destroy both open sins in others and secret sins in himself and he is most busie with that at home he will harbour no sin so neer the spirit of God Seventhly A godly man makes Conscience of time he accounts his time precious and therefore he takes much care how he spends it and by this indeed may every man be discerned in taking notice how men spend their times A godly man takes all opportunities to do his duty is carfull that he waste not that which was bought at so deer a rate he knows it cost the blood of Christ as 1 Pet. 1. 18 19. And also the blood of many a Saint hath been spent for it to gain this liberty and time we now enjoy and therefore the godly man will not squander it away he knows how to employ himself in it he is not like to those that say they know not how to pass away time and therefore use foolish gaming and carnal mirth no he is not to seek what to do in any spare time his heart is on God and his glory and therefore when time is to be had he studies how he may advance that glory Again he knows that Fellowship and Communion with God is sweet to him and therefore hath no time to spend wherein he desireth not this enjoyment Also he sees much of the minde of God in his Word and therefore all spare time that he can have he imploys himself to search it out He sees Communion with the Saints and Communion with the godly both pretious and profitable and therefore his heart is so after it that he cannot waste any of his precious time in carnal and fruitless Discourses his delight is to meditate in the precepts of God day and night as David saith in Psal 1. where thou hast this largely set forth there thou shalt finde what are the ways of the godly and also what kinde of men wicked men are which make no conscience of time how they spend it And here now let none deceive themselves and shift off this Mark as though it did not concern them for assure your selves t is a truth that godly men account time precious and make Conscience how they spend it Lord teach me to number my dayes saith David that I may spend my time in wisdom Again the godly man knows that time is uncertain and therefore whilst he hath it he will not be imployed about base and unfruitful Acts. And therefore now who ever thou art that hast not thus valued time look into that 1 Pet 1 2 3 4 5. Is it not a shame that a godly man should live in sin what shall he spend his time as doth the wicked Did Christ die on the Cross for a people to make them sons of God Heirs with himself and shall they live to the flesh and spend their time after that as 1 Pet. 4. Then I pray from what did Christ Redeem his Saints was it not from sin from dead works as 1 Pet. 1. 17 18. if not what meaneth that saying of the Apostle Paul in Eph. 4. 1 2 3 what meaneth that 1 Pet. 1. 14 15 also that in 1 Pet. 2. 9 10 11 12. Read lay these to heart for thou seest it is a truth that the Saints make conscience of their time A godly man sees that he was called to that end and therefore makes aright use of it I shall end this branch with the same Advice Caution that the Apostle used to the Hebrews in ch 3. 12 13 14. And I say take heed lest thou hast an evil heart in departing from the living God and from the ways of godliness to spend thy time in idleness and profaness lest thou finde thy heart besotted with the deceitfulness of sin and so instead of holding out and persevering in holiness thou art cut off and cast out as a dead branch and so witherest away even to destruction See what Christ saith Joh. 15. 6. Read and consider this Chapter Eightly Wouldst thou know a godly man thou shalt finde him out by his manner of performing holy duties thou mayst perceive his heart to be affected with what he doth If he prayes thou shalt see how his words savour of the Spirit of God in him so in his Discourse his experience of God flows from him And here thou mayst know him from one who enjoys not the Spirit of God easily thus though the godly mans abilites be small yet his duties are performed rightly the other out of fear of Judgement or out of formality or to appease Conscience keeps much ado as the Pharisees did of whom Christ speaks in Matth. 6. thinking to get something by it and so salve up their wounded Consciences who cry guilty But the godly man doth his duties out of a tender love and obedience to the object who hath so loved him and so maketh good that word of the Apostle John we love him because he first loved us so he doth them out of love and also out of Obedience to his Commands A godly man performs holy duties because God commands them and so maketh good that saying of Christ If ye love me keep my Commandments A godly man in his duties rests not on them but flies from them to Christ and accounts all that is done in the creatures strength but as dung and dross Again a godly man hath a low esteem of himself and he thinks he is in his best but an unprofitable servant He desireth not a high esteem in the sight of men This thou mayst see in a godly mans performances of duties Ninthly and Lastly Wouldst thou know a godly man then take that course to finde him as Christ speaks of in the 7 of Matthew ver 16. to 21. See what fruit he beareth a godly man bringeth forth good fruit and by that thou mayst know him He is as David saith Like a tree planted by the rivers side which bringeth forth his fruit in due season his leaf withereth not it is not so with the wicked see Psal 1. Here thou mayst know a godly man from frothy turbulent-spirited men the godly man bringeth forth fruit with patience Luke 8. 