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
The necessity of believing this is evidenced by the sad consequence of the contrary for denying Christ Jesus to be a fleshly substance and converting him into a Spirit any Spirit or every Spirit and so in truth deny the Christ of God And then blind injudicious men may form to themselves and world what they will fancy to call their Christ This premised I shall now speak of offences what they are and what offences are not to hinder There are three sorts of Offences First Offences given and taken Secondly Offences given and not taken Thirdly Offences taken and not given First Offences given and taken are such as when Nations or Persons when not provoked by invasion to defend yet by invadeing others will offend now they that defend defending here Offences are given and taken Secondly Offences given and not taken when we bless them that curse us do good to them that do hurt to us pray for them that despightfully use us Thridly Ofâ—â—nces taken and not given are when at a seeming and no real cause persons are moved and disquieted Christ Jesus coming in the dayes of his humiliation not as he will come after the dayes of his exaltation or at his second coming proved a seeming cause was no real cause for the Jews to stumble at him his visage was marred more than any mans when they looked for him to come and presently restore Israel Now such Offences taken and not given is the intent of this sixt Sign under the terme Small so that when persons give way to their passions and are so moved at something which seems to be a just Offence to them from brethren or any other without or before they had duly weighed not suspending all kind of dislike till in the ballance they have tryed whether it be really an Offence or but seemingly so is a sign of great weakness proving that such are under some spiritual decay marked out though upon another account by Christ Jesus Mat. 13. 20 21. But he that received the seed into stony places the same is he that heareth the word and anon with joy receiveth it but when tribulation and persecution ariseth because of the word by and by be is offended Now persecution and tribulation is no real cause of Offences but rather an encouragement to hold fast the word being one common mark such are in the truth the Apostle Paul makes it an argument of this kind 1 Thes 3. 5. For this cause when I could no longer forbear I sent to know your faith least by some means the tempter have tempted you and our labour be in vain We would have no man moved by these afflictions for your selves know we are appointed thereto and instead of being offended we are commanded to glory in tribulation this may teach us to bemoan such and beg them be warn'd not to keep themselves from Christs Table because of this or that seeming or real miscarriage in others if in order to their reducement from it we have done our duty For any therefore to estrange themselves from Christs Table it being no less than a refusing the food he hath prepared because things go not just as they would have them doth greatly argue the stop to be in themseves though not by such heeded they being great wanderers abroad into the wayes of others perhaps more busying themselves than they ought and yet as great strangers at home to self-examination and due personal preparation which where ever it is is that indeed that so warrantably cals persons to come to Christ Jesus Feast of Bread and Wine purchased with his blood that negligence therein will prove no less than their great sin What is it therefore that should keep us from that service wherein by faith we are to feed as it were upon the flesh of the Son of God Whose flesh is meat indeed and whose blood is drink indeed Truly nothing but self-unworthiness or unpreparedness Surely surely the spiritual growing Christian whose hungrings and thirstings are after hourly communion with Jesus Christ can better forgo his natural food a thousand times than yeild to a stop from this performance Let us therefore examine our selves that we are meet subjects discerning the Lords Body and so let us eat that Bread and drink that Cup. Now the Causes of this decay or yeilding upon small Offences to absent from Christs Table may be these three First Too great Ignorance who are the Subjects Christ calls to this Service Secondly Too too great aptness to be easily provoked Thirdly Want of Love to Jesus Christ the Author of this Service First Too great Ignorance who are the Subjects Christ calls to this Service which consists in a misconstruing his general invitation to all penitent believing baptized Disciples who have had an orderly admittance thus far and by way of Precept are injoyned both to come to this Service and continue in it The same day were added to the Church three thousand souls and they continued stedfast in the Apostles doctrine fellowship breaking of Bread and prayer it is peculiarly unto such appointed and sanctified that they may keep in remembrance their Lord and Saviour So often as ye eat this Bread and drink this Cup ye do shew forth the Lords death till he come But I would not be mistaken here as that I mean the outward badge of these only makes right Subjects for Christs Call yet this outward must be but wo to it when it is alone The Kings daughter is to be all