the Jew first Of the Jew first as knowing most being instructed out of the Law ver 17 18. To be wise unto Salvation is to be wise indeed But a common notional Knowledg like a dead Faith may deceive will never save Men. Now to shew wherein sound Spiritual-Knowledg differeth from other common knowledg 1. Spiritual Knowledg differeth from Natural Knowledg as this is a Knowledg of Natural things that of Spiritual things Natural Knowledg is the Knowledg of a Man Spiritual Knowledg is the Knowledg of the Holy Prov. 9.10 the knowledg of a Saint or of a Christian Natural Knowledg is a Knowledg of God in his works Rom. 1.19 20. Spiritual Knowledg is a Knowledg of God according as he is revealed in his Word Psal 119.169 But here you may say Is there not a Literal Knowledg of the Word different from Saving Spiritual Knowledg Answ 2. Spiritual Knowledg differs from a Literal Knowledg as a Literal Knowledg doth not always infer a Spiritual Knowledg though a Spiritual Knowledg doth not include the Literal A Literal Knowledg is from a common illumination Spiritual Knowledg from a special Illumination of the Spirit Eph. 1.17 * Docet modum nempe per revelationem Sacrarum Literarum quae fit tollendo velum è cordibus nostris illustrando mentes nostras quò c. De Revelatione hîc loquitur non quae Prophetis speciali modo siebat sed quae omnibus piis communis est M. Pol. è Zanch. in Eph. p. 31. c. b. Not that it is by immediate Revelation as the Doctrine of the Gopel was made known to the Aspostles Nor do Divines intend such immediate Revelation or Inspiration when they distinguish betwixt Literal Knowledg and Spiritual as betwixt an acquired Habit and an Habit infused But this is by a special powerful irradiation and shining upon the Understanding lightning and raising it to a Spiritual discerning of the Mystery and method of Salvation revealed in the Word which a Man had but a slighty overly Knowledg of before 1 Cor. 2.14 The natural Man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishness unto him neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned Though by such means as Reading Hearing Study Conference he may come to a notional literal Knowledg of the Scriptures and of the Doctrine of Christ yet without a special work of the Spirit a Man cannot spiritually discern the same Take a Natural Man that knows most of the things of God that can discourse well of Regeneration and other Points in Divinity yet they are strange things to him he sees them but as things afar off yea blindness of Mind in a prevailing degree still hinders him from passing a right practical Judgment of the surpassing worth and excellency of Spiritual things till he comes to this enlightning of the Spirit And one that is thus enlightned can say as he Joh. 9.25 whereas I was blind now I see He hath other thoughts of Sin than he had before he hath other thoughts of God and Christ of Heaven and Holiness than he had before 3. Spiritual Knowledg is not ordinarily attained without means and when it is attained it teacheth still to attend humbly and diligently on the means God hath appointed The more common works of the Spirit prepare for the special works of the Spirit So a common Literal Knowledg makes way for Spiritual Knowledg Certainly it is not the ordinary way and method of the Spirit to dart in the Saving Knowledg of God and Christ immediately into Souls that knew nothing of God and Christ before But those Divine Truths which we had but a dim and slighty apprehension of he sheweth with fuller and plainer evidence And as the Lord hath enjoyned us the use of the means to attain to Knowledg Men have no ground to hope they should come to Knowledg in the neglect of means Then shall we know if we follow on to know the Lord. Hos 6.3 We are not now to look for immediate Revelations but to hear what the Word saith which was given by Divine Inspiration What the Scripture saith that the Spirit saith Heb. 3.7 Rev. 2.7 We are to wait on the Spirit not to give us new Scriptures but to open our Vnderstandings to understand the Scriptures which he hath already given We are to Read Hear Pray c. that we may understand They that wholly neglect and despise the means of Knowledg that will not go to the Law and to the Testimony that seek not the Law at the Mouths of God's Messengers whose Lips should preserve Knowledg but despise prophesying conceiting themselves wiser than their Teachers And they that would be Wise and knowing besides and above that which is written and set up cry up the Light within as they speak above the written Word how much soever they are conceited of their own Knowledg should know that it cannot be sound Such as exalt their Wisdom against the Wisdom of God in his Word contemning the means he hath appointed are presumptuous indeed and Proud knowing nothing as they ought to know Such are not taught as the Holy Ghost teacheth be their pretences to the Spirit never so high To receive Wisdom's words to incline our Ears and apply our Hearts thereto to cry after Knowledg and lift up our Voice for Understanding to seek her as Silver and dig for her as for hid treasures this is the way indeed to find the Knowledg of God Prov. 2.1 c. 4. Spiritual Knowledg is clear and satisfying True it is that all who have the special Illumination of the Spirit have not the same degree and measure of Knowledg but recipitur ad modum recipientis Some Christians are but Babes not Men of Knowledg And we all know but in part and see but darkly compared with the Saints in Heaven Yet where God hath shined into the Hearts of any to give the Light of the Knowledg of his Glory in the Face of Jesus Christ Such must needs have a more firm and certain assent to the Truth than they who are in a state of Darkness As Peter said Joh. 6.69 We believe and are sure that thou art that Christ the Son of the Living God As Christ of the Disciples Joh. 17.8 They have received my Words and have known surely that I came out from thee As the Apostle Rom. 14.14 I know and am perswaded As the Gospel came to the believing Thessalonians not in Word only but also in Power and in the Holy Ghost and in much Assurance 1 Thes 1.5 As the Apostle speaks of the full assurance of understanding to the acknowledgment of the Mystery of the Gospel Col. 2.2 As Divines distinguish inter cognitionem agnitionem betwixt bare knowing and acknowledging of the Truth That of the Head only this of the Heart also that overly and superficial this deep and thorow As the Apostle prayeth here that they might be filled with the Knowledg of God's Will
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word here used is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cumulata alta cognitio a knowing thorowly a deep apprehension of the Truth Many have the Truth lying loose on their Minds have only fleeting wavering apprehensions of it Whereas it is deeply impressed on the Minds of Believers And though they may not have so much notional Knowledg as others have yet they have not a bare Knowledg but are come to an acknowledgment of the Truth not a meer verbal but a real hearty acknowledgment at least of all Truth absolutely necessary to Salvation And as the Anointing hath taught them they shall abide in it 1 Joh. 2.27 Now are we come to know the certainty of those things wherein we have been instructed Do we see Spiritual things to be as great realities as are in the World Or are we still halting between two opinions and but almost perswaded of the Truth of Christianity Are our Minds hovering and in suspence thinking these things may be true or they may be false Though a Man be able to discourse Learnedly and Orthodoxly of the evil of Sin and a Sinners Misery without Christ of Christ and his Benefits and the way to be interested in him of the Day of Judgment Heaven and Hell that there is a place and state of everlasting Happiness prepared for the Righteous and there is a place and state of endless Misery for all that are finally impenitent and Unbelievers if yet he has come to no certain conclusion with himself about these matters he durst not venture all he hath in the World upon the Truth of these things surely it is but opinion that such a one taketh up withal it deserveth not the name of Knowledg 5. Sound Spiritual Knowledg is powerfully affecting By this we are not only resolved in our Judgments but resolved in our choice A good understanding will chuse the better part is for cleaving to that which is good So Wisdom and Spiritual Vnderstanding are joyned here And the wisdom of the Prudent is to understand his way Prov. 14.8 Spiritual Knowledg will teach one to approve things that are excellent Phil. 1.9 10. A meer Notional Speculative Knowledg is of no effect it leaveth the Will undetermined And let a Man know never so much in Religion if it be meerly speculatively not practically it is in effect as if he knew nothing Deut. 32.28 They are a Nation void of Counsel neither is there any understanding in them Hence the Scripture calleth all wicked Men Fools So Christ calleth the Pharisees Blind though many of them were knowing Their Knowledg being without effect it was as if they had none And can there be any greater Blindness or Folly in the World than for Men to prefer Worldly Pleasures Riches Honours before an Interest in Christ and the Favour of God and the Fruition of him to prefer Fading Lying Vanities before endless Joys enduring Substance and a never-fading Crown of Glory to chuse Sin Hell and Everlasting Destruction before Righteousness Holiness and Eternal Happiness If this be not sottish Folly tell me what is As there is a form of Godliness without the Power 2 Tim. 3.5 So there is a form of Knowledg Rom. 2.20 without the Power Notional Knowledg is weak indeed but Spiritual Knowledg that is powerful As they said Act. 4.20 We cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard So we cannot but be affected with the great things God makes known to us by his Word and Spirit †Est enim Sapiens cui quaeque res saepiunt prout sunt Bern. If we are come to a Spiritual discerning of things then certainly we see an excellency in Christ so as to desire and prize an Interest in him above all things in the World we see the evil of Sin so as to dread and hate and resolve against it so as to forsake and flee from it we see a Beauty in Holiness so as really to fall in love with it and in good earnest to follow after it Isa 51.7 Hearken unto me ye that know Righteousness the People in whose Heart is my Law Vera cognitio non est imaginativa sed conjuncta cum serio affectu Sound Knowledg resteth not in the Head but in the Heart Wisdom resteth in the Heart of him that hath Vnderstanding Prov. 14.33 As we read of Wisdom entring into the Heart Prov. 2.10 When Wisdom entreth into thine Heart And so 6. Spiritual Knowledg is renewing Col. 3.10 And have put on the new Man which is renewed in Knowledg It is Non modo Lux sed sanitas quaedam integritas Animae It is not a Light in the Mind but the soundness of the Mind It is not only directing but rectifying not barely enforming but reforming and transforming It is true that Knowledg which is not Saving may make a great change in the lives of some As we read of some Apostates that had escaped the pollutions of the World through the Knowledg of Christ 2 Pet. 2.20 But Spiritual Knowledg that which is an effect of special Illumination is an Introduction to Spiritual Renovation to an inward thorow change It not only brings Conviction but is attended with Conversion There is a turning from Iniquity with this understanding of the Truth Dan. 9.13 And a coming in to Christ Joh. 6.45 Every Man therefore that hath heard and hath learned of the Father cometh unto me So the Spirit guideth those to whom he is given not only to the Truth but into Truth into all necessary Truth Joh. 16.13 An Emphatical Expression Tò docere terminatur in intellectu Sed ducere c. pertinet ad voluntatem affectum The Truth spiritually apprehended makes a Spiritual Impression on the Soul The Heart is new cast into the form and Mould of Divine Truth Rom. 6.17 Thus Sound Knowledg makes sound Spiritual Knowledg maketh a Spiritual Man As the Fear of the Lord i. e. the Word that teacheth his Fear is clean Psal 19.9 It is so not only formalitèr but effectivè pure in it self and a cause of Purity Spiritual Knowledg will make a Man spiritually minded And this is a grand difference betwixt Notional and Spiritual Knowledg The former doth something enlighten but not sanctify but the latter is also Sanctifying Joh. 17.17 Sanctify them through thy Truth Certainly that Knowledg of the Truth is not Saving which is not Sanctifying Nor is our Knowledg sanctified if we are not sanctifyed by it 7. Spiritual Knowledg is humbling Sound Knowledg does not puff up so as other Knowledg does 1 Cor. 8.1 2. If any Man seemeth to himself to know any thing i. e. is lifted up with proud and high conceits of himself in regard of his Knowledg he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know We cannot think it to be the Apostles meaning here to commend Scepticism or a doubting of every thing in Religion or to commend a fained Modesty or denying the Knowledg God hath given us
or to condemn Knowledg but indeed to condemn Pride in the opinion or conceit of our Knowledg There is a Woe to those that are wise in their own Eyes Isa 5.21 True Wisdom and Lowliness go together Prov. 11.2 With the Lowly is Wisdom And Wisdom and Spiritual Understanding go together Indeed Sound Spiritual Knowledg would take down the swellings of Pride Pride cannot reign where Sound Knowledg dwelleth Spiritual Knowledg cannot be without a Sound Knowledg of God ‖ Igitur ignorantes quique Deum rem quoque ejus ignorent nec esse est Tertul. de Poenitentia And the more we know of God the more we shall see cause to be humbled in our selves As holy Job the more he saw of God the more he was humbled Chap. 42.5 6. Again Spiritual Knowledg cannot be without a Knowledg of our selves And when the Spirit enlightneth Sinners one of his first works is to convince of Sin Joh. 16.8 Now certainly they that are lifted up in themselves know little of themselves They that are thorowly convinced of Sin and come to know themselves aright cannot but have low thoughts of themselves Again Spiritual Knowledg is not without the Knowledg of Christ * Cui enem veritas comperta sine Deo cui Deus cognitus sine Christo cui Christus exploratus sine Spiritu Sancto Tertul de Anima the only Mediator betwixt God and Man Now the Knowledg of Christ leads us out of our selves makes us appear to be worse than nothing in and of our selves Again Let me add this even they that are best learn'd in the School of Christ cannot but be sensible that they know but in part that they are very defective herein Christ's Scholars the further they learn the more they perceive their own Iâ—norance and Shallowness O the depths in Divinity How short are our Conceptions How many Mysteries here that we are not able to dive into or fathom †Maxima pars corum quae scimus est minima pars corum quae nescimus All we know is but little to what we know not It is the Novice in Religion that is in most danger of being lifted up with Pride 1 Tim. 3.6 While such as know little are too often wise in their own conceits they that have made greatest proficiency cannot but charge themselves with folly See Psal 73.16 22. Prov. 30.2 3. 8. Spiritual Knowledg is nourishing As the Lord promiseth that his People should be fed with Knowledg and Vnderstanding Jer. 3.15 As some have noted with Knowledg and Vnderstanding there may not only respect modum pascendi the manner how their Teachers should feed them scil understandingly and prudently but also materiam pastûs the matter of their Food the sound Knowledg of God's Word This is nourishing There 's Heart in it As Timothy was nourished up in the Words of Faith and of good Doctrine 1 Tim. 4.6 As the Word of God is compared to Milk 1 Pet. 2.2 Indeed there is both Milk and strong Meat Heb. 5.12 It is pabulum Animae The Spiritual Knowledg of God and his Word does Souls good indeed It is as Food to the Graces of the Spirit as Fuel to holy Affections Therefore the Apostle Peter prayeth 2 Pet. 1.2 Grace be multiplyed unto you through the Knowledg of God and of Jesus our Lord. And in his concluding exhortation to grow in Grace chap. 3.18 he addeth and in the knowledg of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ as a means specially conducing to their growth in Grace I have shewed you even now that Spiritual Knowledg is a great promoter of Humility So doth it further on Repentance As that expression of a Mans knowing the Plague of his own Heart 1 King 8.38 may shew There is no Repentance without knowing the Plague of ones own Heart Spiritual Knowledg is both an In-let and a stay and help to Faith and trust in God Psal 9.10 They that know thy Name will put their trust in thee So Knowledg is put for Faith Isa 53.11 By his Knowledg i. e. by the Knowledg of himself shall my righteous Servant justify many So it begets and maintains the Fear of God The Spirit of Knowledg and of the Fear of the Lord go together Isa 11.2 Prov. 2.3 5. If thou cryest after Knowledg then shalt thou understand the Fear of the Lord. And if thou knowest God aright surely thou wilt reverence him thou wilt fear before him thou wilt stand in awe of him fear to offend him Again this is ever a Friend to the Love of God Psal 91.14 Because he hath set his Love upon me because he hath known my name They that know his Name will set their Love on him How great is his Goodness and how great is his Beauty If we know him aright we cannot but admire him Jer. 24.7 I will give them an Heart to know me that I am the Lord not only an Vnderstanding but an Heart to know me They shall know me so as to love own and cleave to me It follows and they shall be my People and I will be their God That this Promise I will give them an Heart to know me seemeth to be the same in sense with that Deut. 30.6 The Lord thy God will circumcise thine Heart to love the Lord thy God The Spiritual Knowledg of God hath both Light and Heat in it It warmeth it enflameth the Heart with love to him It promotes Sincerity Phil. 1.9 10. Psal 36.10 O continue thy loving-kindness to them that know thee and thy Righteousness to the upright in Heart Here they that know God and the upright in Heart are the same Persons They that know God aright would dread to think of mocking God in Religion would fear to play the Deceivers Would not God search this out for he knoweth the secrets of the Heart Thus Spiritual Knowledg is sound indeed Notional-Knowledg is windy and airy Men may have their Heads swelled with it but that 's all Their Hearts are not bettered by it As Meat that lyeth on the Stomack undigested is more noxious than nourishing it breedeth ill Humours a meer speculative Knowledg is like Food that digests not I remember it is Bernard's comparison 9. Spiritual Knowledg is fruitful Good Knowledg is like good Seed As the Apostle says of the Word here Col. 1.6 It bringeth forth Fruit in you since the day ye heard it and knew the Grace of God in Truth It brings forth the Fruits of Repentance and Reformation Psal 119.104 Through thy precepts I get Vnderstanding therefore I hate every false way Job 28.28 The fear of the Lord this is Wisdom and to depart from evil is Vnderstanding And the fruit of Obedience Psal 111.10 A good Vnderstanding have all they that do his Commandments Deut. 4.6 Keep my Statutes and do them for this is your Wisdom and your Vnderstanding 1 Joh. 2.3 4. Hereby we do know that we know him if we keep his Commandments He that saith I know him
humble they would gently stoop to them But it is very grievous to a haughty mind to bow and buckle to a low condition Eccl. 7.8 The patient in spirit and the proud in spirit are there opposed Impatience is mainly from pride And till our hearts are humbled we shall never kindly accept of the punishment of our iniquity Lev. 26.41 But the humble Soul takes all patiently If he be sick impoverished c. he will not expostulate with God and say why am I thus but rather admire that it is no worse 13. Humility will teach thankfulness As the Humble will justifie God in all his severity so they cannot but magnifie him for his Mercy The more humble any one is the more thankful He will be thankful even for the least of Mercies As Jacob acknowledged I am less than the least of all thy mercies which thou hast shewed unto thy Servant Gen. 32.10 And how much more will such a one admire the free Grace of God in any his special favours But proud spirits are not affected with the Mercy of God in what he does for them they look upon all that comes as due Yea when they have much they can be discontented that they have no more They are full of murmurings and complaints as if they were wronged because they have not all they would have Pride shews it self both in unthankfulness and discontent The Proud are ever hard to please What God does for them does not please them Like many proud sawcy beggars who are not pleased with an ordinary Alms count not an ordinary Alms worth thanks 14. Humility teaches souls to pray aright and makes Souls prayerful As it is Prov. 18.23 The poor useth intreaties or supplications So the humble and poor in spirit A poor Man and a Beggar are terms with us oft used promiscuously Poverty will put Men upon begging The humble and poor in spirit will be much in Prayer and serious and earnest in Prayer O such could not live without Prayer And there is no coming to God in Prayer but upon our knees no coming but in Humility in a sense of our wants and of our unworthiness The Humble and they that seek God are put together in the Promise Psal 69.32 The Humble will seek God Such will pray and cry to God and God cannot forget the cry of the Humble Psal 9.12 He will hear the desire of the Humble Psal 10.17 15. Humility will teach souls to wait as well as pray It makes the soul willing to wait for an answer in God's way and time You account those proud sawcy beggars that are not pleased with what you give them as was said before or that will not stay and wait a little till you are ready to serve them But the Humble will say as the Psalmist 123.2 Behold as the eyes of Servants look unto the hand of their Masters and as the eyes of a Maiden unto the hand of her Mistress so our eyes wait upon the Lord our God until that he have mercy upon us The truly humble know that God is worthy indeed to be waited on and that his Mercy is worth waiting for and that they for their parts deserve to be kept waiting and that it is of God's free and abundant Grace if after long waiting Mercy do come in at last 16. Humility causeth reverence in God's Worship in the soul's approaches unto God The Humble in some good measure apprehend an infinite distance betwixt God and them they are sensible of their unworthiness and unfitness to have any converse with so great and glorious and holy a Majesty As Abraham Gen. 18.27 Behold now I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord which am but dust and ashes As Ezra ch 9.6 O my God I am ashamed and blush to lift up my face to thee my God As the Publican through the sense of his own vileness was ashamed to draw nigh to God and to lift up his eyes to Heaven Luk. 18.13 so likewise the poor humble contrite spirit attends on the Word with reverence trembles at the Word Isa 66.2 17. Humility teacheth Charitableness towards others The Humble use to have more Charity for others than for themselves They have more to say to extenuate others faults than they would have to say for themselves They are for excusing others so far as they may while they are strict and severe in judging themselves The Humble will not despise such as are below them nor envy such as are above them They are charitable The proud are scornful From an over-high esteem of themselves they come to scorn and contemn others or are envious grudging at such as are above them in Place Estate or Gifts 18. Bern. Humility teacheth meekness Nimirum collectaneae sunt humilitas et mansuetudo Humility and Meekness are like twins nourished with the same Milk Diverse of those considerations that tend to make us humble also tend to meeken us Humbleness of mind and meekness are put together Col. 3.12 And they go together As we read of Christ our chief Pattern and Examplar Mat. 11.29 I am meek and lowly in heart Proud persons use to be very tutchy One scarce knows how to speak how to carry towards such Proud Haman is in great wrath if Mordecai fail in a matter of Complement A proud spirit is a turbulent spirit Only by pride cometh contention Pro. 13.10 Such are given to strife Pro. 28.25 We read of the wrath of pride Pro. 21.24 But the humble will be of a patient quiet calm and peaceable spirit Not easily provoked and soon pacified When the proud are easily provoked a small matter will move and irritate them but they are hardly reconciled not pacified without great submission without very much ado Only here must be some allowance for humane frailty where the natural temper and constitution is cholerick c. where there is the Grace of Humility and so Meekness in truth It will not appear so fair in one that is naturally of a rugged and boisterous temper It requires more Grace to master and tame a fierce disposition Yet Grace where it is will be striving against the stream of natural headstrong Passions though it be oft born down by them 19. Humility will teach us as to be sensible of and sorry for our own spiritual weaknesses and sinful imperfections so likewise to be pleased with to rejoyce in the greater abilities more shining and flourishing Graces and comfortable enlargements of others The humble Soul is glad while he is weak yet that others are strong while he can do but little yet that others are full of activity for God while he alas drives on but heavily yet that there are others whose hearts are lifted up in God's wayes who are following hard after God The Proud are not well pleased to see others go before them They are ill affected towards those that by out shining seem to obscure and eclipse them The Humble will not repine but rejoyce
