thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall 12. And now this doth bring us to that Combat which indeed is our Magnum Oportet our great Necessary where we must encounter with Spiritual Enemies with Satan in the appearance of an Angel of Light yea and also with our own perverse Perswasions cunningly trimmed and set forth by the old Serpent the Deceiver from the Beginning which we have hitherto esteemed as Children of Light So as this War is not only against Satan our Lusts and open professed Enemies but even against our Works and Ways which we once esteemed familiar Friends and had walked taking sweet counsel together in the House of God who now being deluded by Satan ignorantly become Enemies whilst they perswade the Soul That there is no entring into the Land of Rest but by its own Sword and Bow and so fight Satan's Battels So as a Man's Enemies are of his own Houshold the Father at variance with the Son and the Daughter with her Mother and which is most strange the Hand of Christ our Lord and Captain in all this even setting us at these variances in our selves Matth. 10.33 and sending the Sword into our inner parts so as our chiefest Friend our Preserver and Life sends the Sword and Divisions and our Enemy and Destroyer seeks Peace and Concord and yet is that of Love and this of Malice for indeed this is the Battel in which He that shall loose his Life shall save it and he that will save his Life shall loose it And our Wilderness State is for no other end than to prepare us for this Warfare by weaning us by little and little from Creature-Dependencies for our Captain wonderful in Wisdom and Goodness on set purpose leads the Armies of Israel into a dry and desart Place to the end he may bring them into Wants and Distresses and when they cry to him he gives them Bread from Heaven and Water out of the stony Rock thence teaching them that they cannot deliver their own Souls but that he both can and is gracious and ready to help in the time of need and so undermines natural Confidence inures them to hardship strengthens Faith and Grace drawing them by degrees into acquaintance with that Song of David If the Lord had not bin on our side may Israel say if the Lord had not bin on our side when Men rose up against us they had swallowed us up quick for as the Sons of Israel could not prevail in War against the Cananites until all that rebellious and faithless Generation was spent whom God had sworn If they shall enter into my Rest So is it impossible the Soul should overcome in this Warfare as long as any of these Principles or Perswasions remain that dare affirm either that it must prevail in its own Sword and Bow or yet despair that Free Grace can or will effect it so as under our Legal State our Lord like a wise and experienced Captain trains up and inures his Souldiers to such manner of straits and service before-hand as in the great Day he will call them unto 13. But now to come to the Crisis 't is every way miraculous in the Manner in the Power in the Effect for is not that manner of fighting strange where the safety depends in casting away all Arms Offensive and Defensive and is not that Power wonderful which converts the loss of the Field into Victory and makes them that are overcome more than Conquerors And is not that effect most admirable of all that makes Death Life and Life Death and yet most assuredly this is the success of this Warfare and though it must seem ridiculous in the Eyes of a Son of Pharaoh who can perceive no more of it than a Man born blind can of Colours yet is there none that hath fought the good Fight but can set his Seal to these things nor none that hath made good improvement of the Wilderness preparative Discipline but hath so express an Image thereof as he can consent with us neither let any of the Camp of Israel think of this as if some strange thing had hapned unto them for it must come upon all the Children of Election for if done to the green Tree shall it not be done to the dry for saith the Apostle We see Jesus made a little lower than the Angels for the suffering of Death that he might tast death for all Men for it became him in bringing many Sons unto Glory to make the Captain of their Salvation perfect through suffering and therefore as he suffered so must we as he was made perfect so we as he died so must we die and as he arose so must we as it is written Rom. 6.3 Know ye not that as many of us as are baptized into Christ were baptized into his death therefore we are buried with him by Baptism into death and if we have bin planted in his death together so shall we also be in his Resurrection knowing this that our Old Man is crucified with him namely that old Nature we brought out of Egypt and which so often murmured in the Wilderness Again buried with him in Baptism wherein ye are also risen with him through the operation