of you thinke that all these matters are to be put to the adventure and cannot now be known you are dangerously mistaken As you may certainly know by Scripture and the Light of Nature that there is a future Life of joy to the Godly and of misery to the wicked so may you know by a faithfull tryall of yourselves to which of these at present you belong and whether you are under the promise or the threatening know yourselves and you may know whether you are Justifyed oâ— Condemned allready and whether you are the Heires of Heaven or Hell Surely he that comforteth his servants with the Promise of Glory to all that Believe and are new creatures and sanctifyed by his spirit did suppose that we may know whether we Believe and are renewed and sanctifyed or not Or els What comfort can it be to us If blinded Infidels have no meanes to quiet â—hemselves but their unbeliefe and a conâ—eit that there is no such Life of misery â—hey have the most pittifull O piate to ease â—hem in the world and may as well think â—o become immortall by a confident conâ—eit that they shall never die If they befoole â—hemselves with the ordinary Questions where is Hell and what kind of fire is it c I answer them with Augustine Melius â—st dubitare de occultis quam litigare de â—â—â—certis Illum quippe divitem in à rdore â—oenarum illum pauperem in refrigerio gandiorum esse intelligendos non dubito sed quomodo intelligenda illa flamma in inferno ille sinus Abrahae illa divitis lingua ille digitus pauperis illa sitis tormenti illa stilla refrigerii vix fortasse à mansuetè quarentibus contentiose antem sectantibus nunquam invenitur that is It is better to be in doubt about things that are hidden from us then to quarrell about things that are uncertaine to us I am past doubt that we must understand that that Rich man was in the heat of Paine and the Poore man in a refreshing place of Joyes But how to understand that flame in Hell that bosome of Abraham that tongue of the Rich man that finger of the poore man that thirst of torment that drop for cooling or refreshment perhaps will hardly be found by the most humble enquirers but never by contentious strivers So that I may conclude that the greatness and dreadfullness of the case should make every person that hath an eye to see an eare to heare and a Heart to understand to Read and enquire and consider and never rest till they know themselves and understand where it is that they are going to take up their abode to everlasting 2. Consider that All men must shortly know themselves Presumption will be but of short continuance Be never so confident of being saved without Holynes you will speedily be undeceived If the Spirits illumination do not convince and undeceive you Death will undoubtedly do it at the furthest Thousands and Millions know their sin and misery now when it is too late that would not know it when the remedy was at hand sinners your soules are now in darkness your Bodyes are your dungeon But when Death brings you out into the open Light you will see what we could never make you see O how glad would a faithfull minister of Christ be if by any information he could now give you halfe the Light that you shall then have and now make you know at the Heart with the feeling of Repentance that which you must else quickly know even at the Heart with the feeling of despaire sirs I hope you think not that I speak meere fancies to you or any think that is questionable and uncertaine you can not say so without denying your selves to be Christians no nor without contradicting the light of Nature and debasing your soules below the Heathen who believe an immortality of soules in a different state of Joy or mtsery in the Life to come And if you are once below Heathens what are you better then Bruit beasts Better in your naturall faculties and powers as being not made Bruites by your Creatour But worse as to the use of them and the consequents to yourselves because you are voluntary self-abusing Bruites But to live here as a Bruit will not make you die and be hereafter as a Bruit To belive you shall die as a Beast will not prevent the miserable life of an impenitent sinner It will not make your soules to be Mortall to believe they are mortall no more then it will make a beast to be Immortall if he could but think so The coffin-maker and the grave-maker if they never read a Book can tell you that it is no controversie whether you must goe hence And Faith and Reason can both assure you that your soules lie not downe with your Bodies in the dust nor are annihilated by the falling of your earthly tabernacle no more then the spirits when the glass is broken that held them or then your Bodies are annihilated when you put off your clothes or rise out of your beds Or then the bird is annihilated that is got out of the shell or the infant that is by nature cast out of the wombe nor no more then the Angels that appeared to the Apostles or others were annihilated when they disappeared Or if I must speak more suitably to the ungodly no more then the Devil that some time appeareth in a bodily shape is annihilated when that appearance vanisheth As I suppose there is never a person in all this populous city that was here but seven-score years agoe so I suppose there is none of you that are here to day that expect to be here so long a time They are gone before you into a world where there is no presumption or security and you are going after them and are almost there As easily as you set here I tell you all you are going after them apace and are almost there O Sirs that world is a world of Light To the damned soules it is called Outer darkness because they have none of the Light of Glory or of Comfort But they shall have the Light of a self-accusing self-tormenting Conscience that is gone out of the darknes of self-ignorance and self-deceit and is fully cured of its slumber and insensibility Do you now take a civilized person for a Saint you will not do so long Doth the Baptisme of water only goe with you now for the Regeneration of the Spirit It will not be so long you will shortly be undeceived Doth a ceremonious Pharisee thank God for the sincerity and Holynes which he never had He will shortly be taught better to know the nature of Holyness and sincerity and that God Justifyeth not all that Justifie themselves Doth a little formal heartless Hypocriticall devotion now cover a sensuall worldly mind The cover will be shortly taken off and the nakednes and deformity of the Pharisee will appeare Doth the name of
Luke 16. thought of his poor Brethren â—hat remained in prosperity and presumâ—â—ion upon earth and little thought what â—ompany he was in what a sight he saw and what he did endure Poor careless souls you know not now what it is for the ungodly to see that they are ungodly by the unresistible light of another world and for the unholy to feel in Hell that they are unholy and to be â—aught by flames and the wrath of the Almighty what is the difference between the sanctified and the carnal betwen an obedient and a rebellious life While you sit here you little know these things You see them not you feel them not and the Lord grant you may never so know them by wofull experience that you may scape such a knowledge is the end of all that I am saying to you But that will not be but by another kind of knowledge even the knowledge of Belief and serious Consideration For your souls sake therefore come into the Light and try your selves and huddle not over a work of such unspeakable consequence as the searching of your hearts and judging of your spiritual state O be glad to know what you are indeed Put home the question Am I sanctified or not Aâ— I in the Spirit or in the flesh Be glad of any htlp for the sure resolution of such doubts Take not up with sleight and venturous presumptions It is your own case your nearest and your greatest case All lies upon it Who should be so willing of the plainest dealing the speediest and the closest search as you O be not surprized by an unexpected sight of an unrenewed miserable soul at death It it be so see it now while seeing it may do good If it be not so a faithfull search can do you no harm but comfort you by the discovery of your sincerity Say not too late I thought I had been born again of the Spirit and had been in a state of grace I thought I had been a child of God and reconciled to him and Justified by faith O what a heart-tearing word would it be â—o you when time is past to say I thought â—t had been better with me 4. Consider also that It is one of Satans â—rincipal designs for your damnation to keep â—ou ignorant of your selves He knows if he can but make you believe that you â—ere Regenerate when you are not you will never seek to be regenerate And that if he can make you think that you are Godly when you are ungodly and have the spirit of Christ while you are servants to the flesh he may defeat all the labours of your Teachers and let them call on you to be Converted till their hearts ake to no purpose but leave you as you are He knows how light you 'l set by the Physicion if he can but make you believe that you are well and how little care you 'l take for a pardon if you think that you need it not or have one already In vain may we call on you till we are hoarse to Turn and become New creatures and give up your selves to Christ if you think that you are good Christians and are in the way to Heaven already And when you know before hand that here lieth the principal game of the Deceiver and that it will be his chief contrivance to keep you unacquainted wiâ—â— your sin and danger till you are 〈◊〉 recovery one would think there should 〈◊〉 no need to bid you be diligent to know your selves 5. And I beseech you consider also thâ—â— Without this design there is no likelyhood thâ—â— Satan could undo you If he keep you not Ignorant of your selves he is never like to keep you in his power You come out of his Kingdom when you come out of darkness He knoweth that if once you did but see how near you stand to the brink of Hell you would think it time to change your standing There is a double principle in Nature that would do something towards your Repentance and recovery if your eyes were opened to see where you are 1. There is since the seduction and ruine of man by Satans temptations an Enmity put into the whole Nature of man against the Whole Satanical Serpentine Nature so that this Natural enmity would so much conduce to your deliverance as that you would not be contented with your Relation if you knew that you are the drudges of the Devil nor would you be charmed â—nto sin so easily if you knew that it is he â—â—deed that doth invite you nor would â—ou dance after his pipe or take his bait 〈◊〉 you perceived indeed that it is his no â—â—nguage would be so taking with you which you knew were uttered by his voice 〈◊〉 would do much to affright you from â—is service if you knew that it is he indeed â—hat setteth you on work and is gratifyâ—d by it He keepeth men in his bondage â—y making them believe that they are free â—e perswadeth men to obey him by perâ—wading them that it is God that they â—bey And he draweth them to Hell by making them believe that they are followâ—ng Christ to Heaven or at least that they â—re following the inclination of their naâ—ure in a pardonable infirmity 2. And the Natural principle of self-love â—ould in order to self-preservation do much â—o drive you from your sinfull state if â—ou did but know what a state it is There 〈◊〉 no man so far hateth himself as to be willing to be damned You cannot choose â—nhabitation in Hell Such a place can never be desired Sure he that cannot choose â—ut fly from an enemy or a bear that did pursue him or fly from fire or water or pestilence when he perceives his danger would fly from Hell if he perceived his danger I beseech you all that are secure in an unsanctified state do but look inwards and help me in preaching this doctrine to youâ— hearts and tell your selves whether you do not think that your state is good and that you are the children of God as well as others and that though you are sinners yet your sins are pardoned by the blood of Christ and that you shall be saved if you die in the state that you are in And are not these thoughts the Reason why you venture to continue in your presenâ— state and look not after so great a change as Scripture speaketh of as necessary And I pray you deal plainly with your hearts and tell me you careless sinners young or old that sit here as quietly as iâ— all were well with you If you did but know that you are at this hour unregenerate and that without Regeneration there iâ— is no Salvation If you did but know that you are yet carnal and unholy and thaâ— without Holiness none shall see God If yoâ— did but know that you are yet in a statâ— of Enmity to God while you call him Father and of Enmity to Christ while you call him your
if a man that lyeth in bed should cry out against working too much or going too fast this shewes mens strangeness to themselves Did the careless world but know themselves and see where they stand and what 's before them and how much lyeth on this inch of time did they but know the nature and employment of a soul and why their Creator did place them for a little while in flesh and whither they must goe when time is ended you should then see them in that serious frame themselves which formerly they dislikt in others and they would then confess that if any thing in the world deserved seriousness and diligence it is the pleasing of God and the saving of our souls 7. It is for want of acquaintance with themselves that men are so deceived by the vanityes of the world that they are drowned in the love of pleasures and sensuall delights that they are so greedy for Riches and so desirous to be higher then those about them and to wast their dayes in the pursuit of that which will not help them in the houre of their extremity Did the voluptuous sensualist know aright that he is a Man he would not take up with the pleasures and felicity of a bruit nor enslave his Reason to the violence of his Appetite He would know that there are higher pleasures which beseem a Man even those that consist in the well being and integrity of the soule in peace of Conscience in the favour of God and Communion with him in the Spirit and in a holy life and in the fore-thoughts and Hopes of endless Glory Did the Covetous worldling know himself he would know that it must be another kind of Riches that must satisfie his soul and that he hath wants of another nature to be supplied and that it more concernneth him to lay up a treasure in Heaven and think where he must dwell for ever then to accommodate his perishing flesh and make provision with so much a doe for a life that posteth away while he is providing for it he would rather make him friends with the Mammon of unrighteousness and lay up a foundation for the time to come and labour for the food that never perisheth then to make such a stir for that which will serve him so little a while that so he might hear Well done thou Good and faithfull servant c. rather then Thou foole this night thy soul shall be required of thee then whose shall those things be which thou hast provided Self-knowledge would teach Ambitious men to prefer the calmest safest station before the highest and to seek first the Kingdom of God and its righteousness and to please him most carefully that hath the Keyes of Heaven and Hell and to be content with food and rayment in the way while they are Ambitious of a higher Glory It would tell them that so dark and fraile a creature should be more solicitous to Obey then to have Dominion and that large Possessions are not the most congruous or desireable Passage to a narrow grave and that it is the highest dignity to be an heire of Heaven Would men but spend some houres time in the study of themselves and seriously consider what it is to be a Man a sinner a Passenger to an endless life an expectant of so great a change and withall to be a profest Believer what a turne would it make in the cares and the desires and conversations of the most O amatores mundi inquit Angust cujus rei gratia militatis Ibi quid nisi fragile plenum periculis et per quâ—t pericula pervenitur ad majus periculum percant haec omnia et dimittamus haec vana et inania conferamus nos ad solam inquisitionem eorum quae finem non habeant i. e. What strive you for O worldings What 's here but a brittle glass full of dangers and by how many dangers must you come to greater dangers Away with these vanities and toyes and let us set our selves to seek the things that have no end 8. It is for want of self-acquaintance that any man is Proud Did men considerately know what they are how quickly would it bring them low Would corruptible flesh that must shortly turne to loathsome rottenness be stout and Lordly and look so high and set forth it self in gawdy ornaments if men did not forget themselves Alas the way forgets the end the outward bravery forgets the dirt and filth within the stage forgetteth the undressing roome Did Rulers behave themselves as those that are subjects to the Lord of all and have the greatest need to feare his judgment and prepare for their account did Great ones live as men that know that Rich and poore are equall with the Lord who respects not persons and that they must Speedily be levelled with the lowest and their dust be mixed with the Common earth what an alteration would it make in their deportment and affaires and what a mercy would it prove to their inferiours and themselves If men that swell with pride of parts and overvalue their knowledge wit or elocution did know how little indeed they know and how much they are ignorant of it would much abate their pride and confidence The more men know indeed the more they know to humble them It is the Novices that being lifted up with Pride do fall into the Condemnation of the Devill 1 Tim. 3.6 They would loath themselves if they knew themselves 9. It is self-ignorance that makes men rush upon Temptations and choose them when they customarily pray against them Did you Know what tinder or gunpowder lodgeth in your natures you would guard your eyes and eares and appetites and be afraid of the least spark you would not be indifferent as to your company nor chuse a life of danger to your souls for the pleasing of your flesh to live among the snares of honour or beauty and bravery or sensuall delights you would not willfully draw so neare the brinke of Hell nor be nibbling at the bait nor looking on the forbidden fruit nor dallying with allurements nor hearkening to the Deceiver or to his messengers It is ignorance of the weakness and badness of your hearts that maketh you so confident of your selves as to think that you can heare any thing and see any thing and approach the snare and treat with the Deceiver without any danger self-acquaintance would cause more feare and self-suspicions If you should scape well a while in your self-chosen dangers you may catch that at last that may prove your wo. Nemo sese tuto periculis offerre tam crebro potest Quem saepe transit casus aliquando invenit Seneca Temptation puts you on a combate with the powers of earth and flesh and Hell And is toyl and danger your delight Nunquam periculum sine periculo vincitur saith Seneca Danger is never overcome without danger It s necessary valour to charge through all which you are in But its
truth with delight and love and â—uitableness of soul would needs be the Rule of Worship to all others even in â—he smallest Circumstances and Ceremonies And they would be the Governors of the Church or the Determiners of its mode of Government that never would be â—rought under the Government of Christ â—hemselves If it please them better to spend â—he Lords day in Plays or Sports or comâ—lement or idleness then in learning the will of God in his word or worshipping â—im and begging his mercy and salvation â—nd seriously preparing for an endless life they would have all others do the like If their full souls loathe the honey comb and they are aweary of being instructed above aâ— hour or twice a day they would have all others forced to their measure that they may seem as diligent as others when others are compelled to be as negligent as they Like a queasie-stomackt Lady that caâ— eat but one sllender meal a day and therefore would have all her servants and tenants eat no more or if they do accuseth them of excess If the Emperor of Constantinople make a Law that no subject shall be suffered in his dominions that will not be conformable to him in time and quality and measure for meats and drink and sleep and speech and exercise it would be an honourable misery and uniform calamity and ruine to his subjects Alas did men but know themselves thâ— weakness of their understandings the sinful byas that personal interest and carnal inclinations have set upon their wills they would be less arrogant and more compassionate and not think by making themselves as Gods to reduce the unavoidable diversities that will be found among mankind 〈◊〉 a Unity in Conformity to their minds and wills and that in the matters of God and of â—â—lvation where every mans conscience 〈◊〉 is wise and faithful will be tenacious of 〈◊〉 interest of God and of his Soul â—â—ch he cannot sacrifice to the will of any 〈◊〉 be so just as not to mistake and misreâ—â—t me in all this as if I pleaded for liâ—â—tinism or disorder or spoke against â—â—vernment Civil or Ecclesiastical when 〈◊〉 only private Ambition uncharitableâ—â—â—s and cruelty and Papall usurpations 〈◊〉 the Church and consciences of men 〈◊〉 I am speaking of which men I am 〈◊〉 will have other thoughts of when 〈◊〉 hath made them know themselves then 〈◊〉 have while passion hindreth them 〈◊〉 knowing what spirit they are of They 〈◊〉 then see that the weak in faith should â—â—ve been received and that Catholick â—â—ity is only to be founded in the Uniâ—â—rsal Head and End and Rule 6. The dreadfull change that 's made upon 〈◊〉 minds when misery or approaching death â—akes them doth shew how little they 〈◊〉 themselves before If they have â—â—ken the true estimate of themselves in â—â—eir prosperity how come they to be so â—â—ch changed in adversity Why do they â—â—gin then to cry out of their sins and of 〈◊〉 folly of their worldliness and sensuality and of the vanity of the honoâ—â— and pleasures of this life Why do thâ— then begin to wish with gripes of consâ—â—â—ence that they had better spent their prâ—â—cious time and minded more the matteâ— of eternity and taken the course as thâ—â— did whom they once derided as makâ— more ado then needs Why do they thâ— tremble under the apprehensions of thâ— unreadiness to die and to appear before 〈◊〉 dreadfull God when formerly such though did little trouble them Now there is 〈◊〉 such sense of their sin or danger upâ—â— their hearts Who is it now that ever heâ—â— such lamentations and self-accusations frâ—â— them as then its likely will be heard 〈◊〉 same man that then will wish with Balâ—â—am that he might die the death of the rigâ—â—teous and that his latter end might be as 〈◊〉 will now despise and grieve the righteoâ—â— The same man that then will passionate wish that he had spent his days in 〈◊〉 preparations for his change and lived 〈◊〉 strictly as the best about him is now 〈◊〉 much of another mind that he perceiâ—â— no need of all this diligence but thiâ—â— it is humorous or timerous superstition 〈◊〉 at least that he may do well enough 〈◊〉 out it The same man that will thâ—◠〈◊〉 Mercy Mercy O Mercy Lord to a â—â—â—arting soul that 's loaden with sin and â—â—mbleth under the fear of thy judgement 〈◊〉 now perhaps an enemy to serious earnest â—â—ayer and hates the families and persons â—â—at most use it or at least is prayerless 〈◊〉 cold and dull himself in his desires and 〈◊〉 shut up all with a few careless custoâ—â—ry words and feel no pinching necessity 〈◊〉 awaken him importunately to cry and â—â—ve with God Doth not all this shew 〈◊〉 men are befooled by prosperity and 〈◊〉 acquainted with themselves till danger or â—â—â—amity call them to the bar and force â—â—em better to know themselves Your mutability proveth your ignorance â—â—d mistakes If indeed your case be now 〈◊〉 good as your present confidence or seâ—â—rity do import lament it not in your â—â—versity fear it not when Death is calâ—â—â—g you to the bar of the impartial Judge 〈◊〉 not out then of your ungodliness and â—â—suality of your trifling hypocrisie â—â—ur sleight contemptuous thoughts of â—od and of your casting away your Hopes 〈◊〉 Heaven by wilfull negligence and deâ—â—es If you are sure that you are now in â—â—e right and diligent serious believers in â—â—e wrong then stand to it before the Lord set a good face on your cause if it be good Be not down in the mouth when it is triâ—â— God will do you no wong If your 〈◊〉 be good he will surely justifie you 〈◊〉 will not mar it Wish not to dye the deaâ—â— of the Righteous say not to them Gâ—â—â— us of your oyl for our lamps are gone ouâ— Mat. 25.8 If all their Care and Love 〈◊〉 Labour in seeking first the Kingdom of Gâ—â— and its Righteousness be a needless thing wish not for it in your extremity but 〈◊〉 it needless then If fervent prayer may bâ— spared now while prayer may be heard 〈◊〉 a few lifeless words that you have learnâ— by rote may serve the turn then call 〈◊〉 on God when answering is past seek him not when he will not be found Prov. 1â— 27 28. When your fear cometh as desolation and your destruction as a whirlwindâ— when distress and anguish come upon you Cry not Lord Lord open unto us wheâ— the door is shut Matth. 25.10 11. 〈◊〉 them not foolish then that slept bâ—â— them that watcht if Christ was mistaken and you are in the right Matth. 25.2 Prov. 1.22 O Sirs stand but at the bed-side of one of these ungodly careless men and heaâ— what he saith of his former life of his apâ—roaching change of a Holy or a carnal â—ourse whether a Heavenly or Worldly life 〈◊〉 better unless God have left him to that â—eplorate stupidity which an hours time will put an end to
amplexandum totum corâ—â—â— expositum ad redimendum saith Augustiâ—â— Behold the wounds of Christ as he is hangâ—â—g the blood of him dying the price of him â—â—deeming the scars of him rising His Head 〈◊〉 bowed to Kiss thee his heart open to love â—â—ee his arms open to embrace thee â—is whole body exposed to redeem thee Homo factus est hominis Factor ut sugeret â—â—bera regens sydera ut esuriret Panis ut â—â—â—eret Fons dormiret Lux ab itinere via â—â—tigaretur falsis testibus Veritas occulâ—retur Index vivâ—rum mortuâ—rum à juâ—â—â—ce mortali judicaretur ab injustis justiâ—â—a damnaretur flagellis disciplina caedoreâ—â—ur spinis botrâ—s coronaretur in ligno â—undamentum suspenderetur virtus infirâ—aretur salus vulneraretur vita â—oreretur saith Aug. that is The Maker â—f man was made man that he might suck â—â—e breasts that rules the starrs that Bread â—ight hunger the Spring or fountain might â—hirst the Light might steep the Way â—ight be weary in his journey that the Truth might be hidden by false witnesses That the Judge of quick and dead might be â—udged by amortal judge Iustice might be condemned by the unjust Discipline might 〈◊〉 scourged the Cluster of grapes might be â—rowned with thorns the Foundation might be hanged on a tree that Strength â—ight be weakned that Health might be wounded and that Life it self might dyâ— This is the wonderfull mystery of Love which will entertain the soul that come to Christ and which thou must study 〈◊〉 know when thou knowest thy self But 〈◊〉 then all these will be riddles to thee oâ— little relished and Christ will seem to thy neglecting heart to have dyed and done 〈◊〉 this in vain And hence it is that as proud ungodly sensuall men were never sound Believers so they oft-times fall from that opinionative common faith which they had and of all meâ— do most easily turn Apostates It being just with God that they should be so far forsaken as to vilifye the remedie that would not know their sin misery but love it and pertinaciously hold it as their felicity 4. If you Know not your selves you will not know what to do with your selves nor to what end and for what work you are to live This makes the Holy work neglected and most men live to little purpose wasting their daies in matters that them selves will call impertinent when they come to die as if they were good for nothing else Whereas if they knew them selves they would know that they are made and fitted for more noble workes O man if thou â—ere acquainted well with thy faculties â—â—d frame thou wouldest perceive the â—ame of God thy Maker to be so deeply â—â—graven in thy nature even in all thy parts â—nd powers as should Convince thee that â—â—ou wast made for him that all thou art and 〈◊〉 thou hast is nothing worth but for his â—â—rvice As all the parts and motions of 〈◊〉 clock or watch are but to tell the hour 〈◊〉 the day Thou wouldst know then the â—eaning of Sanctification and Holiness â—hat it signifyeth but the Giving God his â—wn and is the first part of Justice withâ—ut which no rendering men their due can â—â—ove thee Just Thou wouldst then know â—â—e unreasonableness and injustice of ungodâ—â—ness and all sin And that to serve thy â—â—eshly lusts and pleasures with those noble â—â—culties that were purposely formed to â—ove and serve the Eternall God is more â—â—bsurd and villainous then to employ the â—ighest officers of the King in the sweepâ—ng of your chimneyes or the serving of â—our swine Remember it unreasonable â—cutish man the next time thou art going to thy lusts and sensuall deâ—â—ghts It is no wiser a course thou â—akest It is no more honorable or â—ust but as much worse as God is to be preferred to a King and as thy 〈◊〉 is worse then the serving of thy swiâ—e O man didst thou but know thy self and see what employment thy facultyes are made thou wouldst lift up thy head and seriously think who holds the reins who keepeâ— thy breath yet in thy nostrills and continueth thee in life And where it is that thou must shortly fix thy unchangeable abode And what is now to be done in preparation for such a day Os homini sublime dedit c. Thou wouldst know that thou hadst not that Reason and that will and executive power to rowl in the earth and be but a cunning kind of beast that hath wit to play the fool and can ingeniously live below understanding and do that with argument which other bruits can do without it Thou wouldst know that thy higher faculties were not made to serve the lower 〈◊〉 thy Reason to serve thy sensuall delight the horse was not made to ride the man nor the master to follow and attend the dâ—g O man hadst thou not lost the Knowledge of thy self thou wouldst be so far from wondering at a Holy life that thou wouldst look upon an unholy person as a monster and wouldst hear the deriderâ— and opposers of a holy life as thou wouldst hear him that were deriding a man because he is not a swine or were reproaching men of honor and learning because they live not as an Ass I confess my soul is too apt to lose its lively sense of all these things But when ever it is awake I am forc't to say in these kind of meditations If I had not a God to know and think on to Love and honor to seek and serve what had I to do with my understanding will and all my powers What should I do with life and time What use should I make of Gods provisions What could I find to do in the world that is worthy of a man Were it not as good lie still and sleep out my daies and professedly do nothing as to go dreaming with a seeming seriousness and wander about the world as in my sleep and do nothing with such a troublesome stir as sensuall worldly persons do Could not I heave plaid the beast without a Reasonable free-working soul Let them turn from God and neglect the conduct of the Redeemer and disregard the holy approaches and breathings and workings of the soul towards its beloved Center and felicity that know not what an immortal soul is or know how els to imploy their facultyes with satisfaction or conttent unto themselves I profess here 〈◊〉 in his presence that is the Father of spirits and before Angels and men I do not 〈◊〉 know not what els to do with my soul that 's worth the doing but what is subservient to its proper object its end and everlasting Rest If the Holy service of God and the preparation for Heaven and making after Christ and happiness be forbidden me I have no more to do in the world that will satisfie my Reason or satisfie my affections or that as a man or a Christian I can own And it s as good not live as to be deprived
