of the Church of Sardis Thou hast a name that thou livest and art dead Rev. 3. 1. The cordial death if I may so call it or the death of the heart is that which happeneth upon the sense or apprehension of some extream danger or distresse when discreet Abigail had told her husband Nabal of the danger he was in by reason of his churlish behaviour towards Davids young men The Text saith That his heart died within him and he became as a stone 1 Sam. 25. 37. And Pharaoh in the plague of locusts desired Moses and Aaron to intreat the Lord that he might take away that death onely Exod. 10. 17. The natural death consisteth in the dissolution of nature or the separation between the body and the Soul It is said That when Rachels Soul departed she died Gen. 35. 18. And when the widow of Zarephaths son was dead Elijah cried unto the Lord and said O Lord my God I pray thee let this Childes Soul come into him again And the Lord heard the voice of Elijah and the Soul of the Childe came into him again and he revived 1 King 17. 21 22. The last is eternal death consisting in those eternal torments which the damned shall be cast into upon that peremptory sentence Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels Mat. 25. 41. In these four sorts or degrees of death are comprehended all the discomforts mischiefs and miseries that mankinde can suffer or suspect whether they be spiritual temporal or eternal And now I shall prove that every one of them is the reward or punishment of sin First the spiritual death is the reward of sin Because that when they knew God they glorified him not as God neither were thankfull but became vain in their imaginations and their foolish heart was darkned professing themselves to be wise they became fools And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man and to birds and to four-footed beasts and creeping things Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleannesse through the lusts of their own hearts to dishonour their own bodies between themselves Rom. 1. 21 22 23 24. For this cause God gave them up to vile affections c. verse 26. Secondly the cordial death or the death of affliction trouble and distresse that is also the reward or the punishment of sin We grope for the wall like the blinde and we grope as if we had no eyes we stumble at noon day as in the night we are in desolate places as dead men We roar all like bears and mourn sore like doves we look for judgement but there is none for salvation but it is far off from us For our transgressions are multiplied before thee and our sins testifie against us for our transgressions are with us and as for our iniquities we know them Isa 59. 10 11 12. Thirdly the natural death that is also the wages of sin And unto Adam God said Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife and hast eaten of the tree of which I commanded thee saying thou shalt not eat of it cursed is the ground for thy sake in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the dayes of thg life Thorns and Thistles shall it bring forth to thee and thou shalt eat the Herb of the field In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread untill thou return unto the ground for out of it wast thou taken for dust thou art and to dust thou shalt return Gen. 3. 17 18 19. And lastly eternal death is the punishment of sin And it shall come to passe that from one new Moon to another and from one Sabbath to another shall all flesh come to worship before me saith the Lord. And they shall go forth and look upon the carcases of the men that have transgressed against me for their worm shall not die neither shall their fire be quenched and they shall be an abhorring unto all flesh Isa 66. 23 24. Thus we see that sin hath laid us open to every degree of death and destruction And verily the penalty annexed unto the breach of the Covenant of works that original rebellion importeth no otherwise In the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die Gen. 2. 17. Dying thou shalt die saith the original Thou shalt die every kinde of death And now if it be demanded how it may be said that we are redeemed from these miseries distresses and calamities by this Covenant of Grace I answer that Almighty God hath redeemed us from them by taking away the onely cause of them which we find here to be sin And that for and through the merits and mediation the sufferings and satisfaction of Jesus Christ his onely begotten Son whom he gave us and for us in this Covenant Provided alwayes that we receive him by faith according to the condition of this Covenant And here we may do well to take notice That the evil of sin is three-fold That is to say The guilt of sin The punishment of sin And the power of sin And it is necessary that all these be removed before we can certainly be said to be redeemed For where the guilt remaineth the punishment is not to be avoided and whilest the power continueth neither shall the guilt be forgotten nor the punishment forgiven You know that whosoever transgresseth the Law and is found guilty thereof he must suffer punishment according to the nature of his offence And whosoever committeth sinne transgresseth the Law For sin is the transgression of the Law 1 John 3. 4. Now where is that Soul that dares stand upon her own justification and plead Not guilty to the whole Law of God Or whether our own hearts condemne us or not God is greater then our hearts and knoweth all things 1 John 3. 20. It is in vain for us to dissemble or conceal our iniquities For all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do Heb. 4. 13. Verily the Lord sees our sins before we commit them I knew that thou wouldest deal very treacherâ—usly saith he and wast called a transgressour from the womb Isa 48. 8. And he that transgresseth the Law in the least particular he is cursed For it is written Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things that are written in the book of the Law to do them Gal. 3. 10. And being cursed he can expect no better then to be condemned unto eternal torments For the Son of Man sitting upon the throne of his glory shall say unto them Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels Math. 25. 41. But being possessed of the Lord Jesus Chriâ—t by an effectual faith according to the tenour of this Covenant of Grace we are redeemed both from the Curse For Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the Law being made a curse for us Gal.
