from his peoples enemies how much rather from their friends Isa 47. 5 6. Sit thou silent and get thee into darkness O Daughter of the Caldeans for thou shalt no more be called the Lady of Kingdomes I was wroth with my people and gave them into thy hands but thou didst show them no pitty upon the ancient hast thou very heavily laid thy yoak For this cause they must get them into darkness clearly noting that though God for his peoples evils do afflict trouble them yet it is not at all either to warrant his people or his peoples enemies to add to the burthen he layeth upon them but on the contrary calls for pitty yet not pitty with their sins but such pitty as may reduce them from their sins First in taking notice that they are in misery Remember O Lord what is become upon us consider and bebold our reproach The Church counts it of tendency to her healing by having her affliction taken notice of Secondly you must pitty them in helping them to understand the cause why it is come Lam. 3. 36. Wherefore doth the living man complain a man for the punishment of his sin Thirdly Pitty in provoking them to search and try their wayes and turn to the Lord their God Fourthly Pitty in helping them down that is laying the displeasure of God before them to humble them and when duly humbled to comfort them least such should be swallowed up with over much sorrow We may conclude this evil to be very commonamong professors and it may call upon them to a self-examining whether and wherein they are under this spiritual decay for the removing or preventing of which I shall offer three or four things briefly so conclude this Sign First to consider the precepts of this duty and from whom they come Rom. 12. 10 14. Be kindly affectionate one to another with brotherly love in honour prefering one another Weep with them that weep put on as the elect of God bowels of mercy kindness humbleness of mind meekness long suffering who is afflicted and I burn not Secondly Consider the danger of being wanting here First it makes us most unlike God in all their afflictions he was afflicted Secondly It opens a door to let in upon us equal misery Amos 6. 7. Therefore shall they go into captivity with the first that go captive and the banquit of them that stretch themselves shall be removed Thirdly It leads the way to heart-hardning Zech. 7. 10. Oppress not the widdow fatherless stranger nor poor but they refused to hearken and made their heart as an Adamant stone A Third help against this decay is to be considering or laying to heart the condition of such thinking it might now be and yet may be our own you that are spiritual restore such an one in the spirit of meekness Considering thy self lest thou also be tempted bear ye one anothers burthens and so fullfil the Law of Christ Gal. 6. beginning A Fourth help against this decay is humbly and constantly to beg of God a heart according to the new Covenant Psal 86. 11. compared with Ezek. 36. 26. and so Teach me thy way O Lord I will walk in thy truth unite my heart to fear thy name I will give you a heart of flesh or a tender heart 2 Chron. 34. 27. CHAP. XVI Shewing that when the name of Christ and credit to his Gospel is not so dear to us as personal sufferings we are then surely on the dying hand and that in estate body and life we ought to submit if called to suffering with four Causes of Decay here SIGN XVI VVHen you will rather betray the Name of Christ Jesus and the credit of his Gospel by your silence then appear for it to your own suffering and disparagement Three things may be observable as to the opening of this Sign First what is ment by the Name of Jesus Name refers to his person and properties as his power wisdome judgment mercy justice goodness dishonour done to all or any of these is done to him because this is the matter or substance he is made known by and understood to be 't is clear that Name in Scripture when referred to the person of God and Christ notes all this Exod. 20. 7. Thou shalt not take the Name of the Lord thy God in vain Chap. 33. 19. Chap. 34. 6 7. Josh 7. 10. John 17. and Acts 9. Secondly how far if called ought we to suffer for this Name Suffering is a word reduceable to three heads all centring in man First in estate there he must suffer by having his goods spoiled his bodily substance wasted Heb. 10. 35. Secondly in body by persecutions and reproaches bonds and imprsonments Heb. 10. 32 33. chap. 11. 36. Thirdly In life Luke 14. 26. Acts 21. 15. Revel 12. 12. Now in what cases may we be proved guilty of this dying Sign as falling under any or all these three heads First If because of our estate we comply with or countenance any evil or refuse to confess any good John 12. 42. 2 Tim. 4. 10. Nevertheless among the chief Rulers also many believed on him but did not confess him lest they should be put out of the Synagogue Secondly If because of our bodies to free them from sufferings we will comply with or countenance any evil or refuse to confess any good Mat. 13. 21. But when tribulation or persecution riseth because of the word by and by they are offended Thirdly If because of our lives to free them we will comply with any evil or refuse to confess any good contrary to Dan. 3. 17 18. chap. 16. 16. Under all or any of these considerations when professors can hear the great Name dishonoured and by their silence suffer it to be betrayed it is very evident they are dying to the things of God No man or woman in a Christian profession but one time or another are lyable to temptations of this kind that is to have the Name and credit of Christ and his Gospel come in competition with their sufferings and disparagements And answerable to their weakness or strength so ordinarily is their behaviour to suffer or to sin there may be considered three or four Causes of this which being heeded and avoyded may prove as Remedies against this decay First A slavish fear of men and things pertaining to this life Fear ye not the reproach of men neither be afraid of their revilings upâ—n this score either fearing men or fearing losing the things pertaining to this life as John â—2 many believed but did not confess him for fear of losing their place in the Synagogue It is much to be feared that with regard to this many hear and bear to hear see and bear to see know and bear to know that dishonour contracted to the name of Christ and his Gospel that otherwise they would not and certainly ought not Have no fellowship with unfruitful works of darkness but rather reprove them that is
upon him by pouring out their wants before him Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil Mat. 6. What hath been said may teach two things First the lamentable condition of such as neither can nor will pray that are as unaccustomed to it as the Heifer to the yoak living absolute Athiests in the World saying in their heart if not in their actions too there is no God Pour out thy wrath upon the heathen and families that call not upon thy name Secondly This teacheth to strengthen the hearts and hands of such as fear God to this service of prayer it being part of their defence or Armor Ephes 6. Praying alwayes with all prayer and suppliaction in the spirit watching thereunto with all perseverance c. When thou saidest seek my face my heart said thy face Lord will I seek thou wilt hide me in thy Pavillion Psal 27. 4 5 6 7 8 9. Read and consider so pass to the next Sign CHAP. XXII Containing in it an Assertion of the Causes of Affliction and that without great provocation God is not wont to afflict his people and though provoked very unwilling to extremity With four Objections that seem to complain against this Doctrine Answered SIGN XXII VVHen you are mighty careless to Inquire after the spiritual cause of Affliction and mighty careful to Inquire after the natural cure The more or less spiritual any man is may be easily discovered under this Tryal Affliction being of that piercing kind that other tryals are not because of the great influence it hath upon the sensitive part of man where ever it comes while sense remains it makes the person restless either to find out cause or cure or both We may therefore first inquire after the word Affliction what that meaneth to afflict is to lay some burthen upon a person that is not ordinary Gen. 15. 13. There they shall afflict you four hundred years this is opened in Exod. 1. Israel is made to serve with rigor Lam. 1. 4. 5. The wayes of Zion do mourn because none come to the solemn feasts all her gates are desolate her Priests sigh her virgins are afflicted and she is in bitterness I have seen I have seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt by reason of his task-master Acts 3. 34. By these Texts it appears that affliction meaneth any grief or trouble that cometh upon soul or body name or estate for the punishment of sin or the tryal of faith so that sickness and diseases as feavor and ague consumption inflamation the like are all comprised under this word affliction it will therefore be necessary to open the word Spiritual cause it being in the Sign oposed to natural cure by spiritual cause is to be understood some provoking God in the subject afflicted to the procuring this affliction nothing some cause or other why the Spirit suffers it to come upon us Now every body will be ready to grant that these things before promised may be truly called affliction but not grant that there can be such a spiritual cause in themselves and so make the Sign of no force Now to clear up this doubt let us make this inquiry whether any affliction or death it self come upon any man but for some cause or other from the man active or imputive that is he either so acted in his particular person or some body else in his general relation and on him it is righteously come For the resolution of this question let us inquire what causes in Scripture the righteous God assigns afflictions or death unto Gen. 3. 9 10 11 12 13. Who told thee thou wert naked hast thou eaten of the Tree I commanded thee not to eat the things in this Chapter considerable are these vers 14. the Serpent must go upon his belly eat dust and be curst above every beast of the field vers 16. to the woman he saith I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children and to Adam he saith Cursed is the Ground for thy sake Thornes and Thisles it shall bring forth to thee dust thou art and to dust thou shalt return you see in these verses misery both upon the woman and the man is brought the reason by God assigned vers 17. Because thou hast done this in hearkning to thy wife cursed is the ground for thy sake so also Josh 7. 