day and poor to morrow The Lord hath given Dominus dedit Dominus abstulit the Lord hath taken away Both with one breath Hence the wise man Riches make themselves wings and flye away But these are abiding Treasure A Treasure whose spring is in Heaven whose Foundation is in Christ Our life is hid with Christ in God not only hid for secrecy but hid for safety It is a safe life an abiding life Nay but if they should continue yet will they do us no good in the day of trouble They cannot save our souls from nor in the day of wrath They cannot save us from sicknesse nor from death not from Hell Nor are they able to mitigate our Torments to purchase one drop of water in that lake of fire What profit had Ahab of his Vineyard Baltazar of his cups Dives of his wealth Judas of his thirty-pence Agrippa of his gay apparel The rich fool of his full barns All these would do them no good Neither quench nor bribe these flames but rather afford Oile to increase them But now Grace that riches which Faith doth inrich us withall it is such as will uphold us in sickness bee a choice cordial in that bitter potion it will deliver us in death save us in the day of wrath and inable us to lift up our heads with joy and boldness in the day of Judgement that terrible day of the Lord when the wicked shall tremble before the Judge and call upon the Mountains to fall upon them and the Hills to cover them from the presence of him that sitteth on the Throne and from the wrath of the Lamb. Hast thou other riches and wantest thou Faith Hast thou Mountains of Gold Rocks of Diamonds shores of Rubies And wantest thou Faith wantest thou Grace Oh! thou art a poor man Thus you see Faith is an Heart-inriching-Grace A Beleever hath title to all A Beleever is the poorest and the richest man in the World As none is poorer than a godly man in himself so none is richer than a Beleever in Christ Hee is as having nothing and yet possessing all things Christ is the Heir of all things All are yours if you bee Christs No sooner can the soul say Christ is mine but hee may say His Blood is mine his Spirit mine his Glory mine all is mine Christ and all his are conveyed and made over by the same Deed of Gift Hence the Apostle saith Wee are made partakers of Christ Not of some part but of Christ all Christ not of Justification only but say Christ and there is all Fifteenth Royalty 15. Royalty Faith is an Heart-raising-Grace 15. Faith is an Heart-raising-Grace There is a threefold Death that Faith doth raise up the soul from 1. The Death of Sin 2. The Death of inward Trouble 3. The Death of outward Trouble 1. Faith raiseth up the soul from the Death of Sin Wee are all of us Dead by nature in trespasses and sins Ephes 2.1 Dead-Born And as dead men so wee have no notion to spiritual things no motion no strength to any good no sense being insensible of the weight of sin insensible of mercies and judgements wee have no desires after any thing good no affection to them And a Death it is not only Privative A meer absence and privation of spiritual life but a Positive Death wherein there is an Introduction of a Positive vitious Habit. As in Natural Death there is not only a Privation of Life of the former form but the Position of another form there is another form left in the body So in Spiritual Death there is not only a meer Absence a bare Privation of Life But there is a Positive Evil and Vitious Habit left in the soul Hence Heb. 9.14 The works of natural men are called Dead works There would bee a contradiction in calling them Dead works if unregenerate men were only deprived of spiritual life and had not another positive evil form in them Thus dead wee are then not only Privatively but Positively And it is Faith which doth raise up the Soul from the Death of Sin to the Life of Grace Faith is the Resurrection of the Soul from under the spiritual death the Death of Sin The first rise of the Soul from the Death of Sin is by beleeving Vita sancta aâ— fide sumit initium 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysost 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Fide regeneramut Calv. Resipiscentia non modo fidem subsequitur sed ex ea noscitur Calv. ibid. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Fides justificationem praecipit sanctificationem efficit Tilen An holy life hath its rise from Faith The Fountain of all our spiritual Graces The worker of all good things That which begets Love Fear Repentance Hence Calvin saith Faith regenerates Repentance doth not only follow Faith but doth arise from Faith Hence Clemens Alexandrinus Faith is the first awakening the first inclination of the Soul to Christ. Hence by some Faith and the New Creation Faith and Sanctification do differ as much as the Cause and the Effect Faith is the Instrument of Justification but the efficient of Sanctification They who distinguish Regeneration which is part of our Vocation and Sanctification do make Faith and Sanctification differ as much as Cause and Effect Vocation say they produceth Faith â—nd Faith being begotten produceth Sanctification both habitual and â—ctual Hence it 's called the Mother-Grace But they who make Vocation and Sanctification all one and both to bee nothing else but our inherent Righteousness or those Habits that frame of Grace implanted in the Soul whereof Faith is a part they do say Faith doth not produce the Cause of the Habits of Graces but Faith produceth the acts of Grace of Love Repentance c. Faith doth not produce the Habits but the acts of Grace For the clearing of this Sanctification may bee considered as it is either In actu primo vel secundo 1. Habitual Or 2. Actual 1. For our Habitual Sanctification There wee say the Spirit of God is the only Cause and Faith is an Effect as well as others Faith is a part of our inherent Sanctification 2. For our Actual Sanctification or as those Habits do act and exercise and there wee say Faith doth help to produce the acts of Grace of Love of Repentance 1 Tim. 1.5 Love out of a pure heart and a good Conscience and of Faith unfeigned Faith doth not only lend an hand to its Fellow-Graces for the perfecting of Grace but Faith doth help to produce the Acts of Grace the Acts of Love of Repentance Zeal Patience c. Though at the same time they bee all implanted yet in Nature Faith hath the precedency and helps to produce the Acts of all the rest As God the Father is before the Son in Nature yet not in Time Hee is not a Father till hee have a Son So is it to bee understood concerning Faith and all other Graces 2. Faith raiseth us up
for all And yet he doth for Sin OH miserable man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of sin So Peter Manasseh c. 2. Their sufferings to avoid sin Daniel was content to be thrown into the Den of Lyons the three Children into the Fire Paul and Silas into the Stocks and many of Gods people have chosen to embrace Prisons Stakes Fire and the hottest Persecutions rather than sin Which doth plainly evidence to us They esteemed Sin the Greatest Evil. 1. Greater than Poverty which yet is a great evil Melius est Panem mendicare quam Fidem perdere Better to Beg saith one than to sin Heb. 11.24 to the 28. Moses chose rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the Pleasures of sin for a season The like of that Christian Moses Galcacius Caracciolus who was a Noble Prince and Marquess who yet that he might not sin left and forsook all he had and betook himself to live meanly with the people of God meerly to enjoy the Ordinances And Musculus a man of excellent Learning and a famous Divine who rather than sin would close with any condition The Story tells us That being driven out of all he had he was content rather than sin to betake himself to a Poor Trade to be a Weaver to get bread to maintain his wife and children Afterwards being cast out of that way the world looking upon it as too good for him he betook himself to work with a Spade in the Common Ditch of the Town to get his living He could down with any condition rather than sin Nay they have not onely apprehended sin a