He bursteth out with the Prophet David in his 51. Psalm Sometimes by way of confession saying I acknowledge my transgressions and my sin is ever before me verse 3. Behold I was shapen in iniquity and in sin did my mother conceive me verse 5. Sometimes by way of petition for the remission of his sins Purge me with Hysope and I shall be clean Wash me and I shall be whiter then snow Make me to hear of joy and gladnesse that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoyce hide thy face from my sins and blot out all mine iniquities verses 7. 8 9. Sometimes by way of supplication for supplies of spiritual grace Create in me a clean heart O Lord and renew a right spirit within me Cast me not away from thy presence and take not thy holy Spirit from me Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation and uphold me with thy free Spirit verse 10. 11 12. O Lord open thou my lips and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise verse 15. And thus with David the poor humble Soul bemoans her self after a mournfull manner yet in the midst of all her passions she 's confident to say with the same Prophet A broken and a contrite heart O God thou wilt not despise verse 17. For the Lord hath pronounced her blessed and promised her comfort saying Blessed are they that mourn for they shall be comforted Math. 5. 4. The second question is this By whom is this humility wrought To which I answer By the Lord our God God maketh my heart soft saith Job Job 23. 16. Thou shalt remember all the way which the Lord thy God led thee these fourty years in the wildernesse to humble thee and to prove thee saith Moses to the Congregation of Israel Deut. 8. 2. It was the Lord of heaven that humbled the proud heart of Nebuchadnezzar King of all the earth and made him a companion unto beasts whereby he perceived that he was no better then a beast in comparison of the living God Insomuch That he blessed the most high and praised and honoured him that liveth for ever c. Dan. 4. 33. 34. And because his son and successour Belshazzar humbled not himself though he knew all this but lifted up himself against the Lord of heaven the same Lord did put him into a condition worse then of a beast As appeareth by his desperate agony and his unexpected end Dan. 5. 22 23. Now albeit this abasing or humbling did work upon these mighty heathens no otherwise then to manifest Gods more mighty power and Majesty Yet where it becometh effectual through faith it fitteth and prepareth the heart towards the attaining of everlasting salvation And the preparations of the heart are from the Lord saith Solomâ—n Prov. 16. 1. But how is this humility wrought Or by what means doth our God work it in us For this is the third question Verily it appeareth unto me that the ordinary means whereby the Lord begins to break and soften and humble our rebellious hard hearts is by affliction which being sanctified unto us by the sweet influence and operation of his holy Spirit it directeth us unto the Agent the Cause and the Cure of all our miseries both outward and inward temporal and eternal Insomuch that every one who is become poor in spirit will freely confesse with the Prophet David I know O Lord that thy judgements are right and that thou in faithfulnesse hast afflicted me Psalm 119. 75. For our better satisfaction in this particular we must consider that we are all by nature proud insolent disobedient and obstinate No man repenteth him of his wickednesse saying what have I done Every one turneth to his course as the horse rusheth into the battel saith the Prophet Jer. 8. 6. And that is fiercely furiously and dangerously untill the Lord in pity of our Souls claps his restraining bridles in our jaws And to abate us of our desperate speed layes burdens of afflictions on our backs on some more heavy and on some more light according to his wisdom and our temper For he knoweth our frame he remembreth that we are dust saith David Psalm 103. 14. And when the Lord with his afflicting hand hath fill'd her with occasions of complaint the Soul beginneth to cast down her pride her stout behaviour and her haughty looks and to devise from whence those woes proceed And being now in this perplexity 't is ten to one but some of her acquaintance some miserable carnal comforters are ready to perswade her that her distresses come by accident by chance by fortune or by evil tongues or by the disposition of the Stars or by the malice of her enemies or treachery of some deceitfull friends And hereupon they will prescribe her remedies suteable to these devilish suggestions To turn her eyes from looking towards God and so to drown her in a Sea of sorrows But having now begun his work of grace her God strikes in and sends her to his word where she findeth That affliction cometh not forth of the dust neither doth trouble spring out of the ground Job 5. 6. But the Lâ—rd killeth and maketh alive he bringeth down to the grave and bringeth up The Lord maketh poor and maketh rich c. 1 Sam. 2. 6 7. And being thus instructed and confirmed in these and the like godly principles she crieth out with mournfull Naomie The Lord hath testified against me and the Almighty hath afflicted me Ruth 1. 21. And having found the Agent to be God she knows the action must be just and right For the Lord is righteous in all his wayes and holy in all his works Psal 145. 17. And going forward in her heavenly search She findes that God doth not afflict willingly nor grieve the Children of men Lam. 3. 33. And therefore there is some impulsive cause which doth constrain him to these sad proceedings Well what is the cause for which the Lord afflicteth why this his Church confesseth to be sin We roar all like Beares saith she and mourn sore like Doves we look for judgement but there is none for salvation but it is far from us For our transgressions are multiplied before thee and our sins testifie against us c. Isai 59. 11 12. c. And thus by the Prophet Jeremie We lie down in our shame and our confusion covereth us for we have sinned against the Lord our God Jerem. 3. 25. And this the Scriptures every where affirm And what is sin why sin is the transgression of the law 1 John 3. 4. Resolved thus the Soul draws forth her life and layes it to the level of the law and findes it so repugnant to the rule so crooked crosse deformed and destructive That now she feels not what she hath received but fears to think of what she hath deserved Her sorrow now is turned into anger Anger against her self her sinfull self she wonders how the Justice of the Almighty hath spared her so long and not inflicted
