction your confirmation your consolation your salvation hath put me upon casting in my little little mite into your treasure Beloved You know that in the time of the Law God did as kindly accept of Goats haire and Badgers skins of Turtle Doves and young Pigeons they being the best things that some of his children had then to offer as he did accept of Gold Jewels Silk and Purple from otherâ— I hope you will shew out the same God-like disposition towards me in a kind accepting of what is offered in this Treatise to your wise and serious consideration I could wish it better for your sakes yet such aâ— it is I do in all love and humility presenâ— you with desiring the Lord to make it an internal and eternal advantage tâ— you I shall briefly acquaint you with the Reasons that have moved poor me unworthy I who am the least of all Saints who am not worthy to be reckoned among the Saints to present this following Discourse to publick view and they are thesâ— that follow First To answer the desires and gratifie the earnest and pious requests of several precious souls who long to have these things printed upon their hearts by the The Philosopher could say that desires are properly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to what is necessary hand of the Spirit that are printed in this Book God speaks aloud through the serious and affectionate desires of the Saints and this hath made me willing to eccho to their desires If great mens desires are to be looked upon as commands why should good mens desires be looked upon with a squint eye Seneca a Heathen could say that ipse aspectus boni viri delectat The very looks of a good man delight one How much more then should the desires of a good man overcome one Secondly The good acceptance the fair quarter that my Labors of the like Them that are extant are sold by the same man that sels this at the first shop in Popes-head-Alley next to Cornhill nature have found among those that fear the Lord especially that Treatise called Precious Remedies against Satans devices hath incouraged me to present this to publick view not doubting but that the Lord will bless it to the good of many as I know he hath done the former Which that he may I shall not cease to pray that Rom. 15. 21. my weak service may be accepted of the Phil. 1. 9 10 11 Saints and that their love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all sence that they may approve things that are excellent that they 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sense may be sincere and without offence til the day of Christ Being filled with the fruits of righteousnesse which are by Jesus Christ
assurance and less money will serve your turns get but more assurance and less places of honor and profit will serve your turns get but assurance and then you will neither transgress for a morsel of Bread nor yet violently pursue after the Golden Wedge c. Fourthly Assurance will exceedingly heighten you in your communion with God and it will exceedingly 1 John 1. 1 2 3 4. sweeten your communion with God Assurance of a mans propriety in God raises him high in his fellowship with God There are none that have such choice and sweet communion with God as those that have the clearest assurance of their interest in God as may be seen thorowout the whole Book of Solomons Song My beloved Cant. 2. 16. is mine and I am his saith the Spouse I am assured of my propriety in him sayes she and therefore he shall lie all night betwixt my Brests and upon Chap. 1. 13. Chap 7. 5. this account it is that she holds King Jesus in the Galleries that she is sick of love that she is raised and ravished with his kisses and embraces His left Chap. 2. 6. hand is under my head and his right hand doth embrace me None had more assurance of her interest in Christ then she and none higher and closer in communion with Christ then she The Wives assurance of her interest in her Husband sweetens and heightens her communion with her Husband The Childes assurance of his interest in his Father sweetens his commerce and fellowship with his Father So the Believers assurance of his interest in God will exceedingly heighten and sweeten his communion and fellowship with God Assurance of a mans interest in God sweetens every thought of God and every sight of God and every taste of God and every good Word of God God is as Habet omnia qui habet habentem omnia He hath all that hath the honor of all sweet to the assured soul when he hath a sword in his hand as when he hath a Scepter when he hath the rod of indignation as when hee hath the cup of consolation when his garments are rowled and dyed in blood as when hee appeares in his VVedding Robes when hee acts the part of a Judge as when hee acts the part of a Father c. Fifthly Assurance will be a choyce preservative to keep you from backsliding from God and his wayes Ah Assurance will glue the soul to God and his wayes as Ruth was glued to her Mother Naomi It will make a man stand fast in the Faith and quit himself like a good Souldier of Christ 2 Pet. 1. 10 11. Wherefore the rather Brethren give Luther writing to his friend Melancthon troubled with fears saith Si nos ruimas ruit Christus If we fall saith he Christ falls diligence to make your calling and election sure for if yee doe these things yee shall never fall Stumble yee may and hee that does but stumble gets ground by his stumbling Assurance will keep a man from falling foully and from falling utterly Verily the reason why there is so many Apostates in these days is because there are so few that have a wel-grounded assurance in these days Pliny speaks of some fishes that swim back-ward Ah many Professors Pulchrior inpralio occisus miles quam fugâ salvus Better be slain in the Bed of Honor then be safe by running away in these days swim back-ward they swim from God and Christ and Conscience yea they swim from the very principles of morallity and common honesty Believe it Friends it is not high notions in the Brain but found assurance in the heart that will keep a man close to Christ when others back-slide from Christ An assured Christian will not exchange his Gold for Copper he knows that one old peece of Gold is worth a thousand new Counters One old truth of Christ is worth a thousand new errors though cloathed with glistering Robes and therefore he will prize the truth and own the truth and keep close to the truth when others that want a sound assurance make merchandize of Christ precious 2 Pet. 2. 3. truths and of their own and others immortal souls Get assurance and thou wilt stand when seeming Cedars fall want assurance and thou canst not but fall to the breaking of thy bones if not to the utter loss of thy precious soul Sixthly Assurance will very much imbolden the foul with God it will make a man divinely familiar with God it will make a man knock boldly at the door of Free-grace it will make a man come boldly before the Mercy-seat it will make a man enter boldly within the Holy of Holies Heb. 10. 22. Let us draw neer with a true 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Such full assurance as fills all the sails of the soul heart in full assurance of Faith having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water Assurance makes the soul top and top gallant it makes the soul converse with God as a Favorit with his Prince as a Bride with her Bridegroom as a Joseph with a Jacob. Luther under the power of assurance le ts fall this transcendent rapture of a during Faith Fiat mea voluntas Let my will be done and then falls off sweetly Mea voluntas domine quia tua My will Lord because thy will It is the want of assurance that makes the countenance sad the hands hang down the knees feeble and the heart full of Heb. 12. 12. fears and tremblings O therefore get assurance and that will scatter your fears and raise your hopes and chear your spirits and give wings to Faith and make you humbly bold with God You will not then stand at the door of Mercy with a may I knock with a may I go in with a may I finde audience and acceptance but you will with Esther boldly adventure your selves upon the Mercy and Goodness of God Now verily I think saith one speaking of Christ he cannot despise me who is bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh for if he neglect me as a brother yet he will love me as a husband that is my comfort Assurance will remove all strangeness from between Christ and the Soul of two it will make Christ and the Soul one Seventhly Assurance will sweeten the thoughts of death and all the Nemo ante sâ—nera fâ—lin Solon aches pains weaknesses sicknesses and diseases that are the fore-runners of it yea it will make a man look and long for that day it will make a man fick of his absence from Christ it makes a man smile upon the King of terrors it makes a man laugh at the shaking of the Spear at the noise of the battel at the garments of the Isa 9. 5 6. Nazianzen said to the King of Terrors Devour me devour me Death cures all diseases the aking head and the unbelieving heart Ultimus morborum medicus mors Warriors rolled
limit God to the way or manner of shewing mercy but leave both the time and the manner to him that is wise and faithful Sayes Hope Christ knows his The Lord shews much mercy in timing our mercies for us own time and his own time is best though he stayes long yet he will certainly come and he will not stay a moment beyond the time he hath prefixt and therefore sayes Hope be not weary O Soul but still wait patiently upon the Lord. 1 Thes 1. 3. Remembring without ceasing your work of faith and labor of love and patience of hope Hope is the Mother of Patience and the Nurse of Patience Hope breeds Patience and Hope feeds Patience If it were not for hope the Spes est mestorum Drusius heart would die and if it were not for hope patience would die Look as Faith gives life and strength to Hope so doth Hope give life and strength to Patience Therefore Patience is called Patience of Hope Hope maintains Patience as the Fuel maintains the Fire A sixth property of that Hope that accompanies Salvation is this It is Soul-purifying Hope it puts a Christian upon purifying himself as Christ is pure 1 John 3. 3. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself even as Christ is pure Divine hope runs In quality though not in equality As is not a note of parility or equality but of resemblance and similitude As there is a similitude betwixt the face it self and the image of the face in the glass but no equality out into holiness he that hath the purest and strongest hopes of being saved is most studious and laborious to be sanctified The Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is rendred purifieth is a Metaphor taken either from the Ceremonial purifications in time of the Law or else from Goldsmiths purifying Metals from their Dross and it notes thus much to us That those that have hopes to reign with Christ in glory that have set their hearts upon that pure and blissful State that Paradise that holy and spiritual State of Bliss that is made up of singleness and purity they will purifie both their insides and their outsides both body and soul that they may answer to that excellent Copy that Christ hath set before them knowing that none shall enjoy Everlasting Glory but those that labor after perfect purity Now Hope purifies the heart and life thus by keeping the purest objects as God Christ the Word and the Soul together and by making How lively Hope makes the Soul in Religious services I have shewed in the third property the Soul serious and conscientious in the use of all Soul-purifying Ordinances and by being a fire in the Soul to burn up all those corruptions and principles of darkness that are contrary to that purity and glory that Hope hath in her eye and by working the Soul to lean upon Christ to live in Christ and to draw purifying vertue from Christ who is the Spring and Fountain of all Purity and Sanctity And thus Hope purifies those that expect to be like to Christ in Glory The seventh and last property of that Hope that accompanies Salvation that comprehends Salvation is this It is permanent and lasting it Prov. 10. 28. Austins hope made him long to die that he might see that head that was once crowned with thorns will never leave the Soul till it hath lodged it in the bosome of Christ Prov. 14. 32. The righteous hath hope in his death The righteous mans hope will bed and board with him it will lie down with him and rise up with him it will to the Grave to Heaven with him his Motto is Cum expiro spero My hope lasts beyond life The Hope made the Ancients to call the days of their death Natalia not dying but birth days Jews ancient custom was by the way as they went with their Corps to pluck up every one the Grass as who should say They were not sorry as men without hope for their Brother was but so cropt off and should spring up again in the morning of the Resurrection And the Jews to this very day stick not to call their Golgotha's Batte Catim the houses or places of the living That Hope that accompanies Salvation is a long-lived hope it is a living hope 1 Pet. 1. 3. Blessed be the God and Heb. 3. 6. 6. 11. 1 Pet. 1. 13. Psal 131. 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Living Father of our Lord Jesus Christ which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope or a living hope A hope that will not die a hope that will not leave a man in life nor death Psal 71. 14. But I will hope 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 continually and will yet praise thee more In prosperity and adversity in wealth and sickness in life and death I will hope it is neither the smiles nor the frowns of the world that shall bury a Christians hope A Christians hope will live in all weathers and it will make a Christian bear up bravely in all storms and under all changes and more No trials no troubles no afflictions no oppositions shall keep down my hope says David I am peremptorily resolved in the face of all dangers difficulties and deaths to keep up my hopes come what will come on it I will rather let my life go then my hope go I will hope continually A hopeless condition is a very sad condition it is the worst condition in the world it makes a mans life a very Hell If hope deferred maketh the heart sick as the Wiseman speaks Prov. 13. 12. then the loss of hope will make the soul languish it will make it chuse strangling rather then life it will make a mans life a continual death A Soul without hope is like a ship without anchors Lord where will that soul stay that stayes not upon thee by hope A man were better part with any thing then his hope When Alexander went upon a hopeful expedition he gave away his Gold and when he was asked what he kept for himself he answered Spem majorum meliorum The hope of greater and better things A Believers hope I have read of a Rhodian who being cast into a dungeon full of Adders and Snakes for some horrid crimes by him committed Some perswaded him to rid himself out of that misery by a violent way but he answered No For saith he as long as I have breath in my nostrils I will ever hope for my deliverance is not like that of Pandora which may flie out of the Box and bid the Soul an everlasting farewel No it is like the morning light the least beam of it shall commence into a compleat Sun-shine It is Aurora Gaudii and it shall shine forth brighter and brighter till it hath fully possessed the Believer of his Christ and Crown This will be the Hypocrites hell and horror
secrets and Ephes 3. 5. Col. 1. 26. mysteries that have been hid from all ages and to be swallowed up in the full enjoyment of thy Blessed Self Thirdly A wel-grounded Assurance is usually strongly assaulted by Satan The Devil marcheth well armed and in good array saith Luther on all sides Satan is such a grand enemy to the Joy and Peace to the Salvation and Consolation of the Saints that he cannot but make use of all his devices and stratagems to amaze and amuse to disturb and disquiet the peace and rest of their Souls No sooner had Jesus Christ heard that lovely voice from Heaven This is my Matth. 3. ult 4. 1 2 c. beloved Son in whom I am wel-pleased but he is desperately assaulted by Satan in the Wilderness No sooner was Paul 2 Cor. 12. dropped out of Heaven after he had seen such visions of glory that was unutterable but he was presently assaulted and buffetted by Satan Stand up stand up assured Christians and tell me whether you have not found the Isa 25. 4. blast of the terrible one to be as a storm against the wall Since the Lord I verily think that they have very much cause to question the truth of their assurance who know not what it is to have their assurance assaulted strongly by Sâ—tan said unto you be of good chear your sins are forgiven you Have not you found Satan to play the part both of the Lyon and the Woolf of the Serpent and the Fox and all to weaken your Assurance and to work you to question the truth of your Assurance and to cast water upon your Assurance and to take off the freshness and sweetness the beauty and glory of your Assurance I know you have His malice envy and enmity is such against Satan is that old Serpent as John speaks Revel 12. 9. He is as old as the World and is grown very cunning by experience he being a spirit of above five thousand years standing Gods honor and glory and your comfort and felicity that he cannot but be very studious and industrious to make use of all traps snares methods and wayes whereby he may shake the pillars of your Faith and weaken and overthrow your Assurance Pirates you know do most fiercely assault those ships and vessels that are most richly laden so doth Satan those precious souls that have attained to the riches of full Assurance Assurance makes a Paradise in Believers Souls and this makes Satan to roar and rage Assurance fits a man to do God the greatest service and Satan the greatest dis-service and this makes him mad against the Soul Assurance makes a Saint to be too hard for Satan at all weapons yea to Rom. 8. 32. ult lead that Sun of the Morning captive to spoil him of all his hurting power to bind him in chains and to triumph over him and this makes his Hell a great deal hotter and therefore never Luther cryes out I am set upon by all the world without and within by the devil and all his Angels wonder at Satans assaulting your Assurance but expect it and look for it The Jaylor is quiet when his prisoner is in Bolts but if he be escaped then he pursues him with hugh and cry so long as the Soul is in bolts and bondage under Satan Satan is quiet and is not so apt to molest and vex it but when once a Soul is made free and John 8. 36. assured of his freedom by Christ then sayes Satan as once Pharaoh did I Exod. 15. 9. will arise I will pursue I will overtake I will divide the spoil my lust shall be satisfied upon them I will draw my sword my hand shall destroy them The experience of all assured Saints doth abundantly confirm this Israel going into Egypt had no enemies no opposition but travelling into Canaan they were never free Fourthly A wel-grounded Assurance makes a man as bold as a Lyon it makes him valiant and gallant for Prov. 28. 1. Tanto plâ—â— gloriae referemus quoniam eo plures superabimus The number of opposers makes the Christians conquest the more illustrious say Saints under the power of Assurance c. Christ and his cause in the face of all dangers and deaths After the Holy Ghost was faln upon the Apostles and had assured them of their internal and eternal Happiness O how bold how undanted how resolute were they in the face of all oppositions afflictions and persecutions as you may see from the second of the Acts of the Apostles to the end of the Acts. So Assurance had this operation upon Davids heart Psal 23. 4 6. compared Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life Well David but how doth this Assurance of yours operate Why saith he Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil So Moses having an Assurance of the recompence of reward he fears not the wrath of the King for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Was constant he endured as seeing him who is invisible Heb. 11. 26 27. So in Heb. 10. 34. And 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Knowing that you have in your selves 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a better being in Heaven and an abiding one ye took joyfully the spoiling of your goods knowing in your selves that ye have in Heaven a better and an enduring substance O that Knowledge that Assurance that they had in their own hearts of enjoying in Heaven a better and a more enduring substance made them bear cheerfully and gallantly the spoiling of their worldly goods Though the Archers the World the Flesh and the Devil do shoot sore at a Soul under Assurance yet his Bowe will still abide in strength Assurance will make a man to break a Bowe of Steel to trample down strength and to triumph over all oppositions and afflictions Colonus the Dutch Martyr called to the Judge that had sentenced him to death and desired him to lay his hand upon his heart and asked him whose heart did most beat his or the Judges Assurance will make a man do this and much more for Christ and his Cause Fifthly A wel-grounded Assurance of a mans own eternal Happiness and Blessedness will make him very studious and laborious to make others happy Psal 66. 16. Come and hear all ye that fear God and I will tell you what he hath done for my soul I will acquaint you with the soul-blessings with the soul-favors that God hath crowned me with I was darkness but he hath Eph. 5. 8. 1 Cor. 1. 30. made me light I was unrighteousness but he hath made me righteous I was Col. 2. 10. Isa 1. 6. Ephes 5. 26 27. Cant. 4. 7. deformed but he hath made me compleat I was full of sores and spots and blemishes but he hath washed me and made me all fair without spot or wrinkle I have found the want of Assurance I now
