to sin as it hath been that is a sign of a backsliding heart I do not say if the Conscience be not so scrupulous but if it be not so tender for when a man comes from under the Law and the Spirit of bondage he shall not have such a scrupulous conscience as he had before as people in that condition many times will scruple Whether they may eat or drink because they are unworthy of the creature with iunumerable other Scruples of that kind and it is a great Mercy to be freed from a scrupulous conscience it s one way by which God doth in a way of Judgement deprive men of the use of the lawfull comforts of this life when they have them in possession but I speak of true tenderness of Conscience a heart standing in a holy fear and aw of Gods word such a tender Conscience as Joseph had Gen. 39.9 How shall I do such great wickedness and so sin against God 2. Sign If there be a general neglect of secret Duties or constant deadness or formality in them this is a sign of a backsliden heart when a soul could have watcht for opportunities to pray and could have prayed with groans and sighs that can not be uttered and now duties are generally neglected or we have nothing but hard hearts and dry eyes in them 3. Sign If there be a general neglect and carelesness of assembling our selves with the Saints and holding communion with them its rare to see a man that hath left meetings and Communion of Saints that doth not fall wofully either as to error of conversation 4. Sign If there be an itch upon the Spirit after novelty of opinions and teachers and a disregard of those whom the Lord hath made Instruments of good to us heretofore thus the people forsook Paul 2 Tim. 1.15 Were not the Galathians much backsliden that now slighted Paul whom God had made an Instrument of so much to them that they would have parted with any thing to him 5. Sign of backsliding is If Professors grow worldly and earthly who have sat loose from the world heretofore Do we see a Professor that now holdeth his hands from doing good to poor Saints and grows now an oppressor and is all for racking and that which is called now in these days by the fine word Improvement know that that man is backsliden and gone back 6. Sign If men grow careless of offending their Brethren and will grow touchy with a whole Church Men usually when they break with God in some secret way they are never well till they have broken with his People time was when they could have born more from a single brother then now they can with a whole Church 7. Sign If men quite leave off using means to convert their Relations and Neighbours to draw them to Christ time was when thou hadst a heart to be speaking of the ways of God to thy friends and neighbours and now thou canst come into their company and nothing but Complements or Worldly discourse If men leave off to take care of the publique cause and interest of Christ and mind not whether Religion get ground in the town and country this is a sad sign of a backsliden heart 8. Sign If men grow careless of Gospel-institutions as hearing the word Church-fellowship breaking of bread O sometimes you counted it above all earthly things to have a name in Gods house and to see the Lords goings in the sanctuary and now you have no stomack it s a sign of want of Spiritual health 9. Sign If that though there be some stirring affections now and then yet if the constant frame of the heart be worse then formerly this is a sign of a backsliden heart A man through obstructions may have flushings in his face which may make him look wel but if his constant complexion be pale and wan we say he is not right so here if our hearts are grown dead in duties hard after the commission of sin backward to duties and our thoughts generally vain it shews some great distemper though at times by fits we have some stirring Affections 10. Sign When we grow high and are puft up with our knowledge that now all the Saints in Town and Country are nothing to them and all their gifts they think are nothing to theirs 11. Sign When we grow intimate companions of wicked men the falling at ods with the Saints and the falling in with wicked men is a sad sign of a backsliden heart they are both put together Mat. 24.49 eating and drinking with the drunken and smiting our fellow servants 12. Sign If we cannot bear opposition from the world in our Christian course as we have done but are fit to comply time was when we made nothing of scoff and jears and now we can scarce bear them but are fit to suit our ways to the world that they may let us alone this is a sad saln Spirit 13. Sign If a mans heart is not affected with the thoughts of Gods free Grace in Christ as heretofore this is a sad sign of a spiritual consumption time was when a Sermon of free Grace was like the honey and the hony comb but if ever God recover us the Doctrine of Gods free Grace in Christ will be the sweetest Doctrine in all the world to us I shall not stand to aggravate this backsliding and revolting from the Lord the Lord aggravate it upon our Spirits only that 1 Though the sould be recovered and come safe to heaven yet it hinders our present serviceableness to God and now is our working time Heaven is the time of receiving our time of enjoying 2 The backsliding of