the penalty that 's due to her transgressions eternal death in everlasting torments And being thus affrighted at her sins the onely cause of her afflictions the Soul bestirs her self about the Cure And to that end she sighs weeps vowes resolves and fasts and prayes and cries unto the Lord. Behold O Lord for I am in distresse my bowels are troubled mine heart is turned within me for I have grievously rebelled Lament 1. 20. Bowels of grief beg bowels of compassion and all to little purpose For now the more she mourns the more she may her spirit is ingaged in the conflict And a wounded spirit who can bear saith Solomon Prov. 18. 14. Poor Soul for life she labours does undoes she spends her spirits and torments her self and all to satisfie incensed Justice Which she is never able to perform by her own passions were they strong as death and deep as hell The Law is broken and it is Gods Law her sute is entred and her case reported one day of hearing craveth for another night unto night doth utter lamentations Justice must be appeas'd or no discharge every hour fresh summons to the barr she gives attendance but receives no comfort her time runs on her taske is but begun her work is always doing never ended And so her case seems to be desperate Because she seeketh not the cure by Christ by God in Christ Oh! there is heavenly musick That very name revives her and commands her ears and heart to dwell upon that sound which they suck in with a delitious relish For now that God and man that Mediator not won by tears but of his own free grace turns o're the mighty volume of his book the glorious records of free-election and finds her name written in that Book of life Revela 3. 5. And now though haply he may forbear for some short time to utter his affections until her heart be throughly mollified and well prepared to receive impression yet he forgets not to compassionate the pining wretch but in the best of times his own good time he says concerning her like as he did concerning Ephraim Is this my dear daughter is she a pleasant child for since I spake against her I do earnestly remember her still therefore my bowels are troubled for ber I will surely have mercy on her saith the Lord Jer. 31. 20. And to her self as to his spouse he saith O my dove that art in the clefts of the rock in the secret places of the stairs let me see thy countenance let me hear thy voice for sweet is thy voice and thy countenance is comly Cant. 2. 14. In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment but with everlasting kindnesse will I have mercy on thee c. Isa 54. 8 9 10. And thus her Lord bemoanes and greets and cheers her till being big with Christ her comforter she singeth with the blessed virgin Mary My soul doth magnifie the Lord and my spirit hath rejoyced in God my Saviour For he hath regarded the lowe estate of his handmaiden c. Luke 1. 46 c. This is a happy progresse you may say But where appeareth this humility Truely she meets with it in every passage First she survayes her sorrows and she says Remembering mine affection and my misery the wormwood and the gall my soul hath them still in rememberance and is humbled in me Lament 3. 19 20. And secondly she sees the work of God in her afflictions and therefore She humbleth her self under the mighty hand of God According as St. Peter teacheth her 1 Pet. 5. 6. Thirdly perceiving sin to be the cause of all her miseries she humbly begs to have it done away Have mercy upon me O God saith she according to thy loving kindnesse according to the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions wash me throughly from mine iniquitie and cleanse me from my sin as Psal 51. 1 2. And with like meeknesse promiseth amendment I have born chastisement saith she I will not offend any more as Job 34. 31. But Justice pleads for satisfaction The soul saith he that sinneth it must die At this the poor soul seems as dead indeed she 's utterly dejected quite cast down She 's not so stiff in her opinion to bring in writs of errour or false-judgement All that she desires is to obtain the mercy of the Book where she is taught to read The wages indeed of sin is death But the gift of God is eternall life through Jesus Christ our Lord Rom. 6. 23. And here she breathes for here 's the breath of life And thus restor'd she humbly thanks the law her schole-master for bringing her to Christ She hangs upon this promise claims this gift and by this Jesus Christ her Surty she tenders satisfaction unto Justice and is dismissed without cost or dammage And not so onely But she 's made an heir an heir of God and a joynt-heir with Christ Rom. 8. 17. And is she proud of this preferment now No verily Till now she never felt the kindly force of sound humility All her humilty unto this present was meerly legal troublesome and slavish but now 't is evangelicall and free or if it be constrained any way It is constrained by the love of Christ Indeed The love of Christ constraineth her because she thus judgeth that if one died for all then were all dead 2 Cor. 5. 14. If all were dead then she amongst the rest And that she now lives or begins to live 't is onely by the purchace of his grace He died the death that she deserved to die that she may live with him eternally And where is boasting then it is excluded By what law of works Nay but by the law of faith Rom. 3. 27. Now she believes and loves and hence proceeds a modest willing sweet humility She 's not dejected through a servile fear but she is humbled by attractive love Because her Lord requires to have it so Take my yoak upon you and learn of me for I am meek and lowly in heart saith her beloved Lord Math. 11. 29. Let this minde be in you which was also in Christ Jesus who being in the form of God thought it not robbery to be equall with God But made himself of no reputation and took upon him the form of a servant and was made in the likenesse of men And being found in fashion as a man he humbled himself became obedient unto death even the death of the crosse saith his learned Apostle Phil. 2. 5. to the 9. Thus councel wooes her and example wins her And she walkes humbly with her God in Christ According to that of the Prophet Micah 6. 8. And thus effectuall humility is brought and wrought into the sinful soul But what doth this humility perform what doth it work For that is the fourth Question I answer that this true humility being impowred and improved by Faith hath principally these five operations It
3. 13. And from the penalty thereupon depending For he was wounded for our transgressions he was bruised for our iniquities the chastisement of our peace was upon him and with his stripes we are healed Isa 53. 5. And moreover of guilty sinners we are become justified Saints For we have all sinned and come short of the glory of God Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his bloud to declare his righteousnesse for the remission of sins that are past through the forbearance of God Rom. 3. 23 24 25. In which words we finde the moving or procuring cause of our justification to be the free grace of God the meritorious cause to be Christ the Son the efficient cause to be God the Father the instrumental cause to be Faith in Christ and the final cause to be the glory of God The glory of his righteousnesse for the Remission of sins That he might be just in being the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus verse 26. For as it is just with God to punish the sins of a Reprobate that dieth in his iniquity So it is as just with him to pardon the sins of a believer for which Christ died And as the true believer is delivered from the guilt and punishment of sin by the merit of Christ So is he also preserved from the power of sin by the Spirit of Christ And this he doth By redeeming us from our vain conversation 1 Pet. 1. 18. By purging our consciences from dead works to serve the living God Heb. 9. 14. By crucifying our old man the body of sin Rom. 6. 6. By freeing us from the Law the strength of sin 1 Cor. 15. 56 57. By delivering us through grace from the dominion of sin Rom. 6. 14. By strengthening us with might in the inner man Eph. 3. 16. And by making us partakers of the Divine nature 2 Pet. 1. 