glorious within as well as her garment of pure gold The hungerer and thirster after his supply that sensibly sees all his springs to be in him and as the Hart panteth after the brooks of water hath his foul crying Oh when shall I come and appear before him negligence to be thus fitted causeth ignorance of Christs Call But Secondly Too too great aptness to be easily provoked Some Christians are so weak that they will be still forming discontent to themselves ill interpreting others actions and straining at every Gnat which generally comes through weakness in judgment and unaptness to be busying themselves with their high Calling the worth of Gods gracious priviledges afforded them by which means the inward man is too much raked or made raw and so apt to smart at every little touch as special care therefore must be had in Churches that none give just offence so that none upon too light account take offence for it doth but argue such Children or Babes in Christianity and greatly robs themselves of that spiritual refreshing strength that otherwise might be their present portion and fills their heart with disquieting thoughts to the hindring their spiritual appetite from taking in that rich refreshment Christ Jesus Table is furnisht with for every prepared guest But Thirdly Want of love to Jesus Christ the Author of this Service All those motives that provokes the heart to love Jesus Christ should be active now viz. The greatness of his love to purchase
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
therefore to have put my money to the exchangers and then at my coming I should have received mine own with advantage Mat. 25. 27. A Second Cause may be luke-warmness in Religion that is so indifferent that they care not whether they go forward or backward I know thy works that thou art neither cold nor hot I would thou wert cold or hot so then because thou art luke-warm I will spew thee out of my mouth Revel 3. 15 16. Thirdly a third Cause of this decay is unaptness to personal duties every professor in order to his growing hath personal duties constantly to carry about with him aptness wherein fits him for publick imployment but the contrary makes him unhandy or unskilful in the word of righteousness as children by vertuous education or the unexpert souldier by frequent discipline are both made ready for man-liker actions even so aptness in personal duties as family and closet prayer family and closet reading a careful exercise and execution of those choyce and nearly concerned duties with these mentioned of frequent fastings watchings humblings patience meekness temperance zeal fear love giving all diligence for if these things be in you and abound they make you that you shall be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ but he that lacketh these things is blind and cannot see a far off so briefly I pass to the third Sign CHAP. III. Briefly showing the cause of wearyness to hear any Truth often SIGN III. VVHen you care not to hear one matter often though a suitable truth By Often here I would not be understood so as that those that preach should day after day when they assemble without intermission preach the very same thing word for word to their hearers for indeed this may give just occasion of burthen to the hearer therefore such preaching upone truth in respect of the season must surely be so observed as to leave room for the making known other truths as necessarily to be believed therefore let the considerate Reader in this case construe my words as he upon another case judgeth he ought to construe the holy Apostles words Often 1 Cor. 11. 26. As often as you eat this bvead Often here doth not in the least intend that not at all persons be in this service neither doth it surely intend that they do it every time they meet together but so do it as it have its season of being administred and such season as may not extinguish or leave no room for the administration of other Ordinances so that by Often I would be understood so frequent a preaching the same truth already known and believed as stands with the wisdome and judgment of persons that by God are intrusted to Preach with this alwayes premised that as they see a possibility of any truth losing its proper force in the memory and heart through want of repetition And when suitable truths upon this very score is over and over preached and meets with such Spirits as care not to hear it that are mindless careless and displeased this bespeaks such to be of the dying hand for indeed such carriages withstands Gods ordinary method which he frequently useth in Scripture to his own people in covenant with him for two great ends the one is that they may remember it the other is that they may do it Is not one great end of many institutions imposed on Israel of old and they found according to commandement in the same services yearly least they should forget what God would have them remember and when they are pleased to choose them a King it is Gods express charge when he sitteth upon the Throne of his Kingdome that he shall write him a copy of the Law and read therein all the dayes of his life that he may learn to keep all Gods word The safety of this to the same people that have already believed is plainly expressed and faultiness in them that care not to hear it plainly implyed and one of the great ends I have now noted is also a sign in 1 Cor. 15. 