opportunity But let him that can be free and possess so great a mercy accept it thankfully though to his cost As Christ said in another case Every man cannot receive the saying but he that can receive it let him § 2. There is abundance of difference between a weak unskilful unexperienced dead-hearted formal Teacher and such a one as is described in the Direction Some that are sensless or indifferent in such matters as these themselves would perswade you to be so too and look first in your settlement to your bodily conveniencies and be content with such a Teacher as accidentally you are cast upon And they 'l tell you that the work of grace dependeth not on the Preachers gifts but on the gift and blessing of the Spirit of God The Formalists and the Enthusiasts concurr in this though from different principles But though God can frustrate the fittest means and can work without means or by that which is least fitted to the end yet it is his ordinary way to work by means and that for the soul as well as for the body and to work most by the aptest means And I am sure it is the duty of every Teacher to preach in the fittest manner that he can for the peoples edification and not to do Gods work deceitfully and ineptly because God can bless the unfittest means And it is the peoples duty to attend upon the best they can enjoy though God can equally work by the weakest or by none As that pretence will not excuse the contemners of Gods Ordinances that upon every little business stay at home and attend upon no Ministry at all no more will it excuse them that refuse that help that is most suited to their edification and take up with a worse when they might have better We are not to neglect duty upon a presumptuous expectation of miraculous or extraordinary works When we can have no better we may hope for the greater benefit from the weakest but not when it is the choice of our own presumptuous irreligious hearts God can make Daniel and his companions to thrive better by eating Pulse than others that fed at the Table of the King And rather than sin against God we must cast our selves on him for unusual supplyes or leave all to his will But few would therefore be perswaded causlesly to live on Pulse when they may have better And one would think this Truth should have no contradiction especially from those men that are apt to obscure and extenuate the Spirits operations on the soul and to confess no Grace but what consisteth in a congruous ordination of Means and Circumstances When their doctrine layeth all a mans hopes of salvation upon this Congruity of Means and Circumstances should they afterwards teach men to undervalue or neglect the fittest and wilfully cast their souls upon the most unfit and unlikely means But Ungodliness first resolveth what to speak against before it resolveth what to say and will contradict Gods Word though it contradict its own and will oppose holiness though by a self-opposing § 3. But the spiritual rellish and experience of the Godly is a very great preservative to them against such deluding reasonings as these It 's harder for a Sophister of greatest subtilty or authority to perswade him that hath tasted them that Sugar is bitter or Wormwood sweet than to perswade him to believe it that never tasted them And it 's hard to make a healthful man believe that it is best for him to eat but once a Week or best to live on Grass or Straw I doubt not but those that now I speak to have such experience and perception of the benefit of a judicious and lively Ministry in comparison of the ignorant cold and lifeless that no words will make them indifferent herein Have you not found the Ministry of one sort enlighten and warm and quicken and comfort and strengthen you much more than of the other I am sure I have the common sense and experience of the faithful on my side in this which were enough of it self against more than can be said against it Even new-born babes in Christ have in their new natures a desire not to sensless or malicious pratings but to the Rational sincere milk 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that they may grow by it and to perform to God a Rational service Rom. 12. 1. § 4. And it must needs be a very proud or stupid heart that can be so insensible of its own infirmity sinfulness and necessity as to think the weakest dullest Minister may serve their turns and that they are able to keep up their life and vigour and watchfuless and fruitfulness with any little ordinary help I cannot but fear such men know not what the power and efficacy of the Word upon the heart and conscience meaneth nor what it is to live a life of faith and holiness and to watch the heart and walk with God If they did they could not but find so much difficulty herein and so much backwardness and unskilfulness in themselves hereto as would make them feel the necessity of the greatest helps And it could not be but they must feel the difference between a clear and quickning Sermon and an ignorant heartless dead discourse that is spoken as iâ— a man were talking in his sleep or of a matter that he never understood nor had experience of § 5. Alas how apt are the best to cool if they be not kept warm by a powerful Ministry How apt to lose the hatred of sin the tenderness of conscience the fervency in prayer the zeal and fulness in edifying discourse and the delights and power of heavenly Meditations which before we had How apt is faith to stagger if it be not powerfully underpropt by the helpers of our faith How hardly do we keep up the heat of Love the confidence of Hope the resolution and fulness of obedience without the help of a powerful Ministry Nay how hardly do we do our part in these in any tolerable sort even while we have the clearest liveliest helps that are ordinarily to be had And can any that are not blind and proud imagine that they are so holy and good that they are above the necessity of such assistance and that the weakest breath is enough to kindle the fire of holy Love and â—eal and keep them in the fear and obedience of God Alas we are under languishing weakness and must be dyeâ—â—ed with the best or we shall soon decay we are Cripples and cannot go or stand without our Crutches And there must be some savour of the Spirit in him that will be fit to make us spiritual and some savour of faith and love in him that would kindle faith and love in us and he must speak clearly and convincingly that will be understood and will prevail with such as we And he must speak feelingly that would make us feel and speak seriously that would be much regarded by us and