4. Who will not then conclude with S. Paul In all these things we are more then conquerers through him that loved us Rom. 8. 37. And thus you see that our Lord Jesus Christ by justifying us through his merit hath freed us from the condemning guilt punishment of sin And by sanctifying us through his Spirit he hath delivered and fortified us from and against the prevailing power and insinuation of sin And 〈◊〉 this means he hath redeemed us from 〈◊〉 and destruction being the just reward and recompence of sin And all this meerly and absolutely upon the account of this eternal Covenant of grace For God so loved the world that he gave his onely begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life But have everlasting life THis is the blessed Inheritance conferred and confirmed by this Covenant according to this Copy Everlasting life or eternal salvation This is the glorious expectation and inheritance of the Children of God Blessed the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled that fadeth not away reserved in heaven for you who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation saith St. Peter 1 Pet. 1. 3 4 5. If in this life onely we have hope in Christ we are of all men 〈◊〉 â—iserable saith St. Paul 1. Cor. 15. 19. 〈◊〉 are troubled on every side saith he yet not â—â—stressed we are perplexed but not in despair persecuted but not forsaken cast down but not destroyed Alwayes bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body 2 Cor. 4. 8 9 10. For which cause we faint not but though our outward man perish yet our inward man is renewed day by day for our light affliction which is but for a moment worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory verse 16. 17 18. Truely it is this Assurance that supports and supplies the militant Members of the Lord Jesus Christ throughout their whole warfare It removeth all difficulties sweetneth all discomforts and relieveth all distresses Verily it elevateth the Soul beyond all expectation I take pleasure in infirmities in reproches in necessities in persecutions in distresses for Christs sake saith St. Paul 2 Cor. 12. 10. Good Paul were these thy pleasant recreations Truely it is not to be denied but that they are very profitable exercises For when I am weak saith he then am I strong When I am weak in the flesh then am I strong in the faith For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are nâ—t worthy to be compared to the glory which shall be revealed in us Rom. 8. 18. What will not a true believer do or suffer in hope of eternal life which God that cannot lie promised before the world began Tit. 1. 2. But forasmuch as there must be a temporal life before there can be an eternal life Therefore as I have formerly set forth unto you the several sorts or degrees of death So I shall here endeavour â—o shew you the several sorts or degrees of life which I conceive to be likewise four That is to say The natural life The spiritual life The peacefull life and the eternal or everlasting life And secondly I shall apply my self to prove that every one of them as a Member or passage of or to this everlasting life is part or parcel of that eternal inheritance whereunto the Son of God hath intituled us by vertue of this Covenant The first I say is the natural life or the life of Nature That which we say we receive from our Parents And it consisteth in the union of the body and the Soul or of the flesh and spirit according to the vulgar sense But in the Scripture sense that is properly called the natural life wherein a man followeth Nature for his chief or onely guide And of such a one St. Paul sayes That the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishnesse unto him neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned 1 Cor. 2. 14. Now this natural life in either of these senses may be said to be the issue of the first birth or of the fleshly generation For that which is born of the flesh is flesh saith our Lord Joh. 3. 6. And they that are after the flesh do minde the things of the flesh saith St. Paul Rom. 8. 5. Verily whosoever liveth meerly this natural life or this life of Nature onely it were better for him that he had never lived at all that he had never been born For we are all by nature the children of wrath According to that of St. Paul Eph. 2. 3. Neverthelesse though accidentally by reason of the corruption of Nature this natural life tendeth
of his own Soul Not like a Christian but a Cretian Whilest he professeth that he knoweth God but in works he denieth him being abominable disobedient and to every good work reprobate As Tit. 1. 16. And it is impossible that any Reprobate should inherit the Kingdom of God Flesh and bloud cannot do it 1 Cor. 15. 50. Much lesse shall any thing enter thereinto That defileth or worketh abomination or maketh a lye Rev. 21. 27. And therefore this first Pretender this obstinate Offender hath no interest at all in this glorious inheritance The second Pretender thereunto is the Ignorant Infidel The fool that saith in his heart there is no God as Psal 14. 1. Haply with his mouth he may acknowledge a kinde of an unknown God Yet in his heart he conceiveth no otherwise of him then a meer fancy But if you come to shew him how that God the Father God the Son and God the holy Ghost are but one God Yet neverthelesse that God the Father did make a Covenant with God the Son according to the Testimony of God the Holy Ghost That this covenant was concluded purposely to redeem the world before the world was created and that by virtue of the same covenant it is as agreeable with Gods Justice to pardon sin as to punish it With the like necessary principles Why you tell him wonders so far above his capacity that he is resolved not to trouble his brains about them Truely all his actions do too much expresse his ignorance Whilest he walketh in the vanity of his minde having the understanding darkened being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in him because of the blindnesse of his heart who being past feeling hath given himself over unto lasciviousnesse to work all uncleannesse with greedinesse According to that of the Apostle Eph. 4. 17. 18 19. But he will alledge that if ignorance be an offence yet God will easily forgive it in regard it is a thing so general among simple people that were never brought up to much learning I answer First he must know that ignorance is an offence and a great one too For we finde that the Lord protested against it in his own Children Hear O Heavens saith he and give eare O earth for the Lord hath spoken I have nourished and brought up Children and they have rebelled against me The Oxe knoweth his owner and the Asse his masters Crib but Israel doth not know my people doth not consider Ah! sinfull Nation a people laden with iniquity c. Isa 1. 2. c. Secondly it shall not be forgiven For the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from Heaven with his mighty Angels In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God saith St. Paul 2 Thes 1. 7 8. And thirdly the generality thereof shall rather hasten then hinder the Justice of God to punish it We shall not need to runne over the whole word of God for the many examples of whole Cities and Kingdoms to prove the truth of this particular If we shall consider how and wherefore God destroyed the whole world except 8. persons as 1 Pet. 3. 