of God who hath raised him from the Dead Whence it is manifest That as Christ fought this good Fight and died in it so must we and as he did it for the Universal Church as Lord and Saviour of all so must we every one in particular before we can arise with him into the glorious Birth of the New Creature And as the old Serpent took advantage of the Seed of Abraham in Christ and bruised his Heel that is his Body unto the death thereof so must it happen unto every particular Member of Christ's Body and as the bruising of his Heel was the bruising of the Serpent's Head to eternal Darkness so the bruising of Christ's Heel in his Members shall be the treading down of Satan under their feet and therefore blessed is he to whom it shall be given to lay down his Life as a good Souldier of Christ in this Combat without reproach to his Conscience Warfare or Captain wherefore altho the name of Death be terrible to the Soul as the natural death is to the Body yet seeing we have such an Exampler to follow let us not be afraid for if the God of Armies be on our side why should we fear any Enemies As long as the Lord of Life is with us we can have no cause to fear Death Nay rather let us rejoice that Christ hath called us to be his Companions in Suffering and Death knowing that we shall also be partakers of his Resurrection Life and Glory Were it not ignominious in a Souldier that after he had inrolled his Name promised Fidelity learned the use of his Arms and had long lived upon his Pay and done little for it should in the day of Battel the Prize even immortality set before him and Victory
Mercies bountifully as to Noah after the Flood to whom the everlasting Covenant was given to Abraham after his great Sacrifice By my self I have sworn saith Jehovah because thou hast not with-held thy Son thy only Son in blessing I will bless thee c. Also Job was abundantly redintegraced Again at the Waters of Strife where God proved the People and they did but competently sustain it for they murmured yet there he made a new Statute and Ordinance he proved them and gave them a new Promise of which David thus Thou calledst in Trouble and I delivered thee I answered thee in the hiddeness of Thunder Now these things are written for our Instruction and ought to be great consolation to us in the height of our Tribulations when brought by God yea tho both the worldly Cross and Cross of Christ meet upon us at once as they did upon Job yet ought we to undergo them with his Patience and Faith the Lord gives and shall he not take I know I shall come forth as Silver tried in the Fire I know I shall see my Redeemer with these Eyes nay as St. James saith with Joy knowing all things shall be destroyed which are enemies to our Happiness and that preferved purified multiplied and exalted which is a Friend In Ezek. 14. there is this remarkable Passage If I send the Sword Famine noisom Beasts Pestilence to cut off Man and Beast tho Noah Job and Daniel were in it As I live saith the Lord they should neither deliver a Son or a Daughter they should but deliver their own Souls Yet therein shall be left an Escape of Sons and Daughters brought forth and they shall come forth to you and ye shall see their Way and their Actions and ye shall be comforted upon the Evil I have brought upon Jerusalem and you shall be comforted when you see their Way and shall know that I have not done what I have done without cause saith the Lord Jehovah Now this in an Allegory refers to this Trial and these four Evils to that Famine and Plagues which God shall bring in this Day For the Soul shall then hunger after Righteousness and not be satiated in its daily Bread because Christ is withdrawn and that is the Famine And all our Lusts shall perish by the Sword of the Spirit by the Lion of the Tribe of Judah and Pestilence by Noon-day Only the Famine of the Preacher of Righteousness by consumption the Patience of Job and self-judging Wisdom of Daniel shall deliver themselves And out of them shall spring forth a new-born Nature in which shall be comfort and we shall rejoice in the Wisdom and Goodness of God and perceive with Joy how he hath ordered all these to work together for the Good of them that love him and have kept the Word of his Patience 21. Whence therefore I say we ought to pray that we may not be led into this Trial and yet having so done to rejoice in it when the Spirit of God drives to it because he will keep us and that Saying shall be verified in us 1 Cor. 10.13 There hath no Temptation befallen you but such as is common to Men but God is faithful and will not suffer you to be tempted above what you are able but with the Temptation will make a way to the Escape of Noah Job and Daniel and their Sons that you may be able to bear it But it is also remarkable how the Apostle bounds this before and after with the next Context even with