them for Spies v. 9. rejects their defence v. 12. renews and out of their own mouths reinforceth his Charge and suspition of them v. 14. threatens to commit them v. 15 16. commits them v. 17. puts Bonds upon one of them till the rest should quit and clear themselves and him of suspition v. 19 20. This is their cold and sad welcom and entertainment 2. The consequent of this their hard and distressfull usage and entreatment and that is trouble of mind horrour and perplexity of spirit And they said one to another c. The words then are the Holy Ghosts Report of the Case of the sons of Jacob their being spiritually trouble by way of Conviction or Judgement in their own which also is the Lord's Court of Conscience Wherein we observe the I. Actors Registers Accusers Witnesses Judge Tormentors themselves II. Processe in judging themselves Wherein 1. Self-accusation of the cause of their trouble their sin with the utmost aggravations viz. 1. In general We are guilty 2. In particular of Envy Wrong against a Brother whom in bitterness we saw without pity and were deaf to his intreaties Obstinate to the admonition of Reuben and abiding therein 2. In self condemnation Therefore is this distress come and his bloud required III. Execution Wherein 1. The smart by inward terrour and consternation their heart misgiving them is deeply affected and that makes them very abrupt Yea verily i. e. Alas what shall we do 2. The circumstance of the time when couched in And. 1. In general many years after the offence was done 2. In special now that they were outwardly in an afflicted condition Doct. 1. Every man hath a Conscience within himself 2. The guilt of sin turns a mans Conscience i. e. himself against himself 3. Conscience is apt to be very sensible when 't is awakened not only of sin but particular sins and the particular circumstances and degrees thereof to the utmost and charge all upon a mans self not upon Gods Decrees or Providence nor upon the Devil or evil Company c. 4. Envy unnatural affection cruelty deafnesse to the intreaties of the distressed obstinacy against warning and admonition continuance in sin without repentance c. are very hainous and dangerous 5. The accusations and condemnations of Conscience are terrible or cause terrour beyond all expression 6. There is a time when God will call over sins that are past and charge them upon the Conscience 7. Inward trouble of mind sometimes yea usually comes upon the people of God when they are outwardly in some distresse I shall speak of the two last and in them something of all the other saving the fourth containing the particular matter of Fact viz. cruelty and bloud which I shall not meddle withall These then are the two Doctrines 1. There is a time when God will call over past sins with horrour c. 2. This time of inwâ—rd horrour fals in with outward trouble Doct. 1. There is a time when God will call over sins that are past without repentance and charge them upon the Conscience with horrour Here 's the Case The sons of Jacob had formerly trespassed against God in the matter of their Brother And they said c. now and not till now that we read of is the guilt and horrour of it reflected upon their Consciences In sinne the act passes the guilt and consequent remains Sin is like some poyson which may be taken at one time and work at another it may be seven years after 'T was now more then seven and seven years that the poyson of this sin began to work 'T is true of Family sins Hos 1.4 National sins Ezek. 4.4 5. Lam. 5.7 Personal sins as here And that 's the Case 1. Not only of the wicked as in the case of Cain Gen. 4.7 If thou doest ill sin lies at the door to shut out Mercies and let in Judgements and that as a fell Mâ—stiff or a sleeping Lion ready to take thee by the throat whenever the Lord awakens guilt in the Conscience 2. But also of the Godly Psal 19.12 25.7 Job 13.26 Thou makest me to possesse the sins of my youth Reas 1. From God 1. God remembers all Amos 8.7 As I live saith the Lord Reas I will forget none of their works 1 Sam. 15.2 I remember what Amaleck did c. God hath three Books 1. Of Prescience wherein he writes down our names and his purposes concerning us The Arminians deny that Book 2. Of Providence wherein he writes down our names and all his care over us The Epicure and Atheist deny this as also the former 3. Of Postscience or remembrance wherein he writes down our names and all the particulars of our carriage towards him 1. Whether they be good no act of Piety or Charity not a cup of cold water from the Spring of Love not a drop of tears from the Spring of Godly sorrow not a sigh from the bottom of a broken heart but it s taken notice of botled recorded Mal. 3.16 Or 2. Bad not a wicked thought a malicious scoff or wicked action word motion but God marks it and sets it down in the Book of his remembrance Psal 50.21 Reas 2 2. God need not reflect or look back for he hath all things present before him that ever were are or are to come viz. 1. In Speculo decreti 2. In Causis particularibus Gods Knowledge called fore-knowledge and remembrance in respect of us and the things known is as his being altogether