Thus have I finished this Subject of Self-Examination a Duty which the Ungodly mind not which Hypocrites are afraid and do not care to meddle with and which if Saints would more frequently and thorowly engage in there would be less unbelief and fear more joy and Faith in the Church of Christ You that are Saints In this discourse I have been helping of your Joy Let it not be hindred by your selves Some clusters of Canaan might be brought to the Wilderness and more of Heavens joys might be tasted in the Vale of Tears if the Heirs of Heaven would but take more pains in self-trial to clear up their Title And as for you that are Hypocrites and Vnbeleivers I have don you a kindness in telling you what you are and what you may expect hereafter If after all you will put a cheat upon your own souls you must be blamed and your selves must smart for it If you will cry peace and safety till Christ himself does thunder that sentence in your ears Go ye Cursed into Everlasting fire Who can help it Alas Alas 'T will be too late to look up to Heaven and to look into your selves when the Gulph is fixed between Heaven and you Let every sinner therefore try his own ways and cry to the Lord to search and change and turn his Heart For 't is the greatest Wisdom to prevent those mistakes which will be the mistakers Eternal ruine and which after death will be found impossible to be corrected Herbert page 105. CAnst he idle Canst thou play Foolish soul who sinn'd to day Rivers run and springs each one Know their home and get them gone Hast thou tears or hast thou none If poor soul thou hast no tears Would thou hadst no faults or fears Who hath these those ills forbears But if yet thou idle be Foolish Soul who di'd for thee Who did leave his Fathers Throne To assume thy Flesh and Bone Had he life or had he none If he had not liv'd for thee Thou hadst di'd most wretchedly And two deaths had been thy fee. He so far thy good did plot That his own self he forgot Did he die or did he not If he had not di'd for thee Thou hadst liv'd in misery Two lives worse than ten deaths be He that loseth Gold though dross Tells to all he meets his cross He that sins hath he no loss He that finds a silver vein Thinks on it and thinks again Brings thy Saviours death no gain Who in Heart not ever kneels Neither sin nor Saviour feels Meditations ON THE LORDS SUPPER MEDITATIONS I. WHerefore do I spend my money for that which is not Bread And my labour for that which can never satisfie Many a time have I made trial of the things that are visible but the higher my expectations have been raised the greater has been my disappointment I have sought that among the Creatures which is not to be found Sin has turned this World into a Country far from God and truly Husks are the best fare that ever this World hath yeilded me 'T is high time to come out from the World and to be separate left my Soul perish for hunger there Meat that perishes is improper for a Soul that is of an immortal nature and of an Everlasting duration I will arise and go unto my God and Father He has promised to satiate and replenish the weary and sorrowful Soul In his House I am sure there is Bread enough and to spare MEDITATION II. Boast not O Mammon of thy Treasures Unless thou hast that which is of sufficient value to be a ransom for me Can all the Wealth of both the Indies pay the debt which by sin I have contracted Can Riches satisfie for the wrong I have done to the justice of God by my Transgression Oh no I was not Redeemed with corruptible things as Silver and Gold but with the precious Blood of Christ as of a Lamb without blemish and without spot Pardon Grace and Glory are such gifts of God as are not to be purchased with money for if they were so many Rich men would not be lost for ever Wealth cannot buy any out of the Devils possession but rather brings them more under his power it cannot save any from Hell but rather proves a means to send them thither For they that will be Rich fall into Tempttaion and a Snare and into many foolish and hurtful lusts which drown men in Destruction and Perdition MEDITATION III. O my Soul strive not to load thy self with the thick clay of this present World this will debase thee exceedingly and defile and burthen thee Thou needest that which is of more value then Gold that perishes to enrich thee and that is precious Faith Thou needest a garment to cover thy nakedness which no Shop on Earth can furnish thee withal and that is the Robe of Christs Righteousness Thou needest Food to satisfie thy hunger which cannot be got for money or price but may be had without it and that is the Bread of God which came down from Heaven to give Life unto the World Thou art of Heavenly original and therefore mind not Earthly things for it can never be well with thee untill thou return to that All-sufficient Lord who is the Father of Spirits and alone can fill them out of his own fulness MEDITATION IV. Lord Thou who art full of Love nay love it self and art jealous of my love lest it should be misplaced Turn away my Eyes that they may not be set upon that which is not If Riches take to themselves wings and fly away as an Eagle towards Heaven let my Heart be so wise as to get the start of them and fly away first from such transitory and fading vanities and fly towards the highest Heaven of all How great a gain will it be to lose my love to the World And though it be no gain at all to thee for me to love thee who art so self-sufficient from Everlasting to Everlasting yet I shall hereby be an Eternal gainer and shall be interested in that love which is Everlasting and unchangeable Oh! Love me freely in the Son of thy love and inflame my Heart with love to Thee 'T is my Honour that I have leave to love thee who art so high and glorious and 't is thy first and great Command that I should love thee with my whole Heart and Soul and Strength Let this Command be kept and let not the biggest offer the World can make me ever tempt me to break it so as to prevail with me MEDITATION V. Pleasures of sin and sence have often charmed and deceived me Those things which have gratified the Eye the Ear the Touch the Taste have had a kind of an inchanting Force and Power Sensual Delights have been some of the finest and strongest cords of vanity to draw me a way from God and Duty But now I see what madness 't is to please my self and displease my Lord
in the weighty concerns of another World Any thing satisfies him and makes him securely to say all is well If Satan tell him as he did our first Parents that he shall not surely dye Satan is believed the God of Truth and the Word of Truth being disregarded How many when they hear the Words Curse do bless themselves in their hearts and say they shall have peace though they walk on after the imagination of their evil heart therefore the Lord threatens that his anger and jealousie shall smoke against such and he will blot out their names from under Heaven Deut. 29. 19 20. Are they reproved for Sin They say All are Sinners whereas Penitents forsake presumptuous Sins and are willing to forsake all but these Self-deluders are hardly willing to forsake any They bear up upon this that God is merciful and yet they slight and abuse his mercy preferring their vanities and lusts before it and go on to injure his Justice and provoke him to Jealousie They are full of hope because Christ died and yet they thwart one great end of his Death and will not be the better for it for they refuse to dye to Sin and live to Righteousness 3. If it highly concerns all to prove themselves hence we may infer what an advantage it is to enjoy the light of the Word of God This is a Glass that flatters none It discovers what Sin is and where it is It calls Grace Grace and will speak peace to them that are the Sons of peace but on the contrary it will tell the Sinner though he be never so high in the World never so high in his vain hopes Thou art the man that lovest and livest in thy iniquity therefore thou art under wrath a Son of Death and in danger of eternal damnation This word convinces of Sin shews the necessity of turning unto God and is a great means of Conversion and afterwards by discovering of Grace it proves the joy and rejoycing of the heart The Unbelievers and Ungodly need this Word and ought to prize it for it shews them their guilt and a Mediatour their sore and also a Physician and faith is wrought by the hearing of it Rom. 10. 17. The Saints have loved this Word exceedingly Hark how the Psalmist cries out Psal 89. 15. Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound they shall walk O Lord in the light of thy countenance 4. Hence we may also infer the benefit of a searching Ministery Seers that will see vain visions are not worth hearing and Prophets that prophesy only smooth things had better prophesy nothing at all for they prophesy nothing but deceit Such Prophets are guilty of the blood of Souls and utterly ruine them while they heal them slightly crying peace peace when there is no peace Jer. 6. 14. Such Pastors destroy the Lords Vineyard such Dawbers are not Builders of the House of God How sad is it when the blind lead the blind both they that are led and they that are the leaders fall into the bottomless pit of perdition But a plain dealing Minister that rebukes Sin sharply that gives warning in time to flee from eternal wrath that commends himself to every mans conscience in the sight of God that speaks as if he knew mens hearts and discovers their secret thoughts to them that is a Son of thunder to the wicked and a Son of consolation to the broken hearted and has the tongue of the learned to speak a word in season to the weary and heavy laden Such a Shepherd is a great blessing to the Flock ought highly to be esteemed in love for his work sake and may be an happy instrument to save himself and them that hear him 5. Hence we may further infer the great necessity of the Spirits aid Unless he enlighten the eyes of our understandings we shall pass a wrong judgment upon our selves and every thing else also A subtle Serpent and a deceitful heart will be too hard for the most powerful Preacher breathing if the Spirit of the Lord does not second and set home the word preached The Spirit as I said before takes the Glass of the Law and holds it before the Sinner that he may see therein both his heart and life and then and truely not till then he will cry out Alass alass What have I been What have I done Where am I And whither will my Sins at last bring me The Spirit can charge Sin so home that there is no denial no excuse made The Sinner trembles confesses laments begs pardon consents to forsake his wickedness Thus Ephraim after he was instructed is ashamed and confounded because of his abominations The Publican being made sensible he was a Sinner cries out God be merciful And as the Spirit convinces the Sinner so he discovers to the Saint what God has given him not only the things themselves which are great and glorious but also the Saints interest in those things 1 Cor. 2. 12. Now we have received not the Spirit of this World but the Spirit which is of God that we might know those things which are freely given to us of God 6. If it highly concerns all to prove themselves learn hence the hatred and subtlety of Satan in Staving men off from this duty All his subjects are a company of inconsiderate fools if they would but bethink themselves they would become wiser than to serve such a Master This Enemy cannot endure that wicked men should look downward to Hell for fear they should be awakened and affrighted nor that they should look inward into themselves for fear they should see themselves lost and look out for a Saviour nor that they should look upwards unto God for fear they should be converted and healed The Devil hates Souls therefore is unwilling that any care should be taken about them he cannot abide that any should inquire into their Spiritual state therefore he endeavours to divert them he allures some with wealth bewitches others with pleasures intoxicates others with applause and honour he represents Self-examination to be Self-tormenting and holiness a meer Hell upon Earth But in all this he shews his falshood as well as enmity What madness is it to listen to him as a Leader and Counseller who is both a Liar and a Murtherer 7. Hence we may learn the great Error of the Church of Rome in crying down Assurance and consequently discouraging Self-examination The Council of Trent Sess 6. has impiously determin'd and declared Certitudo remissionis peccatorum est vana omni pietate remota fiducia The Saints assurance of the pardon of Sin is a vain and ungodly confidence How have they here blasphemed against the Comforter in making all his joys and consolations which suppose Sin to be pardon'd altogether vain The Scripture speaks after another manner Gal. 4. 6. And because ye are Sons God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts crying Abba Father 1 Joh. 4. 16.
