God now in Christ's For there is enmity betweene the nature of God and the nature of man of sinfull man but that Christ hath taken our nature now and made it lovely to God and God lovely to us Christ Emanuell God and man God with us hath made God and us friends therefore now we must go to God in that Emanuel in Christ that Ladder that joynes heaven and earth together See Gods face shining in Christ his gracious face and this will incourage us to go to God together with our wants goe not to absolute God a god without a mediator for then God is a consuming fire In the next place when we goe to God and seeke to God be sure to seeke his favour and grace in the first place If we want any particular thing protection or direction or comfort in distresse goe not for that in the first place but let us see in what tearmes God and we are let us be sure that reconciliation and peace be made For if we seeke to God in our particular wants and have not made our peace before but have sought to other gods to men and to our shifts God may say you seeke to me Goe to the gods you have served to the great men you have served to the riches you have trusted unto goe to your shifts Therefore first make peace and reconciliation with God before you seeke other things If a man have offended a great person he doth not goe and seeke particular favours till first he have made peace and taken up the quarrell Let us take up the quarrell between God and us by repentance and a promise of new obedience get reconciliation that way and then seeke for particular favours after For what if God give you particular favours if they bee not from his grace and favour what will they doe us good What will all that a reprobate wretch hath doe him good What will his favours his riches and honours and preferments doe him good when he dies when hee shall conflict with the anger of God when he shall see hell before him and see heaven shut Hee seeth he hath all from a generall providence and as a reward for his care in this world God answereth him with a civill inlargement for his civill obedience but he hath his reward heaven he hath not hee cared not for it what will all doe without the love of God in Christ therefore I beseech you let us first seeke the favour and mercy of God in Christ. And then for particular things goe to him as the exigence is for in God there is a supply for all turnes and that is the ground of seeking for our seeking it must be a wise seeking now it were not wise unlesse there were a supplie in God for every want whatsoever it is If the creature could doe any thing without God we should upon good ground make that God If any thing could raise us without God I mean to comfort we might seeke to them and make them God upon good reason but what can they doe In anger God may let a man enjoy favours as the fruits of his displeasure but what can they doe without him They can doe nothing Therefore it must be the supreame cause the highest cause the great wheele that turnes every little inferiour wheele in the world they turne with the great wheele of divine providence and goodnesse therefore goe to him as the first cause Againe in seeking the favour of God we must search our consciences to come with pure and cleane hearts to God to seeke him If we regard iniquity in our hearts God will not heare our prayers Wee come to God with a purpose to offend him if we come not with a purpose to leave our sins why do we come God will not regard our prayers We must come with pure consciences to God as it is excellently set downe Psal. 24. 3. Who shall assend into thy hill O Lord who shall stand in thy holy place He that hath cleane hands and a pure heart And then he saith after This is the generation of them that seeke him those that have cleane hands and a pure heart Thou hast foule hands thou art a briber a corrupter thou hast an impure heart thou art a filthy creature thou hast lived in such and such sins cleanse thy hands and thy heart This is the generation of them that seeke him If a man seeke the pure and holy GOD with an uncleane heart and uncleane hands if he be corrupt in his hands and in his heart that is the fountaine he may seeke God long enough before hee finde him and if he see GOD it is in anger Againe if we would seeke the face and favour of God let us study the word hard study the promises as I said before bind him with his own word thou hast said thus I alleage thy owne word Iacob when he wrastled with God Genesis 32. then he saw God he called the place Penuell that is the face of God because of seeing God Vpon wrastling when the heart by faith wrastleth with God by the promise Lord thou hast done this though I feele no comfort yet I will rest upon thee that place will bee Penuell The face of GOD will bee there GOD will shew himselfe And let the extremity be what it will seeke God in extremity alleage the Word of God in extremity What word have you for extremity In the mountaine God will bee seene His face will be seene in the mount that is when there is no other help whatsoever God is a present helpe in trouble Psal. 46. He is the God that comforteth the abject that none else can comfort And he that is in darknesse and sees 〈◊〉 light let him trust in the name of the Lord. And though I were in the valley of the shaddow of death if the Lord be with me I will trust in him Psal. 23. And though thou kill me yet will I trust in thee saith Iob. In extremity seeke God then and find out words and promises then as the Scripture is large in that kind for then there is most need of seeking God Lord if thou help not now none can help And this is the difference betweene a true Child of God and another in the time of extremity Saul seekes to the witch but David seekes to God as here Lord thy face will I seeke Many things upbraided David no question with his sinne and the affliction he was in Thou seeke God thou hast offended him and now thou indurest some signe of his displeasure a heavie case beloved somtimes especially in the time of extremity then conscience saith I am in extremity and withall God followes mee with such and such sins a guiltie conscience meetes me in my prayers to God and upbraids me thou hast done so and so that if there be not faith and a word of God to lay hold on in extremity
the Covenant of grace they are operative and working when he commands us to beleeve and obey he gives us grace to beleeve and obey It is our selves that answere but not from our selves but from grace yet notwithstanding let us make this use of it letus search our selves though it be not from our selves that we answere Gods promise by faith and his command by obedience yet we must have this obedience though from him before we can challenge any thing at Gods hands It is arrogant presumption to hope for Heaven and Salvation before we have grace to answere all Gods promises and commands by a good conscience To come more particularly to the words some will have it the Questioning the Demand of a good Conscience but that followes the other For when wee answere truely the interrogatories in Baptisme when we beleeve and renounce then we may from a good conscience demand of God all the good in Christ we may cal upon him pray unto him hath not Christ died and made peace betweene thee and us And may we not triumph against all enemies when there is the answere of a good Conscience If Sathan lay any thing to our charge Christ died and rose and sits at the right hand of God Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods people We may with a heart sprinkled with the blood of Christ now ascended into heaven answere all objections and triumph against all enemies wee may goe boldly to God and demand the performance of his promises Hence comes all the spirit of boldnesse in prayer from the answere of a good Conscience for that drawes all other after it Now to come more particularly to the words The answere of a good Conscience It would take up all the time to speake of Conscience in generall and it were not to much purpose I will take it as it serves my purpose at this time A good conscience in this place is a Conscience peaceable and gracious peace and purity make up a good Conscience To make this clearer there be three degrees of a good Conscience though the last bee here meant especially There is first a good Conscience that is troubled a troubled good Conscience and then a pacified good Conscience and then a gracious good Conscience A troubled good Conscience is when the spirit by conviction opens to us what we are in our selves he opens our sins and the danger and soulnesse of our sins whereupon our Conscience is terrified and affrighted Therefore this good Conscience whereby we are convinced of our estate by nature in itselfe it is a good Conscience and tends to good for it tends to drive us to Christ. There is a good Conscience therefore that hath terrour with it The second degree of a good conscience is that that comes from the other when we are convinced of sinne and of the Miserie that coms by sinne then that good conscience speakes peace to us when God shines upon the conscience by his spirit from whence there is peace that is a peaceable good conscience For God takes this course after he hath terrified conscience by his spirit and word then he offers in the Gospell and not onely offers but commands us to beleeve he offers all good in Christ and commands us not only so but invites us Come unto me all ye that are wearie c. Nay he beseecheth us We beseech you to be reconciled he takes all courses Now his spirit going with these intreaties he perswades the soule that he is our gracious Father in Christ Iesus Christ hath suffered such great things and he is God and man he is willing and able to save us Considering he is annoynted of God for this purpose hereupon conscience is satisfied and doth willingly yeeld to these gracious promises it yeelds to this command of beleeving to these sweet invitings This is a peaceable good Conscience Hereupon comes in the third place a gracious good conscience which is a conscience after we have beleeved that resolves to please God in all things as the Apostle saith Heb. 13. We have a good Conscience studying to please God in all things we have a good conscience toward God and toward men When the conscience is appeased and quieted then it is fit to serve God as an instrument that is in tune An instrument out of tune yeelds nothing but harsh Musique so when the soule and conscience is distempered and not set at peace it is not gracious So now you see the order there is a troubled good conscience and a peaceable good conscience and then a gracious heart forwhile conscience is not at peace by the blood and resurrection of Iesus Christ by considering him and by application of him there is no grace nor service of God with that heart but the heart shuns God it hates God and murmurs against God men thinke why should they doe good deeds when they beleeve not when they cast not themselves upon Christ and when conscience is not sprinkled with the blood of Christ they are able to doe nothing out of the love of God and whatsoever is not of faith and love it is sinne The heart cannot but be afraid of God and wish there were no God and murmur and repine till it be pacified That is the reason why the Apostles in the latter part of their Epistles they presse conscience of good duties when they had taught Christians before and stablished them in Christ because all duties issue from faith if they come not thence they are nothing if there be first faith in Christ then there will be a good conscience in our lives and conversations And from the gracious conscience comes the increase of a peaceable conscience there must be peace before we can graciously renew our Covenants to please God but when we have both these faith in Christ and a resolution to please God in all things there comes an increase of peace for then there is an argument to satisfie conscience when first of all conscience goes to Christ to the foundation I have answered Gods command I have beleeved and cast my selfe upon Christ I have answered Gods promise he hath promised if I doe so he will give me Christ with all his Benefits I have yeelded the obedience of faith hereupon comes some comfort here is the foundation of this obedience But then when Conscience likewise from this resolves to please God in all things in the duties to God and man hereupon comes another increase of peace when I looke to the life of grace in my owne heart For a working carefull Christian hath a double ground of comfort One in the command to beleeve and in the promise whether he hath evidences of grace or no but when he hath power by the spirit to lead a godly life and to keepe a good conscience in all things then he hath comfort from the evidence of grace in his owne heart from whence
