and quiet under the hand of God then he is called to that other work which his Affliction doth lead him to It may be your Affliction may hinder you from your former work which God hath call'd you from but it doth not hinder you from that work whereunto you are now called by your Affliction And what though my Affliction doth hinder me from my former work yet if God wil not fault me for the neglect of that have I any reason to be discouraged becaus I do not do it This is certain That if God cal me to a new work he wil never blame me if I lay by the former You wil not blame your Servants if they lay by their former work when you call them to a new and when God leads into a new Affliction then he doth cal to a new work Answ 3 And as for matter of Temptation and Sin this is certain That that Affliction doth never expose a man to a new sin which doth make him sensible of his former sin Now as you have heard the Afflictions of the Saints do both discover and heal their sins making them sensible of them which they were not before And if you look into Psal 125.3 you find a Promise to this purpose The Rod of the wicked shall not rest on the Lot of the Righteous lest the Righteous put forth their hand to iniquity As it is with a Master that sets his Servant to beat the dust out of his Garment though he cause the rod or stick to pass upon the Garment yet he will not suffer it to rest so long upon the Garment as it shal be torn thereby Your Affliction is Gods Rod and he suffers it to pass upon your Garment Why That he may fetch out your dust therewith but he wil not suffer this Rod to rest so long upon you as to tear your Garment Lest the Righteous put forth their hand unto iniquity saith the Text. Answ 4 And if this fear of yours be a good sign of your Grace then why should you be discouraged in this respect Now what better sign of Truth and Uprightness of heart have you than this That you are therefore troubled at your Affliction because it doth expose to Temptation and Sin and because it doth hinder you from what is good Do you not say so Lord thou knowest I am therefore afflicted under this Affliction not because of the burden of it so much but because thereby I am hindred from doing and receiving good and exposed to such Temptations as for the Affliction it self though it be great yet Lord thou knowest I should submit to it and be quiet under it were I not thereby exposed unto what is evil Here now is sincerity here is uprightness and will you then be discouraged nay rather have you not cause and reason to be much encouraged Object 6 This is not my fear or cause of my discouragement but I am under a great and sore Affliction so and so afflicted and I fear I have brought my self into this Affliction by my sin had not my sin been the cause of my Affliction I should not be troubled but O! my Affliction is great and long and I am perswaded that my own sin is the cause thereof yea and that which aggravateth the matter is I cannot find out what the sin is if God would but discover it to me I should be more at quiet but my sin is the cause of my affliction and I know not what the particular sin is that hath brought me into this affliction and have I not just cause and reason for my discouragement now Answ No For did not Jonah bring himself into his Affliction by his sin and yet when did God more fully appear to him than when he was in the Whales Belly Did not David bring himself into his Affliction by his sin he sinned in the matter of Vriah and the Lord said The Sword shall never depart from thy House and what was the Sword of Absolon but an Affliction which dropped out of that Threatening brought upon him by his sin and yet when was Davids heart in a better frame If saith he the Lord have any pleasure in me he will bring me back to the Ark again if not let him do with me what seemeth good in his Eyes And when did God more fully appear to David than under this Affliction for he prayed The Lord turn the Counsel of Achittophel into folly and God heard him presently And if ye look into Deut. 4. you shall find a standing Promise made for your Comfort in this matter verse 25. If you shall corrupt your selves and make a graven Image or the likeness of any thing and shall do evil in the sight of the Lord to provoke him to anger I call Heaven and Earth to witness against you this day That you shall soon utterly perish from the Land ye shal not prolong your daies the Lord will scatter you among the Nations and you shall be left few in number among the Heathen and there you shall serve gods the work of mens hands But if from thence thou shalt seek the Lord thy God thou shalt find him if thou seek him with all thine heart and all thy soul 1. Here was a great Affliction to be driven out into another Country 2. This Affliction was caused by their great sins 3. Yet the Promise is That if from thence from this valley and bottom they did seek the Lord he would shew mercy to them And all this in the times of the Law and is not God as gracious now in the times of the Gospel as then in the times of the Law And what though you cannot find out what the particular sin is it is good to search but somtimes it is better for a poor soul that it is not discovered For if I be under an affliction for some particular sin and find it out then I am once humbled for it and go no further but if I find it not out I search and search and so am humbled continually for many sins and therefore I say it is somtimes better that the particular sin is not discovered Why then should a godly gracious soul be discouraged in this respect Surely he hath no reason for it Object 7 Yet there is one thing sticks with me in regard of personal Afflictions I fear that they do not come from Gods Love were I certain that this Affliction did proceed from Gods Love then I should never be troubled but I even see the visible Characters of Gods displeasure and anger engraven upon my Afflictions and therefore I am thus discouraged have I not cause and reason now Answ 1 No For if Affliction do rather argue Gods Love than Hatred then have you no reason to be discouraged Now though Affliction do not argue Gods Love yet I say it doth rather argue Love than Hatred A man may be no Father to a Child yet he may correct him But if two Children commit
to an ordinary Office 1. He must be apparently Godly 2. He must be qualified for preaching 3. He must be chosen or desired by the Church 4. He must be separated to the work of the Ministry ibid. II. For the Doctrine Teachers may and must be tried by their Doctrine ibid. Particular Doctrines men must be tryed by are many I will name some few ib. 1 True Apostles ever exalted the Scriptures Page 414 2 True Apostles never denied the Deity of Christ ibid. 3 True Apostles never did deny Ordinances ibid. 4 True Apostles preached for Justification by faith and imputed righteousness in opposition to works Page 415 5 They never told us that there is a light in every man which followed wil bring him to Salvation ibid. 6 They never preached that any man might be perfect and without sin in this life ibid. 7 True Apostles never preached against respect unto Magistrates Parents Masters Page 416 8 True Apostles never preached against the resurrection and assention of the Body ibid. 9 The Apostles never preached that there is no place of Heaven or Hell after death ib. III. A Teacher may and must be tried by his Life and Fruits Page 417 Quest If they go in Sheeps Cloathing how shall I know they are Wolves ibid. Answ Yes 1 A Wolf is a Wolf in Sheeps cloathing for he is fierce and cruel Page 417 2 He howls at the Sheep and barks at the Shepheards ib. 3 He rends the Sheep Page 418 Quest What fruits doth our Savior mean we must know them by ibid. Answ 1 If you find they walk after the flesh ibid. 2 If they are given to lying ib. 3 If the height of their Religion be to maintain some Opinion that consists in voluntary Humility ibid. 4 If their Doctrine tends to draw men away from the Ordinance of God ibid. 5 If he fals short of him he would seem to be yet in shew goes beyond him ibid. 6 If you find that his great work is to destroy the Church of Christ Page 419 7 If he forsake the Assemblies of the Saints ibid. 1 It is the special work of Church Officers to try and discover false Teachers ibid. 2 It is a work incumbent upon all the Saints and Churches ib. More practically 1 Go to God for a spirit of discerning Page 420 2 Lie in no sin or Error for all sin blinds ibid. 3 Consult with others about it ibid. 4 Keep close to the Scripture ibid. 5 Have not too great charity towards an Opinion of such as are accounted false Teachers ibid. 6 Wait long before you close with any of their Opinions that you may not be deceived ibid. The Good and Means of Establishment ON 1 Pet. 5.10 Different Opinions how these words aâ—e spoken Page 425 The Authors Opinion Page 426 The words divided into 1 A Blessing prayed for 2 The Arguments ensuing it 1 The Blessing prayed for is expressed in four words Perfect Stablish Strengthen Settle you ibid. DOCT. Settling Grace in respect of all trouble is a great Mercy and Blessing Page 428 1 It is a great mercy for a Nation to be setled 2 It is a great mercy for a Church to be setled 3 It is a great mercy for a particular soul to be setled I. The first part proved by Scriture Page 429 II. The Second part proved by five Arguments Page 429 1 When the Church hath this settlement then it is edified 2 It is the mercy God hath promised to the Church Page 430 3 It is that the Apostles labored for ibid. 4 That they prayed for ibid. 5 It is somtimes the signal mercy of Christs Church ibid. III. The third part proved by five Arguments Page 431 1 It is the ground of all our fruitfulness ibid. 2 It is the bottom of all our praises Page 432 3 It is the beginning of our perseverance ibid. 4 It is that good thing which pleaseth God exceedingly ib. 5 It is the Character of a gracious person Page 433 The second part of the Doctrine It is worthy of all our pâ—ayers For Page 434 1 It is that mercy we all need 2 God only can settle us Page 435 Application How great cause have they that arâ— settled to praise God ibid. Object I find not this settlement therefore I cannot praise God Page 436 Answ It may be so yet there is much difference between variety of Grace and instability of Spirit ibid. 2 If Establishment be so great a Blessing how sad is their condition that are not established ibid. Quest What shall we do that we may be established Page 437 Answ I. For a Nation ib. 1 It must first settle Religion 2 There must be care â—aken for a succession of Godly Magistrates ibid. 3 They must do and govern in Righteousness Page 438 4 They must trust in the Lord. ibid. II. For a Church Page 439 1 All Churches must know that they are laid out for sufferings ibid. 2 A Church that would be setled must have al the Officers and Ordinances of Christ. 3 Let all Churches know and keep the word of Gods Patience ibid. 4 If difficulty arise in a Church it must call for help from other Churches Page 440 5 Especially al Churches must pray for this mercy of Establishment ibid. III. Particular Persons what they must do for this mercy ibid. Quest 1. What shall I do to be more setled in my Judgment and in the Truth Page 442 Answ 1 Get a cleer understanding in the truth of the Gospel ibid. 2 Take heed of unsetling Principles Page 443 3 Make no Impression the Rule and Square of your Judgment ibid. 4 Get into Gods House Page 444 5 Go not into the company of those where false Doctrine is taught ibid. 6 Practice what Truth you know Page 444 7 Go to God for his establishing Grace Page 445 Quest 2. What shal I do to be more setled in my practice ibid. Answ 1 You must be very sensible and humbled for your own unsetledness ibid. 2 Labor for a serious Spirit ib. 3 Live not on your Condition alone but upon the God of your Condition ibid. 4 Take heed of a divided heart Page 446 5 Put on the whol Armor of God ibid. 6 The more you delight in Gods waies the more will your heart be established Page 447 Rules to make the way to Heaven sweet and easie to a man ibid. 1 Do not separate between Gods Commandement and his Promise ibid. 2 Apply your self to Gods work according to Gods Method ibid. 3 Improve that variety which God hath given you ibid. 4 Do not stint your self in any Duty as to go no further Page 448 5 Naturallize Gods Gifts in your soul ibid. 7 Motives to establish a man in the waies of God ibid. 1 Free yourself from temptations ibid. 2 The fixation of your soul is a great honor to your Profession Page 449 3 You shall thereby rejoyce the hearts of those that are set over you in the Lord ibid. 4 You have been
Lord give you a cleer understanding in al things CHRIST IN TRAVEL Wherein is shewed I. The Travel of Christ or Christ in Travel II. His Assurance of Issue III. The Contentment that he doth and shall find therein By William Bridge Preacher of the Gospel at Yarmouth LONDON Printed by Peter Cole in Leaden-Hall and are to be sold at his Shop at the sign of the Printing-Press in Cornhil neer the Royal Exchange 1656. CHRIST IN TRAVEL Sermon I. ISAIAH 53.11 He shall see of the Travel of his Soul and be satisfied IN this Chapter we have a ful Treatise of the Sufferings of Christ wherein the Prophet Isaiah speaks with such cleerness as if he rather were an Apostle after Christ than a Prophet before him Bernard tels us that there are three things which we are especially to mind and behold in the Sufferings of Christ the Work the Manner and the Cause thereof In the Cause he was Innocent in the Manner Patient and in the Work excellent saith he But the Prophet Isaiah doth insist on four things 1. The greatness of Christs Sufferings which he expresseth in many Words That he was despised and rejected of men a man of Sorrows and acquainted with Griefs that we hid our Faces from him despised and esteemed him not ver 3. that he was stâ—icken smitten and afflicted of God ver 4. Wounded and bruised ver 5. Oppressed afflicted and brought as a Sheep to the slaughter ver 7. Imprisoned and cut off from the Land of the Living ver 8. bruised by his Father and put to grief ver 10. In travel of Soul and numbred amongst Transgressors ver 11 12 2. The Cause of his Sufferings which aâ— the Prophet 〈◊〉 â—aâ— for our sins he was wounded for our transgressions he was bruised for our iniquities verse â— 3. The Manner of his Sufferings He is brought aâ— a Lamb to the slaughter and as a Sheep before the Shearers is dumb so opened he not his mouth verse 7. 4. The Fruit Issue and Success of his Sufferings For he shall see his Seed and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand verse 10. And he shall see the Travel of his Soul and be satisfied verse 11. So that these words do plainly hold forth the fruit and issue of our Lords Sufferings and the certainty thereof The Sufferings were great for they are here called a Travel and the Travel of his Soul the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies a toylsom painful and wearisom Labor such a Labor say some as is used by those that grind in a Mil Mercerus such a Labor say others as Adam was to use in the sweat of his Brows after the Fal Avenarius as a Curse of sin unto which the Holy Ghost doth here relate because our Savior in these Sufferings was made a Curse for us Forerius Es 53. such a Labor say others so great so painful as women do endure in their sore Travel English Annotations and indeed the word signifies as much and so it 's used in Psal 7.14 Behold he travelleth with iniquity and hath conceived mischief alluding to the pains of a Woman in Travel and so it may be wel translated in this place for the word Soul is a Feminine term as if the Holy Ghost would decipher the Sufferings of Christ by the pangs of a Woman in Travel Now this Travel is also said to be the Travel of his Soul not only because it was a great and sore Travel but because it did extend to his Soul The word Soul is indeed somtimes used for ones Life and somtimes for the Person of a Man But then it doth not exclude the Soul but include it rather So here he shal see the travel of his Soul that is that travel which is not only in his Body but his Soul too This he is promised to see He shall see the Travel that is the Fruit thereof So Psal 128.2 Thou shalt eat the Labor of thine hands that is the Fruit of thy Labor what thine hand hath labored for seeing doth note enjoyment and the enjoyment of the thing desired So Psal 54.7 Mine Eye hath seen its desire upon mine Enemy the word Desire is not in the Hebrew but the Original runs thus Mine Eye hath seen upon mine Enemies We ad Desires because that is the Sense thereof for Seeing notes enjoyment of ones desires and therefore in that the Prophet saith he shal see the Travel of his Soul and be satisfied the meaning is That Christ shal so enjoy the issue and fruit of his Sufferings as he shal have ful content and delight therein And so the Doctrine from the whol is this Doct. That Christ shall certainly see the Travel of his Soul and be satisfied He did not lay down his Life at a venture nor suffer so many things at uncertainties but he had assurance of success He shall see saith the Lord by way of Promise both to him and us the Travel of his Soul and be satisfied For the opening and cleering hereof three great Arguments wil fal under our Consideration 1. The Travel of Christ or Christ in Travel 2. His Assurance of Issue 3. The Contentment that he doth and shal find therein As for the Travel of Christ His Sufferings were very painful a Travel and an hard Labor Acts 2.24 it 's said that he was somtimes in the pains of Death some Books read it in the pains of Hell but the word rendred Pains signifies the Pains and Pangs of a Woman in Travel Haec vox 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 et partum significat et dolorem parturientem Vict. Strigil Perk. Gal. 4. It is the same word that is used by Paul Gal. 4. My little Children with whom I travel in Birth and it signifies not only the Travel of the Woman at the Birth of the Child but the painful bearing thereof before the Birth these Pains and Pangs did as it were fal on Christ in his Sufferings So that in al the Sufferings of Christ ye may see Christ in Travel He was in Travel for us and this Travel was an hard Labor For It was A sore Travel A long and a tedious Travel And An helpless Travel First It was a Sore Travel both in regard of his Soul and Body First As for his Body His Sufferings were very painful For they were Universal Extream and Lingering They were Vniversal for he suffered from al hands Somthing he suffered from the Jews and somthing from the Gentiles somtimes from Men and somtimes from Women from and by the hand of Magistrates Kings and Princes from and by the hand of Priests from and by the hand of the Common People and the Soldiers Why do the Heathen rage and People imagine a vain thing the Kings of the Earth stood up and the Rulers took Counsel against the Lord and against his Christ Acts 4.25 26. He did not only suffer by the hand of strangers but from his own Friends and