15. But the other three sorts there mentioned were carried away they could not have patience to wait so long on God something choaks their hearts therefore be not deceived as Paul saith neither mistake in this for if thou doest miscarry here all is lost Ephes 5. where from ver 1. to 26. the Apostle discourseth what godliness is and what kind of men godly men should be and also the ungodly what they are Read and Consider A godly man is a fruitful man and therefore be not deceived Let men go under what title or name soever they will pretend what they will t is to no end except they bring forth fruits they cannot be godly and therefore now we come to the last pinch give me leave to tell thee who ever thou art great or small rich or poor let thy
Eph. 4. 25. And grow up unto him who is thy head as in Eph. 4. 15. Thus much for the first Question The second thing is A holy Conversation what it is and the happiness that comes by it 1. What is a holy conversation A holy conversation is this When a man walks in the ways of God and godliness then he is said to have a holy Conversation as in 2 Pet. 3. 11. The Saints of God they are called to it as we see in 1 Pet. 1. 15 16. Our God is holy saith the Apostle and therefore ye ought to be so in all manner of Conversation that is as if he had said O ye Saints your God is a holy God and cannot endure sin especially in you therefore be ye holy that is be ye obedient unto your God do what he hath commanded you be ye godly call upon your Father walk in his ways let thy conversation be in heaven as the Apostle saith in Eph. 3. 20. A holy conversation is a heavenly conversation I shall not stand here any longer in regard I have laid down nine particulars whereby a godly man may be known I shall proceed to the benefits that come by a holy life and conversation you shall finde them to be many As 1. Thy Communion with God and the Lord Christ if thou live a holy life God will delight in thee to do thee good and will shew thee his salvation Psa 50. 23. and will have Communion with thee God is Light and therefore he will not have communion with darkness as Paul saith in 2 Cor. 6. 15 16 17 18. 2. The Saints will love and own thee if thou live a holy life then thou wilt have the benefit of their Communion otherwise if thou live ungodly they will not own thee Consider the benefit of this what it is to be owned among the Saints and servants of the Lord. 3. Thou will finde comfort in the course of thy life when the judgments of God fall on the wicked for disobeying his Commands and that they know not whether to flie from his hand and that the Lord say to such unprofitable servants get you from me into utter darkness for ever as in Matth. 25. 30. Of what benefit will this holy life be to thee that when thy Lord Christ cometh he shall finde thee doing his will as in Matth. 24. 46. 4. At the time of death thou wilt finde a benefit indeed when thou canst say as Christ said I have finished thy work which thou gavest me to do Joh. 17. 4. And I have glorified thee on earth What thinkest thou will it be of no value then that thou hast lived holy Thou mayest see of what worth the Apostle Paul makes it in 2 Tim. 4. 6 7 8. My departure is at hand but here is my comfort I have fought a good fight I have finished my course and kept the faith Henceforth there is laid up for me a Crown of righteousness and for all them that love the appearing of Jesus Christ 5. And lastly After death thou shalt finde that God intends to judge the world by thy conversation in 1 Cor. 6 2 3. Nay even the Angels shall be Judged by it thou hadst need be holy indeed what a shame will it be to thee that thou hast lived fruitless and carnal when God shall open every mans book and shall judge the world and angels by thy life of what comfort will it be that thou haft been holy If it be so then let all that are Saints endeavor to outstrip one another in a holy life and conversation and that they all watch and have their Lamps ready with oyl to meet the Bridegroom Matth. 25. Read and consider this for the Lord Christ will come when we are not aware and as a thief in the night and as lightning that is soon come so will the Lord Christ Matth. 24. all the chapter Thirdly What it is to have a true fellowship with God Christ and the Saints and the blessedness and comfort it brings to those that have it First What this fellowship is with the Father and the Son as the Apostle John speaks of in his 1. Epist. ch 1. ver 2. 3. To have fellowship with God and Christ is a very high fellowship indeed Our fellowship is with the Father and the Son saith the Apostle that is God and Christ have given themselves with their treasures unto us and we are made partakers of the Divine nature of God and Christ dwels in the Saints as you may see 1 Joh. 4. 