my prejudice against Holiness removed as if ' iwere unwise uneasie needless and a thraldom to be Holy O my Soul what doest thou long for when thou comest unto thy Lords Banquet Is it not that thy Faith may be strengthened that thy love to God may be more hot and flaming Is it not that thy fear may be greater and more filial and that thou mayest be inabled to follow thy heavenly Father more fully as a dear Child Is not sanctifying Grace preferred before Gold that perishes dost thou not long that the new Creature may be more lively in all the actings of it and that thou mayest become stronger in Spirit If it be thus it is a sign thy Spiritual Appetite is sharp and keen and as the Supper is an ordinance proper and suitable to thee so there is enough and enough to fill thee and thou shalt not be sent away empty for the promise is open thy Mouth wide and I will All it Psal 82. 10. 11. The Communicant should examine and ask himself Do I count the World but loss that I may gain Christ Has he the preeminence in my affections above all things visible above all persons breathing Where Faith is true Christ is precious 1 Pet. 2. 7. And Christ is not truly prized at all unless he be prized above all The young man in the Gospel lacked one thing and that was the main Love to Christ above his possessions Those were not fit to taste of the Marriage Supper who preferred their Oxen and their Farms and their Merchandize before it Mat. 22. Our Lord expresly requires us to undervalue what is dearest in this World in comparison of him Luk. 14. 26. If any man come to me and hate not i. e. less Love his Father and Mother and Wife and Children and Brethren and Sisters yea and his own life also and what can be named dearer he cannot be my Disciple Speak therefore thus to thy self O my Soul has thy Saviour and Lord indeed the highest room in thee Corruptible things as Silver and Gold are unsuitable to thy nature which is spiritual and were insufficient to be the price for thy Redemption The world has often proved a snare to thee but Christ is a Saviour the World is vanity and less then nothing but Christ is all in all the World has often disappointed and vexed thee but Christ can ease and satiate and replenish thee The World after thou hadst ruined thy self was ready to help forward thy destruction But Christ has the key of Hell and can keep thee out of it and the key of Heaven and can give thee an abundant entrance into that everlasting Kingdom If Christ can do more then the World can nay if Christ can do all for a Soul and the world can do just nothing at all 't is but reason that Christ should infinitely be preferr'd before it 12. The Communicant should ask himself Am I reconciled to the Commands of God Am I willing that my Heart should be Tables for the Spirit to write his Laws upon that I may delight to do the will of God Do I esteem not only some but all the Lords precepts concerning not only somethings but concerning all things to be right and do I hate every false way Ps 119. 128. O my Soul speak Art thou irritated by the Law of God as formerly are the motions to sin stronger and more vehement because the law forbids Sin Or is the Law of God dear to thee and art thou ready to say at the hearing of every Command Oh that my wayes were directed that I might keep this Statute The stronger Grace is the commands of God are farther off from being grievous You may perceive how David was affected towards them when he said Psal 19. 10. More are they to be desired then Gold yea then much fine Gold sweeter also then Honey and the droppings of the Honeycomb And where Grace is weak though there be an untoward backwardness remaining to yield obedience to the Law that backwardness is lamented and a Burthen and the heart longs to be enlarged that it may run the wayes of Gods Commandments Psal 119. 32. 13. The Communicant should examine himself Am I willing to receive whatever Christ has purchased and is willing to give in this ordinance of the Supper Is every benefit of Christ lookt upon as worthy of all acceptation All the benefits of Christ are dear surely all of them are of great value And there is not one of them that we can be well without for these benefits are excellently suited unto our necessities O my Soul should the Communicant say thou likest the Lord Jesus as he is made unto thee Righteousness as he skreens thee from the Wrath of God and interposes between thee and everlasting vengeance But dost thou see thy need of his Wisdom to direct thee in the way of Truth and to make all the wiles of the subtle Serpent of none effect And to make thee wise to Salvation and for Eternity Dost thou value Chrict as made Sanctification and Redemption 1 Cor. 1. 30. Dost thou count deliverance from all Iniquity a great and desirable part of Redemption and Sanctification a great and desirable part of Salvation because hereby thou art saved from thy pollutions and defilements Certainly as there is no sin which should be loved so there is nothing in sin to be liked and there is no thing in Christ but what is highly worthy to be esteemed 14. The Communicant should examine and ask himself Am I grieved when I remember what I have done against God and the Lord Jesus Is it indeed the trouble and Affliction of my Soul that I have so naturally and forwardly and so long rebelled against the best Lord and been disobedient to the best Father Do I mourn and would I mourn a great deal more because I have dared the power of God slighted his presence contemned his favour and fellowship hated his holiness abused the riches of his Grace and Mercy O my Soul how foolish and unwise hast thou been thus to requite the Lord that made and bought thee How great an evil has it been in it self and how evil has it been for thee that thou hast forsaken the Fountain of Living waters Mourn that thou hast left such a God and mourn the more kindly because still he is willing to receive thee See O My Soul how thy sin has peirced the only Saviour Behold him in an Agony behold him sweating drops of Blood first and after shedding all upon the Cross See a sorrowful Life ending in a Death more lamentable Harken to thy Redeemer crying out My God my God Why hast thou forsaken me Behold the son of Righteousness setting in a Cloud and sin thy sin the cause of all this Break break hard Heart Let his Blood and Love together melt thee into Godly sorrow 15. The Communicant should Examine himself Am I willing to give to Christ whatever he is willing to
was once a Child of Wrath and Disobedience I am become an Heir of God and a Joint-Heir with Christ unto that inheritance which is incorruptible and undefiled and which fadeth not away Nay my Lord who has loved me and washed me from my sins in his own blood hath made me a King and a Priest unto God and his Father and I must reign for ever for of this Kingdom which I have now a Title to and a sure promise of there shall be no end Oh rich Oh free Oh glorious Grace I am at a loss for an expression high enough to set forth the thousandth part 〈◊〉 my Lords incomparable kindness my shallow Conceptions cannot reach what is incomprehensible Therefore I must be silent in a joyful admiration MEDITATION LIII What shall I render unto the Lord My All is due my All is too little and by rendring my All I secure my All and so am still more benefited and I become more my Lords debter I find my self most happily puzzled with my Lords goodness He gives himself to me and requires that I should give my self to him but in so doing not He but I receive the benefit All the retributions thou requirest O my God and Father are but to do my self more kindnesses Duties are my priviledges All thy precepts are for my profit and my peace and pleasure to obey them Thou art beyond all compare the very best Master Oh let my ear be boared for I will serve thee for ever let my Heart be circumcised that I may love thee Eternally There is a sweetness in the acting of every Grace There is great peace in keeping of thy law there is an amiableness in thy Tabernacles thy power and thy glory are seen in thy sanctuary and though that word Suffering may sound harsh yet upon experience suffering will be found the most delightful paâ—â— of Christian obedience MEDITATION LIV. My Lord did not stick at suffering and why should I Why should the Cross daunt me If I will be indeed Godly Persecution is to be expected The old Serpent is full of hatred and so are his seed and their hatred is implacable But when I consider my Lords love and power and presence Hells Malice and the Worlds Rage become contemptible times of suffering are times of the sweetest solace Those are not unreasonable injunctions Count it all joy when ye fall into divers Temptations and Blessed are ye when men shall revile you and persecute you and say all manner of evil against you falsly for my sake rejoyce and be exceeding glad for great is your reward in Heaven The Spirit of glory and of God does rest upon his suffering Saints so that they glory in tribulation they rejoyce in it as a dignity when they suffer shame for the name of Jesus they are gainers by their losses they gain an hundred fold in this World besides the Kingdom in the other World MEDITATION LV. O my soul follow thy Lord though he lead thee in rough ways and paths of great affliction If sufferings abound consolation shall abound and grace shall be sufficient The Cross of Christ though the outside of it be affrighting yet it is lined with love and easily born And if it should come to pass that Life must be taken away What better use can Life be put to then to lay it down for the Testimony of Jesus The painfullest deaths have proved many times most pleasant What raptures of joy have the Martyrs had at the stake and in the flames Prudentius of old observed Mors Christianis ludus est That Death was but a sport unto the Christians Remarkable is that passage of Bainham the Martyr when his arms and legs were half consumed by the fire he spake these words O ye Papists you look for miracles and here now you may see a miracle for in this fire I feel no more pain then if I were in a bed of Down it is to me a bed of Roses Resolve therefore O my soul undauntedly to undergo whatever tribulaon thou meetest for the sake