a grace which keeps a man quiet within when all things are troublous and very unquiet without it is a grace which possesses a man of himself when dispossessed of all earthly comforts it is a speciall work of the Spirit of God in the soul enabling a man not stupidly but quietly to bear whatsoever God lays upon him without feeling murmuring or repining against God or man in heart or in tongue or fainting under his chastising hand When it is thus with a sufferer for Christ then may he be said to suffer according to the will of Christ in this particular to wit patiently 4. Christ requires joy in sufferers for his will Count it all joy when you fall into divers temptations Rejoyce and be exceeding glad saith Christ. Rejoyce in that day and leap for joy It is divine joy or the joy of grace that Christ here calls for in sufferers for his will it is that joy which Nehemiah calls The joy of the Lord. And this is a holy passion of the soul issuing out of the apprehension of what Christ hath done for it and will do for it reviving elevating and strengthening the soul and carrying it above it self It is a wing grace which whiles the soul is actually possessed of is thereby carried above it self above the world and above Satan Faith and joy are the two wings of the soul which bear it up both in doing and suffering If either of these be câ—ipt the soul is much hindered thereby and exposed to many dangers Joy as all other graces of the Spirit hath different degrees in different times and subjects and is usually greatest in the greatest sufferers and sufferings for Christ. When a man is spoiled in his estate spoiled in his good name spoiled in his body or any thing respecting the preservation or felicity of this life for his faithfullness to the word and will of Christ and yet with the good Prophet Rejoyces in the Lord and joys in the God of his salvation then may he be said to suffer joyfully then may he be said to suffer according to the will of Christ in this particular 5. Christ in his Word calls for courage in sufferers for his will the will of Christ is that he that suffers for a good cause should not be ashamed of his cause nor of his sufferings If any man suffer as a Christian let him not be ashamed Be not thou ashamed of the testimony of the Lord nor of me his prisoner saith Paul to Timothy The will of Christ is That he that suffers for his will should not be afraid If ye suffer for righteousness sake happy are ye and be not afraid of their terrour nor be troubled Fear them not saith Christ thrice in one Chapter Fear noâ— them that kill the body but are not able to kill the soul Phil. 1.28 Christ compares his Church to a company of horses in Pharaohs Chariots which in all probability were the best in Egypt and like to the war-horse which the Lord describes to Iob Job 39. very couragious in the hottest battell Christ by this metaphor hints unto us That his will is that we should be very bold and couragious in whatsoever we do or suffer for his sake and that he expects it at our hands his will is that we should be like a company of horses in Pharaohs Chariots full of spirits and courage in doing and suffering and not like a company of Jades in a Dung-Cart spiritless and unfit to bear any thing for his sake It is Christian-courage that Christ requires in sufferers for his will Christian courage is a grace of the â—pirit whereby a man resolves through the help and assistance of Jesus Christ to cleave close to his word and will and boldly to stand for it mauger all opposition and chuses rather to suffer any thing than omit any thing or commit any thing that should derogate from the honour of Christ. A man doth then declare Christian courage when he is not ashamed nor afraid to own a good cause or appear in it because of suffering when he can suffer for the Gospel or any Ordinance of God and truly say with the Apostle Though I suffer these things neverthelâ—ss I am not ashamed I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ nor of the cause of God And when with the three Children he slights the torment and the tormentor resolving in the strength of Christ to do his duty whatsoever he suffer for it and to cleave close to the word and will of Christ whether deliverance or no deliverance arise here when he is more afraid to displease God than man when he is more afraid of losing things spiritual and eternal than of losing things temporal when he chooses to suffer rather than sinne when he endureth the Cross and despiseth the shame when he refuseth base deliverance and yeeldeth his body rather than his cause his cause being good into a Tyrants hand When a sufferer for a good cause doth thus declare his courage he declares it in a high degree and suffers according to the will of Christ in this particular 6. Christ in his Word requires perseverance unto the end in suffering for his will and it is unto the persevering sufferer that this great reward of reigning with Christ is promised Be thou faithfull unto the death and I will give thee the Crown of life He that shall endure unto the end the same shall be saved Christian perseverance is a conftant holding out in the Truth to the last breath in the belief love profession and practice of