and repentance is a conversion to God Page 284 285 286 W Of walking There is no condemnation to such who walk after the Spirit Page 47 48 Of the witness of the Spirit Their mistake pointed at who have made the witness of the Spirit the only marks or evidence of our interest in Christ Page 1 2 3 4. There is at the end of this Book a Catalogue of all Mr. Brooks's Books ERRATA PAge 4. line 14. fleshly for flashy p. 16. in the Margent r. dance p. 17. Margent pat for part p. 18. l. 32. for gradually r. perfectly p. 19. l. 2. r. it l. 25. for Marcol r. Murcot p. 30. l. 2. hat for that p. 35. l. 8. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 39. l. 31. r. Asa's p. 63. l. 17. for wateâ— r. children p. 106. l. 15. r. gerandum p. 110. l. 28. r. Antiperistasis p. 142. l. 30. add only p. 239. l. 2. for heels r. feels p. 258. l. 19. outging for outing p. 292. Margent r. vitiums for vitium p. 117. l. 16. for were r. where p. 311. Margent r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 326. l. 22. r. word for world p. 333. l. ult add the p. 347. l. ult add as p. 356. l. 21. for five r. three l. 26. for five r. three l. 34. for five r. three p. 357. l. 8. springs for spring in the Margent r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 368. l. 13. r. patent p. 376. l. 14. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 383. l. 16. to for in in the fourth leaf of the Epistle in l. 9. blot out one in the same leaf l. 32. conclusions for confusions CHAP. I. Containing eighteen special Maxims Considerations Rules and Directions that are seriously to be minded and observed in order to the clearing up of a mans interest in Christ the saving work of God upon his own soul and his title to all the glory of another world The first Maxim or Consideration FIrst Some have made the witness of the Spirit to be the only mark or evidence of our interest in Christ But this opinion being well laid asleep in these dayes I shall not put my self to the trouble of awakening of it afresh but leave it to sleep with the Authors who are now in their graves and deny all signs from the fruit of the Spirit but this is to deny the fruit growing upon the Tree to be a sign that the Tree is alive whereas our Saviour expresly tells us That the Tree is known by his fruit Mat. 12.33 Certainly 't is one thing to judge by our graces and another thing to rest on our graces or to put our trust in our graces or to make a Saviour of our graces there is a great deal of difference between declaring and deserving Doubtless Christians may look to their graces as evidences of their interest in Christ justification and salvation though not as causes of their interest in Christ justification and salvation O Sirs we must alwayes carefully distinguish 'twixt the root and ground of our comfort and between the testimonies or evidences of our interest in the root of our comfort Now it must be readily granted that Jesus Christ is the only root and ground of a Christians comfort and triumph and therefore saith Paul Gal. 6 14. God forbid that I should rejoyce in any thing but in the Cross of Christ And so in that 2 Cor. 2.14 New thanks be unto God which alwayes causes us to triumph in Christ So that if at any time we behold this or that saving grace or this or that part of holiness shining in our hearts or lives we take comfort in it not as the cause or root or ground of our comfort or triumph but as in a testimony or evidence because it doth manifest our interest in him who is our comfort Luke 2 25. Col. 3 11. Gen. 9 13 14 16. v. our peace our joy our salvation our all in all Look as the Rain-bow is not a cause why God will not drown the world but a sign that God will not drown the world and as it is a sign that God will not drown the world we may and ought to rejoyce in it and to take comfort from it So here c. 'T is agreed on all hands that sanctification is a precious benefit of the Covenant of grace Jer. 33.8 9. Ezek. 36.25 26. Heb. 8.10 12. c. as well as justification and what crime can it then be to evidence one benefit of the Covenant of grace by another benefit of the same Covenant That he that is justified is also sanctified and that he that is sanctified is also justified is so clear so bright so sparkling and so full a truth contained in the Covenant of grace that no man or devil can deny Now what evil or error can it be for a man to assert That he that is certainly sanctified is certainly justified it being the very language of the Covenant of grace and that therefore he that knows himself to be sanctified may also know thereby that he is justified Certainly those persons that shall deny sanctification to be a most sure sweet and comfortable evidence of a mans justification they must not only blot out and abolish the Epistles of James and John but must also race out and abolish all those Evangelical