that many turne from other sects to the Epicureans but none from the Epicureans to any other sect The reason was because nature is inclined to sensuality in all and when it is confirmed by use and doctrine Philosophy is too weak to master it But Christ calleth and saveth Epicures and Publicans and Harlots and hath cleansed many such by his grace which teacheth men to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts and to live soberly righteously and godly in the world Philostratus tells us of a sudden change upon one Isaeus that turned him from Luxury to exceeding temperance so that when one asked him Is not yonder a handsom woman he answered The diseases of my eyes are cured when they askt him which dish was the pleasantest he answered Desii curare I have done regarding such things and told them the reason that marvelled at his change Because he found that he did but gather fruits out of Tantalus garden They are deceitful lusts Eph. 4. 22. And Satan himself will reproach thee for ever if he can deceive thee by them As Alexander when he had taken Darius his gallantâ—y and sumptuous Houses and Furniture reproaches him with it saying Hoccine erat imperare was this to rule so Satan would shew thee thy lusts and say was this to be a Christian and seek salvation PART VI. Directions against sinful Excess of Sleep § 1. OF this something is said already Chap. 5. Part 1. § 51. and more afterwards in the Directions against Idleness Therefore I shall say but little now 1. I shall shew you when sleep is excessive 2. Wherein the sinfulness of it consisteth 3. What to do for the Cure of it § 2. I. Sleep is given us for the necessary remission of the animal operations and of the labour or motion of the exteriour parts by the quieting of the senses or shutting them up that the Natural and Vital operations may have the less disturbance It is necessary 1. To our Rest 2. To Concoction Therefore Weariness and want of Concoction are the chief indications to tell us how much is needful for us Sleep is sinfully excessive 1. When it is Voluntarily more than is needful to our health 2. When it is unseasonable at forbidden times § 3. It is not all weariness or sleepiness that maketh sleep lawful or needful for some is contracted by laziness and some by many diseases and some by other constant causes which make men almost alwayes weary Nor is it all want of concoction that sleep is a remedy for some may be caused by excess of eating which must be cured a better way and many diseases may cause it which require other cure Therefore none must indulge excess upon these pretences Nor must a present sense of the pleasure of sleeping or the displeasure of waking be the judge For sluggards may think they feel it do them good and that early rising doth them hurt but this good is but their pleasant ease and this hurt is but a little trouble to their head and eyes and lazy flesh just at the time But Reason and experience must judge what Measure is best for your Health and that you must not exceed To some five hours is enough To the ordinary sort of healthful persons six hours is enough To many weak valetudinary persons seven hours is needful To sick persons I am not to give Directions § 4. 2. Sleep is excessive at that particular Time when it is unseasonable As 1. When we are asleep when we should be doing some necessary business which calls for present dispatch 2. Or when we should be hearing the Sermon or praying in publick or private In a word when it puts by any greater duty which we should then perform As when the Disciples slept when Christ was in his agony Could ye not watch with me one hour watch and pray that ye enter not into temptation Matth. 26. 40 41. § 5. It is a foppery and abuse of God and our selves to think that the breaking of our sleep is a thing that of it self pleaseth God or that rising to pray at midnight is more acceptable to God than at another hour usually such rising to pray is sinful 1. Because it is done in an erroneous conceit that God accepts it better than in the day time 2. Because they waste time in dressing and undressing 3. Or else hurt their health by cold in the Winter and so lose more time than they redeem by shortning their lives 4. And usually they are more drousie and unfit But to rise in the night to prayer is meet on some extraordinary occasion that calls for it as to pray with or for a dying person or such like or when an extraordinary fervour and fitness prepareth us for it and when we can stay up when we are up and not lose time in going to bed again But ordinarily that way is to be chosen that best Redeemeth time and that is to consider just how much sleep our health requireth and to take it if we can together without interruption and to rise then and go about our duties But those that cannot sleep in the Night must redeem that Time as discretion shall direct them § 6. It is the Voluntariness of the excess that the sinfulness principally consisteth in And therefore the more voluntary the more sinful In a Lethargie or Caros it is no sin And when long watching or some bodily weakness or distemper make it almost unavoidable the sin is the smaller Therefore in case of long watching and heaviness Christ partly excused his Disciples saying The Spirit is willing but the flesh is weak Matth. 26. 41. But when it cometh from a flesh-pleasing sloth or from a disregard of any holy exercise that you are about it is a grievous sin And though it be involuntary just at the time and you say I would fain forbear sleeping now if I could yet if it be Voluntary remotely and in its Causes it is your sin You would now forbear sleeping but you would not forbear that pampering your body and stuffing your Guts which causeth it you would not deny the flesh its ease to avoid it § 7. II. The sinfulness of excess of sleep lyeth in these particulars 1. That it is a sinful wasting Nil temporis tam perit de vita nostra quam quod somno deputatur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of every minute of that time which is consumed in it And this is a very grievous thing to a heart that is sensible of the pretiousness of time when we think how short our lives are and how great our work is it should tell us how great a sin it is to cast away any of this little time in needless sleep And yet what abundance of it with many is thus spent Almost half their whole lives is spent in bed by many drones that think they may sleep because they are Rich and have not a necessity of labouring to supply their wants I was never tempted that
a Zeal against Error and for Truth Object V. Are all these Numerous Directions to be found in Scripture Shew us them in Scripture or you trouble the Church with your own inventions Answ. 1. Are all your Sermons in the Scripture And all the good Books of your Library in the Scripture 2. Will you have none but Readers in the Church and put down Preachers Sure it is the Reader that delivereth all and only the Scripture 3. Are we not Men before we are Christians And is not the Light and Law of Nature Divine And was the Scripture written to be instead of Reason or of a Logick or other subservient Sciences Or must they not all be sanctified and used for Divinity 4. But I think that as all good Commentaries and Sermons and Systems of Theology are in Scripture so is the Directory here given and is proved by the evidence of the very thing discourst of or by the plainest Texts Object VI. You confound your Reader by Curiosity of distinctions Answ. 1. If they are vain or false shame them by detecting it or you shame your selves by blaming them when you cannot shew the error Expose not your selves to laughter by avoiding just distinction to escape confusion that is avoiding knowledge to escape Ignorance or Light to escape darkness 2. It is ambiguity and confusion that breedeth and feedeth almost all our pernitious Controversies And even those that bring in error by vain distinction must be confuted by better distinguishers and not by ignorant Confounders I will believe the Holy Ghost 2 Tim. 2. 14 15 16. that Logomachie is the plague by which the hearers are subverted and ungodliness increased and that Orthotomie or right dividing the Word of Truth is the Cure And Heb. 5. 