all their promises are yea and Amen in Christ 2 Cor. 1 20. The Covenant was made for his sake 't was ratified and confirmed by his death his bloud is called the bloud of the everlasting Covenant Heb. 13 20. his bloud being shed the Covenant stands good unto eternity Here is vast encouragement to lay hold upon the promises If you come to God and ask Lord hast thou not made promises of pardon to the penitent and believing promises of grace to the humble promises of satisfaction to the hungry Souls promises of joy and comfort to the mourners In his Word God answered Yea. If you farther add Lord Let these promises be accomplished for thy Christs sake the answer is Amen it shall be so they shall be all fulfilled 10. Growing in the knowledge of Christ implies a more earnest looking for his Word appearing The day of this appearing is appointed it draws very near being hastned by the Prayers and sufferings of Saints by the Sins and security of the World Yet a little while and he that shall come will come and will not tarry Heb. 10.37 If Christ were better known this day would be more longed for by the Saints Innocency will then be cleared all enemies more then conquered salvation will be perfected the whole Church of Christ with all its members glorified Col. 3 4. When Christ who is our life shall appear then shall ye also appear with him in glory Thus you see what it is to grow in the knowledge of Christ and the telling you this is indeed a directing you how to grow in this knowledge In the second place I am to shew you what properties are required in this Knowledge 1. This knowledge of Christ would grow more and more certain The Apostle speaks of Riches of full assurance of understanding to the acknowledgement of the Mystery of God and of the Father and of Christ Col. 2 2. The truths of Christ are certain in themselves the mind should understand them as most certain there should be an assurance of their certainty a full assurance of it such an assurance is a rich thing a thing of great value for 't will have a great vertue and efficacy both upon the heart and life 2. This Knowledge of Christ should more and more 〈…〉 when he sees the treasures of Wâ—sdom in Christ he should be sensible of his own folly when he views the robe of Christs â—â—ghteousness he should be sensible that his own righteousnâ—â—â— are but rags When he studies Christs fulness and Power he should be sensible of his own emptiness and weakness Finally he should see himself to be nothing when he perceives that Christ is all in all Col. 3.11 3. This Knowledge of Christ should grow more Spiritual He is not to be known after a carnal manner and therefore Popish Images are very unfit representations of him not that his flesh is swallowed up of his Divinity as Servetus dreamed but his flesh is glorified and as transcendently glorious we must now look upon him We must also know him as the purchaser and bestower of all Spiritual gifts and graces that we may be further renewed by his Spirit the Apostle â—s thâ—◠〈◊〉 be understood when â—e sâ—â—s 2 Cor. 5.16 â—â— Though 〈…〉 after the Flesh yet now henceforth know we him no more therefore if 〈…〉 in Christ he is a new Creature 4. This Knowledge of Christ should encourage to a mâ—â—◠〈…〉 upon him when we see what a sure and everlasting foundation Christ is here we should build higher and higher till the top reach Heaven there is no fear that the foundation will not bear the superstructure We may safely depend upon Christ for a lasting peace with God for perfecting the work of grace and abundant entrance into the everlasting Kingdom He that believes in him shall never be confirm did 1 Pet. 2 6. Let 〈◊〉 this Râ—lyaâ—â—e be called a â—â—lling faith but without scoffing at her let the Church of Christ be permitted to lean upon her Beloved while she is so weak as she is in the Wilderness of this World Cant. 8.5 5. The Knowledge of Christ should raise him higher and 〈◊〉 Christians estimation The more we know of him new beauties will still be discovered in him He is greater than Jonas a Prophet grâ—â—â—â— tâ—â—â— Solomon a King who was the most famous King of Israel He is altogether lovely nay he is the Angels wonder Heavens darling the brightness of his Fathers glory Here is no danger of an over value of an excessive love Therefore let the Spark be blown up into a flaâ—â— that may not be quenched by many Flouds of Water that may be too strong for Death and Hell it self to conquer Cant. 8.6 7. 6. The Knowledge of Christ should have a great Aspect upon whatever else is revealed in the Word of God 'T is a great matter to know the truth as it is in Jesus Eph. 4 21. The Apostle tells us that he desired to know nothing else but Jesus Christ and him crucified 1 Cor. 2 2. will plainly intimate that he lookt upon other things with a respect unto Christ and indeed without such a respect what knowledge can be profitable what knowledge can be comfortable Luther said In Christs Crucifâ—◠〈…〉 Theologia cognitio Deâ— There cannot be a right knowledge of God if there be an ignorance of Christ crucified 7. The Knowledge of Christ it should be operative still in a greater measure It is inexcusable to be slothful where the Master is so good the promised assistance so great the commands far from grievous and the reward eternal The better we know our Lord Jesus we shall sâ—â—â—â— him witâ— a more perfect heart with a more willing mind Obedience is reasonable pleasant necessary we should be stedfast and always abound herein Labour shall not be in vain 1 Cor. 15 58. 8 The Knowledge of Christ should cause great glorifying and joy Well may believers who have no confidence in the Flesh who worship God in the Spirit rejoyce in Christ Jesus Phil. 3 3. God in Christ is become their Father and he will not disinherit any of his Children 〈◊〉 he has adopted but they shall abide in the House forever nothing shall separate them from his love The marriage union between Christ and them shall never be dissolved Mansions are preparing for them in Heaven where there is everlasting light and pleasantness and they are fitting for these Mansions and shall not be long out of them Well may they love their Lord and believing rejoyce with joy unspeakable and full of glory 1 Pet. 1 â— In the third place the Directions follow how you may increase and grow in the Knowledge of Jesus Christ The directions are these 1. Be sensible of your remaining ignorance and how great the hindrance is how great the harm is that is the effect of it You that are the Children of light and of the day have much of night and darkness in you A perfect
or promise of Christ to his Disciples about Persecution jearingly telling 'em 't was for their good Let such Persons know and O that they would consider that though God hath and doth and will bring good out of evil and over-rule the fury of men for the good of his People yet this is not the least excuse for their Sin nor can it be pleaded to abate their Punishment To give you an Instance I can't give a greater and I need give no more The Jews Persecution of our Blessed Saviour 't was predetermin'd of God and eventually proved the greatest good to man yet no thank to them nor alleviation of their guilt f Acts 2.23 Him being delivered by the determinate Counsel and fore-knowledge of God ye have taken and by wicked hands have Crucified and slain They pretended high to Piety and necessity for their Process against him they Charge him with Blasphemy against God Treason against Caesar Devilism against the Souls of People and Luxury as to his common Conversation whereas he was no other than g Act. 7.52 the just one of whom ye have been now the Betrayers and Murtherers 'T was Good Counsel that Gamaliel gave those Rulers h Act. 5.29 who were cut to the Heart i. e. vext at Heart and counted it Criminal that the Apostles should dare to tell 'em We ought to obey God rather than men Refrain from these men and let them alone for if this Counsel or this work be of men it will come to nought but if it be of God ye cannot overthrow it lest haply ye be found to fight against God for 't is said of others of them that slighted this i 1 Thes 2.15 16. They have persecuted us and they please not God and are contrary to all men forbidding us to speak unto the Gentiles that they might be saved to fill up their sin alway for the wrath is come upon them to the uttermost And how heavy doth that Doom ly upon them to this day I 'le add no more to this Caution but a Request to Persecutors to read and think and pray over the Second Psalm This premised much may be said of the good which God doth in and for and by his Children by bringing them into his presence in and deliverance out of Persecution how God increaseth their Graces heightens their Comforts multiplyes their Experiences beyond what he doth any other time of their lives I remember Augustine hath a Passage though being separated from my Books I cannot name where That if a Person suffer death for Christ before Conversion his Martyrdom shall be to him instead of Regeneration But if you will not receive his Testimony about the first Grace I am sure you 'l not deny my next about the Exercise of Grace k Heb. 5.8 Our great Exemplar thô he was the Son of God yet as he was the Son of man he experimentally learned Obedience by the things which he suffered And the Holy Ghost tells us l Heb. 2.10 It became him for whom are all things and by whom are all things in bringing many Sons unto Glory to make the Captain of their Salvation perfect through Sufferings 'T is hard to say what kind of Perfection Christ had by Suffering but 't is easie to observe how Sufferings tend to the Perfecting of Christians they force them to a more severe examination of Heart and Life and to a more thorow Repentance of what provok't God to lay them under Sufferings then their Prayers are more fervent and their whole Conversation more regular than at other times so that I know not whether as well the former as the latter part of that passage may not be a gracious Promise m Psal 89.30 31 c. If his Children forsake my Law and walk not in my judgments if they break my Statutes and keep not my Commandments then will I visit their Transgression with a Rod and their Iniquity with Stripes nevertheless my Loving kindness will I not utterly take from him nor suffer my faithfulness to fail my Covenant will I not break c. In short their greatest Sufferings shall be medicinal not destructive the more they exercise their Graces the more they increase them for here 's the difference between an Earthly and an Heavenly Treasure the one the more you spend the less you have the other the more you lay out the more you augment the Treasure n James 2.5 Hearken my beloved Brethren hath not God chosen the poor of this World those especially who are impoverished for Righteousness sake rich in Faith and according to our Faith are all our other Graces and all our other Comforts for 't is o 1 Pet. 1.8 by believing we rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of Glory And the Apostle tells you expresly that 't is for the Comfort of others he acquaints 'em p 2 Cor. 1.5 As the Sufferings of Christ abound in us so our Consolation aboundeth by Christ Those Christians that have walkt droopingly all their dayes when God hath singled them out for Sufferings God hath clear'd up their Evidences Never did any Martyr dye in desertion 'T was in the