promises of grace and mercy of happiness and blessedness that are made to such persons as are invested enriched and bespangled with the several graces of the holy Spirit this might be made evident by many hundred Scriptures but take that one for all Mat. 5. where our Saviour himself who was the most Evangelical Preacher that ever was in the world makes eight or nine promises of mercy and blessedness to those very persons that had the graces of the Spirit inherent in them as poverty of spirit mourning meekness hungering and thirsting after righteousness c. O Sirs why should we be so frequently and earnestly call'd â—pon to try and examine our selves 2 Cor. 12.5 ver whether we be in the faith or no if we were not to come to the knowledge of our faith in a discoursive way arguing from the effect to the cause Have not the Saints of old come to assurance and the knowledge of the goodness of their estates this way Ponder seriously on that 2 Cor. 1.12 For our rejoycing is this the testimony of our conscience that in simplicity and godly sincerity we have had our conversation in the world Mark their joy was founded on the testimony of their conscience and their conscience gave in this testimony from the sincerity of their conversation in this world So Paul in that 2 Tim. 4.7 8. I have fought a good fight I have finished my course 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Certamen illud praeclarum certavi Beza I have fought that excellent fight By wrestling the Apostle useth the same Metaphor also in that 1 Cor. 9.25 v. I have kept the faith henceforth
sense of his integrity and the evidence he had of his own uprightness his own righteousness Job 27.5 Till I die I will not remove my integrity from me Ver. 6. My righteousness I hold fast and will not let it go my heart shall not reproach me so long as I live Job was under great afflictions sore temptations and deep desertions now that which was his cordial his bulwark in those sad times was the sense and feeling of his own uprightness his own righteousness the sense and feeling of the grace of God in him kept him from fainting and sinking under all his troubles So 1 Joh. 2.3 Hereby we know that we know him if we keep his commandments c. In these words two things are observable First that where there is a true knowledge of Christ there is an observation of his commandements Secondly that by this observation of his royal Law we may know that our knowledge is sound and sincere He speaks not of a legal but of an evangelical keeping of his commandements A conscionable and serious endeavour to walk in a holy course of life according to God's will revealed in his Word is a most certain mark or evidence that we have a saving knowledge of God and that we are his children and heirs of glory Such who sincerely desire and unfeignedly purpose and firmly resolve and faithfully endeavour to keep the commandements of God these do keep the commandements of God evangelically and acceptably in the eye of God the account of God So ver 6. He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk even as he walked Here you may observe two things First that by faith we are implanted into Christ Secondly that we discover our implantation into Christ by our imitation of Christ Such as plead for sanctification a an evidence of justification don't make their graces causes of their implantation into Christ or of their justification before the throne of Christ but they make them testimonies and witnesses to declare the truth of their real implantation into Christ and of their being justified before the throne of Christ So 1 Joh. 3.14 We know we are translated from death to life because we love the brethren The Apostle makes this a great sign of godliness to love another godly man for godliness sake and the more godly he is the more to love him and to delight in him Now mark this love of our brethren is not a cause of our translation from death to life for the very word translated supposeth such a grace such a favour of God as is without us but a sign of our translation from death to life But of this I have said enough already as you may see if you will but read from page 189. to page 200. of this Book But The most ordinary and safe way of coming to assurance is the discoursive way in which a believer from the fruits and effects of grace infers he hath the habit and from the habit concludes his jâ—stification adoption and as this is a way least subject to delusion so it is also most suited to a rational creature whose way of acting is by discourse and argumentation The sixth Proposition is this There are many scores of precious promises made over to them that believe to them that trust in the Lord to them that set him up as the great object of their fear to them that love him to them that delight in him to them that obey him to them that walk with