4. They eat up my people as they eat bread and call not upon the Lord. They have a form of godlinesse but in their deeds they deny the power of it for they beleeve never a word of what is preached of things spirituall revealed in the word of God No wonder therefore that they will not examine themselves nor receive any accusation from their own consciences for any sin of this sort which concerneth godlinesse 2. The causes of such mens hardening of their heart may be four the first is the measure of worldly wisdom granted to them and others like themselves above common people with the conceit whereof they are so puffed up that they care for nothing save this present world they acknowledge no other holinesse but civil observance of humane laws as if Scripture and all Religious exercises were to be referred to this only end that men living according to the laws and customes received into the Societies they live into should study to make the best they can of this present world And this worldly and carnall wisdom is called Psal. 1. the counsell of the ungodly because all ungodly persons do think it shall be more safe to walk in the wayes of their wisdom then to be hemmed in by the laws of God The second cause of their obduration is carnall confidence in their worldly prosperity which they hope alwayes to enjoy and that by the principles of their own wisdom Psal. 10. 6. he hath said in his heart I shall never be moved I shall never be in adversity The third cause is the stumbling block of the cross and affliction wherewith they perceive the godly usually to be exercised Upon which offence they stumble the more readily because they judge that the greatest part of the affliction of the godly proceeds from their own imprudency and do ascribe their own prosperity to their own wisdom wherein they are so lifted up in their own estimation that they despise all men in comparison of themselves Psal. 10. 5. As for his enemies he puffeth at them The fourth cause is the not observing the slighting and despising of Gods Judgments concerning which they do not give credit unto God when he speaketh and therefore do not make use of the operation of his hands Psal. 10. 5. Thy judgments are far above out of his sight 3. Albeit there be very small hope of the conversion of any such because they cannot abide free dealing from any man in private for to give them any admonition is to them a reproach and they cannot endure it and nothing can cut them at the heart more then that any man should suspect them of hypocrisie and atheism yet because no Pastor may despair of any man or judge him a reprobat so long as the long-suffering patience of God inviteth him to repentance therefore the Pastor must deal with such men in the general in his sermons that from the Scripture he may convince them of their ignorance of Gods wayes and of their atheism To which end and purpose first he must point such men forth in their colours as the Scripture doth describe them yet so as he hold himself in generall in dealing with all such persons without particular description of any man by particular circumstances whereby such a man one or moe of the auditors may appear to be picked out and shot at Secondly he must denounce gravely and with compassion the heavy Judgments of God against them Thirdly he must pull the mask of civil honesty off their face and let them know the righteousness of Christ imputed to humble sinners flying to him to be the only garment to hide nakedness if possibly the hearer may conceive hope he may be forgiven his former hypocrisie and be allured unto Christ. Fourthly let him often against such persons make use of the Apostles admonition 1 Cor. 3. 18 19. Let no man deceive himself if any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world let him become a fool that he may be wise for the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God for it is written he taketh the wise in their own craftinesse Fifthly let the Pastor observe the occasion if at any time it shall please God to lay calamity on such a man and then let him wisely labour with all meekness and tenderness to awaken up his conscience to take notice of the sparks of wrath least he perish in Gods displeasure if he do not humble himself before God and draw in to Christ upon which condition let him make the fairest offers of grace and mercy that the Gospel can yield to him if possibly the Lord may give him repentance and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. For removing the fourth impediment THe fourth impediment of self-examination is the stupidity and senslesness of the conscience past feeling as it were burnt with a hot iron This disease may be seen in bâ—â—otted Epicures given to their brutish lusts who are so carried on after their furious beastly affections that they have no more power over themselves then beasts and such monsters of men by frequent sinning have extinguished all sense of sin for albeit by nature there is some remainder of light in fallen man whereby the work of the law may be found written in their heart as far as to make them inexcusable when they do contrary to it and albeit there is leâ—t in the natural man some natural power of the conscience to vex him that rebelleth against it to restrain him thereafter from doing the like yet some have so sold themselves to the lust and wantonnesse of their flâ—sh that they will not hear any admonition or check of the conscience which might make any remorse but do run madly after all sort of uncleannesse corrupting themselves as brute beasts The like disposition may be seen in openly profane persons who not only in their deeds have denyed the power of godliness but also renounce the profession of all form of godlinesse and shamelesly foam forth their ungodlinesse as an open rotten grave casts forth the stink thereof Of this sort are these who when they do blaspheme will not be reproved Psal. 12. 