7. Israel Gods prevailing people that by day had a pillar of a cloude and by night a pillar of fire ministring unto them now cannot stand before their enemies Joshua that at another time commands the Sun and Moon and they obey him now by prayer cannot prevail for Israel Gods people against the cursed Nation But what is the matter vers 11 12. Israel hath sinned and cannot stand neither will I be with them any more except they put the accursed thing from among them Lam. 3. 1 13. I am the man that have seen affliction vers 39. Wherefore doth a living man complain a man for the punishment of his sin 1 Cor. 11. 3. For this Cause many are sick and weak and many sleep 1 Thes 2. 11. For this Cause God shall send them strong delusion that they all might be damned that believed not the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness and let all the House of Israel know that without a Cause I have not done all that I have done saith the Lord Ezek. 14. 23. Much more might be said as to afflictions that attend both the body and mind together with the Causes and this left to consideration whether if Hell condemnation the highest of affliction be the fruit or reward of sin and unbelief much rather sickness and diseases with death it self which are the least afflictions must come from Creature Causes now if any man can assign any other Cause than God doth here assign let him do it if not by all this comparing of it with the eighth Sign of dying to Christ in which I have been more large upon affliction inward and outward with their Causes I shall therefore proceed to some Objections that seem to complain against this Doctrine Object 1. The first Objection is grounded upon 2 Sam. 12. 14. The Child that is born to thee shall surely die David is threatned with death in the child that hath not offended contrary to this Doctrine Answ This act of God to take away Davids Child if considered will be found mercy mixt with justice David by the Law was to die for the matter of Vriah now God in respect he bare to David for what good he had done and further were like to do being a man so after Gods own heart goes out of the ordinary way spares the person of David and imputes it upon the relation of David viz. his Child so in Davids seed he punished Davids person this is Gods usual way in Scripture and sets his Majesty out to be full of mercy in the middest of Justice
prepare you upon the most acceptable terms for future Glory is the true desire of Your unworthy Brother in the dear Concernments of the Gospel Francis Smith A TABLE OF THE CONTENTS Chap. 1. COntaining in it a Sign of Dying to Christ with three causes of its coming which being avoyded may serve as remedies against its ruin with profitable Objections answered 1 Chap. 2. Containing three Causes of weariness to spiritual Worship and the principal Reasons thereof 19 Chap. 3. Briefly shewing the cause of weariness to hear any truth often 23 Chap. 4. Briefly shewing how want of Charity in hearers causeth them dislike what is preached 27 Chap. 5. Containing five Causes of deceitfully thinking we know enough with four marks to know when we are under that deceit 31 Chap. 6. Containing in it Christians aptness through weakness to neglect coming to Christs Table with a short discription of offences that seemingly may hinder three Causes of this Decay 38 Chap. 7. Shewing the great decay to Christianity when mindless to prayer with a plâ—â—â— discovery of the Necessity Excellency Let Helps to prayer in sixteen particulars 46 Chap 8. Shewing the great Decay to Christianity when mindless to Reading and meditation in the holy Scriptures with six calamities very observable which Scripture Ignorance brings 54 Chap. 9. Shewing that an itching ear in Christians after Novelties bespeak them decaying to godliness with four Remedies against it 65 Chap. 10. Proving us dying to Christ when others sinnings are not our sorrowings with two Remedies against this Decay 69 Chap. 11. Shewing that unsavoury talking among Christians when they meet proves them earthly-minded with three Causes of this Decay 74 Chap. 12. Proving unpreparedness to hear the word of God a Sign of Dying to Christ with three sorts of hindrances which must be laid aside what must be our work before Hearing in Hearing and after Hearing 81 Chap. 13. Proving the state of such to be sad who assemble together more for fear of mans eye than Gods with four Discriptions how such may be known or know themselves with two Causes of this decay 89 Chap. 14. Shewing our state dying when we are more troubled at the decayes in our House than in Christs House with four marks to know when we are so dying 89 Chap. 15. Shewing that want of weeping in some when others of Christs Children with grief are stooping declares such to him a dying shewing also in four respects how we are to pitty with four Remedies against this decay 94 Cap. 16. Shewing that when the name of Christ credit to his Gospel is not so dear to us as personal sufferings wâ— are then surely on the dying hand that in estate body and life we ought to submit if called to suffering with four Causes of Decay here 99 Chap. 17. Shewing that sinning through impatience under Offences is a certain mark of deep decay with Objections Answers proving the degrees of anger and three Causes why Christians are impatient unto sin 104 Chap. 18. Proving those Christians to be almost dead that make it more their business to get the Form than the Power of Religion with its Causes and Remedies 111 Chap. 19. Containing in it a description of a decaying Christian by his light trouble at Miscarriages though known to Gods eye while kept from mans eye with two special Causes of this Decay 115 Chap. 20. Shewing the heart very bad when under faults it cannot bear plain dealing with three Causes of this badness 120 Chap. 21. Proving the condition of the rich as well as the poor to be a condition of trouble that whether it be common or more than ordinary to be answerable in prayer with a description of the different kinds of trouble with profitable Objections answered 125 Chap. 22. Containing in it an Assertion of the Causes of Affliction and that without great provocation God is not wont to afflict his people though provoked very unwilling to extremity With four Objections that seem to complain against this Doctrine Answered 132 Chap. 23. Proving those Christians under great Decay that pray more in Affliction to have it removed than sanctified with three Causes of this Decay 143 Chap. 24. Containing in it six Seasons in which Christians ought to humble themselves by fasting proving those under great decay that in times of calamity can find no necessity for fasting 152 Chap. 25. Containing in it the evil of Ignorance in not knowing wherefore Gods Rod is come nor what good it hath done with three Directions how to know when persons are under this Decay and three Remedies against it 159 Chap. 26. Shewing where sin takes its beginning and how by degrees if hearkned to it works ruin with six special marks how persons though pardoned may know when God will suffer them to fall into sin anew 164 Chap. 27. Shewing Satans way by which he gets in our day most advantage upon Churches and a plain discovery of the first rise of the Quakers shewing also the great Law of Edification to be preferred in all Doctrine with Cautions to such as live out of all Church way 177 Chap. 28. Shewing the necessity of humble waiting and confident depending upon the holy Spirit to help in the great work of mortification the necessity whereof is shewed in seven particulars with six directions how to get and keep this holy Spirit 189 Chap. 29. Treating of Spiritual Ignorance of our everlasting condition and five Scriptures tending to reducement from carnal security and three special Causes of such a damning Decay 205 Chap. 30. Shewing the miserable estate of such as after longer acquaintance with Christ are less in love to him with six Causes of this Decay 218 SIGNS OF A Living and Growing CHRISTIAN SIGN I. VVHen thy chief Delight is with the Saints epecially them that excel in virtue SIGN II. When the smites of the Righteous are not a burthen to thee thou canst hear of thy faults with affected attention SIGN III. When Jesus Christ in the midst of temptation is more to thee than all the World SIGN IV. When thou matterest not how dear it cost thee so thou make Corruption weary SIGN V. When increase of time in the use of Gods Ordinances works increase of affection to them SIGN VI. When length of time in Christs House works in thy heart increase of hatred to all sin SIGN VII When thou carriest about with thee a constant jealousie over thy heart proving its affectedness to God and goodness SIGN VIII When every known new mercy begets new thankfulness and that with delight SIGN IX When known calamitie in Gods House begets deep sorrow in thy heart SIGN X. When Gods afflicting thee for thy sin makes thee love God the better SIGN XI When the same care and travail thou labourest once in to get Christ thou as much if not more labours in to keep Christ SIGN XII When by thy labouring in Gods Vineyard thou art little grieved though outwardly
