I do not know any Soul that is more exposed to Temptations to Sin nor oftner falleth into them nor that is more exposed to Temptations for Sin than the Proud Soul Pride is a corruption that swelleth a man in the opinion of a mans own merit worth and excellency and consequently breedeth in him an impatience of any thing that should lessen his estimation in the sight of others Ahithophel was a proud Man and not able to bear his disgrace at Court but chuseth rather to hang himself Whensoever any present shame or fear of future shame any degradation or loss of honour and repute in the World gives a rise to such motions as these in our hearts to destroy our selves or gives the Devil any advantage to enforce such impressions upon us Pride is the bottom of it It is therefore highly advisable for Christians To be cloathed with Humility to put on Humbleness of Mind as the Apostle exhorteth An humble Soul is hardly taken in this Snare of the Devil Two or three things will much contribute to this humbleness of Mind 1 The consideration of what we are what we brought with us into the World and from whom we had it 2. The Consideration of what we deserve 3. The Consideration how little a thing it is to be great in the World I say 1. The Consideration of what we are what we brought with us into the world and from whom we had our all that we have Lord what is Man that he should be lifted up He is made up of two essential parts The Soul and the Body Our Philosophy teacheth us That all reasonable Souls are equal nor indeed is there any pretence in reason for any inequality originally in them And are not our Bodies so also are they not all Dust and such as must return to Dust Are they not all made of Clay Have some Bodies a more beautiful colour more symmetrical and proportionable parts than others Do some Souls discover more excellent Parts and Endowments through the better Constitution and Complexion of Bodies Have some of us more Credit and Reputation in the World more Riches and a greater portion of this Worlds Goods than others Is any thing of this from our selves Have we then built our own Bodies Have we given them their Beauty or Symmetry Have we so much as made one Hair of our Heads White or Black Or added so much as one Cubit to our Stature in the World in respect of Honour Riches and Reputation Did we bring any of these things into the World with us Can we carry them out of the World with us If we have received them why do we glory why are we proud of them as if we had not received them Let others honour and admire us for them we have no reason to admire our selves nor to think highly of our selves let us look to the Rock from which we were hewen and to the hole of the Pit out of which we were digged 2. But then Secondly let us consider what we have deserved The things upon which we value our selves as thinking they make us to stand upon the higher ground were neither hereditary to us nor have they been purchased by us by any Merit of him who hath been our Benefactor as to them The Apostle putteth them together Proud knowing nothing 1 Tim. 6. 4. and truly so it is the Man or Woman that is proud is one that knoweth nothing Knoweth nothing How can that be when ordinarily a Mans Knowledge is that which puffeth him up it being indeed of any common and indistinguishing mercy the noblest thing wherein a Man or Woman can differ from another the Apostle in another place expoundeth this when he telleth us That he who thinketh that he knoweth any thing knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know it 1 Cor. 8. 2. But this is certainly true that the Proud Man or Woman knoweth nothing in things that are Spiritual Or if he or she have some Notions of Spiritual Things they know nothing of them as they ought to know them they have not digested that knowledge by any serious Meditations they do not believe it Is it possible that any one should be lifted up in an Opinion of himself above others who looks to the Rock from which he is hewed and to the hole of the pit out of which he is digged that he is the same Clay the same Dust with another though it hath pleased the Potter to order him to be a Vessel of more External Honour and his Neighbour a Vessel of more Dishonour in the World Or that any one should exalt himself above what is the Will of God concerning him thinking that God doth not deal by him as he hath deserved who knoweth That he was a Child of wrath by Nature That he hath made himself much more so by his actual Disobediences That he is punished seven times less than he hath deserved 3. Then consider How little a thing it is to be great in the World It signifieth nothing as to our better part but mischief for the most part The Soul of Man is not bettered by Riches or Honour or any of those good things which affect us as to our outward Man It signifieth nothing as to the Eternal State either of Soul or Body and as to the outward Man in this Life which alone hath any concern in these things They are so incertain we are set in such slippery places while we stand upon these Mountains of Ice and Glass that no considerate Soul can justly value himself upon them but pray O pray for an humble low Spirit There is indeed a natural lowness and demission of Mind and that is a great happiness where God doth give it unto any A naturally high and haughty Spirit is exposed to greater Temptations than another that is naturally of a low and mean Spirit as the tall Cedar and Oak is more exposed to boisterous Winds than the poor Shrub There is also a Moral Humility a lowness of Mind and Spirit caused from Education and the due Digestion of Moral Principles and this also doth something But there is also an Habit of Humility into which the Soul is wrought by the Holy Spirit of God making the Word of God to take hold of the Heart when the Will of God is that which maketh the Heart to stoop and brings it to a submission to its portion This is of all other the more excellent the most Divine the most Effectual Now there is nothing more effectual to arm a Soul against this Temptation than this lowliness of Mind nothing more exposing the Soul to this Temptation than that habit which is contrary to it Pride and height of Spirit is the great Mother of Discontent when it ceaseth to be with us as it formerly was Hence it is that Men and Women conclude they had better not be than be poor and in misery it is better for them to put an end to their own days than
and yet blesseth himself in his heart and saith I shall have peace though I walk in the Imagination of my Heart and add drunkenness to thirst Now what shall the Righteous God do to such a Man v. 20. The Lord will not spare him but then the Anger of the Lord and his Jealousy shall smoke against that Man and all the Curses that are written in this Book shall be upon him and the Lord shall blot out his name from under Heaven v. 21. And the Lord shall seperate him to Evil out of all the Tribes of Israel according to all the Curses of the Covenant that are written in this Book of the Law What is possible to be added to that Commination What can be more severely spoken So as if we may judge of the greatness of a Sin by the greatness of the Curses that are annexed to him that committeth it we have all the reason imaginable to judge Presumption one of the greatest degrees of sinning by which it is possible that a Sinner should provoke God 2. A Second thing which I offered to your consideration was the danger of Presumption as to these things Presumptions as your reason will tell you in other things are very dangerous in three Cases and such all wise Men will take heed of 1. Where the Good expected or the Evil we expect an immunity from are of a very high and important Nature A Man may venture to Presume of a Victory in a Case at Law where if he be overthrown he may lose 40 50 100 l. in such Cases he will say he knows the worst of it if he be mistaken it is but a money matter it is but the loss of such and such a sum of money but a man will not do so where his life is in danger he will there look for sufficient grounds to hope he shall escape his Enemies charge Christian the concern we are speaking of is not the concern of thy Estate 't is not the concern of thy Life it is the concern of thy Body and Soul to all Eternity it becomes thee as thou art a Reasonable Creature here to beware of presuming or building upon the sand of insufficient grounds Thy Soul thy Eternal well or ill Being is the concern of thy hopes here if they be wâ—ll bottomed thou art happy for ever if they be ill bottomed thou art undone for ever It is not triffling nor flattering thy self here Eternity depends upon it thou art a Creature ordained to an Eternity of Bliss or Misery it is about this thy hopes is exercised O Consider of what import this good or evil is 2. Presumptions are very pernicious when a due care might in time be taken to prevent the Evil or obtain the Good Only Presumption of the needlessness of care hindreth In Law Presumptions are never admitted for proof if more positive proof can be had a man in pleading might speak for a Sinner building upon Presumptuous Hopes if he could come to no other but this is not the Case of any Soul We indeed cannot come to one Soul in our Congregations and say to him or to her Thou art Elected and shalt certainly be saved but neither can we come to any one Soul and say Thou art a Reprobate and shalt certainly be damned Any Soul for ought we know lies fair for Heaven especially such I mean as are within the bosome of the Church and in whose streets Christ is Preached We indeed considering the courses of Sin in which many live can come to them and tell them In this state wherein you live at present and according to that course of life which you at present follow you can have no good hope that God hath forgiven your Sins or that you shall ever come into the Kingdom of God But what you may do what change may be made in your hearts what alteration or reformation in your life that we cannot tell Now Men and Womens Presumptions hinder the use of those means by which they might make their Calling and Election sure they say They have their life in their hands therefore they are not grieved as the Prophet speaketh though in another case Isaiah 57. 10. They say with the Church of Laodicea Rev. 3. 17. That they have need of nothing when in the mean time they are Wretched and Miserable and Poor and Blind and Naked and therefore it is they look no further after the Eternal Concerns of their Souls they do not buy of Christ Gold tryed in the fire that they may be rich and white Rayment that they may be Cloathed and that the shame of their Nakedness may not appear 3. Thirdly those presumptions are dangerous which lead into a destructive error which cannot be amended when discovered If a man hopes without ground that he may get an Estate by some way by which it is not to be got he may by his presumption be a loser of time and a loser in some part of his Estate but yet when he seeth his error he may correct it he may redeem his time he may recover his Estate But to presume for a good as to which if our expectations fail they fail for ever and of a deliverance or immunity from some evil wherein if our expectations fail we shall be irrecoverably immerced in that evil This no Wise Man will do It is true in our present case it is not so While there is life there is hope That man or Woman that hath hatched up presumptuous hopes that he is in favour with God that his Sins are pardoned and he Eternally saved may examine the grounds of his hopes if he finds them insufficient he may acquit them and use means to obtain a good hope through Grace But dying presumptions they are desperate for saith Solomon Eccles 9. 10. There is no device no work no knowledge nor wisdom in the grave whither we are going Psal 49. 8. For the Redemption of the Soul is precious and it ceaseth for ever As the Soul leaves the Body so it shall be with it as to Eternity It was a desperate presumption of the foolish Virgins to come knocking and crying Lord open to us when the door was shut Matth. 25. and for those mentioned Matth. 7. 12. that will in the Great Day say unto him Lord Lord have we not prophecyed in thy Name and in thy Name have cast our Devil and in thy Name done many wonderful workâ— To whom he will say v. 13. I never knâ—w you depart from me you workers of Iniquity Take heed of carrying on presumptuous hopes to a dying hour 3. The Third Thing which I under this Head offered to your Consideration was the multitude of those Souls that so far as we can judge split upon this Rock It is a great piece of Wisdom to take warning by the harms of others The Scripture tells us that Without Faith and Holiness none shall see God Heb. 12. 14. It telleth us 21. Rev. 8. That the fearful and
of his Birth and Job 6. 8 9. Oh that I might have my Request and that God would grant me the thing that I long for even that it would please God to destroy me that he would let loose his Hand and cut me off So Elijah c. 3. Sometimes the Lust of Servile slavish fear when men and women have a Prospect of some great Evils that are like to come upon them and are not able to bear the thoughts of them nor to live in the view of them In this case we shall find Temptations also have prevailed upon Gods own People to desire Death though not to be the instruments of their own Death This was the Case of Elijah 1 Kings 19. 4. Jezebel sending a message to him had sworn by her Gods that by the next day she would kill Elijah as he had done by Baals Priests v. 3. v. 4. he goes into the Wilderness he goeth into the Wilderness and sits under a Juniper Tree and requesteth for himself that he might die and saith It is enough now O Lord take away my life for I am not better than my Fathers Now where any of these Lusts predominate at any time the Devil doth very ordinarily join his strength with it and makes frequent and violent impressions upon the Spirits of Christians putting them upon the murthering of themselves and where he meets with men or women that are ignorant or of base Atheistical hearts who do not believe there is a God or that there is such a thing as Eternity either an Heaven or Hell a place of Eternal happiness or Eternal torment or misery or an Immortal State of a Soul it is not at all to be wondered that he doth very often prevail For if they can but look upon death coming upon them any way as a freedom from misery and the grave as a place where the wicked cease from troubling where the weary be at rest where the prisoners rest together and hear not the voice of the oppressor it is but natural to them to cry out Wherefore is Light given unto him that is in Misery and Life to the bitter in Soul which long for death but it cometh not and dig for it as for hid Treasures and rejoyce exceedingly and are glad when they can find the Grave But now it being impossible that a Believer that knoweth the Scriptures and believeth them and agreeth to the Immortality of the Soul and the torments of Hell the truth of the Worm never dying and the Fire that never goeth out and that all Murderers shall have their portion in the Lake where this Worm this Fire is should ever look upon Death and the Grave in this dull notion Satan can never prevail with him So that no such Soul while he is possessed of any Liberty to use his Reason and to conclude from Principles can possibly be prevailed upon 2. Sometimes it may be The Motion may be first from the Devil who seeing a Man or Woman in great pain or misery or in great fears and expectations of misery may come to it and say as Job's Wife said to him Doest thou still retain thy Integrity Curse God and die I mean make some such Impressions upon a Man or Womans Spirit This possibly Men and Women at first discern and receive with great abhorrence cry Get thee behind me Satan tell their Friends and Neighbours of it beg of them to pray to God for them but the Devil reneweth his Motions and Impressions with great frequency violence and importunity until at length their own Lusts incline them to hearken either their over-eager desire to be out of their fears or out of their pain and at some more rest and quiet than they can possible arrive at and come to so as they yield CHAP. IV. By what Seeming Good the Soul tempted to Self-Murther may be drawn away and inticed What good greater than Life Eternal Life a greater good This can bait no Believer to such an Act why Immunity from some great Evil felt or imminent the onely appearing Good in the Case A Case arising from a Souls being possest of the Doctrine of Election Whether that can give this Temptation advantage It is denied BUt it may possibly be worthy of our Inquiry What can be a Bait fitting for such a Trap He who is tempted saith the Apostle is drawn away by his own lust and enticed No Man is enticed but by some appearing Good None can be drawn away from a Good nor enticed out of the possession of it but upon the view of a greater Good possible or probable to be obtained by parting with that which is lesser Now Life being in the Eye of Nature the greatest Good Skin for Skin saith the Devil and all a man hath for his Life One would think the Devil could not shew a Man or Woman any thing for the obtaining of which he should deliberately and voluntarily part with his Life To this I Answer two things 1 Though Natural Life in Pleasing Circumstances be the greatest Natural Good yet Life Eternal is a more Excellent Good So that if it be possible that a man should be cheated by his own heart or by the Devil so as to believe that the dispossession of himself of his Natural Life shall bring him into the possession of an Eternal Life he may upon that account be rationally perswaded to determine his own Life Thus the Devil imposed upon some of the Heathens who had by the Light of Nature but a dim Prospect of that Life and Immortality which the Apostle telleth us is brought to Light by the Gospel Dreaming that an happy State of the Soul in another Life was the common portion of all men or at least of all that lived up in any degree to the Rules of Moral Vertue and not understanding that the Wages of Sin was Death nor the right way to Eternal Life nor that of the Apostle That no Murtherer hath Eternal Life abiding for him no more than abiding in him they might easily be so cheated as Cleombrotus and others But it is not possible that a Believer one I mean who believeth the Scriptures should be thus enticed for by Faith he knows That the Law is Thou shalt do no Murther That no Murtherer hath Eternal Life That the Murtherer is one of those Sinners that have their portion in the Second Death Rev. 21. 8. and therefore not in the Second Life 2. Secondly Though Natural Life in pleasing Circumstances may be the greatest Natural Good yet this Natural Life as to particular persons may be so ill circumstanced that a present freedom from some Evil may to a Natural Eye appear a much greater Good in comparison of which even Life it self may be an Evil undesirable and abhorred Life is much rated by the happy or less happy Circumstances of it Even Nature it self would not desire a Life of Continual and Extream pain And indeed This Ease and Immunity from Evils which either at