Greater Evil than Poverty But 2. Greater than Prisons greater than Death it self It was the speech of Ambrose Vultis in vincula rapere Vultis in Mortem Voluptas est mihi Will you cast me into Prison will you take away my life All this is desireable to me rather than to sin When Eudoxia the Empress threatned Chrysostome whom she afterward banished He sends to her Go tell her saith he Nil nisi Peccatum timeo I fear nothing in the world but sin 3. Nay they have apprehended sin a Greater evil than Death Basil speaks of a Rich Virgin who being condemned to the fire and sentenced to lose her estate because she would not Worship Idols yet afterward was promised life and restitution of estate if she would She replyed Valeat vita Pereat Pecunia Farewel life let money perish Look through the Ten Bloody Persecutions and our Late Marian-days and you shall finde many instances to this purpose 4. Nay yet further They have not onely apprehended sin a Greater Evil than Death but yet more A Greater Evil than Hell it self It was the speech of Chrysostome Ego sic censeo sic assiduè praedicabo c. I thus think and thus will I ever preach that It is more bitter to sin against Christ than to Suffer the Torments of Hell Anselm saith That if on the one side were presented unto him the Evil of sin and on the other side the Torments of Hell he would rather choose to fall into Hell than to fall into sin At such a distance were their hearts set against sin And nothing more ordinary than such expressions as these from the Saints in temptations in troubles of spirit or in clearing their own hearts Rather slay me Rather Damn me Rather cast me into Hell than let me sin against thee c. But this shall be sufficient to clear the Doctrinal part We come to the Application 1. Consectary 1. If sin be the Greatest Evil in the world 1. Consectary Then let us fall down and admire the Wisdom of God and adore the Goodness of God who out of the Greatest Evil could bring the Greatest Good who makes the Greatest Evil an Occasion of the Greatest Good that ever was wrought Bernard was so taken up with the thoughts of it that he saith Foelix Culpa quae talem meruit Redemptorem Happy fault which occasioned such a Redeemer We should be humbled for the fault bless God for the Remedy and withal admire that wisdom and that goodness which hath taken occasion by mans wickedness to declare his own goodness by mans sin to make known and express the infiniteness of his wisdom power mercy justice c. That this should be an occasion to draw out all his Glorious Attributes That he should bring Good out of Evil Life out of Death Heaven out of Hell Good out of sin Cordials out of Poyson Let us never doubt never suspect but God can bring good out of any thing turn the Greatest Evils to the advancement of his Glory and the good of his people who can out of sin and Hell bring good What is it to turn Afflictions Persecutions the Plots and Malice of men What is it to turn Troubles Wars c. to his own Glory and Advancement of his own cause who was able to turn Sin to all this He that can turn the Evil of sin which is Pure Evil and the Greatest Evil can much more turn the Evil of Trouble to the good of his people This made the Apostle say that All things should work together for good to them that love God c. He that hath experience of this needs not to doubt of any thing else That God that can turn Sin can turn Afflictions Crosses Persecutions c. to the good of his Church and people 2. Consectary 2. Hence conclude then That it is the Saddest punishment 2. Consectary the Fearfullest judgement in the world To be given up to sin This is the utmost punishment that God insticteth upon men and therefore the Greatest of all Punishments God doth usually proceed by Degrees in the ways of his judgements first he begins with lesser if lesser will not do then he proceeds to greater he will punish yet Seven times more and still the further he goes the greater are his strokes Now this is the finishing the concluding stroke this is the last punishment and the Greatest of all other To give a man up to the state of sin To say to a man Thou that art filthy be filthy still and thou that art unclean be unclean still This he tells them in Ezek. 24.13 Because I would have washed thee purged thee and thou wouldst not be purged therefore thou shalt not be purged And so he tells the Israelites Because you would have altars to sin therefore altars shall be to you to sin Hos 8.11 Oh! There is no sadder judgement in the world than for a man To be given up to his own hearts lust This sets an Eternal night of Darkness A Meipso me libera Domine saith Augustine Good Lord deliver me from my self You had better be given up to the lusts of men to the malice and cruelties of blood-thirsty men better to be given up to the utmost rage and malice of our bloody Cavaliers and Irish Rebels than to be
A loss in love better than an injoyment in displeasure More dye in the Flood than in the Ebbe Though prosperity bee more cordial yet afflictions are more physical Wee often surfeit of Cordials when Physick doth us good And a sanctified cross is better than an unsanctified comfort c. 4. Consectary If the Heart of Christ bee taken with his Church and People 1. Then see what a fearful thing sin is which doth cause God oftentimes to deal hardly with that which his soul loves so dearly God doth oftentimes afflict and punish his Church sharply and severely which yet his heart is much taken withall And sin is the cause And therefore what a fearful thing is sin How grievous would it bee to you to bee forced to take hard courses with a Child your heart is taken withall though it bee to do him good Why God is taken with his Church and do you not think it moves God to afflict and chastise it Wee would fain do all the good wee can to the persons wee love Oh! wee can never do enough for them Why so it is with God to his Church Hee loves his Church and willingly would hee do any thing for it And it is the grief of his soul that hee must take contrary courses with us to do us good that hee must bee forced to afflict and chastise them hee loves so dearly to bring them to Life by Death to Good by Evil to a Crown by Crosses When God parted with the ten Tribes you see what a conflict there was in him how his bowels stirred and were moved towards them notwithstanding all their sins Hos 11.8 How shall I give thee up Ephraim How shall I deliver thee Israel How shall I make thee as Admah How shall I set thee as Zeboim My heart is turned within mee my repentings are kindled together How loath was God to seal to a Bill of Divorce His heart loved her though shee was an Adultress to him And when Judah did justifie the sin of her Sister Israel exceeding her in Idols what trouble was it to God to cast her off How willing was hee to receive her after all her adulteries Jer. 3.1 Thou hast plaid the Harlot c. And when shee would go on in her adulteries yet how unwilling still was hee to give her up till at last it grew so high that there was no Remedy 2 Chron. 36.16 hee must needs do it And when hee had done it how exceedingly was Gods heart moved that hee must bee forced to deal so hardly with them hee loved so dearly read Jer. 12.7 8.9 c. See how God laments over the loss of that which their sins would not give him leave to keep I have forsaken mine house I have left mine heritage I have given the dearly beloved of my soul into the hand of her enemies And what was it that forced God to deal so hardly with them hee loved so dearly Why it was sin 2 Chron. 