13. They dwell in them by the spirit and the Saints they dwell in God and Christ their very life is in God Here is a neer one-ness indeed this fellowship is worth much it is to live in the bosom of God it is to be very nearly acquainted with God God speaks by his Spirit to the Souls of his Saints I am your God and Father Come unto me in my Son and I will hear you The Saints they bring the Lord Christ with them and come into the presence of God and there they make their minds known unto him they lay their souls open before him and then the Lord drops in some refreshing and sends the soul away with sweet content And this is the fellowship the Saints have with God and Christ Before I go any further I shall speak a word or two by way of advice to the Saints and it is this Is it indeed such a neerness that you have with God and the Lord Christ Let this then advise you that you behave your selves with holy reverence Is the holy God so near you and the Lord Christ in you Dear friends how ought you to carry your selves then in the presence of your God and Lord God expects reverence from you as you see in Psal 89. 7. Look to your hearts that they wander not from God when you come into his presence and that you walk holily with your God where-ever you are Consider I say the great neerness that is between God and you and let the consideration of it drive away all carnal delights that thou mayest delight in thy God to have fellowship with him Secondly What is it to have fellowship with the Saints To have fellowship with them is to be partners in the same enjoyment I shall draw a comparison here of fellowship in outward things And although indeed spiritual things should be compared with spiritual things yet this will much open the word Fellowship and make it plain There are many things to be observed in fellowship amongst men that deal together as 1. They give in their names 2. They promise to hazard all alike 3. They bring in every man his share 4. They send all away to Sea 5. They patiently wait for a Return 6. When it returns they receive the profit For the first the Saints all give in their names to follow the Lord Christ and the wayes of God together 2. They promise to hazard all
themselves to Christ and follow him in that way he commands I shall draw one Observation more which lieth in the way that is Obs 4. That there is an unseparable mutual union betwixt Christ and every Saint From these words My Beloved is mine and I am his there is the union as if the Spouse had said I am united to Christ and he to me as the Vine is to the branches Joh 15. 5. so is Christ to me and I to him and as the head is to the members so is Christ to the Saints and the Saints to Christ and as the head is governour of the body so is Christ over the Saints and the Saints act by his light and motion This union is mutual as it is with the consent of will and truth of love so it is unseparable the love of Christ never changes it holds out for ever As the Prophet Jeremy c. 31 3. I have loved thee with an everlasting love therefore in loving kindness have I drawn thee Christ will never depart from his Saints he will never leave them untill he hath saved them to the utmost point of salvation Heb. 7. 25. There is no peace no quiet neither in Christ nor in the souls of the Saints longer then they enjoy each other And that made the Apostle Paul say Our life is hid with Christ in God Our life is in Christ there is no life for a Saint out of Christ Again God hath given all the Saints to Christ All that the Father giveth me saith Christ shall come to me and all those that come to Christ shall never be plucked out of his hands Joh. 10. 28. So likewise in Hos 2. 19. I will betroth thee unto me for ever The Spouse of Christ is joyned to him for ever there is no separation See one Scripture more 1 Thess 4. 17. At the time of death when all ungodly men shall for ever be separated from Christ then is the time for the Saints to enjoy their Beloved fully and for ever You see now that this is a truth that there is both a mutual union and unseparable between Christ and the Spouse which is his Church or the Saints Well now from these Heads or Observations there will proceed Uses The first will be a use of Examination to all in general whether we have this assurance of Christ yea or no. The second will be a use of Exhortation to all the Saints that they love and prize Christ dearly as it is their duty The third to all that as yet are without Christ that they be perswaded to give up themselves to him The fourth is a use of Comfort to the Saints in general The first Use is of Examination to search our hearts and souls thorowly whether we have Christ or no And in the doing of this beware that you do not look on those Evangelical Marks and Signes in the Word of God as notions but bring thy heart to the Word and see what thy Portion is there and what thy fruits appear to be and what Condition soever thou finde thy self in deal plainly with thy self if thou finde thy self yet in a state of Nature then think it thy duty to confess it and do not deny it because it is a sad Condition but own it and take those courses to come out of it that thou findest hereafter mentioned 2. Consider the equity of this Duty and the great need all men and women have to be sure of Christ You must have Christ or else you are but Reprobates 2 Cor. 13. 