1 2. Moreover brethren I declare unto you the Gospel which I preached unto you which also you have received and wherein you stand by which also you are saved if you keep in memory what I preached unto you unless you have believed in vain Then he goeth on and sheweth the particulars he had preached to them Principles even so plain in the Letter of them that one would think they could not be forgotten which strongly implies that through want of preaching the same things to them again they might either loose the bare knowledge of the Principles there laid down or at least the spiritual force and nature of them how then doth this very Scripture reprove such as care not to hear a suitable truth often charging them with faultiness in forgetting that of all truth at best they know but in part and that by hearing one and the same truth again and again a man may see some excellency further than yet he ever saw experience will witness this to the considerate Psal 3. begining 2 Pet. 2. 12 13 14. Now this defect seems to arise from some wrong Judgment or apprehentions that such persons have of themselves They are notionally conceited of some large reach they have in the knowledge of those very things they care not to hear and this defect in them is occasioned through want of humble dependance upon God and sensible feeling the Spirit of that word All my springs are in thee Psal 87. last Let any that find the case thus with them be intreated to be restless in themselves not quiet or content but pray earnestly to God that he would both heal them from this foul distemper and also forgive them for this great evil of entertaining or giving way to burden at hearing again that that grace hath taught them to know already I shall end this Sign with what the wise man saith Prov. 3. 5 6. Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and leane not to thy own understanding but in all thy wayes acknowledge him and he shall direct thy path or keep thy feet from runing thus astray CHAP. IV. Briefly shewing how want of Charity in hearers causeth them dislike what is preached SIGN IV. VVHen few Sermons will please you either you like not matter or manner or man When Persons come to this decay that they not only are weary to hear one matter often but few Sermons pleases them they are then ready to throw off all and it is usually known by this very character in the Sign viz. They will either find some fault with the matter or else dislike the manner or else the man and wherever this is found in person or persons without just occasion given them such certainly cannot stand long in their profession without penitent reformation Let but hearers when they come to Sermons leave charity behind them how easily may they disturb themselves
and others in one of these cases As for matter will they not reply it is such as I know already as well as the Minister can tell me otherwise it is but poor weak ordinary matter and as to the manner will they not reply either he speakes too high or too loud that they like not or in their account not high enough too low that they like not otherwise in their account too fast or too slow and all this they like not Now as to the man this being first premised he is one that hath ordinary approbation and seale from heaven to his Ministry in the working through grace sinners to conversion why as to such a man they dislike him and manifest their dislike yet being asked can give no reason nay it is probable to say truly they cannot tell why they dislike him but yet they do they are not free to hear such a man Is not this a silly weakeness got among some professors the good Lord undeceive and humble such surely it 's possible for some to show deslike in some or all these cases and as little cause for â—t as Corah and his company had to dislike as they did Moses and Aaron Numb 16. 3. They gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron and said to them ye take too much upon you seeing all the congregation is holy every one of them and the Lord is among them wherefore then lift ye up your selves above the congregation of the Lord. How causeless this carriage was from Corab Dathan Abiram with two hundred and fifty Princes the Lord from Heaven in a way not common discovers they that die die not the common death of all men as that Chapter fully shews so heinous was their sin in Gods account to murmur against his servants without a cause And is it then a new thing that such be in Churches now in this decaying Sign of dislâ—king matter manner or man was not this very Spirit got into the Corinth Church and bold even to shew it self against that holy man St. Paul that had begotten them to the faith 2 Epist 10 For his Letters say they are weighty and powerful but his bodily presence weak and his speech contemptible Here they was not sparing to vent themselves the small cause they had yea the unreasonableness of that their dislike let the considerate judge whose conscience is not asleep Again in 1 Cor. 4. such a like Spirit discovers it self after so ungratious a rate as that Wise-mans reply will evidence in vers 3. But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you or mans judgment they account the Apostles fools themselves wise the Apostles weak themselves strong by all this without adding what Scripaures more might be added it is very evident if we will take the holy Spirits testimony that such persons under this very Sign were in the Apostles dayes and doth not also the testimony of a good conscience say there are such even now Object But how comes this to pass Answ This defect seems to arise from this even selfe-conceitedness tall thoughts in some of their own great abilities comparing themselves with themselves and so think what they ought not of themselves But as a help against this disease I would remind what the Apostle writes to such like people or at least to prevent such a distemper Rom. 10. 