36.15 16. Hee sent Messengers because hee had compassion on them They mocked the Messengers of God and despised his words and mis-used his Prophets until the wrath of the Lord arose against his People till there was no Remedy And which of these hath remained to bee done among us How hath our Sun been darkened the Stars lost their light How many burning and shining lights have been taken out of our Candlesticks and planted in others How many blown out by the rage of wicked men Did wee not justly fear by reason of that Idolatry Superstition Prophanation of Sabbaths Persecution of the Saints and Messengers of God that our day was gone our night approaching Did wee not fear that wee were come up to this that there was no remedy That God should have opened the Sluces of his wrath and let in a Sea of his displeasure upon us made us an Aceldema a field of Blood long before this Ah my Brethren Never Nation never Church from whom God hath shewed himself more unwilling to depart and leave than England Look upon the passages of us to God and his wayes towards us and see how unwilling hee declared himself God hath upheld us as if hee himself should fall if wee did not stand as if his Glory could not stand if wee fall as if his Glory had depended upon our preservation And how can wee better answer Gods dealings towards us than to abandon that cast out that which was our fear and gave God just occasion to destroy us Let us now do by our sins as the Israelites did by their Leaven There was 1. Inquisitio fermenti There was search made for it So let us search out that Leaven of sin Superstition Idolatry which have sowred our Kingdome and laid us open to the stroak of Gods wrath Search your houses search the land search your hearts 2. Ejectio fermenti 3. Execratio fermenti And let all bee found in us if ever wee would have a Passover Otherwise our Preservations from former will bee but Reservations to future and worser evils sin will cause God to punish those hee loves 5. Consectary If the Heart of Christ bee so much taken with his Church Then let this discover to you into what you way resolve all the passages of Gods love to his Church and People even into his own Love His Grace is the rise and his Glory is the end There are two main streams in which the goodness of God doth run to his Church 1. The higher and 2. The lower But both these streams have the same Head the same spring from whence they come even his own Love 1. For the higher or upper streams and these are four 1. Election 2. Justification 3. Sanctification 4. Glorification And all these arise from the great Abyss and Sea of his mercy toward his Church His heart is taken with us and therefore 1. Hee chose us Deut. 7.7 8. The Lord loved you not nor chose you because yee were more in number than any people but because the Lord loved you So God did not set his heart on us because wee were better than others for there are others in the World who might have been made more lovely His heart is taken with us therefore Operamur ex Justificatione non in Justificationem 2. Hee justifies us Wee could do nothing to strike off any former score for all wee did set us further in debt it was but an adding of sin to sin guilt to guilt the sin of our righteousness to the sin of our unrighteousness Covering a blot with a blot as Isa 30.1 No it did arise from this His heart was taken with us therefore did hee justifie us Tit. 3.7 Wee are justified freely by his Grace The like Rom. 3.24 Rom. 4.5 All which shew that into this all the expressions of his love are resolved His heart is taken with us therefore 3. Hee did sanctifie us Our holiness is not wrought out of our own Principles spun out of own bowels
the Apostle 2 Cor. 5. This should make us live more humbly more actively more studious to please more diligent to obey more carefull to serve him This should make us live at higher rates for Heaven more spiritual more heavenly minded It is a Cord let down from Heaven to fetch our souls up thither And doth this cause us to bee more remiss more careless Doth this which should quicken slacken our hand to duty Oh base ungrateful neglect of Love 3. when wee take heart to sin thereby Grow more loose careless This is an high abuse of this Love Because God is Good wilt thou bee Evil because hee is Merciful wilt thou bee sinful because hee is Gracious wilt thou bee impious What fearful abuse of Love is this This is to wound Christ in the house of his friends To return good for good is but Humane To return evil for good is Wicked To return good for evil is Christian-like But To return evil for good and the greatest evil for the greatest good Sin for Love this is devilish Were you his enemies hee knew how to deal with you hee could revenge himself and the abuses of his love upon you but you are his friends and those bowels which you wrong are stirred in him when hee goes about to punish you Oh Ephraim How shall I give thee up how shall I deliver thee Israel my bowels are turned within mee My repentings are kindled together Hos 11.8 The greatness of God prevails with wicked men that awes them often that they dare not sin against him But the goodness of God this should prevail with us There is mercy with thee therefore thou art to bee feared It is set down as the Principle in such with whom the heart of Christ is taken Hos 3. ult They shall fear the Lord and his goodness in the latter dayes None but venimous spirits will suck poison from such a sweet as thence to draw incouragements to sin from that which is the great incouragement to service The Love of Christ had so prevailed with Chrysostome that hee used to say Ego sic censeo sic assidue praedicabo And Anselme That if on the one hand hee should see sin and on the other the torments of Hell hee had rather chuse to fall into Hell than fall into sin 4. When wee stagger and doubt give way to misgiving thoughts of Christs Love and unbeleevings of our own hearts wee abuse this Love What is it possible that Christ should do or suffer more than hee hath done and suffered to perswade your hearts of his Love If Christ should ask the question of you who doubt most of his Love What shall I do to answer your scruples to satisfie your souls for ever in this that I love you could you rationally desire more than what hee hath expressed in his words and to your heart and if notwithstanding all bee in vain 1 Sam. 25.21 may hee not justly say as David of Nabal Surely in vain have I done all this when this all commeth to nothing 3. Direction to them of the Church 3. Bee much in the contemplation of this Love of Christ Dwell upon this This Love of Christ will bee matter of eternal perusal in Heaven Wee shall do nothing but read over this Love Oh! let us not bee strangers to it now View it in the 1. Fulness 2. Freeness 3. Bounty 4. Perpetuity thereof 1. Measure it in the Fulness of it It is a Love which reacheth to every necessity A love able to make you holy and able to make you happy Thou art under guilt and sin thou art terrified by the one and ashamed and confounded because so loathsomely defiled by the other Why It is a pardoning a purging a sanctifying Love it is a Love as large as himself though the persons beloved bee finite 2. Read it over in the Freeness of it 1. It was an undeserved 2. It was an unsought-for Love 1. It was an undeserved Love Wee may provoke him to anger but wee cannot tempt him to love Amat Deus non aliundè hoc habet The former doth arise from our sins the latter from himself His chusing justifying adopting saving love all are free 2. It was an unsought-for Love Never a prayer put up for it I am found of them that sought mee not Isa 65.1 3. Read it over in the Bounty and Expressions of it 1. What hee did 2. What hee suffered 3. What hee hath given to his Church 4. Look upon it in the Perpetuity Permanency and continuance thereof A Love which reaches from Eternity to Eternity From Eternal chusing to Eternal glorifying An unchangeable Love Let us then peruse this Love Read it over in all the Dimensions Dwell upon the thoughts of it till your hearts bee Humbled melted inabled in-nobled winned quickened comforted c. The Thoughts of this Love are 1. Soul-humbling Thoughts Nothing layes the soul lower than Love The consideration of this will vile a man to Hell Ezek. 36.25 to 33. where you may read some expressions of love how it affects These would bee 2. Soul-melting Thoughts They will not only humble but melt not only break but dissolve the heart Nothing doth melt the soul more than Love The Law may break us but it is as the breaking of a flint every dust retains hardness