in his Word allowes or condemns them he censures none for things indifferent but you must â—e able to alledge the violation of some Law much lesâ—e will he mâ—ck oâ— despise a man for his poverty or any naturall defect as for judging anothers thoughts to be evil when he cannot tax his life or making ill constructions of good actions or sleighting and disparaging them or thinking the worse of a man for having of a tender conscience he utterly abhors He is not easily suspitious without just cause neither will he willingly wrest mens words or misconster their meanings but take their sayings and doings in the best sense He will â—ot hearken to talâ—-bearers nor is he apt to beleeve an evil report without good ground neither will he condemn a man without hearing him speak He never determins of any ones finall estaâ—e be he never so wicked well knowing that God may change his heart in a moment neither will he conclude one to be a wicked man or an hypocrite for appearances or moates or some sudden eruptions or common infirmities or for sinnes before conversion or for this or that single act of grosse impiety when the main tenor and course of his life besides is a continuall current of honesty and goodnesse though he may suspend his good opinion in case of some unexpected misdemeanour or for lesser evils either affected or often repeated He is tender-hearted and can bear with the infirmities of the weak and is ready to cherish them that are cast down He does not expect a full growâ—h of Grace in the Cradle of a mans conversion yea he yeelds the best Christians in this their state of imperfection their graynes of allowance as our Saviour did to his Apostles 2. He will neither backbite others nor give ear to backbiters of others Neither lend Satan his tongue to utter nor his ears to hear nor his heart to beleeve lyes and slanders He will not lesâ—en his own credit by traducing one that wrong him he will not lessen his own shame and blame by traducing one he hath wronged as too many do He wonders not so much at anothers ingratitude to him as at his own unthankfulnesse to God He will pardon many things in others which he will not tolerate in himself He will neither arrogate to himself nor derogate from another neither vilifie other mens doings nor over highly prize his own He will not condemn censure or slight that which â—e understands not To finde gall in a Pidgion a knot in a Bulrush where is none is none of his humour In relating an enemies words he will neither adde to them nor diminish from them The faults of a few shall not make him uncharitable to all nor the goodnesse of many make him credulous of the rest He envies none for doing or faring or being better esteemed then himself CHAP. XIII 1. HE is more knowing then the men of the world for as he hath the light of the Spirit and the eye of faith above them so the Word of Christ dwelleth in him plentifully in all wisedom and spirituall understanding and he increaseth daily in the knowledge of God and of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ because God reveals himself to him in a great measure as to his friend Besides his knowledge is about the best things and one drop of soul wisedom and saving knowledge guided by the fear of God is more worth then all humane learning And to this knowledge unbeleevers are meer strangers Yea be they never so wise and learned in other things they have only the theory of this wisedom they can prattle of it by roat but they know not what it is by effect and experience Yea if a man want faith holinesse the love of God and the Spirit of God to be his teacher he shall not be able really and by his own experience to know the chief points of Christian Religion such as are faith repentance regeneration the love oâ— God the presence of the Spirit the remission of sinnes the effusion of grace the possession of heavenly comforts nor what the peace of conscience and joy in the holy Ghost is nor what thâ—communion of Saints means when every one of these are easie and familiar to the meanest and simplest Beleever And the reason is the Beleever digests his knowledge into practise and imployes it to the glory of the giver his neighbours good and the furthering of his own salvation He is neither ungrounded in the Principles of Religion nor unconscionable in the practice Each Book or Sermon both increaseth his knowledge and lessens his vices Yea he will pick something out of every thing and gather honey from the self same thing that others will poyson Anothers hating the truth shall make him love it the more for he iâ— instructed both by similitude and contrariety Whereas let the unbeleever know never so much he is resolved to be never the better and they who are unwilling to obey God thinks unworthy to know Whence it is also that as what the Beleever doth is good for the matter so he will do it well also for the manner and in all his actions observe whether his ends be good or evil for he will do good actions with good intentions and not be moved unto them by baâ—e end as is the unbeleever Nor is he puffed up either with his knowledge or parts well knowing that he is ignorant of many things for a few that he understands and that he falls short of