present oppress us or hang over our heads so that we have or think we have them in a certain Prospect not probable to be avoided is the onely appearing good that can entice us to determine our own Lives For Death depriving us of all Positive Sensible Good Things such as Riches Pleasures Profits Honours Relations all kind of Sensual Satisfactions And this Death being no way or means and such a thing as cannot possibly appear to any but Heathens and Infidels as any means to bring us to any Eternal Good there remaineth nothing of any umbrage or Colour of Good in it by which it is possible we should be cheated but onely a Supersedeas from or Determination of those Evils which we either think we have in a near and certain Prospect hardly avoidable or under the pressure of which we groan being burthened and seek a Release from And if as I shall have occasion enough hereafter to shew you Death thus brought upon our selves by our own hands will not be a productive of this Effect but so far as we can possibly judge bring us into a far deeper Gulf of Misery than what we are already in and make our Case a thousand times more sad than it is already We must conclude it is onely an Appearence of Good by which we are cheated Obj. But I hear some say upon the Hypothesis of some That there is an Election of Grace and that those who are chosen unto Eternal Life cannot perish why may not Men and Women destroy themselves that they may be in Heaven for if they be Elected they shall he Saved And if they be not Elected let them live as long as they can they shall be damned Sol. This may be ignorantly spoken by such as know not the Scriptures nor what they who assert from the Scriptures the Doctrine of Election do maintain but it cannot be said by any understanding persons who knoweth any thing of the Mind and Will of God in the Scriptures or what they reveal as to the Doctrine of Election 1. For I beseech you to consider 1. That nothing can be a Temptation to any to deprive himself of the greatest natural good but an apprehension of a certain enjoyment of a greater good though it be granted that Eternal Life be certainly a greater good than a Natural Life yet if I do not apprehend that by departing out of this present Life I shall certainly be put into the possession of that better Life and by no other way so adequate I shall never be perswaded upon that Speculation to part with this Life for good as good doth not move our appetite but as so apprehended by us 2. Secondly that it is impossible that any one should apprehend that by depriving himself of his Natural Life he should be possessed of an Eternal Life for I pray observe me such an apprehension must be bottomed upon one of these things 1. Either that Eternal Life shall be the common Portion of all Men after this Life which indeed might be the apprehension of some Heathens but cannot possibly be fancied by any Intelligent Christian for besides that the Notices we have of a State of Eternal Happiness are very Imperfect besides such as we have from the Gospel which the Apostle saith have brought Life and Immortality to Light I say besides this the Scriptures plainly reveals that there is an Hell as well as an Heaven a State of Misery as well as Happiness that some shall rise to Shame and Contempt as others to Life and Glory 2. Or else Secondly It must be founded upon this That they know that they are elected unto Life For I appeal to the Reason of any person Suppose that I know and am assured that God hath chosen some from before the Foundation of the World to whom he will give Eternal Life and admit again that I am equally assured that no person so chosen of God unto Eternal Life can Eternally Perish yet what pretence is here for me unless I have also an assurance or perswasion that I am one of those whom God hath from Eternity so chosen and therefore cannot perish to throw away the greatest temporal good I have viz. my Life to obtain that greater supernatural good of Life Eternal whilest I am in the certain possession of the former and have no assurance of the latter Now it is impossible that any one that hath deliberations in his heart to commit so great an Evil and so ripened as to resolve to do it should have any Assurance or any certain apprehensions that he is one of the Elect of God or that he was ever born of God The Reason is this because all such Assurance must be from the Word of God and the Spirit of God setting home the Word of God upon the Soul and conforming the Soul to the Image of God Now the Word of God saith No Murtherer hath Eternal Life it saith Murtherers shall have their Portion in the Lake which burneth with Fire and Brimstone which is the second Death So far is it from saying that any persons that deliberate and do such things are the Elect of God and shall certainly have Everlasting Life So as the Notion of Election and its certainty and of Effectual Grace and its abiding in the Soul cannot possibly give any reasonable advantage to this Temptation proposing to the Soul that deliberateth and is about to do any such thing any such Supereminent Good as Eternal Life to be obtained by parting with this Life without any direction from God who is the Lord of it Nay it rather giveth the greatest discouragement imaginable by threatning Eternal Death to those who do such things and barring the Gates of Heaven against them 3. Nay Thirdly admitting that Proposition to be true That if a Man be Elected he shall certainly be Saved let him die when and how he will and if he be not elected he shall certainly Perish Yet neither can this give the least incouragement to so vile an Act for so long as his heart is full of so great a Wickedness he can have no grounded Apprehension that he is elected and so cannot be allured to the Action by the apprehension of enjoying Eternal Life which is a far greater good than the life he parteth with So neither can any be certain that he is not chosen unto Life and if he could be certain of that yet no mans reason can dictate to him that infinite Torments and Misery are a lesser Evil than any of the Evils of this Life which in obedience to this Temptation he would flee from by putting a period to his days Or that it is eligible for him to throw himself into those Torments before the time So that it is impossible That the Notions of Election and Pretension or the certain Determination of Man as to his Eternal Estate should give the least aid and assistance unto this Temptation But the onely appearing good that can entice any to
any Incouragement to a departure from God in any thing much more in this Unbelief signifies a not agreement to the Propositions of the Word Revealing the Will of God Or a Distrust in God for the fulfilling of his Promises whether relating to special Providence or special Grace or Eternal Life Study therfore to be Rooted and Grounded in the Faith that you may firmly Believe these things 1. That there is a God whose Right it is to Rule and Govern us to Order us and our Affairs and Conditions and to dispose of us and who will one day Judg us and deal with us according to what we have done Whosoever it is that liveth not under this Conviction must needs think himself in his own Power and that he may do with himself what he pleaseth his Tongue is his own and he may speak his Hands are his own and he may do what he list and his Life is his own and he may deny himself in it and throw it away as he pleaseth for to whom should he be accountable for it O therefore set God always before your Eyes possess your selves that you are not your own but Persons under Authority and upon whom a Superiour Being hath a Superintendancy you will fay Are we dead Doggs that we should think any thing contrary to this Thus we think But the Truth is we profess an assent and agreement to many Propositions which are not so fastned upon our Hearts so rivetted in our Souls as they ought to be For it must be a mighty inordinate Act and contrary to the Dictate of all Reason for a Man to undertake the disposal of that over which he hath no Dominion and for the disposal of which he must be accountable unto a Superiour Indeed there is something of Atheism in every Sin but there must be abundance of Atheism in this Sin It is impossible that while a Man entertaineth Thoughts to destroy himself he should fixedly believe that he is not at his own disposal as to this Life but at the disposal of God and he such a God as is to be his Judge and whom will one day call him to Account as well for what he hath done with the Life which he gave him as with the Estate Parts c. which he gave him I would therefore never have a man think that he sufficiently believeth this first Principle of all Duty and Religion but be ever whetting it upon his Heart That God is and what a God he is 2. That every Man and Woman hath a Spiritual Part an Immortal Soul that can no more be extinguished with the Body then Eat or Drink or Sleep with it but goeth to an Eternal Existence when it is seperated from the Body Where the Body raised up from the dust shall one day meet it and be united to it and with it either suffer Eternal Torment or enjoy Eternal Happiness according to what it hath done in this Life Certainly no Rational Being no Man could possibly entertain a Thought to Kill himself if he were firmly perswaded That it is a thing impossible for him to determine his own Being We cannot desire nor attempt to go about what we are fully perswaded is an impossible atchievement A thing impossible to be obtained our Reason will not suffer our Mind to run upon or our Hearts to run out after things which we clearly apprehend are not possible in Nature Now admitting these Principles That Man is something more then Flesh and Blood animated That he hath a Spiritual Part that this it is Immortal and cannot Perish with the Body but when it parteth from the Body goeth into Eternal Mansions either in Happiness or in Misery That the Body after Death shall revive again in the Resurrection and there both the Soul and Body of every Man and Woman shall be again united and make one Person and shall both together enter an happy or miserable Eternity I say admitting this it is impossible for a Man to determine his Being all he can possibly do is to determine his Being in this World He can neither by such Act determine his Being nor yet his Misery he may determine indeed his Misery as to this Life but his Soul will then but enter into a state of Ten thousand times more Misery in another World and there will be a time after the revolution of a few years when his Body shall return to Ten thousand times more Misery than it ever felt in this World Now certainly no Person under any command or conduct of Reason can possibly be induced to attempt a thing impossible to deliver himself from any Evil Nor yet throw himself into an infinitly worse state to deliver himself from a present bad estate All the Entertainment therefore which such Temptations have in our Hearts must be advantaged from Unbelief of these great Principles which indeed are the Foundations and Principles of all Religion Labour therefore for as much as in you lies to Root your selves in the belief of these things that you may not have the least doubt or haesitation of in your Hearts with relation to them Live in the daily Meditation of them suffer not your Souls to call them in Question be acquainted with those Portions of Holy Writ where the Revelation of these things is clearest to you Take heed of Unbelief as to these things 3. A Third thing as to which the Soul should be fully perswaded that will avoid the dint of this Temptation is as to the Truth of the Holy Scriptures in the general so of those Portions of them in particular which reveals the Will of God as to the preservation of our own Lives and the Lives of others and the Wrath of God against such as commit Sins of this Nature Such as those Gen. 9. 6. Num. 35. 32. Thou shalt not Kill No Murtherer hath Eternal Life and all such as express the greatness of the Sin of Murther for it is but an easie Conclusion of Reason from these Principles If I ought not to Kill another I ought much less to Kill my self If I ought to preserve the Life of my Neighbour surely I ought to preserve my own Life If I ought to preserve my Chastity to preserve my Vessel in Honour surely I ought not to dash it in pieces If I ought not to maime or dismember my self surely I ought not to destroy my self The truth is no Soul can possibly be guilty of this Sin who either doth not in whole disbelieve the Scriptures or in whose Heart the disbelief of them doth not prevail to a very high degree at that time when he is prevailed with by any Temptation to do such a thing But there is also another Unbelief which must be predominant in the Soul at that time when it is prevailed upon by this Temptation and that is a Distrust in God for the fulfilling of his Promises either with relation to special Providence or special Grace or Eternal Life Those who
are in any Measure acquainted with the Holy Scriptures know that they are full of many great and precious Promises as to Eternal Life and also as to this Life As to Eternal Life made under such Conditions and upon such Terms as his infinite Wisdom thought fit to Prescribe and Limit Those as to this Life are of various sorts many of them relating to an afflicted state That he will put Strength into us That he will lay no more upon us then he will inable us to bear That he together with the Temptation will also give an happy issue and many more of like import as to which the Soul that Trusteth God and in which the Exercises of such Trust and Confidence in God are lively and vigorous can never be Guilty of this Sin for how shall that Soul go about to deliver it out of a Misery which believeth that God will in his own time deliver it and in the mean time Support Uphold and Comfort it and make its Affliction issue in Good and for its advantage working for it a far more Eternal and exceeding Weight of Glory Or how shall that Soul Trust in God for Pardon of Sin and Eternal Life which knoweth that Repentance and Faith are the ordinary means prescribed by God for obtaining these things and do the last Act of his Life of such a Nature as leaveth no room to be renewed by Repentance and is such as God hath said None that doth it hath Eternal Life So that as it is apparent that this Temptation is advantaged by nothing so much as Atheism and Unbelief so there is no such Antidote against it as vigorous Habits and Acts of Faith Nor is it possible that a believing Soul should be under the Power and Prevailings of it while it keepeth under the Conduct and Command of Reason CHAP. IX An Holy Life and Conversation an excellent Preparative to this Spiritual Combate This opened Terrours of Conscience for Sin oft times one great cause of such Thoughts These not ordinary but for great Sinnings some more notorious Acts of Vngodliness or of Vnrighteousness great Sinnings against Light c. 5. FIfthly There is no better Preparative for this Spiritual Combate then an Holy Life and Conversation Although the Holiest Men alive are not exempted from this Fiery Dart even Christ himself heard the Devil say Cast thy self down yet you shall observe these Temptations mostly fall upon Men of loose Lives and Conversation at least do most ordinarily prevail against such The ordinary Motive that prevaileth with Souls to do this thing is the avoiding of some great Evil which either they have in prospect or feel the burden of Now this Evil is either more External such as Slavery and falling into the hands of Enemies This made Saul fall upon his own Sword and Cato kill himself Or horrible bodily Pains and Tortures being exposed to some shameful Death c. Or else they are more Internal such as Horrours and Pangs of Conscience They are rare Instances that either Holy or Civil History gives us of Persons putting an end to their own Lives to avoid Imprisonment Shame or Tortures from Men and not many that we have of Persons who in Terrible Bodily Pains have exposed to the Prevailings of this Temptation Now these Terrours and Pangs of Conscience arise from the Souls Reflections upon its Guilt in respect of Sin Thus the Scripture tells us Judas hang'd himself crying out he had betrayed Innocent Blood Thus History tells us Pontius Pilate killed himself and thus we Read of many others in History And although there be no Sin so little but if God setteth it home upon the Conscience and supporteth not the Soul with his Grace it is able to drive the Soul to this desperate issue yet it is not ordinary for Sins of a more minute Nature and such as the best of Men commit to be followed with such horrours as seize the Spirit of a Man or for Satan to take such an advantage from them The reflections which produce this effect are usually upon some Sins of a more then ordinary Tincture and that have had some more eminent circumstances of Aggravation From whence it followeth that a Godly and Righteous Conversation Religious towards God Just and Righteous towards Men is one of the best Preservatives from the violence of this Temptation A Prâ—fane Atheistical Blasphemous Person is highly exposed to the Impetus of it so is any who hath bin guilty of more notorious Acts of Unrighteousness such as Murther Persecution high degrees of Violence and Oppression For though it be true that God is able to pardon many Sins as well as few great as well as small and the Promise extendeth to all Sin and Blasphemy to Scarlet and Crimson Sins yet we shall find it an harder thing to be beleeve in Christ for the Remission of Sins of so high a Tincture Besides that Courses of Sin of this Nature have a very ill influence upon the Heart to blind and to harden it so that poor Creatures under the Guilt of them are often more sensible of the Wrath of God due to those who commit such things then of the Evil and Filthiness of them O therefore flee such things as these are you know not how far God for them may leave you to Satans Buffetings of this Nature you know not what it is to Repent of them nor how hardly the Soul that is under the Guilt of them is brought to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ or to hope in him for the free Pardon and Remission of them or to arrive at any sense of the Pardon of them In short take heed of all bold sinnings against Light and Checks or Reverberations of Conscience If we will not hearken to the lighter Checks and Dictates of Conscience we are often and but justly repaid with the severer Terrours and Affrightments of it for our doing of such things contrary to its Dictates and lighter Admonitions But the holy Man that walketh closely with God that liveth up to his Light and Revelations of the Will of God is very much out of this danger and though he may have some impressions of this Nature yet they rarely are advantaged from an aking Conscience in the sense of Guilt CHAP. X. Directions for them who are already fallen under this Temptation Melancholy to be evacuated by Natural Means 2. The Motive is to be considered which usually is a freedome from some present or imminent Evil. Two things to be considered 1. Whether it will free us to destroy our selves 2. Whether there be not a more safe and certain way to be free I Have thus far onely prepared you against a wrestling with this Temptation and given you preventing Physick which indeed they say is best and it is better indeed to keep such an Enemy as Satan is Armed with this Dart at a distance then to trust to our own Strength in the hour of Combate But possibly as to some poor Souls
