breaths here Manna's rain'd down here God shews his face here 's the sealing place the Spirit confirmes the word and prints it upon thy soul Thus waite upon him in his own way I and waite upon him in his own time too don't think time tedious He that beleeves makes not haste which St. Paul renders He that beleeves is not ashamed as if to make haste and be asham'd were all one God will wonderfully prepare the soule that he means to fill with his love Assurance is too precious a thing to be pour'd into every spirit He won't put new wine into old bottles God is all this while making thee more capable of his love and though for the present thou hast no Assurance yet thus trusting and waiting upon him thou art in a great tendency to it And put the worst that can be imagin'd that thou should'st dye under a cloud yet thy condition were safe and thou shalt come then to a full Assurance nay to a full possession of thine inheritance and thou shalt see the glorious Sunne-shine of the face of God a beam of which thou did'st so much long for here We come now to the fourth particular those special Sealing times when Christians have their Assurance and Plerophory 1. Many times at their first conversion God do's then seale up the work of grace in the soul When the Spirit of Bondage has past upon the soul and by a strong conviction has apply'd particularly guilt and wrath unto it the fatal sentence is pronounc't and the soul is fill'd with the scorching pre-apprehensions of hell and damnation and trembles at the very thought of eternity Now for the Gospel to bring thee wellcome newes of a pardon and for the Spirit of Adoption to apply grace and mercy unto the soul for the prison-doores to be broken open and a poor captive set at liberty to have all the chaines and fetters beaten off and to be brought into a marvellous light to have all the balme of Gilead pour'd into him Evangelical fruitions and cordials prepar'd for him and which is the very extraction and quintessence of all the love of a Saviour shed into his heart What strong impressions of joy think you must there be in such a soul What precious infusions of spiritual sweetnesse What secret springings and elevations of Spirit What triumphs what Jubilee's what love-raptures I am my Beloved's and my Beloved is mine I must appeal to your breasts that have found this great and heavenly work wrought upon your soul 't is you only that have tasted the joy of the holy Ghost that is glorious and unspeakable And do you tell us had not ye then the first relish of the hidden Manna was not it very sweet and delicious hadst not thou then the first glimpse of the White Stone and was not it very bright and orient hadst not thou then the Spouse kisse and was not it precious and more worth then a world didst not thou tâ—â—n first hear the soft language and whisperings of the Spirit and was not his voice lovely and pleasant I know your souls dance within you with the very recalling of so happy and golden a time and you pant and breath after more of this communion with a Saviour and truly he deserves an Anathema that do's not preferre the very possibility of having of it before all the world Hosea 11. 1. When Israel was a childe then I lov'd him I taught Ephraim also to go taking them by their armes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I taught him to foot it on the wayes of Religion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I drew them with the cords of a man all gentle and perswasive sollicitations with bands of love I was to them as they that take off the yoke on their jaws and I laid meat unto them The yoke of bondage the soul was under God freed the soul brought him to an easie pleasant yoke to an Evangelical yoke God has a speciall care of tender plants when Israel was a tender vine O then he fenc'd it and hedg'd it and shone out upon it c. Now Christ is thus pleas'd to reveal his love to unbosome himself unto the souls of young Converts for their greater incouragement in the wayes of grace At the first step to heaven he gives them a viaticum If after the soul had been steept in legall humiliation and possest with feares and terrours and amazements compass't with clouds and now at last it has been drawn by a mighty work to receive a Saviour If after all this it should have no Sun-shine 't would droop and languish and be ready to pine away 't would be very unfit and unserviceable the wheels of the soul would move heavily God therefore oiles the wheels poures the Oile of gladnesse into the soul And now it moves like the chariots of Aminadab with a nimble spontaneity Christ begins to flourish through the Lettices le ts in some of his love into the soul I and gives it a sense of this love too and this constrains it to obedience and sets the soul a longing for more of this love and for more sense of this love and so it will never leave longing till it have a full fruition of it in heaven This is Gods method this is the usuall progresse of grace in the soul And hence you may see why young Converts are usually so active in the wayes of Religion so forward and vehement O they have fresh apprehensions of the love of a Saviour with an eminent alteration he has wrought in them how they are rais'd from death to life O they can tell you long stories of his goodnesse what great things he hath done for their soul So that their affections are rais'd there 's a flush of joy the soul runs over and knows no banks no bounds Thus God does many times seal up the work of grace in the soul and gives a satisfying light at the first conversion but yet I cannot say that this is alwayes so for there are diversities of workings and grace sometimes wrought in the soul after a more still and undiscernable manner as we shall have occasion to speak more hereafter 2. Sacrament-times are sealing times I speak of the Sacrament of the Lords Supper for as for those secret breathings of the Spirit upon Infants in that other Sacrament of Baptisme they are altogether unsearchable and past finding out Now in the Lords Supper you have the New Covenant seal'd up unto the soul the soul has not only his graces increased but they are printed clearer that seale of the Spirits does print a Christians evidences with a clearer stamp You have plaine and visible representations of the love of a Saviour and you have the sense of this love pour'd out into you A Christian feeds not only upon Sacramental bread but upon hidden Manna too and has tastes of that love that is sweeter then wine Here 's a feast of fat things The soul is satisfied as with marrow
and sweetnesse spiritual refreshments like fat things they are sweet and they are filling too yet not like other fat things that have a cloying fulsomenesse in them no these carry a delicious relish with them such as the soul takes present complacency in them and has a longing appetite for them The soul never nauseats the feast of fat things but the more it feeds upon them the more it hungers after them Now the two grand ends of this Sacrament in reference to a Christian are 1. Growth of Grace 2. Sense of Grace 'T is a Sacrament of Augmentation by which a new-borne-infant-soul may grow up to its just proportion and full stature in Jesus Christ and 't is a Sacrament evidencing this his condition to the soul Christians come hither ad corroborandum Titulum the smoaking flax comes hither to have some light and the bruised reed comes hither to have some strength the worme Jacob crawl's into the presence of a Saviour and is sent away with an encouraging voice Fear not thou worme Jacob. Many a tender babe in Christ has stretcht out its weak and trembling hand to lay hold of a Saviour and has found vertue coming out from him Many a thirsty soul has come breathing and panting after the streames of water 'thas open'd his mouth wide and he has fill'd it The longing and affectionate soul has come with vehement and enlarg'd desires and has found full expressions and manifestations of his love towards her Many a cloudy soul has come hither to see if he could spy out one beam and has been sent away brighter then the Sun in all its glory You that come hither with the most ample and capacious souls tell us whether you ben't fill'd up to the brim whether your cup don't overflow O what heavenly entercourse is there between you and a Saviour what pleasant aspects what mutual love-glances what smiles and blandishments Don't you finde in your own souls a full Paraphrase upon the book of the Canticles that book of Loves He comes with an earthy and drossie soul that is not rais'd and advanc't with such glorious mysteries And yet my meaning is not as if every true Christian that had received this Sacrament must needs have Assurance No we know 1. Beleevers themselves may receive unworthily as the Christian Corinthians when Paul tells them they came together for the worse and not for the better he speaks it of such as were truly in the state of grace Thus he concludes his discourse You are chastened of the Lord that you might not be condemned with the world And thus the soul