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
doth and other Nations do and yet have no more real love to him then those that never heard of Christ It is a very notable Scripture Jer. 12.2 Thou hast planted them yea they have taken root they grow yea they bring forth fruit thou art near in their mouth and far from their reins It may be well with a People they may be in an outward prosperous condition they may be flourishing and speak much of Christ and boast of him and yet Christ may not have one inch of their Hearts But you shall judge whether really men be for Christ or no by their dealings with his People if you find their enmity against the Saints grow let their boast be as it will instead of discovering glory in Christ they are become more at enmity with Christ then they were Let me allude at least to that word 1 John 5.1 Every one that loves him that begat loveth him that is begotten of him It is spoken concerning the Father and Christ men will say they love God why says John You cannot unless you love Christ for he that loveth him that begetteth loveth him also that is begotten So say I of Saints Do you love Christ if so you love them that are begotten of him To which I might adde a fourth and that is this 4. Doubtless there is cause at least to fear that the Branch of the Lord is not become glorious to those escaping ones who have endeavoured to hinder the efficacy and force of this dispensation upon the hearts of poor Creatures I will tell who I think are some way culpable herein they that have covered the dealings of Christ if there be as is shrewdly suspected any that have hid this present Work of God upon us and not let us know it in its full extent latitude †It was feared some 1000's were kept out of the weekly Bills it will certainly lie upon their score that have stood in the way of Christs Work and hindered that efficacy it might have had upon the hearts of poor Creatures But to all or any of those that are rather at a greater distance from Christ than brought nearer to Christ I shall onely say in brief that it is worth the minding God considers what influence and effect his dealings have upon the hearts of men when a Judgement is on their Backs the Lord considers whether it work any good effect upon them or no as in 2 Chron. 28.22 it is said of Ahaz That in the time of his distress he did trespass against the Lord yet more this is that King Ahaz God notes especially that under his hand a person became worse and worse and there is such a mark put upon him as is scarce put upon any in Scripture This is that King Ahaz that Ahaz that became worse in a day of distress God also strictly observes how his kindness works in that fore-cited place Rom. 2.4 Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and long-suffering not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance Observe the long-suffering of God and his forbearance that is in not cutting down his poor creatures when he hath them at some kinde of advantage as in a day of common Calamity if God spares them then he manifests his riches of Grace and Goodness towards them and if it be not answered with some suitable walking how doth the Lord interpret such a neglect He says they despise it And to end this Use let me take up some passages in that first of the Proverbs it is said vers 24. I have called and you have refused I have stretched out my hand and no man regarded The Lord calls by his Word and he calls by his Rod He calls by his gentle dealings his kinde usage his preserving in a day of Calamity is as much a Call as the Calamity it self and he saith unto them that answer not this Call and do not improve it aright vers 26. I will laugh at your calamity and mock when your fear cometh They that are for a time unaffected may have a time to be in distress when they may stand in need of kindness to be shewed unto them though they are preserved and kept alive Vers 32. The turning away of the simple shall slay them and the prosperity of fools shall destroy them If men turn away from the Calls of God not answering his expectation either under Preservations or his more severe dealings their turning away shall slay them and their prosperity shall destroy them Some think it may be because they are yet in prosperity there is no farther hazard but God saith their prosperity shall prove their destruction and bring forth Consequences more sad it may be then any of which they were afraid in the day when distress hung over their heads That is what I would say to the third Use from this point A fourth Use is this VSE IV. If the Lord should be beautiful and glorious unto those that escape I would here apply my self unto a Soul that may be tender and jealous over it self and fear lest after its escape Christ should not be rendered glorious unto it as he ought Some there are that take no pains to consider how things are and whether they go well or ill that is not the thing that much engages their hearts others are jealous over their Spirits knowing something the treachery of their hearts they are always apt to doubt and fear A Soul that knoweth how precious Christ ought to be and beautiful in its eye fears lest after such kindness received from Christ it should not see that beauty in him nor be taken with him as it ought May this be the case of any one of us at present I would speak four or five things that may be seasonable and helpful to the Soul in this case 1. Such is the Glory and Beauty of Christ that no Soul under Heaven is able to see him in all his Glory nor to admire him according to all those blessed Perfections wherewithal Christ is cloathed That expression may be heeded by you Ephes 3.8 where the Apostle speaking of Christs glory calls it The unsearchable Riches of Christ it is an Ocean without a bottom that cannot be fathom'd by him that searches into it most accurately and exactly it is like the Mines the bottom of whom is not found out though men have digged in and fetched Treasure from them for a long time together Let not a poor Heart think it is at present in a capacity of valuing of Christ according to all his Worth and Excellency for that the Soul cannot fully know What is spoken of God I may allude to and apply to Christ Job 11.7 Canst thou by searching finde out God canst thou find out the Almighty to perfection it is as high as Heaven what canst thou do deeper then Hell what canst thou know the measure thereof is longer then the Earth and broader then the Sea Such
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