with a Medice cura teipsum Physitian heal thy self with a Loripidem rectus derideat Aethiopem abbus c. and a Primus jussa subi c. and a Qui alterum incusat probri ipsum se intueri oportet First sweep before your own door It s ridiculous for the blind to reproach the pur-blind Qua in aliis reprehendis in teipso maximè reprehende Reprehend that more in thy self which thou reprehendest in another The eye of the soul is not like the eye of the body that can see other things but not it self There are two evils that Christ noteth in the reproofs of such as are unacquainted with theselves in Math. 7.3 4. Hypocrisie and Vnfitness to reprove Why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brothers eye but considerest not the beam that is in thy own eye Or how wilt thou say to thy brother Let me pull out the moat out of thine eye and behold a beam is in thy own eye Thou Hypocrite first cast the beam out of thine own eye and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the moat out of thy brothers eye Thy own vices do corrupt thy judgement and cause thee to excuse the like in others and to accuse the virtue that in others is the condemner of thy vice and to represent all as odious that is done by those that by their piety and reproofs are become odious to thy guilty and malicious soul Dost thou hate a holy heavenly life and art void of the love of God and of his servants Hast thou a carnal dead unconverted heart art thou a presumptuous careless worldly wretch Hast thou these beams in thy own eye and art thou fit to quarrel with others that are better then thy self about a Ceremony or a Holy day or a circumstance of Church-Government or Worship or a doubtfull controverted opinion and to be pulling these motes out of thy Brothers eye Yea rather wouldst pull out his eyes to get out the mote First get an illuminated mind and a renewed sanctified heart be acquainted with the Love of God and of his Image and cast out the beam of infidelity ungodliness worldliness sensuality malice and hypocrisie from thine own eye and then come and play the Oculist with thy brother and help to cure him of his lesser involuntary errors and infirmities Till then the beam of thy sensuality and impiety will make thee a very incompetent Judge of the mote of a different opinion in thy brother Every word that thou speakest in condemnation of thy brother for his opinion or infirmity is a double condemnation of thy self for thy ungodly fleshly life And if thou wilt needs have judgement to begin at the house of God for the failings of his sincere and faithfull servants it may remember thee to thy terror what the end of them shall be that obey not the Gospel of God And if you will condemn the righteous for their lamented weaknesses where think you the ungodly and the sinner shall appear 1 Pet. 4.17 18. 11. If you begin not at your selves you can make no progress to a just and edifying knowledge of extrinsick things Mans self is the Alphabet or Primer of his learning Non pervenitur ad summa nisi per inferiora You cannot come to the top of the stairs â—f you begin not at the bottom Frustra corâ—dis oculum erigit ad videndum Deum qui â—â—ondum idoneus est ad videndum scipsum Prius enim est ut cognoscas invisibilia spiritus tui quà m possis esse idoneus 〈◊〉 cognoscendum invisibilia Dei si non potes te cognoscere non praesumas appreâ—endere ea quae sunt supra te inquit Hug. de Anim. i. e. In vain doth he lift up his heart to see God that is yet unfit to see himself For thou must first know the invisible things of thy own spirit before thou canst be fit to know the invisible things of God And if thou canst not know thy self presume not to know the things that are above thy self You cannot see the face which it representeth if you will not look upon the glass which representeth it God is not visible but appeareth to us in his creatures and especially in 〈◊〉 selves And if we know not our selves wâ— cannot know God in our selves Praecipuâ— principale est speculum ad videndum Deum animus rationalis intuens scipsum inâ—â— Hug. The principal glass for the beholdinâ— of God is the Resonable soul beholding it self And you will make but an unhappy progress in your study of the Works of God if you begin not with your selves Yoâ— can know but little of the Works of Nature till you know your own nature And you can know as little of the Works of Grace till self-acquaintance help you to know thâ— nature and danger of those diseases that Grace must cure The unhappy error 〈◊〉 presumptuous students about their owâ— hearts misleadeth and perverteth them in the whole course of their studies that by all they do but profit in misapplied notions and self-deceit It s a lamentable fight to see a man turning over Fathers and Councils and diligently studying words and notions that is himself in the gall of bitterness and bond of iniquity and never knew it nor studieth the cure And it s a pittifull thing to see such in a Pulpit teaching the people to know the mysteries of salvation that know not nor ever laboured to know what sins are predominant in their own hearts and lives or Whether they stand before God in a justified or a condemned state To hear a poor unsanctified man as boldly treating of the mysteries of sanctification as if he had felt them in himself and a man that is condemned already and stayeth but a while till the stroke of death for final execution to treat as calmly of judgement and damnation as if he were out of danger and exhorting others to escape the misery which he is in himself and never dreameth of it This sheweth how sad a thing it is for men to he ignorant of themselves To see men run out into damnable and dangerous errors on each hand some into the proud self-conceitedness of the Phanaticks Enthusiasts and Libertines and some into contempt and scorn of holiness and every one confident even to rage in his own distractions this doth but shew us whither men will go that are unacquainted with themselves This also maketh us so troubled with our auditors that when they would learn the truth that should convert and save them are carping and quarrelling with us and hear us as the Pharisees and Herodians heard Christ to catch him in his words Mark 12.13 As if a dying man in a consumption imagining that he is well should go to the Physicion to make a jeast of him or seek to ruine him for telling him that he is sick And how frowardly do they reject the wisest counsel and cast the medicine with unthankfull indignation into the face of the
Saviour and of Enmity to the Holy Spirit while you call him your sanctifyer If you did but know that your sins are unpardoned and your souls unjustified and that you are condemned already and shall certainly be damned if you die as you are could you live quietly in such a state Could you sleep and eat and drink quietly and follow your trades and let time run on without repenting and returing unto God if you knew that you are past hope if death surprize you in this condition For the Lords sake Sirs rouze up your selves a little and be serious in a business that concerneth you more then ten thousand natural lives and tell me or rather tell your selves If you did but know that while you sit here you are unrenewed and therefore under the curse of God and in the bondage of the Devil and are hasting towards perdition and are gone for ever if you be not sanctified and made new creatures before you die could you then put off this Sermon with a sleepy careless hearing and go home and talk of common matters and no more mind it as you have done by Sermons untill now Could you forbear going alone and there bethinking your selves O what a sinful dreadfull condition are we in What will become of us if we be not regenerate before we die Had we no Vnderstandings no Hearts no life or sense that we have lingered so long and lived so carelesly in such a state O where had we been now if we had died unregenerate How near have we been oft to Death how many sicknesses might have put an end to life and hope Had any of them cut off the slender thread that our lives have hanged on so long and had we died before this day we had been new in Hell without remedy Could any of you that knew this to be your case forbear to betake your selves to God and cry to him in the bitterness of your souls O Lord what Rebells what wretches have we been We have sinned against Heaven and before thee and are 〈◊〉 more worthy to be called thy children O how sin hath captivated our understandings and conquered our very sense and made us live like men that were dead as to the Love and service of God and the work of our salvation which we were created and redemned for O Lord have mercy upon these blinded senseless miserable souls Have mercy upon these despisers and abusers of thy mercy O save us or we perish Save us from our sins from Satan from thy curse and wrath Save us or we are undone and lost for ever Save us from the unquenchable fire from the worm that never dieth from the bottomless pit the outer darkness the horrid gulf of endless misery O let the bowels of thy compassion yearn over us O save us for thy Mercy sake Shut not out the cries of miserable sinners Regenerate renew and sanctifie our hearts O make us new creatures O plant thine Image on our souls and incline them towards thee that they may be wholly thine O make us such as thou commandest us to be Away with our sins and sinfull pleasures and sinfull company We have had too much too much of them already Let us now be thine associated with them that Love and fear thee imployed in the works of Holiness and obedience all our dayes Lord we are willing to let go our sins and to be thy servants or if we be not make us willing What say you Sirs if you knew that you were this hour in a state of condemnation could you forbear making haste with such confessions complaints and earnest supplications to God And could you forbear going presently to some faithfull Minister or godly friend and telling him your case and danger and begging his advice and prayers and asking him what a poor sinner must do to be recovered pardoned and saved that is so deep in sin and misery and hath despised Christ and grace so long Could you tell how to sleep quietly many nights more before you had earnestly sought out for help and made this change How could you choose but presently betake your selves to the company and converse and examples of the godly that are within your reach For when ever a man is truly changed his friendship and company is changed if he have opportunity And how could you choose but go and take your leave of your old companions and with tears and sorrow tell them how foolishly and sinfully you have done and what wrong you have done each others souls and intreat them to repent and do so no more or else you will renounce them and fly from their company as from a Pesthouse Can a man forbear thus to fly from Hell if he saw that he is as near it as a condemned Traytor to the Gallows He that will beg for bread if he be hungry and rather 〈◊〉 by shame then famish would beg for grace if he saw and felt how much he needeth it And seeing it is the way to feel it He that will seek for medicines when he is sick and would do almost any thing to escape a temporal death would he not seek out to Christ the remedy of his soul if he knew and felt that otherwise there is no recovery and would he not do much against eternal death Skin for skin and all that a man hath he will give for this life was a truth that the Devil knew and maketh use of in his temptations And will a man then be regardless of his soul that knows he hath an immortal soul and of life eternal that knows his danger of eternal death O Sirs it is not possible but the true knowledge of your state of sin and danger would do very much to save you from it For 〈…〉 a wilfull-chosen state All the Deviâ—◠〈◊〉 Hell cannot bring you to it and 〈◊〉 you in it against your will You 〈◊〉 willing of the sin though unwilling of 〈◊〉 punishment And if you truly knew 〈◊〉 â—unishment and your danger of it you â—â—uld be the more unwilling of the sin for God hath affixed punishment to sin for this end that they that else would love the Serpent may hate it for the sting Wâ—ll you not say He is a beast and not a man that will avoid no danger but what he seeth Foreseeing is to a man what seeing is to a beast If he see it before his eyes a beast will not easily be driven into a Cole-pit or a gulf he will draw back and strive if you go about to kill him And is he a man or some monster that wants a name that will go on to Hell when he seeth it as it were before him and that will continue in a state of sin when he knows he must be damned in Hell for ever if he so continue to the end Indeed sin is the deformity and monstrosity of the soul He is a monster of Blindness that seeth not the folly and peril of such a
state and that a state of Holiness is better He is a monster of stupidity that finds himself in such a state and doth not feel it but mâ—â—â—th light of it And he is monster 〈…〉 fulness that will not stir when he 〈◊〉 himself in such a case and seek for 〈…〉 and value the remedy and use the 〈…〉 and forsake his sinfull course and 〈…〉 till further mercy take him up and 〈◊〉 him home and make him welcome 〈◊〉 one that was lost but now is found was 〈◊〉 but is alive I do not doubt for all these expostulations but some men may be such monsters as thus to see that they are in a state of wrath and misery and yet continue in it As 1. Such as have but a glimmering insufficient sight of it and a half-belief while a greater belief and hope of the contrary that is Presumption is predominant at the heart But these are rather to be called men ignorant of their misery then men that know it and men that believe it not then men that do believe it as long as the Ignorance and Presumption is the prevailing part 2. Such as by the rage of appetite and passion are hurried into deadly sin and so continue when ever the tempter offereth them the 〈◊〉 against their Conscience and some apâ—â—ehension of their misery But 〈…〉 commonly a prevalent self 〈…〉 within encouraging and 〈…〉 them in their sin and telling 〈…〉 the reluctancies of their consciâ—â—â—◠〈…〉 the spirits strivings against the 〈…〉 their fits of remorse are true 〈…〉 and though they are sinners they 〈◊〉 they are pardoned and shall be 〈◊〉 so that these do not know themselves 〈◊〉 3. Such as by their deep engagements to the world and love of its prosperity and a custom in sinning are so hardened and cast into a slumber that though they have a secret knowledge or suspicion that their case is miserable yet they are not wakened to the due consideration and feeling of it and therefore they go on as if they knew it not But these have not their knowledge in exercise It is but a candle in a dark lanthorn that now and then giveâ— them a convincing flash when the right side happens to be towards them or like lightning that rather frightens and amazeth them then directeth them And as I said of the former as to the act their self-ignorance is the predominant part and therefore they cannot be said indeâ—â— to know themselves Now and then a â—â—â—vinced apprehension or a fear is not 〈…〉 of their minds 4. Such as being in youth or 〈…〉 do promise themselves long life 〈…〉 others that foolishly put away 〈◊〉 day 〈◊〉 death and think they have yet 〈…〉 before them and therefore though◠〈…〉 convinced of their misery and knâ—â—â—hey must be Converted or Condemned 〈◊〉 yet delay and quiet themselves with purposes to Repent hereafter when Death â—raâ—es neer and there is no other remedie but they must leave their sins or give up all their hopes of Heaven Though these know somewhat of their present misery it is but by such a flashy uneffectuall knowledge as is afore described and they know little of the wickedness of their hearts while they confess them wicked Otherwise they could not imagine that Repentance is so easie a work to such as they as that they can performe it when their hearts are further hardened and that so easily and certainly as that their salvation may be ventured on it by delayes Did they know themselves they would know the backwardness of their hearts and manifold difficulties should make them see the madness of delayes and of longer resisting and abusing the grace of the spirit that must convert them if ever they be saved 5. Such as have light to shew them their misery but live where they heare not the discovery of the Remedie and are left without any knowledge of a Saviour I deny not but such may go on in a state of misery though they know it when they know no way out of it 6. Such as Believe not the Remedie though they heare of it but think that Christ is not to be believed in as the Saviour of the world 7. Such as Believe that Christ is the Redeemer but believe not that he will have mercy upon them as supposing their hearts are not qualifyed for his salvation noâ— ever will be because the day of grace iâ— past and he hath concluded them under a sentence of reprobation and therefore thinking that there is no hope and that their endeavours would be all in vaine they cast off all endeavours and give up themselves to the pleasurs of the flesh and say It is as good be damned for some thing or for a greater mattter as for a lesse So that there are three sorts of Despaire that are not equally dangerous 1. A Despaire of pardon and salvation arising from Infidelity as if the Gospell were not true nor Christ a Saviour to be trusted with our soules if predominant is damnable 2. A Despaire of pardon and salvation arising from a mis-understanding of the Promise as if it pardoned not such sins as ours and denyed mercy to those that have sinned so long as we this is not damnable necessarily of it selfe because it implyeth faith in Christ and not Infidelity but misunderstanding hindereth the applyâ—â—â—g comforting act And therefore this â—ctuall personal despaire is accompanyed â—ith a General actual Hope and with a partiâ—ular personal vertual Hope 3. A Despaire 〈◊〉 pardon and salvation upon the misunâ—erstanding of ourselves as thinking both â—â—at we are gracless and alwaies shall be so â—ecause of the blindness and hardness of our â—earts of this Despaire I say as of the forâ—er it is joyned with faith and with General â—nd Virtual Hope and therefore is not the Despaire that of its self condemneth Many may 〈◊〉 saved that are too much guitly of it But if either of these two later sorts â—hall so far prevaile as to turne men off â—â—om a Holy to a fleshly worldly interest and â—â—fe and make them say Wee will take â—ur pleasure while we may and will have â—â—â—thing for our soules before we lose them â—nd do accordingly this kind of Desperatiâ—â— is damnable by the effects because it â—akes men off the meanes of life and giâ—eth them up to damning sinnes Thus I have shewed you of seven sorts of persons that may know themselves â—heir sin and danger with such an uneffectuall partiall knowledge a I have described and yet continue in that sin and misery And in two cases even sound Believer many possibly go on to sin when they 〈◊〉 the sin and not only see the danger of 〈◊〉 but despairingly thinke it greater then it iâ— As 1. in case of common unavoidable faâ—â—ings infirmites and low degrees of grace we are all imperfect and yet we all knoâ— that it is our duty to be perfect as perfectâ—â—on is opposed to sinfull and not to innâ—â—cent imperfection And yet this knowledâ—â— maketh us
fall their sin and misery of the Redeemer and the sure and free salvation which they may have if they will but come to him But alas we cannot make them believe that they are so sick as to have so much need of the Physicion and that they are dead and have need of a new creation as to the inclinations of their hearts and the end and bent and business of their lives We are sent to tender them the mercy of Christ but we cannot make them believe that they are miserable We are sent to offer them the riches and eye selve and white rayment of the Gospel but we cannot make them know that they are poor and blind and naked We are sent to call them to Repent and Turn that they may be saved and we cannot make them know that they are so far out of the way as to need a change of heart and life Here they sit before us and we look on them with pitty and know not how to help them We look on them and think alas poor souls you little see what death will quickly make you see You will then see that there is no salvation by all the blood and merits of Christ for any but the sanctified but O that we could now but make you understand it We look on them with compassion and think Alas poor souls as easily and quietly as you sit here a change is neer It will be thus with you but a little while and where will you be next We know as sure as the word of God is true that they must be converted and sanctified or be lost for ever and we cannot make them believe but that the work is done already The Lord knoweth and our consciences witness to our shame that we be not half so sensible of their misery nor so compassionate towards them as we ought to be but yet sometimes our hearts melt over them and fain we would save them from the wrath to come and we should have great hopes of the success if we could but make them know their danger It melts our hearts to look on them and think that they are so near damnation and never like to scape it till they know it till they know that their corruption is so great that nothing but the quickning spirit can recover them and nothing less then to become new creatures will serve the turn But if we would never so fain we cannot make them know it O that we knew how to acquaint them with their case O that we knew how to get within them and to open the windows that the light of Christ might shew them their condition But when we have done all we find it past our power We know they will be past help in Hell if they die before they are regenerate And could we but get themselves to know it we could not but hope that they would better look about them and be saved but we are not able it s more then we can do We cannot get the grossest worldling the basest sensualist the filthiest letcher the proudest child of the Spirit of pride to know that he is in a state of condemnation and must be sanctified or be damned much less can we procure the formal Pharisee thus to know himself We can easily get them to confess that they are sinners and deserve damnation and cannot be saved without Christ But this will not serve The best Saint on earth must say as much as this comes to There are converted and uncoverted sinners sanctifyed and unsanctified sinners Pardoned and unpardoned sinners Sinners that are members of Christ and the children of God and heirs of Heaven and sinners that are not so but contrary They must know not only that they are sinners but that they are yet unconverted unsanctified unpardoned sinners not only that they cannot be saved without Christ but that yet they have no special interest in Christ They will not Turn while they think they are turned already They will not so value and seek for Conversion and Remission and Adoption as to obtain them while they think they have them all already They will not come to Christ that they may have life while they think they have part in Christ already Paul after his Conversion was a sinner and had need of Christ but Paul before his Conversion was an unsanctified unjustified sinner and had no part in Christ This is the state of sin and misery that you must come out of or you are lost And how can you be brought out of it till you know that you are in it O therefore that we knew how to make you know it How should we make poor sinners see that they are within a few steps of everlasting fire that we might procure them to run away from it and be saved we cry so oft and lose our labour and leave so many in their security and self-deceits that we are too discouraged and remit our desires and lose our compassion and our selves alas grow dull and too insensible of their case and preach too oft as coldly as if we could be content to let them perish We are too apt to grow weary of holding the light to men asleep or that shut their eyes and will not see by it When alâ— that we have said is not regarded and we know not what more to say then hath been said so long in vain this flats our spirits this makes so many of us preach almost as carelesly as we are heard Regardless sleepy hearers make regardless sleepy Preachers Frequent frustration abateth hope And the fervour and diligence of prosecution ceaseth as hope abateth This is our fault Your insensibility is no good excuse for ours But it s a fault not easily avoided And when we are stopt at the first door and cannot conquer Satans out works what hopes have we of going further If all that we can say will not convince you that you are yet unsanctified and unjustified how shall we get you to the duties that belong to such in order to the attainment of this desireable state ANd here I think it not unseasonable to inform you of the reason why the most able faithfull Ministers of Christ do search so deep and speak so hardly of the case of unrenewed souls as much displeaseth many of their hearers and makes them say they are too severe and terrible preachers The zealous Antinomian saith they are Legalists and the prophane Antimonian saith they rail and preach not mercy but judgement only and would drive men to despair and make them mad But will they tell God he is a Legalist for making the Law even the Gospel Law as well as the Law of Nature and commanding us to preach it to the world Shall they escape the Sentence by reproaching the Law-maker Will not God judge the world and judge them by a Law and will he not be just and beyond the reach of their reproach O sinner this is not the smallest part of