may go from a Sacrament with lesse comfort then it brought thither 2. Many that have much joy and sweetnesse from a Sacrament real and spiritual joy I and strengh and vigour too yet it may be have it not in so great a proportion in so high a measure their cup is not so brim-ful as that it should reach to Assurance All that do truly partake of these heavenly delicacies yet don't go away equally satisfied Some have but a taste which is enough to cherish them others a full draught which does mightily enliven them So then all we say is this those Christians that have assurance have it usuall at these times and some Christians that have wanted assurance yet here have found it which should strongly engage all to come hither with great and solemn preparation quickening and exciting their graces emproving all present strength breathing and longing after these pleasant streams widening and enlarging their affections opening their mouths like a dry and thirsty land that waits for some satisfying showers and would fain be fill'd 3. Times of employment are sealing times When God intends a Christian for great and eminent service he first makes his goodnesse passe before him he sheds some of his love into his heart which does both constraine him to obedience and encourage him in it his smile makes the soul go cheerefully about his work his presence gives life and vigour to a performance The servants of God wait on him fix their eyes upon him look whether he gives them a propitious glance they walk in the light of his countenance they follow the directions of his eye they won't move unlesse he breath on them Moses won't stir without Assurance of his presence All the clusters of Canaan shall not entice him he had rather dwell with briars and thornes in the wildernesse with the good will of him that dwells in the bush He had rather be in a barren and desolate and howling wildernesse then in a pleasant and fruitful land in a delicious land without the presence of his God He knows there 's no sweetnesse in Canaan without him there 's more sting then honey in the land of Promise unlesse he be there and Canaan it self will prove a wildernesse if he withdraw himself The beames of his gracious Presence these gild a place they can turn a desert into a Paradise and can make a prison glorious The love of God in Christ 't is attractive and magnetical and drawes the soule along when 't is once touch t with it this will draw Moses to the land of Promise this will carry him through all difficulties God sheds some of this love into Moses his heart and then he goes on with cheerfulnesse and alacrity And so 't was with his Successour Joshua God calls him to an honourable employment to be the Shepherd of his little flock to guide and govern his People Israel Now how does he prepare him for so great a work why he strengthens him and heartens him with a Promise of himself with assurance of his love Feare not but be of courage I am with thee Thou hast my presenee thou shalt have my blessing I have done much for thee and I will do more for thee be faithful in my service and be couragious and don't doubt of the love of God towards thee Thus God when he call'd Abraham to that great expression of obedience in the sacrificing of his Isaac he first warmes his heart with his love and seals up the Covenant of Grace to him he spreads before him ample and comprehensive Promises I am thy God All-sufficient I am thy Buckler and thine exceeding great reward and this will beare up and support Abraham though the staffe of his old age be taken away and by his own hands cast into the fire And this was his usual dealing with the Prophets when he sent them with great and weighry messages He first reveales his goodnesse to them before he reveales his minde by them he assures them of directing mercy of protecting mercy that shall beare them company that shall go along with them and this puts a generous undauntednesse upon them that they feare not the frowns of men nor the threatnings of men nor of the greatest of men this makes Jeremy to set his face like a flint and Esay to lift up his voice like a Trumpet to tell Israel
Thou hast made me to serve with thy sinnes And consider what a strong indignity this is offer'd to the great God of Heaven and Earth to make him a servant and then to serve sin which he so much hates and abhorres that he can't endure to look upon it as that which strikes at his very being Thou hast made me to serve with thy sins And thou hast wearied me with thine iniquities All outward performances though never so pompous they do but wearie Almighty God unlesse they flow from a sincere spirit They thought they had pleas'd him with sacrifices but he tells them they weary him with iniquities And see here how the mighty God of Jacob the Rock of ages Omnipotency it self is wearie he is press't with sinnes and wearied with iniquities Well what followes upon all this I even I am he that blot out thine iniquities for mine own sake and will not remember thy sins Surely Israel could not look for this in the next vers It must needs come in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 One would have thought it should have been I even I am he that will revenge these thine iniquities Thou hast made me to serve with thy sinnes and I 'le make thee to serve with my plagues Thou hast wearied me with thine iniquities and I 'le wearie thee with my judgements Mine indignation shall flame out against thee and I 'le poure out the dregs of my wrath upon thee it is I even I am he that will set thy sinnes in order before thee One would have thought it should have run thus but God he comes in the still voice I even I am he that blot out thine iniquities Thou hast made me to serve with thy sins and I 'le make thee a servant to my self Thou hast wearied me with thine iniquities and I 'le load thee with my mercies Thou hast blotted out my Testimonies and I 'le blot out thine iniquities Thou hast not remembred my Covenant and I 'le not remember thy sins Thus doth Gods goodness contend with a sinful Nation thus doth he conquer rebellion and triumph over sinne Indeed his very drift is to make a glorious illustratiou of freegrace and therefore he first discovers his peoples sin and then displayes his own mercy He first shewes you Israels stiff neck and iron sinew and then opens his own tender bowels and dearest compassions He bids you take notice of the blacknesse of the Etheopian and then tells you how white he will make him He would have you consider well the deep dy the bloudy dy of the Scarlet and then see it become as white as snow Look upon the vastnesse of the Egyptianâ— Army and see them all drown'd in a Red-Sea Cast a sad eye upon a large volume of iniquity and behold them all blotted out in a moment The sinfulnesse of sin sets a glorious lustre upon freegrace when sin becomes exceeding sinfull then grace becomes exceeding glorious I even I am he that blot out thine iniquities There 's much Emphasis in redoubling the words and it stills many objections that might rise up in a wavering soul And 1. I even I whom thou hast offended For what might the distrusting soul object and say Is it thou O God that wilt blot out mine iniquities It is thy sacred Majesty which I have provok'd and 't is thy glorious Name which I have profain'd 't is thy righteous Law which I have violated and 't is thy Covenant which I have broken and is it thou G God that wilt blot out mine iniquities 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 't is I even I am he that blot them out for mine own sake Gods goodnesse runs over to a sinful creature and where sin hath abounded there grace doth superabound Consider 1. There is not so much evil in sin as good in God Sinne indeed is thus infinite as it is against an infinite being I but there is an absolute infinitenesse in God And this is no extenuation of sin to advance grace above it 2. There is not so much sin in man as there is goodnesse in God There is a vaster disproportion between sin and grace then between a sparke and an Ocean Now who would doubt whether a sparke could be quench't in an Ocean Thy thoughts of disobedience towards God have been within the compasse of time but his goodnesse hath been bubbling up towards thee from all eternity He hath had sweet plots of freegrace and gracious contrivances of love towards thee from everlasting The devils themselves though irreversibly seal'd up to destruction yet they are not so bad as God is good There can't be a Summum malum as there is a Summum bonum I even I am he that blot out thine iniquities even I whom thou hast thus offended 2. I even I whose royal Prerogative it is to pardon transgression and to blot out sin for otherwise the soul would still be left rolling and fluctuating I this were welcome news indeed to hear of iniquitie blotted out and they were Messengers of beautiful feet that could bring me such Gospel-tidings but O 't is not so easie a matter to have sin remitted and pardoning mercy is not so soon obtained Who is it that can wash off guilt from the soul