of Righteousness Rely upon thy faithful God who will not suffer thee to be tempted above what his Grace shall enable thee to bear with joy as well as patience MEDITATION LVI Thy death O Lord is to be shewn forth till thou comest 't is proper for me to think of thy coming and to rejoyce at the thoughts of it My Lord and Redeemer will certainly appear the second time without sin to Salvation And when he shall appear I shall be like him and appear with him in glory Time and days do fly away apace and the comming of my Lord draweth nigh That will be the day of my open absolution of my full and compleat Redemption of my joyful and triumphant Coronation How full of glory and of love will be the face of Jesus then Ah! where shall the ungodly and sinners then appear How will the greatest and the stoutest of them even the Kings and Cheif Captains and mighty men tremble and call to the Rocks and Mountains to fall on them and cover them from the face of him that sits upon the Throne and from the Wrath of the Lamb But though most of mankind be full of horror I if I am a true Believer shall be full of joy and after I have been openly acquitted own'd and crown'd before Men and Angels Whither Oh whither will my Lord carry me Into those Mansions he is gone to prepare into the presence Chamber of the King of Glory Where God himself will be All in All. MEDITATION LVII I find some sweetness in the way and means of grace what shall I find in the end if in vale of Tears such joy be found what will be enjoyed in a paradise of delight if in the midst of labours and fightings and temptations I find so much satisfaction what contentment will an Everlasting rest afford me Augustine speaks excellently Soliloq cap. 35. Intra in gaudium sine tristitia ubi erit omne bonum et non erit aliquod malum ubi erit quicquid voles et non erit quicquid noles O gaudium vincens omne gaudium laetitia sine dolore lux sine tenebris vita sine morte ubi juventus nunquam senescit ubi decor nunquam pallescit ubi amor nunquam tepescit gaudium nunquam decrescit ubi dolor nunquam sentitur gemitus nunquam auditur ubi triste nihil videtur ubi malum nullum timetur quia summum bonum possidetur Enter O my soul into joy without sadness Where there shall be a presence of all good an absence of all evil where there shall be every thing which thou desirest nothing at all that thou dislikest O joy surpassing all other joys Gladness without Grief Light without Darkness Life without Death There Youth shall never grow old Beauty shall never fade Love shall never wax cold and Joy shall never be diminished there sorrow shall never be felt one sigh shall never be heard
the hearts of these who thus out of slavish fear sought the Lord were not right with him This kind of fear invades the Sinners and Hypocrites Esa 33. 14. The Sinners in Sion are afraid fearfulness hath surprized the Hypocrites who among us shall dwell with devouring Fire Who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings Aquinas 22. q. 19. art 2. tells us of a fourfold fear there is a Timor mundanus a worldly fear when for fear of the Worlds frowns and hatred we turn away from God There is Timor servilis a flavish fear when meerly for fear of punishment there is some seeking unto God There is Timor filialis a child-like fear when we fear offending God and so follow and cleave unto him Finally there is Timor initialis an initial fear which is partly a fear of Sin and partly a fear of Punishment Such a fear was in the trembling Jaylour at first Conversion who certainly enquited after the way to be saved both from sin and wrath Act. 16. and a mixture of both we read of in the Saints there is a childlike fear Psal 112. 1. Blessed is every one that feareth the Lord and that delighteth greatly in his Commands And there is likewise a fear of punishment Psal 119. 120. My flesh trembleth for fear of thee and I am afraid of thy judgments This Slavish fear I am discoursing of which is certainly bad and when alone only in those that are bad Now because doubting Souls harp much upon this string that they are acted meerly by slavish fear and 't is one of the difficultest doubts to remove therefore I shall describe more largely those that in Religion are acted by this servile fear that by proving of your selves you may know whether you are of the number 1. They that are acted meerly by Slavish fear dislike nothing in Sin but the punishment Their eyes were never opened to see Sin as the Apostle lookt upon it out of measure sinful they never beheld the excellency of righteousness nor the evil of iniquity but still Sin is as high as ever in their affections though fear restrain them from the acts of it 'T is said of a wicked man that he abhorreth not evil Psal 36. 4. he does not abhor it when he fears to commit it The Merchant in a Storm loves his Goods and is sorry that he is reduced to that strait that he must either throw his Goods overboard or lose his Life and after the Tempest is at an end he would be glad if his Goods might be recovered just thus are they affected towards Sin that are meerly acted by Slavish fear Sin it self is liked but Affliction Death and Hell fright them They are unconcerned that God by their Sin is dishonoured his goodness abused his Law broken and themselves enslaved and defiled and rendred hateful in his eyes only they are dismayed at the punishment unto which their Sin exposes them 2. They that are acted meerly by Slavish fear are afraid of coming to the light which may discover their Sin and themselves more fully to them they see but too much already they are unwilling to see more Our Lord speaks generally concerning all evil men That they hate the light neither come to the light lest their deeds should be reproved Joh. 3. 20. They that are lovers of sin must needs be also lovers of darkness and enemies to plain dealing Ahab humbled himself through fear of punishment and yet cannot endure the faithful reproving Prophet Micaiah There is one Micaiah but I hate him for he prophesieth not good concerning me but evil 1 King 22. 8. If thou approvest of a searching Ministery and art willing to have thy sin and the plague of thy heart made more fully manifest if thou art willing to hear all that evil which God speaks of thy Sin in his Word it argues thy heart is really alienated from it and there is something more than Slavish fear 3. Slavish fear has but an unconstant effect This fear 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 has torment as the Apostle speaks and no wonder if persons are weary of it and endeavour to have their Consciences stupified that they may have no remorse for sin past and serve it for the future without disturbance The will remaining unregenerate and corrupted must needs be really desirous of a false peace and to have the wound healed though it be but slightly The language therefore of such is Prophesy not unto us right things prophesy unto us smooth things prophesy deceits Esa 30. 10. Pharaoh while the hand of God was upon him was full of fear he felt that the Lord Jehovah the God of Israel was above his match and then he seems resolved to comply with the will of God to let his people go to serve him but the effect of this fear is but unconstant though fear thaw'd his heart a little like the shining of the Sun in a winters day as soon as ever he had respite he hardned his heart again and refused to let Israel go Exod. 8. 15. If therefore we are desirous of a lasting change and are willing to have our Consciences more throughly awakened and more faithfully to perform their Office 't is a sign the will it self begins to be renewed by the special grace of God 4. Slavish fear is accompanied with hatred of God and of his Law The Slave fears his Master and hates him and is sorry he must be subject to him And the Apostle tells us That the carnal mind is enmity against God and is not subject to the Law of God neither indeed can it be Rom. 8. 7. Whilst any remain carnal they are estranged from God they desire not any fellowship with him they like not his Yoke but look upon his commands as grievous and upon himself as an hard and austere Master they are far from esteeming Gods commandments concerning all things to be right and wishing that their ways were directed to keep his Statutes Those therefore who like the Law of God and consent unto it as good and bless the Lord that he has given them such a Law and account it their priviledge and liberty that he will vouchsafe to rule them and are troubled at the reluctancy that is in their Natures against the yoke of God and cry as Ephraim did I am as a Bullock unaccustomed to the Yoke turn thou me and I shall be turned Jer. 31. 18. In such there is something beyond servile fear 5. They that are acted meerly by Slavish fear do not desire to be acted by love Sin and the Creature have their love without grudging and they have no longings to have their hearts directed into the love of God That promise The Lord thy God shall circumcise thy heart to love him with all thy heart and soul that thou mayest live Deut. 30. 6. is not prized is not pleaded If once therefore we begin to grudge our lusts and the world our affections and desire they may be placed