20. If he alledgeth that it was for all sorts of sins and not for ignorance that God did inflict those general and universal judgements I answer that it is not ignorance simply considered which I do principally point at but ignorance circumstantiated ignorance with its effects and accessaries Not such a kind of ignorance as is in those whom we call Ideots who have no competent understanding either in things spiritual or natural Nor such an ignorance in things spiritual as is in those that never heard of the true God Both which I conceive to be the punishment of the first original sin rather then sin it self Neither are these excusable in the day of Judgement without Gods incomprehensible mercy and goodnesse which I dare neither question nor confine For the Apostle speaketh generally when he saith If our Gospel be hid it is hid to them that are lost 2 Cor. 4. 3. And so doth our Saviour himself when he saith He that believeth not shall be damned Mar. 16. 16. But I intend such an ignorance in spiritual things as is in them that have the word of God amongst them or not far from them And yet either through contempt or wilfull neglect of the true light they will rather choose to walk in darknesse then either to seek after or to receive instruction And this kinde of ignorance is not onely such a great sin as shall be grievously punished But it is likewise the cause of all manner of sin whatsoever First it is such a great sin as shall be grievously punished Because I have called and ye refused saith the wisdom of God I have stretched out my hand and no man regarded but ye have set at nought all my counsel and would none of my reproof I also will laugh at your calamity I will mock when your fear cometh when your fear cometh as desolation and your destruction cometh as a whirlewinde when distresse and anguish cometh upon you then shall they call upon me but I will not answer they shall seek me early but they shall not finde me for that they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the Lord Prov. 1. 24. to 30. And thus the Prophet Isaiah Because they have cast away the law of the Lord of Hosts and despised the word of the holy one of Israel therefore is the anger of the Lord kindled against his people and he hath stretched forth his hand against them and hath smitten them and the Hills did tremble and their Carcases were torn in the midst of the streets c. Isaiah 5. 24 25. But he will alledge that it is no absolute signe of ignorance to reject the word of God he may be a wise man for all that I pray observe how the Lord answers him by his Prophet Jeremy How do ye say we are wise and the law of the Lord is with us Lo certainly in vain made he it the pen of the Scribes is in vain The wise men are ashamed they are dismayed and taken Lo they have rejected the word of Lord and what wisdom is in them Jer. 8. 8 9. A man may seem to be a wise man in his own opinion and in the opinion of other men too But the wisdom of this world is foolishnesse with God saith St. Paul 1 Cor. 2. 19. And oftentimes it proveth destructive to the owner thereof And therefore the Lord by his Prophet telleth the daughter of the Chaldeans That her wisdom and her knowledge hath perverted her Isa 47. 10. Verily to be carnally wise is to be spiritually foolish And as a wilfull or a carelesse ignorance is a great sinne and shall be grievously punished So in the next place ignorance in general is the cause of all manner of sin What should cause the covetous wretch to rake and scrape and heap up money upon money
and land upon land by right or by wrong But because he knoweth not that It is God onely that maketh poor and maketh rich that bringeth low and lifteth up as in 1 Sam. 2. 7. Because he knoweth not that A mans life or the happiness of mans a life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth as Luke 12. 15. Which our Saviour maketh plain by the Parable immediatly following Because he knoweth not that They that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare and into many foolish and hurtfull lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition as in the 1 Tim. 6. 9. That he that getteth riches and not by right shall leave them in the midst of his dayes and at his end shall be a fool as Jer. 17. 11. Peradventure he knows that these things are so written but he is not so wise as to consider or perswade himself of the truth thereof Would the temporizing fool depend upon the arm of flesh and wave still as the blast bloweth like a Reed shaken with every winde If he did know That the Lord changeth not as Mal. 3 6. Would any prophane person blaspheme the name of God contemne his Ordinances corrupt his truth or pollute his sabbaths If he did know that He is an holy God and a jealous God c. Iosh 24. 19. Durst the private Thief the secret Adulterer or the swinelike drunkard loose themselves in their base abominations their filthy deeds of darknesse If they knew that Darknesse hideth not from God and that darknesse and light are both alike to him as Psalm 139. 12. Or that nothing is secret that shall not be manifest neither any thing hid that shall not be known come abroad according to that of our Saviour Luke 8. 17. Or in a word durst any wicked Reprobate whatsoever delight and live in or by his odious and Soul-damning sins If he knew that The wrath of God is revealed from Heaven against all ungodlinesse unrighteousnesse of men According to that of the Apostle Rom. 1. 18. But this ignorant Infidel will again alledge That there are many men that know as much of these things as any man can tell them and yet they continue in their sinnes neverthelesse Truely of all fools they are the greatest and most ridiculous that will make themselves enemies to God and slaves to the Devil and that knowingly and willingly Yet this proveth nothing to the contrary but that ignorance is the cause of sinne I conceive it will not be denied but that the Jews especially the Scribes and Pharisees were knowing men both in the Law the Prophets insomuch that they could not be ignorant that the Messias should come into the world Neverthelesse when he was come they cried out incessantly to have him Crucified Now albeit the death of the Messias was the greatest mercie that ever the Lord vouchsafed to the sons of men yet it was a most abominable sin in those that practised and procured it Thou couldest have no power at all against me saith our Saviour unto Pilate except it were given thee from above Therefore he that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sinne John 19. 11. And those great sins which were committed in order to his death were carried on by ignorance as St. Peter affirmeth to the Jews saying Ye denied the holy one and the just and desired a murderer to be granted unto you and killed the Prince of life whom God hath raised from the dead whereof we are witnesses Acts 3. 14 15. And now brethren I wote that through ignorance ye did it as did also your Rulers verse 17. And to this very purpose is that of Saint Paul we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery saith he even the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the world unto our glory which none of the Princes of this world knew for had they known it they would not have Crucified the Lord of glory 1 Cor. 2. 