9. Lord I have called daily unto thee I have stretched out my hands unto thee Psal 102. the afflicted soul saith v. 4. My heart is smitten and withered like grass And here though buried and dead bones scaâ—tered at the grave mouth as when one heweth timber speak and pray to God Psal 141. and the Church so overwhelmed so that they cannot speak Psal 77. 4. yet they speak prayers 2. There is holy complaining layed in the bosome of an apprehended angry God and though arrows of God stick in the flesh Psal 38. 1 2 3 4. Psal 119. 25. My soul cleaveth to the dust 28. My soul droppeth away for heaviness 83. I am become like a bottle in the smoke Psal 42. 1 2. Psal 6. 1 2 3 prayes and complaines in a holy way to God Like a crane or a swallow so did I chatter I did mourn as a dove mine eyes fail with looking upward O Lord I am oppressed undertake for me 3. It 's half a closing with a sinful disposition when it paines us lesse Paul protests against the fleshes sinful disposition Rom. 7. 15. I allow not the evil which I doe 2. He disowns it v. 17. It 's no more I that doe it but sin in me 3. He condemes himself for it v. 18. I know in me that is in my flesh dwelleth no good 4. He complaines of it 23. I am led captive to the law of sin 5. His complaining so grows that he ends in an out-cry O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death and triumphs victoriously in Christ v. 25. From which it is clear that Paul and the flesh part open enemies and that there is no treaty of peace betwixt the spirit and the sinful disposition flowing from the flesh as if the flesh and the spirit were two free co-equal independent Lords and Princes and each must have his own kingdome and princedome to himself and the one must not encroach upon the other for the flesh and its complices must down and the spirit must be up in Christ Nor is there any arbitrary agreement of the matter for the spirit yields no liberty to sin nor gives away one jot or tittle of the holy Law to say Herod by the new covenant may keep his lust and Herodias so he gladly hear John the Baptist 4. There ought to be a going about of all duties of praying believing hearing praising c. under the lowest ebbings of the spirit and the saddest deadness so deadness and indispositions be the sin and sinful affliction and the afflictive sin of the child of God for our obedience to God is the more spiritual that it hath no moral motive from sense and comfort but rather the contrary save onely the word of command So excellently Christ Heb. 10. 9. Loe I come to doe thy will to suffer wrath and the curse for man but Psal 40. 8. I delight to doe thy will thy Law is within my heart His delight was in that saddest commandement to speak so in laying dow his life for his sheep and so had no sense to bear him up for an agony and sadnesse and sorrow to death was upon the holy Saviour when he obeyed and that peculiar law was in the inner part of his heart It 's true his Father loved him for it John 10. 17. Therefore doth my Father love me because I lay down my life that I might take it again But 1. It 's a question if in the act of suffering he felt that love when he complained that he was forsaken of God 2. Therefore the Father loved Christ and Christ did abide in his love because he kept his Fathers commandements John 15. 11. because they were the Fathers commandements 2. It 's a temptation to act under deadness which actually blunts the heart therefore to obey under a formal temptation is more spiritual obedience As for Christ to pray to believe to exhort his disciples to watch and when pain wrath the actual pressing curse puts him to tears and hideous cries Heb. 5. is a perfect copy to all obedience lesse thanks to you to pray when the heart is oyled with real influences and feasted with some holy and the bridegrooms hony-comb and the feelings of the out-lettings of freest love as what praise to a wheel to roll down the mount or for the fire to cast heat or the Sun to yield light Feelings of the strong impulsions and breathings of Christs love carry along such a strong necessity of obeying Christs love being a stronger and a more imperious commander then a fiery Law almost steals away the elective power but to pray under the frame and current of a dead disposition working and re-acting on the contrary from a principle that is strongly real but from pure moral influences from the pure spiritual commands 1 Thess 5. 17. Pray without ceasing and Psal 50. 15. Call upon me in the day of trouble is the most spiritual and perfect obedience That wine hath the most kindly taste and colour of wine and is preserved most connaturally that hath it's being on the mother grape it 's not so when there is something of art I know not what to preserve it by steel or something like that Hence appears the decitfulnesse of our hearts when the delight in the duty comes rather from a meer physical cause less moral to wit from the heavenly flamings of quickening influences not from the command the only kindly mother and moral motive of obedience The withdrawing of the rayes and beams of the personally near Godhead now as it were under a cloud which was wont to give the savourness of strong delight made our Redeemers obedience as is said the more excellent 2. It speaks much of savoury graciousnesse when the temptation is cos gratiae a whetstone to grace and to the spirit of adoption and as sailes and oares to praying and does not blunt us in duties 3. The greater combate with nature the more perfect is the obedience Abraham's natural disposition was strong to love Isaac his onely sonne to let the child take his good night at his aged mother but the command of Jehovah his God in covenant so prevailed as he would shift the temptation and hid the matter from the mother Sarah and strongly second the design of Gods trying with resolved pure spiritual obedience from only the command of God CHAP. VI. The place Luke 24. 32. Did not our heart burn c. is opened 2. Believers can tell the history of the actings of the Spirit 3. Feelings may be strongest after the actings of the Spirit 4. The differences between literal heat and spiritual heat in many particulars 5. And betwixt the Spirits actings with the Word and Enthusiastical raptures There be other holy dispositions most considerable specially these 1. Burning of heart 2. Enlargedness of heart 3. Fixedness of heart 4. Love-sickness after Christ Besides these there be special dispositions to pray