would never have created the world the Father Sonne and Holy-ghost were happy in themselves and enjoyed one another before the world was but that God delights to communicate and spread his goodnesse there had never beene a Creation nor a Redemption God useth his creatures not for defect of power that he can do nothing without them but for the spreading of his goodnesse and thereupon comes all the subordination of one creature to another and all to him Oh that we had hearts to make way for such a goodnesse as God would cast into us if wee were as wee should be Gods goodnesse is a spreading imparting goodnesse It is a common distinction there is the goodnesse of the Fountaine and the goodnesse of the Vessell that is our goodness because we contain somewhat in us that is good the goodnesse of the creature that is but the Channell or the Cisterne but the goodnesse of God is another manner of goodnesse the goodnesse of the Fountaine The Fountaine begs not from the River the Sunne borrowes not light from the Candle God begs not goodnesse from the creature Ours is a borrowed goodnesse but his is a communicative goodnesse seek my face that I may impart my goodnesse The Sun delights to spread his beames and his influenâ—… in inferiour things to make all things fruitfull such a goodnesse is in God as is in a Fountaine or in the brest that loves to ease it selfe of milke I note it that wee may conceive aright of God that is more willing to bestow good then we are to aske it hee is so willing to bestow it that he becomes a Sutor to us seeke yee my face he seekes to us to seeke him It is strange that heaven should seek to earth yet so it is Whence comes this in God the at ribute oâ—… goodnesse the spreading goodnesse in his 〈◊〉 ture that he desires to impart and to commâ—…nicate himselfe There is no envie in God he hath none above him and therefore he labours to make al good There is a mysterie in it but if some bee 〈◊〉 good the fault is in themselvs as it is a prerogative in him to make some more and some leâ—… good so there is a fault in them that I 〈◊〉 no better it is my owne fault The prerogative belongs to God we must not search into that but every man may say I might have beene better and more enlarged I did not seeke his face that hee might take occasion to â—…nlarge himselfe towards me would wee be like our heavenly Father let us labour to have large affections to have a spreading goodnesse Two things make us very like God thâ—… much concerne this point To do things freely of our selves and to doe them farre To communicate goodnesse and to communicate it faâ—…e to many The greater the fire is the further it burnes the greater the love is the further it extends and communicates it selfe There are none more like God then those that communicate what good they have to others and communicate it as farre and remote as they can to extend it to many Our Saviour Christ you see what a world were beholding to him Heaven and earth were beholding to him and the nearer a man comes â—…o Christ the more there is a kind of felfeâ—…eniall to doe good to others Saint Paul had 〈◊〉 great measure of Christ in him he was conâ—…ent to bee bestowed for the good of the Church the care of all did lie upon him A â—…ublike mind is Gods mind a publike mind is a mind that loves to do good freely and largeâ—…y to others therefore God saith seeke my face that I may have better opportunity to empty my goodnesse to you Seeke my face that is seeke my presence the face is the glasse of the soule wherein we see the mind of a man seeke my face that is seeke my mind seeke my presence as wee shall see afterward I will speake no more of that point Gods warrant or command but goe on My heart said unto thee thy face Lord will I seeke Here is the worke and obedience My heart said unto thee c. Davids heart was set in a good and sanctified frame by God it was betweene God and his obedience The heart is betweene God and our obedience as it were an Embassadoâ—…r it understands from God what God will have done and then it layes a command upon the whole man The hear and conscience of man is partly divine partly humane it hath some divinity in it especially if the man be a holy man God speakes and the heart speakes God speakes to the Heart and the Heart speakes to us And oft times when we heare conscience speaking to us we neglect it and as Saint Augustine said of himselfe God spake often to me and I was ignorant of it When there is no command in the word that the heart directly thinkes of as indeed many prophane carelesse men scarce have a Bible in their houses God speakes to them thus conscience speakes to them some broken command that they learne against their wils they heed it not but David did not so God said Seekeyee my face his heart answers thy face Lord will I seeke The heart lookes upward to God and then to it selfe My heart said It said to thee and then to it selfe First his heart said to God Lord I have incouragement from thee thou hast commanded that I should seeke thy face so his heart looked to God and then it speakes to it selfe Thy face Lord will I seeke It looks first to God and then to all things that come from it selfe My heart said it said of that point concerning the thing thou saidst seeke my face My heart said to thee David saw God in all his commandements Thou saidst to me seeke my face My heart said to thee I know the command is from thee I have to deale with thee in the command and incouragement and in the warrant I looke not to the words but to thee the authority and strength of them comes from thee My heart said to thee thy face Lord will I seeke Betweene the answer of David and Gods command and warrant the heart comes to thinke seriously upon the command and then to enjoyne the dutie This is to be considered because there is no knitting of these two together but by the heart the serious consideration of the heart when God faith seeke my face he answers I will seeke thy face How comes this returne The soule considers the ground of the returne before the returne A man when he doth any thing hee doth it from the principles of a man a holy man when hee doth a thing he doth it from the principle of a holy man and what is the principles and foundation of the practise of a holy man a sanctified understanding to tell him what God hath said and what he hath promised and wherein God hath discovered himselfe Well when the heart knowes
therefore they labour to be voluntarie It is a good saying there is no vertue in men that doe things against their wils for that is vertue and grace that comes from a man from his owne principles from cheerfulnesse God loves a cheerfull giver I might inlarge this but I doe but take it as it may strengthen the point our obedience to God it must be pliable and cheerfull and voluntary Againe obedience if it be true it is perfect and sincere looking to God Thy face Lord will I seeke we must eye God in it and Gods commandement and not have a double eye wee must not looke to our own selves it must be perfect obedience that is opposite to that which is hypocriticall that is the best perfection for the perfection of degrees is not to be attained here but this perfection of soundnesse is to be laboured for as wee see here it was a sound obedience Thy face Lord will I seeke I will not seeke thy favours and blessings so much as thy face It was perfect obedience as perfection is opposed to unsoundnesse It was likewise a professed obedience before all the world in spight of Satan Thy face will I seeke let the devill and the world doe what they can let others doe as they will but as Iosua saith If you will worship other Gods if you will fall away doe But I and my house will serve the Lord what if his house will not serve the Lord If my house will not serve the Lord I will So wee should all be of Iosua's mind I and my house will serve the Lord let the world goe which way it will In blessed Saint Pauls time oh saith he There are many of whom I have told you often and now tell you weeping who are enemies to the Crosse of Christ whose end is damnation who mind earthly things What doth Paul in the meane time oh but our conversation is in heaven we swim a contrary way we care not to let the world know it our conversation is another way So our obedience must not only be present and pliable and perfect but a professed obedience that is to breake through all the oppositions of the Devill and the world with an invincible resolution to bâ—…eak through all difficulties and scandals and examples of great persons and of this and that if we will goe to God and say truely Lord thy face will I seeke Let other men seeke what they will let them seeke the face and favour of others thy face will I seeke thou shalt be in stead of all to me as indeed hee is Againe as it is a professed so it is a continued a perpetuall obedience hee is resolved for the time to come Thy face will I seek not onely now and then turne my back upon thee afterwards but I will seeke thy face till I see thee in heaven I see thy face in thine ordinances in the word in thy people where two or three bee gathered thou are among them I will see thy face as I may till I see it in heaven so here is a perpetuall resolution Thy face I will seeke Lastly theâ—…e is one thing more in this obedience and answer to Gods command that his answer to God is an answerable answer that is the answer and obedience is sutable to the command Gods command was seeke my face his answer is thy face Lord will I seeke So the point is that Our obedience to God must be proportionable to that that is commanded It must not be this or that devised by men when the Lords eye is on you in this place and gives you a charge to doe thus the obedience must be sutable when he saith seeke my face wee must obey thy face Lord will wee seeke Therefore it may in some poor sense be compared to an Eccho we returne obedience in the same kind the Spirit of God teacheth the children of God to doe so to answer God in al the things hee doth I know not a better evidence of a child of God then this answering Spirit How shall I know that God loves me I love him againe therefore I know hee hath loved me first it is an undoubted argument How shall I know that God hath chosen mee I chuse him Whom have I in heaven but thee and what is there in earth in comparison of thee It is an undoubted Argument shall I be able to single out God to be instead of all to me and hath not hee chosen me first Can there bee any thing in the Current that is not in the Spring before It is impossible I know God I looke on him as my father certainly he hath shined on me first I have said to him thou art my God certainly he hath said before thou art my servant If I say to him thou art my God certainly he hath said before I am thy salvation hee hath begun for this is the order God begins he saith Seeke my face then if wee have grace to returne answerable obedience to God Thy face Lord will I seeke when thou biddest me Lord I will love thee I will chuse thee and delight in thee thou shalt bee my God if we have this returning spirit back againe we cannot have a better argument that God loves us then by answering Gods course This is that that Saint Peter hath in 1 Pet. 3. that that doth all in Baptisme it is not the washing of the filth of the body but the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the answer or the demand of a good conscience but answer is better the answer of a good conscience cleanseth in Baptisme What is that In Baptisme dost thou beleeve saith the Minister in God the Father Almighty I doe beleeve that was the answer dost thou beleeve in God the Son I doe beleeve dost thou beleeve the Forgivenesse of sins the Resurrection of the body and the life everlasting I doe beleeve dost thou renounce the Devill and his workes I renounce them that is the answer of a good conscience where that is from the heart there God hath spoken to that heart before and there is obedience to purpose Thy face will I seeke it is that that brings comfort not the washing of the water it is not the eating of the bread and drinking the wine and hearing the word of God when there is not the answer of a good conscience when we say we beleeve and we will doe this to doe it indeed Lord I will beleeve I will goe out of the Church with a purpose to practise what I heare Here is the answer of a good conscience when wee mingle what we heare with faith and labour to practise it or else it will doe no good Our obedience must be sutable and answerable as I said before if it be a direction to follow it if it be a command to obey it if it be a threatning to feare it if it be a comfort a promise to rest upon it Let
