by thy mortification of sin consider Rom. 7. 4. God may for ends best knowne to himselfe suffer corruption to be too strong for thee it may be to abase thee more in thy own eyes to see thy weaknesse and to see a more need of Christs strength God may leave thy personall Sanctification the more imperfect that wee might the more minde and behold Jesus Christ and our Righteousnesse in him and live the more upon him and joy the more in our Justification by him Rom. 4. 6 7. 5. It s one thing to have thy sinnes forgiven or not imputed Psal 32. 1 2. and another thing to subdue sinne in thee 6. The reason fin so much prevailes is because yee live so much in discouragements live in the apprehension of the love of God and downe goes sin and discouragements but if yee live in discouragements sin prevailes as you may see Psal 77. 2. 7 8 9 10. 7. We ought not to fetch our comfort from our subduing of sin but from Christ who is made unto us both Righteousnesse and Sanctification 1 Cor. 1. 30. When wee are at the best wee may not live in our selves nor by sighâ— buâ— by faith and when wee are at the worst wee ought to live upon Christ by faith and comfort our selves in him and in him onely It s the folly of many when they want strength and comfort they seeke it in their duties â—nd subduings of sinne and comfort themselves there but Christ is not in all their thoughts Psal 10. 4. 9. Dis What I once felt is now decayed 1. The ground of our faith is God in his Word and not our sight and feeling that is sensuall Wee live not by sight but by faith 2 Cor. 5. 7. 2. Whilst thou maintainest feares and jealousies of Gods love to thee it s no wonder it is so with thee call to minde the dayes of old as Psal 77. With him there is no variablenesse nor shadow of turning Jam. 1. 17. Whom he loves he loves for ever Joh. 13. 1. 3. A childe of God may decay in parts sight feelings and exercise of faith as Phil. 4. 10. these are sometimes more sometimes lesse as God seeth best that so wee might rest and relie upon Christ alone I see and feele nothing in my selfe or all is as nothing to me to Jesus Christ who is all to me 4. We ought to beleeve that we neither see nor feele saith is the evidence of things not seene Heb. 11. 1. To live by faith is to walke after the Spirit and to live by sight and feeling is to live after the flesh Rom. 8. 1 2. 10. Dis I am discouraged because nothing is made good to me I doe not possesse is 1. If thou beest included and art under the promise of it thou shalt possesse it 2. It may be made good to thee without thy possession of it there is neither faith nor hope in what we possesse to have right in it and to possesse it are two things They dyed in faith they did not possesse what they beleeved Heb. 11. 17 18. Abraham beleeved he should have a Sonne here was his faith Rom. 4. 3. 17 18. yet then he did not possesse his Sonne to make injoyment essentiall to faith is a very great mis-take 11. Dis I have no assurance of salvation and therefore have no faith 1 Faith and assurance are two distinct things assurance cannot be without faith but faith may be without assurance for assurance is not the proper act of faith but an effect of it and a higher measure then that is and the greater our feelings of assurance are the lesser is our faith 2. Faith is an assenting or cleaving to the truth and faithfulnesse of God in his promise not from any thing the soule seeth or feeleth in it selfe but from something it apprehends in God in his Word Rom. 4. 20 21 22. Sometimes faith is attended with much strife and strugling for Satan saith to the soule it s in vaine to beleeve Christ saith Come I will ease thee now for the soule to rest upon the ability and fidelity of Christ in his promise is no small measure of faith Assurance is not from the nature of faith nor from the direct act of faith but from the reflect act of faith which is for a man to see and know that he beleeves which assurance is from the light and testimony of the Spirit of God in the conscience of one that is already a beleever causing the soule to know it beleeves the Spirit it selfe beareth witnesse to our spirits that wee are the children of God Rom. 8. 16. 3. There be some that have faith by reason of their ignorance and unskilfulnesse as Heb. 5. 14 15. 10. 15. Babes are unskilfull and have not experience of Gods dealing with his for order and manner so that when faith doth not act and when Christ doth not clearly appeare in the soule he doubts whether he be not deceived but when the Lord appeares againe the doubt is dissolved and the soule satisfied and he is armed with experience against such a time if he be able to judge and neglect not to marke well but where use and exercise is wanting there is not so cleare a discerning Heb. 5. 11 12. 