in which regard the word of God from the Author the Holy Ghost hath actu primo as touching the matter and efficient cause holiness liveliness divinity majesty of style even as contradistinguished from the spirit acting with it there is no word no book no speech of Angels or Men comparable to it There is 2. A formal power which agrees to the word actu secundo as the spirit going along with the word makes it effectual to enlighten to teach to rebuke to convince to perswade so our Divines say a modern Lutheran widely mistakes the efficacy of the word is from the spirit 2 Cor. 10. 4. the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty how mighty not of themselves but mighty through God We make not the word of it self a dead inky letter as Papists and Libertines both doe The like distinction is clear in a Sword or an Axe of steel both the one and the other from the matter and artificer that made them hath actu primo sharpness and aptness to cut Suppose the Artificer that made both be dead yet the sharpest two-edged sword that is except it be weelded by the arm of a valiant man can doe no good in war And the like may be said of the Axe both are dead things of themselves Hence 1. Since we are meer Messengers we cannot breath life in the word only like the Trumpeter that blows his warm breath through a dead trumpet of Brasse but he blows or breaths no valour or courage in the souldiers that was not in them before But if the spirit goe along and breath life in the hearers they shall live as speaking and acting are conjoyned Ezech. 2. 1. Son of man stand upon thy feet and I will speak to thee 2. Then the spirit entered into me when he spake to me and he set me on my feet So John 5. 25. Ezech. 37. 7 8. It not a little concerns Ministers and Hearers to pray that the spirit may go along with the word otherwise the shepherds singing through an â—aten reed shall never feed sheep or lambs and make them fat and people often receive in their ears a noise of words and syllables and are not fed with sounds It 's true Christ and the Prophets and Apostles preached in the spirit and in the lively power of God and yet nothing but the letter came to the ears of many of their hearers Isa 53. 1. Isa 28. 9. the hearers are but as weaned children Mat. 13. 13 14 15. the hearers are fatted hypocrites And a poor man speaks the letter of the word and happily deadly and weakly yet betwixt the speakers mouth and the hearers heart the spirit strikes in and the dead man lives 2. The letter of the word spoken by Christ lies dead until the Comforter which is the Holy Ghost come then he shall teach you all things in a lively way which the man Christ as man only did not and bring all things to your remembrance John 14. 26. 3. The light may remain only light and literal and uselesse the Disciples in the garden with Christ knew they should watch and pray yet they sleep The spirit brings not up literal light to spiritually quickning light John 16. 7. The spirit shall convince the world of sin because they believe not in me What did not all the Prophets convince the world of sinful unbelief Isa 7. If ye believe not ye shall not be established Isa 53. Who hath believed our report Did not Christ himself convince the world of sinful unbelief John 3. 18 36. John 5. 24. John 11. 26 27. and all the Ministers of the New Testament convince men that they ought to believe and receive Christ by faith But all these are but literal convictions until the spirit carry into the heart the marrow of the promises and threatnings of the Gospel with a strong hand and the natural man while he is in the mouth of Hell with Judas is convinced of the Law deserving and of unbeliefs desert but not of actual damnation The deceit of the conscience is this that all are under sin and the curse who believe not but God must give a general suspension against the Gospels decree and sentence of death for my unbelief and to most of mankind Ah this is not to be convinced of unbelief by the spirits working Nor in all this does the spirit adde any divine majesty and power to the word which was not in the word before when he effectually perswades and convinces As the hewer puts no metal in the Axe which was not in it before only he applies powerfully his strength and art to the effects which he produceth by the Axe and other tools by which he makes curious carved work Nor does the souldier adde any new sharpnesse to the Sword which it had not before only he useth the Sword for valorous exploits All that the spirit doth is in the powerful and effectual application of threatnings and promises in actual perswading to believe all the majesty and heavenly power the word hath actu primo from the immediately inspiring spirit and this is alike to all only much godly trembling is required that the spirit may in his mighty influences goe out with the word 2. Hence that is wild-fire and sparkles of hell not the spirit of Christ nor the influences of grace when a dumb spirit speaks not in the word but in signes images ceremonies devised by men as a dumb man speaks with his fingers The Spirit of God loves to work and act with his own tools in the testimonies and promises the Spirit of the Lord never bids burn the Bible Antiochus had such influences from hell and not from the Lord. Some make the Bible a horn-book for new beginners only as images are and the man must be all spirit turned into pure spirit why then do themselves speak write such fooleries why do they eat drink sleep hear such as are all spirit doe none of these But though holy men of God were far from making the spirit both Law and Gospel none had more of the secrets and mysterious visions of God revealed to him then John he saw Christ in his glory Rev. 1. 14 15 16. he saw Heaven open and the Throne and glorious company the new Jerusalem Yet Rev. 1. 3. he saith Blessed is he that readeth Can one that is all spirit speak of reading when he had seen all these visions of God Rev. 22. 18. he puts a seal of honour on Canonick Scripture he is charged to write in his divine Epistles These things I have written I write to you fathers c. When Christ is risen from the dead and entred in a most spiritual life Luk. 24. 27. he expones the Scriptures who so mock the Scriptures loath the Spirit also CHAP. VII Characters of a spiritual disposition are these 1. To be willing to be under the guidance of the spirit 2. Four expressions in the Scripture hold
do Psalm 51. 5. Jer. 14. 4. Isa 64. 8 9. Dan. 9. 5 6 11. Psalm 116. 6 7. 3. Cain Pharaoh Saul Magus never complain of themselves Heathens complain of sin original not as mans sin but as Socinians and Pelagians complain of it as mans misery and the Lords fault and sin with reverence to his holiness in that God and the step-mother nature have dealt worse with man in bringing him into the world naked weeping weak sick dying then with bulls that are born with thick skins and have horns to defend them It s a shameful accusing of God to deny original sin to be a transgression of the Law such as deserveth death eternal Ah our pride who dare bark against God when we should weep over our own wolfish and beastly nature Assert 3. We do not so much in the use of means as our lameness doth permit The Lord hath drawn a bill in the conscience that the blind will not so much as open their eye-lids we may be a law to our selves Rom. 1. 14 15. we know God by nature and glorifie him not as God Rom. 1. 2. 15. we may go many miles farther toward God by Natures light but we sit still 2. Yea we blow out the candle and here the criple and lame man breaks his own legs and arms the second time and complains of the Physitian Christ that he will not heal him against his will he who adds to his sickness a poyson drink cannot father his death upon the Physitian Ah we stir not broken legs and arms upon and towards the Physitian Christ 3. The criple may move and creep toward the Physitian The motion of such as stepped in the pool immediately after the Angel troubled the water John 5. was not a motion of perfect nature nor a perfect motion but yet a means of health it was Christ rejects not criple and sickly motions in using means towards himself Assert 4. The motions of the Spirit to come to the renewed mans case serve as legs to bear the criple-man but not as eyes for Psalm 119. 