that in holding faith and a good conscience though I lose all things else I have enough if I save my soul and in deserting faith and a good conscience if I lose my soul I have nothing though I save all things else But further O keep my soul yet not so properly mine as in a more peculiar right of propriety thine thine O blessed Jesu by right of donation from thy Father who hath made thee Lord and Christ and hath given me to thee Act 2.36 Eph. 1.22 as thou art Head over all things unto thy Church Thine by right of purchase thou having bought us with a price and given thy self 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Ransom yea 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Ransom in kind 2 Tim. 2.6 even thine own soul and body to redeem unto thy self the souls and bodies of the faithful § 18. Further thine by right of conquest in which thou hast made us free from the law of sin and of death having for our sake Rom 8.2 and in our name spoil'd principalities and powers Col. 2 1◠triumphing over them Further yet thine by right of Covenant in which thou hast promised thy self to be our God and we to be thy people Lastly Heb. 8.10 thine by right of Communion for that all we are and all we have are from thy fulness our life our love our joy our holiness our happiness all is in thee and from thee Thus I am thine my body thine my soul thine thine in the nearest relation in the strictest union and in the dearest affection True it is all is thine the Devils are thine thy vassals the wicked are thine thy prisoners the Angels are thine thy subjects the Creatures are thine thy servants But only the sanctified are thine thy brethren thy members yea the faithful are thy treasure thy jewels thy jewels of ornament and delight Thus oh thus keep my soul as one of thy jewels a part of thy treasure § 19. 3. Deliver me The propriety Christ hath in us is a strong engagement of his care over us as it is with his children in general 1 Tim. 3.15 Cant. 4.8 so with each of his chosen in particular Though Christs Church be full of enemies yet seeing it is his own house he will raise and repair it though it be black yet seeing it is his own Spouse he will pitty and cherish it Isa 5.4 though it bring forth wild grapes yet being his own Vine he will fence and prune it though it wander from his truth 1 Pet. 5.2 yet because it is his own Flock he will watch and gather it This then is the argument of faith which the devout soul makes unto Christ Because I am thy purchase O do thou Lord preserve me because I am of thy houshold do thou provide for me Ps 119.94 because I am one of thine whom thou ownest O keep my soul and deliver me Deliver me not only from the conquest but also from the conflict of sin For that Conflictus licet non fit damnabilis quia non perficit iniquitatem miserabilis tamen quia non habet pacem Aug. de nupt concupisc l. 2. c. 2. Though our conflict with our lusts is not damnable because the act of sin is not perfected yet is it miserable because the peace of the soul is disturbed § 20. This very conflict with sin it was which put S. Paul to his exclamation Rom. 17.24 Wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of death Which complaint he answers with this profession I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord for that the grace of Christ doth weaken the strength the blood of Christ doth pardon the guilt and the glory of Christ shall annihilate the being of sin In renascentibus remittitur S. Aug. contra Jul. l. 6. c. 16. in proficientibus minuitur in resurgentibus tollitur Sin in justification through Christ is remitted in sanctification by Christ is weakened and in glorification with Christ shall be destroyed in which glorification the deliverance of Christs Church and chosen is perfected and till that perfecting be accomplish'd this will be the continued complaint and mournful prayer of Gods holiest Saints Consider mine enemies for they are many and they hate me with a cruel hatred O keep my soul and deliver me § 21. Thus being in conflict then with our lusts how may we best order our lives as to the safety and peace of our souls I answer in several rules of direction 1. Be we the more fervent the more importunate in our prayers by how much our lusts are the more eager the more vehement in their desires For this we have S. Pauls example for our imitation 2 Cor. 12.9 when he proportions the vehemencie of his devotion to the violence of his temptation and by how much the Messenger of Satan doth the more furiously reiterate his buffetings by so much the Apostle of the Gentiles doth the more zealously renew his prayers and at length he receives this comfortable answer to his sorrowful complaint My grace is sufficient for thee sufficient to pardon thy guilt sufficient to cure thy wound sufficient to strengthen thy weakness sufficient to perfect thy deliverance § 22. 2. Entertain we no parley no treaty with our lusts have no commerce or company with them silence their suggestions or if they will needs be suggesting give them not the ear lest they make that the passage to the heart Qui deliberant desciverunt so Tacit. We betray our selves to sin whensoever we treat with our lusts conference with them is the way to be ensnared by them We must flie sin as a serpent not let in the head lest it draw in its body not yield to the first motion lest we be engaged in its full commission § 23. 3. Set we up the Law of the Spirit and life in our hearts Rom. 8.2 and by how much the Law of Sin will be stirring in our thoughts by so much the more let this royal law of Christs spirit life bear sway in our souls And to that end especially now in the solemnity of the blessed Eucharist renew we our purposes our vows our covenants renew we our self-denial our total resignation thereby to obtain a further quickening in grace a further strengthening of the inward man Joh. 1.16 and all by a nearer communion with Christ in his fulness Thus this holy Sacrament shall seal unto our hearts the comfort of this assurance that God so considers our enemies which are many and hate us with a cruel hatred that He will keep our souls and deliver us Vers 20. part and v. 21. Let me not be ashamed for I put my trust in thee Let integrity and uprightness preserve me for I wait on thee § 1. THE Creatures were made subject to change by the law of their creation which mutability hath been much improved by the sin of man whose guilt
its joy and delights says as David Look upon my affliction and my pain § 13. 2 In the exercise of fervent prayer whose voyce is louder from the heart then from the mouth louder from the eye then from the tongue sighs and tears are the best Rhetorick of the devout mans prayers The right gift of prayer and true grace of supplication not being as many fondly fancy it in the ready or large expression of words Rom. 8.26 but in sighs and groans which cannot be exprest O then then are we most fervent in prayer when our troubled souls become big with desires which cannot be uttered and therefore the tongue being unable to declare them in words they force their passage at the eyes in a flood of tears Thus thus pray we for the Church of Christ for the chosen of God that in a sympathy of their sufferings we may say with David Behold mine affliction and my pain § 14. 3 In the sense of their many infirmities The Saints of God exercised with ecstatical devotions in the holy excess of divine love Gal. 2.20 as St. Paul They live yet not they but Christ that liveth in them Col. 3.3 and their life is hid with Christ in God even as the stars without losing their light they shine not in the presence of the Sun but the Sun shines in them and their light is hid in the light of the Sun thus the Soul without losing its life it lives not being ecstatically swallowed up in Christ but Christ he lives in the soul and the souls life is hid in the life of Christ But now after the soul is descended from the Mount Tabor of her divine ecstasies how does she find herself in the Valley of Tears by reason of her humane infirmities And when the heart is wounded with the dart of love and the desire is not accomplisht in the enjoyment of its beloved what can be more afflicting As hope deferred makes the heart faint Prov. 13 12. so desires not satisfied make the soul languish Thus the Psalmist Psal 42.1 As the hart panteth after the water-brooks so longeth my soul after thee O God my soul is athirst for God for thee the living God c. § 15. Oh when the devout soul would fain take wing and flie away to her sweet repose in the bosom of her beloved oh the secret trouble and anguish of spirit to find it self clogg'd and chain'd to the servile miseries of this mortal life yea the impure motions of corrupt affections So that the devout Saint cries out with the blessed Apostle Wretched man that I am Rom. 7.24 who shall deliver me from this body of sin and of death There is certainly no pleasure like that of pleasing God no joy like that of enjoying Christ And now for such a person as hath placed his liberty in Gods service his life in Gods love his comfort in Gods favor for such a person to be so infested with carnal earthly and corrupt affections that he calls in question his faith as false his hope as vain his service as fruitless who can conceive the Convulsion-fits of his spiritual anguish the laboring throes of his souls perplexities in which he cries out Vide afflictionem Behold my affliction and my pain § 16. 2. The firm ground of the souls peace Sins forgiven us Forgive all my sins Rom. 5.1 there says the Apostle Being justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ Here we see plainly that Peace of conscience it is the fruit of Justification So that the root from whence springs this blessed fruit it is this an humble assurance of Gods love in Christ in the free and full pardon of our sins We may observe that till Christ had reconcil'd the Faâ—her by his sufferings and death and had given an assurance thereof unto his Church by his Resurrection the Holy Ghost the Comforter did not come down upon the Apostles so now Joh. 7.39 till we be reconciled unto God by Christ in the remission of our sins and have some assurance hereof wrought in our hearts through faith the Comforter the Holy Ghost does not fill our souls with his divine consolations He does not refresh our spirits with his heavenly dew and sacred influence Peace of Conscience § 17. Therefore Isa 57.21 There is no peace saith my God to the wicked their worm of conscience is still gnawing in the midst of outward jollities fretting their souls with inward tortures So that the wicked flee when no man pursueth Pro. 28.1 no man pursueth without yet there is that pursueth within even the stinging guilt of an evil conscience So that seeing he every where carries with him his tormentor no wonder this if he can no way flie to escape his torment impossible it is he should flie from his misery since he cannot flie from himself his guilty conscience that makes his wound incurable his plague unavoidable But now when God speaks comfort unto his people Hos 2.14 it is ad Cor Comfort to the heart making the good Conscience to be a continual feast a feast furnished with those dainties of Christs banquetting-house Cant. 2.4 laid up in store for his Spouse the humble and penitent soul Let not then the heart that is drowned in worldly pleasure think to partake of those heavenly delights Let not the soul which is in the gall of bitterness think to participate of this divine sweetness this hidden Manna as our Saviour calls it Rev. 2.17 hidden to the world and the men of the world for that the blessedness of comfort which is in this sweet peace of conscience no man knows but he that tastes § 18. The better to represent by some measure of proportion what the comforts of the soul are in the peace of Conscience after its languishing under the terror of sin let those men give a shadow of it who from the safe and quiet port do behold the waves and billows of that raging sea in which they themselves were even now overwhelmed and by a miracle of providence are happily escaped or let those women in some sort declare it who after their bitter throes and laboring pangs have enjoyed the quiet ease of a bed of rest for such is the Peace of Conscience to the mournful Penitent after the terrors of sin and his horrors of soul as is the safe Port to the shipwrackt Mariner after the raging tempest or as the easeful bed to the laboring woman after her painful travel § 19. These may give us the shadow but as for the substance such is the excellencie of that as S. Paul tells us it passeth all understanding Phil. 4.7 so that we can never rightly conceive it by description from others till we truly know it by experience in our selves Which of us can conceive that has not felt what is the blessed comfort of that mans soul who in the peace of his conscience can see