3. For I say through the grace given unto me to every man which is among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think But to think Soberly as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith Clearly implying that God hath not dealt to every man the same measure or knowledg or reach in Gospel truths And least they be hasty to pass Judgment upon others he would have them think soberly of themselves And when they are ready to manifest dislike rather to account it their weakness than strength and so to be silent CHAP. V. Containing five Causes of deceit fully thinking we know enough with four marks to know when we are under that deceit SIGN V. VVHen you think you know enough The greatness of this defect and the danger of it may be seen if something be premised and considered When you think you know enough that is you are grown so tall in the knowledge of God and the Ordinances of his House the way to his Kingdome the strength of your adversaries the Flesh World and Devil and the plague of your own heart for all this must be premised as being in such persons as think they know enough if their thoughts be not gross deceit and then what need of Hearing or Assembling or crying after knowledge or lifting up the voyce for understanding Is not this gross deceit grown somewhat common but of dangerous tendency to knock both heart and hand from off the means God hath ordained to encrease and sanctifie Knowledg Is not such a conceit the road way to Atheisme Were it not gotten among some sleepy Christians in the Apostles time Doth not that saying 1 Cor. 8. 2 3. directly aim at such If any man think that he knoweth any thing he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know But if any man love God the same is known of him As much as if the Apostle should say you think you know much truly if you know so much as that you love God you are known of him and if you know this you know what you can know in this life but if you know not this you know nothing yet as ye ought to know whatever you think of your selves and therefore look to it that you love God and dwell not about this or that tall conceit of your knowledge but if you or any man love him the same is known of him And this I shall humbly add if any man love God the same hath learned to think soberly or meanly of himself But the danger of this appears further if we consider that some for being under this Dying Sign were about to be spewed out of Gods mouth Revel 3. 17. Because thou saist I am rich and encreased with goods and have need of Nothing yet art so ignorant or knowest not that thou art wretched miserable poor blind and naked How doth the Holy Spirit illustrate to us the miserable estate of this People under this Dying Sign Wretched one would think that enough yet he adds Miserable and that is not enough to set it out but they are Poor Blind and naked in a word they are quite the contrary to what they think of themselves and what is in growing Christians Now I shall with Gods help show some Causes of this Deceit you may think you know enough First when you measure what you know by your own eyes or light you do think so not measuring what you know by the Rule of Knowledge the Word of God 1 Cor. 10. 12. For we dare not make our selves of the number or compare
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
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
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
into sin anew SIGN XXVI VVHen the thoughts of thy dearest Lust or any other sin is pleasing to thee Thoughâ— is the first door of the mind inwardly as the eye and ear are of the body outwardly here sin takes first place and if here it be not first slain it will increase to conception and from thence to action the eye and ear carry things to the thought and the thought carries things to the conception and conception to affection and affection to consent and consent to action and thus you may behold how great a fire a little spark kindles Now every good man hath had a dearest lust and every wicked man hath a dearest lust that he most hugs loves and serves though evil men do obey fance to any sin that suits with their liking yet there is some particular sin to which they have most single regard and the best of Gods people are under more particular inclination to some one particular sin than other and in danger to fall and be overcome thereby 1 King 8. 38. there the Scripture notes this under the name of heart-plague also Psal 18. 23. Ah mine iniquity Now this comes to the thoughts for entertainment and there is greatest possibility of finding entertainment for which cause Gods word so much inveighs against thoughts when they are about evil exercises Gen. 6. 