Captivity * Dan. 10.10 c. that one while Christ the Angel of the Covenant another while a created Angel one of his menial Servants did revive instruct support and comfort Daniel as Gods greatly beloved The Blessed Apostle in one Chapter q 2 Cor. 11. gives us an account of his Sufferings and in the next r 2 Cor. 12. of his some degree of s beatifical vision and both beyond all the other Apostles And God doth not only this in and for themselves but God makes them more eminently useful unto others Persecution was the occasion of spreading the Gospel all the world over Blessed Paul wrote more Epistles in his Bonds than any one of the other Apostles in their Liberty and 't was in one of those Epistles that he appeals to his Readers †Ephes 3.4 to understand his Knowledge in the mystery of Christ 'T was in the time of the beloved Disciple's banishment into Patmos that Christ gave him a Prospect of the State of the Church from his time to the End of the World thrô all the times of the Heathen Persecutions and thrô the rise reign and ruine of the Antichristian Apostasie with peculiar Prophesies suitable Directions terrible Threatnings and chearing Promises thrô the several Visions all which thô not very easie to be understood yet well deserve the Name of Revelation evidencing Christs peculiar care of his persecuted Servants that nothing befalls them by Chance but that the main outrage of Enemies is ordered and bounded by Christs infinite Wisdom and Compassionate Love And thô time hath confuted many mistaken Calculations of the continuance of the Churches troubles yet God will not delay the Churches deliverance one moment in favour to their Enemies but gradually to ripen his own design and God will in the
't is next to impossible to be too shye of Sin unless when Satan frights us into the omission of some duties for fear of the Sins that inevitably cleave to them In short I would have you understand this Instance to referr to Sins past not future to Sins already committed that there 's no other possible way of undoing what 's done but by Repentance not of Sins not yet committed as if I gave so much as the least encouragement to so much as the least Sin Thus understanding the instance I dare say it over again Serious Godliness will force something of good out of the Evil of Sin These are the Persons that cannot forget the Wormwood and the Gall of their Mortification x Lam. 3.19 20. their Soul hath them still in remembrance and is humbled in them These are the Persons that put a due estimate upon pardoning Mercy and love Christ the more for the more Sins he hath forgiven them As Christ said of Mary Magdalen y Luke 7.47 Her Sins which are many are forgiven for she loved much but to whom little is forgiven the same love little The Blessed Apostle that brands himself for the chief of Sinners z 1 Tim. 1.15 before Conversion dare own it that a 1 Cor. 15.20 he laboured more abundantly than all the Apostles after his Conversion and 't is peculiar to him to coyn words b Rom. 5.20 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. 1 Tim. 1.14 to magnifie the Grace of God in Christ Christians I beseech you let not any one take encouragement hence to Sin but let the worst of Sinners take encouragement hence to repent What thô thou hast been one of the vilest wretches upon earth thou mayest through Grace be one of the highest Saints in Heaven and the sense of what thou hast been may promote it The rising ground of a Dunghill may help to raise thy flight towards Heaven Once more Thô to your own Apprehension you have no Faith at all to believe any one word of all this nor any skill at all to know what to do yet Serious Godliness will make all this good to thee Here you see I take it for granted that one may be seriously godly who in his own present Apprehensions hath no Faith at all nor skill at all for any thing that is Spiritually good many may be in this like Moses their Faces may shine their Grace may shine to others and they themselves not c Exo. 34.29 know it Many that are dear to God live many years in the growing Exercise of Grace and yet dare not own it that they have any at all God bestows the Faith of Assurance upon those of his Children that are not able to bear up without it mistake me not as if it were not every ones duty to seek it and a great Priviledge to have assurance when others of his Children which have a stronger Faith live and 〈◊〉 without it To give you an Instance beyond all instances Our 〈◊〉 Jesus Christ who 't is certain could not want assurance yet died in as great desertion as 't was possible to befall him d Mark 15.25 with Mat. 27.46 When he had hung six hours upon the Cross He cried with a loud Voice My God my God why hast thou forsaken me q. d. This is beyond all my other Torment And when he had cryed again with a loud Voice with a vehement affection and a strong Faith e Verse 50. he lay'd down his Soul But what was that he spake with such vehemency the second time f Luke 23.46 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Father into thy hands I will commend my Spirit I will depose my Soul with thee I will thrust it into thy hands Now that Jesus Christ was under this unexpressible Desertion during the three hours preternatural Darkness 't is more than for the best of Christians to be so during their whole life which doth more than prove what I asserted That a Person of great Grace may be so much in the dark as not to see he hath any But what must he do in this case Can Serious Godliness afford any Relief Christians pray mark it these Persons they are and through Grace cannot but be seriously Godly and their serious Godliness finds 'em work enough and support enough to keep 'em from sinking They daily do what they complain they can't do g Isa 50.10 They do fear the Lord they fear nothing more than sinning against him they do obey the voice of his servants there 's none receive Instructions more Obediently thô they walk in Darkness they 'l never follow a false Fire if they have no light from God they 'l have none from any else They do trust in the name of the Lord they lye at Gods foot let him do what he will with them they do stay upon their God they come up from h Cant. 8.5 the Wilderness of the World leaning upon their beloved Religion is the whole business of their life and comparatively they do nothing else And thô they have not ravishing Comforts they have that Peace that exceeds i Phil. 4.7 all understanding that is meerly humane and that doth guard their hearts and minds through Christ Jesus against all the Stratagems and Fiery Darts of Satan Their State is good their Souls are safe and they can't but be happy in both Worlds And thus I have endeavoured to be so practical in the Doctrinal part that there needs but little to be added for the Application the Lord make that little to be like Chymical Spirits to be more effectual than a greater quantity Rouze up your selves to do your part that it may be so Vse 1 Set your hearts upon Serious Godliness This must be the first Use for you can make no Use at all of this Doctrine till you have made this Use of it Every thing without this is but an abuse of it you do not only wrong the truth but you wrong your selves what ever you say or do about it till you make it your business to experiment the truth of what hath been spoken in its Commendation and this I can assure you never any one repented of his down-right Godliness Therefore live in the practice of those plain Duties without which 't is in vain to pretend to Religion e. g. Daily read some Portion of the Old and New Testament not as your Child reads it for his Lesson but as 〈◊〉 Child reads it for his Profit Be more frequent in Prayer not as those that pass their Prayers by number but as those that pour out their Hearts to God in Holy fervour Let your thoughts be so fill'd with Heavenly Objects that you may in some respect make all things such you think of Discourse of the things of God not in a captious or Vain-glorious manner but as those that feel the Truths they speak of Receive the Sacrament not as a Civil Test but as sealing that Covenant
wherein you will be as careful to fulfill the Conditions as you would have God faithful in fulfilling the Promises Look out so sharp to the Progress of your Sanctification that Sin may not expire but be mortified and that Grace may be so lively as to confute the reproach of Enemies and exceed the Commendation of Friends Bear Afflictions not as a Malefactor goes to Execution because he can't help it but as chary not to miss the Fruit of Affliction the Participation of Gods Holiness Thô you look first to your selves be not only selfish though in the most Gracious manner but endeavour to be Blessings as far as your Name is heard of In short perform all your duties to God your selves and others in the Name of Christ thrô his Strength according to his Command relying upon his Promises that you may feel what it is to be accepted in Gods and your beloved This is to be Serious in Religion Learn to be more than barely contented with your present Condition Vse 2 't is that which God in Wisdom chooseth for you preferring it before any other Condition Every Condition hath some lessons peculiar to it which are better learnt in that Condition than in any other and those things that may be best learnt in thy Condition are the things you most need learning which when you have learnt then God will put thee into other circumstances to teach thee something else Every Condition hath something grievous in it by reason of the Sin and Vanity that cleaves to it but that which is most grievous if it be used as Physick will help to cure thee We all grant 't is best to take Physick when we need it a 1 Pet. 1.6 Now for a season if need be you are in heaviness thrô manifold Trials and when we take Physick we imprison our selves in our Chamber as much as others in a Gaol we abstain from riot as much as they that want bread we tend our Physick and need no Arguments to do so Christians let God be your Physician and prescribe what Physick he pleaseth we have nothing else to do but observe his Instructions for it's beneficial operation Apply this to any Condition that is uneasie to you and you 'l see cause not only to justifie but to praise your wise Physitian but if this arguing be not cogent I will commend one that is I confess I love those Directions that will apply themselves that will work their way for Application That you may so far like your present Condition as to perform the duties of it before you desire an Alteration of it take this course Sit down and consider should God so far humour thee as to let thee frame thine own Condition to thine own mind to give thee thy choice for a worldly Happiness Suppose he allowed thee time to think to consult Friends to alter and add upon second and third yea upon your twentieth Thought whatever the Wit of man could suggest or the Heart of man desire and all this for a whole Moneth together before you fixt your choice I suppose when you chose it should be Wealth without Care Pleasure without Weariness Honour without Hazard Health without Sickness Friends without Mistake Relations without Crosses Old Age without Infirmities and if God should thus alter the course of his Providence unto what would your own Pride and the Worlds Envy expose you O! but you 'l say all this with Grace will do well Do you think so but