but it is the Gospel that melteth us The thoughts of Gods Justice do stone the heart make it more hard but the thoughts of Gods Mercy do melt the heart You know you never mourn indeed till Love till Mercy do melt you Every drop of tears sticks like an hailstone and congeals in the eyes but when Love comes in then all the springs are opened and a man is dissolved into waters So much apprehensions of this Love of Christ so much godly sorrow They are like the Fountain and the Stream whereof the one doth rise no higher than the other The thoughts of this Love have 3. A Soul-inabling Power It will not only ingage us to service as the Apostle The Love of Christ constrains mee But it will inable us to service make us pray and pray with affections pray with life make us hear and hear with strength This puts us upon work and puts life vertue and vigor into our actions No actions stronger than those that come from Love Things incredible and impossible to others are yet easy to them who love See what the Saints have gone through what they have done what they have suffered Let but the thoughts of this love lye on your spirits a little and you will finde that Love is strong as death Cant. 8.6 and will mightily carry us through that which otherwise may seem impossible They will bee 4. Soul-innobling thoughts They will make you like themselves Whatever the soul feeds on the soul is digested into the nature of it So here feed on the thoughts of this love and your spirit will bee digested into it Whiles wee behold as in
by unbelief do slight all the threats of God denounced against sin if you make childs play of them as the word signifies 2 Pet. 3.3 If you look upon these but as Bug-bears things to keep men in awe and not real things No marvel if you bee not Humbled But if by Faith you would Realize these things to your selves and behold them not as Fancies and sad dreams but such things as are infallibly true real things not as painted Hell painted fire but as reall you would them finde them to work These mingled with Faith would lay a man in the dust Now this is a property of Faith to Realize the Object or thing beleeved and hence comes an influence on the soul to humble and abase it 3 Faith doth not only take up humbling Considerations and Realizeth all these to the Soul But Faith makes all this present Faith doth give a present being to all this Hence Heb. 11.13 Faith imbraceth the promise The word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Faith kisseth the promise gives a present being to the promise And as it gives a present being to the promise or word of comfort so to the threatning and word of terror Faith discovers death and hell and all at hand for Sin Faith looks upon sinne in all it's Doomes-day apparrel and array smels fire and Brimstone in sin Whereas unbeleevers they look on these things at the wrong end of the Prospective and that makes things neer seem a far off and that afar off is not seen at all But Faith looks upon them through the right end of the prospective And there things a far off are seen at hand present Hence it is called The Evidence of things not seen As it was said of Abraham Hee saw the day of Christ and rejoyced and yet Abraham was dead many hundred of years before Christ yet by vertue of his prospective by vertue of his Faith hee saw it as if it had been present though it were never so far off So here though the second day of Christ the day of judgement bee a far off yet Faith sees it and is humbled Faith gives it a present Being 4. Faith applies and brings home all this to Soul As the word of Comfort the Promise is applyed and brought home to the Soul by Faith so the word of Terror the Threatning is brought home to the soul by the same Faith by which the Soul is cast down and humbled The manner of Faiths Application is by a practical Syllogisme where the Major or first Proposition is the Word of God The Assumption or second Proposition is the Testimony of Conscience and the conclusion is inferred from them both as hee that beleeveth not but continueth in sir is for the present guilty and obnoxious to wrath at the last Judgement But I beleeve not but continue in sin Therefore I am for the present guilty and obnoxious to wrath to bee inflicted at the last Judgement Seventh Royalty 7. Faith is an Heart-softening-Grace Such a Grace as doth not only humble us but soften us not only break us 7. Royalty of Faith It s an Heart-softening-Grace but melt us In the Law it humbles us it breaks us but the heart like a flint every dust still reteins its flinty stony Nature is a stone And therefore in the Gospel it melts us it dissolves us Thunders of Sinai terrifie but Dews of Sion mollifie So much Faith so much Sorrow they are like the Fountain and the Stream whereof the one ariseth no higher than the other So much Faith and apprehension of Mercy so much brokenness of spirit for sin Where Unbelief doth stony the Heart harden the Heart dries up the spring and issues of sorrow No Heart is so hard as an Unbeleeving-heart neither the Promises nor Threatnings neither Mercy nor Justice neither Word nor works will melt it Faith on the contrary turns the Soul into Water dissolves a man into tears opens all the deep springs of sorrow in the Soul 1. Faith looks upon Heart-melting-Promises Takes a survey of the Riches of Gods Love and Mercy in making such precious Promises which doth exceedingly melt 2. Faith takes up Heart-softening-Considerations from the Love and Mercy of God towards us which are Heart-melting-Mercies from the goodness and sweetness of God Faith makes us see God as hee is It makes God no otherwise than hee is not more gracious not more merciful than hee is But Faith discovers him as hee is a gracious and a mercifull God It doth but undraw the Curtain but take off the Mask which Satan and Infidelity have put on and makes us to behold God as hee is in all his glorious excellencies Soul saving attributes and Mercies which who can behold by Faith but must needs mourn and dissolve into tears that they have offended him Thus you see Ezek. 36.31 when God had discovered himself in his Pardoning-Mercy his washing Forgiving-Mercy to the beleeving soul then they shall mourn and bee humbled Oh! There is nothing breaks the heart more than Mercy nothing melts a man more than the smiles of God the Mercies of God which being discovered to the Soul the Soul is not able to stand stubborn under it 3. Faith looks upon a Soul-melting a Soul-softening Object upon Christ a wounded a broken Christ And who can behold him but with an Humbled and a broken-heart A bleeding Christ without a bleeding Heart Oh! Here is enough in this Object to open all the springs of sorrow in us wee need not to go to Bellarmines Twelve Considerations to open the Fountain of tears in us wee need not bring in the miseries of mankind for one nor the sad condition of the Souls in Purgatory for another Wee need not bee beholden to him for such considerations as these to help us to mourn Oh! Here is enough in Christ in a broken and wounded Christ to open all the springs in thee and if thou hadst a Fountain of tears to spend them all The Considerations of his sufferings 1. Either in themselves 2. Or in their cause 3. Or as the Effects of sin 1. The Considerations of his breakings and sufferings as they were in themselves 1. The sufferings of his Body What woundings breakin gs scourgings crownings peircings did hee endure upon his Body 2. The sufferings on his Soul What conflict and struglings with the wrath of God the powers of darkness what weights what burdens what wrath did hee undergo when his Soul was heavy unto death be set with terrors as the word implies When he drunk that bitter Cup that Cup of bitterness that Cup mingled with Curses which made him sweat drops of blood which if men or Angels had but sip's of 't would have made them reel stagger and tumble into Hell 2. The Consideration of his sufferings in the Cause as the meriting cause of all our good procurer of all our Peace Life Salvation Hee was wounded that wee might bee healed scourged that wee might bee solaced drank the