the Truth And this he may be said to do that doth never totally nor finally apostatize from the Truth once received It is possible for one that perseveres in suffering at some time and in some kind and measure to desist from his former forwardness through strong temptations and humane frailty witness Peter who through fear denied his Master and forsware him and yet did after suffer for him 7. The will of Christ is That he that suffers for his will wrongfully should do it for conscience sake For conscience towards God conscience of his duty should be the principall motive inducing him to suffer I do not say the only but the principall motive A man may then be said to suffer for conscience towards God when conscience of his duty is the thing that puts him upon suffering when he to avoid sinne or performe duty exposes himself to suffering when he out of scruple in conscience of the lawfullness or unlawfullness of a thing commanded or forbidden by Authority refuseth it and chooses rather to suffer in his outward man than to baffle his conscience or displease God by rebelling against lawfull Authority which is Gods Ordinance He that doth thus suffer doth suffer for conscience towards God and according to the will of Christ in this particular 8.
Spirit of God in the soul whereby a sinner is so much touched in heart for his sinnes that he truly turns from them all unto the Lord. I think it not necessary nor meet for me to discuss the termes or genus of this description But here Noâ—e 1. That repentance unto salvation is an Evangelical grace a Gospel-grace The Law knows no Repentance cals for none nor works none it is the Gospel and the Gospel onely that knows Repentance cals for it and works it Moses cals not for Repentance but Christ doth Mar. 1.15 That this Repentance consisteth of two Essentiall parts to wit contrition and conversion humiliation and reformation therefore he that would make a true trial of his Repentance must have recourse unto both of these That it is Evangelical contrition and not legall that is the first Essential part of Repentance unto life it is cordial reformation and not feigned that is the second Essential part of Repentance unto life But what is this Evangelicall contrition and how may I discern whether I have it or no Evangelical contrition is a godly sorrow of soul for all sinne arising from the apprehension of a gracious God displeased by sinne and thou maist discern it by this which here follows 1. Evangelical sorrow springs out of the Love of God and hatred of sinne and increaseth the Love of God and hatred of sinne in the soul the Love of Christ constraineth the soul to hate sinne and to mourn and grieve for sinne and the bitterness of this sorrow and grief for sinne sweeteneth the Love of God in Christ unto the soul and inbittereth sinne And hence it comes to pass that the soul loves Christ more and hates sinne more after it hath once felt this sorrow and been soked in it then ever it did before 2. Evangelicall sorrow is mixed with faith The Evangelical mourner bewailes his sinne and rests on the mercy of God in Christ and the promises which are in him yea and in him Amen for the pardon of his sinne and the mortification of his corruptions and grace to amend Faith of adherence is an inseparable concomitant of Evangelical sorrow although faith of evidence be not so He that sorrows for his sinne and rests not on Christ for the pardon of his sinne his sorrow is legal and not Evangelical desperation and not contrition 3. Evangelical sorrow is mixed with hope The Evangelical mourner mourns not without hope he hath hope of obtaining mercy even in the deepest of his sorrow for sinne as appears by his carriage in his mourning He despaires not but seeks to God for mercy his sorrow drives him to God and not from God as is evident by the example of the Prodigall in his deepest distresse he despaires not but goes to his father for mercy but had he not had hope of obtaining mercy he would have despaired had he not had hope of obtaining mercy he would never have gone to his father to seek it 4. Evangelical sorrow is mixed with Joy being mixed with Faith and Hope the Evangelical mourner looks upon his sorrow as a sacrifice with which God is well-pleased and therefore Joys that he can sorrow that he can offer this Sacrifice to God The Sacrifices of God are a broken and a contrite heart and spirit A broken and a contrite heart O God thou wilt not despise saith the Scripture Psal. 51.17 And this the contrite heart beleeves and therefore Joys when it can sorrow 5. Hence it comes to passe that the Evangelical mourner is an agent as well as a patient in the action of mourning He strives to provoke and quicken his dull heart and soul to mourn and thinks no labour too much to bestow to bring his soul to a godly manner of mourning He desires nothing more then to turn his Carnal mirth into Godly mourning Be afslicted and mourn and weep saith the Scripture Let your laughter be turned into mourning and your joy into heavinesse Jam. 4.9 This this soul labours wonderfully to do and nothing grieves him more than that he cannot more grieve for sinne He labours to make his carnall mirth the matter of his spiritual mourning and wishes