and set at liberty a captivated Spirit Why 't is God himselfe that undertakes so great a work 't is I even I am he that blot out thine iniquities and it includes these two particulars 1. God he can blot out iniquities For first the offence is wholly against him and therefore he can freely passe it by Sinne is so farre an evil as it opposes his will the rule of Goodnesse and as it prevaricates from his Law the expression of his Will and that the Supreme Law-giver can pardon 2. Christ he hath made full satisfaction to his justice so that now 't is but dipping the pen in the blood of Christ and dashing out of iniquity Nay Christ himself hath blotted out even this hand-writing that was against us and nail'd it to his Crosse Christ on the Crosse had a spunge given him dipt in Vineger and a Christians sins do incumbere in sâ—ongiam that I may speak in Augustus his phrase And hence there are such wooings and beseechings of soules to come in and be subject to the Scepter of Christ for God hath more satisfaction to his justice by every Beleever then by the damned thar lye roaring in hell to all eternity for they are never able to discharge the debt but every Beleever by his surety hath paid the utmost farthing 2. Only God can blot out iniquities I even I am he and none else A poor creature may soon involve it self in sinne and misery there is none but hath power enough to damne himself Thy destruction is of thy self O Ephraim But 't is beyond the sphere of men or Angels activity to blot out the least sin or to disentangle the soul of the least corruption they can neither take off the guilt of sinne
't was blotted out for blotting out of iniquities is the wiping out of a blot Besides the guilt of sinne and the power of sin there 's the Macula peccati too the staine of sinne 3. You see here the nature of Justification and how in it Remissio est imputativa it doth not take away the being of sin but takes it away from being imputed and laid to the charge of the soul Sinnes in Scripture idiome are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Now in justification there 's a crossing of the Book a blotting out of the debt so as it can't be requir'd of the soul And the justifi'd person in the 32. Psalme is stil'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one whose sinne is cover'd which supposes the being of it and though our adversaries urge the force of the other phrase 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one whose sinne is took away yet 't is sufficiently clear'd by the following words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God will not impute iniquity unto him and 't is render'd in the New-Testament by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which cannot be possibly meant of taking away the being of sin for it is attributed to men when they are bid to forgive one another their trespasses now they can't forgive sin so And they do meerly wrangle when they tell us that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifie putare and not imputare for we deny not but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies putare but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 must needs be imputare and so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as might appear by many instances as the learned Chamier hath observ'd 4. Look upon the fulnesse of the discharge The soul may rest satisfi'd and rolle it self upon the free grace of a God in Christ and lay all the stresse of its salvation upon it the debt is blotted out and 't were injustice to ask it twice And shall not the Judge of all the world do right 5. Consider the easinesse of it The hand was longer a writing then 't is a blotting out the hand was wearier with writing then 't is with blotting out I have blotted out thy transgressions as a thick cloud Isa 44. 22. Now how is a cloud blotted out Nay indeed what is a cloud but a blot upon Natures fairest and well-flourish't letter A Sun-beam comes rushes in upon 't wipes away the cloud The Sun fights against it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it raises a glorious army of beams which quickly puts the enemy to flight they scatter the cloud And I 'le blot out thy transgressions like a cloud An act of grace a beame of mercy shall blot out a whole cloud of transgressions which otherwise would have prov'd a cloud of witnesses against the soul 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 6. Here 's the extent of Remission a great debt may be blotted out as well as a lesse a great summe may be blotted out as well as a small one though not so easily though not so suddenly 7. This explaines that how God sees not iniquity in Jacob nor sin in Israel He looks upon his people as in state of grace and reconciliation now as the Arabick proverb pithily Favoris oculus velut nox est ad omnem labem He sees not iniquity in Jacob for hee sees it blotted out he sees it cover'd that he sees it not at all makes Omniscience blinde Thine iniquities 1. Thine very heinous in their own nature as the Prophets continually complaine it turnes every Prophecie to a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Onerosa prophetia 2. More heinous because thine The sinnes of Israel pierce deeper grieve God most 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It was a notable speech of Cosmus Duke of Florence I have read saith he that I must forgive mine enemies but never that I must forgive my friends The sins of Gods friends of his people provoke him most Every sinne is took notice of I but the sin of Judah is writ with a pen of iron and the point of a Diamond 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with the claw of an Adamant They are against beames of stronger light against bowels of tenderer mercy against neerer and sweeter relations against greater expectation God look't for grapes and they bring forth wilde grapes Yet I will blot out thine iniquities Not only some of the lesse and call thee to account for the greater no such as are the most deeply aggravated the most frequently reiterated thine iniquities indefinitely God never blots out one iniquity but he blots out all Justificatio est simul semel and it doth extendere ad futura peccata For 1. It puts a man into a state of grace and reconciliation and within the Covenant of Grace so that his person and services are accepted 2. Suppose a man had all his sinnes remitted and only one the least retain'd yet such a one were still 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a vessel fitted and fram'd and fashion'd for destruction seeing the guilt of the least sinne bindes over to eternal punishment For mine own sake 1. Exclusively for nothing at all in you as in that Twin-place Ezek. 36. 22. There you have a clear comment upon the words Thus saith the Lord God I do not this for your sakes faith the Lord God but for mine holy Names sake which ye have profain'd amongst the Heathen Marke under what notion it runnes for that holy Names sake which you have profain'd And in this Chapter we have in hand in those Verses that are preparatory to the Text we shew'd you how strangely Israel behav'd themselves vers 22. Thou hast not called upon me O Jacob. Why one would have thought that they might have open'd the mouth for mercy that they might at least have petition'd for grace surely 't was worth the asking No but I was found of them that sought me not The learned Chamier goes on and shewes how there is an exact removall of all such works as the Papists make satisfactory 2. For mine own sake it includes for my Christ his sake and that eternall Covenant of love and peace which I have founded in him For God in himself is an holy and a just God and now by reason of sin an offended and provoked God and would quickly prove a punishing and revenging God did not a Jupiter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 step in and asswage an angry Deity 3. For mine own sake for my Names sake and for mine Honours sake lest the Heathen triumph and say Where is now your God O the infinite goodnesse of God that by a most gracious and free act of his own will hath knit and united his own glory and the salvation of his people together He hath wrought Israels name in the frame of his own glory so that now 't is for his Honours sake to save Israel he blots out iniquities for his own sake God will not suffer the lustre of his Crowne to be dimm'd and eclips'd he will be sure that none of his Jewels shall fall off from it 'T