it deprives of communion with God is the most afflicting Ps 61.11 12. In which affliction these are the words of Complaint The Words of Complaint Oh! how how can mine heart be right with God which so often revolts from him How can mine heart be sound which is continually sore When with sighs and groans in humiliation I have confess'd and bewail'd my sin presently upon temptation I commit and repeat it Thus my wounds daily bleed afresh and thereby my spirit faints and my hope fails I shall one day perish by the hand of sin as David complain'd he should do by the hand of Saul for that daily my strength decays my grace diminisheth my comforts fade mine Evidences for Heaven ar blotted my seals defac'd my life is become my trouble and death it is my terror I fear to die and yet have no joy to live Wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of sin and of death The Grounds of Comfort 1. The holy dispensation of the all-wise God according to which it is that neither the merit of Christs blood nor the sanctification of Christs Spirit doth yet so far prevail as to root out the being of corruption though it wipe off the guilt and weaken the power of sin Damnatum est peccatum sed non extinctum Christ hath condemn'd sin in the flesh condemn'd but not extinguished 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom 8 3. Cajet in loc he hath condemn'd The word is metaphorical for that Condemnation implies a depr vation of all preceding priviledges and power Thus our Lord Jesus Christ he hath dealt with sin he hath so disanull'd it in the faithful that it hath no more place to appear in judgment Col. 2.14 no more guilt to bind over unto death Rom. 8.1 there being no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus 2. Our nature is pure and perfect in Christ in which he h th satisfied the justice of our God Joh. 2.29 as being the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world even the sin of nature as well as of our lives our original as well as our actual sin Col. 1 19. Joh. 1.16 And seeing it hath pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell He will communicate to us of his fulness till he hath wholly destroyed the Serpents seed 1 Joh 3.3 1 Pet. 1.16 till he hath made us pure even as he is pure not only subduing the dominion and reign of sin by grace but also destroying the life and being of sin by glory 3. No man is sensible of sickness but who hath life and therefore sense of sin is a sure symptome of the life of grace So that O thou afflicted soul in thy conflict with sin thy very grief is a ground of comfort this being a sure testimony of true Sanctification Gal. 5.16 17 18. that thou canst not endure the close workings of thy secret corruption but art still sollicitous to cast out the enemy to establish the peace to vomit up the poison to preserve the health of thy soul 4. It is a free and willing subjection to the commands of sin Rom. 6.12 14. which declares the soul to be under the power and dominion of sin but by our opposing and resisting our lamenting and bewailing our sin we manifest plainly sin does rebell but does not reign prevails as a Tyrant but rules not as a King And where Grace hath the Throne of the heart and sways the Scepter theâ—e Christ rules by his Spirit and will in the end make us to overcome by his power The battel is the Lords and the victory shall be ours notwithstanding all oppositions of sin and Satan of the flesh and the world of earth and of hell 1 Pet. 1.5 we shall be kept by the power of God through faith to salvation For what hath our Lord Jesus Christ begun and shall he not perfect the work of grace Hath he made the purchase Phil. 1.6 and shall he not make us to possess the inheritance of glory Lastly Seeing thou cleavest unto the Lord with purpose of heart though thou servest him not in perâ—ection of holiness these infirmities and failings which are thy burden they shall not be thy bane If the ravisht Virgin cry out Deut. 22.27 she is in the censure of rhe Law guiltless by her cry having prov'd her rape And thus a sure testimony it is Sin hath committed a rape upon our souls and ravish'd our hearts when we cry out in our trouble unto the Lord And sure God who commanded indulgence unto the ravish'd Virgin will vouchsafe pardon to the ravish'd Soul The Rules of Direction 1. Be constant in thy Conflict in the sense of thine own wants looking unto the Lord Jesus Christ in his fulness and in the weakness of thine own strength Phil 4 13. Joh. 15.5 relying upon the almightiness of Christs power Be not dishearten'd by some losses not discourag'd by some foils not dismayed by some wounds but by fasting and prayer renew thy strength and then by diligence and Zeal renew the combat Thus shalt thou gain by thy losses get ground by thy falls increase thy graces by thine infirmities Phil. 1 9 10. 2. Preserve the judgment of thy mind clear and the frame of thine heart tender that so the Understanding may discover to thee what is evil by its light and the Heart restrain thee from it by its tenderness Restrain by some secret checks of Conscience upon the first risings of corruptions Psal 19.13 Eph. 4.30 that so they get not head by any rebellious wickedness to grieve Gods Spirit and to disquiet yea wound thine own Let it be thy pious policie to fight thine Enemy when he is at the weakest Thus set upon Sin in its first motions quell it in its first risings for indeed that which increaseth our guilt and destroyeth our peace is our willing entertainment of sinful motions our ready cherishing corrupt desires Prov. 4.23 3. Keep up an holy jealousie over thine own heart for it is not in the power of Satan to hurt the soul but by its self it s own weapons must wound it it s own treacherous affections must betray and destroy it Jer. 17.9 And such is the Hearts deceitfulness that those corruptions lurk in it which we think have no affinity with our nature but are most contrary to our frame and disposition As who could have imagin'd Moses's his meekness could have become guilty of murmuring Ps 106.32 33. Psal 51.14 Matth. 26.24 or David's tenderness guilty of murder or Peter's zeal of denying his Master Wherefore in this holy jealousie over thy self search diligently and examine frequently the state of thy soul the temper of thine heart and know assuredly this strict examination will weary the soul of sin thereby subduing thy heart from allowing approving or delighting in it And thus however with the Sheep thou slip
disturbs not that which preserves the quiet of the house the peace of the soul that which does extinguish not that which does inflame our charity that which is a servile not that which is a filial fear To fear because we have sinned against God as an avenging Iudge this servile fear love quiet casts out of doors but not to sin because we fear offending God as a gracious Father this filial fear it is so far from being cast out that it is loves dearest inmate the one mutually sustaining the other so that we may well pray as the Church hath well taught us Collect second Sund af Trin. Lord make us to have a perpetual fear and love of thy holy name § 7. However then the external profession of the truly religious may be imitated by that artificial sanctity of the formal hypocrite yet who is' t that can draw out the lineaments of life sense and motion Who can counterfeit the internal forms and active principles of grace secrets not visible to the eye but sensible to the soul from whence we draw an infallible argument of Gods blessing to say with David The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him and he will shew them his Covenant § 8. The second Medium the manifestations of his love He will shew them his Covenant 1 Cor. 2.14 the natural man knoweth not the things of the Spirit of God and no wonder for he is blind at least 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Pet. 1.9 as St. Peter speaks non procul videns one sand-blind that cannot see a far off the good things of Gods Covenant and grace they are deep and in their depth have too much of misterious darkness they are high and in their height have too much of glorious brightness for the purblind eye of the earthly soul and carnal man to search and apprehend And O the refreshings of divine love to the truely penitent when God by his word discovers their sin then by his spirit he withal manifests his grace he shews them his Covenant even life and salvation by Jesus Christ And by this we may know whether the discovery of sin be a temptation or an humiliation whether it be from Satan to tempt to despair or from God to humble in repentance § 9. The spirit of grace and truth laies open sin in the soul as a careful Chyrurgeon doth a wound in the body in a warm room among tender friends and with suppleing remedies his end not being to torture but to heal not to make soar but to make whole but now the spirit of error and wickedness laies open sin as the mischeivous murderer does the wound in the open air and the soul drawn away from Christ and his promises on purpose to torment and kill not to cure and save The promises priviledges and blessings then of Gods Covenant they are not known in their saving truth but by the humble soul even by those who fear the Lord for that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so the Sept. to them the Lord will declare and make known his Covenant even his Covenant of Crace in which are concentred all the promises of the Gospel and this Covenant he will shew to them that fear him especially in that which is the firm foundation of their comforts as to the immutability of his love and the stability of his promise § 10. First The immutability of his love the grace and love of God as the Agent is not founded upon any motives or reasons in man as the object as if merit or worth in man did either beget or continue favor and love in God Rom. 4.5 Rom. 5.10 Ephes 2.5 Rom. 3.24 no he justifies us when ungodly he reconciles us when enemies he quickens us when dead and therefore must it be that we are freely justified and so eternally saved by his grace through the redemption that is in Iesus Christ Now if when enemies by wicked works Col. 1.21 we were reconciled by the death of Christ if when dead in sins we were were quickened by the Spirit of grace how much more being quickened being reconciled shall our infirmities be pardoned our falls repaired our persons accepted and our services rewarded If when we were enemies Gods grace did prevent us to make us his children how much more being Gods children shall the same grace preserve us from becoming his enemies § 11. The love of God in his Covenant of grace Jer. 31.3 it is an everlasting love which everlasting love sure cannot end in an eternal hate So that though we are unworthy yet does he continue gracious though we deserve his wrath yet will he bestow his love his love unchangeable like himself for God is love and as Mal. 3.6 I am the Lord I change not therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed § 12. 2. The stability of his promise In Jer. 32.40 God tells us he will make an everlasting Covenant with his people And how is â—t everlasting why says God I will not turn away from them to do them good But though God be immutable in his grace unchangeable in his love and so constant in his promise yet what if his people through humane frailty fall from him and so make void the Covenant of the Almighty To this God himself gives answer v. 40. for the comfort of all the faithful I will put my fear into their hearts saith the Lord that they shall not depart from me Thus does God give the promise and strengthens man to the condition of his Covenant so that they who are begotten to a lively hope by Jesus Christ 1 Pet. 1.5 are kept by the power of God through faith to salvation And thus our holiness depends upon Gods promise not Gods promise upon our holiness Deus facit ut nos faciamus quae praecepit nos non facimus ut ille faciat quae promisit so S. Aug. God makes us to do what he hath commanded we do not make God to do what he hath promised But as remission of sins is from his grace even his gracious favor accepting so is the obedience of faith from his grace too even the grace of his Spirit sanctifying § 13. So that all our comfort of soul and peace of conscience is firmly fixt upon this sure Basis this firm foundation the immutability of Gods love and the stability of his promise For so Heb. 6.17 God willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel and in that his love he confirm'd it by an oath And wherefore Was it to make his obligation more firm No but to make our consolation more full For so v. 18. it was that by two immutable things in which it was impossible for God to lye we might have strong consolation Gods covenant is not made the more firm or sure by oath then by promise for that his truth as his nature it is without variableness or shadow of turning