to pouder Exod. 32. So Phineas in his zeal to the Lord when he saw the evils that were committed in the Camp arose and slew both the man and the woman and so the plague was staid But secondly want of becoming love to others eternal welfare is a Cause of our not sorrowing at their sinnings that good man Jeremiah chap. 13. 17. If they will not hear but persist in their evil way his soul shall weep in secret places for their pride See this also in Jesus Christ that had such love to perishing Jerusalem That when he was come near and be held the City he wept over it Luke 19. 41. As Remedies against this decay First consider what a wide breach it makes in our spiritual state and whither in a little time it will bring us Repent or else I will come unto thee quickly and will sight against them with the sword of my mouth Revel 2. 16. Secondly In order to removing this do as men do that have a desperate mortal disease growing upon them if not speedily remedied how will they go and run pray and pay leave no stone unturned no means unattempted Even in like sort must spiritual diseases be looked at and laboured with Seest thou a man diligent he shall stand before Kings and not mean men Prov. 22. last Wash me throughly from mine iniquity and cleanse me from my sin Psal 51. 2. CHAP. XI Shewing that unsavoury talking among Christians when they meet proves them earthly minded with three Causes of this Decay SIGN XI VVHen in your comings together your talk is not savoury and heavenly Upon various occasions Christians meet together sometimes with those that are wringing their hands for sorrow sometimes with those clapping as it were their hands for joy sometimes at the Assembly sometimes at one anothers dwellings Now all comings together ministers occasion of Talking and will greatly evidence where most is each others Treasure it being natural for persons when they meet by their voyce to express what is the workings of their mind And as the heart is more or less heaven-ward so certainly will their talk bend more or less that way Earthly minded men when they meet will be carrying on their trade counting it matter of duty to promote what lyeth nearest their hearts so those that decay to spirituals having begun to affect themselves with new Lovers and so losing the sense they once had to the best things may be discerned now to have changed for the worst by their unsavory earthly talking and how advantagious all meetings are to the promoting whatsoever it designed none is able to express but such as experimentally make a view of it well considering That evil communications corrupt good manners or lessens a mans hold to the best things and when that pretious time in Christians meetings together is so spent that its rather spilt like water upon the ground such leaving no savour of grace behind them must needs argue that they are falling if not fallen from their first Love besides the dishonour done to God great hath been the wrong such have done both themselves and their adherents in publick or private assembling What more unpreparing the heart and indisposing the affection to the spiritual worshiping of God then either before hand being in a carnal slepy posture or else in such unseasonable if not worse talking some of their Farms others of their Merchandise nay perhaps backbiting and whisperingly opening the infirmities of others to the sowing prejudice in the hearts of those that through ignorance weakness incline to hear them whereas on the contrary such whose minds are alwayes carrying about with them the contemplating of Gods end in giving opportunity after opportunity puts themselves with trembling care into such imployment of still getting or doing good as may obtain from their gracious God the approbation of redeeming time see that good Nehemiahs practise for this he no sooner meets Hanani but what I asked concerning the Jews that had escaped which were left of the captivity and concerning Jerusalem he is inquiring presently how it fared with the people of God and Jerusalem the City of David and place of his Fathers Sepulchre and full near his heart their welfare lay as appears by his hearty affection and affliction at the evil tidings Chap. 1. 4. And it came to pass when I heard these words that I sate down and wept and mourned certain dayes and fasted and prayed before the Lord God of heaven I shall add another text and then proceed to the Causes of this decay Mal. 3. 16. Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another but their talking was so savoury and so heavenly that the Lord hearkened and heard it yea and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord and thought upon his Name Now the Causos of this Decay which being avoyded may also serve as Remedies against it and they are three First Long custome to Christian Meetings Secondly Uunskilfulness in Gospel Self-denial Thirdly Negligence to a plain duty First Long custome to Christian Meetings though this be not in it self a Cause yet it may be easily so converted for without a godly jealousie over the heart in often meeting with Christians the very custome of it will by little and little steal away that spiritual vigour that ought to run in the veins of every one where ever they are to the making their being as much as possible to Gods honour and their souls edifying for custome begets such an aptness to any service that except the heart be still examined persons will be in meetings together very destitute both of suitable preparation and answerable expectation and all through long custome for as in sinning it will take away in time the conscience of sin so in the best performances it will rob a man of that forehand care that should attend him unless he be much upon his watch Secondly A second Cause is Unskilfulness in one great point of Christianity viz. Gospel self-denial which stands in a conforming the whole man to be alwayes pleasing and serving the Lord such knowing themselves not to be their own but bought with a price and therefore whether eating drinking talking walking to be doing all to the glory of God whose they are Now unskilfulness herein will be still carrying on all affairs with much mixture partly in designing the Lord partly designing self having not so learned to live upon anothers bottome as the Gospel grace of self-denial teacheth Mat. 16. 24 25. Mark 6. 34 35. by which means many are at a great stand how to spend this and that opportunity and so instead of asking their fellow Christian how he grows or stands affected to the best things what temptations are upon him when at what times he findes himself most weak and unable to resist And whether often in closet prayer watchings fastings and what assurance he hath from some solid marks whether he
What indeed can harm you if God be for you and God will not be against you if you are followers of that which is good For he doth not afflict willingly nor grieve the children of men to crush under his feet the prisoners of the earth Lam. 3. 33 34. Wherefore then may it be said Doth the living man complain the holy Spirit gives the answer For the punishment of his sin The joy of our heart is ceased our dance is turned into mourning the Crown is fallen from off our head Wo unto us for we have sinned Lam. 15. 16. A multitude of Scriptures might be urged further to prove both unwillingness in God to afflict and that the very Cause of all our Wo both temporal and eternal is our misdoing O that my people had hearkened to my voyce and walked in my wayes I should soon have subdued their enemies and turned my hand against their adversaries Psal 81. 13 14. Now in reason were the Cause of Affliction considered to be only from our selves procured by our misdoing and sent with tendency to our mending we should surely pray more to have it sanctified than removed Secondly Ignorance of the Necessity of Affliction is a Cause of this Decay the very unwillingness of God to bring it and the creature to indure it fully proves that there is Necessity for it there cannot be more undelightfulness in the creature to undergo languishing than there is in God to put him under languishing How shall I give thee up O Ephraim How shall I deliver thee Israel How shall I make thee as Idma How shall I set thee as Zeboim My heart is turned within me my repentings are kindled together Hos 11. 8. When he was come near and beheld the City he wept over it Luke 19. 41. Now Gods unwillingness proves the creature cannot live at any spiritual rate without it and indeed Experience proves the same Before I was afflicted I went astray but now I have kept thy word Psal 119. 67. David wandred from the Fould and were like to continue till Affliction spoke to him he forgot himself and what he was a doing The wicked saith the Psalmist are not in trouble as other men neither are they plagued like other men therefore pride compasseth them about as a Chain violence covereth them as a garment and what use do they make of it they say how doth God know and is there knowledge in the most High This clearly notes that a condition freest from trouble or affliction generally is attended with carnallest behaviour God-ward When I had fed them to the full they then committed Adultery and assembled by troops into Harlots houses Jer. 5. 7. By all this it appears that it is from ignorance of Afflictions necessity if we pray more to have it removed than sanctified Thirdly Ignorance of the End of Affliction is a Cause of this Decay now the Cause being Sin and the Necessity being to humble the End is to save Now all Gods dealings are mercy whatsoever he doth to the creature is like himself and in it self is mercy if he give us all we desire and would have it is Mercy if he keep us without it it is Mercy Health from him is Mercy so is Sickness Plenty from him is Mercy so is Poverty Health Life Strength and such like Favours temporal every body will acknowledge to be Mercy but their contrary few or none will account Mercy yet this is Mercy also for this Checquer work the World is made of some at the same time are wringing their hands for sorrow while others are clapping their hands for joy some with straitâ— through Sickness and Poverty are Weeping others through Health and Plenty rejoycing Now the great difficulty is how to bring the heart to look upon the state of Weeping as truly Mercy as the state of Rejoycing For which end consider why we do account Health Plenty and such like Injoyments Mercy but because they have in them an esteeming and desirable good a seasonable and sutable good it is the same with the contrary they are as seasonable and as sutable could our frail hearts so receive them for they are as truly from the Lord as the other and as truly have the same end in them There are two great Ends in all God doth one is his Honour the other is our Salvation now if God give us what we would have his End is the same and if he give us the contrary his End is the same and Christians certainly misconstruing his End to be Mercy is the Cause they misconstrue his Actions to be Mercy That both are Mercy read Exod. 13 17. There God led them through the wilderness an unbeaten way where they wanted both bread and water and yet both End and Action Mercy to bring them to Canaan and deliver them from harm by the Philistines Remember all the way which the Lord thy God led thee these forty years through that great and terrible wilderness wherein was fiery Serpents and Scorpions and Drought and no Water that he might humble thee and prove thee to the good at thy latter end It is too evident that Israel construed this hard dealing from God but it was great Mercy as the text fully proves Ignorance therefore of the End of Affliction is a Cause why we pray more to have it Removed than Sanctified CHAP. XXIV Containing in it six Seasons in which Christians ought to humble themselves by fasting proving those under great decay that in times of calamity can find no necessity for fasting SIGN XIV WHen under Gods Calamity you can neither find necessity nor excellency to humble your selves by fasting As prayer rightly put up to God is a way and means by which he many times is prevailed with both to remove judgments and sanctifie them even so fasting is Gods way in which he hath often been found and it is the more prevailing with him in so much as it hath in it a gratious tendency to abase and humble the soul and make it more fit to receive the kind impression of his precepts in opening of his promises together with the reverencing him because of his threatnings it being a season not only of laying the soul low in its own eyes at the sensible sight of his own vileness but a marvellous exalting the gratious and long-forbearance of God forcing the heart to cry out what manner of love is this that we should be called the Children of God who was before wallowers in the works of darkness that leads to the Chambers of death but now by his grace though once far off made nigh of an Alien made a home dweller All these things are brought to remembrance very fresh in fasting Seasons that being a time of calling to mind things past and though calamity be as truly Gods mercy as the contrary having in it the same design of Salvation good yet it is more properly sent in order to reducing from those straings it finds such persons