would not Grace without all this do better Can you think that such a Condition would Wean you from the World and fit you for Heaven or is Earth the place where you would live for ever and have no more Happiness than that can afford you Return Poor Soul return to thy Self and to thy God acknowledge that God is Wise and thou art a Fool And 't is better be employed in the present Duty of thy present Condition than to doze out thy Life in wilde Imaginations Vse 3 Make Conscience of both sorts of Duties Religious and Worldly and allot fit and distinct times for Heavenly and Worldly Business but with this difference let Religion mix it self with worldly business and spare not but let not the World break in upon Religion lest it spoil it Religion will perfume the World but the World will taint Religion Though every thing in the World be clogg'd with Vanity yet there 's something of Duty about every thing we meddle with and we must not call neglect of Duty contempt of the World Use the World as you do your Servants to whom you give due liberty as the best way to prevent their taking more than is due so to take a due care about the World is the best way to prevent Religion's being justled out by worldly cares Count not any Sin or Duty about the least matters so small as to venture upon the one or neglect the other but proportion your carefulness according to the business before you I see more cause every day than other to commend both the Truth and Weight of the Observation that all Over-doing is undoing You can't bestow too much diligence about one thing but you rob something else of what diligence is necessary and marr that about which you are over-solicitous I 'le close this with that of the Apostle b 1 Cor. 7.29 30 31. This I say Brethren the time is short we have none to spare It remaineth for the future that both they that have Wives be as though they bad none let 'em not be Uxorious and they that weep as if they wept not if God bring them under sorrrow let them but water their Plants not drown 'em and they that rejoyce as if they rejoyced not we must at best rejoyce with trembling and they that buy as if they possessed not there 's nothing we can purchase worth the name of a Possession and they that use this world as not abusing it to any other use than what God hath appointed for the fashion of this World passeth away the Pageantry of this World will soon be over but I would have you without carefulness without distracting carefulness about worldly things Whatever you do for the bettering of your Condition follow God but Vse 4 do not go before him This is a direction of great moment being a necessary Caution against that Sin that doth always beset us Every man is an Orator to aggravate his own grievances and thinks himself a Politician for fitting them with Remedies yea hath the confidence of a Prophet that they shall certainly be effectual if God will but take his Time and Method for their operation c Job 11.12 Vain man would be wise thô he be born like a wild Asses Colt to kick up his heels against Gods unsearchable Wisdom You may at once see both your proness to the Sin and Christ directing to this Remedy in one and the same instance viz. When Peter had made such a
and they have it not to pay them its hard to keep all this from going too near the heart and hard to bear it with obedient quiet submission to God especially for Women whose Nature is weak and liable to too much Passion 2. And this Impatience turneth to a setled Discontent and Vnquietness or Spirit which affecteth the Body it self and lieth all day as a Load or continual Trouble at the Heart 3. And Impatience and Discontent do set the Thoughts on the Rack with Grief and continual Cares how to be eased of the troubling Cause they can scarce think of any thing else and these Cares do even feed upon the Heart and are to the Mind as a consuming Feaver to the Body 4. And the secret Root or Cause of all this is the worst part of the Sin which is too much Love to the Body and this World Were nothing ovâ—â—loved it would have no power to torment us if Ease and Health were not overloved Pain and Sickness would be the more tolerable if Children and Friends were not overloved the Death of them would not overwhelm us with inordinate sorrow if the Body were not overloved and worldly wealth and Prosperity overvalued it were easie to endure hard Fare and Labour and Want not only of Superfluities and Conveniences but even of that which is necessary to Health yea or Life it self if God will have it so at least to avoid Vexations Discontents and Cares and inordinate Grief and Trouble of mind 5. There is yet more Sin in the root of all and that is it sheweth that our Wills are yet too selfish and not subdued to a due submission to the Will of God but we would be as Gods to our own chusing and must needs have what the Flesh desiâ—◠〈…〉 â—â—â—t a due Resignation of our selves and all our Concerns to God and 〈…〉 as Children in due dependance on him for our daily Bread but â—â—â—t needs be the keepers of our own Provision 6. And this sheweth that we be not sufficiently humbled for our sin or else we should be thankful for the lowest state as being much better than that which we deserved 7. And there is apparently much Distrust of God and Vnbelief in these troubling Discontents and Cares could we trust God as well as our selves or as we could trust a faithful friend or as a Child can trust his Father how quiet would our minds be in the sense of his Wisdom All-sufficiency and Love 8. And this Unbelief yet hath a worse Effect than worldly Trouble it sheweth that men take not the Love of God and the Heavenly Glory for their suffâ—cient portion unless they may have what they want or would have for the Body this world unless they may be free from Poverty and Crosses and Provocations and Injuries and Pains all that God hath promised them here or hereafter even everlasting Glory will not satisfie them and when God and Christ and Heaven are not enough to quiet a mans mind he is in great want of Faith Hope â—nd Love which are far greater matters than Food and Rayment III. Another great cause of such trouble of mind is the guilt of some great and wilful sin when conscience is convinced and yet the foul is not converted sin is beloved and yet feared Gods wrath doth terrifie them and yet not enough to overcome their sin some live in secret fraud and robbery and many in drunkenness in secret fleshly lusts either self-pollution or fornication and they know that for such things the wrath of God cometh on the Children of disobedience and yet the rage of appetite and lust prevaileth and they despair and sin and while the sparks of Hell fall on their consciences it changeth neither heart nor life there is some more hope of the recovery of these then of dead hearted or unbelieving sinners who work uncleanness with greediness as being past feeling and blinded to defend their sins and plead against holy obedience to God Bruitishness is not so bad as Diabolisme and malignity But none of these are the persons spoken of in any Text Their sorrow is not overmuch but too little as long as it will not restrain them from their sin But yet if God convert these persons the sins which they now live in may possibly hereafter plung their souls into such depths of sorrow in the review as may swallow them up And when men truly converted yet dally with the bait and renew the wounds of their consciences by their lapses it is no wonder if their sorrows and terrours are renewed Grievous sins have fastened so on the consciences of many as have cast them into uncurable melancholly and distraction IV. But among people fearing God there is yet another cause of Melancholly and of sorrowing overmuch and that is Ignorance and mistakes in maâ—â—â—â— which their peace and comforts are concerned in I will name some particulars 1. One 〈◊〉 Ignorance of the tenor of the Gospel or Covenant of Grace as some Libertines called Antinomians more dangerously mistake it who tell men that Christ hath Repented and believed them and that they must no more question their Faith and Repentance than they must question the righteousness of Christ so many better Christians understand not that the Gospel is tidings of unspeakable joy to all that will believe it and that Christ and Life are offered freely to them that will accept him and that no sins how great or many soever are excepted from pardon to the soul that unfeignedly turneth to God by faith in Christ that whoever will may freely take the water of life and all that are weary and thirst are invited to come to him for ease and rest And they seem not to understand the conditions of forgiveness which is but true consent to the pardoning saving baptismal Covenant 2. And many of them are mistaken about the use of sorrow for sin and about the nature of hardness of heart they think that if their sorrow be not so passionate as to bring forth tears and greatly to afflict them they are not capable of pardon though they should consent to all the pardoning Covenant and they consider not that it is not our sorrow for it self that God delighteth in but it is the taking down of pride and that so much humbling sense of sin danger and misery as may make us feel the need of Christ and mercy and bring us unfeignedly to consent to be his Disciples and to be saved upon his Covenant terms Be sorrow much or little if it do this much the sinner shall be saved And as to the length of Gods sorrow some thinks that the pangs of the new birth must be a long continued state whereas we read in the Scripture that by the penitent sinners the Gospel was still received speedily with joy as being the gift of Christ and pardon and everlasting life humility and self-loathing must continue and increase but our first great sorrows may be swallowed up with