professors grieves the Spirit of God more then the sins of other men 3 They bring an evil report upon the ways of God that those that are without will say See what their Religion is it s only a little heat a sudden passion such a one hath done going to Sermons and Meetings now 4 It s a mighty dis heartning to young Beginners to see old Professors backslide and grow so dead Satan perswades them that they will do so too and therefore you had as good never enter upon the profession of Religion you see the ways of God are so strict that they soon grow weary of them thus Satan temps many young Beginners 5 Backsliden Professors are dangerous company for any body wicked men are hardened by their company and thriving Saints are deaded and offended 6. That is a great aggravation of our sin herein that it is without all cause as the Lord said Jer. 2.5,6,7 What iniquity have your Fathers found in me that they have forsaken me Doth not God keep a good house and doth he not bountifully reward that we run away from him 7. Wicked men are constant they don't fall off from their wayes and shall we fall off from the wayes of God Jer. 2.11,12,13 Have the Nations changed their Gods but my people have
for Christs sake hath forgiven us there will be something amiss in our carriages towards our Brethren and if we do not forgive where will our love be Minister to the wants of the Saints according to our abilities freely without grudging do not unsaint our Brethren because of some ignorance and error The Patriarcks are supposed to have been ignorant that Polygamy the having of more wives then one was a sin the disciples ignorant of Christs death and resurrection at the first visit the Saints those that are the poor especially when they are under afflictions not only to comfort them but because then usually there is much good to our selves in converse with them 21. If God hath made our days hitherto days of outward prosperity compassed us about with fulness of the creature watch against sin the more David committed those three great sins of murder adultery numbring the people when he was in prosperity and greatness And do good while we have estates or oppornity and look and prepare for afflictions don 't think God will always use thee to such fair weather and if God continue prosperity learn heavenlyness not to stick in the creature learn moderation not to surfer on the creature and daily make wise observation of the vanity and emptiness of the Creature 22. If Afflictions come see if thou canst find out the particular cause of them which sometimes may be known by the time when it comes As for Nebuchadnezar Daniel 4. to be struck just when he had been saying Is not this great Babel which I have built it was easie to know that his pride and vain glory was the cause of that woful affliction that came upon him and so Herod Act. 12. to be just smitten with death when the people cryed it was the voice of a God and he took that to himself it was easie to see that that was the cause of his death so also we may sometimes know the cause of our afflctions by that way of affliction that God useth to us it may be so like our sin as Davids affliction in the â—…eath of the Child that was by Bathsheba Vriah's wife 1 Sam. 12. it was easie to know that that sin was the cause of the childs death and so Adonibezeck Judg. 1.6,7 when he had his Thumbs and great Toes cut off he presently was convinced what was the cause of the affliction because he had served threescore and ten Kings so himself Sometimes God shews us the cause of our afflictions by setting it up upon the hearts of our Brethren among whom we live Sometimes he sets it home upon our own Spirits that such a sin is the cause of it but if the Lord never let us know all our days the particular cause of many afflictions yet we are to kiss the rod submit to his hand search and trie our waies humble our selves under his hand and walk more closely with him in the whole course of our lives 23. Take heed that we offend not with our Tongues let our words be few take not up most of the time in discourse when better gifts are present but be swift to hear let our discourse be seasonable to time place company if they be wicked such discourse as may awaken and convince if they be strong Saints such discourse as may be sutable to them sometimes it is not fit to speak in the company of weak trembling Saints what horrible temptations other Saints have unless it be to comfort them that they are not alone but others of Gods children are tempted as well as they otherways weak Saints many times fall into great torment of spirit that they shall be tempted as they are and that they shall sink under the Burthen Do not use to commend your selves neither affect in discourse to give others occasion to commend you do not delight in rough and harsh speeches be wary to whom we open our hearts in secret matters not unless they can keep Councell and give Councell use heavenly discourse among godly men for want of that makes their company to be little better then other mens in discourse be not silent when there is cause to speak out of affected gravity nor speak out of for wardness or indiscretion when our silence is better 24. Prize the Scriptures as the word of God so they are