5. Again God chooseth and setteth apart the Godly for himself as you have it in Psal 4 3. and therefore I tell thee of nothing but what thou standest in great need of and which thou art required to do if thou intendest to be a sharer in the Lord Christ Therefore now let us put the Work upon examination and search after our assurance and if we are willing to see our selves in our own condition then take notice of these marks which follow First Take notice what men and women are by Nature 2. Consider what the work of Conversion is and what blessed effects there is that followeth this work First Consider what estate all are in by nature All by nature are the children of wrath Ephes 2. 3. In this estate thou art in darkness and hadst nothing to do with Christ thou hadst no fellowship with him neither wast thou any way taken with the Commands of God as to see any loveliness in them every soul in the world in this estate is alienated from God and as Adam hid himself from God for fear of his sin so do all poor creatures run from God for fear of punishment and as they are by nature they never desire to have to do with God the guilt of sin lies hard on every unregenerate soul and that makes him a stranger both to God and his wayes and therefore now let us search into our souls and try if our condition be not such a one as this is 2. Let us consider what the work of Conversion is and we shall finde it to be A changing of this nature and a quickening of the soul as you may see in Eph 2. 5. It is a working over of the soul into obedience to the Commands of God And usually the great God is pleased to do it by these six particular degrees which follow First By Illumination 2. By Inspiration stirring up the soul to do the will of God 3. By Operation working up the soul to the love of Christ 4. By Direction teaching us to do the will of the Lord. 5. By assisting us to do that which is directed to us 6. By a full evidence of his Spirit that we are the Sons of God First The Lord illuminates the soul the poor soul being in darkness and knowing no way to come out the Lord enlightens him and brings him to see his miserable estate John 1. 5. the Lord shews the soul the filthiness of sin and his lost and undone condition that he is in by nature and his great need of Christ makes him to long for his Assurance of the love of Christ more then ever he did for any thing in the world and now being enlightened all things to him are as bad as may be sin is exceeding sinfull to him and he sees himself loaden with it and therefore he is like those in the Acts who were so enlightened Men and brethren what shall we do to be saved Acts 2. 37. 2. The Lord works by Inspiration carrying on the soul to Actions of life making him fit for such service as is now to be done makes him still in motion and ready not only to see but obey As Paul saith in Rom. 6. 17. Ye obeyed from the heart the doctrine delivered This is worth something to have the heart lifted up to God in Obedience and to have the soul at an utter enmity with sin striving against it in a continual motion never
making any peace with it Therefore now try and search whether thou hast this Spirit of the living God acting in thee carrying up thy soul to actions of life and power If thou art inspired by the Spirit of God then take it for ever granted that these effects will follow 3. The Spirit of God is an operative Spirit it acts in the soul spiritual things it begets its own likeness in the soul it molds the soul in the new mold of Obedience to the Commands of God The spirit of God works in the soul these operative Acts. First It works Faith 2. It makes the soul live by Faith 3. It drives him to see all in Christ and nothing in himself 1. It works faith in the soul to believe that there is no way to come to God but by Christ and that it is the work of God to draw the soul to him John 6. 29. 2. This Faith will work up the soul to lay hold on him it will cause the soul to reach forth it self to Christ to see him to be the Son of God and to trust and relie on him for life 3. The Spirit of God doth by Faith work a mortifying of sin as it is in Rom 8. 10. If Christ be in you the body is dead because of sin Where these works of the Spirit of God come it operates it carries the soul to a new frame of life He that is in Christ is a new creature saith the Apostle 2 Cor. 5. 