and built your hopes upon his promises and can with a cheerfull contempt let go the world for the accomplishment of your hopes remember yet that there is a secret root of unbelief remaining in you and that this odious sin is but imperfectly mortified in the best and that its more then possible that you may see the day when the tempter will assault you with questionings of the word of God and trouble you with the injections of blasphemous thoughts and doubts whether it be true or not and that you that have thought of God of Christ of Heaven of the Immortal state of souls with joy and satisfied confidence may be in the dark about them affrighted with ugly suggestions of the enemy and may think of them all with troublesome distracting doubts and be forced to cry with the Disciples Luke 17.5 Lord increase our faith And as he Mark 9.24 Lord I believe help thou my unbelief Yea worse then so some upright souls have been so amazed and distracted by the Tempter and their distempered hearts as to think they do not believe at all nor yet are able sincerely to say Lord help thou my unbelief When yet at that time their Fears and their abstaining from iniquity shew that they Believe the Threatnings and therefore indeed believe the word Now if we did but throughly know our selves when faith is in its exercise and strength and consider whither the secret seeds of remaining unbelief may bring us being fore-warned we should be fore-armed and should fortifie our faith the better and be provided against these sad assaults And if the malignant spirit be suffered to storm this fortress of the soul we should more manfully resist and we should not be overwelmed with horror as soon as any hideous and blasphemous temptations do assault us when Christ himself was not exempted from the most blasphemous temptation even the worshipping of the Devil instead of God though in him there was no sinfull disposition to entertain it Mat. 4.9.10 John 14.30 O watch and pray Christians in your most prosperous and comfortable state Watch and pray lest ye enter into temptation For you little think what is yet within you and what advantage the deceiver hath and how much of your own to take his part and how low he may bring you both in point of Grace and Peace though he cannot damn you I am troubled that I must tell you of so sad a case that even the children of God may fall into lest by troubling you with the opening of your danger I should do any thing to bring you into it But because self-ignorance and not being before hand acquainted with it may do much more I have timely shewed you the danger with the remedy 5. Another instance of the darkness even of a Heart that in part is sanctified is in the successes of the temptations of Adversity When we want nothing we think we value not the world and we could bear the loss of all But when poverty or danger comes what trouble and unseemly whining is there as if it were by a worldling that is deprived of his Idol and all the portion that ever he must have And by the shamefull moan and stir that we make for what we want we shew more sinfull overvaluing of it and love to it then before we observed or would believe O how confidently and piously have I heard some inveigh against the Love of the world as if there had been no such thing in them who yet have been so basely dejected when they have been unexpectedly stript of their estates as if they had been quite undone How patiently do we think we could bear affliction till we feel it And how easily and piously can we exhort others unto patience when we have no sense of what they suffer But when our turn is come alas we seem to be other men Suffering is now another thing and Patience harder then we imagined And how inclinable are we to hearken to temptations to use sinfull means to come out of our sufferings Who would have thought that faithfull Abraham should have been so unbelieving as to equivocate in such a danger and expose the chastity of his wife to hazzard as we read in Gen. 12.12 13 19. And that he should fall into the same sin again on the same occasion Gen. 20. to Abimelech as before he had done with Pharaoh And that Isaac should after him fall into the same sin in the same place Gen. 26.7 The Life oâ— Faith doth set us so much above the fear of man and shew us the weakness and noâ—thingness of mortal worms and the faithâ—fulness and al-sufficiency of God that oâ— would think the frowns and threatnings 〈◊〉 a man should signifie nothing to us whâ—â— God stands by and giveth us such ampâ—â— promises and security for our confirmâ—â—tion and encouragement And yet whâ—â— base dejectedness and sinfull complianceâ— are many brought to through the fear 〈◊〉 man that before the hour of this tempâ—tation could talk as couragiously as any This was the case of Peter before mentioned and of many a one that hath woundeâ— conscience and wronged their profession by too cowardly a disposition which if it were fore-known we might do more for our confirmation and should betake our selves in time to Christ in the use of means for strength Few turn their backs on Christ or a good cause in time of tryal that are jealous of themselves before hand and afraid lest they should forsake him Few fall that are afraid of falling But the self-ignorant and self-confident are careless of their way and it is they that fall 6. Another instance that I may give you 〈◊〉 in the unexpected appearances of Pride 〈◊〉 those that yet are truly humble Huâ—ility speaks in their confessions aggravaâ—â—ng their sin and searching heart and life â—r matter of self-accusation They call â—hemselves Less then the least of all Gods â—â—ercies They are ready with the woman of Canaan Mat. 15.27 even to own the name â—f dogs and to confess themselves unworthy â—f the childrens crums and unworthy to â—read upon the common earth or to â—reath in the air or to live upon the patiâ—nce and provisions of God They will â—pend whole hours and dayes of humiliaâ—ion in confessing their sin and bewailâ—ng their weaknesses and want of grace â—nd lamenting their desert of misery They â—re oft cast down so much too low that they dare not own the title of Gods children nor any of his special grace but take themselves for meer unsanctified hardened sinners and all that can be said will not convince them that they have any saving interest in Christ nor hinder them from pouring out unjust accusations against themselves And all this is done by them in the uprightness of their hearts and not dissemblingly And yet would you think that with all this Humility there should be any pride and that the same person should lift up themselves and resist theâ— helps to further
terrible avenger and you may confess his judgements to be just but can you amicably embrace the consuming fire and love to dwell with the everlasting burnings O therefore as ever you would have the Love of God to animate and sanctifie and delight your souls study the greatness of his Love to you and labour with all possible speed and diligence to find that Christ by his spirit is within you It is the whole work of sanctification that Satan would destroy or weaken by your doubts And it is the whole work of sanctification that by Love would be promoted if you knew your interest in the Love of Christ 12. It is the knowledge of Christ dwelling in you and so of the special Love of God that must acquaint you with a life of holy Thankfulness and prase These highest and most acceptable duties will be out of your reach if Satan can hide from you that mercy which must be the chiefest matter of your Thanksgiving Will that soul be in tune for the high Praises of the Lord that thinks he meaneth to use him as an enemy Can you look for any cheerful thanksgiving from him that looks to lie in hell will he not rather cry with David Psal 6.5 In death there is no remembrance of thee in the grave who shall give thee thanks Psal 30.9 What profit is there in my blood when I go down to the pit shall the dust praise thee shall it declare thy truth shall the damned praise thee or shall they give thee thanks that must be scorched with the flames of thine indignation Can you expect that Joy should be in their hearts or cheerfulness in their countenances or praises in their mouths that think they are Reprobated to the fire of Hell Undoubtedly Satan is not ignorant that this is the way to deprive God of the Service which is most acceptable to him and you of the pleasures of so sweet a life And therefore he that envyeth both will do his worst to damp your spirits and breed uncomfortable doubts and fears and wrongful suspitions in your minds Whereas the Knowledge of your interest in Christ would be a continual storehouse of thanksgiving and praise and teach your hearts as well as your tongues to say with David Blessed is the man whose transgression is forgiven whose sin is covered Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity and in whose spirit there is no guile Be glad in the Lord and rejoyce ye Righteous and shout for joy all ye that are upright in heart Psal 32.1 2 11. Bless the Lord O my soul and all that is within me bless his holy name Bless the Lord O my soul and forget not all his benefits Who forgiveth all thine iniquities Who healeth all thy diseases Who redeemeth thy life from destruction and crowneth thee with loving-kindness and tender mercies Psal 103.1 2 3 4. O Lord my God I cried unto thee and thou hast healed me O Lord thou hast brought up my soul from the grave thou hast kept me alive that I should not go down to the pit sing unto the Lord O ye saints of his and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness for his anger endureth but for a moment in his favour is life Psal 30.2 3 4 5. Thanksgiving would be the very pulse and breath of your assurance of Christ dwelling in you You would say with Paul Eph. 1.3 4. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in celestials in Christ According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and blameless before him in Love having predestinated us to the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself according to the good pleasure of his will to the praise of the glory of his grace wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved In whom we have redemption through his blood the remission of sins according to the riches of his grace wherein he hath abounded toward us c. Thus faith and assurance as they have an unspeakable store to work upon so it is natural to them to expatiate in the praise of our Redeemer and to delight in amplifications and commemorations of the ways of grace Just so doth Peter begin his first Epistle Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead to an inheritance incorruptible undefiled that fadeth not away reserved in Heaven for you who are kept by the power of Goâ— through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time wherein ye greatly rejoyce c. No wonder if the Heirs of Heaven be inclined to the language and the work of Heaven I think there are few of you that would not rejoice and by your speech and countenance express your joy if you had assurance but of the dignities and dominions of this world And can he choose but express his Joy and Thankfulness that hath assurance of the crown of life What fragrant thoughts should possess that mind that knoweth it self to be possessed by the Spirit of the living God! How thankfull will he be that knows he hath Christ and Heaven to be thankfull for What sweet delights should fill up the hours of that mans life that knows the son of God liveth in him and that he shall live in Joy with Christ for ever How gladly will he be exercised in the praises of his Creator Redeemer and Sanctifier that knows it must be his work for ever No wonder if this Joy be a stranger to their hearts that are strangers to Christ or strangers to their interest in his love No wonder if they have no hearts for these celestial works that have no part in the celestial inheritance or that know not that they have any part therein How can they joyfully give thanks for that which they know not that they have or ever shall have or have any probability to attain But to that man that is assured of Christ within him Heaven and Earth and all their store do offer themselves as the matter of his Thanks and do furnish him with provisions to feed his Praises What a shame is it that an assured heir of Heaven should be scant and barren in comfort to himself or in Thanks and Praise to Jesus Christ when he hath so full a heap of Love and mercy to fetch his motives from and hath two worlds to furnish him with the preciousest materials and hath no less then Infinite goodness even God himself to be the subject of his Praise O give thanks unto the Lord for he is good because his mercy endureth for ever what ever others do Let Israel say let the house of Aaron say let them that fear the Lord say that his mercy endureth for ever Psal 118.1 2 3 4. The
for shame repine at the loss of temporal commodities that is secured of the eternal Joyes If assurance of the Love of God would not embolden you to patient suffering and to lay down life and all for Christ what do you think should ever do it But when you are afraid lest death will turn you into Hell What wonder if you timerously draw back When you know not whether ever you shall have any better no wonder if you are loth to part with the seeming happiness which you have Those doubts and fears enfeeble the soul and spoil you of that valour that becomes a souldier of Christ 5. All personal crosses in your estates your families your friends your health will be easily born if you are once assured of your salvation To a man that is passing into Heaven all these are almost inconsiderable things What is Lazarus the worse now for hâ—s sores or rags Or what is the Rich man the better for his sumptuonus attire and fare Luke 16. Whether you be poor or rich sick or sound whether you are used kindly or unkindly in the world are questions of so small importance that you are not much concerned in the answer of them But whether you have Christ within you or be reprobates whether you are the heirs of the promise or are under the curse are questions of everlasting consequence 6. Lastly you may comfortably receive the sentence of death when once you are assured of the Life of Grace and that you have escaped everlasting death Though nature will be still averse to a dissolution yet faith will make you cheerfully submit desiring to depart and be with Christ as the best condition for you Phil. 1.23 When you know that if the earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved you have a building of God an house not made with hands eternal in the heavens you will then groan earnestly desiring to be cloathed upon with your house which is from heaven not to be uncloathed for the union of soul and body is the constitution of the man which nature cannot but desire but to be cloathed upon that mortality might be swallowed up of life This God doth work you for who giveth you the earnest of the spirit therefore as men that know while you are at home in the body you are absent from the Lord and that walk by faith and not by sight you would be alwaies confident and willing rather to be absent from the body and present with the Lord 2 Cor. 5.1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8. Though it be troublesom to remove your dwelling yet you would not stick upon the trouble if you were sure to change a cottage for a Court nor would you refuse to cross the Seas to change a prison for a Kingdom The holy desires of Believers do prepare them for a safe death but it is the assurance of their future happiness or the believing expectation of it that must prepare them for a death that is safe and comfortable The Death of the Presumptuous may be quiet but not safe The Death of doubting troubled Believers may be safe but not quiet The Death of the ungodly that have awakened undeceived consciences is neither safe nor quiet But the Death of strong Belivers that have attained assurance is both And he that findeth Christ within him may know that when he dyeth he shall be with Christ His dwelling in us by faith by Love and by his Spirit is a pledge that we shall dwell with him Christ within us will certainly carry us unto Christ above us Let Socinians question the happiness of such departed souls or doubt whether they be in heaven before the resurrection I am sure that they are with Christ as the fore-cited places shew 2 Cor. 5.7 8. and Phil. 1.23 and many other We are following him that when he had conquered Death and went before us did send that message to his doubting troubled Disciples which is to me so full of sweetness that me thinks I can scarce too oft recite it John 20.17 Go to my Brethren and say unto them I ascend unto my Father and your Father and to my God and to your God O piercing melting words which methinks do write themselves upon my heart when ever I read them with attention and consideration Know once that you are his Brethren and that his Father is your Father and his God is your God and that he is ascended and glorified in your nature and then how can you be unwilling to be dismissed from the bondage of this flesh and be with Christ For in his Fathers house are many mansions and he is gone before to prepare a place for us and will come again and receive us unto himself that where he is there we may be also John 14.2 3. And that this is his will for all his servants he hath declared in that comfortable promise which also I have found so full of sweetness that I value it above all the riches of the world John 12.26 If any man serve me let him follow me and where I am there shall also my servant be If any man serve me him will my Father honour The Spirit of Christ within you is the earnest of all this Be assured of your Faith and Hope and Love and you may be assured to possess the Good believed and Hoped for and Loved The incorruptible seed which liveth and abideth for ever of which you are new born 1 Peâ— 1.23 doth tend to the incorruptible crown 1 Pet. 5.4 even the Crown of righteousness which the righteous Judge will give to all that love his appearing 2 Tim. 4.8 And so shall we ever be with the Lord as the Apostle comfortably speaks 1 Thes 4.17 and seasonably annexeth the use of such a cordial vers 18. wherefore comfort one another with these words Whether we are to die by the decay of nature or by the storm of any violent disease or by the hand of persecutros or any other instruments of Satan the difference is small They are but several ways of landing at the shore of happiness which we were making towards through all the duties and difficulties of our lives May we by any Death be sent to Christ let them domineâ—r a while that stay behind and are conquerors and happy in their dream we shall neither miss nor desire their felicity May I die assured of the Love of God how little regardable is it whether I be poor or rich till then or in what manner Death shall do its execution and how little cause have blessed souls to envie them that are left on earth in a quiet and prosperous passage to damnation And what an ease and pleasure is this to a mans mind through all his life to be able with well-grounded comfort to think of death What cares can vex him that hath secured hiâ— everlasting state What losses should afflict him that is sure he shall not lose his soul and is sure to gain eternal life
they may be ready that death may b◠both safe and comfortable to them 〈◊〉 though a superstitious miserable fellow that knoweth no better things himself may talk to the sick of beads and relicts and o◠being on this side or that for this ceremony or the other and may think to conjure the unholy spirit out of him by some affected words of devotions uttered from a graceless senseless heart or to command him out by Papal authority as if they would charm his soul to heaven by saying ove◠some lifeless forms and using the Gospel 〈◊〉 a spell Yet Ministers indeed that know themselves what Faith and what Repentance is and what it is to be regenerate and to be prepared to die do know that they have other work to do The Gospe◠offereth men their Choice whether they will have Holiness or sin and be ruled by Christ or by their fleshly lusts and so whether they will have spiritual or carnal eternal or transitory Joys And our work is to perswade them to make that choice which will be their Happiness if we can prevail and which eternal Joy depends upon whether we come to them in sickness or in health this is our business with them A man that is ready to be drowned is not at leisure for a song or dance And a man that is ready to be damned methinks should not find himself at leisure to hear a man shew his wit and reading only if not his folly and malice against a life of Holiness Nor should you think that suitable to such mens case that doth not evidently tend to save them But alas how often have we heard such sermons as tend more to diversion than direction to fill their minds with other matters and find men something else to think on lest they should study themselves and know their misery And whereas there may be so much ingenuity in the sinner as to perceive that the discourse of idle tongues or the reading of a Romance is unsuitable to one in his condition and therefore will not by such toyes as these be called off from the consideration of his ways A preacher that seems to speak religiously by a sapeless dry impertinent discourse that 's called a sermon may more plausibly and easily divert him And has conscience will more quietly suffer him to be taken off the necessary care of his salvation by something that is like it and pretends to do the work as well then by the grosser avocations or the scorns of fools And he will more tamely be turned from Religion by something that is called Religion and which he hopes may serve the turn then by open wickedness or impious defiance of God and Reason But how oft do we hear applauded Sermons which force us in compassion to mens souls to think O what 〈◊〉 all this to the opening a sinners heart unto himself shewing him his unregenerate state What 's this to the conviction of a self-deluding soul that is passing unto Hell with the confident expectations of Heaven To the opening of mens eyes and turning them from darkness unto light and from the power of Satan unto God! what 's this to shew men their undone condition and the absolute necessity of Christ and of renewing grace what is in this to lead men up from earth to heaven and to acquaint them with the unseen world and to help them to the life of faith and love and to the mortifying and the pardon of their sins How little skil have many miserable preachers in the searching of the heart and helping men to know themselves whether Christ be in them or whether they be reprobates and how little care and diligence is used by them to call men to the tryal and help them in the examining and judging of themselves as if it were a work of no necessity They have healed also the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly saying Peace Peace when there is no Peace saith the Lord Jer. 6.14 And Ezek. 13.10 11 12. Because even because they have seduced my people saying Peace and there was no peace and one built up a wall and lo others dawbed 〈◊〉 with untempered morter say to them that dawb it with untempered morter that it shall fall there shall be an overflowing showre and ye O great hailstones shall fall and a stormy wind shall rend it Lo when the wall is faln shall it not be said unto you Where is the dawbing wherewith ye dawbed it It is a plain and terrible passage Prov. 24.24 He that saith to the wicked Thou art Righteous him shall the people curse natives shall abhor him Such injustice in a Judge or witnesses is odious that determine but in order to temporal rewards on punishments Lev 19.15 Prov. 18.5 28.21 But in a messenger that professeth to speak to men in the name of God and in the stead of Jesus Christ when the determination hath respect to the consciences of men and to their endless joy or torment how odious and horrid a crime must it be esteemed to perswade the wicked that he is Righteous or to speak that which tendeth to perswade him of it though not in open plain expressions what perfidious dealing is this against the Holy God! what an abuse of our Redeemer that his pretended messengers shall make him seem to judge clean contrary to his Holiness and to his Law and to the Judgement which indeed he passeth and will pass on all that live and die unsanctified What vile deceit and cruelty against the souls of men are such Preachers guilty of that would make them believe that all is well with them or that their state is safe or tolerable till they must find it otherwise to their woe when diseased souls have but a short and limited time allowed them for their cure that a man shall come to them as in the name of their Physition and tell them that they are pretty well and need not make so much ado about the business and thus keep them from their only help till it be too late what shame what punishment can be too great for such a wretch when the neglect and making light of Christ and his salvation is the common road to Hell Heb. 2.3 Matth. 22.5 and most men perish because they value not and use not the necessary means of their recovery for a man in the name of a minister of the Gospel to cheat them into such undervaluings and neglects as are like to prove their condemnation what is this but to play the Minister of Satan and to do his work in the name and garb of a minister of Christ It is damnable treachery against Christ and against the peoples souls to hide their misery when it is your office to reveal it and to let people deceive themselves in the matters of Salvation and not to labour diligently to undeceive them and to see them live upon presumption and ungrounded hopes and not to labour with faithful
doth shake so moveable and weak a thing and muddy and trouble a mind so easily disturbed and how hard it is again to quiet and compose a mind so troubled and bring a grieved soul to reason and make passion understand the truth and to cause a weake afflicted soul to judge clean contrary to what they feel all this considered no wonder if the peace and comfort of many Christians be yet but little and interrupted and uneven and if there be much crying in a family that hath so many little ones and much complaining where there are so many weak and poor and many a groane where there is so much pain To shew us the Sun at midnight and convince us of Love while we feel the rod and to give us the comfortable sense of grace while we have the uncomfortable sense of the greatness of our sin to give us the joyful hopes of glory in a troubled melancholy dejected State all this is a work that requireth the special helpe of the Almighty and exceeds the strength of feeble worms Let God give us never so full discoveries of his tenderest Love and our own sincerity as if a voice from Heaven had witnessed it unto us we are questioning all if once we seem to feel the contrary and are perplexed in the tumult of our thougths and passions and bewildred and lost in the errors of our own disturbed minds Though we have walkt with God we are questioning whether indeed we ever knew him as soon as he seemeth to hide his face Though we have felt another life and spirit possess and actuate us than heretofore and found that we love the things and persons which once we loved not and that we were quite falln out with that which was our former pleasure and that our souls broke off from their old delights and hopes and ways and resolvedly did engage themselves to God and unfeignedly delivered up themselves unto him yet all is forgotten or the convincing evidence of all forgotten if the lively influences of heaven be but once so far withdrawn as that our present state is clouded and afflicted and our former vigour and assurance is abated And thus unthankfully we deny God the praise and acknowledgement of his mercies longer than we are tasting them or they are still before us All that he hath done for us is as nothing and all the Love which he hath manifested to us is called hatred and all the witnesses that have put their hands to his Acts of Grace are questioned and his very seals denyed and his earnest misinterpreted as long as our darkened distempered souls are in a condition unfit for the apprehension of Mercy and usually when a diseased or afflicted body doth draw the mind into too great a participation of the affliction And thus as we are disposed our selves so we judge of our selves and of all our receivings and al Gods dealings with us A soul in a cheerful lively frame thinks well of all that God doth to him and hath thoughts of Hope and Peace and Joy as Health disposeth the body to alacrity and can make a man merry that hath little else Whereas a soul overwhelmed with cares and fears and griefs and muddyed with sinfull excessive thoughtfulness and habituated in a diseased sickly frame is afraid of every thing and turneth matter of comfort into sorrow and is in daily pain by its own imaginations like a man that hath a sore and is hurt with the thought that some body toucht it When we feel our selves well all goes well with us and we put a good interpretation upon all things And when we are out of order we complain of every thing and take pleasure in nothing and no one can content us and all is taken in the worser part As the Poet said Laeta fere laetus cecini cano tristia tristis You shall have a merry song from a merry heart and a sad ditty from a troubled grieved mind And thus while the discoveries both of sin and grace are at present overlookt or afterwards forgotten and almost all men judge of themselves by present feeling no wonder if few are well acquainted with themselves But as the Word and the works of God must be taken together if they be understood and not a sentence part or parcel taken separated from the rest which must make up the sense so also the workings of God upon your souls must be taken altogether and you must read them over from the first till now and set all together and not forget the letters the part that went before or else you will make no sense of that which followeth And I beseech all weak and troubled Christians to remember also that they are but children and Schollars in the school of Christ and therefore when they cannot set the several parts together let them not overvalue their unexperienced understandings but by the help of their skilful faithful Teachers do that which of themselves they cannot do Enquire what your former mercies signifie Open them to your guides and tell them how God hath dealt with you from the beginning and tell them how it is with you now and desire them to help you to perceive how one conduceth to the right understanding of the other And be not of froward but of tractable submissive minds and thus your self-acquaintance may be maintained at least to safety and to some degree of peace if not to the Joys which you desire which God reserveth for their proper season I Should have added more on this necessary subject but that I have said so much of it in other writings especially in the Saints Rest Part. 3. chap. 7. and in my Treatise of Self-denial and in the Right Method for Peace of Conscience I must confess I have written on thiâ— subject as I did of Self-denyal viz with expectation that all men shoulâ— confess the truth of what I say and yet so few be cured by it of theiâ— Self-ignorance as that still we must stand by and see the world distracted by it the Church divided the Love of Breâ—thren interrupted and the work of Saâ—tan carryed on by error violence and pride and the hearts of men so strangely stupified as to go on incorâ—rigibly in all this mischief while thâ— cause and cure are opened before them and all in vain while they confess the truth so that they wilâ— leave us nothing to do but exercise our compassion by lamenting the deliration of phrenetick men while we are unable to save the Church their brethren or their own souls from the dilaceratious and calamitous effects of their furious self-ignorance But Christ that hath sent us with the light which may be resisted and abused and in part blown out will speedily come with Light unresistible and will teach the proud the scornful the unmerciful the self-conceited the malicious and the violent so effectually to know themselves as that no more exhortations shall be necessary for the reception of his convictions nor will he or his servants any more beseech men to consider and know their sin and misery nor be beholden to them to believe and confess it See Jude v. 14.15 And is there no Remedy for a stupified inconsiderate soul Is there no prevention of so terrible a self-knowledge as the Light of Judgement and the fire of Hell will else procure Yes the remedy is certain easie and at hand even to know themselves till they are driven to study and seek and know the Father and his Son Jesus Christ Joh. 17.3 And yet is the Salvation of most as hopeless almost as if there were no remedie because no perswasion can prevail with them to use it Lord what hath thus lockt up the minds and hearts of sinners against thy truth and thee what hath made Reasonable man so unreasonable and a self-loving nature so mortally to hate it self O thou that openest and no man shutteth use the Key that openeth Hearts Come 〈◊〉 with thy Wisdome and thy Love anâ— all this blindness and obstinacy will be gone At least commit not the safety of thy flock to such as will not Know themselves But gather thy remnant and bring them to their folds and let them be fruitful and increase and set up shepheards over them which shall feed them and let them fear no more nor be dismayed nor be lacking Jer. 23.3 4. Ordain a place for them plant them and and let them dwell therein unmoved and let not the children of wickedness waste them any more 1 Chron. 17.9 As a shepheard seeketh out his flock in the day that he is among 〈◊〉 sheep that are scattered so seek out thy sheep and deliver them 〈◊〉 of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day Ezek. â—4 12 Save thy people and bless thine inheritance feed them also and lift them up for ever Psal 28.9 FINIS