called over and over Blessed is he that heareth the Word of God and keepeth it Now the Lord is revealing light out of the Scripture more and more Satan tempts many to deny the word of God all Scripture is given by inspiration of God 2 Tim. 3.16 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the breathing of God 2 Pet. 1.21 Holy men of God wrote the Scriptures and they wrote them as they were moved by the holy Ghost 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 forcibly carried out of themselves and above themselves by the holy Ghost By the word of God when the Scriptures are so called is meant that which God hath spoken that which he hath said and therefore for men to boggle at the expression and say the Scriptures are not the Word of God but only Christ is the Word of God it is as much as to say the Scriptures are not what the Lord hath spoken and what holy men wrote as they were moved by the holy Ghost as the holy Ghost indited this is a horrible temptation it is true Christ is called the word so is he the Eternal Word of God but the Scriptures also are the Word of God the written Word of God Where this temptation prevails upon men that they question the Scriptures being the word of God by degrees they throw up all Religion all truths one after another and though they do it at first under the notion of living in the spirit and of the Light within them yet at last they turn very Atheists and thus after a generation of grosly ignorant and superstitious persons there is risen up a multitude of deluded and erroneous persons even in the fundamentals of Religion But O let those that are the Lords people study the word of God day and night try all things by the Word get sutable hearts to the Word that we may understand it the better look up to the Spirit that indited the Scripture to be our Expositor and comment upon them and often try our selves by the word and take heed to all our ways according to the word read it ofner then other books and give up our hearts to all the Truths of it 25. Lay up experiences which are better then Cabinets of Jewels lay up experiences of the comfortings of the Spirit of his gracious influence in prayer and other duties lay up experiences of the ravishing consolation that flows from Christs blood lay up experiences of the vanity and emptiness of the Creature and of Gods care over us to keep us from many sins and errrors when we have had great temptations to them take special times to meditate of all the special experiences we
devils and over all flesh that he should give eternal life to them that he hath given him and them Christ saith he must bring home and they shall hear his voice John 10.16 3 The Lord hath made many free and absolute Promises as Ezek. 36.26 A new heartwill I give you Gen. 3.15 The seed of the woman shall break the Serpents head Now these must be made good to some in their effectual Calling and salvation and that is to the elect for all the free and absolute Promises shew what God both can do and will do for his elect so though they sometimes live a long time in an unconverted estate yet the Lord doth in his appointed time give them a new heart writes his Laws in their hearts and puts his fear in their hearts and causes them to walk in his Statutes and Judgements to do them according to the free and absolute promises of the New Covenant that they are all taught of God and he will be their God and they shall be his people And therefore when we are converted what an engagement have we upon us to live to God and lift up his Name in the world O all you that have been converted and after all your sinfulness have been pluckt as brands out of the fire O shew forth the praises of him that hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light Consider 1 you have but a short time to bring glory to God in the exercise of grace in this world 2 There ariseth a great deal of comfort to a mans own soul in the exercise of grace 3 There are but few converted and therefore those that are savingly converted had need bestir themselves to glorifie God with that grace they have received 4 Natural men do evil with both hands and lay out all their strength against the Lord and therefore how should you that are such monuments of his mercy bring glory to him 5 You may more comfortably and cheerfully die when you have improved that talent of grace that you have received for to bring glory to God in your generation 2 Tim. 4.6,7 I have fought a good fight I have finished my course not that when we come to die Paul or any Believer doth look for heaven for his service for when we have done all we say we are unprofitable servants but we rejoyce that God hath used us and imployed us to lift up his name in the world 6 The more you lay out your selves to bring glory to God the more cause others will have to bless God for you in the day of their visitation seeing your good works they will glorifie your Father which is in heaven and say I bless God for the holy life and heavenly discourse and winning conversation of such a one of thy children for it was a means to convince me and convert me to Jesus Christ but O what a sadder thing would it be if a natural man should have cause to say upon his death-bed or in hell that the life and