soul when the divine presence of Christ shall fill its Tabernacle possess the heart and so the eye of faith become fixt upon the Lord in devout contemplations of his grace and love So fixt that with holy David When we awake we are still with him yea VVe set the Lord always before our face Psal 139 18. Psal 16.8 he the continual object of our eye as being the onely object of our love of our joy of our delight Indeed where should be our hearts but where is our joy where our eye but where our love and whilst our eyes are on the Lord the Lords eyes will be on us so that lifting up our eyes to him above we shall not fear the snares of our feet beneath but in all our affairs of life in all our conditions of being in all the publick calamities of the Church in all the various changes of the World our firm affiance may have its comfortable assurance that our eyes being ever towards the Lord he shall pluck our feet out of the net § 9. Secondly The comfortable assurance of Davids faith he shall pluck my feet out of the Net that is he shall deliver me from the sinful temptations of Satan the world and the flesh which are as a net to intangle and insnare the soul First such is Satans malice to the sanctified soul that not being able by his temptations to deprive of grace he will not cease his suggestions to rob of comfort so that as Hercules in his cradle so the faithful in his infancy of the new man he does incounter the winding serpent whom he overcomes by the blood of the Lamb through faith in the Lord Jesus § 10. And when Satan thus repulst and beat off departs from him it is but as he did from our Saviour for a while yea 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for a season even till a fitter opportunity to return Luk. 4.13 so that again and again does Satan encounter the humble penitent renewing his terrors to destroy his comforts and if possible to overthrow his faith Oh how does he by subtle insinuations make the soul to argue against it self in many needless scruples and groundless doubtings intermixt with distrustful fears But such is the wisedom and mercy of his God that Satans Wiles they are repelled by Christs truth whose gracious promises do silence his doubtful cavellings and a renewed vigor of grace damp his suggestions of fear so that the soul rests in peace receiving some testimonies of divine love by the Spirit obtained in fervent prayer § 11. And as thus we have seen something of the combate the faithful have with Satan so see Secondly something of the encounter he has with the world in which there is a secret antipathy against the spiritual man as it is observed by our Saviour when he tells his Disciples that if they were of the world the world would love them Joh. 15.19 even as the Mother loves her own Children but because he had called them out of the world therefore did the world hate them Thus then the faithful man in the world and from the world he meets with hatred yea that hatred sharpened with contempt derision and slanders ay mens malice doth increase with his goodness their fury with his piety so that he meets with loss of liberty spoil of goods yea the threatnings if not execution of death and that made more dreadful and formidable through cruelty and tortures § 12. Sometimes again the world turns her violence into allurements her threathings and fury into fawnings and flattery she presents profit proffers pleasure tenders honor and all to allure and deceive and the faithful mans danger is greater from the plausible fairness of the worlds allurements then from the apparent fierceâ—ess of her threatnings But such is the power of divine grace that Christ plucks his feet out of the net 1 Joh. 5.4 making him by faith to overcome the world a sincere faith in the apprehension of Gods love and the assurance of Christs Kingdom will powerfully yea victoriously repulse the world in all her incounters of feat or of favour § 13. As we have seen something of the spiritual conflict which the faithful man has with Satan and the World So thirdly see now something of that he hath with the Flesh which though it be an enemy less violent yet is it more dangerous whose insinuations being secret they are the more hurtful because the less discernable in this conflict with the flesh the sanctified person he feels the bent of nature strugling against the dictates of the Spirit corrupt dispositions against gracious inclinations carnal lusts against spiritual desires earthly affections against heavenly motions thus he feels the spirit lusting against the flesh Gal. 5 17. and the flesh lusting against the spirit in which domestick War he receives many secret blows and some deeply wounding making him to cry out with St. Paul Oh wretched man that I am Rom. 7.24 who shall deliver me from this body of death This body of death in which the inward man is divided against the outward man the old man against the new man that is the same man against himself § 14. And yet O happy soul which is truly sensible of this spiritual war it shall assuredly rest in an eternal peace These several Combates then and conflicts which the faithful have against Satan the World and the Flesh though they often discourage yet do they not quite destroy their holy resolutions though they do for a while damp and discomfort yet do they afterwards much quicken and further their godly conversation Did not indeed the powerful assistance of Christs Spirit give strength to their fainting souls those many assaults of their spiritual enemies would assuredly beat them back from their holy course but being by the same spirit strengthned by which they are sanctified notwithstanding all the oppositions of the World or the Flesh they go forwards in holiness And noâ—withstanding all the suggestions of Satan they resolve and will endeavour to live godly in Christ Jesus being ready in firm affiance and a comfortable assurance to subscribe this profession of Davids faith Mine eyes are ever towards the Lord for he shall pluck my feet out of the net § 15. But now how may we best fortifie our souls against the sinful temptations of the World and Satan Answer By mortifying the corrupt affections of the flesh For that most certain it is Satan holds intelligence with our lusts and by their treachery does surprize the Cittadel of the heart Satan may tempt but he cannot force the will So that it is not his tempting but our consenting which brings guilt upon the soul Jam. 1.14 properly then indeed every man is tempted when he is drawn away with his own lust and enticed Satan he subtly proportions his sinful temptations to our corrupt dispositions and therefore where he sees the heart set upon covetousness he tempts Balaam with the
himself delivered from the chains of sin the bondage of Satan the powers of darkness and the flames of hell who in the peace of his conscience can see himself made partaker of the merits of Christs death and the benefits of his intercession can see himself admitted into a covenant of grace with the Lord of life and King of glory received into favor with the God of heaven and earth and so as to be made his child and entituled to the kingdom and the glory of his onely Son Which of us can conceive that has not felt what is the comfort of those thoughts of those meditations in that sweet peace of conscience which the faithful have being reconciled unto God through Christ in the remission of their sins § 20. Let us now joyn together the penitent sinner and the devout Saint in this one exhortation that they approach the Table of the Lord with a secret affliction of soul and that being raised by faith and enlarged by prayer 1 A secret affliction of soul in this consideration that their sins have been the cause of Christs sufferings Luk. 23.21 The Jews cried out of Christ crucifie him crucifie him such was the greatness of their malice that if possible they would have had him twice crucified but yet is not their desire too unhappily fulfilled they crucifying him once with their hands and we even we crucifying him again by our sins Who art thou then that comes to Christ without floods of tears when he comes to thee in streams of blood Who art thou who canst worthily meditate on his wounded body without a wounded soul or view his pierced side without a pierced heart in which our Saviour gives us our true devotion bespeaking us as well as the daughters of Jerusalem Weep not for me but for your selves weep not for me or my sufferings Luk. 23.28 in a fruitless compassion but weep for your selves and your sins in an hearty contrition § 21. Thus affected with contrition 2 Let our hearts be raised by faith that so whatsoever is our affliction and pain we may find an healing vertue in the blood of Christ which is this Sacramental administration is none other then Gileads balm to cure Hermons dew to refresh and Aarons ointment to revive all wounded distressed and drooping souls And as we approach this holy Ordinance with hearts raised by faith So 3 Hearts enlarged in prayer and such prayer as by the paths of its devotion may speak the anguish of our affliction as in the sence of our grosser enormities so of our humane infirmities that so for every sinful distemper in us we may receive an healing vertue from Christ and in our prayers for our selves forget we not the afflictions of the Church the calamities of the Nation and seeing our God pursues us with his judgments send we forth legationem lachrymarum in the language of St. Ambrose send we forth an Ambassage of tears to sue for peace And doubt we not but received into the Court of Heaven they shall have their access to the throne of grace and obtain a gracious audience if not for a publick deliverance yet for our particular salvation having our remission of sins and our peace of conscience confirmed unto our souls by his blessed Sacrament as the seal of grace and the pledge of glory to which glory he preserve us by his mercy who hath purchast it by his merits Jesus Christ the Righteous Amen Vers 19. and part of the 20. Consider mine enemies for they are many and they hate me with a cruel hatred O keep my soul and deliver me § 1. WHat confidence and comfort can there be in pardon of sin when there is not a conscience and care to prevent sin upon humiliation indeed sin forgiven becomes stingless toothless sin the venome and guilt removed but after humiliation sin reacted becomes the most deeply wounding the most closely gnawing sin more wounding then the Serpent more gnawing then the worm Wherefore holy David here having made it his complaint unto God in prayer vers 18. Look upon my affliction and pain and forgive all my sins knowing the number and force eying the multitude and rage of his spiritual enemies his sinful lusts he joyns to that fervent prayer this further petition Consider mine enemies for they are many and they hate me with a cruel hatred O keep my soul and deliver me § 2. To give the sence of our present interpretation together with the sum of our intended discourse take it in this paraphrase upon the words Consider mine enemies and thine enemies O God are mine thy greatest enemy is sin and my greatest enemies then must be my lusts Oh consider those mine enemies for they are many a whole host warring against my soul they besiege me closely and assault me fiercely they hate and fight against thy good spirit in me and to hate that is to hate me and the good of my soul yea their hate is cruel it is a tyrannous hatred though I never willingly suffer them to rule over me yet too too often they over-rule me Rom. 6.12 Though I never let them command me as a King yet they often compel me as a Tyrant Now Lord whereas many in the daies of trial and of trouble beseech thee to keep their bodies their estates their bodies from imprisonment their estates from spoil to me sin is worse then bonds then beggery yea then death then hell wherefore I beseech thee to keep my soul the salvation of it is dearest of more price then all the world Matth. 16.26 my good name my health my life my friends my estate all may be lost and I safe But oh my soul is my self to cast away it is to cast away me to keep it is to deliver me O then keep my soul and deliver me § 3. Observe in the words two general parts the Subject and the method of Davids prayer The Subject with its description and the method in its gradation 1 The Subject with its description Davids enemies described from the greatness of their number they are many and the violence of their hate it is cruel for they are many and they hate me with a cruel hatred 2. The Method in its gradation which gradation hath its three steps Consider mine enemies Keep my soul and Deliver me § 4. 1. The Subject with its description Davids enemies described from the greatness of their number they are many consider mine enemies for they are many No man may resolve his sins into any other original then his own lusts as for Satan though it be he that tempts it 's we that act and therefore when we commit any wickedness and sin against God though it be by Satans instigation our tongues may not smite him but our hearts must smite our selves as Davids did in 2 Sam. 24.10 We may not accuse the tempter but our selves who let in the temptation Non diabolus voluntatem delinquendi imponit