15. Discerning both good and evil is the work of long and well exercised senses Object VII Is this your reducing our faith to the primitive simplicity and to the Creed What a toilsome task do you make Religion by overdoing Is any man able to remember all these numberless Directions Answ. 1. I pray mistake not all these for Articles of Faith I am more zealous than ever I was for the reduction of the Christian faith to the primitive simplicity and more confident that the Church will never have Peace and Concord till it be so done as to the test of mens Faith and Communion But he that will have no Books but his Creed and Bible may follow that Sectary who when he had burnt all his other Books as bumane inventions at last burnt the Bible when he grew Learned enough to understand that the translation of that was Humane too 2 If men think not all the Tools in their Shops and all the Furniture of their Houses or the number of their Sheep or Cattle or Lands nor the number of Truths received by a Learning intellect c. to be a trouble and toil why should they think so of the number of Helps to facilitate the practice of their duty If all the Books in your Libraries make your Studies or Religion toilsome why do you keep them and do not come to the Vulgar Religion that would hear no more but Think well speak well and do well or Love God and your neighbour and do as you would be done by He that doth this truly shall be saved But there goeth more to the building of a house than to say Lay the foundation and raise the superstructure Universals exist not but in individuals and the whole consisteth of all the parts 3. It is not expected that any man remember all these Directions Therefore I wrote them because men cannot remember them that they may upon every necessary occasion go to that which they have present use for and cannot otherwise remember In summ to my quarrelsome Brethren I have two requests 1. That instead of their unconscionable and yet unreformed custome of backbiting they would tell me to my face of my offences by convincing evidence and not tempt the hearers to think them envious and 2. That what I do amiss they would do better and not be such as will neither laboriously serve the Church themselves nor suffer others and that they will not be guilty of Idleness themselves nor tempt me to be a slothful servant who have so little time to spend For I dare not stand before God under that guilt And that they will not joyn with the enemies and resisters of the publication of the Word of God And to the Readers my request is 1. That what ever for Quantity or Quality in this Book is an impediment to their regular universal obedience and to a truly holy life they would neglect and cast away 2. But that which is truly Instructing and Helpful they would diligently Digest and Practice And I encourage them by my testimony that by long experience I am assured that this PRACTICAL RELIGION will afford both to Church State and Conscience more certain and more solid Peace than contending Disputers with all their pretences of Orthodoxness and Zeal against Errors for the Truth will ever bring or did ever attain to I crave your pardon for this long Apology It is an Age where the Objections are not feigned and where our greatest and most costly services of God are charged on us as our greatest sins and where at once I am accused of Conscience for doing no more and of men for doing so much Being really A most unworthy Servant of so good a Master RICHARD BAXTER THE CONTENTS OF THE First TOME Christian Ethicks The Introduction page 1 2. CHAP. I. DIrections to Unconverted graceless sinners for the attainment of saving Grace § 1. What is presupposed in the Reader of these Directions p. 3 Containing Reasons against Atheism and Ungodliness § 2 Twenty Directions p. 6 § 3. Thirty Temptations by which Satan hindereth mens conversion p. 26 Ten Temptations by which he would perswade men that their heinous mortal sins which prove them unconverted are but the pardoned infirmities of the penitent p. 33 CHAP. II. Directions to weak Christians for their establishment and growth p. 36 Direct 1. Against receiving Religion meerly for the Novelty or Reputation of it ibid. Direct 2. Let Judgement Zeal and Practice go equally together p. 38 Direct 3. Keep a short Method of Divinity or a Catechism still in your memory p. 39 Direct 4. Certain Cautions about Controversies in Religion Heb. 6. 1. opened p. 40 Direct 5. Think not too highly of your first degrees of Grace or Gifts Time and diligence are necessary to growth How the Spirit doth illuminate The danger of this sin p 41 Direct 6. Let neither difficulties nor oppositions in the beginning discourage you Reasons p. 43 Direct 7. Value and use a Powerful faithful Mininistry Reasons Objections answered p. 45 Direct 8. For Charity Unity and Catholicism against Schism Pretences for Schism confuted p. 47 Direct 9. Let not sufferings make you sin by passion or dishonouring authority p. 49 Direct 10. Take
as Simon Magus or Iulian or Porphiry of the gifts of the Holy Ghost These Honourable miserable men will bear no contradiction or reproof Who dare be so unmannerly disobedient or bold as to tell them that they are out of the way to Heaven and strangers to it that I say not Enemies and to presume to stop them in the way to Hell or to hinder them from damning themselves and as many others as they can They think this talk of Christ and grace and life eternal if it be but serious and not like their own in form or levity or scorn is but the troublesome preciseness of hypocritical humorous crackt-brained fellows And say of the godly as the Pharisees John 7. 47 48 49. Are ye also deceived Have any of the Rulers or of the Pharisees believed on him but this people who knoweth not the Law are cursed § 4. Well Gentlemen or poor men whoever you be that savour not the things of the Spirit Rom. 8. 5 6 7. 13. but live in ignorance of the mysteries of salvation be it known to you that Heavenly Truth and Holiness are works of Light and never prosper in the dark And that your best understanding should be used for God and your salvation if for any thing at all It is the Devil and his deceits that fear the light Do but Understand well what you do and then be wicked if you can and then set light by Christ and holiness if you dare O come but out of darkness into the light and you will see that which will make you tremble to live ungodly and unconverted another day And you will see that which will make you with penitent remorse lament your so long neglect of Heaven and wonder that you could live so far and so long besides your wits as to choose a course of vanity and beasâ—iality in the chains of Satan before the joyful liberty of the Saints And though we must not be so uncivil as to tell you where you are and what you are doing you will then more uncivilly call your selves exceedingly mad and foolish disobedient deceived serving divers lusts and pleasures as one did that thought himself before as wise and good as any of you Acts 26. 11. Tit. 3. 3. Live not in a sleepy state of ignorance if ever you would have saving grace Direction 2. ESpecially labour first to understand the true nature of a state of sin and a state Direct 2. of Grace § 1. It 's like you will say that All are sinners and that Christ dyed for sinners and that you were Pâ—â—itâ—nti optimus est tortus mâ—tatio consâ—â—i Cic. Phil. 12. Regenerate in your Baptism and that for the sins that since then you have committed you have Repented of them and therefore you hope they are forgiven But stay a little man and understand the matter well as you go for it is your salvation that lyeth at the stake It 's very true that All are sinners But it is as true that some are in a state of sin and some in a state of grace some are converted sinners and some unconverted sinners some live in sins inconsistent with Holiness which therefore may be called Mortal others have none but infirmities which consist with spiritual life which in this sense may be called Venial some hate their sin and long to be perfectly delivered from it and others so love it as they are lothe to leave it And is there no difference think you between these § 2. It is as true also that Christ dyed for sinners Or else where were our hope But it is true also that he dyed to save his people from their sins Matth. 