may be forgiven This Pareus thinks the most proper Reading That which favoureth our Translation is what followeth in the next Words Behold thou hast driven me this day from the Face of the Earth c. where he complaineth onely of his Punishment Either Reading is what the Original will bear either of them makes the words the Complaint of Cain after he had kill'd his Brother Abel and God had come down and doomed him for it telling him He was Cursed from the Earth which had epened her Mouth to receive his Brothers Blood When he tilled the ground it should not yield unto him her strength A Fugitive and a Vagabond shalt thou be in the Earth To which Cain replyeth either thus My Punishment is greater then I can bear Or Mine Iniquity is greater then that it can be forgiven Whether he complaineth of his Sin or of his Punishment That 's the onely Question nor needs it any Decision Both Readings express the Genius of a Reprobate who either complaineth of his Punishment but not of his Sin or if at any time he complains of Sin it is despairing and without hope of Mercy Onely I cannot agree with Chrysostome and others who Interpret these Words into a full Confession of Sin onely they say it was too late but true Repentance is never too late I shall in my Discourse consider the Words as you have them in the Margents of your Bibles designing onely to make use of them to discourse as to the great Temptation to Despair In my Discourse upon which I shall first Consider 1. The Nature of the Temptation in it self 2. The Tempters inforcing it 3. The means ordinarily made use of in the inforcing of it 4. The most probable means to be used for getting a victory over it As to the first I have already told you That every Evil Temptation is a Motion or Solicitation of the Soul to Sin which when it is more Importune and Impetuous we usually call a Temptation but let us more particularly inquire into the Nature of this Sin of Desperation Despair in the general Notion of it signifieth a casting away of all hope as to the obtaining of some good which we desire and so the Object of it may be any good thing of which we are not possest but may be the Object of our Desires or Hope Thus we may Despair of Life as St. Paul did 2. Cor. 1. 8. of Health of Success in Business c. but in the Notion I am now speaking to it must he limited to the greatest Spiritual Good such as Pardon of Sin Living with God in Glory another day c. And here again we must distinguish betwixt Fear and Despair for although there be no Despair without high degrees of Fear yet there may be Fears great degrees of Fear which may produce some Phrases of Despair or Fits or Passions of it where yet there is no fixed Despair Despair in the Notion of it to which I am now speaking Is a Souls total fixed permanent Want and Rejection of all Hope as to the Pardon of Sins in this Life or any happy Estate in the Life to come When as the Apostle speaks there remaineth nothing in the Soul but a certain dreadful locking for of Judgment and fiery Indignation to devour them as the Adversaries of God Heb. 10. 27. It is an Hell began in the Soul in this Life It is often attended with Dâ—sperate Impressions Blasphemy against God always with intollerable Horrour and Terrour of Conscience But we are not at present so much Considering it in the Effects and Issue of it as in the Nature and first Rise and Beginning of it The next thing we have to consider is the Efficient Causes in this great Temptation I have shewed you that every Temptation to Sin is from our own Lust the Devil or the World The Men of the World have rarely any considerable Efficiciency in this Temptation it is not often we hear them telling us That we have sinned beyond hope of Mercy They rather err on the other hand The two ordinary Efficient Causes in this Temptation are our own Lust and our grand Adversary the Devil 1. Our own Lust Our depraved hearts are enough under some circumstances which we may be under to suggest to us very unworthy thoughts of God and highly derogatory to his Honour and Glory For though in a quiet calm state our Lust suggests ordinarily other things to us yet all the Lust that is in our Hearts doth not discover it self at the same hour We shall find Lusts stirring in us in an hour of Prosperity of which we shall hear nothing in an hour of great Tribulation and Adversity And so on the other side we shall find those Lusts stirring in us in a time of great Affliction and Adversity which we diseerned little of in the halcyon days of our Prosperity When Men come to be under great pressures of Afflictions then those who in Health could think of nothing but their Sensual Satisfactions or Worldly Business begin to be at leisure to think of Dying and of the Eternal State of Souls and tho ordinarily our Lust enclineth us rather to presume and groundlesly to prophecy Good rather than Evil to our selves yet I do not know but under some circumstances our Hearts that of themselves are no better disposed to give God the Glory of his Mercy then of his Justice may though the Devil stand by suggest to us black and hard thoughts of God which may produce Desperation 2. But where the Impressions are fixed strong and abiding and the Soul though out-reasoned refuseth to be comforted or to entertain any better thoughts of God but rather is more stubborn and pertinacious and blasphemeth God I should suspect a great praedominance of a Praeternatural Cause and the Soul under the Violence of Satan for we are naturally inclined to hope well for our selves and to lay hold of every good word that looketh that way 3. Possibly The Devil may also in this Temptation joyn with our own Lusts and the Temptation may be mixt from one or both these Causes are these Temptations and this sinful Habit is begun and perfected in our Souls CHAP. II. What seeming Good is the bait in this Temptation To speak the truth of it self Possibly the serving our Malice upon God An Examination Whether the Doctrines of Election of Persons particularly Redemption and Special Grace conduce to Despair The contrary evinced THe greatest difficulty is to resolve with what Bait it is possible such an Hook as this is should be baited for whereas the Apostle telleth us as I have formerly opened to you That every one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own Lust and inticed it might justly pose an ordinary Reason to imagine what seeming Good should entice a Soul to cast away all hopes of Happiness from the Mercy of God all hopes of Eternal Life and Salvation To conclude it shall go to Hell and there
is no hope for it to the contrary Can there be so much as the least umbrage and appearance of Good that should have preference to these hopes in a Soul under the least conduct of Reason Iâ— it true for a Sensual Despair there may for that is rooted in Aâ—hâ—isme and Unbelief of any such thing as the need of a Pardon for its Sins or a future happy State the obtaining of which the Sensual Man seeing limited to the hard Condition as he thinks of denying himself in all his Sensual Pleasures he may jocularly conclude There is no hope for him believing no reality in the pretended Objects for his hope that he may the more securely cry out with the Epicures Let us eat and drink for to morrrow we shall die or like them Jer. 2. 25. When God said to them With-hold thy Foot from being unshod and thy Throat from thirst said There is no hope no for I have loved Strangers and after them I will go But now for a Sorrowful Despair for a Soul having this Grace and Hell in Prospect it may look for a great Riddle What appearing Good should be a Motive to him to conclude there is no Mercy in God for him no possibility of Eternal Salvation 1. What if we should say That the appearing Good that enticeth him to these thoughts is To speak the truth of himself and not to flatter himself with idle and vain hopes as he now thinks he hath done too long You know we are naturally desirous to know our own Fate or Fortunes as we call them What shall become of us or betide us in the latter end And though we are willing enough sometimes to flatter our selves yet there is a time when we desire the contrary 2. Secondly Is not the appearing Good in some a rooted Malice and Hatred against God and the Satisfaction of that by deregating from his Goodness and Mercy This is indeed of all the most dreadful Account that can be given That Soul is in the Suburbs of Hell it self to whom it is a satisfaction when it can do no more to Blaspheme and speak Evil of God I had rather assign the former as the most ordinary appearance of Good seducing the Soul into this Guilt It now pleaseth the Soul that thinks it hath deceived the World so long by walking in a vain shew to know and speak the truth of it self as it thinketh in its Heart through the Seduction of Sathan but still it must be enquired what the Devil can possibly suggest to a Soul to debauch it into such a misapprehension of God and sad Opinion of it self Now there being nothing in Nature that can alienate God from the Soul but Sin the guilt of the Soul and its state before God by reason of Sin must needs be that and that onely which the Devil can mount this great Gun upon and this is that which Cain saith Mine Iniquity is greater then it can be forgiven But before I come to speak of that let me a little take notice of some other Propositions which many grave Divines take to be most certain truths and others think serve the Devil in great stead in order to his inforcing this great Temptation Let me digress a little to judge whether indeed the guilt of those Propositions be according to the cry by which they are accused They are those concerning the Doctrine of Predestination Redemption and the necessity of Special Grace in order to Salvation I intend not to argue the truth of the Propositions on either side that were too large a Work but onely to consider whether the Devil can use what by some eminent Divines as to them is asserted as advantages for this fiery Dart. I remember Scultetus in his Annals tells us a Story of an honest studious Young Man in Cambridge whom 't is believed the Papists made away That he was found hang'd in his Study with his Finger laid upon a Bible opened before him upon a Text usually brought to confirm Predestination But the Fiction obtained not that credit for which it was devised to induce the World to believe that his imbracing the Doctrine of Predestination put him upon that desperate Practice But to the Matter 1. It is true many great and eminent Divines have thought That God hath passed an Eternal Decree concerning the future state of all Men and Women chusing some to Eternal Life passing by others Suppose we should put it to the highest pitch Determining others to Eternal Death I intend not as I said before to dispute what is truth in this certain it is God from oll Eternity fore-knew the Eternal Issues of all if some can conceive how God should fore-know this without willing it or be willing not to determine how he fore-knew it and what that was or could be but the Will of God which should make a Futurity certain And others cannot conceive any first cause but God nor any way of Divine Fore-knowledge but from his Will and Purpose It is not my Business to intermingle my self in their Quarrel but suppose the one Opinion or the other I would gladly understand what advantage the Devil can take from the one or the other as to this Temptation Some Divines indeed do say That God ordained some to Eternal Life out of his own good pleasure in and through Christ without any consideration of their Faith and good Works fore-seen as moving him so to predestinate them but with all he predestinated them to obtain this Eternal Salvation in the Exercises of Faith and Holiness without which they were never to see the Lord. But do any Divines say That God ordained any to Eternal Death or passed over any in his Eternal Counsel who should be damned otherwise then upon the just demerits of their preceding sins Yes it may be will some ignorant Persons say they that hold an absolute Decree hold Election of Persons and Reprobation of Persons They do indeed hold an Election of Persons in the sense I before opened that the foreseen Faith and Holiness of none moved God to ordain them to Life They do also believe that God hath a Jus Absolutum a Soveraign Power over his Creatures as the Potter over the Clay But they say that God doth not in the Condemnation of any Sinner use this but onely useth a Jus Ordinatum and proceedeth according to his Law The Soul that sinneth shall Die Which now being supposed I would gladly know what Argument Satan draws from hence to perswade any to Despair He can Suggest to the Soul That it is a Reprobate and cannot the Soul Answer That it is more then the Devil knows That there is no Soul but that which sinneth shall Die so that notwithstanding all said upon rhis Argument The Guilt of Sin is all that remaineth to the Devil to object to drive unto Despair It is true that concerning the Extent of the Death of Christ as to Persons there are various Opinions some think he equally
Soul think of these great instances and of those who Crucified the Lord Jesus Christ Acts 2. 36 37 38. yet at Peters Sermon were pricked at the Heart encouraged by the great Apostle to Repent and be Baptized in the Name of Jesus Christ for the Remission of their Sins and had the Promise of receiving the Gift of the Holy Ghost 4. O let no such Soul neglect the Reading or Hearing of the Word of God that is the Proximate Object of our Hope God is indeed the primary and proper Object none can give Remission of Sin or Eternal Life but God but by the Word and from the Revelation of the good will of God in his Word we come to Hope in God I look therefore upon that as a great Conquest which the Devil hath gotten over a Soul Despairing when he hath perswaded it not to hear not to read the Word that is indeed to omit the Means by which its Darkness should be dispelled and a true and lively Hope should be begotten in it 5. To all these should be added Fasting and Prayer the Efficacy of which depends on this That it is Gods Work to beget the Soul to a lively Hope through the Resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ 1 Pet. 1. 3. It is true a Soul in these Fits is not very fit for Prayer how shall it Pray in Faith But yet I would not have it wholly to neglect Prayer But let it call in the Help of godly Ministers and Christians let it send for the Elders of the Church and let them pray for it 6. I should have added before I shall now close this Discourse with it Let such a Soul be often whetting upon it self and let others be suggesting to it the most liberal Promises of Free Grace and Pardon and the greatest Presidents of Forgiving Mercy which the Scripture affordeth And let there be frequent Repetitions of them upon and to the Soul possibly though at the first or second offer they may not stick to the Soul nor the Soul take any Comfort from them yet at last they may But so much shall serve to have spoken to this Black and exceeding Dangerous Temptation FINIS Concerning TEMPTATIONS TO Presumption CHAP. I. The Text Deut. 29. 18 19 20. opened The fitness of it to the intended Discourse The Proposition founded in it The Method of handling it proposed What it is to presume The Nature of Presumption opened MOses the Servant of God when he had a second time repeated the Law of God to the Israelites as you shall find in that Book which from that Second Repetition hath its Name Deuteronomy commandeth the People that having passed over Jordan into the Land of Canaan they should set up Stones and Plaister them with Plaister and write the Law upon them and set up these Stones in Mount Ebal Deut. 27. 4. and six of the Tribes were to stand upon Mount Ebal six upon Mount Gerizzim v. 12 13. who were to say Amen to the Levites pronouncing the Blessings or Cursings following after Chap. 27. 28. promised to those that observed the Laws or denounced against those that presumed to violate it after this Moses exhorteth them to Obedience from the great Works of God which they had seen him doing for them Chap. 29. 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9. and from thence to the 15 verse he ingageth them in a Covenant with God for the observation of his Law And v. 16 17. shortly again mindeth them of what God had done for them both in bringing them out of Egypt and through the Nations of their Enemies After all this that great Man of God from the general Corruption of Humane Nature fore-saw there would be some bâ—ld prâ—fane Persons that would venture obsequiousness to their Sensual Appetite to break this Holy Law and notwithstanding all the Blessings annexed to the Observation of it and all the Curses entailed to the Violation of it would adventure upon their Sensual Satisfactions and yet promise to themselves not onely Impunity and Freedom from the threatned Evils but also the obtaining those good Things for the obtaining of which the Observation of the Divine Law was made a Condition he therefore adds v. 18 19 20 21. Lâ—st there should be amongst you Man or Woman or Family or Tribe whose Heart turneth away from the Lord his God to go and serve the Gods of these Nations lest there should be amongst you a Root that beareth Gall and Wormwood v. 19. and when he heareth the words of this Curse that he blesseth himself in his Heart saying I shall have Peace though I walk in the Imagination of mine Heart and add Drunkenness to Thirst v. 20. The Lord will not spare him but then the Anger of the Lord and his Jealousie shall smoke against that Man and all the Curses of this Book shall lie upon him and the Lord shall blot out his Name from under Heaven v. 21. And the Lord shall seperate him to Evil out of all the Tribes of Israel according to all the Curses of the Covenant that are written in this Book of the Law It is true these Words are in the Old Testament but Augustine said true That the Old Testament is Occultatio Novi The New Testament in a Mystery the New Testament Revelatio Veteris the Old Testament explained both of them the Revealed Will of God the later onely the more clear Revelation of it And it is as true That as Face answereth Face in a Glass so the Hearts of Men in one Age and Period in the World answer the Hearts of Men in another Period of it Moses in the Text afore-mentioned describeth to you 1. A Sinner one who turneth away his Heart from the Lord his God that walketh according to the imagination of his own Heart that addeth Drunkenness to Thirst and all this after he hath heard the Words of the Law and the Blessing to them that keep the Law and the Curse to them that violate this Law 2. The bold Presumption of this Sinner when he hath heard the Law the Blâ—ssings promised to them that observe it and the Curses denounced against them that violate it yet he will flatter himself he shall have Peace though he walks according to the imagination of his Heart and addeth Sin to Sin Drunkenness to Thirst 3. The Fate of such a Sinner or the Issue of that Presumption The Lord will not spare him but the Anger of the Lord and his Jealousie shall smoke against that Man and all the Curses in Scripture shall lie upon bim and the Lord shall blot out his Name from under Heaven The Lord shall seperate him to Evil out of all the Tribes of Israel according to all the Curses of the Covenant that are written in the Book of the Law God hath also made a Covenant with People under the New Testament even the same for Substance as with the Jews He then gave them a Law A Law for Worship called the Ceremonial Law A