bitter Cup of wrath that wee might have the draught of Mercy Hee was slain But not for himself saith Daniel But wounded for our transgressions broken for our iniquities The Chastisement of our peace was upon him Faith looks upon these his sufferings as the meriting causes of our good 3. The Considerations of his sufferings as effects of sin as the effects of our sin as that which our sins have brought upon him Which Consideration must needs effect and break our hearts When the soul shall look upon Christ and say It was I that have been the murderer I that have been the Traitor my sins which brought all this evil on thee I sind and thou sufferedst It was I that did eat the soue Grape and thy teeth were set en edge My sins were thy death yet by thy death thou brought'st the sinner life I have wounded thee yet thou hast healed mee even out of that wound which my sins have made hast thou sent out a Plaisâ—er even thy Blood for my sins Oh! This must needs fill the heart with sorrow Faith still looks upon an Humbled Christ with an Humbled Heart upon a Broken Christ with a Broken Heart upon a Bleeding Christ with a Bleeding Heart upon a Wounded Christ with a Wounded Heart Hence Zach. 12.10 They shall look upon him whom they have peirced And how shall that sight affect them It follows They shall mourn for him as one mourneth for his only Son and lament for him as one lamenteth for his first born In that day there shall bee a great mourning as the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the Vallie of Megiddon God made the same Organ for seeing and for weeping And the soul that sees well weeps well Never soul that did by the Eye of Faith look upon this Son of Righteousness but their frozen hearts did melt within them Would you ever bee mourning men and Women for sin would you bee in bitterness as one is in bitterness for his first born Oh! Steep your thoughts in the blood of the Lamb Dwell a little on Christ crucified Look wistly upon Christ by Faith and this will solvere Gelicidium melt and thaw our frozen hearts turn us from stones into flesh Eight Royalty 8. Christ is an Heart-transforming-Grace 8 Royalty of Faith It s an Heart-transforming-Grace Such a Grace as doth transform the Soul into the nature of the Object Faith is as powerful in this spiritual conception to work in us the image of the Object seen as Fantasy is oftentimes in the natural conception The Poets tell us of some that did transform such as beheld them into stones such a power there was in the Object the thing beheld as to transform say they But here it is true If by Faith wee cast our Eyes upon Christ of stones wee shall bee turned into men of sinners into Saints of a hard heart to a soft and fleshly of Children of Satan to the Sons and Daughters of God Joh. 1.12 As many as beleeved on him to them hee gave power to bee the Sons of God Sons not born of the flesh or the will of the flesh but of God who begets like himself As that which is born of flesh is flesh So that which is born of the Spirit is Spirit Hence wee are said to bee made partakers of the Divine Nature To bee transformed into the image and likeness of God To bee Holy as Hee is Holy Pure as Hee is Pure To bee as hee is in this World Never soul that looked on him by Faith but came away with another heart They looked to him and were enlightened saith the Psalmist Psal 34.5 But plainly you shall read the Transforming Power of Faith 2 Cor. 3.18 Whiles beholding as in a Glass the Glory of the Lord wee are changed into the same image from Glory to Glory Such a Glass hee is that never did the Eye of Faith behold him but the Soul was changed with the sight from a Wolf into a Lamb from a sinner into a Saint from Darkness to Light You were once Darkness now are you Light in the Lord. It turns a man upside down wholly transforms him Indeed there is no change of the substance of soul and body nor of the faculties of soul and body but the qualities of the faculties are cleer changed The Head is transformed where before was darkness now there 's Light where before it did judge highly of carnal things and low esteemed spiritual it doth now the quite contrary The Will is transformed where before it was full of obstinacy and stoutness contradiction and rebellion now there is pliableness to good and conformity between Gods Will and his They are not two but one Will. Gods Amen is his Amen Gods Fiat his Fiat Gods Will his will So the Heart that is transformed whereas before it was nothing but a noisome sink of sin nothing but a Cage of unclean birds the womb of sin a seminary of lust Now it is washed purged purified sanctified made a fit Receptacle for Christ an Habitation for God by his Spirit Thus you see Faith is an Heart-transforming-Grace Wee cry and say Oh! If I had another heart I could beleeve If my heart were more holy more sanctified why the way to get another heart is to beleeve do but beleeve and you shall see another heart come into you another Spirit another Soul Do but look upon Christ and you shall bee transformed It is such a look as sends a man away with another heart As the Wise men It is said After they had seen Christ beheld Christ they went home another way So when by Faith wee have seen Christ it sends the Soul another way with another spirit with other Principles with other Resolutions There is this Power of Faith to transform the Soul into the nature of the Object beleeved Belief of the Promises breeds Principles in the Heart suitable to the Promises Belief in Christ breeds a Spirit suitable to Christ As Faith Belief in God a Father breeds Principles of Love Fear Reverence and Obedience in the Soul such things as are agreeable So the belief in Christ a Saviour breeds Principles of Trust of Love of Desire with the like Ninth Royalty 9 Faith is an heart-pacifying Grace 9 Royalty of Faith It s an Heart-pacifying-Grace Isa 26.3 Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is staied on thee because hee trusteth in thee A place alledged by One who lying on his death-bed and injoying abundance of peace and calmness of spirit being demanded how it came to pass hee was not now assaulted with Satan replyed Hee knew no ground no cause save this God had promised To keep that soul in perfect Peace whose mind was staied on him who trusteth on him Hee relyed on Christ and therefore injoyed rest Isa 27.5 Let him take hold of my strength That is by Faith lay hold on my Covenant my Christ and I will bee at peace with him Hence the Apostle Rom. 5.1
bee blinded They who will bee hardned shall have hardening enough If the Word do not teach you works do blinde you If the Word do not soften you works do harden you If you stumble at the Word you will fall at works Indeed Men first stumble at the Word before they stumble at Works They first take offence at duties the Word commands and then strengthen that offence by the failings of those who walk in those wayes Works do but strengthen your dislike of things in the Word The failings of persons that walk in this way do but further strengthen your dislike of the things commanded in the Word This the Apostle shews 1 Pet. 2.8 Christ was a stone of stumbling But to whom why to those who stumbled at the Word first After they have stumbled at the Word then they stumble at Christ So when you have stumbled and taken offence against these duties which the Word commands no marvel if you stumble here and by the failings of those who walk in the way of life gather arguments to strengthen your dislike of the way it self This is thy spirit though thou see it not Thy heart is opposite to the wayes of God praying hearing fasting and thou furnishest thy self with instances of some who have proved unsound in the way that so thou mayest strengthen thy heart more with dislike against it And thus it proves an occasion of further blinding of further hardening to thee Thus you see the first How it may stand with Gods ends that corrupt hearts should abound in duty 2 It may stand also with Satans ends 1. It may stand with Satans