be determined by some act of Man Ego autem stultus à scientia Dei et vanus c. postea vero videbar mihi videre à longe gratia Dei omnia bona precedentem tempore et natura sicut anima in omnibus motibus primus motor Bradward de causa Dei Lib. 1. cap. 35. pag. 308. But the wil of God as Bradwardin demonstrates is the first Agent Primum liberum primum agens et primum determinans first free the first Mover and the first Determiner the serious consideration whereof was as he professeth the first beginning of his Conversion to the Grace of God from the error of Pelagianism and Manicheism Neither can the Death of Christ be the cause of any such Decree for the Decrees of God are eternal The death of Christ was in time and that which is in time cannot be the cause of that which was from al Eternity Surely therefore this general Decree is none of that Issue wheâ—ewith our Lord and Savior Christ was in Travel Sixtly Some think again That the next and great Effect of Christs Death was to bring al the World into the Covenant of Grace that whereas before they had broken the Covenant of Works by the first Adam now al are brought into a Covenant of Grace by the Second Adam Answ 1 But this cannot be for as the Covenant of Works was made with the first Adam and his Seed only so the Covenant of Grace is made with the Second Adam and his seed only But the whol World are not the Seed of Christ for the Lord promising him to see his Seed doth not promise him to see al the World 2. The Apostle Paul tels us That the Ephesians before their Conversion were Aliens from the Common-wealth of Israel and strangers to the Covenants of Promise being without hope and without God in the World Ephes 2.12 which could not be if al the World were taken into the Covenant of Grace by the Death of Christ 3. If God deal with al Man-kind in a Covenant of Grace then al Man-kind should certainly be saved for if whatever God requires on mans part God doth by that Covenant undertake that man shal perform then al must needs be saved if the Covenant be made with al but whatever by this Covenant God requires on mans part he undertakes to perform Doth God require that we should act from an inward Principle of Grace I will write my Law in your hearts saith he Doth he require of us to know him this he undertakes for us by this Covenant Ye shall all know me from the greatest to the least Heb. 8. Doth he require us to fear him I will put my fear into your hearts Doth he require Faith and Repentance at our hands I wil take away saith he the heart of stone and give you an heart of flesh and I wil circumcize thine heart Deut. 30.6 Doth he require Obedience at our hands he undertakes for us also that we shal perform the same Ezek. 36.27 I wil put my Spirit into you and cause you to walk in my waies So that if God should deal with al the World of Man-kind according to the Covenant of Grace then al the World should be saved but al the World are not saved surely therefore this is none of those effects which our Lord and Savior Christ travelled for Seventhly Some think that Christ by his Death hath obtained a sufficiency of Grace for al men so that al men may or may not beleeve if they wil and this obtainment of this sufficiency of Grace for al they think is the great and next Effect of the Death of Christ But this cannot be for the thing is not true viz. That al men have a sufficiency of Grace by Christ to beleeve on him for if al the men of the World have such a Power from Christ to beleeve on him then 1. The Jews had a Power to abstain from their Unbelief in putting Christ to death and yet they had this Power from the Death of Christ and if so then it was possible that Christ should not have died by the hand of their Unbelief and yet possible by vertue of Christs Death for them to abstain from the putting him to death which is a Contradiction Neither can it be said that they had this Power given them upon the fore-sight of Christs Death for the same fore-sight did fore-see that Christ should be put to death by the hand of their Unbelief 2. If al men have such a Power to beleeve in Christ then either they must have an inward Principle of Grace and Faith or they can act without an inward Principle but they have no inward Principle of Faith and Grace for then they should be Beleevers for it is the inward habit and principle which denominates the man and not this or that act for a man is a Beleever though he be asleep Nor can any Creature put forth an act without an inward Principle suitable to the Act the Eye cannot act in seeing without an inward Principle of sight nor the Ear hear without an inward principle of hearing the Herb cannot grow without an inward principle of growth nor the Beast move without an inward principle of motion nor any Creature act without a precedent inward principle But al the men of the World have not an inward principle of Faith and Grace and therefore al the men of the World have not a power to beleeve 3. The Apostle Paul tels us plainly that a Natural man receiveth not the things of God neither can he 1. Cor. 3 1â— but if he have a power to beleeve then he can receive them for receiving is our beleeving 1 John 12. Neither can it be said that by the Natural man we are to understand the weak Christian for if the weak Christian cannot receive the things of God much less the wicked and the pure Natural man nor doth the Apostle speak of a Natural Man as he is meerly considered in the state of Nature abstracted from al Gospel Grace and the means of Grace for then he should speak to no particular case in the World for according to our Adversaries there is no man in the World but hath some Gospel Grace or means of Grace 4. Our Savior Christ tels the Jews John 10.26 Ye beleeve not because ye are not of my Sheep it seems then that al the world are not the Sheep of Christ for saith he ye are not of my Sheep and the reason why some do beleeve is because they are of Christs Sheep and why others beleeve not is because they are not of his Sheep Now if the reason why some beleeve and others not is because some are of his Sheep and others not then al the world have not a power to beleeve for if al the world have a power to beleeve then those that are not of the Sheep may beleeve and if those that are not of the Sheep can beleeve why doth our
be our future Judg yea our best Friend and our dear Husband Now if you abstract the terror of any Object from the sweetness of it no wonder if you be much discouraged It is our Duty to behold things as God presents them and to take things as God doth give them What God hath joyned together no man may put asunder If you consider the sweetness of an Object or Condition without the sowrness of it then you may grow too wanton if you consider the terror of an Object or Condition without the sweetness of it then you may be too fearful But if you think on both together then you will fear and beleeve and beleeve and fear and so be kept from Discouragement Fifthly If you would not be discouraged whatever your condition be Labor more and more to get your self-love mortified even Religious self-love All your Dscouragements are from self-love not from the venom of your condition but from the poyson of self-love O but I am discouraged because I have no assurance Well but suppose you had assurance what then then I should have Comfort And is not here Self O but I am discouraged about my everlasting Condition And is not that Self doth not that word Condition sound ones Self I dare boldly say there is no tumult or immoderate Discouragement in the soul but hath Self at the bottom Could I leave my self and my Condition with God and Christ and mind his Service Glory and Honor more God would take care of my Comfort but when I mind my self and my condition so much and his Service Glory and Honor so little no wonder that I am so much discouraged Therefore labor more and more to mortifie self-love and so shall you never be discouraged whatever your condition be Sixtly In case that Temptation press in upon you and urge you to sad Discouragements speak to this purpose unto your own soul Why should I buy my Repentance at so dear a rate There is none of all these doubtings unbeleeving fears and discouragements but you will be ashamed and repent of afterwards You know how it is with the Traveller he thinks the Sun is not yet up and so he loyters and sits down but the Sun creeping up behind the cloud at last breaks out upon his face and is got before him and then he saies O what a fool was I to think the Sun was not up because I saw it not what an unwise man was I thus to loyter and sit down So it will be with you you now lie down upon the Earth and your belly cleaves to the dust by reason of your Discouragements but the Grace of God and the Love of Christ is creeping up behind the dark cloud and it will break out at the last upon you and shine into your face with the Golden beams of mercy it will prevent you and be before you and then you wil say O what a fool was I to be thus discouraged what an unworthy Creature I to doubt thus of Gods Love I have sinned I have sinned by all my unbeleef now the Lord pardon me all my doubtings I am O Lord ashamed of these my doubtings and questionings of thy Love pardon them O Lord unto my soul This is that which you must come to you must at last be ashamed and repent of these your unbeleefs doubtings and fears and therefore when-ever they press in upon thee say at the first unto thy self Why should I buy my Repentance at so dear a rate by yielding unto these Discouragements And for this very reason because that Discouragements are to be repented of Therefore the Saints and People of God have no reason to be discouraged whatever their Condition be And thus have I spoken to this Truth under a more General Consideration through Grace I shall labor to cleer it further to you by Particulars A LIFTING UP In case of GREAT SINS Serm. IV PSALM 42.11 Stepney May 7. 1651. Why art thou cast down O my Soul and why art thou disquieted within me c. THE Doctrine or Observation that now we are pressing from these words is this That the Saints and People of God have no reason for their Discouragements whatever their condition be no just true Scripture Reason for their Discouragements whatever their Condition be It is cleer by the Words and proved the last day by some General Considerations Now more Particularly to make it out by divers Instances Nine things there are which usually are the Grounds and Occasions of the Discouragements of Gods People 1. Somtimes their Discouragements are drawn from their greater and grosser sins 2. Somtimes they do arise from the weakness of Grace 3. Somtimes they are taken from their failing in and non-acceptance of Duty 4. Somtimes they are drawn from their want of Evidence for Heaven and non-assurance of the Love of God 5. Somtimes they do come from their Temptations 6. Somtimes from their Desertions 7. Somtimes from their Afflictions 8. Somtimes from their Unserviceableness 9. Somtimes from their Condition it self Now if in all these Respects the Saints and People of God have no reason to be discouraged then we may safely conclude That a godly man should not be discouraged whatever his condition be I shall labor therefore through the Grace of Christ to make out this great Truth unto you in all these Respects and begin with the First at this time Somtimes the Discouragements of the Saints and Instance 1 People of God are drawn from their Sins their greater and grosser Sins The Peace and Quiet of the Saints and People of God is many times interrupted by their Sins O saies one I am a man or woman of a rebellious heart I have so sleight a Spirit so unholy and uneven a conversation that when I reflect upon my heart and life I cannot but be discouraged I know indeed it is a great evil for a man to labor under a â—ore temptation or a sad desertion but were my heart good my life good my conversation good I should not be discouraged but as for me I have committed and do commit such and â—uen great sins have I not reason and just reason now to be discouraged Answ No For Discouragement it self is a sin another sin a Gospel sin now my sin against the Law is no just cause why I should sin against the Gospel I confess indeed there is much evil in every sin the least sin is worse than the greatest affliction Afflictions Judgments and punishments are but the Claws of this Lyon it is more contrary to God than the Misery of Hell Chrysostom had so great a sence of the evil of it that when the Empress sent him a threatening Message Go tell her said he Nil nisi peccatum metuo I fear nothing but sin And in some respects the sins of the Godly are worse than the sins of others for they grieve the Spirit more they dishonor Christ more they grieve the Saints more they wound the Name
and Blasphemy Surely it doth Have ye any reason then to be discouraged under the power of this Objection Object But suppose that a man have sinned greatly against his conscience or against his light against his knowledg hath he not just cause or reason then to be cast down and to be quite discouraged Answ No For if there be a Sacrifice for such a sin as this is then a man hath no reason to be quite discouraged cause to be humbled as you shal hear afterward but no reason to be discouraged Now in the times of the old Testament in the times of the Law among the Jews there was a Sacrifice not only for sin committed ignorantly but also for sin coâ—itted against light and against consc ence and I appeal to you who ever you are that make this objection do you not think that Peter when he denyed his Lord and Master sinned against his conscieâ—ce against his light and against his knowledg surely then there is no reason that a man should be quite discouraged no not in this respect Object But suppose that a mans sins be exceeding great gross and hainous for I do confess that possibly a Godly man may sin some sin against his light and against his conscience somtimes but as for me my sin is exceeding great gross and hainous and have I not just cause and reason now to be discouraged Answ No not yet For though your sin be great is not Gods mercy great exceeding great is not the Satisfaction of Christ great are the merits of Christs blood smal is not God the great God of Heaven and Earth able to do great things you grant that God is almighty in providing for you and is he not almighty also in pardoning wil ye spoil God of his almightiness in pardoning You say your sin is great but is it infiniteâ— is there any more infinites than one and that is God is your sin as big as God as big as Christ Is Jesus Christ only a mediator for smal sins wil you bring down the satisfaction of Christ and the â—ercy of God to your own model Hath not the Lord said concerning pardoning mercy That his thoughts are not as our thoughts but as the heavens are greater than the earth so are his thoughts in this respect beyond our thoughts Hath not the Lord said in Isa 43. unto the people of the Jews at vers 22. But thou hast not called upon me O Jacob but thou hast been weary of me O Israel Vers 23. Thou hast not brought me the smal cattel of thy burnt offering neither hast thou honored me with thy Sacrifices Vers 24. Thou hast bought me no sweet cane with mony neither hast thou filled me with the fat of thy Sacrifice but thou hast made me to serve with thy sins thou hast wearied me with thy iniquity yet vers 25. I even I am he that blotteth out thy transgression for my own sake and wil not remember thy sins Here are sins and great sins and if the Lord wil therefore pardon sin because it is great unto his people 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quoniam grandis est Hierom. then surely they have no reason to be quite discouraged in this respect Now look what David saith in Psal 25. vers 11. For thy name sake O Lord pardon mine iniquity for it is great mark his argument pardon mine iniquity 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Septuag 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chaldee Par. for it is great if David use this reason then may you also and if this be a reason why God should pardon sin because it is great then this cannot be a reason a just reason why you should be discouraged Object But suppose that a mans sin be the sin of revolting declining for this is my case wil some say I have striven and striven against my sin a long while and I return unto it again times were heretofore that I have been exceeding forward and ready unto what is good but now I am much declined abated and even gone backward with revolting and deep revolting and I have layn long so even for many years have I not reason and just reason now to be discouraged and cast down within my self Answ No not yet For though this be a sufficient cause of great humiliation for backsliding in scripture phrase is called rebellion and rebellion as the sin of witch-craft yet a good man hath no reason to be discouraged in this regard for thus saith the Lord Jer. 3.1 They say if a man put away his wife and she go from him and become another mans shal he return unto her again shal not that land be greatly polluted but thou hast played the Harlot with many lovers yet return again unto me saith the Lord. And vers 12. return thou back-sliding Israel saith the Lord and I wil not cause mine anger to fal upon you for I am merciful saith the Lord and I wil not keep anger for ever again vers 14. Turn O back-sliding Children for I am marryed unto you if ever the Lord Jesus Christ did betroth himself unto any soul he wil never put that soul away again I hate putting away saith God Men put away their wives among the Jewes but saith the Lord I hate putting away And Isae 50. vers 1. Thus saith the Lord where is the Bil of your mothers divorcement whom I have puâ— away or which of my creditors is it to whom I have sold you Among the Jews the husband did put away his wife upon smal occasions As for adultery you know that was death he did not put away his wife upon adultery she was to dy for it but the husbands put away their wives upon other occasions and when they put away their wives they gave the wife a bil of divorce that so upon al occasions the woman might shew thereby that she was free from such a man Now saith the Lord you that charge me and complain that I have put you away come and shew me the bil of divorce Thus saith the Lord where is the bil c. Poor soul thou complainest that I have put thee away come then and shew me the bil of divorce let any one who complains that I have put him away and cast him off come and bring out his bil of divorce This ye cannot do men indeed put away but if ever the Lord Christ doth match himself unto thee he wil never put thee away again And whereas you say That you are declined and have much revolted and so have continued even many yeers Consider whether you be not mistaken Every abatement in affection is not a declining in grace possibly we may not grieve for sin afterward so much as at our first conversion yet we may hate it more at first you may pray more against it yet afterward watch more against it we never see the face of sin so ugly as in the glass of Gods free love do you not see the