2.14 15. God useth to bring his People into the Wilderness before he speaketh comfortably to them He makes the Valley of Achor a door of Hope As in reference to their outward Condition he suffers them many times to be brought into great Straits and Troubles before he gives Enlargements and works Deliverance for them So in reference to their Spiritual Estates they are brought into a Wilderness see themselves lost and are full of trouble as the Israelites were by Achan's means Josh 7.24 25 26. before Hope comes in Tarnov in M. Pol. Synop. Vt illa perturbatio in gaudium conversa est ita tristitia secundum Deum spem parit The Spirit of Bondage useth to go before the Spirit of Adoption Rom. 8.15 As it is Lam. 3.29 He putteth his Mouth in the Dust if so there may be Hope It is the common Order and Method of God's Grace and Spirit to cast down before a lifting up usually Souls are laid low even in the dust before they are raised to a lively Hope Such as will tell us they hope well and never doubted of their Salvation in all their lives such as were never humbled never made sensible how miserable they are by nature how obnoxious to God's Wrath how liable to everlasting Condemnation we have Reason enough to conclude they have not a sound Hope Their confident spirit must be broken before it be set right 2. Sound Hope is a fruit of the Spirit Presumption is natural to Sinners they have it of themselves Or if they have their Consciences awakened their Eyes opened to see their Sin and Misery then they are more prone to entertain hard and black thoughts of God than to hope aright in his Mercy Like those that said There is no Hope Our Hope is lost we are cut off for our parts It is the mighty work of the Spirit to raise up Souls to a lively Hope who had received the sentence of Death in themselves Rom. 15.13 That ye may abound in Hope through the power of the holy Ghost Gal. 5.5 We through the Spirit wait for the Hope of Righteousness by Faith Now have such any ground to think the Hope they have is the fruit and work of the Spirit who may know they have not the Spirit who are not led by neither walk after the Spirit who will not follow the motions of the Spirit who are so desperately wicked as even to scoff at the operation of the Spirit 3. Sound Hope is an Hope in God through Christ according to his Word On what is our Hope bottomed The ground and foundation of true Hope is in God not in creatures nor in our selves It is Hope towards God Act. 24.15 As our Faith and Trust must be terminated on God only so our Hope 1 Pet. 1.21 we must look to God as the Author of all Good We must not expect any good from others as the Authors or original but only as means or instruments Psal 39.7 Now Lord what wait I for My Hope is in thee It is a peice of Idolatry to make Gold our Hope Job 31.24 we may not look for so much as any temporal benefit from means wealth friends c. without God All our expectation must be from him Psal 62.5 But further True Hope is bottom'd upon God in and through Christ Therefore it is called Hope in Christ 1 Cor. 15.19 1 Thes 1.3 There is no Hope for Sinners that a most Just and Holy God should be favourable and propitious toward them but in and through Christ 1 Pet. 1.3 We are begotten again to a lively Hope by the Resurrection of Christ proving God's Justice satisfied and the enemies of our Salvation vanquished by him But without Christ we were without Hope So if we be strangers to Christ we are strangers to true Hope And yet further True Hope is bottom'd on God in Christ according to his Word As the Psalmist oft professeth his Hope in God's Word That is not a sound Hope which is not a Scripture Hope That Hope which is not built on God's Promises which is not warranted by his Word will fail Men in the end It is groundless Presumption Now how many whose Hope is built on God's Providence and their present outward Prosperity without any word of promise to support it They hope God loves them because they prosper in the World But the Word tells us All things come alike to all here that no Man knoweth either love or hatred by all that is before them Eccles 9.1 2. The Hope of many is grounded on God's Patience and their present impunity Because Sentence is not speedily executed But forbearance is no acquittance Do we not read that though the Lord is slow to anger yet he will not acquit the wicked Nah. 1.3 And God endureth with much long-suffering the Vessels of wrath fitted to destruction on whom yet at last he will shew his Wrath and make his Power known Rom. 9.22 Many build their Hopes on God's general Goodness to his Creatures That because he made them he will save them Though the Lord by his Prophet hath told them the contrary Isa 27.11 It is a people of no understanding therefore he that made them will have no mercy on them Some Hope in this that they are not so bad as others They are neither Extortioners nor Drunkards nor Adulterers c. But it is evident in the Word that the highest degree of Morality and Civility will not serve any Mans turn That except a Man be born again he cannot see the Kingdom of God Joh. 3.3 That without Holiness no Man shall see the Lord Heb. 12.14 Some build their Hopes on a form of Godliness and an outward shew of Holiness But without the truth of Grace in the heart and without the Life and Power of Godliness all Men do in Religion is done in Hypocrisie So what may be highly esteemed among Men may be of no account yea may be abomination in the sight of God Luk. 16.15 And what will be the Hypocrites portion at last the Word plainly tells you Some build their Hopes on their own Righteousness and Merits conceiting they deserve highly of God for what they have done Peter Lombart says Sent. l. 3. dist 26. Sine meritis aliquid sperare non spes sed presumptio dici potest That to hope for any thing without precedent merits cannot be called Hope but presumption Yet to do him right immediately before he joyns the Grace of God with those merits of which he speaks And otherwise if by merits are understood proper Legal merits it were Presumption for the best Men in the World to expect any thing this way from God The best of God's Saints must acknowledg with Jacob that they are less than the least of God's Mercies That which Believers hope for comes by way of free gift it is not of debt Eternal Life is the gift of God Rom. 6.23 The gift of God through Jesus Christ So Believers are to
Christians yet a poor weak Christian should not conclude he has no Grace because he hath not so much as others Thou mayst have the truth of Grace in thee tho at present thou canst discern little or no growth Christ's Family is made up of Saints of different stature his School consists of Scholars of several Ranks and Forms Some are but Babes in Christ some grown Christians There are some little Children weaklings some young Men grown up to some strength some Fathers old Disciples Christians of great standing and experience Some are but Novices some are riper and by reason of use have their Senses more exercised and their Graces more improved Thou that art but weak be humble what cause hast thou to be humble when the best of Saints such as far excel thee have no cause to be proud Yet be not thou discouraged Christ will not break the bruised Reed nor quench the smoking Flax. He will gather the Lambs with his Arm and carry them in his Bosom and will gently lead those that are with young And yet out of weakness thou mayest be made strong And though thy beginning be but small thy latter end may greatly encrease And further note touching the signs of Grace I have here laid together what a * Dr. Manton on Jam. 1.22 pag. 188 189. Learned Man hath There are three sorts of Marks some are only exclusive others inclusive and between these a middle sort of Marks which he calleth positive Exclusive Marks are to shut out bold pretenders The inclusive Marks are to shew the measures and degrees of Grace and are rather intended for Comfort than for Conviction which if they be found in us we are safe and in the state of Grace but if not we cannot conclude a nullity of Grace The use of these Notes is to comfort or to convince of want of growth Again there is a middle sort of Marks which he calleth positive and they are such as are always and only found in an Heart truly gracious So he These positive Marks and Signs I confess are fewer As Mr. Baxter †Method for peace of Conscience Direct 11. pag. 88 c. See also Sermon of Right Rejoicing p. 26 27. hath laid down five expressing the nature of saving Grace which may be comprised and summed up in this one scil A preferring God and Christ Grace and Glory before any way of Sin before any carnal Self-interest before all the Honours Riches and Pleasures of the World a preferring the former I say in our practical estimation in our deliberate and hearty choice and in our true serious and faithful endeavours Get this one Point well cleared and then thou mayest know thou art one of another Spirit from the Men of the World a Citizen and Heir of Heaven And therefore know I had no Design in laying down so many Notes and Signs of the several Graces here described to set weak Christians on the Rack or to encrease and multiply their Doubts and Fears As I have already granted the truth and being of Grace may be known by a Few well cleared And I hope upon a serious and deliberate reading it will not be difficult to observe which are most necessary and most satisfying by which especially we are to try our selves But I doubt not ad bene esse and for fuller satisfaction it may be of great use and advantage to Christians thus to understand the true Nature several Properties and genuine proper Acts and Effects of every Grace And thus indeed the Treatise may serve not only as a guide in the trial and discovery of Grace but also as a Rule and Directory and help to the kindly exercise of Grace Now Reader if thou art serious give me thy hand and joyn with me in this I hope I can say hearty request That the God of all Grace would vouchsafe his Blessing to accompany it Which if he deny thou mayest have an handful of leaves here but no Fruit. The Author hath also Published 1. Good-will to Men or a Treatise of the two Covenants Sold by Samuel Richards Book-seller in Nottingham 2. Fifty Queries seriously propounded to those that question Infants Right to Baptisme Sold by Nevil Simons and Jonathan Robinson in St. Pauls Church-Yard 3. A few Notes upon T. G's Antiqueries with an Abstract of Mr. Baxter's Plain Scripture proof for Infants Church-Membership and Baptism c. Now in the Press There is lately published A BODY of DIVINITY or the Sum and Substance of Christian Religion Catechistically-propounded and explained by way of Question and Answer methodically and familiarly handled for the use of FAMILIES To which is now adjoyned IMMANVEL or the Mystery of the Incarnation of the Son of God By the most Reverend James Vsher late Arch-Bishop of Armagh The seventh Edition carefully corrected from very many Errors in former Editions To which is now added the Life of the Author containing many remarkable passages and an Alphabetical Table never before published Sold by Jonathan Rohinson at the Golden Lion in St. Paul's Church-yard London ERRATA PAge 2. l. 19. blot out not P. 27. l. 8. read expresly P. 44. l. 9. r. steaming up l. 11. for their r. the. P. 60. l. 5. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 P. 85. l. 24. r. and we P. 90. l. 1. r. inflict P. 107. l. 5. r. as well as P. 116. l. 5. for and r. of one P. 119. l. 19. for ver 9. r. v. g. P. 121. l. 26. r. old Testament P. 165 last line for of r. to P. 169. l. 28. r. making Him P. 201. l. 5. make a full stop at in love P. 202. l. 8. for heat r. heart P. 216. l. 3. r. inoffensively P. 224. beginning for reverend r. reverent P. 232. l. 14. r. impelled P. 240. l. 22. r. Suffer or Sin P. 244. l. 4. r. they are not P. 248. l. 19. r. principle P. 289. l. 21 22. r. take occasion P. 293. l. 27. blot out the first not Also P. 296. l. 20. blot out not P. 305. l. 18. there is a full stop for a comma and And thus for this is P. 318. l. 14. for place r. pace P. 351. l. 24. for Soul r. House P. 357. l. 26. r. Hypocrisie P. 412. l. 1. blot out of By reason of the Authors far distance from the Press other Errata possibly are escaped which the Reader is entreated to correct or pardon OF Spiritual Knowledg COL 1.9 And to desire that ye might be filled with the Knowledg of his Will in all Wisdom and Spiritual Understanding Multitudes perish for lack of Knowledg Hos 4.6 and many perish with Knowledg Saving-Knowledg is rare The Knowledg of the most will aggravate their Condemnation The clearer their Light here the hotter their Flames hereafter Luk. 12.47 That Servant which knew his Lords Will and prepared not neither did according to his will shall be beaten with many Stripes Rom. 2.9 Tribulation and anguish upon every Soul of Man that doth evil of
Article as Estius says because in it especially the Jews differed from Pagans or because it is the first Article of our Faith But he might questionless have added other Articles which the Devils as well believe and are convinced to be certain Truths They believed Jesus to be the Son of God Mat. 8.29 And that he was the Christ Luk. 4.41 The Devil that puts others upon questioning whether there be a God Or whether the Scriptures be the Word of God hath no doubt of these things himself He that would have Men Atheists or Infidels is far from being either himself Atheism and Infidelity are Sins which the Devil cannot be guilty of An Atheist or an Infidel is in that respect worse than the Devil himself Now certainly that Faith which the Devils have cannot be true Saving-Faith But the Devils have such a Faith as this they are clearly convinced that the Scriptures are the Word of God and that what God's Word holds forth is certainly true How absurd and irrational is it to suppose that the Devils that are Damned have that same Faith for the nature of it which the Scripture calls precious Faith and which it maketh the condition of Salvation And yet mistake me not I grant a Dogmatical Faith is included in Saving Faith As the Vegetative Soul is included in the Sensitive or as both these are included in the Rational Soul So a believing that there is a Christ that he is come in the Flesh and a believing the Word of Christ is included in our believing in him And indeed they that believe not what is spoken of him in the Gospel that believe not the Son of God his taking Mans Nature on him uniting it to his Person that there was such a one as Jesus Christ that was born of a Virgin that suffered was crucified at Jerusalem and rose again from the dead and ascended up to Heaven according to the Scriptures they that allegorize the true Christ out of Doors and only acknowledg a Christ within them they do not believe in that Jesus whom Paul preached whom all the Apostles preached whom the Father sealed I further grant that to believe with a Dogmatical Faith is part of Man's duty It is a setting to our Seal that God is true Joh. 3.33 And he that believeth not God hath made him a Lyer 1 Joh. 5.10 Think what an heinous Sin it is to give God the Lye If you deny his Truth you deny him to be God If he were not the God of Truth he were not the true God And further we must grant that the Word is a great gift of God that it is a wonderful favour that he is pleased thus to reveal his Mind and Will and make himself known to the Sons of Men. And that it is a work of the Spirit though but a common work which such may have as shall not be saved to bring Men to assent to the Truth All this is granted But yet though we know the Truth and cannot but assent to it in our Judgments if we do not embrace it with suituble Affections if we do not heartily cleave to it and sincerely submit to it our simple belief of the Truth is so far from being a Saving work that it will increase our Condemnation as our guilt is increased by it 3. True Saving-Faith is not a meer perswasion that my Sins are pardoned that I shall be Saved Some have gone this way Believe that your Sins are pardoned for Christ's sake and they are pardoned and you justifyed Believe that you shall be saved by Christ and you shall be saved A short cut to Heaven But how little need is there to teach Men Presumption or to encourage it But to shew you the Vanity of this conceit 1. All that hear the Gospel are bound to believe in Jesus Christ But all such are not bound to believe that they are pardoned justifyed and shall be saved 1 Joh. 3.23 This is his Commandment that we should believe on the Name of his Son Jesus Christ And what Duty is more pressed in the Gospel But where doth the Gospel command all to believe that they shall be saved How many alas that are in their Sins that are such as the Word of God condemneth Know ye not that the Vnrighteous shall not inherit the Kingdom of God Such as the Apostle speaketh of 1 Cor. 6.9 10. believe contrary to the Gospel if while such they believe that they are pardoned and shall be saved The Gospel calleth us to repent that our Sins may be blotted out And we have no ground to believe or hope that our Sins are pardoned till we repent When we find unbelief spoken of as the great condemning Sin we must not take it so as if Sinners were condemned because they would not believe that their Sins were pardoned Nor is it the sense of that Article in our Creed I believe the Remission of Sins that I believe my Sins are remitted Too many lay down this Conclusion that yet stand condemned by the Sentence of God's Word All impenitent Sinners are bound to believe that at present they are in a state of Wrath Heirs apparent of Hell that except they repent they shall perish they cannot be saved 2. Are we not justifyed by Faith Deny that and you deny plain Scripture Now we cannot be justifyed by Faith if we are first of all to believe that we are pardoned and justified Le Blanc Thes Theol. p. 212. §. 103. Quomodo enim possemus justificari per actum qui justificationem jam factam praesupponit Must we believe our Sins are pardoned that they may be pardoned Must we believe we are Justifyed that we may be Justifyed What can be more absurd Then we must believe what is not that it may be as we believe If the first Act of Faith be to believe that I am pardoned and justifyed then Remission and Justification must needs go before Faith The Act supposeth the Object In order of Nature Faith is before Justification otherwise we are not justified by Faith and in order of Nature at least we must be justified before we can truly believe that we are justified Therefore we cannot be justified by believing we are so It is a plain contradiction to say that we believe before we are justified and yet are justified before we believe 3. It cannot be the first Act of Faith to believe I shall be saved except instead of the Word some special Revelation besides the Word be the Ground of my Faith This is plain because it is not at all credible to me according to the Word that I shall be saved till I know I have Faith such a Faith as hath Salvation annexed to it by promise such a Faith as purifieth the Heart worketh by Love c. According to the Word only he that believeth with such a Faith shall be saved That I cannot believe according to the Word that I shall be saved till I find such a Faith