holy thankfulness and joy And as for hardness of heart in Scripture it is taken for such a stiff rebellious obstinacy as will not be moved from their sins to obedience by any of Gods commands or threats and is called oft an Iron sinew a stiff neck c but it s never taken from the meer want of tears or passionate sorrow in a man that is willing to obey the hard hearted are the rebellious sorrow even for sin may be overmuch and a passionate woman or man may easily grieve and weep for the sin which they will not leave but obedience cannot be too much 3. And abundance are cast down by ignorance of themselves not knowing the sincerity which God hath given them grace is weak in the best of us here and little and weak grace is not very easily perceived for it acteth weakly and unconstantly and it is known but by its acts and weak grace is always joyned with too strong corruption and all sin in heart and life is contrary to grace and doth obscure it and such persons usually have too little knowledge and are too strange at home and unskilful in examining and watching their hearts and keeping its accounts And how can any under all these hinderances yet keep any full assurance of their own sincerity if with muchado they get some assurances neglect of duty or coldness in it or yielding to temptation or unconstancy in close obedience will make them question all again and ready to say it was all but hypocrisie and a sad and melancholly frame of mind is always apt to conclude the worse and hardly brought to see any thing that is good and tends to comfort 4. And in such a case there are too few that know how to fetch comfort from bare probabilities when they get not certainty much less from the meer offers of Grace and Salvation even when they cannot deny but they are willing to accept them and if none should have comfort but those that have assurance of their sincerity and salvation despair would swallow up the soules of most even of true believers 5. And Ignorance of other men increaseth the fears and sorrows of some They think by our preaching and writing that we are much better then we are And then they think that they are graceless because they come short of our supposed measures whereas if they dwelt with us and saw our failings or knew us but as well as we know our selves or saw all our sinful thoughts and vicious dispositions written in our fore-heads they would be cured of this errour 6. And unskilful Teachers do cause the griefs and perplexities of very many some cannot open to them clearly the tenor of the Covenant of grace some are themselves unacquainted with any spiritual heavenly consolations and many have no experience of any inward holiness and renewal by the Holy Ghost and know not what sincerity is nor wherein a Saint doth differ from an ungodly sinner as wicked deceivers make good and bad to differ but a little if not the best to be taken for the worst so some unskilful men do place sincerity in such things as are not so much as duty as the Papists in their manifold inventions and superstitions and many Sects in their unsound opinions And some unskilfully and unsoundly describe the state of grace and tell you how far an hypocrite may go so as unjustly discourageth and confoundeth the weaker sort of Christians and cannot amend the mis-expression of their Books or Teachers * One of my Hearers fell distracted with reading some passages in Mr. Sheepherds sincere Beleever which were not justifiable or sound And too many Teachers lay mens comforts if not Salvation on controversies which are past their reach and pronounce heresie and damnation against that which they themselves understand not even the Christian world these one thousand three hundred or one thousand two hundred years is divided into parties by the Teachers unskilful quarrels about words which they took in several sences Is it any wonder if the hearers of such are distracted IV. I have told you the causes of distracted sorrows I am now to tell you what is the cure but alas it is not so soon done as told and I shall begin where the disease beginneth and tell you both what the Patient himself must do and what must be done by his friends and Teachers I. Look not on the sinful part of your troubles either as better or worse than indeed it is 1. Too many persons in their sufferings and sorrows think they are only to be pittyed and take little notice of the sin that caused them or that they still continue to commit and too many unskilful friends and Ministers do only comfort them when a round chiding and discovery of their sin should be the better part of the Cure and if they were more sensible how much sin their is in their overvaluing the world and not trusting God and in there hard thoughts of him and their poor unholy thoughts of his goodness and in their undervaluing the heavenly Glory which should satisfie them in the most afflicted State and in their daily Impatiences cares and discontents and in denying the mercies or grace received this would do more to cure some than words of comfort when they say as Jonah I do well to be angry and think that all their denials of Grace and distracting sorrows and wrangling against Gods love and mercy are their duties its time to make them know how great sinners they are 2. And yet when as foolishly they think that all these sins are marks of a graceless state and that God will take the Devils temptations for their sins and condemn them for that which they abhor and take their very disease of melancholly for a crime this also needs confutation and reprehension that they may not by errour cherish their passions or distress II. Particularly Give not way to a habit of peevish impatience though it is carnal love to somewhat more than to God and Glory which is the damning sin yet Impatience must not pass for innocence did you not reckon upon sufferings and of bearing the Cross when you first gave up your selves to Christ And do you think it strange look for it and make it your daily study to prepare for any tryal that God may bring you to and then it will not surprize you and overwhelm you Prepare for the loss of Children and Friends for the loss of Goods and for Poverty and Want prepare for slanders injuries or poysons for sickness pain and death It is your unpreparedness that maketh it seem unsufferable And remember that it is but a vile body that suffereth which you alwayes knew must suffer death and rot to dust and whoever is the instrument of your sufferings it is God that tryeth you by it and when you think that you are only displeased with men you are not guiltless of murmuring against God or else his overruling hand
God but the Corruptions and Maladies of Christians are not You must hold nothing but what Christians of old have held as received from Gods Word but because they have all some Faults and Errors you must not hold and do all those V. Maintain the Vnity of the Spirit in the bond of Peace with all true Christians as such and live in Love in the Communion of Saints That is with them that live in the Belief and in holy Obedience to the Christian Faith and Law By their Fruits you shall know them The Societies of Malignants who suppress true Practical Knowledge and Piety and hate the best men and cherish Wickedness and bloodily persecute those that in Conscience obey not their Usurpations and Inventions are not the Communion of Saints Wolves Thorns and Thistles are not the Sheep or Vines of Christ VI. Prefer not any odd or singular Sect before the Universal Consent of the Faithful in your Learning or Communion so far as the Judgment of men is to be regarded Though we take not our Faith from the Number of Believers and though the most be usually none of the best and some few are much wiser than the most and in a Controversie a few men of such knowledge are to be believed before the multitude of less knowledge yet Christ is the Head of all true Christians and not of an odd Sect or Party only and he hath commanded them all to live as Brethren in Love and holy Communion And in all Sciences the greater number of agreeing men are liker to be in the right than some stragling persons who shew otherwise no more ability than they At least which side soever you like best in less necessary Points you must always be in unity with all true Christians and not unnecessarily differ from them VII Never set a doubtful Opinion against a certain Truth or Duty reduce not things certain to things uncertain but contrarily uncertain things to certain for instance It is certain that you ought to live in Love and Peace with all that are true Christians and to do good to all and wrong to none Let not any doubtful difference make you violate this Rule and hate and slander and backbite and hurt them for a doubtful indifferent or unnecessary thing Set not your Mint or Cummin Tythes or Ceremonies against Love and Justice and the great and certain things of the Law It 's an ill Sect or Opinion that is against the Nature and common Duty of Christianity and Humanity VIII Faithfully serve Christ as far as you have attained and be true to all the Truth that you know sin not by omission or practice against the Knowledge which you have lest God in justice give up your Understanding to believe a Lie IX Remember that all men on earth are ignorant and know but as in a Glass and in part and therefore the best have many Errors No man knoweth the smallest Grass or Worm with an adequate perfect knowledge And if God bear with multitudes of Errors in us all we must bear with such as are tolerable in each other It 's well if men be humble and teachable and willing to know As we have seen few more imperfect than the Sects that have asserted sinless perfection so we see few so fallible and erroneous as the Roman Sect which pleadeth their Infallibility when they tell you that you must believe their Popes and Councils that you may come to an end of Controversie Ask them whether we may here hope for any end of Ignorance Errour and Sin if not what hope of ending all Controversies before we come to Heaven where Ignorance is ended The Controversies against the Essentials of Christianity were ended with us all when we became true and adult Christians and the rest will be lessened as we grow in knowledge Divinity is not less mysterious than Law and Physick c. where Controversies abound X. Yet stiâ—t not your selves in Knowledge nor say we have learnt enough but continue as Christ's Scholars in Learning more and more to the Death the wisest know little and may still increase There is a great difference in Excellency Usefulness and Comfort between men of clear digested Knowledge and confused undigested Apprehensions These ten Rules practised will save you from being perplexed with Doubts and Controversies of all Pretenders in Religion II. But if your trouble be not about Doctrinal Controversies but about your Sins or want of Grace and Spiritual state digest well these following Truths and Counsels and it will cure you I. God's Goodness is equal to his Greatness even to that Power that ruleth Heaven and Earth His Attributes are commensurate And Goodness will do good to capable Receivers He loved us when we were Enemies and he is essentially Love it self II. Christ hath freely taken Humane Nature and made Satisfaction for the Sins of the world as full as answereth his Ends and so full that none shall perish for want of sufficiency in his Sacrifice and Merits III. Upon these Merits Christ hath made a Law or Covenant of Grace forgiving all Sin and giving freely everlasting Life to all that will believingly accept it so that all mens Sins are conditionally pardoned by the Tenor of this Covenant IV. The Condition of Pardon and Life is not that we sin no more or that by any price we purchase it of God or by our own works do benefit him or buy his Grace but only that we believe him and willingly accept of the Mercy which he freely giveth us according to the Nature of the Gift that is that we accept of Christ as Christ to justifie sanctifie rule and save us V. God hath Commissioned his Ministers to proclaim and offer this Covenant and Grace to all and earnestly intreat them in his Name to accept it and be reconciled to him he hath excepted none VI. No man that hath this Offer is damned but only those that obstinately refuse it to the last Breath VII The Day of Grace is never so past to any Sinner but still he may have Christ and Pardon if he will and if he have it not it is because he will not And the Day of Grace is so far from being past that it is savingly come to all that are so willing and Grace is still offered urgently to all VIII The Will is the Man in God's account and what a man truly would be and have he is and shall have Consent to the Baptismal Covenant is true Grace and Conversion and such have right to Christ and Life IX The number and greatness of former Sin is no exception against the pardon of any penitent converted Sinner God pardoneth great and small to such where Sin aboundeth Grace superaboundeth and much is forgiven that men may be thankful and love much X. Repentance is true though Tears and passionate Sorrow be defective when a man had rather leave his Sin than keep it and sincerely though imperfectly endeavoureth fully to overcome it No Sin