there be a sutablenesse of obedience to the word thereafter as the word is Let us have a spirituall desire to these things to imitate the holy man of God as we desire to share in his comforts I will follow this point of the answerablenesse of obedience a little further and then come to the particular of seeking Let our obedience bee every way answerable first let the heart thinke what God saith what God commands and promiseth let the heart take the word of God the second time and ruminate on it and goe over it againe Let us looke into the word and see what is commanded and what is promised and then let the heart goe over it againe And then upon that all eage it to God Put case a man be in trouble Lord thou hast commanded Call upon me in the day of trouble and I will bâ—…re thee Psal. 50. Let the heart thinke of it and goe over that incouragement it is rather an incouragement then a command though indeed God lay a command on us to be good to our own soules it is a duty to love our selves Therefore he commands us to goe to him to seeke his face as though wee wronged him by disobedience when wee injure our selves by our peevishnesse as indeed we doe God loves us better then we love our selves let us thinke of the command and invitation thou hast commanded mee Lord and incouraged mee to come I am now in trouble experience teacheth me I come to thee thou hast said He that sitteth in darknesse and seeth no light let him trust in the name of the Lord. I am in darkenesse and see no light now I trust in thy name let the heart thinke of the promise and then alleage it to God and come with an obedient answer and cast it self upon him and trust in him We are in want perhaps and see no issue no supply thinke of Gods gracious promise I will not faile thee nor forsake thee I come to thee and claim this promise I am in covenant with thee c. So wee should take the promise thou hast said At what time soever a sinner comes to thee with a repentant heart thou wilt forgive his iniquities and though his sins were 〈◊〉 scarlet thou wilt make them as snow and white as wooll my soule thinkes of that command and I come to thee Thou hast bid all that are wearie and 〈◊〉 laden in soule that are troubled in conscience with the sense of their sins to come unto thee my heart thinkes of thy command and invitation I come to thee I am weary and heavie laden First let us thinke of the incouragement that is our warrant and then yeeld present obedience And then what will bee the issue what will spring from it when the heart and obedience joyn with the command that there is a meeting that they concentrate the heart and obedience God bids the heart obey the heart saith I doe obey when these meet the issue must bee exceeding comfortable it cannot be otherwise When the obedient heart meets God in his command in his promise In all perplexity of busines Commit thy way to the Lord and hee shall establish thy thoughts Prov. 3. Prov. 13. and other places Lord I commit my wayes to thee establish my thoughts and designes agreeable to thy will because thou hast bid mee commit my wayes to thee In the houre of death let us commend our selves to God as to a gracious and mercifull Creator 1 Pet. 4. Lord I commend to thee my soule who art the Creator of my soule and the Redeemer of it here is an obedience answerable what can be the issue of it but comfort Therefore let us learne by the example of this blessed man that when he had but a hint from God seeke yee my face answers Thy face Lord will I seeke Faith will see light at a little crevice when it sees an incouragement once a command it will soone answer and when it sees a promise halfe a promise it will welcome it it is an obedient thing The obedience of faith it beleeves and upon beleeving it goes to God As the servants of the King of Assyria they catch the word presently Thy servant Benhadad so faith it catcheth the word To put God in mind it is an excellent thing with the Prophet whosoever penned the 119. Psalme whether David or some other Remember thy promise wherein thou hast caused thy servant to trust As it is Nehem. 1. Remember Lord hee puts God in mind of his promise and so it is good often to put God in mind Lord thou hast made such and such promises I know thou canst not deny thy selfe if thou shâ—…uldest deny thy word thou must deny thy selfe thy word is thy selfe Remember thy promise wherein thou hast caused thy servant to trust If I be deceived thou hast deceived mee for thou hast given me this promise and this command This is an excellent way to deale with God as it were to wrastle with him By tâ—… promise thou hast quickned me Psal. 119. Wheâ—… I was dull and dead hearted then I thought oâ—… such and such a promise I alleage that promise and apply it by a spirit of faith and that quickned me And indeed as I said God hath made us fit to answer him and wee should study in all things to returne unto him by his spirit whatsoever God doth the heart should returne back againe love for love knowledge for knowledge seeking for seeking chusing for chusing He begins with us he chuseth us he loves us he seekes us and wee if ever we intend to be friends with God and to entertaine a holy communion as all that shall be saved must doe we should labour to have our hearts to returne to God what wee find from God first Thy face Lord will I seeke To come more particularly to this seeking which is the particular of the obedience and of the application Thy face Lord will I seeke Seeking implies that our happinesse is out of our selves it implies that there is somewhat in our selves in the application to which there must be some happinesse therefore wee goe out of our selves to seeke It is a motion and it is out of an apprehension of some want a man seekes out of some want or out of some losse or out of some duty Ether hee hath losse and therefore hee seekes or else hee wants and therefore he seeks or else he owes respect and dutie and therefore he seekes it is somewhat without a man that moves his seeking God need not seeke the creature hee hath all fulnesse in himselfe Indeed his love makes him seeke for our love to bee reconciled to him But the creature because his happinesse is out of himselfe in communion with God the Fountaine of all good he must seeke Christians must be Seekers This is the generation of Seekers Psal. 24. All mankind if ever they will
grounds of divine truth that hath a majesty and a spiritualnesse in it selfe but it was meerely wrought out of forraine grounds Now we see a meaner man that hath his knowledge wrought by the spirit of God the same spirit seales that knowledge to him with the word of God that indited the Scripture and acted the holy men of God that wrote the Scriptures As his portion is incomparably great so he is perswaded of his interest in those good things the same spirit that convinceth him of the truth and of the certainty of the things it convinceth him likewise of his part in them and this supernaturall perswasion together with his interest in those good things perswaded of sets downe the soule so as it will not move he holds out in persecution because he hath felt the worke of divine truth in his soule he hath found the spirit of God casting him downe and raysing him up to comfort therefore he holds out in his perswasion in all tryalls and never apostatizeth from that estate and condition And so for unfruitfulnesse in conversation notwithstanding all those motives we have in the word of God a man that is not convinced spiritually of those excellent things he goes on deadly as if there were no motives because the spirit of God hath not sealed them to his spirit hee hath not given him an apprehension of the divine incouragements wrapped up in the promises in the Scripture and when death and danger come for the most part such men are desperate notwithstanding all their learning and knowledge literall that they have For it will not hold water all knowledge that is not wrought by the spirit of God sealing divine truth to the soule with some evidence of the power of it it will not hold out in the tryall all Especially when Satan with his fiery darts comes with strong temptations for the soule never felt the working power of the word It feeles then the temptation it apprehends the poysonfull fiery temptation but it hath not so inwardly digested the truths of the spirit and therefore is surprized with the horrour and spaire there is not wrought in heart an deexperimentall feeling of knowledge and therfore the heart cannot beat backe the temptation When the Devill shall come and tell men you have beene thus and thus and they have not felt the truth of that they seemed to believe conscience tels them it is true I have heard and read such and such things I never believed them they never sunke deepely into my heart when temptation shall bee nearer the soule then the truth shall bee when temptation presseth sore they are swallowed up of despaire therefore let us labour that our generall knowledge from the word and our particular knowledge and perswasion that it may be spirituall Now how doth the spirit worke this particular perswasion I answer the spirit of God workes it in the soule together with the word the spirit and the word goe together All the men in the world cannot perswade the soule without the spirit of God joyne Paul preached but God opened Lidia's heart We have it not of our selves it must come from without from Gods spirit opening our eyes and perswading and convincing our hearts God perswade Iaphet to dwell in the tents of Sem no creature can do it it is passive it is said here they were perswaded That perswasion that is sound that carries a man to heaven by which hee dies in faith 〈◊〉 must be from the spirit of God All the words of the ministery and all reasons nothing will do it but God God must perswade thesoule Now what doth the spirit here The spirit enlightens the understanding which I spake of before it opens the understanding in perswasion it doth propound arguments and motives from the excellency of the things promised and the priviledges of religion and the good things we have by Christ c. and together with propounding these excellent incouragements and motives the spirit strongly works upon the disposition upon the will and affections it works upon the soule and so doth perswade and convince And thereupon comes imbracing which I shall have occasion to speake of afterward The soule being perswaded imbraceth Now this perswasion is not only by propounding of arguments by the word and spirit but likewise a working upon the will from whence there followes an inclination of the will and an imbracing of the things wee are perswaded of For let all the arguments in the world bee brought to a man to perswade him that God will be mercifull to him in Christ tell him of the free offer Whosoever will let him come in all that will a large offer let him joyne to that offer of mercie the inviting Come unto me all ye that are weary and heavy laden and I will ease you a sweete inviting Ioyne with the invitation a command it is his command that wee should believe in his son Iesus let him strengthen that command with the threatning he that believes not is damned already Let a man remove all objections that the soule can make of its unworthines Come unto me all ye that are weary and heavie laden and I will ease you though you groane under the burden of your sinne Let a man object againe I have nothing worthy in my selfe Why come and buy though you have no money Let him strengthen all these proposalls with examples of the mercy of God to Manasses to Peter to Paul a persecutor to Mary Magdalen and the like let all these arguments be wondrous effectually propounded the soule will not yeeld unlesse Gods spirit joyne with these arguments and all in that kind and convince the soule of our particular interest in these things and perswade the will to imbrace these things offered That God hath reserved in his own power to bring our hearts and the promises together to bring our hearts and divine truths together Let there be never so much set before us in the ministery he hath reserved this prerogative and authority that our hearts and the truth should close together to imbrace them in hearing All things depend upon the spirit when we doe not regard the spirit in hearing and reading c. Let all the things the Scripture hath be propounded and set on with all the excellency and eloquence that may be GOD hath reserved it to himselfe by his spirit to give faith to perswade our soules that these belong to us and to incline and draw the will I have shewed you then the kinds of perswasion generall and particular and how it is wrought by the spirit that unlesse this perswasion be wrought by the spirit we shall never hold out in it though we have all the arguments in the world we shall be disobedient Disobedience comes when things are not discovered by the spirit and apostacie when the perswasion is not wrought by the spirit and desperation when the knowledge is not spirituall Now the