never ceases trembling till 't is turned towards the Northern Pole so the heart of one that has grace cannot be quieted or satisfied without the God of Heaven Pliny in his Natural History l. 36. c. 4. tells us that the Diamond which is a Stone of far greater value being put near the Loadstone ferrum non patitur abstrahi does not suffer the Loadstone to draw the Iron to it The World will lose its magnetick and drawing vertue when once the Lord has toucht the heart and manifested himself Gracious Souls had rather have God theirs than all the World theirs they see the Creatures unsuitableness and insufficiency and that their Souls do then return unto their rest when they return unto their God Case 8. The eight Case follows which is this How may Grace be discovered under Spiritual Desertion Although the Lord never quite leaves his people yet he may withdraw the sense of his Presence suspending the quickening and comforting influences of his Spirit and then they that before were like Eden or Sharon are become like unto the Desart before they resembled a Tree whose leaves are fair and the fruit plentiful and good But under desertion they are like a Tree in the Winter season the Sun being withdrawn when neither Fruit nor Leaves appear Now how shall the Saints be known to be Children of Light when they thus walk in darkness I answer 1. Saints under Desertion are troubled at Gods absence What perplexity was there in the Spouses Spirit when her Beloved had withdrawn himself Cant. 5. 6. I opened to my beloved but my beloved had withdrawn himself and was gone my Soul failed when he spake I sought him but I could not find him I called him but he gave me no answer 'T is as real a sign of true love to mourn at the Lords absence as to rejoyce in his presence for they who grieve when he withdraws will be glad when he returns Thou didst hide thy face says David and I was troubled Psal 30. 7. God may hide his face from a true Believer but a Believer shews himself to be so by being troubled when God hides his face 2. Saints under Desertion justifie the Lord in deserting of them though holy Job stands stiffly in the vindication of his Uprightness against his Friends who charged him with Hypocrisie yet withal he consesses his Sins unto God Job 7. 20. I have sinned what shall I do unto thee O thou preserver of men And chap. 13. 26. Thou writest bitter things against me and makest me to possess the iniquities of my youth Deserted Saints dare not charge God foolishly but lay the blame of what they endure at their own door they have been proud of enlargements therefore God has justly left them to be straitned they were unthankful for comforts therefore just it is their sorrows should return they were not so watchful against Sin 't was righteous in God to hide his face nay they confess he would be righteous if he should be favourable no more but cast them off for ever 3. Saints under Desertion endeavour to find out the cause of Gods deserting them that it may be removed Hark what Job prays for Job 13. 23 24. Make me to know my transgression and my sin wherefore hidest thou thy face and countest me for thy enemy As the Seamen were willing that failed with Jonah to know for whose sake the Tempest was so furious upon them and as Joshua was desirous to find out the man that had taken of the accursed thing and proved the troubler of Israel So Deserted Souls cry unto God to discover what has offended him and grieved his holy Spirit And as Jonah that raised the Tempest was thrown overboard as Achan that troubled Israel was stoned unto death so having found out their Sins that have disturbed their peace and provoked their God they consent to have them throughly mortified that which is meet they say unto God I have born thy displeasure I will not offend any more that which I see not teach thou me if I have done iniquity I will do no more Job 34. 31 32. 4. Saints under Desertion though the actings of faith may not yet fear is more evident in them Esa 50. 10. Who is among you that feareth the Lord and obeyeth the voice of his Servant that walketh in darkness and hath no light Deserted Believers though they cannot with confidence call God their Father which is their trouble yet they are resolved to obey him as their Lord when he seems to fly from them they are afraid of losing him therefore they lament and follow after him No wonder that Gods withdrawing raises fear in his people for ordinarily Desertion speaks Divine displeasure and is so very sore a trial and distress that the continuance of it may very well be feared 5. Saints under Desertion are troubled for want of quickening as well as want of comfort therefore they cry for the return of the Spirit that he may revive their graces and make them lively and vigorous and active in the Service of God as well as restore peace and consolation Deadness certainly was Davids burthen when he prayed so often that the Lord would quicken him Deserted Saints do feel the prevalency of the body of death therefore they do look and they have reason to look unto Him who came that we might have life and that we might have it more abundantly Joh. 10. 10. 6. Saints under Desertion are unsatisfied till God return that 's their language Psal 90. 13 14. Return O Lord how long And let it repent thee concerning thy Servants O satisfie us early with thy mercy that we may rejoyce and be glad all our days Their life lies in his favour weeping continues while his face is hid when their God comes their joy comes to them again And as they are desirous that God should turn to them so also that themselves may be healed and turned unto God The Church had revolted and God was angry angry not only at their Sins but also at their prayers in this sad case the Church is earnest for her own recovery and return to God as well as for the shining of Gods face upon her therefore she cries once twice thrice Turn us again O Lord God of Hosts cause thy face to shine and we shall be saved Psal 80. 3 7 19. Case 9. The ninth Case is this How Grace may be discerned under the prevalency of that sad and black distemper of Melancholy The torture of this malady strangers to it cannot conceive but they that are afflicted with it do know their own bitterness And the advantage which Satan hath hereby is unconceivably great 'T is ordinary for him to represent the Lord unto Melancholick ones as furious and revenging and implacable and irreconcilable as hating them from everlasting to everlasting Oh whath dismal thoughts have they of themselves The darkness and confusion of their heads they call judicial blindness the deadness
in a hurry all along first he was hurried by a sinful and inordinate affection and afterwards by fear of shame in case what he had done should be discover'd 2. A Saint though he may fall yet does not ordinarily allow himself in Sin neither does he make use of the falls of Believers which the Scripture records as a plea for such an allowance as wicked men commonly do He looks upon the works of darkness as unfruitful and desires to have no fellowship with them because these will hinder his fellowship and communion with God He cannot be called a Worker of iniquity because he prays with David and that sincerely Deliver me from all my transgressions Ps 39. 8. and Oh that my ways were directed to keep thy Statutes Ps 119. 5. 3. A Saint never falls so far as to chuse a new Lord and Master he never wholly casts off the yoke of Christ nor resolves to be willingly subject to the law of sin Acts of disobedience indeed he may be guilty of but when Satan propounds it to him and persuades him to renounce the Lords service and to give up himself to the service of diverse lusts and pleasures he cannot bear the thought of it for he knows the wages of sin is death and Christ is incomparably the best Master He never consents to be wholly under the bondage of corruption as once he was but often prays that no iniquity may have the dominion over him Psal 119. 133. and especially that he may be kept back from presumptuous sins which are such great transgressions Psal 19. 13. 4. A Saint never falls so far as to take up with any portion beneath God himself His Soul hath said The Lord is my portion Lam. 3. 24. and he will never go back from it or change his mind so as to become contented without God and to have all his portion here in this life Oh no though he may go away from his Fathers house a while and feed upon the husks that are abroad yet he cannot be satisfied with these for they are not bread and as he is unsafe so truely he is restless till he return to his Father again His Soul remains empty till the Lord fills it weary till the Lord satiates it sorrowful till God himself replenish it 5. A Saint when he falls is quickly brought to himself and to his God by affliction his heart shews its tenderness in yielding to the stroke and impression of the Rod. Before I was afflicted says the Psalmist I went astray but now have I kept thy Word Ps 119. 67. And truely though there may be great fears of death when affliction overtakes a Saint in his falls yet the new nature is secretly glad of affliction whereby the flesh may be tamed and corruption purged away The backsliding Saint when he is stricken does not like those Esa 1. 5. Revolt more and more but accepts the punishment of his iniquity and desires to be throughly turned unto God who smites him and with his Soul he wishes the sanctification of what he feels and that the affliction may yield the peaceable and lasting fruits of righteousness Heb. 12. 11. 6. A Saint after he has fallen is very much afraid of Spiritual Judgments he is afraid lest the Lord should utterly leave him and say concerning him He is proud let him be proud still he is filthy let him be filthy still he is fallen let him alone David after his Sin dreaded being cast away and left to himself and being given up to his own hearts lusts Psal 51. 11. Cast me not away from thy presence take not thy holy Spirit from me The holy Spirit had been exceedingly resisted and grieved and had been highly and justly provoked to depart and that for ever But David could not bear the thoughts of being deprived of the quickning sanctifying comforting Spirit of God therefore with such concernedness he deprecates his departure 7. If the Saints falls have been foul he is troubled at Gods dishonour and that he has caused his blessed name to be blasphemed 't is his trouble that he hath wounded his own Conscience and this very much adds to his trouble that he hath wounded Religion and caused the way of Truth to be evil spoken of To see fellow Saints grieving for his miscarriages is the grief of his Soul to hear prophane ones scoffing at Religion is his shame and confusion and to perceive them hardned and strengthned in their wickedness by the Sins he has fallen into this makes his Repentance to be the greater This was laid before David as the aggravation of his Sin and certainly it made a deep wound in his Spirit that by the deed he had done he had given great occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme 2 Sam. 12. 14. 