4. Our tongues are our own who is Lord over us and who as dogs do trample under-foot all holy things and rent them who reprove them and who insult over the godly in their affliction saying with Davids enemies where is their God and who openly scorn all religion like these desperat scoffers 2 Pet. 3. 4. saying where is the promise of his coming Such as these are practically atheists and in some sort also in their minds for albeit they have some natural principles of a Godhead imprinted on them yet they smother all knowledge of God and belch out their own shame against God and religion and all the godly 2. Of mens falling unto such a fearfull abomination four causes may be rendered The first is the mans violence used against his conscience frequently in committing of grievous
to light by his long continued preaching of his word the obstinat enimity of the reprobat multitude against him opened up his decree against all that sort in the sad message committed to Isaiah Chap. 6. 9 10. Go and tell this people hear ye indeed and understand not see ye indeed but perceive not make the heart of this people fat and make their ears heavy and shut their eyes least they see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and convert and be healed vers 13. yet there shall be a tenth part the holy seed to wit the elect shall be the substance thereof And of this prophesie use is made when the multitude of misbelievers was like to obscure the glory of Christ Iob. 12. 37 38. to 42. they heard the offer of grace preached by Christ himself and saw his manifold wonders yet they believed not neither could they believe because God had rejected them as Iohn doth prove from the prophesie of Isaiah Secondly Is it not fair dealing when the Lord professeth that his word shall be preached and his wonders manifested for the elects cause albeit they were but as a tenth part to a cursed and reprobat multitude who should hear and see without his blessing and in his dispensation doth in effect as he hath professed As it is a reasonable answer of a husband man and Gardener to his child asking him why he beats the whole sheaf and watereth all the Garden seing the sheaf is most part straw and chaff and the garden full of weeds to say to his child that he beats the shâ—af that he may sever the corn from the straw and chaff and that he watereth the ground where herbs and weeds do grow together that he may make both to come up above ground and after that may pull out the weeds and foster the herbs for the masters use So it is a reasonable answer to such as cavil against the preaching of the Gospel to a mixed multitude of elect and reprobat to say that the Gospel is preached to both for the conversion of the elect and bringing to light the hatred of the reprobat against God and the offer of his grace Thirdly we grant the Lord knoweth mens wickednesse and inability to obey his commands and their naturall enimity against him but he knoweth also that all men by nature are proud and puffed up with the conceit of their own wisdom and righteousnesse and ability so as they will not acknowledge their sinfulnesse nor be sensible of their misery and danger of perdition but do entertain a high esteem and opinion of themselves and in speciall this that they love God above all things and that they can do any thing commanded at least in such a measure as may reasonably satisfie God as is to be seen in the example of the Israelits undertaking Exod. 19. therefore God in His wisdom before he convert any man doth pull down this false conceit by putting his ability to proof by the preaching of the law to the intent that as the Lord knoweth what is in man so man may know it also both in his own and other mens experience and this is brought to light yet more clearly by the preaching of the Gospel wherein albeit God make the precious offer of life and salvation to every hearer of the Gospel if he will acknowledge his sin and betake himself to Christ yet no man of himself will either believe or receive the offer but will go on in his own counsell and wayes till God by his grace convert him This sicknesse is common both to the elect and the reprobat but when the naturall perversnesse of both is manifested God cometh and maketh the difference of the one from the other out of his meer grace by drawing the elect powerfully to Christ and letting the rest go on to their own perdition in his righteous judgment And our Lord doth so expound the mater Ioh. 8. 47. He that is of God heareth Gods words ye therefore hear them not because ye are not of God Fourthly the Lord professeth plainly that in the dispensation of his word and works of providence he intendeth the tryall of men and the discovery of their hearts to themselves and to others and what fairer dealing can there be then this for Exod. 16. 4. He tells them that he will rain down Manna upon them to prove them whither they will walk in his law or not and Exod. 20. 20. He tells them he will give them his law and preaching of his word to prove them that his fear might be before them and Deut. 8. 2. that the dispensation of his providence toward them all the fourty years in the wildernesse was to humble them and to prove them to know what was in their heart whether they would keep his commands or not and Deut. 13. 1 2 3. that he would suffer false prophets to arise among them to prove them and to try whether they would love the Lord their God with all their heart And to this same intent we are advertised that Christ should be not only a tryed stone but also a stone for tryall set for the ruine of some and raising up of other some Isa. 28. 16 17. and 8. 14. compared with Luke 2. 