excellency on the skie The Eternal God hath been your refuge and underneath are the everlasting armâ— Deut. 34.26 27. You may remembeâ— the mercies of your younger years of youâ— maried state and of your widdow-hood your comforts in your truly Noble Lord though troubled and interrupted by his death yet increased by the consideration of his feâ—licity with Christ your comfort in youâ— hopeful issue though abated by the injurâ— of Romish theft which stole one of the Roseâ— of your Garden that they might boast of thâ— sweetness when they called it their own 〈◊〉 may well say stole it when all the cheaâ— was performed by unknown persons in thâ— dark and no importunity by you or 〈◊〉 could procure me one dispute or conference iâ— her hearing with any of the seducers beâ—fore her person was stoln away Though comforts conveyed by creatures must havâ— their pricks yet your experience hath partly taught you and more will do that by all thâ— mixtures of sower and bitter ingredients your Father doth temper you the most wholeâ—some composition He chasteneth you foâ— your profit that you may be partaker oâ— his Holiness Heb. 12.10 and the leasâ— degree of Holiness cannot be purchased at too dear a rate His rod and staffe have comforted you and whatever are the beginnings the End will be the quiet fruit of Righteousness when you have been exercised therein And though man be mutable and friends and flesh and heart have failed you yet God is still the strength of â—our heart and your portion for ever Psal â—3 26 O the variety of learning that is â—ontained in the secret writings of a sanctified heart The variety of subjects for the most â—ruitful and delightful thoughts which you â—ay find recorded in the inwards of your â—oul How pleasant is it there to find the â—haracters of the special Love of God the â—â—eaments of his Image the transcript of 〈◊〉 Law the harmony of his gifts and graces â—â—e witness the seal and the earnest of his â—pirit and the foretasts and beginnings of â—ternal Life As Thankfulness abhors â—â—livion and is a Recording grace and keepâ—â—h Histories and Catalogues of Mercies so 〈◊〉 it a Reward unto it self and by these Reâ—â—rds it furnisheth the soul with matter for â—he sweetest employments and delights Is it 〈◊〉 pleasant to you there to Read how God â—â—th confuted the objections of distrust how 〈◊〉 he hath condescended to your weakness and pardoned you when you could not easily forgive your self how oft he hath entertained you in secret with his Love and visited you with his consolations How neer him sometimes you have got in fervent prayer and serious meditation And when for a season he hath hid his face how soon and seasonably he returned How oft he hath found you weeping and hath wiped away your tears and calmed and quieted your troubled soul How he hath resolved your doubts and expelled your fears and heard your prayers How comfortably he hath called you His Child and given you leave and commanded you to call him Father when Christ hath brought you with boldness into his presence How sweet should it be to your remembrance to think how the Love of Christ hath sometime exalted you above these sublunary things How the Spirit hath taken you up to Heaven and shewed to your faith the Glory of the New Hierusalem the blessed company of those Holy spirits that attend the Throne of the Majesty of God and the shining face of your glorified Head By what seasonable and happy Messengers he hath sent you the Cluster of Grapes as the first fruits of the land of promise and commanded you oft to Take and Eate the Bread of Life How oft he hath reached to your thirsty soul the fruit of the Vine and turned it sacramentally into his blood and bid you drink it in remembrance of him till he come and feast you with his fullest Love and satisfie you with the pleasure and presence of his Glory But the volumes of mercy written in your heart are too great to be by me transcribed I can easily appeal to you that are acquainted with it whether such Heart-employment be not more pleasant and more profitable than any of the entertainments that flashy wit or gaudy gallantry or merriments luxurit or preferments can afford Is it not better converse with Christ at home than with such as are described Psa 12. abroad To dwell with all that blessed retinue Gal. 5.22 23. than with Pride Vainglory Envy Dissimulation Hypocrisie Falshood time-wasting soul-destroying pleasures to say nothing of the filthiness which Christian years abhor the mention of and which God himself in time will judge Eph. 5.3 4 5 6. Heb. 13.4 and the rest recited Gal. 5.19 20 21. If ungodly persons do find it more unpleasant to converse at home no wonder when there is nothing but darkness and defilement and when they have put God from them and entertained Satan so that their hearts are like to haunted houses where terrible cries and apparitions do make it a place of fear to the inhabitants But if their souls had such blessed inhabitants as yours could they meet there with a reconciled God a Father a Saviour and a sanctifier had they souls that kept a correspondency with Heaven it would not seem so sad and terrible a life to dwell at home and withdraw from that noise of vanity abroad which are but the drums and trumpets of the devil to encourage his deluded followers and drown the cries of miserable souls Your dearest friends and chiefest treasure are not abroad in Court or Country but above you and within you where then should your delightful converse be but where your friends and treasure are Matth. 6.21 Phil. 3.20 Col. 3.1 2 3 4. When then is almost nothing to be found in the conversation of the world but discord and distraction and confusion and clamours and malice and treachery is it not better to retire into such a heart where notwithstanding infirmities and some doubts and fears there is order and concord and harmony and such Peace as the world can neither give nor take away O blessed be the hand of Love that blotted out the names of Honour and Riches and Pleasures and carnal interest and accommodations from your heart and inscribed his own in Characters never to be obliterate That turned out Vsurpers and so prepared and furnished your heart as to make and judge it such as no one is worthy of it but himself O what a Court have you chosen for your abode How high and Glorious how pure and holy unchangeable and safe How ambitiously do you avoid ambition How great are you in the lowliness of your mind How high in your Humility Will no lower a place than Heaven content you to converse in For Heart-converse and Heaven-converse are as much one as beholding both the Glass and Face Will no lower correspondents satisfie you than the Host of Heaven Cannot the company of imperfect mortals serve your
â—â—sturbing enemy in adversity As fleshly â—inds misjudge of the law and service of â—od and cannot be subject because of the â—mity against him Rom. 8.7 so do they â—â—sjudge of his chastisements And so far 〈◊〉 they participate of this disease the best â—â—ll be repining and tempted to unworthy â—oughts of God Even innocent nature â—oth to suffer Christ himself saith If it be thy will let this cup pass from me Anâ— nature so far as it is corrupted is yet mucâ— more averse because the Flesh is more inâ—ordinately desirous of its ease and passioâ— more turbulent when it is denyed and thâ— soul hath less apprehension and relish 〈◊〉 that Love of God which is the cause anâ— End and should sweeten all to a Reconâ—ciled well-composed mind and it is alsâ— less satisfied in the will of God and it is leâ—â— subject to it and patience is defective bâ—â—cause of the weakness of the Graces thâ— should support us Besides which also tenderness of spirit and overmuch sensibâ—â—lity fears and trouble are ordinary effecâ— of the weak and tender nature of maâ— especially of the more weak and tendâ—â— sex And when all these concur tâ—â— averseness of the most innocent nature tâ—â— remnants of sin and the special tenderneâ—â— of your nature and sex your burdeâ— and tryal is much the greater and yoâ— grief must needs be much the moâ—â— But I beseech you remember that yoâ— have not to do with an Enemy but a Fâ—â—ther that knoweth what he doth aâ—â— meaneth you no hurt but that which is tâ—â— fittest means to your good and to yoâ— scaping greater hurt that loveth you 〈◊〉 less in the greatest of your pain and danger than in the greatest of your prosperity and peace that you have a Head in Heaven that was partaker with us of flesh and blood that he might deliver us from our bondage which we are in through the fear of death who was made perfect by suffering and is not ashamed to call us Breâ—hren being in all things made like unto us that he might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God â—o make reconciliation for our sins who â—n that he himself hath suffered being tempted is able to succour them that are â—empted Heb. 2.10 11 14 15 17 18. We have not an High Priest that cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities but was in all points tempted or tryed â—s we are but without sin He that himself in the days of his flesh did offer up prayers and supplications with strong cryâ—ng and tears to him that was able to save him from death Heb. 5.7 will not be angry if his servants complain and cry â—o him in their suffering He that cryed â—ut My God My God why hast thou forâ—aken me will pitty his poor distressed â—embers and not forsake them when they â—hink themselves forsaken And if they go beyond their bounds in their complainings he will not therefore disregard their moans But he that honoured the patience of Job though he so passionately curseâ— the day of his birth will love the faith anâ— patience of his people notwithstanding the mixtures of unbelief and impatience He is ready with his gracious excuse Matth. 26.41 The spirit is willing buâ— the flesh is weak And he considereth that our strength and flesh is not of stone or brass Job 6.12 He will therefore revive the spirit of the contrite and wiâ—â— not contend for ever nor be alwaies wroth lest the spirit should faile before him and the souls which he hath made Isai 57.15 16. And though no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous but grievous yet the end is that he may make uâ— partakers of his Holiness and afterwarâ— it yieldeth the peaceable fruits of righteousness to them that are exercised thereby Heb. 12.10 11. Blessed is the man that endureth temptation for when he is tryed he shall receive the Crown of Life which God hath promised to them that love him Jam. 1.12 Blessed is the man whom thou chastenest O Lord and teachest him out of thy Law that thou mayest give him rest from the days of adversity unâ—ill the pit be digged for the wicked For the â—ord will not Cast off his people neither will he forsake his inheritance Psal 94.12 13 14. Madam if nothing in all the world be more certain that that there is a God who â—s true and just and delighteth in his people when they are lowest in the world If noâ—hing be more sure than that there is a Heaven for persevering penitent believers â—hen are our Arguments for the comfort of Gods afflicted ones no fancies but â—etcht as from the highest excellencies so â—rom the surest realities that ever were presented to the understanding of a man And though the best of Saints have been â—ut to wrestle with the temptations that â—rise from the adversity of Believers and â—he prosperity of the wicked yet this is still â—he result of all their perplexing thoughts Truly God is good to Israel even to such as are of a clean heart Though sometime their feet are almost gone and their paths do well nigh slip and they are ready to say We have cleansed our hearts in vain and washed our hands in innocency for all the day are we plagued and chastened every morning yet they soon learn in the sanctuary of God that the wicked are set in slippery places and cast down into destruction and brought to desolation as in a moment and utterly consumed with terrors as a dream when one awaketh so the Lord when he awaketh will despise their image Psal 73. But marke the perfect man and behold the upright for the End of that man is peace Psal 37.37 Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil But though a sinner do evil an hundred times and his days be prolonged yet surely I know that it shall be well with them that fear God which fear before him Eccles 8.11 12. If not here yet certainly at last all shall say Verily there is a Reward for the righteous Psal 58.11 Rest therefore in the Lord and wait patiently for him Commit your way to him Trust in him and he shall bring it to pass For the needy shall not alway be forgotten the expectation of the poor shall not perish for ever Psal 9.18 How happy are you that God doth thus save you from the temptations of prosperity which you see befool and undo so many before your eyes and that you are not left in the number of â—hose that are men of the world which â—ave their portion in this life Psal 17.14 â—nd are given up to their own hearts lusts â—o walk in their own counsels Psal 81.12 â—nd must hear at last Remember that thou â—n thy life time receivedst thy good things â—ut that here you have your evils and â—hall be comforted when the now-prospeâ—ous wicked are tormented Luke 16.25
to God p. 323 3. And want of Love to one another p. 324 8. The insinuations of selfishness in all that wâ— do p. 32â— 9. The eruption of passions that seemed morâ—tified p. 34â— 10. Affections mixed with carnality which seemed purely spiritual p. 33â— Caution against overmuch suspicion or acâ—cusation of our selves p. 33â— 2. Sin surpriseth more dangerously 3. Anâ— the Remedy is neglected through self-ignorance p. 337 2. What Hinders Believers from knowing their Graces 1. The sense of the Contraries p. 338 2. The smalness of Grace p. 341 3. Not judging by sure Marks the Essentials of Holiness what they are p. 343 What Marks uncertain p. 345 What sin consistent with true grace p. 347 4. Overlooking what we have by looking at what we ought to be p 349 5. Judging upon disadvantage 1. Surprizing our selves unpreparedly 2. Judging in passion of Fear or Grief 3. When helps are absent 4. When our Bodies are melancholy or otherwise unfit p. 350 6. Refusing the former Judgement of our sincerity if we have not a continued sight of grace p. 353 7. The variety and confusion of the souls operations ibid. Motives to labour to know our Sanctification 1. It is a most excellent sort of knowledge p. 354. 2. It is a most delightfull felicitating knowledge p. 355 3. It might sweeten every place and state p. 357 4. It would much help our Belief of Scripture p. 357 5. And our Trusting on God in all straits p. 359 6. And our chearfull progress in Religion p. 361 7. It may keep you from the terrors of the doubting p. 362 8 And sweeten all your other mercies p. 363 9. And debilitate temptations to sensuaâ— pleasures p. 36â— 10. And sweeten all the service of God p. 36â— 11. And kindle Love to God p. 372 12. It s necessary to a life of Thankfulness p. 377 13. You will not else live to the Glory of the Gospel p. 383 14. It will make all sufferings easie p. 385 As 1. Scornes p. 38â— 2. Opposition 3. Slanders p. 38â— 4. Imprisonment and banishment p. 39â— 5. Personal and family crosses p 39â— 6. Death p. 39â— The Hinderances of Self-acquaintance 〈…〉 1. External 1. Ministers unskilfulness and unfaithfulness p. 402 Direct 1. Live under a skilfull faithfull Pastor p. 411 In what cases to use their personal helps p. 418 Objections against Ministers personal helps answered p. 419 Quest How far a doubting person may rest in the judgement of a Minister about the state of his soul p. 429 The Direction applyed to both sorts p. 435 Hind 2. Prosperity and flattery Direct 2. Desire not much Prosperity and detest flatterers p. 457 Hind 3. Conversing only with bad men p. 461 Direct 3. Converse with Heavenly Exemplary Christians p. 466 2. Internal Hinderances 1. Pride p. 470 Direct 1. Come to Christ as little Children p 473 Hind 2. An unreasonable love of present ease p. 475 Direct 2 Look to the time to come and be not too tender of present trouble p. 477 Hind 3. Self-love blindeth p. 481 Direct 3. Bring your minds to a just impartiality p. 483 Hind 4. Nst observing the heart in tryal but taking it only at the best p. 488 Caution When and how to judge our selves p. 490 Direct 4. Judge of your Habitual state by your actions p· 494 ERRATA PAge 228 l. 29. for gain r. game p. 229. l. 29. for having r. have p. 147 l. 17. r. relevetur l. 22. r. sanabat p. 236. l. 2. r. Impenitent sinner p. 247. l. 5. for juggling r. jingling p. 288. l. 25. r. it is p. 29â— l. 20. r. preservative p. 334. l. 24 for more r. meer p 340 l. 25. r. if it were p. 341. l. 2. for as r. is l. 6. dele that p. 349. l. 4 for after r. ofter p. 351. l. 8. r. all that p 353. l. 10. for over r. our p. 307. l. 17. for bodily r. boldly p. 375. l. 17. r. hath set you p. 383. l. 2â— r. is it to p. 381. l. 28. r. fitteth p. 387. l. 8. r. prosperity p. 407 l. 26. for natives r. Naâ—ions p. 411. l. 3. r. whâ—â— it is p. 428. l. 6. dele in p. 434. l. 9. r. it s l. 13. r. he is not p. 448. l. 21. r. put him p. 452. l. 14. r. of one p. 46â— for are r. hearâ— and for hear r. are p. 476. l. 19. r. inconsiderate p. 485. l. 1. corrigentis THE Mischief of Self-ignorance AND Benefit of Self-acquaintance 2 COR. 13.5 Know ye not your own selves THE Corinthians being much abused by false-teachers to the corrupting of their faith and manners and the questioning of the Apostles Ministery he acquainted them in my Text with an obvious remedy for both these maladies and lets â—hem know that their miscarriages call â—hem to question themselves rather then â—o question his authority or gifts and that if they find Christ in themselves they must acknowledge him in his ministry He therefore first most importunately urgeth them to the mediate duty of Self-examination Examine your selves Whether you be in the faith Prove your own selves Self-examination is but the Means of Self-knowledge This therefore he next urgeth and that first in General and this by way of Interrogation Know ye not your own selves and then more particularly he tells them what it is of themselves that it most concerneth them to know How that Jesus Christ is in you except ye be Reprobates As if he should say Alas poor souls you have more cause to question your selves then me Go too therefore examine and prove your selves It is a shame for a man to be ignorant of himself Know ye not your own selves Either Christ is in you by faith and by his Spirit or he is not If he be not you are yet but Reprobates that is disapproved of God and at present in a forsaken or condemned state your selves which is a conclusion that you will be loath to admit but more concerneth you If Christ be in you it was by the means of my ministry and therefore that ministry hath been powerfull and effectual to you and you are my witnesses the seal of my ministry is upon your own souls Christ within you bears me witness and therefore of all men you have least cause to question or quarrel with my ministry This Paraphrase opening all that may seem difficult in the Text I shall immediately offer you a double Observation which the words afford us first as considered in themselves and then as respecting the inference for which they are premised by the Apostle The first is that All men should know themselves or It is a shame for a man to be unacquainted with himself The second is that Not knowing our selves is the cause of other errors or The knowledge of our selves would much conâ—uce to the Cure of many other errors In handling this I shall shew you 1. What 〈◊〉 is to know our selves 2. How far it is â—â—r is not a shame
to be ignorant of our â—elves 3. What evils follow this Ignorance â—f our selves and what benefits self-knowâ—â—dge would procure 4. How we should â—â—prove this doctrine by Application and â—â—actice Of the first but briefly I. SElf-knowledge is thus distinguished according to the object 1. There is a Physical self knowledge when a man knows what he is as a man What his soul is and what his body and what the compound called man The Doctrine of Mans Nature or this part of Physicks is so necessary to all that it is first laid down even in the Holy Scriptures in Gen. ch 1 2 3. before his Duty is expressed And it is presupposed in all the moral passages of the word and in all the preaching of the gospel The Subject is presupposed to the Adjuncts The Subjects of Gods Kingdom belong to the Constitution and therefore to be known before the Legislation and Judgement which are the parts of the Administration Morality alway presupposeth nature The Species is in order before the separable Accidents Most ridiculously therefore doth Ignorance plead for it self against Knowledge in them that cry down this part of Physicks as Humane Learning unnecessary to the Disciplâ—â— of Christ What excellent holy Meditations of Humane nature do you find oft in 〈◊〉 and in Davids Psalms Ps 139. concluding 〈◊〉 the praise of the incomprehensible Creator ver 14. I will praise thee for I am fearfully and wonderfully made Marvellous are thy works and that my soul knoweth right well 2. There is a Moral Self-knowledge very necessary And this is The knowing of our selves in Relation to Gods Law or to his Judgement The former is the knowledge of our selves in respect of our Duty the second in respect of the Reward or Punishment And both of them have respect to the Law of Nature and Works or to the Remedying Law of Grace The Ethical knowledge of our selves or that which respecteth the Precept and our Duty is twofold The first is as we have performed that Duty The second as we have violated the Law by non-performance or transgression The first is the knowledge of our selves as Good the second as Evil. And both are either the knowledge of our Habits good or evil or of our Acts How we are Morally Inclined disposed or habituated or what and how we have Done We must know the Good estate of our Nature that we were created in the Bad estate of sinfull nature that we are fallen into the actual sin committed against the Law of nature and what sin we have committed against the Law of Grace and whether we have obeyed the call of the Gospel of salvation or not So that as mans state considered Ethically is threefold Institutus Destitutus Restitutus Infirmatus Deformatus Reformatus the state of Upright nature the State of Sin Original and Actual and the state of Grace we must know what we are in respect to every one of these And as to the Judicial knowledge of our selves that is as we stand related to the Promises and Threatnings the Judgement the Reward and Punishment we must know first what is due to us according to the Law of Nature and then what is due to us according to the tenour of the Law of Grace By the Law of Nature or of Works Death is the Due of fallen mankind but no man by it can lay claim to Heaven All men are under its curse or condemnation till pardoned by Christ but no man can be Justified by it By the Promise of the Gospel all true Believers renewed and sanctified by the Spirit of Christ are Justified and made the sons of God and heirs of everlasting glory To know whether we are yet delivered from the condemnation of the Law and whether our sins are pardoned or not and whether we are the children of God and have any part in the Heavenly Glory is much of the self-knowledge that is here intended in the Text and that which most nearly concerneth the solid comfort of our souls II. BUt is all self-ignorance a shame or dangerous Answ 1. It is no other shame then what is common to humane frailty to be ignorant of much of the mystery of our Natural Generation Constitution Integrall parts and Temperament There is not a nerve or artery or vein nor the bredth of a hand from head to foot but hath something unknown to the most excellent Philosopher on Earth This little world called Man is a compound of wonders Both Soul and Body have afforded matter of endless controversie and voluminous Disputations to the most Learned men which will not admit of a full decision till we are past this state of darkness and mortality 2. There are many Controversies about the nature derivation and punishment of Original sin which a humble and diligent Christian may possibly be ignorant of 3. The degrees of Habitual sin considedered simply or proportionably and respectively to each other may be much unknown to many that are willing and diligent to know And so may divers actual sins such as we know not to be sin through our imperfect understanding of the Law and such as through frailty in a crowd of actions escape our particular observation And the sinfulness or Aggravations of every sin are but imperfectly known and observed by the best 4. The Nature and beauty of the Image of God as first planted on created man and since Restored to man Redeemed the manner of the Spirits acccess operation testimony and inhabitation are all but imperfectly known by the wisest of Believers The frame or admirable composure or contexture of the New-man in each of the renewed faculties the connexion order beauty and special use of each particular grace are observed but imperfectly by the best 5. The very uprightness and sincerity of our own hearts in Faith Hope Love Repentance and Obedience is usually unknown to Incipients or young beginners in Religion and to the weaker sort of Christians how old soever in profession and to melancholy persons who can have no thoughts of themselves but sad and fearfull tending to despair and to lapsed and declining Christians and also to many an upright soul from whom in some cases of special tryal God seems to hide his pleased face And though these infirmities are their shame yet are they not the Characters or Prognosticks of their misery and everlasting shame 6. The same persons must needs be unacquainted with their Justification Reconciliation Adoption and Title to everlasting blessedness as long as they are uncertain of theie sincerity Yea though they uprightly examine themselves and desire help of their Guides and watch and pore continually upon their hearts and wayes and daily beg of God to acquaint them with their spiritual condition they may yet be so far unacquainted with it as to pass an unrighteous judgement on themselves and condemn themselves when God hath justified them But 1. To be totally ignorant of the excellency and capacity of your immortal souls 2. To