befoâ—e the Divine Tribunal where in the presence of thy God and of his holy Angels do thou delâ—re thy loathing and abhorring of those suggestios together with a disclaiming and renouncing all allowance or willing admittance of them returning them upon Satan as the effects of his malice and fury if hereafter they return upon thy soul in their affrights and terrors 3. Close thy solemn service with this sincere devotion earnestly beseeching God to rebuke Satan and restrain his rage Zech 3.1 and to vouchsafe thy languishing soul his quickening sustaining and restoring Grace and together with this make a total resignation of thy self into the hands of thy Jesus Heb. 13.20 Isa 40.11 1 Pet. 5.8 the great Shepherd of the Flock that he may keep thee as a tender Lamb safe from the paw and teeth of the roaring Lion And here that I may not only point thee thy way but also lead thee by the hand see a Pattern for thy practice a prescrib'd form which thou mayst either use or imitate use in its own words and order of expression or imitate in the like matter and method of devotion O most glorious and most gracious Lord God! who art the Searcher of Hearts the Lover of Souls and the Preserver of Men. Before thee holy Lord before thee so sacred a Majesty I here present my self a polluted oh do thou make me a penitent sinner Polluted I am and loathsom in the filth of mine own corruptions and oh how much more vile and abominable am I through the guilt of that sin which is come upon my soul through Satans suggestions Suggestions so horrid and dreadful that I abhor to set them in mine own sight much more to declare them in thy presence I confess O holy Lord and glorious God! I confess with shame and confusion of face that mine own sin hath betrayed me to Satans buffetings and his suggestions have increased the guilt and horror of my sin Oh my pride and presumption oh my carelesness and curiosity oh my slothfulness and disobedience oh the folly and wickedness of my heart which hath provoked thy wrath and given advantage unto Satan against my soul And oh the murmurings and rep nings oh the diffidence and distrust oh the neglect of thy worship and profaning thy glory oh the deadness and hardness of heart oh the many and great evils of pollution and guilt caused and occasion'd by my foul thoughts all further provoking thy divine wrath and more deeply wounding mine afflicted spirit Woe is me wretched sinner whither oh whither shall I flie for succor unless thou Lord wilt pitty my poor soul must needs perish and oh oh my God! perish from thy presence thy gracious thy glorious presence for ever Wherefore see O thou great and glorious O thou just and righteous Judge Oh see I here prostrate my self at the Bar of thy Justice and lay my mouth in the dust noâ— knowing what to answer thee Oh! oh now that Satan doth accuse me my Conscience witness against me and thy Law condemn me who oh who shall plead for me Oh! wilt not thou blessed Jesus my Surety my Saviour wilt not thou undertake my Cause who art mine Advocate Wilt not thou procure my Pardon who art my Mediator Wilt not thou make mine Attonement who art the High Priest of my salvation O blessed Jesus be now my Jesus and seeing thou art able to save unto the utmost all that come unto God by thee oh save me lost creature undone soul without thy merit and thy mediation lost and undone eternally Oh save me unto the utmost of what my Conscience can accuse or Satans malice aggravate And now O holy Lord God! whilst thou beholdest thy wounded Son pitty oh pitty me wretched sinner See him accused by men to free me from the accusations of Satan see him unjustly condemn'd to free me from the just sentence of condemnation see him suffering death to free me from the judgment of eternal death Oh see Lord his pierced side as the Fountain opened and his streams of blood flowing forth unto his Church to wash in from sin and from uncleanness Oh here bathe my polluted soul wash and wash me thorowly that not the least filth of mine own corruptions or Satans suggestions may now cleave unto me or herâ—after appear in Judgment against me Behold in Jesus Christ my Surety my debt is paid thy justice satisfied Oh blot out then the hand-writing of Ordinances that is against me (i.) The sentence of death in the curse of the Law upon sin discharge Satan and in the presence of thine holy Angels pass sentence of Absolution upon me in the free and full pardon of all my sins And oh of a dreadful Judge be thou now Lord a gracious and reconciled Father behold me justified through the blood of thy Son and the righteousness of my Jesus and as thou makest me partaker of the merit of Christs passion to my justification so make me partaker also of the power of his resurrection even to obtain victory and to triumph over sin and Satan and all those powers of darkness which shall rise up to rob me of the riches of thy grace and to deprive me of my right and title to the inheritance of thy Saints in light Now holy Lord and gracious God! as Satan hath accused me so let me cite him before thy sacred Tribunal And here prostrate at the footstool of thy Majesty looking up unto thee in the mediation of Jesus Christ who is at thy right hand and ever lives to make intercession for me even thus Lord I here declare in thy presence and in the presence of thy holy Angels that I utterly renounce all communion with Satan in his sinful suggestions and therefore do humbly implore thy gracious goodness that whensoever Satan shall renew his suggestions they may be return'd upon himself in his malice not fasten upon my soul or be laid to my charge in their guilt And whatsoever shall be Satans rage do thou Lord Jesus rebuke him and keep me by thine almighty power through faith to salvation making thy strength to appear in my weakness thy grace and mercy in mine unworthiness And as thou art pleas'd O Lord God to quench all the fiery darts of Satan so stir up thy graces in me and enflame my soul with an enlarged fervor of holy devotion So sanctifie me throughout with thy Spâ—rit that my desires may be gracious my thoughts heavenly my life religious my serviâ—es sincere and all my duties of thy Woâ—ship acceptable in thy sight And now having renounced all communion with Satan in his suggestions I here make mine humble resignation in thy presence that so I may be safe under the shadow of thy wing and preserved unblameable unto the day of the Lord Jesus O Lord God! Into thy hands I commit my body soul and spirit my thoughts words and works all that I am all that I have desiring wholly to be thine O my
God gracious and merciful accept me in thy Beloved even Jesus Christ in whom alone thou art well pleased and for his sake let me not go from before thee without a blessing a blessing of pardon and of peace a blessing of thy Spirit and of thy grace a blessing of thy favor and of thy love in the Lord Jesus Thus Lord say of me Thou hast blessed me and that I shall be blessed for ever Amen Amen Here rising up and making thine humble adoration before the Throne ot Glory say Halleluiah Salvation be unto our God and to the Lamb for ever Amen Halleluiah 4. After all this if thy foul thoughts shall yet continue or renew their assaults as it may be they will for a time let them pass like lightening and so though they suddenly startle yet let them not long discontent thy soul for this slighting is the best resisting and thou shalt sooner be quit of them by a pious neglect then by an eager opposition Like angry Bees such are foul and blasphemous thoughts Isa 30.15 Ps 118.12 they are better avoided in passing by then in beating off This Direction is well attested by the experience of a Minister of Christ with whom I have had intimate acquaintance who being devoutly employed in the ministration of the holy Eucharist Satan to disturb his devotion and thereby disquiet his soul assaults him with the sudden suggestion of foul thoughts He startled with their appearance in so sacred an action began a contest of holy indignation which contest heightened their rage and the more entangled his soul In this secret trouble he observes how busie the Flies were in that hot season about the Cup which he was administring and that he in prudence as well as piety was regardless of their buzzing and kept himself intent upon the holy service This became presently his instruction from thence raising this sudden Meditation Sure Satan envies the sweet comforts of my soul in communion with my Jesus and therefore sends these busie Thoughts to suck up their sweetness which if I strive to beat off they do but the more disturb my soul I will therefore do with Satans suggestions as with the Flies pass them by in a silent contempt not think to drive them away by a forcible opposition And he thus resolv'd they soon vanish'd keeping his heart fixt upon his God and his eye intent upon the present Solemnity 5. And lastly O thou afflicted soul do wth thy God when assaulted with frightful thoughts as children do with their parents when they behold any frightful thing even cling closer and hold faster to him And doubt not when Satan sees that what he intends to drive thee from thy God draws thee neerer to him he will soon cease the violence of his temptations And when the Devil hath left thee Mat. 4.11 Isa 63.9 Mal 3.1 Angels will come and minister unto thee especially the Angel of the Covenant Christ Jesus he shall revive and glad thy soul with the quickening graces and chearing comforts of his Spirit CHAP. III. The Souls Conflict from some late Relapses into Sin AS Physicians make a soveraign Antidote of the Vipers flesh to destroy its poison Heb. 2.17 18. Heb. 4.15 16. so doth Christ a saving Medicine of Satans temptations to defeat his malice Christ being tempted even to sanctifie our temptations and to be himself at once our refuge and our pattern that as we are guarded by his power so we may be instructed by his example Mat. 4.4.7.10 Eph. 6.17 Jam. 4.7 And what is the instruction but that of spiritual wisdom and holy resolution in opposing the Word of God to the wiles of Satan and so resisting till he flie from us And when Satan is beat back in his temptations oh how do the comforts of Christs Spirit return upon our souls to quicken strengthen and establish them Whensoever then we hear the mournful complaints of languishing souls upon Relapses into sin Job 13.24 Job 14.17 Ps 43 2. that God accounts them his enemies seals up their transgressions and casts them off They are the passionate Expressions of a distrustful impatience Satan by his suggestions so aggravating their guilt and heightening their provocation Luk. 5.31 1 Joh. 1.7 that thereby the soul becomes wholly fixt upon the disease eying neither the Physician not his remedy neither Christ nor his blood Yea the soul becomes so overburdened with its debt that it views neither the Surety Heb. 7.22 Joh. 1.16 Luk. 24.47 