34 35. for by this maner of dispensation the Lord maketh manifest that both the elect and reprobat are concluded under sin and unbelief of themselves and that no man can come to Christ except the Father draw him that he may have mercy on whom he will have mercy And this maner of probation of men by a common offer of grace unto all is a part of that prudence whereby Christ by his conditionall promises and exhortations and the preaching of the Gospel to all heaâ—ers maketh all these that are outwardly called to be without excuse and fisheth forth the elect out of the sea of sin and misery and out of the society of those that perish of which prudence Isaiah speaketh chap. 52. 13. Behold my servant shall deal prudently and prosper and be extolled and be very high Wherefore this wisdom of God in converting the elect without giving cause of stumbling unto any of the rest is rather to be admired and praised then to be disputed against as we are taught Rom. 11. 33 34 35 36. O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God how unsearchable are his judgments and his wayes past finding out Obj. But for all this the carnall wisdom of proud men is such as neither is it subject to God nor indeed can be but standeth in hostile enimity against him and will not be quiet but when it heareth what is said Rom. 9. 18. that God will have mercy on whom he will have mercy and whom he will he hardeneth will say as it is vers 19. why doth God yet find fault for who hath resisted his will this doctrine say they doth hinder mens repentance
then the sensible comfort thereof remaineth with him but either doth retreat his judgment of his blessed estate or doth not defend his right doth not resist Sathan by being stedfast in the faith no wonder his disquietnesse and dejection of courage return upon him 6. For removing of this cause of disquietnesse let the afflicted consider that spiritual consolation and sensible feeling of Gods favour is granted to Gods children to make them stedfast in the faith of Gods grace toward them when sensible comfort is with-drawn and when they are put to the tryal and exercise of their faith under trouble and temptations And therefore when the afflâ—cted once being made clear of his interest in Christ and of his keeping on him the yoke of Christ doth find a change in his condition let him presently humble himself before God in acknowledgment of the power of the body of sin in himself and of whatsoever evil fruit it hath brought forth whereby he hath procured the change of his own comfortable condition and let him 〈◊〉 the acts of his repentance and of his 〈◊〉 in Christ striving against all temptations for the 〈◊〉 once given to him and disputing for his right and interest unto Gods grace in Christ that he may with patience obtain the victory over his temptation and be able not only with Dâ—vid to charge his own soul to trust in God the help and health of his countenance Ps. 42. and 43. but also to glory with the Apostle and to say 2 Tim. 1. 22. I know whom I have believed and I am perswaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day And so may the second cause of disquietnesse be removed 7. A third cause of disquietnesse is or may be this if a sincere convert finding himself come short both of his purpose and hope of making progresse in the course of new obedience and reformation of heart and conversation shall in 〈◊〉 of being more humbled and beaten more out of confidence in his own strength and works and in 〈◊〉 of laying 〈◊〉 hold on the imputed righteousnesse 〈…〉 discouragement and so open a 〈…〉 calling his own conversion in question In this case the 〈…〉 of the true convert is augmented by reason of the conscience of his sincerity in his couversion wherein he renounced the love and service of all sin renounced all confidence in his own worth or works did flye unto the grace offered in Christ and received him heartily and purposed â—onestly to serve God thereafter in newnesse of life which maketh him say in himself I can never put repentance from dead works and faith in Christ and purpose of new obedience more sincerely in exercise then I have done and now seing I come short of my purpose and hope of profiting and can never more sincerely repent of sin or believe in Christ then I have done have I not just cause of doubting of my estate and of discouragment and disquietnesse 8. For removing this cause of disquietnesse let the afflicted consider first that there is a great difference between purpose and practice A holy and sincere purpose oâ—t times cometh short in practice for the Apostle saith Rom. 7 18. To will is present with me but how to perform that which is good I find not The inlake here is of strength to perform and not in the sincerity of the will and purpose Secondly let him consider that there is a difference between the consent of a well-informed conscience to the discharge of holy duties and the practical coming up of the not well-reformed heart unto the actual discharge of those duties for oft-times the heart is like a deceitfull bow that disappointeth the archer therefore let not the afflicted deny the sincerity of his purpose but let him be humbled for the corruption of his heart which hath not answered his purpose and expectation Thirdly let not the afflicted think that he hath so fully renounced all confidence in his own works as he conceived we may be clearly convinced not to lean to our own righteousnesse and so more easily in our judgment renounce all confidence in our good behaviour but the dregs of the sin of misbelieving Jews is not easily purged out of us wherein they went about to establish their own righteousnesse and did not submit themselves to the righteousnesse of faith Rom. 9. and 10. 