ends towards the good 2. It may stand with Satans ends towards the World 3. It may stand with Satans ends towards themselves 1. It may stand with Satans ends towards the good and therefore hee will not disturb these men in their way but lets them go on 1. Hereby Satan doth labour to cause Gods People to throw off the work to desist in their way Why will Satan say what do you macerate and afflict your selves in a way wherein is no more good What can you do more than others have done They have prayed and they have prayed often and made many Prayers They have heard and heard often yea and heard with affection with fear with joy and delight c. They have fasted and have joyned mourning with fasting They have forsaken their evil wayes wherein they have formerly walked and have entred upon Gods wayes joyned themselves to the Ordinances to the People of God And yet for all this these people have come to nought For all this their hearts were unsound here and they have perished after all And therefore will Satan say If a man may pray and perish do duties and bee damned hear and get to Hell at last why dost thou then thus trouble thy self and afflict thy self in this way Thou seest there is no hope of doing good in it And therefore why wilt thou abridge thy self of those pleasures those comforts which others have in the World why wilt thou go on to macerate and afflict thy self in these wayes were it not better for thee to throw off all and betake thy self to the World to profits to pleasures and injoy thy hearts content as well as others Thus you see Satan is furnisht with a dangerous argument against Gods People which hee could not have had if unsound hearts did not abound in duty c. 2. If hee cannot prevail with Gods people hereby to throw off the work but that notwithstanding all this they are resolved to pray though they perish to beleeve to obey though God should never reward their obedience yet hee hath a second End Hee labours to discourage Gods People hereby in the work and to make them drive heavily in their way to Heaven Satan knows full well that if their heart bee discouraged in the work their hands will bee weakened for the work And therefore hee labours by such presidents as these are who have done so much in the wayes of God and yet are unsound to make men sit down discouraged and despair of ever doing good in these wayes Why will Satan say How canst thou do more than such and such have done Canst thou pray more Prayers hear more Sermons do more Duties keep more Dayes ingage thy self more deeply in the Cause of God than others have done who have yet come to nought It may bee hee 'l tell thee Thou art weak thou wantest those parts those abilities that strength that power to do God that service which others have done And therefore e'ne cast off all or else despair of ever doing good in this way wherein others have outstript thee and yet were unsound Thus doth Satan make use of this argument if not to prevail with men to cast off the work yet to discourage them in the work And therefore it may stand with his ends that unsound hearts may thus abound in performance of duties 3. A third end which Satan hath towards the godly is that if hee cannot prevail to make Gods people throw off the work nor yet discourage them in the work yet hee labours by these men to scandalize the godly to bring evil reports upon all that walk in the way of life It is Satans desire to make the Persons that walk in the way of life and the way of life it self as odious as hee can in the eyes of the World And this is one way whereby hee labours to bring it about and findes successful in the hearts of many even the failings of such as have made profession of the Truth Indeed the Cause of God and the People of God have suffered much thereby You know how wicked men argue 1. Either from Particulars to Generals from the failings of some they fall to censuring of all There is one say they who hath made profession and hath proved naught Therefore all are so all alike none better than other Which yet is an uncharitable and false reasoning If the Saints should argue so of you There was one unregenerate man a Murderer a Traitor a Theef Therefore all that are unregenerate are Traitors Murderers Theeves you would think this to bee uncharitable and false reasoning Yet yours is the same 2. Or secondly By the failing of the Person they take up arguments to charge and condemn the Cause not only Professors but Profession it self casting filth and dirt upon the pure face of Religion and the wayes of God hereby And Satan knows well enough that the Cause of God looseth more by one mans unsoundness than it can gain and recover again by the sincerity of many It looseth more in the hearts of wicked men by the falls of some than it can gain again by the standing of thousands Davids fall though hee rose again caused Religion and the Wayes of God to bee blasphemed by wicked men It opened the mouths of wicked men to blaspheme the wayes of God as the Prophet told
Saul Jehu Where now on the contrary where the heart is sound all their raisings raise God God is advanced in all their advancements And the higher God sets up them the higher will they indeavour to raise and set up God his glory his cause his people Mâ—â—cies on an enemy strengthen him to sin but on a friend strengthen to service hee is but a man of greater ability to serve God Many think if they were but so rich so great Oh how would they advance God and his cause how make all to serve him but thy heart may deceive thee if thy heart bee not sound the higher God raiseth thee the lower thou wilt lay him the more good God doth for thee the more evil thou wilt do to him It is a special time to read your spirits to see to your sincerity in time of prosperity There is no tryal in afflictions alone they have something in them may make men humble meek c. but look to them in times of prosperity of a Church Religion cause of God Many men have stood firm in the times of affliction of a Church which stagger fall back in times of redemption of a Church That is the saddest It is no strange thing for men to stagger to fall in the times of a declining in the Church for fear c. But that is a corrupt heart indeed corrupt with a witness that falls away in prosperity That is the fourth time 5. See how your spirits work in time of difficulty of danger Of Danger An unsound heart thinks how hee may avoid the danger a sincere spirit how hee may avoid the sin Heb. 12.4 striving against sin not against danger trouble but against sin to keep their consciences pure and undefiled An unsound spirit thinks how hee may save his carkass a sound Christian how hee may keep his conscience As Epaminondas who resolved to keep his buckler or dye for it being wounded to death Cryes out num salvus clypeus meus intimating hee was not hurt if his buckler were safe What hee of his buckler a sincere heart cryes out of his conscience num salva conscientia An unsound spirit hee sees and judgeth his safety sometimes to lye in the neglect of duty and therefore in times of danger hee will bank and decline his duty for fear of man But a sound spirit hee sees his safety to lye in the doing of his duty and his danger in the neglect of it An unsound spirit will rather choose sin than affliction Job 36.21 But where the spirit is sincere he will rather chuse the greatest evil Vultis in vincula injure vultis in mortem voluptas est mihi than the least sin as Daniel and the three children Ambrose saith will you cast me into prison will you take away my life all this is desirable rather than sin And when Eudoxia the Empresse threatned Chrysostome with banishment go tell her saith he I fear nothing in the world but sin And the reason is Nil nisi peccatum timeo because they look on sin as the grand and universal evill the womb of evill and all other evils but the births of sin It hath been the founder of hell for before sin no hell t was that which laid the corner stone in that dark vault nay it is that which hath filled hell with those treasures of wrath and still addes to