for their outward Man but are still shifting for themselves without eying God's Will and Word or Providence or if they know not how to help themselves are presently sinking in despondency and quite swallowed up with distrustful fears cares and grief Thus far of the several Acts of Faith It s proper Elicit Acts. I shall further add a few Scripture-notes whereby Saving-Faith may be known 1. Where Faith is Christ is precious 1 Pet. 2.7 Vnto you which believe he is precious That which is called precious Faith will teach us to account Jesus Christ precious and all of Christ precious Thus to Believers the Person of Christ is precious 1 Pet. 1.8 Whom having not seen ye love Believers that never saw him with their Eyes yet believing him to be such an one indeed as he is set forth in the Word they are exceedingly taken with him they cannot but admire him As the Spouse in Canticles was at a loss for expressions high enough to shew the loveliness and excellency of her Beloved After all that she had said in her description of him Cant. 5. she thinks her self very short and therefore concludes ver 16. Yea he is altogether lovely There is no true Believer but has high admiring thoughts of Christ sees him to be the chiefest of ten thousands To such his benefits are precious The Blood of Christ how precious 1 Pet. 1.18 19. And how precious are the benefits purchased by his Blood How do Believers prize a pardon How do such prize an Interest in Christ counting all things but loss and dung to that The Graces the Fruits of the Spirit how do they prize these above Riches above the most precious Fruits of the Earth The Love and Favour of Christ how do such prize it far above the Favour and Friendship of the World Lord do thou smile will such a Soul say and I can then be content though the World do frown Thy love is better than Wine Cant. 1.2 Nothing in the World would so chear the Hearts of the Faithful The presence of Christ Communion and Fellowship with Christ is highly prized of every believing Soul The Name of Christ is precious unto such and those things that bear his Name His Day the Lords Day accounted of above all other Days His Ordinances are prized The Doctrine of Christ as precious Ointment poured forth Cant. 1.3 His Word more precious than Gold His Promises exceeding precious 2 Pet. 1.4 And Prayer is accounted a precious Priviledg even that we may ask the Father in his Name Believers would not for a World be without this Priviledg Thus Chist is precious to Believers and all of Christ his Person his Offices his Benefits his Ordinances all are precious But further that you may not be mistaken here thinking that you prize Christ when it may be the Lord sees you are yet such as dispise him take these two or three notes to try your selves by 1. If now Christ be precious to us as he is to them that believe then certainly we are come to see our former vileness when we had base low unworthy thoughts of him and when our carriage was nothing less than a contempt of him How oft was Christ with all his precious benefits graciously offered to us in the Gospel while we did most unreasonably and ungratefully reject him we would none of him How long did we prefer the World and our base Lusts before him when we were called on to follow Christ how shy how backward have we been as ashamed of him or having better thoughts of our old Masters the Lusts and Pleasures we have served which we were loth to forsake for him Oh our Sin and Folly that ever we despised such a precious Saviour What a shame is this that ever any of the Sons of Men should be ashamed of Christ And what horrible vileness is this for any of us to have base thoughts of Christ And have not they base thoughts of Christ indeed who prefer some base Lust before him Hath he deserved to be so slighted and set at nought As he said to the Jews when they were ready to stone him Many good works have I shewed you from my Father for which of those works do ye stone me What After such unparallel'd Love and Compassion as he hath shewn towards us poor lost Sinners even when we were Enemies shewed in such a costly way as that of his most wonderful humiliation even to his dying a most painful shameful and accursed Death for us to purchase Pardon and Salvation for all that will accept him should we requite him so even reject him preferring his and our most deadly Enemies before him Was so great folly baseness and ingratitude ever heard of Surely if now we are come to see the worth of a Saviour and to prize him indeed we cannot but be greatly ashamed to think how we for trash and dung have sometimes trampled on that Pearl of greatest price Our former Sin of making light of Christ will now lye heavy and we shall be deeply humbled for it 2. If now Christ be precious to us as he is to them that believe then we have learnt to prize him above all things in the World Pray observe this we prize not Christ at all till we prize him above all You may perswade your selves Sirs that you have very good thoughts high thoughts of Christ as you can speak honourably of him but if you do not really prize him above your Profits your Pleasures your Credit or Honour or any thing you can have or expect in the World I must tell you you do shamefully undervalue him What low thoughts had Judas of the Lord Jesus who sold him for thirty peices of Silver the price of a Slave as some have noted from Exod. 21.32 the lowest price that the vilest of Men were rated at So do not they prize Christ at a goodly price that prefer worldly things before him Yea suppose one to have an equal love and estimation of Christ to that he hath of worldly things though indeed the Scales here are never even never at an aequipoise but the one or the other will weigh down yet if that were so it would not do Christ is set too low while any thing in the World is equalized to him and suffered to stand in competition with him Luk. 14.26 If any Man come to me and hate not his Father and Mother and Wife and Children and Brethren and Sisters yea and his own Life also he cannot be my Disciple Hate not comparatively Loving in a less degree is sometimes termed hating in Scripture As Jacob is said to have hated Leah loving Rachel much more Gen. 29.30 31 33. But it would not have agreed with Jacob's Piety to have hated Leah taking the word strictly And to hate natural Parents is unnatural and impious and to hate ones self is against Nature and impossible That we must there understand a less degree of loving And as Christ will
be advanced above all the World in our Affection so will he be preferred in our account and estimation Indeed how can we love him above all if we do not prize him above all 3. If Christ be precious to us then certainly we cannot endure to see or hear Christ vilified and dishonoured It will grieve us at Heart to see this Pearl trodden under Foot We could be more content to be vilified for him than to see him contemned How would it move us to hear and see a special Friend whom we most highly esteem reproached and abused As Jonathan was grieved for David because his Father had done him shame 1 Sam. 20.34 That Christ is generally so lightly esteemed yea so much dishonoured in the World and that many of ours make light of him this will be very greivous to us if indeed Christ be precious to us And as Jonathan took David's part there we shall be ready to plead for Christ We would not have him despised of any if we can help it We would be commending him to others and especially to ours 4. If Christ be precious in our account we shall be restless and unsatisfied till we have in some good measure cleared up our Interest and propriety in him As the Apostle Phil. 3.8 I count all things but loss for the excellency of the Knowledg of Christ Jesus my Lord. One that sees how precious Christ is cannot but earnestly desire to know further that he is his Jesus and his Lord. A Believer who sees his All bound up in Christ lose Christ and lose all how will he pray search use diligence to have his Interest in Christ evidenced and made sure As if a Man's title to House and Land and all he had in the World be in question he would not rest till he had got his title cleared 2. Saving Faith is Sanctifying Act. 26.18 Sanctified by Faith Act. 15.9 Purifying their Hearts by Faith No Salvation without Sanctification 2 Thes 2.13 God hath from the beginning chosen you to Salvation through Sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the Truth Saving-Faith and Sanctification are linked together The one necessarily inferreth and draweth on the other Rolloc in loc pag. 295. Spiritus nos Sanctificans emanat quasi ex Christi sanguine fide apprehenso nobisque applicato Faith is nor only a part of Sanctification as it is a Grace and as other Graces are but as some call it a Mother-Grace and a Root-Grace from whence other Graces spring it is introductive of Sanctification and of other habitual Saving Grace As upon our first believing in Christ and accepting of him we are thereby interested in him and united to him not only to be justified by his merit but also to be sanctified by his Spirit As we are said to receive the promise of the Spirit through Faith Gal. 3.14 And Eph. 1.13 In whom also after that ye believed ye were sealed with the Holy Spirit of Promise Indeed it is by the special influx or operation of the Spirit that a Man puts forth the Act of Faith at first and upon this the Spirit is further given to dwell in him or a principle of Grace renewing sanctifying habits are wrought in him seated in his Soul still disposing and inclining unto gracious Acts to a life of Holiness and Obedience Christ is said to dwell in the Heart by Faith Eph. 3.17 He dwelleth in us by his Spirit And it is Faith that letteth in Christ and the Holy Spirit into the Heart to dwell there Thus Faith ushereth in the Spirit of Sanctification And so if any Man be in Christ by Faith he is a new Creature 2 Cor. 5.17 Compare Gal. 5.6 with 6.15 In the former you have Faith in the latter a new Creature Thou art not a true Believer if thou art not a new Creature And as we enter into a state of Sanctification by Faith So by Faith we make progress in it As the Life which the Apostle lived after he came in to Christ was by the Faith of the Son of God Gal. 2.20 He was still drawing vertue from Christ and receiving of his fulness even Grace for Grace As Faith hath respect to the several parts of the Word not only Doctrines and Promises but Commands and Threatnings too So it hath an influence on all other Graces and hath an hand in all acts of Obedience that a Believer performs as we see in Heb. 11. Therefore if you would know whether you have Saving-Faith enquire seriously whether you are Sanctified by Faith And to give you some help here 1. Where Sanctifying Faith is there is not only an outward but an inward change Sanctifying-Grace is properly and immediately seated in the Soul as its Subject and the Soul is really changed by it though not as to its substance yet as to its qualities The Heart is new-moulded There are new dispositions inclinations and affections in the Soul It acteth from a new Principle and aimeth at other ends The Body is not changed by Grace either in substance or quality immediately but being under the government of a Soul that is sanctified and being a part of one that is by Grace truly resolved for God and his Service it will certainly be engaged and used for God too according to Rom. 6.19 Indeed such cannot be sanctified who are not so much as outwardly reformed Such as were known to be common Swearers Sabbath-breakers Drunkards c. and are so still one may pronounce them Vnclean Vnclean 1 Cor. 6.11 Such were some of you but ye are washed but ye are sanctified To be sanctified and to live and continue in gross known Sin are estates directly opposite Yet there may be an outward reformation without true Sanctification Sanctification connotates a change of Heart and Life both Not a bare abstinence from the outward act of Sin but a mortifying of it and a dying to it Not a leaving it in practise only but a forsaking it in affection too That the Heart which was set upon its Lusts is now turned and set against them it now loaths what it was formerly in love with Now is thy heart purified Jer. 4.14 O Jerusalem wash thine Heart from wickedness that thou mayst be saved It is not enough to have hands washed but our Hearts must be cleansed if we would be saved Psal 24.3 4. Who shall ascend into the Hill of the Lord He that hath clean hands and a pure Heart What is it to live free from gross Sins to be no Extortioner Oppressor Swearer Drunkard Adulterer c. but to be like a whited Sepulchre which appears beautiful outward but within is full of all uncleanness as the Pharisees that outwardly appeared righteous unto Men but within were full of Hypocrisy and Iniquity What is it for one to change his Life and Course while his Heart and Mind is not changed Though he that was given to Stealing should steal no more and he that was given to Lying Cursing Swearing
should no more Lye or Curse or Swear and he that was given to Tipling and Drinking should no more be intemperate this will not prove a Man Sanctified You may be civilized and yet not sanctified For a Man to argue thus I am not guilty of open profaneness therefore I am a Saints is no better arguing than to reason thus I have not the Plague or Leprosy therefore I am a Sound Man But who knoweth not that a Man may be Sick of diverse other Diseases who is free from these And may not one die of a Feaver or Consumption though he have not the Plague 2. If we are sanctified by Faith there is not only a negative but a positive change wrought in us One that is Sanctified hath put off the old Man and put on the new He may say by the Grace of God I am not what I was sometimes and by the Grace of God I am what I am He is not now what he was before he is now what he was not before Once he was Proud Self-conceited but now humble self-abhorring Once very vain and it may be profane but now strict and serious Once altogether selfish but now self-denying Once he was at least in his Heart an Enemy to the Power of Godliness and perhaps a scoffer at Holiness but now a lover and follower of what before he had so great a Prejudice and Antipathy against Once he was very backward to Religious Duties to the strict observation of the Sabbath to the reading of the Word to Family-Prayer and secret Prayer c. but now his delight is in Holy Duties and he could not live without them Once his Heart was wholly set upon Sin and the World but now in a good measure weaned from the World now resolved and set against Sin now set upon God and Christ set upon Holiness and Heaven and heavenly things 3. If we are sanctified by Faith then there is a thorow change wrought in us As the Apostle prayeth 1 Thes 5.23 The very God of Peace sanctify you wholly your whole Spirit and Soul and Body 2 Cor. 5.17 If any Man be in Christ he is a new Creature old things are past away behold all things are become new Behold q. d. this is a thing to be well observed Sanctifying grace makes a great change indeed Mark it Behold all things are become new The new Creature hath a new Heart a new Tongue a new Life The new Creature walks by a new Rule is for new Designs new Employment new Company new Delights Sanctification is a renewing of the whole Man As in our natural state corruption overspreads the whole Man for which reason it may be called the old Man So if we are sanctified Grace makes a change on the whole Man for which cause it may be called the new Man though it makes not a perfect change here in this Life The new Creature is renewed in every part though he be renewed but in part while here He has a perfection of Parts though not of Degrees As a Child hath all the Parts of a Man though not aâ— Mans Proportion As when Day breaketh the whole Air is immediately enlightned though not in that degree as when the Sun is up and shineth in its Strength As Fire quickly enters all the Pores of the Iron put into it though it is not presently red hot Sanctifying Grace worketh upon the Judgment Will Affections upon the whole Soul all its Powers and Faculties And hence ariseth a main difference betwixt the Conflicts of the Regenerate and those Contests which are in the Unregenerate There is oft a great Contest in an Unregenerate Man betwixt his Conscience convinced and awakened and his corrupt Will and vile Affections Conscience calleth him one way while his Will and Affections draw him a contrary way But in the Regenerate there is warring in the same Faculties As all the Faculties are renewed though but imperfectly Hence as the Twins Jacob and Esau strove in Rebeckah's Womb so there is Flesh and Spirit the remainders of Corruption and a Principle of Grace striving in every Faculty Not only an enlightned Conscience against Sin but the habitual bent of the Will and Affections against it too The renewed part of the Will and Affections or to speak more properly that new gracious quality in the Will and Affections against the Unregenerate part or what remains of the old Man in them And though that better Principle is sometimes born down through the impetuousness of Temptation c. yet hence it is that a Regenerate Man sinneth not with full Will and Consent as he did before he was Regenerate Again Sanctifying Grace maketh a thorow change turning the Soul from all Sin to hate every false way So that no Iniquity is regarded in the Heart One that is Sanctified is for cleansing himself from all filthiness both of Flesh and Spirit Again It makes a thorow change inclining the Soul to Obedience unto the Will of God in all things To have a respect to all God's Commands An holy Rule and an holy Heart do well agree As the Apostle saith Rom. 7.22 I delight in the Law of God after the inner Man 4. If we are Sanctified by Faith we are for making progress in Holiness till we come to Perfection As we may see natural things growing up to Perfection in their kind the Seed growing up to a flourishing Plant the Set growing to a Tree the Child growing till he becomes a Man So Sanctifying Grace is of a growing nature And though all that are Sanctified are not of the same pitch and stature in Grace yet all are endeavouring and breathing after Perfection The least Saint would be perfectly Holy and the highest Saint cannot but see great imperfection in himself and so is grieved that he is no more Holy Such never think they have Grace enough while they may have more But as for such as cry up a mean in Religion and conceit they need be no better than they are and desire to be no better they that like to stand at a stay are not right Certainly there is no good Man but desires to be better than he is 3. Mors fidei est separatio charitatis Bern. True Saving-Faith worketh by Love Gal. 5.6 It worketh it begets Love and it works by Love Indeed Faith and Love are two most active Principles that will set the Soul on work How doth Faith beget Love Why thus As it perswades the Soul of the love of God to us miserable lost sinners in giving his Son his only begotten Son and the love of Christ in giving himself for us for our Redemption As it perswades the Soul of the rich and free Grace of God in offering his Son and of Jesus Christ in offering himself to us together with the greatest benefits we can think of or desire to make us for ever happy That such things should be done for and offered unto such undeserving and illdeserving Creatures that Christ
spiritual than for those everlasting Pleasures at God's right-Hand or are more for worldly Riches than for Treasure in Heaven True Faith would lay the World and worldly Things low in our esteem low in our thoughts Faith judgeth of them by the Word it weighteth them in the Ballance of the Sanctuary it compares earthly and spiritual things worldly and heavenly things things temporal and things eternal together Thus the World appears a vain empty worthless base and contemptible thing indeed to a Believer not fit for him to set his heart upon but to get under his feet * Non incurvet terrenum opus quem sâ—des coelestium erigiâ— Bern. And when worldly things come to stand in competition with God and Christ and Heaven a Believer cannot but account them Loss and Dung. An Unbeliever for want of Faith makes light of Christ and his Benefits makes light of a Crown of Glory of Heavens Happiness revealed and offered in the Gospel He looks on them but as pleasant Fancies and golden Dreams but things of Sense even momentary Pleasures and perishing Riches are more taking with him These he looks upon as real the other he accounts but imaginary or uncertain But a true Believer on the contrary has a sight of those things within the Vail by Faiâ—h Faith is the Evidence of things not seen Thus he hath found the hidden Treasure he has found the Pearl of great price he has made a discovery of the good Land that flows with Milk and Hony Faith is that Spy that gives him certain intelligence of the heavenly Canaan He is put out of doubt of the infinite Treasures that are in Christ of that fulness of Joy and the everlasting Pleasures that are in God's Presence in Heaven Though Eye hath not seen nor Ear heard neither have entred into the Heart of Man the things which God hath prepared for them that love him yet God hath revealed them to such by his Spirit 1 Cor. 2.9 10. The Spirit working Faith gives the Soul a view of them And hence it is that worldly things appear to be but empty Bubbles and meer Trifles compared with spiritual things with things above Thus the World's Markets are marred with a Believer He can no more value earthly things at the rate that Worldlings do He is clearly convinced that he should be an infinite Loser if he should throw away his Soul and forgo all Interest in God and Christ and Heaven for such poor Commodities as these are He knows where to bestow his best and most serious Thoughts his Heart and Affections better than on the World He sees worldly things to be valuable only so far as they may help him forward in God's service and in Heavens way but when they would be a hindrance and pull-back would be tempting him from Christ would take him off from his Duty from his main work and business of serving and glorifying of God and working out his own Salvation he looks upon them not only as vain Shadows but as deadly Snares Well Sirs Apply these things to your Hearts While the World either worldly Pleasures or Profits c. bear greatest sway while our Hearts and Affections are captivated by them and our Lives ruled and governed by them we do but vainly pretend to Faith The World loseth its commanding Power the World is in some measure conquered and subdued it is brought low where Faith cometh You have heard before that a true Believer accounts Christ precious and here you see that he contemns the World Indeed it cannot be otherwise but look how much Christ is raised in a Man's esteem so much the World and worldly things go down 2. True Faith overcomes a threatning frowning raging storming World A sound Believer will not forsake Christ his Truth and Ways for any thing the World can do or threaten Rev. 2.7 8. He that overcometh shall inherit all things and I will be his God and he shall be my Son But the Fearful and Vnbelieving shall have their part in the Lake which burneth with Fire and Brimstone which is the second Death Observe here the fearful and unbelieving are opposed to him that overcometh And the fearful and unbelieving are coupled together predominant carnal Fear and true Faith are inconsistent Such as are offended when Tribulation and Persecution arise such as in time of Temptation fall away were never sound Believers It is true Sometimes in an hour of Temptation a Believer is sore shaken but though he fall he shall arise and recover himself as Peter did and Cranmer and others He may fall but does not fall away Again it is true he may have many fears that he shall not be able to hold out in the time of Trial but he is safer for those Fears that cause a godly jealousy over himself that quicken unto Prayer that keep him on his Watch. Self-suspicion is a means to preserve and secure the Soul which Self-confidence would betray and overthrow But tormenting Fears I grant would shew Faith to be but weak yet notwithstanding a true Believer may have such Fears they are not predominant still he is kept by the Power of God and kept through Faith As by Faith Moses refused the Honour of being called the Son of Pharaoh's Daughter and refused the Pleasures of Sin with the greatest Treasures in Aegypt as he thus overcame a flattering World so likewise by Faith he chose to suffer Affliction with the People of God and chose Reproaches for Christ and forsook Aegypt not fearing the wrath of the King Thus he also overcame a frowning and a raging World by Faith And all true Believers have the same Spirit of Faith though not in that heroical degree And Faith will teach a Man to account upon Sufferings All that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer must look to suffer in and from the World 2 Tim. 3.12 A Man cannot follow Christ therefore except he deny himself and take up his Cross Again Faith concludes that Sin is far worse than Suffering That it is the greatest Folly in the World to run upon Divine Displeasure to avoid Man's Displeasure That the World cannot afflict any Torments on the faithful like those which God hath threatned and will most certainly inflict on the faithless Apostates Fire and Faggot is a light matter to that Fire and Brimstone which God hath prepared to be the portion of the fearful and unbelieving And further Faith concludes that all the Sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the Glory that is to be revealed That our light Afflictions which are but for a moment shall work for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of Glory Thus true Faith will help us to overcome the World If we have this Faith then we are not of them who draw back unto Perdition but of them that believe and persevere to the saving of the Soul ACT. 11.18 Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted Repentance unto