105. Thy word is a lamp to my feet and light to my path Yea a doubt it is if the motions of the Spirit as the Spirit without the word lay an obligation on us to follow these motions except when the Spirit speaks to Paul and Barnabas to go to Macedonia not to Bythinia and then the word of the Spirit becomes formally the word of the Lord as the word of Christ from his mouth is the word of God but heed is to be taken in a special manner when the bastard spirit speaks to Becold to Hichol and such wizards for God speaks like God and his own know his voice and the children of the Divel know also their fathers voice learn to go as far as you can in the way to Christ 1. No violence but from your own heart stands in your way the birth helps it self in the womb to come out work with the tide or against it he who rowes with oars in a manner helps the wind they desire not to sail who will not stir a foot to the ship 2. Hearing in Lydia and the Gaoler reading in the Eunuch diligent taking heed to the word of the Gospel preached by Phillip in the Samaritans the woman of Samaria conferring with Christ have in them though they come not up to the nature of a perfect duty somewhat of the ordinance of Christ and Christ loves to be in his own ordinances pro tanto its true the unrenewed man cannot use the means formally as they are referred to Christ and for Christ until his will and intention be renewed yet he is in the way to Christ and materially he comes to Christ nor is walking to the ship on dry land an act of sailing nor the sick mans journeying to the Physitian or his simple receiving of medicine an act of healing its good to come to the work-house of the spirit the preached Gospel and to lie under the breathing of the Lord when the word is spoken lend the letter of the Gospel lodging in the outer house the ear and literal understanding go in to the Potters house and stand beside the furnace and behold what work the Lord hath 3. Upon the wheels towards others and how many he meets with in the way of his ordinances frames the new creature in them makes a real change in them that you wonder at them knowing thy were blind and now they see 2. As for renewed ones these cases are considerable 1. When the letter of the Law is granted there is something and a great something wanting Psal 119. 29. remove from me the way of lying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be grace over thy Law to me which is first a suit that deeper and deeper spiritual impressions of God in the Law may be engraven on him till he be filled with all the fulness of God and influences may amount to a strong habit following of hearing reading conferring meditating with much praying for spiritual teaching from him as all along through Psal 119. would make us rich in influences 2. The natural man never misses life and quickning influences in the word the spiritual doth Psalm 119. 50. This is my comfort in mine affliction for thy word hath quickned me It s not a bad property of the earth to gape and thirst for rain there is no such gaping and thirsting in the rock the stone is never parched for want of rain but this parchedness is a neerest disposition for influences of sope and moisture from the clouds and though the thirsty man pray not yet thirst it self calls for watering influences as the Lord disappoints not nature so uses he not to frustrate gracious thirst of suitable influences of grace and these are put together and both are satisfied Psalm 145. 15 16 19. So his way Matth. 5. 6. Luke 1. 53. if thirsts for life and not for the bare condemning letter 3. There is something which we call fetching of the wind and casting of a board again to wind to the right harbour and it is a sort of courting the wind and that is the case of the soul that would live upon influences its fit to pant and gape and carefully wait on for the holy breathings of the Lord could we wait in the way that the Spirit uses to come and attend him in ordinances he must come that way as Zacheus cast himself in that way of Christ providence places two blind beggars in Christs way the Lord thereby bestows the Son of Davids mercy on them and providence placed the woman of Samaria at the well of Jacob and Christ must needs go thorow Samaria and her way she looked for water from Jacobs well and looked not for the Messiah yet she meets with him and feels his influences before she goes hence but we are with ordinances to lie at the tide and wait for and seek the flowings of
own thoughts God will convince them that they do not give over their sins 2. Thou dost not so much as try whether thou canst doe or not when a Master bids a Servant carry a sack of corn to the Mill I cannot says he but cannot you try says his master cannot you go about it no he will not try why then he is wilfull if his master should see him sweating and striving to carry it it were something then he will say he stuck at a cannot but when he will not be at the pains to try he sticks at a will not pag. 10. God offers the good motions of power I will help thee and I will enable thee and thou wilt not be helped Jer. 6. 17. Hearken to the sound of the trumpet but they said they will not hearken O saist thou I do hear the word and I cannot hear it better I do pray dayly and I cannot pray better thus thou retortest upon God as the unprofitable servant Lo here thou hast what is thine lo here is the best faith thy spirit helps me to here is the best obedience that thy power enabled me to doe c. lo there thou hast that is thine thou helpest me with no more 3. God gives thee a talent a new power hath God given thee eyes thou hast more power to glorifie him then he that hath none give account for thy wit Lord I have contrived businesses and bargains with it I have jested quirped been merry with it but why wouldst thou not be witty for God and for the good of thy soul 4. The more power thou hast to repent the more thy will is against it the more your righteousness should encrease it goes the more away like the dew the more the Sun riseth the more it vanisheth away like many the more preaching the farther off 5. Thy cannot is a voluntary cannot I cannot give to the poor saist thou yea thou hadst once Lands and Means and comings in but thou hast spent all at the Ale-house 6. Thou art contented with thy cannot thou canst not be holy and thou art contented not to be thou canst not crucifie thy lust and thou art contented with this cannot nay thou wouldst not be able my people love to have it so Jer. 5. 