assign 53 Company of Holy Persons how useful to those who are tempted by Atheistical Thoughts 50 Communion with God much and close a great means against Despair and Temptations to it 197 Contentment a great preservative against Temptations to Self-murther p. 115 116 The Covenant of Grace to be studied and meditated on by Persons tempted to Self-murther and to Despair 144 145 191. How to be meditated on 147 148 Gods Creation of us no ground to conclude that he will eternally save us 264 265 why Ibid. Confession of Sin the Popish Doctrine about the manner and vertue and efficacy of it and the vanity of it 301 302. The Doctrine of Protestants about it 305 306. D DEspair what it is 165. How distinguished from Fear 166. The usual Tempters to it 167 What to be advised to Souls under Temptations to Despair 200 201 202 203 c. The greatness of the Sin of Despair 230 231 232 233 234 c. The Devil the principal Tempter to Atheistical Thoughts 9 Diversion Advisable for persons Tempted by Atheistical Thoughts or to Self-Murther 50 51 104 105. Discontent to be avoided as making way for Temptations to Self Murther 115 Difficulty of being Saved to be Meditated on for prevention of Temptations to Presumption 321. Some Doctrines of Truth charged as having a tendancy to bring a Soul under Temptations to Despair proved to have no such tendancy particularly Those of Election of Persons particular Redemption and special Grace 174 175 176. E Election of Persons no advantage to Temptations to Self Murther or Despair 91 92. Eternal Life how many ways one may be said not to have it 61 62. Whether any who hath it in the Seed can Murther him or her self Whether any who Murther themselves can be Saved 67 68 69. Examination of our selves how useful against Despair in what things 194 195. F Faith the several Notions of it the True Notion of Saving Faith 281 282 283. The increase of it of great use against Temptations in what particulars 121 122 123. G Seeming Good alluring the Soul in Temptations to Atheistical Thoughts none p. 11 12. What of that Nature is a Bait to Temptations of Self-Murther 88 89 90. To Despair 169. Grace where it dwelleth in the Soul whether it can allow any to Murther themselves 68 69. Guilt of Sin the only bottom of Despair 172 173. H Holiness False Notions of it grounds of Presumption the true Notion of it 287 288 289 290 291 292. The best Preservative against Temptations to Self Murther 130 131. K Killing a Mans Self whether in any case lawful The Negative proved 63 64 65 66. All Self Killing not Self Murther Ibid. Persons Killing themselves not to be rashly judged 75 76. What to be judged of Persons Killing themselves being under the high prevailings of Melancholly 71 72. Knowledge the usefulness of it to prevent Despair 180 181. L Life Natural in some Cases may not to a Natural Man appear the greatest Good 90 91 92. Lusts What Lusts the greatest Tempters to Self-Murther 83 84 Luther's Advice to Souls Tempted by Atheistical and Blasphemous Thoughts 38. M Means to be used to prevent or repel Temptations to Atheistical and Blasphemous Thoughts 37 38 to 55. To Self Murther 96 97 to 193. To Despair 178 179 to 240. To Presumption 263 264 to the end Melancholly to be taken beed of for prevention of Temptations to Self Murther and Despair 98 99. What means to be used Natural Civil Religious 100 101. Whether all Melanchollick Persons Killing themselves are to be judged Murtherers of themselves Murther how far it extends according to the Divine Law 57. Who not Guilty of it 60. In what Sense no Murtherer hath Eternal Life 61 62. Self Murther Temptations to it from what Causes 79 80 81. Motives in Temptations to it to be enquired into what they usually are the Vanity of them 134 135. N Notions laying Foundations for Presumption 259 260 261. Narrow Notions of the Sense of the Divine Law dangerous as to Presumption 295 296 297. P Pictures of God or any Person in the Trinity promove in us Atheistical Thoughts 41 42. The Vanity of them 42 43. Parlying with Tempters dangerous 15. 8. Prayer and Fasting proper for Persons tempted to Atheistical and Blasphemons Thoughts 51. Power in Man truly to believe and repent none if there were it is no ground for Presumption 278 279. Presumption what it is 249. The Tempters to it the Devil our Lusts the World 251 252 253 254 255 256. The Bait to it 257 258. How to be avoided 263 264 265. It makes way for Despair 193. The greatness of the Sin the danger of it the multitudes that miscarry by it 312 313 314. Pride to be mortified 109. Several Considerations tendant to that end 109 110. Purgatory the Popish Notion of it its tendancy to Presumption 310 311. R Revealing Temptations how advisable to whom and why 157 158. Repentance The true Notion of it The False Notion of it how dangerous in order to Presumption 287 288 289. S Satisfaction as a part of Repentance in what Cases necessary the Popish Notions of it 304 305 306. Sacrament of the Lord's Supper its vertue as to Remission of Sins 308. The Popish Notion of it ibid. Not desired by understanding Christians where it cannot be had in a communion 308 309 Sins against Light Inveterate Sinning Flagitious and Prodigious Acts of Sin Sins bordering on the Sins against the Holy Ghost great advantages to Temptations to Despair 181 182 183 184. What those Sinnings are Ibid. Sin against the Holy Ghost what it is shortly discoursed in order to the relief of such as are under Temptations to think they have sinned it 184 185 186 187 188 189. Sins multitude and greatness no grounds for Despair 209 210 211 212 213 214 215 216. Solitude to be avoided by Tempted Souls 103. Temptations distinguished p. 8. Tempters to Atheistical Thoughts Who 9. To Self Murther Temptations to it discoursed as to their efficient cause the seeming good inticing the probable means to prevent or repel them 78 79 80 81. Temptations to Despair Answered 217 218 219 220 221 222 223 224 225 226 227. To Presumption 250 The Tempters to it 251 252 253. How to be prevented or avoided 263 264 265 c. Courteous Reader THe Author living at a great distance from the Press begs of thee pardon for lesser Errors in misplacing Stops or Letters and with thy Pen to correct the following ERRATA'S IN page 6. line 28 read think so p. 15 l. 29 r. is it p. 22 l. 7 1. scarce any p. 25 l. 7 blot out not p. 35 l. 2 blot out it p. 64 l. 17 r. Filiucius p. 66 l. 2 1. washed away p. 79 l. 3 r. causes p. 9â— l. 12 r. hath brought p. 96 l. 4 r. and Praeterition p. 97 l. 27 blot out that p. 101 l. 28 for about r. of p. 113 l. 22 r. of all p. 150 l. 27 r. of Conscience p. 171
l. 2 r. the Grave and Hell p. 176 l. 6 r. who cannot understand p. 177 l. 24 r. therefore plain that p. 188 l. 7 r. the Soul p. 210 l. 5 r. so me thinks p. 228 l. 23 r. such Souls p. 234 l. 19 â— our sins p. 241 l. 14 r. violate them p. 261 l. 11 r. as to p 306 l. 26 r. in his heart Concerning TEMPTATIONS TO Atheistical and Blasphemous THOUGHTS CHAP. I. The true Notion of Atheistical and Blasphemous Thoughts Blasphemy committed three ways Atheistical Thoughts Transient and Volatile or more Fixed and Permanent Those more Fixed either studied by us embraced and improved or else such as are the Souls Burthen Trouble and great Affliction The Discourse restrained to the last DAvid telleth us The Fool hath said in his heart There 's no God Psal 14. v. 1. By the Fool is to be understood not the Natural Fool hindered in the exercise of his Reason but the Spiritual Fool the Wicked Man nor is there any to whom the Notion of a Fool more properly agreeth than to the Presumptuous bold Sinner whether you by Fool understand one that wanteth knowledge and wit or him that wanteth wisdom to guide his knowledge in exercise to the best ends of Humane Life to discern chuse and judge of things according to truth and reality and for the best advantage This Fool saith the Psalmist saith in his heart that is he thinks and believeth there is no God whatsoever he professeth with his lipps these are his inward thoughts The Philosopher distinguisheth betwixt our inward and more external Speech we speak nothing with our lipps but what we have first said in our hearts though we say much in our hearts which Shame or Moral Prudence restraineth us from speaking with our lipps Every wicked man doth not speak it with his lipps but he saith in his heart he thinketh there is no God and he speaketh it in his life his actions speak it he lives without a God in the World Now this being the Character of a wicked man one that is a spiritual Fool the impressions of them upon honest souls often proves a sad temptation to them ushering in temptations to Self-murther and Despair This hath made me resolve shortly to handle this Argument that I may by it give some relief to Souls thus tormented and likewise help others with something to say to Souls under these miserable circumstances I shall reduce the whole of my Discourse to these few Heads 1. I shall shew you what I understand by Atheistical and Blasphemous Thoughts and discourse shortly of the kinds and differences of them 2. We will inquire what Tempters a Soul may have to them 3. What Bait or seeming good the Tempter can imaginably propound to the Soul to intice it to them 4. What Arguments Tempters may use with any colourable reason to bring over a Soul to such a perswasion 5. We will inquire Whether all such kind of Thoughts be the Souls guilt or no or what are what are not 6. Lastly I shall offer my best advice both for Souls not as yet under these circumstances for the Prevention of them and for Souls under this great pressure for the Arming and Supporting of them against and under them and procuring them Liberty from them 1. Qu. What are those thoughts that deserve the name of Atheistical and Blasphemous The term Atheisme is taken sometimes more strictly for a denyal of God sometimes more largely for a denyal of any of the Perfections of God In the first Sense for a man to think That there is no God or that the Father the Son or the Holy Ghost is not God is Atheisme when it is onely a denial in the Heart it is an Atheistical Thought when we deny it with our Lipps they are Athestical words more largely for a man to deny Gods Wisdom Power Knowledg Mercy or any other of his Perfections is Atheism Blasphemy is committed three ways 1. By denial of the Perfections that are in God If any shall deny God to be one in Essence or the three Persons in the God-head or that God is a Spirit Omnipotent Omnisufficient c. is Blasphemy It is an evil and injurious speaking of God 2. When the Divine Perfections are attributed to the Creature such I mean as belong to God onely as to think any Creature Infinite Omnipotent Eternal Omnisufficient c. 3. When the Imporfections of Creatures are ascribed to God as if any thinketh in his heart That God is mortal that he is the Author or Countenancer of Sin or any thing of like nature which agrees to the Creature onely in regard of the imperfection of it Thus you see there may be a great variety of Atheistical and Blasphemous Thoughts according to the variety of the Object which may be the Being of God or the Perfections of God c. Again Such kind of Thoughts when they are fixed and permanent are either studied up by us bugg'd and imbraced and inlarged upon so as the Soul studies to feed them and maintain them which are hardly found in any but Atheistical Souls that find it their interest to secure their lusts by such principles Or else they are the Souls trouble and burthen and great Afflictions like a Viper sticking to their hands and there 't will stick They cry out and roar and endeavour to shake these thoughts off but they recurr and are like an ill sounding noise in their ears and inconceivably afflict them They say Get thee behind me Satan but he will not be gone They cry to God but he is pleased not to take the thorn out of their souls These are Temptations and they are Atheistical and Blasphemous Thoughts thus circumstanced that I now design to speak something to So that I exclude out of my Discourse 1. More transient and volatile Atheistical and Blasphemous Thoughts The wise the spiritually wise and good man may have some of these God is a Spiritual Being and so removed from the cognizance of our Senses Who hath seen his shape at any time And the Infiniteness of his Being and Perfections is so much beyond the span or fathom of our Reason that the best of men have their doubts sometimes about the Divine Being and Perfections which indeed taking their Notions of God from Scripture they chide away are humbled for them suffer them not to abide with them and endeavour to establish their souls against them by testimonies of Scripture which they firmly believe and make the only Rule of their Faith and Director of their apprehensions concerning God 2. I also exclude from my Discourse such permanent fixed thoughts of Atheism and Blasphemy as breed in the Soul and the Soul delighteth in is well pleased with studies to fortifie and make good by Argument For these are only found in Atheists who are either such avowedly and professedly and are not ashamed by the words of their lips to declare that superfluity of vileness that is in their
hearts Or else they are such as in heart thinketh so though in words they profess otherwise Such as the Apostle speaketh of Tit. 1. 16. Who profess that they know God but do in works deny him being abominable disobedient and to every good work reprobate I shall very little concern my self as to either of these only consider what may be said as to those who have such impressions but they are their intollerable burthen and affliction Indeed they are rather to be called impressions than thoughts and let us first inquire into this bitter stream from what source and fountain it floweth CHAP. II. From whence Atheistical and Blasphemous Thoughts may proceed sometimes from Lust sometimes from the World but these are usually imbraced and nursed up in the Soul Those that are the Subject of the present Discourse ordinarily proceed from the Devil as a Tempter and a Blasphemous Spirit THE Adversaries of a Christian with whom the good fight is to be managed are usually reckoned to be The Flesh the World and the Devil their Opposition to us is by moving inticing and perswading us to sin to the ruin of our Souls Hence Divines distinguishing Temptations from their Efficient Cause or Causes say There is Tentatio a Carne a Temptation from the Flesh which agreeth with St. James Every man is tempted when he is drawn away by his own LUST and inticed but that must be understood of such Temptations by which a man is conquered 2. There is Tentatio ab hoste a Temptation from the Enemy without and this is either from the World that is the Things or Men of the World Or from the Devil Any of these may be Tempters in this Case 1. Lust may be a Tempter to Atheistical and Blasphemous Thoughts though I must confess I cannot understand how that should be a tempter to such Thoughts as these not by us chosen studied or delighted in by them Debaucht Wretches that give up themselves to Drunkenness Whoredom Lying Cursing Swearing Neglect of all Duty to God and Man are concern'd if they can to perswade themselves That there is no God that seeth them or dâ—â—approveth them or that hath a superiour power to them or will judge or condemn them for did they believe this their Consciences would never let them be quiet Now that lust that Sinful desire which is in them to keep their lusts without regrets of Conscience or any sowre Reflections after their Debaucheries may be a Tempter to them to say in their hearts yea and to imbrace a perswasion in their hearts That there is no God but this doth not properly concern our present Case 2. The World also the men of the world may be Tempters to such thoughts as these The discourses of others you know offer matter for our thoughts to run upon and as in other causes so in this there may be some who may argue Atheism and Blasphemy with us and who may endeavour to perswade us to such Sentiments Atheistical and Blasphemous Books may set our thoughts on work but these can have no great causation in such thoughts as are permanent afflictive and troublesome to us It is in the power of Christians to avoid Atheistical and Blasphemous company and to abstain from reading of such Books Though therefore men of the world may be Tempters to Atheism yet they can hardly be charged as Tempters in this Case 3. The Devil whom you know the Scriptures call the Tempter the Enemy the Envious one is doubtless the principal Efficient cause He goeth about like a roaring Lion seeking whom he may devour and he hath many Arts and Wiles and Depths and Methods which he useth to destroy Souls with amongst which this is one to make impressions of Atheism and Blasphemy upon persons by some they are imbraced as Notions that are suited to their Sensual Appetite and which will very well fit their Carnal Desires By others they are disgusted as contrary to those Impressions which the Holy Spirit of God hath made upon their Souls and their former Notions Apprehensions and Belief in God Yea so far disgusted that their Souls are frighted at the sight of these Strangers comming to their House and are amazed which way they should ever come in having to their knowledg never opened the least Window or Door to them nor any way invited them so much as for an hour or a moment their Souls loath and abhorthem and yet they revive upon them Temptations of this nature thus circumstanced can be from no other Tempter than the Devil CHAP. III. No seeming good propounded to such Souls as are thus Tempted to whom the Temptations are Afflictive Nor doth the Tempter always use Arguments not so much hoping to prevail with such souls as to trouble them to that degree as to put them upon destroying themselves To others he useth Arguments From the No Evidence of the Divine Being to our Sense The Incomprehensibleness of it and the Perfections of it by our Reason The many Disorders which the Divine Wisdom thinketh fit to permit in the World These are the usual Topicks of Tempters that tempt souls unto Atheisme EVery Man when he is tempted is drawn away by his own Lust and enticed saith St. James 1 Jam. He is enticed by some glimmerings of good and so he is drawn away but it is vain for us to enquire what seeming good enticeth a Soul who looketh upon his motions and solicitations and the things to which the Soul is so solicited as the greatest Evils in the world St. James therefore is there speaking not of Temptations in the general but of such Temptations as flow and proceed from our innate Lust There must in all Temptations of that nature be a Bait upon which the Lust in our hearts may feed and tho it be not necessary that that Bait be a real Good yet it must have some appearance of good in it for the principles of Humane Nature will not allow it to move into the Embraceâ— of any thing which it apprehendeth Evil but this is not necessary in Temptations which flow solely from the Devil the eternal ruin of the Soul is the Design of that Envious One and it is all one whether he can affright or intice the Soul into Hell whether he can destroy it by Poison or by a more certain Stabb It may be more worthy our Enquiry what Arguments the Devil can possibly use with a Soul so far prejudiced against imprâ—ssions of this nature that he can hope should prevail with it to receive any such impressions For the Soul of Man being a rational being is not like without something of Reason or a shew of it to be brought over to agree to any such impression 1. What if we should say that possibly the Tempter promiseth himself no such success what if his design be not to proselyte a Religious Soul to the Proposition which is contrived in his Suggestion but meerly to weary the Christian out of his life by
