should never make pleasant musick no more would the Spirit it he should be alwaies a doing one thing in the soule therefore he acts variously sometimes he will shew himselfe a quickning Spirit sometimes an enlightning Spirit sometimes an humbling Spirit sometimes a rejoycing Spirit sometimes a sealing Spirit and alwayes a surporting Spirit c. Fifthly The testimony and witness of the Spirit is a sure testimony a Titus 1. 2. John 14. 17. 1 Cor. 2. 10 1 Joh. 4. 1 2 3 4 sure witness the Spirit is truth it self he is the great searcher of the deep things of God the Spirit of the Lord is the Discoverer the Confuter and Destroyer of all false spirits The Spirit is above all possibility of being deceived he is omnipotent he is omniscient he is omnipresent he is one of the Cabinet-Councel of Heaven he lies and lives in the bosome of the Father and can call them all by name upon whom the Father hath set his heart and therefore his testimony must needs be true It is a surer testimony then if a man should hear a voice from Heaven pronouncing him to be happy and blessed You may safely and securely lay the weight of your souls upon this testimony it never hath it never will deceive any that hath leaned upon it This testimony will be a rock that will bear up a soul When other false testimonies will be but a reed of Egypt that will deceive the soul that will undoe the soul As I am afraid many in this deluding age have found by sad experience Sixthly The testimony of Gods I do not say that the testimony of our spirits is always accompanied with the testimony of the Spirit No for a Beleever hath often the single testimony of his own spirit when he wants the testimony of the Spirit of Christ and the single testimony of his own conscience wil afford him much courage and comfort 2 Cor. 1. 12. Yea it wil make a paradise of delight in his soul c. Spirit is alwayes accompanied with the testimony of our own these may be distinguished but they can never be separated when the Spirit of God gives in witnesse for a man his own spirit doth not give in witnesse against him Look as face answers to face so doth the witness of a Beleevers spirit answer to the witness of the Spirit of Christ Rom. 8. 16. The Spirit witnesseth together with our spirits that we be the Sons of God Now if our own Consciences do not testifie first that we are Sons and Heirs the Spirit doth not testifie for the Spirit beares witness together with our spirits St. John is very expresse in 1 Joh. 3. 21. But if our hearts condemn us not then have we confidence toward God But if our hearts condemn us God is greater then our hearts and knoweth all things 1 Joh. 5. 8 9 10 11 12. And there are three that bear witness in Earth the Spirit and the Water and the Blood and these three agree in one The Spirit doth witness eminently and efficiently but Water and Blood materially and our spirits and Reason instrumentally By the Spirit we may understand the Holy Ghost by whose strength wee lay hold on Christ and all his benefits by Water we may understand our Regeneration our Sanctification and by Blood we may understand the blood and righteousness of Christ that is imputed and applyed by faith to us and these three agree in one that is they doe all three of one accord testifie the same thing Seventhly The witness of the Spirit is ever according to the Word there is a sweet harmony between the inward and outward testimony between the Spirit of God and the VVord of God The Scriptures were 2 Pet. 1. 20 21. all indicted by the Spirit and therefore the Spirit cannot contradict himselfe which he should do if he should give in any testimony contrary to the testimony of the word It is blasphemy to make the testimony of the â—pirit to contradict the testimony of the Word The Spirit hath revealed his whole mind in the Word and he will not give a contrary testimony to what he hath given in the Word The Word saith they that are born again that are new Creatures that beleeve and repent shall be saved But thou art born again thou art a new Creature thou beleevest and repentest therefore thou shalt be saved saith the Spirit The Spirit never looseth where the Word bindeth the Spirit never justifies where the Word condemnes the Spirit never approves where the Word disapproves the Spirit never blesses where the VVord curses In Deu. l 3. 1 2 3 4 the Old Testament all Revelations were to be examined by the VVord Isa 8. 20. To the Law and to the Testimony 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 if they speak not according to this Word it is because there is no light or no morning in them So in that of John 16. We are not only blind but lame too therefore the Spirit shall lead us to the knowledge and practice of all necessary saving truths 13. The Spirit shall lead you into all truth for he shall not speak of himselfe but what he shall hear that shall he speak Here the Holy Ghost is brought in as some Messenger or Ambassador who onely relates things faithfully according to that he hath in charge Such as look and lean upon the hissing of the old Serpent may have a testimony that they are happy against the testimony of the VVord But where ever the Spirit of Christ gives in his â—estimony it is stil according to the VVord Look as Indenture answers to Indenture or as the Counterpaine exactly answers to the principall Conveyance there is Article for Article Clause for Clause Covenant for Covenant word for word So doth the testimony of the Spirit exactly answer to the testimony of the VVord Eighthly It is a Holy witness a holy Nil nisi sanctuÌ„ à sancto spiritu prodire potest Nothing can come from the Holy Spirit but that which is holy testimony it is formally holy it is originally holy it is effectually holy Nothing makes the heart more in the love study practise and growth of holines then the glorious testimony of the Holy Spirit and the more clear ful the testimony is the more holy and gracious it will make the Soule Nothing puts such golden Engagements upon the soul to holiness as the Spirit sealing a man up to the day of Redemption as the Spirits speaking and sealing Peace Love and pardon to the Soul Psal 85. 8. 1 Cor. 15. 31. 2 Cor. 5. 14. Nothing makes a man more careful to please Christ more fearful to offend Christ more studious to exalt Christ and more circumspect to walk with Christ then this testimony of the Spirit of Christ Verily that is not the blessed whispering of Christs Spirit but the hissing of the old Serpent that makes men bold with sin that makes men dally with sin that makes
Sirs Is it madness to feast the Slave and starve the Wife and is it not greater madness to feast the Body and starve the Soul To make liberal provision for the Body and none for the Soul Do not they deserve double damnation that prefer their Bodies above their Souls Me thinks our Souls should be One of the cheifest mirrors to behold God in is a reasonable Soul which findes it self out saith one like to a Ship which is made little and narrow downwards but more wide and broad upwards Before all and above all look to your Souls watch your Souls make provision for your Souls When this is done all is done till this is done there is nothing done that will yeeld a man comfort in life joy in death and boldness before a Judgement Seat Callenuceus tells of a Nobleman of Naples that was wont prophanely to say He had two souls in Had I a purse suitable to my heart not a poor godly Souldier or Sailor in England who carries his life in one hand but should have one of these Books in the other c. his body one for God and another for whosoever would buy it Verily they will make but a bad bargain of it that to gain the World shall sell their Souls Dear Sirs I had much more to say but I am afraid that I have already kept you too long from sucking of the Honey Comb from drinking at the Fountain I have held you too long in the Porch and therefore I shall onely crave That you will bear with my plainness and over-look my weakness Remembring that other Addresses would savor more of flattery then of sincerity more of policy then of piety and would be both unlovely in me and displeasing to you Now the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ bless you and yours with all Spiritual blessings in Heavenly places and make you yet more and more Instrument al for his glory and this Nations good that your names may be for ever precious among his people that they may bear you still upon their hearts before the Lord which is and shall be the earnest and constant Prayer of him who is Right Honorable and worthy Sirs Yours in all Christian observance Thomas Brooks TO All Saints that hold to CHRIST the Head AND That walk according to the Lawes of the New Creature Grace Mercy and Peace be multiplyed from God the Father through our Lord Jesus Christ Beloved in our dearest Lord YOu are those Worthies of whom this world is not worthy Heb. 11. 38. You are the Princes that prevail with God You are Gen. 32. 28 those exellent ones in whom Psal 16. 3. is all Christs delight You are his glory Isa 4. 5. You are his pickt cull'd prime Instruments which he will make use of to carâ—yon Rev. 17. 14. 19. 8. 14. Cant. 8. 6. Isa 49. 16. his best and greatest Work against â—is worst and greatest Enemies in these latter daies You are a Seale upon Christs heart you are engraven on the palms of his hand Your names are Exod. 28. 29. 2 Cor. 2. 3. 1 Joh. 2. 27. 1 Cor. 2. 10 12 15 16. You will not with Pythagoras his Scholars magnifie the ipse dixerit of the greatest Clerks neither will you beleeve with Anaxagoras that Snow is black nor yet wil you say as Antipater King of Macedonia did when one presented him with a book treating of happiness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I have no leasure neither will you judge like those that like nothing but the Manerva's of their owne brains written upon his Breasts as the names of the Children of Israel were upon Aarons Breast-plate You are the Epistle of Christ You are the anointed of Christ You have the spirit of discerning You have the mind of Christ You have the greatest advantages and the choycest privileges to enable you to trie Truth to taste Truth to apply Truth to defend Truth to strengthen Truth to uphold Truth and to improve Truth and therefore to whom should I dedicate this following Discourse but to your selves you have the next place to Christ in my heart your good your gain your glory your edification your satisfaction your confirmation your consolation your salvation hath put me upon casting in my little little mite into your treasure Beloved You know that in the time of the Law God did as kindly accept of Goats haire and Badgers skins of Turtle Doves and young Pigeons they being the best things that some of his children had then to offer as he did accept of Gold Jewels Silk and Purple from otherâ— I hope you will shew out the same God-like disposition towards me in a kind accepting of what is offered in this Treatise to your wise and serious consideration I could wish it better for your sakes yet such aâ— it is I do in all love and humility presenâ— you with desiring the Lord to make it an internal and eternal advantage tâ— you I shall briefly acquaint you with the Reasons that have moved poor me unworthy I who am the least of all Saints who am not worthy to be reckoned among the Saints to present this following Discourse to publick view and they are thesâ— that follow First To answer the desires and gratifie the earnest and pious requests of several precious souls who long to have these things printed upon their hearts by the The Philosopher could say that desires are properly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to what is necessary hand of the Spirit that are printed in this Book God speaks aloud through the serious and affectionate desires of the Saints and this hath made me willing to eccho to their desires If great mens desires are to be looked upon as commands why should good mens desires be looked upon with a squint eye Seneca a Heathen could say that ipse aspectus boni viri delectat The very looks of a good man delight one How much more then should the desires of a good man overcome one Secondly The good acceptance the fair quarter that my Labors of the like Them that are extant are sold by the same man that sels this at the first shop in Popes-head-Alley next to Cornhill nature have found among those that fear the Lord especially that Treatise called Precious Remedies against Satans devices hath incouraged me to present this to publick view not doubting but that the Lord will bless it to the good of many as I know he hath done the former Which that he may I shall not cease to pray that Rom. 15. 21. my weak service may be accepted of the Phil. 1. 9 10 11 Saints and that their love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all sence that they may approve things that are excellent that they 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sense may be sincere and without offence til the day of Christ Being filled with the fruits of righteousnesse which are by Jesus Christ
is so fully perswaded of its eternal happinesse and blessednesse that it s carried like 4 There is a divine perswasion that flows from divine principles and causes Noahs Arke above al waves doubts and fears and Noah-like fits still and quiet and can with the Apostle Paul triumph over sinne hell wrath death and devill This is sometimes called Col. 2. 2. Heb. 6 11. 18 19 cha 10. 22. full assurance of understanding sometimes it is called full assurance of hope and sometimes it is called full assurance of faith because these are the choice and pleasant springs from whence assurance flows Now though this full assurance is earnestly desired and highly This full Assurance is the maximum quod sic the highest pinacle of Assurance prized and the want of it much lamented the injoyment of it much endevoured after by al Saints yet t is only obtained by a few Assurance is a mercy too good for most mens hearts it is a Crowne too weighty for most mens heads Assurance is optimum maximum the best and greatest mercy and therefore God will onely give it to his best and dearest friends Augustus in his solemne feasts gave trifles to some but gold to others honours and riches c. are trifles that God gives to the worst of men Rev. 3. 18. But Assurance is that tryed gold that God onely gives to tried friends Among those few that have a share or Most Saints I beleeve can give aloud testimony to this truth I shall rejoyce when their experiences shall confute â—r portion in the special love and favour of God there are but a very few that have an assurance of his love It is one mercy for God to love the soule and another mercy for God to assure the soule of his love God writes many a mans name in the Book of life and yet will not let him know it till his houre of death as the experience of many precious soules doth cleerly evidence Assurance is a flower of Paradise that God sticks but Rom. 8. 16 17. in a few mens bosomes It is one thing to be an heire of heaven and another thing for a man to know or see himselfe an heire of heaven The childe in the arms may be heire to a Crown a Kingdome and yet not understand it so many a Saint may bee heire to a Crowne a Kingdome of glory and yet not know it As the babes that passes the pangs of the first birth do not presently cry Father Father so the new borne Babes in Christ that have 1 Pet. 2. 2. past the pangs of the second birth doe not presently cry Abba Father they doe not presently cry out Heaven Heaven is ours Glory Glory is ours The third Proposition is this That The third Proposition a man may have true grace that hath not Assurance of the love and favour The blinde man in the Gospel called his faith unbeleef of God or of the remission of his sins and salvation of his soule A man may be truly holy and yet not have assurance that he shall be eternally happy A man may be Gods and yet he not know it his estate may be good and yet he not see it he may Mat. 15. 22. 29. be in a safe condition when he is not in a comfortable condition All may be well with him in the Court of glory when hee would give a thousand worlds that all were but well in the court of conscience The Canaanite woman shewed much love wisdome zeale humility and faith yea such strength of faith as makes Christ admire her and yeeld to her grace her and gratifie her and yet shee had no assurance that wee read of So Paul speaking of the beleeving Eph 1. 13. They that honour God by sealing to his truth those God will honour by sealing them with his Spirit Ephesians saith In whom ye also trusted after that yee heard the word of truth the Gospel of your salvation in whom also after that yee beleeved yee were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise First They heard the word and then secondly they beleeved and then thirdly they were sealed that is fully assured of a heavenly inheritance of a Saints have eternal life 1 In praetio 2 In promisso 3 In primitiis purchased possession So 1 John 5. 13. These things have I written unto you that beleeve on the name of the Sonne of God that yee may know that yee have eternal life and that yee may beleeve on the name of the Son of God So in that Isa 50. 10. Who is among you that feareth the Lord that obeyeth the voyce of his servant that walketh in darknesse and hath no light let him trust in the name of the Lord and stay himselfe upon his God So in that Mich. 7. 8. 9. verses Rejoyce not against me O mine enemy when I fall I shall arise when I sit in darknesse the Lord shall be a light unto me I will bear the indignation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the Lord because I have sinned against him untill he plead my cause and Zagnaph Signifies vehement anger with a sad and lowring countenance Dan. 1. 10. vide Merâ— execute judgement for me he will bring me forth to the light and I shall behold his Righteousnesse Asaph was a very holy man a man eminent in grace and yet without assurance as may bee seen at large in that 77. Ps Heman doubtlesse was a very precious soule and yet from his youth up hee was even distracted with terrours Psalm 88. There are thousand Christians that are in a state of grace and shall bee Isa 8. 17. Chap. 49. 14 15 16. Ch. 54 6 7 8 9 10 11. saved that want assurance and the proper effects of it as high joy pure comfort glorious peace and vehement longings after the coming of Christ Assurance is requisite to the well-being of a Christian but not to the being it is requisite to the consolation of a Christian but not to the salvation of a Christian it is requisite to the well-being of Grace but not to the meer being of Grace Though a man cannot be saved without faith yet he may bee saved without assurance God hath in many places of the Scripture declared that without faith God never said except you be assured I will pardon you I will never pardon you except you are assured I will save you I will never save you this is language God never spoke and why then should men speak it there is no salvation but God hath not in any one place of Scripture declared that without assurance there is no salvation A man must first bee saved before he can be assured of his salvation for he cannot be assured of that which is not and a man must have saving grace before he can bee saved for hee cannot be saved by that which hee hath not Againe a man must be ingrafted into Christ before