Joh 3.16.34 nor his sufficiencie neither Jesus nor his fulness both which are presented to the Penitent in the Promises In this distress of soul hear the Words of Complaint yea hear the deep and mournful lamentations of the relapsed Saint plung'd in the sink of sin and sunk in the mire of uncleanness The Words of Complaint Oh woe is me how is the Crown fallen from my head How is all my joy and comfort fled from my soul How are my sins and my sorrows together increased Oh my backslidings from my God! Oh my sinful departings from my Saviour Wretched man how have I forsaken my first love cast off my former zeal and by my sinful Apostacie quenched yea griev'd the Spirit of my God So that whereas before I did delight in his serviâ—e I now shame and fear to come into his presence whereas before his Spirit did enlarge my heart with comforts now my sin doth fill my soul with horrors Oh what shall I do I have abused the mercy of my God despised his love profan'd his holiness and offended his Majesty And what hope of pardon from an abused mercy What hope of favor from a despised love What hope of Communion with a profan'd Holiness What hope of acceptance with an offended Majesty These the Words of Complaint And now to set open a safe Harbor for the humble and penitent not to set up a vain shelter for the profane and presumptuous Observe The Grounds of Comfort 1. The immutability of Gods love The grace and love of God as the Agent is not founded upon any motives or reasons in man as the Object as if merit or worth in man did either beget or continue favor or love in God No He justifies us when ungodly Rom. 4.5 Rom. 5.10 Eph. 2.6 Rom. 3.24 He reconciles us when enemies He quickens us when dead And therefore needs must it be that we are freely justified and so eternally saved by his grace through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ Now if when enemies by wicked works we were reconciled by the death of Christ if when dead in trespasses and sins we were quickened by the Spirit of Grace how much more being reconciled being quickened shall our persons be accepted our sins pardon'd and our falls repair'd So that as by the operation of his Spirit we are regenerated so by the power of the same Spirit we shall be restored The love wherewith God loveth us in Christ it
able to save unto the uttermost all those that come unto God by him Let thy Conscience then O dejected Penitent object the hainousness of thy sins and raise them to the greatest height by all aggravating circumstances as being committed against the dictate of reason and the light of knowledge as being reiterated again and again after solemn resolutions and the gracious enlightenings of the Spirit here thou being truly sensible of thy sin mayst not despair of mercy seeing Christ is not only able Heb 2.17 but also willing to save those who come unto God by him Rev. 12.10 even unto the utmost of what their Consciences can accuse or Satans malice aggravate The Rules of Direction 1. Raise thy faith and this by a frequent meditation upon the promises of grace and life By which meditation the soul shall the better suck out the sweetness and digest the nourishment of Gods mercy and truth And because Pattern prevails above Precept take this Instance for thy imitation Suppose thou fixest thine eye and thoughts upon that blessed truth and comfortable Text of S. Paul's This is a faithful saying 1 Tim. 1.15 and worthy of all acceptation that Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners of which I am chief Upon this let thy soul dwell a while by serious meditation and in these or the like expostulating thoughts let thy faith gather strength and renew its vigor How Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners What was this the very end and purpose of Christs coming in the flesh and suffering on the Cross that he might bring men sinful men to salvation O divine Cordial to an afflicted soul O sweet comfort to a penitent Sinner I am convinc'd the words are gracious but how shall I be assured the saying is true Why it is the Word of God and shall I then distrust its truth Vain heart be not so deceitful it is a faithful saying this a saying as firm as God is holy as true as Truth it self But what right have I I so vile a Wretch to so divine a Truth Why my right lies in Gods mercy which here extends to all That Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners it is a saying worthy of all men to be received Of all men sure then in that all I am included my particular is involv'd in this general Ps 78.41 Isa 59.1 for who shall limit the Holy one of Israel Ay but will God have respect to so hainous a sinner Have not my grievous sins made me unworthy of so gracious mercy Jam. 2 13. Yes unworthy but not uncapable It is the glory of Gods mercy to forgive sins the greater then my sins the greater his glory in their forgiveness Though then I be the chief of sinners I will rely upon my God in my Jesus for his chief of mercies and so resolve to apply the truth and comfort of this Evangelical doctrine delivered by the Apostle that this is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation that Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners of which I am chief Thus in thy greatest dejections endevour to raise thy faith by meditation on the Promises to the greatness of thy sins opposing the riches of Gods mercy to the horror of thy guilt the fulness of Christs merits both unmeasurably infinite and gracious And as the skill of a Physician is the more eminent in curing a dangerous sickness Rom. 5.20 so is the goodness of Gods mercy more glorious in pardoning and the power of his grace more evident in healing hamous sins Bonitas invicta non vincitur infinita misericordia non finitur Gods invincible goodness is not by sin conquered nor his boundless mercy by guilt limited And therefore may he alone despair of pardon who can be more wicked then God is gracious And as for the merit of Christ it is a superabundant merit Though the purity of all the Heavenly Host is not able to wipe off the stain nor their death sufficient to expiate the guilt of the least transgression Joh. 1 29. 1 Joh. 1.7 2.2 yet is the least drop of the blood of the Son of God an expiatory sacrifice for the whole World how much more then shall these his streams of blood be sufficient in their fulness of merit for the most hainous sins of a relapsed Saint There may be then some disease of body which is opprobriū medicorū past the Physicians skil to cure but no wound no distemper of soul can pose or puzzle the mercy of God or merits of Christ to heal We cannot then dishonor Christ more then to distrust his grace and love to undervalue his merits and blood Joh. 15.13 Rom. 5.8 especially he having given so great a testimony of his love by his death and made so firm a Conveyance of the merits of his death in his promises yea and vouchsafed so sure a seal of those promises and of that merit in his Sacraments Be it so then O thou dejected and afflicted soul be it so that thy troubled Conscience does rage as the sea with uncessant accusations be it so that sin and hell besiege thee round with the bitter terrors of everlasting death and that now the waves and surges of temptations swell and overflow thee yet shalt thou not faint not sink not perish 1 Pet. 1.5 whilst the Son of God supports thee through faith in his merits a faith fixt upon the promises of grace and life in which promises thou mayst behold thy sins thy hainous sins thy mountain-sins swallowed up in the Sea of his blood yea thou mayst behold thy guilt thy horrid guilt long since cancell'd on Golgotha Col. 2.14 and expiated by the death of thy Redeemer 2. Renew thy Repentance and this in a deep contrition of heart and sincere humiliation of soul There being no flying from God but by flying to him no flying from his wrath but by flying to his mercy for which we have the comfort and encouragement of a gracious Advocate of a perfect Mediator 1 Joh. 2 1. 1 Tim. 2.5 Christ Jesus blessed for ever This of Contrition and Humiliation is that God calls for from revolting Judah Joel 2.12 and which he requires of all backsliding children even that they turn unto him with all their heart with fasting weeping and mourning Sighs and tears they are the Penitents best oratory for so saith David Ps 6.8 The Lord hath heard the voice of my weeping Know then O thou afflicted soul though thy relapses into sin may hide Gods countenance yet upon repentance renewed they shall not banish thee from his presence though they beget a strangeness for a time yet shall they not beget a parting for ever And so however Satan aggravating thy sin may cloud the Joy yet shall he not take away the God of thy salvation Now to further thy raising thy faith and renewing thy repentance look upon the
God my Jesus be gone from me yet will I mourn after him if happily I may find him whom my soul loveth O return return my joy my Jesus For till thou dost return I shall lie down in sorrow without thee my soul refuseth to be comforted The Grounds of Comfort 1. As thy distress is not without a promise thy misery without a Redeemer so nor is thy state and condition without many presidents even a cloud of witnesses whose sad experience will give full testimony to this certain truth Ps 55.5 That God oftentimes not only withholds the comforts of his good Spirit but also afflicts with the terror of our own hearts That oftentimes he hides the grace of the Gospel and discovers the rigor of the Law Ps 88.14 15.16 revealing guilt and concealing mercy yea oftentimes he rebukes the heart with secret checks of conscience and convictions of Spirit so that in the sad apprehension of sin and guilt death and hell the soul languisheth with frights and fears with horror and amazements Yet further he oftentimes renews the charge of former sins in the Court of Conscience making a man to possess the iniquities of his youth Job 13.26 and by his Spirit writing such bitter things against him that the soul is struck with the deep impressions of dread and horror in the apprehension of Gods shutting the gate of mercy and peace Ps 77.7 8 9. his refusing to be intreated or to hearken to any terms of reconciliation so that no holy duties or sacred ordinances for a time either administer comfort or discover love That this is the sad experience of the most eminent Saints the Book of Job and Psalms of David will sufficiently testifie And yet withall this testimony too they give of God and of Christ that he lifteth up those that are cast down Ps 37 24 42.11 147.7 8. 148.3 he healeth the broken in heart and bindeth up their wounds yea he gives liberty to the Captive health to the sick life to the dead and the divinest comforts to the most dejected souls so that they rejoice in his salvation and exult in his praises 2. This the condition of our present estate to be freed from the discomforts of afflictions as from the power of sin but in part Our graces are imperfect and therefore needs must our peace Our life 's a pilgrimage 1 Pet. 2.11 2 Cor. 10.4 a warfare and so hardship travel danger distress yea conflicts and wounds they are proper to our condition and therefore we may not think them strange but expect them with resolution bear them with patience and pass them through with constancie The day that hath no night no cloud the joy that hath no mourning no grief the crown that hath no cross no care is reserv'd for heaven not found on earth peculiar it is to the state of blessedness and eternity So that I cannot but question the uprightness of that mans heart who never question'd the goodness of his estate I cannot but doubt that mans assurance who never doubted and fear those comforts which were never discomforted There is certainly a woe to that peace which Satan does not sometimes disquiet True it is God could send forth his Saints as the Sun in its course to attract the eyes of all Beholders and make them in their splendor of graces ouâ—vie Solomon in his lustre of glory But this God hath not thought so agreeable to his wisdom in his dispensations to his Church and chosen 1 Cor. 1. â—3 14 c. he will rather have the Saints excellencie cloth'd with humane frailty and their inward worth vail'd with outward contempt Yea their life is so hid with Christ in God Col. 3.3 that themselves oftentimes feel not the quickenings discover not the actings of their own graces for that a cloud of secret trouble darkens the light of all their comforts Doubtless