the Picture of a man if it hath no similitude of the man is but a Teacher of a lie and doth but help our thoughts with false notions and conceptions And what Limner ever saw the Lord in his Humane Shape to draw a representation of him What need any Pictures of Christ when every man we see is as true a representation of him as any Limner can make who never saw him in the flesh nor a true Copy to draw him by I am apt to believe that this was one Reason of Gods so severe prohibition of Images and the Likeness of any thing to represent God because he knew that those things would be of this pernicious use to give us false notions and Idea's of God for you shall observe when you have seen the pretended Picture or resemblance of a Man you will fancy him according to that Representation whether the Picture be any thing like the Person for whom it is made yea or no. 3. To which I might add That admitting a Picture of a Man or a Friend be not like the Person and give our Fancies a false Notion of him yet in this there is no Sin no Defilement no Guilt upon the Soul by it but to Conceive amiss of God is a thing quite of another Nature and of further danger to the Soul This hath made me sometimes wonder that Luther tho he abhorred Images and shewed as great a detestation of them as any other as they are used in Popery as they are means or objects of Adoration yet allowed the use and standing of them in Churches Certainly it is a thing of very dangerous consequence whether in Churches or our own private Houses for we shall find a great proneness in us to form out Notions of God according to such representations and if those representations be lies and false such will our Notions be and if this be not a fair way to fill the Soul with Atheistical and Blasphemous Thoughts concerning God and Christ I do not know what is 2. Secondly Take heed of taking your Notions of God from Reason Reason is a power within us by which we make Conclusions from some Principles Now these Principles are either Connatural to us and bred in and with us or such as we have from Revelation Reason working upon Connate Natural Principles will much convince us that there is a God and shew us also something what manner of Being God must be Nature will tell us that nothing is the cause of it self and will lead us to a Primum Mobile a first Being a first Cause a first Mover and will teach us That whosoever is the Cause of any Excellency or Perfection in another by his Communication of it if he loseth nothing by that Communication must needs have that Perfection and Excellency in a more Eminent Degree in himself But alas the Divine Being is Infinitely above the Fathom and Comprehension of Humane Reason concluding only from Connate and Natural Principles There is an Excellent use of Reason to give us the true Notion of God That is by setting it on Work to conclude from Principles of Revelation First firmly Believing whatever is revealed in Holy Writ then using our Reason both to compare Scripture with Scripture to find out the true Revelation the true sense and meaning of Holy Writ and to shew us that what the Scripture revealeth concerning God is but what Reason will allow may be 3. But the Surest Way for Persons to come to a true Notion of God is to attend to what the Scripture saith to Believe concerning God whatsoever we find there No man hath seen God at any time no Reason is able to Comprehend an Infinite Being and the Perfections of it but the Son of God and the Holy Spirit of God They have Revealed God and thence we must take those Measures of the Knowledg of God which we are capable of till we come to see him as he is and to know him as we are known Let it be therefore the Care of every Christian from those Sacred Writings to posess himself of due Notions and just Apprehensions of the Divine Being A Christian shall find these three Eminent Advantages of this Knowledge according to the Measure we are Capable of 1. There is no such Director of our Internal and External Homage to God as a just Notion of the Divine Being According to our Apprehensions of his Majesty Power Greatness and Justice so shall we Adore Revere and Fear him According to our Apprehensions of his Goodness and Mercy so we shall Love him Breath after him and Delight in him According to our Apprehensions of his Truth and Fidelity so shall we Confide and Trust in him If we truly Apprehend him as a Spirit we shall Conclude he must be Worshipped with our Spirits and that all Noises and Exteriour pretended Homages if not expresly commanded by him are indeed no Homage to him but some foolish Acts of Voluntary Humility and that all Lip Labour all Bodily Homage seperated from the Internal Homage Attention and Intention of the Soul and its Stooping before him are of no avail being no preportionable Homage to a Spiritual Being in the Eye of Reason nor required by him at all 2. Secondly There is no such Antidote as this against the Pâ—â—sâ—â— of Erroneous Doctrines and Opinions We have abroad many Erroneous Doctrines relating to the great Truths of God if they be searched to the bottom you will find them springing up out of a false Apprehension and Conception of the Nature of God It were easie to shew you how a due Knowledg and Conception of God will fortify the Soul against many Errors But 3. Lastly There is no such Weapon to repel these Fiery Darts of which I am speaking A Soul is not soon dispossest of such Notions of God as it is once well rooted in and especially when it is rooted in them upon the Authority the Infallible Authority of a Divine Revelation It is good therefore for Christians before any such Temptations come upon them to be well Instructed concerning the Nature and Attributes of God and to entertain no Notions but such as shall be confirmed unto him from Scriptures nor is any thing of more Advantage to a Soul in an hour of such great Temptations than to Read and have Read to him Discourses of this nature such especialy as are most Scriptural and indeavour to Establish the Faith of Christians not in or by the wisdom of men but the Power of God Let this be a Second Direction 3. Thirdly Let no Soul under these Temptations forbear Reading the Scriptures and waiting upon God in the hearing of his Word I have often observed and lamented the great Conquest which the Devil ordinarily getteth over Souls under this as well as other great Temptations in perswading them to forbear Reading and Hearing the Word of God Luther tells us That it is the Devils great Art Ut nos abducat ab oratione et verbo
I do not think any Books opening the Scriptures or any portions of Scriptures fitter to be read or any Sermons fitter to be heard by persons under these circumstances then such Books such Sermons such Portions of Holy Writ as most express the Wrath of God against Sinners most livelily express the miserable estate of Souls in another World under the Wrath of God Together with such as contain or explain the Promises of God for Support and Strength and Help under and Deliverance from the greatest Pressures of Affliction and Misery By the reading and hearing of the one the Grace of God concurring which is always requisite to make the Soul believe what it reads and hears a Soul shall be deterred from such an undertaking from the rational consideration That there is no way for it to get out of its Misery and by the other it shall be perswaded that there is a far nearer and more certain way of Relief for it if it can but exercise a little Patience from the good hand of God who is able to relieve it and who hath promised and is faithful Which two points are of very great import for a Soul to be perswaded of that it may stand against this fiery Dart and of that Nature that it is impossible that any Soul in the full possession and belief of them should ever listen to this Temptation so long as it pleaseth God to keep it in the exercise of its Reason Let therefore every Soul under this Temptation make it its business to give it self the fullest possession of these Truths for it is the Unbelief or faint Belief of these things that gives the least advantage to the roaring Lion thus seeking about to devour Souls The more rooted a Soul is in the Doctrine of Eternity both that which relateth to damned Souls and that which relateth to such as shall be saved the more remote and difficult it will be as to listning to any Temptation of this nature CHAP. XI Further Directions for Souls thus tempted The avoiding of Solitude The Study and Meditation of the Nature of the Covenant of Grace in the Matter of it the freeness of it the sureness of it the well ordering of it in all things 3. Dir. AVoid Solitudes and Solitary Places I mentioned this before as a means to prevent prevailings of Melancholy but let me a little farther inlarge upon that Argument Indeed excesses of Solitude are by no means to be affected by Christians under the greatest freedom of Body and Mind tho nothing more conduceth to a Souls Health and Freedom in communion with God then some just Measures and Proportions of it yet nothing is more dangerous in this hour of Temptation I observe Elijah was alone when he prayed God in a fit of Discontent to take away his Life and Jonah ch 4. 5 8. was in a Booth alone out of the City when he said It is better for me to die than to live And our blessed Lord was alone when Matth. 4. 6. the Tempter said unto him set upon the Pinacle of the Temple If thou be the Son of God cast thy self down Of Souls under these circumstances it is eminently true that Solomon saith Ecc. 4. 11. Two are better than one and woe to him that is alone when he falleth for he hath none other to help him up These Acts are committed usually by Persons that are alone It is therefore highly advisable to Persons under these Impressions to avoid giving this advantage to the Adversary and to those who are nearly concerned in and about Persons under these Temptations to be watchful as to this thing especially when they discern the Impressions are most strong upon them But having touched upon this before I shall add no more to it now 4. Dir. Fourthly There is nothing more proper for Souls under these circumstances Than to be much in the Study and Meditation of the Nature of the Covenant of Grace I told you before that supposing a Man or Woman under the conduct and government of Reason it is very hard to imagine what Motive should possibly prevail upon them to put an end unto their Lives but the freeing of themselves from so eminent Evils which they suffer to that degree that they conclude it is better for them to die than to live Now these Evils I told you were either External Afflictions and Crosses or such as are Internals Horrors of Mind Terrors of Conscience If the Motive be a freedom from Evils of the first sort I advised before what I judged proper viz. The Consideration whether the determination of our Lives in that manner would indeed free us or rather make our Condition much worse And Secondly Whether there be not an easier and safer way to procure our selves such an Immunity But now Suppose the Evils be of the second sort viz. The Horrors and Terrors of Conscience from the guilt of sin If this be the Motive the force of it lieth in our Ignorance or Mistake about the Covenant of Grace and look as under a Temptation to which External Misery is the great Motive There is nothing more proper than a just understanding of the state of the Damned and the misery of Impenitent and Unpardoned Souls in the World to come So supposing the Motive to be Horrors and Terrors of Conscience upon our Reflections upon Sin there is nothing more proper for a Soul than rightly to understand the Covenant of Grace and the reading of such Books and whetting upon our Hearts such Portions of Gods revealed Will in his Word as are most fully expressive of it Truly to understand this That there is no Sinner run into such an arrear with Gods Justice no Soul so guilty but by vertue of a gracious Covenant of Redemption and Grace which God the Father hath from Eternity contracted with the Son of his Love the Redeemers part in which Covenant is also fulfilled by Jesus Christ may find Mercy with God repenting of his Sin and casting it self upon the free Mercy and Grace of God in and through the Merits and Satisfaction of Christ Such is this Covenant of Grace that the most guilty Soul fulfilling his part in it and accepting of it may be assured that although its past sins cannot be made never to have been yet they shall be as if they never had been That is they shall no more condemn the Soul then if they never had been they shall not be mentioned they shall be sought for and not found the Righteousness of Christ shall be reckoned unto the Soul as if it were its Righteousness It is impossible that a Soul knowing and believing this and living in the view of this gracious Covenant should ever be frighted out of its Life from the Horrors of Conscience by its Reflections upon its guilt of Sin Though an ignorant Person that knoweth not this or an unbelieving Soul which though it may have received the Notion of it yet cannot believe it may from this Motive
be induced to a yielding to this Temptation yet to speak the truth admiting a Soul sure of its Damnation and that its Sins were so great as they could never be forgiven it should in reason rather be an Argument to a Soul if it were possible by all means imaginable to lengthen out its days to the years of Methâ—sâ—lah then to cut off an inch of that time which God will allow him For what reason can prompt any Man to think the Horrors and Torments of a wounded Conscience more intollerable than the Pains that are suffered by damned Souls Or what Reason will guid any Man to endeavour to be tormented before his time How earnest do we find condemned Malefactors sometimes tho out of all hope to be pardoned but to be reprieved for a time but I say by reason of the Covenant of Grace this is not the case of any one poor Soul to advantage this Temptation There is no Soul that can in judgement say though sometimes they say so in their Fits and Passions I know I shall be damned and there is nothing can give a â—ise for Satan in this Temptation but Persons Ignorance or Unbelief of the Covenant of Grace O therefore let all Souls but especially such as are thus tempted study this Consider 1. What it is that God hath Covenanted for for pardon of Sin For power and strength against Sin for Eternal Life and Salvation for strength against Temptations Every Spiritual Promise is a branch of the Covenant and the Promises are of those various Natures that there is no Spiritual Evil of which we can have any present sense or any fear as to time to come for which God hath not in one Promise or an other provided us an Antidote Is it the guilt oâ— Sin already committed God hath promised to pardon it Is it the fear of guilt not yet contracted God hath said I will heal your Backslidings and love you freely He hath said Sin shall not have Dominion over your Mortal Bodies So as thoâ— hast no reason to destroy thy self eitheâ— because thou hast sinned or becauseâ— thou fearest thou shalt sin against God to an irremissible degree Art thou afraiâ— that Temptations shall prevail against theeâ— He hath assured thee that Christ waâ— therefore tempted that he might be able tâ— succour the tempted that with the temptation he will give thee an happy issue that he will bruise Sathan under thy Feet shortly In short There is no Spiritual Incumbrance as to which there is not some provision made in the Covenant of Grace and declared in some Gospel Promise 2. Consider again the freeness of the Covenant It is called a Covenant of Grace Grace signifieth Free Love I will saith God heal your Backslidings and love you freely There is nothing to be paid for thy Pardon all that is is finished the utmost Farthing that the Justice of God could exact is already paid by the Hand of Christ There is nothing required of thee but an acknowledgement of thy Guilt an hatred of thy former Ways a resolution joyned with an endeavour to forsake them with an acceptance of the Lord Jesus Christ as thy Redeemer and Saviour Oh this this is that which could a Soul under Temptations of this Nature believe these Temptations would certainly abate We in distresses of Conscience stick too much in a Righteousness of our own Let me here give you the Copy of a short Letter wrote by that Eminent Servant of God Luther to an Hermite v. Luther Ep. t. 1. I saith he desire to know what thy Soul doth whether at last being weary of its own Righteousness it hath learned to breath after and to trust in the Righteousness of Christ For in our Age a Temptation of Presumption too much prevaileth and particularly in them who by all means study to approve themselves Righteous and good Men being ignorant of the Righteousness of God plentifully and freely given unto us by and through Christ They so long study to work well until they arrive at a confidence of standing before God as it were upon their own Legs and by their own Merits which is a thing impossible You and I have both been once of that Opinion or rather in that Error but now I set my self against it but have not yet conquered my self as to it Therefore my dear Brother learn Christ and him crucified learn to sing Praise to him and despairing of your self to say to him Lord Jesus thou art my Righteousness I am thy Sin Thou hast taken upon thee what was mine and given unto me what was thine Thou hast taken what thou wert not and given unto me what I was not Take heed saith he of aiming at such a degree of purity as to appear to thy self no Sinner for Christ dwelleth in the Hearts of none but Sinners He therefore came down from Heaven when he dwelled in his Saints that he might dwell in Sinners O meditate of his Love and you will feel his most sweet Consolation For to what purpose hath he died if we could arrive at a tranquility of Conscience by our own Endeavours and Tormenting of our selves You will never therefore find Peace but by despairing of your Selves and your own Works and a fiducial dependance on him You will further learn by this That as he took thy Nature and made thy Sins as it were his so he hath made his Righteousness thine An hour of Temptation either of this Nature or to despair of Gods Mercy as to the pardon of Sin and the Eternal Salvation of the Soul will discover the value of those Physicians who have found out another way to relieve afflicted Consciences in the sense of their own Unrighteousness then by pressing the great Doctrine of the Gospel of the Justification of the Soul by the Righteousness of Christ reckoned to the believing Soul for Righteousness And certainly Gods Absolution or Acquittance of a Soul from its Debts to Divine Justice by the Righteousness of the Son of God reckoned accounted or which is the same imputed to it as if performed by it is of no more difficult Conception whatever some pretend in the case than a Creditors Discharge and giving Acquittance to a Debtor upon his Friend or Sureties payment of the Debt upon which the Principal is Discharged as if he had personally paid it Believe it other Notions may afford matter of Discourse in a calm time but nothing but the Notion of Free Grace and Christs Righteousness reckoned to us will serve us in an hour of Temptation Let us therefore rather chuse to part with the Sun in the Firmament or with the Light of our Eyes than to part with this great Truth Let some trust in Charriots some in Horses Let some trust in the Works of others some in their own Fancies but let us remember the Name of the Lord of God and let us remember that his Name is the Lord our Righteousness When a Soul is under great Horror and