were done already in respect of Eternity all things being equally present to that 3. This takes away all method and order of prosecution for the end is alwayes in intention before the means God first resolves to save Jacob and then provides means accordingly 4. It quite demolisheth the goodly and faire structure of grace no discriminating grace 't is no longer for his own sake but for your sakes now A man now makes himself to differ free will must be set on the throne 't is a Roman and must not be bound and free grace must lye at the footstool and be trampled on as they please But all they that know what grace is and have had any gracious impressions upon their own spirits will easily tell you who 't was that made them differ even he who chose them not because they were any better then others but he chose them and so would be sure to make them better and if they be lovely it is with the comlinesse which he hath put upon them Grace is free if you look to the fountaine of it the primitive goodnesse of God in election bubling out from all Eternity Secondly If you look to the severall streamings out of the fountaine you must admire the riches of free grace For 1. Gods giving of his only Sonne and founding and eternal Covenant of love and peace in him the richest and preciousest stream that ever flow'd to the sons of men Now if there were an assembly of those bright and intelligent creatures gathered together the most glorious Cherubims and glittering Seraphims and if this mystery which they now pry into were fully unseal'd and explain'd unto them O how would they stand gazing upon the riches of free grace how would they think eternity it self too short for the admiring of it and what could they resolve it into but meere love God so lov'd the world so freely so fully so unconceiveably that he gave his only Sonne c. What was there in thee to draw a Saviour down from heaven was there such an attractive and magnetical vertue in an undone and bankrupted creature How didst thou perswade him to disrobe himself of light as of a garment to cloud and eclipse the lustre of his Divinity by the interposition of a pale mortall body What was it that mov'd him to take upon him the seed of Abraham and not the nature of Angels to let passe those faire and eminent beings and to advance a poor crauling worme Out of what Topicks didst thou fetch an argument that prevail'd with him to espouse thee to himself in mercy and truth and so to love thee as to dye for thee I know they thoughts are swallowed up with the consideration of so boundlesse and bottomlesse a love and desire some time for astonishment 2. What should I tell you of those free expressions and manifestations of this his love those fresh eruptions and ebullitions of it in the Gospel I mean those precious promises that are so many several sproutings and branchings out of the Covenant The Gospel's like a sweet and precious honey-combe these are the severall droppings of it that flow freely from it Indeed the whole Gospel like the midst of Solomons bed in the Canticles is pav'd with love 3. Think upon those free offers of grace and tenders of reconciliation how he woes you to receive mercy how he beseeches you to be happy how he intreats you to be sav'd to accept of him and of heaven of grace and of glory So that if you looke to the streamings out of the fountaine you see they all carry with them the riches of grace Thirdly Consider the severall conveighances of it how God diffuses this his goodnesse to thy soul and thou shalt see how thou hast liv'd upon the expences of free grace all thy dayes And for this observe how he tun'd all circumstances in a sweet and harmonious way so as they did all sweetly agree and consort in thy happinesse and how all providentiall passages did joyn for thee and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 work together for thy good As 1. 'T was out of the riches of free grace that he planted thee in a place of light when he shut up and imprison'd the rest of the world in palpable darknesse The Gospel shines out but upon a little spot of ground which God hath enclos'd for himself and stiles it his Garden Paul plants it and Apollos waters it and he himself gives it an increase The rest of the world lyes like a barren and desolate wildernesse the word of the Gospel never dropt upon it nothing but briers and thornes fit for the fire Now how fell thy lot in so faire a ground and who is it that gives thee so goodly an heritage Who is it that shines thus upon thy Tabernacle and fixes it in a land that flowes with milke and honey Give a reason if thou canst why thou wert not plac't in some obscure corner of America and left only to the weak and glimmering light of nature Prethee tell me who that was that open'd for thee so many wells of salvation and feasted thee with all those spirituall dainties and delicacies that are disht out in variety of Ordinances I would fain know who that was that crush't the honey-combe on purpose that it might drop upon thy soul Prethee tell me if thou can'st who that was that bespoke a place for thee in the Church among the assembly of the Saints Hath God dealt so with every Nation or have the Heathen knowledge of this Law Ascribe this then to free grace 2. That salvation should wait upon thee so long and when thou hadst repuls't so many rich offers of grace and mercie that still it should be importunate with thee If mercy had knock't once or twice nay according to the rule Si ter pulsanti c. if it had then bid thy soul farewell thou hadst dropt into hell irrecoverably How many years hath free grace stood at the door and begg'd for some admission and thou hast not so much as bid it welcome Free grace followes thee and pursues thee and will not let thee go till thou hast a blessing Would any friend have given thee so many invitations after thou hast rejected them Are there not many of the damned that must lye roaring there to all eternity that never tasted of so much goodnesse and long-sufferance as thou hast done O why wert not thou sent thither amongst the rest that that Spirit which thou hast so much griev'd and so often vext should still breath upon thee and follow thee with secret whisperings and gentle solicitations to entice and allure thee to goodnesse what canst thou call this but free grace 3. Consider in what state thou wert all the while and Enemy a Rebell studying how to be damn'd galloping to hell and destruction with full careere a scholars pace who was 't now that stopt thee in thy course who bridl'd in the proud waves and said Hither
eam totam There 's none but love to hear of free grace O this is a soft and downy Doctrine a silken Truth O 't is a gentle breath that fans the soul and gives it sweet refreshment O 't is a pleasant thing to sit under the shadow of free grace and see Gods goodnesse streaming out before thee But take heed who e're thou art of turning this grace of God into wantonnesse and know that 't is free grace in another sense too God may take 't away when he pleaseth thou know'st not which is the last offer Believe it he that neglects this very present offer venters eternity And know withall that as there are more liberal aspersions of grace in time of the Gospel so there are larger viols of wrath too Vineger you know 't is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 filius vini and the sweetest wine degenerates into the sharpest vineger Grace abus'd turnes to fury What to sin against God because he is good therefore to offend him because he is merciful to multiply iniquities because he blots them out for his own sake To kick against bowels of mercy and to rebel against the golden Scepter when 't is stretcht out and motions of reconciliation propounded truely this will be the very sting of hell the Emphasis of damnation this will heat the furnace seven times hotter 't will teach the worme that never dies to gnaw more cruelly and put new stings into the eternal scorpions 't will prepare flaming ingredients for the cup of wrath and fill it up to the very brim O how fain would'st thou then change places in hell with a Turke or an Infidel and be ambitious of ordinary damnation But truely there is no stronger argument against sin to an ingenuous spirit then free grace Because God is so prone to pardon therefore the soul is so loath to displease THE Childs Return PROV 23. 