had Adam continued in his primitive integrity God would have communicated himself to man not only by faith and reason but also by sense and external manifestation But now he conveys spiritual things in a spiritual manner We walk by faith and not by sight As is the manifestation of the Divine presence 2 Cor. 5 7 1 Cor. 13 9. such is our participation of Divine comforts all in part and imperfect 3. Though thy comforts are fled from thee yet the God of thy comforts abides with thee though thou wantest Christ in that blest Communion of joy and peace yet thou hast not lost him in that best communion of grace and life Spiritual joy though a sweet flower of Paradise yet a fading flower though a spiritual yet a temporal blessing a separable adjunct of grace and so not of the necessary being but of the happy well-being of a Christian a partial reward rather then a particular vertue Let this then be a firm ground of solid comfort That though thy light of Joy be extinguisht yet thy seeds of Grace are preserv'd thy heart hath its holy affections though emptied of its divine consolations For tell me who is' t that supports thy soul but the same God who conceals his love Does he not incline thine heart to fear and faithful obedience Ps 23 3 4. Isa 2â— 8 even when now he withdraws himself from thy soul in the light and comforts of his countenance And if so what thou dost possess is far more precious then what thou hast lost Communion w th Christ in the sanctifying influence is more excellent then communion with him in the comforting light of his Spirit Besides having the fountain thou wilt not be long without the streams having Christ the fulness of comforts thy soul shall not long remain discomforted God will lighten thy candle uncloud thy sun restore thy comforts Ps 7 120 21. This is Davids confidence Thou Lord which hast shewed me great and sore troubles shalt quicken me again and shalt bring me up again from the depths of the earth thou shalt increase my g eatness and comfort â—e on every side Hear Gods profession and promise Isa 57.15 Thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity whose name is Holy I dwell in the high and holy place with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit to revive the spirit of the humble and to revive the heart of the contrite ones And how revive them why by healing them with his grace leading them with his councels and restoring comforts to them See then the mercy is thine the promise is thine only thou must know and acknowledge the time of dispensing the season of performing is Gods who orders all things in number weight and measure 4. Those rebukes of the Spirit which so much torture thy conscience and that hiding his face which so much sads thy heart is all from a fatherly tenderness of care and love not from an avenging severity of justice and wrath God deals with the soul as David
was not worthy this was that I say which made them endure with chearfulness Heb. 11.26 Hug. Cardin. in loc and persevere with constancie even the respect they had to the recompence of reward Consideratio praemii minuit vim flagelli the consideration of the eternal reward weakened the force of the temporal trouble The Rules of Direction 1. Betake thy self to a sincere repentance in a strict examination of Conscience a solemn humiliation of soul and a true reformation of life 1. A strict examination of Conscience for that the same afflictions may be at once as persecutions for righteousness and trials of grace so also corrections for sin Indeed sin is the cause of all affliction so that Christ he had not suffered had he not took upon him our sin And therefore did Elibu say right Job 36.7 8 9 10. that though God withdraws not his eyes from the righteous yet does he suffer them to be holden in cords of affliction that he may shew them their transgressions and so opening their ear to discipline they may return from their iniquity Requisite then it is that the children of God in their afflictions take up the resolution of the faithful Lam. 3.40 to search and try their ways to find out not only those sins which have procured but which have deserv'd the afflictions of Gods hand And this is no ways done but by str ct examination of Conscience that key which unlocks the Closet of our hearts where all our Books of Accounts lie And when this is done to prevent the subtlety of Satan and the deceitfulness of our own hearts let Davids prayer be a part of our devotion Search me O God and know my heart try me and know my thoughts Ps 139 23. and see if there be yet any wicked way in me and lead me in the way everlasting 2. A solemn â—umiliation of soul Sin is the sting as of death so of suffering And therefore the feeling of our suffering is to lead us to the sense of our sin and so our correction is for our humiliation But if desolation be threatned Isa 26 11 Isa 42 25. Mic. 6.9 and we not instructed if Gods hand be l fted up and we not see it yea if the fire burn and we not feel if the rod speak and we not hear but as we have been wanton in mercies we be senslâ—ss too in judgments needs must our ruine be as desperate as our hearts are stupid Whereas he makes an happy advantage to his soul who gains repentance by his trouble for he shall then get salvation by his repentance 3. A true reformation of life The poison taken out of the Viper it becomes an wholsom medicine and the curse taken out of affliction it becomes a divine admonition and is made use of by God upon his children Ps 119 71. not to destroy but to instruct not to plague but to heal Thus saith David It is good for me that I have been afflicted v. 67. and what 's the reason In that before I was afflicted I went astray but now have I kept thy word What wise Patient theâ— will not more prise the healthfulness then loath the bitterness of that potion which is prescrib'd him by an able careful Physitian And so what dutiful Child of God will not more value the benefit then fear the sufferings of those afflictions which are laid upon him by so wise and indulgent a Father Needs must this administer much comfort to the afflicted Saints of God Isa 48.10 rightly to consider that God casts into the fornace of affliction non ut frangatur sed ut coquatur as S. Augustine not that the vessel may be destroyed but renewed made what S. Paul was Act. 9.15 2 Tim. 2.21 a vessel of election or as S. Paul speaks a vessel of honor meet for the Masters use Seeing this then is one main end of afflictions the overthrow of sin and the renewing in grace be careful O thou afflicted soul Gen. 35.1 c. in this even the reformation of life Thus it was with good Jacob when he was afflicted with the cruelty of his sons and the fear of the Canaanites he then remembers his vow and fulfils it he then orders his houshold and reforms it then the strange gods are put away and in zeal to Gods worship he goes to build him an Altar at Bethel Doubtless he loseth the benefit of afflâ—ctions that is not better'd by them for that like Jonathan's arrows they are not intended to the godly to wound 1 Sam. 20.20 but to warn not to kill but to admonish Outward afflictions become like the cloudy pillar they have a dark side to the Egyptians that is wrath and vengeance to the obstinate but a light side to the Israelites that is correction and instruction to the penitent The metal and the dross have the same fire but not the same effect the metal is refin'd and the dross is consumed yea the same judgments of God are to the godly corrections and trials which to the wicked are vengeance and punishment The sufferings of the godly though materially the same yet differ much from those of the wicked even as much as chastisements of love differ from judgments of wrath or healing medicines from destructive potions To illustrate this Suppose two men have their hands cut off the one by sentence of the Judge the other by the advice of the Chyrurgion the matter of the suffering is the same not the manner and form for to the one it is a cure to the other a punishment to the one an healing of a sore to the other an executing of justice The afflictions then of Gods children they are not formal punishments for that though they be occasioned by sin yet are they not inflicted by way of revenge which is the true nature of punishment properly so called Indeed God cannot be rightly said to punish those sins which he forgives for that Christ being our Mediator takes away guilt and punishment too Jer. 31.34 And therefore God so forgives iniquity that he remembers it no more But sure remember it he does if after forgiveness he yet punish it Whereas then 2 Sam. 12.14 notwithstanding God had told David by the Prophet that he had put away his sin yet he both threatens and afterwards executes wrath against him by reason of his sin And whereas Numb 14.23 notwithstanding God had told Moses that he had pardoned the people yet he tells him that none of them that murmured should enter Canaan In both these we may not think that there was any punishment by way of satisfaction unto God but chastisement by way of admonition both to themselves and others For where there is remission there is perfect reconciliation and where there is perfect reconciliation there must needs be full satisfaction So that Rom. 8.1 There is no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus and if
in us and inflames it that raiseth Hope in us and confirms it Such the influence of life and grace from Christ as by a secret and ineffable operation of the Spirit enlightens the understanding convinceth the judgment perswades the affections inclines the heart attracts the will quiets the conscience and so sanctifies and sways the whole man to a ready and constant obedience of Faith a chearful and patient expectation of Hope together with the devout and fervent aspirings of Love in all which O the wonder of Gods wisdom and grace in all the will suffers no compulsion from Christ but He draws and we run He inclines Cant. 1.4 Phil. 2.12 13. and we imbrace He perswades and we desire He strengthens and we work He encourages and we labour And yet not we 1 Cor. 15.10 but the grace of God that is with us Grace sways so powerfully as if the Will had no freedom in the action And yet the Will acts so freely as if Grace had not sway in the election We see daily how humane wisdom orders the use of natural motions to the producing artificial effects Thus the Artists skill doth order the Plummets weight by its natural motion of descending to distribute and distinguish the houres and minutes of the clock And what shall Art thus imploy and improve Nature in what is of humane production and yet must God be thought to subvert and destroy it in what is of Divine operation No sure God so works upon the will by his Spirit and grace as not at all to weaken it in the liberty of its election and choice but rather delivering it from the chains of sin and bonds of lust it acts most freely in what God inclines it to most powerfully and is radically indifferent when naturally determined whereby it is that we become which is the honor of our service willing Subjects of Christs Kâ—ngdom Members conformable to him their Head Ps 110 3. quickened and actuated by his Spirit and grace This our third Particular that Christ is the Head of the Church as for the fulness of his perfection for the excellency of his glory so likewise for the lively operations of his Spirit 4. The real Communication of his Benefits Col. 3.11 Christ is said to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all and in all As in all the faithful by the lively operations of his Spirit so all to the faithful in the real communications of his benefits He is all to the faithful all Truth to their Illumination all Righteousness to their Justification all Holiness to their Sanctification all Comfort to their Consolation all Glory to their Exaltation and all Fulness to their Perfection The actions of the Head they are all for the good and profit of the body The eye sees not for it self but for the body the ear hears not for it self but for the body Thus our Lord Jesus Christ he communicates his benefits to the Church the redemption which he hath wrought the heavenly inheritance which he hath purchased he bestows upon his Church His incarnation passion resurrection and ascension were and are all for the benefit and use of the faithful as members of his body the Church 2 Cor. 8.9 He was humbled that they might be exalted He was made the son of man that they might be made the sons of God He suffered death that they might obtain life John 14.2 He rose from the grave that death might have no power over them He ascended into the heavens to provide mansions for them in the heavens He is sate down at the right hand of his Father that at the last he might make them to sit with him on his throne Rev. 3.21 Thus is our Lord Jesus Christ the everlasting Fountain of life the overflowing Spring of grace all whose streams do run into the bosom of his body his Church by vertue of that communion the faithful have with him in the fulness of his benefits as their head This the explication then of our first Part How Christ is said to be the Head of the Church and it is chiefly in these four respects For the fulness of his Perfection the excellency of his Glory the lively operations of his Spirit and the real communication of his benefits Quest 1 We proceed to resolve unto you these two necessary Questions or Cases of Conscience the one What is the surest testimony of a communion with Christ in his fulness as our Head the other How may we best confirm this our communion with him 1. What is the surest testimony of a communion with Christ in his fulness as our Head Answ Answ A conformity unto Christ in his holiness as his members Christ as he is the original of spiritual life so is he the pattern of Evangelical holiness He the Original from which the being of the new man is form'd and the pattern to which the image of the new man is proportioned From Christ it is that we are baptized with the Holy Ghost as with fire Matth. 