him to them that thirst after him to them that suffer for him to them that follow after him c. Now all these scores of promises are made for the support comfort and encouragement of all such Christians whose souls are bespangled with grace But now if we may not lawfully come to the knowledge of our faith love fear delight obedience c. in a discoursive way arguing from the effect to the cause What support what comfort what advantage shall a sincere Christian have by all those scores of promissory places of Scripture Doubtless all those scores of promises would be as so many Suns without light as so many springs without water as so many breasts without milk and as so many bodies without souls to all gracious Christians were it not lawful for them to form up such a practical syllogism as this is viz. The Scripture doth plainly and fully declare that he that believeth feareth loveth obeyeth c. is blessed and shall be happy for ever But I am such a one that doth believe fear love obey c. therefore I am blessed and shall be happy for ever Now although it must be granted that the major of this Proposition is Scripture yet the assumption is from experience and therefore a godly man being assisted therein by the holy Ghost may safely draw the conclusion as undeniable O that you would seriously consider how little would be the difference should you shut out this discoursive way betwixt a man and a beast if a man should assent to a thing unknown through an instinct and impression and should to one who asks him a reason of his perswasion be able to return no other answer but this I am perswaded because I am perswaded But The seventh Proposition is this That the Scripture giveth many signs and symptoms of grace so that if a man cannot find all yet if he discover some yea but one he may safely conclude that all the rest are there he who hath but one in truth of the forementioned characters in this book hath seminally all he who hath one link of the golden chain hath the whole chain Look as he who hath one grace in truth hath every grace in truth though he doth not see every grace shining in his soul so he that hath in truth any one evidence of grace in his soul he hath virtually all And O that all weak dark doubting Christians would seriously and frequently ponder upon this Proposition for it may be a staff to uphold them and a cordial to comfort them under all their fears and faintings But The eighth Proposition is this Without the light of the holy Ghost our graces shine not our graces are only the means by which our condition is known to us Rom. 9.2 the efficient cause of this knowledge is the Spirit illustrating our graces and making them visible and so helping us to conclude from them 1 Cor. 2.12 Now we have received not the spirit of the world but the spirit which is of God that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God Our graces our sanctification as well as our election vocation justification and glorification are freely given to us of God and the Spirit of God is given as well to discover the one as the other to us Mark the things freely given us may be received by us and yet the receit of them not known to us therefore the Spirit for our further
Promises of God are a Christians Magna Charta his chiefest evidences for heaven Page 9 10 Q. How may a person come to know whether he has a real and saving interest in the promises or no. This great Question receives nine Answers Page 10 11 12 13 14 15 16. All great Promises are made over to faith and repentance Page 26 27 The promises prove an inseparable connexion between true faith and eternal glory Page 48 49 50 51 52 Many scores of promises will be of no use to a Christian if he may not lawfully come to the knowledge of his gracious estate in a discoursive way arguing from the effect to the cause Page 346 347 Of being poor in spirit To such who are poor in spirit the kingdom of heaven belongs Page 30 31 32 Of prizing grace No man can really prize grace above a thousand worlds but he that has true grace in him Page 200 Of purity of heart They that are pure in heart are blessed and shall see God Page 36 37 38 39 R Of Relapses A true child of God may relapse into the same sin again and again Page 278 279 280 281 That a child of God does not relapse into the same sin in such a manner as wicked men do relapse is made good seven wayes Page 281 282 About receiving of Christ Such as receive Christ aright are the Sons of God Page 26 About Repentance There is a Repentance that does accomcompany salvation Page 217 See sorrow for sin see confession of sin and see turning from sin Of Christ's Righteousness When a Christians evidences are either clear or clouded it highly concerns him to have his heart fixed upon the Mediatory righteousness of Christ Page 359 360 361 Five admirable comforts the Mediatory righteousness of