1. 21. and to bring them from darkness â—â—â—â—â— Gratiâ—â—nius hominis majus est quam bonum naturae totius universi Aquin. 12. q. 113. art 9. unto light and from the power of Satan unto God Acts 26. 18. and to redeem us from all iniquity and purifie to himself a peculiar people zealous of good works Tit. 2. 14. and that except a man be born again and converted and become as a little child in humility and beginning the world anew he cannot enter into the Kingdom of heaven John 3. 3 5. Matth. 18. 3. and that even he that dyed for sinners will at last condemn the workers of iniquity and say Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire Matth. 25. I never knew you Matth. 7. 23. § 3. It is very true that you were sacramentally regenerate in Baptism and that he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved and all that are the children of promise and have that promise sealed to them by Baptism are regenerate The Ancients taught that Baptism puts men into a state of grace that is that all that sincerely renounce the world the Devil and the flesh and are sincerely given up to God the Father Son and Holy Ghost according to the Covenant of Grace and profess and seal this by their Baptism shall be pardoned and made the heirs of life But as it is true that Baptism thus Qâ—icquid Deo gratum dignumque offertur de bono tâ—esâ—â— o cordis desertuâ— Intrâ— nos quippe est quod Deo offâ—rimus omnâ— viz. acâ—â—ptabile â—unus Ibi timoâ— Dei ibi confâ—ssio ibi largitas ibi sobrietas ibi paupâ—rtas spiritus ibi compassio c. Potho Prumiens de Domo Dei li. 2. De regno Dei quod intra nos est meditamur vanitatâ—s iâ—saâ—iaâ— falsas dum interioâ—ibus ani nâ—â— viâ—tutibus in quibus regnum Dei consistit privati ad exteriora quaedam studia ducimur circa corporalâ—s exâ—rcitationâ—s quae ad modicum utiles esse videntur occupamur fructus spiritus qui sunt charitas pax gaudium c. intus minime possidemus exterius qâ—arundam coâ—suâ—â—udinum observantias sectamur in exercitiis tantum corporalibus quae sunt jejunia vigisiae asperitas seu vilitas vâ—â—tis c. regulam nobis vivendi quasi perfectam statuentes Idem ibid. saveth so is it as true that it is not the outward washing only the filth of the flesh that will suffice but the answer of a good conscience towards God 1 Pet. 2. 21. And that no man can enter into the Kingdom of God that is not born of the Spirit as well as of water Iohn 3. 5. And that Simon Magus and many another have had the water of Baptism that never had the Spirit but still remain in the gall of bitterness and bond of iniquity and had no part nor lot in that business their hearts being not right in the sight of God Acts 8. 13. 21 23. And nothing is more sure than that if any man have not the Spirit of Christ for all his Baptism he is none of his Rom. 8. 9. And that if you have his Spirit you walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit and are not carnally but spiritually minded and are alive to God and as dead to
〈…〉 Quaeâ—amque est praedicatio nostra quae fiducia signa certè non edimus vitae sanctitate non eminemus beneficentia non invitamus 〈…〉 â—pâ—â—itâ—s essiâ—â—cia non pâ—râ—uademus lachrymis ac precibus à Deo non impetramus immo ne magnopere quidem câ—ramus Quae ergo nostra 〈◊〉 est quae tanta Iudorum accusatio An ingeruous confession of the Roman Priesthood And such Priests can expect no better success But having seen another sort of Ministers through Gods mercy I have seen an answerable fruit of their endeavours lib. â— p. 365. all that have their senses awake and fit to serve their Minds To use Reason in the greatest matters is proper to wise men that know for what end God made them Reasonable Inconsiderate men are all ungodly men For Reason not used is as bad as no Reason and will prove much worse in the day of reckoning The truth is though sinners are exceeding blind and erroneous about the things of God yet all Gods precepts are so Reasonable and tend so clearly to our joy and happiness that if the Devil did not win most souls by silencing Reason and laying it asleep or drowning its voice with the noise and crowd of worldly business Hell would not have so many sad inhabitants I scarce believe that God will condemn any sinner that ever lived in the world that had the use of Reason no not the Heathens that had but one talent but he will be able to say to them as Luk. 19. 22. Out of thine own mouth will I judge thee thou wicked servant Thou knewest c. To serve God and labour diligently for salvation and prefer it before all worldly things is so Reasonable a thing that every one that Repenteth of the contrary course doth call it from his heart an impious madness Reason must needs be for God that made it Reason must needs be for that which is its proper End and Use. Sin as it is in the Understanding is nothing but Unreasonableness a blindness and error a loss and corruption of Reason in the matters of God and our salvation And Grace as in the understanding doth but cure this folly and distraction and make us Reasonable again It is but the opening of our eyes and making us wise in the greatest matters It is not a more unmanly thing to love and plead for blindness madness and diseases and to hate both sight and health and wit than it is to love and plead for sin and to hate and vilifie a holy life § 2. Grant me but this one thing that thou wilt but soberly exercise thy Reason about these great important questions Where must I abide for ever What must I do to be saved What was I created and Redeemed for And I shall hope that thy own understanding as erroneous as it is will work out something that will promote thy good Do but withdraw thy self one hour in a day from company and other business and Consider but as soberly and seriously of thy end and life as thou knowest the nature and weight of the matter doth require and I am perswaded thy own Reason and Conscience will call thee to Repentance and set thee at least in a far better way than thou wast in before When thou walkest alone or when thou wakest in the night remember soberly that God is present that time is hasting to an end that judgement is at hand where thou must give account of all thy hours of thy lusts and passions and desires of all thy thoughts and words and deeds and that thy endless joy or misery dependeth wholly and certainly on this little time Think but soberly on such things as these but one hour in a day or two and try whether it will not at once recover thee to wit and godliness and folly and sin will vanish away before the force of Considering Reason as the darkness vanisheth before the light I intreat thee now as in the presence of God and as thou wilt answer the denyal of so Reasonable a request at the day of Judgement that thou wilt but resolve to try this course of a sober serious Consideration about thy sin thy duty thy danger thy hope thy account and thy everlasting state Try it sometimes especially on the Lords dayes and do but mark the result of all and whither it is that such sober consideration doth point or lead thee Whether it be not towards a diligent holy heavenly life If thou deny me thus much God and thy Conscience shall bear witness that thou thoughtst thy salvation of little worth and therefore maist justly be denyed it § 3. Would it not be strange that a man should be penitent and Godly that