Life REpentance is not a more common than necessary Subject It is part of the Foundation of Christianity Heb. 6.1 And without true Repentance Mens hopes of Salvation are built on the Sand. I do not say that any Man is saved for his Repentance yet speaking of the Adult we must say that none are or can be saved without it Except ye repent ye shall perish Luk. 13.3 5. Repent and be Converted that your Sins may be blotted out Act. 3.19 without Repentance no Pardon no Remission and consequently no Salvation But what is this Repentance unto Life And how may it be known In the late Confession of Faith chap. 15. a good and full account is given of it viz. By it a Sinner out of the sight and sense not only of the danger but also of the filthiness and odiousness of his Sins as contrary to the Holy Nature and Righteous Law of God and upon the apprehension of his Mercy in Christ to such as are penitent so grieves for and hates his Sins as to turn from them all unto God purposing and endeavouring to walk with him in all the wayes of his Commandments The Subject of Repentance is a Sinner Mat. 9.13 I am not come to call the Righteous but Sinners to Repentance In Paradise while Man retained his Innocency which indeed was but a while he had no need of Repentance In Heaven the Saints are made Perfect in Holiness and so have no more occasion for Repentance The Subject of Repentance is a Sinner Yea a Sinner of some hopes In Hell a place full of Sin as ever it can hold there is no hope of obtaining Pardon or finding Mercy and so no place for Repentance Hell that is full of Despair has no place for Repentance Only upon Earth as there is no Man that liveth and sinneth not and as God hath graciously promised pardon to all that truely Repent here is both an engagement upon Sinners and encouragement for Sinners to Repent Some go further and make the Subject of Repentance a believing Sinner Supposing that Faith in order of Nature goes before Repentance As I conceive the principle or habit of Faith and of Repentance and other Graces are infused together But by the special help and operation of God's Spirit the Soul is first inabled to put forth a gracious act in consenting to the terms of Gods Covenant actually closing with and accepting of Christ as he is there offered upon which the Spirit of Grace is given to dwell in the Heart gracious habits are implanted in the Soul as a new nature inclining it to such acts Which I could wish added to what I have written in a former Treatise scil of the Covenants p. 224 225. Now though the general assenting Act of Faith must necessarily be supposed to go before Repentance as it is in the Will Cathol Theol. lib. 1. par 2. p. 84. as Mr. B. noteth yet a Man cannot truly accept of Christ as a perfect Saviour without a sense and feeling of the burthen of his Sins and being humbled under it nor can he accept of Christ as Lord and King without a resolution and hearty purpose of turning from all Sin unto the Lord. That in the very first act of Faith as saving there is Repentance also included Repentance may be thus distinguished 1. It is either initial or continued Initial Repentance at a Man's first Confession Continued that which follows through the course of ones Life afterwards 2. There is an habitual and virtual Repentance a Disposition or Inclination to mourn for and turn from all our Sins as we come to have our Sins discovered to us And actual formal Repentance actually grieving at loathing resolving and striving against the Sins we have found out and are convinced of 3. There is an ordinary Repentance daily practised for daily ordinary failings and a special extraordinary Repentance exercised upon some foul Fall sad Declining or Backsliding as in David's and in Peter's case Renewed Repentance as some call it in regard of some sad Interruption before Yet these Distinctions do not imply various kinds of Repentance but only different degrees There are two main essential constitutive Parts of true Repentance viz. Humiliation and Reformation or Contrition and Conversion A mourning for Sin after a godly sort 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and a turning from Sin unto God Now first Of godly Sorrow for Sin The Hebrew Word nacham and the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the Latine * Poenitet me quod poena tener me Poenitet est idem quod â—edet vel piget Poenitet all shew Repentance to have Grief and Sorrow in it A Man that grieves not for what he hath done amiss repents not Yea there is no right forsaking of Sin without an hearty Sorrow for it There is a Rending of the Heart for Sin before it is rent from Sin Quest But how shall a Man know whether his Sorrow for Sin be right 1. Right Sorrow for Sin is upon right Grounds As the Lord says Hos 7.14 They have not cried unto me when they howled upon their Beds And Zech. 7.5 Did ye at all fast unto me even unto me So there are many that cry out of their Sins are troubled about their Sins that yet do not sorrow after a godly sort but have respect only to themselves Many are troubled for Sin not as contrary to God but only as mischievous or injurious to themselves not as it dishonoureth God but as it brings shame and disgrace upon themselves not as it displeaseth God but as it subjecteth them to his Wrath and Curse not as God is offended by it but as they are like to suffer for it Many only respect the Shame or Punishment felt or feared Now that Humiliation which comes only from Pride cannot be sound Humiliation And that Sorrow which is meerly from self-respect cannot be godly Sorrow Hard-hearted Pharaoh would sometimes confess his Sin under the sence of an heavy Plague so wicked Ahab could humble himself under the fear of Judgment threatned while far enough from true Repentance And as there is a Principle of self-love planted in all Men the wickedst Man on Earth would not be miserable for ever is not willing to be damned And so when a Sinners Conscience is awakened that he sees himself obnoxious to God's everlasting Wrath and to the torments of Hell for ever no wonder if he be full of horror Nature only without the least dram of Grace would teach one under such terrors to cry out with Judas Oh! I have sinned Thus a Sinner under Convictions may have stronger passionate Workings of Grief than gracious Souls have ordinarily The Passion of Grief may be very much stirred when yet there is no godly Sorrow Though I grant it is lawful to be troubled for Sin as it is against our selves But if we are troubled for Sin only as against our selves not as against God such Trouble is privatively sinful Godly Sorrow is not
only form Self-love but from the Love of God and Christ and Holiness Now do we grieve for Sin not only out of a Sight and Sence of the Danger but also of the Filthiness and Odiousness of it as contrary to the holy Nature and righteous Law of God Do we indeed grieve for Sin as Sin More particularly 1. Do we mourn for Sin as a Breach of God's holy Law As it is a thing forbidden and not only as it has set us under the threatnings of the Law Do we heartily approve of the Law of God as holy just and good Do we delight in the Law of God in the inner Man Is it our earnest Desire that our Hearts and Lives were in all things conformed to it and our great grief to find the contrary Many that sometimes have storms raised in their Consciences but instead of being offended and displeased with themselves and their Sins they are offended at the Word that discovers and condemns their Sins and as Ahab hated Micaiah they cannot endure faithful Ministers that tell them plainly of their Sins If it be thus with thee and if thy Heart riseth against and repines at the strictness and purity of God's Laws if they are grievous to thee as crossing thy beloved Lusts grievous as the Light to a Thief or as Chains are to a Malefactor Though thou mayest be full of Trouble and Perplexity yet certainly it is quited different from true Repentance and godly Sorrow 2. Do we mourn for Sin as a Dishonour to God Herein lieth the greatest Evil of Sin that it is against God It is a practical Denial Contempt Affronting or Abusing of God and of all God's Attributes a Denial or Contempt of his Sovereignty and Authority of his Holiness and Justice of his Wisdom Truth Power and Greatness of his Omnipresence Omniscience of his Dominion and Propriety in his Creatures an abuse of his Goodness It is a denying him that Honour Service and Subjection which is due from us as we are his Creatures Indeed it cannot be expressed what a wrong and dishonour to God Sin is And this a gracious Soul takes notice of in his sad Reflections upon his Sins As David 2 Sam. 12.13 I have sinned against the Lord. Psal 51.4 Against thee thee only have I sinned and done this evil in thy sight Though he had sinned against others too had sinned against Bathsheba depriving her of her Chastity had sinned against Vriah depriving him of his Life had sinned against the World setting it so ill an example and giving Enemies such occasion to blaspheme these wrongs did all terminate upon God the supream Lawgiver and the Injury done to Creatures though great in it self was a small matter to the Wrong and Dishonour therein done to God As the Lord to magnify his Grace in pardoning the Sins of his People goes over with it again and again against me against me Jer. 33.8 I will cleanse them from all their Iniquities whereby they have sinned against me and I will pardon all their Iniquities whereby they have sinned against me and whereby they have transgressed against me So that Sin is against God this is the burthen of every gracious Heart 3. Do we grieve for Sin as it displeaseth God as it is the abominable thing which he hateth Ezek. 6.9 They that escape of you shall remember me among the Nations because I am broken with their whorish Heart which hath departed from me c. Doth this Consideration of Sin break our Hearts Are we vexed at our selves that we have fretted him as we have the Expression Ezek. 16.43 that we have provoked and disquieted him Doth it grieve us to think how we have grieved his Spirit Is it the burthen of our Souls to think how he is pressed under our Sins how we have wearied him with our Iniquities It is nothing for us to be troubled when God afflicteth and putteth us to grief A Slave will roar and cry out under the Lash But an ingenuous Child is grieved when he hath displeased his Father though he be not scourged and corrected for it So though we are not chastened by God yet do we afflict our own Souls for Sin Or if the Lord doth lay Affliction on our loyns yet are we more troubled for having offended God than for our own smart and suffering 4. Do we grieve for Sin as against God's mercy as an ill Requital of his Goodness Doth the Goodness of God lead us to Repentance Godly Sorrow is ingenuous And the Mercy and Goodness of God is a special means of exciting to Repentance and of promoting it That there is Mercy with the Lord that there is Hope of finding Mercy this is a special means of working Repentance at first without which the Soul would be swallowed up in despair The Law discovering Sin and Wrath displaying God's Holiness and punitive Justice may in one sence break the Heart of a Sinner But it is the Gospel revealing God's free and infinite Grace and Mercy in Jesus Christ his willingness and readiness to pardon and to be reconciled to Sinners that repent and turn that is the means of melting the Heart into kindly Sorrow The great Motive to sound Repentance is God's Mercy As you find it laid down Joel 2.13 Rent your Heart and not your Garments and turn unto the Lord your God for he is gracious and merciful slow to anger and of great kindness When a Man considering his many and great Provocations on the one hand and God's gracious and merciful Offers on the other hand As Thou hast played the Harlot with many Lovers yet return unto me saith the Lord. As I live saith the Lord God I have no pleasure in the Death of the wicked but that the wicked turn from his way and live Turn ye turn ye from your evil ways for why will ye dye Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts and let him return unto the Lord and he will have mercy on him and to our God for he will abundantly pardon When thus a Man hath his Heart relenting it is kindly When the thoughts of God's Goodness of his gracious Nature and his gracious Offers cause a Man to loath himself to be ashamed of his own baseness and vileness in offending so gracious a God this is godly Sorrow Indeed it is an hopeful Sign when the Heart is melting under common Mercies A Stone-wall will seem to weep in moist weather So the Hearts of many that are as hard as Stone will seem to give again under Judgments But David was brought to Repentance by Nathan's recounting God's favours vouchsafed to him and not only his denouncing judgment 2 Sam. 12.7 8 with v. 13. And so some paraphrase upon Psal 51.4 Against thee thee only have I sinned Against thee who hast done so much for me against thee who hast so raised me so oft delivered me O I have ill requited thee The common Goodness of God his Patience and
freed from but there is some special Sin or other that they are wedded unto and in league with and this they seek to hide palliate and excuse all they can whether it be Pride or Sensuality Voluptuousness or Covetousness c. that that is a Mans special beloved Sin a natural Man is for cloaking that Sin and cannot endure to hear his Herodias spoken against he studies Evasions and Distinctions to defend that Sin and to put off Convictions Thus the natural Man and Hypocrite will beat about the Bush I remember Mr. Hooker compares the Confessions of such to the Cries of the Lapwing As the Lapwing will cry and flutter and make most ado when furthest from her Nest or from her Young So such whose Hearts are unsound whatever Sins they take notice of yet they use to keep aloof off from their special Sins But the Doves of the Valleys they mourn every one for his Iniquity Ezek. 7.16 And this is a good Sign when a Mans sowrest looks are on his Dalilah his darling-Sin 3. Godly Sorrow is not only moved for open miscarriages which others may take notice of but is also stirred and working upon secret Sins As Judah said Gen. 38.23 Let her take it to her lest we be shamed Many would blush to have their Sins discovered who are not troubled while they can keep them close under-board If they have been guilty of lying and are found out or guilty of some theft or wrong done to their Neighbour and it is brought to light then they are vexed and disquieted The Thief is ashamed when he is taken But might they have gone on in Sin undiscovered it would not have troubled them That cannot be Godly Sorrow where there is no respect unto God And there is no respect unto God where secret Sins are not a Burden God sees in secret He sets our secret Sins in the light of his Countenance And so if we have godly Sorrow we shall take notice of cast a sorrowful Eye even on our secret Sins As it is more that God knoweth and is displeased at them than if they were known to all the World 4. Godly Sorrow is stirred in a sense of spiritual Impurities and not only moved at some gross Immorality Natural Conscience may fly in a Mans face for grosse Sins though secretly and closely committed Sins that defile the Hands that defile the Body stare a Man in the Face and he cannot so easily look off from them The filthiness of the Flesh disquiets the Conscience of many a natural Man while he is not sensible of the filthiness of his Spirit he quite overlooks other Sins seated within that defile the Heart and Soul But a gracious Soul is burdened with Unbelief spiritual Pride Hypocrisy with the inward Distempers of his Spirit yea many times he observes and is humbled for the first risings of Corruption first Motions to Sin 5. Godly Sorrow is moved as upon a sense of the prevalence and stirring of Corruption so upon a sense of the Souls being so wanting and weak in Grace A natural Man will complain when his Conscience is like a raging Sea for want of Peace while he complains not that his Heart is like a dead Sea he is not troubled for the want of Grace He could pray with the Psalmist Psal 51.9 Hide thy face from my Sins but not go on with the Psalmist ver 10. Create in me a clean Heart O God and renew a right Spirit within me Or if he prayeth for a clean Heart an holy Heart it is without Heart Confes lib. 8. â—7 As Austin confesseth he did when a young Man Da mihi Castitatem Continentiam sed noli modo timebam enim ne me cito exaudires cito sanares à morbo concupiscentiae quam malebam expleri quam extingui The natural Man loves Sin and therefore while such cannot truly desire Grace nor mourn for the want of Grace But the gracious Soul is weary of Sin Sin is its greatest Burden He sees a beauty in Grace and Holiness is taken with it and is ashamed to see himself so short here Like him that cried out with tears Lord I believe help thou mine Vnbelief He desires indeed to love God and is ashamed that he loveth God no more He would prize Jesus Christ and is grieved that he prizeth Christ no higher He is grieved for Sin and this further is his trouble that he can grieve no more He follows after Holiness and mourns to think that his Heart and Life are no more holy 6. A gracious Soul is humbled for the Iniquities of his holy Things When others are highly conceited of their formal heartless Services he sees cause to be ashamed of his best Performances is troubled for sinful defects in his best Duties As the Church confesseth Our Righteousnesses are as filthy Rags As Nehemiah when he had shewn great Zeal for God and his Service yet prayed Neh. 13.22 Remember me O my God concerning this and spare me according to the greatness of thy mercy Others rest in the Work done when they do Duties they care not how indeed take God's Name in vain yet they think they thereby make God their Debtor Like those Isa 58.3 who said Wherefore have we fasted and thou seest not wherefore have we afflicted our Souls and thou takest no knowledg As if the Lord did them wrong if he did not take notice of them and reward them A gracious Soul sees need of much Incense as Rev. 8.3 to perfume the best Prayers and Services that ever he presenteth unto God And it is God's free-grace that these are accepted as well that his Transgressions and Sins are pardoned Yea such a Soul is more troubled and afflicted in Spirit that he prayeth so weakly with so little Faith and Fervency than others are for not praying for their many sad and sinful Omissions of the Duty He is more troubled for hearing no better with no more reverence and trembling at the Word than others for their often turning away their Ear from the Word 7. A gracious Heart is ordinarily touched with a sense of the least Sins Others may be troubled for great Enormities but such a Soul would not make light of the least Infirmities Indeed no Sin is to be called or accounted little positively and absolutely but only comparatively There is not the least Sin but deserveth Death and can that be a small matter that deserveth Death Yet some Sins are more hainous deserving a greater Condemnation and a sorer Punishment But it is with a tender Heart as it is with the Eye that tender part a small Mote in the Eye offends it and makes it run over So not only gross Sins but lesser Miscarriages will grate sore on a tender Heart It is oft smitten for vain thoughts idle words inordinacy in following lawful Employments a little Excess in the use of Creature-Comforts or outward Recreations such things as others account venial Matters yea think it a foolish