Christ will afford to every gracious soul Page 361 362 363 Remedies against fears Two Remedies against those fears that many times rise in a gracious soul Page 388 389 390 S Of Satan Satan is a grand enemy to the peace joy comfort settlement and satisfaction of every poor Christian Page 340 341 Of Scripture All men and women that are desirous to know how it will go with them in another world they must peremptorily resolve to be determined by Scripture in the great matters of their interest in Christ Page 20 21 22 23 24 Of sin many weighty things about it A universal willingness to be rid of all sin is an infallible evidence of the truth of grace in a mans heart Page 88 89 90 91 92 A constant habitual willingness to be rid of all sin is an infallible evidence of the truth of grace in the soul Page 92 93 A transcendent willingness a superlative willingness to be rid of sin is an infallible evidence of the truth of grace in the soul Page 93 94 95 96 97 That soul that does not allow himself or indulge himself in a course of sin or in the common practice of any known sin that soul is certainly a gracious soul Page 97 98 99 That soul that conflicts most with heart-sins and is mâ—st affected and afflicted with spiritual sins he is certainly a gracious soul Page 99 100 101 102 That soul that abstains from sin and whose heart rises against sin because of the evil nature of it c. that soul has certainly a principle of grace a seed of God in him Page 102 103 104 105 106 Where there is an irreconcileable opposition in the soul against sin there is a saving work of God upon that mans heart Page 106 107 108 Where the very prevailings of sin are ordinarily made serviceable to high and holy ends there certainly is a saving work of God upon that mans soul Page 108 109 110 Where a bare naked command of God is commonly of that power force and authority with the soul as to curb sin and restrain the soul from sin and to fence the soul against the encroachments and commands of sin there is certainly a saving work of God upon that mans soul Page 111 112 113 Constant desires and earnest and constant endeavours to avoid and shun all known appearances of sin evidences the truth and reality of grace in the soul Page 114 115 116 He that sets himself mostly resolutely habitually against his bosom sins his constitution sins c. he has certainly a powerful a saving work of God upon his soul Page 126 127 That soul that would not willingly wilfully resolutely maliciously wickedly habitually c. sin against the Lord to gain a world that soul is certainly a gracious soul Page 201 202 Paul layes down eight aggravations of his sins and all to greaten and heighten them Page 244 245 246 247 Many indulge their lusts Page 338 339 Of sorrow for sin When a mans sorrow for sin is sinful shewed in six particulars Page 87 Sorrow and grief of heart for sin committed is that first part of repentance to which the promise of forgiveness of sin is made Page 218 219 Eight ways whereby men may know that their sorrow is true godly sorrow that it is that very sorrow that is a part of true repentance Page 219 to 229 There are seven concomitants or companions that attend and wait on godly sorrow Page 229 230 231 232 233 234 Of the Spirit Without the light of the Spirit our graces shine not Page 347 348 349 T Of thirsting They which truly hunger and thirst after righteousness are blessed Page 32 33 34 Of time and times Christians should take the mâ—st compendious time for the casting up of their spiritual accounts Page 69 70 There are seven times seasons or cases where a Christian should not cast up his spiritual accounts Page 70 to 74 Of turning from all sin to God The third part of true repentance lyes in turning from all sin to God Page 254 255 256 First that turning from sin which brings a man within the compass of the promise of forgiveness of sin is a cordial turning from sin Page 256 257 Secondly a true penitential turning is an universal turning a turning not from some sins but from all sins Page 257 258 Eight great Reasons why the true penitent turns from sin universally Page 258 to 269 In answer to an Objection it is declared that a true penitential turning from all sin consists in six things Page 269 to 274 Thirdly a true penitential turning is a constant a continued turning from sin Page 274 275 276 277 Q. But in what respects is a true penitential turning from sin such a turning from sin as never to return to sin any more in what respects is the penitents turning from sin a continued and stedfast turning from sin Sol. This is a very sober serious weighty Question and bespeaks a very sober serious and satisfactory Answer and therefore 't is answered First Negatively from 277 to 282. And Secondly Affirmatively from Page 282 to 284 A true penitential turning from sin includes a returning to God sin is an aversion from God