free love of God more possibly your affections might be higher at the first but is not conviction more cleer and ful as affections dry up so we grow more setled in our judgment and if your judgment be more setled you are not declined though your affections be somewhat abated And whereas you say That you have returned to your sin again and again and have continued under your revolt for many yeers I shal only tel you what Mr. Bilney a blessed Martyr once said hearing a Minister preach very terribly against sin and saying thus Behold thou old sinner thou hast layn rotting in the grave of thy sin this threescore years and dost thou now think to go to heaven in one yeer dost thou think to go forward to heaven more in one yeer than thou hast gone backward to hel these threescore yeers Ah! said Mr. Bilney here is goodly preaching of repentance in the name of Christ Had I heard such doctrine preached heretofore my poor soul had despaired for ever but saith he the Lord Christ dyed for sinners young sinners and old sinners for one as wel as the other such as have layn long in sin aswel as those that have layn but a little while in sin if they wil come home unto Christ And you know what our Savior saith if thy Brother transgress against thee forgive him But Lord he hath transgressed against me once and I have forgiven him yet saith our Savior forgive him again O! but Lord I have forgiven him again and again and yet he returns to his fault again then forgive him again saith Christ But Lord how often shal I forgive my Brother Saith our Savior if he sin against thee Seaventy seven times and saies that he doth repent do thou forgive so oft And now shal the Lord Jesus Christ injoyn us to forgive our Brother if he sin against us seventy seaven times and wil not the Lord Christ forgive much more if a poor soul do turn unto him and say Lord I repent me that I have sinned against thee Wil the Lord Christ command me a poor sinner to forgive so many times how often wil the great God forgive what seaventy seven times nay seaven hundred times seaven hundred And have ye any reason then to be discouraged in this respect surely you have not Object But suppose that a man have sinned fowly greatly and he cannot repent or be humbled enough for that is my case I have sinned I have sinned greatly and now after al my heart is hard and I cannot be humbled enough O! I cannot repent enough hath he not just cause and reason for his discouragement now yea now to be quite discouraged Answ No not yet For what if the Lord wil have your humiliation from you by degrees should you be so or so mucâ— humbled for the present it may be it would be with you as it hâ—â—h been with others you would never think of your sins afterward but may be the Lord wil have this work of humiliation to stay long upon thy soul and he wil not give it you al at once Some there are that when they come into a house they pay a great in-come and little rent others pay a little in-come and a great rent so it is with souls that come to Christ some at the first lay down a great humiliation and they have lesser of it afterward some have less at the first and have more afterwards by continuance in it and what now if the Lord wil lead thy soul in this latter way this latter way may be the better way if the Lord think fit Sepe negatur cum quaeâ—itur et conceditur cuâ— non expectatur ut ex eo constet esse ò pus divinae graciae Bonavent Again It may be that if you had so much or so much humiliation now at the first you would think that in and by and for your humiliation you should have acceptance with God and the remiâ—sion of your sin if you be kept off from this rock danger by your want of that degree of humiliation which you would have and so be trayned up to prize the Lords free Grace in giving you humiliation have you any cause to complayn Again If you had so much or so much humiliation for the present iâ— may be then you would have the less humility a little humility is as good as a great deal of humiliation as good being humble as being humbled Now because thou art not humbled therefore thy soul is kept humble hadst thou many tears and abundance of tears may be then thou wouldest be proud but the Lord doth deny thee tears and thou art not humbled to the degrees of thy own desires and so the Lord keeps thee humble by the want of thy humiliation Again It may be that if you were humbled so or so much at the present or at the first you would have the less fear of your own heart The more humbled it may be the less after-fear and the less humbled the more after-fear the less humbled sometimes the more a man fears his own heart and his own condition Gracious fear is as good as humiliation and if that which you want in humilâ—ation you have it made up in fear have you any reason to be discouraged I know it is usual with Satan to say unto the people of God at their first coming on to Christ that they are not humbled enough and so keeps them off from Mercy and Grace But I pray tell me Can ye ever be humbled enough Can there be any proportion between your sins and your humiliation The Truth is we should labor that our Humiliation be answerable to our sin but God is not pleased with grief for grief God is not pleased with sorrow for sorrow the end of all our sorrow and grief is to imbitter our sin to us to make us to prize Jesus Christ to wean us from the delights and pleasures of the Creature to discover the deceitfulness and naughtiness of our own hearts In scripture phrase and language or the new Testament Repentance is called an after-wisdom an after-mind 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a bethinking of ones self it is called a conviction now though you be not humbled unto the degree which you do desire yet notwithstanding do you not bethink your self are you not convinced of the evil of your former way hath not the Lord now given you an after-wisdom and do not you say concerning your sin O! if it were to do again I would not do it for al the world Thus it is with the Servants and people of God though they cannot be humbled so much as they would be yet notwithstanding they are thus far humbled thus far grieved that their sins are imbittered and themselves thereby weaned from the delights and pleasures of the world convinced of the evil of their sin and what they want in humiliation they have it in humility the less humbled the more they are kept
corporis mole deest aliis quibus à Deo ornantur dotibus compensaâ—i solet Cartwr in Pro. somtimes weakness is recompenced with wisdom for saies Solomon Pro. 30.24 There be four things that are little upon the Earth but they are exceeding wise The Ants the Conies the Locusts and the Spider Wherein doth the wisdom of the Ants consist He tels you in vers 25. The Ants are a people not strong yet they prepare their meat in Summer In time of plenty they do lay up for the time of want Wherein doth the wisdom of the Coneys consist he tels you in vers 26. The Conies are a feeble folk yet make they their houses in the rocks though they be weak in themselves yet they dwel in strong places Wherein doth the wisdom of the Locusts appear he tels you in ver 27. The Locusts have no King yet go they forth al of them by bands though they be weak alone yet they do joyn together and so are strong But wherein doth the wisdom of the Spider consist he tels you in vers 28. The Spider taketh hold with her hands and is in Kings Chambers though the chamber of a King is most swept and clensed yet by the industry of her hands she doth take hold on the beams thereof and dwels on high out of danger So that although these creatures are weak and feeble in themselves yet by their wisdom their weakness is recompenced and they save themselves from injury and wrong as wel as if they were stronger Now shal the Ant Cony Locust and Spider be wise in their kind and shal not a Christian be so true saving Grace is the best wisdom every Godly man is a wise man and though he be but weak in Grace yet he hath true wisdom the wisdom of the Ants to provide in Summer against a rainy day the wisdom of the Conyes to build in the rock Christ the wisdom of the Locusts to joyn with others and the wisdom of the spider to take hold on those beams of the promises which are in the chamber of our King Christ and if God have thus recompenced your weakness with this wisdom why should you then complain Quest But is it then no disadvantage for a man to be weak in Grace Answ Yes much very â—uch there are many disadvantages which a weak Christian lyes under that a strong Christian doth not Ye see how the weak sire lyes sobbing under the disadvantage of green wood which the strong sire doth not so doth Christs smoaking flax ly under many disadvantages which the strong Christian doth not As Though a man have truth of Grace yet if he be but weak in Grace he is more apt and ready to stumble and fal and to be turned out of the way Heb. 12.12 Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down and the feeble knees Saith the Apostle Least that which is lame be turned out of the way A weak man is more apt to fal than a strong and iâ— he do fal he is more unable to rise again A strong man fallen is quickly up again but the weak fals and is ready to fal again when he rises so it is with a weak Câ—ristian he stumbles often and is apt to fal and if he have fallen he is even ready to fal again when he goes about to rise He is more easily quenched in regard of his comforts than the strong Christian is A strong Christian wil improve that for himself which seemes to be against him but the weak Christian wil improve that against himself which is in truth for him When our Savior Christ said to the woman of Canaan It it not lawful to cast Childrens bread before dogs She made an advantage of those words and thereby did gather in upon Christ saying True Lord but the dogs eat the crumbs that fal from the table Thus she improved that for her self which seemed to be against her Why because she was strong in faith O woman saith our Savior great is thy fayth But when the Angel of the Lord appeared to Manoah Judg 13. he said to his wife We shal surely die because we have seen the Lord. Thus he improved that against him which did make for him as his wife truly interpreted the thing vers 23. why so but because he was weak in faith The strong fire burns the more by the very water that is cast upon it but the weak fire is quenched by the very fuel wood or coal that is cast on it so a weak Christian also apt is to be quenched even by those very truths and dispensations whereby he should burn and blaze out the more He cannot glorify God as the strong Christian may and doth One Sun doth Glorify the Creator more than an hundred other Stars because there is much light met in one body and one strong Christian doth Glorify God more than an hundred lesser weak Saints Psal 50.23 because there is much light and Grace met in one person He that offereth praise Glorifyeth mee saith God It is an hard thing for the weak Christian to praise God for he often doubteth of Gods love and therefore cannot praise him as he should but the strong Christian may he can say Blessed be the Loâ—d for this or that mercy for it comes from love to me The more a man doth beleeve above hope and under hope and the less he doth live by sence the more he Glorifyes God now the strong Christian is able to exercise his faith in this kind for sayes the Apostle Paul Abraham considered not his own body but being strong in faith was peâ—swaded that God was able and so did give Glory unto God Rom. 4. A weak faith cannot do so for saith the Apostle vers 13. And being not weak in faith he considered not his own body now dead he staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief but was strong in faith giving Glory to God It seemes then that it is the strong and not the weak faith which doth give Glory to God and would ye know wherein this strong faith differs from the weak faith in regard of its operation why saies the Apostle The weak faith staggers at the promise which the strong faith doth not The weak faith doth attend too much unto second Causes which the strong faith doth not The weak faith judges by what it sees and feels within but the strong doth not but by the word without and therefore it is strong faith which doth give glory unto God especially A strong Christian wil do great things for God a weak Christian can do but smal things for his strength is but smal 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Thes 5.14 and his soul little Now the greater things we do for God the more we Glorify him A strong Christian can mind and tend the Publique but a weak Christian cannot I have enough to do at home saith he O! that my own everlasting condition were but setled and then would I
mind the Publique too A strong Christian is able to wait long on God he that waiteth long with quietness honors God but as your weaker Children cannot stay long for what they would have but must be served presently so the weak Christian also cannot wait long on God for what he would have but the strong Christian doth A Strong Christian is helpful unto others We that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak Rom. 15.1 And again Him that is weak in the faith receive you Chap. 14.1 Children and babes are fit to be carried in others armes but are not able to carry others The weak Christian is apt to be offended with others to censure and judg others and so to make burdens for others to bear Rom. 14.1.2 but the strong Christian is a bearing Christian a carrying Christian one that can displease himself that he may help another Now the more serviceable and helpful a man is to others the more he Glorifies God Thus the strong Christian is but the weak cannot in al these things give Glory to God as the strong Christian may Surely therefore there are many disadvantages which a weak Christian lyes under that the strong Christian doth not Secondly Yet there is no reason why he should be discouragâ—d For Weakness doth not exclude from mercy but inclines God unto mercy rather Psal 6.2 Have mercy on me O Lord for I am weak It is spoken of an out-ward weakness and iâ— that which is less doth incline God to mercy then much more that which is greater And if he have as great an Interest in Christ as many promises to run unto and as many embraces of love from God the Father as the strong Christian hath then there is no just cause why he should be cast down in regard of his weakness Now so it is though your Grace be never so weak yet if ye have truth of Grace you have as great a share and interest in the righteousness of Christ for your justification as the strong Christian hath You have as much of Christ imputed to you as any other It may be you have gathered less of this Manna for your spending Sanctifycation but if you be an Israelite indeed you have so much of this Manna as that you have no lack for it 's said of the Israelites They gathered some more some less yet he that gathered much Exod. 16.18 had nothing over and he that gathered little had no lack al which figured that equal proportion saith Mr. Ainsworth which al beleevers have in Christ the spiritual Manna And if ye look into Scripture Where doth Gods promises fal more thick than upon those that are weak in Grace Christ begins his Preaching with the Promises Math. 5. and I pray what are those persons whom the promises are especially made unto but such as are weak in Grace Blessed are the poor in spirit Blessed are those that hunger and thirst after righteousness Blessed are those that mourn He doth not say Blessed are those that are strong in Grace or Blessed are those that rejoyce in God or those that have ful assurance of their everlasting estate and condition No but as if his great work and business were to comfort uphold and strengthen the weak these he begins withal and many Gracious Rich and blessed Promises he doth make to them Yea the Promises are so made to them as attended to wil give a ful answer unto al their fears as for example The Lord Promises Math. 12. That he wil not break the bruised reed c. Wil the weak Christian say O! but I am exceeding weak and very feeble then our Savior saies He wil not break the bruised reed And what more weak and feeble than a bruised reed an whol reed is not vâ—ry strong at the best but bruised it is weak indeed Wil the weak Christian say O! but my weakness is mingled with many sins 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Matth. 7.5 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Matth. 