in puncto aeternitatis There is not in God first and second of time and cause no was and is to come but all is There is not with God beginning succession and end but his name is I Am and so is knowledge as himself yesterday to day and the same for ever 2 Pet. 3.8 The knowledge of men is as of one standing on the shore where some ships are past and out of sight one way others to come and out of sight another way others in sight right over against him but the Knowledge of God as of one on the top of an high Mountain where with one view all things are present Heb. 4.13 Reas 3 3. God also seals up our iniquities as in a bag Job 14.17 as the Clerk of the Sizes seals up the Indictments for the next Circuit nay God himself will bag them and seal them up with his own hand and signet Deut. 32.34 God speaking of the provocations of his People saith he Is not this laid up in store wtih me and sealed among my treasure So strict and earnest is God for security as we say Sure bind sure find What more sure and safe then that which God himself layes up in Bag and Cabinet and seals among his Jewels As when God makes up his Jewels of Mercy he will remember them Mal. 3.17 So when he casts up his treasures of wrath he will remember them Reas 4 4. Gods Truth engages him in this case his Word
the recovery upon the Prophets prayer Did he return again 1 King 13.33 and made of the lowest of the people Priests of his high places c. Neither warning nor judgements nor mercies could work any amendment in him 1 John 3.9 5. It is as certain that he who is born of God doth not commit sin so as to make a trade of it returning to his Vomit But he that is born of God keepeth himselfe 1 John 5.19 and the wicked one toucheth him not He hath paid too dear for such a miscarriage it was not so light a matter to lye under Gods wrath lose his former peace nor was his comfort so soon restored and Gods favour regained that he should hazard all anew and buy Repentance at so dear a rate Deut. 29.18 19 20. 6. Very dreadfull is that threat of God If there be among you man or woman or a root that beareth gall and wormwood And it come to passe when he heareth the words of this Curse that he blesse himselfe in his heart saying I shall have peace though I walke in the imagination of my heart adding drunkenness to thirst The Lord will not spare him but the Anger of the Lord and his jealousie shall smoke against that man and all the curses that are written in this Book shall lye upon him and the Lord shall blot out his name from under heaven And the Lord shall separate and single him out unto evill c. 7 Obs Relapses into sin are like Relapses into a Disease after hopes and beginning of recovery if by taking cold or want of heed taking or other disorder the disease return and the man down again this is worse than the first ill fit and long ere such recover But if as soon as he get a little strength he fall into a new Relapse we reckon his case very doubtful if not desperate 8. Yet it is not to be denyed but there are some sins of humane infirmity which though repented of a godly person may be again overtaken with and foyled yet not his last end worse then his beginning Thus was Jonah overtaken with his passion a second time Abraham with his excusatory lye Mat. 20.25 with Luk. 22.25 the Disciples after a former rebuke a second time contending for superiority The first fall in this kind I should liken to a sad and dangerous fall by which one hath broken a bone in his leg or arm which though it put him to much pain is well set again and he becomes as strong as before but more wary while he lives David speaks of his fall into sin that it was as a breaking of his bones But a second fall Psal 51. is like the breaking of the bone the second time which is more hardly set and put to more pain and it may be the man feels it at times to his dying day But a third or more frequent relapse is like the putting of an arm out of joynt again and again not being well bound and looked to in time becomes habitually loose and never keeps the place so it is here Crebrous and frequent acts of sin beget an habit and custom in sin and then as soon may the Ethiopian change his skin and the Leopard his spots Jer. 13.23 as one accustomed to do evil ever learn to do well Bernard describes the steps of sin how it comes to its height First time it is importable next time heavy Prima importabile processu temporis grave paulo post leve postea placet suave est ad extremum quod erat impâ—rtabile ad faciendum est impossibile ad continendum Bern. de Cons Ex voluntate perversa facta est consuetudo dum consuetudini non resistitur facta est necessitas Aug. cons l. 8. Ad illum modicum quotidiana modica addendo in eam consuetudinem lapsa erat ut prope eam plenos mero caliculos inhianter hauriret Conf. l. 9. no more importable then easie then light then sweet at last necessary and what was at first importable to be committed is now impossible to be omitted And St. Austin confirms this by a story of his own Mother who by sipping of the Cup at first when she filled the Wine learnt at last to take almost whole Cups Qui modica non spernit paulatim