8. The Saint after his fall rises again and begs that he may stand faster The Sun sometimes is Eclipsed a greater part sometimes half and suppose it should be a total Eclipse yet tarry a while till the Moon that interposed between the Sun and the Earth be gone and the Sun will shine as it did before the Saints will recover after their backslidings and shine as light again though Sin may darken them for a season And when they do recover Oh how do they cry not only for pardon but also for cleansing and establishment Hark unto David Psal 51. 10. Create in me a clean heart O God and renew a right or a constant Spirit within me And vers 12. Vphold me with thy free Spirit They are importunate with God to keep them from falling any more and to present them faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy Jude v. 24. To be upheld will be their joy their exceeding joy as their fall was their grief and trouble Case 12. The twelfth Case is this How may we know whether we grow in grace The Saints in Scripture are compared to Trees because of their growth and fruitfulness to the Cedar because they are so firmly rooted to the Palm-tree because depressi resurgunt the weights of affliction upon them make them grow the higher to the Vine because the fruits of righteousness which they bring forth are so exceeding pleasant to the Willows by the water courses because there is an aptness in the new creature to grow apace if there be not some impediment But alass these impediments are too common and where there is life yet there may be a languishing and withering Growing Christians are more rare especially in this degenerate age Now growth in Grace may thus be known 1. Then we grow in Grace when our belief of the Gospel has a stronger impression when things invisible are lookt upon as the greatest realities in the World and we are affected and swayed by the view of them When we can say with the Apostle that we walk by faith and not by sight 2 Cor. 5. 7. If things sensible do less work upon us if we are less
small success 6. Assurance of the love of God will lift you up above the fear of evil tidings Psal 112. 7. He shall not be afraid of evil tidings his heart is fixed trusting in the Lord. Why should those be afraid who dwell in the secret place of the most High and abide under the shadow of the Almighty Psal 91. 1. The Saint has the Almighty on his side who surely is able to protect him He is under the shadow of the Almighty the Lord with his wings does cover him that violence may not be offered to him nay he abides under this Shadow so that he is safe at all times He dwells in the Most High and who then can reach him Nay he dwells in the secret place of the most High which shews how precious he is in Gods account and how far out of harms way Single David supposes an whole Host encamped against him yet says his heart shall not fear Psal 27. 3. and knowledge of his interest in God is the ground of his confidence vers 1. The Lord is my Light and my Salvation whom shall I fear The Lord is the strength of my Life of whom shall I be afraid 7. Assurance of the love of God will make you very holy and heavenly The Grace of God is but presumed upon and abused when'tis made an encouragement unto licentiousness Hark to the Apostle Rom. 6. 1 2. What shall we say then shall we continue in Sin that grace may abound God forbid how shall we that are dead to Sin live any longer therein Those who know they are under Grace do most abhor the dominion of Sin v. 14. they live most to God and are most forward to be the Servants of Righteousness The Conversation of such will be much in Heaven Phil. 3. 20. The Heir in his minority does often think of the Estate he is to enjoy Those who know they are the Children of God will often think of what they are to partake of hereafter for they are Heirs of God and joint Hiers with Christ they are begotten again to a lively hope by the resurrection of Christ from the dead unto an inheritance incorruptible undefiled and that fadeth not away 1 Pet. 1. 3 4. No contemplation will be so delightful to us as that of Heaven when once we know that our Lord is gone to prepare a place for us and will come again and receive us to himself that where he is we may be for ever also 8. Assurance of the love of God will make you to abound in praises He has made you new creatures to this very end that you should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light 1 Pet. 2. 9. How does the Apostle Peter break out into thanksgiving upon this account 1 Pet. 1. 3. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again The Apostle Paul speaks to the same purpose Eph. 1. 3 4 5 6 7. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly things in Christ He hath chosen us in him before the Foundation of the World that we should be Holy and without blame before him in Love He hath predestinated us unto the Adoption of Children He hath made us accepted in the beloved in whom we have Redemption through his Blood the Forgiveness of sins according to the Riches of his Grace How much has the Lord wrought both in and for those he has made Believers He has abounded towards them in Wisdom in Grace in Power in Love Praise is a debt Praise is expected and Praise is comely Though all his Works praise the Lord yet Saints look upon themselves as under a more special and peculiar obligation to magnifie and blesse his Name 9. Assurance of the Love of God will make Afflictions tolerable nay Death it self desirable The bitterest Cup will down more easily when you see t is reached forth to you by the hand of a Father The curse of the Cross is gone and it may be the better born and the Sting of Death is taken out and now Death and the Grave may be triumphed over What was Death to old Simeon when his Eyes had seen Gods Salvation it was but a peaceable departure out of a troublesome World Luk. 1. 29. 30. What was Death to the Apostle Paul who knew that assoon as ever he was absent from the Body he should be present with the Lord It was not dreadful but desirable Phil. 1. 23. I desire to depart and to be with Christ which is far better These are the Arguments and are they not strong ones to perswade you to labour after Assurance The Directions how to prove your selves so as to attain this Assurance follow 1. Set selves as in the presence of the All-Seeing and Heart searching God Who knows you who will judge you and who alone can make you to know your selves You cannot possibly deceive him for every Creature is manifest in his sight all things are naked and open to his veiw Heb. 4. 13. Your Spirits will be apt both to trifle and to juggle unlesse they are awed with a sence of the Lords Omniscience Let Conscience in the searching of you act as Gods Officer and as Gods Officer in Gods presence and then it will deal the more faithfully 2. Pray that your Spirits may give a true Testimony concerning you And that they may do so you must be well acquainted with Scripture-signs and characters of true Grace and then with great intention reflect upon your selves to see whether you have the marks of Christs sheep upon you whether you have the characters of Gods Children A wrong judgment of your selves how extreamly prejudicial would it be to you Adjure your Spirits therefore in the name of the Lord to tell you the very Truth and cry unto the Lord himself that he would not suffer you to fancy or call your selves his Children if you are really but hypocrites and strangers to him that you may not cry peace and safety when God speaks just the contrary 2. Be willing to find out every thing that 's evil in you in order to your more compleat purging David prays see if there be any evil way in me and lead me in the way Everlasting Psal 139. 24. And Psal 19. 12. He desires to be cleansed from secret sins that nothing wicked might borrow the shape of lawful and good and thereby abide in him The more corruption is found our and mortified the more fruitful you will be John 15. 2. Every branch that beareth fruit he purgeth it that it may bring forth more fruit And the more fruitful you are the more evident it will be that you are really the living branches of the true Vine which is Christ Jesus 4. Pray hard That if you have any Grace the Lord would increase it and bring it
Faith Here for his better Information I shall lay down Ten Principles which 'tis highly requisite he should be acquainted with 1. The Communicant must know That there is a God who is from Everlasting to Everlasting and every where present a Spirit of incomprehensible Wisdom Power Righteousness and Goodness the Maker and Governour of Heaven and Earth and all the creatures which are therein Heb. 11. Psal 90. 1. Jer. 13. 23. Joh. 4. 24. Rom. 16. ult Ps 147. 5. Psal 116. 5. Gen. 2. 1. Dan. 4. 34 35. 2. This God is but One and yet he is distinguished into the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost which have the same Godhead Power and Eternity 1 Joh. 5. 7. Matth. 28. 19. 1 Joh. 5. 20. Heb. 9. 14. Act. 5. 4. This Doctrine of the Trinity is revealed that we may have right conceptions of the True God when we Worship him Excellent is that passage of Nazianzen Orat. 40. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I am not able to understand One but I am presently struck with the brightness of Three I am not able to distinguish Three but I am presently brought back to One again We are also further to take notice how all these Three Persons in the glorious Godhead do concur in that great Salvation which is brought to light and offered in the Gospel The Father sends the Son to become Man and Mans Saviour the Son is made Flesh and puts away sin by the Sacrifice of himself The Spirit is sent to convince men of sin and of their need of this Saviour and to draw them to him that beleiving in him they may not perish but have Everlasting Life 3. The Communicant must know That Man was at first made upright The first Man Adam had his Makers Image when first he was made which Image did consist in Knowledge Righteousness and Holiness and in having Dominion over the Creatures A Covenant was made with Adam of Life and Immortality upon condition of perfect Obeaience which then he had Power if he would to yeild and he was threatned with Death if he did Eat of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil Eccles 7. ult Gen. 1. 26. Ephes 4. 24. Col. 3. 10. Rom. 10. 5. Gen. 2. 17. 