fasting Acts 14. 23. And when they had Ordained them Elders in every Church and had prayed with fasting they commended them to the Lord on whom they believed CHAP. XXV Containing in it the evil of Ignorance in not knowing wherefore Gods Rod is come nor what good it hath done with three Directions how to know when persons are under this Decay and three Remedies against it SIGN XXV VVHen Gods Rod worketh so little upon you that you can neither tell wherefore it is come nor what good it hath done People under this Sign are very miserable for they are not only miserable in general but miserable under the means of reducement The Sun of such is setting and the Lamp agoing out It is a misery to be in need of the Physitian but to remain in misery after their best appication as to healing must needs be miserable for then there remains no visible hope of remedy when correction by the Rod will not do that is will not reclaim then is giving up the next work It may be necessary to open the meaning of Gods Rod it signifies his stripes or chastisements and saith the decaying Christian it is true these and these miseries lie upon me and have for some time but I know not the cause nor what is a miss or how to have it removed nor wherein to be bettered the Scripture gives us many sad instances of such a people as these Jer. 2. 30. In vain have I smitten your Children they have received no correction though I do correct them yet they do not receive it that is they remain the same under it as Jer. 5. 3. Thou hast stricken them but they have not grieved thou hast consumed them but they have refused to receive correction for the people turneth not to him that smiteth them strangers have devoured their strength yet they know it not though gray haires are here and there upon them Such as these have lost their spiritual hold and feels not the force of Gospel-arguments and now the Devil may take their Religion from them if he brings but something by way of exchang that serves and suits their external senses It is easie for such to sell their Master for thirty pieces of Silver just like Israel of old Exod. 32. When they saw that Moses delayed his coming though he is gone up to the Mount with God yet they make themselves new Gods meer shows and forsake the true God this is a most miserable state but how shall we know we are under this dying Sign and get help against it First When no affliction or Rod that comes upon you doth so much trouble you as to provoke to a diligent search what is the cause of what is come Jer. 8. 6 7. I hearkned and heard but they spake not aright no man repented him of his evil saying what have I done The Stork Turtle and Swallow observe their time but my people know not the Judgments of the Lord They know not wherefore my Rod is come but if I afflict them they get it off as soon as they can not considering that if it do not mend them I shall bring seven times worse Judgments upon them As it is with some and our experience can speak to the truth of it Let God visit their family with sickness they will send to the physitian if he goeth further bring death they will bury their dead as fashionably as they can but hardly inquire saying what have I done or what ought I to learn Secondly When if you are wrought upon to inquire after the Cause you center in generals that is some sin or other not descending to particulars for this and this evil it is thus and thus with me Thirdly When though you may confess in general and descend into particulars Yet if there be not right sorrow for and turning from you are still under this dying Sign Now as Remedies against this dying Sign First Keep your Judgments under continual information from those Texts of Scripture that declares what the Rod is sent for Deut. 17. may wel be alluded to the King must have the Law by him continually that he may read therein and why that his heart be not lifted up above his brethren and that he might learn to fear the Lord his God continually So that you see he was daily to be informing his Judgment in the Law as the proper way to fear the Lord his God and to avoyd sinning against him once informing the Judgment will not do so as to carry force to the keeping from doing evil except there be a daily tutoring the mind in the same things again and again as often rubbing the hands causeth heat and often whetting the instrument keepeth from rust and maketh sharp even so often informing the understanding and Judgment with some such Texts as these bears such a stroak upon the heart as to deliver it from going in that path attended with such woes from Heaven Levit. 26. 14 15 16 17. If you will not hearken to me and do all my commandements I will appoint over you terror yea and set my face against you and plague you for your sins Job 36. 18. Because there is wrath beware lest he take thee away with his stroak then a great ransome cannot deliver thee The Prophet Isaiah in Chap. 5. from the 8. to the 23. verse pronounceth woe upon woe six times over cloathing transgressors with woes as a man is cloathed with his garment Secondly content not your selves on this side a heart so tender as to be under continual feeling fear of God and his Judgments Christians should be restless and not cease by prayer to cry night and day that God would make them large sharers in the promises of the new Covenant Exck. 33. I will take away thy stony heart and give thee a heart of flesh thy hard heart and give the a soft heart Mans heart is like mettal and mettal you know that is hard and unweldy that will not receive an impression is put to the fire to soften to make it receive the stroak in 2 Chron. 34. 27. you have a lively instance of a soft heart because thy heart was tender and thou didst humble thy self before me my flesh trembleth for fear of thee I am affraid of thy Judgments Psal 119. 120. Thirdly When at any time a Rod from God comes upon you pass Judgment still that there is some cause and cease not praying and searching till you find it out This will certainly preserve you from being under the possession of this dying Sign Josh 7. Israel comes to loss what doth he then do Cry alas O Lord God wherefore hast thou at all brought these people over to deliver us into the hands of the Amorites to destroy us CHAP. XXVI Shewing where sin takes its beginning and how by degrees if hearkned to it works ruin with six special Marks how persons though pardoned may know when God will suffer them to fall
lest they see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and convert and be healed So Rom. 1. 21 28. Because that when they knew God they glorified him not as God neither were thankful but became vain in their imaginations and their foolish heart was darkned And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge God gave them over to a reprobate mind to do those things which are not convenient For this cause God shall send them strong delusion that they should believe a lie that they all might be damned who believed not the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness Now such fore judgments as these are come upon and procured by many who turn the grace of God into wantonness professing to be most spiritual live as the almost most carnal little minding because greatly ignorant of those spiritual causes they may run into to the bringing upon themselves such spiritual judgments or sicknesses and afflictions as these And indeed how comes it to pass that such afflictions are not feared before they come to the provoking such to walk so as may prevent their coming but ignorance of the Scripture they not conversing often with them to the well informing themselves what judgments may come on their minds and what are the Causes God assigns of their coming so as to be in trembling and dread continually to the keeping themselves out of that channel where such bitter waters runs Again there are outward sicknesses and afflictions and they are such as these Deut. 28. 58 59 60. If thou wilt not observe to do all the words of this Law that are written in this Book that thou maist fear this glorious and fearful Name the Lord thy God Then the Lord will make thy plagues wonderful and the plagues of thy seed even great plagues and of long continuance sore sicknesses and of long continuance Moreover he will bring upon thee all the diseases of Egypt which thou was afraid of and they shall cleave unto thee Levit. 26. 15 16. If ye shall despise my Statutes or if your soul shall abhor my judgments that you will not do them but that you break my Covenant I also will do this to you I will even appoint over you Terror Consumption and the burning Ague that shall consume the eyes and cause sorrow of heart and ye shall sow your seed in vain for your Enemies shall eat it But I shall speak fully to the Causes of Affliction in the Twenty second Sign and therefore proceed no further here but come to the second Calamity that Scripture Ignorance brings Secondly That your uneven walking with God may bring upon your selves death before its time This Particular is proved thus Long life promised to the obedient Exod. 20. 12. Honour thy Father and thy Mother that thy dayes may be long in the Land which the Lord thy God giveth thee Also Deut. 32. 46 47. Set your hearts to all the words which I testifie among you this day command them your Children for it is not in vain because that through this thing mark that ye shall prolong your dayes in the Land whither ye go over into Jordan to possess it This is also proved by the contrary which comes upon the disobedient Deut. 11. 