31 c. A man can doe more good then then he does though not in a gracious manner yea and there be degrees more or lesse in both matter and manner yea and this cannot is the natural cannot of a broken will Lot preached to Sodome and they repent not Jonas preached to Nineveh and they repent though not soundly Christ a greater then Jonah preacheth to the Pharisees and they repent neither soundly nor any other way Sure more might be done in using of means though not without some common grace but so long as wicked will hath a nearest influence in all sinful omissions and transgressions there is no place left to this O God give me no power nor habits nor influences but would ye have done all required to be done with power habits and influences by your poor wicked wills Nay there is a wicked will not which is a pull-back and a sinful obstruction to gracious actings But to say nothing of this more may not believers so far command influences of grace as that they have in their power far off or near hand in potentiâ proximâ vel remotâ sufficient grace to believe and be saved See Cornelius Jansenius tom 3. de grat Chr. Salv. lib. 3. c. who citeth Vasquez 1 part disp 97. Suarez lib. 4. de praedest c. 3. num 19 20. But it is required that the party non ponat obicem lay not a block in the way of the Lord calling him and if he doe not God shall undoubtedly convert him say these men For if God should deny sufficient help of grace especially to Infants upon an intention to damn them saith Theo. Smizing tom 2. tract 3. disp 6. de provid num 179. such a denyal should be against the Covenant that the Father hath made with the Son that he hath accepted the death of the Son for the reconciliation of all mankind and their redemption none excepted And therefore he should 1. Doe a wrong to Christ And 2. to all mankind and sin against the justice of his fidelity if he should deny sufficient help of grace upon an intention of damning them for original sin 3. Such a sufficient grace is due to us not of our selves but in Christ yea but by this Christ hath merited sufficient grace to all and why not pardon of original sin to all and life eternal to all should it not be a wrong to all and a wrong to Jesus Christ and a wrong to free will if such a meritorious purchase of grace be made to all why are they called by nature the heirs of wrath for by this all the Pagans and Heathens by grace are also the reconciled heirs of glory the ransomed of the Lord. 2. Why doe not the Apostles first reveal the drawing and heart-breaking motive of obedience Christ hath dyed for you all and reconciled you to God from the womb 3. What news are these you all are in that blessed Covenant passed betwixt the Father and the Son and Christ hath given a dear ransome of blood to purchase grace to carry you either to Heaven or Hell but he hath purchased for you no glory except by the sweating of free will you make it your actual purchase 4. The Scripture tells us no where that Jesus Christ dyed to break the Decrees of Election and Reprobation and that Christ hath obtained that no man should be damned for Original sin as many as die in Adam Rom. 5. as many are justified and live in Christ both the life of grace and of glory 5. This is the far more wide and broad covenant of grace that the Gospel if men use the light of nature well who are and ever hath been in all ages since the creation the greatest part of mankind shall be sent to them and all shall be put in such a capacity to be saved by Christ and justified in him as Adam was in to be justified and saved by the works of the Law 6. Why doth sin original brook the name of sin of iniquity transgression and a sin for which all die as Psal 51. 5. Rom. 5. Rom. 7. Rom. 8. Heb. 12. c. which indeed it s no sin but pardoned taken away in all mankind and which brings damnation to no man for in justice none can be condemned to death temporal more then to death eternal for that which is no sin at all and such is sin original say they 7. It is without all authority of Scripture that the natural actings of Pagans are so washed in the blood of Christ that they never heard of that they are in their actings meriting the Gospel either of congruity or decency or of common justice or of free promise or by some
infallible connexion betwixt the one and the other or by Christ's merits True it is the Gospel and effectual calling in the Gospel and faith and all spiritual blessings are bestowed on the Elect in Christ Jesus Ephes 1. 3. 2 Pet. 1. 3. 2. God works in us what is well-pleasing in his sight through Jesus Christ Heb. 13. 2. 3. Grace and peace come from God the Father and from the Lord Jesus as the meritorious cause 1 Cor. 1. Gal. 1. Frans Cumel disp 2. ar in primam 2. concl 5. pag. 244. testifies that the best of them is like a sharp briar for he with others holds that grace is given to them who lay no impediment in the way of God's effectual calling and he hath it in his power to lay no impediment because he can eschew all sins against the Law of nature and such sins are the only impediments that hinder the effectual calling of God But 1. he makes no mention of Christ his death and merit which is the only meritorious cause of effectual calling of the chosen A spiritual soul loves the strongly prevailing power of Christ's calling the more strongly that it is a work of saving grace and of the grace of Christ Rom. 3. 14. 2. The man is equally Lord of heaven and hell who hath salvation in his power by this way as men have by the Jesuits way but all men by this way have in their power this prevening grace for if they do what in them is and eschew sins against the law of nature which Cumel saith they may do for such sins are the only impediment of grace they may be saved not by merit as the Jesuits say but by free-grace as Dominicans say but as to the matter Cumel conspires with the Jesuits call it merit or give it another name it 's against the Scriptures to teach that all the Americans Brasilians and Heathen have the prevening grace of God and salvation in their power And 2. That though all men may lay an impediment to the prevening grace of God yet they may fulfil the law of nature and eschew all mortal sin which if they do infallibly the Lord bestows prevening grace upon the Americans for the Scripture saith We are dead in sins and trespasses Eph. 2. that we cannot come to Christ except the Father draw us Joh. 6. 44. that the wisedom of the flesh is neither subject to the Law of God neither indeed can be Rom. 8. 7. and that we by nature cannot understand the things of God 1 Cor. 2. 13 14. Matth. 16. 16 17. nor think a good thought 2 Cor. 3. as of our selves nor speak a good word 1 Cor. 12. nor bring forth good fruit do any good more then a branch can bring forth fruit being cut off the tree John 15. 4 5. or thn men can gather wine-grapes of thorns or figs of thistles Matth. 7. 16 17 18. Luke 6. 