those Bounds all the Faithful ought in this Warfare to confine within The first is Wherefore let him that standeth take heed lest he fall namely not to err by presumption of our own Strength or thrust into the Battel as the Horse for who doth so if he fall he hath his amends in his own hands The other bound is Wherefore my Beloved fly from Idolatry which is When the Call cometh make not Duties a Nehushtan but gird up your Loins and follow your Captain believe his Conduct and Banner are sufficient Pledges of Victory for now to rely on Horses or Chariots of your own setting forth is flat Idolatry and Idolatry is the Rock of Perdition in the way And he that thus stands upon his Guard at his Post and confined Station let him count his Temptation all Joy but if he go beyond these let him thank himself for all the Losses and Buffetings he finds 22. Lastly All Men ought to watch hourly for this Hour as oft is admonished under Penalties and Blessings As our Lord Watch for the hour comes as a Thief in the Night Watch for you know not the hour the Lord cometh Be ready for in an hour you think not of the Son of Man cometh and blessed is the Servant who when his Lord cometh he findeth so doing Which is not smiting his fellow-Servants or reproaching them as if he were more holy than they but being humble of Mind sensible of Infirmity diffident of his best performances knowing the Lord will come to try his Heart and Reins And this must be a most excellent preparative Posture foreseeing the far end of the Account is to subdue the Arm of Flesh and to account all our Righteousness by Works as loss and dung for the Cross of Christ it must needs be a good Introduction to know all Flesh is vain and light in the Ballance Now therefore thus prepared set thy Conscience for Watch-man bid it declare whatsoever it seeth and call by Night as well as by Day Watchman what seest thou what of the Night And if he says Behold my Lord comes as a Lion and it is the dead of the Night cease thou from folding thy Hands together rouze up and offer a Peace-Offering and if it shall not be accepted as formerly and thy Watch-man chargeth thee not with Omission Commission or lack of Zeal above wonted Infirmity suspect thy Hour is at hand and if thy Hunger after Christ encrease and satiation in Duties decrease be assured thy Lord cometh to prove thee how far for him thou canst deny all things And if thou be an eater of Herbs observer of Days or a truster in Ordinances of Man or beggarly Elements of the World these will be first required which quickly shake off as the Fig-tree doth her untimely Fruit when shaken by a great Wind. But perhaps next even commanded Duties may be brought under disgrace and then thy Case will be more difficult for they are Holy yet Christ being hid they cannot satiate for it is not the Ordinance that sanctified Christ but Christ the Ordinance thou hast stayed in Prayer and thy Heart was sleepy thy Tongue slow and thy return as blasted Fruit thou hast tried again and wert as a dumb Man without utterance but be not cast down but go the third yea the seventh time perhaps it may be granted thee to sigh and mourn in Spirit how knowest thou but thou mayest find a Tear of Godly Sorrow
If thou believe in me and ask in my Name all shall be granted and hast thou not both believed and asked and yet hast not received but thy answer was Thou askest and hast not because thou askest to bestow upon thy Lust Is not this thy case Knock without him and none will open seek him to knock for thee and he hideth himself What therefore canst thou do more to this Master than thou hast already done yet what evidence hast thou got or what evidence hast thou that thy Works are accepted Why therefore dost thou spend thy time and self for nothing Break off this sullen obscure Life take a little ease before thou go hence and vanish into soft Air Hast not thou Parts and Gifts to make thee eminent among Men Art not thou as able to stand before Princes as many others who by a blameless compliance have gotten great Honour and Riches Be not therefore wise or righteous too much why wilt thou make thy self desolate Leave therefore this simpering Life and trie but my Service and the Riches and Pleasures of the World shall be thine which thou mayest use as thou pleasest none shall say why art thou good why prodigal why hoardest thou up why hast thou done thus And now I say if in this great Temptation the Soul stand fast it shall shortly tread down Satan under its Feet 19. And tho to answer Satan with our Lord Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him only c. is the sovereign Cordial of all yet seeing for our further Instruction the holy Writers have enlarged further it behoves we enquire into their teachings St. James thus Chap. 5.8 Be patient Brethren until the coming of Lord. Be patient stablish your Hearts for the