sometimes been better then his word he hath ever performed and he hath over performed hee promised the children of Israel only the Land of Canaan but he gave them besides the whole Land of Canaan two other Kingdoms which hee never promised Ah! how often hath God prevented us with his blessings and hath given Viâ—es reports of a Jew that having gone over a deep river on a narrow planck in a dark night comming the next day to see what danger he had escaped fell down dead with astonishment Ah the astonishing mercies that we have had in these late yeers us in such mercies as have been as far beyond our hopes as our deserts How hath God in these dayes of darknesse and blood gone beyond the prayers desires hopes and confidences of his people in this Land and beyond what we could read in the Book of the Promises Satan promises the best but payes with the worst hee promises honour and pays with disgrace hee promises pleasure and pays with pain he promises profit and pays with losse he promises life and pays with death But God pays as he promises all his payments are made in pure gold therefore take these promises wherein God hath engaged himself to assure thee of his love and spread them before the Lord and tell him that it makes as well for his honour as thy comfort for his glory as for thy peace that he should assure thee of thy everlasting happinesse and blessednesse Fifthly There is in all the Saints the springs of assurance and therefore they may attain to assurance precious Faith is one spring of assurance and this is in all the Saints though in different degrees 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Obtained by loâ— I may say of Faith as Luther says of Prayer it hath a kind of Omnipotency in it it is able to do all things Est quaedam omnipotentia preâ—um Tantum possumus quantum credimus Cyp. 2 Pet. 1. 1. Simon Peter a Servant and an Apostle of Jesus Christ to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousnesse of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ Faith in time will of its own accord raise and advance it self to assurance Faith is an appropriating grace it looks upon God and saith with David this God is my God for ever and ever and hee shall be my guide unto the death It lookes upon Christ and saith with the Spouse I am my Beloveds and his desire is towards me It looks upon an immortall crowne and saith with Paul Henceforth is laid up for me a crown of righteousnesse It looks upon the righteousnesse of Christ and saith this righteousnesse is mine to cover me It looks upon the Mercy of Christ and saith this mercy is mine to pardon me It looks upon the Power of Christ and saith this power is mine to support me It looks upon the Wisdome of Christ and saith this wisdome is mine to direct me It looks upon the blood of Christ and sayes this blood is mine to save me c. As Faith so Hope is another spring of Assurance Col. 1. 27. Christ in you saith Paul the hope of glory So Heb. 6. 19. which hope wee have as an anchor of the soule both sure and stedfast and which entreth into that within the vaile Hope taketh fast hold upon heaven it selfe upon the sanctum sanctorum A Christians hope is not like that of Pandora which may flye out A Saints motio is Spero meliora the hypocrites hope is like the morning dew Job 8. 13 14. Iob 20. 11. Prov. 7. of the box and bid the soule farewell as the hope of the hypocrites do no it is like the morning light the least beame of it shall commence into a compleat Sun-shine it shall shine forth brighter and brighter till perfect day When Alexander went upon a hopefull expedition hee gave away his gold and when he was asked what he kept for himselfe he answered Spem majorum meliorum the hope of greater and better things So a Christian will part with any thing rather then with his hope hee knows that hope will keep the heart both from aking and breaking from fainting and sinking he knowes that hope is a beame of God a sparke of glory and that nothing shall extinguish it till the soul bee filled with glory Soules that are big in hope will not be long without sweet assurance God loves not to see the hopeing soule go alwayes up and downe sighing and mourning for want of a good word from heaven for want of possessing what it hopes in time to enjoy hold out hope and patience a little little longer and he that hath promised to Heb. 10. 37. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 come will come and will not tarry Againe a good conscience is another spring of assurance 2 Cor. 1. 12. Tolle conscientiam Tolle omnia For our rejoycing is this the testimony of our conscience that in simplicity and godly sincerity not with fleshly wisdome but by the grace of God we have had our conversation in the world and more abundantly Conscientia pura semper secura to you wards So in that 1 Joh. 3. 21. Beloved if our heart condemne us not then have we confidence towards God A good conscience hath sure confidence he that hath it sits Noah-like in the midst of all combustions and distractions sincerity and serenity uprightnesse and boldnesse a good conscience and a good confidence go together What the probationer Disciple said to our Saviour in that Mat. 8. 19. Master I will follow thee whithersoever It is a notable speech of SalviÌ„ Such as are truly blessed in their owne consciences cannot be miserable by the false judgements of others thou goest that a good conscience sayes to the beleeving soule I will follow thee from duty to duty from ordinance to ordinance I will stand by thee I will strengthen thee I wil uphold thee I wil be a comfort to thee in life and a friend to thee in death though all should leave thee yet I will never forsake thee A good conscience will look through the blackest clouds and see a smiling God Looke as an evill conscience is attended with the greatest fears and doubts so a good conscience is attended with the Innocency is bulwark enough if you be not guilty saith Seneca greatest clearnesse and sweetnesse And as there is no hell in this world to an evill conscience so there is no heaven in this world to a good conscience He that hath a good conscience hath one of the choysest springs of Assurance And it will not be long before God will whisper such a man in the eare and say unto him Son be of good Matth. 9. 2. chear thy sinnes be forgiven thee Again real Love to the Saints is another spring of Assurance and this spring is a never failing spring this spring is in the weakest as wel as in the strongest Saints Joh. 3. 14. Wee know
is this but to torment the weary soule to dis-spirit the wounded spirit and to make them most sad whom God would have most glad Ah how sad is it for men to affirme that wounded souls may know That the Son of righteousnesse Mal. 4. 2. hath healing in his wings but they cannot be assured that they shall bee healed The hungry soule may Luke 15. 17. know that there is bread enough in his Fathers house but cannot know that he shall taste of that bread The naked soule may know that Christ hath Rev. 3. 18. Robes of righteousnes to cover al the spots sores defects and deformities of it but may not presume to know that Christ will put those royal Robes upon it The impoverished soule may know that there bee unsearchable Eph. 3. 8. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not to b◠traced out riches in Christ but cannot be assured that ever it shall partake of those riches all that these men allow poore foules is guesses and conjectures that it may be well with them they will not allow soules to say with Thomas My Lord and my God nor with Job to say My Redeemer lives nor with Joh. 20 28. Job 19. 25. Can. 7. 10. the Church I am my beloveds and his desire is towards mee And so they leave soules in a cloudy questioning doubting hovering condition hanging like Mahomets Tomb at Mecha between two Load stones or like Erasmus as the Papists paint him hanging betwixt heaven and hell They make the poor soul a magor missabib a terrour to it selfe What more uncomfortable Doctrine then this what more soule-disquieting and soul-unsetling doctrine then this Thou art this moment in a state of life thou mayest the next moment bee in a state of death thou art now gracious thou mayest the next houre be gracelesse Thou art now in the promised Land yet thou mayest dye in the wildernesse Thou art to day a habitation for God thou mayest The heathens used to absolve men by giving them white stones and condemn them by giving them black ones tomorrow be a Synagogue of Satan Thou hast to day received the White-stone of absolution thou mayest tomorrow receive the Black-stone of condemnation Thou art now in thy Saviours Arms thou mayest tomorrow bee in Satans Paws Thou art now Christs free man thou mayest tomorrow bee Satans bond-man Thou art now a vessel of honour thou mayest suddenly become a vessel of wrath Thou art now greatly beloved thou mayest soon be as greatly loathed This day thy name is fairly written in the Book of life tomorrow the Book may be crost and thy name blotted out for ever This is the Arminians doctrine and if this bee not to keep soules in a doubting and trembling and shivering condition what is it Well Christians Remember this is your happinesse and blessednesse That none can plucke you out of your Fathers hand That you are kept as in a Garrison or as with a Guard by the power of God through faith unto salvation That the Mountains shall depart Ioh. 10. 29. 1 Pet. 1. 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 kept safe and fast as in a strong Garrison Isa 54. 10. Heb. 7. 25. and the hils be removed but the kindnesse of the Lord shall not depart from you neither shall the Covenant of peace be removed saith the Lord that hath mercy on you That Christ ever lives to make intercession for you And that men and devils are as able and shall as soon make a world dethrone God pluck the Sun out of the Firmament and Christ out of the bosom of the Father as they shall pluck a beleever out of the everlasting Arms of Christ or rob him of one of his precious Jewels I shall close up this Chapter with an Deut. 33. 26 27 Mal 3. 17. excellent saying of Luther The whole Scripture saith he doth principally aime at this thing that we should not doubt but that we should hope that we should trust that we should beleeve that God is a merciful a bountiful a gracious and a patient God to his people CHAP. II. Containing several weighty Propositions concerning Assurance THE first Proposition that I shall lay downe concerning Assurance is this That God denies Assurance for a time to his dearest and choysest ones and that upon many considerable grounds As first for the exercise of their grace a gracious soule would alwayes be upon Mount Tabor looking into Canaan he would alwayes bee in his Fathers arms and under his Fathers smiles hee would alwayes bee in the Sun-shine of divine favour hee would alwayes have the heavens open that Tam pater nemo tum pius nemo Tertul. he might alwayes see his Christ and his Crowne he would with Peter bee alwayes upon the Mount hee is loath to walke through the valley of darknesse through the valley of Baca. As Gen. 14. 21. If Saints should alwayes have Assurance they would be too apt to say bonum est esse hic it is good for us to be here the King of Sodome said once to Abraham Give me the persons and take the goods to thy selfe So gracious soules are apt to say Give mee joy give me peace give me Assurance and doe you take trials afflictions and temptations to your selves But pray what use would there be of the Starres if the Sunne did alwayes shine why none why no more use would there bee of your graces if Assurance should be alwayes continued therefore the Lord for the exercise of his childrens faith hope patience c. is pleased at least for a time to deny them Assurance though they seek it by earnest prayer and with a flood of penitent tears Secondly The Lord denies Assurance to his dearest ones that he may keep them in the exercise of those Religious duties that are most costly and contrary to flesh and blood as to mourning repenting selfe-judging selfe-loathing selfe-abhorring and selfe-searching As that 1 Sam. 16. For these things I weep mine eye mine eye runneth downe with water because the comforter that should relieve my soule is far from me Chap. 3. verse 2 3. Hee hath led me and brought me into darknesse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not into light Surely against me hee is Bring back my soule or fetch again my soule i. e. Comfort refresh and rejoyce me as in former times 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 turned he turneth his hand against mee all the day verse 17. And thou hast removed my soule far off from peace I forgat prosperity Now what this sad dealings of God puts the Church upon you may see in verse 40. Let us search and try our wayes and turne again to the Lord And if you look throughout 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the book you shall finde the These two Hebrew words are joyned together to intimate to us that diligent narrow and accurate enquiry that they should make into their wayes to search as men do into the bowels of the
is so fully perswaded of its eternal happinesse and blessednesse that it s carried like 4 There is a divine perswasion that flows from divine principles and causes Noahs Arke above al waves doubts and fears and Noah-like fits still and quiet and can with the Apostle Paul triumph over sinne hell wrath death and devill This is sometimes called Col. 2. 2. Heb. 6 11. 18 19 cha 10. 22. full assurance of understanding sometimes it is called full assurance of hope and sometimes it is called full assurance of faith because these are the choice and pleasant springs from whence assurance flows Now though this full assurance is earnestly desired and highly This full Assurance is the maximum quod sic the highest pinacle of Assurance prized and the want of it much lamented the injoyment of it much endevoured after by al Saints yet t is only obtained by a few Assurance is a mercy too good for most mens hearts it is a Crowne too weighty for most mens heads Assurance is optimum maximum the best and greatest mercy and therefore God will onely give it to his best and dearest friends Augustus in his solemne feasts gave trifles to some but gold to others honours and riches c. are trifles that God gives to the worst of men Rev. 3. 18. But Assurance is that tryed gold that God onely gives to tried friends Among those few that have a share or Most Saints I beleeve can give aloud testimony to this truth I shall rejoyce when their experiences shall confute â—r portion in the special love and favour of God there are but a very few that have an assurance of his love It is one mercy for God to love the soule and another mercy for God to assure the soule of his love God writes many a mans name in the Book of life and yet will not let him know it till his houre of death as the experience of many precious soules doth cleerly evidence Assurance is a flower of Paradise that God sticks but Rom. 8. 16 17. in a few mens bosomes It is one thing to be an heire of heaven and another thing for a man to know or see himselfe an heire of heaven The childe in the arms may be heire to a Crown a Kingdome and yet not understand it so many a Saint may bee heire to a Crowne a Kingdome of glory and yet not know it As the babes that passes the pangs of the first birth do not presently cry Father Father so the new borne Babes in Christ that have 1 Pet. 2. 2. past the pangs of the second birth doe not presently cry Abba Father they doe not presently cry out Heaven Heaven is ours Glory Glory is ours The third Proposition is this That The third Proposition a man may have true grace that hath not Assurance of the love and favour The blinde man in the Gospel called his faith unbeleef of God or of the remission of his sins and salvation of his soule A man may be truly holy and yet not have assurance that he shall be eternally happy A man may be Gods and yet he not know it his estate may be good and yet he not see it he may Mat. 15. 22. 29. be in a safe condition when he is not in a comfortable condition All may be well with him in the Court of glory when hee would give a thousand worlds that all were but well in the court of conscience The Canaanite woman shewed much love wisdome zeale humility and faith yea such strength of faith as makes Christ admire her and yeeld to her grace her and gratifie her and yet shee had no assurance that wee read of So Paul speaking of the beleeving Eph 1. 13. They that honour God by sealing to his truth those God will honour by sealing them with his Spirit Ephesians saith In whom ye also trusted after that yee heard the word of truth the Gospel of your salvation in whom also after that yee beleeved yee were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise First They heard the word and then secondly they beleeved and then thirdly they were sealed that is fully assured of a heavenly inheritance of a Saints have eternal life 1 In praetio 2 In promisso 3 In primitiis purchased possession So 1 John 5. 13. These things have I written unto you that beleeve on the name of the Sonne of God that yee may know that yee have eternal life and that yee may beleeve on the name of the Son of God So in that Isa 50. 10. Who is among you that feareth the Lord that obeyeth the voyce of his servant that walketh in darknesse and hath no light let him trust in the name of the Lord and stay himselfe upon his God So in that Mich. 7. 8. 9. verses Rejoyce not against me O mine enemy when I fall I shall arise when I sit in darknesse the Lord shall be a light unto me I will bear the indignation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the Lord because I have sinned against him untill he plead my cause and Zagnaph Signifies vehement anger with a sad and lowring countenance Dan. 1. 10. vide Merâ— execute judgement for me he will bring me forth to the light and I shall behold his Righteousnesse Asaph was a very holy man a man eminent in grace and yet without assurance as may bee seen at large in that 77. Ps Heman doubtlesse was a very precious soule and yet from his youth up hee was even distracted with terrours Psalm 88. There are thousand Christians that are in a state of grace and shall bee Isa 8. 17. Chap. 49. 14 15 16. Ch. 54 6 7 8 9 10 11. saved that want assurance and the proper effects of it as high joy pure comfort glorious peace and vehement longings after the coming of Christ Assurance is requisite to the well-being of a Christian but not to the being it is requisite to the consolation of a Christian but not to the salvation of a Christian it is requisite to the well-being of Grace but not to the meer being of Grace Though a man cannot be saved without faith yet he may bee saved without assurance God hath in many places of the Scripture declared that without faith God never said except you be assured I will pardon you I will never pardon you except you are assured I will save you I will never save you this is language God never spoke and why then should men speak it there is no salvation but God hath not in any one place of Scripture declared that without assurance there is no salvation A man must first bee saved before he can be assured of his salvation for he cannot be assured of that which is not and a man must have saving grace before he can bee saved for hee cannot be saved by that which hee hath not Againe a man must be ingrafted into Christ before