9.38 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Matth. 10.5 so the fire in the smoaking flax is mingled with smoak yet saies Christ I wil not quench the smoaking flax Wil the weak Christian say O! but though God do not quench me yet I shal be quenched nay saith Christ But I wil bring forth judgment to victory it lyes on my hand to do it and I wil do it Wil the weak Christian say O! but I have much opposition in my way how can judgment come to victory then Christ saies he wil bring forth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thurst forth with violence it 's the same word that is used in other Scriptures noting a force as if Christ should say I wil force this victory through al opposition that it shal meet withal So that the Lord doth not only give several promises to those that are weak in Grace but he doth so lay them as he doth help to apply them And if ye look into your Experience Who have more kisses and embraces of Love from God our Father than the weak Christian hath The Parent kisseth the Babe and liâ—tle Child when the elder Child is not kissed for saies he this is but a little Child And so when the Prodigal comes home then the Father falls upon his neck and kisses him why but because upon his first return he is a Babe in Christ This is my little Child saith the Father and therfore I wil kiss him with the kisses of my mouth Thirdly And though it be a great affliction to be weak in Grace yet if Christ wil condescend unto mine infirmities why should I be discouraged in regard thereof Condescending Mercy is great and sweet Mercy Now though God doth shew mercy unto all his People yet he wil do it by Christ as an High-Priest and what is the work and Office of the High-Priest but to sympathize and bear with the infirmities of those that are weak We have not such an High-Priest saies the Apostle as cannot be touched with our infirmities Three things there are Heb. 4.15 which do speak out the condescending Love of God to those that are weak in Grace 1. He accepts their Duties though mingled with many weaknesses and their Services though they grow upon a weak Stock Revel 3.8 Christus fidem etiamsi infirmam fovet I know thy Works saith Christ to the Church of Philadelphia for thou hast a little strength and hast kept my word and hast not denied my Name 2. The Lord doth not over-drive those that are weak but is contented to go their pace with them Esai 40.11 He shall gather the Lambs in his Arms and carry them in his Bosom and shall gently lead those that are with yong 3. He doth somtimes yea often times yield unto their desires going as it were after them Matth. 9.18 There came a certain Ruler and worshipped him saying My Daughter is now dead but come and lay thine hand on her and Jesus arose and followed him The
man had Faith for he said Only lay thine hand on her and she shall live yet his Faith was weak for he limited and stinted Christ both to time and means Come down and lay thine hand on her In the 8. Chapter a Centurion comes to him for the cure of his Servant and he was strong in Faith for saith Christ I have not found so great faith no not in Israel Christ doth prevent and goes before him for when he said verse 6. My Servant lies sick Jesus said to him I will come and heal him Here Christ offered to go No Lord saith the Centurion Speak the word only But the Ruler desires Christ to go with him and he followed him Christ prevents the strong and he followeth the weak he commends the strong Centurion he condescendeth to the weak Ruler What then though the weak Ruler be not commended as the strong Centurion was should he be discouraged No Because Christs condescending Love was as fit for him as his commending Favor was for the Centurion Strong Grace shall be more commended but weak Grace shall be much encouraged by the condescending Love of Christ Fourthly If Christ have put a Why and Wherefore upon the Discouragements of the weak then they have no true reason to be discouraged in regard of their weakness Now if ye look into Matth. 8.26 ye shal find that our Savior saies to his Disciples Why are ye doubtful O ye of little faith Ye read in verse 24. that there arose a great tempest insomuch that the Ship was covered with Water was not here cause of fear yet saiâ—s Christ Why are ye feaâ—ful yea it is said that their Help was asleep Christ was their only help in the storm ver 24. He was asleep had they not then cause to fear yet saies Christ Why are ye fearful O ye of little faith The like ye have in Matth. 16.8 Jesus said O ye of little faith why reason ye amongst your selves because ye have brought no Bread Here is another Why put upon their Discouragement So again Matth. 14.31 when Peter began to sink he cried out and Christ said unto him O thou of little faith wherefore did'st thou doubt Here is another Why or Wherefore put upon the discouragement of a weak Faith Now why doth our Savior speak after this manner to them Why do ye doubt and why are ye fearful Not only to reprove their doubting and discouragement but to shew that there was no reason for it Though their outward discouragements were great and their Faith was but smal yet he tels them that they had no reason for to be discouraged Why are ye fearful O ye of little Faith It seems then by these Why 's and Wherefore's that though a mans Faith be smal and his outward discouragements great yet he hath no just and true reason for to be discouraged Fiftly And if a Christian would be discouraged if he did not somtimes find a weakness and smalness of Grace within him then he hath no reason to be discouraged because he doth find this weakness Now ye know that the Kingdom of Heaven both without us in the Gospel and within us in regard of the saving effect of the Gospel is compared to a grain of Mustard-seed which saith our Savior is the least of all Seeds but grows up in time to that stature height and bigness as the Fowls of the Air come and make their nests in it So is the Gospel both in the preaching and the effect of it it begins low and is very little at the first and therefore if a man should not find his Grace to be smal at the first he would doubt whether ever the Kingdom of Heaven were in him or no saying The Kingdom of Heaven is like unto a grain of Mustard-seed the least of all Seeds but I have not found it so in my soul I have not found this littleness and smalness of Grace and therfore I do fear that the Kingdom of Heaven was never in my soul in truth Thus men would doubt and be discouraged if they should not somtimes find their Grace to be smal And if so then why should a man be discouraged because he doth find it thus Surely he hath no just cause or reason for it Object O! But yet it is an uncomfortable thing to be weak strong Christians are full of Comfort they have assurance of Gods Love and are full of joy but the weak are full of fears and doubts This is my condition I am most uncomfortable therefore I am thus dâ—scouraged have I not cause and reason for it Answ 1 No For though the weakness of Grace is usually accompanâ—ed with doubts and fears and the strength of Grace with assurance joy and comfort yet it is poâ—sible that a man may have a great deal of Grace yet may have no Assurance and a man may have Assurance not doubting of Gods Love and yet may have but little Grace Answ 2 Ye must know That there is a difference between uncomfortableness and less comfort If a man be possessed of a great Estate in the World he hath more comfort than another who hath but the pledg and earnest of it but though I am not possessed of it yet if I have the Earnest and Pledg of it I may have much comfort in it Now the least Grace is a Pledg and Earnest of more yea of the greatest measure and is it not a comfortable thing for a man to have the Pledg and Earnest of Glory Such have all those that are weak though they be but weak in Grace Quest But how shall I know that my little is a Pledg and Earnest of more Answ 1 The Spirit of Adoption is a Pledg and Earnest of the whol Inheritance and though you cannot do so much Service for your Heavenly Father as your Elder and stronger Brother doth yet if you do not only obey God because you see a reason in his Commandements but because there is a Child-like disposition in you then have you the Spirit of Adoption and so your little is a certain pledg of more Answ 2 And if you mourn over your little and wait on God for more then is your little an earnest of much Rom. 8.23 And not only they but our selves also saith the Apostle which have the first fruits of the Spirit even we our selves groan within our selveâ— waiting for the Adoption to wit the Redemption of our Bâ—dy He proves That the Romans had the first-fruits the Pledg and Earnest of more in the Spirit by their groaning and waiting Do I therfore groan under the present burden of my own weakness waiting upon God for more then have I the fist-fruits of the spirit and so that little which I have is a Pledg and earnest of more and upon this account though your Grace be weak and smal in it self yet considered as an Earnest it is much and is it not a comfortable thing to have the Pledg and Earnest
of Glory Such is the Comfort of al those that are weak in Grace and therefore why should they be discouraged in regard of their weakness Object O! but I am not discouraged at my weakness in regard of the uncomfortableness of it but in regard of the unserviceableness of it for if I were strong in Grace I should be able to do more Service for God then I should be able to resist my Temptations and to overcome the evil One for the Apostle John saith I write to you yong men because ye are strong and have overcome the evil One But I have great Temptations and but smal strength to resist them I have a great deal of work to do for God and have no strength to do it with therefore I am thus discouraged have I not cause and reason now Answ 1 No For the Spiritual Battel is not alwaies to the strong our Victory lies not in our selves and our own habitual strength but in Christs fresh assistance How often have the strong fallen and the weak stood We read of that yong King Edward the Sixth That when the Emperor sent to him desiring that his Sister Mary afterwards Queen of England might have liberty for the Mass in her House this yong Prince did stand out against that Temptation when all his Counsel was for it yea when that good man Bishop Cranmer and that other holy man Bishop Ridley did yield thereunto and pressed the King to it insomuch as the King did break forth into tears desiring them to be contented whereupon the Arch-Bishop Cranmer took his School-master Mr. Cheek by the hand and said Ah! Mr. Cheek you have such a Scholler that hath more Divinity in his little finger than all we have in our whol Bodies Here the weak stood and the strong did fall the weak did resist Temptation when the strong did yield for our strength lies in Christ without us not in our selves within us And if ye look into the 2. and 3. Chapters of the Revâ—lations ye shall find That whereas all the Churches are charged with some sin or other only the Church of Philadelphia is charged with no sin at all but commended for keeping the word of Christs Patience and yet this Church and no other is said to have a little strength 2 Cor. 12.9.10 And ye know what Paul saith When I am weak then am I strong most gladly therefore will I rejoyce in mine infirmities that the power of Christ may rest on me Answ 2 Though your Grace be weak yet you may do much for God in your day The Tongue saies James is a little Member and boasteth great things behold how great a matter a little fire kindleth Chap. 3.5 Behold also the Ships saith he verse 4. which though they be so great yet are they turned about with a very smal helm quod autem tam minuta et infirma animalia in rupibus domicilia sibi exculpeut confirmare nos debet ut non dubitemus etiam infirmi et imbellos quae difficilia sunt aggredi dummodo officii ratio id postulet Cartw. in Pro. 30. in vers 14. quatuor parva sunt in Terra And shall not a little Grace do as much as a little Tongue or as a little fire or as a little Helm Surely though Grace be little yet it may be an Helm unto all your life a Rudder unto all your Practices Ye see how fruitful weak things are in Nature the strongest persons have not alwaies most children but the weaker The Herring is a weak Fish in comparison of the Whale and what abundance are there The Dove is a feeble Bird in regard of the Eagle and yet how fruitful is it The Vine is a weak Tree in regard of the Oak and yet it is more fruitful So in Grace you may be weak in Grace yet you may be very fruitful The Jaylor was but weak in Grace as soon as he was converted nor Zacheus nor the Thief on the Cross yet what Clusters of Divine Grapes did presently grow upon these Branches And if you may be very fruitful in good though weak why should you be discouraged in regard of your weakness Object O! but I am not discouraged at my Weakness in regard of my unserviceableness or unfruitfulness only but in regard of my own guiltiness for I have made my self weak in Grace by mine own sins I have fallen into sin and so have weakened my self and Grace my Grace is not only weak but it is weakened and weakened by sin therefore I am thus discouraged have I not cause and reason now Answ 1 No For possibly you may be mistaken Some do abate in their Natural Parts and they think they decay in their Graces as some grow in Parts and Gifts and they think they grow in their Graces But if you have not fallen into any great and gross sin then no such Spiritual Disease or Feaver hath seized on you whereby your Grace should be weakened Answ 2 But suppose the thing be true which you do object That you have sinned and by your own sin your Grace is now weakened then have you cause indeed to be much humbled before the Lord yet not to be discouraged For If nothing have befallen you but what may possibly befal a true Beleever then you have no reason to be cast down as without hope Now ye know how it was with Sampson he was strong and of great strength inward and outward yet his strength was taken away and he became as one of us How so why he had laid his head in Dalilah's Lap and so he lost his strength and was weakened by it but it cost him dear both his Eyes and his Life too And if you have so laid your head in Dalilah's Lap that your strength is abated it may and it is likely it will cost you dear yet this case is no other than what may befal one recorded for a true Beleever And though your strength be abated and your Grace weakened through your own sin yet being true saving Grace it shall never be annihilated for it is the new Creation and nothing created by God can be annihilated by us Man is created by God he may be killed by man but he cannot be annihilated and brought to nothing The Tree and Wood may be burnt to Ashes but it cannot be annjhilated and brought to nothing for it is part of the Creation Now your Grace was created by God also if true though smal and therefore though it may be weakened by your sin yet it cannot be annihilated and brought to nothing And if yet the Promise do belong to you and to your Condition then you have no reason to be discouraged or cast down in respect of this .. Now if ye look into Revel 3. ye shall find That as there are many Promises made to the several Churches so there are Promises also made to the Church of Sardis yet this Church had fallen and weakened her self for saies Christ
to her Verse 13. Strengthen the things that remain and are ready to die I have not found thy Works perfect So that though your Grace be weakened and that by your own sin insomuch as all seems to be ready to die yet there is a Promise belonging to such a condition and therefore no just cause or reason for Discouragement though much cause of Humiliation Object But I am not discouraged at the weakness of my Grace because of mine own guiltiness only but because of its likeness and similitude unto common Grace I know that it is a contradiction to say That a little Grace is no Grace at all but my little is so little that I even fear that it is none in truth If the piece of Coyn that I have be little yet if it be Gold it is well but if it be little and a Counter too then what am I the better Now so it is that I fear my little is but a Counter and not true Grace indeed therefore I am thus discouraged have I not cause and reason now Answ No For though your Grace be never so smal yet if it be good Coyn and not a Counter then you have no reason to be discouraged in this regard Now to satisfie you in this scruple I 'le tell you what smal weak little Grace will do and not do in opposition to common Grace It will not oppose much Grace the least Spark of fire will not oppose the flame or resist the flame Water will because Fire and Water are contrary and so false Grace will oppose the highest degree of Grace saying What need you be so strict and precise You may go to Heaven with less ado but the least degree of true Grace wil not oppose the highest It loves Examination it loves to examine and to be examined for it is sincere and sincerity is much in examination it is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for it holds up all its actions to the Sun and light it doth love the work of examination false counterfeit common Grace doth not so It is very inquisitive after the waies of God and after further Truths As the man that climbs up into the Tree first gets hold on the lower Boughs then on the higher and so winds himself into the body of the Tree till he comes to the top So doth a Christian do he begins with the lower then unto higher and so to higher discoveries at the first therefore he is most inquisitive What shall I do to be saved saies he and again Lord what wilt thou have me to do False and common Grace is not so It is much in the work of Humiliation it grows in a waterish place Now suppose that two Herbs be much alike the one soveraign and the other naught and it be told you that the soveraign good Herb grows in a waterish place and the other on a Rock will you not easily discern those by the places where they grow Thus it is here the weak Grace of the Saints grows in a waterish place it is much in Humiliation but the common false Grace of Hypocrites grows on a Rock As a weak