12. Dis I feare the opposition in me is not between Christ and Satan or the Spirit against the flesh but from my corrupt will and my inlightned conscience I grant all the combates in men are not right many are deceived herein yet the difference may be discerned as 1. The naturall conscience though inlightned acts onely in a naturall way at the most it is but morall as not to â—lie steale sweare and such grosse acts 2. It stirres not unlesse it be forced and onely to that its forced unto 3. Conscience inlightned strikes onely at the branches of sin but not at the roote 4. It sets one faculty against another as the will and affections against the understanding 1. But the Spirit of Christ causeth an opposition in the same faculty as in the will c. 2. The Spirit of God makes a free full constant impartiall resistance against all sin 3. And discovers to the soule her secret corruptions in their colours the Spirit overpowereth the soule causing it to hate sin and leave it 4. The Spirit causeth the soule to be more glad the more sin is discovered 5. The Spirit of God teacheth the soule to oppose all sin even the appearance of evill equally proportionably and orderly 6. The Spirit causeth the soule not to turne the truth of God into incouragements to sin as some doe 13. Dis I am so troubled with hideous temptations as I beleeve no childe of God is 1. Christ was tempted Mat. 4. There is no temptation but a childe of God may be tempted with see 1 Cor. 10. 13. 2. If they be hatefull and burdensome to you and you cry to God for helpe against them they shall not be laid to
art my salvation Psal 35. 3. I beseech thee shew me thy glory Exod. 35. 18. Cause thy face to shine upon me Psal 80. 3. Establish O God that which thou hast wrought in us Psal 68. 22. 29. Frequent and wisely improve those whom God hath setled who are able to direct and informe thee in the knowledge of the grace that is revealed in which is fulnesse of joy 1 Joh. 1. 4. Many heare and confer with such as doe not understand the truth and finde successe accordingly 30. In the want of comfort goe not for comfort to sin to duties to conscience but to Christ to his word and promise Trust to the word of the Lord it s in vaine to thinke that ever their discouragements will be removed untill they cleave unto and rest upon the word of the Lord. When David rested upon the word of the Lord then he was setled Psal 73. 17. but not till then Psal 119. 92. God hath appointed his word to settle us wee finde by experience nothing will remove the soules doubts and discouragements but the word of God the word discovers to the soule the love of God it conveys to the soule that which is sutable to settle it carnall reason cannot settle the soule but the word can when God discovers his power and authoritie in it then all doubts c. gives place So we finde that according as we cleave to the word of the Lord our doubts and discouragements vanish and as we cleave to lying vanities our feares and discouragements increase Jonah 2. 8. When God pleases to settle a soule in his love he causeth it to trust in his word Remember the word unto thy servant upon which thou hast caused me to hope Psal 1 19. 49. You had better make the word of God your familiar and companion then to make carnall reason so see Isa 18. 16. Many in the want of comfort seek it where it is not which is to seek the living among the dead and so meet with dead comforts 31. Hearken to the voice of conscience prize and preserve the peace of it and doe nothing against it 32. Be thankfull for what thou hast received and improve that and waite for more We waite for thy loving kindnesse O God Psal 48. 9. 33. When thy conscience is satisfied by the Word hold to that stay there and maintaine it that so we may not alwayes have this work to doe 34. Hold fast what thou hast and let nothing goe that tends to thy peace doe not heare any thing against thy soule be so wise as to give no way to doubting he is a foole that doth so see Luk. 24. 25 O fooles and slow of heart to beleeve all that the Prophets have spoken 35. Remember your resting place Jer. 50. 6. If you forget your resting place it s no wonder if yee be troubled we have no more present actuall comfort then we have remembrance they were troubled the cause of it was they forgot the exhortation that speaketh unto you as children Heb 12 5. Christ is our resting place Returne unto thy Rest O my Soule Psal 116. 7. 36. Avoid sadnesse of spirit it breeds uncomfortablenesse and unsetlednesse and sadnesse causeth us to yeeld to discouragements seeing we are commanded to rejoyce alwayeâ— and evermore 1 Thes 5. 16. Wee should thinke our selves bound in conscience to doe so 37. When our spirits are downe and sad we should winde up our affections and stirre up our selves to take hold on God Isa 64. 7. If thou hast sinned thou hast done foolishly it being done it cannot be undone What shall the soule doe but remember that sweet place Heb. 10. 17. Their sinnes and iniquities I will remember no more see vers 19. to 26. Rom. 8. 1. 33. Fetch thy comfort from it 38. Know and consider there is not any sin a beleever can commit that should cause him to cast away his confidence or so much as question the love of God to him not for any thing he hath done or can befall him he may not admit of such a disquietnesse as shall discourage him or hinder him in obeying another command of God 1 Thes 5. 