The fifth Proposition those choice soules that have assurance may lose it they may forfeit it the freshnesse and greennesse the beauty lustre and glory of assurance may bee lost It is true beleevers cannot lose the habits the seeds the root of grace yet they may lose assurance which is the beauty and fragrancy the crowne and glory of Grace These two lovers Grace and Assurance are not by 1 Joh. 3. 9. 1 Per 1. 5. God so neerly joyned together but that they may by sinne on our side and justice on Gods bee put asunder It is wonderfull rare if possible for a man that ever had a well-grounded Assurance not to experâ—ence this truth at first or last The keeping of these two Lovers Grace and Assurance together will yeeld the soul two heavens a heaven of joy and peace here and a heaven of happinesse and blessednesse hereafter but the putting these two Lovers asunder will put the soule into a hell here though it escape a hell hereafter This Chrysostome knew well when hee professed that the want of the enjoyment of God would bee a A separation between the body and the soul will not so torment the soul as separation between grace and assurance far greater hell to him then the feeling of any punishment As you would keep your Christ as you would keep your Comfort as you would keep your Crowne keep Grace and Assurance together and neither by lip nor life by word nor works let these be put asunder It is possible for the best men so to blot and blur their Evidences for felicity and glory as that they may not bee able to read them nor understand them They may so vexe and grieve the Spirit either by grosse enormities or by refusing his Spiritus Sanctus est res delicata the Holy Spirit is a very render thing comforts and cordials or by neglecting or sleighting his gracious actings in themselves and others or by mis-judging his worke as calling faith fancy or sincerity hypocrisie c. or by fathering those brats upon him that are the children of their owne distempered hearts as that hee may refuse to witnesse their interest in him 1 Sam. 16. Joh. 14. though he be a witnessing Spirit and refuse to comfort them though he be the onely Comforter The best beleever that breaths What Latimer said of the spirit it is going and coming may be truly said of Assurance and joy it is coming and going may have his Summer-day turned into a Winter-night his rejoycing into sighing his singing into weeping his wedding Robes into mourning weeds his wine into water his sweet into bitter his Mannah his Angels-food into husks his pleasant grapes into the grapes of Sodome his fruitfull Canaan his delightfull Paradise into a barren and unlovely wildernesse Look as faith is often attended with unbeleef and sincerity with hypocrisie and humility with vaine glory so is Assurance with feares and doubts Blessed Hooker lived neer So dâ—d Mr. Burroughs of blessed memory goe to heaven in a cloud thirty yeers in close communion with God without any considerable withdrawings of God all that while and yet upon his dying-bed he went away without any sense of assurance or discoveries of the smiles of God to the wonder and deceiving of the expectation of many precious soules and without doubt in judgement to wicked men Look as many a man loses the sight of the City when he comes neer to it So many a choice soule loses the sight of heaven even then when hee is neerest to heaven Abraham you know had assurance in an extraordinary way concerning his protection from God and yet saies Gen 12. 19. Chap. 20. 2. We should rather dye then lie we are not to tell an officious lye to tell a lye for no hurt but for good though it were to save all the world said Austin Abraham say thou art my sister for otherwise they will kill me Ah how was the freshness the greenness the beauty and glory of his assurance wore off that he should out of slavish fears expose his wife to other mens pleasure and himselfe and his neighbour to Gods displeasure that hee should wound foure at once the honour of God his wives chastity his owne conscience and Pharoahs soul David you know sometimes sings it out sweetly The Lord is my portion and the lot of mine inheritance he is my salvation of whom shall I be afraid he is my Psal 18. 2. Rocke and fortresse and my deliverer my God my strength my trust my buckler and my high Tower At other times you have him sighing it out Why art thou cast downe O my soule why art thou disquieted in me why hast thou forgotten me O God my Rock why goe I mourning Vers 9. Thine arrows stick fast in me and thy hand presseth me sore There is no soundness Psal 38. 2. in my flesh because of thine Vers 3. Vers 4 anger neither is there any rest in my bones because of my sinne for mine iniquities Vers 6. are gone over my head as an heavy burden they are too heavy for mee Psal 30. 7. Ps 51. 8. to 13. I am troubled I am bowed downe greatly I goe mourning all the day long Thou diddest hide thy face and I was troubled Restore to me the joy of my salvation that the bones that thou hast broken may rejoyce His heart was more often out of tune then his harpe He begins many of his Psalms sighing and ends them singing and others he begins in joy and ends in sorrow So that one would think saith one that Peter Moulin those Psalms had been composed by two men of a contrary humor Yea it is very observable that though David had assurance in an extraordinary way that he should be King being anoâ—nted by that great Prophet Samuel yet the lustre and glory of this assurance wears off and he overcome by slavish fears Psal 116. 11. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cryes out That all men are lyars even Samuel as well as others and that he shall one day perish by the hand of In my trembling or in my affrightment I said all men are lyers Saul It is true says David I have a Crown a Kingdom in a promise but I must swim to the Crown thorow blood I must win the Crown before I wear it and the truth is I am like to die before I attain it Yea and after he was King when King Jesus did but hide his face he was sorely troubled Psal 30. 6 7. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so that neither his glorious Bahal I was troubled like a withered flower that loosâ—th sap and vigor So it is used in Exod. 15. 15. Throne nor his Royal Robes nor his Golden Crown nor his glistering Courtiers nor his large Revenues nor his cheerful temper nor his former Experiences could quiet him or satisfie him when God had turned his back upon him Look as
shall come saith the Lord of hosts Well I will say but this If assurance of Gods love be not a Jewel worth a waiting for it is worth nothing Fourthly Suffering times are times Non poenae sed causa facit martyrem wherein the Lord is pleased to give his people some sense of his favor when they are in sufferings for Righteousness sake for the Gospels sake then usually God causes his face to shine upon them Now they shall hear best news Adversus gentes gratias agimus quod à molestis dominis liberemur saith One. We thank you for delivering us from hard task-masters that we may enjoy more sweetly the bosom of Christ from Heaven when they hear worst from Earth God loves to smile most upon his people when the world frowns most when the world puts their Iron chains upon their legs then God puts his Golden chains about their necks when the world puts a bitter Cup into their hands then God drops some of his honey some of his goodness and sweetness into it when the world is ready to stone them then God gives them the white stone and when the world is a tearing their good names then he gives them a new name that none knows but he that hath it a name that is better then that of sons and daughters when the world cryes out Crucifie them crucifie them then they hear that sweet voice from Heaven These are my beloved ones in whom I am well pleased when the world cloaths them with rags then the Lord puts on his Royal Robes and makes a secret Proclamation to their spirits Thus shall it be done to the men whom the King is pleased to honor when the world gives into one hand a Cup of Water God gives into the other a Cup of Nectar a Cup of Ambrosia when the world gnasheth upon them and presents all imaginary tortures before them then the Lord opens paradise to them as he did to Stephen when Paul and Silas were in prison for the Acts 7. 50. 16. 23 24. Me thinks said one I tread upon pearls when he trod upon hot burning coals and I feel no more pain then if I lay in a bed of down and yet he lay in flames of fiâ—e Revel 1 9 10. He was banished thither by Domitian the Tyrant Vide Euseb l. 3. c. 18. Vide Pliâ— l. 4. c. 12. Gospel sake then God fills them with such unspeakable joy that they cannot but be singing when others were sleeping God turns their prison into a pallace a paradise and they turn his mercies into praises Paul and Silas found more pleasure then pain more joy then sorrow more sweet then bitter more day then night in the prison God will make some beams of his goodness and glory to break thorow stone walls to warm and glad the hearts of his suffering-ones When John was banished into the Isle of Fathmos for the Word of God and the testimony of Jesus then he is filled with the Spirit and hath the choicest manifestations and the most glorious Revelations that ever he had all his days Now God makes him one of his Court and Counsel and tells him what glorious and mighty things shall be in the latter days Now he is in a Spiritual rapture and extasie and carried above himself and above all outward things to attend those glorious Visions that God would make known to him It was Gods lifting up the light of his countenance that made the Martyrs to sing in the fire to clap their hands in the flames and to tread upon hot burning coals as upon Beds of Roses This made one say when he felt the flame come to Vincentius his Beard What a small pain is this to be compared to the glory to come what is a drop of vinegar put into an ocean of wine what is it for one to have a rainy day that is going to take possession of a Kingdom The smiles of God made another to sing under dreadful sufferings Christianus sum I am a Christian Sanctus And this made the Christians to sing in Tertullians time Crudelitas vestra gloria nostra Your cruelty is our glory This made a French Martyr to say when the rope was about his fellows neck Give me that golden chain and dub me a Knight of that noble order This made another to desire when he was to die the favor of having his chains buried with him as the ensigns of his honor This made Basil to say Fire Nihil seutit erux in nervo quando animus est in caelo sword prison famine are all a pleasure a delight unto me This made Paul to rattle his Iron chains and to glory in it more then worldly men glory in all their outward glory This made Theodoret to complain that his persecuters did him wrong when they took him off the Rack and ceased tormenting of him for said he All the while that I was on the Rack I found me thought there was a yong man in white an Angel stood by me which wiped off the sweat and I found a great deal of sweetness in it which now I have lost To Sufferings are the ensigns of heavenly nobisiry noâ— wonder then that the Saints are so joyful under them conclude the smiles of God upon the prisoners of hope is that which makes them more chearful and delightful in their sufferings then Jesus Christ was in his When Faninus an Italian Martyr was asked by one why he was so merry at his death sith Christ himself was so sorrowful Christ said he sustained in his soul all the sorrows and conflicts with Hell and Death due to us by whose sufferings we are delivered from sorrow and fear of them all and therefore we have cause of rejoycing in the greatest sufferings Now there are these special Reasons to be given why the Lord is pleased in suffering times to visit his people with his loving kindness and to lift up the light of his countenance upon them Reas 1 First That their patience and constancy Christian fortitude is in ferendo nâ—n in ferierdo not in smiting but suffering under the Cross may be invincible God knows right well That if his left hand in suffering times be not under his people and his right hand over them if he does not give them some sips of sweetness some rellishes of goodness they would quickly grow impatient and inconstant O but now the smiles of God William Flower Appoloâ—â—us Basil Fulgentius Giles of Brussels Alexander Hales Polycaâ—â—us Calvin Luther Brentius Bullinger these and many more have been eminent in patience under sore tryals the gracious discoveries of God makes their patience and constancy invincible as it did Vincentius who by his patience and constancy madded his tormentors wherefore they stripped him stark naked whipped his body all over to a gore blood sprinkled Salt and Vinegar over all his wounds set his feet on burning coals then cast him naked into a
certainty bless him and will bless his blessing to him and in multiplying he would multiply his seed as the stars of Heaven and as the sand which is upon the Sea shore Now the Angel of the Lord viz. the Lord Jesus as his own words shew Verse 12 15 16. calls unto Abraham out of Heaven not once but twice and now he shews his admirable love in countermanding of Abraham and in providing a Ram even to a miracle for a burnt-offering And thus you see that believing times are times wherein the Lord is graciously pleased to reveal his love and make known his favor to his people and to look from Heaven upon them and to speak again and again in love and sweetness to them Fifthly Hearing and receiving Reas 5 times are times wherein the Lord is graciously pleased to cause his face to shine upon his people when they are a hearing the Word of Life and a Psal 63. 3 4. breaking the Bread of Life then God comes in upon them and declares to them that love that is better then life Acts 10. 44. While Peter yet spake these words the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the Word As Peter was Also by the Holy Ghost is meant the extraordinary gifts of the Spirit Vers 45 46. Acts 11. 15. Therefore says the Apostle do not leave the substance for a shadow the Sun for a Candle and speaking the Holy Ghost that is the graces of the Holy Ghost viz. the joy the comfort the love the peace c. of the Holy Ghost fell upon them So in that Gal. 3. 2. This onely would I learn of you received ye the Spirit by the works of the Law or by the hearing of Faith By the Spirit here Calvin and Bullinger and other Expositors do understand the joy the peace the assurance that is wrought in the heart solid Meat for Milk which none would do except they were bewitched Gal. 3. 1. by the hearing of Faith that is by the Doctrine of the Gospel for in these words of the Apostle hearing is put for the thing heard and Faith for the Doctrine of the Gospel because the Gospel is the ordinary means of working Faith Faith comes by hearing saith the Apostle So in that 1 Thes 1. 5 6. By the Holy Ghost in this Text cannot be meant the extraordinary gifts of the Spirit and that first because they were no evidences of Election secondly because many vessels of wrath have been partakers of them thirdly many of Gods choice and chosen ones have been destitute of those extraordinary gifts For our Gospel came not unto you in word onely but also in power and in the Holy Ghost and in much assurance as ye know what manner of men we were among you for your sake And ye became followers of us and of the Lord having received the Word in much affliction with joy of the Holy Ghost In these words you have a Divine Power attending Pauls Ministry a power convincing enlightning humbling raising delighting reforming renouncing and transforming of them that heard him Also you have the sweet and blessed testimony of the Spirit attending his Ministry and assuring those of their Effectual Calling and Election upon whom the Word came in power and raising up their spirits to joy in the midst of sorrow Ah you precious Sons and Daughters of Sion that have sate waiting and trembling at Wisdoms door tell me tell me Hath not God rained down Manna upon your souls whilest you have been hearing the Word Yes Hath not God come in with power upon you and by his Spirit sealed up to you your Election the Remission of your sins the Justification of your persons and the Salvation of your souls Yes Without controversie many Saints have found Christs lips in this Ordinance to drop honey and sweetness marrow and fatness And as Christ in hearing times when his people are a hearing the Word of Life does lift up the light of his countenance upon them so when they are a receiving the Bread of Life he makes known his love to them and their interest in him in this feast of fat This Ordinance is a Cabineâ— of Jewels in it are abundance of Spiritual Springs and rich Mines heavenly Treasures things the Master of the Feast the Lord Jesus comes in the midst of his guests saying Peace be here Here the beams of his glory do so shine as that they cause the hearts of his Children to burn within them and as scatters all that thick darkness and clouds that are gathered about them When Saints are in this Wine Celler Christs Banner over them is Love When they are in this Canaan then he feeds them with Milk and Honey When they are in this Paradise then they shall taste of Angels Food When they are at this Gate of Heaven then they shall see Christ at the right hand of the Father When they are before this Mercy Seat then they shall see the Bowels of Mercy rowling towards them In this Ordinance they see that and taste that and feel that of Christ that they are not able to declare and manifest to others In this Ordinance Saints shall see the truth of their graces and feel the increase of their graces and rejoyce in the clearness of their evidences In this Ordinance Christ will seal up the Promises and seal up the Covenant and seal up his Love and seal up their pardon sensibly to their souls Many precious souls there be that have found Christ in this Ordinance when they could not finde him in other Ordinances though they have sought him sorrowingly Many a cold soul hath been warmed in this Ordinance and many a hungry soul hath been fed with Every gracious soul may say not onely credo vitam aeternam edo vitam aeternam I believe life eternal but I receive I eat life eternal Manna in this Ordinance and many a thirsty soul hath been refreshed with Wine upon the Lees in this Ordinance and many a dull soul hath been quickned in this Ordinance * Every wicked soul that takes the cup may say Calix vitae calix mortis the Cup of Life is made my death 1 Cor. 11. 27. I do not say That ever a dead soul hath been in livened in this Ordinance this being an Ordinance appointed by Christ not to beget Spiritual Life where there was none but to increase it where the Spirit hath formerly begun it In this Ordinance weak hands and feeble knees have been strengthned and fainting hearts have been comforted and questioning souls have been resolved and staggering souls have been setled and falling souls have been supported Ah Christians if you will but stand up and speak out you must say That in this Ordinance there hath been between Christ and you such mutual smiles such mutual kisses such mutual embraces such mutual opening and shutting of hands such mutual opening and closing of hearts as hath made such a Heaven in your hearts