Christian is very apt to rest upon his own doings so he is much in doing and in the work of Humiliation most It works according to the proportion of its own weakness it staggers at the Promise yet it goes to the Promise it doubts of Christs Love yet it doth run to Christ it stumbles yet it doth keep its way it is ignorant of Christ and not so forward in the knowledg of Christ as it should be yet it is laying of the foundation Heb. 6.1 It is the fault of a weak Christian that he is alwaies laying the foundation yet he is laying of the foundation though it works weakly yet it works according to the proportion of its weakness but the common false Grace doth not so It is willing to learn of others For saies a weak Christian I am but a Babe in Christ and therefore why should not I be willing to be carried in others Arms The less I can do the more I will receive as the strong Christian is much in doing so must I be much in receiving It is not thus with that false and common counterfeit Grace But as the Naturalists do report and write of the Lyon That he wil not eat of any Prey but what he hath hunted down himself other Beasts will Aelian de Animal they wil prey upon what is killed by others but the Lyon King of the Beasts is so proud that he wil not eat of that which is killed by another So men that are strong in Parts and Gifts and have no Grace withal will not eat of that which they do not hunt down themselves if they hunt it down then they wil close therewith else not A strong-graced Christian will and a weak-faithed Christian will but he that hath Parts and Gifts alone cannot rellish that so well which is brought to hand by another .. It is very sensible of it's own weakness A weak Christian is weak and he doth feel his weakness and is very sensible of it not a man in all the world Deo placet fides infirma modo nobis non placet fidei infirmitas Austin saith he that is more weak than I. Now ye know that if a Lady or Queen come to an House she hath a great Train attending upon her and though ye see her not yet if you see her Train you say she is there still Such a great Queen is Grace though a man have never so little of it yet it brings a great Train with it and though you see it not yet if you see the Train will ye not say surely the Grace of God is here Thus now it is with you that are weak in Grace these Seven things and a far greater Train than these you may see in your lives and therefore certainly you have no just cause and reason for your Discouragements in this respect Object O! but yet this is not the thing that doth pinch with me I hope through mercy the Root of the matter is in my soul that this great Queen of Grace hath taken up her lodging in my heart but yet I am exceeding weak in Grace and very feeble still some are weak in Grace because they are but new Plants new Converts lately brought home to Christ and are yet Babes in Christ and so they have excuse for their weakness but I profess that I have been converted a great while yet I am weak I am an old man or woman yet I am weak in Grace I am an old Professor and yet am weak in Grace therefore I am thus disquieted have I not just cause and reason now Answ No For though it is a shame for an old man to go in Coats or to be carried in the Arms like a Babe as every weak Christian is and though Christ will upbraid men of their slowness and dulness that have long
periclitari causam cujus patrocinium suscepit ibid. because it is mixt with his Thirdly If our acceptance of duty do not come in by the door of performance but by another door and that door is Christ then a Godly man hath no reason to be discouraged though there be many failings in his performance Now al our acceptance of duty comes in by Christ because our Sacrifices are mingled with Christs perfumes Revel 8. vers 4. And the smoak of the incense which came with the prayers of the Saints ascended up before God out of the Angels hand Our prayers go unto God the Father through the hand of Christ did our prayers go immediatly out of our own hands into the Fathers hand we might have causâ— to fear but it goes by the hand of Christ Christ takes it and hath it into the preâ—ence of God the Father As it is with your soul or your body when you die through your body be crooked or deformed and your soul defiled yet when you die Christ meets your soul and invests it with Glory and so brings it into the presence of God the Father so it is with your duty your duty it may be deformâ—d defiled or a crooked duty but Christ meetes your duty and he clothes it with his Glory and so hath it into the presence of God the Father and thus it is with al the Saints and people of God surely then though they have cause to be afflicted by reason of their failing in duty yet they have no reason at al why they should be discouraged Object But I have no Parts or Gifts in duties therâ—fore I am thus discouraged some there are that have great abilities in duty they pray and can pray with great abilities they go to a sermon and can bring away every word and have a great Gift in conference but as for me I am a poor creature who want al these Gifts I have no utterance in conference I have no abilities in prayer I have no memory for a Sermon my memory is even as a sieve good things run out presently I have no Gifts at al a poor Sea-man or Trades-man I am that have no Parts no Gifts in duty and have not I just cause and reason now to be discouraged Answ 1 No For whosoever you are that make this objection Do ye not know That the Glory of the second Temple was greater than the first Solomon you know built a great House and it was a Glorious building much Gold and Silver in it the second Temple was not so ful of Gold and Silver and yet it is said of the second Temple That the Glory of it was beyond the Glory of the first why this reason is given because The desire of al Nations should come into it That is Christ who is indeed The desire of al Nations De facto Gold and Silver is the desire of al Nations but De jure and by right the Lord Jesus Christ is the desire of al Nations and because that Christ the desire of al Nations should come into the Second Temple therfore the Glory of it was beyond the Glory of the first Now thy soul is the Temple of the Holy-Ghost it may be thou hast not so much Gold and Silver not such Golden Parts and Golden Gifts as another hath but if the desirâ— of al Nations the Lord Jesus Christ be come into thy soul hast thou any reason to complain Thus it is with every child of God though he hath not those Parts and Gifts that another hath yet the Lord Jesus the desire of al Nations is come into his Temple into his soul and therefore he hath no reason to be discouraged Answ 2 If the want of Parts and Gifts be better for you then you have no reason to be discouraged for the want of them Now you know that it is better for a man that hath but a little stock to have a little farm than to have a great farm and a little stock a man that hath but a little stock and a great farm may for the present brave it out and converse with company that are in estate beyond him but at last he wil decay and break better that a man who hath but a little stock should have a little farm sutable to his stock Now God our Father sees that thou hast a little good there are some good things found in thee but these good things this little stock is not big enough for a great farm of Parts and Gifts and because the Lord sees that thy stock of Grace is not great enough for such a great farm of Parts therefore in design of mercy he hath thus ordered it that thou shouldest have a less farm of Gifts Answ 3 If our Parts and Gifts do not commend our services and duties unto God then have you no reason to be discouraged for the want of them Now so it is that they do not commend us nor our services unto God When you have good meat in a dish possibly you wil lay flowers upon it cut Oranges and Lemons and lay upon the side of the dish but a wise man knowes that the meat is never the better for tho e flowers or for the sugar that lies on the side of the platter a wise man knowes that if those were wanting the meate were never the worse Beloved God our Father is of infinite wiâ—dom these Parts and Gifts are flowers indeed and they help to cook ouâ— a duty and to make it more acceptable to men but the Lord who is wisdom knowes that the duty is never the beâ—ter and he knows that when these flowers are wanting the duty is never the worse All flesh is grass and the flower thâ—reof and it fades away Parts and Gifts are but flesh and our wise God knows the â—eat is never the worser when these flowers are wanting Yea if I had al Parts and al Gifts that I were able to preach and speak like an Angel and that I were able to cast out Devills yet notwithstanding if I have not Christ and Grace within my Parts and Gifts will but sink me deeper into Hell Two men suppose do fall into the River one man hath bagâ— of Gold about him and the other none he that hath none makes a shift to swim and get away but he that hath the bags of Gold about him sinks by his Gold and he cries out as he sinks O! take away these bags of Gold this Gold undoeth me this Gold sinks me So these Golden Parts and Golden Gifts if a man hath not Grace withal hath not Christ within shall but sink him the deeper into Hell These commend us not I say nor our Service unto God nor doth the want thereof discommend us unto him Answ 4 You say and complain That you have no Parts or Gifts but I pray hath not the Lord recompenced the want of them some other way unto you Phylosophy saith of Nature Vbi deficit in uno abundat
of Gold or Silver in his hand and saith the Father if you can get this out of my hand you shall have it so the Child strives and pulls and works and then the Father opens his hand by degrees first one finger then another and then another and at last his whol hand and the child thinks he hath got the money by his own strength and labor whereas the Father intended to give it him but in that way So here God intends to give us a mercy in the way of Prayer and he sets us a praying for it and we think we obtain it by the strength of our own prayer as if we did move and change the will of God by our Duty but all the enlargements in the world make no alteration in the will of God he is immovable unchangable and the same for ever But he will give out his blessings in a way of prayer therefore it is our Duty to pray yet we must not be discouraged though we cannot pray as we would Fourthly It is usual with the Lord to restrain Prayer before he doth give enlargement and to make a man speechless before he openeth his Mouâ—h Luke 1. we read so of Zacharias a gracious and holy man at the 67. verse it is said of him that He was filled with the Holy Ghost and he prophesied Yet if you look into the former part of the Chapter you shall find that before he was thus filled with the Holy Ghost and Prophesied he was dumb and stricken with dumbness verse 20. saith the Angel to him And behold thou shalt be dumb and not able to speak So he continued dumb before he was filled with the Holy Ghost and prophesied It may be here is a further Mystery in this quando oramus non ideo oramus ut per hoc Divinam dispositionem immutemus sed ut impetremus id quod deus disposuit sanctorum oratio nobis impetrandum Tostat Mat. 6. for Zachary was a Levitical and a Legal Priest and our Lord and Savior Christ being to come into the world immediately who knows but that Zachary was thus stricken with dumbness to shew that the Lord will silence all our Legal Performances before he wil enlarge us with the enlargements of Christ and of the Gospel This is Gods usual way with his People it may be thou hast gone on in Duty in a Legal manner and now thou art stricken with dumbness yet if God have a design to discover more of Christ to thy soul and to enlarge thee with the Enlargements of the Holy Ghost have you any cause to complain Fifthly As for the dulness of your Heart in Duty and Prayer though dulness be an ill-sin yet the sence thereof is a good sign As the Tâ—â—stle is a good sign of a fat ground though it be an ill Weed so the sence of your dulness is a good sign though it be an ill sin for it argues that you are used to private Duties for dulness in private and pride in publick Duties is the Temptation Only here remember Three things 1. That you do not measure or judg of your everlasting Condition by your present Affection 2. That you do not forbear Duty because of your dulness in it because Duty is a great remedy against it and whither should a dead soul go but to the living God 3. That one great cause of your dulness is your doubting and discouragement and therefore no reason that you should be discouraged because of it lest you augment the same Sixtly What is Prayer and the Nature of it Prayer is the powring out of the soul to God not the powring out of words not the powring out of expressions but the powring out of the soul to God Words many times and expressions are a great way off from the soul but sighs and groans are next the soul and have more of the soul in them than words and expressions many times have now thou complainest that thy heart is straightened and dead and dull but when you are so straightened in Prayer do ye not at that time powr out sighs and groans after Prayer saying O! what freedom once I had O! Lord that I might have the like freedom again And whereas you say now that your heart is hardened in Duty consider whether there be not a great mistake about hardness and softness of heart Durum est quod tactui non cedit molle cedit A hard thing doth not yield to the touch but a soft thing doth Wax yields when it is touched because it is soft and Wool yields when it is touched because it is soft but an hard thing yields not And upon this account it is said of Pharaoh That his heart was hard why Because he did not yield to God he had not a yielding disposition Now there is many a poor soul complains that his heart is hard and yet notwithstanding he hath a yielding disposition to every Truth a yielding disposition to every Affliction and Dispensation of God Wherefore doest thou complain and say O! my heare is very hard yet if at this time thou hast a yielding disposition to yield to every Truth of God and to yield to every touch of the Lords hand know from the Lord that here is a soft heart be not mistaken but many are mistaken and because they are mistaken herein and it is bâ—t a mistake therefore they have no reason for to be discouraged Object But I do not only want enlargement and softenings of heart in Duty but I am oppressed and filled with distractions my heart is not only dull and dead and straightened but I feel many positive evils As the Leaves of a Tree are eaten up with Catterpillars so I may say my Duties are eaten up â—â—th distractions I never go to Duty but the Lord knows a world of distractions come in upon me and have I not just cause and reason to be discouraged now Answ Surely this is a great evil for as one saith well Tantum temporis oras quantum attendis so much time you pray as you do attend in prayer and upon this account if the Lord should abstract all the out-goings of our souls in Duty and all our distractions from our prayers O! how little of prayer would be left many times It were an incivility you wil say when a Petitioner hath gotten the Kings Ear for the poor Petitioner then to turn his back upon the King and what an evil must it needs be when a poor soul hath gotten the Ear of God then to turn the back by way of distractions upon the Lord who comes down to hear his Prayer We use to say When the Candle burns the Mouse bites not or the Mouse nibbles not when the Candle doth not burn then the Mouse eats the Candle but when the Candle burns the Mâ—use doth not bite the same And so long as a mans heart is warm and inflamed in prayer he is freed from distractions but when a mans heart is