shall damn a man which he more hateth than loveth and had truly rather leave than keep and sheweth this by true endeavour XI The best man hath much evil and the worst have some good but it is that which is preferr'd and predominant in the Will which differenceth the Godly and the wicked He that in estimation choice and life performeth God and Heaven and Holiness before the world and the pleasure of sin is a true godly man and shall be saved XII The best have daily need of Pardon even for the faultiness of their holiest Duties and must daily live on Christ for pardon XIII Even Sin against Knowledge and Conscience are too oft committed by regenerate men for they know more than others do and their Consciences are more active Happy were they indeed if they could be as good as they know they should be and love God as much as they know they should love him and were clear from all the Relicts of Passion and Unbelief which Conscience tells them are their Sins XIV God will not take Satans Temptations to be our Sins but only our not resisting them Christ himself was tempted to the most heinous Sin even to fall down to the Devil and worship him God will charge Satans blasphemous Temptations on himself alone XV. The Thoughts and Fears and Troubles which Melancholy and natural Weakness and Distemper irresistably causeth hath much more of Bodily Disease than of Sin and therefore is of the least of Sins and indeed no more Sin than to burn or be thirsty in a Fever further than as some Sin did cause the Disease that causeth it or further than there is left some power in Reason to resist them XVI Certainty of our Faith and Sincerity is not necessary to Salvation but the Sincerity of faith it self is necessary He shall be saved that giveth up himself to Christ though he know not that he is sincere in doing it Christ knoweth his own Grace when they that have it know not that it is sound It is but few true Christians that attain to certainty of Salvation for weak Grace clogged with much Corruption is hardly known and usually joyned with fear and doubting XVII Probability of Sincerity and Trust in Christ may cause a man justly to live and die in Peace and Comfort without proper certainty else few Christians should live and die in peace and yet we see by experience that many do so The common Opinion of most Church-writers for 400 years after Christ was that the uncontinued sort of Christians might fall from a state of Grace in which had they continued they had been saved and therefore that none but strong confirmed Christians at most could be certain of Salvation and many Protestant Churches still are of that mind and yet they live not in despair or terror No man is certain that he shall not fall as heinously as David and Peter did and yet while they have no cause to think it likely they need not live in terror for the uncertainty No Wife or Child is certain that the Husband or Father will not murder them and yet they may live comfortably and not fear it XVIII Though Faith be so weak as to be assaulted with doubts whether the Gospel be true and there be any Life to come and though our Trust in Christ be not strong enough to banish our Fears and Troubles yet if we see so much evidence of Credibility in the Gospel and Probability of a better Life hereafter as causeth us here to fix our Hopes and Choice and to resolve for those Hopes to seek first the Kingdom of God and his Righteousness and let go all the world rather than sell those Hopes and live a holy Life to obtain it this Faith will save us XIX But God's Love and Promise through Christ is so sure a ground for Faith and Comfort that it is the great Duty and Interest of all men confidently and quietly to trust him and then to live in the joy of holy Trust and Hope XX. If any man doubt of his Salvation because of the greatness of his Sin the way to quietness is presently to be willing to forsake them Either he that complaineth is willing to be holy and forsake his Sin or not if you be not willing to leave them but love them and would keep them why do you complain of them and mourn for that which you so much love If your Child should cry and roar because his Apple is sowr and yet will not be perswaded to forbear to eat it you would not pity him but whip him as perverse But if you are truly willing to leave it you are already saved from its damning guilt XXI If you are in doubt of the Sincerity of your Faith and other Graces and all your Examination leaveth you uncertain the way is presâ—ntly to end your doubt by actual giving up your self to Christ Do you not know whether you have been hitherto a true believer you may know that Christ is now offered to you consent but to the Covenant and accept the offer and you may be sure that he is yours XXII Bare examining is not alwayes to be done for assurance but labour to excite and exercise much the grace that you would be assured of The way to be sure that you believe and love God is to study the promises and goodness of God till active Faith assure you that you believe and you love God and Glory till you are assured that you love them XXIII It is not by some extraordinary act good or bad that we may be sure what state the soul is in but by the predominant bent and drift and tenor of heart and life XXIV Though we cry out that we cannot believe and we cannot love God and we cannot pray aright Christ can help us without his grace we can do nothing but his grace is sufficient for us and he denieth not his further help when once he hath but made us willing but hath bid us ask and have and if any lack wisdom let him ask it of God who giveth to all liberally and upbraideth not with former folly but gives his spirit to them that ask him XXV This sin called the blasphemy of the Holy Ghost is the sin of no one that believeth Jesus to be the Christ nor of any that fear it no nor of every infidel but only of some few obstinate unbelieving enemies for it is only this When men see such miraclâ—â— of Christ and his spirit as should or could convince them that he is of God and when they have no other shift they will rather maintain that he is a Câ—njuâ—â—r 〈◊〉 wrought them by the Devil XXVI Though sinful fear is very troublesomâ—â—nd not to be cherished God often permitteth and useth it to good to keep us from being bold with sin and from those sinful pleasures and love of the world and presumption and security which are far more dangerous and to take down pride
and keep us in a sensible watchful state for just fear is made to preserve us from the hurt and danger feared XXVII He that goeth fearing and trembling to Heaven will there quickly be past all fear and doubts and heaviness for ever XXVIII When Christ for our sins was in his agony and when he cryed out My God my God why hast thou forsakâ—n me He was then nevertheless beloved of his Father And he was tempted that he might succor them that are tempted and suffered such derision that he might he a Compationate High-Priest to sufferers XXIX By how much the more the troubles and blasphemous temptations and doubts and fears of a man are grievous displeasing and hateful to him by so much the more he may be assured that they â—hall not condemn him because they are not beloved sins XXX All our troubles are over ruled by Gâ—d and it is far better for us to be at his choise and disposal than our own or our dâ—aâ—est friends and he hath promised that all things shall work together for our good Rom. 8.28 XXXI A delight in God and goodness and a joyful praising frame of soul from the belief of the love of God through Christ is far more to be desired than grief and tears which do but sweep away some dirt that love joy and thankfulness may enter which are the true Evangelical Christian temper and likest to the heavenly state Digest these Truths and they will cure you III. But if Melancholly have got head already there must be besides what is said some other and Proper remedies used and the difficulty is great because the disease makes them self-conceited unreasonable wilful and unruly and they will hardly be perswaded that the disease is in their bodies but only in the souls and will not believe but they have reason for all what they think and do or if they confess the contrary they plead disability and say we can think and do no otheâ—wâ—se then we do But supposing that there is some use of reason left I will give them yet some further Counsel and what they cannot do their friends must help them to their power which I shall add 1. Consider that it should be easie for you in your confounding troubling thoughts to perceive that your understandings are not now so sound and strong as other mens and therefore be not wiiful and self-conceited and think not that your thoughts are righter then theirs but believe wiser men and be ruled by them Answer me this question Do you know any Minister or friend that is wiser than your self If you say no how foolishly proud are you if you say yea then ask the Minister or friend what he thinketh of your condition and believe him and be ruled by him rather then by your crazed self 2. Do you find that your troubles do you more good or hurt Do they make you fitter or unfitter to believe and love God and rejoyce in him and praise him If you feel that they are against all that is good you may be sure that they are so far from the Devils temptations and are pleasing to him and will you cherish or plead for the work of Satan which you find is against yourselves and God 3. Avoid your musings and exercise not your thoughts now too deeply nor too much long Meditation is a duty to some but not to you no more than it is a mans duty to go to Church that hath his leg broken or his foot out of joynt He must rest and ease it till it be set again and strengthened you may live in the faith and fear of God without setting your self to deep disturbing thoughts Those that will not obey this counsel their friends must rouse them from their musings and call them off to something else 4. Therefore you must not be much alone but always in some pleasing cheerful Company solitariness doth but cherish musings Nor must such be long in secret prayer but more in publick prayer with others 5. Let those thoughts which you have be laid out on the most excellent things pore not all on your selves and on your distempered hearts the best may find there much matter of trouble As Milstones wear themselves if they go when they have no Corâ— so do the thoughts of such as think not of better things then their own hearts if you have any power of your own thoughts force them to think most of these four things 1. The infinite goodness of God who is fuller of Love than the Sun is of light 2. Of the unmeasurable Love of Christ in mans Redemption and of the sufficiency of his sacrifice and merits 3. Of the free Covenant and offer of Grace which giveth pardon and life to all that do not prefer the pleasure of sin before it and obstinately refuse it to the last 4. Of the unconceivable Glory and Joy which all the blessed have with Christ and which God hath promised with his Oath and Seal to all that consent to the