as cannot be exprest as cannot be declared Christ in this Ordinance opens such boxes of precious Oyntments as fill the Saints with a spiritual savor he gives them a cluster of the Grapes of Num. 13. 23 24 25. Canaan that makes them earnestly look and long to be in Canaan The Cypr. l 4. ep 6 Aug. in John Tract 27 c. Christians in the Primitive times upon their receiving the Sacrament were wont to be filled with that zeal and fervor with that joy and comfort with that faith fortitude and assurance that made them to appear before the Tyrants with transcendent boldness and cheerfulness as many Writers do testifie Now there are these Reasons why God is pleased to lift up the light of his countenance upon his people when they are a hearing the Word of Life and a breaking the Bread of Life First That they may highly prize Reas 1 the Ordinances the choice Discoveries that God makes to their souls in them works them to set a very high Psal 63. 2 3. Cant 2 3. Psal 19. 10. This age is full of careless Gallioes Acts â—8 17. that care not for these things price upon them O say such souls we cannot but prize them we cannot but affect them for what of God we have enjoyed in them Many there are that are like old Barzillai that had lost his taste and hearing and so cared not for Davids feasts and musick so many there are that can see nothing of God nor taste nothing of God in Ordinances they care not for Ordinances they slight Ordinances O but souls Psal 84. 10 11. that have seen and heard and tasted of the goodness of the Lord in Ordinances they dearly love them and highly prize them I have esteemed thy Word says Job above my necessary food Job 23. 12. Better that the Sun shine not then that Chrysostom Preach not And David sings it out The Law of thy mouth is better unto me then thousands of gold and silver Luther prized the Word at such a high rate that he saith He would not live in Paradise if he might without the Word At cum verbo etiam in inferno facile est vivere but with the Word he could live in Hell it self Secondly God lifts up the light of Reas 2 his countenance upon his people in Ordinances that he may keep them Psal 27. 4. close to Ordinances and constant in Ordinances the soul shall hear good news from Heaven when it is waiting at Wisdoms door God will acquaint Prov. 8. 34 35. the soul with Spiritual Mysteries and feed it with the droppings of the Honey Comb that the soul may cleave to them as Ruth did to Naomi Ruth 1. 15 16 17. and say of them as she said of her Where these go I will go where these lodge I will lodge and nothing but death shall make a separation between Ordinances and my soul After Joshua Josh 1. 5. had had a choice presence of God with his spirit in the service he was put upon he makes a Proclamation Chuse you whom you will serve I and my Josh 24. 15. houshold will serve the Lord. Let the issue be what it will I will cleave to the service of my God I will set my soul under Gods spout I will wait for him Mal. 3. 1. in his Temple I will look for him in Revel 2. 1. the midst of the seven Golden Candlesticks I have found him a good Master I will live and dye in his service I have found his work to be better then wages I have found a reward not onely for keeping but also in keeping his Commandments as the Psal 19. 11 Psalmist speaks The good words the sweet aspects the choice hints the heavenly intercourse that hath been between the Lord Jesus and my soul in his service hath put such great and glorious engagements upon my soul that I cannot but say with the servant in the Law I love my Master Exod. 21. 5. Deut. 15. 16 17. and I will not quit his service because it is well with me my ear is bored and I will be his servant for ever The third Reason Why the Lord Reas 3 causes the beams of his love and the brightness of his glory to shine forth upon his people in Ordinances is To fence and strengthen their souls against all those temptations that they may meet with from Satan and his Ephes 4. 14. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies cogging with a Dy such slights as cheaters and false-gamesters use at Dâ—ce instruments that lie in wait to deceive and by their cunning craftiness endeavor with all their might to work men first to have low thoughts of Ordinances and then to neglect them and then to despise them Now the Lord Chrysostom saith That by the Sacrament of the Lords Supper we are so armed against Satans temptations that he fleeth from us as if we were so many Leones ignem expuentes Lyons that spit fire by the sweet discoveries of himself by the kisses and love tokens that he gives to his people in Ordinances does so indear and engage their hearts to them that they are able not onely to withstand temptations but also to triumph over temptations thorow him that hath loved them and in Ordinances manifested his presence and the riches of his grace and goodness to them the sweet converse the blessed turns and walks that the Saints have with God in Ordinances makes them strong in resisting and happy in conquering of those temptations that tend to lead them from the Ordinances which are Christs bankquetting-house Can 2. 4. Beith Haiin is Domus vini the House of Wine where he sets before his people all the dainties and sweet-meats of Heaven and bids them eat and drink abundantly there being no danger of surfeiting in eating or drinking of Christs delicates Truly many a soul hath surfeited of the worlds dainties and died for ever but there is not a soul that hath had the honor and happiness to be brought into Christs bankquetting-house and to eat and drink of his dainties but they have lived for ever The fourth Reason Why the Lord Reas 4 is pleased to give his people some sense of his love and some tastes of Heaven in Ordinances is That he may fit and ripen them for Heaven and make them look and long more after a perfect compleat and full enjoyment of God Souls at first conversion are but roughcast but God by visiting of them Isa 64. 5. and manifesting of himself to them in his ways doth more and more fit those Vessels of Mercy for Glory Ah Christians tell me do not those Holy Influences those Spiritual Breathings those Divine In-comes that you meet with in Ordinances make your souls cry out with David As the Hart panteth after the water Psal 42. 1 2. The Greeks derive their word for desire from a root that signifieth to burn Now if one should
perfect in weakness which filled his heart with joy and gladness The hidden Manna the New name and the Revel 2. 17. White stone is given to the conqueror to him that hath fought with principalities Ephes 6. 12. and powers and spiritual wickedness in high places and is come off with his garments dipt in blood After the Roman Generals had gotten victory over their enemies the Senate did use not one way but many ways to express their loves to them So after our Faith hath gotten victory over Satan God usually takes the soul in his arms and courts it and shews much kindness to it Now the soul shall be carried in triumph now the Chariot of state attends the soul now White Revel 3. 5. 7. 9. rayment is put upon the soul now Palms are put into the Conquerors hands now the Garland is set upon the Conquerors head and now a Royal feast is provided where God will set the Conqueror at the upper end of the Table and speak kindly and carry it sweetly towards him as one much affected and taken with his victory over the Prince of darkness Conflicts with Satan are usually the As many have found by experience sharpest and the hottest they spend and waste most the vital and noble spirits of the Saints and therefore the Lord after such conflicts doth ordinarily give his people his choicest and his strongest Cordials And thus by Divine assistance we have shewed you the special times and seasons wherein the Lord is graciously pleased to give his people some tastes of his love some sweet assurance that they are his favorites that all is well and shall be for ever well between him and them and that though many things may trouble them yet nothing shall separate them from their God their Christ their Crown CHAP. III. Containing the several Hinderances and Impediments that keep poor souls from Assurance with the Means and Helps to remove those Impediments and Hinderances NOw the first impediment 1. Impediment and hinderance to Assurance that we shall instance in is Despairing thoughts of mercy O these imprison the Soul and make it always dark night with the Soul these shut the windows of the Soul that no light can come in to cheer it Despairing There is a threefold Despair 1. Worldly 2. Moral 3. Spiritual And this last is the worst and greatest thoughts make a man fight against God with his own weapons they make a man cast all the Cordials of the Spirit against the wall as things of no value they make a man suck poyson out of the sweetest promises they make a man eminent in nothing unless it be in having hard thoughts of God and in arguing against his own Soul and happiness and in turning his greatest advantages into disadvantages his greatest helps into his greatest hinderances Despairing It makes a man call good evil and evil good light darkness and darkness light sweet bitter and bitter sweet a Saviour a destroyer a Redeemer a revenger c. thoughts of mercy make a man a beast yea below the beast that perisheth Pliny speaks of the Scorpion that there is not one minute wherein it doth not put forth the sting as being unwilling to lose any opportunity of doing mischief Such Scorpions are despairing souls they are still a putting out their sting a rangling with God or Christ or the Scripture or the Saints or Ordinances or their own Souls A despairing soul is Magor Missabib a terror to himself it cannot rest but like Noahs Ark is always tost here and there it is troubled on every side it is full of fears and fightings A despairing soul is a burden to others but the greatest burden to it self it is still a vexing terrifying tormenting condemning and perplexing it self Despair makes every sweet A despairing soul is like the spider that draws poyson out of the sweetest flowers bitter and every bitter exceeding bitter it puts Gall and Wormwood into the sweetest Wine and it puts a sting a cross into every cross Now whilest the soul is under these despairing thoughts of mercy how is it possible that it should attain to a well-grounded assurance therefore for the helping of the soul out of this despairing condition give me leave a little to expostulate with despairing souls Tell me O despairing souls is not despair an exceeding vile and contemptible sin is it not a dishonor to God a reproach to Christ and a murderer of souls is it not a belying of God a denying of Christ and a crowning of Satan it doth without doubt proclaim the Devil a Conqueror and lifts him up above Christ himself Despair is an evil that flows Despair is Satans master-piece it carries men he adlong to hell it makes a man twice told a childe of hell it is a Viper that hath stinged many a man to death from the greatest evil in the world it flows from unbelief from ignorance and mis-apprehensions of God and his Grace and from mistakes of Scripture and from Satan who being for ever cast out of paradise labors with all his art and might to work poor souls to despair of ever entring into paradise O despairing souls let the greatness of this sin effectually awaken you and provoke you to labor as for life to come out of this condition which is as sinful as it is doleful and as much to be hated as to be lamented Again tell me O despairing souls Acts 2. Plus peccavit Judas desperando quà m prodendo Christum saith one hath not despairing Judas perished when as the murderers of Christ believing on him were saved Did not Judas sin more hainously by despairing then by betraying of Christ Despairing Spira is damned when repentting Manasseh is saved O despairing souls the arms of mercy are open to receive a Manasseh a Monster a Devil incarnate he caused that Gospel Prophet Isaiah to be sawed in the midst with a Saw as some Rabbins say he turned aside from the Lord to commit 2 Chro 33. 1 to 15. Idolatry and caused his sons to pass thorow the fire and dealt with familiar spirits and made the streets of Jerusalem to overflow with innocent blood The soul of Mary Magdalen Mark 6. 9. was full of Devils and yet Christ casts them out and made her heart his house his presence Chamber why dost thou then say there is no hope for thee O despairing soul Paul was full Acts 1. 1 2. 26. 11. of rage and malice against Christ his people and ways and he was full of blasphemy and impiety and yet behold Paul is a chosen Vessel Paul is 1 Tim. 1. 13 15 16. caught up into the third Heaven and he is filled with the gifts and graces of the Holy Ghost Why shouldst thou then say there is for thee no help O despairing soul Though the Prodigal Luke 15. 13 14. had run from his Father and spent and wasted all his estate in ways
the world that there is no such worth and vertue no such power and Una guâ—tula plus valet quam caelum terra Luther efficacy in the blood of Christ as indeed there is O how will you answer this to Christ in that day wherein his blood shall speak and plead not onely with the profane that have trodden it under their feet but also with despairing Heb. 10. 29. souls that have undervalued the power vertue and merit of it Hath not the blood of Jesus Christ washed 1 John 1. 7 8 9. away the sins of a world of notorious sinners and is it not of vertue to wash away the sins of one sinner Hath it Sanguis Christi clavis coeli The blood of Christ is the Key of Heaven that hath let in millions Revel 7 9. Isai 66 8. A nation shall be born in a day When the Jews shall be converted a very glorious converting power shall accompany the means of salvation that Christ may rain from Sea to Sea c. had that vertue and power in it as to bring many thousands to glory already and is there not so much vertue left in it as to bring thy soul to glory Hath it actually delivered such a multitude from wrath to come as cannot be numbred and is the vertue of it so far spent as that it cannot reach to thy deliverance Are there not yet millions of thousands that shall hereafter be actually saved and justified by this blood Why then shouldst thou despair of being justified and saved from wrath to come by the vertue and power of this precious blood There were five Monks that were studying what was the best means to mortifie sin One said To meditate on death the second To meditate on judgement the third To meditate of the joyes of Heaven the fourth To meditate on the torments of Hell the fifth To meditate on the blood and sufferings of Jesus Christ and certainly the last is the choicest and strongest motive of all to the mortifying of sin O despairing souls despairing souls if ever you would cast off your despairing thoughts and get out of your present hell then dwell much muse much and apply much this precious blood to your own souls So shall sorrow and mourning flee Isai 5. 11. 56. 5. 60. 19 20. 62. 4 5. away and everlasting joy shall rest upon you and the Lord shall give you an everlasting name and be everlasting light and glory to you and you shall be no more called Forsaken for the Lord will rejoyce over you and be a wel-spring John 4. 21 23. of life unto you and make his abode with you and turn your sighing into singing your trembling into rejoycing and your prison into a paradise of pleasure so that your souls shall be able to stand up and say O blessed be God for Jesus Christ blessed be God for that precious blood that hath justified our persons and quieted our consciences and scattered our fears and answered our doubts and given us to triumph over Sin Hell and Death Who is Rom 8. 33 to 38. he that condemneth it is Christ that died The Apostle upon the account of Christs death of Christs blood cryes out Victory Victory he looks upon all his Enemies and sings it sweetly out Over all these we 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is Supervincimus We do over-overcome are more then conquerors or above conquerors O despairing souls to all your former sins do not adde this Of making light and slight of the blood of Christ as there is no blood that saves souls like the blood of Christ so there is no blood that sinks souls like the blood of Christ a drop of this blood upon a mans head at last will make him miserable for ever but a drop of it upon a mans heart at last will make him happy for ever In the day of vengeance the Exod. 12. 7. destroying Angel will spare you if this blood be found upon the door posts of your hearts otherwise you are lost for ever Lastly I can tell you O despairing souls that God hath brought some out of the very gulf of despair out of the very belly of hell and therefore thou mayest hope that thy sins that are thy present burden shall not be thy future ruine Doth not Asaph resemble the despairing soul to the life My soul Psal 77. refused to be comforted I remembred God and was troubled I complained and my spirit was overwhelmed Thou holdest mine eyes waking I am so troubled that I cannot speak Will the Lord cast off for ever and will he be favorable no more is his mercy clean gone for ever and will his promise fail for evermore Hath God forgotten to be gracious hath he in anger shut up his tender mercies Now out of this gulf God delivers him Verse 10. And I said This is my infirmity or this maketh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 me sick as it is in the Original Here Asaph checks himself for casting the cordials the comforts of the Spirit against the wall and for his having such hard sad and black thoughts of God And in the thirteenth Verse he speaks like one dropt out of Heaven Thy way O God is in the sanctuary who is so great a God as our God Formerly the thoughts of God troubled him and overwhelmed him but now at last the thoughts of the greatness of God and of his interest in God is matter of admiration and consolation to him So Heman sighs it out thus My Psal 88. All conclude that he was very holy and his soul very happy even while he was in this gulf of misery soul is full of troubles and my life draweth nigh unto the grave Thou hast laid me in the lowest pit in darkness in the deeps Thy wrath lieth hard upon me and thou hast afflicted me with all thy waves Lord why castest thou off my soul why hidest thou thy face from me I am afflicted and ready to die from my youth up while I suffer thy terrors I am distracted Thy fierce wrath goeth over me thy terrors have cut me off And yet for all this Hemans state was good his soul was safe and happy he calls God in the same Psalm The God of his salvation So Jonah when he was in the belly of Jonah 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Garash signifies to expulse and cast out as Adam was expulsed out of paradise Gen 3. 24. It signifies an ignominious expulsion Hell concludes That he was cast out of the sight of God The sense of his sin and of Gods anger and wrath was so eminent and transcendent upon him that it even distracts him and makes him speak like a despairing soul I am cast out from the presence of the Lord I am expulsed out of Gods sight as Moses was expulsed out of Egypt God hath cast me out as one in whom he can take no pleasure nor delight as a Husband
that you would willingly do upon a dying day Ah how would you live and love upon a dying day how would you admire God rest upon God delight in God long for God and walk with God upon a dying day how would you hate loath and abhor your bosom sins upon a dying day how would you complain of your bosom sins and pray against your bosom sins and mourn over your bosom sins and watch against your bosom sins and flie from all occasions that should tend to draw you to close with your bosom sins upon a dying day Ah doubting souls would you not for all the world gratifie your bosom sins upon a dying day and will you gratifie them on other days which for any thing you know to the contrary may prove your dying days Thrice happy is that soul that labors with all his might to do that at first that he would fain do at last that doth that on every day that he would give a thousand worlds to do on a dying day No way to Assurance like this no way to joy and comfort like this no way to rest and peace like this no way to the Kingdom to the Crown like this I earnestly beseech you trembling souls when you finde your spirits running out to bosom sins that you would lay your hands upon your hearts and thus expostulate the case O our souls would you thus dally and play with sin upon a dying day would you thus stroke and hug sin upon a dying day would you not rather shew all the dislike and hatred that is imaginable against it would you not tremble at sin more then at Hell and abhor the very occasions of sin more then the most venomous Serpent in all the world would you not rather suffer the worst and greatest punishments then to smile upon a darling sin upon a dying day Yes O would you fain do this upon a dying day why not then every day why not then every day O our souls The sixt and last Motive to provoke Motive 6. One flaw in a Diamond doth not onely take away the beauty glory and price of it but it puts men to question whâ—ther it be a Diamond Psal 40. 12. you to fall with all your might upon bosom sins is Seriously to consider that till this be done fears and doubts will still haunt the soul the soul will still be fearing that surely all is naught and that that work that is wrought upon it is not a real but a counterfeit work that it is not a peculiar and special work but a common work that a man may have and perish Till 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this be done the soul can never be able I am not able to see sin had put out Davids eyes to see grace in its own native beauty and glory the hugging of sin in a corner will raise such a dust in the soul that it cannot be able to see those Pearls of glory sparkling and shining Till this be done doubting souls you will be but Babes and Shrubs and Dwarfs in Christianitie the hankering of the soul after sin is the casting of water upon the Spirit it is the laming of Grace it is the clipping the wings of Faith and Prayer so that the soul can neither be confident nor fervent frequent nor constant in religious services so that it will unavoidably follow such souls will be like Pharaohs Gideon had seventy sons and but one Bastard and yet that one Bastard destroyed all the rest you may easily apply it lean Kine poor and starveling Look as many men are kept low in their outward estates by having a back door to some Herodians so many doubting souls are kept low in spirituals by their hankering after some particular sin Remember Christians sin is the souls sickness the souls weakness if the body be weak and diseased it grows not sin is poyson that turns all nourishment into corruption and so hinders the growth of the soul in grace and holiness Ah Christians as ever you would be rid of your fears and doubts as ever you would see the beautie and glory of grace as ever you would be eminent and excellent in grace and holiness see that effectual justice be done upon that Achan that Jonah that darling sin that hath occasioned storms within and tempests without It was a grievous vexation If there be but one crack in the honey-glass there the Wasp will be buzzing and where there is but some one sin favored there Satan will be rempting and upbraiding to King Lysimachus that his staying to drink one draught of water lost him his Kingdom Ah Christians it will grievously vex you when you come to your selves and when you come to taste of the admirable pleasure that attends the conquest of sin to consider that your hankering after this or that particular sin hath been the loss of that joy and comfort that peace and assurance that is infinitelie more worth then all the Kingdoms of the world But you may say to me O! we would Quest fain have our bosom sins subdued we desire above all that they may be effectually mortified these sons of Zerviah we would have slain to chuse But what course must we take to bring under our darling sins to get off our Golden Fetters to get out of these Silken Snares To this Question I shall give these Answers First If ever thou wouldst have Means 1. masterie over this or that bosom sin then engage all thy power and might against thy bosom sin draw up thy spiritual forces and engage them wholly against the sin that doth so easilie beset thee As the King of Syria said to his Captains Fight neither 2 Chro. 8. 30. with small nor great save onely with the King of Israel So I say your wisdom and your work O doubting souls lieth not in skirmishing with this or that sin but in coming up to a close sharp fight with the King of Israel with that darling sin that hath a Kingly interest in you and a Kingly power over you Constantine the Great his Symbole was Immedicabile vulnus ense rescindendum est when there is no hope of curing men must fall a cutting Believe it souls you must fall a cutting your bosom sins in pieces by the Sword of the Spirit as Samuel cut Agag in 1 Sam. 15. 33. pieces in Gilgal before the Lord or else you will never obtain a perfect cure Slight skirmishes will not do it you must pursue your bosom sins to the death or they will be the death of your souls The second Means to bring under a Means 2. As when one Bucket of a Well goes up the other goes down as when one of the two Lawrels in Rome flourishes the other withers so when grace gets up sin goes down when grace flourishes sin withers bosom sin is To labor to be most eminent and excellent in that particular grace that is most opposite to a mans bosom sin