erando contra se indulgentiae ostium clauserit Fulgent Epist 7. Despair is quite overmuch a dreadful extreme When Souls are taken off from those general Grounds of Hope scil God's abundant Goodness and Mercy the Fulness and All-sufficiency of Christ's Satisfaction and Merits the Freeness of the Offer of Grace to all that will accept it what can be expected but that such should be overwhelmed and swallowed up of Sorrow As a Man falling into a deep River perisheth if he let go and lose his hold A despairing Sorrow is an Extreme opposite to godly Sorrow True Humiliation for Sin as against God is a giving glory to God but Despair of ever finding mercy though we should seek to him this is a great dishonour to God a denial of his Goodness Grace and Truth as it is also a great dishonour unto Christ a denial of his Willingness or of his Ability and All-sufficiency to save all that come unto God by him 6. When Sorrow is more than Nature can bear hazarding Health and Life or clouding Reason crazing the Brain This is plain over-doing Thus indeed one should become unfit for the right discharge of this or any other Duty yea become a stumbling-Block in others way and prejudice many against serious Godliness as if it tended to Melancholy or Distraction Thus far of Sorrow for Sin I might also have laid down the Concomitants of godly Sorrow by which it may be known but because I would not over-burden the Reader and I have exceeded the bounds of my first Intentions I shall let them pass Only one I must take notice of because a main essential Part of true Repentance viz. A forsaking of Sin and real Reformation As one says well Mr. B. Christian Directory pag. 317. §. 17. I had rather be that Christian that loaths himself for Sin Nunc autem cùm abundantiùs otiosa verba scurrilia profluant quà m prius lachrymae Bern. de Adventu Dom. Ser 4. resolveth against it and forsaketh it though he cannot weep for it than one of those that can weep to day and sin again to morrow and whose sinful Passions are quickly stirred as well as their better Passions So I come to that other Part of Repentance which is Turning from Sin unto God As in the Testament the Word schubh is commonly used for which the Seventy have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to which the Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is most * In N.T. quinquies in universum occurrit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chamter used in the New Testament doth answer as the Latine resipiscere There is more in Repentance than Sorrow for Sin We read 2 Cor. 7.10 Godly Sorrow worketh Repentance 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In Graeco sono poenitentiae nomen non ex delicti confessione Tertul. adv Marcion l. 2. sed ex animi demutatione compositum est So Trouble of Mind without a Change of Mind is not sound Repentance And a real Change of Mind there cannot be but there will also be a Change of Life To repent and turn are again and again joyned in Scripture as Synonyma's or one exegetical of the other Ezek. 18.30 Repent and turn your selves from all your Transgressions so Iniquity shall not be your Ruin Ezek. 14.6 Repent and turn your selves from your Idols Acts 3.19 Repent ye therefore and be converted that your Sins may be blotted out And compare 1 Kin. 8.47 with 2 Chron. 6.37 In the former we read If they shall bethink themselves and repent In the latter thus If they bethink themselves and turn There is no Repenting without Turning This Turning hath two Terms as all Motions and Mutations have A quo ad quem The Term from which a repenting Sinner turneth is Sin It is from dead Works Heb. 6.1 From Idols Ezek. 14.6 From his evil Way Jonah 3.8 From all his Transgressions Ezek. 18.30 Sin is a Turning from God Repentance is a Turning from Sin to God again Jer. 8.6 No Man repented him of his Wickedness How did that appear thus Every one turned to his Course as the Horse rusheth into the Battel When a Sinner repents he makes a stand asking his Soul What have I done yea he faceth about wherein he hath done Iniquity he would do so no more The Term unto which a repenting Sinner turneth is mediate or ultimate The mediate Term is God's Testimonies Psal 119.59 I thought on my ways and turned my feet unto thy Testimonies It is but an half turn to be turned from the practice of Sin but not to the practice of Holiness The ultimate Term is God Hos 5.4 12.6 Acts 26.20 That they should repent and turn to God This in general But hence it is a plain Case that such Sinners remain impenitent Ubi Emendatio nulla Poenitentia necessario vana Tertul. de Poenitentia who still continue as bad as ever if they do not wax worse and worse more profane and debauch'd As Moses said to that froward People Deut. 9.24 You have been rebellious against the Lord from the day that I knew you How many are there of whom one may say the like They that knew them many years since knew them to be profane Swearers Pot-Companions Scoffers Haters of them that are good Enemies to God and Godliness and they are the same at this day Now without such an extraordinary Spirit of Discerning as the Apostle Peter had one may plainly perceive such to be yet in the Gall of Bitterness and Bond of Iniquity as he said of Simon Magus Acts 8.22 And what will become of such if they repent not of their Wickedness it is easy for any one that looketh into his Bible without a Spirit of Prophecy to soretell You read their Doom Psal 11.6 Vpon the wicked he shall rain Snares Fire and Brimstone and an horrible Tempest this shall be the Portion of their Cup. Psal 68.21 Our God shall wound the Head of his Enemies and the hairy Scalp of such an one as goeth on still in his Trespasses So see 1 Cor. 6.9 10. Rev. 21.8 22.15 But because some are outwardly reformed who are not inwardly renewed or throughly changed let us come to the Question Quest How may a Man know that he truly forsakes Sin and turns from it so as will evidence a sound Repentance Answ 1. When it is from a right Principle As 1. From a right Fear of God from a child-like Fear of offending and not a meer slavish Fear of suffering Prov. 3.7 Fear the Lord and depart from evil Prov. 16.6 By the Fear of the Lord men depart from evil As we read of Job he was one that feared God and eschewed Evil Job 1.1 And Nehemiah Neh. 5.15 So did not I because of the fear of God Are we careful to eschew Sin with respect unto God and not only to Men or to our selves Indeed there is a lawful and good use to be made of Divine Threatnings to restrain us from Sin they are
not the Love of God in them Alas shall not such be judged out of their own Mouths Even these to whom our Saviour here speaketh were the People of God in Profession and would have spoken him as fair as we can do With their Mouths they shewed him much Love whereas it was not found in their Hearts As he that knew what was in Man and whose Judgment is ever according to Truth pronounceth of them But I know you that ye have not the Love of God in you And when you have the Notes of true Love to God plainly laid down then you may know and judg whether the Love of God be in you or no. To be loved of God is the Creature 's highest Felicity and to love God is its highest Duty yea it is the Sum and Abridgment of the whole Duty of Man The Love of God is as the Heart and Soul of Religion It is a necessary Principle of all sound Obedience And the most specious Acts that any Man can possibly perform though one should give all his Goods to feed the poor or give his Body to be burned are not acceptable unto God without it It is the Rule and Measure as it were of other Graces Charitas est virtus virtutum reliquae virtutes sine charitate Figuram habere possunt Veritatem habere non possunt Lud. Carthus in Psal 47.12 Sorrow for Sin is not kindly if it proceed not from the Love of God and tend not to promote our walking with him in holy Love No tears are desirable as * Mr. Baxt. Christian Directory p. 147. §. 21. one says but those that tend to clear the Eyes from the filth of Sin that they may see the better the Loveliness of God Absque hoc timor poenam habet honor non habet gratiam Servilis est timor quandiu ab amore non manumittitur qui de amore non venit honor non honor sed adulatio est Bern. in Cant. Serm. 83. And Fear degenerates when it is not joyned with Love when it begets hard and black thoughts of God when it drives not the Soul to God but rather from him All Grace in the kindly exercise thereof tends to cherish and increase this of Love The Love of God is as the Queen Regent on whom the whole Train of other Graces must attend whom they must serve Faith and Hope are eminent Graces yet the Apostle gives the preheminence to Charity or Love 1 Cor. 13.13 Now abideth Faith Hope Charity 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Love but the greatest of these is Charity Where some Copies instead of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the greatest of all is Charity And Charity first and most properly agrees to that Love we ow to God who ought to be summè charus dear to us above all other The account that is commonly given why Love hath the preheminence of Faith and Hope is because of its everlasting duration Faith and Hope abide here but Love abideth in Heaven where Faith is swallowed up in Vision and Hope in Fruition And yet note further that it is not simply for its duration that it excelleth but because of its excelling Nature it is to endure The moral Image of God true Holiness eminently consists in Love And Faith and Hope though necessary Graces here while we are in statu viatorum yet they cannot properly be exercised by those who are Comprehensores in the actual enjoyment of full and compleat happiness whereas Love is not only necessary in the way to Happiness but in the full fruition of it Yea it is a main part of our happiness And without perfect Love we could not be perfectly happy There is no perfect enjoying of God without perfect Love to him and perfect delight in him And as Christ as Mediator is the principal means of bringing us to God so Faith is a means to beget and increase the Love of God in us True Faith worketh this way And this is the end and principal scope of the Commandment 1 Tim. 1.5 Whereby it sufficiently appeareth that it is a matter of so great concern that every one ought seriously and strictly to inquire whether he hath the love of God in him or no Now the Love of God in short is an intense willing of God More plainly it is the disposition or motion of the Will the rational appetite renewed and rectified by the Holy Spirit whereby the Soul cleaveth to God is united to him and fixed on him as the chiefest Good Or thus It is a being well pleased with God above all things in the World with a desire to please him in all things The most proper principal and formal act of Love is a complacency or wel-pleasedness with the Object loved So the Love of God if it be right is the highest complacency of the Soul a being most taken with God as the most transcendent as an Universal and Infinite Good And hence though the Love of God and the Love of Christ be inseparable yet they must be distinguished The Love of Christ as Mediator is the Love of the principal means to our ultimate end as he is the new and living way by whom we must come to God but Love is terminated upon God as our very ultimate end that we look no further Now to the Question How we may know whether we have the Love of God in us or no Answ 1. Sound Love to God is founded in a sound Knowledg of God Ignoti nulla cupido There may be some knowledg of God where there is no true Love to him but there cannot be Love to God where there is no knowledg of him But the eyes of the understanding being truly enlightened with the knowledg of God by this means the heart comes to be affected Ex aspectu nascitur amor We read Psal 9.10 They that know thy Name will put their trust in thee So they that know his Name aright will set their love on him And therefore Psal 91.14 Because he hath set his love upon me and because he hath known my Name are used promiscuously And so the Apostle praveth Phil. 1.9 that their love may abound in knowledg As the Saints the more they know God the more they love him As in Heaven where they have the clearest sight of Gods excellencies and fullest manifestation of his Love there they have perfect Love to him are as full of love to God as their Souls can hold The Love of God is founded in Knowledg And there is especially a knowledg of these two things viz. of his Love to Man and of his loveliness that makes the soul in love with him How great is his Goodness and how great is his Beauty to enamour us 1. There is a knowledg of the Love of God especially of his Love in Christ A knowledg of God in Christ and so a love to God in Christ As we read of love in Christ Jesus 2 Tim.
with grief and horrour to see sinners posting on in the broad way to Hell and Destruction As the Psalmist 119.53 Horrour hath taken hold upon me because of the wicked that forsake thy Law Then it would greatly rejoyce our hearts might we be a means of stopping any such in their desperate career a means of converting any Sinner from the errour of his way and consequently of saving a soul from death Now what should they think of themselves who are wholly unconcerned I mean carry as not at all concerned how it goes with the Souls of others Such as would say with Cain Am I my Brothers keeper Such as make no conscience at all of but grosly neglect that plain and necessary duty of reproving Sinners though they have never so loud a call and never so fair opportunity Are not they said to hate their Brother in their heart that will not rebuke but suffer Sin upon him So what enemies are they to Souls that are enemies to the Gospel and the faithful preaching of it 1 Thess 2.15 16. True love wisheth the best good to Men and so the means of it without which it is not ordinarily obtained But though sound love respecteth the Souls of Men and their spiritual welfare chiefly yet not only So Are we far from envying others prosperity Charity envieth not 1 Cor. 13.4 Are we grieved for others calamities As the Psalmist 35.13 14. Is it our desire not to be wanting in any Office of love to others Ubicunque homo est ibi beneficeo locus est Sen. would we do good to all as we have opportunity Are we for helping and shewing mercy to any in misery so far as we are in a capacity Do we not know how to hide our selves from our own flesh Yea do we not only deal our bread to the hungry but draw out our Souls our Bowels to them And are we for setting aside all base self-respect in the love we bear and the good we do to others Are we willing to do good to such as either will not or cannot recompence us Do we not some way aim at our own ends advantage praise c. Charity seeketh not her own To love another but for and with respect to our selves is not properly to love another but only to love our selves But if we can find our hearts going out in love and good-will towards all Men though we cannot expect so much as thanks from one of many this is very comfortable But here you may ask Quest 1. Should we not with the Psalmist 139.21 22. hate the wicked How than are we to love all Men Answ As we are to loath and abhor our selves so far as we are sinful and yet notwithstanding we must love our selves so we are both to love and hate the wicked As God hath a love to them as his Creatures and many ways is doing good to them whom yet he hates as they are wicked So must we In hating a sinner we must neither hate his nature for his sin as one notes nor his sin for the Man but hate Sin as sin Dr. Burgess Chain of Graces p. 239. and love the Man considered as a Man There is a Physical or natural goodness which is found in wicked Men as they are Men which includes in it a capableness of moral goodness for which they are so far to be esteemed and loved And while the wicked are in a possibility of being reclaimed from their wickedness we must pity pray for and heartily wish well unto them and indeavour to promote their Conversion and Salvation as it may lye in our way to contribute thereunto Quest 2. Is it not sometimes lawful to imprecate God's Vengeance on the wicked Answ This is not to be done ordinarily First of all Supplications Prayers Intercessions must be made for all Men 1 Tim. 2.1 Contrary to the custom of the Jews as Dr. Lightfoot notes who use to curse the Heathen and pray for none but themselves and those of their own Nation and Religion In praying for all we should pray for the wicked that God would restrain convince and convert them if it be his will If we pray that God's hand may find out his enemies his right hand those that hate him it must be conditionally that is If they be incurable incorrigible implacable obstinate in their malice against God his Church and Interest Before we pray absolutely against any particular Persons we should look well to our warrant Charity hopeth all things 1 Cor. 13.7 while we cannot certainly know or pronounce such without all hope of mercy we should not dare in our prayers to devote them to Justice What some holy Men have done here as David c. seems to be extraordinarily Spiritu praevidentis non voto optantis from a spirit of Prophesie rather than from the spirit of Supplication Unless we had their spirit we have not their warrant to pray directly against any Mens persons Quest 3. May not the righteous sometimes rejoyce seeing Gods Vengeance on the wicked as Psal 58.10 Answ As God is glorified by the Judgment which he executeth and as it may tend to promote his Interest and the good and safety of his Church and People so they may rejoyce at the cutting off and fall of wicked and mischievous Instruments but may not rejoyce meerly in their destruction Not as it makes against them but as it makes for Gods Glory and the good of others Qu. 4. Is it not lawful to desire that Justice may be done on notorious offenders Now is this to love them to will their punishment Answ We may desire that such may be punished without breach of Charity 1. When it is not from any private grudge but from a love to publick justice and with respect to the glory of God thereby 2. When we have respect to the good of the Community As we owe more love to the publick Society of which we are Members than to particular Members in the Society and much more then to corrupt gangren'd Members that endanger the whole Body When great notorious crimes go unpunished the Community may suffer for it Blood desiles a Land so Whoredom Drunkenness c. And where Men care not to let such sins go unpunished it provokes the Lord to punish for them It is better that the Offenders should suffer punishment than the whole Body should suffer for them Again when great crimes go unpunished more are encouraged to commit them That this is a sparing cruelty There is Credulitas parcens and there is Misericordia puniens Civil Magistrates are ordained of God to be a terror to Evil-doers And it is better that such should suffer than be suffered to go on to corrupt and infect others It is sinful against Charity to will the punishment of another meerly sub ratione mali as evil to him But the punishment of notorious Offenders hath also Rationem boni is good being a means of keeping up justice and order
David 1 Sam. 18.1 And here is no respect of persons but a respect of goodness to love them best who are best But if on the contrary a Man only beareth with Holiness in a lower degree and with such as may be Godly in the main but very remiss too much complying with the manners of the World or perhaps can afford such a good word sometimes saying such are honest sober moderate Men when he would thereby condemn those who are more forward when he utterly dislikes and his heart is rising against those whose hearts are lifted up in the ways of God when he cannot endure such as are more exactly conscientious and more zealous for God when he is barking at them as Hot-spurs Fanaticks and I know not what or if he lash them not with the tongue yet his heart is full of envy against them what can this shew but a graceless spirit And let such a one know that the love of God is not in him If the holiness of a Saint be such an eye-sore to thee for which thou canst not affect him how canst thou love God who is Holiness it self There is none holy as the Lord he is infinitely holy If the light of the Moon offends thee which yet shines not without its spots how canst thou bear the surpassing brightness of the Sun it self And how unmeet art thou for fellowship with the Saints in Heaven with the Spirits of Just Ones made perfect who canst not away with such as have attained to any eminent degree of holiness here The Saints in Heaven are more holy than any of those thou thinkest too strict too precise Perhaps thou wilt say 1. Thou couldst love and honour them if they were as good as they seem but they are Hypocrites they do but make a show Answ And dost thou indeed hate Hypocrisie O then take heed that thou beest not guilty of Hypocrisie in this very plea pretending that thou canst not love them because they are not so good as they seem when in very deed thou couldst like well of them if they were worse than they are Again Though it is true Hypocrites there will be among the Saints here yet take heed that thou dost not censure and condemn those as Hypocrites whom the Lord accepteth and approveth of as sincere and upright Thy hard censures cannot hurt and prejudice them so much as thy self The Devil accused Job to be no better than an Hypocrite As he is called The Accuser of the Brethren Rev. 12.10 That this is a Diabolical Practice And to justifie the Wicked and to condemn the Righteous are both of them an abomination to the Lord. How angry was the Lord with Job's three friends for their rash censures of him and harsh dealing with him The Vpright though they are abhorred of many in the World are God's delight And think of it Shall not the Saints judg the World at last Many that censure and accuse them here shall be judged and condemded by them hereafter Yea their holy lives that the World is so offended at shall condemn the World And thou that abhorrest their strict lives think of it whether with Balaam thou wouldest not desire to dye their Death Or 2. Perhaps thou wilt say They make more ado than needs Answ And wherein Indeed it becomes not a Christian to be a busy-body in other Mens matters He has work enough of his own to mind And let all that fear God have a care to walk so that others may find no occasion against them but in the matters of their God But certainly the Command Mat. 22.37 Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart c. will bear them out in their greatest Zeal and Activity for God So Luke 13.24 strive to enter in at the straight Gate c. And Phil. 2.18 Work out your own Salvation with fear and trembling And 2 Pet. 2.10 Give diligence to make your Calling and Election sure will warrant their most strenuous endeavours to get to Heaven And Ephes 5.15 See that ye walk circumspectly And 1 Thes 5.22 Abstain from all appearance of evil will justify their tenderness of Spirit and fear of Sin And Col. 1.10 Walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing being fruitfull in every good work And 1 Cor. 15.58 Always abounding in the work of the Lord will prove that the best are so far from doing more than needs that they fall very far short of doing what they ought in Religion And therefore as Christ said to his Disciples Mat. 26.10 Why trouble ye the Woman for she hath wrought a good work on me So why do any go about to discourage such as for his Name sake are labouring and taking pains to glorifie God and save their souls Are any offended that they do so much Alas they see great cause to be ashamed that they have done so little that they do no more for God and Jesus Christ for their own and others souls It 's granted we should not be righteous over much as we should take heed of being over wise Eccles 7.16 To be wise above that which is written is Wisdom falsly so called and to be righteous above that which is commanded is but a Pharisaical righteousness That which is beyond the Rule is not true Religion but vain Superstition And works of Supererrogation are works of Superarrogancy But keeping to the Rule none can be over-righteous When it is said there v. 17. Be not over-much wicked surely the meaning is not that we may allow our selves a little here They that would shun all impiety more and less are not to be condemned as over-precise or doing more than needs Or 3. perhaps thou wilt say Thou canst not be quiet for them they will not let thee alone but are still reproving thee Answ And does that offend thee Then as the Psalmist says For my love they are my adversaries thou dost ill requite thy best thy most faithful friends Then it seems thou lovest thine enemies but hatest thy friends And is this well done of thee If they could be satisfied to suffer thee to go on offending and provoking God and wronging thine own Soul which is not love but hatred then thou couldst be better pleased with them If it be thus thou neither lovest the Godly nor thy self aright You may think me very long on this third particular Note That if we love the Godly for God and Godliness-sake then we love them most who are most like God most eminent in Godliness And yet before I pass on to another there is a Question or two that fall in here to be answered Quest 1. Are we to love the Godly more than near Relations if they be not Godly and to love those who are eminent in Godliness above Godly Relations that are not so eminent Answ 1. There is a peculiar love due unto Relations as such which is in part natural and sensitive as irrational Creatures also have a love to their mates and