conversation of such a professor hardened himagainst the waies of God he saw such a professor so deceitful in his calling another so vain in his discourse another so proud in his carriage and apparel another so worldly another so loose in his conversation that he looked upon Religion but as a fancy and was hardened in his sins O then be afraid lest you should receive the grace of God in vain though not as to the salvation of your own soul but in that respect it be well with you for ever yet fear lest you should not glorifie God in the world and make his name as ointment poured forth to others O therefore 1 hold forth Religion in an holy humble heavenly winning conversation the good conversation of Believers may draw others to enquire into Religion and so the Lord may catch them 2 Lay out that grace you have received for the comforting and strengthening of weak Brethren How do men of great gifts and experiences through sinful bashfulness or too much habit of vain discourse become of little use to their Brethren yea to those Brethren with whom they are joyned in Church-fellowship We have got an habit of jesting and vain discourse in our converse together when as the old Saints were serious and spiritual and this same way of idle talking and jesting is almost every where and should this prevail that spiritual communion that should be among Saints would soon be lost but O never come into one anothers company but do or receive good communicate your knowledge and experiences to the weakest Saints and poorest Saints Christians must not be like some Philosophers that we read of that would as soon part with an eye as with some curious notions that they found out in their studies but Christians should comfort one another with the comforts wherewith they have been comforted of God and inform one another in all doubtful cases with the light which the Lord hath given them 3 Lay out your selves to convert others thus did Paul after his conversion Rom. 15.19 compassed Sea and Land took many a weary step went through innumerable dangers to convert souls to Jesus Christ O how do many professors grow careless of Family-worship O labour that those that dwell with you may be converted in your Families and may have cause to bless God that ever they came to such a service where they got the knowledge of Jesus Christ 4 When the Lord laies afflictions upon you have a care that you do not dishonour him then by murmuring and impatience that carnal men will say Are these the people that speak of such high things of Communion with God and the Seal of the Spirit and yet none more impatient when any cross befalls them and thus they will be ready to think that Religion is but a Notional thing that hath no power to subdue the heart to the Lord few are converted amongst us and one cause of it may be that the carriage and conversation of professors is very low and carrieth little in it to hold forth conviction to those that are without FINIS
to think how many checks of conscience and motions of the Spirit you put by what terrour will it be to you to think what holy Saints you opposed and jeared what precious means of Grace you slighted and what pains you took for the world and how careless you were for your poor souls O think it no smal matter to die in thy natural estate and be damned if once thou come to hell there will be no ease nor end of thy misery for ever If God should but say to the damned in hell that after a hundred thousand years they should come out of their torments it would be some lightning to their hearts but there will be no end the worm dies not and the fire goes not out Christ goes over with those words three times almost together Mark 9.44,46,48 because he would have men in their natural condition take special notice of it that if they die out of him they will be miserable for ever miserable indeed to be alwayes dying alwaies burning alwaies weeping alwaies suffering the torments of Hell O therefore consider the state that thou art in before it be too late there is corruption and sin enough in one mans heart to undo all the men in the world if it were divided to them O then how easily will it undo one soul Know then if we be not justified freely by Gods Grace in Christ and sanctified by the Spirit of the Lord we must unavoidably perish for ever Wherefore as the holy Ghost saith To day if ye will hear his voice harden not your hearts Heb. 3.7,8 The time of Gods patience the time of Grace is but a short time therefore called a day To day if you will hear his voice It s but a day in comparison of Eternity nay in comparison of Eternity a mans daies upon earth are but as a moment or the twinkling of an Eye and the time of Grace is but a short time but a day in comparison of the greatness of the work that is to be done the making of our calling and Election sure It s but a day in respect of the uncertainty of our enjoying the means of Grace and it s but a day in respect of the uncertainty of our lives for in a moment we go down to the grave and all our thoughts perish To day therefore hear his voice come in to Christ do not say to morrow is soon enough do not put off the offers of Grace for now is the accepted time this is the day of Salvation CHAP. II. How natural men deceive