be void of an effectual knowledge of your sin and misery and need of the Remedy 3. To think you have saving grace when you have none that you are regenerate by the Spirit when you are only sacramentally regenerate by Baptism that you are the members of Christ when it is no such matter that you are Justified Adopted and the Heirs of Heaven when it is not so all this is dolefull and damnable unacquaintedness with yourselues To be unacquainted with a state of Life when you are in such a state is sad and troublesome and casts you upon many and great inconveniences But to be unacquainted with a state of Death when you are in it doth fasten your chains and hinder your recovery To be willing and diligent to know your state and yet be unable to attain to assurance and satisfaction is ordinary with many true Believers But to be ignorant of it because you have no grace to find and because you mind not the matters of your souls or think it not worth your diligent consideration or enquiry this is the case of the miserable despisers of salvation III. THE Commodities and Incommodities to be mentioned are so many and great that many hours would not serve to open them as they deserve 1. Atheism is cherished by self-ignorance The knowledge of our selves as men doth notably conduce to our knowledge of God Here God is known but darkly and as in a glass 1 Cor. 13.12 and by his Image and not as face to face And except his Incarnate and his written word what Glass revealeth him so clearly as the soul of man We bear a double Image of our Maker His Natural Image in the nature of our facuities and his Moral Image in their Holy qualifications in the nature of grace and frame of the new man By knowing our selves it is easie to know that there is a God and it much assisteth us to know what he is not only in his Attributes and Relations but even in the Trinity it self He may easily know that there is a Primitive Being and Life that knoweth he hath himself a Derived Being and Life He must know that there is a Creator that knoweth he is a creature He that findeth a capacious Intellect a Will and Power in the creature and that is conscious of any Wisdom and Goodness in himself may well know that formaliter or eminenter all these are infinite in the first cause that must thus have in it self whatsoever it doth communicate He that knoweth that he made not and preserveth not himself may well know that he is not his Own but his that made him and preserveth him who must needs be his Absolute Proprietary and Lord. He that knoweth that he is an Intellectual free agent and therefore to act Morally and therefore to be moved by Moral means and that he is a sociable creature a member of the Vniverse living among men may well be sure that he is made to be a subject and Governed by Laws and by morall means to be directed and moved to his End and therefore that none but his Absolute Lord the Infinite Wisdom Goodness and Power can be his Absolute and Highest Soveraign He that is convinced that he is he lives he hopeth and enjoyeth all that 's good from a Superior Bounty may be sure that God is his Principal Benefactor And to be The First and Infinite Being Intellect Will and Power Wisdom Goodness and Cause of all things the Absolute Owner the most Righteous Governor and the most Bounteous Benefactor this is to be GOD. This being the Description of him that is so called such a Description as is fetcht from his Created Image Man and expressed in the terms that himself hath chosen and used in his word as knowing that if he will be understood by man he must use the Notions and Expressions of man And though these are spoken but Analogically of God yet are there no fitter conceptions of him that the soul of man in flesh is capable of So that the Atheist carrieth about him that Impress and Evidence of the Deity which may convince him or condemn him for his Foolishness and Impiety He is a Fool indeed that saith in his Heart There is no God Psal 14.1 when that Heart it self in its Being and Life and Motion is his Witness and Soul and Body with all their faculties are nothing but the Effects of this Almighty Cause And when they prove that there is a God even by questioning or denying it being unable without him so much as to deny him that is to think or speak or be As if a fool should write a Volume to prove that there is no Ink or Paper in the world when it is Ink and Paper by which he writes And whether there be no representation of the Trinity in Vnity in the Nature of man let them judge that have well considered how in One Body there are the Natural Vital and Animal parts and spirits And in One Life or Soul there are the Vegetative Sensitive and Rational faculties And in One Rational Soul as such there are an Intellect Will and Executive power Morally perfected by Wisdom Goodness and Promptitude to well doing As in one Sun there is Light and Heat and Moving force So that man is both the Beholder and the Glass the Reader and the Book He is the Index of the Godhead to himself Yea partly of the Trinity in Vnity Of which saith August de Trinit lib. 1. Nec periculosius alicubi erratur nec laboriosius aliquid quaritur nec fructuosius invenitur quam Trinitas We need not say Who shall go up into Heaven saith Seneca himself by the light of nature Prope Deus est tecum est Intus est sacer intra nos Spiritus sed bonorum malorumque nostrorum observator custos Hic prout à nobis tractatur ita nos tractat ipse Bonus vir sine Deo nemo est God is nigh us with us within us A holy spirit resideth within us â—he observer of our evil and good and our â—â—eserver He useth us as he is used by us â—o good man is without God saith August 〈◊〉 Deus est in seipso sicut α ω in mundo â—â—cut rector author in Angelis sicut sapor â— decor in Ecclesia sicut paterfamilias in â—omo in animo sicut sponsus in thalamo 〈◊〉 justis sicut adjutor protector in reprobis â—â—cut pavor horror God is in himself as â—he Alpha and Omega in the world as its â—overnor and Author in Angels as their â—weetness and comeliness in the Church as â—he master of the family in his house in the â—â—ul as the Bridegroom in his bed-chamber 〈◊〉 the righteous as their helper and proteâ—â—or c. And as all declareth him so all â—hould praise him Hunc itaque mens diligat â—â—ngua canat manus scribat atque in his sanâ—tis studiis fidelis animus se exerceat Aug. Let the
temerarious foolhardiness to seek for danger and invite such enemies when we are so weak Saith Augustin Nemo sibi proponat dicat habere volo quod vincam hoc est dicere vivere desidero volo sub ruina Goliah's give me man to fight with is a prognostick of no good success Rather foresee all your dangers to avoid them Understand where each temptation lieth that you may go another way if possible Castitas periclitatur in deliciis humilitas in divitiis pietas in negotiis veritas in multiloqiuo charitas in hoc mundo saith Bern. Chastity is endangered in delights humility in riches piety in businesses truth in too much talk and charity in this world Alas did we but think what temptations did with a Noah a Lot a David a Solomon a Peter we would be afraid of the enemy weapon that such worthies have been so wounded by and of the quicksands where they have so dangerously fallen When Satan durst assault the Lord himself What hope will he have of such as we When we consider the millions that are blinded and hardened and damned by temptations are we in our wits if we will cast our selves into them Praeceps est qui transire contendit ubi conspexerit alios cecidisse Et vehementer infraenis est cui non incutitur timor alio pereunte Aug. 10. Self-acquaintance would confute Temptations and easily resolve the case when you are tempted Did you considerately know the preciousness of your souls and your own concernments and where your true felicity lieth you would abhor allurements and encounter them with that argument of Christ Mark 8.36 37. What shall it profit a man if he win the world and lose his soul or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul The fear of man would be conquered by a greater fear as â—he Lord commandeth Luke 12.4 5. And I say unto you my friends Be not afraid of them that kill the body and after that have no more that they can do But I will forewarn you whom you shall fear Fear him which after he hath killed hath power to cast into Hell Yea I say unto you Fear him 11. It is unacquaintedness with themselves that makes men quarrell with the word of God rejecting it when it suits not with their deceived reason and to be offended with his faithfull Ministers when they cross them in their opinions or ways or deal with them with that serious plainness as the weight of the Case and their necessity doth require Alas Sirs if you were acquainted with your selves you would know that the holy Rule is strait and the crookedness is in your conceits and misapprehensions and that your frail understandings should rather be suspected then the word of God and that your work is to learn and obey the Law and not to censure it James 4.11 And that quarrelling with the holy word which you should obey will not excuse but aggravate your sin nor save you from the condemnation but fasten it and make it greater You would know that it is more wisdom to stoop then to contend with God and that it is not your Physitions nor the medicine that you should fall out with nor desire to be delivered from but the disease 12. Self-acquaintance would teach men to be Charitable to others and cure the common censoriousness and envy and malice of the world Hath thy neighbour some mistakes about the disputable points of doctrine or doubtfull modes of Discipline or Worship Is he for the opinion or form or Policy or Ceremony which thou dislikest or is he against them when thou approvest them or afraid to use them when thou thinkest them laudable If thou know thy self thou darest not break charity or peace for this Thou darest not censure or despise him But wilt remember the frailty of thy own understanding which is not infallible in matters of this rank and in many things is certainly mistaken and needs forbearance as well as he Thou wouldst be afraid of inviting God or man to condemn thy self by thy condemning others and wouldst think with thy self 〈◊〉 every error of no more importance in â—â—rsons that hold the Essentials of Religion â—â—d conscionably practise what they know â—ust go for Heresie or make men Sectaries 〈◊〉 cut them off from the favour of God or â—â—e Communion of the Church or the proâ—â—ction of the Magistrate and subject them â—o damnation to misery to censures and reâ—roach alas what then must become of so â—â—ail a wretch as I of so dark a mind â—f so blameable a heart and life that am â—â—ke to be mistaken in matters as great â—here I least suspect it It is ignorance of â—hemselves that makes men so easily think â—ll of their brethren and entertain all hard â—r mis-reports of them and look at them so â—trangely or speak of them so contempâ—uously and bitterly and use them so uncompassionately because they are not in â—ll things of their opinion and way They consider not their own infirmities and that they teach men how to use themselves The falls of brethren would not be over-aggravated nor be the matter of insulting or contempt but of compassion if men knew themselves This is implyed in the charge of the Holy Ghost Gal. 6.1 2. Brethren if a man be overtaken in a fault ye which are spiritual restore such a one in the spirit of meekness considering thy self lest thou also be tempted Bear ye one anothers burdens and so fulfill the Law of Christ The Pharisee that seeth not the beam of mortal formality and hypocrisie in his own eye is most censorious against the motes of tolerable particular errors in his brothers eye None more uncharitable against the real or supposed errors or slips of serious Believers then Hypocrites that have no saving serious faith and knowledge but place their Religion in Opinion and outside shews and wholly err from the path of Life 13. It is ignorance of themselves that makes men Divide the Church of Christ and pertinaciously keep open its bleeding wounds and hinder Concord and disturb its peace How far would self-acquaintance go to the Cure of all our discords and divisions Is it possible that the Pope should take upon him the Government of the Antipodes even of all the world and that as to Spiritual Government which requireth more personal attendance then secular if he knew himself and consequently his natural incapacity and the terror of his account for such an Usurped charge Self-acquaintance would depose their Inquisitions and quench their flames and make them know what spirit they are of that inclineth not to save mens lives but to destroy them Luke 9.55 56. Did they know themselves the Papists durst not multiply new Articles of faith and ceremonies and depart from the ancient simplicity of the Gospel and turn the Creed or Scripture into all the Volumes of their Councils and say All these decrees or determinations of the Church are necessary to salvation
to condemn dissenters It also teacheth men to submit to the faithfull directions and Conduct of their Pastors and not to vilifie forsake and disobey them as if they were above them in understanding and fitter to be Guides themselves so that in all these respects it is Ignorance of themselves that makes men troublers of the Church and the Knowledge of themselves would much remedy it 14. And it is Ignorance of themselves also that makes men troublers of the State A man that doth not know himself is unfit for all society If he be a Ruler he will forget the Common-good and instead of Clemency and Justice will violently exercise an impeâ—ious Will If he be a subject he will be Censuring the actions of his Rulers when distance and disacquaintance makes him an â—ncompetent Judge He will think himself â—itter to Rule then they and whatever they â—o he imagineth that he could do it better And hence come suspitions and murmurrings against them and Corah's censures Ye take too much upon you Are not all the people holy Were men acquainted with themselves their weaknesses their concernments and their duties they would rather enquire whether they obey well then whether their Superiours Rule well and would think the lowest place to be most suitable to them and would quiet themselves in the discharge of their own duty making supplications prayers intercessions and thanksgiving for all men for Kings and for all that are in authority that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty for this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour 1 Tim. 2.1 2 3. It would quiet all the seditions and tumults of the world if men were well acquainted with themselves I confess seditions seem to rise from a too great knowledge and regard of our selves and of our own commodity Aliquid commune tuum facere est seditionis discordiae principium To appropriate common benefits to our selves is the spring of discord and sedition But here as in other things self-seeking cometh from self-ignorance and tendeth to self-deceit and disapâ—ointment The End of contendings answer â—ot the promises that selfishness and passion â—ake men in the beginnings Si aeterna semper odia mortales agant Ne caeptus unquam cedat exanimis furor â—ed arma faelix teneat infaelix pereat Nihil relinquent bella Seneca And then En quo discordia cives Perduxit miseros en queis consevimus agros 15. Self-acquaintance would end abundance of Controversies and very much help â—en to discern the truth In the Controversie of Freewill or humane power to know our selves as we are Men would be to know that we have the Natural Power and Freedom consisting in the self-determining faculty and principle To know our selves as sinfull would certifie us how much we want of the Morall Power which consisteth in Right inclinations and the Moral Liberty from vitious dispositions and habits Would time permit I might shew it in the instances of Original Corruption of the Nature of Grace of Merit of the Cause of sin and many other controversies how much error is promoted by the Ignorance of our selves 16. Self-acquaintance maketh men both Just and Mercifull One cannot be so much as a Good Neighbour without it not yet a faithfull friend It will teach you to put up injuries and to forgive as remembring that you are like to be injurious to others and certainly are daily so to God and that it is no great fault that 's done against such poor unworthy persons as our selves if it had no higher a respect then as to us It is such only that with all lowliness and meekness and long-suffering forbear one another in love Ephes 4.2 Recompense to no man evil for evil Rom. 12.17 be not overcome of evil but overcome evil with good ver 21. He that is drawn to passion and revenge is overcome when he seems to overcome by that Revenge It teacheth us to forgive to know that much is forgiven us by Christ or at least what need we have of such forgiveness Eph. 4.31 32. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and evil speaking be put away from you with all malice And be ye kind one to another tender hearted forgiving one another even as God for Christs sake hath forgiven you O that this lesson were well learnt 17. Self-acquaintance will teach us the right estimate of all our Mercyes When we â—â—ow how unworthy we are of the least â—â—d what it is we principally need it will â—â—ach us Thanskfulness for all and teach 〈◊〉 which of our mercies to prefer Men â—â—ow not themselves and their own neâ—â—ssities and therefore they slight their â—â—iefest mercies accounting them burdens â—â—d are unthankfull for the rest 18. Self-acquaintance is necessary to the 〈◊〉 Peace and Comfort of the soul Securiâ—â— and stupidity may quiet the ungodly for a â—hile and Self-flattery may deceive â—â—e Hypocrite into a dream of Heaven â—ut he that will have a durable Joy â—ust find some matter of Joy within â—im as the effects and evidence of the Love of â—od and the prognosticks of his endless love â—o know what Christ hath suffered and â—one and merited and promised is to â—now the General and principal ground of â—ur Rejoycing But something is wanting to â—ake it Peace and Joy to us till we find the â—ruits of his Spirit within us without which â—o man can be his Rom. 8.9 Gal. 5.16 â—7 22 24 25. If a man think himself 〈◊〉 be something when he is nothing he deâ—eiveth himself But let every man prove â—is own work and then shall he have rejoycing 〈◊〉 himself alone and not in another Gal. 6 3 4. The seal and witness and beginnings of Life must be within you if you will know that you are the Heirs of Life 19. Self-ignorance causeth men 〈◊〉 misinterpret and repine at the providence oâ— God and to be froward under his moâ—â— righteous judgements Because men know not what they have deserved or what they are and what is good for them therefore they know not the reason and intent of providence and therefore they quarrell with their Maker and murmur as if he did them wrong When self acquintance would teach them to justifie God in all his dealings and resolve the blame of all into themselves The Nature of man doth teaâ—â— all the world when any hurt is doâ—â— to Societyes or persons to enquire by whose Will as well as by whose hands it was perpetrated and to resolve 〈◊〉 the Crimes that are committed in the world unto the Will of man and there to leave the guilt and blame and not to excuse the Malefactors upon any pretense of the concurse or predetermination of the first oâ— any superior cause And to justifie the Judge and executioner that takes away mens lives or their estates as long 〈◊〉 themselves are proved to deserve it And â—â—rely the Knowledge of the Nature and â—ravity of
man should teach us to â—â—ale as equally with God and finally â—â—solve all guilt and blame into the Free â—nd Vitiated Will of man Humbling self-â—â—owledge maketh us say with Job ch 40.4 Behold I am vile what Shall I answer â—â—ee I will lay my hand upon my mouth â—nd when God is glorifying himself on â—ur relations or our selves by his judgeâ—ents it teacheth us with Araon to hold â—ur Peace Lev. 10.3 and to say with â—â—li It is the Lord let him do what â—â—emeth him good 1 Sam. 3.18 And â—ith David 2. Sam. 15.25 If I shall â—â—nd favour in the eyes of the Lord he will â—ring me againe and show me it and his â—abitation But if he thus say I have no â—elight in thee behold here am I let him â—o to me as seemeth good to him And as â—he afflicted Church Mic. 7.9 I will â—eare the indignation of the Lord because I â—ave sinned against him Even a Pharaoh when affliction hath taught him a little to know himself will say The Lord is Righâ—eous and I and my people are wicked Exod. 9.27 when Rehoboam and his Princes are humbled they say The Lord is Righteous 2. Chron. 12.6 see Ezr. 9.15 20. Lastly it is for want of the Knoâ—â—ledge of ourselves that precious Time 〈◊〉 so much lost and hastening Death no 〈◊〉 prepared for Did we carry still about us thâ— sensible Knowledge of our Necessity our Mortality and the unconceivaâ—â—â— change that 's made by Death we should then live as men that are continually waiting for the coming of their Lord and as if we still beheld our graves For wee carry about us that sin and frailty such corruptible flesh as may tell us of Death as plainly as a Grave or Skeleton So great so unspeakably necessary a work as the serious diligent preparatioâ— for our end could not be so sottishly neglected by the ungodly did they throughly and feelingly know what it is to be a Mortall man and what to have an immortall soule what it is to be a sinner and what to pass into an endless life of Joy or Misery And thus I have shewed you some of the fruits both of the Knowledge and Ignorance of our selves even in our Natural and Morall and Politicall capacityes though it be the second that is directly intended in the Text which may help you in the Application Vse ANd now I may suppose that the best of you all the most Honourable the â—ost Learned the most Religious of them 〈◊〉 dare affirm it will acknowlidge that I want not sufficient Reason to urge you with the Question in my Text Know yee â—ot your owne selves Judge by the forementioned effects whether self-acquaintâ—nce even in the most weighty and neâ—estary respects be common among proâ—essed Christians Doth he duely know â—imself as he is a man that doubteth of a Deity whose Image is his very essence 〈◊〉 though not the Morall Image that must â—e produced by renewing Grace Or he â—hat doubteth of a particular Providence â—f which he hath daily and hourly expeâ—ience Or he that doubteth of the Immorâ—ality of his soul or of the Life to come which is the end of his Creation and enâ—owments and is legibly engraven on the Nature and faculties of his soul Do they Morally know themselves that make a â—est of sin and make it their delight that â—ear it as the lightest burden and are not so much humbled by all the distempers anâ— miseryes of their soules as they would 〈◊〉 by a leprosie an imprisonment or disgraâ—â— that have as cold unthankfull thoughts of Christ and of his grace and benefits as 〈◊〉 sicke stomack of a feast That complemenâ— with him at the doore but will not be perswaded to let him in unless he wilâ— come upon their termes and will dweâ—â— with their unmortifyed sin and be a servant to their flesh and leave them their worldly prosperity and delights and saâ— them for these complements and leaving of the flesh when sin and the world 〈◊〉 cast them off Do those men truly know themselves that think they need not the Spirit of Chrisâ— for Regeneration conversion and sanctification nor need not a diligent Holy life nor to be halfe so carefull and serious for their salvation as they are for a shadow of hapâ—piness in the world That would withouâ— entreaty bestir themselves if their houâ—â— were on fire or they were drowning 〈◊〉 the water or were assaulted by a thiâ—â— or enemy and yet think he is too troublesome and Precise that intreateth them 〈◊〉 bestir themselves for Heaven and 〈◊〉 quit themselves like men for their Salvaâ—â—â—on and to look about them and spare no pains for the escaping everlasting misery when this is the time the only time when all this must be done or they are utterly undone for ever Do they know themselves and what they want and what indeed would do them good that itch after sensuall beastiall delights and glut their flesh and please their appetites and lusts and wast their time in needless Sports and long for honour and greatness in the world and study for preferment more then for Salvation and think they can never stand too high nor have too much As if it were so desireable to fall from the highest pinacle or to dye forsaken by that for which they â—orsook the Lord. Do our feathred powdered gawdy galâ—ants or our frizled spotted wanton dames â—nderstand what it is that they are so proud â—f or do so carefully trim up and aâ—orn Do they know what flesh is as â—hey would do if they saw the comlyest â—f their companions when hee hath layn 〈◊〉 month or twelvemonth in the grave Do â—hey know what sin is as a sight of Hell â—ould make them know or the true Beâ—â—efe of such a state If they did they would think that another garb doth better beseem such miserable sinners and that persons in their case have something els to mind and do then toyishly to spruce up themselves like handsome pictures for men to look upon and something els to spend their hours in then dalliance and complements and unnecessary ornaments and that the amiable and honourable beauty and comliness and worth consisteth in the Holy Image of God the wisdom and Heavenly endowments of the soul and in a Heavenly charitable righteous conversation and good works and not in a curious dress or gawdy attire which a foole may wear as well as a wise man and a carkass as well as a living man and a Dives that must lie in Hell when a Lazarus may lie in sores and rags Do they know themselves that fear no snares but chuse the life of greatest temptations and danger to their souls because it is highest or hath most provision for the flesh and that think they can keep in their candle in the greateâ—â— storms and in any company maintain their innocency And yet cannot understand so much of the will of God nor of their own Interest and necessity and danger