from them Without doubt the wicked and impenitent are bound to believe God's threatnings denounced against such in his holy Word and so to conclude themselves at present in a miserable state subject to God's wrath and curse and final condemnation that if they die in their present state they are sure to be damned And certainly they that are bound to believe and conclude thus of themselves ought thereupon to be moved with fear Can there be any greater fool-hardiness than this for any to see Hell before them to see themselves ready to drop into that Lake that burneth with fire and brimstone for ever and yet not fear and tremble only indeed such are not to despair to conclude there is no hope There is hope yet upon condition and supposition that if they repent and turn they shall live they shall not die 4. There is a penal Fear not only a fear of punishment but a fear inflicted as a punishment Terror and consternation of mind is threatned as a punishment Lev. 26.16 I also will do this unto you I will even appoint over you terrour And v. 36. and if Men sin sin wilfully after they had received the knowledg of the truth there remains nothing for them but a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation which shall devour the adversaries Heb. 10.27 This penal fear in its full strength and perfection is upon the Devils and the Spirits of disobedient ones in Prison with them They cannot but tremble Jam. 2.19 Horrour hath taken full and fast hold of them which they can no more any ways shake off This is one part of the punishment and misery of the Damned that they can never think of God and of his Wrath without Horrour and while they lie under the fierceness of his Wrath while they feel the weight and heat of it while they are scorching in the flames of his Wrath how is it possible to put off such thoughts 5. There is also a gracious holy filial Fear A Godly Fear and a Fear proper to the Godly Which is not only a fear of God as a Judg but as a Father not only a fear of Punishment but of the Offence a fear proceeding from Love An humble and reverent respect to his Presence Majesty and Excellency a careful shunning of what we know to be displeasing to him not only in regard of his Greatness Power Holiness Justice but also in regard of his Goodness and Mercy Psal 136.4 Hos 3.5 There is a Natural Fear as we have heard but this is a Spiritual Fear A Grace a choice fruit of the Sanctifying Spirit who is therefore called the Spirit of Fear Isa 11.2 There is a Sinful Fear which is forbidden as the Fear of Man c. but this is a great Duty commanded A special means to keep from sin Exod. 20.20 There is a Servile Fear but this is a Fear of Sons not of Slaves it well agrees with the Spirit of Adoption There is a Penal Fear but this is no Punishment but a special Blessing a rare and excellent gift of God As that is a precious Promise Jer. 32.40 I will put my Fear in their hearts Now I shall apply these things to the Text objected in these following Conclusions 1. It is not to be expected that the highest degree of love found in any Saint upon Earth should quite expel and cast out all natural Fear Christ's Love was absolutely perfect yet was he not without a natural fear of Death only that natural passion was in a perfect subjection to his Reason and Will the higher powers of his Soul and these in perfect subjection to the will of God his Father Note it is the work of Grace here not to extirpate natural Passions but to rule and govern them And the Self-denial Faith Love Patience Constancy of the Saints would not be tried by their sufferings if these were things that they had no fear of no natural reluctancy unto 2. So far as the love of God prevails so far carnal fear is expelled And some very learned Men think Quem timorem intelligi praestat nisi negation is auctorem quam dilectionem perfectam adfirmat nisi fugatricem timoris animatricem confessionis Tertull advers Gnostic the Apostle John speaketh of this kind of fear So Grotius and Dr. Hammond As the Fearful that are joyned with the Vnbelieving Rev. 21.8 may well be understood of such as are overpowrâ—d with carnal fear Such as are possessed with that spirit of fear 2 Tim. 1.7 of such a base cowardly timerous spirit that they dare not own the truth and ways of God when any danger may attend it Much might be said for this exposition It cannot well be denied but carnal fear is a tormenting thing But such is the power of holy love that it will raise the Soul ordinarily above such fear It will endue a Christian with a spirit of fortitude to bear the greatest torments Men can inflict as was seen in the Martyrs But as love in the Saints is not absolutely perfect here so neither are they wholly freed here from carnal fear nor are they wholly under the power of it It riseth sometimes and puts them into great disorder and confusion for a time but it is quelled and suppressed again 3. As the love of God gets ground in the heart servile fear is giving place The more vigorous and lively our love to God is the clearer evidence we have of his love to us that ordinarily we shall be more freed from that tormenting fear of being under his wrath And while we act from love it is certain we are not only or chiefly irrepelled by fear If love to God and his service be the chief moving principle then fear of punishment is not the chief And further the more we love God the more unwilling we shall be to entertain hard and black thoughts of him The more we love him the more lovely he appears to us And while our hearts are united and cleave to him in love we are secured from that fear which drives Souls from him 4. A true filial Fear of God is so far from being contrary to that it is a good evidence of love to God As on the contrary if we do not stand in awe of him if we care not to offend and displease him it is an argument that we do not love him True love to God will make us tender of his Honour and most sollicitous to keep in his Favour Res est solliciti plena timoris amor Thus if we have the Love of God in us we shall fear and shun what we know to be displeasing and a dishonour to him And when we fear sin more than punishment it argues that we love God above our selves that his Honour is dearer to us than our own ease or interest Yet all fear of punishment is not contrary to the love of God nor will prove one of a slavish spirit A Child of God is
Judgment Thus God is oft terrible in his doings towards the Children of Men Psal 66.3 5. Moses was afraid of the hot displeasure wherewith the Lord was wroth against the children of Israel Deut. 9.19 And when Vzzah was smitten David was afraid of the Lord that day 2 Sam. 6.9 If the righteous are said not to fear at such times as Job 5.21 22. we must understand with such a miserable distracting fear as is wont to possess the hearts of sinners They are not so surrounded with fear like Pashur called Magor-missabib Jer. 20.3 Their fear is not overwhelming or such as is opposite to all Faith Hope and joy in the Lord or such as puts them quite besides their duty at such times Yet they may not be stupid sensless but ought to fear with such a fear as is opposite to security as may quicken unto Duty Pro. 14.16 A wise Man feareth and departeth from evil Pro. 22.3 He foreseeth the evil and hideth himself Yea not only God's Judgments but his Works of Mercy should teach us to fear him So much is implied Jer. 5.24 As they should have said in their heart Let us now fear the Lord our God that giveth Rain both the former and the latter rain in his season he reserveth unto us the appointed weeks of the Harvest And while temporal Mercies should have this effect to engage us to fear him much more should spiritual Mercies and his Grace in Christ That there is forgiveness with him Again the Word of God teacheth his Fear As Faith comes by the Word of God which is therefore fitly called The word of Faith so a Godly fear As the Word is called by that name It is called the fear of the Lord Psal 19.9 It teacheth his fear it is a special means to work his fear in us it is the Rule to guide and order our fear of him And that is a superstitious fear a spurious fear not a true genuine fear of God which is not agreeable to his Word Isa 29.13 Therefore such as regard not the Word but count it as a strange thing are strangers to the Fear of God As it shews we fear not God as we ought if we slight and contemn his Works so if we slight and disregard his Word It is by the knowledg of God his Attributes c. as revealed in his Word and Works that Men come to fear him 2. The true Fear of God also springs from an high and holy admiration of him and from love to him Every Child of God admires loves and fears together And because he loves God he fears to displease him And his fear is from high thoughts of God not from hard thoughts of him Many have a fear of God that do not reverence him Their fear is not from any high esteem of him The wicked fear and hate His terrours make them afraid as it is Job 18.11 but they are not taken with his Excellency The Devils have such a fear They tremble at his Wrath yet are full of rage and spite against him That fear which is from hard thoughts of God looking on him as an enemy is not a right fear 2. The true Fear of God may be known by the freeness and pleasingness of it When it is not a forced thing When the will is to fear him A fear of God falleth upon some even as an heavy pressure which they would be rid of would cast off if they knew how It surprizeth takes hold of them as a Bailiff or Officer takes hold on a Debtor or Malefactor Isa 33.14 which they would shake off but cannot But they do not chuse the Fear of the Lord Prov. 1.29 whereas they that truly fear God are devoted to his Fear as we read that Psa 119.38 They desire to fear his Name As Neh. 1.11 thy Servants who desire to fear thy Name God's Servants do fear and desire more and more to fear his Name They would not banish but endeavour to cherish and increase the fear of God in their hearts That fear which is a torment which is counted a punishment which Men would expel is not of the right kind True Fear is not an oppression of spirit but rather elevates the Spirit it raiseth the Soul in admiration does not sink it in dejection As we may allude to that expression Isa 60.5 Thine heart shall fear and be inlarged The true Fear of God will enlarge the heart more towards God It will cause it to flow over The Grace of Fear does not contract but enlarge the heart Naturalists observe that the most fearful creatures have the largest hearts And the more we fear God aright the more our hearts will be enlarged towards him 3. The true Fear of God may be known by the degree and measure or intention of it When we fear God above all He is greatly to be feared 1 Chr. 16.25 Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised he also is to be feared above all Gods To be feared above all Creatures Isa 51.12 13. Who art thou that thou shouldest be afraid of a Man that shall die and of the Son of Man which shall be made as the Grass And forgettest the Lord thy Maker and hast feared continually every day because of the fury of the oppressor see again Mat. 10.28 Obediah feared the Lord greatly 1 Kin. 18.3 As Fear is part of the worship which is required in the first Commandment God is so to be feared as we are not to fear any other If we fear any other person or thing above him or like and equally to him then we set up other Gods besides him What we fear most that is our God Now how is it with us Does the fear of God rule in our hearts Does it ordinarily prevail over carnal fear when the Lord threatneth on one hand and Men threaten on the other which of these do we ordinarily most regard Are we more afraid of God's displeasure of his frowns than of the wrath of Man than of the frowns of the World when it comes to a pinch at any time that we must either suffer for sin if we chuse to sin that is to incur God's displeasure rather than suffer rather than bear Man's displeasure is not this to fear Man more than God In this case may not the Lord say of us as Isa 57.11 Of whom hast thou been afraid or feared that thou hast lied and hast not remembred me So when Children or Servants make nothing of the sin of lying to hide any fault and by this means to prevent their Parents or Masters displeasure does it not shew that they forget God that they do not fear him The true fear of God would check carnal fear Though carnal fear be not totally expelled here yet the grace of fear will keep it under I grant that a Child of God may be foiled and worsted on a suddain and for a time by carnal fear As Peter was once and again Mat. 26.69 c. Gal. 2.12
others God's Fear and to promote it in others As Abraham that feared God would teach his Children and his Houshold after him to keep the way of the Lord. As the Psalmist Psal 34.11 Come ye Children hearken unto me I will teach you the Fear of the Lord. As he took up his fellow Luk. 23.40 Dost not thou fear God So if we have the Fear of God we shall desire to establish and confirm others in his Fear Mal. 3.16 Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another They thought on God's Name still and would be speaking for God and his ways even then when the mouth of Blasphemy was most open against him They would be confirming one another in the belief of God's Providence Justice Goodness Truth and Faithfulness how much soever wicked Atheists disputed and denied them Thus they that are acquainted with the true Fear of God are real Friends to it would promote it in others what they can 10. If we have the Fear of God we are for making progress in Holiness The true Fear of God as it opposeth all Sin it will be quickning unto and in every Duty and will befriend every Grace And that is right indeed when we are perfecting Holiness in the Fear of God 2 Cor. 7.1 though here it be not fully perfected So much of the Effects of God's Fear 5. True Fear may be known by the Concomitants of it by its Companions Though I shall but touch on a few of these very briefly 1. When Fear and Faith go together that 's right As we read of Noah's Faith and Fear Heb. 11.7 Psal 15.11 Ye that fear the Lord trust in the Lord. Psal 33.18 Behold the eyes of the Lord are on them that fear him upon them that hope in his Mercy And the Lord takes pleasure in such Psal 147.11 That is not a right Fear which is the Van-guard of Horrour and Despair A fear of Diffidence is no blessed thing Though it's true some degrees of this may be with true Faith and Fear That of the Psalmist Psal 101.1 I will sing of Mercy and Judgment The Chaldee Paraphrase hath thus If thou dealest mercifully with me if thou dost Judgment with me for all I will sing Praise And so some take it thus I will not presume of thy Mercy so as not to fear thy Judgment nor so fear thy Judgment as to despair of thy Mercy Which I offer but as an Allusion not as the Sense 2. When Fear and Godly Sorrow go together that 's right The true Fear of God is seated in a poor and contrite spirit Isa 66.2 Godly Fear and Godly Sorrow are undivided Companions 2 Cor. 7.11 Behold this self-same thing that ye sorrowed after a godly sort what carefulness it wrought in you yea what fear Which Text seems to make Fear the Daughter of Repentance or Godly Sorrow And like Naomi and Ruth they never part There is a phrase Isa 63.17 Why hast thou hardned our hearts from thy Fear Which implieth so much that an Heart which is hardned is no-way disposed to his Fear So Prov. 28.14 Happy is the Man that feareth alway but he that hardneth his heart shall fall into mischief Where we see he that hardneth his heart is opposed to the Man that feareth with a blessed Fear 3. When Fear and Love go together that 's right When these go hand in hand it is certainly a filial fear But no doubt that is a sinful fear which drives souls from God which is contrary to the Love of God O dread such Fear 4. How comfortable is it when Fear and Joy in the Lord go together Though I must confess all that fear God cannot find this Joy There are that fear the Lord and that yet walk in darkness Isa 50.10 But as the most High is to be feared we should rejoice in his Highness too As those good Women who came to seek Jesus departed from the Sepulchre with fear and great joy Mat. 28.8 It is an happy thing indeed when our fear of the Lord is joyned with spiritual delight in him and his service Psal 2.11 Serve the Lord with fear and rejoice with trembling So let us labour to be like those Act. 9.31 that walked in the Fear of the Lord and in the Comfort of the Holy Ghost Of Humility 1 PET. 5.5 And be clothed with Humility for God resisteth the Proud and giveth Grace to the Humble HUmility is a Christian's Livery This Clothing every Christian must put on and wear must never put off Without this our great Lord and Master will not know us will not own us for his He beholds the proud a far off Humility is as the ground-work both of Grace and Happiness Mat. 5.3 Blessed are the poor in spirit that is the humble in spirit It is the first of the Beatitudes laid as the foundation of the rest As it is from poverty and humility in spirit that we are put upon spiritual mourning It is this that causeth a spiritual hungring It is this that meekeneth and softeneth the heart towards others that makes peaceable and makes patient under Sufferings This is a preservative of holiness and purity Pride is supposed to be the special sin that cast the Angels out of Heaven That text 1 Tim. 3.6 seems to hint so much that * Fugite superbiam fratres mei quaeso mul tum fugite Initium omnis peccati Superbia quae tam velociter ipsum quoque Syderibus cunctis clarius micantem aeternâ caligine obtnebravit Luciferum I quae non modo Angelum sed Angelcrum primum in Diabolum commutavit Bern. de Adv. Dom. Serm. 1. Pride was the condemnation of the Devil the cause of his condemnation And Pride was evident in Man's first defection from God Man fell by his Pride affecting to be as God And certainly Humility is necessary to his recovery As God created the World of nothing when he createth us again he brings us to a sense of our own emptiness and nothingness Humility is both a Grace and a Vessel a receptacle of Grace God gives more Grace to the Humble It is a good expression one has Humility emptieth the heart for God to fill it Humility is a Nursekeeper of other Graces Radix omnium malorum superbia custos omnium virtutum hamilitas est When I am weak then am I strong says the Apostle And a Christian's strength lieth very much in an humble sense of his own weakness Humility is a great preservative from Temptation Such as lie low are safest most out of the way of Satan's Gun-shot But Souls that are lifted up stand as a fair mark for him Humility is the way to Glory Chilo asking Aesop what God was doing he answered That he does humble the Lofty 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Laert. in Chilo l. 1. p. 47. abase them and exalt the humble He brings down high things and sets up low things Luk. 14.11 He that humbleth himself shal be exalted But
is said of the proud Prince of Tyrus Ezek. 28.6 he makes a God of himself who makes self his end who aims at his own praise in what he does It is one of God's incommunicable Attributes to act for his own Glory Though it be not incommunicable in that sense as other Attributes are as Omnipotency Omnipresence Omniscience c. which are no way compatible to a Creature It is not a thing impossible for a Creature to act for its own glory yet it is utterly unlawful plainly crossing and contradicting the end for which God made it He made all things for himself and made Man a reasonable Creature capable of knowing God his dependance on and obligations to his Maker that he should actually design and aim at God's Glory Now when a Man acteth for his own Glory he sets up a wrong end directly contrary to the end for which he was made and in his Pride lifts up himself against God And how intollerable is that They that seek honour from Men that do all to be seen of Men that they may have glory from Men with the Pharisees certainly they are far from true Humility Pride yet reigneth in them Take notice how your Pulse beats here Proud spirits are for all the applause and honour they can get They would be extolled and cryed up of every one They think others wrong them if they do not praise and flatter them Whereas the Humble are afraid of undue praise from Men. He dares not allow of any praises given him that would in the least eclipse or diminish the Praise and Glory of God He is not pleased tickled but rather disquieted set a trembling when he hears himself commended he fears a snare in it He would not that Pride should have any such advantage and opportunity to lift up its head A good Man layes this down as a singular act of Humility Mr. White Power of Godliness p. 53. to be troubled at all undue Praises as much as others are at unjust Slanders And happy is that soul that can find it in it self This would shew an high degree of Humility But this is no sign of Humility to be over-fond or greedy of Mans praise An habitual excessive regard to Mans approbation or habitual excessive desire of Mans applause is a plain evidence of prevailing Pride 9. Humility would make us willing and very well content to lie low in the thoughts and esteem of others It would teach one how to pass through honour and dishonour through good report and evil report The Humble will not be much moved with Mens revilings as they are not puffed up with the breath of applause Let the Winds be never so high and blow which way they will they have little force on one that lieth flat on the ground And one that lieth low in his own thoughts will bear it very well if he perceives that others have low thoughts of him One that truly abhors him self will not think much to be despised and contemned of others But when a Man will speak contemptibly of himself of his gifts and performances and yet think himself wronged if others do not praise him somuch the more when a Man would take it ill that others should think and speak as meanly of him as he will speak of him self how ever he makes a fair shew of Humility puts on a cloak of Humility yet he has a false and proud spirit within 10. Humility will make a Man content in and with his station It is contrary to a course of ambitious aspiring thoughts projects and attempts Psal 131.1 Lord my heart is not haughty nor mine eyes lofty neither do I exercise my self in great matters or in things too high for me Pride is the grand Vsurper This puts Men upon invading those Offices and Employments which belong not to them which they are no way fit for Proud Spirits being so conceited of their own abilities and deserts think that they are the Men who should be chosen into Offices and that none are so fit to be trusted or employed as they As Absolom 2 Sam. 15.4 O that I were made Judg in the Land that every Man which hath any Suit or Cause might come unto me and I would do him Justice He thought he could have ruled better than his Father The Humble rather complain of unfitness for the Work to which they are called As Moses said Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh Exod. 3.11 O my Lord I am not Eloquent chap. 4.10 And Jeremiah Ah Lord God behold I cannot speak for I am a Child They that are lowly minded are willing to be placed in a lower sphere I'ts true if the Lord be pleased to exalt them they may not withstand him and his call But they are not for exalting themselves Humility is so contrary to Ambition that it teacheth submission submission to the meanest and lowest works one is called to It teacheth to condescend to Men of low estate Rom. 12.16 It is for stooping to the meanest Offices of love as Christ taught his Disciples Joh. 13. As Abigail said I am not worthy to wash the feet of the Servants of my Lord. Servants that are proud cannot bring their minds to the lowest work but would have others under them to be their drudges Humble minds are willing to take their work before them would buckle to the meanest services that their Lord and Master sets them on 11. Humility will teach Moderation and keep the heart in an even frame in various conditions The Humble are not so lifted up as others in prosperity They can be advanced in the World and yet not lifted up in themselves but lowly in spirit They are not so apt to sink in Adversity or when abased in the World As Ships that carry a low Sail are in less danger of being over-set with violent gusts of Wind. Here is a Mystery a Riddle a Paradox to lie low in our own thoughts is a good way to prevent dejection being cast down too much in our Spirits So 12. Humlity will teach Patience in Affliction The truly humble from the sense they have of their sinfulness and unworthiness are oft wondering that they should enjoy any Mercy and that they are no more afflicted They wonder that they are not afflicted only and oppressed alway They cannot but confess with Ezra that God punisheth less than their iniquities deserve Ezr. 9.13 The proud are full of fret and sullen under crosses as if they were hardly dealt with As we read of Cain Gen. 4.5 his Countenance fell When God layes his afflicting hand on them their Countenances fall And 't is from the height of their spirits that they cannot bear across There is a casting down as Dr. Souls confl p. 42. Sibs sayes which is not from Humility but Pride when we must have our Wills or God shall not have a good look from us Many whose hearts are ready to break under their outward Crosses when if they were