never once thought of the matter with any seriousness in his life Can so many and great diseases of soul be cured before you have once soberly considered that you have them and how great and dangerous they are and by what remedies they must be cured Can grace be obtained and exercised while you never so much as think of it Can the main business of our lives be done without any serious thoughts when we think it fit to bestow so many upon the trivial matters of this world Doth the world and the flesh deserve to be remembred all the day and week and year and doth not God and thy salvation deserve to be thought on one hour in a day or one day in a week Judge of these things but as a man of reason If thou look that God who hath given thee Reason to guide thy Will and a Will to command thy actions should yet carry thee to Heaven like a Stone or save thee against or without thy will before thou didst ever once soberly think of it thou maist have leisure in Hell to lament the folly of such expectations Direction 6. SUffer not the Devil by company pleasure or worldly business to divert or hinder thee Direct 6. from these serious Considerations § 1. The Devil hath but two wayes to procure thy damnation The one is by keeping thee from any sober Remembrance of spiritual and eternal things and the other is if thou wilt needs think of them to deceive thee into false erroneous thoughts To bring to pass the first of these which is the most common powerful means his ordinary way is by diversion finding thee still something else to Even learning and honest studies may be used as a diversion from more necessary things Saith Petrarch in vita â—ua Iâ—gâ—nio sui ad omne boâ—um salâ—bâ—â— sâ—udiâ—m apto sed aâ— moâ—aâ—â—m pâ—aeâ—â—pâ—e phiâ—oâ—â—phiaâ— ad poeticam prono Quam ipsam pâ—ocessu temporis neglexi sacris literis delectatus in quibus seâ—si â—ulcedinem abditam quam aâ—â—uaâ—do 〈…〉 ram pâ—eticis literis noâ— nisi ad ornamentum reservatis do putting some other thoughts into thy mind and some other work into thy hand so that thou canst never have leisure for any sober thoughts of God
hope And is this a case then for a wise man to continue in a day that can do any thing towards his own recovery Should you delay another day or hour before you fall down at the feet of Christ and cry for mercy and return to God and resolve upon a better course May I not well say to thee as the Angels unto Lot Gen. 19. 15 17 22. Arise lest thou be consumed Escape for thy life look not behind thee Direction 13. WHen thou art Resolved past thy waverings and delayes give up thy self entirely and Direct 13. unreservedly to God the Father Son and Holy Ghost as thy Happiness thy Saviour and thy Sanctifier in an hearty Consent to the Covenant of Grace § 1. This is thy Christianity thy espousals with Christ It is Sacramentally done in Baptism But till it be personally owned and heartily renewed by men at age they have no reason to be numbered with adult believers nor to dream of a part in the blessings of the Covenant It 's pity it is not made a more serious solemn work for men thus to renew their Covenant with God For which I have written in a Treatise of Confirmation but hitherto in vain However do it seriously thy self It is the greatest and weightiest action of thy life § 2. To this end peruse well the Covenant of Grace which is offered thee in the Gospel Understand it well In it God offereth notwithstanding thy sins to be thy Reconciled God and Father in Christ and to accept thee as a Son and an heir of Heaven The Son offereth to be thy Saviour to justifie thee by his blood and grace and teach thee and govern thee as thy Head in order to thy everlasting happiness The Holy Spirit offereth to be thy Sanctifier Comforter and Guide to overcome all the enmity of the Devil the World and the Flesh in order to the full accomplishment of thy salvation Nothing is expected of thee in order to thy Title to the benefits of this Covenant but deliberately unfeignedly entirely to Consent to it and to continue that consent and perform what thou consentest to perform and that by the help of the grace which will be given thee See therefore that thou well deliberate of the matter but without delayes And count what thou shalt gain or lose by it And if thou find that thou art like to be a loser in the end and knowest of any better way even take it and boast of it when thou hast tryed the end But if thou art past doubt that there is no way but this despatch it resolutely and seriously § 3. And take heed of one thing lest thou say Why this is no more than every body knoweth and then I have done a hundred times to give up my self in Covenant to God the Father Son and Holy Ghost Dost thou know it and yet hast thou not done it Or hast thou done it with thy lips and not unfeignedly with thy heart Lament it as one of thy greatest sins that thou hast thus provokingly dallied with God and admire his mercy that he will yet vouchsafe to enter into Covenant with one that hath hypocritically prophaned his Covenant If thou hadst ever seriously thus Covenanted and given up thy self to God thou wouldst not have neglected him by an ungodly life nor lived after to the Devil the world and the flesh which were renounced I tell you the making of this Christian Vow and Covenant with God in Christ is the act of greatest consequence of any in all thy life and to be done with the greatest judgement and reverence and sincerity and foresight and firm resolution of any thing that ever thou dost And if it were done sincerely by all that do it ignorantly for fashion only with the lips then all professed Christians would be saved whereas now the abusers of that holy Name and Covenant will have the deepest place in Hell Write it out on thy heart and put thy heart and hand to it resolvedly and stand to thy Consent and all is thine own Conversion is wrought when this is done Direction 14. IN present performance of thy Covenant with God away with thy former sinful life and Direct 14. see that thou sin wilfully no more but as far as thou art able avoid the temptations which have deceived thee § 1. God will never be reconciled to thy sins If he be reconciled to thy person it is as thou art justified by Christ and sanctified by the Spirit He entertaineth thee as one that turneth with repentance from sin to him If thou wilfully or negligently go on in thy former course of sin thou shewest that thou wast not sincerely resolved in thy Covenant with God § 2. I know infirmities and imperfections will not be so easily cast off but will cleave to thee in Nae illi falsi sunt qui diversissimas res pariter expectant voluptatem praemia virtutis Salust Tenebit te Diabolus sub specie libertatis addictum ut sit tibi liberum peccare non vivere Captivum te tenet author scelerum compedes tibi libidmis impoâ—uit undique te sepsit armata custodiâ Legem tibi dedit ut licitum putes omne quod non licet vivum te in aeternae mortis fovâ—am demersit Hâ—go Etherâ—anus de Aâ—imar regressa cap. 9. thy best obedience till the day of thy perfection come But I speak of gross and wilful sin such as thou canst forbear if thou be but sincerely though imperfectly willing Hast thou been a prophane Swearer or Curser or used to take Gods name in vain or used to backbiting slandering lying or to ribald filthy talk It is in thy power to forbear these sins if thou be but willing Say not I fall into them through custome before I am aware For that is a sign that thou art not sincerely willing to forsake them If thou were truly penitent and thy will sincerely opposite to these sins thou wouldst be more tender and fearful to offend and resolved against them and make a greater matter of them and abhor them and not commit them and say I did it before I was aware No more than thou wouldâ—t spit in the face of thy Father or curse thy Mother or slander thy dearest friend or speak Treason against the King and say I did it through custome before I was aware Sin will not be so played with by those that have been soundly humbled for it and resolved against it § 3. Hast thou been a Drunkard or Tipler spending thy precious hours in an Alehouse prating over a Pot in the company of foolish tempting sinners It is in thy power if thou be truly willing to do so no more If thou love and choose such company and places and actions and discourse how canst thou say thou art willing to forsake them or that thy heart is changed If thou do not love and choose them how canst thou commit them when none compells thee No one