26. My Son give me thine heart THere have been such noble and generous spirits in some of the people of God as that they have been frequent in such enquiries as these What shall we render the Lord for all his mercies And what shall we returne him for all his goodnesse And he in the Prophet Micah though he be of a different temper from these yet he seemeth to be very solicitous and desirous to know what he should bring unto the Lord. For thus you may hear him speak in the 6th of Micah Wherewithall sayes he shall I appear before the Lord Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of Rams c. No saith the Prophet He hath shewed thee O man what is good and what doth the Lord require of thee but that thou should'st do justly c. He hath shewed thee O man what is good and what doth the Lord require of thee but that thou should'st give him thine heart and that thou should'st love the Lord thy God with all thine heart and with all thy soul and with all thy strength And therefore he here askes it of thee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 My Sonne give me thine heart These words are spoken by Solomon but not in his own Name It had been too much for Solomon to have askt it for himself It doth not become the mouth of any Creature to ask the heart to it self But Solomon speaks it in the name of Wisdome and so in the name of God himself the eternal fountain of Wisdome It is he that calls unto the sons of men and bids them to give him their hearts And though I know that the Hebrew Idiom sometimes by giving the heart doth imply no more then the serious consideration and pondering of a thing the laying it to heart as we use to speak yet I shall take the words here in a fuller sense as the heart in a special manner is due unto God Now as in Proverbial speeches there useth to be so it is here There is abundance of rich variety a great deal of Treasure lockt up in a few words we will open some of them to you And I. For the Relation My Sonne Five things are very considerable 1. He speaks here to a Son and to not a Stranger No wonder that Strangers give not the heart unto God no wonder that a Pagan gives not the heart unto God Such as are aliens from the Common-wealth of Israel and Strangers to the Covenant of grace Such as are at a great distance from him nay that live without God in the World such as lye like the dry heath and the barren wildernesse the word of the Kingdome never dropt upon them but thou art a Sonne in neer relation to him He reveales his minde to thee he manifests and displayes himself to thee he makes his goodnesse passe before thee Thou hast the continual droppings of the word upon thee his Prophets are sent to thee earely and late thou hast the happy Sun-shine of his presence with thee enough to warme and soften a stony heart and out of such stones to raise up children unto Abraham Though an Indian though an American do not give the heart unto God yet a Christian should Though a Stranger do not give him the heart yet a Son should 2. A Son and not an Enemy God doth not expect the hearts of Enemies such as are in open hostility and opposition against him such as are said to be haters of him and hated by him such as bid him depart from them for they not desire the knowledge of his wayes he doth not look for the hearts of these He doth indeed many times turne the heart of an Enemie meet the heart of a Saul while he is breathing out slaughters against the Church but whil'st he is in a state of enmity he doth not look for the heart from them Nay if an Enemy could give the heart unto God it would not be accepted by him He will not accept of a Traitors heart But thou art reconciled to him so far from being an Enemy as that thou art a Son Thow hast all expressions of love from him and thine heart it is expected by him and it will be accepted of him Though an Enemy do not give the heart unto God yet a Son should 3. A Sonne and not a Slave A Slave doth a great deal of work and drudgery more work then a Sonne but he doth not give the heart all the while He workes out of fear he looks upon it as a task as a burden he watches an opportunity for shaking off the yoke But now Religion doth not come thus to enslave men but to enlarge them to ennoble them it comes to beat off the chaines and fetters to beat open the Prison doors it brings a perpetual Jubilee a perpetual Triumph along with it Religion it floweth out of filial principles My Son hear my words and My Sonne give me thine heart If the Son make you free why then you are free indeed and if you be free like Sons why then you are free indeed The Gospel brings with
not be wrought upon not be much mov'd with it Men are more affected with their own private good then with the publick and more mov'd with private miseries then publick If they themselves be in the least danger or some of their neer friends then you shall have mourning and sighing and lamentation But if the Church lye a bleeding the Saints those precious ones be kill'd all the day long and accounted as sheep for the slaughter they can be merry enough for all this How many are there that have not shed a teare for Ireland That have not spent a sigh for them nor put up a prayer for them God he has a Bottle for your teares and he knows how many you have put into it I am sure it will hold a great many more then you have shed I speak not so much for outward weeping there 's many perhaps can't shed a tear upon any occasion But I call for a spirit of mourning a sympathizing spirit a spirit took up with the publick good as its best employment O how many are there that this bitter curse of Meroz will fall heavy upon And upon your dayes of humiliation be sure to humble your selves for this your want of a publick spirit your not praying for the peace of Ierusalem How do you know but that if you had sent up more prayers to heaven God might have free'd the distressed Christians by this time As they are guilty of the Christians blood in an high degree that shed it in a most inhumane manner so I know not how they can excuse themselves from some guilt of it that do not help them by prayers and endeavours as much as in them lyes 2. It is against all such as are in a kinde of indifferency and neutrality they neither are for one nor other What is this but the very same case with Meroz Meroz did not fight against Israel it did not fight for the Canaanites no but it did not come out to the help of Israel and therefore it has this bitter curse Vain men that think to content themselves with this that they do not hurt but every man that do's not good do's hurt he most do either one or other the soul is not idle it is either doing good or evil Suppose that a man did no hurt yet this is not enough unlesse he do s good too for there are sins of Omission as well as of Commission Not doing of publick good is a publick hurt 3. By way of Gradation à majori ad majus If there be such a bitter curse upon Meroz for their negligence and remissenesse in duty for not coming out against the Mighty what severe judgments and dregs of wrath shall be pour'd out upon all them that come out against the Lord that are against the publick good that wish ill to Sion that would fain see her in the dust that hate and persecute Christians that oppose the power of Religion and the life of the Gospel that are in the very gall of bitternesse All the curses that are written and not written shall flame against them and the vials of Gods fiercest wrath shall be emptyed upon them Meroz's curse is bitter but in respect of theirs sweet and easie Blesse God for men of publick spirits for Zerubbabels and Jehoshuah's such as are building God a Temple Pray God to encrease the number of publick spirits such as may come out to the help of the Lord. As there 's a great and bitter curse lay'd upon Meroz for being negligent in the cause of God so there are choice and eminent blessings for such as are forward and active in it God will abundantly recompence all the labour of love which any shall shew for his name Their labour shall not be in vaine in the Lord. THE White Stone OR A Learned and Choice TREATISE OF Assurance Very useful for all but especially weak BELIEVERS 2 PET. 1. 10. Wherefore the rather Brethren give diligence to make your Calling and Election sure ASsurance of salvation is a truth of great and precious consequence of sweet and comfortable influence into the whole life of a Christian A truth which has scarce had liberty to unmask and shew it self in former times and so has seldome or never been fully treated of A truth which could never be more welcome and seasonable then in times of danger and uncertainty when all other things are in a doubtful and wavering condition then to make our calling and election sure to set up a spiritual Militia and to put the soul in a posture of defence in such an heavenly preparation as it may be fit to meet with all conditions He shall not be afraid of evil tidings his heart is fixed trusting in God He is just like the Philosophers good man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 four-square that cast him where you will like a Dy he falls alwayes sure and square He 's built upon the same foundation that the whole Church of God is He 's built upon a Rock and though the Waves dash and the windes rise though the storme encrease and the floods beat in yet the house stands the foundation 's sure 't is built upon a Rock and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it I 'le make him a pillar in the Temple of my God as Christ promises to the Church of Philadelphia even like one of those Pillars in Solomons Temple The name of the one was Jachin and of the other Booz nothing but stability and strength as the words imply Christian Assurance fortifies the soul and prepares it against all conditions Now as for the drift of our Apostle in this chapter 't was to perswade the Christian Churches of â—onous Gaâ—atia Cappadocia Asia Bithynia to whom he wrote that they would be fruitful and abundant in the graces of God that they would grow in grace and adde grace to grace and so to increase in them all till they came to a full and perfecâ— stature in Christ For â—e that lacks these saith the Apostle is blinde and cannot see afarrâ— off he is poreblinde and cannot see so farre as heaven and heavenly things And theu he is forgetful too of the very first principles and rudiments of Grace he forgets that he was purg'd from his former sins in the Lavour of Regeneration in Baptisme when he first enter'd into Covenant with God Wherefore do â—e rather give diligence to make your calling c. You that have a spiritual eye and an enlight'ned soul and can disceâ—ne the things of God and you that are mindful of the Covenant made with him do you brethren give c. for this if any thing will make you fruitful in the works of Grace for by these you must maintain your Assurance these are the fruits and evidences of your solvation the fruits of the Spirit and the first fruits of eternal life Christians that make their Calling and Election sure will and must be fruitful in good works The Papists