As it is a Christians glory to be eminent in every grace so it is a Christians special dutie to excel in that particular grace that is most contrary to his darling sins Is it pride is it the world is it hypocrisie c. that is thy bosom sin that is the cheif favorite in thy soul O then labor above all to be cloathed with humilitie to abound in Heavenly-mindedness to transcend in sinceritie c. I know no surer no choicer no sweeter way effectually to crucifie a bosom sin then this He that comes up to this counsel will not be long held in golden fetters it will not be long before such a soul cries out Victory victory The third Means to help us to trample Means 3. upon bosom sins is To look upon bosom sins now as they will appear to us at last to look upon them in the time of health as they will appear to us in times of sickness to look upon them in the time of our life as they will appear to us in the day of our death Ah souls of all unpardoned sins your bosom sins will be presented by God Conscience and Satan at last as the most filthy and ugly as the most terrible and dreadful your bosom sins at last-will appear to be those Many there be that have found these things by woful experience Wo wo to that soul that shall put it to the tryal monsters those fiends of Hell that have most provoked God against you that have shut up Christs bowels of Love and Compassion from you that have armed Conscience against you that have barred the Gates of Glory against you that have prepared the hottest place in Hell for you and that have given Satan the greatest advantage eternally to triumph over you Ah Souls at last your bosom sins will more press and oppress you more sad and sink you more terrifie and amaze you then all your other transgressions Those sins that seem most sweet in life will prove most bitter Job 20. 11 to ult at death those pleasant morsels will prove thy greatest Hell when there is but a short step between thy soul and eternity Ah Christians never look upon bosom sins but with that eye which within a few hours you must behold them and this you will finde by experience will be a singular means to bring under your bosom sins The fourth Means to subdue bosom Means 4. sins is To apply your selves to extraordinary means as Fasting and Prayer c. Ordinary Physick will not remove extraordinary distempers nor ordinary duties will not remove bosom sins who by long and familiar acquaintance with the soul are exceedingly strengthned and advantaged You read of some devils in the Gospel that could not be cast out but Matth. 17. 14 to 22. by Prayer and Fasting So bosom sins are those white devils that will not that cannot be cast out but by fervent and constant Prayer joyned with Fasting and Humiliation Souls that are serious and conscientious in observing of this rule will finde such a Divine power to atâ—end their endeavors as will give them to lead captivity captive and to triumph Col. 2. 14 15. over those white devils within as Christ triumphed over Principalities and Powers upon the Cross Fifthly and lastly As you would Means 5. have victory over bosoms sins keep off from all those occasions that tend to lead thee to the gratifying of them He that shuns not the occasions of sin tempts two at once Satan and his own heart he tempts Satan to tempt him to taste of forbidden fruit and he tempts his own heart to feed upon forbidden fruit Abstain from all appearance of 1 Thes 5. 22. Jude v. 23. evil hate the garment spotted by the flesh What ever carries with it an ill show or shadow savor or suspition that abstain from that you may neither wound God nor the Gospel your own Consciences nor others If there be any fuel to feed thy bosom sin in thy house remove it or before thine eie remove it or in thy hand remove it put it far away thy soul cannot be safe it cannot be secure so long as the occasions of sin are thy companions Wouldst thou have a clear evidence of the truth of thy grace then shun the occasions of sin wouldst thou imitate the choicest Saints then shun the Gen. 39. 10. Job 31. 1. Psal 26. 4 5 6. occasions of sin wouldst thou stand in shaking times then keep off from the occasions of sin wouldst thou keep alwaies peace with God and peace with Conscience then keep ofâ— from the occasions of sin wouldst thou frustrate Satans greatest designes and countermine him in his deep 〈…〉 plots then keep off from the occasion of sin wouldst thou keep thy bones from breaking and thy heart from bleeding then keep off from the occasions of sin wouldst thou keep down fears and doubts and keep up faith and hope then keep off from the occasions of sin wouldst thou have assurance in life and joy and peace in death then keep off from the occasions of sin Do this and you do all if you do not this you do nothing at all And thus I have done with the Impediments that hinder Souls from Assurance as also with the Means to remove those Impediments CHAP. IV. Containing several Motives to provoke Christians to be restless till they have obtained a wel-grounded Assurance of their Eternal Happiness and Blessedness NOw the first Motive that Motive 1. I shall lay down to provoke you to get a wel-grounded Assurance is Solemnly to consider that many are now dropped into Hell that have formerly presumed of their going to Heaven as those that came bouncing at Heaven gate crying out Lord Lord open to us for we have prophesied Matth. 7. 22 26 27. So few in the old world feared an eternal miscarriage Matth 25. So were the Jews that cryed out The Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord. in thy Name and in thy Name have cast out devils and in thy Name have done many wonderful works and yet that direful and dreadful sentence is past upon them Depart from me ye workers of iniquities The foolish Virgins were in a golden dream that they were as happy as the best and yet when they were awakned they found the Bridegroom entred into his glory and the door of mercy shut against them Men are naturally prone to Isa 40. 27. Deut. 29. 19. flatter themselves that their sins are not sins when indeed they be and that they are but small sins when they are great and grievous and they are apt to flatter themselves that they have grace when they have none and that Prov. 30. 12. their grace is true when it is but counterfeit and that their condition is not Revel 3. 17 18. so bad as others when it is worse and with Agag that the bitterness of Micah 3. 11 death is past when God hath his
cast water upon those Divine Motions that hath been 1 Thes 2. 18. kindled in you have you not often â—ound him a Lion and a Serpent a tempter and a deceiver a lyer and a murderer Yes O then never gratifie him any longer by living without assurance He that lives without assurance lives without a comfortable fruition of God and so gratifies Satan He that lives without assurance lives upon some Creature-enjoyment more then upon God and so gratifies Satan He that lives without assurance lives not like the beloved of God and so gratifies Satan He that lives without assurance is very apt to gratifie Satan sometimes by complying with him sometimes by following after him and sometimes by acting his part for him c. Verily Christians there is no way effectually to prevent this sore evil but by getting a wel-grounded assurance of your Everlasting Happiness and Blessedness Assurance will make a man stand upon terms of defiance with Satan it will make the soul constant in resisting and happy in over-coming the evil one And assured soul will fight it out to the death with Satan an assured soul will not flie like a coward but will stand and triumph like a David And as you gratifie Satan by living without Assurance so you wrong your own souls by living without assurance Rapit animam suaâ— He plundreth his own soul 1 In the point of comfort and joy you wrong your own souls 2 In the point of peace and content you wrong your own souls 3 In the point of boldness and confidence you wrong your own souls A man that lives without assurance lies his precious soul open to many blows and knocks to many frowns and wounds from God from the world from carnall friends from hypocrites and from Satan Therefore as you would not Christians gratify Satan and wrong your own soules and exercise over your selves spirituall cruelty and tyranny which is the very worst of all cruelty and tyranny give God no rest till hee hath made known to you the sweetnesse of his love and the secrets of his bosome till he hath gathered you up into himself till he hath set you as a seal upon Câ—nt 8. 6. his heart as a seal upon his arm The tenth Motive to provoke you Motive 10. to get a wel-grounded assurance is this consider the sweet profit and glorious advantage that will redown to you by gaining assurance and if the gain that will certainly redown to you by assurance will not provoke you to get assurance I know not what will First It will bring down Heaven into your bosomes it will give you a Heb. 11. 1 possession of Heaven on this side heaven an assured soul lives in Paradise and walks in Paradise and works in Paradise and eats in Paradise and rests in Paradise hee hath Heaven within him and Heaven about him and Heaven over him all his language is Heaven heaven Glory glory Secondly Assurance will exceedingly sweeten all the changes of this life this life is full of changes Assurance will sweeten sickness and health weakness 2 Cor. 4. 16 17 18. and strength wants and abundance disgrace and honour c. while a man lives in the sense of unchangeable loves no outward changes can make any considerable change in his spirit Let times change let men change leâ— powers change let Nations change yet a man under the power of assurance will not change his countenance nor change his Master nor change his work nor change his hopes though others under changes turn like the Camelion into all colours Souls that want assurance are like him in Aesop that blew hot and cold with the same breath The wind is not more subject to change and shift from one quarter to another from one corner to another then they are subject to change and shift in changing times to save their little all yet the assured soul under all changes is semper idem always the same Antistines a Philosopher to make his life happy desired onely that he might have the spirit of Socrates who was always in a quiet temper of spirit what ever wrongs injuries crosses losses c. befel him Let the trials be what they would that did attend him yet he continued one and the same Ah Christians the want of assurance hath made many changlings in these days but if ever you would be like Socrates if ever you would be like the Philosophers good man that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tetragonos Four-square that cast him where you will like a Dy he falls always sure and square then get assurance of Everlasting Happiness Assurance will make your souls like the Laws of the Medes and Persians that alters not it will sweeten the darkest day and the longest night under variety of changes it will Hab. 3. 17 8 19. make a man sit down with Habakkuk and rejoyce in the Lord and joy in the God of his Salvation Thirdly Assurance will keep the heart from an inordinate running out after the World and the glory thereof Moses having an assurance of the recompence of a reward and Heb 11. 24 25 26 27. of his love and favor that is invisible could not be drawn by all the honors pleasures and treasures of Egypt He slights all and tramples upon all the glory of the world as men trample upon things of no worth So after Paul had been in the 2 Cor. 12. 1 2 3. Rom. 8. Third Heaven and had assurance that no thing should separate him from the love of God in Christ he looks upon the world as a crucified thing The world is crucified to me saith Gal. 6. 14. he and I am crucified unto the world The world is dead to me and I am dead to it the world and I am well agreed the world cares not a pin for me and I care not a pin for the world The Loadstone cannot draw the Iron So when God gave Golâ—acius that Italian Maâ—quess an assurance of everlasting happiness he withstood many golden temptations and cryed out Cursed be he that prefers all the glory of the world to one days communion with Christ c. when the Diamond is in presence no more cannot the vanities of this world draw the soul after them when Assurance that choice Pearl of price is in presence I have read of Lazarus that after he was raised from the Grave he was never seen to smile the assurance that he had of more glorious things did deaden his heart to the things of this world he saw nothing in them worthy of a smile Ah were there more assurance among Christians there would not be such tugging for the world and such greedy hunting and pursuing after it as is in these days to the dishonor of God the reproach of Christ and the shame of the Gospel Justice would not be sold and bought as it is in these days were there more assurance in the world Get but more
in blood it made the Martyrs to complement with Lions to dare and tire their persecutors to kiss the stake to sing and clap their hands in the flames to tread upon hot burning coals as upon Beds of Roses The assured Soul knows that Death shall be the Funeral of all his sins and sorrows of all afflictions and temptations of all desertions and oppositions He knows that Death shall be the Resurrection of his joyes he knows that death is both an out-let and an in-let an out-let to sin and an in-let to the souls clear full and constant injoyment of God And this makes the assured soul to sing it sweetly out O 1 Cor. 15. 35 36 37. death where is thy sting O grave where is thy victory I desire to be dissolved Phil. 1. 23 Make haste my beloved Come Cant. 8. ult Revel 22. Lord Jesus come quickly Now Death is more desirable then life Now says the Soul Ejus est timere mortem qui ad Christum nolit ire Let him fear Death that is loth to go to Christ So I may be with Christ though I go in a Cloud I care not sayes the assured soul so I may be with Christ I care not though I go in a Fiery Charriot sayes the assured soul The Persians had a certain day in the year in which they used to kill all Serpents and venomous Creatures The assured Christian knows that the day of Death will be such a day to him and that makes Death lovely and desirable he knows that Sin Morimur dum non morimur was the Midwife that brought Death into the World and that Death shall be the Grave to bury Sin Ambrose said to his friends about him when he was dying I have not so lived that I am ashamed to live nor yet fear I death because I have a good Lord c. And therefore Death is not a terror but a delight unto him he fears it not as an enemy but welcomes it as a friend As Crook-back Richard the Third in his distress cried A Kingdom for a Horse a Kingdom for a Horse So souls that want assurance when they come to die will cry out A Kingdom for Assurance a Kingdom for Assurance And as Severus said If I had a thousand worlds I would now give them all for Christ So a Soul that wants Assurance when he comes to enter upon a state of eternity will cry out O had I now a thousand worlds I would give them all for assurance whereas the assured soul would not for a thousand worlds but die When his glass is out and his sun is set he cryes not out as that Lady did A World a World for an inch of time but rather why is it why is it Lord that thy chariots be so long a coming Eightly Assurance will very much sweeten that little oyl that is in the 1 King 17. 12 c. Cruse and that handful of meal that is in the Barrel Assurance will be sauce to all meats it will make all thy mercies to taste like mercies it will make Daniels pulse to be as sweet as Princes Dan. 1. delicates it will make Lazarus Rags Luke 16. as pleasurable as Dives Robes it will make Jacobs bed upon the stones to be Gen. 28. Amos 6. 4. as soft as those Beds of Down and Ivory that sinful great ones stretch themselves upon Look as the want of assurance imbitters all a sinners mercies that he cannot taste the sweetness and the goodness of them so the enjoyment of assurance casts a general beauty and glory upon the Believers meanest mercy And hence it is that assured souls Prov. 15. 16. live so sweetly and walk so chearfully when their little all is upon their backs and in their hands whereas the great men of the world that have the world at will but want this assurance that is more worth then the world live as slaves and servants to their mercies in the midst of all their abundance they are in straits and perplexities Job 20. 22. full of fears and cares and nothing pleases them nor is sweet unto them because they want that A Believer knows 1. That his little mercies are from great love Secondly That they are pledges of greater Thirdly That his blessings are blest unto him Fourthly That they shall not at last be witnesses against him assurance that sweetens to a Believer the ground he stands on the air he breaths in the seat he sits on the bed he lies on the bread he eats the cloaths he wears c. Ah were there more assurance among Christians they would not count great mercies small mercies and small mercies no mercies no no then every mercy on this side hell would be a great mercy then every mercy would be a sugared mercy a perfumed mercy Look as the Tree that Moses cast into the Exod. 15. 23 24 25. waters of Marah made those bitter waters sweet so Assurance is that Tree of Life that makes every bitter sweet and every sweet more sweet Ninthly Assurance will make a man The Rabbins say That the Angels attend in all Judicatories very Angelical it will make him full of motion full of action it will make him imitate the Angels those Princes of glory that are always busie and active to advance the glory of Christ they are still a singing the Song of the Lamb they are still pitching their Tents about them that Psal 34. 7. Heb. 1. ult fear the Lord they are Ministering Spirits sent forth for the good of them that are Heirs of Salvation Assurance will make a man fervent constant and abundant in the Work of the Lord as you may see in Paul The Assurance makes a Saint all fire it makes him like â—he burning Seraphims Isal 6. 2 3 4. assured Christian is more motion then notion more work then word more life then lip more hand then tongue When he hath done one work he is a calling out for another What is next Lord sayes the assured soul what is next His head and his heart is set upon his work and what he doth he doth it with all his might because there is no working in the Grave An assured Christian Bellarmiâ—â— is of opinion that one glimpse of Hell were enough to make a man not onely turn Christian but a Monk to live after the strictest rules to be abounding in wel-doing Surely assurance of Heaven will make a man do more will put his hand to any work he will put his shoulder to any burden he will put his neck in any yoke for Christ he never thinks that he hath done enough he always thinks that he hath done too little and when he hath done all he can he sits down sighing it out I am but an unprofitable servant In a word Assurance will have a powerful influence upon thy heart in all the duties and services of Religion nothing will make a man love like