5. Every imagination of the thought of his heart was evil and only evil Jer. 4. 14. How long shall thy vain thoughts lodge within thee Prov. 24. 9. The thoughts of foolishness is sin Thought is the least motion of the mind and whether it be wicked or good is not hid from God nor from Gods Vice-gerent even Conscience No thought can be with-held from thee Job 42. 2. No secret design though in the very heart of man can be so carried on as that God cannot be privy to it Amos 4. 13. That declareth to man what is his thought Now thought though the least motion of the mind yet being imployed with continual good objects as the Resurrection and Judgement to come thinking still what shall be the estate of the saved and damned hath blessed force both upon the heart and conversation to regulate things there and by all possible means labours to work such up to Gods likeness that they may have boldness in judgment even so and let conscience how speak letting the thoughts have to do so as to like of those vain shady delights that the hearts of men are apt to set up to themselves as Uncleanness Covetousness c. hath as great force on the conversation to carry it Hell-ward It highly concerns Christians therefore to be upon the examination of their state as to thriving or decaying and to see to the Thought what branch it bears the beginnings of sin inwardly being there and be certain to pass this judgment upon your selves that if to your thoughts your former dearest lust in any branch of it or any other sin be pleasant to you that is tall lovely comely or desirable and not rather hateful frightful burthensome black and hellish you are a dying or decaying to heaven and heavenly things and very seasonable to such may the counsel of Peter be Repent of this thy wickedness and pray God the thought of thy heart may be forgiven thee I shall from hence take occasion to give you six Marks by which you may know when God will suffer your Return back to your old dearest lust or some other sin and they may by Gods blessing and your caâ—e slay iniquity in its first motion First The first Mark may be this when after God hath pardoned the sins you once lived in you are not so abased in your own eyes so as to walk humbler with God all your dayes Now this is Gods great end in forgiving all sin Ezek. 16. 62 63. I will establish my Covenant with thee and thou shalt know that I am the Lord that thou maist remember mark that and be confounded and never open thy mouth more because of thy shame when I am pacified towards thee So Ezek. 36. 29 30 31. I also will save you from all your uncleannesses both guilt and filth then shall you remember your own evil wayes and shall loath your selves in your own sight for your iniquities and for your abominations So that you see God expects to receive fruit from the pardoned But Secondly When because of your graces you are in any measure lifted up to admire grace more than giver By grace here I mean the Graces of Gifts as ability to pray or preach c. distinct from the Graces of Humility Meekness and Charity for a man may be rich in the one and yet poor in the other Now Gods usual measure of bestowing the Graces of Gifts at such times and to such persons as have been very rebellious yet are returned to the Shepheard of their souls Now again you must distinguish between Graces and Gifts with what allowance the Scripture gives otherwise ye will confound hoth by mixing them together for though Graces be Gifts and Gifts be Graces yet are they not such as prove that of necessity where the Gifts or Graces of Preaching or Praying or Knowledge or Tongues are there will be the Graces of Humility and Thankfulness though it will prove there should be such Graces the reason I conceive lyeth here and it may be worthy our noting thus The Graces of Gifts in the sense we distinguish are more properly given of God for the benefit of others as he gave his Spirit to Saul for the benefit of Israel Now other Graces are most properly given for the profit of our selves because with the one we may perish without the other we cannot be saved Now both this dying Sign and the distinction may be of use if considered among Churches for experience tells us while the humble in heart have stood with their low and mean parts in the mean time those tall in Gifts have fallen like Dagon before the Ark and it is good none here be secure for though Gifts be Graces and that from God the giver yet may a person fall in love with the Gift and himself for the Gift as to be lifted up to the forgetting God the Giver 2 Chron. 26. 15 16. compared with Chap. 32. 25. Thirdly A third sign of Gods suffering persons to fall into sin may be this When signal favours from God given you are not minded but forgotten There is none that lives but are more or less tryed by God in this very kind some time or other of their life for they are not only sharers in Gods common favors that he dayly bestows upon all as Rain fruitful seasons food rayment health strength and the like but also signal and special favors as Redemption from the Grave when at the very brinck to visible view even favours of such like kind as Israel had when the first-born in Egypt dyed not a Dog barks against Israel when Plague or Sword