in a way of sin but the gracious soul sayes with Job Job 34.32 If I have done iniquity I will do it no more He laments over sin and leaves it he confesses it and forsakes it and he is as willing to forgo it as he is willing that God should forgive it Seventhly All and if you please I shall give you many things in one godly sorrow is the fruit and effect of Evangelical faith it flows from faith as the stream from the fountain the branch from the root and the effect from the cause Zech. 12.10 They shall look upon him whom they have pierced and shall mourn for him as one mourneth for his only son and shall be in bitterness for him as one that is in bitterness for his first-born Look as all legal sorrow flows from a legal faith as you may see in Ahab's and the Ninevites so all Evangelical sorrow flows from an Evangelical faith They shall look upon him whom they have pierced and mourn All gracious mourning flows from looking from believing nothing breaks the heart of a sinner like a look of faith all tears of godly sorrow drop from the eye of faith godly sorrow rises and falls as faith rises and falls faith and godly sorrow are like the fountain and the floud which rise and fall together The more a man is able by faith to look upon a pierced Christ the more his heart will mourn over all the dishonours that he has done to Christ the more deep and wide the wounds are that faith shews me in the heart and sides of Christ the more my heart will be wounded for sining against Christ Again godly sorrow is not an enemy but a friend to holy joy I have read of a holy man who lying upon his sick bed and being askt which were his joyfullest dayes that ever he had cryed out O give me my mourning dayes give me my mourning dayes again for they were the joyfullest dayes that ever I had The higher the springs of godly sorrow rise the higher the tydes of holy joy rise his graces will flourish most who Evangelically mourns most Grace alwayes thrives best in that garden that heart that is watered most with the tears of godly sorrow He that grieves most for sin will rejoyce most in God and he that rejoyces most in God will grieve most for sin Again the more a man apprehends of the love of God and of the love of Christ and the more a man tastes and is assured of the love of the Father and of the love of the Son the more that person will grieve and mourn that he has offended provoked and grieved such a Father and such a Son Remember this as a man's assurance of peace and reconciliation with God rises so his grief for sin rises the more clear and certain evidences a man has of the love and favour of God to his soul the more that man will grieve and mourn for sinning against such a God There is nothing that thaws and melts the heart that softens and breaks the heart like the warm beams of divine love as you may see in the case of Mary Magdalen Luk. 7. she loved much and she wept much for much was forgiven her a sight of the free grace and love of Christ towards her in an act of forgiveness broke her heart all in pieces A man can't stand under the shinings of divine love with a frozen heart nor yet with dry eyes the more a man sees of the love of Christ and the more a man tastes and enjoys of the love of Christ the more that man will grieve and mourn for all the dishonours that he has done to Christ The more an ingenious child sees and tastes and enjoys of his fathers love the more he grieves and mourns that ever he should offend such a father or provoke such a father who has been so loving and indulgent towards him Injuries done to a friend cut deep and the more near and dear and beloved a man's friend is to him the more a man is afflicted and troubled for any wrongs or injuries that are done to him and just so 't is between God and a gracious soul The free love and favour of God and his unspeakable goodness and mercy manifested in Jesus Christ to poor sinners is the very spring and fountain of all Evangelical sorrow nothing breaks the heart of a poor sinner like the sight of God's free love in a Redeemer A man can't seriously look upon the firstness the freeness the greatness the unchangeableness the everlastingness and the matchlessness of God's free favour and love in Christ with a hard heart or with dry eyes Ezek. 36.31 compared with vers 25 26. O! who is there that has but one spark of ingenuity that can read over that heart-breaking Scripture with dry eyes Isa 43.22 23 24. See Isa 57.17 18 19. But thou hast not called upon me O Jacob but thou hast been weary of me O Israel thou hast not brought me the small cattel of thy burnt offerings neither hast thou honoured me with thy sacrifices I have not caused thee to serve with an offering nor wearied thee with incense thou hast bought me no sweet cane with money neither hast thou filled me with the fat of thy sacrifices but thou hast made me to