7 8. And can any man imagine that if Judas the Traitour had not been ignorant of the true value of his Lord and Master that ever he would have sold him for thirty pieces of silver and afterward have hanged himself upon the consideration of his bad bargain But this ignorant wretch will alledge yet further That he can say the Lords prayer the Creed the ten Commandments and he hopeth that this will be sufficient to save the Soul of a man that is altogether unlearned Truely I cannot deny the sanctified use of the Lords prayer as some do in these dayes for it is a very compleat and compendious form or pattern of prayer prescribed by the wisdom of God and therefore not to be rejected by the pride of man Yet many there are that do but onely say it and that without either benefit or comfort for there are many thousands that do not rightly understand so much as why they call God their Father That which we call the Apostles Creed containeth the substance or History of the Gospel But being barely or simply considered without particular application it will furnish us but with a bare Historical faith The Devils believe it and tremble neverthelesse And as for the ten Commandments they may shew him his transgression and so assure him of his damnation But they can never bring him to Heaven or so much as one step towards it unlesse they lead him to Christ and there leave him For there is none other name under Heaven given among men whereby we must be saved Acts 4. 12. But his concluding and conquering Allegation as he conceiveth will be this He is confident that he shall do well enough yet For did not Paul tell Timothy That he was before a blasphemer and a persecuter and injurious but he obtained mercy because he did it ignorantly in unbelief 1 Tim. 1. 13. Now the sins that he committeth are likewise ignorantly in unbelief And why should not he finde mercie as well as Paul Doubtlesse he shall if he ceaseth not to follow Paul's example But Paul obeyed Gods calling and conversion and was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision Acts 26. 19. And in reference thereunto instead of persecuting as in time past he preached the Gâ—spel which once he destroyed Gal. 1. 23. Whereas this wilfull wretch is still as ignorant in the truth as ever he was and so he is like to continue For though thou shouldest bray a fool in a morter among Wheat with a Pestel yet will not his foolishnesse depart from him saith the wise man Prov. 27. 22. These with many other blinde allegations he hath for ignorance will seldom or never be put to silence Neither is he without his evidence And it is this He believeth that he shall easily say Lord have mercie upon me at the last hour And then he doubteth not but all will he well enough For doth not the Prophet say That whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lond shall be saved
David as a King and thus do thou according to thy power or do not say that thou hast any hatred against sin And as that hatred which is warrantable is both impartial and impetuous So in the third place 't is implacable never to be appeased or reconciled This is not hatred to fall out with sin or quarrel with it at some special time or for some extraordinary cause For thus the most ungracious Reprobate may sometimes hate his best-beloved sin And yet return with the Dogge to his vomit and the Sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire If thus the unclean spirit goeth out of a man it is but onely to recruit his forces he will return and take unto himself seven other spirits more wicked then himself and they will enter in and dwell there and the last state of that man is worse then the first According to that saying of our Saviour Luke 11. 26. But when a man in expectation of Gods eternal Love by Jesus Christ doth dedicate his love to God in Christ the violence and perpetuity of his impartial hatred will be such against all sin and every transgression That he will chuse to suffer the afflictions of Joseph Psal 105. 17 18. Much rather then he will be reconciled to any sin or become serviceable unto the Prince of darknesse though with Ioseph he be solicited thereto day by day as Gen. 39. 10. And thus the Soul that is in love with Christ declares it by her Christian profession especially In loving righteousnesse because he loves it and hating wickednesse because he hates it And having thus throughly endeer'd herself by manifesting her affections and fixing them upon their proper objects In the next place she doth prepare herself to seek and entertain her princely lover For as the Tree that is planted in a fruitfull soyl doth not onely increase her sap in her self and send it forth in flourishing green leaves but likewise by the vertue of that sap she putteth forth her beautifull fair blossoms whereby we are induced to conceive that she will bring forth fruit accordingly Even so the Soul that by a lively faith is planted into Christ doth not onely improve her love by Contemplation and manifest it by Profession But likewise she most earnestly endeavoureth to fit and confirm it by Preparation ANd this her hopefull preparation sets forth it self in seeking her beloved It is a principal part of Iehoshaphats commendations That he prepared his heart to seek God 2 Chron. 19. 3. And Hezekiah one of his successours both in his Kingdom and his piety having proclaimed a solemne Passeover He besought the Lord saying The good Lord pardon every one that prepareth his heart to seek God the Lord God of his fathers though he be not cleansed according to the purification of the sanctuary 2 Chr. 30. 19. And the Lord hearkened to Hezekiah and healed the people verse 20. And in this search the loving Soul considereth when where and how she may so seek her Lord that she may soon safely and surely finde him And to that purpose she doth call to minde that the holy Ghost sets forth a threefold prescription in order to the time when she 's to seek him First early Prov. 8. 17. Secondly continually Chron. 16. 11. And thirdly evermore Psal 105. 4. Early in regard of opportunity Continually in reference to constancie And evermore in relation to perpetuity First early without delaying In the morning of her youth Remember thy Creatour in the dayes of thy youth saith that kingly Preacher Eccles 12. 1. And thus good Obadiah to Elijah I thy servant fear the Lord from my youth 1 Tim. 18. 12. Secondly continually without wavering For he that wavereth is like a wave of the Sea driven with the winde and tossed Let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord James 1. 6 7. And thirdly evermore without revolting or apostatizing He that endureth to the end shall be saved saith the Son of God Mat. 10. 22. It is registred of Asa That he did that which was good and right in the eyes of the Lord his God 2 Chron. 14. 2. Neverthelesse it is a notable blemish to his integrity that towards his latter end In his disease he sought not to the Lord but to the Physicians 2 Chr. 16. 12. And thus the love-sick Soul will seek her Lord early least having withdrawn himself she seek him but cannot finde him and call him but he gives her no answer as Cant. 5. 6. She will seek him continually least he cometh in a day when she looketh not for him and in an hour that she is not ware of Mat. 24. 50. And she will seek him evermore least she be unprovided at his last coming and the door be shut against her as it fared with the foolish Virgins Mat. 25. 10. And in the second place she doth consider where she may safely seek for her beloved And is resolved that this must be in his Ordinances and especially in his word which is sometimes called the Scriptures according as he himself hath taught her saying Search the Scriptures for they are they which testifie of me John 5. 