Light it argues unsoundness But he that doth truth cometh to the Light Joh. 3.20 21. To do Truth and to walk in Truth is as much as to walk with an upright heart 2 King 20.3 And such as are for walking in Truth are for coming to the Light for knowing the Truth the Will and Word of God the rule they are to walk by Mic. 2.7 Do not my Words do good to him that walks Vprightly Annon placebunt verba mea as some Will not my words please him Yea indeed it will do much good it will please them well to hear from God to know more of his mind He that hath ears to hear let him hear We have that expression often All have not ears to hear as the Upright have But where the Lord has a mouth to speak the upright Man has an ear to hear He will say still Speak Lord thy Servant heareth The Upright heart is that good and honest heart Luk. 8.15 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ad verbum pulchro bono quod non modo bonum videri sed esse studet Brugens in Pol. Synops which is both ready to receive and careful to keep the Word The Sincere Milk of the Word will readily down and agree well with Sincere hearts Upright words words of truth will be very acceptable Eccl. 12.10 to true upright hearts False deceitful and unsound hearts are willingly ignorant and willing to be deceived in many points But a plain honest heart would pray as the Psalmist Psal 119.29 Remove from me the way of lying and grant me thy Law graciously And as it is in Job what I see not teach thou me When such come to the Word they can say with Cornelius Act. 10.33 Now are we here present before God to hear all things that are commanded thee of God They would entertain every Divine Truth welcom every Word of God They would chuse the way of truth when discovered how cross soever to their worldly interests or to their former apprehensions and opinions As Psal 119.30 I have chosen the way of Truth And v. 162. I rejoyce at thy Word as one that findeth great Spoil As the Truth and Will of God was further revealed to him he was very much joyed as one that had got a rich prize And thus an Vpright heart and a corrupt mind will not dwell together That the Upright Man has a will and desire to know the whole Counsel of God so far as is his concern and duty this is a special preservative from undoing errors and mistakes in Religion Psal 37.31 The Law of his God is in his heart none of his steps shall slide Pro. 11.3 The Integrity of the Upright shall guide them And v. 5. The Righteousness of the Perfect shall direct his way Pro. 13.6 Righteousness keepeth him that is upright in the way Prov. 21.29 As for the upright he directeth his way If he has been drawn into error into by paths he does not harden his face as resolved to persist in his course but looks about him considers and so comes to understand his errour and to see the right way which his heart is for walking in 3. The Upright Man is willing to be searched is for self-searching Truth seeks no corners though it may sometimes be driven into corners Such as deal with deceitful Wares will keep their Shops dark or use false-lights but if you mean honestly and your Commodities be right you are not unwilling to bring them into the light And he that will neither deceive others nor be deceived himself certainly that Man is not in a way of studied Hypocrisie See how the Man after God's heart prayeth Psal 139.23 24. Search me O God and know my heart try me and know my thoughts And see if there be any wicked way in me The meaning may be that he would have God to discover him more fully to himself as well as clear up his integrity to others God's searching and trying Men is not for his own information but to make them known to themselves or others The Psalmist was so willing to have his heart searched that he prayes earnestly for it Search me O God and try me c. And this is an hopeful sign of Sincerity if thou art for strict and serious Self-examination and much in it As a godly Minister told me a little before his death That it was some stay to him then that he had loved uses of Examination that it was very pleasing to him to read or hear that part of the Application of the Word soundly prosecuted Hypocrites are for enquiring into others for a narrow observing and censuring of others rather than for searching and examining themselves Hypocrites use to be quick-sighted abroad but have no mind to look home love to be great strangers at home As decayed Tradesmen broken Chapmen have no delight to look into their Books of Accounts so Hypocrites those deceitful Chapmen care not for looking into the Books of their own Consciences 4. A sound upright Heart will approve of sound and wholesome admonition and reproof To take reproof well as it is a sign of an humble Self-denying spirit so of an upright heart And one that desires to walk uprightly will be glad to be told of it when he has stepped awry or turned out of the way Let the Righteous smite him it shall be a kindness Psal 141.5 If sound and wholsome Admonition will not down with us it would shew our hearts unsound An upright heart would not hate him that reproveth would not abhor him that speaketh uprightly They were Lying Children which said to the Prophets Prophesy not unto us right things speak unto us smooth things prophesy Deceits Isa 30.9 10. The upright heart is for right things whilst the unsound heart is more for pleasing Deceits And the Hypocrite can worst of all endure to hear any thing against his beloved Bosom-sin As Herod could not bear it when John told him of his Herodias Mat. 14.3 4 5. 5. The upright Heart is not for hiding Sin but for a plain and hearty confession of it The word translated Perfect mark the perfect Man signifies Plain or Simple Perfect 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Upright The perfect upright Man is a plain Man As Jacob was a plain Man Gen. 25.27 it is the same word He hath not those cunning shifts as others use Simplex sine plicis He cannot fold and wrap up an evil Matter as others will do As Job an upright Man had not the art to keep his Sins close Job 31.33 If I had covered my Transgressions as Adam or after the manner of Men by hiding mine Iniquity in my bosome The plain Heart knows not how to cover Sin The upright Man is one in whose spirit is no guile Psal 32.2 He has no will to dissemble or conceal his Sins or to excuse or extenuate them Some think the Psalmist looks especially to that plainness freeness open-heartedness in Confession whereunto
approach to God Thus his Prayers proceed not from feigned Lips Psal 17.1 So he praiseth God with uprightness of heart Psal 119.7 The Hypocrite thinks it enough to draw nigh to God with his Mouth and to honour him with the Lips Mark 7.6 Well hath Isaiah prophesied of you Hypocrites as it is written This People honoureth me with their Lips but their Heart is far frem me The Hypocrite contents himself with a form of Godliness with meer Bodily Exercise The upright Man is a true Worshipper one that worshippeth God in Spirit and in Truth John 4.23 Phil. 3.3 The upright Man takes not up with any outward Form but laboureth for an inward frame sutable to the Worship he performs 2 Chron. 29.34 The Levites were more upright in heart to sanctifie themselves than the Priests The upright Man looks not only to the matter of Duty but to the manner also how it is to be done 2. The upright Man is not one prest to God's Service but a Volunteer in his Service To serve God with a perfect heart and willing mind go together 1 Chron. 28.9 As we read of the People 1 Chron. 29.9 Then the People rejoyced for that they offered willingly because with a perfect heart they offered willingly As of David ver 17. As for me in the uprightness of my heart I have willingly offered The Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which properly signifies Simplicity is oft used for Freeness or Liberality The simple and sincere heart is a free heart It is free in God's Service and accounts his service perfect Freedom The Hypocrite sets to Duty as a Task and Burden he is glad when a duty is over The upright Man's heart is in these ways Holy Duties that are means of special Communion with God are his best Meal-times Job 23.12 I esteemed the words of his Mouth more than my necessary Food Such would not know how to live without the Word without Prayer c. The World could not hire them to lay Duties aside by all it has to proffer True the upright Man finds not at all times the like chearfulness in God's Service But the spirit is willing when the flesh is weak Or if his Spirit be sometimes straightned 't is his burden when it is so And he prays to be established with a free spirit When he finds any listlessness unto and weariness in God's Service it is a thing he is weary of He has little joy in any thing while he cannot take delight in God and his Wayes 3. The upright Man has a special respect unto God in Duties He looks most at God's Approbation Having a respect to every known Duty and having respect to God in all are great signs of Uprightness To look straight forward Prov. 4.25 the Hypocrite looks asquint He has not a right intention of serving honouring and pleasing God in what he does The Upright looks most at God The Hypocrite looks most at Men. He does all to be seen of Men Mat. 6.5 23.5 The Hypocrite would think all his labour lost if he have not Man's applause or approbation He loves the praise of Men more than the praise of God like those John 12.45 The Upright little regard Man's commendation or censure either As it was a small thing with the Apostle to be judged of Mans judgment but he would account all lost indeed without God's Approbation and Acceptance He would not that his praise should be of Men but of God He more dreads than courts Man's applause Or if he finds himself sometimes tickled and taken with it in cool blood he abhors himself for it But if he may know that God has accepted his Work the Lord's Well done good and faithful servant would do him good at heart 4. The upright Man is for secret Duties He makes conscience of them delights in them The Lord shall see his Nathaniel's under the Fig-tree in their private Walks in their Closets He sees them oft retiring themselves The Hypocrite who is only for making a shew cares not for secret Duties which Men can take no notice of If Conscience will not let him alone without doing something here yet he has no love to them he is very slighty in them 5. The upright Man is not only for Duties that are in fashion and credit among Men but those that may expose him to Scorn or Persecution As Daniel would hold on Praying and giving Thanks to God when it was likely to cost him his Life Dan. 6.10 The upright Man studies the Point of his Duty more than his own safety 13. The upright Man is an humble Man Such as walk uprightly also walk humbly Mic. 6.8 Though Vprightness and Perfection are oft made all one in Scripture yet the Upright have only a perfection of Parts here but as to Degrees they still find great imperfection in themselves that humbles them As the Apostle Phil. 3.12 Not as though I were already perfect The more Gracious the more Humble As the highest Stars seem least None are so sensible of the least sinful warping or stepping awry it troubles none so much as those whose greatest care is to walk Uprightly There is a Generation that are pure in their own Eyes and yet are not washed from their Filthiness Prov. 30.12 Behold his Soul which is lifted up is not upright in him Hab. 2.4 Hypocrites as a sound Divine says is but the off-spring of Pride Mr. Bax. 14. The upright Man is one that walks by Faith walks in the Name of the Lord Zech. 10.12 We can walk and stand upright no longer than we are strengthened by him And it is Faith that fetcheth in strength from him Cant. 8.5 Who is this that cometh up from the Wilderness leaning upon her Beloved Upright Souls see a necessity of the Grace and Assistance of Christ and so lean and depend on him 15. The upright Man is steady and even in his Course But Hypocrisie is a cause of unsteadiness of inconstancy Psal 78.8 A Generation that set not their heart aright and whose spirit was not stedfast with God And ver 37. Their heart was not right with him neither were they stedfast in his Covenant The Hypocrite is good only by fits He is in a good Mood sometimes but it is soon over This will not prove one upright to take a right step or two But we must be upright in the Way and upright in our general Course Psal 106.3 Blessed are they that keep Judgment and be that doth Righteousness at all times At all times when alone as well as while in company with the Good at home and abroad On our own Days as well as on the Lord's Day In Prosperity and Adversity Not only when Righteousness is applauded and encouraged but when it meets with the severest checks and greatest rubs The upright though they may sometimes stumble in the way or step aside through Frailty yet they do not wickedly depart from it through falseness of Heart and base
Treachery The settled bent of their Hearts and so the general course of their Lives is right 16. The upright Man is striving after and growing up towards full Perfection The Righteous shall hold on his way And he that hath clean Hands wax stronger and stronger Thus the Way of the Lord is strength to the Upright And his Word does good to the Upright Mic. 2.7 It is an ill sign when one is at a constant stay in Religion When one holds on in a round of Duties without going forward And commonly Hypocrites go out at last in a stinking snuff But the Path of the Just is as the shining Light which shineth more and more unto the Perfect Day Prov. 4.18 Such are pressing towards the Mark Phil. 3.14 15. Of Zeal TIT. 2.14 A peculiar People zealous of good Works 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 accensum studio bonorum operum as Beza fervently given unto good Works as in our old English translation Zeal is a word of various acceptation In general it signifies heat and fervour From 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ferveo In Heb. 10.27 there is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which we read fiery indignation in our old Translation violent Fire This Word is transferred to the heat and fervour of the Spirit and Affections which is of diverse kinds As 1. There is a natural Zeal As some naturally are of lively active spirits full of mettle as we use to say Luther seemeth to have been naturally of such a temper As Bucer said of him Nihil in eo non vehemens What an happy thing it is when such a temper is guided and acted by Grace Ordinarily such will do more for God 2. There is a carnal Zeal We find emulations among the works of the Flesh reckoned up Gal. 5.19 20 21. In the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And the Apostle James condemns 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a bitter Zeal Jam. 3.14 Envy is a kind of Zeal but not of the right kind It is bitter Zeal It is a sort of wild Grapes There is a Blind Zeal Such as Idolaters Papists Persecuters may be acted by A blind zeal when Men are Zealous in a false way and Zealous against the Truth Taking light for darkness and darkness for light Calling good evil and evil good There is a superstitious extravagant and erratick zeal when Men are Zealous about such things where it would be a vertue to be cool and moderate And there is an Hypocritical Zeal when Men have or seem to have great Zeal for the Truth and against Errour and falshood but it is only for self-respects and carnal ends Thus carnal Zeal moves in a large Sphere takes a great compass 3. There is a Spiritual Zeal A being zealous of good Works indeed and zealous for God even for his sake An holy Zeal This is both commanded Rev. 3.19 Be zealous And commended Num. 25.11 Phinehas the Son of Eleazer hath turned my wrath away while he was zealous for my sake So this Zeal should not go unrewarded Many commend lukewarmness and indifferency in Religion under the terms of Moderation Prudence and Discretion But Christ and the World are not of a mind A lukewarm temper the Lord cannot endure Rev. 3.15 16. Because thou art luke-warm and neither cold nor hot I will spue thee out of my mouth But as Bishop Hall observes Vol. 1. p. 903. The goodness of God winks at the Errors of honest Zeal and so loveth the strength of good Affections that it passeth over their Infirmities Again ib. p. 938. He Pardoneth the Errours of our fervency rather than the indifferencies of lukewarmness Indeed where there is no Zeal for God there is no Love to God Qui non Zelat non amat Where there is Life there will be some heat Here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be spiritually alive and to be lively are not more alike in sound than really akin Zeal in one degree or other is as inseparable from spiritual Life as heat is from fire It 's true as every sincere Christian is not a Nathaniel for degree and measure of Sincerity and plain-heartedness So neither is every such Soul a Moses a Phinehas an Elias for Zeal Yet the Kingdom of Heaven suffers violence and the violent take it by force Mat 11.12 And it is one property of Christ's redeemed ones his peculiar People to be zealous of good Works This holy Zeal of which I am to speak as was said of Vprightness and Sincerity is not any distinct particular Grace but a modus or respect of other Graces Though some define it as a compound of Love and Anger Zelus est affectus ex amore irâ mixtus cum scil irascimur ei à quo laeditur id quod amamus Yet I cannot so confine it There must be Zeal accompanying our Repentance 2 Cor. 7.11 And Zeal in our Love We must love fervently 1 Pet. 1.22 and 4.8 And it is the symtom of corrupt times when love waxeth cold Mat. 24.12 Zeal is the spritely vigour and activity of all Grace the ardor of all the Affections with the earnestness and intention that is in all spiritual actings Indeed the chief heat of it is in the Spirit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 12.11 This Fire is burning in the gracious Heart in the sanctified Will and Affections yet its heat is further diffused into the Conversation All our Spiritual Sacrifices must be offered up with this Fire Fervent in Spirit serving the Lord. Prayer must be Zealous fervent Prayer Jam. 5.16 Col. 4.12 13. Ministers must Preach zealously as Apollos Act. 18.25 None are allowed to do the work of the Lord negligently remisly There must be Zeal in hearing the Word Here our hearts should burn within us as Luk. 24.32 we should be zealous in reproving as Gal. 2.11 Yea no good work is well done without Zeal We must be zealous of and zealous in good Works It s not enough barely to do good Works but we must be earnest upon it and vigorous in the Work Quest But how shall we know whether our Zeal be right Answ 1. True Zeal is guided by a right Judgment a judgment regulated by the Word To allude to that Isa 4.4 The spirit of judgment must go along with the spirit of burning A blind ignorant rash Zeal is not good nor will it prove ones estate good Such a Zeal Paul had while a desperate Persecuter Act. 26.9 which afterwards he saw to be fury and madness rather than Zeal v. 11. This made him Mad once not his learning as Festus would have had it v. 24. such a Zeal the carnal unbelieving Jews had Rom. 10.2 Let Men be never so zealous in their way if it be not God's way their Zeal runs waste God is not honoured but dishonoured not well pleased but displeased with that Zeal which is not according to his Word To be zealous for what he hath not commanded and much more to be zealous for what he hath forbidden to be zealous against