3. As he therefore who denyeth that he leaneth his weight on his staff and yet falleth to the ground when his staff doth slide is found to have leaned more weight on his staff then he pretended So he is found to have leaned too much weight upon his own works who is cast down because his performances are not answerable to his purpose and hopes Humbled indeed he ought to be and to lament his misery under the body of death but not be so dejected and discouraged as to loose or sâ—cken his grips of the covenant of Grace especially when he doth consider that the Lord by this experience of his own weaknesse is teaching him thereafter to have a more high estimation and make better use of Christs imputed righteousnesse and to lean lesse to his own purposes and promises and inherent righteousnesse that so he may draw more ability from Christ by faith to bring forth better fruits for without me saith Christ you can do nothing Joh. 15. 5. Last of all let him neither say nor think that he cannot put forth any act of repentance or saith or purpose of amendment of life more sincerely then he hath done for no man hath attained such a measure of sincerity in the discharge of any act of saving grace but there is room for him to receive a greater measure both of activity and sincerity in acting then he hath attained already but rather let him examine more narrowly and find out the corrupt inclination of the heart to lean to its own inherent righteousnesse and difficulty of subjecting it self wholly to the righteousnesse of â—aith and sanctification through faith in Christ for this doth the Apostle teach us to do Philip. 3. 12 13 14. he did not think himself already perfect but reached himself forth to those things which were before him pressing toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus And the end of the pressing of the Law is that sin may be the more clearly discovered that as sin hath reigned unto death even so might grace reign through Christ Jesus our Lord Râ—m 5. 20 21. 9. The fourth cause of disquietnesse is or may be this if the true convâ—rt being frequently convinced of the manifold deceits of the heart for this cause shall begin to call in question all the work of grace in himself which inconvenience doth flow from his not putting difference between the true consent of the heart unto the covenant of Grace and acts of holinesse in so far as the heart is renewed on the one hand and the doubting
or hesitation of the heart in as far as it is not purged from the relicts of incredulity and backwarddesse unto godlinesse on the other hand or because he puts no difference between the effects of renewing grace and the effects of in-dwelling sin in himself both of them putting forth their power in the self same actions for if this difference shall not be observed and sentence so given as that which is in the renewed man be absolved and commended and that which flowes from indwelling sin be disallowed and condemned without prejudice to any good which shall be found in the renewed man it is impossible that the conscience can be quiet or that any good action of the Saints can be approven by reason of sin in us for the evil which we would not shall be found in us as is clear in the Apostles censure of himself Rom. 7. 15. to 20. 10. For removing this fourth cause of disquietnesse let the afflicted learn so to observe the inlakes and sinfull imperfections and pollutions of his best works as he observe also that which is good in his actions that of the good he may make thankfull confession unto God and pray for the increase thereof and of the inlakes and pollutions of his works he may make confession also and be humbled for them and flye to the unsported righteousness of Christ and to the founta in opened up in his house for sin and uncleannesse Zech. 13. 1. This wisdom is taught us in the example of the father of the child possessed with a dumb and deaf spirit crying out and saying with tears Lord I believe help thou my unbelief Mark 9. 24. he maintains the begun work of faith in himself and confesseth the evil he found in himself and flyeth by prayer to Christ to help him 11. The fifth cause of disquieâ—nesse is or may be this if the true convert suspenâ— the absolution of his own faith and fruits thereof from being hypocritical and counterfeit untill he find himself freed from disquietnesse and do injoy peace and tranquillity of mind which he doth apprehend should alwayes accompany sound sincere and unfained faith and on this ground he esteemeth that faith only to be true faith which hath overcome all doubtings and now being victorious bringeth peace and quietnesse with it and that faith which is tossed or troubled with doubtings he thinketh may justly be suspected of unsoundnesse as if tentation to doubting were a sufficient reason to make a question of the sincerity of believing or as if it were a sufficient reason for a man to call his faith in question whether it be true faith or not because Sathan calleth it in question for if this were a sufficient reason to question a work or act of grace in a man no work of grace nor no point of true religion should be holden for sound and true because Sathan never ceaseth to calumâ—iat and quarrel the truth both of Gods Word and working for he was so malicious and impudent as to question Christ If thou be the Son of God Mat. 4. 3. 12. For removing of this cause of disquietnesse let the afflicted consider first that the assaults of the enemy do neither diminish the worth nor the estimation of faith for faith fighting is no lesse solid and sound in the time of battel then it is after victory standing victorious 2. Let him consider that we are called to a warfare not only against flesh and blood but also against principalities and powers and spiritual wickednesses Ephes. 