streams but yet I may die with thirst there are spiritual dainties and precious delicacies but I am not sure to have one taste of them many a promise looks with a pleasant and propitious eye but 't is not fixt upon my soul so that take away a Christians interest and propriety in a promise and what becomes of his consolation God has given his word his oath his seal his earnest and all to this very end that a poor Christian may be assur'd of his salvation that he might have strong and vigorous consolation so that to deny him this is to annihilate the word of God to frustrate the oath of God to evacuate the seal of God and as much as in them lies to make him lose his earnest and to leave the soul in an intricate and perplext condition 4. From the nature of Christian hope There 's a vast difference between the Moralists hope and that which is the Theological grace and yet this is scarce took notice of they require these three ingredients into the object of hope that it must be 1 bonum 2. futurum 3. incertum but Christian hope is certain infallible it looks upon good as to come and as certain to come indeed 't is nothing but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Clem. Alexand. elegantly blood running in the veins of Faith if hope expire Faith will presently bleed to death That good which Faith sees Hope waits for Faith eyes it as present but yet at a distance and Hope tarries for it till it come Christian hope is nothing but a waiting and expectation of a certain good you have a pregnant text for this in Hebr. 6. 19. Which Hope we have as an Anchor of the soul both sure and stedfast Hope were but a poor Anchor if it should leave the soul to the courtesie of a wave to the clemency of a Rock to the disposing of a storme Hope were but a weak Anchor if it should let the soul be lost with uncertainties if it should leave it in danger of shipwrack I but this Anchor is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and it pierces within the vaile it will be sure to have fast hold 't will fix upon heaven it self upon the sanctum sanctorum See another Rom. 5. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Now that 's a poore glory to triumph in uncertainties to triumph before the victory little cause of joy and exultation till the soul be provided for eternity I can tell you the very possibility of being damn'd is enough to extinguish joy so that till the soul come to be in a safe condition safe for all eternity and till it know it self to be in this safe condition 't is so farre from being joyful as that it cannot tell how to be quiet A probable hope will bear up and support the soul a door of hope in the valley of Achor but it will not quiet and satisfie the soul The least dawning of hope in the initials of grace does mightily cherish and encourage the soul O how pleasant are the eye lids of the morning how welcome is the day-break after a dark and disconsolate night Nay the very possibility of being sav'd was that which first drew us all to look after heaven the very consideration that there was Balme in Gâ—lead But the weary soul will ne're rest here the Dove will ne're take this for an Ark No the beams of Gods love will shine out stronger and brighter upon the soul and ripen his hope into assurance Christian hope when 't is in its full vigour is all one with assurance Rom. 5. 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but if hope could be frustated it then might make asham'd disappointment would cause a blush hope differr'd will make the heart sick and uncertain hope will scarce make the soul well a Christians hope is not like that of Pandora which may flie out of the box and bid the soul farewel no 't will ne're vanish till it be swallow'd up in fruition The hope of the Hypocrite 't is as his righteousnesse like the morning-dew but the hope of a Christian 't is like the morning-light the least beam of it shall commence into a compleat Sun-shine 't is Aurora gaâ—dii and it shall shine out brighter and brighter till perfect day We shall further clear this truth if you consider the manner how Christians are assur'd of their salvation the third thing we propounded 1. By the graces of God which are in them those precious seeds of immortality and the Prints of the Spirit by which they are sealed to the day of Redemption Grace is the Spirits stamp by which it marks the soul for its own The first-fruits of the Spirit the least grace if true and sincere is sufficient to salvation and therefore the sense of the least grace is sufficient to Assurance But how shall the soule know that it has these graces in truth and not in shadow and colour only how shall it be certain that these are not counterfeit and painted There might be given many signes and characters of true grace that it must flow from a principle of sincerity from a principle of love that it must be conformable to the grace of Christ But all this will not satisfie for the soule will still question how shall I know that my graces are such so then that which we must ultimately resolve it into is that in Rom. 8. 16. For in the mouth of two or three witnesses every thing shall be established Now we have here two witnesses omni exceptione majores we have a double Testimony a twin-Testimony The same Spirit beareth witnesse with our Spirits that we are the Sons of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he confirmes what the other sayes both the witnesses do fully agree and make up one entire testimony the soul may say here as Paul Rom. 9. 1. I speak the truth I lie not my Conscience bearing me witnesse by the Holy Ghost The whole work of Assurance is summ'd up in this Practical Syllogism Whosoever beleeves shall be saved but I beleeve and so shall certainly be saved The Assumption is put out of doubt 1. Conscience comes in with a full testimony And if natural Conscience be a thousand witnesses then sure an enlight'ned and sanctifi'd Conscience can be no lesse then ten thousand 1 John 3. 10. He that beleeves has a witnesse in himself a Certificate in his own breast 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for as the same Apostle 1 John 3. 2. Beloved if our heart condemn us not then have we confidence towards God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here is the same with Conscience for the Hebrewes have no other word for Conscience but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So then if our heart acquit us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we have as much liberty as we can desire It feares not now the edge of the law nor the fiery darts of Satan it doth not stagger with sense of its own weaknesse and unworthinesse but
their sins and Judah their transgressions And this is that which prepares the Martyres for their sufferings God tempers and allayes that Cup he drops some of his goodnesse into it and sweetens it to them He first sets his seal to their soules before they set their seal to his truth he diets them with the hidden Manna and gives them before-hand the White Stone as a sure pledge of victory What is it but this that makes them devoure torments and come to them with an appetite 't is this that softens the flames and turnes them into a bed of Roses 't is this that fills their souls with joy and their mouths with praises that makes them more chearful in their sufferings then their Saviour in his for they usually have the face of a reconciled God shining out upon them which was wholly with drawn from him when he cry'd out My God my God Why hast thou forsaken me 4. Praying times are sealing times The same Spirit that endites the Prayer seales it up When Hannah had put up her Prayer 1 Sam 1. 18. the text sayes expressely that her countenance was no more sad As 't is the great Priviledge of Assurance that Christians may then with confidence cry Abba Father so also 't is a great meanes to Assurance The hearing of Prayers is a mighty strengthening to faith and the strengthening of faith does strongly tend to Assurance Besides Christians may pray for Assurance they may be importunate for a glimpse of his face for one beam for one smile and his bowels won't let him deny them Hence you shall finde it that such as are most frequent in Prayer are most blest with Assurance Praying Christians have much entercourse and communion with their God And thus there may be a National kinde of Assurance I say a National plerophory when God shall poure out a Spirit of Prayer and Supplication upon his people and they with united and concentricated abilities shall besiege the Throne of Grace there is no doubt there can be no doubt but at length he will yield up such a mercy to his praying People 5. Times of outward exigencies are sealing times 2 Cor. 4. 