16. 39. Lastly Know that these means are to be used they tend much to assure and settle the soule in the sensible injoyment of love and that meanes alone are not sufficient to quiet and settle a troubled soule it s the worke of the Spirit to answer all doubts and remove all discouragements God creates the fruit of the lips peace peace to him that is afar off and to him that is neare saith the Lord and I will heale him Isa 59. 19. It s God that stablisheth us 1 Cor. 1. 21. In the use of meanes we are to look to him and waite upon him who will in his time free all his from all their discouragements doubts and feares and satisfie them with his love These things I write unto you that your faith and hope may be in God 1 Pet. 1. 21. 2 Cor. 5. 20 21. Now then wee are Ambassadours for Christ as though God did beseech you by us wee pray you in Christs stead be yee reconciled to God For he hath made him to â—e sin for us which knew no sin that we might be made the righteousnesse of God in him THese words breath forth nothing but love tydings of peace and great joy in that Christ alone doth free the soule from sinne and causeth the soule for to injoy the Righteousnesse of God in him Behold what sure sweet cleare full durable divine consolation is here sufficient to cheare revive raise and ravish the sinking soule by reason of sin in the want of a Righteousnesse of God in him These words containe many divine truths for our instruction and consolation In that he saith We are Ambassadours for Christ Obs That God hath sent to us his servants to declare his infinite love and the unsearchable riches of Christ and the freenesse thereof as Isa 61. 1. Zach. 9. 9 10 11. 2 Tim. 1. 9 10. Ambassadours It s the duty of an Ambassadour to deliver his Message without alteration addition or detraction Obs Ambassadours for Christ Christ Ambassadours are for him not against him As though God did beseech you by us Obs Those into whom God hath put this word of Reconciliation when it is declared unto us by them or in his Word we ought to beleeve and receive it as if God did immediately speake unto us for they speake in his stead Obs Then all the doubts and feares the soule or Satan can frame of Gods unwillingnesse to save a lost sinner as Luk. 19. 10. are all groundlesse and false for God seeks to us to be reconciled man seeks it not I was found of them that sought me not Isa 65. 1 2 3. The Prodigall is said to goe but God who is the Father is said to run Luk. 15. 18. 20. As running doth expresse more willingnesse then going so God is more willing to save
crosses and pressures Faith perswades the soule of Gods love that it is as much to hâ—â— in their afflicted estate as in a prosperous Faith saith to the soule in the want of food and rayment be content God will provide He that lives by faith is content sincere and fruitfull The Saints enjoy Christ by faith and not by feeling When faith is greatest there is the least feeling to satisfie sense and reason The life of faith is a hidden life but unbeliefe is too open To those God gives faith he gives trialls to exercise it Humane wisdome hinders saith A way to strengthen faith is to live by it The more we live by faith the more we may and so on the contrary The more faith the lesse feare Even good men live more by sense then by faith As our faith is great or small so accordingly we are incouraged to obey God Faith beleeves impossible things to sense and reason By faith we look through death and see our felicitie He that lives by faith lives a sweet and comfortable life on Christ alone Faith in God and the use of meanes doe well agree The lesse a man apprehends the grounds of his saith to be solid the lesser shall his comfort be and the more he applieth the promise to himselfe and apprehends the unchangeablenesse of God in his oath and promise the more strong shall his consolation be Of falls Even good men stumble and fall If we have occasion and temptation and Gods permission then we fall If God withhold his strength lust soone drawes us aside and downe we fall Such as reproach others for their falls either have or are like to fall as much or worse themselves Freedome Christs freedome the Saints most prise none so blessed none so much to be desired Christ in his time freeth his from all feares and terrors death hell and judgement and from the commanding power of sin and free to noble imployments Friendship When friendship is between good and bad they quickly part or become alike for like will to like A friend must shew himselfe friendly He that will accept of all that his friend offers may weary him in time To affect familiarity with the wicked is to lead our selves into Satans temptations Flattery Flattery gaineth friends plaine dealing makes men foes Many can beare flattery but not reprooâ—e A fault It 's best sometimes not to seeme to take notice of some faults Sometimes it is a fault to finde fault and sometimes it 's a fault not to finde fault knowledge and wisdome must determine it It 's easier to see a fault in another then in our selves and to reforme one in another tâ—en in our