serve with thy sins thou hast wearied me with thine iniquities Now a man would think after all this horrid abuse put upon God this would certainly follow Therefore I will plague and punish thee therefore my wrath shall smoak against thee therefore my soul shall abhor thee therefore I will shut up my loving kindness in displeasure against thee therefore I will shew no more mercy towards thee therefore I will hide my face for ever from thee therefore I will take vengeance on thee therefore I will rain hell out of heaven upon thee c. O! but read and wonder read and admire read and stand amazed and astonished read and refrain from tears if thou canst ver 25. I even I am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake and will not remember thy sins The Prophets expression in that Zech. 12.10 is very observable They shall look upon him whom they have pierced and they shall mourn for him as one that mourneth for his only son Now 't is observable in a fathers mourning for an only son there is nothing but pure love sincere love hearty love but in a sons mourning for his father there may be and often is a great deal of self-love self-respect because the child may run and read in his father's death his own loss his own ruin his own undoing but in the father's mourning for an only son a man may run and read the integrity purity and ingenuity of the father's love and 't is only such a love as this as sets the soul a mourning and a lamenting over a crucified Christ The thoughts and fears of wrath of hell and of
why others don 't much mind them or take any great notice of them But The fourth Proposition is this If this way of trying our spiritual estates by holy and gracious qualifications were not both lawful and useful then certainly the holy Spirit would never have prescribed it nor never have prest men so earnestly upon it as we find he has done in the blessed Scripture Take a taste 2 Cor. 13.5 Examine your selves whether ye be in the faith Psal 4.4 Vide Chrysostom on the words Gal. 6.3 4. 1 Tim. 6.17 18 19. prove your own selves The precept is doubled to teach us to redouble our diligence in this most needful but much neglected duty of self-examination The final tryal of our eternal estates doth immediately and solely belong to the Court of heaven but the disquisitive part belongs to us Here are two emphatical words in the Greek First 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 examine your selves The word in the general signifies to take an experimental knowledge of any thing that is either uncertain unknown or hidden most men are great strangers to God to Christ to Scripture and to themselves and therefore saith the Apostle Examine your selves Now if there were not sure marks and infallible signs whereby men may certainly know what their present estate is and how 't is like to go with them in another world the redoubled commnad of the Apostle would be in vain The second Greek word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 prove your selves The original word signifies a severe and diligent inquisition into our selves so as to have a full experience of what is in us Doubtless the Apostle would never call again and again upon us to try and examine our selves whether we be in the faith if it were not lawful to come to the knowledge of our faith or of our being in the state of faithful Christians in a discursive way arguing from the effect to the cause So in that 2 Pet. 1.10 Wherefore the rather brethren give all diligence to make your calling and election sure The Greek word translated give diligence is very emphatical 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it signifies to do a thing not in an overly lazy careless way but to do a thing with industry vigilancy and unweariedness of spirit Now it is granted on all hands that election cannot be made more sure in respect of God or it self but only in respect of us that we may be more perswaded of it Election cannot be made more sure than it is already for those whom God hath elected shall be certainly glorified but we must make it sure on our parts Rom. 8.29.30 that is we must labour to have a real bottom and grounded assurance that we are elected by God in his eternal decree to obtain life and glory by Jesus Christ There is a double certainty 1. There is certitudo objecti a certainty of the object so our election is sure with God for with him both it and all things are unchangable 2. There is certitudo subjecti the certainty of the subject and so we must make our election sure to our selves in our own hearts and consciences Now the means whereby we are to come to this assurance is by adding grace to grace and by causing those several graces to abound in us This is the way of wayes to make all sure to us Now by these Scriptures 't is most evident that we stand engaged to make our election