decidit is his good note upon it he that makes a small matter of small sins is in the ready way to fall into the greatest Every new relapse into a former sin is like the adding of a new figure to the first cypher which raiseth the sinners account ten or an hundred times more Therefore if thou hast been overtaken once stop and be humbled and say once I have spoken or done amiss but I will not answer to plead for my self ware the second time the second fall as the second blow makes the fray but if a second time say you twice but I will proceed no further Job 40.4 5. Esay 5.18 Eccl. 4.12 Esay 24.27 28 but be sure thou take heed of drawing sin with a threefold cord or cart-rope this threefold cord is not easily broken take heed of a third act fear and the pit and the snare are before thee Oh bold and presumptuous sinner if thou escape the fear of the first act thou mayst perish in the pit for the second but if thou escape the pit thou wilt be taken in the snare the third time upon the ungodly God raineth snares Psa 11.6 God gives once to a reprobate mind and they are gone Think not after a third or fourth act of presumptuous sin to go and shake thy self by prayer and repentance as Sampson once Judg. 16. â—0 and that thy strength may return to thee to be delivered from these Philistines which lye in wait for thee he did so but wist not till he found it by woful experience that the Lord was departed from him so may it be with thee therefore be warned Vse 1 This 1. informs us that possible it is for men yea too ordinary to fall from grace the Text supposeth it and in another place Heb. 12.15 the Apostle Items us to look diligently lest any fall from the grace of God the Angels did so at first and Adam soon after and that which was Morbus Angelicus then is Morbus Anglicus now The Lord may complain of us as justly as ever he did of Israel My people are bent to backesliding from me Hos 11.7 and Esay 1.5 Why should ye be smitten any more ye will revolt more and more and Jer. 8.5 Why is this people slidden back by perpetual backeslidings they hold fast deceit they refuse to return This is and of late hath been the case and Epidemical Disease of England It is no new thing to see the sons of fallen man to fall and fall away Saul Joash Amaziah Judas Demas Alexander fell away of old Of all Israel that came out of Egypt with Moses and Aaron only
Heaven and the standing rule by which thou must bee tryed thou must stand or fall bee eternally blessed or everlastingly miserable as thy condition is consonant to or various from the infallible characters of saving grace contained in the Scripture Thou that hast deserved eternal death mightest know before the day of the general assize whether thou shalt bee acquitted or condemned But if thou know not how to gather these thy self go to some godly faithful Minister and desire him to give thee some Characters of a sincere Christian from the word of God wherein hypocrisie and sincerity are differenced and bee sure the signes thou tryest thy self by bee not short of saving grace or that will not hold tryal or bear thee out at the day of judgement I cannot here insert any partly because I have not room to croud them in partly because by what I have already laid down under that head that a man might know that hee is sincere beleeveth and loveth God something to this purpose might bee picked up 2. Direction 2. When thou hast thus furnished thy self thy next work must bee to set thy conscience on work and reflect upon thy own heart and upon the mâ—tions of thy will and compare thy self with the word of God The former sent you to study the book of Gods word this calleth upon you to study the book of your own hearts The other is a direct act of the understanding this is a reflect act to make a judgement of thy state whether there bee a transcript of those things in thine own heart for every beleever hath the Gospel-laws written upon the table of his soul by the spirit of God Assurance cannot bee had ordinarily without the examination of our own hearts for assurance is the certain knowledge of the conclusion drawn from the premises one out of the scripture the other by the reflect act of the understanding or conscience thus Hee that beleeveth and is justified shall bee saved that is the word of God then by the search of his own heart hee must bee able to say But I beleeve and am jusâ—ified and from these two doth result this assurance that hee may conclude Therefore I shall bee saved Luke 15.8 The woman that had lost a peece of silver did light a candle and swept her house and thereby found what she had lost Conscience is this candle the scripture is the fire at which it must bee lighted and self-examination is the broom whereby the heart is swept and so the state of the soul which before was not discerned comes to bee discovered But here take heed thy heart bee not rash in affirming or denying suspend the determination till thou hast made a narrow strict inquiry into thy soul as thou lovest thy soul do not presume as thou valuest thy comfort do not deny any work of the spirit of God upon thy heart but with thankfulness acknowledge any thing that