Terrors of Conscience because of its Guiltiness its former guilt of Sin let the Sin be what and of what Nature it will Oh let it remember that Christ was given for a Covenant for the People he was by his Father called in Righteousness and his Hand was held and he was kept and given for a Covenant of the People for a Light of the Gentles to open the blind Eyes to to bring the Prisoners from the Prison and them that sit in Darkness out of the Prison House Isaiah 42. 6 7. Let him remember that he is to say Isaiah 45. 24. Surely in the Lord I have Righteousness and Strength That if he had never committed those Sins which now so lie upon and load his Conscience yet he could never have stood before God in his own Works and in a legal Righteousness but what the Law could not do because it was weak through our Flesh that God himself hath done sending his Son in the likeness of sinful Flesh and for Sin condemning Sin in the Flesh that the Righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in us Rom. 8. 3. And let him consider that being he must be saved by Christ and stand before God as found in him not having his own Righteousness though his Nakedness hath been more than the Nakedness of some other Men yet that long white Robe is large enough to cover it for the Righteousness of Christ his Merits are of vast and infinite Vertue as the Schoolmen say of Gods Essence that it filleth Heaven and Earth and an infinite space beyond both So the Merits of Christ have expiated for the Sins of all that shall be saved and have an infinite Vertue beyond Therefore there is no reason for a Soul to concluds its Sins shall not be forgiven or its Horrors of Conscience for them never cease those cease of course upon the sense of pardon or a good hope through Grace It is but a Relique of Popery that tortureth Mens Consciences past cure I mean an Opinion lurking in us that we must our selves satisfie the Justice of God and that upon the price paid and satisfaction given by Christ pardon doth not proceed freely for all Sin and all Blasphemy to a Soul seeking for it by earnest Prayer true Sorrow for Sin and resolution against it and a true adherence to the Lord Jesus Christ 3. Again Study the Sureness of this Covenant It is a Covenant of Salt as well as a Covenant of Peace Gods Covenant with Day and Night shall sooner cease it containeth the sure Mercies of David It cannot fail God cannot suffer his Faithfulness to fail he cannot alter the thing that hath gone out of his Lips The failure of Covenants amongst Men is rooted in their Variableness and Mutability their want of Fore-sight and Knowledge of future Contingencies c. no such thing can be as to this Covenant He is the Lord that changeth not his Name is I am he had a perfect and certain Prospect and Fore-sight of all that could happen 4. Finally Meditate of it as a well ordered Covenant It is true The Covenant of Grace hath its Conditions to be fulfilled on our part Such as are the taking hold of it mentioned Is 56. 6. which cannot be without seeking the Lord while he may be found calling upon him while he is near the wicked Man forsaking his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts and his returning to the Lord Isaiah 55. 6 7. and perseverance in the ways of God is another condition to be performed But as to those it is in this well ordered That there are Branches in the same Covenant wherein God hath promised 1. To work those Conditions in us that is we doing what in us lies by Vertue of that Common Grace which he denieth to none or by Vertue of those special Habits which he will please to work in us not to be wanting in those further Aids and Assistances of his Grace by which we shall be inabled to do whatsoever he hath required of us in order to the obtaining the promised end of our Hopes in the Salvation of our Souls 2. That that those Failings which we shall be guilty of through Humane Infirmity though they may cause us sorrow in the Flesh yet they shall not frustrate the Promise and Covenant of God he will yet heal our Backslidings and love us freely Now the Covenant of Grace being thus rightly understood and apprehended I would fain understand what room can possibly be left in a Sinner for Satan to fasten this fiery Dart with any effect upon the Soul I will suppose a Soul under the greatest Terror imaginable for Sins of the highest nature Why should he destroy himself if there be hope in the God of Heaven concerning such Sinners If all Sin and Blasphemy whereby a Man shall Blaspheme may be forgiven him Is God a Righteous God that loveth Righteousness and can by no means clear the guilty Why yet should he do it if he hath provided the Soul a Righteousness whereby it may stand Righteous before God acquitted form all manner of Guilt and out of all danger of Condemnation What if it hath formerly been without Righteousness and be yet without Strength or Ability to any Act of Righteousness if the Righteousness wherein it must stand before God be not any personal Righteousness of its own but the Righteousness of Christ reckoned to it for Righteousness Is it tormented through fear of future Sinnings the prevailings of Temptations or its own Corruptions Yet why should the poor Creature run himself out of the World upon this fright when the Covenant of Grace is so well ordered as there is in it a sufficient Provision made for it both for Assistance against the prevailings and dominion of Sin to that degree as to ruin the Soul to Eternity and as to that degree of Guilt which every Soul through Ignorance Infirmity pure or mixt runs into for the healings of its Backslidings What is here left for a sinful Soul to do but to use the means of Grace to apply it self unto God by Fasting and Prayer to consider its ways and what in it lies to turn to the Lord to be sensible of its Sins and to trust in the Lords Mercies taking heed to it self that it sin no more presumptuously abstaining from all appearances of Evil studying to perfect Holiness in the fear of God and daily to renew its Repentance and Faith in Christ as it discerneth its Sins are renewing every day To what purpose doth a Soul under such gracious and hopeful Circumstances think of destroying it self and asserting its own Eternal Condemnation or at least making its Salvation very uncertain which it should rather design to make sure by an Holy Life and Conversation So that I say admit Horror of Conscience for Sin to be the Argument Satan makes use of to inforce this Temptation nothing can be more proper for a Soul exercised under the Temptation than to study understand
lay hold on make application of and improve the Covenant of Grace and often to repeat to it self that of St. Paul Rom. 8. 34 35. Who is he that condemneth Or what sin is that which can condemn me It is Christ that died yea rather that is risen again who is even at the right hand of God who also maketh intercession for us who shall separate us from the Love of Christ But this is enough to have spoken upon this Argument CHAP. XII Further Directions Not keeping the Devils Counsel not deliberating or parlying with Satan Giving their Thoughts what lawful Diversions they can Whether they should shun Precipices coming near Wells or Ponds and keeping close to all Means of Grace whether more publick or Private 5. FIthly Let Christians under the Impetus of these Suggestions take heed of keeping the Devils Counsel or admitting any Parley or Deliberation with him about this point of hearkening to the Motion May it be the lot of any of our Souls at any time to come under such Impressions Oh let us never conceal them from our Faithful Ministers nor from our Christian Friends nor from our nearest Relations Not from the first and second because they are the Ordinance of God unto us to give us Spiritual Counsel and Assistance to shew us the unreasonableness of the Motion the danger of the Temptation it is their work to Pray with us and to Pray for us It is the work of the Minister to Interpret and Declare to us the Mind and Will of God A Brother a Spiritual Friend is born for an hour of Adversity The Temptation while discovered will press us harder and we shall the less know what to say to the Tempter and how to Resist our great Adversary nor should we conceal our selves from our nearest Relations for though they should not be so able as an Intelligent Godly Divine or Knowing Christians to fortify us with Reasons and Arguments yet they will be concerned to Watch us especially when they discern the Impressions more violent for sometimes Impressions of this nature are so violent and strong that they hurry poor Creatures to a present destroying of themselves and the Wicked Action is done in a Moment And again Christian If thou wouldest be able to stand against this Fiery Dart never admitt a Parly or Deliberation with the Tempter about it That Soul is in a great degree Conquered that is prevailed with to deliberate upon an Action so apparently contrary to the Revealed Will of God Get thee behind me Satan was Christs Answer to the Tempter Luke 4. 8. When he Tempted him to Worship him He would not so much as once think upon the Motion 6. Sixthly Let Christians under these Assaults give their Thoughts as much lawful Diversion as they can I say lawful for we must take heed of casting out one Devil by another but there is lawful Diversions enough such are visitings of good People diligent Attendance upon our honest Labours in our Callings giving our selves any honest Imployment by our Exercise in which our Thoughts may be taken off from fixing upon the Impressions made upon them I have often seen it that Persons under these Circumstances have been very hardly perswaded to this but it is Men and Womens duty in these Cases in a thing which as this is is within their power and onely contrary to their humour to force themselves and if in this they be wanting it is a Presumptuous Sinning 7. Seventhly I know not what I should say to that piece of Advice which some give Souls under these Assaults Not to shun the sight or handling or coming near any Instruments or Means which they may make use of to destroy themselves as Knives Ropes Wells Precipices c. It is true it is good for us to go on in our ordinary way trusting in God and not fearing the Tempter but in an hour when the Impression is very strong upon the Tempted Soul Whether it be advisable or no I cannot tell for Christians thus Tempted to come too nigh Pricipices or Places of deep Waters or such Instruments as they may make a sudden use of to do himself or herself Evil at least not without a close and narrow Watch upon them for the truth is in the heat and violence of such Impressions Men and Women oft times have little use of their Reason As to this thing therefore I think Christians ought to Rule themselves by the Circumstances of the present hour and this cannot be fixt for a general Direction I will add but one thing more and with that shut up this Discourse 8. Let such Christians above all others keep close to the use of all Means of Grace whether more Publick or more Private The Means of Grace are the Word the Sacraments and Prayer The Word is to be Read and Heard We Read the pure Word of God without any thing of Mans Invention This hath been mightily Powerful The Story of Agustine I have told you of who under great Distress and Terrour of Conscience was Relieved by Obeying a Voice he thought he heard out of the adjoyning Room Tolle Lege Take up the Book and Read upon which he took up a Bible by him and Read what God Blessed to his Relief The Word Preached hath something of Mans Mixture but if faithfully opened and applied is Gods Ordinance for the Staying and Comforting of People The Minister is Gods Interpreter and he should be one of a Thousand I look upon it as the great Misery of Souls under these Temptations they can seldom be perswaded to Read or to hear the Word and verily where it is thus the Devil hath prevailed a great way I would that such Christians would seriously think what they do in neglecting Means of Grace in their power to use if they expect any help from God Nor would I have such a Christian neglect a Sacrament if he be one that hath formerly declared his Right These Temptations while yeilded to are our Misery not our Sin who knows whether God may not Bless the Sign and Seal of a Dying Crucified Christ for them to let them know there is no Reason they should Kill or Crucifie themselves But above all let them not omit Constant Fervent Prayer and that both Ordinarily and more Solemnly Great is the force of Prayer it calls in the help of the Almighty both for a Deliverance from the Tempter in his own time and for his Assistance and upholding the Soul while it pleaseth him to keep the Soul in this Spiritual Combate FINIS Concerning TEMPTATIONS TO Despair CHAP. I. The Text Gen. 4. 13. considered The Nature of Despair The Efficient Causes in Temptations to Despair Our own Lusts the Devil The Devil and our own Lusts working jointly c. OUr Translation Readeth the Text Gen. 4. 13. My Punishment is greater then I can bear In your larger Bibles you will find in the Margent it is Read Mine Iniquity is greater then that it
died fâ—r all a sad Doctrine which gives Judas as much comfort as Peter Others think he purchased a certainty of Salvation for the Elect but a possibility for all Others believe he died onely for the Elect. But admitting the last to be true which some think to make Redemption conform to the Decree of Election and not understand how Christ should purchase an impossible possibility which must be as to some if there were any that were passed over in the Eternal Purpose or any to whom God resolved not to give those effectual Aids of his special Grace necessary in order to those Exercises of Faith and Holiness by which Salvation must be obtained But what Market can the Devil make of this He can tell them they are not Elected and so Christ died not fâ—r them But the Soul can reply He was a Lier from the Beginning and none of Gods Privy Counsellors and that its Non-election can onely appear from its prodigious sinnings continued in to the end without Repentance and Faith in Christ And the others telling them Christ died for all will not relieve them for Judas notwithstanding that proved a Son of Perdition and went to his own place when he had hang'd himself It is also true that many great Divines do think none can be saved without the special Grace of God working together with the Word in their Hearts and effectually renewing turning changing and sanctifying and that this is not in a Man 's own Power but the work of God What advantage now can the Devil make of this Doctrine to perswâ—â—e the Soul to cast away all hopes of the Mercy of God through Christ for the pardon of its Sins and for the obtaining of Eternal Life and Salvation He can suggest to the Soul That God never bestowed upon it this effectual Grace nor ever will If he doth not add the later he saith nothing for what Ground have I to cast away all hope if yet there be hope that although I have not yet repented and believed yet God will give me his Grace though at the Eleventh hour that I shall repent believe and be saved Now suppose him to suggest so How shall he evidence this to me but from the guilt of my sin or my abiding in it It is therefore that whatever bluster some Sciclists make in the World to load the Opinions of some great and eminent Divines with Envy and Obloquy yet in very deed the Devil can urge Despair of the Pardon of Sin and obtaining Eternal Life with any colourable reason upon no Soul but from Sin nor indeed do we in our Experience find any thing else stick with Souls in an hour of Temptation Now here he must either say Thy Sins are so many they cannot be forgiven or Thou hast sinned so long a time that thou canst not be forgiven Thy hour is over thy time is past or Thou hast sinned some particular sins which are of so hainous a nature or so deep a dy that God will never forgive them What the Soul may answer to all these we shall God willing by and by consider CHAP. III. Means to prevent Despair Clear and distinct Knowledge Taking heed of inveterate Sinnings Prodigious Sinnings All Sinnings against Light Such Sins especially as come nearest the unpardonable Sin YOu have heard the Nature of this Temptation you have also heard from whence Temptations of this nature come what seeming good enticeth the Soul to listen to them and also what Arguments the Tempters have alone to use to inforce them Let me now come to shew you what is to be done by Christians in order to the repelling and resisting of them And because as I told you in my Discourse referring to the former Prevention is the best way let me first advise what is proper to all of us upon whom this hour of Temptation is not come that we may never fall into this snare of the Devil 1. And here let me first commend to you all a sound and distinct Knowledge of the Truths of God The Devil in an hour of Temptation hath a great advantage upon an ignorant Person above what he hath upon a knowing Christian Solomon tells us true That a Soul should be without Knowledge is not good He that hath a sound and distinct Knowledge of the Nature of God the Doctrine of Faith the Covenant of Grace and the Promises of the Word of God seldom falls into or lieth long under this Temptation How easie a thing it is for the Devil to fright ignorant Souls with telling them They are not Elected that Christ did not die for them that their Sins are too many or too great or have been too long continued in to be pardoned or that they have not truly repented or believed or that they have sinned the unpardonable Sin or an hundred such things O do not slight Knowledge no not a notional Knowledge of the things of God You are not able to prophecy of what use it will be to your Souls in an hour of Temptation A knowing Christian may be tempted and it may be some time before he can get his Hand upon the Sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God to draw it out for his purpose but if he hath it by his side if he be mighty in the Scriptures he will have no long work with an Enemy of this kind I pity such as cannot read or if they can yet have lost their time and not improved it to learn the Scriptures be acquainted with Catechisms which should ground them in the Doctrine of Faith Thou that despisest Knowledge neglectest yea despisest thy own Soul and all its Peace and Comfort and seemest to presume upon a Miracle to be shewed for thee in an hour of Temptation 2. Secondly Take heed of going on in a course of Sinning especially against thy Light and Checks of Conscience Inveterate Sinning and prodigious Sinnings and Sinnings against Light and Checks of Conscience and particularly some Sins and such especially as come nearest to the Sin unto Death give the Devil very high and great advantages as to this Temptation 1. I say first Inveterate Sinning When Sin hath grown up with a Man from his youth he hath lived and walked and wallowed in it many years it makes the Devil a great Market We find it hard to believe that God who can have from us but the homage of a few days or hours will forgive us the Sins of so many years It is rare that old Sinners are brought to Repentance and Converted you shall most generally observe that if God changeth a Man or Womans Heart it is either in their Youth or middle Age seldom in Child-hood and seldom in Old Age and if in Old Age they are ordinarily infested with great Temptations Take heed of Sin growing Old in thy Soul An old habit is hardly put off How can you that are accustomed to do Evil do Well An old Ulcer is hardly Cured beware of growing