mens and of those that are suitable to their dispositions interests or examples and those that are against them They seem to judge of the actions by the persons and not of the persons by the actions Though he be himself a sensualist a worldling drowned in Ambition and Pride whose heart is turned away from God and utterly strange to the mysterie of Regeneration and a heavenly life yet all this is scarce discerned by him and is little troublesome and less odious then the failings of another whose heart and life is devoted unto God The different opinions or modes and circumstances of worship in another that truly feareth God is matter of their severer censures and reproach then their own omissions and aversness and enmity to holiness and the dominion of their deadly sins It seems to them more intolerable for another to pray without a Book then for themselves to pray without any serious belief or love or holy desire without any feeling of their sins or misery or wants that is to pray with the lips without a heart to pray to God without God even without the knowledge or love of God and to pray without prayers It seemed to the Hypocritical Pharisees a greater crime in Christ and his Disciples to violate their Traditions in not washing before they eat to break the Ceremonious rest of their Sabbath by healing the diseased or plucking ears of corn then in themselves to hate and persecute the true believers and worshippers of God and to kill the Lord of life himself They censured the Samaritans for not worshipping at Jerusalem but censured not themselves for not worshipping God that is a Spirit in Spirit and in Truth Which makes me remember the course of their successors the Ceremonious Papists that condemn others for Hereticks and fry them in the flames for not believing that Bread is no Bread and Wine is no Wine and that Bread is to be adored as God and that the souls of dead men know the hearts of all that pray to them in the world at once and that the Pope is the Vice-Christ and Soveraign of all the Christians in the world and for reading the Scriptures and praying in a known tongue when they forbid it and for not observing a world of Ceremonies when all this enmity to Reason Piety Charity Humanity all their Religious Tyranny Hypocrisie and Cruelty do seem but holy zeal and laudable in themselves To lie dissemble forswear depose and murder Princes is a smaller matter to them when the Pope dispenseth with it and when it tends to the advantage of their faction which they call the Church then to eat flesh on Friday or in Lent to neglect the Mass or Images or Crossing c. And it makes me remember Bishop Halls Description of An Hypocrite He turneth all gnats into Camells and cares not to undo the world for a circumstance Flesh on Friday is more abominable to him then his neighbours bed He abhors more not to uncover at the name of Jesus then to swear by name of God c. It seems that Prelats were guilty of this in Bernards dayes who saith Praelati nostri calicem linquunt Camelum deglutiunt dum majora permittentes minora discutiunt Optimi rerum aestimatores qui magnum in minimis parvam aut nullam in maximis adhibent diligentiam i. e. Our Prelats strain at a gnat and swallow a Camel while permitting greater matters they discuss or sift the less Excellent estimators of things indeed that in the smallest matters imploy great diligence but in the greatest little or none at all And the cause of all this partiality is that Men are unacquainted with themselves They love and cherish the same corruptions in themselves which they should hate and reprehend in others And saith Hierom Quomodo potest praeses Ecclesiae auferre malum de medio ejus qui in delictum simile corruerit aut qua libertate corripere peccantem potest cum tacitus ipse sibi respondeat eadem se admisisse quae corripit i. e. How can a Prelat of the Church reform the evil that is in it that rusheth into the like offence Or with what freedom can he rebuke a sinner when his conscience secretly tells him that he hath himself committed the same faults which he reproveth Would men but first be acquainted with themselves and pass an impartial judgement on the affections and actions that are nearest them and that most concern them they would be more competent and more compassionate Judges of their brethren that are now so hardly used by them It s excellent advice that Austin gives us Quum aliquem reprehendere nos necessitas coegerit cogitemus utrum tale sit vitium quod nunquam habuimus tunc cogitemus nos homines esse habere potuisse vel quod tale habuimus jam non habemus tunc memoria tangat communis fragilitatis ut illam correctionem non odium sed misericordia praecedat Sin autem invenerimus nos in eodem vitio esse non objurgemus sed ingemiscamus ad aequaliter deponendum invitemus i. e. When necessity constraineth us to reprove any one let us think whether it be such a vice as we never had our selves and then let us think that we are men and might have had it Or if we once had such but have not now then let the remembrance of common frailty touch us that compassion and not hatred may lead the way to our reproof But if we find that we have the same vice our selves let us not chide but groan and move or desire that we may both equally lay it by 5. It shews how little men know themselves when they must needs be the Rule to all other men as far as they are able to command it and that in the matters that mens salvation dependeth on and in the smallest tender disputable points and even in those things where themselves are most unfit to judge In every controverted point of doctrine though such as others have much better studied then themselves he that hath strength to suppress all those that differ from him must ordinarily be the umpire so is it even in the modes and circumstances of Worship Perhaps Christ may have the honour to be called the King of the Church and the Scripture have the honour to be called his Laws but indeed it is they â—hat would be the Lords themselves and 〈◊〉 is their Wills and Words that must be the â—aws and this under pretence of subâ—erving Christ and interpreting his Laws â—hen they have talkt the utmost for Counâ—ils Fathers Church Tradition it is â—hemselves that indeed must be all these â—or nothing but their own conceits and Wills must go for the sense of Decrees or Canons Fathers or Tradition Even they â—hat hate the power and serious practice of Religion would fain be the Rule of Reliâ—ion to all others And they that never â—new what it was to worship God in Spiâ—it and
their sin and misery that now are Pharisaically confident of their integrity How many would seek to faithfull Ministers for advice and enquire what they should do to be saved that now deride them and scorn their counsell and cannot bear their plain reproof or come not near them How many would ask directions for the cure of their unbelief and pride and sensuality that now take little notice of any such sins within them How many would cry day and night for mercy and beg importunatly for the life of their immortall souls that now take up with a few words of course instead of serious fervent prayer Doe but once know your selves aright know what you are and what you have done and what you want and what 's your danger and then be prayerless and careless if you can Then sit still and trifle out your time and make a jeast of holy diligence and put God off with lifeless words and complements if you can Men could not thinke so lightly â—nd contemptuously of Christ so unworâ—hily and falsly of a holy life so delightfully of sin so carelesly of Duty so fearlesly of Hell so senslesly and atheistically of God and so disregardfully of Heaven â—s now they do if they did but throughly know themselves ANd now Sirs me thinks your consciences should begin to stir and your thoughts should be turned inwards upon your selves and you should seriously consider what measure of acquaintance you have at home and what you have done to procure and maintain such acquaintance Hath Conscience no Vse to make of this Doctrine and of all that hath been said upon it Doth it not reprove you for your self neglect and your wanderings of mind and your aliene unnecessary fruitless Cogitations Had you been but as strange to your familiar friend and as regardless of his acquaintance correspondencie and affaires as too many of you have been of your Own you may imagine how he would have taken it and what Use he would have made of it some such Use it beseemeth you to make of estrangedness to your selves Would not he ask What is the matter that my friend so seldom looketh at me and no more mindeth me or my affaires What have I done to him How have I deserved this What more beloved company or employment hath he got You have this and much more to plead against your great Neglect and Ignorance of your selves In order to your conviction and reformation I shall first shew you some of those Reasons that should move you to Know your selves and consequently should humble you for neglecting it and then I shall shew you what are the Hinderances that keep men from self-acquaintance and give you some Directions necessary to attaine it In generall consider it is by the Light of knowledge that all the affairs of your souls must be directed And therefore while you know not your selves you are in the dark and unfit to manage your own affairs your Principall error about your selves will have influence into all the transactions of your lives you will neglect the greatest duties and abuse and corrupt those which you think you do performe While you know not yourselves you know not what you do nor what you have to do and therefore can do nothing well For instance 1. When you should Repent of sin you know it not as in yourselves and therefore cannot savingly Repent of it If you know in generall that you are sinners or know your gross and crying sins which Conscience cannot overlook yet the sins which you know not because you will not know them may condemne you How can you Repent of your Pride Hypocrisie Self-love Self-seeking your Want of love and feare and trust in God or any such sins which you never did observe Or if you perceive some sins yet if you perceive not that they reign and are predominant and that you are in a state of sin how can you Repent of that estate which you perceive not Or if you have but a sleight and superficiall sight of your sinfull state and your particular sins you can have but a superficiall false Repentance 2. If you know not yourselves you cannot be duely sensible of your misery Could it be expected that the Pharisees should lament that they were of their Father the Devill as long as they boasted that they were the Children of God Joh. 8.41 44. Will they lament that they are under the wrath of God the curse of the Law and the bondage of the Devill that know not of any such misery that they are in but hope they are the heirs of heaven What think you is the reason that when Scripture telleth us that few shall be saved and none at all but those that are new creatures and have the Spirit of Christ that yet there is not one of many that is sensible that the case is theirs Though Scripture peremptorily concludeth that They that are in the flesh cannot please God and that To be carnally minded is death Rom 8.6 7 8. and that Without holyness none shall see God Heb. 12.14 and that all They shall be damned that believe not the truth but have pleasure in unrighteousness 2 Thes. 2.12 and that Christ will come in flaming fire takeing vengeance on them that know not God and that obey not the Gospell of our Lord Jesus Christ who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and the glory of his power when he shall come to be glorifyed in his saints and admired in all them that do believe 2 Thes 1.7 8 9 10. And would not a man think that such words as these should waken the guilty soul that doth believe them and make us all to look about us I confess it is no wonder if a flat Atheist or Infidel should sleight them and deride them But is it not a wonder if they stir not those that profess to believe the word of God and are the men of whom these Scriptures speak And yet among a thousand that are thus condemned already I say by the word that is the Rule of Judgement even condemned already For so God saith Joh. 3.18 how few shall you see that with penitent tears lament their misery How few shall you hear with true remorse complain of their spiritual distress and cry out as those that were pricked at the heart Act. 2.37 Men and Brethren what shall we do In all this Congregation how few hearts are affected with so miserable a case Do you see by the tears or hear by the complaints of those about you that they know what it is to be unpardoned sinners under the wrath of the most holy God! And what is the matter that there is no more such lamentation Is it because there are few or none so miserable Alas no. The Scripture and their worldly fleshly and ungodly lives assure us of the contrary But it is because men are strangers to themselves They little think that its themselves that
Justification then now thou standest as afar off and darest scare look up to heaven but smitest on thy breast and saist Lord be mercifull to me a sinner Luke 18.11 12 13 14. Not that extortioners unjust adulterers or any that are ungodly are justified or can be saved while they are such Nor that a smiting on the breast with a Lord be mercifull to me a sinner will serve their turn while they continue in their wicked lives But when thou art brought to accuse and condemn thy self thou art prepared for his grace that must renew and justifie thee None sped better with Christ then the woman that confest her self a dog and begged but for the childrens crums And the Centurion that sent friends to Christ to mediate for him and as being unworthy to come himself and unworthy that Christ should enter under his roof For of the first Christ said O woman great is thy faith be it unto thee even as thou wilt Mat. 15.27 28. And of the second he saith with admiration I have not found so great faith no not in Israel Luke 7.6 7 8.9 Though thou art ready to deny the title of a child and to number thy self with the dogs yet go to him and beg his crums of mercy Though thou think that Christ will not come to such a one as thou and though thou beg prayers of others as thinking he will not hear thy own thou little thinkest how this self-abasement and self-denyal prepareth thee for his tenderest mercies and his esteem When thou art contrite as the dust that 's trodden underfeet and poor and tremblest at the Word then will he look at thee with compassion and respect Isa 66.2 For thus saith the high and lofty one that inhabiteth eternity whose name is holy I dwell in 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 For I will not contend for ever neither will I be alwayes wroth for the spirit should fail before me and the souls which I have made Isa 57.15 When thou art using the self-condemning words of Paul Rom. 7.14 to 25. I am carnal sold under sin what I would that do I not and what I hate that do I. For I know that in me that is in my flesh dwelleth no good thing I find a law that when I would do good evil is present with me A Law in my members warring against the Law of my mind and bringing me into captivity to the Law of sin when thou criest out with him O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death thou art then fitter to look to thy Redeemer and use the following words I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. When thou didst exalt thy self thou wast obnoxious to the stormes of Justice which was engaged to bring thee low But now thou humblest thy self thou liest in the way of Mercy that is engaged to exalt thee Luke 14.11 18.14 Mercy looketh downard and can quickly â—pie a sinner in the dust but cannot leave him there nor deny him compassion and relief Art thou cast out as helpless wounded by thy sin and neglected by all others that pass by Thou art the fittest object for the skill and mercy of him that washeth sinners in his blood and tenderly bindeth up their wounds and undertakes the perfecting of the cure though yet thou must bear the Surgeons hand till his time of perfect cure be come Luke 10.33 34 35. Now thou perceivest the greatness of thy sin and misery thou art fit to study the greatness of his mercy with all Saints to strive to comprehend what is the breadth length depth height and to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge Ephes 3.18 19. Now thou hast smitten upon the thigh and said What have I done Jerem. 31.19 8.6 thou art fitter to look unto him that was wounded and smitten for thy transgressions and to consider what he hath done and suffered how he hath born thy grief and carried thy sorrows and was bruised for thy iniquities the chastisment of our peace was laid upon him and we are healed by his stripes All we like sheep have gone astray we have turned every one to his own way and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of 〈◊〉 all Isa 53.4 5 6 c. Art thou in doubt whether there be any forgiveness for thy sins and whether there be any place for Repentance Remember that Christ is exalted by Gods right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour to give Repentnace unto Israel and forgivness of sins Act. 5.31 And that he himself hath spoken it that All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men except the Blasphemy against the Spirit Math. 12.32 And this Forgiveness of sins thou art bound to believe as an Article of thy Creed that it is purchased by Christ and freely offered in the Gospell Mercy did but wait all this while till thou wast brought to understand the want and worth of it that it might be thine When a Peter that denyeth Christ with oaths and cursing goeth out and weepeth he speedily finds mercy from him without that he but now denyed within When so bloody a persecuter as Paul findeth mercy upon his prostration and confession and when so great an offender as Manasseh is forgiven upon his penitence in bonds when all his witchcraft Idolatry and crueltyes are pardoned upon a repentance that might seeme to have been forced by a grievous scourge what sinner that perceives his sin and misery can question his entertainment if he come to Christ Come to him sinner with thy load and burden Come to him with all thy acknowledged unworthyness and try whether he will refuse thee He hath professed that 〈◊〉 that cometh to him he will in no wise 〈◊〉 out Joh. 6.37 He refused not his very murderers when they were pricked at the heart and enquired after a remedie Act. 2.37 And will he refuse thee Hath our Physicion poured out his blood to make a medicine for distracted sinners and now is he unwilling to work the cure Fusus est saâ—guis medici factum est medicamentâ—â— frenetici saith Augustine O siner 〈◊〉 thou art brought to know thy self know Christ also and the cure is done Let thy thoughts of the Remedie be deeper and larger and longer then all thy thoughts of thy Misery It is thy sin and shame if it be not 〈◊〉 Why wilt thou have twenty thoughts of sin and misery for one that thou hast of Christ and mercy when mercy is so large and great and wonderfull as to triumph over misery and Grace aboundeth much more where sin hath abounded Rom 5.20 Inspice vulnera pendentis sanguinem mâ—rientis pretium redimentes cicatrices reâ—â—â—gentis Caput habet inclinatum ad oscular dum cor apertum ad diligendum bracâ—id extensa ad
esteemed And the lesser will be misesteemed And while you are unthankfull for what you have you will be absurdly thanking God for that which indeed you have not What inestimable Mercies are daily trodden under feet by sinners that know not their worth because they know not their own necessities They have Time to Repent and make preparation for an endless life But they know not the worth of it but unthankfully neglect it and cast it away on the basest vanities As if worldly cares or wicked company or fleshly lusts or Cards or Dice or revellings or idleness were exercises in which they might better improve it then the works of Holiness Justice and Mercy which God hath made the business of their lives Or as if the profits and pleasures and vain glory of this world did better deserve it then their Creator and their own souls and the Heavenly inheritance But if their eyes were opened to see where they stand and what they are and what are their dangers and necessities how thankfull would they be for one year one moneth one day one hour to Repent and cry to God for Mercy and how sensibly would they perceive that a hundred years time is not too long to spend in serious preparation for eternity They have now the faithfull Ministers of Christ inviting them in his name to come to him and receive the riches of his grace and beseeching them in his stead to be reconciled unto God Mat. 22. 2 Cor. 5.19 20. But they stop their ears and harden their hearts and stiffen their necks and love not to be disturbed in their sins but are angry with those that are sollicitous for their salvation and revile them as too precise and strict that tell them of the One thing needfull and perswade them to choose the better part and tell them where their sin will leave them They take them for their friends that will encourage them in the way that God condemneth and be merry with them in the way to endless sorrow and flatter them into security and impenitency till the time of grace be past but they hate them as their enemies that faithfully reprove them and tell them of their folly and call them to a safer better way Alas Sirs there would not be so many Nations Congregations and Souls now left in darkness and misery by their own doing having driven away the Mercy of the Gospel and thrust their faithfull Teachers from them if they knew themselves Men would not triumph in their own calamity when they have expelled their faithfull Teachers the dust of whose feet the sweat of their brows the tears of their eyes and the fervent prayers and groans of their hearts must witness against them if they knew themselves They would not be like a mad man that glorieth that he hath beaten away his Physition and his friends and is left to himself if they knew themselves When they have the earnest Calls of the Word without and convictions and urgings of the Spirit of God and their Consciences within they would not wilfully go on and cast these mercies at their heels if they knew themselves They have leave to joyn in the Communion of Saints and to enjoy the benefit of holy Society in prayer and conference and mutual love and spiritual assistance and in the publick worship of God but they pass these by as having more of trouble and burden then of mercy because they little know themselves And their inferior Mercies of Health and Wealth and food and rayment and friends and accommodations they misesteem and misuse and value them but as provision for the flesh and the satisfaction of their sensual and inordinate desires and not as their necessary provision for their duty in the way to Heaven And therefore they are most thankfull for their greatest snares For that honour and abundance which are stronger temptations then they can overcome For those fleshly contentments and delights which are the enemies of grace and the prison of their noblest faculties and the undoing of their souls If they could for shame speak out they would thank God more for a whore or a succesfull gain or the favour of their earthen gods or for preferment or commodity lands or houses then ever they did for all the offers of Christ and grace and all the invitations to a holy life For there is much more joy and pleasure in their hearts for the former then the latter And Self-ignorance will also corrupt your Thanksgiving and turn it into sin and folly Is it not shame and pitty to hear an unpardoned enemy of Holiness and of God to thank God that he is Justified and Reconciled to God and Adopted to be his child and made a member of Jesus Christ And to hear a carnal unregenerate person give thanks for his Regeneration and Sanctification by the Holy Ghost As it is to hear a leper give thanks for perfect health or a fool or mad man thank God for making him wiser then his neighbours Is it not pitty to hear a miserable soul thank God for the Grace which he never had and one that is near eternal misery to thank God for making him an heir of Glory O how many have thankt God Pharisaitally for the pardon of their sins that must for ever suffer for those sins How many have thanked him for giving them the assured hopes of Glory that must be thrust out into endless misery As I having known many that by their friends and by theâ—â—selves have been flattered into consiâ—â—â— hopes of life when they were ready 〈◊〉 die have thankt God that the were 〈◊〉 well and the worst was past which in 〈◊〉 eyes of judicious standers by was not 〈◊〉 least aggravation of their sad and deploâ—â—â—ble state Methinks it is one of the sadâ—dest spectacles in the world to hear a 〈◊〉 thanking God for the assurance of salvaâ—â—â—on that is in a state of condemnation and like to be in Hell for ever These absurdities could not corrupt your highest duâ—ties and turn them into sin if you knew your selves A man that knoweth his own necessitiâ—â— and unworthiness is thankfull for a little to God and man Mercy is as no mercy when there is no sense of need or misery Sapienti notum est quanti res quaeque taxanda sit saith Seneca Therefore God useth to humble them so low in the work of conversion whom he meaneth ever after to imploy 〈◊〉 the magnifying of his grace And then that which is folly and hypocrisie from a Pharisee will be an acceptable sacrifice from a humbled gratefull soul and he that by Grace is differenced from other men may modestly thank God that he is not as other men For had he nothing more to thank God for then the ungodly world he would be rejected and perish with the world And if he have more then the world and yet be no more thankfull then the world he would be guilty of greater unthankfulness then the world Non
ready to discourse about matters of â—he heart and that they so much relish â—â—ch discourse and that they have so much 〈◊〉 say when you come to such a subject â—t is because they know themselves in some â—ood measure They have studied and â—re acquainted with the Heart And thereâ—ore can talk the more sensibly of what is â—ontained in a book which they have so â—ften read and are so conversant in â—alk with them about the matters â—f the world and perhaps you may â—ind them more simple and ignorant then many of their neighbours But when you â—alk about the Corruptions of the heart â—nd the secret workings of them the matâ—er and order and government of the thoughts and affections and passions 〈◊〉 wants and weaknesses of believers the nâ—â—ture and workings of inward temptationâ— the wayes of grace and of the exercise 〈◊〉 each grace the motions and operatioâ— of the spirit upon the heart the breathiâ—â— of Love and desire after God the aâ—â—dresses of the soul to Christ by faitâ— and dependance on him and receiviâ—â— from him about these secret matters 〈◊〉 the Heart he is usually more able in dâ—â—â—course then many learned men that are 〈◊〉 sanctified And hence it is that upright self-obsâ—â—â—ving souls are so full in prayer and 〈◊〉 to pour out their hearts so enlargedly â—â—â—fore the Lord in confessing their sins 〈◊〉 petitioning for grace and opening thâ— necessities and thanking God for spiritâ—â—â— mercies Some that are themselves acquaiâ—â—â—ed with themselves and the workings 〈◊〉 grace despise all this and say It is but 〈◊〉 ability to speak of the things which they 〈◊〉 most used to I doubt not but meer acâ—quired abilities and custom may advanâ—â— some hypocrites to pray in the languagâ— of experienced Christians And I doubt noâ— but natural impediments and want of use anâ— of right education may cause many to 〈◊〉 â—onvenient expressions that have true deâ—â—res But the question is from whence it â—â—mes to pass that so great a number of â—hose that are most carefull and diligent â—or their souls are so full in holy conference â—â—d prayer when very few others that exâ—â—ll them in learning and natural parts â—ave any such ability And doubtless the â—hief reason is that the care and study of â—hese Christians hath been most about their â—piritual estate And that which they set â—heir hearts upon they use their tongues â—pon Generally it cannot be imagined why they should use themselves to those â—tudies and exercises which procure those â—bilities but that they highlyest esteem â—nd most seriously regard the matters that concern their salvation which are the subâ—ect I doubt not but God bestoweth his gifts upon men in the use of means and that it is partly use that maketh men able and ready in these services of God But what reason can be given why one part of men use themselves to such imployments and another part are unable through disuse but that some do set their hearts upon it and make it their business to know themselves their sins and wants and seek relief when by the others all this is neglected Some hypocrites may be moved by lower ends both in this and in other duties of Religion but that 's no rule for our judgeing of the intentions of the generality or of any that are sincere As a man that hath lived in the East or West Indies is 〈◊〉 to discourse of the places and people which he hath seen and perhaps another by a Map or historie may say somewhat of the same subject though less distinctly and sensibly but others can say nothing of it so a man of holy experience in the mysteries of sanctification that is much conversant at home and acquainted with his own heart is able if other helps concur to speak what he feels to God and man and from his particular observation and experience to frame his prayers and spiritual conference and an hypocriâ—â— from Reading and common observation may do something affectedly that 's like it but careless self-neglecting worldlings are usually dumb about such matters and hear you as they do men of another Countrey that talk in a language which they do not understand or at least cannot make them any answer in But if any of you will needs think more basely and maliciously of the cause of holy prayer and conference in believers let us leave them for the present to the Justification of him that gave them the spirit of supplication which you reproach and let us only enquire what is the Reason that men that can discourse as hansomely as others about worldly matters have nothing to say beyond a few cold affected words which they have learnt by rote either to God or man about the matters of the soul the methods of the spirit the workings of a truly penitent heart or the elevations of faith and the pantings of desire after God Why are you dumb when you should speak this language and frequently and delightfully speak it Is it because your Reason is lower then those mens that do speak it whom you despise and that you are naturally near kin to ideots No you are wise enough to do evil You can talk of your trades your honours or employments your acquaintance and correspondencies all the day long You are more wordy about these little things then the Preachers themselves that you count most â—edious are about the greatest You are â—uch longer discoursing of your delusory â—oyes then the Lovers of God whose souls â—ong after him are in those Prayers which trouble you with their length Many a time have I been forced to hear your dreaming incoherent dotage how copious you are in words that signifie no greater matters then flesh pleasing or fancifull honourâ— and accomodations I had almost said theâ—â— chaff or straw or dirt One may heâ—â— you from morning to night from day to day discoursing in variety of company on various subjects with freedom and plausible ingenuity And when all is seâ— together it is but a hodge podge of earth and flesh and windy vanity a frothy puddle Aâ— the ridiculous Orator Magno Conatu hiatu nihil dicitis You strein and gapâ— an hour or a day together to say nothing set all the words of a day together and peruse them at night and see what they are worth There 's little higher then visible materials that I say not then the dunghil or your shadows then meat and drink and play and complement then houses or lands or domineering affections oâ— actions in many hours or days discourse I think of you sometime when I see how ingeniously and busily children do make up their babies of clouts and how seriously they talk about them and how every 〈◊〉 and clout is matter of employment and disâ—ourse and how highly they value them and â—ow many dayes they can unweariedly â—pend about them Pardon my compariâ—on If you repent not of your discourses â—nd imployments more then they and do not one day