sure by holy signs and marks But The fifth Proposition is this That other precious Saints that are now triumphing in glory have pleaded their interest in God's love and their hopes of a better life from graces inherent Grace in the working of it is often compared to life Now look as natural life is discerned by the actions thereof as by so many signs so also is supernatural life I 'le only point at some of those Scriptures among many others that clearly speak out this truth the first Epistle of John James 2.17 ult Job 23.10 11 12. and the whole 31. Chapter of Job Psal 119.6 Isa 38.2 3. Neh. 1. ult 13.14 c. Now all these Scriptures do evidently prove that the precious servants of the Lord did take their graces for precious signs and testimonies of God's love of their interest in Christ and thereby received much comfort peace and satisfaction And truly to deny the fruit growing upon the Tree to be an evidence that the Tree is alive is to me as unreasonable as it is absurd Certainly 't is one thing to judge by our graces and another thing to trust in our graces to make a Saviour of our graces There is a great deal of difference betwixt declaring and deserving Christians they may doubtless look to their graces as evidences of their part in Christ and salvation and the clearer and stronger they are the greater will be their comfort and assurance but not as causes No man advanced free grace like Paul no man debased his own righteousness like Paul he counted it but dung and dross and no man exalted the righteousness of Christ like Paul Phil. 3.6 7 8 9 and yet by this way of signs he gathered much comfort and assurance 2 Tim 4.7 8. I have fought a good fight I have finished my course I have kept the faith henceforth is laid up for me a crown of righteousness How plainly how fully doth he here conclude his right to the crown of life from his fighting a good fight his finishing his course in a way of grace and holiness and his keeping the faith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is boasting they boasted in the testimony of their consciences O the quiet and tranquility that arises from the testimony of a mans sincerity both in heart and life By this great instance you may clearly see that a Christian may greatly exalt Christ lift up free grace tread upon his own righteousness as to justification and at the very same time take comfort in his graces and in his gracious actings So in that 2 Cor. 1.12 Our rejoycing is this the testimony of a good conscience that in godly sincerity we have had our conversation in the world His joy was founded on the testimony of his conscience but from what did his conscience testifie from his sincere conversation Again take that memorable instance of Job God hid his face from him the arrows of the Almighty stuck fast in him Satan was let loose upon him the wife of his bosom proved a tempter to him a tormenter of him his most inward acquaintance deserted him reproached him and condemned him as an hypocrite God writ bitter things against him and made him to possess the iniquities of his youth all was clouded above him and he stript of all the outward comforts that did once surround him so that he had nothing left to stay him to refresh him to support him and to be a comfort and joy to him Job 1.8 2.3 but the
A graceless heart is more abundantly willing to be freed from punishment the effect of sin than 't is willing to be freed from sin the cause of punishment A gracious heart sees more filthiness in sin than in Frogs and had rather be rid of his sins than of all the Frogs or Toads that be in the World See what a sad spirit was upon the children of Israel in that Numb 21.6 7. Heb. Burning Serpents thus they are called from the effect of their biting which caused a mortal burning and consequently such an excessive thirst as killed them And the Lord sent Fiery Serpents among the people and they bite the people and much people of Israel dyed Therefore the people came to Moses and said We have sinned for we have spoken against the Lord and against thee pray unto the Lord that he take away the Serpents from us Now mark in the fifth verse you have them murmuring against God and Moses and divine dispensations and nauseating of the Wheat of Heaven as light meat because they came lightly by it they distrust the Providence of God they let fly at God their spirit swels against the holy one of Israel and they scorn deride revile and contumeliously and despitefully speak against Moses and though they had often smarted for these sins yet they are at them again upon this God sends an Army of Fiery Serpents among them and they bite and devour many of them And now they run to Moses who but a little before they had despised and are very importunate with him to pray to the Lord to take away the Serpents from them They do not desire Moses to improve his