In your Baptism you renounced the world with its pomps and vanity and now do you deifie what you then defied § 36. Temp. 18. Another Temptation is to draw on the sinner into such a custom in sin and long Tempt 18. neglect of the means of his Recovery till his Heart is utterly Hardened § 37. Direct 18. Against this read after Chap. 4. Part. 2. against Hardness of Heart Direct 18. Tempt 19. § 38. Temp. 19. Another Temptation is to Delay Repentance and purpose to do it hereafter § 39. Direct 19. Of this I entreat you to read the many Reasons which I have given to shame and Direct 19. waken delayers in my Book of Directions for a sound Conversion § 40. Tempt 20. The worst of all is to tempt them to flat unbelief of Scripture and the life Tempt 20. to come § 41. Direct 20. Against this read here Chap. 3. Dir. 1. Chap. 4. Part. 1. and my Treatise against Direct 20. Infidelity § 42. Temp. 21. If they will needs looks after Grace he will do all he can to deceive them with counterfeits Tempt 21. and make them take a seeming half conversion for a saving change § 43. Direct 21. Of this read my Directions for sound Conversion and the Formal Hypocrite and Direct 21. Saints Rest Part. 3. c. 10. § 44. Temp. 22. If he cannot make them flat Infidels he will tempt them to question and contradict Tempt 22. the sense of all those Texts of Scripture which are used to convince them and all those doctrines which grate most upon their galled consciences as of the Necessity of Regeneration the fewness of them that are saved the difficulty of salvation the torments of Hell the necessity of mortification and the sinfulness of all particular sins They will hearken what Cavillers can say for any sin and against any part of Godliness and with this they wilfully delude themselves § 45. Direct 22. But if men are resolved to joyn with the Devil and shut their eyes and â—avil Direct 22. against all that God speaketh to them to prevent their misery and know not because they will not know what remedy is left or who can save men against their wills This is the condemnation that light is come into the world and men love darkness rather than light because their deeds are evil He that doth evil hateth the light neither cometh to the light lest his deeds should be reproved John 3. 19 20. In Scripture some things are hard to be understood which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest to their own destruction 2 Pet. 3. 16. Of particulars read the end of my Treatise of Conversion § 46. Temp. 23. Yea Satan will do his worst to make them Hereticks and teach them some doctrine Tempt 23. of licentiousness suitable is their lusts It s hard being wicked still against Conscience in the open light This is kicking against the pricks too smarting work to be easily born Therefore the Devil will make them a Religion which shall please them and do their sins no haâ—m Either a Religion made up of loose Opinions like the Familists Ranters Libertines and Antinomians and the Jesuites too much or else made up of trifling formalities and a great deal of bodily exercise and Stage-actings and complement as much of the Popish devotion is And a little will draw a carnal heart to believe a carnal doctrine It s easier to get such a new Religion than a new heart And then the Devil tells them that now they are in the right way and therefore they shall be saved A great part of the world think their case is good because they are of such or such a Sect or Party and of that which they are told by their Leaders is the true Church and way § 47. Direct 23. But remember that what ever Law you make to your selves God will judge Direct 23. you by his own Law Falsifying the Kings Coyn is no good way to pay a debt but an addition of Treason to your former misery It is a new and a holy heart and life and not a new Creed or a new Church or Sect that is necessary to your salvation It will never save you to be in the soundest Church on earth if you be unsound in it your selves and are but the dust in the Temple that must be swept ouâ— Much less will it save you to make your selves a Rule because Gods Rule doth seem too strict § 48. Tempt 24. Another way of the Tempter is to draw men to take up with meer Convictions Tempt 24. instead of true Conversion when they have but learnt that it is Necessary to salvation to be Regenerate and have the Spirit of Christ they are as quiet as if this were indeed to be regenerate and to have the Spirit As some think they have attained to perfection when they have but received the opinion that perfection may here be had so abundance think they have sanctification and forgiveness because now they see that they must be had and without sanctification there is no salvation And thus the knowledge of all Grace and Duty shall go with them for the grace and duty it self and their judgement of the thing instead of the possession of it and instead of having grace they force themselves to believe that they have it § 49. Direct 24. But remember God will not be mocked He knoweth a convinced head from Direct 24. a holy heart To think you are Rich will not make you rich To believe that you are well or to know the remedy is not enough to make you well You may dream that you eat and yet awake hungry Isa. 29. 8. All the Land or money which you see is not therefore your own To know that you should be holy maketh your unholiness to have no excuse Ahab did not scape by believing that he should return in peace Self-flattery in so great and weighty a case is the greatest folly If you know these things happy are ye if you do them John 13. 17. § 50. Tempt 25. Another great Temptation is by hiding from men the intrinsick evil and odiousness Tempt 25. of â—in What harm saith the Drunkard and Adulterer and voluptuous Sensualists is there in all this that Preachers make so great ado against it What hurt is this to God or man that they would make us believe we must be damned for it and that Christ dyed for it and that the Holy Ghost must mortifie it Wherefore say the Iews Ier. 16. 10. hath God pronounced all this great evil against us or what is our iniquity or what is our sin that we have committed He that knoweth not God knoweth not what sin against God is especially when the Love of it and Delight in it blindeth them § 51. Direct 25. Against this I intreat you to ponder on those forty intrinsecal evils in sin which Direct 25. I have after