6. and that we may not promise to our selves freedom or exemption from Sathans throwing fiery darts at us â—o long as we live as the Apostle doth warn us Ephes. 5. Let him consider thirdly that objections and questions moved against the converts faith are rather a token of the sincerity thereof then a reason for bringing it in question for the Pirat Sathan can discern well enough between an empty vessel and a ship loadened with precious wares and useth to set upon the rich ship that he may spoil it if he can of that most precious faith and not trouble himself to molest a secure presumptuous person lest he should waken him by such means out of his dream and chase him unto God But as for a man that is already fled from him and turned to God by faith in Christ he will not fail to follow the chase that if he cannot bring him back yet he may vex him and dog him at the heels till his entry in heaven Fourthly let him consider that the Lord useth to suffer Sathan to trouble the believer with suggestions to waken his faith of set purpose to teach the believer to fight his battels and by frequent exercises to be purified more and more like gold or silver put oft-times in the furnace yea and that the wrestler may be made valiant in fight Heb. 11. 34. whereupon the afflicted must be exhorted not only to take courage and to despise the malice of the adversary but also to rejoyce when he doth meet with manifold tentations as we are charged Iam. 1. 2. because of the fruit following by Gods blessing on such exercise And to this end let him put on the whole armour of God that when he hath resisted and overcome one tentation he may stand and resist another Ephes. 6. 13. The sixth cause of disquietnesse is or may be this if the true convert do not distinguish but confound the peace he hath with God and the peace he hath in his conscience if he do not distinguish but confound peace with God and rest from assaults of the 〈◊〉 if he do not distinguish but confound peace of mind and peace of conscience if he do not distinguish and put a due difference between these sorts of peace he cannot choose but be disquieted by suspâ—â—ting his peace with God because he hath not rest nor peace from Sathans assaults he cannot eshew disquietnesse when he conceives that his peace with God is dissolved when trouble ariseth in his own conscience And no wonder he be disquieted when he apprehendeth every perturbation of his mind to be a breach of peace with God or with his own conscience 14. For removing of this cause of disquietnesse the afflicted must consider first that peace with God doth follow immediatly upon an humbled sinners flying to Christ and embracing the offer of reconciliation with God in Christ when in the mean time the conscience possibly may be going on pursuing the convert with challenges for all sort of sin and guiltinesse for he that is fled to Christ by faith is justified and being justified by faith he hath peace with God granted decreed pronounced in his favours and registrat in the Court-book of the Evangel albeit possibly the absolved convert hath not drawn forth the extract of the decreet nor considered it when he hath read it nor applied the same to himself according as the general sentence giveth him warrand Therefore the humbled sinner fled
the believer as may bestâ—erve the good of the believer and glory of God â—gracious dispensation and therefore Thirdly let the afflected person whatsoever crossedispensatiâ—n he meâ— with whatsoever distemper of soul he 〈◊〉 into vâ—aâ—soever grace or measure of grace he missâ—â— or coâ—â—eth short of seek his relief in Gods order 〈◊〉 is to say let him justifie the Lords wisdom and jâ—ice humble himself under his mighty hand renewâ—e acts of repentance in humility turn his face to 〈◊〉 Christ by the renewed acts of faith in him lay hâ—d on his right unto Christs person and benefits that â—â—may â—om to the sensible feeling of what he hath right â—to by the covenant of Grace And whatsoever dects transgressions temptations unto discouragment and â—isbelief do brangle his confidence let them humble himself indeed but so as they do not drive him from that Covenant but be made use of as spurres and forcible motives to lay the faster hold on Christ and his infinit grace contracted in that Covenant 17. The eight cause of disquietnesse is or may be this if the true convert daily lamenting his own sinfulnesse and daily troubled with suspicion of his own blessed estate by reason of his felt maniâ—old corruptions shall meet either with the calumâ—ies of men or coâ—forters like Iob's friends who in stead of healing his wounds in his affliction shall foster his suspicion of his estate by uncharitable censure of the poor mans complaint of himself in this case if the affâ—cted do not maintain his righteousnesse by â—aith in Christ as Iob did and his upright endeavour to please God which is manifest by his daily godly grief for his short coming in his aimed-at holinesse no wonder he be disquieted 18. For removing of this cause let the afflicted consider and distinguish what is right in him and what is wrong and beware to confound these For example 1. This is right that he doth not lean to the worth of his own works nor is pussed up with a vain conceit of himself before God 2. That he is sensible of his sinfull imperfections and corruptions and of the bitter root of original sin in him 3. It is right in him also that he aimeth toward perfection forgetting what is behind and pressing toward the mark and prize of his calling But this is wrong in him 1. that he fostereth suspicions unjustly of his own blessed estate 2. That he doth not observe the work of Gods grace in himself so carefully as he observeth his imperfections and corruptions 3. That he doth not so much the more make use of Christs imputed righteousnesse as he findeth