16. Though our outward man decay yet our inward man is renew'd daily that feeds upon hidden Mannah a precious restaurative for a fainting Christian Manna you know was rain'd down in the wildernesse and when the Israelites provision failed them then Manna was rain'd down When the water-pots are fill'd up to the brim then water presently turn'd into wine and so this hidden Mannah is provided for sad and cloudy conditions We except only the case of total desertion when the soul has not the least light shining in upon it which is the severest judgement that a true Christian is capable of but in other distresses especially outward and temporal distresses he does reveal himself more immediately to them And though the creature frown yet he will smile upon them Believers they are the friends of God and 't is no part of friendship to forsake them in the saddest times St. John when a banish't man in the Isle of Pathmos then God shewes him that glorious Revelation Paul and Silas when in prison then brim-full of joy which breaks out into Psalmes of Praise In the fiery trial as there is some scorching so there is some light too And God does prepare his People for the seal of the Spirit by thus melting and softening their heart for the softer the heart is the clearer will the Print of his love be When God had brought that great sicknesse upon Hezekiah and thus had dissolv'd and soft'ned his heart he presently prints his love upon it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thon hast lov'd my soule from the grave God does then most expresse his love when they have most need of it The white Stone sparkles most oriently in the darkest condition O how gloriously does God shine in upon the prisons of Martyrs what frequent visits does he give them it might even make men ambitious of their sufferings that they might have some such expressions of his love towards them 6. Times of Victory and Conquests over lusts and temptations are sealing times God after such victories will give his People a triumph This is exprest in that text of the Revelation Rev. 2. 17. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To him that overcomes will I give to eate of the hidden Mannah c. Thus when Saint Paul was wrastling with and conquering that great temptation whatever it was that is mentioned in 2 Corinthians 12. God then gives to eat of the hidden Mannah and strengthens him with this My grace is sufficient for thee He gives him the white Stone with that Motto graven in it My grace c. Thus that noble Christian and famous Convert of Italy Galeacius Caracciolus when he had scorn'd the pomp and lustre of the world and had trampl'd upon all relations for the love of a Saviour when Satan that cunning Angler of souls had spent all his baits upon him and he had refus'd them all O then what a deal of precious sweetnesse slides into his soul what rushings in of glorious joy he had never such joy at Naples as he had at Geneva You may hear him pronouncing an Anathema to all such as shall prefer all the gold and silver in the world before one dayes sweet Communion with Jesus Christ As none have more dregs of wrath then relapsing and apostatizing Spirits Remember but Spira's case so none have sweeter and choicer mercy then the faithful Servants of the Lord Jesus that follow him in the houre of temptation Apostates are seal'd up to a day of vengeance but these are seal'd up to a day of Redemption Thus the Mourners in Ezekiel that would not yield to the abominations of the times must have a seal set upon them Thus that Virgin-company in the Revelation that would not prostitute their soules to Antichristian folly have the seal of God in their foreheads This is the happinesse of a Christian that he has a sweet satisfaction in self-denyal in denying sin in repulsing lust in conquering temptation in pulling out his right eye in cutting off his right hand in mortifying the body of death he has a sweet satisfaction in all these And thus you have seen those special sealing times when Christians have this high plerophory these riches of Assurance we come now to speak of them in a more Applicatory way 1. Times of Assurance they should be times of humility and dependance upon God When Moses had been so long in the Mount and had a lustre upon him by conversing with God himself presently at the foot of the Mount he meets with matter of humiliation The Israelites have made them a golden Calfe Thy People sayes God to Moses they have done this And the Apostle Paul when he had been rapt up into the third Heaven and had heard there some of Arcana Coeli things that neither could nor might be utter'd for
both are imply'd in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there then comes a messenger of Satan to buffet him he must be put in minde of himself by a thorne in the flesh and that lest he should be exalted above measure with abundance of Revelations A creature can't 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a little thing will puffe up a bubble a small happinesse will swell up the sons of men Pride as it twines about the choicest graces so it devoures the sweetest comforts But yet there is nothing tends more to soule-abasement and self-examination then the beholding of Gods face then the seeing of his glory this will make the soul abhorre it self in dust and ashes The more God reveals himself unto the soul the more will the soul see that huge disproportion that is between it self and a Deity There 's none here below that ever saw more of Gods face then Moses and Paul had done and there were none that ever had lower apprehensions of themselves They knew well enough what the Sun-shine of his presence was what a glorious sight it was to behold his face and yet they had rather part with this then he should part with his glory They are like men amaz'd with the vastnesse and spaciousnesse of the Ocean and make nothing of a little inconsiderable drop of Being They that know not these treasures of love and sweetnesse those heaps of excellencies that are stor'd up in God these are the grand admirers of themselves But when the soul comes to have a prospect of heaven and fixes its eye upon an object of the first magnitude the creature disappears self vanishes and loses it self in the fulnesse of God And if God do assure thee of this his love thou canst not but wonder at the greatnesse of his goodnesse especially when thou shalt recollect thy self and think upon thine own unworthinesse Thou that didst not deserve a beam of his face what does he give thee a full Sun-shine Thou that could'st not look for the least taste of his love what does he give thee a whole cluster of Canaan Thou that didst not deserve the least crumb of the hidden Mannah does he fill thee an Omer full of it Nay yet higher Thou that didst deserve a brand from his Justice does he give thee a seal of his love he might have given thee gall and vineger to drink and does he flow in upon thee with milk and honey he might have given thee the first flashes of hell and does he give thee the first-fruits of heaven what could'st thou have look't for but an eternal frown and dost thou meet with so gracious a smile O then fall down and adore his goodnesse and let all that is within thee blesse his holy name Tell me now is there any ground for pride in such a soul Does not Assurance bespeak humility and speak a meet dependance 2. Times of Assurance they should be times of trampling upon the creature and scorning of things below Dost thou now take care for corne and wine and oile when God lifts up the light of his countenance upon thee is this same Angels food this same hidden Mannah is it too light meat for thee Now thou art within the land of Promise feeding upon the grapes and pomegranates of the land dost thou now long for the garlick and onions of Egypt Now thou art within thy fathers house and the fatted Calfe is slaine wilt thou now still feed upon husks Art thou cloth'd with the Sun and canst not thou trample the Moon under thy feet O let them scramble for the world that have nothing else to live on Pray give room to the green Bay-trees to spread themselves abroad but don't thou lose thy fatnesse and sweetnesse to rule over these Art thou sure of heaven and would'st thou fix thy Tabernacle upon earth Is it good for thee to be here or would'st have any more then the light of Gods countenance is it not enough that thou art sure of happinesse is not a fountain enough for thee why wilt thou drink in muddy streames and thou that art fill'd with the love of a Saviour canst thou tell how to spend a thought upon the world is not there more beauty in a Christ then in the Creature is not he the fairest of ten thousand Away then with adulterous glances for why should'st thou embrace the bosome of a stranger 3. Times of Assurance they should be times of watchfulnesse and more accurate walking with God To sin against revealed love is a deep and killing aggravation To sin against light is too too much but to sin against love is a great deal more this height'ned Solomons idolatry 1 Kings 11. 