39. And therefore the Prophet David professeth unto the Lord That he rejoyceth at his word as one that findeth great spoiles Psal 119. 162. And the faithfull spouse in the Canticles desireth to hear the voice of her dear Lord saying Thou that dwellest in the gardens the companions hearken unto thy voice cause me to hear it Cant. 8. 13. But I conceive it may be Objected That we may hear severall voices speaking in the holy Scriptures and therefore how shall we know the voice of Christ from other voices I answer it is true indeed the Scripture do discover unto us severall voices especially the voice of God in his law and the voice Christ or of God in Christ in his Gospel And they are so frequently and so diversly mixed or intermingled the one with the other according to the wonderfull wisdom of the Spirit and that both in the old and new Testaments that it requireth a good and a willing understanding to distinguish rightly between them For all that is contained in the new Testament although we do generally call that the Gospell is not to be understood as the voice of the Gospel or the voice of Christ according to his Gospel Every idle word that men shall speak they shall give account thereof in the day of judgement There is the voice of the law in the midst of the Gospel Mat. 12. 36. Neither may we think that whatsoever is found in the old Testament which is commonly called the law is to be referred to the voice of the law For the Scripture foreseeing that God would justifie the Heathen by faith preached the Gospell before unto Abraham Gal. 3. 8. Saying In thee shall all nations be blessed Gen. 12. 3. And the like we finde many very many times both in the old
Yet she must likewise perfect holiness in the fear of God And be renewed in the spirit of her minde And put on that new man which after God is created in righteousnesse and true holinesse as Ephes 4. 23 24. Or she esteems her self unfit for Christ These are the beauties that her Lord delights in And therefore now she seeks to deck her self with these new ornaments Not with broyded hair or gold or pearls or costly aray as good St. Paul 1 Tim. 2. 9. And yet much lesse will she deform her self according to the fashions of this world But she endeavours to adorn her self in the hidden man of the heart in that which is not corruptible even the ornament of a meek and quiet Spirit which in the sight of God is of great price According to St. Peters exhortation 1 Peter 3 4. And being thus arayed and adorned with precious robes instead of specious rags beyond the power or police of nature and past the industry of humane art She seeks the good hand of her God upon her for which she humbly magnifies his grace saying as in Isaiahs Prophesie I will greatly rejoyce in the Lord my soul shall be joyfull in my God for he hath cloathed me with the garments of salvation he hath covered me with the robe of righteousnesse as a bridegroom decketh him self with Ornaments and as a bride adorneth her self with her jewells Isa 61. 10. And thus attired with all humility she waiteth to receive her soveraign Lord and panting for his most desired presence she sings as in the song of Solomon stay me with flagons comfort me with apples for I am sick of love Cant. 2. 5. Set me as a seal upon thy heart as a seal upon thine arm for love is strong as death Cant. 8. 6. Make haste my beloved and be thou like to a Roe or to a young hart upon the mountains of spices Cant. 8. 14. And now her blessed Lord who all this while from the first in stant of her new creation wrought secretly upon her sinful heart melting it in the furnace of affliction discovering the Agent cause and cure of all her miseries instructing her in her own sinfulnesse and wants and weaknesse disposing her to seek and find relief removing all occasions of offence and renovating her to his own likenesse And all this by the level of humility the first and fairest fruit of faith and love Now he appears to her more visibly For God who commanded the light to shine out of darknesse shineth in her heart to give the light of the knowledge of the glorie of God in the face of Jesus Christ as in 2 Cor. 4. 6. At which the poor Soul fares as one transported Not by the spirit of illusion of pride vain glory or Hypocrisie like those that labour to dishonour Christ in his eternal Mediatorship by their conditional Election that magnify the broken arm of flesh by their free-will and carnal confidence that wrest the word of God to overthrow Scripture by reason that will make the Law of none effect by their traditions that do despise rule order government and lift themselves above Gods Ordinances that make their Christian liberty the Cloak for their ambition avarice and envy that dare with shamelesse impudence proclaim themselves for Saints whereas their practice proves that they are altogether otherwise That say stand by thy self come not near to me for I am holier then thou These are a smoak in my nose c. saith the Lord Isa 65. 5. But in the spirit of a meek sound minde with upright Job she sayes unto the Lord I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear but now mine eye seeth thee Wherefore I abhor my self and repent in dust and ashes Job 42. 5. 6. And with that Evangelical Isaiah wo is me for I am undone because I am a man of unclean lips and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips for mine eyes have seen the Lord of Hosts Isa 6. 5. And with that good Centurion she saith Lord I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof Math. 8. 8. And thus the nearer that her Lord approcheth with his pure spotlesse glorious perfections the more unworthy she esteems her self untill she seems unto her self as nothing Yea worse then nothing All her braveries her beauties honours pleasures wit and wealth are lying Witches all her fair professions are painted Vizards of Hypocrisie her moral vertues and most precious parts are filthy garments spotted by the flesh For so she values them and casts them from her And having stript her self of all such rags she humbly layes her self at her Lords feet saying as Ruth did sometime say to Boaz I am thine handmaid spread therefore thy skirt over thine hand-maid Ruth 3. 9. And wheresoever this Humility hath wrought this work No doubt but Christ is there and brings assurance as his next attendant And so it followeth in the fourth place That wheresoever Christ is there is Assurance In him we have boldnesse and accesse with confidence by the faith of him saith St. Paul Eph. 3. 12. And that strong fortresse wherein this Assurance is to be lodged and established is the free promises of God in Christ according to the Covenant of Grace There are too many that do seek for this Assurance in their own sanctification And that in order to their victories over their sins their abilities to serve their God according to the rule of his Commandments And this I must confesse is a fair building but yet exceeding subject to the blasted in time of tryal and temptation when every filching undermining sin shall catch occasion to break in and shake or shatter all or part of their Assurance But that Assurance which is fortified by the sure promises of God in Christ is much more safe secure and satisfying Wherefore if thine Assurance steps aside and seems to slight thee fly unto the promises where thou shalt hear thy Lord returning him with this or the like comfortable language Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest Math. 11. 28. Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out John 6. 37. Verily verily I say unto you he that believeth on me hath everlasting life John 6. 47. He hath it already First he hath it of Christ by promise Secondly he hath it from Christ by purchace And thirdly he hath it in Christ by posession I say that every true believer hath eternal life And first of Christ by promise My sheep hear my voice saith he and I know them and they follow me and I give unto them eternal life c. John 10. 27 28 29. And therefore fear not little flock saith he for it is your fathers good pleasure to give you the Kingdom Luke 12. 32. Secondly he hath it from Christ by purchase by Christ his purchase and that under seal and in the earnest thereof After that