O that mine eyes were a fountain of tears that I could weep day and night for the sinne of my nature and the sinne of my life and the iniquity of my People 6. Evangelical sorrow is a heart-mollifying sorrow it softeneth the heart and makes it very tender and pliabâ—e sensible of the least sinne and the least displeasure of God for sin Hearts broken with evangelicall sorrow are like broken bones very sensible of every touch Hearts broken with Evangelical sorrow are very pliable to the will of the Lord above all other Lord what wilt thou have me to do saith a contrite soule Act. 9.6 as if he had said declare thy will Lord and I am ready to obey it to the utmost of my power whatever it be Such as the measure of this sorrow is such usually is the softness of the heart and the pliability of the will the more of this sorrow the soul hath the more tender is the heart made thereby and the more pliable is the will the less of this sorrow the soul hath the less softening hath the heart and the less yielding is there in the will to the Will of the Lord. 7. Evangelical sorrow is a heart meekening sorrow it meekeneth the heart and maketh it humbly stoop to the yoke of Christ and patiently bear the Chastising hand of Christ during the good pleasure of Christ. I will beare the indignation of the Lord because I have sinned against him untill he plead my cause and execute judgment for me saith the contrite soul Mich. 7.9 It moderateth anger and maketh all calm within and without 8. Evangelical sorrow is a heart-humbling sorrow it maketh the heart humble and lowly The more of this sorrow there is in the heart the more humble it is and the less of this there is in the heart the prouder it is the more fearless and careless it is of sinne I am no more worthy to be called a Sonne make me as a Servant or any thing the meanest imployment in my fathers house is too good for me saith the contrite soul. I am but a walking-dunghill and fitter to be set on a dunghill then on a Throne saith the contrite soul. 9. And hence it is that the soul evangelically contrite admires free grace in every favour that it receives spiritual or temporal and is the thankfullest soul of all others for mercies received What shall I render unto the Lord for all his mercies towards me saith a contrite soul This soul speaks to it self in the language of the Lord to Ierusalem I was polluted in my blood and cast out to the loathing of my person and no eye pitied me to do any office of love unto me And then the Lord had compassion on
man pray frequently and pray fervently Seek the Lord early and seek him earnestly wrestle with God in prayer witnesse Iacob and the Prodigall 6. Chastisements sanctified beget and increase love in the chastised towards the chastiser Rebuke a wise man and he will love thee saith Solomon Pro. 9.8 Chastisements sanctified increase love to God 7. Chastisements sanctified meeken the heart and moderate anger mortifie in man hatred and malice which generate thoughts and desires of revenge against the instruments in Gods hand They beget patience under all strokes I have sinned therefore I will beare the indignation of the Lord saith the soul whose Chastisement is sanctified and justifiesGod in all his dealings 8. Chastisements sanctified soften the heart and make it pliable to the will of God they subject a man unto Christs yoke 9. They fit a man for any condition that God cals him unto prosperity or adversity they fit him to abound and fit him to want fit him to live to Christ and fit to him to dye for Christ they fit a man to live to Christ here and to live with Christ heareafter in Heaven 10. They make a man long to be dissolved to be with Christ yet patiently to wait on God all the daies of his appointed time untill his change come Rom. 5. â— Job 14.14 11. Sanctified Chastisements indeare to a man his Fathers house his house of grace and his house of glory they did thus operate in David Psa. 42. and in Israel in captivity Psal. 137.1 6. and in the Prodigall Luk. 15. When his Chastisement was sanctified unto him it indeared his fathers house 12. Sanctified Chastisements will make a man labour to excell in grace There is no man so covetous after grace as he to whom Gods chastising hand is sanctified There is none so sensible of the want of grace nor of the worth of grace as this soul is therefore such an one usually labours above all others to excell in grace 13. Finally Sanctified Chastisements leave impression behind them when they are gone they do not only make impression while they are present as unsanctified Chastisements many times do but they leave impression behind them when they are removed impression of holy feare of love of humility of watchfulnesse of holinesse of compassion towards others under Gods Chastising hand They yield the peaceable fruit of righteousnesse to them that have been exercised thereby and the like they do not barely produce good purposes and promises but resolve them into performances according to ability and opportunity By some one or other of these every one may perceive whether Gods Chastisements be sanctified to him or no and so consequently whether Gods rod upon himself be a sign and pledg of Gods speciall Love towards