43 44. and therefore far less can Heathens earn by their sweating and labouring effectual calling and salvation Sure then salvation and prevening grace of God should be in him that wills and runs and not in God that shews mercy and it is but an oyling of Arminians and Pelagians to tell that salvation is not in him that runs by way of merit yet it is in him and shall infallibly be given to the runner and willer who by free-will may purchase both and all Americans have in them to run and will Dominicans therefore in this darken free-grace as much as Jesuits when they tell us men are saved not by the merit of free-will yet it is in the power of the free-will of Heathens to purchase influences of saving grace to put Heathens and Indians and all men safe at heavens gates what is this but to say The King hath made no covenant that all his Courtiers shall be made Kings yet he hath passed his royal word that if they bring him a flowr in May which they may easily do they shall vere truly receive a Kingdom this is as great an advancing of free will and an abusing of free grace as Pelagians ever dreamed of For Prosper said the same of the Massilienses Vniversis hominibus propitiationem quae est in sanguine Christi esse propositam ut quicunque ad fidem ad Baptismum accedere voluerint salvi esse possunt 16. Pro universo autem dictitant Massilienses humano genere mortuum esse Dom. Nostrum Jesum Christum neminem prorsus à Redemptione sanguinis ipsius exceptum etiamsi omnem hanc vitam alienissimâ ab eo mente pertranseat quia ad homines pertineat divinae misericordiae sacramentum Baptismus nempe ut recte Cornelius Jansenius Tom. 1. de haeres pelag lib. 8. c. 3. c. itaque quantum ad Deum pertinet omnibus paratam vitam aeternam Et Faustus lib. 1. de gra lib. ar cap. 16. Dominum Nostrum Jesum Christum aiunt diceret si vixisset nostris temporibus Calvinistae sed contrarium Jesuitae Dominicani Arminiani Pelagiani Sociniani humanam carnem non pro omnibus sumpsisse nec pro omnibus mortuum esse See Cornelius Jansenius ib. to whose writings Jesuits and Dominicans shall never answer The Massilienses cared not as Corn. Janse tom 1. de haeres pelag l. 8. c. 17. for the word of merit if mans will went before God's grace Epist Prosper Hilar. Vt ideo quis adjuvetur quia voluit non ideo quia adjuvatur velit And Cassianus denied all merit of condignity and said that the labour of our fasting watching c. was not worthy of the grace of conversion and of salvation and yet he held the merit of congruity to be as needful to go before our conversion So Hilarius saith that Cassianus taught that by seeking or praying and searching and knocking we came to the grace of conversion so that the Massilienses and Augustine while he followed their error thought faith not to be the gift of God but that a merit of impetration and of knocking praying went before conversion and that men obtained conversion justification by prayer and faith so that faith is not a gift of God as Augustine thought when he did yet stick in the errors of the Massilienses hence under the name of an occasion or colour they hide merit for as Jansenius saith God hath by the good works and holy dispositions that go before grace aliquam occasionem sive colorem cur non irrationabiliter some occasion or colour by which not without reason and in no blind way by a fatal decree without consulting mans will he gives grace to one rather then to another and this is the Jesuits and Arminians way God shall not be a wise and rational agent but act blindly saith Cassianus and unjustly say our Arminians if he give not saving grace and influences of grace upon the dominion and disposing of mans free-will now add to this that the Massilienses said
sealing of the Spirit Eph. 4. 29 30. So singing Psalms and Hymns and spiritual Songs with making melody in the heart to the Lord is a proclaiming that there is some fulness of the Spirit if the Spirit could speak in the Saints the two native languages of the Spirit would be praying for that is the cry of the Spirit Rom. 8. 15 23 26. and singing praises Eph. 5. 18 19 20. The way to have influences of the Spirit is to pray continually and fervently and to give thanks always for all things unto God the father in the name of our Lord Jesus Eph. 5. 20. 5. A wicked hardening of the heart is as if ye would cast water on a weakly smoaking fire of green timber that cannot be a seat an office-house to the Spirit and his actings such are interdited of the spiritual seeing and of the Spirits hearing of the Spirit Rom. 11. 8. God hath given them the spirit of slumber eyes that they should not see and ears that they should not hear to this day It 's dreadful when Prophets preach some stark blind and dead one of the chief and noble operations of the Spirit is illumination and he is a seeing and an enlightning and a hearing spirit 1. Wink not before the shining beams of the Sun yield heartily to the convictions of the Spirit John 16. 7. such as waste away the light of conscience and the convictions of the Spirit are not entrusted again with new actings of the Spirits enlightning 2. Be tender and stand in awe of smaller sins it speaks much of the spirit in David to be smitten with the renting of the lap of Saul's garment 6. Some make themselves uncapable of the actings of the Spirit who seeing great temptations signs and miracles have plenty of means yet remain blind and hard-hearted and dull of hearing Deut. 29. 2 3 4. Heb. 5. 11 12. Joh. 12. 37 38 39 40. if we would improve the actings of the Spirit and delight in the Lords way we should have new influences to walk in his paths Psalm 119. 35. and God teacheth David good judgements for saith he I have believed thy commandments v. 66. So are they-far from new influences who abuse so many plagues and so many deliverances from these plagues as Pharaoh did and crush the motions of a trembling conscience as Felix did a doubt it may be if ever the like acting of a Law-spirit visit such men again 7. All such who remain in the state of unrenewed nature are uncapable of the actings of the Spirit nor does the Spirit lodge in sensual and beastly men Jude v. 19. nor can the world receive the Spirit of truth John 14. 17. no more then the spirit and breathing of a horse can lodge in aâ—pismire It 's true John Baptist was full of the holy Ghost from the womb Luke 1 15. and the Spirit acts him with joy v. 41. when Mary saluted her but John Baptists sin Original was both then pardoned as touching the damnation thereof and subdued as touching the dominion of it Otherwise another spirit acts and works by nature in the sons of disobedience Eph. 2. 2. and these two strong ones can remain and dwell both in one castle then seek translation and to be with Christ if ye would have the Spirit and his influences multitudes no more complain of the want of the influences of the Spirit then a dead mans corps complains of cold of hunger of thirst or of influences of life from the living soul nor complain they of sickness Oh it speaks life to be pained for the waâ— of the Spirit and his influences what wonder that ye cannot perswade a sleeping man that he sleeps 8. Some actings of bitterness wrath clamour anger and malice in the Saints may sadden the Spirit of God darken the evidence of the Spirits sealing unto the day of redemption Eph. 4. 30 31. It must be a sort of suffering to the Spirit and a casting water on the fire and a deadning to David as touching vigorous and lively operations that he acted adultery and murther which moves him to pray for the restoring to him again the joy of the Lords salvation and to be upholden by the Lords free spirit Psal 51. 12. Can a King dwell even in a palace when it is burning and smoaking about his ears therefore holy actings teaching of sinners praying praising Psalm 51. 13 14. 15. to be kind one to another and tender-hearted to forgive one another as Christ did Eph. 4. 