man a servant to sin that breeds a contempt of Ordinances a neglect of holy Duties a carelesness in walking with God And from those hissings of the old Serpent O Lord deliver my Soul and the Souls of all thy servants that put their trust in thee Ninethly and lastly Assurance is a Jewel a Pearl of that price that God onely bestows it upon renued hearts The Spirit never sets his Seal upon any but upon those that Christ hath first Revel 2. 17. Ezek. 36. 25 26 27. compared printed his Image upon God gives to none the white stone but to those from whom he hath taken the heart of stone Christ never tells a man that his Name is written in the Book of Luke 10. 20. Life till he hath breathed into him Spiritual Life Christ never sayes Son be of good chear thy sin is pardoned Luke 5. 18 19 20. till he hath first said Be thou healed be thou cleansed Christ never gives a man a new name that is Isa 56. 5. 2 Cor. 5. 17. better then the names of Sons and Daughters till he hath made them new Creatures Of Slaves Christ first makes us Sons before we cry Abba Rom 8. 15. Ephes 2. 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20. Father Of Enemies he first makes us Friends before he will make us of his Court or Counsel Christ will never hang a Pearl in a Swines snout nor put new Wine into old Bottles nor his Royal Robes upon a leprous back nor his Golden Chain about a dead mans neck nor his glistering Crown upon a Ephes 1. 13. Traytors head The Spirit never sets his Seal upon any but upon those that Christ hath first seâ— as a Seal upon his Cant. 8. 6. heart The Spirit onely bears witness to such as hate sin as Christ hates it and that love Righteousness as Christ Psal 45 7. loves it that hate sin more then Hell and that love truth more then life A Soul sealed by the Spirit will pull out right eyes and cut off right hands for Christ such a Soul will part with a Benjamin and offer up an Isaac for Christ And this is to be seriously minded against those deceived and deluded Souls that remain yet in their blood and that wallow in their sins and yet boast and brag of the Seal and of the witness and testimony of the Spirit And thus I have shewed you the difference between the whisperings of the Spirit and the hissing of the old Serpent between a true testimony and a false CHAP. VII Containing Answers to several special Questions about Assurance BUt me thinks I hear some precious Souls saying Sir Quest 1 we have after much praying weeping and waiting gained this Pearl of price Assurance But O how shall we do to strengthen it How shall we do to keep it Satan will labor to weaken our Assurance and to rob us of this Jewel that is more worth than a world what means must we use to strengthen our Assurance and to secure it c. Now to this Question I shall give these following Answers First If you would have your Assurance strengthned and maintained then keep close to Soul-strengthning The old Rule was Hoc age ways be serious and sincere be diligent and constant in the use of those means and ways wherein you first gained Assurance as Prayer the Word breaking of Bread Communion of Saints c. A conscionable and cordial A cool spirit is always a losing spirit the doing heart the diligent heart turns the spark into a flame the mite into a million c. use of holy and heavenly means is blessed not onely with a preservation of Assurance but likewise with an addition and increase of it The ways of God and his goings in the Sanctuary have wrought wonders upon thee when thou wast dead how much more will they work upon thee and for thee now thou art by Grace made alive He that will not apply himself to Gods strengthning methods will quickly finde his Assurance weakned if not wholly wasted He that thinks himself too good for Ordinances will quickly grow weak in his Assurance The choicest Prophets and highest Apostles if I may so speak that had attained to the fullest Assurance kept close to the ways and precious institutions of Christ Verily those that pretend to live above Ordinances and yet live below them never knew by experience what a mercy it was to have a wel-grounded Assurance or else they have lost that blessed Assurance that once they had c. Secondly If you would strengthen and maintain your Assurance then dwell much upon your Spiritual and Eternal Priviledges viz. Your Adoption Holy and heavenly priviledges are the food by which Assurance is cherished and maintained Justification Reconciliation c. 1 Pet. 2. 9. This you will finde by experience will mightily tend to the strengthning and maintaining of your Assurance He that neglects this Rule will quickly finde his Sun to set in a cloud his Harp to be turned into mourning and his Organ into the voice Job 30. ult of them that weep Thirdly If you would strengthen and maintain your Assurance then look that your hearts and thoughts run more out to Christâ— then to Assurance to the Sun then to the Beams to the Fountain then to the Stream to the Root then to the Branch to the Cause then to the Effect Assurance is sweet Cant. 1. 13. but Christ is more sweet Assurance is lovely but Christ is altogether lovely Cant. 5. 16. Prov 3. 15. Assurance is precious but Christ is most precious Though Assurance be a flower that yeelds much comfort and delight yet it is but a flower Though Assurance be a precious Box yet it is but a Box. Though Assurance be a Ring of Gold yet it is but a Ring of Gold And what is the flower to the Root what is the Box to the Oyntment what is the Ring to the Pearl No more is Assurance to Christ therefore let thy eye and heart first most and last be fixt upon Christ then will Assurance bed and board with thee otherwise thou wilt quickly finde thy Summer to be turned into Winter Fourthly If you would strengthen and maintain your Assurance then look that your hearts are more taken up with Christ then with your Graces Though Grace be a glorious Creature Christ is the pot of Manna the Cruse of Oyl the bortomless Ocean the most sparkling Diamond in the Ring of glory c. yet it is but a Creature therefore let Grace have your eye but be sure that Christ have your heart Christ will not allow your very Graces to be corrivals with him He that mindes his Graces more then Christ or that sets his Graces upon the Throne with Christ will quickly finde what it is to lose the face and favor of Christ Your Grace are but Christs Servants and Handmaids you may look upon them but you must not match with
them When Darius sent to Alexander that he would be willing to divide the Kingdom no saith Alexander there is but one Sun in the Firmament and there can be but one King in a Kingdom So saith Christ c. It is a reproach to Christ that those that have married the Master should at the same time match with the Servant The Queen may look upon her glistering Courtiers but she must live upon the King the Wife may take pleasure in her lovely Babes but she must live upon her Husband and be most observant of her Husband So gracious souls may look upon their Graces but they must live upon King Jesus they may take pleasure in their Graces but they must live upon Christ and be most observant of Christ This is the way to keep Christ and Assurance and he that walks contrary to this rule will soon find the losse of both Christ will be Alexander or Nemo he will be all in all or he will be nothing at all Though his Coat â—oh 19. 23. was once divided yet he will never suffer his Crowne to be divided His Isa 42. 8. glory he will give to none Fifthly If you would have your We have saith Cyprian no such notions as many Philosophers have but we are Philosophers in our deeds we do not speak great things but we do great things in our lives Assurance strengthened and maintained then labor to improve your Assurance improve it to the strengthening of you against temptations to the fencing of you against corruptions to the raising of your resolutions to the inflaming of your affections to the bettering of your conversations Assurance is a pearl of price he that will keep it must improve it The ready way to maintain our natural strength and to increase it is to improve it So the ready way to maintain our Assurance and to increase it is to improve it Assurance is one of the choicest and chiefest talents that ever God intrusted man with and he that doth not improve it and imploy it will quickly lose it c. God will not suffer so Matth. 25. 28. golden a talent to gather rust Win gold and wear gold improve gold and keep gold win Assurance and wear Assurance improve Assurance and keep Assurance Dionysius the elder being advised of one that had hidden great store of money commands him upon pain of death to bring it to him which he did but not all But with the remainder he went and dwelt in another Countrey where he bought an Inheriâ—ance and fel upon some imployment which when Dionysius heard he sent him his money againe which he had taken from him saying Now thou knowest how to use riches take that I had from thee I shall leave you to make the application Sixthly If you would have your Assurance strengthened and maintained then walke humbly with your God Mich. 6. 8. God makes the humble mans heart his house to dwell in Isa 57. 15. Thus saith the high and lofty one that inhabiteth eternity whose name is holy I dwel in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 low of spirit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to quicken or make to live the spirit of humble ones Isa 41. 10. the high and holy place with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit to revive the spirit of the humble and to revive the heart of the contrite ones The highest heavens and the lowest hearts are the habitations wherein the holy one delights to dwel Now this phrase I will dwel with the humble takes in several things 1. It includes Gods overlooking the humble 2. It takes in Gods assisting and strengthning of the humble 3. It takes in Gods protection I will dwel with the humble that is I Job 22. 29. will protect him and secure him 4 It takes in Gods sympathizing with the humble 5. It takes in Gods applying Isa 63. 9. Isa 57. 18. all suitable good to the humble 6. It takes in Gods ruling and over-ruling the heart and the affections of the humble 7. It takes in Gods teaching and Psa 10. 17. Psal 25. 9. learning of the humble But 8. and lastly it includes and takes in a clearer a fuller and a larger manifestation and communication of God to humble souls ah saith God I will dwell with the humble that is I will more richly more abundantly and more gloriously manifest and make knowne my grace and glory my goodnesse and sweetnesse my loving kindnesse and tendernesse to humble souls Now tell me humble soules will not Gods dwelling thus with you contribute very much to the strengthning and maintaining of your Assurance Jam. 4. 6. But he giveth more grace wherefore he saith God resisteth the proud or as the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 word emphatically signifies he sets himself in battle array against the proud but giveth grace to the humble Humility is both a grace and a vessell to receive grace God poures in grace into the humble souls as men poure liquor into an empty vessel And verily the more grace you have the more will your Assurance be strengthned and maintained Well remember this the humble mans mercies are the sweetest mercies the greatest mercies the most growing and thriving mercies the most blessed and sanctified mercies the most lasting and abiding mercies Therefore as you would have your Assurance strengthned and maintained walk humbly with your God I say again walk humbly walk humbly with your God and you shal wear the crown of Assurance to your grave Seventhly If you would keep and maintain your Assurance then take heed and watch against those very particular sins by which other Saints have lost their Assurance Take heed of carnall confidence and security David Psal 30. 6 7. lost his Assurance by not guarding his heart against those evils Again take heed of a light slight careless and negligent spirit in holy and spirituall things The Spouse in the Canticles lost her Assurance and her sweet communion with Christ by her slightness of spirit Again take heed of a stout Cant. 5 2 3 6. compared and unyeelding spirit under the afflicting hand of God this made God hide his face from them Isa 57. 17. In a word take heed of tasting of forbidden fruit remembring what Adam lost by a taste Eighthly If you would maintain and keep your Assurance then freequently A man may easier make a seeing eie blind then a blind eye to see a man may soon put an instrument out of tune but not so soon put it in again A man is easily born down the stream but cannot swim so easily up the stream c. and seriously consider of the wonderfull difficulty of recovering Assurance when it is lost Oh the sighs the groans the complaints the prayers the tears the heart-renting the soul-bleeding that the recovery of thy lost Assurance will cost The gaming of Assurance at first cost thee dear but the regaining of it if thou shouldest be
your walkings and actings you are lights upon a Hill you are Sea-marks and therefore every eye will be upon you Those that can finde no ears to hear what you say will finde many eyes to see what you do Scripture and Experience do abundantly evidence that good mens examples have done a world of good in the world and verily the evil examples of great men especially are very dangerous Charls the fift was wont to say That as the Eclipse of the Sun is a token of great commotions so the errors and evils of great men bring with them great perturbations and evils to the places and persons where they live O therefore be exemplary in lip and life in word and work that others seeing your good works may glorifie Matth. 5. 16. Plutarch said of Demosthenes that he was excellent at praising the worthy acts of his Ancestors but not so at imitating them You may easily apply it your Father which is in Heaven O look that your lives be as a Commentary upon Christs life Tace lingua loquere vita Talk not of a good life but let thy life speak said the Philosopher Alexander willed that the Grecians and the Barbarians should no longer be distinguished by their Garments but by their Manners so should Christians be distinguished from all others by their lives and by their examples 2 Sam. 23. 3. The God of Israel said The Rock of Israel spake to me he that ruleth over men must be just ruling in the fear of the Lord. An excellent Lord is always better then an excellent Law let your Laws be never so good if the Law makers are bad all will come to nothing The peoples eyes are much John 7. 48. It was a good Law that the Ephesians made That men should propound to themselves the best patterns and ever bear in minde some eminent man upon that Scripture Have any of the Rulers believed on him c. Abraham was an example of Righteousness in Chaldaea Lot was just in Sodom Daniel was an example of Holiness in Babylon Job was an example of Uprightness in the Land of Huss which was a Land of much Prophaneness and Superstition Nehemiah was an example of Zeal in Damasco and Moses was an example of Meekness among the muttering and murmuring Israelites Above all examples Christ was exemplary in all Piety and Sanctity in all Righteousness and Holiness in the midst of a crooked and perverse Generation And why then should not you be ex mplary The Arabianâ— if their King be sick or lame they all feign themselves so among those poor Creatures ethose black Angels I had almost said among whom you walk It was the saying of Trajanus a Spaniard the first stranger that reigned among the Italians Qualis Rex taliâ— grex Subjects prove good by a good Kings example so do Souldiers so do Sailers by the good examples of their Superior Commanders Such Commanders as are examples of Righteousness and Holiness to others are certainly high in worth and humble in heart they are the glory of Christ and the honor of Religion Fifthly As you are in publick places I have read of one that had rather beautifie Italy then his own house there is very little of this spirit abroad in the world so lay out your selves impartially for the common good of all that have interest in you or dependence upon you So did Abraham Moses Joshua Nehemiah Ezra Daniel but above all Christ himself You are more for the peoples sake then the people are for yours Magistrates are Rulers over the persons of the people but they are servants to the good of the people As it is the duty of all to serve them so it is their office to serve all It is no Paradox to affirm That Rulers are the greatest Servants The Ancients were wont to place the Statues of their Princes by their Fountains intimating that they were or at least should be Fountains of the Publick good The Counsellor saith That a man in publick place should give his will to God his love to his Master his heart to his Countrey his secrets to his Friends his time to Business It is a base and unworthy spirit for a man to make himself the Centre of all his actions The very Heathen man could say A Mans Countrey and his Friends and others challenge a great part of him The Sun that is the Prince of lights So doth the Sea feed and refresh the smalest fish as wel as the greatest Leviathan the Trees do shade and shelter from heat the least Bird as well as the greatest Beast doth impartially serve all the Peasant as well as the Prince the poor as well as the rich the weak as well as the strong you must be like the Sun The Sun of Righteousness was of a brave Publick Spirit he healed others but was hurt himself he filled others but was hungry himself he laid out himself and he laid down himself for a Publick good That Pilot dies nobly saith Seneca who perisheth in the storm with the Helm in his hand It is really your praise among the Saints that you have ventured killing burning drowning and all to save the Ship of the Commonwealth from sinking Sirs Be not weary of Publick Work it is honor enough that God will make any use of you to carry on his design in the world he is a faithful Pay-master Heaven at last will make amends for all you shall reap if you faint not I do verily believe God will make use of you to do greater things on the Sea then yet have been done The Lord hath now begun to set a foot upon the Sea let his enemies tremble God will not suffer his glory to be buried in the deeps he is a shaking the Nations and will not leave shaking them till he that is the desire of all Nations come The Lord hath said That he will overturn overturn overturn until he comes whose right it is to wear the Crown and the Diadem and he will give it him Ezek. 21. 25 26 27. Till then there will be little else but plucking up and breaking down Jere. 45. 4. Therefore be couragious and follow the Lamb wheresoever he goes You need fear no enemies that have Christ the Conqueror on your sides Sixthly and lastly Make it more O animâ— Dei insigâ—â—ta imagine desponsata fidie donata spiritu c. Bern. O divine Soul invested with the Image of God espoused to him by Faith and more your chiefest work to make plentiful provisions for the eternal welfare of your Souls Your Souls are more worth then ten thousand worlds All is well if the Soul be well if that be safe all is safe if that be lost all is lost God Christ and Glory is lost if the Soul be lost Worthy Sirs Though others play the Courtiers with their Souls yet do not you The Courtier doth all things late he rises late and dines late and sups late and repents late