selves Good We oft doe the least good to them we owe most A man may doe good in the strength of a lust There be many good things will decay if let alone but evill if let alone will inâ—rease Parents thinke they doe their children great good when they make them rich and great in the world which is to make them great sinners for then they have little else to doe but to wast the creatures and live in excesse and idlenesse lust pride and oppression God No voice signe or forme can sufficiently expresse God either to sense or reason no finite understanding can comprehend that which is infinite our understandings are finite therefore cannot conceive the forme or patterne of an infinite being God is the cause of all good there can be no good at all in any thing which God from all eternitie hath not decreed to effect or bring to passe What God is no man can perfectly define we rather know what God is not then what he is God doth sometimes worke by contraries Gods wayes are sometimes secret and unsearchable God is neere his when he seems furthest off When God seemes to leave a man then helpe is neerest God is the center of the Saints lives In God is satisfaction and no changes They that live upon God alone live most comfortable they are satisfied and feare no changes We oft enjoy most of God when we enjoy least of the creature The more wise powerfull glorious and eternall God is the more happy are we in being in his love Eyes faile flesh failes heart failes all failes but God he never failes It 's a great comfort to a Saint that God is present in every place Such as know God will trust him with their soules and bodies Nothing can free a soule from sin and misery but God alone The selfe sweetnesse we finde in God the lesse we love him and the lesse paines we take to obey him The sight of God to a Saint is glorious and the knowledge and meditation of him will raise and inlarge the soule So much as we desire God so much we enjoy him and so much as we enjoy God so much we seriously minde him All perfections are in God therefore we may well be content with him Gifts Gifts blind the eyes of the wise Great gifts and great corruptions too oft goe together The greater gifts spirituall or temporall the prouder the flesh is and the readier Satan is to assault Such as act from their gifts without looking to Christ are like to fall as Peter did Glory What a man trusts in he glories in and what a man glories in he trusts in and is confident off When we thinke we most seek the glory of God we too often most seek our own Vaine-glorious and simple men love to shew their authority in needlesse commands Griefe It 's a great griefe to a childe of God to speake of any good thing he finds a want of in himselfe We cannot heartily be grieved for the sin of another if we make no conscience of it in our selves If we grieve much for any earthly thing it is a signe we seek not that comfort from God we might and should If we did not immoderately love outward things we would not keep such a doe to get them nor so grieve at the losse of them as we doe It 's poornesse of spirit to joy or grieve at any thing worse then our selves yet this poornesse is in all men Honour Honours change manners The honour of men is a vanity a very shadow Honour ease and riches are great things in the eyes of the world The more meâ— deâ—ire honour the lesse they deserve and the lesse they often have Such as stand most upon termes of honour have the least true worth in them The more a mans worth is lessened in his own eyes the more he is honoured in others A mans honour is his honesty c. He is free gentile and noble that is a Christian Happinesse Happinesse is not found in honour riches nor health There is no happinesse but onely in God alone He is happy that God loves although he know it not but he that knows it knows he is happie A childe of God cannot be content to be happie alone That cannot make a man happie that is
live Which voice of his unto me life did give 3. When I heard this sweet voice of God to me Vpon my heart effectually it wrought That I was then so set at liberty That oft times I did ponder in my thought From sin Satan curse wrath and hell so free That I feare not what they can doe to me 4. Love caused God for me his Sonne to give Love caused Jesus Christ for me to dye Love caused God to say to my soule live Love in my soule doth now againe reply In Songs how lovingly Christ did come forth A mighty and ransome of great worth 5. What glorious sight of love is this I see That being had before the world could be Without all time bounds measure or degree Is this his love which he hath set on me One glorious sight of this so great love Will cause a soule for to be sicke of love 6. This love made known to me made me to muse That ever God should be to me so good To give his Sonne for me and me to choose Which was his enemy and in my bloud When I fled from him after me came he I sought not him but he sought after me 7. The love of God to me is passing great Which had a being ere the world began It boundlesse is and every way compleate And longer doth