event to God Go to prayer go and perform thy duty leaving the event of that unto God and the Lord that hath promised wil certainly fulfil it thou shalt be sustained and though thou art moved for the present thou shalt not be moved forever And thus I have done with the Third Instance A LIFTING UP IN THE Want of Assurance Sermon VII PSALM 42.11 Why art thou cast down O my Soul Stepney May 21. 1648. and why art thou disquieted within me c. Instance 4 SOmetimes the discouragements of Gods people are drawn From the want of their Evidence for Heaven And thus they reason or argue I am a poor creature who do want Assurance oâ— the love of God and of mine own Salvation therefore I am thus discouraged indeed if I had any evidence of an interest in Christ I should never be discouraged whatever my condition were but alas I want the Assurance of Gods love and of eternal life should I now die I do not know whether I should go to Heaven or Hell and what would become of my soul to al eternity O! I want Assurance of my Salvation and therefore I am thus discouraged have I not just cause and reason for my discouragements now Answ No no reason yet It is indeed a great evil and a sore affliction to want the Assurance of Gods love and of ones own Salvation yet notwithstanding the want of this Assurance is no sufficient ground or bottom for your discouragement I confess it is a great evil and a sore affliction for a man to want Assurance for sin and affliction are twisted together in the want of Assurance As of al blessings those are the greatest where Grace and comfort are joyned together so where sin and affliction are twisted together of al afflictions they are the most afflictive and thus it is in the want of Assurance for as in Assurance there is somthing of Grace and somthing of comfort or reward so in the want of Assurance there is somwhat of sin or unbelief and somwhat of affliction too sin and affliction affliction and sin are both twisted together in the want of Assurance The truth is a man that wants the Assurance of Gods love and of his interest in Christ is neither fit to receive mercy from God nor to make return of love and praise to God as he should Not fit to receive mercy as he should for though he would have Christ come in yet by unbelief he shuts the door against him and he makes an evil interpretation of mercies offered unto him if a mercy or blessing be tendered unto him he saith this comes in judgment to me it is a blessing indeed in it self but I fear it is a judgment to me Thus he makes an il interpretation of blessings and so unfit to receive And he is not fit to make returns of love to God again Assurance returns praise And therefore saith the text here O! my soul wait on God hope in God for I shal yet praise him why for he is my God praise grows upon assurance and upon this account I say he is neither fit to receive mercy nor to make return of praise as he should Yea further He that wants Assurance of Gods love converseth too much with Satan as he that hath the Assurance of Gods love doth converse with Christ the spirit bearing witness to him that he is the Child of God So he that doth want Assurance converseth with Satan and Sacan though falsly is stil bearing witness to his spirit that he is not the child of God and is it not a misery to be in these converses with Satan to be under his hellish droppings David felt one pang of unbelief and he cryed out and said It is too painful for me O! what a pain is it then to lie bed-rid of an unbeleeving heart you know a chast and a loving wife counts it an affliction to her to be followed with the solicitations of an unworthy person to suspect and be jealous of her husbands love for saith she he doth therefore follow me with these solicitations makeing me to suspect my husbands love that so he may attain his own filthy desires So saith a gracious soul the Devil is alwaies following and tempting me to suspect the Love of Christ and he doth therefore do it that he may attain his mind upon me for the Devil knows wel enough that the more I suspect Christs Love the more I shal embrace Satans love The truth is Beloved this want of Assurance of Gods Love or Interest in Christ is an in-let to many sins and miseries for first a man doubts of his own Salvation and after he hath continued doubting then he riseth up unto a full conclusion saying now know I that Christ doth not love me I did but doubt before but now I know he doth not love me And after he is risen to this conclusion then shortly he riseth higher and he goes further thus If Christ doth not love me now he will never love me and if I have not interest in Christ now after all the Preaching I have heard and Ordinances enjoyed if I have not an Interest in Christ now I shal never have it and so the longer I live the more I aggravate my condemnation therefore as good in Hel at first as at the last and therefore now I wil even make a way my self O! what a black Chain is here and the first link is the want of Assurance If you should see a Child â— pretty Child lie in the open streets and none own it would it not make your Bowels yern within you Come to the little one and say Child where 's thy Father I know not saith the Child Where 's thy Mother Child I know not Who is thy Father what 's thy Fathers name Child I know not Would it not make your heart ake to see such a little one in the streets But for a poor soul to lie in the street as it were and not know his Father whether God be his Father or the Devil be his Father for a soul to say I do not know my Father whether God in Christ be my Father yea or no this is pitiful indeed The word Father is a sweet word for it sweetens all our Duties take the word Father out of Prayer and how sour is it Surely therefore it is a sad and sore affliction to want the Assurance of Gods Love in Christ But now although it be a great evil and a sore Affliction for to want this Assurance yet I say the Saints and People of God have no reason to be cast down or discouraged although they do want the same Quest How may that appear Answ 1 First thus If the want of Assurance be not the damning unbelief then a man hath no reason to be quite discouraged although he do want Assurance Now though there may be much unbelief bound up in the want of Assurance yet I say the bare want of
of it but be sure that you look as wel and as much upon what is with you as upon what is against you there is no mercy which you can lose but hath some burden with it there is no misery that can befal you but hath some mercy with it When men lose a mercy they only consider the sweetness of a mercy lost and not the burden that they do lose withal O! saith a poor woman I have lost my Husband so loving so gracious so helpful but not a word of the burden that is gone withal and so there is much discouragement When Affliction comes men only consider the evil and not the mercy that doth come withal and so they are much dejected Suppose that a loving Father in some high room throw down a bag of Gold to his Child and it lights on the Childs head insomuch as it breaketh his head and causeth blood to come whilst the Child feels the smart thereof he is impatient and froward while he looks only upon the Leathern bag he is not thankful but when he looks into the bag and sees what a great deal of gold his Father hath given him then he speaks well of his Father notwitstanding all the smart of his head There is never an Affliction but is a bag of Gold given unto the People of God though it seem a Leathern Bag without yet there is Gold within so long as they stand poring upon the Leathern Bag or attend unto the smart of their Affliction they are not thankful they do not praise the Lord but are much discouraged but if they would look into the Bag and tel their Gold then they would have Comfort and not be discouraged I tell you from the Lord there is Gold within look into this Bag the Bag of Affliction tell over all your Gold which the Lord hath given you in this Affliction and then you will be quiet If a mercy be taken from you Consider the burden that is taken away too If a misery come Consider the mercy that doth come withal labor ever labor to see both together as well what is for you as what is against you then will you never be much discouraged although your Affliction be never so great And thus I have done with the Seventh Instance A LIFTING UP In case of Unserviceableness Sermon XI PSALM 42.11 Why art thou cast down O my Soul and why art thou disquieted within me c. Instance 8 SOmetimes the Discouragements of the Saints do arise From their Employments Work and Service Either they are not called forth to work for God as they do desire or they do want abilities and skill to work or they have no success in their work O! saies one I am a poor unuseful and unserviceable Creature God hath done much for me but I do nothing for God others are used and employed for God but as for me I am cast by as an useless Vessel in whom God hath no pleasure and therefore I am thus discouraged have I not just cause and reason now Answ 1 No For is Family Work and Service nothing is Relation Work nothing There is a Three-fold Sweat saies Luther Political Sweat Ecclesiastical Sweat and Domestical Sweat A man may sweat at Family Work and it is a great betrushment to be betrusted with the Work of a Family and this Work you are betrusted with Answ 2 Is it nothing for a man to be trusted with the Work of his Christian Station The whol Body of Christ is divided into many Members every Member in the Body hath a work suitable unto it the Eye doth not hear as the Ear dâ—th nor the Ear see as the Eye doth but every Member worketh according to that Sâ—ation which it hath in the Body So ye being one Body are many Members saith the Apostle and all Members have not the same Office Look therefore as the Station is which ye have in the Body of Christ such is the Work that ye are betrusted with Answ 3 And is it nothing for a man to be employed in comforting relieving and supporting others This is so great a Service that the very Angels are employed therein quasi Angelus sibi munus consolandi miseros tanquam gloriosius percipiat munus autem objurgandi impios tanquam minus nobile hominibus remittat Cajetan Ac si Angeli proniores essent ad laborantem consolandum quam ad gratulandum triumphanti Mendoza in 1 Sam. Cap. 1. Sect. 6. as in a work most suitable to them For when the Lord would stir up and provoke the Children of Israel to repent he sent a Prophet to them Judges 6. ver 7.8 But when he would comfort strengthen and encourage Gideon he doth not employ that Prophet therein but he sends an Angel to him saying ver 12. The Lord is with thee thou mighty man of Valor And if ye look into the Story of the New Testament ye shal find That when Christ was on Mount Thabor in his Transfiguration then the Angels are not said to attend upon him but when he was sweating in the Garden then the Angels came and comforted and ministred to him Why Because this is Angelical work to comfort relieve and support others in the time of distress Now are you not trusted with this Work How many poor drooping tempted and deserted souls are there whom you may go and administer to And is this no Work at all Object 1 But there is a Generation Work a Work of special employment which God doth trust others with as for me I have none of this Work to do I am a poor useless and unserviceable person one that God doth not use at all and therefore I am thus discouraged for is it not a very great mercy to be used and employed for God in the world Answ 1 Yes It is a very great mercy and blessing I confess to be used in any Work or Service for God This was Moses his Commendation That he was the Servant of God Moses the Servant of the Lord is dead And in this Title David gloried more than that he was King of Israel Psal 18. A Psalm of David the Servant of the Lord He doth not say A Psalm of David the King of Israel Thus Paul Peter James and Jude do Entitle their Epistles Paul a Servant of Christ and Peter a Servant of Christ and James a Servant of Christ and Jude a Servant of Christ Yea and Christ himself doth glory in this Title of Gods Servant and the Father glories in Christ upon this account Matth. 12.13 Zach. 3.8 Behold my Seâ—vant whom I have chosen My Servant the Branch So that a great Priviledg it is to be Gods Servant used and employed for him Answ 2 The more Serviceable a man is to God the more he doth honor God and the more he honors God the more he honors himself Honor est in honorante Those that stand before and wait on Kings and Princes honor themselves in honoring their Masters
Rom. 12.1 Which is your reasonable Service So also Revel 2.19 I know thy work Charity and Service This latter Service is the saving Service that Service whereby in special manner we are called Gods Servants and in that respect we may be serviceable to God though not in the former Secondly As for the Service of special Employment that is also various Somtimes God doth cal a man to one kind of Service somtimes to another He hath several waies of employment he employed Moses one way in giving out the Law and hâ— employed Ezra another way in restoring of the Law Both were employed but their Employments were very different In 1 Sam. 30. we read that when David fought against the Amalekâ—tes to recover his Wives and substance some of his men stayed and tarriâ—d by the Stuff to preserve that and saith David verse 24. As his part is that goeth down to the Battel so shall his part be that tarryeth by the Stuff they shall part alike Now it may be you are one of those that stay by Christs Stuff being employed in some lower and meaner Service Christ hath a care of you and though you stay at home yet you even you shall have part in the Spoyl as well as those whose work and employment is more honorable Thirdly Yea though God do lay me by for the present yet he may use me afterward God did make use of Joseph but he first laid him by God did make use of Moses but he first laid him by God did make use of David but did he not first lay him by Quidam eundem putant Emman Sa. Alp. Salmeron in Acts 1. Vide Transl Syriac in Acts 15.22 And if Barnabas the Companion of Paul were the same person with Barsabas as some do verily beleeve though the Syriack Translation is plainly against it because the Name of boâ—h was Joses or Joseph as appears by comparing Acts 1.23 with Acts 4.36 And because this Joses was not called Barnabas from the beginning but named Barnabas by the Apostles Acts 4.46 If I say Barnabas were the same with Barsabas then it appears plainly that God doth not alwaies lay a man by to use him no more for what abundance of service Barnabas did the Book of the Acts doth declare yet he was first laid by in the choyce that was between him and Matthew for the lot fell on Matthew yet Barnabas is sent out afterwards by the Church Acts 11.22 and by God himself Acts 13.2 and much Service he did do for God So that though God do lay me by for the present yet he may use me afterwards Fourthly And if a man may be employed for God in some special Service yet may go to Hell when all is done and a man may not be employed and yet go to Heaven afterward then why should you be discouraged because you are not so employed Now what think ye of those which ye read of in Matth. 7. they say at the last day Lord Lord have we not prophesied in thy Name cast out Devils in thy Name and done many wonderful works in thy Name Works and great works and many and wonderful they did and all in the Name of Christ yet he wil say to them Depart from me for I never knew you or I know you not Yea did not our Savior Christ say concerning Judas I have chosen twelve and one of you is a Devil A Devil yet an Apostle what greater Work Service or Employment than the Work of an Apostle yet possibly a man may be an Apostle in regard of Employment and a very Devil in regard of Life On the other side how many good and gracious men are there in the world who were never used or called forth unto any special Service such as are now in Heaven and shal be so unto al Eternity What then though you be not employed or used as others are yet surely you have no just cause or reason to be discouraged in this respect Fiftly And if it be the property of a good man to rejoyce in the Service of others then why should you be discouraged because others are employed and you not A Godly man doth mourn for anothers sin as wel as for his own because he mourns for sin as sin and as a dishonor unto God So he rejoyces in the Service of another as wel as in his own becau e he rejoyces in the work it self and â—ecâ—use God is honored You would have Gods Cart to be driven through your Gate Why is it not because you may have some Toll thereby Paul said However Christ is preached and therefore I rejoyce and if Christs work be done whose hands â—oever the work comes through why should you not rejoyce And if it be our Duty to rejoyce then surely you have no Scripture ground and reason for your Discouragement in this regard Object 2 But I am not discouraged because I do want Employment or Service I have more work lies upon my Shop-board than I can turn my hand unto but I have a great deal of work to do and I have no skil to do it O! I want Abilities I want Sufficiencies I do want Endowments therefore I am thus discouraged and have I not cause and reason now Answ 1 No For Gods greatest Works are not alwaies done by the greatest Parts and most choyce Abilities Gâ—deon did a great Work for God in his Generation yet saith he Judg. 6.15 O my Lord wherewith shall I save Israel behold my Family is poor in Manasseth and I am least in my Fathers House As if he should say if this great work be done it must be done by some strong and potent Family or Pâ—rson but as for me I am the least in my Fathers House and my Fathers House is the least in Manasseh yet saith the Lord to him I will be with thee and thou shalt smite Midian as one man I have read in Scripture that the People have been too many and the means too strong for God to work by but I never read that it was too smal or weak for God to work by God saith Who hath despised the day of smal things And if he wil not have us to despise the day of his smal things surely he wil not despise the day of our smal things Did not the weakness of the Apostles overcome the strength of al the world Who doth not see what weighty Buildings God hath somtimes laid upon our Laths He is able to make as great a hole with his Needle as with our Bodkin Answ 2 Our best Abilities for Gods Work are from the breathings of the Spirit of God Water is weak in it self but when the Wind blows upon it how strong is it So if the Spirit of God breath upon us we are strong though in our selves as weak as water Not by might nor by strength but by the Spirit of the Lord saith Zachariah And if ye look upon that great Service of the re-building of the