of things not seen Faith makes absent glory present absent riches present absent pleasures present absent favors present Faith brings an invisible God and sets him before the soul Moses by Faith saw him that was invisible Faith brings down the recompence of reward and sets it really though spiritually before the soul Faith sets Divine favor before the soul it sets peace it sets pardon of sin it sets the Righteousness of Christ it sets the Joy of Heaven it sets Salvation before the soul it makes all these things very near and obvious to the soul Faith is the evidence of things not seen Faith makes invisible things visible 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Index or clear conviction by disputation absent things present things that are afar off to be very near unto the soul By convincing Demonstrations by Arguments and Reasons drawn from the Word as the Greek word signifies 2 Cor. 4. 17 18. For our light affliction which is but for a moment worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory while we look not at the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To look with a diligent eye as men do at the mark whereat they shoot things which are seen but at the things which are not seen For the things which are seen are temporal but the things which are not seen are eternal Faith trades in invisible things in eternal things its eye is always upwards like the Fish called by Galen Urano Scopos that hath but one eye and yet looks continually up to Heaven Faith Heb 6. 19. Rom. 8. 18. Heb. 10. 34. Acts 7. 55 56. An adopted Heir to a Crown cannot but have his heart at Court his minde and thoughts will be upon his future glorious condition He will be still a creating Idea's and Images of it enters within the vail and fixes her eye upon those glorious things of eternity that are so many that they exceed number so great that they exceed measure so precious that they are above all estimation Sayes Faith the spangled Firmament is but the Footstool of my Fathers house and if the Foot-stool the outside be so glorious O how glorious is his Throne Verily in Heaven there is that life that cannot be expressed that light that cannot be comprehended that joy that cannot be fadomed that sweetness that cannot be dissipated that feast that cannot be consumed and upon these Pearls of glory I look and live sayes Faith And thus I have shewed you the choice and precious objects about which that Faith is exercised that accompanies Salvation I shall now in the next place shew you the Properties of that Faith that accompanies Salvation and they are these that follow The first Property of that Faith Quid est igitur fides Opinior fideliter hominem Christi creder◠i. e. Fidelem esse boc est fideliter Dei mandata servare saith one that accompanies Salvation is this It puts forth it self into vital operations it makes a man full of life and activity for God it will make a man diligent and venturous in the work and wayes of God Faith is a most active quality in it self and so it makes a Christian most active it is a doing thing and it makes the person doing Faith will not suffer the soul to be idle Faith is like the vertuous Woman in the last of the Proverbs who put her hand to every work who would suffer none of her Hand-maids to be idle Faith puts the soul upon grieving for Zach. 12. 10. sin upon combating with sin upon weeping over sin upon trembling at the occasions of sin upon resisting temptations that leads to sin upon fighting it out to the death with sin Faith puts a man upon walking with The eleventh of the Hebrews is a full proof of these things Gal. 2. 20. God upon waiting on God upon working for God upon wrastling with God upon bearing for God and upon parting with any thing for God Faith makes Religious duties to be easie to the soul to be delightful to the soul to be profitable to the soul Faith makes the soul to be serious and conscientious in doing to be careful faithful in doing to be delightful chearful in doing to be diligent and faithful in doing Jam. 2. 17. to the end Faith looks to precepts as well as to promises Psal 119. 66. Teach me good judgement and knowledge for I have believed thy Commandments That faith that is not a working faith is no faith that faith that is not a working faith is a dead faith that faith that is not a working faith is a deluding faith that faith that is not a working faith is a worthless faith that faith that is not a working faith will leave a man short of Heaven and happiness in the latter day Faith that accompanies Salvation is better at doing then at thinking at obeying then at disputing at walking then at talking Tit. 3. 8. This is a faithful saying and these things I will that thou affirm constantly that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works Faith will make a man endeavor to be good yea to be best at 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word signifies to bend their wits and beat their brains to maintain good works every thing he undertakes It is not leaves but fruit not words but works that God expects and if we cross his expectation we frustrate our own Salvation we further our own condemnation Faith makes the soul Isa 65 24. Gen. 4 4. 1 Pet. 3. 11. Cant. 2. 14. Luther prefers the meanest work of a Country Christian or poor Maid above all the victories and triumphs of Alexander and of Julius Caesar Matth. 27. ult Isa 41. 10 11. Heb. 13 5 6. Ezek. 36. 26 27 c. much in doing abundant in working and that partly by perswading the soul that all its works all its duties and services shall be owned and accepted of God as in Isa 56. 7. Even them will I bring to my holy Mountain and make them joyful in my House of prayer Their burnt-offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon mine Altar for mine House shall be called an House of prayer for all people Faith assures the soul that every prayer every sigh every groan every tear is accepted And this makes the soul pray much and sign much and mourn much Again Faith spreads the promises of Divine assistance before the soul O sayes Faith here O soul is assistance suitable to the work required And this makes a man work as for life it makes a man work and sweat and sweat and work Again Faith sets the Recompence the Reward before the soul O Heb. 11. 25 26. One good work of a Christian is more precious then Heaven and Earth saith Luther sayes Faith Look here soul here is a great reward for a little work here is great wages for weak and imperfect services here is an infinite reward
out to his Father to help him to stand by him and to engage for him against his enemy so Faith being sensible of its own weakness and inability to get the victory over sin cries out to Christ and engages Christ who is stronger then the strong man and so Christ binds the strong man and casts him out Faith tells the soul That all purposes resolutions and endeavors without Christ be engaged will never set the soul above its sins they will never purifie the heart from sin Therefore Faith engages Christ and casts the main of the work upon Christ and so it purges the soul from sin Luther reports of Staupicius a German Divine that he acknowledged that before he came to understand the free and powerful grace of Christ that he vowed and resolved an hundred times against some particular sin and could never get power over it he could never get his heart purified from it till he came to see that he trusted too much to his own resolutions and too little to Jesus Christ But when his faith had engaged Christ against his sin he had the victory Again Faith purifies the heart from sin by the application of Christs Blood Faith makes a plaister It is the excellency of Faith that it can turn the Blood of Christ both into food and into Physick of Christs blessed Blood and layes it on upon the souls soars and so cures it Faith makes a heavenly vomit of this blessed Blood and gives it to the soul and so makes it cast up that poyson that it hath drunk in Faith tells the soul that it is not all the tears in the world nor all the water in the Sea that can wash away the uncleanness of the soul it is onely the Blood of Christ that can make a Blackmoor white it is onely the Blood of Christ that can cure a Leprous Naaman that can cure a Leprous soul This Fountain of Blood sayes Faith is the onely Fountain for Judah and Jerusalem to wash Zach 13. 1. themselves to wash their hearts from all uncleanness and filthiness of flesh and spirit Those spots a Christian findes in his own heart can onely be washed out in the Blood of the Lamb by a hand of Faith Again Faith purifieth the soul from sin by putting the soul upon heart-purifying Ordinances and by mixing and mingling it self with Ordinances The word profited Heb. 4 2. them not saith the Apostle because it was not mixt with faith in them that heard it Faith is such an excellent ingredient that it makes all potions work for the good of the soul for the purifying of the soul and for the bettering of the soul and no potion no means will profit the soul if this heavenly ingredient be not mixt with it Now Faith puts a man upon praying upon hearing upon the fellowship of the Saints upon publick duties upon family duties and upon Closet duties and Faith in these comes and joyns with the soul and mixes her self As Christ came and joyn'd himself to his Disciples with these soul-purifying Ordinances and so makes them effectual for the purifying of the soul more and more from all filthiness and uncleanness Faith puts out all her vertue and efficacy in Ordinances to the purging of Sin is like the wilde Fig-tree or Ivy in the Wall cut off stump body bough and branches yet some sprigs or other will sprout out again till the Wall be plucked down c. souls from their dross and Tin Not that Faith in this life shall wholly purifie the soul from the being of sin or from the motions or operations of sin no for then we should have our Heaven in this world and then we might bid Ordinances adue but that faith that accompanies Salvation doth naturally purifie and cleanse the heart from the remainders of sin by degrees Sound Faith is still a making the heart more and more neat and clean that the King of glory may delight in his habitation that he may not remove his Court but may abide with the soul for ever And thus you see that that Faith that accompanies Salvation is a heart-purifying Faith The fifth Property of that Faith that accompanies Salvation is this It is soul softning soul mollifying O nothing breaks the heart of a sinner like Faith Peter believes soundly and Matth. 26. ult Luke 7. weeps bitterly Mary Magdalen believes much and weeps much Faith sets a wounded Christ a bruised Christ a despised Christ a peirced Christ a bleeding Christ before the soul and this makes the soul sit down and weep bitterly I will pour upon the Zach. 12. 10 c. house of David the Spirit of Grace and of Supplications And they shall look upon him whom they have pierced and they shall mourn for him All Gospel-mourning flows from believing as one mourneth for his onely son and shall be in bitterness for him as one that is in bitterness for his first-born O the sight of those wounds that their sins have made will wound their hearts thorow and thorow it will make them lament over Christ with a bitter lamentation They say nothing will dissolve the Adamant but the Blood of a Goat Ah nothing will kindly sweetly and effectually break the hardned heart of a sinner but Faiths beholding the Blood of Christ trickling down his sides Pliny reports of a Serpent That when it stings it fetches all the blood out of the body but it was never heard that ever any sweat blood but Christ and the very thoughts of this makes the believing soul to sit down sweating and weeping That Christ should love man when he was most unlovely that mans extream misery should but inflame Christs bowels of love and mercy This melts the believing soul that Christ should leave the eternal bosom of his Father that he tha was equal with God should come in the form of a servant that he that was cloathed with glory and born a King should be wrapped in raggs that he that the Heaven of Heavens could not contain should be cradled in a Manger that from his Cradle to his Cross his whole life should be a life of sorrows and sufferings that the Judge of all flesh should be condemned that the Lord of Life should be put to death that he that was his Fathers joy should in anguish of Spirit cry out My God my God why hast thou forsaken me That that head that was crowned with honor should be crowned with thorns that those eyes that were as a flame of fire that were clearer then the Sun should be closed up by the darkness of death that those ears which were wont to hear nothing but Hallelujahs should hear nothing but Blasphemies that that face that was white and ruddy should be spit upon by the beastly Jews that that tongue that spake as never man spake yea as never Angel spake should be accused of blasphemy that those hands which swayed both a Golden Scepter and an Iron Rod and
that way Faith doth not chuse its object Faith knows that he is powerful and faithful that hath promised and therefore Faith closes with one object as well as another So a true obedient soul singles not out the commands of God as to obey one and rebel against another it dares not it cannot say I will serve God in this command but not in that No In an Evangelical sense it obeyes all Luk. 1. 5 6. Zacharias and Elizabeth were both righteous before God walking in all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Without complaint An obedient soul is like a chrystal glass with a light in the midst which shines forth thorow every part thereof So that Royal Law that is written upon his heaâ—t shines forth into every parcel of his life his outward works do eccho to a Law within the Commandments and Ordinances of the Lord blameless They walked not onely in Commandments but also in Ordinances nor onely in Ordinances but also in Commandments They were good souls and good at both A man sincerely obedient layes such a charge upon his whole man as Mary the Mother of Christ did upon all the servants at the Feast John 2. 5. Whatever the Lord saith unto you do it Eyes ears hands heart lips legs body and soul do you all seriously and affectionately observe what ever Jesus Christ sayes unto you and do it So David doth Psal 119. 34 69. Give me understanding and I shall keep thy Law yea I shall observe it with my whole heart The proud have forged a lie against me but I will keep thy Precepts with my whole heart The whole heart includes all the faculties of the soul and all the members of the body sayes David I will put hand and heart body and soul all within me and all without me to the keeping and observing of thy Precepts Here is a soul thorow-paced in his obedience he stands not halting nor halving of it he knows the Lord loves to be served truly and totally and therefore he obeys with an entire heart and a sincere spirit I have read of a very strange speech that dropped out of the mouth of Epictetus a Heathen If it be thy will sayes he O Lord command me what thou wilt send me whither thou wilt I will not withdraw my self from any thing that seems good to thee Ah how will this Heathen at last rise in judgement against all Sauls Jehues Judases Demases Scribes Pharisees Temporaries who are partial in their obedience who while they yeeld obedience to some commands live in the habitual breach of other commands Verily he that lives in the habitual breach of one command shall at last be reputed by God guilty of the breach Jam. 2. 10. of every command and God accordingly will in a way of Justice proceed against him Ezek. 18. 10 11 12 13. It was the glory of Caleb and Joshua Num. 14. 24. that they followed the Lord fully in one thing as well as another So Cornelius Acts 10. 33. We are present before God to hear whatsoever shall be commanded us of God He doth not pick and chuse So in Acts 13. 22. I have found David the son of Jesse a man after mine own heart which shall fulfil all my will or rather as it is in the Greek he shall fulfil all my 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wils He mindes not onely general duties of Religion but also particular duties as a Magistrate as a Minister as a Father as a Master as a Son as a Servant wills To note the universallity and sincerity of his Obedience A sincere heart loves all commands of God and prizes all commands of God and sees a Divine Image stamped upon all the commands of God and therefore the main bent and disposition of his soul is to obey all to subject to all God commands universal obedience Josh 1. 8. Deut. 5. 29. Ezek. 18. The Promise of Reward is made over to Universal Obedience Psal 19. 11. Josh 1. 8. Universal Obedience is a Jewel that all will wish for or rejoyce in at the day of death and the day of account And the remembrance of these things with others of the like nature provokes all upright souls to be impartial to be universal in their Obedience Thirdly That Obedience that accompanies Salvation springs from inward Spiritual causes and from holy and heavenly Motives it flowes from Faith Hence it is called The obedience of Faith Rom. 16. 26. So in 1 Tim. 1. 5. Now the end of the Commandment is Love out of a pure Heart and of a good Conscience and of Faith unfeigned Faith draws down that Divine Vertue and Power into the soul that makes it lively and active abundant and constant in the work and way of the Lord. And Where Love is the Soul says of every command Bonus Sermo it is a good saying but where Love is wanting the man cryes out Durus Sermo It is a hard saying who can bear it as Faith so Love puts the Soul forward in ways of Obedience John 14. 21 23. If any man love me he will keep my Commandments So Psal 119. 48. My hands also will I lift up to thy Commandments which I have loved Divine Love is said to be the keeping of the Commandments because it puts the Soul upon keeping them Divine Love makes every weight light every yoke easie every command joyous it knows no difficulties it facilitates obedience it divinely constrains the soul to obey to walk to run the ways of Gods commands And as sound Obedience springs from Faith and Love so it flows from a filial Fear of God Psal 118. 119. Mine heart stands in aw of thy Word So Heb. 11. 7. Noah being warned of God touching things not seen as yet moved with fear prepared an Ark. Ah but Hypocrites and Temporaries are not carried forth in their Obedience from such precious and glorious principles and therefore it is that God casts all their services as dung in Isa 1. 11. their faces And as that Obedience which accompanies Salvation flows from inward Spiritual Principles so it flows from holy and heavenly Motives as from the tastes of Divine Love and the sweetness and excellency of communion with God and the choice and precious discoveries that the soul in wayes of Obedience hath Isa 64. 5. had of the beauty and glory of God The sweet looks the heavenly words the glorious kisses the holy embraces that the obedient soul hath had makes it freely and fully obedient to the Word and Will of God Ah! but all the Motives that move Hypocrites and carnal Professors to Obedience are onely external and carnal as the eye of Matth. 6. the Creature the ear of the Creature the applause of the Creature the rewards of the Creature either the love of the loaves or the gain of John 6. custom or the desire of ambition sometimes they are moved to obedience from the fear of the Creature and sometimes from the