home As you love your peace and happiness instead of conversing with vain lascivious or ungodly persons O spend that time in converse with your Consciences You may there have a thousand times more profitable discourse Be not offended to give Conscience a sober faithfull answer if it ask you What you have done with all your Time and how you have lived in the world and how you have obeyed the calls of grace and how you have entertained Christ into your hearts and whether you have obeyed him or his enemy and whether you have been led by the spirit or the flesh and what forwardness the work of your salvation is in for which you came into the world and what assurance you have of your Justification and Salvation and what readiness to die Think it not presumption in Conscience thus to examine you Though you have perhaps unthankfully disdained to be thus examined by your Pastors your external Guides whose office it is to help you and watch for your souls yet do not disdain to be accountable to your selves Accountable you must be ere long to God And that friend that would help you to make ready such accounts on which so great a weight dependeth me thinks should be welcomed with a thousand thanks Ministers and Conscience should be acceptable to you that come on so necessary a work The chidings of Conscience are more friendly language then the flattery of your ignorant or proud associates and should be more gratefull to you then the laughter of fools which is like the crackling of thorns in the fire Eccles 7.6 Thy own home though it be a house of mourning is better for thee then such a sinfull house of mirth Hear but what Conscience hath to say to you No one will speak with you that hath words to speak which nearlyer concern you I beseech you Sirs be more frequent and familiar with Conscience then most men are Think not the time lost when you walk and talk with it alone Confer with it about your endless state and where you are like to be for ever and what way you are in and what thoughts you will have of your sins and duties of the world and God of yielding or overcoming at the last Is there no sense in this discourse Thou art dead and senseless if thou think so Is idle talk and prating better I hope you are not so distracted as to say so If you have not blinded deceived or bribed it I tell you Conscience hath other kind of discourse for you more excellent and necessary things to talk of then wantons or worldlings or pot-companions have It s better be giving Conscience an account what business thou hast had so often in such company and how thou wouldst have lookt if death had found thee there then without leave from from God or Conscience to go thither again The thriving way is neither to be still at home nor still abroad but to be at home when homework is to be done and to be abroad only for doing and for getting good in a way of diligent Christian trading and to bring that home that is got abroad but never to go abroad upon loytering vain expensive occasions When you have done with Conscience converse with others that your business lieth with and go abroad when it s for your Masters work but go not upon idle errands converse not with prodigal Wasters of your time and enemies to your souls One time or other Conscience will speak and have a hearing the sooner the better Put it not off to a time so unseasonable as Death I say not unseasonable for Conscience to speak in but unseasonable for it to begin to speak in and unseasonable for those terrible words that need a calmer time for answer and unseasonable for so many things and so great as self-betrayers use to put off untill then which need a longer time for due consideration and dispatch 3. And I beseech you consider with what amazing horror it must needs surprise you to find ox a sudden and unexpeâ—â—edly when you die that all is worse with â—ou then you imagined or would believe After a whole life of confident presumptiâ—n to be suddenly convinced by so dreadâ—ull an experience of your so long and wilfull a mistake To find in a moment that you have flattered your souls into so desperate a state of woe To see and feel all the selfish cavils and reasonings confuted in one hour which the wisest and holiest men on earth could never beat you from before O Sirs you know not now what a day what a conviction that will be You know not what it is for a guilty soul to to pass out of the Body and find it self in the plague of an unsanctified state and hated of the Holy God that never would know it till it was too late You know not what it is to be turned by Death into that world of spirits where all self-deceit is detected by experience and all must undergo a righteous judgement where blindness and self-love can no more perswade the miserable that they are happy the unholy that they are sanctified the fleshly minded men that they are spiritual the lovers of the world that they are the Lovers of God Men cannot there believe what they list nor take that for a truth which makes for their security be it never so false Men cannot there believe that they are accepted of God while they are in the bonds of their iniquity or that their hearts are as good as the best while their tongues and lives are opposite to goodness or that they shall be saved as soon as the godly though they be ungodly It s easie for a man to hear of waves and gulfs and shipwrack that never saw the Sea and without any fear to hear of battels that never saw the face of an enemy and without any trouble to hear of sickness and tormenting pains and burning and cutting off of limbs that never felt or saw such things It s easie for you here in these seats in the midst of health and peace and quietness to hear of a departing soul and where it shall appear and what it shall there see and how great a discovery Death will make But O Sirs when this must be your case as you know it must be alas how speedily these matters then will seem considerable They will be new and strange to those that have heard of them an hundred times because they never heard of them sensibly till now One of those souls that have been here before you and have past that way into eternity have other thoughts of these things than you have O how do â—â—ey think now of the fearless slumber â—nd stupidity of those that they have â—eft behind What think they now of those â—hat wilfully fly the light and flatter themâ—elves in guilt and misery and make light of all the Joyes and torments of the other world Even as the damned Rich man in
not perfect We know we 〈◊〉 be more humbled and more believing anâ— more watchfull and Love God more anâ— feare and trust him more and be moâ—â— fruitfull and diligent and obedient anâ— zealous and yet we are not What we 〈◊〉 we should be in any of these In these 〈◊〉 all live in sin against knowledge els 〈◊〉 should be all as good as we know we ougâ—â— to be which no man is And if throâ—â—â— temptation any of us should be ready 〈◊〉 despaire because of any of these infirmity 〈◊〉 because we cannot Repent or Love God watch or Pray or Obey more perfectly or as we should yet Grace ceaseth not 〈◊〉 be Grace though in the least degree becaâ—â—â— we are ready to despair for want of 〈◊〉 Nor will the sincerity of this spark 〈◊〉 graine of Mustard seed be unsuccesâ—â—◠〈◊〉 to our salvation because we think so and â—ake ourselves to be unsincere and our sanctiâ—â—cation to be none Nor yet because we â—annot be as obedient and good as we â—now we should be For the Gospell saith â—ot He that knoweth he hath faith or sinâ—â—rity shall be saved and he that knoweth 〈◊〉 not shall be damned or he that is lesse â—â—ly or obedient then his conscence tells him he â—hould be shall be damned But he that Beâ—ieveth and Repenteth shall be saved whether â—e know it to be done in sincerity or no â—nd he that doth not shall be damned though â—e never so confidently think he doth So that in the Degrees of Holynes and obedience all Christians ordinarly sin against knowledge 2. And besides what is ordinary some extraordinarily in the time of a Powerfull temptation go further then ordinarily they do And some under dull Flegmatick melancholy or cholerick diseases or distempers of body or under a diseased violent appetite may transgress more against their knowledge then otherwise they would do when the spirits are flatted the thoughts confused the reason weakened the passion strengthned and the executive faculties undisposed so that their actions are but imperfectly Humane or Morall imperfectly capable of vertue or vice good or evill it is no wonder here if pooâ— soules not only perceive their sin but thinâ— it and the danger to be tenfold greatâ—â— then they are and yet go on againâ—â— their knowledge and yet have 〈◊〉 grace This much I have said both to stay yoâ— from misunderstanding what I said before concerning the Power of conviction 〈◊〉 conversion for few Auditoryes waâ—â— hearers that will be still excepting if Caâ—â—tion stop not every hole and also to 〈◊〉 you to the fuller understanding of the â—â—â—â—ter its self of which I treat But exceptiâ—â—â—â—mat regulam in non exceptis Exceptioâ— strengthen and not weaken any Rule 〈◊〉 proposition in the points not exceptâ—â— Still I say that out of these cases the 〈◊〉 knowledge of a sinfull miserable state 〈◊〉 so great a helpe to bring us out of it 〈◊〉 it s hardly imaginable how rationall meâ—â— can willfully continue in a state of suâ—â— exceeding danger if they be but well acâ—quainted that they are in it I know a Harâ—â—ned heart hath an unreasonable obstinâ—â—â— opposition against the meanes of its 〈◊〉 recovery But yet men have some use 〈◊〉 Reason and self preserving Love and care â—r they are not men and if they be not 〈◊〉 they cannot be sinfull men And â—hough little transient lightnings oft come â—o nothing but leave some men in greaâ—er darkness yet could we but set up a â—â—anding Light in all your consciences could we fully convince and resolve the unregeâ—ate that they cannot be saved in the carnall state and way that they are in but must be sanctifyed or never saved what hopes should we have that all the subtiltyes â—nd snares of Satan and all the pleasures and gaine of sin and all the allurements of ungodly company could no longer hinder you from falling down at the feet of mercy and begging forgiveness through the blood of Christ and giving up yourselves in Covenant to the Lord and speedily and resolutely betaking yourselves to an holy life Could I but make you throughly known unto your selves I should hope that all the unsanctified that hear me would date their Conversion from this very day and that you would not delay till the next morning to bewail your sin and misery and fly to Christ lest you should die and be past hope this night And doth so much of our work and of your recovery lie upon this point and yet shall we not be able to acâ—complish it Might you be broughâ— into the way to Heaven if we could bâ— perswade you that you are yet out of tâ—â— way and will you be undone because yoâ— will not suffer so small and reasonable part of the cure as this is O God forbid O that we knew how to illuminate yoâ—â— minds so far as to make you find that yoâ— are lost How ready would Christ be theâ— to find you and to receive and welcome you upon your return Here is the first difficulty which if we could but overcome 〈◊〉 should hope to conquer all the rest Hâ—â— we but a wedge to cleave this knot the rest would the more easily be done Coulâ— we draw but this one pin of self-deceit the frame of Satans building were like to tumble down O that any of you that know the nature of self-deceit and know the accesses to the inwards of a sinner and know the fallacious reasonings of the heart could tell us but how we might undeceive them O that any of you that know the nature of humane understanding with its several maladies and their cure and know the power of saving truth could tell us what key will undo this lock what medicine will cure this disease of wilfull obstinate self-deceiving Think but on the case of our poor people and of ours and sure you cannot choose but pitty both them and us We are all professors of the Christian faith and all say we believe the word of God This word assureth us that all men are fallen in Adam and are by nature children of wrath and increase in sin and misery till supernatural grace recover them It tells us that the Redeemer is become by office the Physition or Saviour of souls washing away their guilt by his blood and renewing and cleansing their corrupted natures by his Spirit It tell us that he will freely work the cure for all that will take him for their Physicion and will forgive and save them that penitently fly to him and value and accept and trust upon his grace And that except they be thus made new creatures all the world cannot save them from everlasting wrath This is the Doctrine that we all believe or say we do believe Thus doth it open the case of sinners We come now according to our office and the trust reposed in us and we tell our Hearers what the Scripture saith of man and what it commandeth us to tell them We tell them of their
is Holy And will you reproach God or his word or works or Ministers with that which is the matter of his Praise If it be terrible to hear of the wrath of God how terrible will it be to feel it Choose not a state of terror to your selves and preaching will be less terrible to you Yield to the sanctifying work of Christ and receive his spirit and then that which is terrible to others will be comfortable to you What terror is it to the Regenerate that knoweth himself to be such to hear that none but the Regenerate shall be saved What terror is it to them that mind the things of the spirit to hear of the misery of a fleshly mind and that they that live after the flesh shall die Rom. 8.8.13 The word of God is full of terror to the ungodly But return with all your hearts to God and then what word of God speaks terror to you Truly Sirs it is more in your power then ours to make our preaching easie and less terrible to you We cannot change our doctrine but you may change your state and lives We cannot preach another Gospel but you may obey the Gospel which we preach Obey it and it will be the most comfortable word to you in the world We cannot make void the word of God but you may avoid the stroke by penitent submission Do you think it is fitter for us to change our Masters word and falsifie the Laws of God Almighty or for you to change your crooked courses which are condemned by this word and to let go the sin which the Law forbiddeth It s you that must change and not the Law It s you that must be conformed to it and not the Rule that must be crookened to conform to you Say not as Ahab of Michaiah of the Minister I hate him for he prophesieth not Good of me but Evil 1 Kings 22.8 For a Balaam could profess that if the King would give him his housefull of silver and gold he could not go beyond the word of the Lord his God to do less or more Numb 22.19 or to do either good or bad of his own mind as he after speaks Chap. 24.13 What good would it do you for a Preacher to tell you a lye and say that you may be pardoned and saved in an impenitent unsanctified state Do you think our saying so would make it so Will God falsifie his word to make good ours Or would he not deal with us as perfidious messengers that had betrayed our trust and belyed him and deceived yout souls And would it save or ease an unregenerate man to have Christ condemn the Minister for deceiving him and telling him that he may be saved in such a state Do but let go the odious sin that the word of God doth speak so ill of and then it will speak no ill of you Alas Sirs what would you have a poor Minister do when Gods command doth cross your pleasure and when he is sure to offend either God or you Which should he venture to offend If he help not the ungodly to know their misery he offendeth God If he do it he offendeth them If he tell you that All they shall be damned that believe not the truth but have pleasure in unrighteousness Your hearts rise against him for talking of Damnation to you And yet it is but the words of the Holy Ghost 2 Thes 2.12 which we are bound to preach If he tell you that If ye live after the flesh ye shall die you will be angry especially if he closely apply it to your selves And if he do not tell you so God will be angry For it is his express determination Rom. 8.13 And whose anger think you should a wise man choose or whose should he most resolutely avoid The anger of the dreadfull God of Heaven or yours Your anger we can bear if there be no remedy but his anger is intolerable When you have fretted and fumed and railed and slandered us and ouâ— doctrine we can Live yet or if you kiâ—â— the Body you can do no more You do but send us before to be witnesses against you when you come to judgement But who can Live when God will pour out wrath upon him Numb 24.23 We may keep your slanders and indignation from our Hearts but it is the Heart that the Heart-searching God contendeth with And who can heal the Heart which he will break You may reach the flesh but he that is a Spirit can afflict and wound the Spirit And a wounded spirit and wounded by him who can bear Prov. 18.14 Would you not your selves say he were worse then mad that would rather abuse the Eternal God then cross the misguided desires of such worms as you that would displease God to please you and sell his Love to purchase yours Will you be instead of God to us when we have lost his favour Will you save us from him when he sendeth for our souls by death or sentenceth us to Hell by judgement Silly souls how happy were you could you save your selves Will you be our Gods if we forsake our God What you that are but skinfuls of corruption that will shortly be choaked with your own filth and flegme and by your friends be laid to rot in silent undiscerned darkness lest the loathsome sight or smell of you should annoy them Blame not God to use them as Enemies and Rebels that will change him for such earthen Gods as you We have One God and but One and he must be obeyed whether you like or dislike it There is one Law giver that is able to save and to destroy Jam. 4.12 and he must be pleased whether it please your carnal minds or not If your wisdom now will take the chair and judge the preaching of the Gospel to be foolishness or the searching application of it to be too much harshness and severity I am sure you shall come down ere long and hear his sentence that will convince you that the wisdom of the world is foolishness with God and the foolishness of God as Blasphemy dare call it is wiser then men 1 Cor. 3.19 1.25 And God will be the final Judge and his word shall stand when you have done your worst The worst that the Serpent can do is but to hiss a while and put forth the sting and bruise our heel but Gods day will be the brusing of his head and Satan shall be bruised under feet Rom. 16.20 The Sun will shine and the light thereof discover your deformities whether you will or not And if adulterers or thieves that love the works of darkness will do theit worst by force or flattery they cannot make it cease its shining though they may shut their eyes or hide themselves in darkness from it light Faithfull â—eachers are the Lights of the world Mat. 5.14 They are not lighted by the Holy Ghost to be put under a bushell but on a candlestick that
damnation af Hell you may see in Mat. 23. Paul thought it his duty to tell Elymas Acts 13.10 that he was full of all subtilty and mischief the child of the devil and the enemy of all righteousness a perverter of the right wayes of the Lord. And Peter thought meet to tell Simon Magus that he had neither part nor lot in that matter that his heart was not right in the sight of God that he was in the gall of bitterness and bond of iniquity Acts 8.21.23 The charge of Paul to Timothy is plain and urgent 2 Tim. 4.1 2. I charge thee before God and the Lord Jesus Christ who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his Kingdom Preach the word be instant in season and out of season reprove rebuke exhort And to Titus chap. 1.13 Rebuke them sharply that they may be sound in the faith Judge now whether Minsters must deal plainly or deceitfully with you and whether it be the searching healing truth that they must bring you or a smooth tale that hath no salt or savour in it And would you have us break these Laws of God for nothing but to deceive you and tell you a â—ie and make the ungodly believe that he is godly or to hide the truth that is necessary to your salvation Is the Knowledge of your selves so intolerable a thing to you Beloved Hearers either it is true that you are yet unsanctified or it is not If it be not it is none of our desire you should think so We do all that we can to cure the mistakes of troubled Christians that think themselves worse then indeed they are But if it be true tell me Why would you not know it I hope it is not because you would not be remembred of your wo and so tormented before the time I hope you think not that we delight to vex mens consciences with fear or to see men live in grief and trouble rather then in well grounded peace and joy And if indeed you are yet unregenerate that is not long of us that tell you of it but of your selves that wilfully continue it Do we make you ungodly by telling you of your ungodliness Is it we that hinder the forgiveness of your sins by letting you know that they are not forgiven O no! We strive for youâ— conversion to this end that your sins may 〈◊〉 forgiven you and you hinder the forgiâ—â—â—ness of them by refusing to be be convetteâ— When God forsaketh stubborn souls 〈◊〉 resisting his grace note how he expreâ—â—seth his severity against them Mark 4 1â— That seeing they may see and not perceiâ—â— and hearing they may hear and not underâ—stand lest at any time they should be converted and their sins should be forgiven them You see here that till they are converted mens sins are not forgiven them And thaâ— whoever procureth the forgiveness of theâ—â— sins must do it by procuring their Conversion And that the hindring of their Conversion is the hindering of their forgiveness And that blindness of mind is the great hinderance of conversion when men do noâ— perceive the very things which they see not knowing the reason and the sense and end of them but the out-side only Noâ— understand the things which they hear And therefore undoubtedly the Teacher that brings you a Light into your minds and first sheweth you your selves and your unconverted and your unpardoned state iâ— he that takes the way to your Conversion and forgiveness As the fore-cited Text sheweth you Acts 18.26 I send thee to open their eyes and to turn them from darkness to light that they may first know themselves and then know God in Jesus Christ and from the power of Satan who ruled them as their Prince and captivated them as their Jaylor unto God whom they had forsaken as a Guide and Governour and were deprived of as their Protector Portion and felicity that they may receive forgiveness of sins which none receive but the converted and an inheritance among them that are sanctified for Glory is the inheritance of the Saints alone Col. 1.12 and all this through faith that is in me by believing in me and giving up themselves unto me that by my Satisfaction Merits Teaching Spirit Intercession and Judgement it may be accomplished Truly Sirs if we knew how to procure your conversion and forgiveness without making you know that you are uncoverted unpardoned we would do it not trouble you needlesly with so sad a discovery Let that man be accounted a butcher of souls not a Physicion for them that delighteth to torment them Let him be accounted unworthy to be a Preacher of the Gospel that envieth you your peace and comfort We would not have you think one jot worse of your condition then it is Know but the very truth what case you are in and we desire no more And so far are we by this from drivinâ— you to Desperation that it is your Desperation that we would prevent by it which can no other way be prevented When you are past Remedy Desperation cannot be avoided And this is necessary to your Remedy There is a conditional Despair and an Absolute Despair The former is necessary to prevent the latter and to bring you to a state of Hope A man that hath the toothache may perhaps despair of being eased without drawing the tooth or a man that hath a gangrened foot may despair of life unless it be cut off that so by the cure he may not be left to an Absolute despair of life So you must despair of being pardoned or saved without conversion that you may be converted and so have hope of your salvation and be saved from final absolute despair I hope you will not be offended with him that would perswade you to Despair of living unless you will eat and drink You have no more reason to be offended with him that would have you despair of being pardoned or saved without Christ or without his sanctifying Spirit HAving said so much of the Necessity of Ministers endeavouring to make â—nregenerate sinners know themselves I shall next try what I can do towards it with â—hose that hear me by proposing these few Questions to your consideration Quest 1. Do you think that you were â—ver unsanctified and in a state of wrath and condemnation or not If not then you are not the off-spring of Adam you are not then of humane race For the Scripture telleth you that We are conceived in sin Psal 51.5 And That by one man sin entred into the world and Death by sin and so death passed upon all men for that all have sinned and that by the offence of one judgement came upon all men to condemnation Rom 5.12.18 And that All have sinned and come short of the glory of God Rom. 3.23 If we say that we have no sin we deceive our selves and the truth is not in us 1 John 1.8.10 And the wages of sin is death Rom. 6.23