loathed and long since crucified when those old sins which hath cost a soule many prayers and many tears and many sighs and may groans and many complaints when those sinnes that have been long buried shall bee againe revived and meet the soule and stare upon the soule and say to the soule We are thine and wee will follow thee wee are thine and wee will haunt thee Ah how will this cause a mans countenance to bee changed his thoughts to be troubled his joynts to be loosed and his heart to be amazed David and Job meeting with the sins of their youth long after they were Psal 25. 7. Job 13 26. lamented and pardoned makes their hearts startle and tremble Upon the new risings of old sinnes the soule begins to question all and thus to expostulate the case Surely my estate is not good my pardon is not sealed if it be how comes these sinnes to bee revived to be remembred hath not God ingaged himselfe in the promises Isa 43. 25 Jer. 31. 34. of Grace that those sinnes that are pardoned shall never be remembred and surely if these sinnes be not pardoned I have reason to feare that others bee not pardoned and if my sins bee not pardoned how shall I escape being destroyed Surely my repentance was not sound my sorrow was not sincere the blow the wound I gave sinne was not mortall if it had how comes it to passe that it now meets mee like an armed enemy Thus these new risings of old sinnes keeps many a mans soule and assurance asunder Again a man may have grace and yet want assurance and this may arise Perfection is desireable on earth but shall be onely enjoyed in heaven It was a sweet saying of One In libro tâ—o scribuntur omnes qui quod possunt faciunt si quod debent non possunt They are surely written all in Gods Book that doe what they can though they cannot but under do from his falling short of that perfection that the word requires and that other Saints have attained to Ah sayes such a soul surely I have no grace Oh how short do I fall of such and such righteous rules and of such and such precious Christians Ah how cleer are they in their light how strong are they in their love how high are they in their attainments how are their hearts filled with grace and their lives with holinesse all their motions towards God and towards man speaks out Grace Grace they pray indeed like Saints and live indeed like Angels Now many poore soules comparing themselves with the perfect rule of righteousnesse and with those that are in the highest formes in Christs Schoole and that are the noblest and choicest patterns for purity and sanctity and finding such a vast disproportion between their hearts and the rule between their actions and lives and the lives and actions of others they are apt to fit downe sadded and discouraged Suetonius reports of Julius Caesar that seeing Alexanders statue hee fetched a deep sigh because hee at that age had none so little So many precious Remember this Though your consolation depends upon degrees of grace yet your salvation depends upon the truth of grace soules sit downe sighing and weeping that they have lived so long and done so little for God and for their owne internal and eternal good This wounds and sinkes their spirits that they are so unlike to those in Grace that they desire to be like unto in Glory and that they are so far below such and such in spirituals whom they are so far above in temporals 5 Again a man may have true grace and yet want assurance and this may arise from that smoak and clouds those feares and doubts that corruption raises in the soule so that the soule cannot see those excellent The being of grace is a different thing from the seeing of grace The blind man you know in the Gospel calls his faith unbeleef graces that otherwise might bee discerned though there may bee many precious gems and jewels in the house yet the smoak may hinder a man from seeing them sparkle and shine So though there be many precious graces in the soules of Saints yet corruption may raise such a dust such a smoak in the soule that the soule is not able to see them in the beauty and glory Gen. 21. 19 20 The Wel of water was neer Hagar but she saw it not till her eyes were opened by the Lord. So grace is neer the soul yea in the soul sometimes and yet the soul doth not see it till God opens the Gen. 28. eye and shews it The Lord was in this Yet a Saint at worst is not like him in Plutarch who would not bee resolved of his doubts because he would not lose the pleasure in seeking for resolution No he loves and looks and longs for resolution to all his doubts place said Jacob and I knew it not so many a precious soule may say Grace was in my heart and I knew it not I saw it not Blessed Bradford in one of his Epistles saith thus O Lord meethinks I feel it so with me sometimes as if there were no difference between my heart and the heart of the wicked my minde is as blinde as theirs my spirit as stout stubborne and rebellious as theirs and my thoughts as confused as theirs and my affections as disordered as theirs and sâ—rvices as formal as theirs c. Ah Christians have not many of your soules found it so Surely yes no wonder then that though you have grace yet you have not seen it sparkling and shining in your soules as some have thought that their fields have had no corne because they have been so full of weeds and that their heap hath no wheat because nothing hath appeared but chaffe that their pile hath no gold because it hath been covered with much dross So some have thought that their hearts have been void of grace because they have been so full of Matth. 14 30 Mat. 12. 15. Gen 20. Chap. fears and doubts Peter at one time beleeves and walkes at another time he doubts and sinkes Abraham beleeves and offers up Isaac at one time hee feares and falls at another time Say thou art my sister lest they kill mee So David and Job they had their shufflings tremblings faintings shakings Psal 116. 11. Psal 31. 22. and questionings It is not alwayes high water with Saints sometimes they are reduced to a very low ebbe The best of Saints are like the Rara hora brevis mora Ber. Arke tossed up and downe with waves with feares and doubts and so it will bee till they are quite in the bosome of Christ 6 Lastly a man may have grace and yet not see it yet not know it and this may arise from his non-searching his non-examining his non-ransacking of his owne soule there is gold in the Mine and men might finde it if they would
The fifth Proposition those choice soules that have assurance may lose it they may forfeit it the freshnesse and greennesse the beauty lustre and glory of assurance may bee lost It is true beleevers cannot lose the habits the seeds the root of grace yet they may lose assurance which is the beauty and fragrancy the crowne and glory of Grace These two lovers Grace and Assurance are not by 1 Joh. 3. 9. 1 Per 1. 5. God so neerly joyned together but that they may by sinne on our side and justice on Gods bee put asunder It is wonderfull rare if possible for a man that ever had a well-grounded Assurance not to experâ—ence this truth at first or last The keeping of these two Lovers Grace and Assurance together will yeeld the soul two heavens a heaven of joy and peace here and a heaven of happinesse and blessednesse hereafter but the putting these two Lovers asunder will put the soule into a hell here though it escape a hell hereafter This Chrysostome knew well when hee professed that the want of the enjoyment of God would bee a A separation between the body and the soul will not so torment the soul as separation between grace and assurance far greater hell to him then the feeling of any punishment As you would keep your Christ as you would keep your Comfort as you would keep your Crowne keep Grace and Assurance together and neither by lip nor life by word nor works let these be put asunder It is possible for the best men so to blot and blur their Evidences for felicity and glory as that they may not bee able to read them nor understand them They may so vexe and grieve the Spirit either by grosse enormities or by refusing his Spiritus Sanctus est res delicata the Holy Spirit is a very render thing comforts and cordials or by neglecting or sleighting his gracious actings in themselves and others or by mis-judging his worke as calling faith fancy or sincerity hypocrisie c. or by fathering those brats upon him that are the children of their owne distempered hearts as that hee may refuse to witnesse their interest in him 1 Sam. 16. Joh. 14. though he be a witnessing Spirit and refuse to comfort them though he be the onely Comforter The best beleever that breaths What Latimer said of the spirit it is going and coming may be truly said of Assurance and joy it is coming and going may have his Summer-day turned into a Winter-night his rejoycing into sighing his singing into weeping his wedding Robes into mourning weeds his wine into water his sweet into bitter his Mannah his Angels-food into husks his pleasant grapes into the grapes of Sodome his fruitfull Canaan his delightfull Paradise into a barren and unlovely wildernesse Look as faith is often attended with unbeleef and sincerity with hypocrisie and humility with vaine glory so is Assurance with feares and doubts Blessed Hooker lived neer So dâ—d Mr. Burroughs of blessed memory goe to heaven in a cloud thirty yeers in close communion with God without any considerable withdrawings of God all that while and yet upon his dying-bed he went away without any sense of assurance or discoveries of the smiles of God to the wonder and deceiving of the expectation of many precious soules and without doubt in judgement to wicked men Look as many a man loses the sight of the City when he comes neer to it So many a choice soule loses the sight of heaven even then when hee is neerest to heaven Abraham you know had assurance in an extraordinary way concerning his protection from God and yet saies Gen 12. 19. Chap. 20. 2. We should rather dye then lie we are not to tell an officious lye to tell a lye for no hurt but for good though it were to save all the world said Austin Abraham say thou art my sister for otherwise they will kill me Ah how was the freshness the greenness the beauty and glory of his assurance wore off that he should out of slavish fears expose his wife to other mens pleasure and himselfe and his neighbour to Gods displeasure that hee should wound foure at once the honour of God his wives chastity his owne conscience and Pharoahs soul David you know sometimes sings it out sweetly The Lord is my portion and the lot of mine inheritance he is my salvation of whom shall I be afraid he is my Psal 18. 2. Rocke and fortresse and my deliverer my God my strength my trust my buckler and my high Tower At other times you have him sighing it out Why art thou cast downe O my soule why art thou disquieted in me why hast thou forgotten me O God my Rock why goe I mourning Vers 9. Thine arrows stick fast in me and thy hand presseth me sore There is no soundness Psal 38. 2. in my flesh because of thine Vers 3. Vers 4 anger neither is there any rest in my bones because of my sinne for mine iniquities Vers 6. are gone over my head as an heavy burden they are too heavy for mee Psal 30. 7. Ps 51. 8. to 13. I am troubled I am bowed downe greatly I goe mourning all the day long Thou diddest hide thy face and I was troubled Restore to me the joy of my salvation that the bones that thou hast broken may rejoyce His heart was more often out of tune then his harpe He begins many of his Psalms sighing and ends them singing and others he begins in joy and ends in sorrow So that one would think saith one that Peter Moulin those Psalms had been composed by two men of a contrary humor Yea it is very observable that though David had assurance in an extraordinary way that he should be King being anoâ—nted by that great Prophet Samuel yet the lustre and glory of this assurance wears off and he overcome by slavish fears Psal 116. 11. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cryes out That all men are lyars even Samuel as well as others and that he shall one day perish by the hand of In my trembling or in my affrightment I said all men are lyers Saul It is true says David I have a Crown a Kingdom in a promise but I must swim to the Crown thorow blood I must win the Crown before I wear it and the truth is I am like to die before I attain it Yea and after he was King when King Jesus did but hide his face he was sorely troubled Psal 30. 6 7. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so that neither his glorious Bahal I was troubled like a withered flower that loosâ—th sap and vigor So it is used in Exod. 15. 15. Throne nor his Royal Robes nor his Golden Crown nor his glistering Courtiers nor his large Revenues nor his cheerful temper nor his former Experiences could quiet him or satisfie him when God had turned his back upon him Look as
Thus God dealt with Paul before he Acts 9. 1 to 23. put him upon that hard and dangerous service that he had cut out for him he takes him up into Heaven and sheds abroad his love into his heart and tells him That he is a chosen Vessel he appears to him in the way and fills him with the Holy Ghost that is with the gifts graces and comforts of the Holy Ghost And straightway he Chrysostom saith that he was Insatiabilis Dei cultor an unsatiable server of God falls upon Preaching of Christ upon exalting of Christ to the amazing and astonishing of all that heard him And as he had more clear full and glorious manifestations of Gods love and favor then others so he was more frequent more abundant and more constant in 2 Cor. 11. 21 ult the work and service of Christ then others And this hath been the constant It is sufficient to point at these instances they are so notoriously known to all that know any thing of the Scripture in power As he in Plutarch said of the Scythians that although they had no musick nor vines among them yet as better things they had gods so the Saints though they may want this and that outward encouragement in the service of God yet they shall injoy his presence that is better then all other things in the world dealing of God with the Patriarks as with Abraham Isaac and Jacob c. and with the Prophets as with Moses Isaiah Jeremiah Ezekiel c. when he hath put them upon weighty services he hath shed abroad his love into their hearts he hath set his seal upon their spirits and made them to know that he hath set them as a seal upon his hand he hath assured them of his countenance and of his presence and of his assistance he hath told them though others should desert them yet he will stand by them and strengthen them and support them and uphold them with the right hand of his Righteousness he hath told them that his power should be theirs to defend them and his wisdom should be theirs to direct them and his goodness should be theirs to supply them and his grace should be theirs to heal them and his mercy should be theirs to pardon them and his joy should be theirs to strengthen them and his promises should be theirs to chear them and his spirit should be theirs to lead them And this hath made them as bold as Lyons this hath made them stand fast and stand close to the work of God in the face of all dangers and difficulties this hath made them with stout Nehemiah scorn to desist or flie from the work of the Lord this hath made their Bows to abide in strength though the Archers have shot sore at them Now there are considerable Reasons why God is pleased to give his Children some sweet tastes of his love some assurance of his favor when he puts them upon some hard and difficult service and they are these that follow First That they may not faint nor Reas 1 faulter in his service but go thorow it Apollonius as Philostratus reports being asked if he did not tremble at the sight of the Tyrant made this answer God which hath given him a terrible countenance hath given also unto me an undaunted heart c. resolutely and bravely in the face of all difficulties and oppositions When God put Joshua upon that hard service of leading and governing his people Israel he assures him of his love and of his presence Fear not be of good courage I am with thee And this makes him hold on and hold out in the service of the Lord bravely and resolutely in the face of all discouragements Chuse you whom you will serve whether your fathers gods or the gods of the Amorites but as for me and my house we will serve the Lord. So when the Lord put Paul upon such service that Acts 20. 23. occasioned bonds and afflictions to abide him in every City he gives him a taste of Heaven before hand and lifts up the light of his countenance upon him and this makes him resolute and bold in the work of the Lord. Now Paul will not consult with flesh and blood Gal. 1. 15 16 17. now it is not reproaches nor stripes nor prisons nor whips nor perils nor deaths that can make him look back having put his hand to the Lords plough O the beamings forth of Divine Love upon his soul filled him with that courage and resolution that with Shammah one of Davids worthies he stands and defends the field 2 Tim. 4. 16 17. when others fall and flie and quit the field Secondly God gives his people Reas 2 some tastes of his love some sense of his favor when he puts them upon hard and difficult services because else he should not onely act below himself as he is a wise God a faithful God a powerful God a merciful God a righteous God c. But also act below his poor weak Creatures For And to imagine that ever the great God will act below the wisdom of those that are foolishness in the very abstract is the greatest madness and blasphemy in the world what Husband will put his Wife what Father will put his childe what Master will put his Servant what Captain will put his Souldier what Prince will put his Ambassadors upon hard and difficult services but they will smile upon them and speak kindly to them and make large promises to honor their persons and kindly to accept and nobly to reward their services c. Surely none And will God Isa 42. 8. 48. 11. will God who will not give his glory to those that have the most glorious Beings suffer his glory to be clouded and eclipsed by the prudent actings of weak worms Surely no. Thirdly God lifts up the light of Reas 3 his countenance upon his people when Solus amor nesciâ— difficultates Love knows no difficulties he puts them upon hard and difficult services that they may never repent of listing themselves in his service Ah did not the Lord warm the hearts of his people with the glorious beams of his love when he puts them upon hard work they would be ready when they meet with oppositions and hazards to throw up all and to sit down lamenting and repenting that ever they were engaged in his service they would be as peevish and froward as Jonah and with him venter a drowning to shift off Gods service Ah Melancthon was such a man whom Luther encourages thus Why should we fear a conquered world that have Christ the Conqueror on our side c. but now the Lord by letting his goodness drop upon their hearts and by putting an earnest-penny into their hands he causes them to go chearfully on in his work without sighing or repenting The kisses and embraces of God do put such life such spirit such mettle into their
shall come saith the Lord of hosts Well I will say but this If assurance of Gods love be not a Jewel worth a waiting for it is worth nothing Fourthly Suffering times are times Non poenae sed causa facit martyrem wherein the Lord is pleased to give his people some sense of his favor when they are in sufferings for Righteousness sake for the Gospels sake then usually God causes his face to shine upon them Now they shall hear best news Adversus gentes gratias agimus quod à molestis dominis liberemur saith One. We thank you for delivering us from hard task-masters that we may enjoy more sweetly the bosom of Christ from Heaven when they hear worst from Earth God loves to smile most upon his people when the world frowns most when the world puts their Iron chains upon their legs then God puts his Golden chains about their necks when the world puts a bitter Cup into their hands then God drops some of his honey some of his goodness and sweetness into it when the world is ready to stone them then God gives them the white stone and when the world is a tearing their good names then he gives them a new name that none knows but he that hath it a name that is better then that of sons and daughters when the world cryes out Crucifie them crucifie them then they hear that sweet voice from Heaven These are my beloved ones in whom I am well pleased when the world cloaths them with rags then the Lord puts on his Royal Robes and makes a secret Proclamation to their spirits Thus shall it be done to the men whom the King is pleased to honor when the world gives into one hand a Cup of Water God gives into the other a Cup of Nectar a Cup of Ambrosia when the world gnasheth upon them and presents all imaginary tortures before them then the Lord opens paradise to them as he did to Stephen when Paul and Silas were in prison for the Acts 7. 50. 16. 23 24. Me thinks said one I tread upon pearls when he trod upon hot burning coals and I feel no more pain then if I lay in a bed of down and yet he lay in flames of fiâ—e Revel 1 9 10. He was banished thither by Domitian the Tyrant Vide Euseb l. 3. c. 18. Vide Pliâ— l. 4. c. 12. Gospel sake then God fills them with such unspeakable joy that they cannot but be singing when others were sleeping God turns their prison into a pallace a paradise and they turn his mercies into praises Paul and Silas found more pleasure then pain more joy then sorrow more sweet then bitter more day then night in the prison God will make some beams of his goodness and glory to break thorow stone walls to warm and glad the hearts of his suffering-ones When John was banished into the Isle of Fathmos for the Word of God and the testimony of Jesus then he is filled with the Spirit and hath the choicest manifestations and the most glorious Revelations that ever he had all his days Now God makes him one of his Court and Counsel and tells him what glorious and mighty things shall be in the latter days Now he is in a Spiritual rapture and extasie and carried above himself and above all outward things to attend those glorious Visions that God would make known to him It was Gods lifting up the light of his countenance that made the Martyrs to sing in the fire to clap their hands in the flames and to tread upon hot burning coals as upon Beds of Roses This made one say when he felt the flame come to Vincentius his Beard What a small pain is this to be compared to the glory to come what is a drop of vinegar put into an ocean of wine what is it for one to have a rainy day that is going to take possession of a Kingdom The smiles of God made another to sing under dreadful sufferings Christianus sum I am a Christian Sanctus And this made the Christians to sing in Tertullians time Crudelitas vestra gloria nostra Your cruelty is our glory This made a French Martyr to say when the rope was about his fellows neck Give me that golden chain and dub me a Knight of that noble order This made another to desire when he was to die the favor of having his chains buried with him as the ensigns of his honor This made Basil to say Fire Nihil seutit erux in nervo quando animus est in caelo sword prison famine are all a pleasure a delight unto me This made Paul to rattle his Iron chains and to glory in it more then worldly men glory in all their outward glory This made Theodoret to complain that his persecuters did him wrong when they took him off the Rack and ceased tormenting of him for said he All the while that I was on the Rack I found me thought there was a yong man in white an Angel stood by me which wiped off the sweat and I found a great deal of sweetness in it which now I have lost To Sufferings are the ensigns of heavenly nobisiry noâ— wonder then that the Saints are so joyful under them conclude the smiles of God upon the prisoners of hope is that which makes them more chearful and delightful in their sufferings then Jesus Christ was in his When Faninus an Italian Martyr was asked by one why he was so merry at his death sith Christ himself was so sorrowful Christ said he sustained in his soul all the sorrows and conflicts with Hell and Death due to us by whose sufferings we are delivered from sorrow and fear of them all and therefore we have cause of rejoycing in the greatest sufferings Now there are these special Reasons to be given why the Lord is pleased in suffering times to visit his people with his loving kindness and to lift up the light of his countenance upon them Reas 1 First That their patience and constancy Christian fortitude is in ferendo nâ—n in ferierdo not in smiting but suffering under the Cross may be invincible God knows right well That if his left hand in suffering times be not under his people and his right hand over them if he does not give them some sips of sweetness some rellishes of goodness they would quickly grow impatient and inconstant O but now the smiles of God William Flower Appoloâ—â—us Basil Fulgentius Giles of Brussels Alexander Hales Polycaâ—â—us Calvin Luther Brentius Bullinger these and many more have been eminent in patience under sore tryals the gracious discoveries of God makes their patience and constancy invincible as it did Vincentius who by his patience and constancy madded his tormentors wherefore they stripped him stark naked whipped his body all over to a gore blood sprinkled Salt and Vinegar over all his wounds set his feet on burning coals then cast him naked into a