others in what he most excells Nor will he build upon his knowledge but in cases doubtfull he will advise with others Yea he will submit to the better advice even of his inferiour or maid-servant 2. He is not erronious in his judgement he neither affects curiosity nor singularity which is the foolish ambition of unblest understandings But he wholly applies himself to those things which God hath revealed in his Word and to the confirmation of received truths which is the meeknesse and humility of the best judgements and so is wise according to sobriety Nor does he so cry up Justification as to cry down and quite overthrow Sanctification He reades and hears with an hâ—nâ—st and good heart and to the end only that he may know savingly beleeve rightly and live religiously and God granâ—s his desire in all the â—hrâ—e He is resolved to do Gods Will thâ—refore God gives him to know the Doctrine whâ—â—her it be oâ— God or no Neither will he give heed nor lend his â—ar to the iâ—â—ising words of false Propherts or spirits of 〈◊〉 who speak lyâ—s 〈…〉 as having their consciences burned with an 〈◊〉 iron None can bâ—gâ—ile him with their sleights and 〈◊〉 craftinesse whâ—râ—by they lye in wait to deceive for his hearâ— is stablished with grace He is not wauering nor carried about with every winde of Doctrine which vain talkers and deceivers of mindes daily vent because he is rooted and stablished in the faith He avoides all
old age can hurt him his fingers pain makes him not forget the health of his whole body one dayes or weeks sicknesse makes him not forget many years health He is not so sensible of a present distresse nor so ingratefull for favours past as not to remember many years injoyments more then one weeks misery Yea he considers that it is in great love that God thus visits him that he dealeth mercifully with him least he should fall from him and despair that he beateth him least he should grow proud and forget him and so perisâ— Besides he findes by experience that as every other affliction rubs off some rust melts off some drosse strains out some corruption c. so also that sicknesse cuts the very throat of all his vices be it pride lust covetousnesse or the like for the very worst Fever can come does not more burn up his bloud then his lust and together with sweating out the surfits of nature at the pores of the body he weeps out the sinfull corruption of his nature at the pores of his conscience And indeed God scourgeth his flesh to this end only that his spirit may be saved in the day of Jesus Christ And the like of old age his soul waxeth as his body waineth and he is wisest to prescribe when his bones and sinewes are weakest to execute CHAP. XVII 1. SIxthly Suppose he is in distresse of conscience and at the very brink of despair expecting nothing but hell and damnation suppose God hides his face and seems to have utterly forsaken him and to reject his prayers yea suppose the terrours of God fight against him and the Arrowes of the Almighty stick so fast in him 〈◊〉 the venom thereof hath drunk up his spirit so that in his own apprehension God is become his mortall enemy as it fared with Iob yet all this is for his good and shall do him good yea this extream severity of God argues favour for nothing more usuall then for God to work joy out of fear light out of darknesse and to bring to the Kingdom of Heaven by the gates of hell and thus he deals with his dearest darlings When he meant to blesse Iacob he wrestles with him as an adyersary even till he lamed him when he meant to preferre Ioseph to the Throne he threw him down into the Dungeon and to the Golden chain about his neck he laded him with Iroâ— ones about his leggs Nor would Christ cure Lazarus till after he was dead buried and stunk again no question to teach us that we must be cast down by the Law before we can be raised up by the Gospell and become fools before we can be truly wise Nor hath he cause to fear be his case never so desperate for God will measure his patience and make it proportionable to his suffering and equall his strength to his temptations his grace shall be sufficient for him at the least 2 Cor. 12. 9. Phil. 1. 29. and he that made the Vessel knowes her burden and how to ballast her The Bush which was a type of the Church consumed not all the while it burned with fire because God was in the midst of it The Anchor lyeth deep and is not seen yet is the stay of all The Bladder blown may float upon the floud but cannot sink nor stick in filthy mud Sinne Satan and the world may disturb him but they can never destroy him his head Christ being above he cannot be drowned there can be no disjunction unlesse he could be pluckt from his arms that is Almighty for his life is hid with Christ in God Col. 3. 3. Besides if he suffers much it shall not be long if he suffers long it shall not be much if his sorrowes be sharp they are the shorter Grievous and sore trials last but for a season 1 Pet. 1. 6. a little while Ioh. 16. 16. yea but a moment 2 Cor. 4. 17. For a moment in mine anger saith God I hid my face from thee for a little season but with everlasting mercy have I had compassion on thee Isa. 54. 8. Weeping may abide for a night but joy cometh in the morning Psal. 30. 