dwells in me that I cannot think the Lord has been effectually at work upon my Soul That the work of the Gospel is to purifie the heart is plain from Joh. 17.17 Sanctifie them through thy Truth thy Word is truth so 1 Pet. 1.22 Seeing ye have purified your hearts in obeying the Truth thorow the Spirit unto unfained love to the Brethren The Gospel if it works it works to the purifying of the heart Answer As it is a work of the Gospel to cleanse and purifie the heart so it is not all the work it does nor is it the first work it doth nor the work that is first manifest upon the Soul The Law it humbles the sinner and makes him see his need of Christ the first work of the Gospel is to give the sinner hope that he may be delivered out of his undone condition and the next is to make him willing to subject to and accept of the Grace of God in the Gospel Psal 110.3 Thy People shall be willing in the day of thy Power Therefore Soul if thou dost make this Objection this I would say to thee Consider whether thou canst find that the Gospel hath done its first work upon thy heart hath made thee willing to accept of Grace in the Gospel-way and to bow and fall at the foot of Jesus Christ As to thy Holiness the holiness of thy heart will at first discover it self hardly by any other ways then by thy love to Holiness then by thy hatred of Sin and thy fighting against the Corruptions that be in thy Soul thy Conquest and Victory over Sin must be the work of time the fruit of much pains and long waiting many excellent Souls have not attained unto this Paul himself found impurity remaining and Corruption like to bear him down and therefore cries out O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from this Body of Death But then Objection 3. The Soul objects and says But I have been but a little time under any Soul-Work and therefore I may soon be mistaken I may reckon I am an Israelite and may be but an Edomite still for it is but a little while that I have had any workings upon my heart I have gone indeed from Duty to Duty for a long time together but I have sat in and under them like a Stock or a Stone and moved not and therefore whether the Workings that are upon me are genuine or whether they be spurious and not of the right kind I know not Answer I answer therefore The work of Grace upon the heart is wrought in a little time a little time doth it there are indeed many preparations to it the Soul may fall under many convictions and many struglings may be in the heart of a poor creature before the new Creature is formed but Grace is infused into the heart in a moment at once It is the Devils design to oppose young Converts and puzzle them with endless questions about their state I would therefore that thou shouldst consult for thy satisfaction which way is the bent of thy Soul Canst thou say thy desire is for Communion with God for fellowship with Father Son and Spirit Thou wouldst fain see him who is invisible and fain wouldst know him whom to know is Eternal Life If the bent of thy heart be really for God it is bent and bowed though it hath not been long with God thou mayest conclude I think with some comfort the Lord hath been at work upon thy Soul and thou art one of the Israel of God though thou art but a little one of that Tribe But then Objection 4. Says the Soul Many of much longer standing and of much more raised confidence have afterwards miscarried and it has appeared that their Souls have not been right with God and therefore my heart trembles lest I should not be an Israelite indeed Answer To this I would answer That indeed it is so and it may be thought of with sorrow of heart that many Souls after long profession have been but empty Vines bringing forth fruit onely to themselves And happy is he that by other mens harms learns to beware A holy fear and jealousie over thy heart is very good and there is great cause for it considering the many and great miscarriages that are among Professors They say of Trees that are well rooted being shaken with the Wind they are made to root the better It may be thus may thy Temptations touching thy state be if thou art rooted in Christ thy Temptations may be for thy further setling in thy state But yet to be always perplexing thy self with questions about thy state may not onely marre thy comfort but may spoil thee in thy growth also and may prove a great hindrance to thee My poor thoughts are therefore these Be sure to make use enough of Christ see thy All in him that he is thy Righteousness for Justification and that from him is the work of thy Sanctification he must begin it and it is he also that must carry it on lie at his foot live upon him and let all thy expectations be from him and whoever may fall I think thou wilt stand and wilt be found one of the Israel of God that shall be made glorious in the day of Christs Glory I am perswaded if thou canst do as is hinted in Isa 45. ult see thy Righteousness in him and thy Strength in him and canst glory in Christ it is a good ground to thee to hope that thou art of the Israel of God with whom it is like for ever to go well Objection 5. The Soul may object and say further But alas I have had few Visions of God and that makes me fear Israel of old had many and he had sometimes very glorious Visions that did greatly comfort and strengthen and bear up his Soul Answer I answer That visions of God indeed are exceeding sweet very sweet but the dispensing and giving them forth is in the hand of God and he must do it how and when he pleaseth and it is good in his sight sometimes to let his own People sit in darkness and see no light Hast thou seen the face of God at any time If thou hast had but some Visions of him though not so many as thou wouldst yet it is ground of rejoycing to thee and thou oughtest from thence to conclude much to thy own comfort A little hint of Good Will is given in to be lived upon in after times However which way is it thy Soul does press Art thou waiting for the manifestation of the love of God in Christ Are these the things which thou art seeking of together with a Conformity to the mind and will of God If so thou hast cause of Thankfulness and Joy Briefly Watch against those devices of Satan whereby he labours to do thee hurt and put thee besides thy present proper work Thou art one of them that are escaped this day and God