the Truth and in the Cause of God Answer 1. It concerns you to be well assured that it is God's Truth you are Zealous for How many that take their own private conceits for Divine Truths 2. All Truths are not of equal importance And though the least Truth may not be denied or opposed yet lesser Truths may be silenced and concealed when a Zealous contending for them would be to the wrong and prejudice of far greater and more necessary Matters That is not to defend but to betray the Interest of God and his Truth when Men care not perdere substantiam propter accidentia to lose the substance of Religion for Accidents and Circumstances And that is Erratick Zeal and Mischievous like Fire out of its place when Men are so hot and earnest in contending about lesser Points that they themselves neglect and do what in them lieth to hinder others minding the main of Religion Zeal like Fire in its proper place is of great use and benefit But out of its place very dangerous and destructive And remember Sirs that true Zeal for God is most for those Truths and Duties wherein the great interest of Religion lieth And is most against such things whereby God is most dishonoured the Gospel obstructed Religion most wronged discredited c. 8. Right Zeal is joyned with Christian Moderation is for Christian Concord One of a truly zealous Spirit is also of an healing closing Spirit is of a publick Spirit Right Zeal is more for the common interest of Religion than for private Opinions It is no Firebrand no Incendiary in the Church It is moved at what it sees amiss it is for Reformation but will not hurry Men upon disorderly actings in their passionate sense of Disorders It is against extreams on both Hands Passionate Transports and rash heady Courses are not the effects of an holy but of a bitter Zeal Right Zeal keepeth within due compass It is for Edification not for Destruction It is for Peace and Unity It is for Sodering and Cementing not for Separating such as should Joyn. As Fire though it separate Heterogenials congregates Homogenials Yea it will melt divers Metals into one Lump True Zeal is not for perverse Disputings tending to Strife but for godly Edifying in Faith It is not for kindling Dissentions or causing Offences and Divisions amongst Christians but is moved with great Grief at the sight of such things As the Apostle Who is offended and I burn not It is for maintaining the unity of the Spirit in the bond of Peace And they that are more zealous to maintain some By-opinions than to maintain Union and Communion with their Fellow-Christians are quite besides the Mark. The Churches Peace and Edifying one another in Love are far greater Matters than any unnecessary Opinions which too many too zealously contend for Yea Vnnecessary is too good a word for some of them I should have said unsound Opinions O that the Guilty here would seriously consider whether it would not be more for the Honour of God the Credit and Interest of the Gospel and the securing of true Religion amongst us to joyn with their Fellow-Christians so far as they can to hold together to their mutual help strengthening and encouragement than to be so hot for their Opinions which if they were true yet are far remote from the Foundation and so far from being necessary to Salvation that not one of hundreds that are saved and now in Heaven was ever of their Way and Opinion here To be so rigid in their Way to carry as if all were unfit and unworthy for them to hold Christian Communion with that come not over to such Opinions of theirs alas this is Wild-fire not true Spiritual Zeal And verily I cannot think of any thing that will probably more harden and encourage Papists at this Day than the sad Rents and Dissentions amongst Protestants As he said Is not the hand of Joab in all this So it is probable enough the Heads of Jesuites have been in this Divide impera They know a Kingdom divided against it self is not likely to stand long and hope to raise themselves on our Ruines 9. That is right Zeal when we are more moved with Indignities offered unto God than with any Injuries done to our selves When we are more zealous in God's Cause than in our own We find Numb 12.1 2. Miriam and Aaron speak against Moses yet he seemed not at all concerned for himself We find not any reply that he made He was meek in his own cause Whereas upon sight of the Peoples Impiety their Idolatry in the Cause of God he was presently all on a flame His anger waxed hot Exod. 32.19 To be mild in our own cause but zealous in God's is a sign that we are indeed zealous for God As it is a sign of the contrary when we are remiss as can be unmoved unless when our own Interest is wrapt together with God's Interest As most Parents and Masters can bear it well enough though Children fail never so grosly in respect of the Duty that they owe to God though Servants plainly neglect and contemn God's Service They can bear with their Impiety with their taking God's Name in vain with the prophaning of his Day c. And yet many times they are all Fire and Tow if such do but fail in point of good Manners to them if they be not very observant of them and their commands Now it is true the least Irreverence towards Parents and so negligence in Servants are Sins against God But if upon that account you are most moved and displeased then you will be displeased at other Sins as well and more displeased at greater Sins than you are at these You will be zealous for God when Self is not so much concerned 10. Right Zeal for God is joyned with real Love and true compassion towards Men towards Sinners Thus while we hate their Sins we should yet love and heartily wish well to their Persons While we cannot bear with them that are evil in that which is evil yet we should be glad to do them good and glad indeed if by any means we might be helping to make them better As great Enemies as the Jews were to the Gospel and to the Apostle Paul yet he could not but pity them and his hearts desire and prayer to God was for them that they might be saved Rom. 10.1 Zeal against Sinners hath anger and grief in it not hatred As in the Apostle 2 Cor. 12.21 True Zeal desires their Conversion rather than Confusion And would rejoyce more in their Reformation than in their Ruine Our Saviour checked the furious Zeal of the Disciples when they would fain have been calling down Fire from Heaven to consume those poor Creatures that would not receive him Ye know not what manner of Spirit ye are of Luke 9.54 55. They were too hasty at that time a spirit of Revenge was stirring in them which was not Elias's spirit
11. True Zeal is for expedition in God's Service As Phinehas Ignis est maxime actuosus maximè mobilis who was zealous for God could not sit still when he saw God so greatly Dishonoured Psal 106. Then stood up Phinehas and executed Judgment Then stood up Phinehas The word may import his readiness and forwardness to appear for God against Sin as occasion was then offered So Nehemiah testified against the Merchants that had lodged but once or twice without Jerusalem under the Wall on the Sabbath threatning to clap them up If they did so again he would lay hands on them Neh. 13.20 21. So David Psal 101.8 I will early destroy all the wicked Though it may point at the usual time of sitting in Judgment in the morning yet withal it may import that he would not be delatory in the work Thus Zeal will set Men early on work for God will make Men quick and speedy in giving check to Sin as they have power and opportunity to put a stop to it as soon as they can Sinful sluggish demurs delays put-offs are contrary to the nature of true Zeal So a listlesness to Duty is no sign of Zeal It is cold that benummeth So it is a sign of the want of Zeal a sign of extream coldness when we cannot find our hands to turn them to any good work when we are like the slothful Prov. 19.24 that hides his hand in his bosom 12. True Zeal makes souls as forward unto so free and lively in God's service What a Man does zealously he does very heartily To be zealous of good Works is not barely to do some good Works but it further implieth earnestness alacrity and fervency of spirit in the doing of Good Works To pray with Zeal is more than saying a Prayer it is no less than to be fervent in Prayer to pray earnestly To be zealous in works of Charity is not meerly to give to such that stand in need but to give willingly and freely Like those of Macedonia 2 Cor. 8.3 that were willing of themselves That needed no spurring on What the Apostle sayes of Love 1 Cor. 13.4 It is kind bountiful this may well be said of Zeal which is the fervour of Love Zeal is bountiful at least in will and desire Cold has a condensing and contracting quality but heat rarifies and extends So Zeal in the Heart enlarges it A zealous Christian would not serve God at an ordinary rate he desires to abound in the work of the Lord. The flame will be mounting upwards A zealous spirit is a raised spirit raised in God's Service But a cold dead heart is still bearing downward We read of Jehoshaphat that his heart was lifted up in the wayes of the Lord 2 Chron. 17.6 So one of a zealous spirit never thinks he does enough for God He will desire still to serve him more and to serve him better 13. True Zeal gives courage in the Cause of God filleth the Soul full of resolution for God And indeed that may be the meaning of Jehoshaphat's heart being lifted up in the wayes of the Lord. A zealous Spirit is a magnanimous Spirit An holy Zeal is indeed Cos fortitudinis the Whetstone of Valour As Esther's Zeal for God and his People put courage into her though she might naturally be timorous as is common to her Sex What an heroick resolution was there Esth 4.16 I will go in unto the King and if I perish I perish If we have no Spirit no Courage to appear for God his Truth and Wayes sure we have no Zeal forthem Indeed of all things Sinners are most offended at holy Zeal They that have nothing to say against Christian Meekness or Charitableness and some other Graces yet can ill endure the heat of Godly Zeal O it is scorching and tormenting to them Here they are ready to cry out Fire fire as one says This oft puts them into a great combustion Yet true Zeal will break thorow opposition Many Waters cannot quench Love neither can the Floods drown it The like may be said of Zeal It is not quenched or cooled but oft more intended and increased when others would discourage it 14. True Zeal that is a cause of such courage and resolution for God that giveth confidence and boldness before Men yet is joyned with Humility and Holy Fear and Trembling before God One gracious disposition is not contrary to another And true Zeal is not blown up with high thoughts of ones self but with high thoughts of God The Dread and Reverence of the most High of an infinitely Glorious and Holy Majesty promotes true Zeal for God helpeth to set an edge upon it and steeleth the Soul with an holy boldness hardeneth it against a base carnal fear of Man Mr. Vines But it is not right when as one says Zeal that should eat us up is eaten up of Pride 15. Right regular Zeal will more dispose and fit us for our Work and Duty not take off from Duty or transport into Sin That is not Zeal but distempered Passion it is not from Grace but from the workings of Corruption when we are discomposed and unhinged 16. If we have true Zeal for God it will be a joy to us to see any zealous and active for God As on the other hand it will be our great grief to see Men generally cold indifferent lukewarm in Religion To see others regardless of God and of the interest of true Religion will move our displeasure and indignation But it will not offend us to see any acted with regular Zeal for God Indeed the Apostle did and would rejoyce that Christ was Preached though some preached Christ out of envy Phil. 1.15 18. How much more would he have rejoyced to have seen as good proof and evidence of their pure Love and Zeal as he saw of their Envy carrying them out in the work If we are truly zealous for God we shall be taken with those whom we see or hear to be zealous for him our hearts will be towards such yea knit to them as Jonathans was to David And we shall bless God for such As Deborah Judg. 5.9 My heart is towards the Governours of Israel that offered themselves willingly among the People Bless the Lord. She desired that the Lord might be praised that put such a spirit into them If others out-shine us here yet if we have true Zeal for God we shall be so far from envying them that the more zealous any are the more we shall honour and be taken with them 17. If we are truly zealous we have an holy emulation a desire to follow yea if it might be to outstrip those that excel in vertue As the Apostle speaks 1 Cor. 14.12 Forasmuch as ye are zealous of spiritual gifts seek that ye may excel As the Corinthians Zeal and forwardness provoked very many 2 Cor 9.2 We should not envy such as have got the start of us and yet should in a good
and alacrity Spiritual Joy where it comes exceeds and as we may say swalloweth up carnal worldly Joy The Joy of the Holy Ghost is far more pleasing than the Joy of Harvest 10. That is a kind of Spiritual Joy when we heartily unfeinedly rejoyce in the good of others Spiritual Joy is promoted especially by the Spiritual good of others The good found in others As when Barnabas saw the Grace of God among the Disciples at Antioch he was glad Act. 11.23 And when Paul and Barnabas had declared the Conversion of the Gentiles they caused great Joy unto all the Brethren Act. 15.3 So Titus was comforted in the Believing Corinthians and Paul rejoiced much on their account 2 Cor. 7.7 So David rejoyced to see the Peoples forwardness 1 Chron. 29.17 And now have I seen with Joy thy People which are present here to offer willingly unto thee Psal 122.1 I was glad when they said unto me Let us go into the House of the Lord. Again when the Good vouchsafed to others is matter of Joy to us Especially the Good of God's Chosen This may be spiritual Joy To rejoice and be glad with Jerusalem when she is rejoicing to be comforted with her consolations as Isa 66.10 11. when it is not from a selfish but a publick spirit this is good But they that rejoyce in iniquity or rejoyce at others Calamities they who rejoice over God's People in the day of their destruction or of their distress their Joy is so far from being right Spiritual Joy that it is devilish 11. Spiritual Joy is such as cannot be kept and maintained but in a way of holy walking and working Righteousness As it is Joy to the Just to do Judgment Pro. 21.15 So the Lord meeteth him that rejoiceth and worketh Righteousness Isa 64.5 These things have I spoken unto you says our Saviour that my Joy might remain in you and that your Joy might be full Joh. 15.11 Now what things were those see v. 7. If ye abide in me and my words abide in you And v. 10. If ye keep my Commandments ye shall abide in my Love Thus we can have no more evidence of the soundness of our Joy than we have of the sincerity of our Obedience Psal 64.10 The Righteous shall be glad in the Lord. Psal 97.11 Light is sown for the Righteous and gladness for the upright in heart Bonum vinum ex hydria purificationis hauritur as Bernard speaks alluding to that Joh. 2.6 c. Spiritual Joy is drawn out of a pure Conscience A Conscience that is peaceable but not pure is a meer cheat Never expect to have Spiritual Joy in a course of Sin Such a course as grieves the holy Spirit of God will never bring a Man to true Peace and Joy 12. Spiritual Joy quickens and enlargeth the heart in God's Service Joy dilateth and enlargeth the heart * Laetitia q. laetitia So does Spiritual Joy It enlargeth the heart in Duty It is a great furtherance in God's service Rom. 14.17 18. Spiritual Joy is as Oil to the Wheels It makes Souls like the Charoits of Aminadib How are Souls carried out for God when Spiritual Joy fills their Sails This raiseth the Soul Trouble of Spirit is dejecting Why art thou cast down O my Soul And dejected spirits drive on but heavily in Duty But Spiritual Joy elevates the Soul To serve the Lord with gladness is to be raised in his Service Spiritual Joy will make Souls more vigorous This would strengthen weak hands and confirm feeble knees The Joy of the Lord is our strength Neh. 8.10 When Daniel hears the voice of Joy and Gladness Dan. 10.19 O Man greatly beloved fear not peace be unto thee be strong yea be strong he could say When he had spoken unto me I was strengthened and then he said let my Lord speak for those hast strengthened me But there is no true comfort or pleasure to be taken in such Joy as does not further fit us for our work and duty Such Joy is but a flash 13. As was noted before of sound Hope Spiritual Joy is a special incentive to praise and thankfulness As it comes in usually in a way of Prayer So it is wont to carry out the Soul in Praises As we find these joyned Psal 9.2 I will be glad and rejoice in thee I will sing praise to thy Name O thou most High And Psal 68.3 4. Let the Righteous be glad let them rejoice before God yea let them exceedingly rejoice Then it follows Sing unto God sing Praises to his Name Nothing puts the Soul in better tune for praising God than Joy in him When a Soul is thus raised and lifted up by him it will be for extolling and lifting him up Psal 30.1 I will extoll thee O Lord for thou hast lifted me up And v. 11 12. Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing Thou hast put off my Sackcloth and girded me with gladness To the end that my Glory may sing praise to thee and not be silent O Lord my God I will give thanks unto thee for ever So Col. 1.11 12. Giving thanks unto the Father there followeth joyfulness Now hath your Joy this effect are you much in God's praise 14. Spiritual Joy can keep alive and keep the Heart alive in the midst of outward troubles Hab. 3.18 Loquor quod expertus novit inexpertus ignorat to borrow the expression of Bernard I speak what the experienced Christian knows though the unexperienced neither apprehends nor beleives it Spiritual Joy will hold up a Mans Head in such afflictions under which others Hearts that know nothing of it would quite sink and be overwhelmed Yea in sufferings for Christ and Righteousness sake this Joy is so far from being damped that it is ordinarily more heightened not checked this way but increased 2 Cor. 1.5 As the Sufferings of Christ abound in us so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ Though Men may strip the Faithful of their outward enjoyments yet this inward Joy no Man can take away Joh. 16.22 The Believing Hebrews took joyfully the spoiling of their goods Heb. 10.34 Manifold Trials here could not dash the Joy of those who by Faith foresaw their future glorious Triumph 1 Pet. 1.6 Wherein ye greatly rejoice though now for a season if need be ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations In this sense also the Joy of the Lord is our strength helping to bear the Cross not only patiently but chearfully As the Apostles departed from the presence of the Council rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for the Name of Christ Act. 5.42 Spiritual Joy is an Heavenly Spark that floods of Trouble and Persecution cannot quench And while Heaven smiles on a Saint he cannot but rejoice though the World frowneth This Note may discover the Joy of many to be unsound That Joy which openeth at the smiles of the World and shuts at its frowns is not a flower of the Sun
That Joy which is born down with any Affliction that comes is not like the Joy of the Spirit which is called strong Consolation Heb. 6.18 15. Spiritual Joy is not swelling But is accompanied with an humble frame of Spirit Heart-humbling Grace is a necessary preparative unto and a necessary preservative of Heart-raising and elevating Joys Isa 29.19 The meek or humble shall encrease their Joy in the Lord and the poor among Men shall rejoyce in the holy One of Israel Such as are lifted up in themselves are not so fit for Comfort as for a Casting down And one way or other they shall have a Casting down If not in Mercy and by Grace then by force and in fury When a Child of God is growing proud of his Comforts and Enlargements he is in the ready way to lose them As I may say Humility is the Save-all and Prolonger and Pride the Extinguisher If you can keep your Joy and Pride together it is more than a Child of God can do 16. Spiritual Joy is not intoxicating but a sober serious thing joyned with an holy Fear Care and Watchfulness Psal 2.11 Rejoyce with trembling When Daniel heard from God that he was a Man greatly beloved yet he stood trembling Dan. 10.11 That is not right rejoycing in the Lord which excludes Reverence towards him And when he speaks Peace yet he expects better carriage of his People than that they should grow secure and careless He expects that they should have a care not to return again to Folly Psal 85.8 Where he says Be of good chear thy Sins are forgiven thee He withal says Sin no more stand in in awe and sin not Grieve not the holy Spirit of God whereby ye are sealed unto the day of Redemption And by sinning presumptuously the Lord would be provoked to hide his Face again to write bitter things against us Thus new storms of Trouble would be raised 17. Spiritual Joy would not put one upon a contemptuous carriage towards others But rather make him full of Charity and pity towards those that want and are strangers to what he enjoys Though a stranger doth not intermeddle with his Joy Prov. 14.10 yet he cannot but desire that others were partakers of the like Psal 51.12 13. Restore unto me the joy of thy Salvation Then will I teach Transgressors thy Wayes I shall encourage Sinners to come in by thy merciful dealing with me who have been so great a Sinner As Christ chargeth Peter when he was converted and restored to strengthen his Brethren Luke 22.32 And the Apostle Paul lays this down as one end the Father of Mercies hath in comforting us that we may be able to comfort them which are in any Trouble by the comfort wherewith we our selves are comforted of God 2 Cor. 1.4 And if we have not a tender pity towards poor troubled Spirits and such as have broken Bones if we have no Wine and Oyl to pour into wounded Consciences if we are not at all concerned for others under Spiritual Troubles we may justly fear our Joy is not right 18. Spiritual Joy will set Souls more on longing after the Joys of Heaven That Joy which comes from Heaven will be raising the Heart up towards Heaven Souls that have tasted that the Lord is Gracious will thirst after more and long for the fulness of Joy in his Presence will breath after the full Enjoyment of God in Glory 2 Cor. 5.5 8. God hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit Therefore We are willing rather to be absent from the Body and to be present with the Lord. If we have found any consolation in Christ beholding him through the Lattices how shall we desire to see the King in his Beauty and to see him Face to Face Spiritual Joy will make Souls more spiritually-minded will very much take off the affections from things on the Earth and set them upon things Above A BRIEF REHEARSAL 2 COR. 13.5 Examine your selves whether you be in the Faith prove your own selves TO write the same things here shall not be grievous to me if for you it may be safe and profitable To try and examine your selves whether you are in a state of Grace you cannot deny to be your Duty And to direct and assist you therein is the principal design of this Treatise Now of the things which we have spoken this is the Sum. 1. What Knowledg have you And of what kind 1. Have you more than a natural Knowledg of God 2. More than a notional Knowledg Are you come to a discerning of Spiritual things and to a Spiritual discerning of them Have you other thoughts of Sin and other thoughts of God and Christ and Holiness and Heaven than formerly you had 3. How come you by your Knowledg Whether in an humble diligent waiting on God in the use of the means he hath appointed 4. Have you not a bare Knowledg but are you also come to the acknowledgment of the Truth Not only a Verbal but a Real acknowledgment To know the certainty of those things wherein you have been instructed 5. Does your Knowledg reach your Hearts Has it a powerful influence on your Wills Are you not only resolved in your Judgments but also in your Choice 6. Is your Knowledg not only informing but reforming and renewing 7. Is your Knowledg humbling Or does it puff up 8. Is it nourishing as Food and Fuel to Grace and Spiritual Affections 9. Is it Fructifying Is it reduced to Practice 10. Is it Communicative 11. Is it growing And especially are you thriving 1. In the sound and experimental Knowledg of God and Christ 2. And getting more inward acquaintance with your own selves and the state of your own Souls 3. And in learning more of your own Duty and of the Counsel of God concerning you 2. Try your Faith And what can you say to those three principal acts of Faith scil Assent Consent and Affiance 1. How do you assent to Divine Truth 1. Do you assent Impartially 2. Do you assent freely Do you yield willingly to Divine Truth as it is discovered to you 3. Do you assent really Have you more than an half-perswasion of the Truth 4. Have you an holding Assent to the Truth 5. Is it a Practical Assent Does it draw on Consent 2. How do you consent to God's Terms 1. Do you consent entirely not partially 2. Do you consent deliberately 3. Do you consent heartily unfeignedly 4. Do you consent firmly and resolvedly 3. What trust and affiance have you in God and Christ I ask not what Assurance you have Yet is your Dependence on God in Christ And 1. Is it such as is accompanied with Self-distrust and Self-despair 2. And with an hearty acceptance of Christ and sincere subjection to him 3. And with a dependence on the Lord for Temporal Mercies and Deliverance as he sees fit for you Further Do those Scripture-notes given of Faith agree to you 1. Is Christ precious to you