that it may be a motion to purpose If it be a motion to faith let us never leave cherishing of it by the promise till our hearts be rooted in faith If it be a motion to any other good thing let us cherish and follow them to purpose And imbrace every motion as an Angell sent from heaven from God to a good end to put us in mind to invite us to good and to drive us from ill And because desires are fickle and fading of themselves unlesse there be some art in helping of them therefore let us adde to these things a daily course of renewing of our covenants with God that this day as God shall enable me I have a constant purpose against all sinne I will regard no iniquity in my heart I will have respect to all good wayes discovered Renew our covenants and resolutions of old saith David I have swâ—…rne and will performe it that I will keep thy statutes And as we determine and resolve so make particular vows sometimes against particular hindrances to abstaine from such things What needs all this adoe saith the wicked athiest will not lesse serve the turne but there must be these vowes and purposes and resolutions No God values us by our resolutions and purposes and not by uneffectuall glances and wishes will wishing helpe us take a journey or to doe any thing in this world and can we not doe any thing in this world with wishing and can wee for heaven No certainly there must be resolutions and covenants and purposes c. What is the difference betweene a Christian and another man A Christian unlooseth his heart from base desires nothing shall tie him to the base world but his conscience tells him that he is free from living in sinnes against conscience and as for infirmities he labours and resolves against them therefore he is fit to die and to resigne his soule Whensoever God shall take him hee is in a good way in good purposes and resolutions God values us according to our purposes and resolutions David did not build the Temple Abraham did not offer Isaack but they resolved upon it and it was accounted as done This is our comfort that God takes the resolution for the deed and the perfection of a Christian is that God accepts of these resolutions when hee determines on the best things till he bring his heart in some measure to that estate What is the reason that many men at the houre of death will admit no comfort The reason is their hearts were naught they respected some iniquity in their hearts they were in bad wayes and allowed some reigning sinne and till these be mortified we can minister no comfort It is onely the resolved Christian that is a fiâ—… subject for comfort But to answer an ordinary let or two that the Devill casts in mens wayes in these things But doth not God accept the will for the deed put the case I have a good will to doe a thing though I doe it not God accepts that I answere Gods accepts the will for the deed onely where the impediments and hindrances are impossiâ—…le to be remooved as put the case a poore man would be liberall if he had it God accepts the will for the deed because he wants opportunity But it never holds when a man can doe it God accepts not the will for the deed when a man hath a price in his hand to get wisdome and yet is a barren plant and not a tree of righteousnesse it is a signe of a naughty heart Oh! saith another God quencheth not the smoaking flax therefore though I have weake desires all shall be well It is true God doth not quench the smoaking flax but he doth not leave it smoaking but blowes the sparke that in time it comes to a flame where there are beginnings of goodnesse imbraced it will grow from smoaking flax to a flame they are growing desires as I said before Therefore flatter not thy selfe that Christ will not quench the smoaking flax It is true if there be a desire of growth for then I must speake comfort to a poore Christian that cannot be so good as he would but desires it and complaines oh that my wayes were so direct that I might keepe thy statutes with his desires he complaines that he cannot do it and useth the meanes to grow it is a good signe God will not quench the smoaking Flax till he have brought corruption into subjection in us Let every good soule comfort it selfe with this if thou have these blessed desires God meets with thee for he desires thy salvation and Christ desires thy reconciliation and it is the desire of thy heart and thou usest the meanes thou wilt not live in sins against conscience be of good comfort wee that are the ministers of God and I at this time bring the newes of pardon Christs desire and thine meet in one Let us enlarge these things in our own deep and serious meditation Alas for want of serious meditation in our hearts of such like truthes as these men perish and sinke suddenly to hell There is but a steppe betweene ordinary prophane persons and hell and yet they never thinke of renewing their covenants with God and entring into the state of grace but content themselves with that which comes short of thousands that are now in hell that have had more wishes and desires Men put all upon empty things God is mercifull c. No God will not be mercifull to such as blesse themselves in ill courses his wrath shall smoak against such as I said for in thus reasoning they make a covenant with hell and death as much as they can They that doe thus forget God and good courses and God will forget them they treasure up wrath and God treasures up wrath against them Let us take heed of Balaams wishing and labour to have such desires as may bee accepted of God and comfortable to us FINIS THE FAITHFUL COVENANTER In two Sermons upon GEN. 17. 7. BY The late Learned and Reverend Divine RICH. SIBBS Doctor in Divinity Mr of KATHERINE Hall in Cambridge and sometimes Preacher to the Honourable Society of GRAYES-INNE NEHE 1. 5. O Lord God of Heaven the great and terrible God that keepeth Covenant and mercy for them that Love him LONDON Printed by E. Purslow for N. Bourne at the Royall Exchange and R. Harford at the gilt Bible in Queenes head Alley in Pater-Noster-Row 1639. THE FAITHFVL COVENANTER GEN. 17. 7. I will establish my Covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting Covenant to be a God to thee and to thy seed after thee GOD having framed man an understanding creature hath made him fit to have communion and entercourse with himselfe because hee can by his understanding discerne that there is a better good out of himselfe in communion and fellowship with which happinesse
Conscience Upon the preventing of an objection and removing their false confidence hee positively sets downe what that is that doth save in Baptisme saith he it is the answer of a good Conscience The Scope of the words should have moved the holy Apostle to have said thus not the putting off the filth of the Body but the putting off the filth of the soule but instead of that hee sets downe the act of the soule which is an answer of a good Conscience to God by the Resurrection of Iesus Christ. Where first of all you must know this for a ground indeed it is a hard place of Scripture I will only take that that I think fittest and rayse what observations I think fit for you that out of that you must know for a ground that There is a Covenant of Grace Since God and Man brake in the Creation there is a Covenant which we call a Covenant of Grace God hath stooped so low hee hath condescended to enter into tearmes of Covenant with us Now the foundation of this Covenant is that God will bee our God and give us grace and glory and all good in Christ the Mediator of the new Covenant Christ is the foundation of the Covenant the Mediator of the Covenant a friend to both to God as God to man as man God and man in himselfe and by office such is his office as to procure love and agreement betweene God and man He being the foundation of the Covenant there must be agreement in him Now Christ is the foundation of the Covenant by satisfying Gods justice else God and wee could never have come to good tearmes nor conscience could ever have bin satisfyed For God must bee satisfyed before conscience bee satisfied Conscience else would thinke God is angry and he hath not received full satisfaction and conscience will never bee satisfied but with that that God is satisfied with God is satisfied with the Death of the Mediator so conscience being sprinkled with the blood of Christ applying the death of Christ conscience is satisfied too Now what doth shew that the death of the Mediator is a sufficient sacrifice and Satisfaction The Resurrection of Christ for Christ our surety should have laine in the grave to this day if our sinnes had not bin fully satisfied for Christ is the foundation of the Covenant of grace by his humiliation and by his exaltation whereof the resurrection was the first degree Now in this as in other covenants there is the party promising making the Covenant and the parties that answer in the Covenant God promises life everlasting forgivenesse of sins through the death of Christ the Mediator we answer by faith that we relye upon Gods mercy in Christ this is the answer of conscience Now this sound answer of conscience it doth save us because it doth lay hold on Christ that doth save us Christ properly saveth us by his death and passion An argument of the sufficiency of his salvation was his resurrection hee is now in Heaven triumphing but because there is somewhat in us that must lay hold of this salvation it is attributed to that that is the instrument of salvation that is to the answer of a good conscience Now this answer of a good conscience doth afford us this observation that There must bee something in us before wee can make use of what good is in God or Christ. In a Covenant both parties must agree there must bee somewhat wrought in us that must answer or else we cannot clayme any good by the promises in Christ or by any good that Christ hath wrought that is the answer of a good conscience Or else Christ should save all if there were not the answer of a good conscience required that only Gods elect children have But to shew the reasons of this that there must on our part be this answer The reason is partly from the nature of the Covenant there must bee consent on both sides or else the Covenant cannot hold there are Indentures drawn between God and us God promiseth all good if wee believe and rest on Christ we again rest upon Christ and so have interest in all that is good There is a mutuall engagement then in the Covenant God engageth himselfe to us and wee engage our solves to God in Christ and where this mutuall engagement is there the Covenant is perfect as here there is the answer of a good conscience That is the first reason then from the nature of the Covenant there must bee this answer The second reason that there must be somewhat in us is because when two agree there must bee a like disposition Now there must bee a sanctifying of our Nature from whence this blessed answer comes before that God and wee can agree There must bee a correspondency of disposition of necessity this must bee for wee enter into tearmes of friendship with God in the Covenant of Grace Now friends must have the same mind there must be an answering Now this answer is especially faith when we believe and from Faith sanctified obedience that is called the resti pulation or engagement of a good conscience to God when the promise is made wee engage our selves to believe and to live as christians Now from this that there must be an answer in us an engagement on our part I beseech you let us in generall therefore know that wee must search our own hearts for the evidence of our good estate in Religion let us not so much search what Christ hath done but search our owne hearts how wee have engaged our selves to God in Christ that we believe and witnesse our believing that wee lead a life answerable to our Faith renounce all but Christ. This mutuall engagement is in the forme in Baptisme that was used by the Apostles and by the ancient Church for wee know that in the ancient Church that they that were Baptized they were questioned doe you believe I doe believe Doe you renownce the Flesh and the World and the Divell I doe renounce them These two questions were made now when they answered this question from a good conscience truly faithfully and sincerely then they had right in all the good things by Christ. Something alway therefore in the Church was required on our part Not that wee answer by our owne strength for it is the Covenant of grace why is it a Covenant of grace not onely because the things promised are promised of grace but because our part is of grace likewise we beleeve of grace and live holily of grace every good thought is from grace it is by grace that we are that we are All is of grace in the new Covenant meerely of grace God requires not any answering by our strength for then he should require light of darknesse and life of death There is nothing good in us he requires obedience that he may worke it when he requires it For his commands in