head-strong Horse that must be kept in at first and is hardly restrained if it once break loose and get the head If you are bred up in temperance and modesty where there are no great temptations to gluttony drinking sports or wantonness you may think a while that your natures have little or none of this concupiscence and so may walk without a guard But when you come where baits of lust abound where Women and Playes and Feasts and Drunkards are the Devils snares and tinder and bellows to enflame your lusts you may then find to your sorrow that you had need of watchfulness and that all is not mortified that is asleep or quiet in you As a man that goeth with a Candle among Gunpowder or near Thatch should never be careless because he goeth in continual danger so you that are young and have naturally eager appetites and lusts should remember that you carry fire and Gunpowder still about you and are never out of danger while you have such an enemy to watch § 2. And if once you suffer the fire to kindle alas what work may it make ere you are aware James 1. 14 15. Every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lust and enticed Then when lust hath conceived it bringeth forth sin and sin when it is finished bringeth forth death Little knoweth the Fish when he is catching or nibling at the bait that he is swallowing the hook which will lay him presently on the bank When you are looking on the cup or gazing on alluring beauty or wantonly dallying and pleasing your senses with things unsafe you little know how far beyond your intentions you may be drawn and how deep the wound may prove how great the smart or how long and difficult the cure As you love your souls observe Pauls counsel 2 Tim. 2. 22. Flee youthful lusts Keep at a full distance Come not near the bait If you get a wound in your consciences by any wilful heinous sin O what a case will you be in How heartless unto secret duty afraid of God that should be your joy deprived of the comforts of his presence and all the pleasure of his wayes How miserably will you be tormented between the tyranny of your own concupiscence the sting of sin the gripes of conscience and the terrors of the Lord How much of the life of faith and love and heavenly zeal will be quenched in a moment I am to speak more afterwards of this and therefore shall only say at present to all young Converts that care for their salvation Mortifie the flesh and alwayes watch and avoid temptations Direct 15. BE exceeding wary not only what Teachers you commit the guidance of your souls unto Direct 15. Nam si falsi solo nomine tumidi non modo non consulendi sed vitandi sunt quibus nihil est importunius nihil insu siâ—s c. Pâ—tâ—a câ— Dâ—al 117. li. 2. but also with what company you familiarly converse That they be neither such as would corrupt your minds with error or your hearts with viciousness profâ—neness lukewarmness or with a feavorish factious zeal But choose if possible judicious holy heavenly humble unblameable self-denying persons to be your ordinary companions and familiars but especially for your near Relations § 1. It is a matter of very great importance what Teachers you choose in order to your salvation In this the free grace of God much differenceth some from others For as poor Heathens and Infidels have none that know more than what the Book of Nature teacheth if so much so in the several Nations of Christians it is hard for the people to have any but such as the Sword of the Magistrate forceth on them or the stream of their Countreys Custom recommendeth to them And it is a wonder Scientiâ— est posse dâ—cere Provâ—â—b Sub indocto tamen doctus evadâ—re potes â—fflaâ—u aliquo divino ut Ciâ—â—ro loquitur Augustinus de seipso testatur cui non omnia credere nefas est quod Aristotelicas Categorias quae inter difficillima numerantur artes liberales quas singulas a praeceptoribus didicisse magnum dicitur nullo tradeâ—te omnes intellexit â—â—â—â—ardus item vir doctrina sanctitate clarissimus omnes suas literas quarum inter cunctos sui temporis abundantissimus fuâ—â— in sâ—lvis in agris didicit non hominum magisterio sed meditando orando nec ullos unquam alios praeceptores habuit quam quercus sagos Pâ—trâ—â—ch li. 2. Dialog 40. if pure Truth and Holiness be countenanced by either of these But when and where his mercy pleaseth God sendeth wise and holy Teachers with compassion and diligence to seek the saving of mens souls so that none but the malignant and obstinate are deprived of their help § 2. Ambitious proud covetous licentious ungodly men are not to be chosen for your Teachers if you have your choice In a Nation where true Religion is in credit and hath the Magistrates countenance or the Major Vote some graceless men may joyn with better in preaching and defending the purity of doctrine and holiness of life And they may be very serviceable to the Church herein especially in expounding and disputing for the truth But even there more experienced spiritual Teachers are much more desirable They will speak most feelingly who feel what they speak And they are fittest to bring others to faith and love who believe and love God and holiness themselves They that have life will speak more lively than the dead And in most places of the world the ungodliness of such Teachers makes them enemies to the Truth which is according to godliness Their natures are at enmity to the life and power of the doctrine which they should preach And they will do their worst to corrupt the Magistrates and make them of their mind And if they can but get the Sword to favour them they are usually the cruellest persecutors of the sincere As it is notorious among the Papists that the baits of Power and Honour and Wealth have so vitiated the body of their Clergy that they conspire to uphold a worldly Government and Religion and in express contradiction to Sense and Reason and to Antiquity and the judgement of the Church and to the holy Scriptures they captivate the ignorant and sensual to their tyranny and false worship and use the seduced Magistrates and multitude to the persecuting of those that will not follow them to sin and to perdition Take heed of proud and worldly Guides § 3. And yet it is not every one that pretendeth Piety and Zeal that is to be heard or taken for a Teacher But 1. Such as preach ordinarily the substantial Truths which all Christians are agreed in 2. Such as make it the drift of their preaching to raise your souls to the Love of God and to a holy heavenly life and are zealous against confessed sins 3. Such as contradict not the
his Wisdom Clemency and Justice 3. And effectively on his Subjects and Servants who are by his Laws reduced to a Conformity to his mind As a man may first cut his Arms or Image on his seal and then by that seal imprint it on the wax and though it be perfectly cut on the seal it may be imperfectly printed on the wax so Gods Image is naturally perfect in his Son and Regularly or expressively perfect on the seal of his holy Doctrine and Laws but imperfectly on his subjects according to their reception of it in their several degrees § 6. Therefore it is easie to discern their error that tell men the Light or Spirit within them is their Rule and a perfect Rule yea and that it is thus in all men in the world when Gods Word and experience flatly contradict it telling us that Infidels and enemies of God and all the ungodly are in Darkness and not in the Light and that all that speak not according to this Word the Law and Testimony have No Light in them and therefore no perfect Light to be their Rule Isa. 8. 20. The Ministry is sent to bring them from darkness to Light Therefore they had not a sufficient Light in them before Acts 26. 17 18. Wo to them that put darkness for light and light for darkness Isa. 5. 20. telling the children of darkness and the haters of the Light that they have a perfect Light and Rule within them when God saith They have no Light in them See 1 John 1. 5. 