17. This work of Faith lifts up the soul to that spiritual Combat between the spirit and the flesh I see saith Paul a law in my members warring against the Law of my minde It is by this work of Faith that all the Saints hold out in this warfare that they still continue a Resolution against sin to kill that and to bring every lust into subjection Secondly It makes the soul live by faith that is it makes him as it were see feel and enjoy all the Riches of God in the Lord Christ you may in part see in the 11. to the Hebrews what it is to live by faith It is to cast thy self with a full confidence upon God and Christ for life and salvation To live by faith is to do these three things 1. To put credit and confidence in God that what is looked for we shall enjoy 2. To look for our happiness only in Christ and not in our selves 3. To rest satisfied as if we already had our desire to live by faith is to credit what God sayes to Rely on him to trust him with confidence that whatsoever he hath promised to us his poor creatures he will make good Heaven and earth shall pass away saith Christ but not one jot or title of my word or promise shall fail It is to cast our selves on God and Christ believing that he will and is fully able to save even to the utmost in every condition 2. Again to live by Faith is to live by something without our selves it is to see all in Christ and nothing in our selves it is to look on our own righteousness as dung and wholly to submit to the righteousness of Christ as you also may see in Phil. 3 8 9 10. 3. To live by Faith is to rest satisfied in every dispensation of God that all is for the best to us and to look on all things as if they were already done according to Gods promise or our own desire so that our content may be in every thing as well as if we had all things All things are yours saith Paul you are Christs and Christ is Gods there is a full enjoyment of all 4. The Spirit of God works also by direction directing of every soul whom it hath wrought the former effects in to do the will of God to walk in the wayes of his Commandments whispering in every soul and saying This is the way walk in it This duty thou must do and that evil thou must leave undone And therefore examine thy self doest thou not finde the Spirit of God telling thee thou must perform Duties of holiness and refrain the evil of sin if not I dare say thou art yet in thy sins 5. The Spirit of God works also by assisting us to do that which it directs us to it never directs us to do a Duty and leaves us No it stay by us and enables us to go thorow it and not only so but even with sighs to God for us which cannot be by us uttered it helps our infirmities Rom. 8. 26. Examine thy soul when didst thou ever go to God by prayer or any Duty else that this Spirit was not ready to assist thee and to thy comfort take notice of this for time to come and thou shalt finde this truth if ever thou hast had this work on thee 6. God closes up all our comfort in this life in this last degree of his working that is by a full witness of his Spirit that we are his sons and daughters And this is a very high enjoyment indeed yet no higher then all the Saints do enjoy and indeed thou art not a Saint till thou hast this Witness in thy soul And this the Apostle Paul affirmeth in Gal. 4. 6 7. Because ye are sons God hath sent the witness of his spirit to testifie it to you and therefore ye are no more servants Again in 1 Joh. 3. 2. Now are we the sons of God And in Joh. 1. 12. He gives all that through faith lay hold on him power to be his sons God doth evidence to all the Saints their interest in Christ and this is to them a sure Record as 1 Joh. 5. 7. 8. This is the new name and the white stone spoken of in Rev. 2. 17. which none knoweth save he that hath it This is that earnest which Paul tells the Ephesians of in chap. 1. 14. And this also you may see in Phil. 1. 13. and 4. 30. After you believed you were sealed with the holy Spirit the which Spirit you see is that which seals all the Saints to the day of Redemption and all this is given to the Saints to assure them that God is their Father and Christ their Husband as the Spouse in the Text doth witness And yet further take notice how God doth this great work he gives the Spirit as the earnest of our Inheritance as a man gives one pound or one shilling in earnest to pay a thousand so the Lord gives his Spirit in earnest of enjoying his presence in Heaven for ever And the soul that hath this Earnest may be sure that as God is God he shall have the whole sum made good to him And that all the Saints may know this is true God will set a seal on their souls to confirm them and therefore thou mayest say on good grounds if thou hast this seal and this earnest that thou canst not miss of Christ Again the Spirit assures us by working in us a fruitfulness
minde be what it will let thy judgement be how it can I tell thee except thou finde these in thee thou art yet a stranger to the life of God and godliness And yet further see what fruits these are in Gal. 5. 22. and so to the end of the chapter a spiritual man bringeth forth spiritual fruit as you finde in this Scripture he is full of love humbleness patience thanksgivings these are fruits fit for a godly man to bear and by these thou mayst know him Further Doest thou not see now who are the godly men in these dayes if thou doest not I will tell thee the reason is either because thou art carnal or else blinded with some forms or other in which thou doest take more delight then in the power of truth and that is also the reason why thou lovest not the godly man for his godliness but for his Judgement sake the examples of which are so sad in these dayes that it is a shame to name them Well now know that t is not thy form but thy fruit that makes it appear that thou art godly and God is glorified in thy fruits of righteousness and not in thy foolish fancy for which thou so frettest thy self See what Christ saith Joh. 15. 