the imperfection of his own inherent righteousnesse 4. That he measureth Gods estimation of him according to the estimation he hath of himself when indeed God in Scripture doth shew no lesse approbation of him in his wrestleing then he doth in the time of his victory and quiet condition 5. That he doth not observe the difference of the way he doth walk into which is good from the flidings imperfections errors and mistakes in particular actions and passages in that way 6. That he doth lay more weight oft-times upon the judgment of mistaking spectators of his course then he hath reason to do and doth not take heed to the sentence of the Lord in the Gospel concerning the poor in spirit the contrite the meek and lowly disciple These things let the afflicted consider and make good use thereof for his encouragment in the way of new obedience 19. The ninth cause of disquietnesse is or may be this if the true convert be not acquainted with living by faith for there are many honest and tender-hearted converts who in the sense of their sins are fled unto Christ resolved never to depart from him and carefull to lead a blamelesse life who notwithstanding whensoever they meet with changes of dispensation with variety of temptations fresh feeling of the power of sin in themselves or any crosse bodily or spiritual are disquieted and cast in suspicion of their state and albeit they neither will give over to follow after Christ nor will God suffer them to perish yet they make themselves an uncomfortable and miserable life by their leaning to present sense and feeling when they should remember the saying of the Apostle 2 Cor. 5. 7. we walk not by sight but by faith they are cast down do mourn and complain because it is not with them as they would and are most part male-content with their lot frequently regrating unto God their wants and imperfections and seldom are they praising or thanking God for what they have gotten of him 20. For removing this cause let the afflicted first consider what the Apostle speaketh to the afflicted Hebrews Heb. 10. 36. ye have need of patience that when ye have done the will of God ye may receive the promise for yet a little while and he that will come shall come and will not tarry Now the just man shall live by faith saith he Secondly let him consider that to live by faith doth require these six duties 1. That we renounce our own corrupt reason and sense lest we count that to be our life which may be seen or felt or that which may be altered and changed but reckon that to be our life which is hid with God in Christ and shall be revealed at the glorious coming of our Lord. 2. That the covenant of grace and rich promises of the Gospel be esteemed of us as our meet and drink whereby our hearts may be sustained in all adversity and our hope upholden in patience through the comfort of the Scriptures 3. That we make use of all Gods benefits bestowed upon us by vertue of that new right made unto us in Christ for being partakers thereof 4. That in all our actions we implore and seek our strength from Christ and give him thanks for the measure whatsoever he bestoweth So did the Apostle live Gal. 2. 20. The life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God 5. That we rejoyce and glory more in Christ Jesus in the midst of trouble then we grieve for our troubles whatsoever whereby as with a sharp pinsell he is drawing in us the lineaments of his own Image and conformity with himself So did the Saints Rom. 5. 3 4 5. Last of all to live by faith requireth that in every condition we should keep faith and a good conscience in Christ Jesus and esteem our selves blessed of the Lord albeit we be tossed with troubles immediatly sent from God to exercise us albeit we do fall in manifold tentations be assaulted with doubtings and persecuted unjustly by men for it should and may suffice a believer in Christ if he be not distressed albeit he be troubled on every side he must not dispair albeit he be perplexed he shall not be forsaken albeit he be persecuted he shall not be destroyed albeit he be cast down 2 Cor. 4. 8 9. Upon
the cause which it should defend and it is borrowed from the unfaithfull advocat who for a bribe doth sell the cause which he pretends to defend and give over the plea of his client and falleth in to the adverse party Such is the man whose affection to some lust and worldly advantage doth blind-fold his conscience and moveth it to speak contrary to its duty and mean time doth pretend he is only following the light of his conscience for whose liberty he ought to dispute the mater may be seen in an example or instance one or two King Saul receives a command from God to slay all the Amalekits and destroy them and their beasts when it cometh to execution Saul conceiveth it shall be for his honour to spare Agag and reserve him for a triumph and that it should be for his advantage to spare the fattest of the cattel whereof the people might make use for sacrifice So advantage and honour do sollicit him The peoples consent who followed him helpeth on his resolution to spare Agag and the fattest of the cattel fear to offend the people whom he had drawn on to consent unto his mind concurreth to the giving forth his decreet contrary to Gods command and so his conscience being bribed faileth against the command of God In which resolution and practice Saul doth please himself The like treachery in Saul falleth forth in the mater of the Gibeonits The Gibeonits preserved from Ioshuas time did grow in number to the detriment of the Israelits as he conceived the oath of a covenant sworn for sparing their lives standeth up on the one hand to hinder him from slaying of them the advantage which his kindly subject might have by killing them and possessing their lands and goods standeth