an increase of peace comes You see what a good conscience is here in this place the answer of a good conscience I will not speake largely of it To come a little further to the point How know we that a man hath a good conscience a peaceable good conscience when it is troubled For here is the difficultie a conscience is never so peaceable and gracious but there is a principle of rebellion in us the flesh that casts in doubtings and stirres up objections as indeed our flesh is full of objections against Gods divine truth there be seeds of infidelitie to every promise and of rebellion to every command in the word How shall a man know that hee hath a peaceable good Conscience in the middest of this rebellion Let him looke if the conscience answer God in the middest of opposition and rebellion my flesh and blood saith thus my sins are great and Sathan layes it hard to my charge yet notwithstanding because God hath promised and commanded I cast my selfe upon God Let us aske our owne hearts and consciences what they say to God what is the answere to God Wee see what Iob saith Though he kill me yet I will trust in him flesh and blood would have shewed its part in Iob as if God had neither respected nor loved him yet when Iob recovered himselfe Though hee kill me I will trust in him So a man may know though conscience be somewhat troubled yet it is a gracious peaceable conscience if peace get the upper hand and grace subdue corruption when the conscience so farre as it is enlarged by Gods spirit can check it selfe Why art thou disquieted oh my soule why art thou troubled trust in God trust in God reconciled now in Christ when conscience can lay a charge upon it selfe and check it selfe thus it is a signe that conscience hath made this gracious answer Againe one may know though conscience be troubled somewhat yet it is a gracious peaceable conscience when it alwayes allowes of the truth of God in the inward man Whatsoever the flesh say the word is good the commandement is good the promise is good as St. Paul saith I allow the law of God in my inward man by this a man may know though his peace be somewhat troubled that yet notwithstanding there is the answer of a good conscience Againe when a man can breake out of trouble and such an estate as the Divell weakens our faith by for he useth the troubles of the Church and our owne troubles to shake our faith as if God did not regard us now when conscience can rise out of this as in Psal. 73. Yet God is good to Israel yet my soule keepe silence to the Lord though things seeme to goe contrarie to a man as if God were not reconciled as if he had not part in Christ Yet my soule keepe silence and God is good to Israel This conflict shews that there is a gracious part in the soule and that conscience is a gracious conscience It is said here it is the answer of a good conscience Towards God For conscience indeed hath reference to God and that will answer another question for conscience as it performes holie duties as it is a gracious conscience it lookes to God whether may a man know or how shall he know that he doth things of conscience whether he be in the state of grace and doth things graciously He may for why is conscience set in man but to tell him what he doth with what mind he doth it in what state he is this is a power of the soule which conscience shewes A man may know what estate he is in and whether he performe things graciously or no Now how shall a man know whether he doth things of conscience or no First whatsoever the answer of conscience is it is towards God if a man doe things from reasons of Religion if a man be charitable to his neighbour if he be just and good if it be from reasons of Religion because God commands him this is a good conscience A good conscience respects God and his command What we doe for company or for custome is not from a good conscience A good conscience doth things from God with reasons from God because he commands it it is Gods deputie in our hearts Againe what we doe from a good conscience we doe from the inward man from an inward principle from the inward judgement because we thinke it is so and from an inward affection When we have not a right judgement of what we doe and doe it not out of love and from the inward man we doe it not out of a good conscience what is done out of conscience is done from the inner man Therefore in all our performances let us examine our selves not what we doe but upon what ground we doe it in conscience to God to obey him in all things I cannot dwell upon these things The answer of a good conscience that saves us together with Baptisme when there is the answer of a good conscience then Baptisme seales salvation To come more neere to the answer of a good conscience in Baptisme You will object if the answer of a good conscience in Baptisme doe all and not the outward washing of the body why are Children Baptised then they cannot make the answer of a good conscience I answer the place must be understood of those of yeares of discretion For infants that dye in their infancie we have a double ground of comfort concerning them First they are within the Covenant have they not received the seale of the Covenant which is Baptisme And how-ever they actually answer not the Covenant of grace by actuall beleeving yet they have the seed of beleeving the spirit of God in them and God doth comprehend them by his mercie being not able to comprehend him nay we that are at yeares of discretion are saved by Gods comprehending and imbracing us we are comprehended of him as the Child is of the nurse or of the Mother The Child holds the nurse and the nurse the Child the Child is more safe from falling by the nurse and the Mothers holding of it then by its holding of them Those that are at yeares must claspe and graspe about Christ but Christ holds and comprehends them much more doth God comprehend those that are Children that are not able to comprehend him For those that live to yeares of discretion their Baptisme is anngagement and obligation to them to beleev because they have undertaken by those that answered for them to beleeve when they come to yeares and if when they come to yeares they answer not the Covenant of grace and the answer of a good conscience if they doe not beleeve and renounce Sathan all is frustrate their Baptisme doth them no good if they make not good their Covenant by beleeving and renouncing It is
spoken therefore of those that are of yeares of discretion we leave infants to the mercie of God Those therefore that are at yeares of discretion must have grace to answer the Covenant of grace by beleeving and renouncing To come therefore to our selves We that will answer to the Covenant made in baptism must perform it especially that that we then Covenanted what was that we answered that we would beleeve doest thou beleeve I beleeve every Article of the faith and doe you renounce the Devill and all his works I doe Therefore unlesse now we beleeve in Christ and renounce the Devill we renounce our Baptisme it doth us no good There are diverse kinds of people that overthrow their owne Baptisme Those that live in sins against conscience they doe renounce their baptisme in some sort those that feed their corruptions for in baptisme we are consecrated in soule and body to God we are given up to him we are not our owne his name is called on us we are called Christians therefore our eyes are not our owne our hands are not our owne our thoughts and affections are not our owne there must be a renouncing and a denyall of all sinne as farre as it is contrary to Christs spirit Those therefore that labour to feed their corruptions what doe they else so farre but renounce their baptisme and under the Livery of Christ serve the enemie of Christ the Devill that they should renounce Those that feed their eies with seeing of vanity and their â—…ares with filthy discourse those that suffer their feet to carrie them to places where they infect their soules those that instead of renouncing their corruptions feed them and their hearts tell them they cherish those corruptions they should renounce by baptisme what shall we think of these and yet they think to be saved by Christ. God is mercifull and Christ died when they live in a continuall renouncing of baptisme For a use therefore of exhortation if so be that this be the effectuall baptisme the chiefe thing that we ought to stand on this answer of a good conscience then I beseech you let us all labour for this eccho for this answer when God saith seeke yee my face to answer thy face Lord will I seeke When he saith I will be your God to answer we will be thy people when he saith in the Ministery beleeve to answer Lord I beleeve helpe my unbeliefe let us labour to eccho this holie eccho is the answer in the Covenant of grace This answer of our faith is set downe in Scripture alway when it speaks of the estate of those that are in the Covenant of grace it is mentioned on our part that we take God for our God and Christ for our Christ My beloved is mine and I am my beloveds there is a mutuall owning of both sides Therefore if we would answer the Covenant of grace let us worke our hearts to answer when we heare in the Ministry and in the Covenant of grace answer Lord I desire to beleeve this And when there is any thing commanded let our hearts answer and desire God to bow our inward man to obedience that we may be plyable Let us labour to have that free spirit that holy David prayes for Psal. 51. That was stopped by reason of his sin for when we renew sins against conscience we stop the mouth of our prayers that we cannot goe to God we stop the mouth of conscience that we cannot goe boldlie to God therefore he had then lost that freedome of spirit Let us labour to be plyable to the spirit readie to answer God in all that we are exhorted to and to yeeld the obedience of Faith to all the Promises that is the state of those that are in the Covenant of Grace there is the answer of a good Conscience Therefore let us resolve to take this course if we would attaine the answer of a good Conscience First of all labour that our consciences may be convinced of the ill that is in us that we may have a good troubled conscience first that we may know thorowly what our estate by nature is And then labour in the second place to have prace and then rayse and renew our purpose to serve God in all things and to trye the truth of this let us put interrogatories to our selves let us aske our selves doe I beleeve doe I not daube with my heart doe I obey doe I willingly cast my selfe into the mold of Gods word and willingly obey all that I heare doe I not deceive my selfe let us propound these interrogatories God is greater then our conscience if we answer God with reservations I will answer God in this and not in this I will yeeld to religion as farre as it may stand with my owne lusts and advantage this is not the answer of a good conscience What is done to God must be done all what is done zealously and religiously hath respect to all Gods Commandements and promises to one thing as well as an another If our hearts tell us there are reservations from false grounds here is not the answer of a good conscience Therefore let us search our selves and propound questions to our selves whether we beleeve and obey or no and from what ground wee doe it And let us make use of our Baptisme upon all occasions as thus Satan hath two wayes of tempting One is he tempts to sinne and then he tempts for sinne to accuse our consciences to make a breach betweene God and us that we dare not looke upon God when he tempts us or our corruptions move us or the world by allurements would draw us to any sinne let us thinke of our Baptisme and the answer we have made there and make use of it is this agreeable to the promise I made surely I have renounced this shall I overthrow my owne promise I make conscience to make good my promise to men and shall I breake with God I have promised to God to renounce the flesh the world and the Divell to renounce all these corruptions Let us have these thoughts when we are solicited to sinne when proud nature would have us set up the banner of pride I have renounced these proud affections I shall overthrow my baptisme if I yeeld And so for the enlarging of our estates or for getting up to honour to please mens humours to breake the peace of my conscience these things we have renounced the world and the vanities of it in our Baptisme The life of many is nothing but a breach of their vow and Covenant in Baptisme How will they looke at the houre of death and the day of judgement that God should keepe his promise with them to give them life everlasting when they never had grace to keepe touch with him notwithstanding their ingagements in Baptisme and their so often repeating it at the Communion and their renewing of their vowes when they