Covenant of Grace and are willing to be saved and ruled by Christ These thoughts will cure melancholly fears 6. Use not your selves to a complaining talk but talk most of the great mercies of God which you have received Dare you deny them if not they are not worthier of your discourse than your present sufferings let not all men know that you are in your troubles complaining doth but feed them and it discourageth others Open them to none but your secret Councellours and friends use much to speak of the love of God and the riches of Grace and it will divert and sweeten your sowrer thoughts 7. Especially when you pray resolve to spend most of your time in Thanksgiving and Praising God If you cannot do it with the joy that you should yet do it as you can You have not the power of your comforts but have you no power of your tongues say not that you are unfit for thanks and praises unless you had a praising heart and were the Children of God For every man good and bad is bound to Praise God and to be thankful for all that he hath received and to do it as well as he can rather then leave it undone And most Christians want assurance of their Adoption and must they therefore forbear all praise and thanksgiving to God Doing it as you can is the way to be able to do it better Thanksgiving stirreth up thankfulness in the heart but by your objection you may perceive what the Devil driveth at and gets by your melancholly he would turn you off from all thankfulness to God and from the very mention of his Love and goodness in your praises 8. When vexatious or blasphemous thoughts are thrust into your mind by Satan neither give them entertainment nor yet be overmuch troubled at them 1st Use that reason and power that is left you resolutely to cast them out and turn your thoughts to somewhat else do not say I cannot If you
John 20.17 Go in my Brethren and say to them I ascend to my Father and your Father to my God and your God A power to spirituallize carnal affections Col. losâ— 3â— â— If ye then be risen with Christ seek those things which are above where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God set your affectiâ—n on things â—bove and not on things upon the earth Finally a power to conâ—â—rm and establish the soul in Grace for Christ being â—â—ised from the â—ead diâ—th no 〈◊〉 death hath no more dominion oâ—er him and they that are once really quickened by him shall never more become dead in sins and 〈◊〉 passes but shall continue faithful to the death and may confidently expect a joyful resurrection Christ is risen as the first fruits of them that slept 1 Cor. 15.20 Therefore there will be an Harvest at the end of the world when all the bodies of the Saints that were sown in Corruption shall be raised in Incorruption that were sown in dishonour shall be raised in Glory 6. Growing in the Knowledge of Christ implies greater satisfaction aboue his imputed righteousness The Apostle having spoken of the excellency of the knowledge of Christ presently declares his desire to be found in him not having his own Righteousness but that which is through the Faith of him the righteousness which is of God by Faith Phil. 3.9 This righteousness of Christ is called the righteousness of God Because 't is that which God accepts and upon the account of which he justifies the ungodly moreover Christ himself is Jehovah the true God else his obedience and sufferings would not have been sufficient to have been our justifying Righteousness * Cur insane Sophista assâ—ris dilectionâ—m spem alias virtutes scio has esse insignia Dei dona divinitus mandata per Spiritum sanctum in nostris cordibus excitari ali Scio fidem sine his donis non â—xistere Sed nunc nobis quaestio â—st quid cujusque proprium sit Tenes manu varia semina non autem quaero quae cum quibus conjuncta sint Sed quae cujusque propria virtus Hic aperte dic quid faciat sola fides non cum quibus virtutibus sit conjuncta Sola fides apprehendit promissionem credit promittenti deo deo porrigenti admovet manum et accipit hoc proprium soliuâ— fidei opus est Charitas spes patientia habent alias materias circaquas vâ—rsantur habent alios limites intra quos consistunt non enâ—m complectuntur promissionem sed mandata exequuntur Luther Tom. 2. in Gen. p. 57. a. This Righteousness is said to be imputed and imputed by the Lord himself and that without works and this Doctrine was preached in the Old Testament by David as well as in the New by the Apostle Paul Rom. 4.6 Nay as Christ is called the Lord our Righteousness Jer. 23.6 So Jerusalem the Church is called after her Husbands Name the Lord our Righteousness Jer. 33.16 to shew the reality of the imputation of this righteousness and the real and blessed benefits that follow upon it T is by this righteousness applyed by Faith that we are justifyed from all our Transgressions of the Law and from our sins against the Gospel That guilt which we have contracted by our impenitency and unbelief which are sins against the Gospel can be removed out of Gods sight only by the righteousness by the blood and death of his Son All Justification therefore before God whether our sins have been against the first or the second Covenant is purely meerly by this righteousness of Jesus Christ whereof Faith is medium applicationis a means to apply Oh the compleatness and perfection of this Righteousness of Christ there is no need of any addition He is called the Sun of Righteousness and therefore in the business of Justification all other righteousness should vanish as the Stars do at the Sun rising Let Satan rage let Rome deride and reproach this Article of imputed righteousness must stand or the Church will fall And the better Christ is known the more confidently shall we own his righteousness 7. Growing in the Knowledg of Christ implies a more constant and fiducial eying of his Intercession and the pity and compassions of him that intercedes Believers should better know this Friend and Advocate in the Court of Heaven who always appears for them there He presents to his Father what he did and suffered upon Earth and how effectual is this on the Churches behalf Though the head be in Heaven yet he is mindful of his Members on Earth and is ready to plead for them here is the ground of boldness in coming to the Throne of Grace for we have a great high Priest that is passed into the Heavens Jesus the Son of God Heb. 4.14 16. Here is the reason why the Saints Prayers are so mighty and prevalent they are backt with the Intercession of Christ nay 't is upon this that the Apostle concludes believers Salvation to the uttermost Heb. 7.25 Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him seeing he ever lives to make Intercession for them 8. Growing in the knowledg of Christ implies being better acquainted with his great Power and continual presence with his Church which is so nearly related to Him Behold All Power is given to him both in Heaven and Earth at his Name every knee does bow and every tongue if it will speak truth must confess that Christ is Lord. He is the blessed and only Potentate the King of Kings and Lord of Lords The mightiest Monarchs are more under his Power then their meanest Slaves are under theirs He has all the reprobate Angels in a Chain the Key of Hell is in his hand he commands all there and in Heaven the elect Angels are his Ministers to fulfil his pleasure He is indeed exalted far above all Principality and Power and Might and Dominion and every name that is named not only in this World but also in that which is to come Eph. 1 21. Now this Lord who is so powerful has assured his Church which is his Spouse nay his Body that he will be with her always to the end of the world Mat. 28. ult The Church therefore in spight of Earth and Hell shall last while the world lasts Let fear give way and Faith increase Believers may contemn their proudest adversaries See Zions carriage towards Sennacherib the great King of Assyria Esa 37 22. The Virgin Daughter of Sion hath despised thee and laughed thee to scorn the Daughter of Jerusalem hath shaken her head at ther. 9. Growing in the knowledg of Christ implies a better understanding him as Mediatour of the new Covenant so he is called Heb. 12 23. On this Covenant pardoning mercy renewing grace and eternal glory are promised Earth and Heaven the Creature and the Creator himself by himself are made over to Believers Now you must know that
Actions and Accidents two things considerable 1. The Action for example such a Text was handled such a charitable Action done such a Man brake his Leg was drunk or the like 2. The Inference or Observation to be gathered from thence for all Events whether good or bad are intended by the wise God for mans Instruction Now the Memory lays up the former and can retain it a long time but the Lesson which we should learn from it that 's neglected that 's forgotten 2. Things Hurtful to us to wit Injuries These usually stick in the memory when better things slip out If any body hath spoke or done evil to us the memory is trusty enough about these As one says we can remember Old Songs and Old Wrongs long enough yea those whom we profess to forgive yet we declare that we cannot forget them Not but that a man may have a natural remembrance of an injury so that he have not an angry remembrance of it As our heavenly Father himself remembers all a Believers sins but puts away his anger so we may rationally remember them but we must spiritually forget them for else the remembrance of them generally doth us a great deal of hurt but no good at all it cools our love weakens our trust and prepares us for revenge as did Amnon towards Absolon 2 Sam. 13.32 3. Things Sinful thus we can remember a filthy Story seven years when we do forget a saving Sermon in seven hours And herein the Memory is the great Nurse of Contemplative wickedness and represents to the idle and sinful heart all the sins it wots of with renewed delight and so strengthens the impression and doubles the guilt Ezek. 23.19 She multiplyed her Whoredoms in calling to remembrance the days of her youth wherein she had played the Harlot in the Land of Egypt The depraved Memory is herein fitly compared to a Sive that lets the good Corn fall through and reserves only the chaff by which its plain that the Faculty is not lost but poyson'd So that in this respect we may say as Themistocles did to Simonides when he offered to teach him The Art of Memory rather says he teach me The art of Forgetfulness for the things which I would not I remember and cannot forget the things I would 2. The cortuption of the Memory stands in Forgetting those things which we should remember But these things being so exceeding many great and useful though I cannot enumerate them yet I shall comprize the chief of them in these following general heads 1. Our Creator and what he hath done and what he hath done for us Eccles 12.1 Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth And yet whom do we more forget Jerem. 