9. that he turn'd from the God of Israel which had appeared to him twice What wilt thou with Jeshurun wax fat and kick and kick against bowels too To provoke God in a wildernesse is not so much as to provoke him in a Paradise What could he have done more for thee then he has done and what couldst thou have done more against him then thou hast done and wilt thou still requite him thus wilt thou provoke him with Mannah in thy mouth Does he give thee the sweet clusters of the land and dost thou return him wilde grapes that which is the strongest engagement to obedience dost thou make it an encouragement to sin art thou so willing to dash thy joy to lose thy peace And O how will it please the powers of darknesse to see thee abuse a beam The devil has several designes against the welfare of a soul First if it were possible he would keep thee from having any grace at all But secondly if he can't do that he would keep thee from strength of grace from growth in grace he would break the bruised reed and he would quench the smoaking flax But then if he can't prevaile here neither then in the third place he would keep thee from sense of grace in a sad and cloudy condition he envies thee one beam one smile one glance of his eye But then if the riches of Gods goodnesse do so run over as that he will give thee a sense of his love then fourthly in the last place he would have thee abuse his grace and turn it into wantonnesse But when God has planted thee in so happy a Paradise don't thou listen to the whisperings of the Serpent Thou that art seal'd by the Holy Spirit don't attend to a lying spirit The devil that great plunderer of soules would faine rob thee of thy Jewels of thy joy and peace and happinesse but do thou hide them in a Christ in the wounds of a Saviour and take heed of blotting thine Evidences thou that art a Childe of light be not rul'd by a Prince of darknesse If God give thee a sense of his love walk more stedfastly walk more accurately with thy God 4. Times of Assurance they should be times of inviting and encouraging others in the wayes of grace Thus the Psalmist when his
Secondly to take off that vain and frivolous cavil that assurance is a Principle of Libertinisme and that if men be once assur'd of their salvation they may then do what they list And first for the grounds that make them deny Assurance And though I might here shew at large that all Popery the Quintessence of it is extracted out of guesses and conjectures their whole Religion is but a bundle of uncertainties a rude heap of contingencies built upon the thoughts of others upon the intentions of a Priest yet I shall let that passe now and give you these foure considerations that prevaile with them to deny Assurance 1. They lay too much stresse upon good works Now Assurance is too goodly a structure to be built upon such a foundation They part stakes between grace and merit and so leave the soul in a tottering condition There is so much pride bound up in the Spirits of men as that they are loth to depend upon another for their happinesse they would have an innate and domestick happinesse within themselves But alas self-bottomings are weak and uncertain and they that build upon their own good meanings and their good wishes and good resolutions upon their good endeavours and goodworks when they have done all they have built but the house of the Spider These that spin salvation out of their own bowels their hope 't is but as a Spiders web And there are many that neither thus spin nor toile and yet I say unto you that a Pharisee in all his glory is not cloth'd like one of these If men do but enquire and look a little to the ebbings and flowings of their own spirits to the waxing and waining of their own performances surely they will presently acknowledge that they can't fetch a Plerophory out of these Believe it the soul can't anchor upon a wave or upon its own fluctuating motions So that 't is a piece of ingenuity in them to tell men that whilest they build upon the sand they can have no great security that their house will last long they may safely say of the Spider that it can have no certainty that its house shall stand Whilest they lean upon a reed wee 'l allow them to question whether it won't break or no nay if they please they may very well question whether it won't pierce them thorough They can be sure of nothing unlesse they be sure of ruine Assurance cannot be founded in a bubble in a creature for the very essence of a creature is doubtful and wavering it must be built upon an immutable Entity upon the free love of God in Christ upon his royal word and oath the sure expressions of his minde and love upon the witnesse of the Holy Ghost the seal of God himself Here the soul may rest and lean and quiet it self for with God there is no variablenesse nor shadow of turning The creature is all shadow and vanity 't is filia noctis like Jonah's gourd man may sit under its shadow for a while but it soon decayes and dies All its certainty is in dependance upon its God A creature if like a single drop left to it self it spends and wastes it self presently but if like a drop in the fountain and Ocean of Being it has abundance of security No safety to the soul but in the armes of a Christ in the embraces of a Saviour No rest to a Dove-like spirit but in the Ark of the Govenant and there 's the pot of hidden Mannah You know that dying Bellarmine was faine to acknowledge that the nearest way to Assurance was only to rest upon the free grace of God in Christ And they that cry down duties so much if they would mean no more then this that men must not trust in them nor make Christs of them nor Saviours of them as they use to express it wee 'l easily grant them this if they 'l be content with it 2. They take away that clasping and closing power of faith it self by which it should sweetly and strongly embrace its own object They would have the soul embrace clouds and dwell in generals they resolve all the sweetnesse and preciousnesse of the Gospel either into this Universal Whosoever believes shall be saved or else which is all one into this Conditional If thou beleevest thou shalt be saved Now this is so farre from assurance as that the Devils themselves do thus believe and yet tremble The thirsty soul may know that there is a fountaine but it must not presume to know that ever it shall taste of it The wounded soul with them may take notice that there is balme in Gilead but it must only give a guesse that it shall be heal'd They won't allow the soul to break the shell of a Promise so as to come to the kernell They silence Faith when it would speak in its own Idiom My Lord and my God O what miserable comforters are these How can they ever speak one word upon the wheels one seasonable word to a wearie soul when as all they can reach to by their own acknowledgement is to leave the soul hovering betwixt heaven and hell And as they say in matter of Reproof Generalia non pungunt so 't is as true in matter of Comfort Generalia non mulcent Yet to see how abundantly unreasonable these men are for in the matter of their Church there they require a particular appropriating faith a Monopolizing faith that the Church of Rome is the only true visible Church and this is no presumption with them Thus they can embrace a dull Errour and let go a precious Truth But the true Church of Christ as 't is it self built upon a Rock so every Member of the Church has the same security And the soul with a Spouse-like affection do's not only conjecture who is her Well-beloved but is in his very armes and breaks out into that expression of love and union I am my well-beloved's and my well-beloved is mine But how strangely do's their conjectural certainty take away the sweetness of such Relations Christians with them must only conjecture that they are the Sons of God the Spouse must only guesse at her beloved husband the sheep must hope that this is the Shepherds voice O how do they emasculate and enervate Religion how do they dispirit it and cut the very sinews of the power of godlinesse But all you that would finde rest to your souls must know that you can never apply a Christ too much that you can never appropriate a Saviour enough that whole happinesse is in union with him 3. They deny perseverance and so long may very well deny Assurance And yet the Arminians have an Art of reconciling Assurance and Non-perseverance They allow men a little brief Assurance for one moment a breve fulgur a little corruscation of joy that only shews it self that it may vanish and disappear The summe of their meaning amounts to thus much For that moment that thou