compleat satisfaction if thou wilt cast thy eye upon the particulars I doubt not but thou wilt finde that profit and content that will recompence More to that point I cannot easily say thee for thy pains And this I thought more convenient to hint to thee then to write over the same things that there thou wilt finde to thy delight and settlement The fifth Impediment to Assurance 5. Impediment is their grieving and vexing the Spirit of grace by not harkning to his voice Nil nisi sanctum a sanct◠spiritu prodire potest Nothing can come from the holy Spirit but that which is holy by refusing his counsel by stopping the ear by throwing water upon that fire he kindles in their souls and by attributing that to the Spirit that is to be attributed to mens own passions and distempers and to the Prince of Smoak drives away Bees and an ill savor drives away Doves Sin is such a smoak such an ill savor as drives away this Dove-like spirit darkness and his associates By these and such like ways they sad that precious Spirit that alone can glad them they set him a mourning that alone can set them a rejoycing they set him a grieving that alone can set them a singing and therefore it is that they sigh it out with Jeremiah Lam. 1. 16. Behold he that should comfort our souls stands afar off Ah doubting souls if ever you would have Assurance you must observe the motions of the Spirit and give up your selves to his guidance you must live by his Laws and tread in his steps you must live in the Spirit and walk in the Spirit you must let him be chief in your souls This is the way to have him to be a sealing Spirit a witnessing Spirit and an assuring Spirit to your hearts Believe it souls if this be not done you will be far off from quietness and settlement The word that in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The soul will not quite leave wrangling till it be quiet in the bosom of Christ 1 John 3. 19. is rendred assure signifies to perswade to note to us that our hearts are very froward and peevish and apt to wrangle and raise objections against God against Christ against the Scripture against our own and others experiences and against the sweet hints and joyings of the Spirit and this they will do especially when we omit what the Spirit perswades us to omissions raises fears and doubts and makes work for Hell or for the Spirit and Physitian of souls or else when we do that which the Spirit disswades us from If you be kinde and obedient to the Spirit it will not be long night with your souls but if you rebel and vex him he will make your Isai 63. 10. life a hell by withholding his ordinary influences by denying to seal you to the day of redemption and by giving you up to conflict with horrors and terrors c. Therefore be at the Spirits beck and check and assurance and joy will ere long attend you The sixt Impediment to Assurance 6. Impediment is doubting souls making their Sense Reason and Feeling the judges of their Spiritual Conditions Now so long as they take this course they will never reach to Assurance Reasons arm is too short to reach this Jewel Assurance This Pearl of price is put into no hand but that hand of Faith that reaches from Earth to Heaven What tongue can express or heart conceive the fears the doubts the clouds the darkness the perplexities that will arise from the souls reasoning thus I finde not that the countenance Gen. 31. 5. of God is towards me as before therefore surely my condition is bad I feel not those warmings those quicknings those cheerings those meltings as before I am not sensible of those secret stirrings and actings of the Spirit and Grace in my soul as before I do not hear such good news from Heaven as before therefore certainly God is not my God I am not beloved I am not in the state of Grace I have but deceived my self and others and therefore the issue will be that I shall die in my sins c. To make Sense and Feeling the Judges of our Spiritual Conditions what is it but to make our selves happy and miserable righteous and unrighteous saved and damned in one day I in one hour when Sense and Reason sit as Judges upon the Bench Hath God made Sense and Feeling the Judges of your Conditions No. Why then will you Is your Reason Scripture is your Sense Scripture is your Feeling Scripture No. Why then will you make them Judges of your Spiritual Estate Is not the Word the Judge by which all men and their actions shall be judged at last The word that I have spoken John 12. 43. says Christ shall judge you in the last day To the Law and to the Testimony Isa 8. 20. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 if they speak not according to this Word it is because there is no light or no morning in them Why then O doubting souls will you make your Sense and Feeling the Judge not onely of your conditions but of the truth it self What is this but to dethrone God and to make a god of your Sense and Feeling What is this but to limit and binde up the Holy One of Israel What is this but to toss the soul to and fro and to expose it to a labyrinth of fears and scruples What is this but to cast a reproach upon Christ to gratifie Satan and to keep your selves upon the rack Well doubting souls the counsel that I shall give you is this Be much in believing and make only the Scripture the judge of your condition maintain the judgement Inclinavit Deus Scripturas ad infantium lactentium capacitatem saith one God hath bowed down the Scriptures to the capacity even of Babes and Sucklings Id agit tota Scriptura ut credamus Deum esse misericordem Luth. Psal 119. 24. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the Word against the judgement of Sense and Feeling and if upon a serious sincere and impartial comparing of thy heart and the Word together of thy ways and the Word together the Word speaks thee out to be sincere to be a Nathanael to be a new Creature to be born again to have an immortal seed in thee c. Cleave to the Testimony of the Word joy in it rest upon it and give no more way to Fears and Doubts Let thy countenance be no more sad for nothing can speak or make that soul miserable that the Word speaks out to be happy Constantine would have all differences and disputes in the Nicene Councel ended by the Bible O doubting souls look cheerfully to this That all differences and controversies that arise in your hearts be ended by the Word there is danger in looking beside the Scripture or beyond the Scripture or short of the Scripture or upon sense
and feeling so much as upon the Scripture therefore let the Word be always the man of thy counsel No way to assurance and joy to settlement and establishment like this If you are resolved to make Sense and Feeling the Judge of your conditions you must resolve to live in fears and lie down in tears The seventh Impediment to Assurance 7. Impediment is Mens remisness carelesness laziness and overliness in Religious Services and in the Exercise of their graces Ah how active and lively are men The active Christian goes to Heaven Alacri animo ac plena fiducia in pursuing after the world but how liveless and unactive in the ways of Grace and Holiness Ah doubting Christians remember this That the promise of Assurance and Comfort is made over not to lazy but laborious Christians not to idle but to active Labor omnia vincit Christians not to negligent but to diligent Christians John 14. 21 22 23. He that hath my Commandments and keepeth them he it is that loveth me And he that loveth me shall be loved of Non amat qui non zelat Aug. my Father and I will love him and will manifest my self to him Now Judas saith unto him not Iscariot Lord How is it that thou wilt manifest thy self unto us and not to the world Jesus answered and said unto him If any man love me he will keep my words and my Father will love him and we will come unto him and make our abode with him So in that 2 Pet. 1. 10 11. Wherefore the rather Brethren 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a significant word it signifies all manner of earnestness scriousness and continuance in doing Also it signifies a speedy and swift putting of things in execution give diligence to make your Calling and Election sure For if you do these things ye shall be ministred unto you abundantly into the Everlasting Kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ A lazy Christian shall always want four things viz. Comfort and Content Confidence and Assurance God hath made a separation between Joy and Idleness between Assurance and Laziness and therefore it is impossible for thee to bring these together that God hath put so far a sunder Assurance and Joy are choice Donatives that Christ gives onely to laborious Christians The lazy Christian hath his mouth full of complaints when the active Christian hath his heart full of comforts God would have the hearts of his children to be hot in Religious Services be fervent or seething hot as it is in the Rom. 12. 11. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies seething hot Original in spirit serving the Lord. That service that hath not heavenly heat that hath not Divine fire in it is no service it is lost service A lazy spirit is always a losing spirit O! Remember lazy Christians that God is a pure act therefore he loves activeness in Religious services Remember the Angels those Princes of Ezek. 1 6. Marth 18. 10. glory are full of life and activity and they always behold the Fathers face in glory Remember he that will finde rich Minerals must dig deep he that Prov. 2. 4 5 6. will be rich must sweat for it he that will taste the Kirnel must crack the shell he that will have the Marrow must break the bone he that will wear the Garland must run the race he that will ride in triumph must get the victory so he that will get Assurance must be active and lively in duty It is onely fervent prayer that is effectual Jam â— 16. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The working prayer prayer it is onely the working prayer that works wonders in Heaven and that brings down wonderful Assurance into the heart Cold prayers shall never have any warm Answers God will suit his returns to our requests liveless services shall have liveless Answers when men are dull God will be dumb Elias prayed earnestly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He prayed in prayer or as it is in the Greek He prayed in prayer and God answered him Most men have more heat in their brains then in their hearts and services and therefore it is that they walk in darkness that they want assurance Many there be that pray but they do not pray in prayer they are not lively and earnest with God in prayer and therefore Justice shuts out their prayers When one desired to know what kinde of man Basil was there was saith the History presented to him in a dream a Pillar of fire with this Motto Talis est Basilius Basil is such a one all on a light fire for God Ah lazy doubting Christians were you all on a light fire in hearing in praying c. It would not be long before the Windows of Heaven would be open before God would rain down Manna before he would drop down Assurance into your bosoms My advice to you lazy Christians is this Cease complaining of the want of Assurance and be no more formal slight and superficial in Religious God shot Anastasius the Emperor to death with a thunder-bolt for his lukewarmness saith the Historian services but stir up your selves and put out all your might and strength in holy actions and you shall experimentally finde that it will not be long before you shall have such good news from Heaven as will fill you with joy unspeakable and full of glory The eighth Impediment to Assurance 8. Impediment is Mens living in the neglect of some Ordinance or in the omission Omission of Diet breeds diseases and makes the life uncomfortable yea sometimes a burâ—en to a man So the omission of holy duties and services breeds many fears doubts and questions in the soul about its own sincerity about its interest in Christ about its finding audience and acceptance with God and so makes the life of a Christian very uncomfortable yea a burden to him of some Religious duties they seek Christ in some of his ways but not in all they wait upon him in this and that Ordinance but not in every Ordinance Are there not many doubting souls that wait upon God in hearing the Word of Life and yet neglect and make light of waiting upon Christ in breaking the Bread of Life Are there not many that are very careful daily to perform Family duties and yet are very rarely found in Closet services Some there be that are all ear all for hearing and others there be that are all tongue all for speaking and praying and others there be that are all eye all for believing all for searching all for enquiring into this and that and others there be that are all hand all for receiving the Lords Supper c. And seriously when I consider these things I cease wondering that so many want Assurance and do rather wonder that any obtain Assurance considering how few there be that are conscientious and ingenuous in waiting upon God in every way and service wherein he
assurance and less money will serve your turns get but more assurance and less places of honor and profit will serve your turns get but assurance and then you will neither transgress for a morsel of Bread nor yet violently pursue after the Golden Wedge c. Fourthly Assurance will exceedingly heighten you in your communion with God and it will exceedingly 1 John 1. 1 2 3 4. sweeten your communion with God Assurance of a mans propriety in God raises him high in his fellowship with God There are none that have such choice and sweet communion with God as those that have the clearest assurance of their interest in God as may be seen thorowout the whole Book of Solomons Song My beloved Cant. 2. 16. is mine and I am his saith the Spouse I am assured of my propriety in him sayes she and therefore he shall lie all night betwixt my Brests and upon Chap. 1. 13. Chap 7. 5. this account it is that she holds King Jesus in the Galleries that she is sick of love that she is raised and ravished with his kisses and embraces His left Chap. 2. 6. hand is under my head and his right hand doth embrace me None had more assurance of her interest in Christ then she and none higher and closer in communion with Christ then she The Wives assurance of her interest in her Husband sweetens and heightens her communion with her Husband The Childes assurance of his interest in his Father sweetens his commerce and fellowship with his Father So the Believers assurance of his interest in God will exceedingly heighten and sweeten his communion and fellowship with God Assurance of a mans interest in God sweetens every thought of God and every sight of God and every taste of God and every good Word of God God is as Habet omnia qui habet habentem omnia He hath all that hath the honor of all sweet to the assured soul when he hath a sword in his hand as when he hath a Scepter when he hath the rod of indignation as when hee hath the cup of consolation when his garments are rowled and dyed in blood as when hee appeares in his VVedding Robes when hee acts the part of a Judge as when hee acts the part of a Father c. Fifthly Assurance will be a choyce preservative to keep you from backsliding from God and his wayes Ah Assurance will glue the soul to God and his wayes as Ruth was glued to her Mother Naomi It will make a man stand fast in the Faith and quit himself like a good Souldier of Christ 2 Pet. 1. 10 11. Wherefore the rather Brethren give Luther writing to his friend Melancthon troubled with fears saith Si nos ruimas ruit Christus If we fall saith he Christ falls diligence to make your calling and election sure for if yee doe these things yee shall never fall Stumble yee may and hee that does but stumble gets ground by his stumbling Assurance will keep a man from falling foully and from falling utterly Verily the reason why there is so many Apostates in these days is because there are so few that have a wel-grounded assurance in these days Pliny speaks of some fishes that swim back-ward Ah many Professors Pulchrior inpralio occisus miles quam fugâ salvus Better be slain in the Bed of Honor then be safe by running away in these days swim back-ward they swim from God and Christ and Conscience yea they swim from the very principles of morallity and common honesty Believe it Friends it is not high notions in the Brain but found assurance in the heart that will keep a man close to Christ when others back-slide from Christ An assured Christian will not exchange his Gold for Copper he knows that one old peece of Gold is worth a thousand new Counters One old truth of Christ is worth a thousand new errors though cloathed with glistering Robes and therefore he will prize the truth and own the truth and keep close to the truth when others that want a sound assurance make merchandize of Christ precious 2 Pet. 2. 3. truths and of their own and others immortal souls Get assurance and thou wilt stand when seeming Cedars fall want assurance and thou canst not but fall to the breaking of thy bones if not to the utter loss of thy precious soul Sixthly Assurance will very much imbolden the foul with God it will make a man divinely familiar with God it will make a man knock boldly at the door of Free-grace it will make a man come boldly before the Mercy-seat it will make a man enter boldly within the Holy of Holies Heb. 10. 22. Let us draw neer with a true 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Such full assurance as fills all the sails of the soul heart in full assurance of Faith having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water Assurance makes the soul top and top gallant it makes the soul converse with God as a Favorit with his Prince as a Bride with her Bridegroom as a Joseph with a Jacob. Luther under the power of assurance le ts fall this transcendent rapture of a during Faith Fiat mea voluntas Let my will be done and then falls off sweetly Mea voluntas domine quia tua My will Lord because thy will It is the want of assurance that makes the countenance sad the hands hang down the knees feeble and the heart full of Heb. 12. 12. fears and tremblings O therefore get assurance and that will scatter your fears and raise your hopes and chear your spirits and give wings to Faith and make you humbly bold with God You will not then stand at the door of Mercy with a may I knock with a may I go in with a may I finde audience and acceptance but you will with Esther boldly adventure your selves upon the Mercy and Goodness of God Now verily I think saith one speaking of Christ he cannot despise me who is bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh for if he neglect me as a brother yet he will love me as a husband that is my comfort Assurance will remove all strangeness from between Christ and the Soul of two it will make Christ and the Soul one Seventhly Assurance will sweeten the thoughts of death and all the Nemo ante sâ—nera fâ—lin Solon aches pains weaknesses sicknesses and diseases that are the fore-runners of it yea it will make a man look and long for that day it will make a man fick of his absence from Christ it makes a man smile upon the King of terrors it makes a man laugh at the shaking of the Spear at the noise of the battel at the garments of the Isa 9. 5 6. Nazianzen said to the King of Terrors Devour me devour me Death cures all diseases the aking head and the unbelieving heart Ultimus morborum medicus mors Warriors rolled