2.32 Can a Maid forget her Ornaments or a Bride her Attire yet my people have forgotten me days without number And our Forgetfulness here is most inexcusable because we may see taste and feel him every moment forasmuch as he is not far from every one of us seeing in him we live and move and have our Being and yet we can make shift to forget Him which shews the great Craze we had by the Fall And then the great things which he hath done to wit in the Works of Creation and Providence especially for his Church these we early forget but should remember Psal 77.11 I will remember the Works of the Lord surely I will remember thy wonders of Old And particularly what he hath done for us the many and great Mercies and Deliverances especially the most remarkable of them which every good Christian should have a Catalogue of in his mind or in his Book Deut. 8.2 And thou shalt remember all the way which the LORD thy GOD led thee these Forty Years c. 2. Our Redeemer and what he hath suffered for us Never was there such an Instance of free and transcendent Love in the World as that the Eternal Son of God should give himself to be a Sacrifice to expiate our Sin and yet we that can profess of far less kindnesses from men that we shall never forget them can forget this else he had never instituted the Lords Supper on purpose to keep up the solemn and useful Remembrance thereof which Remembrance sets a work all our Graces our Faith Love Repentance Thankfulness c. And without the frequent Use of this Ordinance where it may be had a defect will be forced in these Graces for the greatest things wear off with time and Holy David himself found cause to charge it uopn his Soul Ps 102.3 Bless the Lord O my soul and forget not all his benefits c. 3. The Truths of Religion especially the most weighty Malach. 1.4 Remember ye the Law of Moses my Servants which I commanded unto him in Horeb for all Israel with the Statutes and Judgments And of these the Apostle Peter saith 2 Pet. 1.12 13 15. he would put the Christians in remembrance though they knew them that they might be established in present Truth yea he would stir them up by putting them in remembrance as long as he lived The Doctrine of God of Christ of the Creation of the Fall of the Covenant of Grace of Faith Repentance the Resurrection as in my Text and Judgment to come these things should be so ingrafted into the hearts of Christians that they should know and remember as well as their own Names or the rooms of their Houses and yet it is a shame to find how easily and almost utterly these things are forgotten by too many How few do we find that have been long Hearers of Gods Word that can give any tolerable account of the Nature of that Faith by which the Soul lives 4. The Duties of Religion The Scripture that so often requires us to remember them plainly implies that we are apt to forget them what 's the meaning of that Exodus the 20 Chap. Verse 8. Remember the Sabboth to keep it holy but that we easily forget it we are surprized by it it returns ere we are aware so that Heb. 13. Verse 2 3 16. which is called by some a Chapter of Remembrance be not forgetful to entertain Strangers Remember them that are in Bonds to do good and to Communicate forget not All which as they shew our duty so do they imply our defectiveness herein though to forget those and such like are as absurd as if we did forget to eat or sleep For as Christians we live by Faith and breath by Prayer so to forget to repent to believe to pray and to discharge the duties of our Relation Callings and all other duties toward God and toward men is to forget Christianity it self 5. Our Sins As there is a culpable so there is an useful and necessary remembrance of them when we remember sin to renew our love to it that 's damnable but when we remember it to loath it and to loath our selves for it that 's saving Ezek. 36.31 Then shall ye remember
own Son but delivered him up for us all how shall he not with him also freely give us all things how can he not be freely willing to give us any thing at his Sons request when he loved us so as to give the Son himself for us Vse Since it is thus What greater encouragement can we have for our Faith and Prayers than this Prayer of Christ What can be a firmer ground of hope or more effectually raise our expectations of what is here prayed for that is of all wherein our happiness is concerned for the Prayer doth comprize all that is requisite to make us happy here and for ever I. What support is there that Faith doth need or can have which it may not here meet with Is it the infinite Mercies and Compassions of God Why this Prayer not only engages the Mercy and compassions but the Justice and Righteousness of God it is a Righteous thing with God to grant the requests of Christ Is it the Covenant of Grace or the great and pretious promises Why he that here prays is the Mediator of the Covenant in whom all the promises are Yea and Amen Is it the Humiliation of the Son of God Why this is a signal instance of his Humiliation where he who hath Heaven and Earth and all Creatures at his Command offers himself in the form of a Servant and presents these particulars in the posture with the voice and in the Words of a Supplicant Is it the Obedience and Righteousness of Christ Why this was in him a meritorious Act of Obedience he prayed as one made under the Law and this was one way whereby he fulfilled the Righteousness of it Is it the Death and Sufferings of Christ Why this is the ground upon which his Prayer proceeds ver 19. For their sakes I sanctifie my self that they also might be sanctified those for whom I offer these requests are no other than those for whom I offer my self a Sacrifice Is it the intercession of Christ at the right hand of the Father Why his Prayer on Earth and Intercession differ but circumstantially and the Circumstances which make the difference make no less for the support of Faith he prayed for the same Persons and for the same things too for which he intercedes and it is the same Person that both prayed and intercedes he is in both the Son of God and the Son of Man too The difference is that in his Intercession his Sacrifice is presented as already offered in his Prayer it was presented as ready to be offered but it was no less effectual before it was actually offered than after Besides he prayed in the state of Humiliation he intercedes in the height of his Glorious Advancement but his Exaltation in Heaven is the effect of his Prayer on Earth ver 5. Now O Father glorifie thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the World was in short his Prayer was his Intercession begun and his Intercession is the continuing of his Prayer for it hath the Essence of a Prayer being the presenting of his Will and Desires to the Father on the behalf of his People Lastly is the Word of him who is Truth it self a support of Faith Why this we have also in reference to Christs Prayer John 11.41 42. Jesus lift up his eyes and said Father I thank thee that thou hast heard me and I know that thou hearest me alwaies You see what supports Faith hath from this Prayer even all that is requisite to raise it to a full assurance if not all that is possible II. What qualifications would you desire in one that pleads for you to make you confident that his plea will be successful and prevalent You may find a concurrence of all these and that far more transcendently than in any in whom you would have the most confidence For First He hath Power no less than all all power is given him in Heaven and Earth Matth. 22.18 He hath power to prevail with the Father and power to order all Creatures in Heaven and Earth into a subserviency to what he desires He is willing and earnestly desires the happiness of his People and all that tends to it and these desires flow from the wonderful Love of an Infinite God and the greatest compassions of a perfect man united in one person and so from an affection altogether unparallel'd such as cannot be found in Heaven or Earth save only in the Lord our Redeemer and Advocate Farther he hath Authority he was called to be an High Priest Heb. 3. and obliged by that Office to pray for his people Heb. 5.1 7. and being faithful in the discharge of it could not but be successful therein his Honour is engaged and depends both upon the Execution of his Office and the success of it The Father called him to be an High Priest and so to pray for his People he would not have called him to it but with a design to comply with him in it and to be prevailed with by it Besides he hath right and pleads for nothing but what he hath right to obtain pleads for nothing with the Righteous God on our behalf but what he hath purchased with that which is of infinite value Also he hath Interest the greatest imaginable as much Interest as is possible he makes not this address to a Stranger or a Friend or a common Relative but to his Father one who loves him as himself Joh. 5.20 He hath as much Interest in him as in himself and can prevail as much with him as with himself and can no more be denyed by him in what he desires than he can deny himself for they are both one Joh. 10.30 I and my Father are one they have not only one Interest and Design but one Essence and Will What Christ wills the Father wills Christ directs us to say to the Father when we pray thy Will be done and the Father saith to Christ praying for us thy will be done for it is no other than his own Will and Heaven and Earth shall pass away rather than one jot or tittle of it shall not be fulfilled Lastly He had a personal a particular respect for every of his Servants in his Prayer It is as comfortable and will be as effectual and gives as much assurance of success as if now in Heaven he did pray for every of us by name The High Priest under the Law carried the Names of the Twelve Tribes upon his Breast when he vent into the Holyest to intercede for the people he was herein a Type of Christ the great High Priest and his People were so in his Mind and Heart while he made these requests that his Prayer reached every individual no less effectually than if he had petitioned for each of them by Name These severals duly considered are enough if any thing in the World be so to advance Faith unto the height of Confidence that those for