themselves and think that their Estate is good IT S a great mercy for a man that is not in a state of Grace to know that he is yet without Christ but men flatter themselves that they are Christians and Saints when there is no cause in the world for it Men deceive themselves in their spiritual estate sometimes by not examining their condition many men never take thought whether they have Christ or no and if men do examin their spiritual Estate usually it is by false signs as outward performance of Duties or outward abstinence from many gross sins It s a sad thing when we have nothing to evidence a good estate but outward thing no work upon our hearts but only we have performed many Duties and sat under Ordinances so did they Isa 58. the beginning And many deceive themselves in their spiritual Estate by shunning a heart-searching Ministry they call for a Minister that may prophecy to them smooth things there is many mens Ministry that never touches upon the heart hath little tendency that way And men have a way to excuse sin and so think they are in a good estate though they live in all manner of sin as Adam laid the fault upon Eve and Eve shifted it off to the Devil Men that never pray in their Families never read the word in their Families lay the fault upon business Another way whereby we often deceive our selves in our spiritual estates is by looking upon the failings that the Saints have and so flatter our selves that our condition is the same with theirs thus men will say David did so and so and Peter did deny Christ Yea But David and Peter believed in Christ and mourned heartily for their sins A Saint hates all sin do you do so Again By Nature we are ignorant of the true nature of every Grace and therefore are easily deceived in our estate we do not know the true nature of saving faith we think it lies only in knowing that Christ dyed for sin we are ignorant of the nature of Repentance how the Love of God in Christ doth break the heart and we think if we give to the poor then we have Charity whereas in the Scriptures account a man may give all his goods to the poor and yet want true Charity 1 Cor. 13. And then men are loth to examin themselves to purpose whether they be in the faith or no for fear they should despair if they come to see their estate is not good though alas very few despair and its one thing for a man to be convinced of his estate being bad and another thing to despair for though he be not converted yet he may be converted afterwards Likewise the quietness and stilness of many mens consciences makes them think that they are in a good estate when as that may be a great Judgement upon them it s one thing to have true Peace of Conscience and another thing to have a seared Conscience There are certain plain signs that a man is not in a state of Grace which are evident in many and in such great Characters that he that runneth may read them as if men jear at the Spirit of God and jearat men for having the Spirit of God that they will say This is a man of the Spirit Dost thou think that thou art a Saint All Saints have the Spirit of Christ in them and they are led by the spirit of God Rom. 8.14 and they prize the Spirit highly And if men be wholly ignorant of the way of Justification by the blood of Christ and declare plainly that they seek life by their own obedience and Righteousness it is evident that they are not in a good estate for all Believers desire to be found in Christ having on them the Righteousness which is of God by Faith and how many by this may be convinced that they are not in a good estate Or if men live in all manner of sin allow themselves in drunkenness swearing and the like These transgressions of the wicked say within my heart saith David That the fear of God is not before their eyes Psal 36.1 Let men say what they will if that they commit iniquity with greediness it is evident that they know not Christ in a saving manner For he that saith he knoweth God and keepeth not his Commandments is a lyar and the Truth is not in him 1 Joh. 2.4 Indeed Hypocrites may
changed their God for that which cannot profit O shall the Heathens be constant to their dumb Idols and shall not we be constant to the living God 8. Slighting of God after we have had some acquaintance with God is quite contrary to the course of his dealings with us Ezek. 36.11 God promises to be better to us in the end then in the beginning He will give us more Communion with him and glory afterwards then he hath done yet and if God be better and better to us shall we grow worse and worse to him God forbid Now O that we might recover that we might remember from whence we are fallen and Repent and do our first works 1. Bathe our selves by faith in the blood of Christ for the pardoning of all our backslidings look upon God in Christ as not ready only to pardon our sins when we were in gross ignorance but to heal all our back-slidings because he loveth us freely Hos 14.4 Jer. 3. the beginning Look upon our Father as having a best Robe to put upon a poor Prodigals back and shoos to put upon his feet though the poor backsliden soul hath scarce a shoo to his foot as we say he hath worn out all 2. O look for fresh and new workings of Gods Spirit upon our hearts to create in