3.11 Now 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so says the Philosopher and in this Grace imitates Nature in that from the Altar of the Heart where the fire of the Spirit is first kindled a vital heat diffuseth it self to a quickening the whole spiritual man in each faculty and power of the soul and in each part and member of the body Thus is Christ the Original of Life Observe further how he is also the Pattern of Holiness in that our actual sanctification consists in a conformity to his holy life not as to the works of his merit and mediation nor as to the works of his glory and transfiguration nor yet as to the works of his power and miracles but as to the works of his ordinary and imitable obedience that visible Commentary of Gods Law and that exemplary Discipline of his Gospel in works of love of humility meekness patience c. Therefore S. Paul gives the exhortation Phil. 2.5 Let the same mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus The same mind that is the same sincerity and truth of judgment and profession the same integrity and sweetness of heart and affections the same innocence and tenderness of love and compassions And thus S. Peter exhorts As he who hath called you is holy 2 Pet. 1.15 so be ye holy in all manner of conversation In all manner of conversatiâ—â— both as to an active and a passive obedience An active obedience in doing his will and a passive obedience in suffering for his name doing his will with all integrity and faithfulness and suffering for his name with all constancie and meekness And when the Apostle says Be ye holy as he who hath called you is holy the Apostle's as does not require our obedience mathematically equal but evangelically like For that the holy unction of the Spirit poured forth upon Christ Luke 4.18 Psal 133.2 runs down from
him the Head to the skirts of his clothing to the meanest of the faithful Which oil of grace as it heals our wounds so it cleanseth our natures and consecrates our persons thereby evidencing in a conformity to Christ in holiness that we have a communion with him in his fulness 2. How may we best confirm this our communion with him Quest 2 Answ We confirm our communion with Christ Answ by strengthening our faith in him For that faith it is by which as Christ exhibits and communicates himself unto us so do we in a reciprocal act adhere and wholly give up ourselves unto him so that the stronger is our faith the firmer is our union and by how much our union is more firm by so much is our communion the more full This this is that which gives faith its excellency as it is in other graces Theological and Moral even its object and its act its object Christ in the price he gives for satisfaction to Gods justice the purchase he makes of salvation to his chosen and the promises he tenders for application of both All which though secondarily indeed they are the objects of love and hope yet primarily and in a precedencie the objects of faith Those Officers are in highest honor who are nearest to the Kings person and thus is Faith a chief grace in dignity as being nearest in place to the person of Christ And as thus Faith hath its excellency from its object so from its act Rom. 3.25 and 5.1 whose peculiar office it is to be the instrument of justification and salvation in an applicatory act conveying the righteousness and life of Christ to the soul and person of the Believer Faith then it is which unites us unto Christ and gives us possession of him Eph. 3.17 who is therefore said to dwell in our hearts by faith Wherefore if we would confirm our communion we must strengthen our faith and how is this but by a frequent exercise of fervent prayer a devout meditation upon the Gospels promises and a worthy partaking the blessed Sacrament of the Eucharist yea all the duties of an holy obedience Thus even thus we confirm our communion with Christ in his fulness as our Head Applicat 1. By way of Expostulation the more forcibly to woe and win the soul to Christ Were it so O man that thou didst now possess all secular contentments in the greatest confluence of this Worlds fulness whether it be for riches honor pleasures or whatsoever worldly men and carnal minds count most precious yet how far are all these from sustaining the soul against the fears of an approaching death the terrors of an accusing guilt and the horrors of a future Judgment all which the truly penitent and faithful soul can happily calm and silence by vertue of that communion he hath in the righteousness and life of Christ The creature then is insufficient to make man happy seeing it is full of vanity and man is insufficient to make himself happy seeing he is full of sin Needs therefore must he be involved in an eternal guilt and misery unless Christ the Fountain of grace and happiness uniting us to himself by his Spirit doth give us a communion with him in his fulness And now O man that thou mayst be united to him and obtain a communion with him hear what is the command of thy God 1 Joh. 3.23 it is even this that thou believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ yea hear Christ himself in the Ministry of his Word lovingly inviting thee with a Come unto me Yet further he hath made the Ministry of his Word to be an embassage of peace in which he not only lovingly invites but more graciously intreats 2 Cor. 5.20 so says the Apostle As though God did intreat you by us we pray you in Christs stead be ye reconciled unto God And if now O man neither the command of thy God will awe thee nor the invitation of Christ move thee nor yet his intreaties prevail upon thee hear at last his pathetical expostulation by his Prophet Ezek. 18.30 31 32. if not to thy conversion yet to thy conviction O house of Israel repent and turn your selves from all your transgressions so iniquity shall not be your ruine Cast away from you all your transgressions whereby ye have transgressed and make you a new heart and a new spirit for why will ye die O house of Israel For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth saith the Lord God Wherefore turn your selves and live ye In the meditation of which words suppose you heard Beloved this expostulary Dialogue betwixt Christ and the Sinner Thus saith Christ See see O man I who am thy Judge proffer my self thine Advocate I against whom thou hast sinned proffer my self thy Saviour and therefore why wilt thou die The Sinner answers I die because the Law the Minister of death condemns me for my sin Ay but I who have satisfied the Law promise thee absolution upon repentance therefore why wilt thou die I die because I have made a league with hell and a covenant with death and my soul is so fast in fetters and in prison that I cannot come forth Ay but I have vanquish'd and triumph'd over death and hell and offer thee power to break that covenant and dissolve that league and so return and live and therefore yet why wilt thou die I die because I carry about with me a body of sin a law in my members which presseth me forwards into all impieties Ay but I bring thee a regenerating grace to make thee a new heart and a new spirit and therefore yet again why wilt thou die I die because I was of old ordained of God to this condemnation reprobated in his eternal decree Ay but O foolish and perverse soul I give thee my word my oath I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked And therefore search not my Decrees which are secret but see the truth of my Gospel revealed which tells thee that I came into the world to save sinners And therefore whilst I stretch forth mine arms flie not my embraces of love whilst I tender thee my grace resist not my Spirit And if yet thou continue thy rebellion I will not yet withdraw my compassion but shall still bespeak thee and all obstinate sinners in the Ministry of my word saying Why will ye die seeing I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth Wherefore turn your selves and live cast away from you all your transgressions and make you new hearts and new spirits so iniquity shall not be your ruine Now then O man be thou drawn from thy self unto Christ by a gracious resignation of a holy faith Cast off O cast off the sollicitations of thy dearest and closest corruptions the strongest temptations of the World and the Flesh and yield O yield up thy will unto Christs scepter captivate thy lusts to
his power dedicate thy soul to his Worship and submit thy whole man to his sway and government So shall his Spirit of Union be unto thee a Spirit of Unction 1 Joh 2.27 as of Union to incorporate thee into himself so of Unction to consecrate thee to his service yea of Consolation too to assure thee of thine heavenly inheritance by vertue of thy Communion with him in his Fulness 2. Administer we Comfort to the Faithful amidst their private troubles of Soul and amidst the publick calamities of the Church 1. Amidst their private troubles of Soul That Isa 50.10 howsoever they may for a while walk in darkness Mal. 4 2. clouded with some distress of conscience yet shall Christ the Sun of righteousness arise upon their souls with healing in his wings and in a communion of his fulness their souls shall be calm'd with a serenity of peace crown'd with the joy of faith refreshed with the preapprehensions of Gods glorious presence and this as the clusters of the heavenly Canaan Rom 8.23 as the earnest of their future inheritance as the pledge of their eternal redemption In all the faintings and languishings then of soul this is the sustaining comfort of the faithful that they have Christ neer at hand to succor and save them Eph. 3.8 with him they have a sacred communion in his unsearchable riches of grace and love riches unsearchable not as if they could not be found but because they cannot be fathomed an inexhaustible treasure Of which as Christ is the Depositary so is he the Dispenser Jam. 15 6. giving liberally to them that ask by prayer and pray in faith 2. Amidst the publique calamities of the Church of which calamities that of spiritual captivity is the greatest Thus when Jeroboam had usurp'd the Throne this was Israels captivity in their own land 1 King 12.26 27 c. that they must worship the Calves lest going up to Jerusalem worshipping God according to his Word should mind them too much of their revolt and so bring them back in their allegiance to the house of David Yea the slavery of Soul was that made Babylons captivity more grievous to the Jews then that of Egypt In Egypt their Religion was free Dan. 3.15 though their Persons were in bondage In Babylon they must either fall down and worship the Image or be cast into the fiery furnace Now in this or any other publique calamities of the Church behold the comfort of the faithful That sure they are by vertue of the Churches communion with Christ as the Head in his wisdom and power grace and mercy by how much her distress is the more grievous and mournful by so much