32. and to act as the Spirit and to be holy and heavenly in one walk puts the Spirit in a sweet composed temper to act and breath abundantly in his flowings of love and grace 9. It would be observed that influences of the Spirit are contempered with the actings of grace with which they concur the spirit of adoption acts in the grammer of prayer to cry Abba Father and he comes down to the language of children learning to speak and to say Abba and the Spirit helps our infirmities O it must be great help that the Spirit yields it must be creating of new heavens or removing of mountains or dividing of the sea or something like say some nay the Spirit helps us with a groan his influences come down to sigh and weep and mourn like a dove in a Saint Rom. 8. 26. Cant. 2. 14. Ezech. 7. 16. and if so it 's no wonder that the Spirit breaths not on our wild fire anger Well does the Spirit breathe on Christs holy anger he was angry and grieved Mark 3. 5. and was saddened at the offending of God To be angry at the sin of offenders and yet so as to compassionate the soul of the offender this is to fix a fit seat for the influences of the spirit nor can we receive the influences of that spirit who applieth and intimateth pardon and forgiveness when our anger is such to these who injure us as we cannot forgive them and if anger lodge and take chamber in the bosome and brest of a fool can the Spirit breathe supplications in such a brest when the fountain is troubled and muddy with clay it gives no representation of the face and image to the beholder Psalm 119. 135. Make thy face to shine on thy servant but the soul is a dusty and muddy glasse most unfit to receive the irradiations and beams of such a transcendent sun of glory yea it 's some way fitted v. 136. rivers of water run down mine eyes because they keep not thy Law Then a soul mourning for sin is fit to be shined upon by the Lord when the man Christs soul is exceeding sorrowful even to the death Matth. 26. 38. then is his soul fit to receive dartings of the spirit to pray most humbly with his face on the ground v. 39. most believingly O my Father O my Father most fervently with tripple praying 44. more earnestly Luke 22. 44. or more bendedly then
Original sin is sin properly so called Author Imperf operis l. 1. cont Julianum nihil esse peccati in homine si nihil est propriae voluntais vel assensionis hoc mihi hominum genus quod vel leviter sapit sine dubitatatione consentit Lib. Imperfec operis 2. Quod admoneri non potest ut caveatur imputari non potest ut puniatur nunquam autem Legislator ad hanc venit amentiam ut praeceperit cuiquam noli ita vel ita nasci Lib. de peccato merit remis c. 9. c. 26. si peccator genuit peccatorem justum quoque justum gignere debuisse Item Deum qui propria peccata remittit aliena non imputare item parvulis melius esse ex parentibus non nasci Vt jure damnabiles esse imo comparari parricidis in quibus sit causa ut filii nascantur ad damnationem Vide l. 3. cont Julian c. ultimo Item lib. 5. cont Julian c. 11. lib. 5. 1. oper imperfec lib. 1. cae Mr. Baxter 's Preface to his Confession God will judge none on the meer terms of the law of nature nor condemn them only for original sin They that say otherwise do too injuriously extenuate both the grace of God and the sin of man Are not Infants condemned to death and condemned heirs of wrath Rom. 5. Eph. 2. 1 2. 3. 2. Where hath the grace of God made original sin to be no sin or pardoned sinne Hath Christ washed all Infants in his blood Is that a supposed wrath Eph. 2. Insants are not washed in Christs blood according to Pelagians and Arminians but must be saved by some other name then by the name of Jesus Infants are not washed in Christ's bloud according to Pelagians and Arminians but must be saved by some other name then by the name of Jesus God in creating man is both a creator and also a law-giver We are to be humbled for sin original No man can bring himself in a spiritual capacity to receive grace How to fetch influences The Spirit of grace hath his own influence in actions which the regenerate perform out of custome and formality at least in the progress of these actions 2. Sermon on Pray continually pag. 35. How the Lord brings himself under a sort of necessity of conferring gracious influences A practise of grace and a promise of grace in God A Considerable difference betwixt the Lord's promise of grace and his practise oâ— grace Civil professors are nearer to conversion and to Christ then the openly profane and flagitious and how they are also farther distant External use of means is to be gone about as nearer to conversion then no use of means or extreme prophaneness All even the most indisposed are under a command It s a sinful shift to put away duties because of indisposition We are to pray away indispositions as a great affliction The Lord hath given influences by necessity of a promise A clearing of the place Deu. 29. 3. the great temptations c. August lib. 1. con 6. Nec mater mea nec nutrices meae sibi ubera implebant sed tu mihi Domine per eas dabas mihi alimentum infantiae secundum institutionem tuam divitias usque ad fundum rerum dispositas tu etiam dabas nolle amplius quam dabas nutrientibus me dare mihi velle quod eis dabas dare enim mihi per ordinatum effectum volebant quo ex te abundabant Ripening of guiltinesse makes way to ripening of free grace The three persons the Father Son and Spirit give influences The fulness of influences on the man Christ Influences of the Father upon his own The Lord's beginning of a good work in us brings the Lord under a necessity of conferring influences to the end How shall our short arm reach these influences Christ hath the dispensing of predeterminating influences by office and covenant The influences in the Son are all for our use and good The spirit of the world The glorious things which the spirit of God shews How the spirit of God dwels in his own The spirit of the world in the Antichrist and divers other spirits lead the world Liberty of stirring follows the spirit Praying is proper to the spirit Baron de peccato mort veniali The spirit prevenes nature nature prevenes not the spirit Characters of a spiritual soul We are to pray for influences The spirit conveys the word the spirit's relations to the word A two-fold power of the word Of the power of the word and the power of the spirit and how they are differenced Speaking in the spirit is not ever saving to the hearers The spirit's convictions In the spirit's conviction there is some new strength added to the word A state of pure spirit and of all spirit beyond the word in this life is a fancy Obedience is to be yielded to the spirit as to the Father and the Son Much renewd will is a note of a spiritual disposition Four expressions in Scripture of wrongs we doe to the spirit Vexing of the spirit and violence done to his actings Saduing of the spirit and the signs of it Quenching of the spirit We are to make a sort of eike to the spirit Tempting of the spirit 4 Resisting of the spirit and persecuting of godliness The spirit above self speaks a spiritual one he who is least his own is most God's To doubt as a bewildered man of all ways and to desire to be led of God is a spiritual character Spiritual facility is a spiritual character A publick spirit