ye believed in Christ saith Paul ye were sealed with the holy Spirit of promise which is the earnest of our inheritance untill the redemption of the purchased possession unto the praise of his glorie Eph. 1. 13 14. And thirdly he hath it in Christ by possession Christ hath taken possession of it and prepared it for all believers I go to prepare a place for you saith he And if I go and prepare a place for you I will come again and receive you unto my self that where I am there ye may be also Joh. 14. 2 3. And whither I go ye know saith he verse 4. For that Kingdom which was prepared for you from the foundation of the world upon promise of satisfaction I go to prepare for you after performance of satisfaction Where it shall be said unto you Come ye blessed of my father inherâ—t the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world as Math. 25. 34. What Soul can wish a more compleat assurance But haply you will say we do not doubt but every true believer is sure enough to have eternal life by Jesus Christ But what assurance have we of those good things that do concern this life Indeed the Prophet David telleth us There be many that say who will shew us any good Psal 4. 6. But in this case also we have both promise example and experience for our assurance For matter of promise God hath said I will never leave thee nor forsake thee Heb. 13. 5. But what is it poor Soul thou art afraid of Art thou afraid of poverty or want Why a little that a righteous man hath is better then the riches of many wicked For the arms of the wicked shall be broken but the Lord upholdeth the righteous The Lord knoweth the dayes of the upright and their inheritance shall be for ever They shall not be ashamed in the evil time in the dayes of famine they shall be satisfied Ps 37. 16 17. 18 19. Trust therefore in the living God who giveth us richly all things to injoy 1 Tim. 6. 17. Art thou afraid of discredit afraid to lose thy good name and reputation Why the Lord is able to make thee a name and a praise among all people of the earth as Zepha 3. 20. Admit that thy good name be reproched by the mouth of a scorner here upon the earth yet thou hast cause to rejoyce for that thy name is registred in heaven as Luke 10. 20. Art thou afraid of thine enemies Consider that of the Prophet David The Lord saith he is my light and my salvation whom shall I fear The Lord is the strength of my life of whom shall I be afraid When the wicked even mine enemies and my foes came upon me to eat up my flesh they stumbled and fell Psal 27. 1 2. And the Lord thy God will hold thy right hand saying unto thee fear not I will help thee as in Isa 41. 13. Art thou afraid of death Behold the eye of the Lord is upon them that fear him that hope in his mercie to deliver their Soul from death and to keep them alive in famine Psal 33. 18 19. But why should any man be such a coward as to fear an enemy that is already conquered Yea abolished or destroyed 2 Tim. 1. 10. Swallowed up in victory 1 Cor. 15. 54. Truely dear Christian thou hast cause to triumph over these enemies after this manner O death where is thy sting O Grave where is thy victorie The sting of death is sin and the strength of sin is the law But thanks be to God which giveth us the victorie through our Lord Jesus Christ as at 1 Cor. 15. 55 56 57. In a word whatsoever thou fearest or whatsoever thou feelest Thou shall finde God thy refuge and strength a very present help in trouble as well as David did Psalm 46. 1. Onely be carefull That thou suffer not as a Murderer or as a Thief or as an evil doer or as a busie-bodie in other mens matters And then assure thy self That the Lord is faithfull who shall stablish thee and keep thee from evil According unto St. Pauls confidence 2 Thes 3. 3. Again consider What doest thou desire Doest thou desire safety preservation deliverance victory wealth honour long-life or salvation after a moderate and godly manner Acquaint thy self with the substance of the 91 Psalm And with the 3 first verses of the 112 Psal In these words Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord that delighteth greatly in his Commandments his seed shall be mighty upon earth the generation of the upright shall be blessed wealth and riches shall be in his house and his righteousnesse endureth for ever And to confirm thee in thy confidence peruse the 6. 7. and 8. verses of the same Psalm Surely he shall not be moved for ever the righteous shall be in everlasting remembrance He shall not be afraid of evil tidings his heart is fixed trusting in the Lord. His heart is established he shall not be afraid untill he see his desire upon his enemies Thus of the promises If thou desirest yet further to establish thine assurance In the next place see and observe the stories of Abraham Isaac Jacob of Joseph Moses Mordecay David and Hezekiah And consider how the Lord guided and governed preserved and prospered exalted and incouraged them together with all his Prophets and Apostles and all the godly every where and in all ages And verily thou shalt finde sufficient cause to say with that discerning Prophet David The Lord hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servants Psal 35. 27. And lastly recollect thine own experience and meditate how graciously the Lord thy God hath dealt by thee in his outwad blessings and inward consolations his tender mercies and fatherly loving-kindnesses his patience and long-sufferings supplying thy severall necessities with sutable comforts preservations and deliverances wherein he hath prevented not onely thy deserts but often times thy desires also And when thou shalt thus walk with thy God in wisdom and singlenesse of heart Thou shalt finde sufficient in him and from him to say with that holy Prophet Return unto thy rest O my soul for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee Psal 116. 7. And furthermore to make thee confident That he shall deliver thee in six troubles yea in seven there shall no evill touch thee In famine he shall redeem thee from death and in war from the power of the sword c. Job 5. 19. to 27. Thus through ouâ— own discreet experience the saints exemplary prosperity And our dear Saviours never-failing promises as well spiritual as temporal we shall be sure to meet the full assurance of all or every kinde of happinesse Provided still that Christ be with or in us For where the true Christ is there is assurance And this assurance always brings in peace This is the fifth attendant that still waits upon the person of our royal Bridegroom And where