Come Lord Jesus come quickly Revel 22. 20. Cant. 8. ult 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Beâ—ahh dod Flee away speedily my beloved Make haste my beloved and be thou like to a Roe or to a yong Hart upon the Mountain of Spices I desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ which for me is best of all It is a mercy sayes Paul for Christ to be with me but it is a greater mercy for me to be with Christ I desire to die that I Austin longed to see that head that was crowned with thorns may see my Saviour I refuse to live that I may live with my Redeemer Love desires and endeavors for ever to be present to converse with to enjoy to be closely and eternally united to its object Christ The longing of the espoused Maid for the marriage day of the Traveller for his Inn of the Mariner for his Haven of the Captive for his Ransom c. Is not to be compared to the longings of the Lovers of Christ after a further and fuller enjoyment of Christ The Lovers of Christ do well God hath reserved the best Wine the best things till last know that till they are taken up into glory their chains will not fall off till then their glorious Robes shall not be put on till then all sorrow and tears shall not be wiped from their eyes till then their joy will not be full their Comforts pure their Peace lasting their Graces perfect and this makes them look and long after the enjoyment of the Person of Christ It was a notable saying of one Let all the Devils in Hell saith he beset me round let fasting macerat my body let sorrows oppress my minde let pains consume my flesh let watchings dry me or heat scorch me or cold freeze me Let all these and what can come more happen unto me so I may enjoy my Saviour Secondly Love to Christ shews it self by working the Soul to abase it self that Christ may be exalted to Revel 4. 10 11. Joh 3 26 to 31. Phil. 3. 7 8. throw down it self that Christ may be set up to lessen it self to greaten Christ to cloud it self that Christ aâ—one may shine Love cares not what it is nor what it doth so it may but advance the Lord Jesus Love makes the Soul willing to be a footstool for Christ to be any thing to be nothing that Christ may be all in all Thirdly That love that accompanies Salvation sometimes shews it self by working the Soul to be chearful and resolute to be patient and confident in sufferings for Christ 1 Cor. Acts 5. 16. 13. Love endureth all things Love will not complain Love will not say the burden is too great the Prison is too dark the Furnace is too hot the Chains are too heavy the Cup is too bitter c. A true lover of Christ can slight Acts 21. 13. his life out of love to Christ as that blessed Virgin in Basil who being condemned for Christianity to the fire and having her estate and life offered her if she would worship Idols cryed Let money perish and life vanish Christ is better then all So Alice Driver said I drove my Fathers Plough often yet I can die for Christ as soon as any of you all That Love that accompanies Salvation makes a Christian free and forward in suffering any thing that makes for the glory of Christ Fourthly That Love that accompanies Salvation shews it self by working the Soul to be pleased or displeased It is a saying in Natural Philosophy That it is Naturalissimum opus viventis generare sibi simile the most natural act or work of every living thing to produce another like unto it self Psâ—l 45. 7. 1â—9 104 113 128 163. as Christ is pleased or displeased A Soul that loves Christ hath his eye upon Christ and that which makes Christ frown makes him frown and what makes Christ smile makes him smile Love is impatient of any thing that may displease a beloved Christ Look what Harpalus once said Quod Regi placet mihi placet What pleaseth the King pleaseth me That sayes a true lover of Christ What pleaseth Christ that pleaseth me Holiness pleaseth Christ and holiness pleaseth me sayes a lover of Christ It pleaseth Christ to overcome evil with good to overcome Hatred with Love Enmity with Amity Pride with Humility Passion with Meekness c. And the same pleaseth me sayes a lover of Christ 1 John 4. 17. As he is so are we in this world Our love answers to Christs love and our hatred answers to Christs hatred he loves all Righteousness and hates all wickedness so do we say the Lovers of Christ Psal 119. 113 128 163. It is said of Constantines Children Eusebius in his Ecclesiastical History That they resembled their Father to the life that they put him wholly on The true Lovers of Christ resemble Christ to the life and they put him wholly on Hence it is That they are called Christs 1 Cor. 12. 12. Fifthly True love to Christ shews it self sometimes by working the Lovers of Christ to expose themselves to suffering to save Christ from suffering in his glory to adventure the loss of their own crowns to keep Christs Crown upon his head to adventure drowing to save Christs honor from sinking Thus did the Three Children Daniel Moses and other Worthies I Heb. 11. have read of a servant who dearly loved his Master and knowing that his Master was looked for by his enemies he put on his Masters Cloaths and was taken for his Master and suffered death for him Divine love will make a man do as much for Christ it will make a man hang for Christ and burn for Christ Revel 12. 11. They loved not their lives unto the death Christ and his Truth was dearer to them then their lives They slighted contemned yea despised their very lives when they stood in competition with Christ and his glory and chose rather to suffer the greatest misery then that Christ should lose the least dram of his glory Sixthly That Love that accompanies Salvation shews it self sometimes by working the lovers of Christ to be affected and afflicted with the dishonors that are done to Christ Psal 119. Mine eyes run down with Rivers Jere 9. 1 2. of tears because men keep not thy Law So Lots soul was vexed racked 2 Pet. 2. 7 8. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies two things 1. The search and examination of a thing 2. The racking and vexing a man upon the tryal and tortured with the filthy conversation of the wicked Sodomites The turning of his own flesh his Wife into a Pillar of Salt did not vex him but their sins did rack his righteous soul Psal 6â— â— The reproaches of them that reproached thee fell upon me A woman is most wounded in her Husband so is a Christian in his Christ Though Though King Craesus his son were dumb all his life time yet
not any man think that he will embrace other mens goods to forsake Christ who hath forsaken his own proper goods to follow Christ Love makes a man cry out when tempted as that worthy Convert did Ego non sum ego I am not the man that I was When my heart was voide of Divine Love I was as easily conquered as I was tempted O but now he hath shed abroad his love in my soul I am not the man that I was I had rather die then flie or fall before a temptation Twelfthly That Love that accompanies Salvation shews it self by secret kindnesses by secret visits by secret expressions of love A Soul that truly loves Christ loves to meet him in a corner to meet him behinde the door to meet him in the clefts of the Cant. 2. 14. Matth. 6. 6. Rock where no eye sees nor no ear hears nor no heart observes Feigned love is much in commending and kissing Christ upon the stage but unfeigned love is much in embracing and weeping over Christ in a Closet The Pharisee loved to stand praying in the Matth. 6. Market-place and in the Temple but Nathaniel was with Christ under the John 1. 48. Fig-tree and Cornelius was at it in the Acts 10. corner of his house and Peter was at it on the Leads and the Spouse Cant. 7. 11. was at it in the Villages Souls that truly love Christ are much in secret visits in secret prayer in secret sighing in secret groaning in secret mourning c. True love is good at bolting of the door and is always best when it is most with Christ in a corner The secret discoveries that Christ makes to souls do much oblige them to closet services Arcesilaus in Plutarch visiting his sick friend and perceiving his necessity that he wanted and yet his modesty that he was ashamed to ask that he might satisfie the one and yet salve the other secretly conveyed money under his Pillow which his friend finding after he was gone was wont to say Arcesilaus stole this So Christ steals secret kindnesses upon his people and that draws them out to be much in secret in closet services Thirteenthly That Love that accompanies Salvation shews it self by breathing after more clear evidence and full assurance of Christs love To the soul Divine love would fain have her drop turned into an Ocean her spark into a flame her penny into a pound her mite into a million A soul that truly loves can never see enough nor never taste enough nor never feel enough nor never enjoy enough of the love of Christ when once they have found his love to be better then Wine then nothing will satisfie them but the kisses of his mouth Cant. 1. 3. Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth Not with a kiss but with the kisses of his mouth A soul once kissed by Christ can never have enough of the kisses of Christ his lips drop myrrhe and mercy no kisses to the kisses of Christ The The more a Virgins love is drawn out to another the more she desires to be confirmed and assured of his love to her more any soul loves Christ the more serious studious and industrious will that soul be to have the love of Christ discovered confirmed witnessed and sealed to it That is a sweet word of the Spouse Cant. 8. 6. Set me as a seal upon thy heart as a seal upon thy arm for love is strong as death Set me as a seal upon thy heart that is Let me be deeply engraven as a seal into thy heart and affections Let the love and remembrance of me make a deep impression in thee and set me as a seal or signet on thy arm 1. The seal you know is for ratifying confirming and making sure of things O sayes the Spouse establish and confirm me in thy love and in the outward expressions and manifestations of it 2. Seals among the Jews were used not as Ornaments onely but as Monuments of love that were continually in sight and remembrance O says the Church Let me be still in thy sight and remembrance as a monument of thy love In the Old Law you know Exod. 28. 11 12 21 29. compared the High Priest did bear the names of Israel engraven on stones upon his heart and shoulder for a memorial Ah says the Church Let my name be deeply engraven upon thy heart let me be alwayes in thy eye let me be always a memorial upon thy shoulder 3. Great men have their signets upon their hands in precious esteem Jere. 22. 24. As I live saith the Lord though Coniah the son of Jehojakim King of Judah were the signet upon my right hand yet would I pluck thee thence Ah sayes the Spouse O highly prize me Lord Jesus highly esteem of me O let me be as dear and precious unto thee as the signet that thou carriest about with thee or as signets are to great men that wear them Lastly That Love that accompanies Salvation shews it self by working a true lover of Christ to commit his richest Treasures his choicest Jewels to the care and custody of Christ Where we love we will trust and as we love we will trust Little trust speaks out little love great trust speaks out great love The lovers of Christ commend to Christs Psal 31. 15. So Job so Paul 2 Tim. 1. 12. 4. 7 8 Micah 7. 8 9. Dan 6. 22. care their Pearls of greatest price their Names their Lives their Souls their Crowns their Innocency their All. It was a notable saying of Luther Let him that died for my soul see to the salvation of it Caesar received not his wounds from the swords of enemies but from the hands of friends that is from trusting in them Oh! but the lovers of Christ shall never receive any wounds by trusting in Christ by committing their choicest Jewels to his care for he hath a powerful hand and a wise and loving heart Christ will hold fast whatever the Father or the Saints put into his hand And thus I have shewed you what that Love is that doth accompany Salvation I come now in the sixth place to shew you what Prayer that is that doth accompany Salvation But I see that I must contract what remains into a narrow room lest I should tire out both the Reader and my self Which that I may not I shall endeavor by Divine Assistance to minde brevity in what remains Now that Prayer doth accompany Salvation I have formerly shewed Now I am briefly to shew you what Prayer that is that doth accompany Salvation and that I shall do in these following particulars First Prayer is a Divine Worship The matter of Prayer may be reduced to these heads 1. Petition 2. Deprecation 3. Intercession 4. Expostulation There are other distinctions in regard of the manner As first Mental Prayer which is the inward lifting up of the heart to God Secondly Vocal which is uttered by words
acceptable to God as they are tendered to him by a hand of Faith Augustus when a poor man came to present a Petition to him with his hand shaking and trembling out of fear the Emperor was much displeased and said It is not fit that any should come with a Petition to a King as if a man were giving meat to an Elephant that is afraid to be destroyed by him Verily Iehovah loves to see every one of his Petitioners to come to him with a stedfast Faith and not with a trembling Hand Christ gets most glory and the Soul gets most good by those Prayers that are accompanied with the actings of Faith Thirdly To pray in a right manner is to pray intensly servently earnestly So Jam. 5. 16. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Faith is an omniporent grace it works wonders in Heaven in the Heart and in Earth Such working-prayer as sets all the faculties of the soul and all the graces in the soul at work alwayes speeds it fails not of winning the day of carrying the Crown or as the Greek hath it The working Prayer that is such Prayer as sets the whole man a work the word signifies such a working as notes the liveliest activity that can be As Physick kills the body if it work not so doth Prayer the soul if it be not a working-prayer As a painted fire is no fire a dead man no man so a cold prayer is no prayer In a painted fire there is no heat in a dead man there is no life so in a cold prayer there is no omnipotency no devotion no blessing It is not cold but working-prayer that can lock up Heaven three years and open Heavens gate at pleasure and bring down the sweetest blessings upon our heads and the choicest favors into our hearts Cold Prayers are as Arrows without heads as Swords without edges as Birds without wings they peirce not they cut not they flie not up to Heaven Cold Prayers do always freeze before they reach to Heaven So Jacob was earnest in his wrestling with God Let Gen. 32. 24 25 26 27. me alone sayes God I will not let thee go except thou bless me sayes Jacob. Jacob though lamed and hard laid at will not let the Lord go without a blessing Jacob holds with his hands when his joynts were out of joynt and so as a Prince prevails with God Jacob prayes and weeps and weeps The Jews have a saying That since the destruction of Jerusalem the door of prayers hath been shut But the door of tears was never shut saith One. and prayes and so prevails with God Hos 12. 4. Yea he had power over the Angel and prevailed he wept and made supplication unto him c. It is not the labor of the lips but the travel of the heart it is not the pouring forth a flood of words but the pouring out of the soul that makes a man a Prince a prevailer with God A man that would gain victory over God in Prayer must strain every string of his heart he Rom 15. 30. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word signifies to strive to the shedding of blood Luke 18. 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Buffet me or beat me down with her blows as wrestlers beat down their adveâ—saries with their fists or clubs must in beseeching God besiedge him and so get the better of him he must strive in Prayer even to an agony he must be like importunate beggars that will not be put off with frowns or silence or sad answers Those that would be masters of their requests must with the importunate Widow press God so far as to put him to the blush they must with a holy impudence as Basil speaks make God ashamed to look them in the face if he should deny the importunity of their souls An importunate soul will never cease till he speed he will devour all discouragements yea he will turn discouragements into incouragements as the woman of Canaan did till Christ sayes Be it unto thee O Soul as thou wilt As a body without a soul much wood without fire a bullet in a gun without powder so are words in Prayer Oratio brevis penetrat câ—lum saith one without fervency of Spirit The hotest Springs send forth their waters by ebullitions I have read of one who being sensible of his own dulness and coldness in Prayer chid himself thus What The Jews write upon the walls of their Synagogues this sentence That Prayer without the intention of the minde is but as a body without a soul You know how to apply it doest thou think that Ionah prayed thus when he was in the belly of Hell or Daniel when he was in the Lyons den or the Thief when he was upon the cross And I may adde or the three Children when they were in the fiery furnace or the Apostles when they were in bonds and prisons O that Christians would chide themselves out of their cold Prayers and chide themselves into a better and a warmer frame of spirit when they make their Supplications before the Jerom speaks of certain holy women in his time That they seemed in their fervent affections to joyn with the holy company of Heaven Lord. An importunate Soul in Prayer is like the poor begger that prayes and knocks that prayes and waits that prayes and works that knocks and knits that begs and patches and will not stir from the door till he hath an alms And verily he that is good at this will not be long a begger in grace God will make his heart and his cup to overflow Fourthly To pray in a right manner is To pray aâ—â—iduously constantly as well as fervently Luke 18. 1. And he spake a parable unto them to this end that men ought alwayes to pray and not so faint or as it is in the Greek not to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 id est non deâ—atigati Cornel a Lap. To pray alwayes is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to pray in every opportunity shriâ—k back as sluggards in work or cowards in war Now men pray always first when their hearts are always prepared to pray or in a praying frame Secondly When they do not omit the duty when it is to be performed or when they take hold on every opportunity to pour out their souls before the Lord. 1 Thes 5. 17. Pray without ceasing A man must always pray habitually though not actually he must have his heart in a praying disposition Semper orat qui benè sâ—mpeâ— agit To pray always is to pray omni tempore in all estates and conditions in prosperity and adversity in health and sickness in strength and weakness in wealth and wants in life and death So in Ephes 6. 18. Praying alwayes with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all Saints Our daily weaknesses our daily wants
deliver me from my Bonds but O Rom. 7. 23. wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from my sins from this body of death David cryes not Perii but Peccavi Psal 51. Not I am undone but I have done foolishly But wicked men strive in Prayer more to get off their chains then to get off their sins more to be delivered from enemies without then lusts within more to get out of the Furnace then to be delivered from their Spiritual Bondage as the Scriptures Psal 78. 34. Zach. 7. 5 6 7. Isai 26. 16 17. in the Margent do evidence Thirdly The Stream and Cream of a gracious Mans spirit runs most out in Prayer after Spiritual and Heavenly Psal 4. 6 7. 27 4. things as is abundantly evident by those Prayers of the Saints that are upon record throughout the Scripture But the Stream and Cream of vain mens spirits in Prayer runs most out after poor low carnal things as you may see in comparing the following Scriptures together Hos 7. 14. Zach. 7. 5 6 7. Jam. 4. 3 c. Fourthly A gracious Soul looks and lives more upon God in Prayer then upon his Prayer He knows though Prayer be his Chariot yet Christ is his food Prayer may be a staff to support him but Christ is that Manna that must nourish him and upon him he looks and lives Psal 5. 3. In the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee or Martial and set in order my Prayer as it is in the Hebrew and will look up or look out as it is in the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Pihil as a watchman looks out to dâ—scover the approaches of an enemy But vain men they live and look more upon their Prayers then they do upon God Nay usually they never look after their Prayers they never observe what returns they have from Heaven they are like those that shoot Arrows but do not minde where they fall Wicked men think it is Religion enough for them to pray and to look after their prayers to see how their prayers speed is no Article of their Faith But a gracious Soul is of a more noble spirit when he hath prayed he will stand upon his watch-tower and observe what God will speak Psal 85. 8. I will hear that God the Lord will speak for he will speak peace unto his people and to his Saints But let them not return to folly or as the Hebrew may be read And they shall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I will lissen and lay my obedient ear to what the Lord shall speak not return to folly Veal iashubu le Chislah Wicked men would have God to be all ear to hear what they desire when themselves have never an ear to hear what he speaks But deaf ears shall always be attended with dumb answers Justice always makes mercy dumb when sin hath made the sinner deaf Fifthly No discouragements can take gracious Souls off from Prayer but the least discouragements will Aristotle though a Heathen could say That in some cases a man had better lose his life then be cowardly Ethic. 3. c. 1. take off carnal hearts from Prayer as you may see in the following Scriptures compared together Psal 40. 1 2. 44. 10-23 Matth. 15. 21-29 Mal. 3. 14. Isai 58. 1 2 3. Amos 8. 3 4 5 c. When one of the Ancient Martyrs was terrified with the threatnings of his persecutors he replied There is nothing saith he of things visible nothing of things invisible that I fear I will stand to my profession of the name of Christ and contend earnestly for the Faith once delivered to the Saints come on it what will It is neither the hope of life nor the fear of death that can take a real Christian off from Prayer He is rather raised then dejected he is rather quickned then discouraged by delays or denials he will hold up and hold on in a way and course of Prayer though men should rage and Lyons roar and the Furnace be heat seven times hotter c. But it is not so with carnal hearts Job 27 9 10. Sixthly When a gracious man In his course his heart is in his Prayer he findes by experience that the heart is the Primum mobile the great wheel that moves all other wheels It is the chief Monarch in the Isle of Man prayes he hath his heart in his Prayer when he falls upon the work he makes heart-work on it So David in Psal 42. 4. When I remember these things I pour out my heart So Hannah in 1 Sam. 1. 15. I am a woman of a sorrowful spirit saith she and have poured out my soul before the Lord. So the Israelites in 1 Sam. 7. 6. Poured out their souls like water before the Lord. So the Church in Isa 26. 8 9. The desire of our soul is to thy name and to the remembrance of thee With my soul have I desired thee in the night yea with my spirit within me will I seek thee early Gracious Souls know The voice of God is Da Mihi cor that no Prayer is acknowledged accepted and rewarded by God but that wherein the heart is sincerely and wholly It is not a piece it is not a corner of the heart that will satisfie the Maker of the heart The true Mother would not have the childe divided As God loves a broken and a contrite heart so he loaths a divided heart God neither loves halting nor halving he will be served truly and totally The Royal Law is Thou shalt The heart as a Prince gives Laws to all other Members The Heart is Christs Bed of Spices it is his Presence Chamber it is his Royal Throne it is one of those four Keys that God keeps under his own girdle love and serve the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul Among the Heathens when the Beasts were cut up for Sacrifice the first thing the Priest looked upon was the heart and if the heart was naught the Sacrifice was rejected Verily God rejects all those Sacrifices wherein the Heart is not Now wicked men are heartless in all their Services in all their Prayers as you may see in comparing the following Scriptures together I shall not transcribe the words because I must cut short the work Isai 29. 13. Matth. 15. 7 8 9. Ezek. 33. 30 31 32. Zach. 7. 4 5 6. 2 Chro. 25. 1 2. As the body without the soul is dead so Prayer Prayer without the heart is but an empty ring a tinckling symbal without the heart be in it is but dead Prayer in the eye and account of God Prayer is onely lovely and weighty as the heatt is in it and no otherwise It is not the lifting up of the voice nor the wringing of the hands nor the beating of the brests but the stirrings of the heart that God looks at in Prayer God hears no more then the