name till you have got the assurance of your pardon in your bosoms I know not what will CHAP. V. Shewing the several Ways and Means of gaining a wel-grounded Assurance FIrst if ever you will attain Means 1. to Assurance then be much in the Exercise and Actings of Grace as the believing Ephesians were Ephes 1 13. A Christian that would have assurance must never leave blowing his little spark till he hath blowed it into a flame in the very Exercise and Actings of Grace the Spirit of the Lord sealed them up to the day of Redemption Assurance flows in upon the actings of Grace assurance is bred and fed it is raised and maintained in the soul by the actings of Grace Grace is most discernable when it is most in action and Grace is made more and more perfect by acting Neglect of your Graces is the ground of their decrease Wells are the sweeter for drawing you get nothing by dead and useless Habits Talents hid in a Napkin gather rust the noblest faculties are imbased when not improved Grace in the habit is no more discernable then fire under the ashes then gold in the Ore then a dead man in the grave but Grace in its lively actings and operations is as a Prince upon his throne sparkling and shining Ah Christians were your grace more active it would be more visible and were your grace more visible your assurance would be more clear and full As Saint Paul once spake to Timothy Stir up the gift 2 Tim. 1. 6. The words are an allusion to the fire in the Temple which was always to be kept burning Vide Calvin upon the Text. of God that is in thee So I say to you if ever you would have assurance stir up the grace of God that is in you blow up that heavenly fire raise up those noble spirits never cease believing nor repenting till it be clearly given into your bosome that you are sure that you do believe and that you do repent as you are sure that you live as you are sure that God rules in Jacob and dwells in Zion Remember Christians all the honor that God hath from you in this life is from the actings and the exercise of your grace and not from the habits of grace Remember Christians that all your consolations flow not from the habits but from the acts of grace Remember Christians that the want of the exercise of grace is the reason why you do not discern your grace and why you have no more assurance of your future happiness He that will be rich must still be turning the peny and he that will attain unto the riches of assurance Col. 2. 2. must still be acting his graces there are none but lively active Christians that knows and feels those joys comforts and contents that attends the exercise of grace If thou wouldst not be always a Babe in Grace and a stranger to Assurance then see that thy Lamp be always burning see that the Golden Wheels of Grace be always going Secondly If you would Christians Means 2. attain unto assurance then you must minde your work more then your wages you must be better at obeying then at disputing at doing at walking then at talking and wrangling Assurance is heavenly wages that Christ gives not to loyterers but to holy laborers though no man merits assurance by his obedience yet God usually crowns obedience with assurance John 14. 21 22 23. He that Non enim passibus ad Deum sed affectibas currimus Ambulas si amas Thou walkest if thou lovest to walk hath my Commandments and keepeth them he it is that loveth me and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father and I will love him and will manifest my self to him Vers 22. Judas saith unto him not Iscariot Lord how is it that thou wilt manifest thy self unto us and not unto the world Vers 23. Jesus answered and said unto him If any man love me he will keep my words and my Father will love him and we will come unto him and make our abode with him In these words you see that doing Christians working Christians are the onely Christians that shall have most of the love of the Father and the Son and that shall have the choicest manifestations of grace and favor and that shall have most of their presence and company So in Psal 50. 23 Unto him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that ordereth his conversation aright That disposeth his way as God haâ—h prescribed will I declare the salvation of God That is I will declare my self to be his Saviour I will shew him Salvation and I will shew him his interest iâ— Salvation I will save him and I will make him see that I have saved him he shall see the worth of Salvation and taste the sweetness of Salvation So in Gal. 6. 16. And as many as walk according to this rule that is the rule of the new Creature Peace be on them and mercy and upon the Israel of God The Greek word that is here rendred 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vide Bezam and Pareus on the Text. walk signifies not simply to walk but to walk by rule in order and measure without treading aside but making straight steps to our feet Now those choice souls that thus walks according to the Law of the new Creature shall have peace and mercy in them and peace and mercy with them and peace and mercy on them As many as walk according to this rule peace and mercy be on them Assurance is a jewel of too high a price to be cast into any of their bosoms that walk contrary to the Laws of the new Creature such may talk of assurance and make a stir and a noise about assurance but it is the close walking Christian that shall be crowned with assurance Assurance is a choice part of a Believers Vis nunquam esse tristis bene vive Wouldst thou never be fact then live well says Bernard happiness and therefore God will never give it out of a way of holiness The Lord hath set apart for himself the man that is godly Psal 4. 3. None are favorites in Gods Court nor none are admitted to be of his Counsel but those who are all glorious within and whose rayment is of imbroidered gold That is such whose principles are full of spiritual glory and whose practises are amiable and answerable in purity and sanctity These are the persons that shall have the honor to have Gods ear and the happiness to know his heart The third Means to gain assurance Means 3. is To be kinde to the Spirit hear his voice follow his counsel live up to his Laws The Spirit is the great Revealer of the Fathers secrets he lies in the bosom of the Father he knows every name that is written in the Book of Life he is best acquainted with the inward workings of the heart of God towards poor sinners
is true even in his Son Jesus Christ this is the true God and eternal life 2 Pet. 1. 3. According as his Divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and vertue What this Knowledge is that accompanies Salvation I shall shew you anon Secondly Faith is another of those special things that accompanies Salvation 1 Thes 2. 13. But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you Brethren Beloved of the Lord because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation thorow sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the Truth 1 Pet. 1. 5. You Vide Parcus Esteum Gerhardum on the Text. who are kept by the power of God through Faith unto Salvation Vers 9. Receiving the end of your Faith even the salvation of your souls Heb. 10. 30. But we are not of them who draw back to perdition but of them that believe to the saving of the soul John 3 14 15 16. Mark 16. 16. Acts 16. 31. Rom. 10. 9. Isa 45. 22. Phil. 2. 8. Joh 11. 25 26. 1 John 5. 10. All â—hese and many more Scriptures speaks out the same truth This dâ—uble asseveration or protestation is used onely in matters of weâ—ght and unhappy are we â—hat we cannot believe without them And as Moses lifted up the Serpent in the Wilderness even so must the Son of Man be lifted up that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have eternal life for God so loved the world that he gave his onely begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life Vers 36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life Chap. 5. 24. Verily verily I say unto you he that heareth my Word and believeth on him that sent me hath everlasting life and shall not come into condemnation but is passed from death unto life Chap. 6. 40. And this is the will of him that sent me that every one that seeth he Son and believeth on him may have everlasting life and I will raise him up at the last day Vers 47. Verily verily I say unto you he that believeth on me hath everlasting life Thirdly Repentance is another of those choice things that accompanies salvation 2 Cor. 7. 10. For godly sorrow The very word repâ—nt was very displeasing to Luther till his conversion but afterward he took delight in the work Paehitens de peccato dolet de dolore gaudet Luth to sorrow for his sin and then rejoyce in his sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of but the sorrow of the world worketh death Jere. 4. 14. O Jerusalem wash thy heart from wickedness that thou mayest be saved Acts 11. 18. When they heard these things they held their peace and glorified God saying Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life Matth. 18. 3. And Jesus said verily I say unto you except ye be converted and become as little children ye shall not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven Acts 3. 19. Repent ye therefore and be converted that your sins may be blotted out when the time of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord. Fourthly Obedience is another of those precious things that accompanies salvation Heb. 5. 9. And being Vide B. Dewâ—h of Justification 17. c. 7. made perfect speaking of Christ he became the Author of Eternal Salvation unto all them that obey him Psal 50. 23. whoso offereth praise glorifieth me and to him that ordereth his conversation aright will I declare the Salvation of God Fifthly Love is another of those singular things that accompanies salvation Deus nihil corenat nisi dona sui August When God câ—ownâ—th us he doth but crown hâ—s own gifts in us 2 Tim. 4. 8. Henceforth there is laid up for me a Crown of Righteousness which the Lord the righteous Judge shall give me at that day and not to me onely but unto them also that love his appearing James 2. 5. Hearken my beloved brethren haâ—h not God chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the Kingdome which he hath promised to them that love him 1 Cor. 2. 9. It is written eie hath not seen nor eare heard neither hath it entred into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them that love him James 1. 12. Blessed is the man that indureth temptation for when The word Crown notes to us the perpetuity of that life the Apostle speaks of for a Crown hath neither beginning nor ending 2. It notes plenty the Crown fetches a compasse on every side 3. It notes dignity it notes majesty Eternal life is a coronation day It notes all joys all delights in a word it notes all good it notes all glory he is tryed he shall receive the crown of life which the Lord hath promised to them that love him Matth. 19. 28 29. And Jesus said unto them verily I say unto you that yee which have followed me in the regeneration When the Son of Man shall sit in the Throne of his glory yee shall sit upon twelve Thrones judging the twelve Tribes of Israel And every one that hath forsaken houses or Brethren or Sisters or Father or Mother or Wife or Children or Lands for my name sake shall receive an hundred fold and shall inherit everlasting life The whole is as if Christ had said whosoever shall shew love to mee this way or that in one thing or another out of respect to my Name to my Honor mercy shall bee his portion here and glory shall bee his portion hereafter Sixthly Prayer is another of those sweet things that accompanies salvation Rom. 10. 10. 13. For with the heart man beleeveth unto righteousnesse and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation For whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved Act. 2. 21. And it shall come to passe that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved That is saith one hee shall be certainly sealed up to salvation Or as another saith he that hath this grace of Prayer it is an evident sign and assurance to him that he shall be saved Therefore to have grace to pray is a better and a greater mercy then to have gifts to prophesie Matth. 7. 22. Praying souls shall finde the gates of heaven open to them when prophecying souls shall find them shut against them Seventhly and lastly Perseverance is another of those prime things that accompanies salvation Matth. 10. 22. And yee shall be hated of all men for my name sake but he that indureth to the end the same shall be saved Chap. 24. 12 13. And because iniquity shal abound the love The same words you have in Mark 13. 13. of many shal wax cold but he that indureth unto the end the same shal be saved Rev. 2. 10. Fear none of
for he hath found it so That Christ is the one Psal 27. 4. thing necessary for hee hath found him so That the favour of God is Psal 63. 3. better then life for he hath found it Psal 32. 1 2. so That pardoning mercy onely makes a man happy for he hath found it so a That wounded spirit is such Prov. 18. 14. a burthen that none can bear for he Psal 51. 17. hath found it so That an humble and a broken heart is an acceptable sacrifice to God for he hath found it so That the Promises are precious pearles for 2 Pet. 1. 4. hee hath found them so That the smiles of God will make up the want Psal 4. 6 7. of any outward mercy for he hath found it so that communion with Psal 48. 10. God can onely make a Heaven in a Beleevers heart for he hath found it so John 16. That if the Spirit be pleased and obeyed he will be a comforter to the soul for he hath found it so But if his motions and laws be slighted and neglected Lam. 1. 16. Isa 63. 10. 11. he will stand far off from the soul he will vex and gall the soule Well souls remember this That knowledge that is not experimental will never turn to your account it will only increase your guilt and torment as it did the Scribes and Pharisees What advantage had the men of the old world by their knowing that there was an Arke or by their clambering about the Arke when they were shut out and drowned in the flood What doth it profit a man to see heaps of Jewels and Pearles and mountains of Gold and Silver when he is monylesse and pennilesse It is rather a torment then a comfort to know that there is a pardon for other malefactors but none for me that there is bread for such and such hungry souls but none for me that there is water and wine to chear comfort and refresh such and such but not a sip a drop for me my bottle is empty and I may die for thirst whilst others are a drinking at the fountain head That there is houses and cloaths to shelter such and such from colds storms and tempests whilst I lie naked with Lazarus at Dives door exposed to the miseries of all weathers This kind of knowledge doth rather torment men then comfort them it does but adde fuell to the fire and make their hell the hotter the knowledge that Devils and Apostates have of God Christ and the Scriptures c. being onely notional is so far from being a comfort to them that it is their greatest torment James 2. 19. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies so roars the Sea and to tremble and shake horribly it is a worm that is eternally gnawing them it makes them ten thousand times more miserable then otherwise they would be They are still a crying out O that our light our light were put out O that our knowledge our knowledge were extinguished O that we might but change rooms change places with the Heathens with the Barbarians that never knew what we have known O how happy would damned Devils and Apostates judge themselves in hell if they should escape with those dreadfull stripes that shall be eternally laid upon the backs of fools Remember Reader that a little heart knowledge a little experimental knowledge is of greater efficacy and worth then the highest notions of the most acutest wits He doth well that discourses of Christ but he doth infinitely better that by experimental knowledge feeds and lives on Christ It was not Adams seeing â—ut his tasting of forbidden fruit that made him miserable and it is not your seeing Psal 34. 8. of Christ but your experimentall tasting of Christ that will make you truly happy As no knowledge will save you but what is experimental so let no knowledge satisfie you but what is experimental Fourthly that Knowledge that accompanies salvation is a heart-affecting-knowledge it affects the heart with Christ and all spiritual things O it doth wonderfully 1 John 4. 7 8. indear Christ and the things of Christ to the soul Can. 2. 5. Stay me with flaggons and comfort me with apples for I am sick of love O saith the Spouse my heart is taken with Christ it is raised and ravished with his love my soule is burning my soul is beating towards Christ O none but Christ none but Christ I cannot live in my selfe I Plusquam mea plusquam meos plusquam me Ber. cannot live in my Duties I cannot live in externall Priviledges I cannot live in outward Mercies I cannot live in common Providences I Col. 3. 3 4. Ignatius cryed out amor meus crucifixus my love my love is crucified c. can live onely in Christ who is my Life my Love my Joy my Crown my all in all O the hearing of Christ affects me the seeing of Christ affects me the taste of Christ affects mee the glimmerings of Christ affects me the more I come to know him in his Natures in his Names in his Offices in his discoveries in his appearances in his beauties the more I finde my heart and affections to prize Christ to Psal 73. 23 25 26. run after Christ to be affected with Christ and to be wonderfully indeared to Christ Cant. 5. 10. He is white and ruddy the cheifest of ten thousand The knowledge that she had of Christ did so affect and indear her heart to Christ that she cannot but make use of all her Rhetorick to set forth Christ in the most lovely and lively colours Gal. 6. 14. God forbid that I should glory in any thing save in Christ Jesus O God forbid that my heart should be affected or taken with any thing in comparison of Christ The more I know him the more I like him the more I know him the more I love him the more I know him the more I desire him the more I know him the more my heart is knit unto him His Beauty is taking his Love is ravishing his Goodnesse is drawing his Manifestations are inticing and his Person is inamoring His lovely Looks pleases me his pleasant Voice delights mee his precious Spirit comforts me his holy Word rules mee and these things make Christ to be a Heaven unto me O but now all that notionall knowledge that speculative knowledge that leaves a man on this side salvation never affects the heart it never draws it it never indears the heart to Christ or to the precious things of Christ Hence it is that such men under all their notions under all their light and knowledge have no affection to Christ no delight in Christ no workings of heart after Christ Well Reader remember this if thy knowledge doth not now affect thy heart it will at last with a witnesse afflict thy heart if it doth not now indear Christ to thee it will at last the more provoke Christ against thee if