have beene sick How can we looke for performance on Gods part when we have not had grace to performe our part but our whole life hath beene a satisfying of our base lusts Let us make that use in temptations to sinne let us fetch arguments against sinne from our Baptisme from the answer that we made then for we must make good now that that was made then or else it is in vaine Againe when we are solicited by Satan to be discouraged let us consider that we are baptised in the name of the Father and of the Sonne and of the Holy-Ghost and consider that the promise is made whensoever we repent without any expection of time nay though we have broke with God for Satan will use that as a chiefe weapon thou hast fallen thou hast fallen yet as it is Ieremiah 3. Though a man will not take his wife after a breach yet God transcends us hee is God and not man therefore after breaches if wee yet answer his command and his promise for the command of beleeving is upon us while we live if we beleeve and confesse our sins we shall have mercie if we come cast our selves upon Christ. Therefore after relapses let not Satan abuse them to make us despaire Baptisme is a seale of our faith and faith is enjoyned us all the dayes of our life all this time of life is a time of grace and we are commanded to repent and beleeve Let not Satan therefore discourage us after sinne let us goe to our Baptisme it is a seale to us of faith and repentance whensoever we beleeve and repent When we are solicited to distrust in God for the things of this life any way as if God cared not for us let us consider that we have answered that we beleeve in God the Father Almightie therefore he is our Father he knowes what is good for us and he loves us he is an Almightie God it is an article of our faith that we have answered to let us make it good upon all temptations in that kind Dothnot God care for us he had an Arke for Noah in the worst times when the flood overwhelmed the whole World So if there be the answer of a good Conscience he will have an Arke for his Noah's to save and protect and defend us he is a Father Almightie Let us know the grounds of our Religion the Articles of our Faith the grounds and foundation of our Faith let us consider the good things promised there and consider withall that wee have all ingaged our selves to beleeve those things and to make use of our faith upon all occasions Those that cannot read if they have no other let them looke on these two Bookes the Booke of their Baptisme and the Booke of conscience they would be sufficient to instruct them some people pretend Ignorance consider what thou art Baptised to the grounds of Religion consider there what thou hast renounced consider in particular whether this thing that thou art moved to be Gods or the Divells command and answer Satan and thy lusts by not answering of them give them their answer and tell them a good conscience must answer Gods command and promise but they must have their answer by denyall by this answer of a good conscience Those that cannot read and are not learned let them make use of the learning of their Baptisme There is a world of instruction and comfort a treasurie of it in Baptisme I dare be bold to say if any Christian when he is tempted to any sinne to despaire or discouragement if he consider what a sollemne promise he hath made to God in Baptisme it would be a meanes to strengthen his Faith and to arme him against all temptations There is no man sinnes but there is a breach with God first in wronging the promise hee hath ingaged himselfe to in Baptisme Wee all that are heere have beene Baptised let us learne to make more Conscience of this Blessed Sacrament then wee have done and let us labour to have the answer of a good conscience at all times What a comfort is it when our hearts and Consciences makes a gracious answer to God in believing and obeying and in renouncing all Gods and our enemies What a comfort is such a Conscience It will uphold us in sicknesse in death and at the day of judgement in all ill times in this life A Conscience that hath answered God by believing his promises and hath renewed the Covenant to obey God in all things what a wondrous peace hath it Let the Devill object what he can let our unbelieving hearts object what they can yet notwithstanding if it bee a renewed sanctified Conscience it can out of the privity of its owne act say I have believed I have cast my selfe upon Gods mercy in Christ I have renounced these motions and suggestions and courses and though I bee overcome with temptations yet I heartily hate them What a comfort is this Conscience it is either the greatest friend or the greatest enemy in the world It is the chiefest friend when it is privy to it selfe of this resolute answer that it hath obeyed God in all things then Conscience is our friend it speakes to God for us at all times Then againe at the houre of death what a comfort it is that we have this answer of a good conscience especially at the day of judgement when we can looke God in the face a sincere heart a Conscience that hath laboured to obey the Gospell and to keepe Covenant with God it can looke God in the face for what in the covenant of grace goes for perfect obedience but sincerity and truth God requires that when the heart can say with Hezekias Lord thou knowest that I have walked perfectly before thee Lord I have believed and laboured to expresse it in my life and conversation though with much weakenesse yet in truth This sincerity will make us looke God in the face in the hour of death and at the day of judgement and in all troubles in this life A Christian that hath the answer of a good Conscience hee hath Christ to be his Arke in all deluges Christ saves us not only from hell and damnation but in all the miseries of this life If any thing come upon us for the breach of Gods Covenant as God threatneth Levit. 26 to send warre and famine c. For the breach of his Covenant what a comfort is it then for such as have kept the Covenant For then God hath an arke for such in ill times for every deliverance in evill times it comes from the same ground as the deliverance from hell doth why doth God deliver me from hell and damnation because he loves me in Christ and that moves him to deliver me in evill times if I keepe a good Conscience and that love that gives mee Heaven gives me the comforts of this life if I labour to have this answer
the Apostle speakes of what a comfort is this in the worst times Those that live in Rebellion and make no Conscience of their vowes and covenants to God that they have made and repeated oft-times and renewed in taking of the Lords Supper but goe on still in their sinnes alas what comfort can such as these have how can they look for an answer from God if any promise that hee hath made when their lives are rebellious their conscience tels them that their lives doe not witnesse for God in keeping covenant with him but they rebell against him their hearts tell them they cannot look to heaven for comfort they carry a hell in their bosome a guilty Conscience they doe not labour to be purged by the blood of Christ nor labour for the spirit of God to sanctifie them in renewing them to holy obedience to God Those that have their conscience thus stained especially that purpose to live in sin they can looke for nothing but vengeance from God It is not knowne now who are the wisest people In the times of trouble and at the houre of death at such times it will be knowne that they are the wisest people that have made Conscience of keeping their Covenant with God of renewing their Covenant with God first in all things that they would serve him better and then when they have renewed their Covenants with God as we have cause now indeed if ever to renew them when wee are warned by publike dangers or when wee have cause to take occasion to renew our Covenants that we made with God in Baptisme to bind our Consciences to closer obedience and those that have renewed their Covenant and have grace to keepe it those are wise people Wee see in the current of Scripture in dangerous times there was still renewing of their Covenants with God And those that God delights in he puts his spirit into them that they shall be able by the helpe of his spirit to keep their Covenant in some comfortable measure and those God will chuse and marke out in the worst times FINIS THE SWORD OF THE WICKED In two SERMONS Being the leading Sermons to that Treatise called The SOULES Conflict BY The late Learned and Reverend Divine RICH. SIBBS Doctor in Divinity Mr of KATHERINE Hall in Cambridge and sometimes Preacher to the Honourable Society of GRAYES-INNE PSAL. 57. 4. Their Tongue is a sharpe Sword LONDON Printed by E. P. for N. B. and R. H. 1639. THE SWORD OF THE WICKED PSAL. 42. 10. As with a Sword in my bones mine enemies reproach me while they say unto me daily where is thy GOD THE Psalmes are as it were the Anatomy of a holy man they lay the inside of a true devout man outward even to the view of others If the Scripture be compared to a body the Psalmes may well bee the heart they are so full of sweet and holy affections and passions In other portions of Scripture God speakes to us in the Psalmes holy men especially David who was the pen-man of most of them speakes to God wherein we have the passages of a broken humble soule to God Among the rest in this Psalme David layes open varietie of passions His condition at this time was such as that he was an exiled man from his owne house and his owne friends and which grieved him worst of all from the Tabernacle the house of God It was upon the occasion of Saules persecution or of Absaloms his sonne but I take it rather of Sauls that hunted him as a partrich in the wildernes Hereupon you have a discovery how this holy man of God stood affected with this case and condition of his First hee layes open his griefe his griefe ariseth from his desire hee that loves most and desireth most he alwayes grieves most and all other affections have their scantling from love which is the first borne affection of the soule Therefore before he layes out his griefe he sets out his desire to the house of God the want whereof grieved him most of all As the Hart panteth after the water brooks so panteth my soule after thee Oh God As the chased Hart panteth after water so the soule thirsteth for God for the living God â—…h when shall I come and appeare before God Then after his desire he layes forth his grief My teares have bin my meat day and night while they continually say unto me where is thy God Grievances never come alone but as Iobs Messengers they come one after another even to Gods Children when he is disposed to correct them they are multiplyed therefore here is not only a griefe of want that he was debarred of those sweet comforts which hee had before in the Tabernacle but here is likewise a griefe from the reproach of his enemies that tooke occasion from his disconsolate estate to upbraid him Where is thy God My teares have bin my meat day and night while they continually say unto me where is thy God He dissolves the cloude of his griefe into the showr of teares my teares have bin my meat They were so plentifull that they did feed his soule as it were Then he sets downe another ground of his grief from the remembrance of his former happinesse as usually that doth make the griefe raw and more sensible for fâ—…ix miser maxime miser he that hath binne happy in former time and now is miserable is most miserable of all because his former happinesse makes him most sensible therefore of all men in hel the torment of great men is most because they had most sence of comfort in this world mighty men shall be mightily tormented that is all the privilege they shall have in hell Therefore to aggravate his griefe oh saith he when I remember what comfort I had formerly in the house of God I poure out my soule It was not enough that he poured out his teares or words but I poâ—…re out my soule for in former times I went with the multitude to the house of God and lead a goodly traine to the house of God The picture of a good Magistrate and a good master of a family hee goes not alone to the house of God but hee leads his traine he is attended on by his servants David went not alone into the house of God but with the multitude with the voyce of them that kept holiday Well hee had griefe enough his heart was full of griefe Now in the next verse he takes up his soule and expostulates with himselfe why are thou so sad oh my soule and why are thou disquieted in me hope thou in God for I shall yet praise him for the helpe of his countenance So you see here he is not so flat in his griefe that he gives over-long way to it but hee even fals a chiding of his soule why art thou cast downe oh my soule why art thou disquieted within me oh but yet griefe will not be so stilled affliction is not