heart speaks if the heart be dumb God will certainly be deaf No Prayer takes with God but that which is the travel of the heart Seventhly Gracious Souls usually Dan 9. 9. Nehe. 10. compared Rom. 8. 26. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Helpeth together or helps us as the nurse doth the little childe Prayer is the breath of the Spirit c. come off from Prayer with hearts more disengaged from sin and more vehemently set against it The precious communion that they have with God in Prayer the sweet breathings of God into their hearts whilest they are a breathing out their requests in his ears and the secret assistance stirrings and movings of the Spirit upon their souls in Prayer arm them more against sin and makes them stand upon the highest terms of defiance with sin How shall I do this or that wickedness against God Sayes the praying Soul O I cannot I will not do any thing unworthy of him that hath caused his glory to pass before me in Prayer Ah but wicked men come off from Prayer with hearts more encouraged to sin and more resolved to walk in ways of sin Prov. 7. 14 15-24 I have Peace-offerings with me saith the Harlot This day have I paid my vows Therefore came I forth to meet thee diligently to seek thy face and I have found thee Come let us take our fill of love until 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Be drunken with loves which shews her unsatiable lusts the morning let us solace our selves with loves So in Jere. 7. 9 10. Will ye steal murder and commit adultery and swear falsly and burn incense unto Baal and walk after other gods whom ye know not And come and stand before me in this house which is called by my Name and say We are delivered to do all these abominations Wicked men are like Lewis King of France that would swear and then kiss the cross and then swear more bitterly and then kiss the cross So they sin and pray and pray Mr. Shepherd in his Sincere Convert speaks of such a monster yea this age is full of such Monsters that have no pity upon themselves and sin and the more they pray the more easily resolutely and impudently do they sin They make use of Prayer to charm their Consciences that so they may sin with more pleasure and less regreet Ah what pains do such sinners take to go to Hell and to arm their Consciences against themselves in that day wherein they shall say There is no help there is no hope Eighthly and lastly Gracious Souls do more eye and observe how their own hearts are wrought upon in Prayer Psal 35. 13. My Prayer returned into my own bosom Isa◠26. 8 9. then how others hearts are wrought upon When they pray they look with a curious eye upon their own spirits they look with a narrow eye upon their own hearts and observe how they are affected melted humbled quickned raised spiritualized and bettered by Prayer But vain men as they pray to be seen of men so they eye most how others like their prayers and Matth. 6. 23. The vertue of some lieth in the spectators eyes are affected and taken with their prayers they are most critical in observing what operations their prayers have upon others hearts but never minde to any purpose how they operate upon their own hearts a worse plague cannot befal them And thus I have endeavored to shew you what a wide difference there is betwixt the Prayers of the godly and the ungodly and by this as by the former particulars laid down you may see what Prayer that is that accompanies Salvation Now in the seventh place I shall The seventh thing that accompanies Salvation is Perseverance shew you what Perseverance that is that accompanies Salvation and that I shall do in these following particulars First That Perseverance that accompanies Salvation is Perseverance in a holy Profession Heb. 4. 14. Seeing then that we have a great High Priest that is passed into the Heavens Jesus the Son of God Let us hold fast our profession by a strong hand or by a hand of holy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 violence So in Chap. 10. 23. Let us hold fast the profession of our Faith without 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies A forcible holding a holding with both hands 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wavering or as it is in the Greek without tilting or tossing to one side or other for he is faithful that promised Therefore let no temptation affliction opposition or persecution take us off from our holy Profession but let us hold our Profession with a forcible hand yea with both hands in the face of all difficulties dangers and deaths As Cynaegirus the Athenian Captain did the ship that was laden with the rich spoil of his Country Secondly That Perseverance that accompanies Salvation is a Perseverance in holy and spiritual Principles It is an abiding in love John 15. 9 10. So in Col. 1. 23. 1 Tim. 2. 15. Heb. 13. 1. 11. 13. These all died in Faith or as it is in the Greek They all died according to Faith that is Persevering in Faith And an abiding in faith and hope 1 Cor. 13. 13 c. Perseverence is not a particular distinct Grace of it self but such a Vertue as crowns all vertue it is such a Grace as casts a general glory and beauty upon every grace It is a Grace that leads every grace on to perfection To persevere in holy and heavenly Principles is To persevere in Believing in Repenting in Mourning in Hoping It is to persevere in Love in Fear in Humility in Patience in Self-denial c. Now it is this perseverance It is a Rule in the Civil Law Nec videtur actum si quid superfit quod agatur that nothing seems to be done if there remain ought to be done Let a man do never so much if he do not persevere he will be found to have done nothing in holy and gracious Principles that accompaines Salvation that leads to Salvation No grace no not the most sparkling and shining grace can bring a man to Heaven of it self without Perseverance not Faith which is the Champion of Grace if it faint and fail not Love which is the Nurse of Grace if it decline and wax cold not Humility which is the adorner beautifier of Grace if it continue not to the end not Obedience not Repentance not Patience nor no other Grace except they have their perfect work It is Perseverance in Grace that crowns every Grace and every gracious Soul with a crown of glory at last Revel 2. 10. Be thou faithful to the death and I will give thee a crown of life Such as As all Hypocrites onely do John 6 c. onely believe for a time and repent for a time and love for a time and repent for a time and love for a time and rejoyce for a time and hope for a
and so it makes a Christian to stand and triumph over all afflictions oppositions and temptations A third property of that Hope that accompanies Salvation is this It makes the Soul lively and active Psal 119. 166. Lord I have hoped for thy salvation and done thy commandments Hope puts the Soul upon doing upon obeying 1 Pet. 1. 3. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ which according to his abundant or much mercy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Much. hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead It is called a lively hope A mans duties and services usually are as his hopes are if his hopes are weak and low so will his services be but if his hopes are spiritual noble and high so will his motions and actions be Divine hope makes Saints as far excel all other men in their actings as the Angels do excel them Some say hope and fasting are the two wings of Prayer fasting is but as the wing of a bird but hope is as the wing of an Angel bearing our prayers to the throne of Grace because it brings life and comfort into the Soul and it is called a lively hope in opposition to the withering and dying hopes of Hypocrites and wicked men and it is called a lively hope because it flows from lively causes viz. The Spirit of Christ and the Souls union and communion with Christ but mainly it is called a lively hope because it puts the Soul upon lively endeavors Hope will make a man pray as for life hear as for life and mourn as for life and obey as for life and work and walk as for life Hope will not say this work is too hard and that work is too hot this work is too high and the other work is too low Hope will make a man put his hand to every work Hope makes a man more motion then notion it makes a man better at doing then at saying c. Hope gives life and strength to all religious duties and services 1 Cor. 9. 10. He that plougheth should plough in hope and he that thresheth in hope shall be partaker of his hope Hope will put a Christian upon ploughing and threshing that is upon the hardest and difficultest services for God and his glory If fleshly Fleshly hopes put the Romans upon doing very strange and wonderful exploits as you may see in Plutarch and other Historians hopes of gaining the honors riches and favors of this world made Absolom Ahitophel Jehu Haman and many Heathens full of life and activity full of motion and action Verily holy and heavenly hopes will make men much more lively and active by how much heavenly hopes are more excellent then earthly A man full of hope will be full of action a lively hope and a diligently hand are inseparable companions Hope will make a man do though he dies for doing A fourth property of that Hope that accompanies Salvation is this It will make a man sit Noah like quiet and still in the midst of all storms and tempests in the midst of all combustions concussions and mutations when others are at their wits end then hope will house the Soul and lodge it safe and quiet in the bosom of God Job 11. 18. And thou shalt be secure because there is hope yea thou shalt dig about thee and thou shalt take thy rest in safety The Hebrew word that is here rendred rest 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To rest as men rest in their beds or as the body rests in the grave is from a root that signifies to rest and sleep quietly as in ones bed Hope will bring the Soul to bed safely and sweetly in the darkest night in the longest storm and in the greatest tempest Heb. 6. 19. Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul both sure and stedfast and which entreth into that within the veil Hope is that Anchor of the Soul that keeps it quiet and still in all storms and tempests it keeps the soul from dashing Chrysostome saith that hope is not onely the Anchor but the Ship to that good Anchor upon the Rocks and from being swallowed up in the Sands Hope is an Anchor that is fastned above not below in Heaven not in Earth within the veil not without therefore the ship the Soul of a Believer must needs be safe and secure That ship will never be split upon the Rocks Hypoerites in stormy times are like ships without Anchors â—ost up and down with every wave and in danger of being split upon every Rock Job 27. 9 10. whose Anchor is in Heaven Hope enters within the veil and takes fast Anchor-hold on God himself and therefore blow high blow low rain or shine the soul of a Saint is safe Divine hope settles the heart he that cannot look for more then he hath can never be settled nor satisfied our best and greatest estate lies in invisibles our perfect and compleat estate here lies not in re but in spe it lies not in what we have in possession but in what we have in expectation in reversion A fift property of that Hope that accompanies Salvation is this It will work the Soul to a quiet and patient Patience is nothing else but Hope spun out If you would lengthen Patience be sure to strenthen Hope waiting upon God for mercy though God should delay the giving in of mercy Rom. 8. 25. But if we hope for that we see not then do we with patience wait for it Psal 130. 5 6. I wait for the Lord my soul doth wait and in his word do I hope My soul waiteth for the Lord more then they that watch for the morning I say more then they that watch for the morning Hope will make a man wait yea wait long for a mercy as it did Abraham Rom. 4. 18 19 20 21. Though the vision stay yet hope will Hab. 2. 1 2 3. Heb. 10. 36 37. Hopes Motto is Quod defertur non aufertur For bearâ—nce is no acquittance wait for it yet a little little while sayes hope and he that shall come will come and will not tarry The longer I wait for a mercy the greater better and sweeter at last the mercy will prove sayes Hope It is not mercy if it be not worth a waiting for sayes Hope and if it be mercy thou canst not wait too long for it sayes Hope The men of Bethulia resolved to wait upon God but five dayes longer but Deliverance stayed seven dayes and yet came at last So sayes Hope Pittacus one of the seven Sages used to say A wise man must recover that by patience which force cannot command though Deliverance stay though this and that mercy stayes as it were in the birth yet it will come at last therefore wait Hope is not hasty in prefixing the time when God shall shew mercy neither will it
all the world yea Ten thousand worlds When the Spanish Ambassador boasted that his Master was King of such a place and of such a place and of such a place c. The French Ambassador answered My Master is King of France K. or France K. of France signifying thereby that France was as much or more worth then all the Kingdoms under the power of the King of Spain Ah Christians when the men of the world shall cry out O their riches O their honors O their preferments c. You may well cry out O Assurance Assurance Assurance there being more real worth and glory in that then is to be found in all the wealth and glory of the world therefore do not envy the outward prosperity and felicity of worldly men c. Thirdly If God hath given you Use 3 Assurance then give no way to slavish fears fear not the scorn and reproaches of men Fear not wants God will Saul had but five pence to give the Seer the Seer after much good chear gives him freely the Kingdom 1 Sam. 9. 8. 10. 1. So God deals with his not deny him a crust to whom he hath given a Christ he will not deny him a crumb upon whom he hath bestowed a Crown he will not deny him a less mercy upon whom he hath bestowed Assurance which is the Prince of mercies Fear not death for why shouldst thou fear death that hast Assurance of a better life c. Fourthly If God hath given you a Use 4 wel-grounded Assurance of your Everlasting Happiness and Blessedness then question his love no more God doth not love to have his love at every turn called in question by those that he hath once assured of his love He doth expect that as no sin of ours doth Psal 89. 30 31 32 33 34 35. Jere. 31. 3. make any substantial alteration in his affections to us so none no not his sharpest dispensations should make any alteration in our thoughts and affections towards him Fifthly and lastly If God hath given Use 5 Eccles 9. 8. Revel 3. 4. Matth. 5. 16. Vive ut vivas Live that thou mayest live Live in such sort saith Periander King of Corinth that thou mayest have honor by thy life and that after thy death men may account thee happy you Assurance then live holily live angelically keep your garments pure and white walk with an even foot be shining lights Your Happiness here is your Holiness and in Heaven your highest Happiness will be your perfect Holiness Holiness differs nothing from Happiness but in name Holiness is Happiness in the bud and Happiness is Holiness at the full Happiness is nothing but the quintessence of Holiness The more holy any man is the more the Lord loves him John 14. 21 23. Augustine doth excellently observe in his Tract on John the first and the 14. That God loved the humanity of Christ more then any man because he was Grace and Truth then any man The Philosopher could say That God was but an empty name without vertue so are all our professions without Holiness Holiness is the very marrow and quintessence of Ille non est bonus qui non vnlt esse melior The loose walking of many Christians was as Salvian complains made by the Pagans the reproach of Christ himself saying If Christ had taught holy doctrine surely his followers had led better lives all Religion Holiness is God stamped and printed upon the Soul it is Christ formed in the Heart it is our Light our Life our Beauty our Glory our Joy our Crown our Heaven our All. The holy Soul is happy in Life and blessed in Death and shall be transcendently glorious in the Morning of the Resurrection when Christ shall say Lo here am I and my holy Ones who are my Joy Lo here am I and my holy Ones who are my Crown and therefore upon the Heads of these holy Ones will I set an Immortal Crown Even so Amen Lord Jesus FINIS Imprimatur Joseph Caryl ERRATA PAge 7. Margent adde can be p. 37. Marg. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ib. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 41. Marg. r. opera p. 56. l. 4. adde a p. 60. l. 13. r. done p. 67. l. 5. adde a l. 11. r. preparations pag. 80. l. 28. r. let p. 103. Marg. r. crux p. 110. l. 12. r. cheared p. 113. l. 25. dele of p. 115. l. 3. adde the p. 117. l. 21. r. renewing p. 135. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ib. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 138. Marg. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 144. l 5. r. liveless p. 152. l. 22. r. foiling p. 159. r. infinite p. 162. l. 2. dele the p. 164. l. 2. adde that p. 184. l. 20. r. doubled p. 186. l. 18. dele a p. 230. l 4. r. spittle p. 258. l. 22. r. daring p. 275. Marg. r. affectibus p. 276. Marg. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pag. 279. l. 28. r. means p. 304. l. 15. r. him p. 318. Marg r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p 334 l. 11. r. coveting p. 344. Marg. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 363. Marg. r. mediatum p. 404. l. 21. add as p. 436. l. 5. r. if There is another Book lately published by Mr. Thomas Brooks entituled Pretious Remedies against Satans Devices or Salve for Believers and Unbelievers sores being a Companion for those that are in Christ or out of Christ that slight or neglect Ordinances under a pretence of living above them that are growing in Spirituals or decaying that are tempted or deserted c. Sold by John Hancock at the entring into Popes-head Alley