16 17. Take heed to your selves that your heart be not deceived and ye turn aside and serve other Gods and then the Lords wrath be kindled against you and ye perish quickly from off the good Land which the Lord giveth you Eccles 8. 13. But it shall not be well with the wicked neither shall he prolong his dayes which are as a shadow because he feareth not before God So Chap. 7. 17. Be not over much wicked neither be thou foolish why shouldst thou die before thy time Thirdly By means of Scripture Ignorance you cannot know to ask in faith the things you want for soul or body that is you will not know where to be absolute or positive in your asking and whereto be submissive and conditional in your asking Now the Scripture gives directions as to the putting up Petitions to God and men may easily err by not observing them Gen. 32. 26. And he said to wit the Angel Let me go for the day breaeth and he answered to wit Jacob I will not Let thee go except thou bless me So Exod. 32. 12. Wherefore should the Egyptians say for mischief did he bring them out to slay them in the Mountains and to consume them from the face of the earth Turn from thy fierce wrath and repent of this evil against thy people So Acts 12. 5. Peter therefore was kept in prison but prayer was made without ceasing unto God for him By these Scriptures we may observe that to be conditional or indifferent in our asking when God may be dishonoured by denying is not good therefore in this case may a man coming in Gods way be bold to ask pardon of his sins peace to his conscience power over his corruptions without condition in such case Gracious and humble resolutions to have no denial greatly liketh God and suits with his will Isa 62. 6 7. I have set Watchmen upon thy walls O Jerusalem which shall never hold their peace day nor night you that make mention of the Lord keep not silence till he establish and make Jerusalem a praise in the earth But observe in all cases Petitions putting up must not thus be framed Acts 21. 14. And when he would not be perswaded we ceased saying the will of the Lord be done So Rom. 1. 9 10 For God is my witness whom I serve with my spirit in the Gospel of his Son that without ceasing I make mention alwayes of you in my prayers making request if by any means I might now at length have a prosperous journey by the will of God mark that to come to you So Jam. 4 15. For that ye ought to say if the Lord will we shall live and do this or that I shall leave this to consideration and proceed to the fourth Calamity Fourthly Negligence to Reading and Meditation will make you ignorant wherein you may prevent the presence and comforts of Gods holy Spirit that is that God may either take away his spirit from striving with you or you away from his spirit My spirit shall not alwayes strive Gen. 6. 3. 1 Sam. 16. 14. But the spirit of the Lord departed from Saul and an evil spirit from the Lord troubled him Psal 51. 7. Take not thy holy spirit from me Neh. 9. 30. Yet many years didst thou for bear them and testifiedst against them by thy spirit in thy Prophets yet would they not give ear Therefore gavest thou them into the hands of the people of the Land But they rebelled and vexed his holy spirit therefore was he turned to be their enemy and fought against them By these Scriptures we may see that the holy Spirits company may be put away from us through ungracious
come not in company with them yet if you must then rebuke them for any among their great friends kindred or any other by whom perhaps they have great gain to bear with swearing blaspheming deriding at religion or other vain communications plainly argues a great slavish fear to have possessed them Secondly another Cause of this may be an impotent love that is your love to God proves weak or lame There is no fear in love but perfect love casts out fear because fear hath torment Thirdly Unskilfulness in the Doctrine of self-denyal may prove a great Cause of this decay Whosoever doth not take up his Cross and follow me cannot be my Disciple behold I go bound in the spirit to Jerusalem not knowing the things that shall befal me there save that the holy Ghost witnesseth in every City saying bonds and afflictions abide me but none of these things move me neither count I my life dear to my self so I may finish my course with joy Fourthly A doubtful mind of Gods All-sufficiency and certainty to make up what damage may come through our care to his name and credit both in this life and that to come Gods All sufficiency is never so seen as in the time of greatest scarcity or under the highest straits Then stand still and see the salvation of the Lord and as Gods sufficiency is never so seen as then in like manner he is never so obliged as then When persons are suffering through his grace for his name-sake They shall lay their hands on you and persecute you and bring you before Rulers for my names-sake but I will give you a mouth and wisdome which all your adversaries shall not be able to gain-say Luke 21. 12. 13. CHAP. XVII Shewing that sinning through impatience under Offences is a certain mark of deep decay with Objections and Answers proving the degrees of anger and three Causes why Christians are impatient unto sin SIGN XVII VVHen at a small offence you are so impatient that you commit great sin It is not possible to live without offences giving or taking real or seeming and such is mans frailty in common that even under small provocations they are apt to yield to too deep an impression But for better understanding it may be necessary to make some Observation upon this Sign First As to the meaning of small Offences Secondly As to the kind of impatience here intended First By small Offences is meant either small with respect to the little occasion that is given perhaps but seemingly or if real yet so slender as it would be wisdome to wink at it and but folly to be moved by it Secondly Small as coming from the smallest occasions viz. earthly an error of life as to the things of heaven though small being that that is greater by many degrees than some error that may arise from the things of this life which by God are called the smallest matters A Christian may be easily read more or less strong or spiritual as he is more or less affected with the offences that this life minister to him Whereas there is envyings debate and strife among you are ye not carnal and walk as men 1 Cor. 3. 2. Now the kind of impatience here intended is for offences to be so moved or inraged as to run beyond the bounds of Gods alowance Be angry but sin not let not the Sun go down upon your wrath Intimating a great aptness in persons when provoked to be so inraged as to continue and boyl in wrath seeking for revenge contrary to Gods counsel Be in malice as Children Object But it may be Objected whether an allowance of anger or impatience under provocation may not be Answ There is anger in good part and in bad part so to take offence or be angry or impatient as to thirst after personal revenge or requital surely is not good He that is so angry with his brother shall be in danger of Judgment for in their anger they slew a man and in their wrath they digged down a Wall cursed be their anger for it was fierce Gen. 49. 6 7. Here Impatience is taken in ill part and by Christians to be abhorred and avoyded it being not of that kind Exod. 32. 19. And Moses anger waxed hot full of zealous and sore displeasure not simply against their person but against their sin Thus God is said to be angry with his people when by their sins they provoke him Numb 11. 10. But Impatience and anger in ill part is such as runs out to the breaking the hedge of Government running into cursing swearing tumults fighting or brawling Object 2. But it may be again Objected that the Sign it self seems to give an allowance of great anger or impatience under great Offences for it saith When at a small offence you are so impatient that you commit great sin Answ Doubtless under great Offences greater displeasure may be manifested but let the growing heaven-born Christian set up his standard here that at no offence small or great he may dare at any hand to break down the wall in a word Be angry and sin not Ephes 4. 26. By this means we make our quarrel Gods whose vengeance is and he will righteously repay otherwise that is when impatience carries us into the path of sinning we make the quarrel our own and take Gods work from him and so incur his displeasure upon us The good Lord give in wisdome and strength to Christians here under all provocations whether great or smal in Church or Family from friend or enemy that they let patience have its perfect work rather to the suffering any wrong than committing the least sin how like our Head the Lord Jesus would this declare us to be Who did no sin neither was guile found in his mouth yet when he was reviled reviled not again when he suffered threatned not took it most meekly and committed himself to him that judgeth righteously Object 3. But it may be objected again whether by this Superiours as Governours Parents or Masters may or not be angry with their Inferiours Answ Yes and correct them to but it must be as their drinking was in Esthers time according to the Law of Gods allowance Read for our rule in this case and let us live and die by it Nehem. 5. 6 7 9. And I was very angry when I heard their cry and these words then I rebuked the Nobles and Rulers saying It is not good that you do ought ye not to walk in the fear of our God because of the reproach of the Heathen our enemies O let Christians make this their rule under all provocations to keep within the fear of God because of the reproach of the Adversary yea let your provocation be what it will or from whom it will friend or enemy child or servant them that have most cause or least cause still remember and keep to this it is better ten thousand times ten thousand patiently to suffer than impatiently to