not be truly said to us by way of upbraiding where is now thy God God may be strange to us indeed let us so carry our selves as that God may owne us in the worst times If they had said this truly how grievous had it beene to David but it was more malice then truth For David found experience of God he might rather have upbraided them where is your God and there is no wicked man but a man may in hâ—…s greatest extremity upbraid him and that in truth where is your God your riches honour and estate where is all this that you supproted your selfe with and bore your selfe so big on that you despised all others what is become of all now A man cannot stand in a thing that stands not it selfe A man cannot build upon that that hath no good foundation Now all men that are not truly religious they have some Idoll or other that will deceive them therefore a man may truly say to them that which they falsly and maliciously say to Gods people where is your God So much for their disposition and carriage Now how stands David affected with this that is the second part At with a sword in my bones It was as a sword to his bones Now that that toucheth the bones is the most exquisite griefe That that we call the griefe of the teeth you see what an exquisite griefe it is in that little member when the bones are cut or touched it is a most exquisite griefe As with a sword in my bones my enemies reproach me What was the matter that this reproach where is thy God touched him so to the quick what was the cause The causes were diverse First of all concerning God for when they said to him Where is thy God First it tended to the reproach of God as if God were so fickle a friend as to desert his best friends in the time of misery this touched upon God by way of disparagement therefore it must needs touch David who was Gods friend Then againe it touched God in another thing in his manner of providence as if he had beene a God of the Hills and not of the Vallies as if he had been a God for one time and not for another where is now thy God what is become of him Againe in the third place it touched upon him in this as if he had favoured them being cursed form all hypocrites more then David as if he had favoured their form all hypocriticall base dead courses that were most abominable to Godâ—… for these persecutors were Sauls courtiers and other enemies wicked men they thought to justifie their owne wayes by this reproach You see we are as good as you God respects us wee fall not into such miseries wee have recourse to Saul though he have cast out you and others c. So it tended to Gods reproach in that as if God had justified their course as if they had been dearer to him that were most abominable And this is to make an Idoll of God to make God justifie those courses that he most abhors as it is in Psal. 50. Thou thoughtest I was like unto thee Because God lets a wicked man alone thou thoughtest that I was a companion for thee and would take thee by the hand whereas God will not doe so In these three respects especially God was wronged when they said where is thy God As if thee had nâ—… beene a true and faithfull friend to his Children And besides as if hee had not a providence over his children in the worst condition As if he had allowed and liked of the base carriage and condition and profession of these wretched men as well as of Davids where is now thy God you see God respects us as well as you but there was no such matter he respected David more then a thousand of them Againe this touched upon religion it selfe this reproach where is now thy God where is your goodly profession as if it were in vaine to serve God a horrible reproach to religion It is not in vaine altogether to serve the Devill he bestowes somewhat upon his servants this was a base thought to think that God would do no good to them that serve him that is the fountaine of all good that doth good to his enemies that suffers his Sun to shine upon his enemies for him to desert his friends for a man to be truly religious and to get nothing by it this tended to the reproach of religion and through Davids sides they strike at God and religion as if it were in vaine to serve God as they said in Malachies time And indeed this is in the hearts of men now a dayes if they see a man that makes care and conscience of his wayes under a cloud or that he doth not so prosper in the world as others doe they begin to have weake conceiâ—…s of the profession of religion as if that were the cause as if there were nothing gotten by serving of God but we may be loose professors and goe in â—…bertine course and please God as well as others This is a great griefe to Gods children they know well enough it is not invain to serve God God is not a barren wildernesse to those that serve him they are not barren ground that are carefull in his service so you see upon what ground he was thus affected because God and Religion was touched in it Take away a godly mans religion and his God whom he serves in Religion you take away his life touch him in that you touch him in his best free-hold Therefore when these malicious enemies say Where is thy God they could not more touch David then so Prophane men of the world come and tell them of Religion and such things alas they turne it off with scorne for they would have the world know that they are not very religious they never speake of God and of religion but in scorne or by way of discourse but a man that is religious to purpose and makes it his trade makes it that whereby hee hopes to bee saved hee takes to heart any thing that is spoken against Religion their words are as a sword in his bones while they say unto him where is thy God It is better to bee distempered then not to be moved when God and Religion are touched The Holy-Ghost that appeared in the shape of a Dove appeared at another time in fiery tongues to shew that the meeke spirit of God is zealous other whiles in his children This was another reason he was thus affected And thirdly in this reproach of theirs thus violent Where is now thy God here was a damping of the spirits of all good men in those times that should heare of this reproach Words affect strangely they have a strange force with men especially in weake fancies that are not grounded in their judgement and faith The spies made a shrewd oration and brought an ill report on the Land oh it is
the knowledge of being in a good estate 1 To humble us Quest. Answ. How to know Gods children in losse of assurance Psalme 73. Vsually Gods children have particular perswasion Quest. Answ. If perswasion be not supernaturall 1 There will not be obedience 2 No holding out 3 No fruitfulnes Quest. Answ. Perswasion wrought by the spirit Quest. Answ. How the spirit perswades The manner of working this perswasion 1. Sweetly 2. strongly A strong work to perswade the soule Deut. 29. Use. To labour for spirituall perswasion 2 Cor. 2. 10 11. To begge the spirit Luke 11. Use. To desire God to perswade us God perswades with enlightning Evidence that we are not perswaded Faith makes much of what it hath Imbracing followes perswasion Triall of our estate by imbracing 2. Branches of faith To trie our està te by our affections Faith carries the whole soule The soule made for heavenly things Love of earthly things abaseth the soule What quiets the soule Micah 2. Want of faith scene by want of affections How to know nature is corrupted To shame our selves in want of affections To pray for affections Quest. Answ. What affections imbrace good things Gen. 17. 3. Quest. Answ. How this imbracing is wrought 1. By supernaturall knowledge To let goe other things Keepe the affections tender To meditate of Gods love in Christ. The excellency and necessitie of the good we hope for The hopefulnesse of them Iohn 17. Case Sol. Why the affections of Gods children are somtimes dead Scope of the words Difference betweene pilgrims and strangers Doct. Gods people strangers on earth Christians borne anew from heaven Heaven a Christians Country 1 Chron. 29. 15. August Christ a stranger on earth Iohn 1. We must have affection of strangers The Patriarchs strangers 1. In their owne esteeme Psal. 39. 12. 2. In Gods esteeme 3. In the worlds esteeme Object Answ. Wicked men how strangers here The carriage oâ—… him that is a stranger 1. He is going toward his country 2. Hee is contented Jerem. 45. 3. Patient 4. Thankefull The way to heaven smoother to some 5. He is glad of company 6. They minde their journies end 7. Though he step out of his way he comes in againe 8. He provides for all incumbrances 9. Inquires of the way 10. He useth things as they may help in his journey Indifferent things Apparent sins I Peter 2. 11. Hâ—… values not himselfe by outward things Dependance of the words A Christian dead how Life of a Christian hidden Psal 73. 7. Object Answer Question Answer 2 Cor. 4. Question Answer Iohn 17. 2 Thess. 1. 10. Rom. 8. Quest. Answer 1 Cor. 15. Quest. Answer Simile 1 Tim. 6. 13. 2 1 Pet. 1. 1 Thess. 4. Simile Simile Simile Iohn 14. 1. Quest. Answer Revel 1. Act. 9. 1 Cor. 15. Rom. 5. 1. Quest. Answer Rom. 8. 2 Cor. 5. 1. 1 Thess. 4. Observ. 1. The righteous die as well as the wicked Vse 1. To improoveâ—… the short time of life Vse 2. To use the world moderatly Observ. 2. The soule continues after death Life of the soule double 1 Reason It crosses the desires of the bodie 2 Reason It operates most in the bodies weakenesse 3 Reason It projects for the time to come Vse To use our soules to the end they were given Worldly men out live their happinesse Observ. 3. Great difference between the death of the godly and the wicked 1 The godly happy in life 2 In death 1 In disposition 2 In condition * See the Sermons on Philip 3. 21. 3 After death Three degrees of life Vse Who truly wise Godly mans end what Vse 2. To labour to partake of this happinesse Righteous man who A wicked man may know the happy estate of Gods children Reason 1. To justify God in their condemnation Reason 2. To restraine their malice Degrees of wicked men Vse Not to refuse all that ill men say Vse 2. To go beyond wicked men in our desires Difference of desires in true Christians others 1 They are notâ—… constant 2 They are not from an inward principle 5 They are not growing desires Cant. 1. 6 They are not strong Desires the best character of a christian 7 They desire happines not holinesse Wicked men desire not heaven aright Simile Conviction of such as come short of Balaam Directionshow to have holy desires 1 Beg the spirit of revelation Simile See what hinders good desires To â—…cherish good motions To renewe our covenants Question Answer Quest. Answer Why men want comfort in death Objection Answer When God accepts the will for the deed Objection Answer God leaves not good desires Gal. 2. Zach. 13. Gen 15. 1. Psal. 84. 1. The Arke a figure of Baptism in divers respects 2. Parts of the Text. 2. Parts of Baptisme The Devill carries to extreames Men prone to give too much to outward worship Psal. 50. Isay 1. Isay ult Reason outward performances easie and glorious 2. They dawbe Conscience Vse To performe inward service 2 Tim. 3. Vse 2. Ministers duty Christ the foundation of the Covenant of Grace Observ. There must be somewhat in us to make use of that is in Christ. Reas. 1. From the nature of the Covenant Reas. 2. Where agreement is there is a like disposition Vse To search our hearts for the evidence of our estate Covenant of grace why so called Demand of conscience proceedes from the answer of it Good conscience what Three degrees of a good conscience A troubled good Conscience 2. A peaceable good Conscience 3. A gracious good Conscience Heb. 13. Double ground of comfort Quest. Ans. How to know a good Conscience though troubled 1. If it answer God in trouble 2. By allowing Gods truth 3. By acknowledging Gods goodnesse Psal. 73. Quest. Ans. A man may know when he doth things graciously Ans. How to know what we doe from a good Conscience 1. It answeres towards God 2. From an inward principle Object Ans. Why Children are Baptised Simile Baptisme binds when we come to yeares Covenant in Baptisme Those that live in sins against Conscience renounce their Baptisme Exhortation to get this answer of a good Conscience Marke 9. Cant. 6. Psal. 51. How to get the answer of a good Conscience To make use of our Baptism 1. Against temptations to sin 2. In temptations to discouragment Ier. 3. 2. To distrust Comfort from the answer of a good Conscience Levit. 26. Verse 5. Psal. 41. Gal. 4. Psal. 109. Colos. 3. Simile Prov. 12. 18.