it and increaseth the fewel Rom. 2.5 Nay they look not only upon sin as â—n evil universal but as universally evil no good in sin And therefore when the Apostle would speak the worst of Sin hee could find no name worse than in its own to set it out by sinfull siâ— as you see Rom. 7.13 These may bee the special times wherein you may read your own spirits and bee able to gather evidences of your sincerity 3. Branch of Exhortation You that have cleared your sincerity do you labour to maintain the evidences of it c. 4. Branch of Exhortation To exhort them whose hearts are sincere that they would declare the sincerity of their hearts on all occasions I have told you that God hath special times for the tryal and discovery of the sincerity of his own people And it should be our wisdomes to take notice of those times and seasons and our care at those times to declare our sincerity Balaam had once a time to declare his sincerity when hee was hired with wealth and honor to curse the People of God but not approving himself at that time hee was branded for an hypocrite for ever Saul had once a time to discover his sincerity when hee was commanded to go and slay all but missing that time of declaring sincerity hee is branded c. The young man had a time too when Christ propounded to him to part with all and follow him but missing that not taking time to declare sincerity c. Solomon had a time too but he was too neglectfull and what follows hee is questioned whether ever saved or no he is pictured between heaven and hell as if men knew not where to fix him These had all special times afforded to them of declaring their sincerity and like vile wretches they make them times of discovering Hypocrisy And there is not a man of you but God doth afford you some or special other occasions in your lives of declaring the sincerity of your hearts which if God give wisdome to discern of and a heart to close with you will bee happy but if not you will smart for it God may suffer you to lye and roar upon your death-bed for want of an evidence of sincerity because you are neglective of declaring your Sincerity when God affords you an occasion of it Oh what sad thoughts will these bee when thou shalt look upon thy life and think with thy self Such a time I was in such a place in such an office had such an opportunity to shew my self for God to advance his glory to do good to his Church his people his cause and yet vile wretch I neglected it I bawked it I was unserviceable or I used my power my strength my authority as an Engine against God against his people against his cause this will be trouble with a witness Well then if you would prevent this let every one in their several places and stations declare the Sincerity of their hearts Make your places your power your parts your riches your friends serviceable to God to his Church to his Cause As Christ made all his Ascensions for the good of his Church so do you Think it not much to adventure and hazard any thing for the glory of God the good of the Church Pray for the Church act for the Church do for God suffer for God run this brave adventure to hazard all for the good of the Church of God Hee who raiseth up Gods glory though by the ruines of himself hee who advanceth Gods cause though himself lye low for it shall
therefore as Pilates Wife said to her Husband Have nothing to do with that just man so I say to you Have nothing to do by way of offence against the Church and People of God you will but ruine your selves in seeking their ruine Gods Church is both too heavy and too hot for you see them both Zach. 12.3 There God saith of his Church That hee would make it a burthensome stone who ever lifteth at it shall bee crusht in peeces though all the Nations of the world be gathered together against her yet all will be to no purpose For God will make his Church a burdensome stone that whosoever lifteth at her shall be crushed in peeces Hee doth not say whoever lifeth it up for that cannot bee but whoever lifteth at it whoever seeks to hurt it shall crush themselves Their very attempt shall bee their destruction Haman lifted so long at this stone that it fell on him at last and crushed him to peeces Pharaoh followed the Children of Israel so long that there was no return at the last he was buried in the waters Julian attempted evil against the Church so long till at last God from heaven struck him slew him The Church God makes too heavy for his enemies and too hot too As you see in the 6. verse of that 12th Chapter of Zach. In that day will I make the Governors of Judah like an hearth of fire among the wood and like a torch of fire in a sheaf and they shall devour all the people round about All the encounters of wicked men against the Church is but like a sheaf of straw encountring with a torch of fire that burns themselves Whiles the iron is in its own nature you may handle it and deal with it but if once the nature of Fire be put to it then ware your fingers if you prove so bold and hardy as to touch it Wee say He that shoots in a peece overcharged strikes down himself not that hee aimed at There was never man who levelled peece against the Church but hee shoots in a peece overcharged and shall be sure at last to be struck down with its own recoil They shall but lay snares to take themselves dig graves to bury themselves in make rods for their own backs and pave a way for their own destruction at last Isa 54.15 16 17. Behold the enemy shall gather himself but without mee whosoever shall gather himself in thee against thee shall fall Behold I have created the Smith that bloweth the coals in the fire and him that bringeth forth an instrument for his work and I have created the destroyer to destroy No weapon made against thee shall prosper every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgement shalt thou condemn This is the heritage of the Lords servants c. God will work wonders for the deliverance of his Church and for the destruction of the wicked at last Let this bee for caution therefore to the wicked persecutors 3. Use Let this bee for incouragement of Gods People 3 Use of Incouragement to the People of God in these Times of danger and trouble Though our condition bee very sad at this time Our enemies strong we weak they full of rage and bitterness against us yet there is no cause of fears nor of discouragement 1 There is no cause of fear seeing wee have a God on our side and such a God as is able to do wonders for us You may set God against all the strength and provisions of the Arm of flesh Thus you see David did Psal 20.7 Some trust in Charriots and some in Horses but we will remember the name of the Lord our God He set God against all Alas what are Castles and Forts what are multitudes of men what are riches what is Provision of horse the Psalmist tells you Psal 33 17. A Horse is but a vain thing to save a man Isa 31.3 Their Horses are flesh and not Spirit Prov. 21.31 The Horse is prepared against the day of battel but safety is of the Lord. All this and whatever an adversary may have to glory in is but an arm of flesh but you have a God and a God that can do wonders for you I will boast in God saith the Prophet all the day long Give not way then to sinkings of Spirit you have no cause of fears if you look above as well as below if you converse with Heaven as well as with Earth Indeed if wee look below God for the relief of the weaknesse of our Faith hath stirred up the hearts of our worthys and People to afford so willing a concurrence in the service of the King and Kingdome at this time But this is not our strength Look above and you have a God who can who will do wonders for you Fear is utterly unbeseeming 1 A Christian who is the souldier of Christ 2 Religion which is the Cause of Christ 1 It is unbefitting a Christian For the Righteous should be bold as a Lyon Let the sinners in Zion be afraid not you who have so great a God as can do wonders for you Luthers spirit doth well befit a Christian especially in these days who when hee was disswaded from going to Wormes about some