her deliverance shall be the more glorious and joyous Thus when the Lord brought back the captivity of Sion Ps 126.1 saith the Church in her Song of praise then were we like unto them that dream The deliverance was so sudden and so strange that it seemed to be not a vision of the day but a dream of the night The manner and method of Gods providence so wonderful that as if none could imagine it being awake they are rhetorically said to dream it being in a sleep And as this deliverance of the Church was wonderful and strange so glorious and joyous glorious to the astonishment of her enemies joyous to the exultation of her friends v. 2. these acknowledging with praise those confessing with envy the Lord hath done great things for them 3. Do we hereby declare we have communion with Christ by denying our selves by denying our own strength of reason seeing he is our wisdom denying our own merit of works seeing he is our righteousness denying our own lustful affections seeing he is our Sanctification and denying our whole selves seeing he is our Redemption Yea see we to this that we declare our heavenly communion by our heavenly conversation Live we as such whose life is hid with Christ in God Col. 3 3. live as such who profess a fellowship with the faithful and expect society with the Angels as such who are fellow-citizens with the Saints Eph. 2.19 and of the houshold of God yea live we as such who wait for the glorious appearing of the Son of God and to be received into the heavenly Jerusalem that City of Holiness Rev. 21.27 into which no unclean thing shall enter Lastly do we with enlarged desires and ravished affections even with all the holy vigor of inflamed hearts recount the great love and extoll the due praises of our God and of our Jesus and of the good Spirit of grace for all the great work of our eternal salvation effectually applied in our Spiritual communion with Christ as He is the Head of the body the Church the beginning the first-born from the dead c. THE SECOND SERMON UPON Coloss 1. v. 18 19. He is the Head of the Body the Church who is the beginning the first-born from the dead c. Introduction Acts 1.10 OUR Lord Jesus Christ he is ascended and whilst we in devotion as his Apostles in admiration do gaze after him see the solemnity of his triumph Sin and Satan Death and Hell his and our mortal enemies whom he vanquished in his Passion and whom he scattered in his Resurrection Eph. 4.8 those he leads captive in his Ascension It was indeed the manner of the Nations most frequently and most solemnly practised by the Romans to take the spoil of the enemy in the field and after victory to ride in triumph thorow the City Heb. 2.10 And thus the Apostle speaks of Christ the Captain of our Salvation having spoiled principalities and powers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Col. 2.15 he made a shew of them openly leading them about in publick triumph and then it was that Christ did spoil Satan and the Infernal spirits of all their principality and power when he disarmed them of their weapons and brake in pieces their ensigns even the strength of sin the curse of the Law and the sting of death of these he spoiled them in the open field of his Passion where the battel was fought he not giving up the ghost till he had cancelled the hand-writing of Ordinances Vers 14. and nailed it to his Cross And Christ having thus vanquished and spoiled his enemies in campo victoriae in the field of Victory his Passion he after Triumphs in his Cross as in sella Regia or curru Triumphali his Chair of State or Triumphal Chariot in his Ascension And being Triumphantly ascended see him royally entertained into the heavenly places see a Celestial Chore of holy Angels leading the host of Heaven to the Gates of Sion Where they welcome their Lord and our Jesus into the heavenly Jerusalem with that or the like divine Anthem Lift up your heads O ye gates and be ye lift up Psal 24.7 8 c. ye everlasting doors and the King of Glory
have deaded your affections so that either you do not see what is visible to the Spiritual eye or do not desire what is delightful to the devout Heart Such a heart as that of Davids who makes it his unum petii One thing have I desired of the Lord c. But further yet well does David make this the end and reason of his dwelling in the Lords House That he may behold his Beauty for how many are there who never behold the Lords beauty whilst they are in his House They are happily as forward to come to Gods Temple as David they desire it ay and seek it too but what is it to see God or rather to be seen themselves is it to behold the Beauty of the Lord or is not rather O the bewitching folly and cursed Atheism of some mens hearts is it I say to behold the Beauty of the Lord or not rather to behold the Beauty of some Lady Tell me O thou prophane wanton Is it not some Mistress that masters thy Devotion Tell me thou gaudy Minion is it not more to shew thy self then serve thy God is it not more that others may see thy beauty then that thou maist see the Beauty of the Lord Are not these the Motives and Reasons of too too many who resort to Gods House I appeal to your own bosoms and if so no wonder if they who are blinded with the filth and folly of their own lusts cannot see the Beauty and Loveliness of Gods house The Beauty of the Lord as it is not the prospect of every place so nor is it the object of every eye 1 Cor. 2.14 The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishness unto him neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned No wonder then if they taste not the sweetness of Davids delight who see not the beauty which ravisheth him which beauty is not seen by the Eye of Sense but the Eye of Faith And this Eye is set in the heart not in the head for so David taken and ravished with this Beauty of the Lord Psal 57.7 he cries out My heart is fixed O God my heart is fixed Oh Beloved Know that when an humble penitent and enlarged suppliant feels a secret ardor of Divine love and then comes to bear a part in that holy Worship which is presented before the Throne of Grace holds Communion with the Saints and Angels and is accepted by the God of Heaven as perfumed by the Incense of Christs Merits Oh this this is more beautiful and lovely more pleasing and joyous to the devout Soul then to sway the Scepter of the Universe and command a confluence of all this Worlds delights Confident I am Rev. 4.10 those four and twenty Elders in the Revelations had more joy and delight in casting down their Crowns and Worshiping the Lamb then ever Monarch had in wearing his Crown though Domitian-like he were adored by men And here to restrain mens irreverence in the Church Let me use alike argument to that of Lycurgus to restrain a desired parity in the State It is said of Lycurgus That when the Lacedemonians required an equality in their Government he wished them first to begin it in their Houses and this did presently instruct them to know That par in parem non habet imperium where there is parity there can be no good rule As thus Lycurgus to restrain the Lacedemonian parity in the State so to restrain mens irreverence in the Church I say Beloved do ye when ye serve God here as ye require them to do who serve you at home that is as you expect they should give you a civil respect in your houses so do you give God a Religious reverence in his Temple otherwise it will be apparent you are more sensible of your own honor then of Gods and esteem more of your own houses then his Or else it will appear you prophanely think the Church not to be Gods House nor the Service there his Worship A prophaneness diametrically opposite to Davids Devotion in his Unum petii One thing have I desired c. 2. Be we exhorted acrording to Davids example Aperto vivere vâ—to openly to profess our devotion and zeal to Gods House declare our judgment and affection for Gods Worship even then when we cannot give our presence and attendance in his Sanctuary There is none but thinks the Churches present pressure to be the Clergies tryal and true indeed it is so yet to be driven from Pulpit and Altar from Sanctuary and Service is no new thing to us that hath been our tryal again and again in all which we have to the eye and ear of the whole world witnessed by our sufferings our hearty good will and zeal to Gods House Wherefore know Beloved this tryal is also and more especially the peoples to prove their sincerity whether they have had a respect to the presence of God or of men in attending the service of his Sanctuary for Fashion or for Conscience If for Conscience they will then follow the Lamb whither soever he goes Rev. 4.14 they will follow Christ wheresoever he presents himself in his Ordinances even in private Communion with a desire and longing after the Publick Congregation We say the presence of the King makes the Court and as it was told Commodus ibi Roma ubi Augustus There is Rome Herodian l. 1. where is the Emperor so there is the Church where is Christ Christ in hâ—s Ordinances there is his Sanctuary where is his service And it is no new thing to have the Ark brought into the house of Abinadab 1 Sam. 7.1 changing its publick seat for a private habitation Now I bless God for this opportunity of vindicating the honor of his House that as the Jews when driven from Jerusalem yet prayed with their faces towards the Temple so ye if God shall suffer you to be deprived of his service may still pray with your desires fixt upon his Sanctuary longing to visit his Temple and behold the beauty of his Holiness And here seeing we are come into Gods house and that to feed at Christ Table do we so behold his beauty as to adore his presence adore it with the humblest reverence of a devout heart so worshipping God in his Sanctuary as Christ hath taught us to petition him in our Prayers even Thy will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven See then what is our pattern in the Mount Rev. 4.10 11. 5.8 c. what is the precedent Angels and Saints give us in Heaven Why we have it in St. Johns Vision where the heavenly Spirits the Angels and Saints they worship they fall down and sing praise and this with consent of will and of worship keeping order and unity one posture of adoration one form of praise as one heart of devotion and one fire of love Now what better way in our aspirings after perfection then to imitate those who are perfect and so whilst Sojourners on Earth to have our conversation in Heaven whereas a multitude met together in the Church without Order and Discipline Non populus sed turba est It is not a Congregation but a tumult not an assembly but a rout Babilonem exhibet Bern. in dedicat Eccle. Ser. 5. de Hierusalem nihil habet as Bernard well Such a meeting speaks men of Babylon not of Jerusalem not Jerusalem which is above whose order and unity we have seen in St. Johns Vision and ought to imitate in Gods House To close As you behold the Beauty of the Lord in the form of the Churches ministration so above all behold it in the excellency and glory of the things ministred Behold we that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that good pleasure of the Lord wherewith he loveth us in Christ bringing life and salvation to our Souls in the death and passion of his Son See here that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Greek Church calls it that portentum amoris that stupendous wonder and astonishing mystery of Divine love that God should give his Son and the Son give himself to be the Sacrifice for our sin on his Cross and the Food of our Souls at his Table And here O thou humble penitent and devout suppliant When thou hast tasted the sweetness and delights behold the beauty and glory of the Lord in this Contemplation of his Love with St. Austin I say unto thee Aliud desidera si majus si melius si suavius inveneris Go consider and desire contemplate and enjoy something else if any thing thou canst finde greater or better or sweeter greater in glory better in worth or sweeter in delights But if here thou beholdest a beauty to which all other excellency is a foil a glory to which all other lustre is a stain a delight to which all other pleasure is a bitterness If so then here center thy desires and take up Davids Unum petii One thing have I desired of the Lord that will I seek after that I may dwell in the House of the Lord all the days of my life to behold the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his Temple Halleluiah FINIS