8. To be a disciple is to be fruitfull and in that God is glorified I shall close up this first Question with the saying of David in Psal 4. 3. Know that God hath set apart the godly man for himself and therefore they must needs be fruitfull Now a word or two by way of Comfort to such as are truly godly and also of advice Dear Saints Is it so that a godly man is such a one as these nine particulars prove and art thou so indeed delude not thy self but speak to thy soul art thou so Then to thine everlasting comfort consider in what relation thou standest 1. To God 2. To Christ 3. To the Saints and Angels For the first As thou standest to Godward thou art his son a son of God See 1 Joh. 3. 1 2. And because thou art so he hath sent forth his Spirit into thy heart whereby thou art made acquainted with that adoption of Son-ship Now God is thy Father and when thou hast to do with his name thou doest it in that relation My Father as Gal. 4. 6. Consider of what comfort this is to thee God is thy Father and this is not all thou shalt be made like him nay thou shalt see him as he is in the brightness of his glory And therefore let this advise thee that thou set not thy heart on any thing wherein thou mayst grieve his Spirit for he hath given it thee as thy earnest till thou enjoy him fully And further Thy life is hid in God therefore live up in thy affection to him where thy life is Again thou art a Child therefore with all dutiful reverence honour thy Father thou hast heard already how it must be done great will be thy comfort in the doing of it Vse 2. Secondly consider in what relation thou now standest to the Lord Christ he is thy Lord nay he is thy friend he is thy brother and he is not ashamed to own thee so Heb 2. 11 12. nay thou art a joint-heir with him If thou art a godly man here is comfort enough for thee thou art an heir of heaven I say if the Spirit of God doth witness this to thee what canst thou desire more see Rom. 8. 15 16 17. Gal. 4. 7. Well take this advice now in thy way if Christ be thy Lord give up thy self to him honour thy Lord if he be thy friend be faithful to him deal not deceitfully with thy friend I am brief in this for want of time else how far might I enlarge it I say if Christ be thy brother then love him dearly let thy love be as the Spouses in the Canticles Thou art also betrothed to him Art thou an heir of heaven then fit thy self for thy heavenly society prepare thy self to meet thy Lord thy brother and husband in the air that thou mayst for ever be with him 3. Art thou godly then see how thou standest in relation to the Saints and blessed Angels thou art a Citizen of the same City one of the same family a member of the same body and a branch of the same vine and much more might be said Thou art a Citizen with the Saints see Eph. 2. 19. and of the same houshold Thou art come unto Mount Sion to the Assembly of the Saints as Heb. 12. 22 23 24. and this is of infinite comfort to thee that thou art a Citizen of the new Jerusalem and that thy Companions are to be all Saints and Angels Take this advice now that thou make the Saints thy fellows here love them for they indeed are most fit for thy company it will be a great happiness to thee Art thou a member of the same body a branch of the same Vine what comfort is this to thee thy nourishment proceeds of the same root if thou art such a one thou canst not conceive of half thy comfort it affords thee I shall end my desires to thee with that advice which I know is wholsom for thee namely seeing thou art a member of the body of Christ act like a member and seeing thou art a branch of the same Vine let thy fruit appear abundantly that God may be glorified in thee through the Lord Jesus Christ Phil. 2. 14 15. Mat 16 17. Flesh and blood hath not revealed this to thee A wicked man an ungodly man knows not one title of this Psal 92. 6. The second Question is How shall we know a man in the state of nature or an Vngodly man I shall briefly and plainly discover such a man in doing of it I shall observe the same method that I did in the other Question Then if thou wouldst know an ungodly man my answer is Thou shalt know him by the same nine particulars that I used to prove a godly man by I mean by the Rule of contraries And then the first Mark will be this An ungodly man is an unconverted man he is still in the Old man he hath not yet had the work of God upon him such a man hath had no change wrought in him he is the same that ever he was he sees no ugliness in sin neither doth he apprehend any loveliness in Christ such men live ungodlily they are men of unclean lips nay their minds and consciences are defiled Tit. 1. 15. They are to every good work reprobate Again an ungodly man never yet repented truly neither can he endure to be governed by Christ the yoke of Christ is too heavy for him he cannot endure it Again an ungodly man walks in darkness and therefore note him his works are so he can delight to swear or lye or to be drunk or else to scoff and mock at godly men and by these he is discerned 2.