interest in Heaven that God would take away their proud hearts their distrustful hearts their murmuring hearts c. but that God would take away the Serpents they were much more desirous to be rid of their Serpents than they were to be rid of their sins So those in Jer. 30.15 Why cryest thou for thine affliction thy sorrow is incurable for the multitude of thine iniquity because thy sins were encreased I have done these things unto thee They do not cry out of their sins but they cry out of their afflictions Why cryest thou for thine affliction unsound hearts are more ready and willing to be rid of their afflictions than they are willing to have their Souls bettered or their lives mended or their lusts subdued by them Pilate was unwilling to condemn Jesus witness his seeking to release him and his washing his hands and his pleading his innocency c. Matth. 27.17 18 22 23 24. but yet the prevailing part of his will carryed him forth to deliver up Jesus to be scourged and Crucified v. 26. So Herod was unwilling to behead John Baptist witness that word The King was exceeding sorry Mark 6.26 But yet the prevailing part of his will carried him forth to cut off John's head v. 27. whose head was more worth than Herods Kingdom So Darius was very unwilling to cast Daniel into the Lyons Den witness his being sore displeased with himself and witness his setting his heart on Daniel to deliver him and witness his great unquietness of spirit for he could neither eat nor drink nor sleep the night after he was cast into the Lyons Den and witness his great joy at Daniels safety Dan. 6.14 18 19 20. All which did clearly argue a very great unwillingness that Daniel should suffer and yet the prevailing part of Darius his will carried him forth to sacrifice Daniel to the Lyons yea to that which was worse viz. the lusts of his enemies v. 16 17. By all these instances 't is most evident that the prevalent part of a wicked mans will stands most strongly byafs'd towards sin But now the prevalent part of a Christians will is to be rid of sin If the Lord should say to a gracious Christian Ask what thou wilt O Christian and it shall be granted to thee the Answer would be Lord rid me of my sins Lord take away mine iniquities Lord mortify my corruptions Lord whoever lives let these lust dye Lord drown these Egyptians in the Sea of thy Sons blood who have so violently and unweariedly pursued after the Blood of my precious Soul Lord kill and crucify all these sinful evils that have killed and Crucified the Lord of life and glory Psal 5.2 7. Lord wash me throughly from mine iniquity and cleanse me from my sin Lord purge me with Hysop and I shall be clean wash me and I shall be whiter than Snow Lord carnal reason and flesh and bloud would fain have such and such pleasurable sins and such and such profitable sins indulged and spared but Lord the earnest the ardent desires of my soul are that I may be rid of them and that Justice to the heighth may be done upon them Lord be but the death of my sins and my soul shall say My lot is fallen in a pleasant place and verily I have a goodly heritage Lord cleanse me but from all filthiness both of flesh and spirit and I shall cry Hâ—sanna to thee Matth. 21.9 Psal 16.6 2 Cor. 7.1 Lord let me but out live my lusts and follow them to the Grave before others follow me to my Grave and I shall say it is enough And thus every gracious Soul is more willing to be rid of his sins than he is to keep his sins A Porter cannot be more willing to be rid of his burden nor a sick man to be rid of his disease nor a Beggar of his nasty louzy rags nor a Prisoner of his chains than a gracious Soul is willing to be rid of his lusts c. Fourthly That Soul that does not nor through Grace assisting will not allow himself or indulge himself in a course of sin or in the common practise of any known sin that Soul is certainly a gracious soul The evil that I do Rom. 7.15 I allow not So Psal 119.1 3. Blessed are the undefiled in the way that walk in the Law of the Lord they also do no iniquity that is they allow not themselves in the practice of any iniquity Blessed souls live not in the service of sin they live not in an ordinary practice of any iniquity 1 John 3.9 Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin for his seed remaineth in him and he cannot sin because he is born of God He that has the seed of God the seed of Grace and Regeneration in him he cannot allow himself in away of sin he cannot give himself over to a voluntary serving of sin he cannot make a Trade of sin So Prov. 16.17 The highway of the upripht is to depart from evil that is it is the ordinary usual constant course of an upright man to depart from evâ—l An honest Traveller may step out of the Kings Highway into a house a Wood a Close but his work his business is to go on in the Kings Highway So the business the work