5. And it is ever seen that his joy both succeeds and exceeds his sorrow that his sadnesse ends in gladnesse and his sorrow in singing and the more grievous his exigent the more glorious his advancement But the last which is the best gain of all he growes more holy then ever for like the Vine he bringeth forth the more and better fruit for paring and â—â—uning and bleeding and though his outward man perish yet his inward man is renewed daily even as a Lambe is much more lively and nimble for shearing these very tempestuous showers bring forth spirituall flowers and herbs in abundance 2. Seventhly Let judgements be iâ—â—licted upon the whâ—le Land they shall not touch him nor his family he shall be singled out for mercy Or if they do they shall be so sanctified that they shall rather pleasure then hurt him As if the Corn be cut down with the weeds the one shall be carried into Gods barn as Lazarus was the other cast into the fire like Dives yea every stroak in the judgement shall be a monitor and serve as a Sermon to him when he sees another struck he takes warning for he will be put unto duty even by the shadow of the wand 3. Eighthly The strictest and severest Laws if they be not contrary to Gods Law have not power to smite him for he does those things unbidden which others can scarce do being compelled Yea the Law protects him against his enemies who fear the Jayl more then they fear Hell and stand more upon their silver or their sides smarting then upon their souls Good Magistrates also are the breath of his nostrils and protect him while they take vengeance on them that do ill Yea they are the Ministers of God for his wealth and bound to see him righted when he receives wrong in his person goods or good name CHAP. XVIII 1. NInthly His very sins and infirmities by Gods grace do work his good and he is by much the better for them for he will from hence grow more holy Yea he gains strength by every fall for hence issues deeper humiliation stronger hatred of sinne fresh indignation against himself more experience of his hearts deceitfulnesse renewed resolutions untill sinne be brought under it makes him more earnest with God by prayer to keep a more careful watch over himself to pity others more and censure them lesse when they offend or are overtaken to rest wholly upon the assistance of Gods Spirit and to aâ—cribe all glory to him of whom whatsoever he hath he holds True his offending God brings much misery upon him and God seems to have left him and to reject his prayers and humiliation but at length and so soon as the poor soul ceaseth to do evâ—â— and learns to do well the Lord repenteth him of
witty jest but to hear of an Inheritance of an hundred pounds a year that is fallen to a man will make him more solliâ—ly merry within Light is sown to the righteous and joy for the upright Psal. 97. 11. My servants saith God shall sing and rejoyce but they shall weep c. Isa. 65. 14. 8. Indeed we are not merry enough because we are not Christians enough because sin is a cooler of our joy as water is of fire And like the worm of Ionah his Gourd bites the very root of our joy and makes it wither Yea sin like a damp puts out all the lights of our pleasure and deprives us of the light of Gods countenance as it did David Psal. 51. 12. 4. 6. So that the fault is either First in the too much sensuality of a Christian that will not forgeâ— the pleasures of sin or the more muddy joyes and pleasures of this world which are poysons to the soul and drown our joyes as Bees are drowned in honâ—y but live in vineger Men would have spiritual joy but withal they would not part with their carnal joy Yet this is an infallible Conclusion there is no enjoying a wordly Paradise here and another hereafter 9. Or secondly the fault is in the taâ—te not in the meat in the folly of the judgment not in the pearl when a grain of corn is preferred before it To taste spiritual joyes a man must be spiritual for the Spirit relisheth onely the things of the Spirit and like loveth his like Between a spiritual man and spiritual joyes there is as mighty an appetite and enjoying as between fleshly meat and a carnal stomack Therefore the want of this taste and apprehension condemneth the world to be carnal but magnifies the joyes spiritual as being above her carnal apprehension Or 10. Thirdly herein lyes the fault few feel these joyes in this life because they will not crack the shell to get the kernel thâ—y will not pare the fruit to eat the pulpe not till the ground to reap the harvest They flye the Wars and thereby lose the glory of the victory They will not dig the craggy Mountain to find the mine of gold Not prune the vine therefore enjoy not the fruit They flye moritification and therefore attain not the sweet spiritual consolation which ever attends the same And so much for the Reasons The Use may be four fold 11. First are the joyes of Heaven so unspeakable and glorious how then should we admire the love and bounty of God and blesse his name who for the performance of so small a work hath proposed so great a reward And for the obtaining of such an happy state hath imposed such an easie task 12. Secondly who would not serve a short apprentiship in Gods service here to be made for ever free in glory Yea who would not be a Philpot for a moneth or a Lazarus for a day or a Stephen for an hour that he might be in Abrahams bosome for ever Yea what pain can we think too much to suffer what little enough to do to obtain eternity for this incorruptible Crown of glory in Heaven 1 Pet. 5. 