declares a spiritual man How to improve spiritual feelings Watching is a spiritual condition and near to receive gracious influences To converse with the Saints is a mark of a spiritual condition Spiritual conference frequently used speaks a spiritual condition How Satan knows the actings of the heart Satan keeps correspondence with the heart It 's lawful to dispute with Satans instruments not with Satan Christ sought not the tempter nor the temptation but in a sort a patient in being tempted Differences between Satans influences and these of the Lord. Christ under a necessity of giving sanctifying influences Moral and physical influences Moral influences that are only moral are weak Ordinary and extraordinary influences Prophetical influences It 's dangerous to resist strong light and the influences thereof Private and publick Church influences Strong influences under the Messiah in the New Testament Gospel-influences are strong Some influences are for the habit some for the actings of grace some for both Influences proper to the head Christ and influences on the members Mediatory influences are some way due to the broken in heart and what sort of right they have thereunto A four-fold right to influences is considerable Strong and mighty influences in Christ Gospel-providence how far above the law-providence of Adam Mr Gee treats of prayer Sect. p. 187 188 195. Influences of Christ fundamental and not fundamental The
patiently for the harvest to sayl and wait till the Jewels and Gold come home and the Ship land is commendable this is to bring forth fruit with patience 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 3. To wait upon the flowings of the Spirit which out of holy Soveraignty comes in a larger measure then is ordinary as an high spring-tyde as my heart is confirmed or prepared my heart is confirmed or prepared Is 1. To welcome and adore the Lord in these high manifestations and wisedom requires that the soul which is taken into the Kings chamber and finds many outlettings and sweet and rich accesse in praying should multiply bills and being heard for his own pardon as David was Psal 51. should put in a bill for building of the walls of Zion and so should the soul being in a higher strain and admitted to a more then ordinary feast of fat things eat and drink more abundantly Cant. 5. 1. as Esther finding the King on a strain of graciousness to her Esther what is thy Petition follows her suit and lays hold on the opportunity and her suit is not for the safety of one single man but for the lives of the whole Church of God even all the Jews 2. To leave off wrestling too soon is a sort of violence done and a damming up of the mighty flowings of the Spirit No doubt a lazy pursuing of the victory when we prevail with God is a mighty neglect 4. So to wait for the Spirit 's high manifestation as to set bounds to him and to look this shall be a great feast and the instruments are eminent is a limitting of God hope of that kind would be humble and submissive there being no word of promise as concerning the quantity and measure of the emanations and outlettings of the Spirit for that is his own Soveraignty to doe with his own as he thinks good we would be more careful to receive and believe and praise then to widen hope in order to instruments to wit such a shining Prophet beyond what is revealed sure believing his word is better then censuring Soveraignty Idolatry is here crafty and subtil Ass 6. If we speak of preparations going before the real and physical stirrings of saving grace there are not any upon our part except we say with Pelagians that we begin and the Spirit follows CHAP. XI 1. Our impotency to duties being reproved cannot excuse us in the omitting of them 2. The wicked habit in sleeping men is faulty 3. Therefore the withdrawing of influences excuses not 4. The Creatures sin is not from the Lord 's withdrawing of influences of grace formally but from our withdrawing of our hearts from his moral Commandment 5. The Objection of many if God would give me influences of grace as he did to Moses and David I would be as holy as any discussed the Objector and the Objection both answered 6. The non-sense of the Objection opened 7. A natural man hates influences both physical and moral though he wish physical influences 8. The Objection exalteth nature abuseth grace and many ways reproacheth God his Grace Soveraignty Wisedom c. Q. WHether or no doth our impotency to pray and believe clear and justifie us in that we believe not and pray not Ans Not at all for one and the same cannot be a just excuse and a due rebuke but the holy Ghost rebukes our cannot as a sinful cannot and so our impotency cannot be a just excuse So Joshua chap. 24. 19. Ye cannot serve the Lord. Isa 29. 11. I cannot read the book that is I am sinfully ignorant of prophecy Isa 44. 18. They cannot understand no more then blind men Jer. 6. Their ear is uncircumcised they cannot hearken The Lord grievously challengeth the people ver 11. I am full of the anger of the Lord and denounce wrath against this rebellious cannot for not only is the tree rejected as bearing evil fruit but also because the sap is sour and the bulk rotten Christ speaks rebukingly of some impotent cannot of the world Joh. 14. 17. I will send you the Spirit of truth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which the world cannot receive Rom. 8. 7. The wisedom of the flesh is not subject to the law of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 neither indeed can be Ver. 8. They that are in the flesh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cannot please God 1 Cor. 2. 14. The natural man cannot know the things of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is a condemning of the natural man as he is opposed to the spiritual man who is praised as one who knows the secrets of God 2. And he is condemned as one who judgeth the things of the Gospel foolishness John 6. 44. No man can come to me except the father draw him And that is a most wicked shift of him who married a wife Luke 14. 20. therefore I cannot come we excuse such wicked weakness with this God help us we cannot without his grace doe better 3. The very sinful habit and power is reproved in the Word even the power as it is contra-distinguished from the sinful act Psal 14. 1. The habitual fool hath said in his heart there is not a God The habitual blindness and hardness of heart that may be in sleeping men the state of non-regeneration and the state of death and of uncircumcision of heart is condemned Eph. 2. 1 2. 3. Col. 1. 13. 14. Psal 14. 3. their poyson of nature Psal 58. 4. the uncircumcision of heart Jer. 9. 26. the sinful frame of the heart Gen. 6. 5. Gen. 8. 21. Hence of force it must follow that this is no good consequence the sleeping man or swooning man acting and committing no actual guiltiness and making no use of free-will is guilty and rebukable before God as the sleeping Wolf is bloudy the sleeping Lion is cruel because of the bloudy and cruel nature that is inherently in both when neither of them do actually devour so though influences to the material acts of sin be not in our power yet since we lodge that sinful power and virtually as is said consent to want the breathings of God and consent that the sinful acts have hous-room in the sleeping man we are thence guilty upon that account though we sleep and are patient in carrying sinful powers and sinful acts now inherent in us and the withdrawing of influences of grace upon the same account cannot be an honest excuse why I pray not yea the wicked impotency and indisposition and the three Disciples drouziness and sleepiness the same way physical being on them in the night Matth. 26. is a new guiltinesse moral for Christ commanded watching in vigorousnesse then and their actual not praying is another guiltiness 3. Under withdrawings of influences of grace we are guilty 1. In not considering the temptation signs and wonders we see and hear Deut. 29. 3. yea though the Lord 's not giving a new heart be not our sin formally yet our not having