manner is by removeing contratraries and moving the heart and drawing it With the word of man God enters into the very will and affections for as hee made the soule and framed it so hee knowes how to worke upon it and to draw it sweetly by reasons but yet strongly that it may be carried to the things revealed GOD at the same time workes strongly by carrying the soule and sweetly with reasons For God first comes into the soule by divine light by reasâ—… â—…nd then he sinkes into the soule by his spirit â—…o draw the soule to these reasons without this we never yeeld to those reasons but stand â—…ut in rebellion GOD perswades the soule sweetly of the â—…ruth by shewing a man the goodnesse of it and â—…he sutablenesse to our condition and the reasons of it how they agree to our nature hee doth not force the soule but doth it with reasons and arguments sweetly And â—…e doth it strongly that the soule when it is perswaded would not for all the world bee of another mind it is so strong that the perswasion and â—…he promises are stronger then the temptations of Saran and the corruptions of the â—…esh or then the candals of the world that nothing â—…an separate us from Christ nothing can drive â—…s from our faith and hope the perswasion is â—…et so strongly upon the soule because it is a divine perswasion It is a strong worke to perswade the soule For the spirit of God When it brings a light into the soule it brings agreat many graces with it when it shines upon the soule and discovers better things it brings other graces â—…o perswade and to imbrace the things it discovers As it is an infinite mercy and goodnesse of God to discover to our soules such excellent things as we may be perswaded of as if 〈◊〉 estate to be such as indeed it is above our 〈◊〉 prehension in this world neither eye hath 〈◊〉 nor â—…are heard nor hath entred into the heart 〈◊〉 man the things that God hath prepared for 〈◊〉 that love him so likewise it is Gods infinite worke of power to frame the soule to be perswaded of this it is as mâ—…ch power to 〈◊〉 the soule to this perswasion as it is mercy 〈◊〉 discover them in a manner there is such 〈◊〉 ward rebellion and distrust in the soule 〈◊〉 ling these truths into question as if theâ—… things were too good to be true Considerâ—… our owne unworthinesse and vilenesse 〈◊〉 the excellency of these things laying theâ—… together the unbelieving heart of man 〈◊〉 prone to unbeliefe above all other sinnes 〈◊〉 can hardly conceive that there are such thinâ—… for Gods children except the heart be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 tily wrought on unlesse together with 〈◊〉 swasion there be some worke in the soule whence it may gather by the work of the spirit that they are those to whom such good things belong because the spirit of God hath singâ—…ed them out and set his seale and stampe on them above other men by some evidenceâ—… of grace It is another manner of worke then the world takes it to be For as I said before together with the Scripture there must a spirit of perswasion goe there is a secâ—…et messengeâ—… goes with the outward peech both of the preacher and of the Scripture or else all the â—…guments will not be to purpose they will be â—…f no efficacy As the Israelites they had arguments and â—…otives enow to perswade them of Gods love â—…nd care to them yet notwithstanding GOD â—…ave them not a heart Deut. 29. In Christs â—…me what miracles did they see yet their â—…earts were hardned because God together â—…ith his shining in the outward meanes did â—…ot subdue the rebellion of their wiâ—… and afâ—…ections and therefore the more they saw â—…he more they were hardned the Scribes and â—…harisees and some of their desperate folâ—…owers Well then considering that the spirit doth â—…his great worke let us labour that our knowâ—…edge may be spirituall that our perswasion of divine truth in generall and our part and â—…ortion in divine truth that it may bee spirituâ—…ll for as Saint Paul divinely and excellentâ—…y sets it downe 2 Cor. 2. 10 11. that as no â—…an knowes the things that are in man but the spiâ—…it that is in man so no man knowes the things of Gods word divine truths nor his part and porâ—…ion and interest in them but by the spirit of God If wee bring the Engine of our owne â—…it and parts to Gods truth â—…o sermons and â—…ookes wee may never be the better if wee â—…ome not with a spirituall intention with â—…everent and humble hearts and implore the â—…eaching of the spirit that together with the revelation of the word there may beeâ—… 〈◊〉 ving of the vaile by the spirit that vvith 〈◊〉 outwâ—…rd teaching there may bee the inwarâ—… teaching of the spirit that with the 〈◊〉 opening the â—…are there may be the opening 〈◊〉 the hearâ—… that he that hath the key of 〈◊〉 may open and inoline and perswade the 〈◊〉 that hee may perswade Iaphet as the Scripâ—… phrase is It is facâ—…legious presumption to come 〈◊〉 holy places and to set upon holy duties 〈◊〉 heare or read the word of God without 〈◊〉 ting up our hearts to God for his holy 〈◊〉 We cannot plow without his Heifer Can 〈◊〉 know the mind of God without the 〈◊〉 God What arrogancy is this to thinâ—… 〈◊〉 be saved and the spirit never tell us with 〈◊〉 word so but it is only a presumpâ—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This is a sacrilegious surpation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gods glory The spirit of God knowâ—… 〈◊〉 things are in God towards us and reveales 〈◊〉 our spirits Gods inward love to us The 〈◊〉 â—…eacheth us to know the things that are 〈◊〉 God Wee only know the good that Gâ—… meanes us by his owne 〈◊〉 and therefore let us labour every day more and more 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 spirituall and heavenly minded And above all things to make it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of our desires as it 〈◊〉 Luke 11. to pray 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 spirit he will give his holy spirit to them that 〈◊〉 it it is the best and the chiele gilt of all 〈◊〉 this makes our knowledge heavenly our 〈◊〉 swasion heavenly and sound and constant in â—…e and death And this spirit carries the whole soule with it this spirit makes us like the word of GOD because it is spirituall it makes us so and we love it in our inward man and consent to it and joy in it Whereas naturally there is inward rebellion in the greatest Scholler in the world against the word of God the heartriseth against divine truths they are as opposite as fire and water as heaven and hell The proud heart of man slights the promises of mercy as nothing to petty things of the world it slights the comforts of the word to carnall comforts and the Commandements of GOD in respect of the commandements of men The proud man
lookes scornefully upon the things of conscience and of the spirit only the spirit of God brings the proud heart of man to be subject to the word of God Nothing that is not spirituall wâ—…ll hold out Whatsoever is not spirituall Christ will not owne at the day of judgment Iâ—… the spirit seale 〈◊〉 and set a stampe upon us Christ will looke on his owne stamp of the spirit where the 〈◊〉 frâ—…its are not the harvest will not so low The spirit is an earnest where the earnest is not the bargâ—…ine will not follow I beseech you let us labour for the spirit in the use of all meanes let us â—…ttend upon the word which is the ministery of the spirit and wee shall find that the spirit will alter and change us and shew us our interest in the promises and the goodnesse of them 〈◊〉 more we a â—…end upon the means the more 〈◊〉 shall see it and the more we pray the moâ—… 〈◊〉 shall have the spirit and the more wee obâ—… God the more we shall have the spirit of Goâ—… God gives his spirit to them that obey him And this should reach us when we come 〈◊〉 heare or to read the word of God Loâ—… pen mine eyes LORD penswade my 〈◊〉 LORD bow the necke of my soule 〈◊〉 my inward man that Iron sinew Lord 〈◊〉 away my hard heart and give mee a 〈◊〉 â—…sh teach my heart thou must perswade 〈◊〉 incline me incline my heart Lord. Wee waâ—… religious carriage in this 〈◊〉 come presumptuously upon conâ—… 〈◊〉 wit to heare Seâ—…ons and to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and so wee come away worse than wee 〈◊〉 Why wâ—… doâ—… not 〈◊〉 too Goâ—… 〈◊〉 swaâ—… us They â—…ere 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 Manâ—… here 〈◊〉 he opens â—…he eyes and 〈◊〉 hee perswades God perswades the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Devill 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his Vlcar 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—…wade by darknesse by maintaining 〈◊〉 â—…ome of darknesse The Devill all 〈◊〉 shewes no reason he keepes the soule 〈◊〉 â—…esse and blindnesse Anti christ peâ—… 〈◊〉 men to their religion how by fleshly allure men's not instructing them and opening their eyes inlightning their understandings â—…ut GOD opens their eyes to see and â—…hen teaches and perswades The devils instruments they perswade and so they teach â—…nd draw away they perswade with carnall objects and the like to draw and bewitch the â—…ffections and so the judgment is darke still But where there is true dealing there is no â—…are of the light Therfore those that are enemies to the means of salvaâ—…ion that feare Gods people should know too much they take a course contrary to God for God enlightens and then perswades and knowledge enlightneth so that knowledge is necessary All divine perswasion of faith hath the name of knowledge They were perswaded by the spirit of God of the truth of GOD having their eyes opened It is an evidence we are not perswaded we come to Church and attend upon the means we goe on in a course of sinne wee are not divinely perswaded God hath not perswaded our hearts he hath not enlightned us For if the covetous man were perswaded that neither covetous nor extortioners should enter into the kingdome of heaven would hee not leave that course Light and perswasion alway rule the action for we work as we see and are perswaded in every thing The very beasts do as they see and as sense leads them an Asse beares burthens you know nature hath sâ—…amed and made him for it but can you drive the silly creature into the fire he knowes that will consume him So that men they are brutish they will not bee perswaded by the spirit of God they runne into courses that if they had light in their soules and if they were perswaded whither it tends they would never runne into hell fire If there were a pit open before a mâ—…ns eyes would hee plunge himselfe into that pit that were before his eyes A man that lives in sinnes against conscience hee runs into a pit There are no manner of liers of whoâ—… mongers of covetous persons of such wretches as take the name of God in vaine that shall escape unpunished Men leada life in a course wherein they see a pit before them and yet they runne on are they perswaded No no certainely they are not perswaded And so for the meanes of salvation men that care not for hearing the word are they perswaded it is the word of God to salvation they are not perswaded We may know the truth of our perswasion by the power it haâ—… to râ—…le our lives and conversations What is the reason that a simple man a weake man 〈◊〉 lives Christianly and dies in the faith he lived by when as a great man in conceite in know ledge he lives wickedly and dies worse he cause the one hath not this knowledge of the spirit the spirit of God never opened his eyes the spirit of God never perswaded him hee hath it in bookes and by education and the like There are none that ever hold out but those that have the spirit of God to be their teacher and perswader Wee must see things in their owne proper light the spirit of God hath to deale with the heart God hath only power of that he must deale with the heart we must not trust therefore to education or to outward things If a man should aske the reason of men why doe you leave these courses why doe you doe this good a Christian doth not say I was brought up to this or I cannot doe otherwise but I do it from a principle of the New Creature Let us desire God that we may doe things from reasons of Scripture from reasons of pleasing God that we may doe them from a holy sanctified affection that we may bee perswaded by the spirit and then it will hold out They were perswaded of them And imbraced them They imbraced the promises the good things promised Christs comming in the flesh and Canaan the type of heaven and heaven it selfe though they had not these things yet they imbraced what they had they imbraced the promises That is the nature of faith if it have not that it lookes as it hath not till it come to heaven yet it makes much of that it hath it imbraceth the promises and in the promises the thing it selfe promised Now these things follow one another in a most naturall order for sight brings perswasion sight and conviction brings strong perswasion and perswasion breeds imbracing for we imbrace that in our affections that wee are perswaded of to be good According to the strength of conviction and perswasion is the strength of the affections those things that we have a weake perswasion of we have a weake affection to those things that we are fully perswaded of and are great withall the affections cannot but stretch forth themselves to imbrace them When the understanding was enlightned to see the truth and to be perswaded of