up to intise him to kill them on the other hand Saul being taken with the bait of advantage and honour from the people of Israel for whom he was zealous inclineth his conscience to mis-regard the oath of the covenant partly because it was given without Gods counsel and consent yea contrary to his positive command discharging a covenant with the Canaanits partly because the Gibeonits deceived Ioshua and the elders and fained themselves not to be of the number of the Canaanits but men of a far country partly because many years had interveened between the day of Ioshua's covenant with them and his time and it seemed unto Saul very unreasonable that a rash and unadvised oath should be still in force from generation to generation and partly also because the form of the civil Government was now changed whereby Saul conceiving himself not to be obliged as successor to the Judges but as King ordained at Gods special direction as free a Monarch as any in the world and not bound by the oath of the rash swearing Judges and Elders in Ioshuas time doth treacherously seduce his own conscience and falleth upon the off-cutting of the Gibeonits by the sword How many are they who by such intisements having deceived their own hearts and for worldly gain or glory or for eshewing of damnage do embrace errors in religion and follow that course which most serveth to satisâ—ie their own lusts or is most applauded unto of them who are in power From which sort of treacherous dealing nothing can divert and draw back the man to repentance except the Lord partly by disputation and partly by Church-censures and civil punishments shall discover unto them their treacherous dealing in selling the truth and betraying their conscience for base ends and so bring them to repentance In this case such as are pretended maintainers of liberty of conscience but in effect patrons of licentious living after their own lusts put in their objections 1. Obj. It is necessary for me saith one to do what I do and to think what I think I conceive I have reason for me and am perswaded that what I do and professe is lawfull and that that is not lawfull whereunto censures and punishments tend to draw me Ans. What necessity can be pretended for a deliberat mans actions and profession except a morall necessity of doing duty and of not sinning Natural necessity he cannot alledge for the justifying of deliberat sinfull actions For if he pretend original sin and native corrupt inclination to sin it is no excuse for sin but a granting himself a sinner by kind by natural inclination and custom or if he pretend a civil necessity it is either for hope of gain or fear of wordly loss and that is but a base reason to move a man to do what is in it self sinfull If conscience be pretended and that he cannot without sin do what is against his conscience he must know that a conscience mis-informed cannot warrant a sinfull tenet or practice for except a man renounce the error which he hath embraced both the error is his sin and the profession and practice according to the error doth make his sin double if he pretend that except he do as his conscience diteth unto him he sinneth because the conscience is the rule of a mans actions he must know that the conscience is not the absolute rule of a mans actions but the Word of God must be the rule of his conscience and of his actions also Because if he put his conscience in the place of Gods Word and not in subjection and subordination thereto he must justifie the murtherers of the Martyrs of whom Christ giveth warning that they who kill his servants shall think to wit in their conscience that they do unto God good service Ioh. 16. 2. If he pretend that upon this ground liberty of conscience is altogether destroyed if men living under civil and ecclesiastick Government must renounce the light of their conscience and give obedience to mens commandments he must know that he is mistaken and that the true liberty of the conscience standeth in the following Gods Word and doing service unto God Neither doth sound doctrine tye any man to renounce the liberty of his conscience but to renounce the error which hath blinded him and to renounce his lust which hath opened the door unto the error which hath misled him lest both he perish in his sin and the society wherein he liveth be infected with the error and fall under the wrath of God If he pretend that neither the will of a man nor his conscience can be compelled For the nature of the conscience and will is to determine freely what the man shall do and the Lords people must be a willing people Ps. 110. 3 He must know that albeit the will and conscience cannot be compelled yet the carnal lusts which have seduced the conscience may be crossed and curbed by ecclesiastick censures and civil punishments that the conscience and will being better informed after the discovery of the deceitfulnesse of their lusts which did mislead them they may freely disclaim the error their unhappy venting thereof If he pretend that God is the only