endure then this world can Like love to this hath never yet been heard And there is none can be to this compar'd 8. That many in their sinnes should be destroy'd Whose first condition was as good as mine And yet to me this mercy is injoyd Thus being freed I shall in glory shine This shews his love to me is great and free And could not be deserv'd at all by me 9. Oh! who could wish himselfe a thing so rare As to be hem'd in and compast about With boundlesse love oh who can it declare Or who by fathoming can finde it out My heart my hand tongue are all too weak Of matchlesse love to thinke or write or speak 10. It is through faith injoyed so excellent It comforteth and elevates on high The saddest heart and fills it with content Yea it revives a soule ready to dye The apprehending it brings joy and peace When it is clouded then our joys decrease 11. Each soule that doth this boundles joy possesse May well be swallowed in admiration And to the praise of God may it expresse And have it in their meditation Well may it cause us to serve feare and love This infinite Giver ever God above Glory be to God on high The end of the second Part. DIVINE CONSOLATIONS OR A fountaine of life and comfort The Third Part. Declaring that the Elect were justified from the punishment of sin by Christ when he was upon the Crosse and the objections against it are answered And that Christ alone is our life happinesse peace strength comfort joy and all perfection Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sinne Rom. 4. 8. Being justified by his bloud Rom. 5. 9. Who can lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect Rom. 8. 33. For they are without fault before the Throne of God Rev. 14. 5. By Samuel Richardson LONDON Printed by M. Simmons in Aldersgate-streâ—te 1649. To all that love Jesus Christ in sincerity heires of the purchased possession to as many of them as this shall come understanding to know and love to embrace the truth Holy and beloved in the Lord BEhold I present to your view Christ crucified which is the sum and substance of the Gospel The Priesthood of Christ and the sufficiency of his Sacrifice to save is the main thing I contend for against the Papists who say Christs sacrifice is not sufficient without their sacrifice Charity saves saith one without good workes no salvation saith another a third saith that Christs sacrifice is not sufficient for our Salvation without beleeving that beleeving saves and that without beleeving we cannot be saved Yee see they all urge a necessity of something for salvation besides Christs Sacrifice without which something they say we cannot be saved so that they deâ—y the sufficiency of Christs sacrifice to save and so deny that Christ doth save for those that he saves he saves by his sacrifice Also if Christ and something else saves us Christ saves us not for he is no Saviour if he be but a part of a Saviour therefore in adding something to Christs sacrifice they deny the sufficiency of Christs sacrifice so that their opinions are dishonourable to Christ therefore as we tender the honour of Jesus Christ we are to hate and abhorre them being enemies to the Crosse of Christ and therefore abominable If we consider how generally these are received and scarce contradicted by any that beleeving and Christ and beleeving together saves us sure it should greatly stirre us up and provoke us to contend for the sufficiency of Christs sacrifice though our contending should cost us our lives There is no truth more honourable to Christ nor of greater concâ—rament to his glory and our salvation then this is take away any thing of the sufficiency of Christs sacrifice and our salvation is destroyed what a dishonour were it to God to send Christ to save us and yet for him not to save and not to be sufficient to save there is no opinion in the world that my soule doth more abhorre nor against which I would more freely lay downe my life for then this This Treatise tends to exalt Christ alone selfe is not exalted nor nothing of man this doctrine puts a man upon a whole deniall of himselfe because man and his best works are not onely wholy shut out in this worke but trampled upon in respect of Justification and Salvation This doctrine strips us naked from all things else but Christ it is not I and my workes nor Christ and my workes together that saves me but Jesus Christ alone is he that saves us from our sinnes c. Many want this light desire and hope of doing good moved and incouraged me to take paines herein and send it into the world I have no prejudice against the persons of any nor would I have any thinke ill of them in many things we sinne all in one kinde or other it s in vaine to expect better so long as we are in this world neither dâ—e I know that I take any pleasure in writing against any no further then I thinke my selfe bound in conscience to witnesse to the truth and then especially when others omit it Mr Gerees Booke against Dâ—ctor Crispe hath been published above foure yeares and no answer given to it by any neither have I heard that any other hath given any answer