Christ Pauls great light makes him very little though he was the greatest Apostle yet he looks upon himself a◠less then the least of all Saints Of all the Evangelists John was most sharp-sighted John in the Hebrew signifies The grace of God This Barbarian said the Philosopher hath comprised more in three lines then we have done in all our volumnious discourses Matth. 11. 9 10 11. Christ wonderfully extols John Sayes Christ he is a Prophet yea and more then a Prophet yea a greater is not born of women But the greatest wonder of all is that John is so low in his own eyes most Eagle-eyed he had the clearest sight of Christ he lay most in the bosom of Christ he knew most of the minde of Christ he had the fullest manifestations and revelations of Christ and yet O how little how low is John in his own eyes John 1. 26 27. John answered them saying I baptize with water but there standeth one among you whom ye know not He it is who coming after me is preferred before me whose shooes latchet I am not worthy to unloose In this phrase John alludes to the custom of the Hebrews those among them which were more noble then others had Boyes who carried their shooes and untied them when they laid them by O sayes John I am a poor weak worthless Creature I am not worthy to be admitted to the meanest to the lowest service under Christ I am not worthy to carry his shooes to unloose his shooes After Peter had been in the Mount and instructed and enlightned by Christ he cryes out Depart from me O Lord for I am a sinful man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A man a sinner a very mixture and compound of dirt and sin of vileness and baseness as you may see in comparing Matth. 17. 1 2 3 4. with Luke 5. 8. Abraham under Gen. 18. 27. all his light and knowledge acknowledges himself to be but dust and ashes Jacob under all his knowledge Gen. 32. 10. acknowledges himself to be less then the least of all mercies David under Psal 22. 2. 73 22. all his knowledge acknowledges him self to be a worm and no man he acknowledges himself to be foolish and ignorant and as a beast before the Lord. Job under all his knowledge Job 42 1 2 3 4 5. acknowledges that he hath much reason to abhor himself in dust and ashes Agur was very good and his knowledge very great and yet under all his knowledge O how doth he villifie yea nullifie himself Surely saith he I am more bruitish then any man and Prov. 30. 1 2 3 4. have not the understanding of a man I neither learned wisdom nor have the knowledge of the holy The Evangelical Prophet Isaiah under all his knowledge Isa 6. 1. to 8 c. and visions which were very great and glorious acknowledges himself to be a man of unclean lips and to dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips Divine and heavenly knowledge brings a man The light that the Moon borrows from the Sun discovers her own spots and makes them the more conspicuous Isa 6. near to God it gives a man the clearest and the fullest fight of God and the nearer any man comes to God and the clearer visions he hath of God the more low and humble will that man lie before God None so humble as they that have nearest communion with God The Angels that are near unto him cover their faces with their wings in token of humility Divine knowledge makes a man look inwards it anatomizes a man to himself it is a glass that shews a man the spots of his own soul and this makes him little and low in his own eies In the beams of this heavenly When a beam of Divine light had shined upon Augustine he cryed out Teneo in memoria scribo in charta sed non habeo i◠vita Gal. 6 3. Many in these days are like the Chineses who use to say That they onely did see with two eyes all others but with one light a Christian comes to see his own pride ignorance impatience unworthiness conceitedness worthlesness frowardness and nothingness That knowledge that swells thee will undo thee that knowledge that puffs thee will sink thee that knowledge that makes thee delightful in thy own eyes will make thee despicable in God and good mens eyes 1 Cor. 8. 1 2. Knowledge puffeth up that is Notional knowledge Speculative knowledge Knowledge that ripens a man for destruction that will leave him short of salvation this knowledge puffs and swells a man and makes him think himself something when he is nothing And if any man thinketh that he knoweth any thing he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know saith the Apostle Will not that Philosopher rise in judgement against many of our high-flown Professors who swell who look big and talk big under their notional knowledge who said under all his knowledge which was very great Hoc tantum scio quod nihil scio This onely do I know that I know nothing Well if that knowledge thou hast be that knowledge that accompanies salvation it is a soul humbling and a soule abasing knowledge if it bee otherwise then will thy knowledge make thee both a Prisoner and a Slave to the Devill at once Seventhly That Knowledge that accompanies salvation is an appropriating knowledge a knowledge that appropriates and applies spiritual and heavenly benefits to a mans own particular soul As you may see in Job my Job 19 25. and 16. 19. Redeemer lives and my witnesse is in Heaven and my record is on high So David the Lord is my portion in Psal Psal 16. 5. 18. 2. he useth this word of propriety eight times together The Lord is my rock and my fortresse and my deliverer my God my strength in whom I will trust my buckler and the horn of my salvation and my high Tower So the Spouse my Beloved is mine and I am Cant. 2. 16. John 20. 28. his So Thomas My Lord and my God So Paul I am crucified with Christ neverthelesse This is the pith and power of heavenly knowledge to appropriate Christ to a mans selfe I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God who hath loved me and gave himself for me Applicatory knowledge is the sweetest knowledge it revives the heart it chears the spirits it rejoyces the soul it makes a man go singing to duties and go singing to his grave and singing to Heaven Whereas others Those that have a blemish in their eie think the Skie to be ever cloudy and nothing is more common to weak spirits then to be criticizing and contending c. though gracious that want this applicatory knowledge have their hearts full of fears and their lives full of sorrows and so go sighing and mourning
out to his Father to help him to stand by him and to engage for him against his enemy so Faith being sensible of its own weakness and inability to get the victory over sin cries out to Christ and engages Christ who is stronger then the strong man and so Christ binds the strong man and casts him out Faith tells the soul That all purposes resolutions and endeavors without Christ be engaged will never set the soul above its sins they will never purifie the heart from sin Therefore Faith engages Christ and casts the main of the work upon Christ and so it purges the soul from sin Luther reports of Staupicius a German Divine that he acknowledged that before he came to understand the free and powerful grace of Christ that he vowed and resolved an hundred times against some particular sin and could never get power over it he could never get his heart purified from it till he came to see that he trusted too much to his own resolutions and too little to Jesus Christ But when his faith had engaged Christ against his sin he had the victory Again Faith purifies the heart from sin by the application of Christs Blood Faith makes a plaister It is the excellency of Faith that it can turn the Blood of Christ both into food and into Physick of Christs blessed Blood and layes it on upon the souls soars and so cures it Faith makes a heavenly vomit of this blessed Blood and gives it to the soul and so makes it cast up that poyson that it hath drunk in Faith tells the soul that it is not all the tears in the world nor all the water in the Sea that can wash away the uncleanness of the soul it is onely the Blood of Christ that can make a Blackmoor white it is onely the Blood of Christ that can cure a Leprous Naaman that can cure a Leprous soul This Fountain of Blood sayes Faith is the onely Fountain for Judah and Jerusalem to wash Zach 13. 1. themselves to wash their hearts from all uncleanness and filthiness of flesh and spirit Those spots a Christian findes in his own heart can onely be washed out in the Blood of the Lamb by a hand of Faith Again Faith purifieth the soul from sin by putting the soul upon heart-purifying Ordinances and by mixing and mingling it self with Ordinances The word profited Heb. 4 2. them not saith the Apostle because it was not mixt with faith in them that heard it Faith is such an excellent ingredient that it makes all potions work for the good of the soul for the purifying of the soul and for the bettering of the soul and no potion no means will profit the soul if this heavenly ingredient be not mixt with it Now Faith puts a man upon praying upon hearing upon the fellowship of the Saints upon publick duties upon family duties and upon Closet duties and Faith in these comes and joyns with the soul and mixes her self As Christ came and joyn'd himself to his Disciples with these soul-purifying Ordinances and so makes them effectual for the purifying of the soul more and more from all filthiness and uncleanness Faith puts out all her vertue and efficacy in Ordinances to the purging of Sin is like the wilde Fig-tree or Ivy in the Wall cut off stump body bough and branches yet some sprigs or other will sprout out again till the Wall be plucked down c. souls from their dross and Tin Not that Faith in this life shall wholly purifie the soul from the being of sin or from the motions or operations of sin no for then we should have our Heaven in this world and then we might bid Ordinances adue but that faith that accompanies Salvation doth naturally purifie and cleanse the heart from the remainders of sin by degrees Sound Faith is still a making the heart more and more neat and clean that the King of glory may delight in his habitation that he may not remove his Court but may abide with the soul for ever And thus you see that that Faith that accompanies Salvation is a heart-purifying Faith The fifth Property of that Faith that accompanies Salvation is this It is soul softning soul mollifying O nothing breaks the heart of a sinner like Faith Peter believes soundly and Matth. 26. ult Luke 7. weeps bitterly Mary Magdalen believes much and weeps much Faith sets a wounded Christ a bruised Christ a despised Christ a peirced Christ a bleeding Christ before the soul and this makes the soul sit down and weep bitterly I will pour upon the Zach. 12. 10 c. house of David the Spirit of Grace and of Supplications And they shall look upon him whom they have pierced and they shall mourn for him All Gospel-mourning flows from believing as one mourneth for his onely son and shall be in bitterness for him as one that is in bitterness for his first-born O the sight of those wounds that their sins have made will wound their hearts thorow and thorow it will make them lament over Christ with a bitter lamentation They say nothing will dissolve the Adamant but the Blood of a Goat Ah nothing will kindly sweetly and effectually break the hardned heart of a sinner but Faiths beholding the Blood of Christ trickling down his sides Pliny reports of a Serpent That when it stings it fetches all the blood out of the body but it was never heard that ever any sweat blood but Christ and the very thoughts of this makes the believing soul to sit down sweating and weeping That Christ should love man when he was most unlovely that mans extream misery should but inflame Christs bowels of love and mercy This melts the believing soul that Christ should leave the eternal bosom of his Father that he tha was equal with God should come in the form of a servant that he that was cloathed with glory and born a King should be wrapped in raggs that he that the Heaven of Heavens could not contain should be cradled in a Manger that from his Cradle to his Cross his whole life should be a life of sorrows and sufferings that the Judge of all flesh should be condemned that the Lord of Life should be put to death that he that was his Fathers joy should in anguish of Spirit cry out My God my God why hast thou forsaken me That that head that was crowned with honor should be crowned with thorns that those eyes that were as a flame of fire that were clearer then the Sun should be closed up by the darkness of death that those ears which were wont to hear nothing but Hallelujahs should hear nothing but Blasphemies that that face that was white and ruddy should be spit upon by the beastly Jews that that tongue that spake as never man spake yea as never Angel spake should be accused of blasphemy that those hands which swayed both a Golden Scepter and an Iron Rod and
had The Philosophers say That there are eight degrees of heat we discern three Now if a man should define heat onely by the highest degree then all other degrees will be cast out from being heat So if a man should define Faith onely by the highest degrees and operations of it then that will be denied from being faith that indeed is faith as I shall presently shew In the second place I shall give you some hints concerning weak faith 1. A weak faith doth as much justifie and as much unite a man to Christ as a strong faith It gives a man as much propriety and interest in Christ as the strongest faith in the world The Babe hath as much interest But a Babe cannot improve his interest as he that is of grown yeers 2 Pet. 1. 1. in the Father as he that is of grown years A weak faith gives a man as good a title to Christ and all the precious things of Eternity as the strongest faith in the world A weak hand may receive a Pearl as well as the strong hand of a Gyant Faith is a receiving of Christ John 1. 12. 2. The promises of Eternal Happiness and Blessedness are not made over to the strength of Faith but to the truth of Faith not to the degrees of Faith but to the reality of Faith He that believes shall be saved though he hath not such a strength of Faith as to stop the mouth of Lyons as to work Miracles as to remove Mountains Heb. 11. 33 34 35. as to subdue Kingdoms as to quench the violence of Fire as to resist strong Temptations as to rejoyce under great persecutions No man that is saved is saved upon the account of the strength of his faith but upon the account of the truth of his faith In the great day Christ will not bring ballances to weigh mens graces but a touch-stone to try their graces He will not look so much at the strength as at the truth of their graces 3. The weakest faith shall grow stronger and stronger A weak Believer shall Rom. 1. 17. Heb. 12. 2. go on from Faith to Faith Christ is the finisher as well as the Author of our Faith Christ will nurse up this blessed Babe and will not suffer it to be strangled in its infancy He that hath begun a good work will perfect it Christ is as Phil. 1. 6. well bound to look after our graces as he is to look after our souls Grace is 1 Pet. 1. 5. Christs work therefore it must prosper in his hand he is the great Builder and Repairer of our Graces he will turn thy spark into a flame thy drop Matâ—h 12. 20. 13. 32. into an Ocean thy penny into a pound thy mite into a million Therefore do not sit down discouraged because thy faith is weak That which is sowed in weakness shall rise in power Thy weak faith shall have a glorious Resurrection Christ will not suffer such a Pearl of price to be buried under a clod of Earth 4. A little faith is faith as a spark of fire is fire a drop of water is water a little Star is a Star a little Pearl is a Pearl Verily thy little faith is a Jewel that God doth highly prize and Matth. 18. 10. value and thy little faith will make thee put a higher price upon Christ 1 Pet. 2. 7. and Grace then upon all the world Well remember this That the least measure of true faith will bring thee to Salvation and possess thee of Salvation as well as the greatest measure A little faith accompanies Salvation as well as a great faith a weak faith as well a strong Therefore do not say O precious Soul That thou hast not that faith that accompanies Salvation because thou hast not such a strong faith or such and such degrees of faith A great faith will yeeld a man a Heaven here a little faith will yeeld him a Heaven hereafter The third thing that I am to shew you is What Repentance that is that accompanies Salvation That Repentance doth accompany Salvation I have formerly shewed Now I shall manifest in the following particulars what Repentance that is that doth accompany Salvation that comprehends Salvation that boarders upon Salvation First That Repentance that accompanies Salvation is a general a universal change of the whole man a change in every part though it be but in part That Repentance that accompanies Salvation changes both heart and life word and work it makes an Ethiopian an Israelite a Leaper an Angel Wash ye make you clean there is the change of your hearts Put away the Isa 1. 16 17 18. evil of your doings from before mine eyes cease to do evil learn to do well there is the change of their practices So the Prophet Ezekiel Cast Ezek. 18. 30 31 32. True Repentance is a thorow change both of the minde and manners away all your transgressions saith he whereby you have transgressed there is the change of the life And make you a new heart and a new spirit there is the change of the heart That Repentance that accompanies Salvation Optima aptissima paenitentia est nova vita saith Luther It is said that upon ones Preaching Repent Repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand There followed almost every where Delictorum paenitentiae morum reformatio omnium contritio cessabant blasphemiae aleae ludi c. works a change in the whole man in all the qualities of the inward man and in all the actions of the outward man The Understanding is turned from darkness to light the Will from a sinful servility to a holy liberty the Affections from disorder into order the Heart from hardness into softness So in the outward man the wanton eye is turned into an eye of chastity the uncircumcised ear is turned into an obedient ear the hands of bribery are turned into hands of liberality and the wandering feet of vanity are turned into ways of purity And verily that Repentance that changes a man in some part but not in every part that onely makes a man a Herod or an Agrippa a half Christian an almost Christian That Repentance will never bring down Heaven into a mans bosom here nor never bring a man up to Heaven hereafter That Repentance that accompanies Salvation makes a man all glorious within and his rayment Psal 45. 13. to be of imbroidered gold it stamps the Image of God both upon the inward and the outward man it makes the heart like the Ark all Gold within and it makes the life like the Sun all glorious without Secondly That Repentance that accompanies Salvation is a total turning as well as an universal turning a turning from all sin without any reservation or exception I hate and abhor every false way but thy Law do Psal 119. True hatred is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the whole kinde Arist And God hath engaged himself to
it the greatest mercy in the world to be still a mourning over sin sayes the Penitent soul The Penitent soul never ceases repenting till he ceases living He goes to Heaven with the joyful tears of Repentance in his eyes He knows that his whole life is but a day of sowing tears that he may at last reap everlasting joyes That Repentance that accompanies Salvatition is a final forsaking of sin It is a bidding sin an everlasting adieu it is a taking an eternal farwel of sin a never turning to folly more What have I to do any more with Idols says Ephraim Hos 14. 8. I have tasted of the bitterness that is in sin I have tasted of the sweetness of divine mercy in pardoning of sin therefore away sin I will never have to do with you more you have robbed Christ of his service and me of my comfort and crown Away away sin you shall never be courted nor countenanced by me more That man that onely puts off his sins in the day of adversity as he doth his garments at night when he goes to bed with an intent to put them on again in the morning of prosperity never yet truly repented He is a dog that returns to the vomit again he is a swine that returns to the wallowing in the mire such a dog was Judas such a swine was Demas It is an extraordinary vanity in some men to lay aside their sins before solemn duties but with a purpose to return to them again as the Serpent layeth aside his poyson when he goeth to drink and when he hath drunk he returns to it again as they fable it It is sad when men say to their lusts as Abraham said to his servants Abide you here and I will go and worship and return again to you Gen. 22. 5. Verily such souls are far off from that Repentance that accompanies Salvation for that makes a final and everlasting separation between sin and the soul it makes such a divorce between sin and the soul and puts them so far a sunder that all the world can never bring them to meet as two lovers together The Penitent Soul looks upon sin and deals with sin not as a friend but as an enemy it deals with sin as Amnon dealt with Tamar 2 Sam. 13. 15. And Amnon hated her exceedingly so that the hatred wherewith he hated her was greater then the love wherewith he had loved her And Amnon said unto her Arise be gone Just thus doth the Penitent Soul carry it self towards sin And thus you see what Repentance that is that accompanies Salvation The fourth thing I am to shew is What Obedience that is that doth accompany Salvation That Obedience doth accompany Salvation I have formerly proved Now what this Obedience is that doth accompany or comprehend Salvation I shall shew you in these following particulars First That Obedience that accompanies Salvation is cordial and hearty the heart the inward man doth answer and eccho to the Word and Will of God The Believer knows That no Obedience but hearty Obedience is acceptable to Christ he knows Isa 29. 13. Matth. 15. 7 8 9. The heart is Camâ—ra omnipotentis regis i. e. The presence chamber of the King of Heaven and that upon which his eye his hand his heart is most set that nothing takes Christs heart but what comes from the heart Christ was hearty in his obedience for me sayes the Believer and shall not I be hearty in my obedience to him Christ will lay his hand of love his hand of acceptance upon no obedience but what flows from the heart Rom. 6. 9. Ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you So in Rom. 7. ult So then with the minde I myself serve the Law of God My heart sayes Paul is in my obedience So in Rom. 1. 9. God is my witness whom I serve with my spirit in the Gospel of his Son Many serve God with their bodies but I serve him with my spirit many serve him with the outward man but I serve him with my inward man God hath written his Law in Ezek. 36. 26 27. Believers hearts and therefore they cannot but obey it from the heart I delight to do thy will O my God how so why thy Law is within my heart or in the midst of my bowels as the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hath it The heart within ecchoes and answers to the Commandments without as a Book written answers to his minde that writes it as face answers to face as the impression on the wax answers to the character engraven on the seal The Scribes and Pharisees were much in the outward obedience of the Law but their hearts were not in their obedience and therefore all they did signified nothing in the account of Christ who is onely taken with outward actions as they flow from the heart and affections their souls were not in their services and therefore all their services were lost services They were very glorious in Matth. 23. their outward profession but their hearts were as filthy Sepulchres their out-sides shined as the Sun but their in-sides were as black as Hell They were like the Egyptians Temples beautiful without but filthy within Well remember this No action no service goes for current in Heaven but that which is sealed up with integrity of heart God will not be put off with the shell when we give the Devil the Kernel Secondly That Obedience that accompanies Salvation is universal as well as cordial the soul falls in with every part and point of Gods will so far as he knows it without prejudice or partiality without tilting the ballance on one side or another A soul Non eligit mandata He doth not pick and chuse He obeyes all in respect of his sincere purpose desire and endeavor and this God accepts in Christ for perfect and compleat Obedience c. sincerely obedient will not pick and chuse what commands to obey and what to reject as Hypocrites do he hath an eye to see an ear to hear and a heart to obey the first Table as well as the second and the second as well as the first he doth not adhere to the first and neglect the second as Hypocrites do neither doth he adhere to the second and contemn the first as prophane men do he obeys not out of humor but out of duty he obeys not out of choice but out of conscience Psal 119. 6. Then shall I not be ashamed when I have respect unto all thy Commandments Look as Faith never singles out his object but layes hold on every object God holds forth for it to close with Faith doth not chuse this truth and reject that it doth not close with one and reject another Faith doth not say I will trust God in this case but not in that I will trust him for this mercy but not for that mercy I will trust him in this way but not in