Old in any Sin Secondly Take heed of any kind of prodigious Sinning There are degrees in Sin all Sin is not of the same dy or magnitude There are some Sins that more waste Conscience than others now observe this The greater Violence is done to our Conscience by any Sins the more Advantage the Devil hath from the guilt of them to raise a Temptation to Despair For although it is as easie with God to Pardon the greatest Sins as the smallest yet we shall not find it so easie to believe that God will forgive the greatest Sins as the smallest and so the Devil hath the greater advantage from the Reflection upon them to run us out of a Hope of the Divine Mercy Fear all Sin but above all take heed of notorious Acts of Impiety against God or Unrighteousness toward Men. 3. Thirdly Take heed of all Sinning against Light indeed against any Light whether it be that of Nature or Revelation Take heed of Sinning against those common Notions of Piety and Righteousness which are Planted in all by Nature against the Common Illuminations of the Holy Spirit by the Preaching of the Word of God against the Admonitions of Parents or Governours against the reflex Light of your own Conscience Sins against the direct or reflex Light of Conscience do often Cause a very great Darkness which is felt in the Soul for though in the heat and madness of our Pasnons in our Youth we sometimes run down Conscience and it keepeth silence a while yet it often recoileth and reproveth the Sense and setteth its Sins in order before it and shews them to it to a very great disadvantage and these are a kind of Sins which the Tempter often hangs much upon in order to promove Despair and putting the Soul out of Hope of Mercy 4. Particularly take heed of such Sinnings as border nearest upon the Sin unto Death you know that Christ hath told us That all Sin and Blasphemy shall be forgiven onely the Sin against the Holy Ghost shall never be forgiven And the Apostle hath told us That there is a Sin unto Death for which he did not direct the Christians to Pray that it might be forgiven their Brethren Now Divines have much exercised themselves in the finding out what this Unpardonable Sin is nor is it to this day well determined nor shall I undertake to determine what it is or whether it be any single Sin yea or no. We find in experience that the Tempter often maketh use of this Suggestion to drive a Soul to Despair telling it that it hath sinned this Sin and therefore there is no hope for it The vanity of which appears from the Souls thus tempted usual Ignorance What the Sin against the Holy Ghost is as to which indeed the most Judicious Divines have been much at loâ—s to determine or what comes nearest to it upon the Light we have from Scripture to help us to make a determination of it but though we cannot punctually determine in the Case and it be much more easie to determine what it is not then what it is yet we have Light enough from Scripture to shew us what sinning comes nearest to it and it is ill treading upon the brink of such a Pit That Text Heb. 6. v. 4 5 6. instructeth us thus far That it must be the Sin of an Enlightened Soul one upon whom the Light of the Gospel hath Shined and who hath tasted something of the Heavenly Gift and been in some Measure made Partaker of the Holy Ghost and Tasted the good Word of God and the Powers of the World to come and after this falleth away From whence these things follow That Heathens who never heard of God nor Christ cannot be Guilty of this Sin no nor titular Christians who never made any profession of Religion or Godliness nor had any degrees of Godliness They must be such as have been Enlightened Tasted of the good Word the Heavenly Gift and the Powers of the World to come and after this shall fall away Yet it is plain that all sinning against Gospel Light and Spiritual Illumination all degrees of falling away from the profession of this Truth is not this Sin The Apostle Heb. 10. 26. and 29. v. seemeth as to this Sin to instruct us further for he is there speaking of some for whom there remaineth no more Sacrifice for Sin but a certain fearful looking for of Judgment and fiery Indignation which shall devour the Adversaries Now who are these v. 26. Such as Sin wilfully after they have received the Knowledge of the Truth v. 29. Such as tread under foot the Son of God and count the Blood of the Covenant wherewith he was Sanctified an unholy thing and do despite to the Spirit of Grace And this also agreeth with that Phrase Heb. 6. v. 6. Where the Apostle giving a Reason why they cannot be renewed by Repentance assigneth this Seeing they Crucifie to themselves the Son of God afresh and put him to open shame so that it should seem that to make up this Sin to Apostacy after Illumination or at least having received sufficient Means of Illumiation and making some Profession there must be added some eminent Affront done to or Abuse of the Lord Jesus Christ and the Spirit of Grace either by Word or Deed and therefore our Saviour calleth it Blasphemy against the Holy Ghost Consonant to this is what the Gospel tells us of this Sin you have the first mention of it Matth. 12. 31. If you look into v. 24. you shall find That Christ having healed one that was possessed with the Devil who was both Blind and Dumb and People upon that recognizing him as the true Messias saying v. 23. Is not this the Son of David the Pharises said This Fellow doth cast out Devils by Beelzebub the Prince of Devils Christ confuteth them and vindicateth himself by this Argument easily to be diserned and made up from v. 24 25 26 27 28 29 30. I either cast out Devils as you say by the Prince of Devils or by the Power of God I will make it out that I do it not by the Prince of Devils 1. For this were a Ruin to Satans Kingdom if one Devil could be employed or would be employed in casting out another the Devils Kingdome would be quickly at an end it could not stand 2. Again saith he not I onely but your Children in my name cast them out for there were some Exorcists amongst the Jews who were the Children that is the Disciples of the Pharises who though they followed not Christ yet used his Name to cast out Devils as you shall find Mar. 9. 38. where John telleth Christ Master we saw one casting out Devils in thy Name and he followeth not us and we forbade him because he followeth not us and as you shall read v. 39. Christ allowed it the like you find Luk. 9. 48 49. So did the Sons of Sceva Acts 19. 12. Now the Jews did
not continuing they are as quickly down So it is with these Men a little thing raiseth their hopes and a little thing again sinketh them Thus it is in the great business of Hope as to the Pardon of Sin and obtaining Eternal Salvation Some Persons build up Hopes upon very light and unjustifiable Grounds their Hope is indeed but a Presumption like the Grass that groweth upon the House Tops which a little Heat of the Sun killeth But other Souls build up their Hopes upon more sure and wary Foundations which are not so soon shaked We use to say that we are certain of nothing more than what we have sometimes been uncertain of We are commanded to work out our Salvation with fear and trembling and to rejoyce with trembling Those Souls that have gained their Hope by the Conquest of many Doubts and Fears and Jealousies do not easily lose it whereas those who have hatched it up with more ease seldom keep it in an hour of Temptation 5. I know not what more to advise besides Frequent Self-Examination closâ— walking with God and diligent and constant Prayer Let me inlarge a little upon these I say First Frequent Self-Examination It is the Apostles Precepts Examine your selves prove your selves whether you be in the Faith or no 2 Cor. 13. 5. Whether we live by Hope or Sight I mean Assurance this is highly necessary for that Soul that would maintain the one or the other Two things I would have Christians much Examine themselves upon 1. The Grounds and Reasons of their Hope 2. The Abatements and Discouragements of them 1. As to the Grounds of their Hope which if good must always be bottomed in some Piece of Divine Revelation for Pardon of Sin and Eternal Life being both of them the free Gift of God it is unreasonable to hope for either but upon the Revelation of the will of him in whose Gift they are In examining therefore the Truth and Ground of your Hope trust to nothing but some portions of the Word of God which though it doth not tell you by name whose Sins are pardoned and whose are not who shall be saved and who shall perish it doth tell you what must be wrought in the Hearts of those whose Sins are Pardoned and how they must live that shall ever see the Face of God in Heaven there 's no trusting to your Interest in God as he that made you nor yet to Christ dying for all Men no nor yet to any Merits or Works of your own God hath no where said that he will save all those whom he hath Created nor all those who believe Christ died for all Men no nor yet all those that do some things that are as to the Matter of them good and such as if Men do not they cannot see God I shall not here run into particulars but in the general I shall tell you that there is nothing but the Revelation of the Will of God in his Word and the experimental finding that God hath wrought those things in your Souls which he in his Word hath made necessary in order to obtaining Pardon and Eternal Salvation that is in this Case to be trusted to Often therefore examine your selves upon these Points 1. What God in his Word hath made necessary to the obtaining of Pardon and Salvation 2. The Work of God upon your Hearts Creating and Working and Maintaining these Habits and Exercises in your Souls Nay do not onely this but examine your selves also about the holding or abating of your Hopes the Increase or Decrease and Discouragements of them in your Souls A faint decaying weakening Hope if not lookt to will grow more and more faint and weak every day than other till it putrisieth into Despair Now the force of this lies here The decays and abatements of our Hope are caused either from some Relapses into Sin or from some eminent with-drawings of the Holy Spirit of God which uphold and maintaineth it in a Soul And a daily examination or frequent examination of our selves how it is with us as to our Spiritual hope will put the Soul both upon frequent Acts of Repentance as it discerneth that its hope is abated by the prevailings of its Lusts and also upon frequent Prayers begging the revivings and upholdings of it from the Spirit of God 2. Live in close Communion with God I propounded to you before the avoiding of Sin all Sin but some especially to prevent Temptations to Despair But this is something more we are at first begotten to a lively Hope by the Word upon fervent Prayer c. and this Hope is maintained in the Soul by the same means by which it is first begotten and bred in the Soul I told you before that we must find the ground and bottom of our Hope in the Word of God Now Preaching where it is done sincerely and faithfully is nothing else but an Explication and Application of the Word of God an Interpretation of the Word to our Souls and a whetting of it upon our Souls and therefore in reason a consciencious Attendance upon it must necessarily be a means to confirm and strengthen our Hopes and to antidote Despair Nor certainly can often Communion in the Lords Supper be useless but contrariwise of very great use for the Lord in that Ordinance having added a Sign to his Word for the confirmation of our Faith it must needs be a proper means to strengthen and increase our Hope In short All Communion with God whether it be more Internal by Meditation and the secret Exercises of the Power of our Souls upon God or more External in such Duties as God hath prescribed us to perform an Homage to him by must be of great use to our Souls in this case For the more Freedom and Acquaintance we have with God the more we be with him the truer and more just Apprehensions we shall have of him and the more we shall understand the loving Kindness of God Now all Despair floweth from unjust and unkind Apprehensions and Impressions of God and from a too great an estrangement from him It is true those that know the Lords Name will trust in him and hope in his Mercy But above all be much in Prayer that obtaineth all Grace all Mercy from God the beginnings of it the growth and encrease of it c. But I shall add no more upon this Subject directing you to what I judge most proper to prevent in the Soul Fits or more settled Habits of Despair and certainly it is most advisable to keep Satan at a distance and more easie to oppose the first Assaults or avoid giving him advantages to it than to grapple with it CHAP. IV. What Despairing Souls should do They ought to consult the Physician if no Bodily Distemper gives a rise to such dark Thoughts What Business they have with God No Argument sufficient to warrant Despair Sometimes none pleaded The usual Arguments pleaded From our many Sins The greatness
him with whom there is no respect of Persons with a particular Malice or Ill Will to thee in saying God cannot nor will not Pardon thy Sins or there is no hope for thee thou deniest not onely the Power of God as to the Pardon of thy Sins but the Sins also of any other whose Circumstances of sinning are as great as thine are Now seemeth it to thee a light thing O Christian to deny the Divine Goodness and to set Limits to Infinite Mercy 3. Thirdly This Sin always carries with it also A denial of Gods Truth and Faithfulness He hath told thee Mat. 12. 31. That all Sin and Blasphemy wherewith any shall Blaspheme the Son of Man shall be Forgiven That if thy Sins were as Scarlet they shall be as Wooll if as Crimson they shall be as White as Snow No sayest thou I have Sinned I have Blasphemed and it shall not be Forgiven I have Scarlet Sins and God will not make them as Snow I have Crimson Sins and God will not make them as Wooll What is this but to put the lie upon God to deny his Truth and Faithfulness to say he hath said it and he will not do it he hath spoken it but it shall not come to pass But some will say it to me after this rate of Arguing God should save all Men and Women breathing These words are nomore spoken to me than to any other I Answer I do not urge these great and precious Revelations of the Divine Will as grounds for Sinners to conclude that they shall be Saved Pardoned and Saved without any more a-do but onely as general grounds of Hope that there may perhaps be Mercy found with God for us and as Assurances on the part of a gracious God that if we miss of Pardon and Eternal Life and Salvation the fault shall not be justly charged on God he is ready to forgive but in our selves who will not Repent nor leave our Sins and turn unto God who will not come unto Christ that we might have Life still it remaineth the duty of us that would obtain this Pardon to confess its Sins and forsake them and to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ but the Despairing Soul throws all the blame of its miscarriage upon God and ordinarily doth not say I do not Repent I cannot Repent therefore there is no hope but there is no Mercy in God God cannot or God will not Pardon me now I say This is an Impeachment as of the Power of God to forgive to the utmost and of Christ to save to the utmost so of that Goodness and Grace and Mercy of God yea and of the Truth and Faithfulness of God Besides What a Comparison doth the Soul make here betwixt finite and infinite betwixt which two there is no proportion Let thy Sins be what they will or can they can be but finite The Mercies of God are infinite The Sea is but a finite Creature yet what can you imagine so great that the Sea will not swallow up and cover that it shall not be seen any more It is a Similitude which God himself doth sometimes make use of by it to express the plenty of his Forgiving Mercy See that excellent Text Micah 7. 18 19. Who is a God like unto thee that pardoneth Iniquity and passeth by the Transgression of the Remnant of his Heritage he retaineth not his Anger for ever because he delighteth in Mercy He will turn again he will have Compassion upon us he will subdue our Iniquities and thou wilt cast all their Sins into the depths of the Sea Now Despairing Conclusions That there is no Hope in God that our Iniquities are too many or too great to be forgiven give God the Lie as to this It is no more than the Scripture saith 1 John 5. 10. He that believeth not God maketh God a Liar because he believeth not the Record that God gave of his Son and this is the Record that God hath given to us Eternal Life and this Life is in his Son 2. Secondly This Sin as it implieth these things so it is always attended with Unbelief in Gods Promises and with very hard and unworthy Thoughts of God By Unbelief here I understand the Negation of a Trust and Confidence in God and the Promises he hath made of those good things concerning which the Soul Despaireth So that what ever can be said in aggravation of the Sin of Unbelief is highly applicable in the aggravation of this Sin for Despair speaketh the highest degree of Unbelief imaginable It is one thing for a Soul not to trust in God another thing to conclude That he is not to be trusted in as to my Soul that there is no hope for me in God This speaketh the highest degree of Unbelief that we can imagine 2. Besides it necessarily carrieth along with it very hard and unworthy Thoughts of God The Soul cannot think reverently and worthily of God when it is rooted in such Thoughts as these that although he be a God that Pardoneth Iniquities Transgressions and Sins yea abundantly Pardoneth yet he will shew it no Favour but adjudge it to an Everlasting Misery and Torment nay it is hard to conceive how such a Soul should forbear wishing that there were no God that the Being of God were annihilated 3. Then in the last place The Effects of this Sin of Despair must needs be very sad for as a Lively Hope of obtaining any Good quickeneth the Soul to the use of all those Means which Reason dictateth as probable Means for the obtaining what we desire so the Despair of obtaining any such Good quite deadneth the Heart and taketh it off all Thoughts of using Means to obtain that which it concludeth with it self impossible to be obtained This is manifest upon the Experience of all such Souls as at any time are under any Fits of Despair They cannot be perswaded to hear Sermons to Pray to Read in short not to use any Means of Grace and Salvation So that a greater Sin can hardly be imagined than this Sin of Despair is Oh that those would think of this who find in their Souls any Motions Temptations or Inclinations towards it That they would think how much Dishonour God hath from this Sin above others 3. Again Certainly it must be advantage to such a Soul to reflect upon those great Presidents of Free Grace which we have upon Record in Holy Writ Let them remember the instance of St. Paul who saith of himself That he was a Persecutor he was a Blasphemer and Injurious but yet he obtained Mercy 1 Tim. 1. 13. The instance of David restored again to the joy of Gods Salvation after the guilt of Adultery and Murther Of Peter who received kind Looks from Christ after he had thrice denied his Master and that with the addition of Cursing and Swearing that he did not know him Of Mary Magdalen out of whom the Lord had cast out Seven Devils Let such a