extraordinary businesse of the Church because of some Plots laid against him he makes reply Vocatus ingrediar etsi scirem tot esse Diabolos Wormatiae quot sunt tegulae in aedium tectis I am called to it and though every tile in the City were a devil I would go This was Resolution and courage befitting a Christian who is a souldier of Christ And 2 Fear is unbeseeming Religion which is the cause of Christ A good cause should have a good courage It was the speech of Luther to Melancthon who was an holy though a fearful man when Melancthon had discovered his fears to him If our cause be not good let us desist and leave it If it bee good let us go on couragiously Christs cause and a Cowards heart are ill coupled together Gods People are too apt to this And therefore doth Christ steel the heart of his Disciples against it Fear not little flock Though a little flock yet there is no cause to fear having so strong a Shepheard And fear not worm Jacob though a worm and weak apt to bee trod upon yet fear not Isa 41.13 14. I will help thee saith the Lord thy Redeemer the holy-one of Israel And Who art thou that are afraid of a man that shall dye and forgets the Lord thy maker Arguing if they had not forgotten God they would not have feared man VVhat though they bee carried on with all head-strong violence to seek our ruine what though their purposes be cruel God can 1 Calm them still them as hee did the Sea Peace and bee still as he did Esau when he came against Jacob. 2 Stop them in their way Hee that Sets bounds to the Sea and saith hitherto shalt thou come and
never be looser by it hath bargain good enough You know those places Hee who prizeth father and mother riches lands before mee is not worthy of mee Again There is no man forsaketh father or mother riches or lands for my sake c. but shall have a hundred fold c. So Who saves his life shall loose it but hee who looses his life c. So Hee who denies me before men him will I deny It is now a time wherein wicked men do shew their corruptions do you make use of it as a time to shew your graces when they discover their hypocrisy do you declare your sincerity I have looked and wondred to see those men who have stood firm in the times of affliction of a Church should stagger and fall back in the times of redemption of a Church It is not so strange for a man to fall in the times of the declining of a Church Then fear may make men stagger as in Peter But that is a corrupt heart indeed corrupt with a witness who falls back and flyes off in the times of reforming of a Church to see men to fall back not in the times of persecution but in the times of reformation this is a sad thing It may be weakness of grace which occasions a man to decline and fall back in the times of persecution but it is a wickednesse and height of wickednesse it shews a spirit opposite to God and goodnesse to bee worse in times of reformation Wee see it so in many in our times and seeing unsound spirits to discover their corruptions let Gods people now discover their graces When Israel halted between God and Baal making a mixture of divine worship and idolatrous together one to bee set off by the other that poison might bee swallowed down without scrupling then did Elijah take occasion to declare his sincerity when hee cryed how long do you halt c. When Haman had plotted the death of all the Jews and had gotten the Kings warrant for the doing of it then was it a special occasion for Mordecai and Hâ—sler to declare their sincerity which they did Hesler 4.15 16. When Israel had joyned themselves to Baal Peor then was it a special occasion for Moses to declare his sincerity which hee did Numb 25.5 You see what honour Phineas wonne by taking that special occasion of declaring his sincerity The like of Levi in Deut. 33.9 So of Abraham Gen. 22. consider 1. God calls on you to declare your sincerity 2. The Church calls on you 1. Those abroad our poâ—r distressed brethren in Ireland they cry in the language of the Psalmist Psal 94.16 Who will rise up for mee against the evil doers or who will stand up for mee against the workers of iniquity Do you declare your sincerity by helping them with your purses with your prayers and with your persons so far as you are called out to it 2. Our own Church and Nation calls upon us to declare our sincerities the singleness and honestness of your hearts in these double times To help forward with our prayers the good of the Church the great work which concerns Gods glory his cause now on the wheeles the great work of reformation 3. Your conscience that calls on you to discover your sincerity and conscience is either a mans best friend or worst enemy If you would not have conscience shew it self an enemy at that time when you desire it to appear your friend then make use of the seasons to declare the sincerity of your hearts to God And then will conscience bee thy friend in health thy friend in sickness thy friend in life thy friend in death when all other friendâ— must leave thee The testimony of Hezekiahs conscience to him when hee lay on his sick-bed which gave in evidence of his sincerity brought more comfort than all the World Lord remember how I have walked before thee c. Would you have conscience to give in the like testimony for you then declare the sincerity of your hearts when God calls you out There is a story the moral whereof is good that a man who had three friends which hee loved well and being sent for to the King asked which of his friends would go with him one tells him hee could not go not stir another told him hee would go a little way with him but could not go out with him the third hee tells him hee will not only go with him but answer all for him bring him off God is the King the World kindred and conscience are â—he three friends the arrest death and the person sent for the soul The World that will leave you kindred bring you a little way to the grave there leave you but it is a good conscience which carries a man thorough and makes a man stand blameless before the tribunal If you would have conscience bee your friend theâ— labour to discover sincerity now A TREATISE OF THE Wonderfull Workings OF GOD FOR HIS Church and People BY SAMVEL BOLTON D. D. And MASTER of C. C. C. LONDON Printed by Robert Ibbitson for Thomas Parkhurst and are to be sold at his Shop over against the Great Conduit in Cheapside 1656. A TREATISE OF THE Wonderful VVorkings OF GOD FOR HIS Church and People EXODUS 15.11 Who is like unto thee O Lord amongst the Gods who is like thee glorious in Holiness fearful in Praises Doing wonders WHen troubles are threatned God doth charge us with two things and undertakes to discharge us of all the rest 1. The first thing in Gods charge is Faith Psal 55.22 Cast thy burden upon the Lord The burden of fears of cares of troubles There is the charge and the discharge followes Hee shall sustain thee 2. The second thing God doth charge us withall is Prayer Psal 50.15 Call upon mee But if you will take the charge and the discharge together See Phil. 4.6 Bee careful for nothing There is the discharge But in all things make your request known to God There is the charge And there are two things which God doth charge us withall when our fears are blown over and they are 1. Thankfulness 2. Obedience The former you may read Psal 50.15 The latter 1 Sam. 12.24 And this hath been the practice of the Saints when calamities and troubles hath been either felt or feared they have betaken themselves to those weapons to incounter them with Faith and Prayer You see in Heslers time And when God hath bestowed deliverance then they have betaken themselves to Praises You see in the same story of Esther the Primitive Christians had their Stationary-daies their daies of Prayer wherein they assembled themselves together for the removal of the Churches pressures lying upon them And no doubt but they had their Solemn Feasts and times of Praises when God had wrought his deliverances The want of Mercy sends us to Prayer the injoyment of Mercy sends us to Praises But what need wee seek further for an