thou wilt not let them goe Deut. 32. 6. Doe ye thus requite the Lord O foolish people and unwise Psal 95. 10. Forty years long have I been grieved with this generation it 's a people that do erre in heart they have not known my wayes So saith Elias to Ahab 1 King 21. 20. Thou hast sold thy self to work evil in the sight of the Lord. Psal 4. 2. O ye sons of men how long will ye turn my glory into shame how long will ye follow vanity and seek leasing Psal 58. 4. They are like the deaf adder which stoppeth her eare 5. which will not hearken to the voice of the charmer And because we are ready to excuse our selves from our impotencie the holy Ghost beares this upon them as a charge Jerem. 13. 23. Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the Leopard his spots then may ye do good that are accustomed to do evil 2 Pet. 2. 14. Having eyes full of adultery that cannot cease to sin Deut. 29. 2 3. 3. Threatnings and curses are charged upon every one who abides not in all that is written in the book of the Law to do it Deut. 27. 26. And yet it 's beyond controversie that no flesh can keep the Law so as it requires else Jesus Christ died in vain Gal. 3. See Deut. 28. 4. We are not freed from an obligation to obey and run even we who are renewed in the spirit of our mind because the Lord drawes not For charges and commands are layed upon us under indispositions yea the Lord speaks to such as lived in suffering times who could not choose but they must be in much heavinesse Phil. 4. 4. Rejoyce in the Lord alwayes again I say rejoyce So speaks he to weak ones Eph. 6. 10. My brethren be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might So speakes Christ to fainting John when in a swoon he could not command himself Rev. 1. 17. Fear not I am the first and the last And to the perishing disciples Mat. 8. 26. Why are ye fearful O ye of little faith And the mourner is most indisposed to believe Isa 50. 10. He that walkes in darknesse and hath no light let him trust in the name of the Lord and stay on his God We are bidden be upon the wing and ready though we be dumpish and indisposed 1 Thess 5. 17. To obey that pray without ceasing in all things give thanks Yea under all contrary dispositions and habits of unbelief we are to act Isa 41. 14. Fear not worm Jacob. 2. Our very graves owe living to God our sinful deadness ought to yield to Christ living in us our heaviness ows rejoycing to him as the night is to remove at the dawning of the day and the cloud is to dis-appear and vanish at the out-breaking of the Sun-light 3. We are to pray under deadnesse as David doth Psal 119. Quicken me in thy way quicken me in thy righteousness quicken me according to thy word c. v. 37 40 88 107 156 159. Deadnesse when David had much of the fulnesse of God hath been creeping on seven times and he seven times prays for quickening like one that is every hour in a swoon out of one swoon he falls in another he makes signs to such as are neer by to be comforted with wine and apples as the Spouse Cant. 2. 5. And therefore this is but a childish shift I am dead and indisposed and therefore will not pray nor believe nor hear nor goe about any such duties Because you are dead and indisposed are you therefore lawlesse and freed of all debt of duties which are imposed by either the Law of God or 2. the constraining love of Christ or 3. bonds and ties laid on you by the free grace of Christ and the state you are in being now translated from death to life Object I le goe about duties when I am free and spiritually disposed Answ 1. What warrant from the Word to delay duties that by present obligation of the Law of God are to be done while it is to day lest hardness of heart come on 2. What assurance can any man have tomorrow or the next hour more then the present hour when deadnesse is on that he shall be master of the Spirits breathing on him to fetch spiritual dispositions Now omission of praying and of other duties is a hainous sin Can sin be a hire to purchase or buy the breathings of the Holy Ghost Did ever man get sweet accesse to God through the Mediator Christ in prayer who delayes praying because he wants a praying disposition And can the Lord welcome in the Mediator Christ the man who fathers the sinful omission of prayer and other duties upon the holy Spirit of God Loose Professors delay their repentance upon this when they are old and a dying they shall be more fit for repentance 3. An indisposition to pray is a great affliction to a godly soul and the so afflicted is to pray to remove that indisposition and to seek in prayer a spiritual disposition to pray and that pray continually is not pray only when a spiritual disposition to pray is on for that should be far from praying continually and that Psal 50. Call upon me in the day of trouble suffereth no such exception Pray to me in trouble but not except ye be spiritually disposed For it hath this good sense call and pray in the day of trouble and in the hour when the spirit is under the soul-trouble of desertion and indisposition and when the Lord hides his face and shines not So the want of a spiritual disposition is the frowning of God upon the soul and it 's an ungracious heart which will not pray when the Spirit in his shining influences withdraws And therefore 4. It 's not the Spirit of the Lord but the spirit of Satan which suggests any such carnal arguing I have no heavenly disposition for the present therefore I will not pray for the Spirit of the Lord quickens men to duties and that is known to be a spirit from hell that weakens men in praying or in any duties CHAP. V. Influences of grace are due to the Saints by promise 2. Some are plagued with plenty of means 3. The scope of the place Deut. 29. 3. The great temptations which thine eyes have seen c. opened 4. The nature of the Lord's promise of influences 5. The efficient causes of influences from the Father and from the Son influences on the Man Christ 6. Influences from the Father how they are ours 7. Influences from the Son Christ which are promised to us how they are ours THere is another way of fetching influences of grace when we carefully use former grace as our Saviour saith to him that hath shall be given And so grace shall bring more grace Sowen wheat brings forth more wheat Psal 119. 1. Blessed are they that walk in the law of the Lord they shall doe no