us clean hearts and renew right spirits within us It s said of the Lord that he reneweth the face of the earth that he doth every Spring when Winter hath made the earth to look as if it were cloathed with sackcloath the Lord in the Spring putteth on a new face and dress upon the earth the Birds sing the Trees flourish the grass grows this is our case in our Winter of backsliding a Winter indeed O look that God now should bring a spring time upon thy heart is there not need 3. O look at the heart to be renewed a clean heart saith David good Lord after his backsliding Psalm 51.10 O I would have that bone set right that I may walk in thy Statutes that instrument well tuned Dauid doth not say only Lord let me never commit Murder and Adultery again but Lord give me a clean heart O that hath bred all this mischief the foulness of my heart Lord therefore cleanse that 4. If ever the Lord quicken us again be more watchful and keep close to God if we recover out of this dangerous disease let us have more care of our souls health have a care of spiritual surfets 5. And look that our Recovery be through that the humour be not only diverted but purged away 6. Count all our outward enjoyments nothing but sit mourning in Sion until God graciously visit us 7. Labour to see not only in general that we have backslidden but particularly wherein that we may return no more to folly And those who yet have thriving spirits keep in with that God that smiles upon you say not that it is impossible that thy soul should wander as a Bird from her Nest but watch and pray lest you enter into temptation Often consider that these last times will be times of much backsliding of Professors 2 Tim. 3. O get particular and distinct Knowledge wherein Professors do commonly backslide and get your hearts deeply affected with them and remember what special notice God takes of those that keep close to him in a time when many fall off Thus he took notice of Noah Gen. 7.1 and of the sons of Zadock Ezek. 44.15 Expect to be tempted and tried by an hour of temptation and look not only to be tryed as to conversation but as to Judgement as to Opinions Sathan will have a bout with you with that Weapon of Error How many are fallen off that way but labour to have more grounds out of the Word and clearer light for all you hold Let plain Christians who have no skil in Controversies yet furnish themselves with Scriptures for every point as for the Godhead of Christ Justification by Christ and the like and labour to have your hearts given up to the Truth you know put not your selves upon Temptations in hearing every body suspect those Opinions that neither further your Communion with God nor his most holy People but straiten you in both stick close to the Word and not move a hairs breadth from it Don't love to dispute against that which you are convinced to be Truth to shew your parts and reach Take in the benefit of other light in your doubts and look up to the Spirits guidance to lead you into all Truth CHAP. IX Of Assurance and peace of Conscience ALL Believers have not Assurance some Believers walk in darkness and see no light Esay 50.10 A true Saint may be in great doubtings so great as Heman complains that his troubles were so great that they did as iâ— were distract him yea a Believer may be a long time in that condition Psalm 88.15 Heman was so exercised from his youth up There are several causes why many Believers are in great doubts about their spiritual estates as 1. want of constant meditation upon Gods free Grace in Christ 2 Falling into great sins 3. The often prevailing of the same corruption 4. Want of answers of prayers 5. Some great cross and affliction that is befallen them that they are tempted to think would never have befallen them if the Lord loved them this mistake hath disturbed the peace of many a Child of God 6. The not meeting with communion with God in Duties if God loved me saith the soul would he let me come and go from his Ordinances and take no notice of me 7. The subtile Disputes of Satan against our Sincerity in the ways of God many times baffle us and make us fit to give up the cause 8. The observing that a Hypocrite may go far strikes many a Child of God into a great fear whether he be gone beyond a Hypocrite or no 9. Unacquaintedness with Gods workings upon our hearts we know but in part as we know not all the evil in our hearts so a Saint doth not know all the good and Grace that God hath put into them 10. The weakness of Grace but like a graine of mustard seed in our hearts the least of all seeds so Faith and Sincerity lies like a small mustard seed among huge clods of corruption and the soul hath much ado many times to see this grain of mustard seed among these clods Thus and many other wayes a true Child of God may fall into great doubts and fears about his spiritual estate indeed if men know of no workings that have been upon their spirits it s a sign they are yet in a natural estate the Saint of God knows that there have been workings of the Spirit and convictions upon him but he feareth that they were but common workings such as are upon Hypocrites and Reprobates and not the saving work of Gods Spirit that he questions whether he hath gone beyond the stony-ground hearers