God 1. By Sanctifying our Hearts and assimilating our Natures to the Nature of God for there can be no Communion where there is no likeness of Nature What Communion hath Light with Darkness or Fire with Water because there is no similitude in their Natures As the Elements that have symbolical qualities and some likeness in their Nature do easily pass one into the other by a Natural transmutation In this Communion with God there must be some suitableness and likeness between God and the Soul and that enmity and contrariety which is in our Natures to him must be removed by the sanctifying operation of the Holy Spirit in us 2. By elevating and raising the Soul above its Natural power and reach The Apostle distinguisheth between the Soul and Spirit in Man the Spirit is the superior part of the Soul and it is in the Spirit that we have our Communion with God who is a Spirit As the Union and Communion between the Soul and the Body in Nature is by the Superiour and most refined part of the Body which are the Vital Natural and Animal Spirits so our Union and Communion with God is by the Spirit the supreme part of the Soul and that elevated and raised by the Spirit of God above its own Natural capacity or power These are the principal wayes for Communion with God but then there are subordinate wayes which are the Ordinances and Institutions of God for that end For God hath in all ages been training up his people to this to have Communion with himself and therefore he did appoint Ordinances for that end under the Law there were Sacrifices and Altars and Solemn Feasts appointed of God especially the Sabbath-Day and a Sanctuary erected c. and all for this end that his People might therein draw nigh to him and have Communion with him And so in the New Testament God hath his Ordinances also appointed for this end as Prayer Hearing the Word Singing of Psalms Baptism and especially the Lords Supper which is therefore called the Communion as that Ordinance wherein we have a more special Communion with Christ and with God in him Quest But what is to be done more particularly on our part to obtain it and maintain it also Answ 1. In general we are to desire it and pant after it as the most beneficial and necessary thing in the World Many have it not because they desire it not They satisfie themselves in their converse with things below and the Communion they have with things sensible and natural and desire not this Communion with God Answ 2. You are to make it your scope and end in all the Ordinances you approach to to have therein Communion with God Many come to them out of custome some out of curiosity and others in hypocrisie and so find not that Communion with God which else they might obtain if they did make it their great scope and end David testifies his great longing that he had after the Sanctuary of God but it was for this end that he might there meet with God and have Communion with him as he expresseth it in the Psal 27.4 One thing have I desired of the Lord to dwell in the House of the Lord that I may see the Beauty of the Lord and enquire in his Temple And again Psal 63. O God my God early will I seek thee my Soul thirsteth for thee that I may see thy Power and thy Glory as I have seen thee in thy Sanctuary which is in effect that he might there have Communion with God But to speak to this more particularly 1. If we would have Communion with God we must keep up the exercise of Faith in Christ for it is as I said by him that we have all our Communion with God therefore Christ had his Name Immanuel given to him which signifies God with us Let Faith look upon God as in Christ and so we may behold him reconciled we may behold him coming down to us in our own Nature we may behold him upon a Throne of Grace and as entred into a Covenant of Grace whereby we may with a greater freedome and boldness have access unto him which is the active part of this Communion with God and through Faith in Christ God also communicates himself by his Spirit to his People in Light Life and Love which is this Communion in the passive part of it The Apostle 1 John 4.15 saith to this purpose Whosoever confesseth that Jesus is the Son of God God dwelleth in him and he in God This Confession is an act of Faith and if it be not only from the Mouth but from the Heart it leadeth the Soul into this Communion with God expressed in our part by our dwelling in God and on Gods part by his dwelling in us 2. Keep up a dayly exercise of Repentance that so no new Sin nor the Guilt of it in the Conscience may hinder and interrupt our Communion with God For who can say his Heart is clean He is pure from sin and therefore there is need of dayly Repentance that sin may not interrupt our Communion with God which it will do if we abide impenitently under it The Apostle speaks in this Chapter of Fellow-ship with God and here in the Text and afterwards adds If any man say he hath no sin he deceiveth himself So that this Communion with God may consist with the Being of sin but not with impenitence under it and therefore adds If we confess our sin he is faithful and just to forgive it and we know that Confession of Sin is one great part of Repentance and when Sin is thus confessed and forgiven it need not hinder our Fellowship with God The Apostle also mentioneth in my Text Fellowship with God and the cleansing of us from sin by the Blood of Christ both these are put together so that to maintain this Fellowship with God we must be cleansed from sin which is done meritoriously by the Blood of Christ but on our part upon the Conditions of Faith and Repentance 3. Keep up a constant course of Prayer and praising God 1. Prayer Prayer is a special Ordinance for Communion with God and therefore so much commanded in Scripture Pray without ceasing saith the Apostle in one place Pray all manner of Prayer in the Spirit as he speaks in another place For if it be not a Prayer in the Spirit accompanied with Faith and fervour of Soul we may pray and yet have no Communion with God Prayer is compared to incense but it doth not ascend to Heaven but in the Fire of Holy Affection kindled by the Spirit And Christ therefore propounded several Parables to put men upon Fervency Faith and Perseverance in Prayer which are so well known that I need not mention them If the Soul draws nigh to God in any Duty it will be this And so Gods drawing nigh to the Soul is experienced to be much in this Duty of Prayer Christ himself
must be so by actual calling John 6.37 All that the Father giveth me shall come to me Or as not yet actually in being in the World but in the loyns of their Parents whether Saints or Sinners God may have a Seed even among the Children of wicked Men and as sometimes he may pass by the Children of gracious Men the Parents may be a Seed of God and Children not so sometimes he may overlook the Parents and take the Children the Parents may be wicked and the Children holy God is a Soveraign and may chuse where he will and sometimes he pitcheth upon the most unlikely Subjects a wicked Ahaz may have a godly Hezekiah for his Son and a good Josiah a wicked Jehoiachim for his This distinction I lay down because though I understand the Doctrine in the first place of the religious actually in being among a People yet not only of them God sometimes acting for a Nation with respect to those he is to have among them This premised I come to shew in what respect the godly may be said to be the strength of a People and this I shall by a little following the Metaphor in the Text. The Holy Seed is here called the Substance or Stock of a People so that in what respect the strength of a Tree is in its Stock in those or several of them the strength of a People is in the Religion of them 1. The Stock of a Tree is the most firm and durable part of it when the Leaves are shaken off the Branches many of them drie and withered nay though it be close Lopt and all the Bows cut down yet still it continues and lives keeps its place and retains its Sap. So it is with the truly religious at least as to their Spiritual State as we intimated in the explication of the Text when Hypocrites and Temporaries drop off from the Body of Professors and quit their Stations in a Church and their religious Profession yet the godly still continue hold their own keep their standing They are all united to Christ the Root as well as to teach other in the Body and as parts together of the same Stock and so are preserved and continued in Life by Sap derived to them from the Root the constant supplies of the Spirit and Grace of Christ In this respect we may say he that doth the will of God abideth for ever 1 John 2.17 and they that have an Unction from the Holy One abide in him verse 20 27. 2. The Stock is that which propagates its kind cut off all the Bows and yet the Stem will shoot forth again send out new Leaves and Fruit and Seed from which other Trees will come So here the righteous propagate their righteousness communicate to others beget Children to God are Spiritual Parents and have a Spiritual Off-spring How many Children come in upon their Parents Covenant not only as to outward priviledges in the Church but as to real Grace The promise is to them and their Children Acts 2.39 and as it takes place in all of them as to Church Membership so it doth in many as to Saintship And besides how many are wrought on by their instruction won by their example awakened by their admonitions overcome by their persuasions How many have cause to bless God for religious Parents religious acquaintance religious Instructors as well as godly Ministers who have been instrumental in their conversion Thus when many particular Branches of righteousness are plucked off as to their temporal State in this Life yet the Holy Seed continues the Stock is pepetuated in a succession of righteous ones Men usually spare the Tree for the sake of the Stock Isa 65.8 As the new Wine is in the Cluster and one saith destroy it not a Blessing is in it A Man finds a Cluster or two of Grapes on a Vine and by those few perceives that there is Life in the Tree and some hopes of more fruitfulness hereafter and therefore doth not cut it down so will I do says the Lord for my Servants sake that I may not destroy them all he spares the rest or many of them doth not destroy them all for his Servants sake for the sake of the righteous among them Job 22.30 according to marginal reading The Innocent shall deliver the Island which suits best with the following Clause it is delivered by the pureness of my hands Eliphaz tells Job before what advantage he should himself have by returning to God and acquainting himself with him verse 21. from whom he supposes him to have departed and to be estranged by sin and here he tells him what benefit should redound to others his goodness should not only do good to himself but keep off evil from them For the better understanding this take two things by way of Concession and a third by way of Position 1. I grant that the religious part of a People may not always be active as Men in a natural or civil way in delivering them or keeping off evils from them they may have no proper and direct efficiency in it for 1. Sometimes they may want power and ability for it they may be but few and inconsiderable for Number the Holy Seed may be very thin sown there may be but a few Grains of Corn among a great deal of Chaff but a little Wheat among abundance of Tares Or those that are may be weak and low as to their outward condition in the World for not many mighty not many noble are called 1 Cor. 1.26 and so may be in ill case to contribute much by an active concurrence to the help of others 2. Sometimes they may be simple and unskiful in outward affairs want that Wisdom and Worldly Policy which might be needful in many Cases for the warding of imminent dangers or removing incumbent troubles Not many wise Men after the Flesh are called as well as not many mighty or noble Saints may be wise for their Souls prudent and knowing in the Misteries of the Kingdom of Heaven and yet but Babes in other things The Wisdom they have is from above Jam. 3.17 respects things above and they may be meer Ignoramuses in any thing else 3. They may have no hand in publick affairs no share in the Government nor be intrusted or made use of by those that are in Power they may be suppressed and brought into bondage by others as the Israelites were in Aegypt and the Jews in Babylon they may be so much in suffering by others that they be in no capacity of acting for them 4. Sometimes Gods Judgments upon a People may be such as no Instruments and so not the holiest Men among them can keep them off by any natural efficiency and all attempts in such a way may be in vain Such was the destruction of the Old World by the Flood and of Sodom by Fire and Brimstone and of several places by Inundations Earthquakes c. 2. I grant that sometimes the