4. where we shall have all teares wiped from our eyes Where we shall cease to sorrow cease to suffer cease to sin Where God shall turn all the water of our afflictions into the pure wine of endlesse and unexpressible comfort Yea had Queen Elizâ—â—eth but foreknown whiles she was in Prison what a glorious reign she should have had for fourty and four years aftâ—r it she would never have wisht her self a Milk-Maid as she was often heard to do But certainly nothing â—an be too much to endure for those pleasures which shall endure for ever 13. You shall sometimes see an hired servant venture his life for his new Master that will scarce pay him his wages at the years end and can we suffer too much for our Lord and Master who gives every one that serveth him not fields and vineyards as Saul pretended 1 Sam. 22. 7 c. nor Towns and Cities as Cicero is pleased to boast of Caesar but even an hundred fold more then we part withall here in this life and eternal Mansions in Heaven hereafter Joh. 14. 2. S. Paul saith Our light affliction which is but for a moment causeth us a far most excellent and eternal weight of glory 2 Cor. 4. 17 18. where note the incomparable and infinite difference between the work and the wages light affliction receiving a weight of glory and momentary affliction eternal glory Suitable to the reward of the wicked whose empty delights live and dye in a moment but their unsufferable punishment is interminable and endlesse Their pleasure is short their pain everlasting our pain is short our joy eternal Blessed is the man that endureth temptation for when he is tryed he shall receive the Crown of life James 1. 12. a Crown without cares without rivals without envy without end And nothing we suffer here can be compared either to those woes we have deserved in Hell or those joyes we are reserved to in Heaven Think we then but upon those two places and the remembrance there of is enough to raise up our soules from our selves and make us even contemn and slight what ever our Enemies are able to do as our Forefathers did the flames And what though thy sufferings be never so sad The gain with hardnesse makes it far lesse hard The danger is great but so is the reward The sight of glory future mitigates the sense of misery present As Iacobs service seemed the lighter by having his beloved Rachel alwayes in his eye The poor Traveller thinking on his Inne goes on more cheerfully And the Bondman by calling to mind his year of Iubilee So that if we droop at present it is for want of considering the future Wherefore eye not the stream thou wadest through But the firm land thou tendest too Compare the seed time with the Harvest look up from the root to the fruit Lazarus was for a time extream miserable what then his sores and sorrowes soon ceased but his joyes shall never cease his pain did soon passe his joy shall never passe away Again 14. Thirdly How is it possible he should dote upon these transitory things below that but seriously thinks upon what is reserved for us in Heaven As O the folly and madnesse of those that prefer Earth yea Hell to Heaven time to eternity the Body before the Soul yea the outward estate before either soul or body These are the worlds Fooles who care not what their end is so their way may be pleasant Mere Children that prefer an Apple before their Inheritance Besotted sensualists that see not how their present pleasures soon vanish like smoke That consider not how this life of ours if it were not short yet it is miserable and if it were not miserable yet it is short That suffer themselves to be so bewitcht with the love
well troubled for original guilt for sins of omission for the evil which cleaves to thy best works and for thy very thoughts as for thy actual and manifest evil deeds if thou hast made vowes and promised amendment when the rod was on thy bacâ— but never cared to perform the same when thou wert released if thou art not industrious after the means of grace if thou lovest not to hear Christ voyce if thou findest not the Word more quick and powerfull and sweet and efficacious then any other writings if it and the Spirit going along with it hath not brought thee out of darknesse into marvellous light in comparison of thy former darknesse if thou art ignorant of the principles of Religion in the midst of so much light and means and canst not yeeld a reason of the hope that is in thee if thou dost not find a manifest change in thy judgment affections and actions from what they were by nature if the old man hath not changed with the new man worldly wisdome with heavenly wisdom carnal love for spiritual love servile fear for Christian and filial fear idle thoughts for holy thoughts vain words for holy and wholsome words fleshly works for works of righteousnesse c. as if thou wert cast into a new mould even hating what thou formerly lovedst and loving what thou formerly