as he goeth further for the world and setteth it nearest to his heart and holds it fastest and will do most for it and consequently loveth it better then Christ he is no true Christian nor in a state of grace The Scriptures put this also out of doubt as you may see Mat. 10.37 38. Luke â—4 26 27 33. He that loveth Father or Mother more then me is not worthy of me c. Whosoever doth not bear his Cross and come after me cannot be my Disciple Whoâ—ver he be of you that forsaketh not all that â—e hath he cannot be my Disciple Know â—e not that the friendship of the world is â—nmity with God Whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God â—am 4.4 No wonder then if the world must be renounced in our Baptism Love not the world neither the things that are in the world If any man love the world the love of the Father is not in him 1 John 2.15 You see by this time what it is to be Regenerate and to be a Christian indeed by what is contained even in our Baptism and consequently how you may Know your selves whether you are sanctified and the heirs of heaven or not Again therefore I summon you to appear before your consciences and if indeed these Evidences of regeneration are not in you stop not the sentence but confess your sinfull miserable state and condemn your selves and say no longer I hope yet that my present condition may serve turn and that God will forgive me though I should die without any further change Thosâ— Hopes that you may be saved without reâ—generation or that you are regenerate wheâ— you are not are the pillars of Satans forâ—tress in your hearts and keep you froâ— the saving Hopes of the Regenerate thaâ— that will never make you ashamed Upâ—hold not that which Christ is engageâ— against Down it must either by Graâ—â— or Judgement and therefore abuse noâ— your souls by underpropping such an ill-grounded false deceitfull hope You have now time to take it down so orderly and safely as that it fall not on your heads and overwhelm you not for ever But if you stay till death shall undermine it the falâ— will be great and your ruine irreparable If you are wise therefore Know your selves in time II. I have done with that part of my special Exhortation which concerned the unregenerate I am next to speak to those of you that by Grace are brought into a better state and to tell you that it very much concerneth you also even the best of you to labour to be well acquainted with your selves and that both in respect of 1. Your sins and wants and 2. Your Graces and your duties I. Be acquainted with the root and remnant of your sins with your particular inclinations and corrupt affections with their quality their degree and strength with the weaknesses of every grace with your disability to duty and with the omissions or sinfull practises of your lives Search diligently and deeply frequently and accurately peruse your hearts and wayes till you certainly and throughly know your selves And I beseech you let it not suffice you that you know your states and have found your selves in the Love of God in the faith of Christ and possessed by his Spirit Though this be a mercy worth many worlds yet this is not all concerning your selves that you have to know If yet you say that you have no sin you deceive your selves If yet you think you are past all danger your danger is the greater for this mistake As much as you have been humbled for sin as much as you have loathed it and your selves for it as oft as you have confessed it lamented it and complained and prayed against it yet it is alive Though it be mortified it is alive It is said to be mortified as to the prevalency and reign but the relicts of it yet survive were it perfectly dead you were perfectly delivered from it and might say you have no sin but it is not yet so happy with you It will find work for the blood and spirit of Christ and for your selves as long as you are in the flesh And alas too many that know themselves to be upright in the main are yet so much unacquainted with their hearts and lives as to the degrees of grace and sin as that it much disadvantageth them in their Christian progress Go along with me in the carefull observation of these following Evils that may befall even the regenerate by the remnants of self-ignorance 1. The work of Mortification is very much hindered because you know your selves no better as may appear in all these following discoveries 1. You confess not sin to God or man so penitently and sensibly as you ought because you know your selves no better Did you see your inside with a fuller view how deeply would you aggravate your sin How heavily would you charge your selves Repentance would be more intense and more effectual and when you were more contrite you would be more meet for the sense of pardon and for Gods delight Isa 51.15 66.2 It would fill you more with godly shame and self-abhorrence if you better knew your selves It would make you more sensibly say with Paul Rom. 7.23 24. I see another Law in my members warring against the Law of my mind and bringing me into captivity to the Law of sin which is in my members O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death And with David Psal 38.18 I will declare my iniquity I will be sorry for my sin 40.12 They are more then the hairs of my head 32.5 I acknowledged my sin unto thee and mine iniquity have I not hid I said I will confess my transgressions to the Lord and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin Repentance is the Death of sin and the knowledge of our selves and the sight of our sins is the life of Repentance 2. You pray not against sin for grace and pardon so earnestly as you should because you know your selves no better O that God would but open these too-close hearts unto us and anatomize the relicts of the old man and shew us all the recesses of our self-deceit and the filth of worldliness and carnal inclinations that lurk within us and read us a Lecture upon every part what prayers would it teach us to indite That you be not proud of your holiness let me tell you Christians that a full display of the corruptions that the best of you carry about you would not only take down self-exalting thoughts that you be not lift up above measure but would teach you to pray with fervour and importunity and waken you out of your sleepy indifferency and make you cry O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me If the sight of a Lazar or cripple or naked person move you to compassion though they use no words if the sight
filled is an insufficient evidence of the life of grace and will do as little for the soul of the giver as for the Body of the receiver And how little hazardous or costly Love is found among us either to enemies neighbours or to Saints Did we better know our hearts there would be more care and diligence used to bring them to effectual fervent Love then to those duties that are of less importance and we should learn what this meaneth I will have mercy and not sacrifice Mat. 9.13 12.7 which Christ sets the Pharisees twice to learn More instances of greatest duties extenuated I might add but I proceed 8. Another instance of unobserved corruption of the heart is The frequent and secret insinuations of selfishness in all that we do toward God or man When we think we are serving God alone and have cleansed our hearts from mixtures and deceit before we are aware self-interest or self-esteem or self conceit or self-love or self-will or self-seeking do secretly creep in and marr the work We think we are studying and preaching and writing purely for God and the common good or the benefit of souls and perhaps little observe how subtilly selfishness insinuates and makes a party and byasseth us from the holy ends and the simplicity and sincerity which we thought we had carefully maintained so that we are studying and preaching and writing for our selves when we take no notice of it When we enter upon any office or desire preferment or riches or honour in the world we think we do it purely for God to furnish us for his service and little think how much of selfishness is in our desires When we are doing Justice or shewing mercy in giving alms or exhorting the ungodly to repent or doing any other work of Piety or Charity we little think how much of selfishness is secretly latent in the bent and intention of the heart When we think we are defending the truth and cause of God by disputing writing or by the sword or when we think we are faithfully maintaining on one side order and obedience against confusion and turbulent disquiet spirits or the Vnity of the Church against division or on the other hand that we are sincerely opposing Pharisaicall corruptions and hypocrisie and tyrannie and persecution and are defending the purity of Divine worship and the power and spirituality of religion in all these cases we little know how much of carnal self may be secretly unobserved in the work But above all others Christ himself and the Holy Ghost that searcheth the hidden things of the heart hath warned one sort to be suspicious of their hearts and that is those that cannot bear the dissent and infirmities of their brethren in tolerable things and those that are calling for fire from heaven and are all for force and cruelty in religion for vexing imprisoning banishing burning hanging or otherwise doing as they would not be done by proportionably in their own case He tells his two Disciples in such a case Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of Luke 9.55 As if he should say You think you purely seek my honour in the revenge of this contempt and opposition of unbelievers and you think it would much redound to the propagation of the faith and therefore you think that all this zeal is purely from my spirit But you little know how much of â— proud a carnal selfish spirit is in these desires You would fain have me and your selves with me to be openly vindicated by fire from heaven and be so owned by Goâ— that all men may admire you and you may exercise a dominion in the world and you stick not at the sufferings and ruine of these sinners so you may attain your end but 〈◊〉 tell you this selfish cruel spirit is unlike my spirit which inclineth to patience forâ—bearance and compassion So Rom. 14.1 2 c. 15.1 2. Him that is weak in the faith receive ye who art thou that judgest another mans servant Why dost thou judge thy brother and why dost thou set at nought thy brother We shall all stand before the judgement seat of Christ Every one of us shall give account of himself to God We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak and not to please our selves Let every one of us please his neighbour for his good to edification So Gal. 6.1 2. Brethren if a man be overtaken in a fault ye which are spiritual restore such a one in the spirit of meekness considering thy self lest thou also be tempted Bear ye one anothers burden and so fulfill the Law of Christ So also men are fouly and frequently mistaken when they are zealously contending against their faithfull Pastors and their brethren and vilifying others and quenching love and troubling the Church upon pretence of greater knowledge or integrity in themselves which is notably discovered and vehemently prest by the Apostle James 3.1 c. where you may see how greatly the judgement of the spirit of God concerning our hearts doth differ from mens judgement of themselves They that had a masterly contentious envious zeal did think they were of the wiser sort of Christians and of the highest form in the School of Christ when yet the Holy Ghost telleth them that their wisdom descended not from above but was earthly sensual and divelish and that their envy and strife doth bring confusion and every evil work and that the wisdom from above is neither unholy nor contentious but first pure and then peaceable gentle and easie to be entreated Jam. 3.17 You see then how oft and dangerously we are deceived by unacquaintedness with our selves and how selfish carnal principles ends and motives are oft mixed in the actions which we think are the most excellent for wisdom zeal and piety that ever we did perform O therefore what cause have we to study and search and watch such hearts and not too boldly or carelesly to trust them And it is not only Hypocrites that are subject to these deceitfull sins who have them in dominion but true Believers that have a remnant of this carnal selfish principle continually offering to insinuate and corrupt their most excellent works and even all that they do 9. The strong eruption of those passions that seemed to be quite mortified doth shew that there is more evil lurking in the heart then ordinarily doth appear How calmly do we converse together how mildly do we speak till some provoking word or wrong do blow the coals and then the dove appeareth to partake of a fiercer nature and we can perceive that in the flame which we perceived not in the spark When a provocation can bring forth censorious reviling scornfull words it shews what before was latent in the heart 10. We are very apt to think those affections to be purely spiritual which in the issue appear to be mixed with carnality Our very love to the Assemblies and ordinances of
should move you to seek to be acquainteâ— with it where it is 1. The knowledge of God is the most exceâ—â—lent knowledge and therefore the best sorâ— of creature knowledge is that which hath the most of God in it And undoubtedly theâ—â— is more of God in Holiness which is his Image then in common things Sins and 〈◊〉 have nothing of God in them They must be fathered on the Devil and your selves Anâ— therefore the knowledge of them is gooâ— but by Accident because the knowledgâ— even of evil hath a tendency to good Anâ— therefore it is commanded and made ouâ— duty for the good which it tendeth to It is the Divine nature and Image within you which hath the most of God and therefore â—o know this is the high and noble knowâ—edge To know Christ within us is our â—appiness on earth in order to the knowâ—edge of him in Glory face to face which is â—he happiness of heaven To know God â—hough darkly through a glass and but in â—art 1 Cor. 13.12 is far above all creaâ—ure knowledge The knowledge of him â—aiseth quickneth sanctifieth enlargeth â—nd advanceth all our faculties It is life â—ternal to know God in Christ John 17.3 Therefore where God appeareth most there â—hould our understandings be most diâ—igently exercised in study and observaâ—ion 2. It is a most delightfull felicitating knowledge to know that Christ is in you â—f it be delightfull to the Rich to see their wealth their houses and lands and goods â—nd money and if it be delightfull to the Honourable to see their attendance and hear their own commendations and applause how delightfull must it be to a true Believer to find Christ within him and to know his title to eternal life If the knowledge of full barns and much goods laid up for many years can make a sensual worlding say Soul take thy ease eat drink and be merry Luke 12.19 20. Me thinkâ— the knowledge of our interest in Christ anâ— heaven should make us say Thou hast 〈◊〉 gladness in my heart more then in the tiâ—â— that their corn and wine increased that 〈◊〉 more then corn and wine could put inâ—â— theirs Psal 4.7 Return unto thy Rest 〈◊〉 soul for the Lord hath dealt bountifully wiâ—â— thee Psal 116.7 If we say with Daviâ— Blessed are they that dwell in thy house they will be still praysing thee Psal 84 â— much more may we say Blessed anâ— they in whom Christ dwelleth and the Holâ— Ghost hath made his Temple they should 〈◊〉 still praising thee Blessed is the 〈◊〉 whom thou choosest and causest to approâ—â—â— unto thee that he may dwell in thy courts 〈◊〉 shall be satisfied with the goodness of thy house even of thy holy Temple Psal 65.4 But this 〈◊〉 upon supposition that he be first Blessed by Christs approach to him and dwelling in hiâ— If you ask How it is that Christ dwelleâ—â— in us I answer 1. Objectively as he is apâ—prehended by our Faith and Love As thâ— things or persons that we think of and Lovâ— and delight in are said to dwell in our 〈◊〉 or hearts 2. By the Holy Ghost who 〈◊〉 a principle of new and heavenly Life 〈◊〉 given by Christ the Head unto his members and as the Agent of Christ doth illuminate sanctifie and guide the soul He that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him and he in him and hereby we know that he abideth in us by the spirit which he hath given us 1 Joh. 3.24 That of Eph. 3.17 may be taken in either or both senses comprehensively That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith 3. Did you know that Christ is in you by his spirit it might make every place and condition comfortable to you If you are alone it may rejoyce you to think what company dwelleth continually with you in your hearts If you are wearied with evil company without it may comfort you to think that you have better within when your have communion with the Saints it is your joy to think that you have nearer communion with the Lords of Saints You may well say with David Psal 139.18 when I awake I am still with thee Psal 16.8 I have set the Lord alwayes before me because he is at may right hand I shall not be moved 4. Did you know Christ within you it would much help you in believing what is written of him in the Gospel Though to the ungodly the mysteries of the Kingdom of God do seem incredible yet when you have experience of the power of it on your souls and find the Image of it on your hearts and the same Christ within you conforming you to what he commandeth in his word this will work such a sutableness to the Gospel in your hearts as will make the work of faith more easie Saith the Apostle 1 Joh. 4.14 16. We have seen do testifie that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world there 's their outward experience And we have known and believed the Love that God hath to us God is Love and he that dwelleth in Love dwelleth in God and God in him There is their Faith confirmed by their inward evidence Nâ— wonder if they that have God dwelling 〈◊〉 them by holy love do believe the love 〈◊〉 God hath to them This is the great advantage that the sanctified have in the work 〈◊〉 faith above those that much excell them 〈◊〉 disputing and are furnished with more Arguments for the Christian verity Christ hath his witness abiding in them The fruits of the spirit bear witness to the incorruptible 〈◊〉 the word of God that liveth and abideth for ever 1 Pet. 1.23 The impress on the 〈◊〉 heard witness to the seal that caused i◠〈◊〉 it is not a weak uneffectual Argument for the Truth of the Gospel that Believer 〈◊〉 to fetch from within when they plead the effects of it on their souls Labour to know the Truth of your sanctification that you may be confirmed by it in the Truth of the word that sanctifieth you Joh. 17.17 and may rejoice in him that hath chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the spirit and belief of the truth 2 Thes 2.13 5. If you can come to the knowledge of Christ within you it will be much the easier to you to trust upon him and fly to him in all your particular necessities and to make use of his Mediatorship with holy confidence When others flie from Christ with trembling and know not whether he will speak for them or help them or have any regard to them but look at him with strange and doubtful thoughts it will be otherwise with you that have assurance of his continual Love and presence Nearness breedeth familiarity and overcometh strangness Familiarity breedeth confidence and boldness when you find Christ so â—â—er you as to dwell within you and so particular and abundant in his Love to you as to have given you his spirit and all his Graces iâ— will breed
but still have the comforts of the presence of my Lord how â—ittle shall I miss them how easily can I â—pare them Silver will be cast by if it â—e set in competition with Gold The company of common acquaintance may be acceptable till better and greater come and then they must give place Men that are taken up with the pleasing entertainment of Christ within them can scarce afford any more then a transient salutation or observance to those earthly things that are the felicity of the carnal mind and take up its desires endeavours and delight when the soul is tempted to turn from Christ to those deceiving vanities that promise him more content and pleasure the comfortable thoughts of the love of 〈◊〉 and his abode within us and our 〈◊〉 with him do sensibly scatter and 〈◊〉 such temptations The presence of 〈◊〉 the great Reconciler doth reconcile 〈◊〉 our selves and make us willing to be 〈◊〉 at home He that is out of love with 〈◊〉 company that he hath at home is 〈◊〉 drawn to go abroad But who can 〈◊〉 to be much abroad that knoweth of 〈◊〉 guest as Christ at home We shall say Peter Joh. 6.68 69. Lord to whom 〈◊〉 we goe thou hast the words of eternal 〈◊〉 and we believe and are sure thou ar◠〈◊〉 Christ the son of the living God Anâ— Matth. 7.4 when he saw him in a 〈◊〉 his Glory Master it is good for us to 〈◊〉 here And if the riches of the world 〈◊〉 offered to draw a soul from Christ that 〈◊〉 the knowledge of his special love and 〈◊〉 sence the tempter would have no 〈◊〉 entertainment then Simon Magus had 〈◊〉 Peter Act. 8.20 Their money perish 〈◊〉 them that think Christ and his graces 〈◊〉 no better then money 10. How easie and sweet would all 〈◊〉 service be to you if you were assured 〈◊〉 Christ abideth in you What delightful 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 might you have in prayer when you â—now that Christ himself speaks for you not 〈◊〉 if the Father himself were unwilling to â—o us good but that he will do it in the 〈◊〉 and for the sake and merits of his son â—hich is the meaning of Christ in those â—ords which seem to deny his intercession â—oh 16.26 At that day ye shall ask in â—â—y name and I say not unto you that I will â—ay the Father for you for the Father â—imself loveth you because ye have loved 〈◊〉 c. I appeal to your own hearts Christians whether you would not be much â—ore willing and ready to pray and wheâ—her prayer would not be a sweâ—ter employment to you if you were sure of Christs â—bode within you and intercession for you â—nd consequently that all your prayers are graciously accepted of the Lord you â—ould not then desire the vain society of â—mpty persons nor seek for recreation in â—heir insipid frothy insignificant discourse The opening of your heart to your heaâ—enly Father and pleading the merits of â—â—rson in your believing petitions for his â—aving benefits would be a more contenting â—ind of pleasure to you Now sweet would meditation be to you â—f you could still think on Christ and all the riches of his kingdom as your own coulâ— you look up to Heaven and say witâ— grounded confidence It is mine and thâ—â— I must abide and reign for ever could yoâ— think of the heavenly host as those that 〈◊〉 be your own companions and of their 〈◊〉 employment as that which must be your 〈◊〉 for ever it would make the ascent of yoâ—â— minds to be more frequent and meditatiâ—â— to be a more pleasant work were you 〈◊〉 assured of your special interest in God 〈◊〉 that all his attributes are by his Love anâ— Covenant engaged for your happiness expeâ—rience would make you say In the mulâ—â—â—tude of my thoughts within me thy comfoâ—â— do delight my soul Psal 44.19 I 〈◊〉 sing unto the Lord as long as I live I 〈◊〉 sing praise to my God while I have my being My Meditation of him shall be sweet 〈◊〉 will be glad in the Lord Psal 104.33 3â— Could you say with full assurance that 〈◊〉 are the children of the Promises and 〈◊〉 they are all your own how sweet would 〈◊〉 reading and meditation on the holy scriptâ—â—â— be to you How dearly would you 〈◊〉 the word What a treasure would yâ—â— judge it your delight would be then in 〈◊〉 Law of the Lord and you would meditaâ—â—â—â— in it day and night Psal 1.2 To find 〈◊〉 grounds of faith and hope and riches of consolation in every page and assuredly to say All this is mine would make you betâ—er understand why David did indite all the 119. Psalm in high commendations of the word of God and would make you join in his affectionate expressions Psal 119.97 98 99. O how I love thy Law it is my Meditation all the day Thou through thy commandments hast made me wiser then mine enemies for it is ever with me Sermons also would be much sweeter to â—ou when you could confidently take â—ome the consolatory part and use our ministry as a help to your faith and hope and â—oy whereas your doubts and fears lest you are still unregenerate will turn all that you â—ear or read or meditate on into food and fuel for themselves to work upon and you will gather up all that tends to your disquietment and say It is your part and cast away all that rendeth to your consolation and say it belongeth not to you and the most comforting passages of the word will be turned into your discomfort and the promises will seem to you as none while you imagine that they are none of yours And the loss of your peace and comfort will not be the worst But this will increase your backwardness to duty 〈◊〉 when your delight in the worship of God 〈◊〉 gone your inclination to it will abate anâ— it will seem a burden to you and be as 〈◊〉 to the stomacks of the sick that with thâ— carefullest preparation and much 〈◊〉 can hardly be brought to get it down 〈◊〉 can bear but little and that which is suited 〈◊〉 their diseased appetites The same I may say of the Sacrament◠〈◊〉 the Lords supper How sweet will i◠〈◊〉 to you if you are assured that the 〈◊〉 Christ that is there represented as broâ—â—â— and bleeding for your sins doth dwell 〈◊〉 in you by his spirit What wellcome enâ—â—â—â—tainment would you expect and find if yâ—â— knew that you brought the feast and 〈◊〉 Master of the feast with you in your 〈◊〉 and had there entirely entertained 〈◊〉 with whom you expect communion in 〈◊〉 sacrament How boldly and comfortâ—â—â— would your hungry souls then feed 〈◊〉 him with what refreshing acts of 〈◊〉 would you there take the sealed 〈◊〉 and pardon of your sins whereas 〈◊〉 you come in fearâ— and doubting and 〈◊〉 take the body and blood of Christ in 〈◊〉 Representations with yoâ—â— hand and moâ—â—â— while you know not whether you 〈◊〉
shall find more favour then he that flattereth with the tongue And Prov. 27.6 Faithful are the wounds of a friend but the kisses of an enemie are deceitful When prosperity is vanished the flatterer and the faithful dealer will be better known Deceitful prosperity and deceitful men will at once forsake you None of them will admire or applaud you when you are low and the tide is gone and hath left you in contempt These kind of men will be as ready as any to reproach you As Shimei that honoured David in his prosperity but curseth him and revileth him as a Rebel against Saul and casteth stones at him when he saw him flying in distress Plutarch likeneth flatterers to lice that forsake the bodies of the dead because the blood is gone that did maintain them Commonly men in misery or at death have better thoughts of faithful plainess worse of smoothing man-pleasers then before But whom can the prosperous blame so much as themselves if they are undone by the deceit of flatterers It is their own choice They love to have it so They will not endure faithful dealing When they contract those diseases which will not be cured without bitter medicines they hate the Physicion that offereth them Their appetites and sensual lust and not their Believing-Reason doth choose their work their pleasures and their company and prescribe what language must be spoken to them And he that resolves to cast away the remedy and will please his appetite and fancie come on it what will must take what he gets by it and bear the endless wrath of God that could not bear the necessary warnings and self-knowledge that should have prevented it Did these men hate sin and the messengers of Satan they would not hate the Justice and messengers of God But while they damnably Love fleshly pleasures they cannot savingly Love the word that chargeth them to let go those pleasures nor the persons that cross them in the things they love And thus poor worldlings are ruined by their own desires It seemeth so sweet to them to live in sin that they cannot endure to know the bitter fruits of misery which it will at last bring forth They are conquered by their fleshly lusts and therefore they hate the messengers of that spirit which would fight against them Satan doth perfect his former victories in them by dispelling or dispersing the auxiliaries of Christ that were sent for their rescue and relief They live as if they were purposely made great that they may be able to drive away the messengers of salvation and to keep the voice of mercy far enough from their ears and to command that which the Gaderenes did intreat that Christ would go out of their coasts Mark 5.17 because they would not be troubled with him They so much love the way to Hell that they cannot abide to be told whither it leadeth them and therefore they come thither before they are aware and must know themselves by the unquenchable fire because they would not know themselves by the discovering recovering Light And thus by Prosperity and flattery Satan pursues and wins his game Dir. 2. IN opposition to this Hinderance two things are to be done 1. Desire not so perillous a station as worldly Prosperity and greatness is Love not and seek not a condition so hazardous to your souls Leave that to them that take it for their Portion as not believing what they must lose and suffer by it or what God hath revealed of the life to come Or if you be in such Prosperity not by your Desire but by the will and Providence of God let your fear and watchfulness be doubled as your dangers are Be not like those sensualists Jud. 12. that feed themselves without fear Use not prosperity to the pleasing of the flesh and the prospering of your lusts but deny your your selves in the midst of your abundance and turn it into an adversity to your sensual inclinations by taming the body and bringing it into subjection and suspecting your selves and walking humbly with God and man And when Adversity is upon you improve the opportunity for the knowledge of your selves Then take a just survey of your former course of life Then try your ways when the drunkeness and deceits of prosperity are past and the hand of God hath brought you into a sober and considerate state O how many souls do know that in one day when adversity hath made them wise and sensible which before they knew and would not know they saw it but did not understand and feel it Then on a sudden they are able to pass a righter judgement upon their yielding to temptations and the value of the things that tempted them and upon their worldly designs and fleshly wisdom and their neglects of God and Heaven and duty then before they could do though they had never so much instruction and though they could speak the same words of sin as now Affliction taketh away the deceiving advantages of fleshly objects and unmasketh the glory and profit of the world and awakeneth the rational faculties to perform their office and therefore is an excellent opportunity for self-acquaintance The prodigal came to himself when he was denyed to fill his belly with the food of swine Luke 15.16 17. Nature teacheth men to understand that it is the principal Lesson that Affliction readeth to us To know our selves and our ways as they are related to God and to his judgement 2. If you are in Prosperity be the more suspicious of flatterers and drive them away with the greater detestation Be more careful to keep them from you then to keep your bodies clean from vermine And be the more solicitous to procure such faithful Overseers and Physicions for your souls as will do their best to save you though they displease you O that you knew what an advantage it is to have a faithful Pastor and a faithful Friend that seek not yours but 〈◊〉 and make no advantage to themselves by flattering you but choose the means that tend most to your salvation And O that you knew the great disadvantage of those that want such a Pastor and such a friend You would then be sure to give it as your strictest charge to both to deal plainly with you and never to hide or extenuate your sin or danger You would charge your Teachers What ever you do deal faithfully with my soul If you see me in any dangerous course I beseech you tell me of it If I should be hardened against your warnings and reproofs I beseech you deal not lightly with me but labour to awaken me and set it home and pull me out of the fire and save me as with fear Jud. 23. O suffer me not to be quiet in my sins The like charge also you would give to your friends that are about you and converse with you choose such Pastors and choose such friends as are fittest thus to prove your friends indeed And