4. The first man Adam being a publick person and representing his whole Posterity did sin against God in Eating the forbidden Fruit and all his posterity Immanuel excepted who being conceived by the Holy Ghost was Born of a Virgin sinned in him and are Fallen short of the Glory of God so that all are Born the Children of Wrath all have corrupted Natures so that they are Reprobate to every thing that is Good and strongly inclined unto Evil in Thought Word and Deed and every sin being a Transgression of the Holy Law of the great God the Desert and Wages of it is no less then Death and Hell Rom. 5. 14. Gen. 3. 6. Rom. 5. 12. Rom. 3. 23. Luke 1. 35. Ephes 2. 3. Gen. 6. 5. 1 Joh. 3. 4. Rom. 6. ult 5. Jesus Christ the Eternal Son of God did take mans Nature upon him but was perfectly free from Sin and suffered in that Nature becoming Obedient unto Death even the Death of the Cross and his Blood is sufficient being the Blood of him that is God and Man to cleanse from sin and to make peace and he is able to save unto the utter most all that come unto God by him neither is there Salvation in any other Heb. 2. 16. Phil. 2. 6 7 8. Act. 20. 28. 1 Joh. 1. 7. Col. 1. 20. Heb. 7. 25. Acts 4. 12. 6. The Communicant must know That Christ after his Death and Eurial did rise again the third day which shewed that the price he paid for his Churches Redemption was sufficient and having Forty days conversed upon Earth with his Disciples and been seen of several other Witnesses even Five Hundred Brethren at once at length he did Ascend into Heaven and is at the Right Hand of God to make Intercession for them that Beleive in him and from Heaven where he now is He shall be at last revealed with Power and great Glory to Judge the World in Righteousness Rom. 4. ult 1 Cor. 15. 3 4 5 6. Luk. 24. 51. Rom. 8. 34. 2 Thess 1. 7. Matth. 25. 31. Acts 17. 31. 7. Christ has three Offices Prophetical Preistly and Kingly As a Prophet he does Teach his Church and who teacheth like him As a Preist he has made satisfaction and does intercede for them And as a King he does Govern and Defend them And this Church of his are Called Justified Sanctified and shall be Saved And though Earth and Hell hate them yet there shall be somewhere or other a Church of Christ always unto the end of the World Acts 3. 22. Heb. 4. 14. Heb. 10. 14. Rev. 19. 16. Ps 3. ult Rom. 8. 30. 1 Cor. 6. 11. Matth. 28. ult 8. The Communicant must know That the Holy Ghost did move and inspire the Penman of the Holy Scripture so that 't is of Divine Authority and contanis all things needful to be known beleived and done in order to Salvation The Books of the Old and New Testament are to be received as the Word of God Those therefore that lived under the Old Testament had some Knowledge of Christ and the Gospel and were saved no other way but by him But under the New Testament Christ and the things of our peace are much more fully revealed 2 Pet. 1. ult 2 Tim. 3. 16. Ps 19. 7. 2 Tim. 3. 17. Eph. 2. 20. Acts 26. 22 23. Matth. 13. 17. 2 Cor. 3. 18. 9. There is a New Covenant which God has made with his people who Repent and Beleive into which Covenant he has also taken their Infant Seed and therein he has promised to be their God to pardon Sin to give Grace after Death to raise them up at the Last day and to bestow upon them Life Everlasting and this Covenant as it was under the Old Testament confirmed by Circumcision and the Passover so under the New 't is confirmed by Baptism and the Lords Supper which two Sacraments are the Seals of it Heb. 8. 8. 10. 12. Acts 3. 19. Acts 16. 31. Acts 2. 39. Joh. 6. 39. 40. Rom. 6. ult Rom. 4. 11. 1 Cor. 5. 7. Matth. 28. 19. 1 Cor. 11. 24 25. 1 Cor. 10. 16. 10. The Communicant must know That the Law of God is not Abolished but Established by Faith as a Rule of Righteousness for Christians to walk by And sincere Obedience to the Law and Gospel through Christ shall be Accepted and Rewarded but those who live and dye Vnbeleiving Impenitent and Disobedient shall suffer the Vengeance of Eternal Fire and their Condemnation will be sorest who have been often offered but have neglected great Salvation Rom. 3. ult 1 Joh. 2. 1. 1 Cor. 15. 58. 1 Pet. 2. 5. 2 Thess 1. 8. 9. Heb. 2. 3. These are the Ten Principles of the Christian Religion which the Communicant is
that Jesus who dyed upon the Cross is able to save to the uttermost and willing to save all that come to him Jesus is the man who is Gods Fellow he thought it no Robbery to be equal with God Psal 2. 6. He is indeed the true God and Eternal Life 1 John 5. 20. Certainly then Help is laid upon One that is mighty and that has sufficient power to save Jesus is he who was fore-ordained before the Foundation of the World 1 Pet. 1. 20. And pitcht upon in Gods purpose and decree to be the Redeemer of lost Man and at last he was made manifest having been Typified and Beleived in long before He undertook to be Mans Surety and to pay the price for his Redemption And just when he was dying he cryes out 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is finished and then gave up the Ghost John 19. 30. As if he had said I undertook to satisfie Divine Justice that had been wronged and to appease the Anger of God which had been provoked by the sin of man I undertook to remove the Curse of the Law to conquer and Redeem from Death and Hell and quite to spoil the Principalities and Powers of Darkness I undertook to Ransom precious Souls that were lost and Purchase a Church that may come at last to live with me and my Father and shout forth Hallelujahs unto Him that sits upon the Throne and unto the Lamb forever And this great work which I undertook I have now finished Doubtlesse the Lord Jesus is able to save and his willingness he declares abundantly The Communicant should thus argue with himself O! My soul Is not Jesus a Merciful High Preist as well as a Mighty Saviour Behold him Weeping over Jerusalem the Inhabitants whereof were Enemies to him and would not be gathered And wishing they had known the things of their Peace and will he not with Joy receive those that come to him and put their Trust under the shaddow of his Wings Hark does he not say I will give rest to the weary and heavy laden Does he not assure thee that those that come to him he will in no wise cast out What though thou art utterly unworthy Christ saves none but such for 't is his design that they may cry Grace Grace forevermore 8. The Communicant should ask himself Do I look upon the New Testament and Covenant whereof Jesus is the Mediator as sure and Everlasting David speaks excellently concerning this 2 sam 23. 5. God hath made with me an Everlasting Covenant ordered in all things and sure this is all my Salvation and all my desire This Covenant is ordered in all things because the Promises of it are so admirably suited unto the necessities of poor sinners The Lord here Promises Mercy to the Miserable Pardon to the Guilty Cleansing to the Defiled Healing to the Distempered Soul Liberty to the Captives Light to the Blind Rest to the Weary Satisfaction to Empty Strength to the Weak Establishment to the Wavering and Salvation to the Lost And because all things else are insufficient to make them happy the Lord Promises that he himself will be their God their Father their Portion and that forever and ever And what more can be desired Now this Covenant is as sure as the Word the Oath the Seal the Truth the Power the Love the Blood of God can make it This Covenant is sometimes styled a Testament and in this Testament Christ has bequeathed the greatest things unto Beleivers here we find the richest Legacies that ever were left The favour of God the Sanctifying Spirit a New Heart Peace of Conscience Joy unspeakable the good things of this present World Grace to persevere to the end and a farr more exceeding and Eternal weight of Glory hereafter are the things bequeathed by our dying Lord. And the Testatour having dyed the Testament is of force and stands firm and fast forever Heb. 9. 15 16 17. O my Soul should the Communicant then say Set thy self to Study the Covenant of thy Lord. Consider how great things are made over and how firm the settlement is Be pacified O! My conscience with the promises of Pordon Embrace O my very Heart the Promises of purity that by these I may be made a partaker of the Divine Nature and escape the Corruption that is in the World through lust Rejoice O! My Soul in this highest Happiness that God in Christ is Thine And Triumph O! My Spirit in hope of that Glory that most certainly and very shortly is to be Revealed 9. The Communicant should examine and ask himself Am I willing to break the League Eternally between my Heart and my Lusts Do I consent to have all the deeds of the Body mortified without exception Under the Law the Inticerto Idolatry was to be destroyed how neer soever If thy Brother or thy Son or Daughter or the Wife of thy Bosom or thy Friend which is as thy own Soul intice thee secretly saying Let us go after other Gods and serve them thou shalt not consent nor hearken to him but thou shalt surely kill him thy hand shall be first upon him to put him to Death and after the Hand of all his People Deut. 13. 6. 8 9. And the reason is assigned v. 10. Because he sought to thrust thee away from the Lord thy God There is never a sin or lust which thou canst indulge but the tendency of it is to thrust thee away from the Lord thy God No sin therefore upon any account is to be spared Search thy self therefore for corruption is a lurking thing Unfeignedly desire to have all this old Leaven purged out that thou mayst be fit to feed on Christ the Passeover Speak thus O! My Heart At last lay aside thy deceitful dealing and tell me truly as thou wilt answer it another day whether love to sin is turned into hatred Dost thou give consent that thy pride thy passion thy unclean affections thy love of the World and all other sins should be Crucified Dost thou slight sinful delights that thou mayest taste the pleasantness and peace which is in Wisdoms wayes Dost thou esteem Godliness to be greater gain then any wickedness can yeild Oh! cherish none of thy iniquities for one sin allowed will make the Supper and all other Ordinances ineffectual to Salvation and prove thy utter and Eternal Ruine Just as one Dagger thrust into the Heart will dispatch a man as certainly as if he had as many wounds given him as Caesar in the Senate or Attilius Regulus in the nailed Barrel 10. The Communicant should ask himself Have I a Spiritual Appetite do I hunger and thirst after Righteousness Mat. 5. 6. Do I count Holiness the Glory of God and the truest Glory of Man Do I see a deformity in wickedness and an excellency in being Righteous Do I desire to put on the Lord Jesus Christ and that New man which after God is created in Righteousness and true Holiness Eph. 4. 24. Are