thou canst discern to bee a fruit of the spirit Search throughly and judge impartially Say therefore to thy soul Deus est ocâ—â—us infinitus to make thy self more serious in this weighty work thou art now oh my Soul in the presence of the great heart-searching God that knoweth certainly what thy state and condition is what thy will heart and affections are thou must oh my Soul shortly stand at the bar of God as now thou standest at the bar of conscience and must bee searched judged by the Lord and have the sentence of life or death of absolution or condemnation according as thy state shall bee found to bee Consider oh my Soul thou art now about the greatest concernment in the world many have been mistaken many are now tormented in hell that once thought their condition was good it is not therefore for thee to flatter thy self and it is easie to bee mistaken and if thou shouldest bee mistaken it is as much as thy soul is worth if thy condition bee bad and thou conclude it to bee good thou wilt but go more merrily to hell It is as much as thy comfort is worth if thy condition bee good and thou conclude it to be bad thou wilt go more sadly to Heaven and wilt be unthankful to thy God and keep the glory from him and the comfort from thy self Thou art indited oh my soul arraigned and sound guilty that thou hast sinned against the Lord the question is Whether thou hast repented and are pardoned I charge thee therefore oh my soul that thou speak truly and answer rightly to these demands Art thou so far convinced of sin of the vileness of its own nature the evil in it the evil after it that thou art weary of it thou groanest under it thou loathest it and art unfeignedly willing to be broken from every sin without any reserve and what thou canst not extirpate that thou wilt bewail art thou so far convinced of thine own insufficiency to help thy self that all thy tears cannot wash thee and make thee clean all thy duties cannot save thee that though thou darest not neglect them as means yet thou darest not rely upon them as a Saviour so that thou seest the necessity of a Christ the suitableness of Christ the sufficiency and willingness of Christ offering himself unto thee in the Gospel calling to thee crying after thee saying ah thou poor miserable forlorn sinner thou hast undone thy self wilt thou now be cured thou hast wounded thy self wilt thou let mee apply a plaister of my blood my healing pacifying blood to thy bleeding soul to thy distressed disquieted conscience all that I expect from thee is to take mee for thy Lord and Husband to rule govern sanctifie and save thee thou hast withstood thine own mercy I have often asked thee and thou hast often denied mee but yet if now thou wilt receive mee behold I bring pardon along with mee and peace along with mee and eternal life and every good thing along with mee yet mercy is not gone it is not yet denied to thee When thou mayest gather such things from the Word of Christ put the question to thy self what sayest thou oâ— my soul thou hearest the gracious words of the Lord Jesus hee commands thee to come hee inviteth thee to come hee promiseth thee acceptance if thou come art thou willing or art thou not wilt thou persevere in thy former denial and be damned or wilt thou yeeld and be saved wilt thou consent to take him for thy Husband and subscribe unto his terms doth thy judgement value him above all and thy will chuse him above all and thy affections go out after him above all things in the world as a woman doth in all those three respects when shee taketh a man to be her Husband Art thou so far convinced of the excellency of the everlasting Glory of the Saints and the perfection of that Happiness that is above as it is a state or perfect Holiness as well as a state of real Happiness
teach us the worth of mercies either temporal or spiritual by the want of them and to bring us to want those mercies which we abuse if the childe play with or throw about his meat he may well think a wise and loving Father will make him feel the want of it and thereby know the worth of it and certainly we have as much reason to fear the fulfilling of those threatnings which the Ministers of the Gospel have for many years sounded in our ears for our abuse of the means of grace and certainly if Gods providence should call the most of us into Spain or some other Popish Country where we should have a famine of hearing the word of the Lord might we not sadly reflect upon our despising yea and loathing the heavenly Manna of Gods Word I speak not of the prophane ungodly wretches who scarce ever had any serious thoughts of Eternity nor ever soberly considered whether they were at all beholden unto God or no that never knew how to value a Bible above a Play-book or the Sacrament above a drunken meeting whose Religion is to scoffe and mock at godliness and godly men and who scarce ever knew any other end in coming to Church but to mock or carp at the Preacher who may with trembling read their doom 2 Chron. 