difficulties then have you no reason to question your Call in regard of Difficulties Now I pray tel me when Moses went to bring the Children of Israel out of Egypt had not he a cleer Call for that yet what abundance of difficulties did he meet with in his way to â—t And when the Jews came out of Babylon did they not meet with many Difficulties Some at their coming out some in their way some at the building of the Temple yet had they not a Call and a cleer Call thereunto Without al doubt they had Surely then you mâ—y have a Call and a cleer Call to your Work and Service yet you may meet with many difficulâ—ies in your way and therefore have no reason to be discouraged in this respect Object 5 But I am not troubled afflicted or discouraged in regard of my Call for I am perswaded that God hath called me to his work and Service But I am most unserviceable I do not do that work and Service which I am called unto I lie like a dry log or chip in the family and place where I live O! I am most unserviceable and therefore I am thus discouraged Answ That 's ill indeed for every good and gracious man is a serviceable man more or less he is serviceable in his Place and Condition Onesimus before converted was unprofitable but being converted now profitable saies the Apostle A good man in Scripture is compared to those things that are most profitable Is the wicked compared to the green Bay-tree which doth bring forth no Fruit the gâ—dly is compared to the Olive Tree which is all profitable the Fruit profitable the Leaves Bark and the Tree profitable Is a wicked man compared to the Goat a good man is compared to the Sheep and what is in a Sheep not profitable its Flesh is profitable its Wool profitable its Skin is profitable yea it s very dung is profitable and such a Sheep was Paul nothing in Paul not profitable and serviceable will ye instance in his Jewish and Natural Priviledges he makes use of them Phil. 3. to advance the righteousness and knowledg of Christ yea All these saies he I count as dung and dross in regard of Christ Wil ye instance in his Conversion to Christ he doth make use of that to convert others and to establish others Acts 17.28 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aratus 1 Cor. 15.33 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Menander 1 Tit. 12. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Epimenides by frequent telling the story of it to others Wil ye instance in his Parts Gifts and Learning he makes use of his Hebrew somtimes somtimes of his knowledg in the Heathen Poets somtimes of his knowledg in the Roman Customs Wil ye instance in his friendship acquaintance and interest in men thâ—t he makes use of wiâ—h Philemon from Christ in the case of Onesimus Will ye instance in his Afflictions he doth make use of them to perswade his People to their Duty I Paul a Prisoner of Christ do beseech you c. Will ye instance in his Temptations he doth make use of them and tels the Corinths how he was buffered by Satan Wil ye instance in his Sins he doth improve them also for the Advancement of Gods Grace I was a Blasphemer c. saith he but I obtained mercy Thus ye see there was nothing in Paul not profitable he was all over serviceable and profitable and if ye be one of these Sheep you will be serviceable and profitable in your Place and Condition more or less I remember the Speech of a Martyr when he came to die and to be burnt for Christ O! said he Thus long have I grown in the Orchard of Christ and have born some Fruit though not much yet some and now that I grow old and dry and can bear Fruit no longer shal I be taken and thrown into the Chimney to make a fire for the warming of others what a great mercy and blessing is this Ye know what Solomon saith Whatever thou findest in thine hand to do do it with all thy might and what Jeremiah saiâ—h Cursed is he that doth the Work of the Lord negligently Art thou therefore unprofitable unserviceable then have you cause to be humbled Yet even in this respect you are not to be cast down or discouraged For Either you are unserviceable because you want abilâ—â—â—es or because ye want wil and heart thereunto If you say yoâ—â—â—t Abilities I have spoken to that already If you say you are unwilling and do want heart thereunto then why do you thus complain He that complains of his own unserviceableness is noâ— unwilling to serve the Lord But you complain and say O! I am most unserviceable therefore you are willing and have an heart to serve and if you can speak in truth with Samuel and say Speak Lord for thy Servant is ready to obey then you are not unwilling to serve the Lord. Now cannot you say thus in truth Yes through Grace I am able to say Speak Lord for thy Servant is ready to obey Surely then you are not unwilling this your unserviceableness doth not arise only from your unwillingnes and want of heart and therefore you have no just reason to be discouraged in this respect Object 6 But this is not the matter which doth pinch with me for according to my poor Abilities I have labored and have been truly willing to serve the Lord in my Generation but I labor work and take pains and all in vain I labor and have no success in my labor I work and have no success in work I serve and have no success in my Service and therefore I am thus discouraged have I not cause and reason now Answ 1 No For possibly you may be mistaken in the matter of success you may have good and great success and not know thereof There is a time when the Seed doth lie dead under the clods and saith our Savior Vnless the Seed dies it abides alone Should the Husband-man complain in this time that he hath no success in his sowing If the Devil do oppose by the World without and assault you with Temptations within it argues that there is good success though you know it not Now don't the World oppose you and don 't the Devil assault you with Temptations discouraging you for want of success Yes that he doth then there is some good success though for the present it be hidden from your Eyes This is a certain sign said Luther to Spalatinus That your Work is neither ungrateful to God nor unprofitable to the Church in that you are troubled with these Temptations for if it were unpleasing to God you would rather long after it as they do that run before they be sent Whereas Satan when he finds such as are truly sent by God and pleasing to him he makes them a weary of their work by these and the like Temptations Answ 2 And if Gods own dearest Children have somtimes labored or
is used by the Septuagint Exod. 21.13 14. And thus did those Pharisees â—in for the Evangelist tels us That when Christ saw their thoughts verse 25. He said unto them c. So that it was not a bare opposing or blaspheming but a malicious opposing and blaspheming this great Work of the Holy Ghost which made them so deeply guilty Quest But how can a man sin ex malitia or maliciously seeing that voluntas semper fertur in bonum omnis peccans est ignorans Now if the Will be alwaies carried out upon what is good and every man that sins doth sin ignorantly how can any man be said to sin maliciously or ex malitia Answ Yes very wel for although the Will be alwaies carried out upon that which is good yet that good is either morally Good called Bonum honestum honest Good or Naturally Good called Bonum utile or Jucundum profitable or delightful Good Now the Will is not alwaies carried out upon that which is honestly good in appearance for Voluntas est Appetitus universalis the Will is an universal Appetite And if the Will should be alwaies carried out upon that which is honestly good in appearance then as Suarez reasons wel every Thief and Adulterer should be an Heretick which no man wil say And if the Will may be carried out somtimes upon that which is pleasantly or delightfully or Naturally good then it may hate that which is Morally and Spiritually and Honestly Good for Amor Odii causa Love is the cause of Hatred the Will doth naturally hate that which â—s contrary to the thing loved and if the Will may hate that which is honestly and spiritually good then it may oppose and blaspheme the same and that out of hatred and malice for every man speaks evil of and opposes what he hates If this be a Reason why a man cannot sin maliciously or ex malitia Because the Will is alwaies carried out upon what is good then the Devils and damned in Hell do not sin maliciously or ex malitia for they have Wills in Hell as wel as men on Earth but I presume it wil not be said that the Devils and damned in Hell do not sin maliciously for then if they sin upon some mistake and ex ignorantia â—on existimo absolute necessarium ad operandum malum per voluntatem ut praecedat dâ—fâ—ctus erroris in judicio intâ—llectus vel speculativo vel practico Suar. Metaphys disp de necess et Conting Eff. 1. Sect. 7. Prima Propositio Cum perfecta scientia et consideratione vel habituali vel naturali potest esse peccatum et defectus in voluntate est communis sententia et certa de fide Secunda Propositio Non est necesse praecedere in intellectu aliquem errorem speculationum qui fit quasi origo ad peccandum Tertia Propositio Ad peccandum non est necessarium ut praecedat inconsideratio speculativa tanquam origo peccandi Quarta Propositio Etiam ad peccandum non est necessarius error practicus qui peccatum antecedat et sit quasi origo ejus Quinta Propositio Moraliter loquendo semper in omni peccato occurrit aliqua inconsideratio practica vel pravitatis objecti vel actus licet si absolutam voluntaâ—is potentiam consideremus neque iste defectus intellectus simpliciter videtur necessarius ad peccandum Sexta Propositio Licet cum actu peccati semper sit conjunctus ille defectus intellectuâ— non tamen ille est prima origo peccandi sed potius illa reducitur in defectum voluntatis Septima Propositio Voluntatem posse peccare est defectus quidam naturalis ipsius voluntatis Suarez de Causis propriis et interior peccatorum Disputat 5. Sect. 1. they should have some excuse for their Sin 3. Though every man that sins doth sin ignorantly yet he doth not sin ex ignorantia out of ignorance Ignorance is somtimes the cause of the Sin and so the man sins out of Ignorance somtimes Ignorance is the Companion and Consequent of the Sin and then he sins ignorantly Now it 's granted That every man that sins doth sin ignorantly there is alwaies a darkness and obscuration of the mind which goeth along with every sin but every man that sins doth not sin ex ignorantia out of ignorance I say it is not true that every Sin doth arise from some precedent error or ignorance in the Understanding as the cause thereof For then 1. Why should the Holy-Ghost make so great and vast a difference between him that sins ignorantly and him that sins presumptuously Numb 15. If any sinned through ignorance there was a Sacrifice for him ver 27 28. but if any man sinned presumptuously there was no Sacrifice for him ver 30 31. Now if every Sin do arise ex ignorantia from some precedent error and ignorance in the Understanding as the cause thereof then presumptuous sins also should arise from this cause and so there would be no such distinction between them as the Holy Ghost makes Quod aliquis ignoret illud quod scire debet contingit tripliciter Vno ex impotentia qua scire non potesi Alio ex nescientia qua quis nescit quod scire debet Alto ex voluntate quando quis renuit scire quod debet illa ignorantia est peccatum mortale quod est effectus voluntatis quod est in potestate voluntatis ignorare vel non ignorare Holcot de imputabilitate peccati 2. If every Sin in the Will should arise from some error or ignorance in the Understanding then the Wil should be alwaies carried out upon Bonum Honestum Honest Good at least in appearance but the Will is an universal Appetite and the wils of the Devils and damned in Hell are not carried out upon that which is apparently honest 3. If every Sin should suppose such a precedent error and ignorance in the Understanding then the wil cannot fal off from or resilire from the ultimate dictate of the understanding but must necessarily and continually follow the same and so the liberty wil be formally and not radicately in the Understanding and not in the Wil then the Wil cannot move and apply the Understanding to consider a thing nor be the cause of Ignorance in the Understanding yea then there shal be no sin in the Wil because it follows the Understanding as God hath set a Law upon it to do but where Grace is there is Sin also 4. Vtrum voluntas creata possit peccaâ—e ex malitia volendo aliquid non ostensum sibi sâ—â—â— ratione boni veri boni simpliciter vel boni apparentis et secundum quid c. Sin non potest tunc videtur quod voluntâ—â— creata non possit tendere in objectum fuâ— aliâ—ua ratione sub qua non possit tendere voluntâ—â— Divina voluntas enim divina potesi tâ—â—derâ— in omne bonum substractum illi deformitati Scotus Lib. 2. Sent.
sin that a wicked man commits which is a Sin of Infirmity because he is dead then a man may commit a sin that is but smal in the bulk and yet no Sin of Infirmity 2. But I think my sin is a Sin of Infirmity because I am tempted to it and because I am drawn on by others But I pray was not Adam tempted unto the eating of the forbidden Fruit by Eve And was not was Eve tempted by Satan And wil you cal that a Sin of Infirmity that condemned al the World as Adams Sin did And I pray you was not Aaron put upon making of the Golden Calf by the People and wil you cal that Sin of Idolatry a Sin of Infirmity Possibly a man may be tempted drawn unto Sin by others and put upon it by others and yet the Sin may be no Sin of Infirmity 3. But I think my Sin is a Sin of Infirmity because I do strive against it And I pray did not Pilate strive against the crucifying of Christ he would have delivered him from the Jews cals for a bason of Water and washed his hands saying I am free from the blood of this man used means and did strive against it and yet the Sin of Pilate no Sin of Infirmity Possibly therefore a man may strive against his Sin and yet the Sin be no Sin of Infirmity 4. But my Sin is a Sin of Infirmity because I am troubled after it And was not Esau troubled after he had sold his Birth-right for a mess of pottage did he not seek it with tears And when Judas had betrayed his Master and our Savior it is said that he repented of what he had done and was troubled Surely then though the Sin that I commit may be lesser in bulk than anothers Sin and smal comparatively and though I be drawn into it by others and though I do strive against it and though I am troubled after it yet it may be no Sin of Infirmity Yet good Lord how many poor souls are there that deceive themselves and think that their sins are but Sins of Infirmity and thus are mistaken on the left hand But Secondly As some are mistaken on the left hand thinking that their Sins are Sins of Infirmity when indeed they are not so others on the right hand are mistaken and think that their Sins are not Sins of Infirmity but of a worser Nature when indeed they are And that upon a Three-fold accompt First Because they Sin knowingly Secondly Because they fal into the same Sin again and again and do lie therein Thirdly Because they fal into the Sin after Admonition Object 1 O! saith one I fear my Sin is no Sin of Infirmity for I sin knowingly and with deliberation I sin against my knowledg and against my Conscience and therefore my Sin can be no Sin of Infirmity Adrian sic definit peccatum ex infirmitate est actus vel omissio culpabilis sine deliberatione propter passionis impetum facta hac tamen definitione non complectitur omne peccatum ex infirmitate nam potest peccatum ex infirmitate accidere cum deliberatione imo vero ut sit peccatum debet esse aliqua deliberatio Vasquez 12. Q. 77. A. 3. Utrum sit possibile quod aliquis sciens ex infirmitate peccet Dicendum quod communiter ab omnibus ponitur aliqua peccata ex infirmitate committi quae à peccatis ex ignorantia non distinguerentur nisi contingeret aliquem scientem ex infirmitate peccare Tho. Aquinas Quest Disputat de causa peccati Att. 9. p. 96. But for Answer hereunto you must know it is one thing for a man to sin knowingly and another thing for a man to sin out of knowledg or against his knowledg As in case the of Ignorance it is one thing for a man to sin ignoranter and another thing to sin ex ignorantia A man sins ignorantly when ignorance is the companion of his Sin only A man sins out of ignorance when ignorance is the only cause of his Sin and not the companion only As for example Suppose a man be in fight in a great Battel and he kil another he kils him because he did not know him if he had known him in the Battel he would not have killed him here his ignorance is not the companion only but the cause of it So that it is one thing to sin ignorantly and another thing to sin out of ignorance A man sins ignorantly when ignorance is the companion of his fact A man sins out of ignorance when ignorance is the cause of it So a man sins knowingly when knowledg is the companion of his fact but a man sins out of knowledg or he sins against knowledg when knowledg is the cause thereof as when a man doth use his knowledg to make distinctions and shifts for his sin whereby he is emboldened to it and continues in it Knowledg is somtimes only a companion of sin as when a man knows that the first risings of Sin are evil this knowledg is no cause of them but meerly a companion Somtimes knowledg is the cause of Sin as when a man doth know that his way is naught and he doth deliberately consult and devise excuses and lyes to hide the same here his knowledg is the cause of those Sinful excuses and the man doth not only Sin knowingly and with knowledg but out of knowledg and against his knowledg and this cannot stand with infirmity but the former may for the Disciple knew that it was evil for them to sleep yet their Sin was a Sin of Infirmity Object 2 O! but I fear that my Sin is no Sin of Infirmity because I fal into it again and again and do lie in it Answ But do ye know what it is to lie in Sin There is much mistake about lying in Sin Possibly a man may lie in a Sin yet never fal into the gross Acts thereof he may he in the breach of the seventh Commandement and yet never commit the gross Act of Adultery he may he in the Sin of Covetousness yet never be any great Oppressor So on the other side a man may possibly fall divers times into the same Sin and yet not lie therein for properly a man is said to lie in Sin when he doth continue in it and not purge it out so he that is born of God Sinneth not because his heart is as a Fountain or Spring that purifies it self from that dirt and filth of Sin which doth fal into it but as the Apostle speaks The whol world lies in wickedness Why Because a wicked mans heart is as a Lake or standing Pool which keeps all that dirt which is thrown into it Now if you do thus keep and lie in your Sin why do you so complain this your complaining argues that there is some purging out and therefore you do not lie in Sin Object 3 O! but I fear my Sin cannot be a Sin of Infirmity because I fall