and we will make our abode with him John 14. 23. CHAP. XX. Shewing the heart very bad when under faults it cannot bear plain dealing with three Causes of this badness SIGN XX. VVHen you love least those Brethren that deal most faithfully with you in the opening your soars and tendering your Remedies It is a strong evidence of a bad Spirit when persons come to this pass either they must be unsensible of their bad state or else willing to continne in it through a hardned heart but may be easily discerned in a Church either by their itching at most plain soul-searching Doctrine or their estrangedness to the most zealous spiritual Brethren and if there be a luke-warm Christian in the Church a thousand to one but he is most of their society they may also be known by this they are greatest strangers to the difficultest duties 't is hard to bring them to early duties and as hard to hold them at late services in a word you may have their company but it must be at services most easie when some outward credit may accrue to them by their profession then none shall seem more apt and active than themselves and God that best knows this greatly abhors this and will chastise such Chruches as are not careful to remove and will also in due time make such persons by one means or other so manifest that he that runs may read them but as there are such that will not like them that deal faithfully with them even so there are some that out of personal respect to such and for fear to lose their favour will not tell them so nakedly of their sores but in love to their persons speak faintly of their sins and so hate their souls In shew these are a mans greatest friends but in truth his greatest enemies witness the false Prophets 1 Kings 22. 6. Shall I go against Ramoth Gilead to battel or shall I forbear and they said go up for the Lord hath delivered it to thy hand And when a Prophet of the Lord one Micaiah is called for vers 13. They would fain have seduced him to speak good words as they called it that is pleasant promises though they were lyes Thus we may see the property of false Prophets that for an angel will cry up a person as if he were almost an Angel it was even so in Jeremiahs time chap. 8. They have healed the hurt of the Daughter of my people slightly crying peace peace when there was no peace When God would not nor righteously could not speak peace but war because of their misdoings yet these false Prophets make promises of peace to them though in their sins that as God by the Prophet Ezekiel complains Chap. 13. Sow pillows under arm-holes for pieces of bread handfuls of barly Sparing what he would have destroyed and destroying what he would have spared it is a very great Judgment upon a Church or people to have such amongst them as will speak peace to any out of the way of peace it is as bad a judgment upon those persons that love not those that speak war to them when their impenitency speaks the same yet of such the Apostle St. Paul complains Gal. 4. 15 16. Am I therefore become your enemy because I tell you the truth Doubtless these Galathians speaks in their hearts as much as others speak of the Prophet Amos Chap. 10. who say The land is not able to bear his words once this same Church could have pulled out their eyes if it had been possible to have done this same Apostle good Now counts him their enemy for telling them the truth But I shall briefly speak of two or three Causes of this Decay which being avoyded may serve as so many Remedies against this dying Sign First A first Cause is shaking hands again with our old sins falling in love with what once we loathed very burthensome to Israel was Moses when once they began to grow affected with the Fish the Cucumbers and the Mellons that they had in Egypt not only then good plain dealing Moses comes out of request but even Gods Manna though Angels food Numb 11. 5 6. We remember the Fish which we did eat in Egypt freely the Cucumbers and the Mellons and the Leeks and the Onyons and Garlick but now our soul is dryed away and there is nothing at all besides this Manna before our eyes and this we loath as light bread chap. 21. But Secondly a second Cause may be this a losing the relish we once had to heavenly things Jer. 2. 23. Iremember thee the kindness of thy youth the love of thine espousals when thou wentest after me in the Wilderness in a Land that was not sown then thou wast holiness to the Lord and the first fruits of his increase but now be astonished Oh heavens at this and be horribly affraid yea very desolate saith the Lord for my people have forsaken the Fountain of living waters and hewn out to themselves broken Cisterns that can hold no water But I have a few things against thee because thou hast left thy first love Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen or else I will come and remove thy Candlestick except thou repent Revel 2. 11. Thirdly A third Cause may be this a too too much complying with the friendship of this World which in its latitude is enmity with God Gal. 5. 7. Ye did run well who did hinder you or as the margin reads drive you back that you should not obey the truth or hold on your way This perswasion comes not of him that calleth you If any come to me and hate not his Father and his Mother Wife Children Brothers Sisters yea and his own life also he cannot be my Disciple Luke 14. 26. Demas hath forsaken me and hath imbraced this present World Read and consider CHAP. XXI Proving the condition of the rich as well as the poor to be a condition of trouble and that whether it be common or more than ordinary to be answerable in prayer with a discription of the different kinds of trouble with profitable Objections answered SIGN XXI VVHen under more than ordnary trouble afflictions or straits you are not more than ordnary in Prayer For the opening of this Sign First what is meant by troubles it is something that in it self is not nor cannot be pleasant But something that opposeth and withstandeth the desire and delight of the mind and therefore in Scripture called a burthen Cast thy burthen upon the Lord and he shall sustain thee were trouble a matter of pleasure and profit in it self there would not be that proper need of prayer and calling for help from one that is stronger So that as the word is universal in an ordinary case it takes in those cares fears and sorrows in common that we are dayly incident to Job 5. 6 7. Man is born to trouble as the sparks fly upward That is it is as natural for man to meet with
he will take away the first born in Egypt that had not sinned and therein plagued Pharaoh and their Fathers that had sinned That this is mercy consider if David the sinner be cut off for his sin there was then no room left to manifest repentance either in David or the Egyptians yet death must come that God may be just and though nothing but Justice must take place yet in that he will be as merciful as possible to stand with Justice Therefore there is truly a Cause for God to impute death to Davids Child for Davids sin Object 2. The second Objection is grounded upon Job 2. 3. which seems also to complain against this Doctrine in these words Thou hast moved me against Job without a Cause he is a perfect and upright man one that feareth God and hateth evil Answ God goeth in this out of his ordinary way as in the case of St. Pauls conversion Acts 9. It will not be safe to imagin that others are unconverted because God meets not others so sometime God doth things to shew his Power and Majesty and greatness over all and his using instruments in an extraordinary case as his raising Lazarus from the grave and from death the widdows Son and others is no warrant for us to allude to cases ordinary Secondly here was a cause if not in Job and indeed necessity that this should come upon him if we consider Chap. 1. 9. There is none like Job saith God doth he serve thee for naught saith Satan put but forth thy hand he will curse thee to thy face Now that Job did not serve God just because God had dealt so well with him but would do it if God dealt other wayes with him shall now appear and the accuser of the brethren be put to the worst who complains against Job as envying his prosperity Thirdly in the strictest sense this carriage of God to Job can hardly be tearmed affliction but rather some gratious condition by God made with Job to this purpose Job thou art an upright man thou fearest me and hatest evil and Satan is still complaining on thee because he envies thy prosperity and tels me thou wouldst prove another man then I take thee to be if I should try thee by adversity and take from thee thy prosperity Now le ts stop the mouth of this great adversary and lend me thy Oxen and thy Asses thy servants and thy Cammels thy Children and all thy substance and thy body for my service I will pay thee with great advantage as appears by this following So the Lord blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning for he had fourteen thousand sheep six thousand Cammels and a thousand yoak of Oxen and a thousand shee Asses and had also seven sons and three daughters so that the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before Job 42. 10 11 12. Object 3. The third Objection is grounded upon Isa 57. 1. The Righteous perisheth and no man layeth it to heart Good men here are taken away by death and no cause shewed they have the testimony of good men and yet taken away It will be granted they might have lived much longer for age the text implies it and the Objection is the stronger by it for it would be no matter of complaint had they lived till very age had took them away for then we know all must die Answ The time these good men lived in was a very evil time and God takes them away First in judgment to the People Secondly in mercy to themselves First in judgment Isa 5. 6 7 10. 11 12. He hath called upon them by the Righteous and warned them but it would do them no good now he will take away the Righteous from them to see if they will lay it to heart Secondly in mercy to themselves they are taken away First Because by long living with such they must needs be a weary even of their lives and their souls vexed from day to day Psal 120. 5. Wo is me that I dwell in the Tenis of Kedar So Jer. 4. 14. My bowels my bowels I am pained at my very heart my heart maketh a noise within me because thou hast heard in Jerusalem the sound of the Trumpet the Alarm of war Secondly in mercy to them because the continuance of this temptation upon them may at last so weary them out as they may give up all as Solomon did 1 Kings 11. 4. When he was old his Wives turned away his heart after other gods So Mat. 24. 21 22. Then shall be great tribulation such as was not since the beginning of the world nor ever shall be except those dayes shall be shortned there could no flesh be saved but for the elects sake it shall be shortned Even as our Proverb is A continual dropping will wear a hole in the stone so a continual oppression may turn the wise man out of all see for this Jer. 20. 