coming of the Lord draws nigh Ver. 10. Take the Prophets who have spoken in the Name of the Lord for an example of suffering Affliction and of Patience Behold we count them happy who endure Ye have heard of the Patience of Job and have seen the end of the Lord that he is pitiful and of tender Mercy But above all things swear not c. Whence it is manifest that Patience in this Crisis is a strong Fortress and Job's Patience and Example particularly recommended and above all things pernicious to swear in our own strength Thirdly not to murmur He gave he hath taken blessed be his Name Fourthly not to offend in words It also is of moment to observe at what the advice of Job's Friend tended and what he more righteously defended for their Plea still was that the Innocent and Righteous were never cut off and therefore Job was deep in Sin Self-confidence c. His Answer was that he was as righteous as they and therefore boasted much of his Righteousness in Tummim I cannot says he depart from it yet defending it was God's just Prerogative to afflict the Righteous as he pleased and yet to suffer the Tents of the Robbers to flourish but the end of these are miserable and those full of happiness And therefore sometimes he desires God not to spare Job 6.9 10. as if he would say Tread hard for nothing in me that is good wilt thou harm but the evil which makes me unripe for thy Mercy thou wilt consume And doubtless in this to conform to him is acceptable that is still holding his Faith I know my Redeemeer liveth Job 19.25 20. Another Example we have from the Prophet David Psal 77.2 In my Straits I sought the Lord my hands failed or were poured forth and ceased not my Soul refused consolation I remembred God and I tumultuâ—ted I meditated and my Spirit fainted Thou heldest mine eyes waking I was shaken and I spake not I considered the ancient days of Mountain-Worship and the Years or Changes of the Gospel-Ages to come I remember in the Song in former Darkness in my Heart I did contemplate and my Spirit made diligent search Will the Lord cast off in the hidden Age Will he be bountiful no more Is his Mercy clean gone for ever his Sayings to generation and generation quite failed Hath God forgot to be merciful hath he in anger shut up his Mercies Then said I This is my Infirmity these are the changes of the right-hand of the Most High I called the Works of Jah i. e. Christ to mind for thy marvellous Works from the ancient times I will remember Who is so great a God as our God! With thine Arms thou hast redeemed c. Which gives yet further light how we may fortify and ease our minds in this state namely to consider all former experiences of God's gracious dealing with us under the Law and Gospel and other particular Trials and thence argue Did God call us in our Natural State and save us in our Legal Warfare and will he now cast us off in the Gospel-State and break the Promises of Grace And lastly to conclude this is through my Infirmity and these are but the Changes of the Most High upon all his Elect for their good as in another place Psal 55.19 Because they have no Changes therefore they fear not God thence implying that all fearing God must undergo like Changes and therefore why shall I take this as if some strange thing had happened to me but rather rejoyce my Lot is fallen with Job David nay with Christ whom I will call to mind what he did for me in the War under the Cross and ever since I first knew him Who is so great a God who so powerful a Redeemer as He c. In Allegory this Trial by Fire is represented by the Burning at Taborah but in a far more tragical manner even unto blood for as the failing so the Penalty Numb 11. For after many Blessings and Mercies and as yet no defects in their Tents the People fell a lusting after base and mean Usury and murmured offending in Heart and Tongue for they had the Tabernacle newly reared and the Cloud by day and Fire by night which were sure Signals that the Divine Presence was with them and and they could not be out of the right way And for Food they had Angels Bread so qualified as he that gathered most had no spare nor he that gathered least any lack he that ate most could not surfeit nor who least went not away hungry yet so mercenary was their Spirits and greedy after gain and lastly so meritorious they thought their forsaking of Egypt at God's call was as they murmured at their Penny The Hebrew reads The People as it were made themselves complain or lament that is they made cause of complaint where no curse was for their pretence was That Angles food was not good enough All we have is Manna our Souls are dried up And their cry was In Egypt we had dainty Sallads forgetting that they had Brickils too and we have forsaken them at Jehovah's call who will give us Flesh which verily taken in the Gospel-sence are the express words of a Gospel-Usurer I