him or not Object But God Chastises in wrath and displeasure as well as in love In my wrath I smote thee saith God of his own People Isa. 60.10 In a little wrath I hid my face from thee c. Isai. 54.8 How shall I then know whether God chastise me in love or in displeasure Sol. To find out this Consider 1. That those which the Lord here speaks of though they were the Lords own People by profession yet they were not all such by true conversion they were not all beloved after a speciall manner 2. Know That God may and often times doth Chastise in wrath and yet in love too When God Chastiseth his own Adopted Child he many times doth it in wrath and displeasure towards his sin but alwayes in love to his person Wouldest thou then know whether thou art Chastised of God in love or not Consider whether thou art an Adopted Child of God or not Try thy selfe by what hath been formerly said and if thou findest that thou art truely such conclude thou mayest certainly That all thy Chastisements do spring from love for whatsoever stroks God smites such an one with he doth it in Love to his person this is a sure rule though God speak bitter things against thee as Iob complains he did against him and do bitter things unto thee yet all springs from his love though he bide his face from thee for a while and chastise thee with sâ—ourging he doth it in love to thy person all Gods dealings with thee spring from his love his love is the efficient whatsoever be the meritorious or immediate cause of thy Chastisement When God is angry with thee and smites thee for thy sinne it is in love to thy person he loves thee still Is Ephraim my deare sonne is he a pleasant Child for since I spake against him I do earnestly remâ—ember him still c. Ier. 31.20 All Gods Children even the best of them all here have faults many faults and God will not suffer them to go unchastised Children are sure of chaftisement however servants speed legitimate sonnes are sure of chastisement when they offend however bastards escape God hath no time to chastise his Children but here therefore they are sure of Chastisement here it will not stand with Gods Love to passe by them and wink at their faults the nearer in relation the surer of correction the dearer in affection the surer of chastisement Whom the Lord loveth he chastiseth and scourgeth every sonne whom he receiveth Wouldest thou then get a true evidence of the speciall Love of God towards thee and of this Adoption by Jesus Christ Consider well of two things First Whether thou hast been Chastised of the Lord yea or nay Secondly Whether thy Chastisiments are sanctified to thee or not and if thou canst truely conclude on the affirmative thou hast good ground to beleeve that thou art one beloved of God after a speciall manner that thou art an Adopted Child of God and an heir of Heaven But if thou hast been altogether free from or unprofitable under Gods Chaftisement thou hast just cause to feare whether thou art an Adopted Child of God or not at least that thou art not yet brought home to thy Heavenly Father For whom the Lord loveth he certainly sooner or later chastiseth as the Text tels us Whom the Lord loveth he chastiseth and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth Gospell Sufferings OR Suffering as a Christian. 2 Tim. 2.12 If we suffer we shall also reign with him IN these words the Apostle briefly layes before us another and a higher Evidence of our Salvation to wit suffering Heaven the Kingdom of glory where Jesus Christ reigns is here promised to sufferers But to find out what kind of sufferers they are to whom this great reward is promised we must consult with other Scriptures for it is not to all kind of sufferers that this promise is made Before I speak of the kind of suffering here spoken of I shall here note foure or five things First That suffering is a lesson very hard to flesh and blood to learn which the Apostle knowing as a wise scholemaster sets before us his schoolers that
which we all naturally desire to wit soveraignty as the reward of this service as a motive to quicken our dull hearts to buckle to our duty If we suffer we shall also reign with him 2. Active Obedience is a lesson hard to learn passive Obedience is a lesson harder to flesh and blood to learn neither of them can we learn to any purpose unlesse Christ be our schoolemaster but both of them will Christ teach us so far forth as he sees it necessary for us if he once undertake the work 3. Suffering is of divers sorts good or bad according as the true cause of it is a man may suffer for well doing or for evill doing it is to sufferers for well-doing not to sufferers for evill doing that the Crown is promised 4. Suffering is either just or unjust suffering is alwayes just from God but not alwayes just from men it is not to just suffering but to unjust suffering from men that this promise is made 5. It is not to sufferers for the evill of sinne nor to sufferers of the evill of sinne to which the Crown is promised But to sufferers of the evill of punishment for the avoiding of the evill of sinne that it is promised as â—ppears by comparing this Text with some others Peter explains Pauls meaning here touching suffering 1 Pet. 3.14 If ye suffer for righteousnesse sake happy are ye Chap. 4.14 If ye be reproached for the name of Christ happy are ye c. Christ concurreth in this Matth. 