renew accusations against them and so order that mater as neither Sathan shall prevail nor his child suffer damnâ—ge by the means for there is a great difference between Sathans renewing of accusations for sins forgiven and Gods making null the remission granted the Lord can suffer the one to be but the other he will never suffer to be for when a true convert groweth negligent and falleth in such sins after conversion as he lived in before conversion no wonder Sathan be permitted to call his former conversion in question yea the Lord may justly cast up to his child his former faults to humble him and shame him from going on albeit he doth not disannull the formerly granted remission 3 When thanksgiving for remission of sin granted for Christs cause beginneth to cool in the heart of a convert what wonder the Lord not only suffer but also present the vilenâ—ssâ— of by past sins to make the convert sensible of the remission and to cause him renew the acts of repentance and godly sorrow for his sins by-past as Ezek. 16. 63. and 36. 32. Then shall you remember your own evil wayes and your doings which were not good and shall loath your selves for your iniquities and abominations When the convert â—roweth remisse in watching over his own heart wayes and is in danger of falling back into these sins which he had repented of before what wonder the Lord by remembring him of his natural inclination and former wayes do warn him of his danger to make him preveen his fall 4. Wherefore let the convert maintain the solidity of former remission of sins and make good use of his former sins which went before his conversion and let him follow the example of Paul who did not suffer his former siâ—s go out of his mind but did renew the confession of them upon all occasions for his own daily humiliation for the edification of others and for magnifying the glory of the grace of God and yet for all this did not suspect the remission of sins received For by this means the convert shall preveen accusations and stop Sathans mouth and make his accusations have no force By this means the convert shall possesse firm and stable confidence of Gods unchangeable grace and mercy and of the stability of the remission of sin granted The sixth question is of a convert casten not only in an uncertainty for the time of his conversion but also in a doubt whether he be elected or not and knows not how to do in this case SOme converts fall in Heman the Ezrait his exercise whereof we read Ps. 88. especially ver 14. 15 While I suffer thy terrors I am distracted saith he Counsell hath been offered by some to the afflicted to follow the practice and experience of some eminent Theologues who being brought to such straits with good successe have submitted themselves to God to save them or destroy them as he pleased after which submission they have felt the marvellous sweet embracements of Gods loving kindnesse making them sure both of their conversion and election Whether to follow this example and experience of some notable Saints is the doubt wherein the convert is not clear and knoweth nor how to carry himself toward God in this case 2. For answer to this question It is free for God to comfort a soul casten down when and how he pleaseth it is free for God to passe by the infirmity and error of a terrified soul coming to him not in the wisest way prescribed to him and to look to the necessity of the mans consolation and not to his way of seeking of it But howsoever it pleaseth God to comfort some extraordinarily yet this is not the duty of the afflicted to come with such an unrequired submission unto God for it limiteth the Lord in a manner either to comfort the man speedily or suffâ—r him upon apparent refusal for the time to dispair For Gods order is to bring the sinner under the sense of sin and acknowledgment of deserved wrath for sin and then to charge him to believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and after believing in Christ to seal the believer with the stamp of holinesse and the earnest-penny of the inheritance which is peace with God and joy in the holy Ghost shed abroad in his heart 3. Wherefore as for the conversion of a man straitned in the pains of the new birth and fear of everlasting wrath and tempted to suspect that he is not elected It is a more safe way to lay aside all disputation about Gods decree because secret things belong to the Lord and to look to the Lords command and to his own duty of flying unto Christ So for the recovery of a convert fallen in Ionahs case and made to suspect that he is a reprobat cast off of God it is a more safe way not to dispute for the time either his election or conversion whatsoever suggestions may be cast in by Sathan then to offer unto God an absolute submission to be saved or destroyed as he pleaseth and then to lye in sorrow till God give an answer of consolation for God doth not require such a submission but calleth for an act of faith and obedience for God hath declared in his Word that he delighteth not in the death of a sinner but that he should repent and turn to God and be saved Secondly in this submission the heart will be found deceitfull which neither will nor can submit to be destroyed Thirdly this offer of such a submission as this is Lord I know not whether thou hast chosen me or rejected me in thy decree but I submit my self to thee absolutely If thou wilt destroy me thou shalt be found to be just and I do confesse so much unto thee but if thou wilt save me I shall proclame thy grace such a submission I say is but in effect a tempting of God speedily to reveal his secret counsel either by consolation if the submitter be an elect or refusal of consolation if he be a reprobat The only safe way in the foresaid case is to be humbled before God and flye to Christ by prayer as Heman did Ps. 88. and as Ionah did who choosed to look again to his holy Temple where the Mediator sat upon the mercy seat between the cherubims and not suffer such a thought as reprobation Thus did Heman Ps. 88. 13 14. But unto thee have I cryed O Lord and in the morning shall my prayer prevent thee Lord why castest thou off my soul why bidest thou thy face from me Let the command of God to every self-condemned sinner to believe in Christ prevail against all temptations to the contrair 1 Ioh. 3. 23. This is his commandment that we should believe on the name of his Son Iesus Christ. The seventh question is how to satisfie the convert doubting whether it be bâ—tter to forbear or go on in the outward exercise of religion at least in