14 c. He curseth the day of his birth and the man that brought tidings to his Father wisheth his Mother had been alwayes great with him saying Wherefore came I forth out of the womb to see labour and sorrow and that my dayes should be consumed with shame Clearly noting that any zealous heart is sorely touched when all he can do will not keep God from dishonour O blot me saith Moses out of thy book By this it may appear that Gods afflicting men is for some cause or other in them Object 4. Fourthly another Scripture that seems to complain by way of Objection is John 9. 1 2 3. in these words Who did sin this man or his Father that he is born blind For answer to which Christ saith Neither this man nor his Father but that the power of God might appear yet it is clear the Disciples understood this affliction in common must come for sin and Jesus Christ in his reply notes the case more than common saying He was born for this purpose that the work of God should be manifested in him It was mercy he was born and he was born that a wonder of heaven might be shewed upon him therefore we must distinguish between a case that is extraordinary and one that is common Again from the unwillingness that is in God to afflict as a confirming Answer to all the Objections it appears that high provocations in us procure Afflictions to us for till Justice cals so loud that God cannot be just except he doth afflict though in compassion he mixeth all with abundance of mercy 2 Chron. 36. 15 16. The Lord God of their Fathers sent to them by his Prophets rising up betimes and sending them because he had compassion on his people and on his dwelling place That is he was very pittiful loath to grieve or afflict them till there was no remedy Justice called so long and loud for vengeance upon them as Psal 106. 54. They did not destroy the Nations but were mingled among them
and learned their works and served their Idols therefore was Gods wrath kindled in so much that he abhorred his Inheritance Nevertheless he regarded their affliction when he heard their cry and did pitty them Hosea 6. 4. compared with Chap. 11. 7 8. How shall I give the up what shall I do to thee What less doth all this signifie than thus much that though God be so provoked that nothing but Judgment must come yet like a tender Father to an unruly Child mourns over him while he corrects him We shall leave what hath been said to consideration and pass to the Twenty third Sign of dying to Christ CHAP. XXIII Proving those Christians under great Decay that pray more in Affliction to have it removed than sanctified with three Causes of this Decay SIGN XXIII VVHen you pray more for Afflictions being removed than sanctified That is not only mindless of Afflictions Cause but indeed mindless of Afflictions end it is easie and ordinary for persons under Affliction to be brought to their knees to prayer not only good men but bad men in affliction will be ready to cry for help In their affliction they will seek me early Hos 5. 15. That is one of their first works then they will mind to be doing till then God is forgotten they having lost much their spiritual feeling but now being touched in their outward senses they will cry for relief Then wicked Pharaoh that in Exod. 5. 2. could say Who is the Lord that I should obey his voyce to let Israel go I know not the Lord neither will I let Israel go in Chap. 8. 8. When his Land was ful of Frogs cries to Moses to pray to this God for him he had but little before disdained See that known text for this Jonah 1. 5. Then every man that is when they was in affliction cries to his God the tempest being great and they all like to perish not only cries to their God but with a high hand saith to Ionah What meanest thou O sleeper arise and call upon thy God that we perish not So 2 Chr. 33. 12. Manasseh when he was in affliction sought the Lord his God By all which compared it is very usual both with good and bad men in affliction to be early at prayer to God Now Affliction you know we have in the last Sign proved is Gods Furnance to try the Nature of every Mettal by so that you may truly pass judgment upon your selves whether or no you are of the dying hand not by your praying here you may deceive your selves though you pray mightily for it is easie to do so in Affliction but if you pray more for Afflictions being removed than sanctified that is put up strong cries to be eased of the trouble but scarce possest with faint wishes to answer Gods design in the trouble never inquiring What have I done or saying I must be more humble more thankful more pittiful more fearful more careful all my dayes What shall I do saith the zealous man to get good by this Affliction his voyce cries louder for spiritual advantage than his pain for natural freedome Let us think of this and deal plainly with our own hearts and see what way the pulse beats most for as the staff you set up will fall one way or other so persons being more or less spiritual will easily discover it in Affliction Israel of old might be read in this and you know how God dealt with them of six hundred thousand there was but two namely Joshua and Galeb that entered the good Land of promise they early begun to show how carnal they was Exod. 12. 13 14. When they enjoyed their great deliverance from Egypts bondage Chap. 15. then sang they Gods praise but being put into some strait they murmur presently and wish to God they had died in the Land of Egypt as Psal 106. shews at large where we may read of Gods dealings with them at large and their dealings with God while they had what they wanted they were pleased and liked the Lord should be their God but when though for their own good they were straitned and did miss their wonted fulness then they lusted exceedingly in the wilderness and tempted God in the desart vers 14. We do not read it was upon their hearts to make any spiritual use or advantage of Gods different dealings with them when they had not what they would have instead of learning to cease to murmur they strengthened themselves in murmurring against the Lord who was graciously careful for them and suffered not any more straits to befal them than what was in order to their truest good although they were as many now are full of complaints yet their greatest want was slackness to those strong cries that ought to be found in Christians for a sanctified use of whatsoever doth befal them taking care to the one thing needful without which all Order is Disorder all Mercies Miseries all Blessings but Cursings What shal it profit a man whatsoever he hath of fulness or scarcity health or sickness desire or want of desire if Gods end in all and our happiness in all be not gotten to wit that eternal Salvation that freeth from everlasting Damnation that being the great work that all other works ought and must give way unto But I shall proceed to the Causes why persons pray more to have Afflictions removed than sanctified First Ignorance of the Cause of Affliction Secondly Ignorance of the Necessity of Affliction Thirdly Ignorance of the End of Affliction First Ignorance of the Cause of Affliction No chastening for the present is joyous but grievous bitter and sharp having with it an unpleasant taste to whomsoever it comes therefore in it self certainly not welcome to any although they bring it upon themselves who is it that runs not from pain naturally and will part with what is outwardly dear to them rather than expose themselves to that torturing that attends some kind of Affliction Now if as plainly and as certainly it appear there is unwillingness as well in God to Afflict as there is in the creature to chuse Affliction then it will naturally follow that there is a Cause Ignorance of which is a main reason why we pray more to have it removed then sanctified For the proof of this that there is as great unwillingness in God from whom Affliction comes to give it as we to receive it mind a little some texts of Scripture 1 Pet. 3. 8. And who is he that will harm you if ye be followers of that which is good in the words going before you have it thus written But the face of the Lord is against them that do evil That is his favourable countenance is set against such and their portion is bitterness Levit. 26. 17. But if ye be followers of that which is good who will harm you Here seems to be a holy challenge to whatsoever may harm us as if the Spirit should have said
that they could joyfully cry with David whom have I in Heaven but thee And whom have I on earth in comparison of thee Tell me Christians you that can experience the new birth and know full well how it was with you in the dayes of your espousal were you not then ravished with Christs love even sick of love filled with content to be about him wondring every day at this grace counting no pains much no cost enough to serve such a lover under the shadow of whose wings you took sweet delight but how is it now you did run well did any hinder you that ye should not still obey the truth or with the righteous hold on your way and having clean hands grow stronger and stronger Job 17. 9. Is any of these forementioned decayes come upon you what mind have you to assembling are ye indifferent or no tell the truth search your hearts and speak your hearts Do you love to hear Sermons now or no Is it or is it not like the morning dew to you are you weary or no in your purest worship Is your delight still to be with God in closet services Have you good will and great longings to be often at Christs Table through faith eating with him and drinking with him of his body which is meat indeed and of his blood which is drink indeed What mind have you to prayer Do ye with delight pour forth your souls before him at all times as your refuge What is your delight to reading the holy Scriptures Are they your meditation day and night Can ye say I had fainted for thy Salvation had I not hoped in thy word Search into your state and let your condition be what it will pass right judgment upon it whether ye die more or less or grow more or less to have true knowledg of your state is the way to better it if decayed this may remedy it if growing this may encrease it Oh then stand not still in a conceit it is well or ill with you but be at certainty how it is with you examine your selves prove your selves know you not that Christ Jesus is in ye except ye be reprobates 1 Cor. 13. 