5.10 11 12 19.29 Hence it is evident That it is not to all kind of suffering but only to Gospel-suffering that this great reward is promised I will not here stand to distinguish between suffering for righteousnesse sake and suffering for Christs sake or for his name sake but leave it for them whose proper worke it is 1. But here note 1. That the sufferings of the Gospell comprehend both the Doctrine of the Gospell and the Discipline of the Gospell and Gospell-Conversation and a man is a sufferer for the Gospel that suffers in the defence of either of these or for either 2. And secondly Note That it is not suffering as an evill doer but suffering as a Christian that denominates an heir of Heaven Let none of you suffer as a murderer or as a thief or as an evill-doer saith the Apostle Yet if any man suffer as a Christian let him not be ashamed but let him glorifie God on this behalfe 1 Pet. 4.15 16. Hence it is evident That it is to him only that suffers as a Christian that this promise of reigning with Christ is made The Apostles meaning in this Text then is That if we suffer as Christians we shall reign with him in glory Quest. But what is it to suffer as a Christian or when may a man be said to suffer as a Christian Answ. To suffer as a Christian is to suffer as Christ did suffer and a man may be said to suffer as a Christian when he is truly conformable to Christ in suffering Christ suffered for the Will of his Father for the fulfilling of the Will of his Father and he suffered according to the Will of his Father now when a man doth these two when he suffers for the Will of Christ and suffers according to the Will of Christ then doth he suffer as Christ did then may he be said to be conformable unto Christ in suffering and to suffer as a Christian. A man then suffers for the Will of Christ when he suffers for doing that which Christ would have him to do or for refusing that which Christ would not have him to do A man then suffers according to the Will of Christ when he suffers as the Word of God requires him to suffer viz. when he suffers out of Love to God and suffers beleevingly patiently joyfully couragiously and perseveringly for confcience towards God that God may have honour thereby and glorifies God for suffering My purpose is not to enter upon an accute discourse of either of these but briefly to assert what I think necessary for the right understanding of them as God shall inable me 1. It is the Will of Christ that he that suffers for his Will should suffer out of love to his Will and he that doth suffer for the Will of Christ and doth not suffer out of love to the Will of Christ doth not suffer according to the Will of Christ This is evident by the Language of the Apostle 1 Cor. 13.3 Though I give my body to be burned and have â—ot love it profiteth me nothing it is as if the Apostle had said it is the Will of Christ that I should suffer out of love to him and if I do not thus all my suffering is worth nothing it is not according to the Will of Christ nor worth any thing in Gods account it comes to just nothing at last it profiteth me nothing c. Aâ— all our active obedience so all our passive obedience must spring out of love to God as the efficient cause of it else it is worth nothing with God 2. It is the Will of Christ that he that suffers for his will should suffer beleevingly this appears thus It is the Will of Christ that he that suffers for his Will should suffer patiently joyfully couragiously and perseveringly but this a man cannot possibly do except he beleeve therefore it follows by necessary consequence that it is the Will of Christ that he that suffers for his Will should suffer beleevingly This is also evident by Scripture Ioh. 14.1 where Christ making a speech â—o his Disciples to fit them for suffering bids them beleeve thereby declaring that his Will was that they should suffer beleevingly and intimating That if they did not suffer beleevingly they did not suffer according to his will although they suffered for his will A man may be then said to suffer beleevingly when he by faith committeth the keeping of his soul unto God in well-doing as the Apostle Peter speaks when he beleeves that Christ will be with him in all his sufferings strengthen him to suffer carry him through all that he cals him to suffer and abundantly reward all his sufferings for his sake according to his Word 3. It is the Will of Christ that he that suffers for his will should suffer patiently God cals for patience in suffering Be patient in tribulation Rom. 12.12 In your patience possesse ye your souls Luk. 21.19 We should follow Christ in patient suffering saith the Apostle for even hereunto are we called Hence it is evident That he that suffers for the will of Christ doth not suffer according to the will of Christ except he suffer patiently Divine patience or patience considered as a divine quality is the issue and creame of many graces It is a Diamond in the midst of a Triangle to wit â— a vertue between stupidity despising the chastisement of the Lord and fainting under it it is