have Can I lay all that I have and my self too at his feet And not complement or dissemble with him when I say I and all is at his service Do I yeild my whole Heart my whole Man unto my Lord without any reserve As Christ gave himself for me and gave himself to me so am I perswaded that I cannot dispose of my self better or so well as to give up my self to Him O My Soul is any thing too much too good or good enough for Jesus Behold God in the Flesh in the Manger upon the Cross and in the Grave and if he condescendded obeyed and suffered and purchased so much for thee O Be perfect and intire in the resignation of thy self to him Thou readest of a Nonsuch Convert 2 King 23. 25. And that was Josiah Like unto him there was no King before him that turned unto the Lord with all his heart and with all his Soul and with all his might neither after him arose there any like him Surely 't is thy duty and Interest to write after this excellent pattern 16. The Communicant should ask himself Am I desirous to be faithful in Gods Covenant to the last Breath Do I count I obtain great mercy when I am made thus faithful Have I counted the cost of being a Disciple And is my love of the Lord and of Godliness greater then my fear of persecution Do I distrust my corrupt and timerous Nature and beg that my Lords Grace may be sufficient Look O My Soul as thy Head did unto the Joy that is set before thee and start not at the Cross which is the way to the Crown Persecution will sit thee for Heaven may speed thee thither Fear not men since the worst is the best they can do that is set thee by Death out of their reach and send thee to thy Fathers house and bosom Faint not at Troubles for these light afflictions which are but for a moment do work for persevering Saints a far more exceeding and Eternal weight of Glory 2 Cor. 4. 17. 17. The Communicant should Examine himself Am I taught of God to love my Brethren 1 Thess 4. 9. Bitterness and Wrath and Anger and all kinde of Malice is leaven that is to be purged out All that come to the Table should put on as the Elect of God Holy and Beloved Bowels of Mercies Kindness Humbleness of mind Meekness Long-Suffering Forbearing one another and Forgiving one another if any man have a quarrel against any as Christ forgave them so also should they do And above all these things they should put on Charity which is the Bond of Perfectness and the Peace of God should rule in their Hearts whereunto they are also called in one Body Col. 3. 12 13 14. 15. As there is a representation of the Body of Christ in this Ordinance of the Supper so there is some signification of the Love and Unity that ought to be in the Body Mystical that is to say the Church of Christ the Apostles Words are plain 1 Cor. 10. 17. For we being many are one Bread and one Body for we are all partakers of that one Bread You see how you are to prove your selves and what questions to propound to your own souls before you come to the Lords Table And if your Consciences can answer for you before God in the affirmative unto such questions as these You may without presumption conclude that you are the Children of God that you have a right to come to your Fathers Table and that the Bread of Life belongs to you In the Third place I am to direct you how you may prove and call your selves to an account every day that you may walk with the greater circumspection The God of Heaven is the Lord of Time he observes how our Time is husbanded whether well or ill and he can put a period to it when he pleases And if we did seriously observe what fills up our time so many days would not be spent and lost in sin and vanity It was an Heathen who said he had lost a day when a day passed without doing of good which shews he used to reflect upon the actions of every day whether they were Good or Evil. I would advise you much to observe your selves Never any more spend a day as if you were never to account for that day but remember what the Apostle Paul says Eph. 5. 16. See then that ye walk circumspectly not as fools but as wise Redeeming the Time And the Apostle Peter gives the like charge 1 Pet. 1. 17. Pass the time of your sojourning here in fear Towards the Evening of the day it will not be amiss to retire and laying aside other business to converse with thy self and ask thy self these or such like questions 1. Did I wake with God in the Morning and in his strength resolve to walk with God all this day long Every one of us should resemble David who said How precious are thy thoughts unto me O God! When I awake I am still with thee Psal 139. 17 18. The first Fruits of our Thoughts should be offered up unto God and if the first Fruit be Holy all the rest of our Thoughts are the more likely to be free from wickedness and vanity And as the soul should be lifted up to the Lord at the very first unlocking of the senses so there should be a resolving and forecasting how to please and glorifie him Every day we live the main end of our living should be minded and that is to honour that God who is our Maker Benefactour Saviour for off him and through him and to him are all things and to him belongs the Glory for ever Rom. 11. ult 2. Ask thy self Did I willingly leave my Bed that I might go to Prayer and search the Word of God And did I long for and enjoy Communion with God in these duties Many will leave their Beds most readily when they are to go a pleasant Journey or when they hope to drive on an advantagious bargain or when they are to put on their finest Clothes But how few do shake off sleep in a morning that they may go to the Throne of Grace where the truest both pleasure and profit is to be found David lookt up to Heaven assoon as his Eyes were open Psal 5. 3. My Voice shalt thou hear in the morning O Lord in the morning will I direct my prayer unto Thee and will look up Nay he says Psal 119. 147. I prevented the dawning of the Morning and cryed I hoped in thy Word Early Prayer and Searching of the Scripture is the way to obtain a blessing at the beginning of the day the influence of which may be perceived all the day after Communion with God in the morning may knit the Heart so fast to him as that no Temptation may be able to draw it away from him afterwards It was a pretty passage of Herbert Who read a Chapter when
with God the Father takes upon him the form of a Servant and becomes obedient to death even the Death of the Crosse and he is sufficient to make peace MEDITATION XVIII Christ as he was God could not die but he took mans nature upon him that he might be in a capacity to dye for sinful and lost Man He suffered in the same Nature that had sinned that he might make Atonement Sacrifices and Burnt-offerings could never take away the guilt of sin nor quiet the Conscience of the sinner nor cleanse and sanctifie a defiled soul therefore Christ had a Body prepared for him that by one Offering he might perfect his Church for ever Wonderful mystery of Godliness That God should be manifested in the Flesh and suffer upon the Cross to make peace Here is a wonderful contrivance Christ is the Sacrifice Christ is the Altar and Christ is the Priest Through the Eternal Spirit he offered up himself without spot to God to purge our Consciences from dead works that we might serve the Living God MEDITATION XXI Christ is God and has so effectually don the work of a Mediator that God is forward to be at Peace and entreats sinners to be reconciled Christ is Man and therefore Man may go with boldness to him O my Soul Thy Lord is near a kin to thee he bears good will to thy whole kind He is the Saviour of all men especially of them that Believe Being so nearly related to thee he has a right to Redeem thee nay he has actually paid the price of thy Redemption already so that nothing remains but that thou come to him and be made free indeed His Arms were not folded or hanging down but stretched out upon the Cross And oh How forward is this Saviour who died to embrace all that come to him When he says he will in No wise cast them out methinks it speaks the greatest readiness and gladness imaginable to entertain them Venture O venture to look to Jesus to come to Jesus and venture thy all with him Never any miscarried in this bottom and all must needs miscarry in any other He knows thy Sins thy Wants thy Foes thy Fears he knows how to Pity Protect and Succour thee He was in all things made like unto his Brethren that he might be a Merciful and Faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God to make Reconciliation for the sins of the People for in that he himself hath suffered being tempted he knows how to succour them that are tempted MEDITATION XX. How excellent is the Knowledge of Christ Crucified Look O my Soul upon thy Lord who loved thee at such a rate as to dye for thee Behold him Arrested Arraigned and Condemned Thou wast guilty of the crime and thy Lord did bear the punishment Behold him going to execution going unto Golgotha and if he had not gone thither whither Oh! Whither must thou needs have gone for ever The Law had condemned Thee not only the first but also the second Death was the just desert of thy Transgressions But here thy Surety stept in and Redeemed thee from the Curse of the Law being made a Curse for thee Look upon the Wrath of God revealed against thee because of thy ungodliness and unrighteousness look upon the glittering Sword of Justice drawn look upon devouring Fire and Everlasting Burnings prepared for thee and thy self just ready to be thrown into those unquenchable Flames And then behold and wonder at the kindness and love of Jesus who was willing to be made sin for thee and to bear the Wrath of God himself