36.16 But I speak of the Professors of Religion how have they either by reason of new fangled opinions sleighted and despised Gospel-Ordinances or else by reason of fulness of spiritual food have loathed and trampled upon the means of grace to whom the Lord seems to speak as to those Ezek 34 18 19. Seemeth it a small thing unto you to have eaten up the good pasture but you must tread down with your feet the residue of your pastures and to have drunk of the deep waters but ye must foul the residue with your feet And as for my flock they eat that which ye have trodden with your feet and they drink that which ye have fouled with your feet or else having enjoyed them and made use of them have been little the better by them have not lived and practised the Sermons they have heard and the prayers they have made Oh let such be sure in the first place to give glory to God when he deprives them of such means by acknowledging his justice in taking away what hath been so much abused or at best so little improved then let them with broken and bleeding hearts reflect upon those full Banquets of spiritual dainties the fragments of which in a time of want they would be glad of 2. Heartily resolve if ever the Lord bring you again to enjoy Gospel-Ordinances you will more value prize and improve them and indeed that alone which can make our repentings and sad reflections upon former miscarriages not to be mockings of God and cousening our selves must be an hearty resolution against what we profess to be sorry for and therefore that our resolution in such a case may be the more fixed it would be good to record it in our Note-books that so it may be a continual Monitor on all occasions minding us of our duty and checking us if afterwards we prove like the Israelites who soon forgat the Lord. Psal 106.13 And the truth is a Christians Note-book is usually a more faithfull register than his heart and 't is easier for the Divel to blot a good resolution out of our mindes than out of our books 3. Labour to know and understand well and often remember wherein consists the life of true and real Religion there be so many things in the world that pretend to be Religion and less deserve that name than the picture of a man deserves the name of a man that 't is an easie mistake to nourish an enemy to Religion instead of Religion unless we be serious and wary and more apt to regard the characters which the Scriptures give of real Religion than hasty to take up the forms and fancies of men instead of Religion I have read of a young French Lady who observing the glorious pomp and splendour of a Popish Procession cryed out How fine a Religion is ours in comparison of the Hugonots a speech suiting her age and quality but indeed if Religion did consist in such things the question I have in hand would fall to the ground for there could then be no exercise of Religion among those who would not admit of such pompous solemnities Let us therefore be often remembring that the Religion of the Gospel consists in righteousnesse Rom. 14.17 peace and joy in the holy Ghost in denying ungodlinesse and worldly lusts and living soberly righteously and godly in this present world Tit. 2.12 13 and so looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God Jam. 1.27 and our Saviour Jesus Christ in visiting the fatherlesse and widowes in their affliction and keeping our selves unspotted from the world He that hath a precious Jewell which he would secure must be able to distinguish it well from a counterfeit stone lest he neglect his Jewell and spend his care and pains upon a glittering glasse foysted into the room of it 4. In all your actions be often fixing your eye upon your great end be often asking your selves what is the work and businesse for which God sent me into the world which lyes in three words 1. Honour God 2. Save your souls 3. Do good to others Be often minding your selves that you have a better Trade to drive than for the corruptible riches of this world even for the pearl of great price the eternall happinesse of your souls Religion is the way to Heaven and he that doth not often eye his journeys end and consider whether the way he takes do lead unto his end is never like to keep long in the right way but now he that often with seriousnesse considers with himself that the God who made him expects to be honoured by him that the securing his souls welfare is his grand concernment and that to save the soul of one sinner is a greater good than to save a Countrey from drowning or a City from burning and therefore on all occasions asks himself how may I mannage such a businesse so as to honour God and promote the good of mine own and other mens souls How may I prosecute such an affair without prejudicing the grand design of my life This man is like to secure Religion in his soul 5. Live up to the professed principles of your Religion and believe it to be a greater glory to God honour to your Religion and security to your own souls to live according to than to argue and dispute for your Religion for most certain it is that self-love worldly interest pride passion c. may urge men to argue eagerly for the Christian or Protestant Religion whereas nothing but love to God and care of our own souls and charity to the souls of others can make a