and yet not eying the Command of God be carried out to it from other Motives Now this is no Obedience no keeping of the Commandements of God 4. That no Obedience is true but what is Universal I do not say perfect for who liveth and sinneth not but Universal There is an equal respect to the whole Law of God Psal 119. 6. Then shall I not be ashamed saith David when I have respect to all thy Commandements The Reason is plain because who so doth or avoideth an Action purely upon this Reason because God hath commanded or God hath forbidden it will find himself under the same Obligation to do whatever God hath commanded and to avoid whatsoever God hath forbidden yet is not a Christian to measure his Obedience from his performance but from the regard which he hath in his Heart to the whole Law of God conjoyned with a proportionable endeavour tho our Corruption will sometimes be too hard for us 5. If a Man or Woman hath built up his Hopes as to the remission of Sins of which he as yet hath no Assurance and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eternal Life upon this that God having in the Gospel made a Revelation of the Lord Jesus Christ as he upon whom he hath laid the Salvation of Men and having wrought in his Heart a firm and steady Assent to what God hath there revealed and inabled him to accept of this Salvation and to close with Gods way of Salvation casting all the Concerns of his Soul for Pardon and Salvation upon Jesus Christ and that he hath by his Spirit made a change in his Heart that he now hateth all Sin and loveth God and the Commandments of God and hath a regard to them all desiring to do whatsoever God hath commanded and to avoid whatsoover he hath forbidden and that because he hath commanded the one and forbidden the other and accordingly endeavoureth in his whole Conversation though he be many times over born with Temptations and finds a Law in his Members rebelling against and prevailing against the Law of his Mind and bringing him into Captivity to the Law of Sin This Man now builds his Hopes not presumptuously but upon the clear Revelation of the Will of God in his Word But less than this is no better than Presumption from false Notions taken up of Regeneration Conversion Repentance Saving Faith and True Holiness Yet further In order to the avoiding of this Temptation take heed of taking up scanty and narrow Notions of the Law of God It is indeed a snare unto a Soul so to interpret the Divine Law so as to doubt and fear Actions that are lawful as if they were forbidden But it is a more dangerous Rock for a Man to dash upon so to interpret Gods Law as to make those things lawful which God hath forbidden or to undeestand those things as unlawful or at least indifferent which God hath commandeded but I hinted it before to you and I now tell it you again There is none that is but moderately acquainted with the Srriptnres and with the Writings of the Popish Casuists but will plainly see that it hath been the great Design of their Divines for a long time to interterpret the Law of God so as Men might keep their Lusts and yet keep the Commandments of God according to the sense they have put upon them In short Obedience to the Church is almost with them The whole Duty of Man There are some others that came too near them making strange loose Interpretations of the Law of God The precept for not taking Gods Name in vain they say is onely to be understood against Perjury The 4th Commandement onely commandeth the keeping such days holy as the Church appoints These and such like Interpretations serve for nothing but to help a Soul to presume And indeed this loose Interpretation of the Law of God is necessary to all such as maintain the Justification of the Soul not by the Righteousness of Christ but by a Righteousness of our own And that Man hath a Power in himself to do all that God requireth of him I say it is necessary for those Men to interpret Gods Law into a consistancy with Mans Power But let all good Christians that value their Souls take heed of those Interpretations Let them but Interpret the Commandements so as by them shall be commanded and forbidden whatsoever is commanded and forbidden in the Word of God and then they will easily discern these fallacies and so they must interpret them or they cannot conclude that the Ten Commandements contain the sum of all that God hath commanded us to do and avoid for it is most certain that the whole Scripture is as much the Revealed Will of God as the Ten Commandments and hath equal Authority with us Be acquainted therefore with the Scriptures and call that Obedience and Holiness which that calleth so and be assured that let Men tell you what they will without that Holiness that Obedience no Man shall see God I have dwelt a little the longer upon this head because indeed the great mistakes of Men are upon these points that Men fancy that their case is good that they believe enough and are holy enough to go to Heaven nay to plead their Holiness as a Righteousness in which they shall adventure to appear before God 6. A Sixth Notion which I instanced in of this mischievous tendency Is the Power of a Priest or Minister to give Absolution So as if while they live the Minister hath absolved them or if when they come to die they can but Receive the Sacrement be absolved they conclude their Case is good enough The Opinion is in its Original perfectly Popish but founded on that Text Whose Sins soever you remit they are remitted and whose Sins soever you retain they are retained John 20. 23. The words are spoken to Christs Disciples upon whom he breathed v. 22. and said Receive you the Holy Ghost then he adds Whose Sins soever you remit they are remitted and whose Sins soever you retain they are retained And this Power saith the Papist every Priest hath he deriveth from the Apostles and hath the same Power given to him which Christ gave them And there is a Tincture of this Doctrine upon the Spirits of some that are no professed Papists and I perswade my self that many less knowing People peniciously rest upon it I shall therefore a little inlarge upon it 1. In the first place That God onely can forgive Sins is a Principle so consonant to Reason and so abundantly Confirmed in Holy Writ that certainly none can make the least doubt of it Sin is a debt a debt to the Justice of God Christ hath taught us to pray with Reference to it Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors Now Reason tells us that none can discharge a debt but he onely to whom it is owing it is an injury done to God and who can forgive it but
10 11. They received the Word with readiness of Mind and searched the Scriptures whether thâ—se things were so yet St. Paul himself was the Preacher and good Reason for the same Paul hath commanded That if he or an Angel from Heaven should bring any other Doctrine then what they had received what was according to the Gospel they should be Accursed Gal 1. 8. in doing this you will take heed what you hear and whom you hear too The Influence of Notions upon the Mind is very great our Hopes will be built upon the Notions which we receive Takeheed therefore what Notions you receive see them solidly founded in and proved by the Word of God be assured else there is no light in them 7. A Seventh Notion I shall but name for it is perfectly Popish concerning a Satisfaction for Sin after this life by Purgatory out of which too men may get by the Prayers of the Saints or by Masses said for them or by an Indulgence or Pardon This is that which they say That if any die in Venial Sin or under the debt of Punishment when the guilt is acquitted that is when the Priest hath Absolved them but they have not performed the Penance and given the Satisfaction which the Priest hath enjoyned all such go not into Heaven but go into a place they know not where which they call Purgatory where till they come out which also shall be they know not when for they are not agreed in the time of Souls lying there they shall be Tormented they know not how some say by a material Fire some say by a metaphorical Fire some say by Water and Fire too but by giving so much money for so many Masses or by a Pardon from the Pope or many other ways they may get out sooner And this Doctrine doubtless destroyeth thousands of Souls amongst them they love their Lusts better than their Moneys and venture to live and die in their sinful Courses and then bequeath a good part of their Estates for saying Masses c. to get them out of Purgatory when alas poor wretches they are in the bottomless Pit from which is no Redemption for ever But it is enough to have named these horrible things this Ridiculous Fire serves now for nothing but to keep the Popes Kitchin warm and the Priests pot boyling and to damn poor silly Papists by Presumption it hardly hurteth a very ordinary Protestants Conscience But I shall enlarge no further upon this first Direction for avoiding a Temptation to Presumption by taking heed of Notions which lead the Soul right on upon it and indeed serve for little else I proceed to a Second Direction CHAP. VI. Further Directions for the avoiding Presumption considering the greatness of the guilt of the danger how many miscary by it To be possessed of the difficulty of being Saved the paâ—city of those who shall be saved Self Examination Rules for it Takeing heed of Sinning against Light Prayer to God Working out our Salvation with Fear 2. POssess your Souls Secondly if you would avoid this great Temptation with the greatness of Sin and danger of Presumption and the great multitudes which split eternally on this Rock Here are three things offered to your Consideration 1. The greatness of the Sin of Presumption This will be understood partly by considering the Nature of it partly by considering the Revelation of Gods wraih against it as to the Nature of it 1. It Robbeth God of the Glory of his Justice it indeed seemeth to give God the honour of his Goodness and Mercy but it makes him an Idol of Mercy and despoileth him of his Justice and Purity and Holiness God indeed is Gracious and Merciful but he is also a God of purer Eyes than to behold Iniquity a God before whom Sinners shall not stand in Judgment a God that cannot clear the Guilty Now that Soul that goes on in its sinful Courses and yet hopes to find Favour with God and to go to Heaven at last doth think that God is not so holy and pure a God as indeed he is or that he is not so Just as he is either that he hath not Power to be Revenged upon Sinners or not so just a Will and steady a resolution to be revenged upon such as go on in their Courses of Ungodliness as indeed he hath Now consider with they self how great a sin it must be either to deny the Purity and Holiness of God or the Power and Justice of God The Presumptuous Sinner saith God is not of so pure Eyes but he can abide Iniquity a Sinner may dwell in his sight whereas God could not be God if he could not be Just or not be Holy and Pure Holiness is a piece of Gods Glory he is not only Glorious in Majesty but he is also Glorious in Holiness 2. And as the Justice and Purity of God is Impeached by Presumption so his Truth is also Impeached The Presumptuous Sinner doth in effect say The Scripture is a Lie and a Romance for the language of his heart is directly contrary to the language of Scripture that saith such and such Sinners shall never enter into the Kingdom of God but shall have their portion in the Lake which burneth with Fire and Brimstone He saith I am such a one yet I shall enter into the Kingdom of God I shall not have my portion in the Lake which burneth with Fire and Brimstone What is this but either to deny the Scriptures to be the Word of God or to deny that which is contained in them to be truth and so to make God a liar who is a God that cannot lie Judge you how great an Iniquity this must be And if the Impeachment of a Mans truth be counted such a violation of his honour that he knoweth not how to put it up but is ready to revenge it with a Stab what shall God do who cannot lie So that three eminent Attributes of God Purity Justice and Truth are all of them questioned impeached or denyed by the Presumption of a Sinner And Presumption is not only a Transgression of the Law of God but containeth in it a secret Impugning of the Divine Nature and transformeth God into a being that is not Pure and Holy at least not so Pure and Holy but it can abide Sin well enough that either cannot or will not be revenged upon Sinners that can declare one thing and do another 2. Secondly The magnitude of any Sin is well taken and judged from the Revelation of Divine Wrath against it And it is but just and equal to judge that the greatest Sin against which God doth most severely reveal his Wrath. As to this we shall need look no further then the Text which I have made the foundation of this Discourse Deut. 29. It is the Presumptuous Sinner that is spoken of v. 19. That heareth the words of the Law and the words of the Curse annexed to the violation of the Law
we find that although in many things we have failed yet in the general course of our Actions we have endeavoured to do in all Circumstances what God hath commanded us well but yet our Hearts tells us nay the Scriptures tells us that if what we have done hath not been done out of love to God out of a desire to obey him it is all nothing It may be we have asked our hearts this question and they reply to us that it hath been the command of God and a will and a desire to please God that hath carrie dus out generally to our Actions but yet we shall find so much mixture of self-seeking so much want of Affection at sometimes that when we have done all if it were not for a Covenant of Grace and Redemption we were undone I can never enough mind you of the last words of David 2 Sam. 23. 4 5. v. 3. he tells you what God had said to him The God of Israel said the Rock of Israel spake unto me He that Ruleth over Men must be just Ruling in the Fear of God as the light of the Morning when the Sun riseth a Morning without Clouds as the tender Grass springing out of the Earth by clear shining after Rain So far he considereth now his Rule now he reflects on himself and findeth that he had come short of this he had not been just in the matters of Uriah and Bathsheba nor in many other things Where is then this good Mans hope mark v. 5. Although my House be not so with God yet he hath made me an everlasting Covenant ordered in all things and sure for this is all my Salvation and all my desire although he maketh it not to grow The God of Heaven hath said to every one of us the Rock of our Salvation He that believeth is not condemned he hath said My Sheep hear my Voice and follow me and I give them Eternal Life But I have been full of unbelief I have been deaf to many a voice of Christ in many things I have sinned and come short of the Glory of God I have troden many a step a-wry I hope my general aim hath been right but I have halted and trodon short and come infinitely short of my Rule My Heart my ways have not bin so with God Where 's a good Christians hope then but in this The Lord hath made with the Son of his love an Everlasting Covenant well ordered and sure in all things a Covenant that in consideration of the Satisfaction which he hath paid to his Fathers Justice the price which he hath paid his Righteousness shall be reckoned for Righteousness to every Soul that upon the offer of the Gospel shall receive him close with him accept him and in sincerity of Heart shall give up himself to the Obedience of his Will for this is every good Mans Salvation and when we have done all here the stress of our Hopes must lie Yet here is no ground for Hope without Action true Affections towards God conjoined with sincere Actions The Covenant of Grace will not relieve one ill principled and loose walking Christian tho it be the onely relief for a Sincere Christian that is sensible of his imperfect walking with God 5. Fifthly If you would take heed of Presumption you must take heed of wilful sinning against Light doing any thing which your Conscience telleth you you ought not to do The Nature of Man is biassed to prophesie and promise good to himself none but an Atheistical Sleepy Secure Soul that never thinks of Heaven or Hell or what shall become of him after this Life but maintaineth some secret hopes in one degree or another that he is in the Favour of God that his sins are Pardoned and that he shall be Eternally Saved Now these hopes in the heart of a wilful sinner that goeth on in a course of known Sin can be but Presumptions and therefore every Soul that thus liveth and walketh must either be a Presumptuous Person or one that despaireth for he must either have some Hope or no Hope if he hath no Hope at all it is either because he is under Despair or because he is an Athist and never mindeth and regardeth any thing but what he should Eat or Drink and Put on and how his Posterity shall live when he is dead If he hath any Hope it can be no other then a Presumptuous Hope for he hath not one line in Scripture to justify it There is no peace to the Wicked saith God so that without cleansing our ways and taking heed thereto according to the Word of God there is no avoiding the guilt of Atheism Despair or Presumption and this is a very dreadful Meditation but such as nothing can be truer We see there are but few very few that despair so that as Solomon saith Prosperity slayeth the Fool so it is either Atheism and a Carelesness as to any consideration of another life or else Presumption that slayeth the most of those poor Souls which go down into the Pit 6. Sixthly Be much in Prayer to God to guide you in the examining of your state and to keep you from taking up with vain Confidences take the Example of the Man according to Gods own Heart Psal 129. 23. Search me O God and know mine Heart try me and know my Thoughts and see if there be any wicked way in me and lead me in the way everlasting Beg of God to give you that good hope through grace which he mentioneth to beget you to a lively hope and not to suffer you to please your selves with a Presumptuous Hope that as to your hopes for Eternity it may not be to you as the Prophet speaketh Isaiah 29. 8. As when an hungry Man dreameth and behold he eateth but he awakes and his Soul is empty and behold he drinketh but he awaketh and behold he is faint and his Soul hath Appetite 7. Finally Be in the Fear of the Lord all the day long the wise Man saith Blessed is he that feareth always Prov. 28. 14. and we are you know commanded to work out our Salvation with Fear and Trembling Phil. 2. 12. It is true there is a state of Love that casteth out Fear perfect Love casts our Fear saith the Apostle and Paul tells us Rom. 8. We have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear but a fear least we should offend God a fear least we should deceive our own Souls is an excellent guard and protection to a Soul if it riseth indeed to cause a distrust in God or a despair of his Goodness then it is putrified then it dishonoureth God and such a fear ought not to be endured in a believers Soul but there is a Cautious Wary Ingenious Well-regulated Fear that well becometh even the best Souls while they are in their state of Corruption and Mortality and where they are daily incompassed with Temptations FINIS