that he might appease it which was too heavy for thee to bear and which would have sunk thee into the lowest Hell and have kept thee there unto Eternity In what a deplorable and desperate case had the Sheep been if this good Shepherd had not stood in their room and layed down his Life for them MEDITATION XXI History tells us of Codrus the last Athenian King who was a great Lover of his People as appears by the manner of his Dying When the Grecians of Doris sought Counsel from the Oracle concerning the success of their Wars which they waged with the Athenians It was answered that undoubtedly they should prevail and become Lords of that State when they could obtain any victory against the Nation and yet preserve the Athenian King himself alive Codrus the King by some intelligence being informed of this answer withdrew himself from his own Forces and putting on the habit of a common Souldier he entred alone the Camp of the Dorians his Enemies and killing the first he met with was himself forthwith cut in pieces Thus he was willing to lose his own life rather then his Country should be ruined The Lord Jesus the Prince of Life and Glory did vail his Majesty appeared in the form of a Servant was contented to be counted a deceiver and to be numbred among Transgressours that his Life might be taken away and hereby Eternal Redemption be procured Codrus was deservedly honoured among the Athenians and certainly the Lord Jesus should be the higher in our esteem and love the lower he humbled and abased himself for our sakes The offence of the Crosse should cease since his Crucifixion was so necessary to our Eternal Salvation MEDITATION XXII Greater Love hath no man then this that a man lay down his Life for his Friends But Lord Thou didst dye for Rebels and for Enemies thou didst dye unsought to undesired therefore thy love is greater then the greatest love besides Thy love was stronger then Death no Water could quench it no Floods could drown it Hell it self could not discourage it 'T was a bitter Cup the Father put into thy hand but thou didst drink it and drink it off too the very dreggs of the Cup are gone Oh what a load did lye upon thee All the sins of all that ever were or shall be saved did meet on thee together How many stings had thy Death and yet thy Godhead and thy love did carry thee through all thy sufferings Oh! That I could comprehend with all Saints what is the heighth and length and depth and breadth and know the Love of Christ which passeth Knowledge that I may be filled with all the fulness of God! MEDITATION XXIII My Lord did know what was to come upon him Mans sin had been shamefull Christs Death was most Reproachful and Accursed Man had taken Pleasure in sin Christs Death was painful Man had been wilful in Transgression and Christs Death was voluntary though 't was violent Man had sinned against knowledge and with great contrivance and deliberation and Christ perfectly understood all that he was to endure He was well aware what he was to feel from Earth from Hell and from his heavenly Father and yet he makes no demur but endures the Cross and despises the shame and gives his Life a Ransom for many How was he straitned till his bloody Baptism was accomplished And
Discourse of Excommunication The middle way of Predetermination Popery an Enemy to Truth by Mr. Sheldreck Dr. Dumoulins conformity of Independent Government to the Antient Primitive Christians Excommunication Excommunicated in a Dialogue between a Doctor of both Laws The Case of the Protestants in England under a Popish Prince A rebuke to Informers A modest Inquiry into Dr. Stilling fleet Historical mistakes The State of Blessedness An Answer to Dr. Stilling fleets Book by J. H. Liberty of Conscience in order to universal peace The Lords voice crying to England Life of Herod the Great A Manifesto or an Account of the State and differences between the King of Denmark and Norway and the Duke of Slesmick Phelps Innocencies reward Materials for Union A sheet of Union Rosses Mestogogus Poaeticus Phelps on the Revelations Gilaspys Ark of the Covenant Present State of New England Dr. Collings of Providence Froysells Sermons of Grace and Temptations Yarringtons Englands Improvement First part Idem second part Meaning of the Revelation by John Hayter The Morning-Lecture against Popery or the principal errors of the Church of Rome detected and confuted in a Morning-Lecture preached by several Ministers of the Gospel in or near London Four useful discourses 1 The art of improving a full and prosperous condition for the glory of God being an appendix to the art of Contentment in three Sermons on Philip. 4. 12. 2 Christian submission on 1 Sam. 3. 18. Philip. 1. 21. 4 The Gospel of peace sent to the sons of peace in six Sermons on Luke 10. 5 6. by Jeremiah Burroughts Dr. Wilds Letter of Thanks and Poems A new Copy-Book of all sorts of useful hands The new World or new-reformed Church by Doctor Homes The Vertuous Daughter a Funeral Sermon by Mr. Brian The Miracle of Miracles or Christ in our Nature by Dr. Rich. Sibbs The unity and essence of the Catholick Church visible by Mr. Hudson Brightman on Revelations Canticles and Daniel Canaans Calamity The intercourse of Divine Love between Christ and the Church or the particular Beleiving soul in several Lectures on the whole second Chap. of Cant. by John Collins D. D. Large 8 vo The sure mercies of David by Nath. Heywood Heaven or Hell here in a Good or Bad Conscience by Nath. Vincent Closet-Prayer a Christians duty all three by O. Heywood A Practical discourse of Prayer wherein is handled the nature and duty of Prayer by Tho. Cobbet Of quenching the Sprit the evil of it in respect both of its causes and effects discovered by Theophilus Polwheile The sure way to Salvation or a Treatise of the Saints mystical Union with Christ by Richard Stedman M. A. Sober Singularity by the same Author Heaven taken by Storm by Tho. Watson The Childs Delight together with an English Grammar Reading and Spelling made easie both by Tho. Lye Aesops Fables with morals thereupon in English Verse The Young-mans Instructor and the Old-mans remembrancer being an Explanation of the Assemblies Catechism Captives bound in Chains made free by Christ their Surety both by Tho. Doolittle Eighteen Sermons preached upon several Texts of Scripture by William Whitaker The Saints care for Church Communion declared in sundry Sermons preached at St. James Dukes-place by Zech. Crofton The life and death of Edmund Stanton D. D. To which is added a Treatise of Christian-conference and a Dialogue between a Minister and a Stranger Sin the Plague of plagues or sinful sin the worst of Evils by Ralph Venning M. A. Cases of Conscience practically resolved by J. Norman The faithfulness of God considered and cleared in the great Events of his Word or a second part of the fulfilling of the Scripture The immortality of the Soul explained and proved by Scripture and Reason to which is added Faiths-triumph over the fears of death by Tho. Wedsworth A Treatise of the incomparableness of God in his Being Attributes Works and Word by George Swinnock M. A. A discourse of the original c. of the Cossacks The generation of Seekers or the right manner of the Saints addresses to the throne of Grace with an Exposition on the Lords-Prayer The administration of Cardinal Ximones An Essay to facilitate the Education of Youth by bringing down the rudiments of Grammar to the sense of seeing which ought to be improved by Syncrisis by Lewis of Totenham An Artificial Vestibulum wherein the sense of Janua Linguarum is contained compiled into plain and short sentences in English for the great ease of Masters and Expeditious progress of Scholars by M. Lewis Speculum Sherlockianum or a Looking glass in which the admirers of Mr. Sherlock may behold the man as to his Acuracy Judgment Orthodoxy A discourse of Sins of Omission wherein is discovered their Nature Causes and Cure by George Swinnock His Majesties Propriety in the British Seas vindicated Quakerism no Christianity or a through-Quaker no Christian proved by their Principles and confirmed by Scripture by J. Faldo Differences about Water-baptism no bar to Communion by Jo. Bunian The Dutch-dispensatory shewing the virtues qualities and properties of Simples the vertue and use of Compounds whereto is added the Compleat Herbalist Judg Dodaridge's laws of Nobility and Peerage Dinglys Spiritual Feast Solitude improved by Divine Meditation by Matth. Ranew A Murderer punished and pardoned or Tho. Savage his life and death with his Funeral sermon Hurst Revival Grace Buryes Husbandmans Companion help to holy walking Hanmers view of Antiquity Nomenclaturas Wases Grammar Vincent of Conscience Gouges Principles of Christian Religion Christian Direction Word to Saints and Sinners Young mans guide Christian Housholder Perrots Englands duty The Nonconformists vindicated Wadsworths remains Shepherdy Spiritualized Calamys Art of divine Meditation Faldos Quakerism no Christianity vindication of 21 Divines Small 8vo A defence against the fear of death by Zach. Crofton Gods Soveraignty displayed by William Gearing The Godly mans Ark or a City of Refuge in the day of his distress in five Sermons with Mrs. Moors evidences for Heaven by Edmund Calamy The Almost-Christian discovered or the false-Professor tried and cast by M. Mead. The true bounds of Christian-freedom or a discourse shewing the extent and restraints of Christian-liberty by S. Bolton D. D. The sinfulness of Sin and fulness of Christ in two Sermons by Will. Bridg. A Plea for the godly or the Righteous mans Excellency The holy Eucharist or the Sacrament of the Lords Supper A Treatise of self-denial All three by Tho. Watson The life and death of Tho. Wilson of Maidstone in Kent The Life and Death of Dr. Samuel VVinter A Covert from the Storm or the fearful encouraged in the day of Trouble Worthy-walking press'd upon all that have heard the Call of the Gospel The Spirit of Prayer All three by Nath. Vincent The inseparable union between Christ and a Believer by Tho. Peck A discourse of Excuses setting forth the variety and vanity of them the sin and misery brought in by them by John Sheffield Invisible reality demonstrated in