Though there be much evil in this Sin Christ will not cast you off for it For It is an honor to a man to pass by infirmities saith Solomon much more is it for the honor of Christ to pass by the infirmities of his People The Saints and People of God are in Covenant with God by Jesus Christ Hos 2. and that Covenant is a Conjugal Covenant but what Husband will put away his Wife for her infirmities That Covenant is a Paternal Covenant and what Father wil thrust his Child out of doors for his infirmities A Child though deformed is more pleasing to the Father because the Child is his own than another beautiful Child that is not his own Yea that Covenant is a Covenant of Grace now in the Covenant of Works the least sin breaks the Covenant but in the Covenant of Grace the greatest sin doth not break the Covenant between God and the soul in the Covenant of Works the least sin provokes God to hatred in the Covenant of Grace the greatest sin provokes and moves God to pity If a Master should turn away his Servant for every failing and weakness who would serve him But God hath many Servants in the world who do serve him with cheerfulness surely therefore he doth not and he will not cast men off for their Infirmities The Saints and People of God are the Body of Christ and every one a Membâ—r of that mystical Body whereof our Lord Christ is the Head Now saith Luther What man will cut off his Nose because there is filth in it Nemo nasum ideo abjicit quod impuro phlegmate abundat et quasi cloaca cerebri ita etiam iâ—firmi temporis infirmitatis sunt paâ—s Regni Christi qui non ideo abjiciâ—ndi sed so vendi sanandi et erigendi sunt Luther yea though the Nose be the sink of the Brain yet because it is a Member a man wil not cut it off And wil Christ cut off one of his Members because there is filth in him or some weakness and infirmity in him No surely What Woman wil cast away the Morter because it favors of the Onions or Garlick which hath beâ—n beaten in iâ— What Father wil knock his Child on the Head bâ—cauâ—e a Wart grows on his Forehead These Infirmitiâ—s in the Saints and People of God are their Waâ—ts Ego non possum excusare Patres ut multi faciunt nec volo imo libenter audio lapsus et infirmitates sanctorum non quod laudem c. sicut non excuso Apostolos fugientes à Christo Petrum negantem et alias eorum infirmitates stultitias et ineptias nec scribuntur ista propter duros superbos et obstinatos sed ut ratio Regni Christi ostendatur qui in grege suo pusillo habet pauperes et infirmas conscientias est Rex fortium pariter et infirmorum c. in Gen. 26. Scio ego me saepe multa stulte et temere admodum egisse adeo ut cogitatem cur Deus vocavit me ad predicandum c. in Cap. 27. Gen. Luth. which grow in the Face of their Conversation the blessed Martyrs themselves had these Warts Hierom of Prague had a great Wart upon him Cranmer another Jewel another yea if ye look into that little Book of Chronicles I mean the 11. Chapter of the Hebrews what Saint is there mentioned upon Record but had one Wart or another Had not Abraham his Wart in saying that Sarah was his Sister Had not Sarah hers in laughing Had not Jacob Isaac and Joseph theirs Moses Rahab Sampson Jepthah and David theirs Luther had his and our Reformers theirs yet God owned used and honored them Surely therefore though there be much evil in a Sin of Infirmity especially if a man fal into it again and again yet Christ wil not leave a man or cast him off for it Object But Solomon tels us that the back-slider in heart shal be satisfied with his own waies Answ True But there is much difference between the back-sliding of an Hypocrite and the Relapses of Gods own Children into their Infirmities a back-slider loseth that power which once he had but a good man relapsing into his Infirmities doth stil keep that power of Godliness which he had before a back-sliders Judgment and Principles crack and alter in so much as he doth bless himself in his Apostacy but the good man relapsing into his Infirmities stil doth retain his Judgment keep his Principles and doth groan under his Relapses Possibly a man may fal into the same sin again and again yet he may be no back-slider nor called a back-slider in Scripture Language But in the Second place A man may be said to be satisfied with his own waies either because he is given up to his sins so as to be glutted with them finding all delight and contentment in them or he is said to be satisfied with his own waies in regard of that sorrow and affliction which he doth reap by them in this sense a good man may have enough of his sin and be said to be satisfied with his own waies Thus it was with Jacob he deceived his Brother Esau and he deceived his Father Isaac afteâ—wards he was deceived by Laban and by his Children as he dâ—ceived his own Father so was he deceived by his Father in Law and as he deceived his Brother so was he deceived by his Children in the reports of Joseph's death here was he satisfied in a way of sorrow with his own waies he deceived others and was deceived by others he had enough of it But though a good man may be thus satisfied with his own waies yet he is never satisfied with them so as to be given up to them Possibly he may fall into them again and again yet saith the Lord Esai 57.17 For the iniquity of his covetousness was I wroth and smote him I hid my face and was wroth What then And he went on frowardly turning aside again so the Hebrew in the way of his heart But saith the Lord I have seen his waies and will heal him and wil lead him also and restore comforts to him and his mourners So that though a good man may have enough of his sin in regard of sorrow that may come thereby yet he shal never be satisfied with his own waies or sins so as to be given up to them Christ wil not cast him off if he sleep Christ wil waken him and if he sleep again Christ wil wake him again Christ wil not leave him in it nor cast him off for it Applicat If these things be true then what necessity is upon us and what great cause have we to examine our selves and to consider seriously what sort of sins those sins are which we labor under We do al sin that is most certâ—in but there is a great difference between sin and sin There is a sin unto death and there is a sin not unto
like a drunken man Job 12.25 Again He girdeth their Loynâ— with a Girdle verse 18. He speaketh the word and it standeth fast who said to Solomon and so to al the Princes of the Earth If thou wilt walk before me in integrity of heart and in uprightness to do according to all that I have commanded thee and wilt keep my Statute â—and my Judgments then I will establish the Throne of thy 〈◊〉 as upon Israel for ever 1 Kings 9.4 5. As for a Church it is â—e alone who doth settle and establish it Psal 87 â—â— â—â—â—â—â—d of Zion it shall be said this and that man was born in her and the Highest himself shal establish her And as for a â—â—â—icuâ—â— person â—t is God alone that doth settle him both in hâ—â—â—â—â—wâ—rd and Spiritual Condition In his outward Condition Prâ—â— 15.25 The Lord â—â—ll destroy the House of the proud â—ut he will estâ—blâ—sh the â—â—rder of the Widdow And in his Spâ—â—iuaâ— Estâ—â— and Condition 2 Thes 2.17 Now our Lord Jesus Christ hâ—â—â—elf and God our Father comfort your heart saith the Apostle and establâ—sh you in every good word and Work and Psal 90.17 the Psalmist doth address himself unto God for this saâ—ing Establish thou the Work of our hands upon us yea the work of our hands establish thou it And if it be so great a Blessing to be thus setled and established if we have so great need of establishing Grace and it belongs unto God alone to work it then surely it is not only a matter worthy of our Prayer but our Duty also to say and pray with the Psalmist Stabâ—ish thou O Lord the work of our hands upon us yea the work of our hands establish thou it And thus you have the Doctrine cleered in the Parts thereof If it be so great a Mercy and Blessing to be setled fixed Applicat and established in the Truth and good Waies of God then what cause have al thoâ—e that me now established to praise the Lord and say I was a poor unsetled person but through Grace I am now setled The more unto lâ—d the Times are and men in the Times the greater is the Mercy to be truly fixed and established Hath the Lord therefore setled your heart in these unsetled Times O! then give thanks unto the Lord and say My heart is fixed O God my heart is fixed I will sing and give praise Object O! but I cannot find this fixation of spirit in my soul nor that stedfastness in my life as I desire and therefore I cannot praise the Lord as I should Answ It may be so Yet know that there is much difference between variety of Grace and Instability of Spirit The exercise of various Graces is a great Blessing Instability of Spirit is a great Evil Ye may exercise one Grace which you did not exercise before and you may perform one gracious Work which you did not before yet this no instability of Spirit You must know also That there is a kind of shaking which is consistent with this true Setledness and Establishment of heart Ye see how it is with the Ships in the Harbor and with those Ships which lie at Anchor though they be not driven and tossed up and down with the Waves of the Sea yet in the time of a storm they do move and are shaken So it may be with thy soul Though thou hast cast Anchor within the Vail and art come into thy Harbor yet thou maist be somwhat moved and shaken But though you be in some measure shaken yet you are not tossed up and down as those that are not at Anchor and therefore O! what cause have you in these unsetled Times for to praise the Lord If Establishment be so great a Blessing what a sad Condition are those in that are not established not setled not fixed either in their Judgments or Lives Not a Mountebank come to Town but they must run to him for some of his Salves not a wandring Star appear but they must go to him for some of his Light These are those unlearned and unstable souls these are those that are laid out for a prey unto Satans Instruments as Satan goes up and down seeking whom he may devour so do his Instruments and there are a People that through the just Judgment of God shal be a prey unto them and who are those but these unlearned and unstable souls Some again are unsetled in their Lives and Practices somtimes they are for God and somtimes against him somtimes for his Service and somtimes against it These are those that are contrary to al men and to themselves These are those that are like to Ephraim whose Righteousness is like the morning dew fading and vanishing And both these are as the Picture or Map in the Frame which you may carry from one Room to another hang it in this room and it suits wel with it carry it into another Room hang it up there and it suits wel with that and whatever Room you hang it in it can comply therewith whereas if it be in no Frame only glewed or plaistered to the wall ye cannot remove it without tearing of it So in this ease Take a good and gracious fixed Soul and you may sooner tear him than remove him from the Truth or the good Waies of Christ but an unsetled person is for every Room and for every Company carry him into one Company and he can comply with it carry him into a second third or fourth he can comply with al Why but because his heart is unfixed not established But wo unto him for he is upon the Road to Apostacy Instability is the high way to Apostacy O! the sad condition of those that are not established Quest What shall we do then that we may be established It is a Mercy and great Blessing for a Nation Church and Particular person to be sâ—tled What shall we do that in all these respects we may be established Answ I As for a Nation or Châ—â—â—tian State It must first settle Religion such a Naâ—ion can never be setled til Religion be setled for Religion is the main Mâ—st and if that be not strengthened al the Tackling wil be loose Esai 33.23 The Tacklings are loosed saith the Prophâ—t they could not wel strengthen their Mast they could not sprâ—â—d their Sâ—â—l and Deut. 28.9 it 's said The Lord shal câ—mâ—â—â—â—â—e Bâ—â—ssing upon thee in thy Store-houses and in all that th usâ—â—â—t â—â—aâ—â— hand unto and he shal bless thee in the Land which the Loâ—d thy God giveth thee verse 8. Yea The Lâ—â—â—d shâ—◠〈…〉 if thou shalt keep the Commandemâ—nt oâ— he Lord 〈…〉 walk in his Waies v. 9. And all the peoplâ— of thâ— Earth sâ—â—â— be afraid of thee verse 10. And if ye look inâ—o thâ— Book of the Kings and Chronicles ye shal observe that in the latter Daies of he Kingdoms of Israel and Judah before theâ—â— Caâ—â—â—â—ty these Kingdoms were unsetled only upon
have assurance of your salvation ibid. A Caution that no man may misapply this Doctrine Page 127 Quest Suppose I want assurance how shal I bear up against all discouragements Page 128 Answ by way of Direction 1 Seek earnestly after Gods love and Christs satisfaction ibid. 2 Hearken to no comfort out of an Ordinance contrary to the comfort the Lord speaks in his Ordinance ibid. 3 Be not discontented with your condition Page 129 4 Do not say I shal never havâ— assurance ibid. 5 The less assurance you have the more precious your Obedience may be Page 130 Sermon VIII INSTANCE V. I have been under Temptations many years and yet find no comfort must I not be discouraged Page 132 Answ Negatively Temptations are great afflictions ibid. They are an immediate combating with the Devil Page 133 They commonly seize on soul and body yet we must not be discouraged for them Page 134 Quest How shall that appear ibid. Answ By four demonstrations 1 Satan tempts Gods people to discourage them ibid. 2 God pitieth us under Temptations Page 135 3 Christ overcame all Temptations for us ibid. 4 All temptations shall turn to our good Page 136 1 Thereby they are more humbled ibid. 2 Thereby they are more occasioned to love God ibid. 3 Thereby Gods grace in Christ is more discovered Page 137 4 Thereby their graces are more encreased ibid. 5 Thereby all the Saints triumph over Satan ib. Object 1. I have been long tempted yet find no deliverance Page 137 Answ Christ was tempted in all things as we are ibid. Object 2. I doubt being so tempted whether I am the child of God Page 138 Answ Christ was so tempted in two of the three temptations in his forty daies temptation A comparison that illustrates the matter and is very sit against discouragement ibid. Object 3. I am tempted to make my self away to blaspheme God and to beleeve I have sinned against the holy Ghost Page 139 Answ I confess this is sad indeed but I dare not say they are damned though I read not of any such example in Scripture of any godly man that killed himself yet I dare not say they are saved Page 140 Object 4. But I am weak and yield to many temptations must I not be discouraged Page 141 Answ Negatively For out of weakness we are made strong ibid. Three sorts of People are in the world Old Men Middle aged Children The time of yong men is the overcoming time Yet the Apostle John writes unto them all So though you be weak yet you may overcome Page 142 Object 5. I have been overcome in my temptations ibid. Answ You are never overcome so long as you keep your weapon in your hand you may be overcome in skirmish yet overcome in battel ibid. Object 6. My temptations are not such as Gods children meet withal Page 143 Answ Negatively 1 For the godly are tempted to presume to despair unbelief The differences ibid. 2 The godly accuse themselves when they fal to sin by temptation but the wicked lay it on others and on the temptation ibid. 3 When a godly man is tempted to evil he rather startles at the sin than at the burden of it but the wicked startle at the punishment more than the sin Page 144 Temptations use to be greater after Conversion ib. 1 Peter did not deny Christ before he was converted to Jesus Christ ibid. 2 God never measures his children by what they are in temptations Page 145 Quest What shal I do then that I may not be discouraged Page 146 Answ If temptations arise from natural causes Physick is to be used ibid. 1 Expect not too much from any one means of help but wait on God Page 146 2 Say not of a Temptation this is no Temptation Page 147 3 Consider that Christ is engaged to help you when you are tempted ibid. 4 Think not to relieve your self under temptations with physical and moral Reasons Page 148 5 Advise with others that have been tempted though weaker than your self ibid. 6 Especially converse with the Promise ibid. 7 The greatest Consolations do somtimes follow the worst Temptations Page 149 Sermon IX INSTANCE VI. Spiritual Desertions are just cause of discouragement Page 150 Answ Negatively I know no affliction so great to a gracious heart as this yet Gods children must not faint here Page 151 Quest How may this appear Page 152 Answ 1. How God is said to forsake a man ibid. 1 In regard of union God never forsakes his own ibid. 2 In regard of his Power Grace and Strength he never forsakes them totally ibid. 3 In regard of Vision and comfortable feelings he forsakes them but for a time and returns again None of these can discourage us ibid. 2 God forsakes his People that he may not forsake them Page 153 3 Though Gods People are left somtimes in the dark they have alwaies light enough to work by Page 154 Object 1. I fear Christ hath withdrawn himself from me in regard of Vnion ibid. Answ Negatively You cannot judg of Grace under spiritual Desertions ib. Object 2. I find Gods Displeasure c. Page 155 Answ Negatively For this hath been the Saints condition before you ibid. Object 3. I have drawn this displeasure on my own head therefore c. Page 156 Answ Negatively For God wil hide his face and smite too yet not forsake ibid. Object 4. My condition is worse every day therefore c. Page 157 Answ Negatively For so were the Israelites in Egypt ibid. Object 5. I find in Scripture a final rejection therefore c. Page 158 Answ Negatively 1 The Saints usually think so that their Desertion is final Page 159 2 The Promise usually takes off this Objection ibid. 3 Scripture will make it clear to you ibid. Six Questions to resolve this by Page 159 1 Did you ever read in Scripture that a man was finally forsaken of the Lord but that an evil spirit from the Lord did seize upon him presently Page 160 2 Did you ever read that God did forsake any that were not willing to forsake God ibid. 3 Did you ever read that God forsook any man who was sensible of this forsaking and complained of it simply for it self ibid. 4 Did you ever read of any man forsaken by God who was tender in the point of sin ibid. 5 Did you ever read that Christ did forsake a soul in which he left his Soul furnished with spiritual houshold-stuf Page 161 6 Did you ever read that Christ forsook any man who longed after him as the greatest good ibid Quest What shall I do when Christ hides his face from me Page 262 Answ 1 Do not measure Gods Eternal affection by some present Dispensation ibid 2 Let fal no despairing speeches Page 263 3 Hear indifferently on both sides ibid. 4 Labor more to live by Faith Page 264 Your own Experience will convince you Page 265 Sermon X. INSTANCE VII The case was Davids therefore you need not be