that way Faith doth not chuse its object Faith knows that he is powerful and faithful that hath promised and therefore Faith closes with one object as well as another So a true obedient soul singles not out the commands of God as to obey one and rebel against another it dares not it cannot say I will serve God in this command but not in that No In an Evangelical sense it obeyes all Luk. 1. 5 6. Zacharias and Elizabeth were both righteous before God walking in all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Without complaint An obedient soul is like a chrystal glass with a light in the midst which shines forth thorow every part thereof So that Royal Law that is written upon his heaâ—t shines forth into every parcel of his life his outward works do eccho to a Law within the Commandments and Ordinances of the Lord blameless They walked not onely in Commandments but also in Ordinances nor onely in Ordinances but also in Commandments They were good souls and good at both A man sincerely obedient layes such a charge upon his whole man as Mary the Mother of Christ did upon all the servants at the Feast John 2. 5. Whatever the Lord saith unto you do it Eyes ears hands heart lips legs body and soul do you all seriously and affectionately observe what ever Jesus Christ sayes unto you and do it So David doth Psal 119. 34 69. Give me understanding and I shall keep thy Law yea I shall observe it with my whole heart The proud have forged a lie against me but I will keep thy Precepts with my whole heart The whole heart includes all the faculties of the soul and all the members of the body sayes David I will put hand and heart body and soul all within me and all without me to the keeping and observing of thy Precepts Here is a soul thorow-paced in his obedience he stands not halting nor halving of it he knows the Lord loves to be served truly and totally and therefore he obeys with an entire heart and a sincere spirit I have read of a very strange speech that dropped out of the mouth of Epictetus a Heathen If it be thy will sayes he O Lord command me what thou wilt send me whither thou wilt I will not withdraw my self from any thing that seems good to thee Ah how will this Heathen at last rise in judgement against all Sauls Jehues Judases Demases Scribes Pharisees Temporaries who are partial in their obedience who while they yeeld obedience to some commands live in the habitual breach of other commands Verily he that lives in the habitual breach of one command shall at last be reputed by God guilty of the breach Jam. 2. 10. of every command and God accordingly will in a way of Justice proceed against him Ezek. 18. 10 11 12 13. It was the glory of Caleb and Joshua Num. 14. 24. that they followed the Lord fully in one thing as well as another So Cornelius Acts 10. 33. We are present before God to hear whatsoever shall be commanded us of God He doth not pick and chuse So in Acts 13. 22. I have found David the son of Jesse a man after mine own heart which shall fulfil all my will or rather as it is in the Greek he shall fulfil all my 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wils He mindes not onely general duties of Religion but also particular duties as a Magistrate as a Minister as a Father as a Master as a Son as a Servant wills To note the universallity and sincerity of his Obedience A sincere heart loves all commands of God and prizes all commands of God and sees a Divine Image stamped upon all the commands of God and therefore the main bent and disposition of his soul is to obey all to subject to all God commands universal obedience Josh 1. 8. Deut. 5. 29. Ezek. 18. The Promise of Reward is made over to Universal Obedience Psal 19. 11. Josh 1. 8. Universal Obedience is a Jewel that all will wish for or rejoyce in at the day of death and the day of account And the remembrance of these things with others of the like nature provokes all upright souls to be impartial to be universal in their Obedience Thirdly That Obedience that accompanies Salvation springs from inward Spiritual causes and from holy and heavenly Motives it flowes from Faith Hence it is called The obedience of Faith Rom. 16. 26. So in 1 Tim. 1. 5. Now the end of the Commandment is Love out of a pure Heart and of a good Conscience and of Faith unfeigned Faith draws down that Divine Vertue and Power into the soul that makes it lively and active abundant and constant in the work and way of the Lord. And Where Love is the Soul says of every command Bonus Sermo it is a good saying but where Love is wanting the man cryes out Durus Sermo It is a hard saying who can bear it as Faith so Love puts the Soul forward in ways of Obedience John 14. 21 23. If any man love me he will keep my Commandments So Psal 119. 48. My hands also will I lift up to thy Commandments which I have loved Divine Love is said to be the keeping of the Commandments because it puts the Soul upon keeping them Divine Love makes every weight light every yoke easie every command joyous it knows no difficulties it facilitates obedience it divinely constrains the soul to obey to walk to run the ways of Gods commands And as sound Obedience springs from Faith and Love so it flows from a filial Fear of God Psal 118. 119. Mine heart stands in aw of thy Word So Heb. 11. 7. Noah being warned of God touching things not seen as yet moved with fear prepared an Ark. Ah but Hypocrites and Temporaries are not carried forth in their Obedience from such precious and glorious principles and therefore it is that God casts all their services as dung in Isa 1. 11. their faces And as that Obedience which accompanies Salvation flows from inward Spiritual Principles so it flows from holy and heavenly Motives as from the tastes of Divine Love and the sweetness and excellency of communion with God and the choice and precious discoveries that the soul in wayes of Obedience hath Isa 64. 5. had of the beauty and glory of God The sweet looks the heavenly words the glorious kisses the holy embraces that the obedient soul hath had makes it freely and fully obedient to the Word and Will of God Ah! but all the Motives that move Hypocrites and carnal Professors to Obedience are onely external and carnal as the eye of Matth. 6. the Creature the ear of the Creature the applause of the Creature the rewards of the Creature either the love of the loaves or the gain of John 6. custom or the desire of ambition sometimes they are moved to obedience from the fear of the Creature and sometimes from the
deliver me from my Bonds but O Rom. 7. 23. wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from my sins from this body of death David cryes not Perii but Peccavi Psal 51. Not I am undone but I have done foolishly But wicked men strive in Prayer more to get off their chains then to get off their sins more to be delivered from enemies without then lusts within more to get out of the Furnace then to be delivered from their Spiritual Bondage as the Scriptures Psal 78. 34. Zach. 7. 5 6 7. Isai 26. 16 17. in the Margent do evidence Thirdly The Stream and Cream of a gracious Mans spirit runs most out in Prayer after Spiritual and Heavenly Psal 4. 6 7. 27 4. things as is abundantly evident by those Prayers of the Saints that are upon record throughout the Scripture But the Stream and Cream of vain mens spirits in Prayer runs most out after poor low carnal things as you may see in comparing the following Scriptures together Hos 7. 14. Zach. 7. 5 6 7. Jam. 4. 3 c. Fourthly A gracious Soul looks and lives more upon God in Prayer then upon his Prayer He knows though Prayer be his Chariot yet Christ is his food Prayer may be a staff to support him but Christ is that Manna that must nourish him and upon him he looks and lives Psal 5. 3. In the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee or Martial and set in order my Prayer as it is in the Hebrew and will look up or look out as it is in the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Pihil as a watchman looks out to dâ—scover the approaches of an enemy But vain men they live and look more upon their Prayers then they do upon God Nay usually they never look after their Prayers they never observe what returns they have from Heaven they are like those that shoot Arrows but do not minde where they fall Wicked men think it is Religion enough for them to pray and to look after their prayers to see how their prayers speed is no Article of their Faith But a gracious Soul is of a more noble spirit when he hath prayed he will stand upon his watch-tower and observe what God will speak Psal 85. 8. I will hear that God the Lord will speak for he will speak peace unto his people and to his Saints But let them not return to folly or as the Hebrew may be read And they shall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I will lissen and lay my obedient ear to what the Lord shall speak not return to folly Veal iashubu le Chislah Wicked men would have God to be all ear to hear what they desire when themselves have never an ear to hear what he speaks But deaf ears shall always be attended with dumb answers Justice always makes mercy dumb when sin hath made the sinner deaf Fifthly No discouragements can take gracious Souls off from Prayer but the least discouragements will Aristotle though a Heathen could say That in some cases a man had better lose his life then be cowardly Ethic. 3. c. 1. take off carnal hearts from Prayer as you may see in the following Scriptures compared together Psal 40. 1 2. 44. 10-23 Matth. 15. 21-29 Mal. 3. 14. Isai 58. 1 2 3. Amos 8. 3 4 5 c. When one of the Ancient Martyrs was terrified with the threatnings of his persecutors he replied There is nothing saith he of things visible nothing of things invisible that I fear I will stand to my profession of the name of Christ and contend earnestly for the Faith once delivered to the Saints come on it what will It is neither the hope of life nor the fear of death that can take a real Christian off from Prayer He is rather raised then dejected he is rather quickned then discouraged by delays or denials he will hold up and hold on in a way and course of Prayer though men should rage and Lyons roar and the Furnace be heat seven times hotter c. But it is not so with carnal hearts Job 27 9 10. Sixthly When a gracious man In his course his heart is in his Prayer he findes by experience that the heart is the Primum mobile the great wheel that moves all other wheels It is the chief Monarch in the Isle of Man prayes he hath his heart in his Prayer when he falls upon the work he makes heart-work on it So David in Psal 42. 4. When I remember these things I pour out my heart So Hannah in 1 Sam. 1. 15. I am a woman of a sorrowful spirit saith she and have poured out my soul before the Lord. So the Israelites in 1 Sam. 7. 6. Poured out their souls like water before the Lord. So the Church in Isa 26. 8 9. The desire of our soul is to thy name and to the remembrance of thee With my soul have I desired thee in the night yea with my spirit within me will I seek thee early Gracious Souls know The voice of God is Da Mihi cor that no Prayer is acknowledged accepted and rewarded by God but that wherein the heart is sincerely and wholly It is not a piece it is not a corner of the heart that will satisfie the Maker of the heart The true Mother would not have the childe divided As God loves a broken and a contrite heart so he loaths a divided heart God neither loves halting nor halving he will be served truly and totally The Royal Law is Thou shalt The heart as a Prince gives Laws to all other Members The Heart is Christs Bed of Spices it is his Presence Chamber it is his Royal Throne it is one of those four Keys that God keeps under his own girdle love and serve the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul Among the Heathens when the Beasts were cut up for Sacrifice the first thing the Priest looked upon was the heart and if the heart was naught the Sacrifice was rejected Verily God rejects all those Sacrifices wherein the Heart is not Now wicked men are heartless in all their Services in all their Prayers as you may see in comparing the following Scriptures together I shall not transcribe the words because I must cut short the work Isai 29. 13. Matth. 15. 7 8 9. Ezek. 33. 30 31 32. Zach. 7. 4 5 6. 2 Chro. 25. 1 2. As the body without the soul is dead so Prayer Prayer without the heart is but an empty ring a tinckling symbal without the heart be in it is but dead Prayer in the eye and account of God Prayer is onely lovely and weighty as the heatt is in it and no otherwise It is not the lifting up of the voice nor the wringing of the hands nor the beating of the brests but the stirrings of the heart that God looks at in Prayer God hears no more then the
heart speaks if the heart be dumb God will certainly be deaf No Prayer takes with God but that which is the travel of the heart Seventhly Gracious Souls usually Dan 9. 9. Nehe. 10. compared Rom. 8. 26. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Helpeth together or helps us as the nurse doth the little childe Prayer is the breath of the Spirit c. come off from Prayer with hearts more disengaged from sin and more vehemently set against it The precious communion that they have with God in Prayer the sweet breathings of God into their hearts whilest they are a breathing out their requests in his ears and the secret assistance stirrings and movings of the Spirit upon their souls in Prayer arm them more against sin and makes them stand upon the highest terms of defiance with sin How shall I do this or that wickedness against God Sayes the praying Soul O I cannot I will not do any thing unworthy of him that hath caused his glory to pass before me in Prayer Ah but wicked men come off from Prayer with hearts more encouraged to sin and more resolved to walk in ways of sin Prov. 7. 14 15-24 I have Peace-offerings with me saith the Harlot This day have I paid my vows Therefore came I forth to meet thee diligently to seek thy face and I have found thee Come let us take our fill of love until 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Be drunken with loves which shews her unsatiable lusts the morning let us solace our selves with loves So in Jere. 7. 9 10. Will ye steal murder and commit adultery and swear falsly and burn incense unto Baal and walk after other gods whom ye know not And come and stand before me in this house which is called by my Name and say We are delivered to do all these abominations Wicked men are like Lewis King of France that would swear and then kiss the cross and then swear more bitterly and then kiss the cross So they sin and pray and pray Mr. Shepherd in his Sincere Convert speaks of such a monster yea this age is full of such Monsters that have no pity upon themselves and sin and the more they pray the more easily resolutely and impudently do they sin They make use of Prayer to charm their Consciences that so they may sin with more pleasure and less regreet Ah what pains do such sinners take to go to Hell and to arm their Consciences against themselves in that day wherein they shall say There is no help there is no hope Eighthly and lastly Gracious Souls do more eye and observe how their own hearts are wrought upon in Prayer Psal 35. 13. My Prayer returned into my own bosom Isa◠26. 8 9. then how others hearts are wrought upon When they pray they look with a curious eye upon their own spirits they look with a narrow eye upon their own hearts and observe how they are affected melted humbled quickned raised spiritualized and bettered by Prayer But vain men as they pray to be seen of men so they eye most how others like their prayers and Matth. 6. 23. The vertue of some lieth in the spectators eyes are affected and taken with their prayers they are most critical in observing what operations their prayers have upon others hearts but never minde to any purpose how they operate upon their own hearts a worse plague cannot befal them And thus I have endeavored to shew you what a wide difference there is betwixt the Prayers of the godly and the ungodly and by this as by the former particulars laid down you may see what Prayer that is that accompanies Salvation Now in the seventh place I shall The seventh thing that accompanies Salvation is Perseverance shew you what Perseverance that is that accompanies Salvation and that I shall do in these following particulars First That Perseverance that accompanies Salvation is Perseverance in a holy Profession Heb. 4. 14. Seeing then that we have a great High Priest that is passed into the Heavens Jesus the Son of God Let us hold fast our profession by a strong hand or by a hand of holy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 violence So in Chap. 10. 23. Let us hold fast the profession of our Faith without 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies A forcible holding a holding with both hands 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wavering or as it is in the Greek without tilting or tossing to one side or other for he is faithful that promised Therefore let no temptation affliction opposition or persecution take us off from our holy Profession but let us hold our Profession with a forcible hand yea with both hands in the face of all difficulties dangers and deaths As Cynaegirus the Athenian Captain did the ship that was laden with the rich spoil of his Country Secondly That Perseverance that accompanies Salvation is a Perseverance in holy and spiritual Principles It is an abiding in love John 15. 9 10. So in Col. 1. 23. 1 Tim. 2. 15. Heb. 13. 1. 11. 13. These all died in Faith or as it is in the Greek They all died according to Faith that is Persevering in Faith And an abiding in faith and hope 1 Cor. 13. 13 c. Perseverence is not a particular distinct Grace of it self but such a Vertue as crowns all vertue it is such a Grace as casts a general glory and beauty upon every grace It is a Grace that leads every grace on to perfection To persevere in holy and heavenly Principles is To persevere in Believing in Repenting in Mourning in Hoping It is to persevere in Love in Fear in Humility in Patience in Self-denial c. Now it is this perseverance It is a Rule in the Civil Law Nec videtur actum si quid superfit quod agatur that nothing seems to be done if there remain ought to be done Let a man do never so much if he do not persevere he will be found to have done nothing in holy and gracious Principles that accompaines Salvation that leads to Salvation No grace no not the most sparkling and shining grace can bring a man to Heaven of it self without Perseverance not Faith which is the Champion of Grace if it faint and fail not Love which is the Nurse of Grace if it decline and wax cold not Humility which is the adorner beautifier of Grace if it continue not to the end not Obedience not Repentance not Patience nor no other Grace except they have their perfect work It is Perseverance in Grace that crowns every Grace and every gracious Soul with a crown of glory at last Revel 2. 10. Be thou faithful to the death and I will give thee a crown of life Such as As all Hypocrites onely do John 6 c. onely believe for a time and repent for a time and love for a time and repent for a time and love for a time and rejoyce for a time and hope for a