wilt never act Faith upon him But this was the Fruit that this escaping Remnant should bring forth and is that which God expects from preserved ones in a day of slaughter All this confirms the Truth I have been driving at and in the prosecution of it I shall propose two things to be spoken to 1. To show what Engagement there lieth upon them that escape in a day of slaughter to be thereby led unto an esteem of Christ why it should render this Branch of the Lord and Fruit of the Earth beautiful and glorious in their eyes 2. When those that do escape may conclude their escaping hath this issue and effect upon their Souls And 3. Try what Improvement we may make of this Truth First How doth our escaping in a time of Calamity lay an engagement upon the heart to prize and value Christ the more I suppose it is very natural I would evidence it in four or five things 1. Christ hath the management of all Providences and surely then of such as these a Sword goeth not thorow a Land nor a Plague thorow a City Country or Town but Christ hath a great hand in it Joh. 3.35 The Father loveth the Son and hath given all things into his hand the Father out of his great love unto his Son and confidence he hath in him that he will do nothing but what is well hath committed the management of all Providences into his hands he hath given him the power of life and death in the World and where he will he spares and where he will he slayes the People of God represented under the notion of the two Witnesses it is said of them that they have a kinde of power to kill People as they will Rev. 11.6 These meaning the two Witnesses have power to shut Heaven that it rain not in the days of their Prophecy and have power over Waters to turn them into Blood and to smite the Earth with Plagues as often as they will but their power is but in a way of Prayer through the great interest they have in the Lord and his Christ they can do much and carry a great stroke for or against a People But now the power of Christ is absolute he can do and govern in this matter as he pleaseth and why hath he this power look Joh. 5.22 23. The Father judgeth no man but hath committed all Judgement unto the Son by judging here I humbly conceive Ruling and Government ordering and disposing of things in the World is intended which the Father doth not do without but by the Son the matter is left unto him and why That all men might honour the Son even as they honour the Father therefore is this Government committed unto the Branch of the Lord that it might gain him the more esteem We that have seen so much of Christ in these his Dispensations ought it not to have this effect upon our hearts to teach us to honour the Son as we honour the Father Especially 2. Considering That that Escape which you and I have in a day of Calamity it is through the Son if thou do'st escape this Branch of the Lord hath a great hand in it however we may rob Christ of his honour and attribute it unto second Causes yet indeed and in truth the matter is in Christs hand You read of a Retiring-Chamber for the People of God in days of Calamity Isa 26.20 Come my People enter into your Chamber and shut the doors about you hide your selves for a little moment until my indignation be over-past Are there Retiring-Chambers in the day of Gods Controversie when he comes to contend and smite down unto the Earth I might ask the question Where are they and say as David Psal 139.7 c. Whither shall I go from thy Spirit or whither shall I flee from thy presence if I ascend up into Heaven thou art there if I make my bed in Hell behold thou art there if I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the Sea even there shall thy hand lead me and thy right hand shall hold me where may a man be hid in the day of Gods anger I would say Retire into Christ he is a Rock of shelter he is the Munition of Rocks where the Soul shall be hid it is the man Christ Jesus shall be a Covert from the storm a hiding place in the day of distress suitable unto which the Psalmist speaks in Psalm 32.7 Thou art my hiding-place thou shalt preserve me from trouble thou shalt compass me about with Songs of Deliverance Soul art thou preserved it is Christ hath been thy hiding place There were some in the days of David's Calamity scoffed at him and bid him flee as a Bird unto his Mountain but see what he saith Psal 11.1 In the Lord I put my trust how say ye to my Soul Flee as a Bird to your Mountain It was a Psalm penn'd in the time when he fled from Saul as I conceive and it is as if he should say It is true I have recourse sometimes unto this and that Mountain and I do go up and down from place to place to be hid from the hand of Saul but I go as God leads me as Christ goes before me and where-ever I am and which way so ever I look it is the Lord is my Refuge from him I expect my security You read Ezek. 1.26 of a Throne and upon the Throne there was one like unto a man that Man was the Man Christ Jesus the Throne upon which he sat is the Throne of his Providential Kingdom where he sits and governs all things in the World and where he sits to order all the matters in the following part of this Prophecy Now see what he doth upon this Throne of his And the Lord said unto him that is the Man cloathed with Linen that had the Writers Inkhorn by his side Go through the midst of Jerusalem and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the Abominations that be done in the midst thereof and to the others he said Go ye after him through the City and smite let not your eye spare neither have ye pity slay utterly old and young both maids and little children and women but come not near any upon whom is the mark c. I gather hence that it is Christ hath the marking men for destruction or preservation he upon the Throne of his Providential Kingdom governs and orders for preserving or destroying in a day of slaughter therefore if thou art kept know who hath been thy Keeper This was typified in the Case of Aaron in that sore Plague Numb 16.46 c. And Moses said unto Aaron Take a Censer and put fire therein from off the Altar and put on Incense and go quickly unto the Congregation and make an attonement for them for there is wrath gone out from the Lord the Plague is begun