hatedst if thou art not ashamed of thy former conversation if thou hast not been often and grievously assaulted with fears and doubtings and often in combate between the flesh and the Spirit the Spirit getting the better if thou dost not more fear the want of grace then confide in what thou hast if thou are not jealous lest thy heart should deceive thee yea if thou art not hated of the world and evil spoken of for well doing thou art the Devils servant and not as yet one of that small number whom Christ hath chosen out of the world to believe in his name for these or any one of these signs sufficiently brand thee for a wicked man CHAP. XXV 1. BUt least any weak Christian should think himself unsound and so none of Christs because he falls short of this description of a true Believer and finds wanting in himself perhaps many of the former signs or evidences herein set forth or should be discouraged by reason of his many and great failings together with the weaknesse of his faith and love as for the most part the true Christian is as â—earful to entertain a good opinion of himself as the false is unwilling to be driven from it let such an one take special notice in the first place that there are three sorts of true and sound Christians as the Apostle Saint Iohn makes the distinction 1 Ioh. 2. 12 13. the first sort are babes in Christ viz. such as are new born or but weakly qualified with the graces of Gods Spirit A second are strong men as having the gifts of the Spirit lively and in power The third are Fathers such as have had long experience in the powerful practice of Christianity and been long exercised in all kinds of well doing This done 2. Secondly let him know That as God requires no other obedience in the best then Evangelical so he looks not for the same measure and degree of grace from Bubes and strong men or from strong men and Fathers for God accepteth of every man according to the grace he hath received be it more or lesse 2 Cor. 8. 12. as is manifest by that Parable of the Talents Matth. 25. 20. â—o 24. yea what Father or Master will not from his young and newly weaned Child or sick and weak servant accept of the will for the deed and shall not God much morâ— who is both the Father of mercies and the Authour of mercy and compassion in others Yes undoubtedly as let it be granted that thy knowledge is still small thy faith weak thy charity cold thy heart dull and hard thy good works few and imperfect and all thy zealous resolutions easily hindered and quite overthrown with every small temptation yet God that worketh in us both the will and the work will accept the will for the work and that which is wanting in us Christ will supply with his own righteousnesse he respecteth not what we can do so much as what we would do and that which we would perform and cannot he esteemeth it as though it were performed thus he taketh an heart desirous to repent and believe for a penitent and believing heart whereas take away the will and all acts in Gods sight are equal Well might I doubt of my salvation sayes Bradford feeling the weaknesse of my faith love hope c. if these were the causeâ— of my salvation but there is no other cause of it or of Gods mercy but his mercy Again 3. Thirdly you are to observe that as Nature so Grace rises by many degrees to perfection we grow in grace and saving knowledge as a child does in statuâ—e and understanding untill we attain to glory which is grace perfected yea grace in its growth is but like the change of a mans hair from black to grey or the growth of a Tree which is not accomplisht in a moneth or a year but in many yeares we not perceiving how 4. Fourthly consider also that the best have their failâ—ngs as had Abraham Iacoh David Peter c. you have heard of the patience of Ioh saith Saint Iames and have we not heard also of his fits of impatiency Yes but it pleased God mercifully to over-look that and so of Asah who had divers and those no small faults yet with one breath doth God report both these the high places were not removed and neverthelesse Asahs heart was perfect so our failings be not wilful though they be many and great yet they cannot hinder our interest in the promises of God an honest and sincere heart bears out many errours in the eye of mercy God will not see weaknesses where he sees truth yea if we hate our corruptions and strive against them they shall not be counted ours It is not I saith Paul but the sin that dwelleth in me Rom. 7. 20. And indeed were it not so what would become of us for the work of grace though it doth not suffer Christians to live as they list yet it doth not inable them to live as they would it is not so broad as to allow of corruption nor so narrow but it will permit of corruption 5. But fifthly least the former considerations should not serve answer me ingeniously to these questions Dost thou not find that the Word and Spirit hath wrought an apparant change in thy judgment affections and actions to what they were formerly Is not Christ thy greatest joy sin thy greatest sorrow and grace the prime object of thy desires Art thou not careful in the use of the means to attain faith in the promise of Gods mercy made in Christ Dost thou not love God and