5. Come dear friends and let us walk on to Emmaus and talk together by the way of all things that have happened of late namely since we did believe have ye a hankering after new things would you now be gadding up and down after divers and strange Doctrins how is your heart affected with or Afflicted to hear of others Mis-doings Doth horror take hold of you because any leave Christs law Doth your souls weep in secret places for others pride Are you astonished to hear that such a one is turned again to his farm another to his merchandize One gone back to Egypt again another willing to stay in the Wilderness and many most unwilling if it prove costly either to pass over Jordan or by Jerico though it be Gods great road way to Canaan Remember how it was once with you enquire how it is with you now when ye meet one another is your talk heavenly or earthly what do ye Savour most what design seek ye most to carry on in all company who are ye for the world that is or the world to come Do ye ask one another when you meet what trade goeth forward with you most Are ye telling meekly and frequently each other what God hath done for your souls What yearnings of heart is in you after these solemn assemblies Do you count it worthy your time to be often there Do you go and pray and pray before you go that you may dutifully meet God and he profitably meet you doth Christs eye constrain you to come thither or the Churches eye when you are hindred what is your fear How is your care Can you be well content to be lightly absent if the Church will be content with your absence Doth the Decay in Christs House or in your house trouble you most Can you quietly bear Decay in Christs Spiritual House while you keep from Decay in your temporal House Can you see afflictions pierce the sides of some bitterly and you not weep with them Was it thus with you once were not others sorrows your tears Did you not delight to mourn with the mourner and rejoyce with the singer Are you now less able than formerly to withstand temptations Will a small offence make you so impatient as to commit great sin Is Satan almost at every little turn too hard for you Are you bafled quickly now with every little blow Are you so dry and barren of the Spirits waterings that now every touch takes you How is it with you when troubles are upon you Are you more or less than you were wont to be in prayer Whether is your care now most to know afflictions cause or cure What way tends the strivings of your heart most when Gods stroak is upon you Would you part with the Rod upon any terms or undergo it longer to have it sanctified the surer doth affliction mend you or make you worse How are you when the Rod is gone Can you truly say with David Before I was afflicted I went astray and as truly say But now I have learned to keep thy word What are your thoughts of Egypt the Land you were redeemed from Would you go thither again Is your old sin or sins in any measure pleasant to you again Are you taken with the thoughts of your basest Lovers whose paths led you to the gates of Hell Doth the great work of Mortification go forward or backward Doth sin get head or lose head in you Are you not indeed wholly ignorant as to your spiritual estate whether you grow or decay But last of all and most of all Doth encrease of time in Christs acquaintance work decrease of affection to Christs company Ah Lord God is it come to this have you suffered so many things in vain What Love Christ Jesus less whom you can never love enough and once thought so Doth long acquaintance with such a Friend procure desires of his absence God forbid Would you not walk with him now and talk with him now yea take sweet counsel together as you were wont to do Do you savour the things of the earth so much and the things of Heaven so little that now your Lords company is burthensome Can you not go with him run with him Fast with him Pray with him weep with him yea and bleed with him Hath he not done all this for you He was made sin for us that knew no sin wounded for our transgressions pierced for our iniquities the chastisement of our peace was upon him and with his stripes we are healed 2 Cor. 5. 21. Isa 53. 5. But I shall proceed briefly to six Causes of this great Decay First Forgetfulness of that perishing condition Christ found us in at first acquaintante And when I passed by thee and saw thee polluted in thy own blood I
sin and suffer too by the one others do us wrong by the other we do our selves wrong St. Paul meets with some Christians in the Corinth Church under this Dying Sign 1 Cor. 7. 6. Brother goeth to Law with Brother and that before the unjust too He prescribes the Remedy that they rather take wrong though from Brethren and suffer themselves to be defrauded The Proverb is worth our heeding in this kind it will not countervail our cost better patiently take the wrong than with sinning seek our right I shall now come to two or three Causes of this Decay which being observed and avoyded may also serve as Remedies against this decay or dying Sign First the first Cause is want of Government over our own spirits Secondly Too high esteem of worldly Injoyments Thirdly Cumbring our selves with any business For the first viz. Want of government over our own spirit that is not being Lords over our own passions having them at our Christian beck when to be angry and to what degree Ignorance of our bounds here makes us Beast-like I were envious at the foolish when I saw the prosperity of the wicked saying I have washed my heart in vain and cleansed my hands in innocency Psal 73. So foolish and ignorant was I even as a Beast before thee He that hath no Rule over his own Spirit is like a City without walls and broken down Want of government over our own spirit makes us as naked or desolate as an unfortified City whose walls are broken down Prov. 25. 28. Secondly Too high esteem of worldly Injoyments He that will hardly be moved at a bigger thing will not easily be moved for a pin All offences are a kind of loss being something that crosseth the grain of our spirit now answerable to the estimation we have more or less of our loss will our offence taking be It is putting too high a value of earthly Injoyments as Husband Wife Children House or Land Gold or Silver that makes us so impatient at their loss or leaving Set your affection saith St. Paul on things above not on things below The time is short it remaineth that they that have Wives be as though they had none and they that weep as though they wept not and they that buy as though they possessed not 1 Cor. 7. 29. The Apostle would have them to carry about with them their outward Injoyments as a Traveller carries his old Coat about with him every day thinking to throw it of and if he loose it or be robbed of it doth not much trouble himself for he sets little value upon it Would Christian Travellers seek to soar high in their affections how little would this little little worldly pelf seem to us in our getting or losing Thirdly A third Cause of our Impatience and a third Remedy against it is to avoyd much cumbring our selves with any business that is a filling our hands too full over-charging our selves taking more upon us than we are able to mannage with submission to better things and so hinder meditation and contemplation about those lasting things of heaven which occasions a freezing of the spirits and so we sin and fall at every little trouble that comes in our way whereas a joyful spirit that is inlarged and at liberty Bears all things believes all things endures all things is not easily provked as 2 Cor. 13. at large shews All this while a spirit cumbred is in bondage and quickly fretted like a scald head soon broken Take heed lest at any time your heart be over-charged Luke 21. 34. I would have you be without carefulness 1 Cor. 7. 32. Martha Martha thou art troubled and cumbrest thy self about many things but Mary hath made choice or busied her self about that good part that shall never be taken from her Luke 10. last Consider what you read and the good Lord give you understanding Amen CHAP. XVIII Proving those Christians to be almost dead that make it more their business to get the Form than the Power of Religion with its Causes and Remedies SIGN XVIII VVHen you are more careful to get the words of Christs People than the spirit of Christs People the Form than the Power That is the name and out-side of Reformation rather than the spirit and power of Reformation when the strength and bent of all thy care lies in trimming thy self to appear before men righteous or religious Persons may go very far in this with great self-security resting barely upon outside performances getting fine words and painted expressions making a great show of their worship Pharasaical like and at the same time live under the dominion of some base lust Isa 1. 11 12 13 14. To what purpose is the multitude of your Sacrifices to me saith the Lord I am full of the burnt Offerings of Rams and fat of fed Beasts I delight not in the blood of Bullocks or Lambs or Hee-goats When you come to appear before me who hath required this at your hands to tread my Courts Your new Moons and appointed Feasts they are a trouble to me I am weary to bear them for your hands are full of blood They were then under the guilt of sin or dominion or both and yet at the same time full of outward Services and mighty busie in their Worship Hear ye this ye men of Judah that enter in at these gates to worship the Lord Do not trust in lying words saying The Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord for the Temple of the Lord is this If ye throughly amend your wayes and doings if you throughly execute judgment between a man and his neighbour and oppress not the poor fatherless or widdow in This I Delight Jer. 7. It is clear here also these rested meerly in outwards and lived under the dominion of very base lusts at the very time they seemed so zealous for the Lord. And it is very much to be feared many now adayes run in the same channel Ezek. 33. 31 32. Come I pray you and hear what is the word that cometh forth from the Lord and they come before thee as my people come and sit before thee as my people do and with their mouth shew much love but mark that at the same time their heart runs after Covetousness These were Hypocrites in Zion that shelter themselves in the outside of Religion Covering Gods Altar with tears Mal. 2. 8 13. Yet he regards them not seeing such to be but nominal Christians and therefore abhors them exceedingly The Scripture seems to intimate this as a very common overspreading weed not rare to be found but rather rare to be avoided in professors Let us therefore all look to our selves prove our own work so shall we have rejoycing in our selves alone Mat. 23. 14 15. for a pretence make long prayers Rom. 2. 18 19 20. Behold thou art called a Jew restest in the Law makest thy boast of God being confident that thou thy self art a guide of the