is said in vers 25. You shall serve the Lord your God and he shall bless thy bread and thy water and I will take sickness away from the midst of thee The Angel shall cut off the Canaanites but I shall take sickness away from thee And if you consider what God hath promised to do for his People in the time to come Psal 103.6 7. you find cause to believe that this is the way that God delights to take The Lord executeth Righteousness and Judgment for all that are oppressed he made known his wayes unto Moses and his acts unto the children of Israel Mark God saith he will act for his People he will free them from oppression from bonds and from troubles but how He made known his wayes unto Moses and his acts to the children of Israel But you will say How I will tell you and God hath told you long ago he told Moses and Israel not onely what he would do for them in their day but what he would do and how he would proceed for good unto his People in after-dayes In the dayes of Moses God wrought for his People and led them into much good by slaughter and this is the way that God still intends to take Psalm 72. entituled A Psalm for Solomon concerning the glory that was put upon Solomon in the person of Solomon Christ is eminently intended and his Glory and Government is eminently pointed at observe which way it is that Solomon and Christ shall come to their Glory and come to do good to his People He shall judge the Poor of his People he shall save the children of the Needy he shall break in pieces the Oppressors it is in a way of slaughter So Isa 30. with abundance of Scriptures more that I might name you shall find there what the Lord saith he will do There shall be upon every high hill rivers and streams of waters in the day of the great slaughter when the Towers shall fall Saith God there shall be a day of great slaughter What shall the slaughter do the Towers shall fall which are types and representations of the high great things of this World that seem to have great strength and to be almost impregnable But in the day of great slaughter the Towers shall fall And what will the effect thereof be it will be glory to Christ and good unto his People ver 26. it is in the dayes that the Lord bindeth up the breach of his People in which the light of the Moon shal be as the light of the Sun and the light of the Sun shall be seven-fold as the light of seven days Thus will Christ glorifie himself and do his People good by slaughter So Isa 34.6 he gives you an account of dreadful slaughter The Sword of the Lord is filled with Blood it is made fat with fatness and with the Blood of Lambs and Goats with the fat of the Kidneys of Rams for the Lord hath a Sacrifice in Bozrah and a great slaughter in the land of Idumea Here shall be great slaughter and what shall be the effect of it you shall see in the 12th vers They shall call the Nobles thereof unto the Kingdom but none shall be there and all her Princes shall be nothing that is the glory that shall come to Christ shall so out-shine and out-do the glory of all the great Ones of the World that they shall be look'd upon as if they were not his glory that shall come to him through the slaughter shall so surpass them in all their glory I might add Isa 33.10 c. The Earth mourneth and languisheth Lebanon is ashamed and hewn down Sharon is like a Wilderness and Bashan and Carmel shake off their fruits Now will I arise saith the Lord now will I be exalted now will I lift up my self Now look what follows and you shall find the way by which he will be exalted it is through slaughter Ye shall conceive chaff ye shall bring forth stubble your breath as fire shall devour you and the People shall be as the burning of Lime as Thorns cut up they shall be burnt in fire Ah my Friends we may think our selves secure and out of danger because upon our feet but alas Christ that is to make himself glorious how easily is he able to pull down the pride of man and to lay low his lofty looks it is a notable word that you have Job 24.22 c. He draweth also the Mighty with his power when He riseth up mark that is to plead his Cause no man is sure of his life though it be given him to be in safety whereon he resteth yet his Eyes are upon their Ways Men may think themselves safe and secure and that which is their strength and confidence may be untouched for the present but yet the Lords Eyes are upon their ways and vers 24. They are exalted for a little while but are gone and brought low they are taken out of the way it is done in a little time as the tops of the Ears of Corn Those that stand in the way of Christs Exaltation they are exalted but it is but for a little while and in a little while at short warning Christ can throw them down and cut them off as the tops of the Ears of Corn. You know a little thing will strike of the top of an Ear of Corn when it is fully ripe Christ can with a little stroke make all glory to perish that his own may be advanced So that I say it is Christ's way and method to get himself glory and do his People good by Slaughter yea let me tell you This Plague and Pestilence is a means by which God will work out his own glory We it may be look upon it as a thing that comes of course once in forty years or such a matter but truly this is a sad mistake and in the 89th Psalm a Psalm in which David is much concerned but in and under the Person of David Christ is intended and God when he promiseth the Kingdom to David that he would secure the Kingdom unto him he intends Christ especially that he would make Christ great and glorious in the World and which way will he do it vers 23. And I will beat down his Foes before his face and plague them that hate him Junius renders the word thus Osores ejus plagâ afficiam we may translate it I will smite them that hate him for plaga a stroke is put for any kinde of stroke or smiting but properly and more especially for this Judgment of the Plague and I think so it is to be taken here I will send this Judgement abroad that I may cut off and take away the haters of my Son that I may establish him in the glory that I have designed for him To which add Hab. 3.2 where the Prophet petitions the Lord O Lord I have heard thy speech and was afraid O Lord revive thy work