presumption that works men to play with sin to be bold with sin to make light of sin to walk on in wayes of sin Such Assurance will never bring a man to Heaven it will never keep him from dropping into Hell yea it will double his damnation and make him the most miserable among all damned miserable forlorn spirits Ah Lord from This made Auselm say That he had rather be thrust into Hell without sin then go into Heaven with sin such an assurance deliver my Soul and give me more and more of that Divine Assurance that makes sin to be more hateful then Hell and that makes the Soul to be more careful to avoid the one then it is fearful of falling into the other Seventhly A wel-grounded Assurance is alwayes attended with three fair Handmaids or with three sweet Companions The first is Love O! the Assurance 1. Handmaid of Divine Favor doth mightily inflame a mans love to Christ Mary Magdalen Luke 7. loved much Christs love to her drew out her love very much to Christ Assurance makes the Soul sing it out with that sweet Singer of Israel I will dearly love thee O Lord my Psal 18. 1. strength Lovers know not how to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To love intimately and dearly as a tender mother loves the fruit of her womb keep silence lovers of Christ are full of gracious expressions Magnes amor is est amor Love is the attractive Loadstone of love It is impossible for a Soul not to love Christ that knows he is beloved of Christ Christs love constrains the Soul to love not by forcible but loving necessity Praxiteles exquisitly drew Love taking the pattern from that Passion which he felt in his own heart A Believer cannot finde the heart of Christ to be beating towards him but his heart will strongly beat towards Christ Divine love is like a rod of myrtle which as Pliny reports makes the Traveller that carries it in his hand that he shall never be faint or weary of walking or loving Love alone over-powereth all power Love is the Diadem none but the Queen must wear it Love is the Wedding Garment none but the Spouse can fit it Love is a Loadstone to draw as well as a fire to warm he that doth not love Christ was never assured of the love of Christ The second Handmaid or Companion 2. Handmaid that attends a wel-grounded Assurance is Humility David under Assurance Psal 22. 6. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Hebrew word Tolagnah that is here rendred Worm signifies a very little worm which a man can hardly see or perceive cryes out I am a worm and no man Abraham under Assurance cryes out that he is but dust and ashes Jacob under Assurance crves out that he was less then the least of all mercies Job under Assurance abhors himself in dust and ashes Moses had the honor and the happiness to speak with God face to face he was very much in Gods books in Gods favor and yet a more humble Soul the earth did never bear The great Apostle Paul under all the revelations and glorious manifestations of God to him counts himself less then the least of all Saints Ephe. 3. 8. That is Presumption that is a delusion of the Devil and no sound Assurance that puffs and swels the Souls of men that makes men prize themselves above the market above the value that God hath put upon them The third Handmaid or Companion 3. Handmaid that attends Assurance is holy Joy Ah this Assurance causes the strong waters of Consolation to overflow the Soule Assurance raises the strongest joyes in the Soul Luk. 1. 46 47. And Mary said My soul doth magnifie the Lord and my Spirit hath rejoyced in God my Saviour When a man comes to be assured that God is his Savior presently his Spirit rejoyces in God this truth is held forth by three Parables in that of Luk. 15. So in that of 1 Pet. 1. 8 9. Whom having not seen ye love in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to dance and leap for joy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 glorified already they have heavens happinesse before hand whom though now ye see him not yet bebeleeving ye rejoyce with joy unspeakable and full of glory Receiving the end of your faith even the salvation of your souls O the Joy the Joy the inexpressible Joy that attends a wel-grounded Assurance Assurance raises a Paradise of delight in the soul In quibus operamur in ill is gaudemus saith Tertull. In what things or persons we act in those things we rejoyce a Christian under the power of Assurance works all his works in Christ in him therefore and in him alone he rejoyceth Eightly and lastly A wel-grounded Assurance sometimes springs from the Testimony and Witnesse of the Spirit of God The Spirit sometimes witnesses to a Beleevers spirit that he is born of God that he is beloved of God that he hath union and communion with God that he shal reign for ever with God Rom. 8. 16. The Spirit it self beareth witness with our 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That same spirit The Spirits work is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to witnesse together with our Spirit that is to confirme and ratifie what ou◠spirits have asserted concerning our Adoption c. spirit that we are the children of God The Spirit it self witnesseth not onely the Gifts and Graces of the Spirit but the Spirit it self witnesseth together with our own spirit that we are the children of God Sometimes the Saints have two Witnesses joyning their testimonies together to confirm and establish them in these blessed and glorious Truths that they are the Sons of God and Heirs of Glory And this is their honor as well as their comfort that the blessed Spirit should bear witness at the bar of their Consciences that they are the Sons of God 1 Cor. God sometimes assures his people of heaven aforehand 2. 12. Now we have received not the spirit of the world but the Spirit which is of God that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God That is that we may know our Election Vocation Justification Sanctification and Glorification A man may receive many things that are freely given of God and yet not know them till the Spirit comes and makes them known to the soul Quest But you may say to me how shall wee know the whispering of the holy Spirit from the hissing of the old Serpent how shall we know the report the witnesse and testimony of the Spirit of Christ from that report witnesle and testimony that the old Serpent deludes and deceives many by in these daies wherein he mostly appears in his Angelicall Robes I Answer you may know the whispering Answ of the Spirit from the hissing of the old Serpent c. by these following things which I desire that you
would seriously consider as you tender the peace and settlement the satisfaction consolation and salvation of your own souls First The Spirit of Christ doth not witnesse by any outward voice as God Matth 3. ult Luk. 1. 30 31 32 33 34. did from Heaven of Christ nor by an Angell as to the Virgin Mary but by an inward secret glorious and unspeakable way he bids Beleevers be of good chear their sins are forgiven Matth. 9. 2. them as Christ said to the palsie man in the Gospel And this truth is to be solemnly minded against those poor deceived and deluded souls in Quakers and Raâ—ters these daies that would make the world beleeve that they have had such and such glorious things made known by an outward audible voyce from Heaven It is much to be feared that they never found the inward the sweet the secret the powerful testimony and report of the Spirit of Christ that boast and brag and rest so much upon an outward testimony In 1 King 19. you read of a great strong wind that rent the Vers 11. Mountains and brake in peeces the Rocks but the Lord was not in the wind and after the wind there was an earthquake but the Lord was not in the earthquake And after the earthquake a fire but the Vers 12. Lord was not in the fire And after the fire Vers 13. there was a still small voyce and the Lord spake to Elijah in that still small voice Ah Christians the Spirit of the Lord makes not a noise but he comes in a still small voice as I may say and makes a soft and secret report to the soul that it is beloved that it is pardoned and that it shall be for ever glorified Secondly The testimony and witnesse of the Spirit of Christ is onely gained enjoyed in holy and heavenly waies as you may clearly see by comparing Acts 10. 4. Dan. 9. 20. 21 22. Isa 64. 5. Act. 10. 44 c. the Scriptures in the margent together The Spirit of the Lord is a holy spirit he cannot he wil not make any report of the love of the Father to the soule out of a way of holinesse Verily all those glorious reports that many boast they have met with in sinfull waies in wretched and ungodly waies are from the hissing of the old Serpent and not from the whisperings of the Yet this age hath many such Monsters Spirit of Grace I think it is little less then blasphemy for any to affirm that the blessed Spirit of Christ doth make reports of the love and favour of God to persons walking in waies of wickednesse and basenesse Thirdly The testimony and witness of the Spirit of Christ is a clear a â—ul a satisfying testimony and witnesse the soul sits down under the home reports John 14 17. 1 John 3. 24. of the Spirit saith Lord it is enough the soul being full sits down and sweetly sings it out My beloved is mine and Cant. 2. 16. 7. 10. I am his I am my wel-beloveds and his desire is towards me The Lord is my portion Psal 16. 5. Psal 73. 25. and the lot of mine inheritance I have none in Heaven but thee neither is there any on earth that I desire in comparison of 2 Tim. 4 8. thee Henceforth is laid up for me a crown of righteousness Make haste my beloved Cant. 8. ult c. Such power majesty and glory attends the glorious testimony of the Spirit of Christ as scatters all clouds as resolves all doubts as answers all objections as silences the wrangling soul c. If the testimony of the Spirit of Christ were not a ful satisfying testimony it could never fill the soule with such joy as is unspeakable and full of glory and with such peace as passes understanding if the testimony were not satisfactory the soul would still be under fears and doubts the heart would still be a wrangling and quarrelling I may perish and I may be undone I may have the door of Mercy shut against me c. If you bring news to a condemned person that the King hath pardoned him and that he will receive him to favor and confer such and such dignity upon him yet this doth not quiet him nor satisfie him till he knows it is the Kings act till he is satisfied in that he cannot say it is enough he cannot be chearfull hee cannot be delightful c. But when hee is satisfied that it is the Kings act that the King hath certainly done this and that for him then he is satisfied and then sighing and mourning flies away and then he rejoyces with joy unspeakable So it is with a beleeving Soul under the testimony and witness of the Spirit of Christ Fourthly Though the Spirit be a witnessing Spirit yet he doth not alwaies witness to beleevers their adoption their interest in Christ c. There is a mighty difference between the working of the Spirit and the witness of the Spirit There are often times many glorious and efficacious works of the Spirit as Faith Love Repontance Isa 50. 10. Holinesse c. where there is not the witness of the Spirit David at that very time had the Spirit and Psa 50. 10 11 12 many sweet workings of the Spirit in him and upon him when he had by sin lost the witness and testimony of the Spirit Though the Spirit of the Lord be a witnessing and a sealing Spirit yet he doth not alwaies witness Job 23. 8 9. 1 Joh. 5. 13. Psa 88. Psa 77. Mich. 7. 8 9. Isa 8. 17. and seal up the love and favor of the Father to beleevers souls as you may see by the Scriptures in the Margent and as the experience of many precious Christians can abundantly evidence All beleevers do not see alike need of this testimony they doe not all alike prize this testimony they do not all alike observe it and improve it and therefore it is no wonder if the Spirit be a witnessing Spirit to some and not to others You do but gratifie Satan and wrong your owne soules when you argue that certainly you have not the Spirit because he is not a witnessing and a sealing Spirit to your soules Though it be the office of the Spirit to witness yet it is not his office alwayes to witness to beleevers their happiness and blessedness The Spirit may act one way in one room of the A man may be a doing in one Room when he is not in another So is the Spirit in the heart of a Saint soul when he doth not act in another sometimes the Spirit works upon the Understanding sometimes upon the Will sometimes upon the Affections sometimes upon Faith sometimes upon Fear sometimes upon Love sometimes upon Humility c. Our hearts are the Spirits Harps If a man should alwaies touch one string in an Instrument he should never play various tunes he
to Heaven But lest any precious soule should turn this Truth into a sword to cut and wound himselfe let me desire him to remember that every Beleever that hath such knowledge that accompanies salvation hath not It is commonly said of knowledge non habet inimicum praeter ignorantem that it hath not a greater enemy then ignorance c. this applicatory knowledge that makes so much for the souls consolation and that doth accompany some mens salvation I say not all mens salvation if thou findest thy knowledge to be such a knowledge as is before described in the six former particulars though thou hast not attained to this applicatory knowledge yet hast thou attained to that knowledge that accompanies salvation and that will my soule for thine give thee a possession of salvation This applicatory knowledge that accompanies salvation is onely to bee found in such eminent Saints that are high in their communion with God and that have attained some considerable assurance of their interest in God Many mens salvation is accompanied with an applicatory knowledge but all mens salvation is not accompanied with an applicatory knowledge of a mans particular interest in Christ and those blessed favors and benefits that comes by him thy Soule may bee safe and thy salvation may bee sure though thou hast not attained unto this appropriating knowledge but thy life cannot A man doth not attain to health by reading Galen or Hippocrates his Aphorisms but by the practical application of them 〈◊〉 move his diseases You know how to apply it be comfortable without this appropriating knowledge Therefore if thou hast it not labor for it as for life it is a pearle of price and if thou findest it it will make thy soul amends for all thy digging seeking working sweating weeping c. Eightly and lastly that Knowledge that accompanies salvation is accompanied and attended with these things First that Knowledge that accompanies salvation is attended with holy indeavors and with heavenly desires thirstings and pantings after a further knowledge of God after clearer visions of God Prov. 15. 14. The heart of him that hath understanding seeketh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 knowledge but the mouth of fools feedeth on foolishnesse The Hebrew word that is here rendred seeketh â—ebakkesh is in pihil and signifâ—es an earnest and diligent seeking to seek as an hungry man seeks for meat or as a covetous man for gold the more he hath the more he desires or as a condemned man seeks for his pardon or as the diseased man seeks for his cure The word in the Text is from a root 〈…〉 ash that signifies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to seek studiously laboriously industriously to seek by sâ—ing praying enquiring and walking up and downe that we may find what we seek So in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that Prov. 18. 15. The heart of the prudent getteth knowledge and the eare of Seeketh as men do for hid treasure c. the wise seeketh knowledge A man that divinely knows will set his heart and his ear his inward and outward man to know more and more Divine knowledge is marvellous sweet pleasing comforting satisfying refreshing strengthening and supporting and soules that have found the sweetnesse and usefulness of it cannot but look and long breath and pant after more and more of it The new-born 1 Pet. 2. 2 3. Babe doth not more naturally and more earnestly long for the brests then a soul that hath tasted that the Lord is gracious doth long for further and further tastes of God David under all Psal 119. 18 19. his knowledge cryes out I am a stranger in the Land hide not thy Commandments from me Open mine eyes that I may behold wondrous things out of thy Law Job under all his knowledge Job 34. 32. which was very great cryes out That which I see not teach thou me if I have done iniquity I will do no more A second thing that attends and accompanies that knowledge that accompanies salvation is holy endeavors The way to get more knowledge is to communicate that we have according to that Habenti dabitur to edifie others to instruct others to enlighten and inform others in the knowledge of spiritual and heavenly things Heavenly light cannot be hid under a bushel you may as easily hinder the Sun from shining as you may hinder a gracious soul from diffusing and spreading abroad that knowledge and light that God hath given him Divine light in the soul is like a light in a bright Lanthorn that shines forth every way or like a light in a room or on a Beacon that gives light to others A Christian that divinely knows is like the Lamp in the story that was always burning and shining and never went out So in Gen. 18. 17 Thus did Philip of Bethsaida John 1. 45. Thus did the woman of Samaria John 4. 28 29. Thus did the Spouse Cant. 5. 10. to ult Thus did that Scraphical Preacher St. Paul Acts 26. 29. 19. And the Lord said shall I hide from Abraham that which I do for I know him that he will command his children and his houshould after him and they shall keep the way of the Lord to do justice and judgement that the Lord may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him He that communicates his knowledge to others shall be both of Gods court and council he shall lye in the bosome of God he shall know the secrets of God Prov. 15. 7. The lips of the wise disperse knowledge but the heart of the foolish doth not so The Hebrew word that is here rendred disperse is a metaphor taken from Seedsmens scattering abroad of their seed in the furrows of the field Heavenly Augustine accounted nothing his own that he did not communicate to others knowledge is very spreading and diffusive it is like the Sun the Sun casteth his beams upward and downward upon good and upon bad so divine light in a gracious soul will break forth for the advantage and profit of friends and enemies of those that be in a state of nature and of those that be in a state of grace Acts 4. 18 19 20. And they called them and Opposition is the black angel that dogs the Gospel at the heels Divine knowledge is like new wine it must have vent it is heavenly fire that will break forth Jer. 5. 14. 20. 9. commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the Name in Jesus But Peter and John answered and said unto them Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more then unto God judge ye For we cannot but speak the things that we have seen and heard The Bee doth store her Hive out of all sorts of flowers for the common benefit so a heavenly Christian sucks sweetness out of every mercy and every duty out of every providence and out of every ordinance out of every promise