4 6 7 8. He that saith he is in the Light and hateth his brother is in darkness even till now 1 John 2. 9 10 11. The Light within a wicked man is darkness and blindness and therefore not his Rule Matth. 6. 23. Ephes. 5. 8. Even the Light that is in godly men is the knowledge of the Rule and not the Rule it self at all nor ever called so by God Our Rule is perfect our knowledge is imperfect for Paul himself saith We know in part But when that which is perfect is come then that which is in part shall be done away Now we see through a glass darkly 1 Cor. 13. 9 10 12. The Gospel is bid to them that are lost being blinded by Satan 2 Cor. 4. 3 4. § 7. There is an admirable unsearchable concurrence of the Spirit and his appointed means and the will of man in the procreation of the new creature and in all the exercises of grace as there is of Male and Female in natural generation and of the Earth the Sun the Rain the industry of the Gardiner and the seminal vertue of Life and specification in the production of Plants with their flowers and fruits And as wise as it would be to say It is not the Male but the Female or the Female but the Male that generateth or to say It is not the Earth but the Sun or not the Sun but the Rain or not the Rain but the seminal Vertue that causeth Plants with Flowers and Fruits So wise is it to say It is not the Spirit but the Word and Means or it is not the Word and Means but the Spirit or it is not the Reason and Will and industry of man but the Spirit Or if we have not wisdom enough to assign to each cause its proper interest in the effect that therefore we should separate what God hath conjoyned or deny the truth of the causation because we comprehend not the manner and influence this is but to choose to be befooled by Pride rather than confess that God is wiser than we § 8. 2. You may here discern also how the Spirit assureth and comforteth believers and how palpably they err that think the Spirit comforteth or assureth us of our salvation without the use of its Evidencing grace The ten things mentioned § 4. is all that the Spirit doth herein But to expect his Comforts without any measure of discerning his graces which can only rationally prove our right to the blessings of the Promise this is to expect that he should comfort a Rational Creature not as Rational but darkly cause him to rejoyce he knoweth not why and that he should make no use of faith to our comfort For faith resteth understandingly upon the Promise and expecteth the performance of it to those that it is made to and not to others Indeed there is a common encouragement and comfort which all men even the worst may take from the universal conditional Promise and there is much abatement of our fears and troubles that may be fetcht from probabilties and uncertain hopes of our own sincerity and interest in the Promise But to expect any other assurance or comfort from the Spirit without Evidence is but to expect immediate revelations or inspirations to do the work which the Word of promise and faith should do The souls Consent to the Covenant of ☜ Grace and fiducial Acceptance of an offered Christ is justifying saâ—ing faith Every man hath an object in the Promise and offer of the Gospel for this act and therefore may rationally perform it Though all have not hearts to do it This may well be called Faith of adherence and is it self our evidence from which we must conclude that we are true Believers The discerning of this Evidence called by some the Reflex act of faith is no act of faith at all it being no believing of another but the act of Conscience knowing what is in our selves The discerning and concluding that we are the children of God participateth of faith and conscientious knowledge which gave us the premises of such a conclusion § 9. 3. You may hence perceive also how we are said to be sealed by the Spirit Even as a mans Eph. 1. 13. Rom. 8. 9. Ephes. 4 30. seal doth signifie the thing sealed to be his own So the Spirit of holiness in us is Gods seal upon us signifying that we are his 2 Tim. 2. 19. Every one that hath the Spirit is sealed by having it and that is his Evidence which if he discern he may know that he is thus sealed § 10. 4. Hereby also you may see what the earnest and first fruits of the Spirit is The Spirit is 2 Coâ— 1. 22. given to us by God as the earnest of the Glory which he will give us To whomsoever he giveth the Spirit of Faith and Love and Holiness he giveth the seed of life eternal and an inclination thereto which is his earnest of it § 11. 5. Hereby also you may see how the Spirit witnesseth that we are the children of God The word Witness is put here principally for Evidence If any one question our adoption the Witness or Evidence which we must produce to prove it is the Spirit of Iesus sanctifying us and dwelling in us This is the chief part at least of the sense of the Text Rom. 8. 16. Though it is true that the same Spirit witnesseth by 1. Shewing us the
zeal and delight remembring that you are engaged to God as servants to their Lord and Master and are entrusted with his talents of the improvement whereof you must give account § 1. THe next Relation between Christ and us which we are to speak of subordinate to that of King and Subjects is this of MASTER and SERVANTS Though Christ saith to the Apostles John 15. 5. Henceforth I call you not servants but friends the meaning is not that he calleth them not servants at all hut not meer servants they being more than servants having such acquaintance with his counsels as his friends For he presently verse 20. bids them Remember that the servant is not greater than the Lord. And John 13. 13. Ye call me Master and Lord and ye say well for so I am And Matth. 23. 8. One is your Master Christ and all ye are brethren So Ver. 10. And the Apostles called themselves the servants of Iesus Christ Rom. 1. 1. 1 Cor. 4. 1. Phil. 1. 1. and of God Tit. 1. 1 c. § 2. He is called our Master and we his servants because he is our Rector ex pleno dominio with What it is to be Christâ— Servants absolute propriety and doth not give us Laws to Obey while we do our own work but giveth us his work to do and Laws for the right doing of it And it is a service under his eye and in dependance on him for our daily provisions as servants on their Lord. God hath WORK for us to do in the world and the performance of it he will require God biddeth his Sons Go work to day in my Vineyard Matth. 21. 28. and expecteth that they do it Ver. 31. His Servants are as Husbandmen to whom he entruâ—â—â—â—th his Vineyard that he may receive the fruit Ver. 33 34 41 43. Faithful servants shall be made Rulers over his houshold Matth. 24. 45 46. Christ delivereth to his servants his talents to improve and will require an account of the improvement at his coming Mat. 25. 14. GOOD WORKS in the proper comprehensive sense are all actions internal and external that are morally good But in the narrâ—weâ— acception they are Works not only formally good as acts of Obedience in general but also materially good such as a servant doth for his Master that tend to his advantage or the proâ—it of some other whose welfare he regardeth Because the doctrine of GOOD WORKS is controverted in these times I shall first open it briefly and then give you the Directions § 3. 1. Nothing is more certain than that God doth not need the service of any creature and that he receiveth no addition to his perfection or felicity from it and consequently that on terms of commutative Iustice which giveth one thing for another as in selling and buying no creature is capable of meriting at his hands 2. It is certain that on the terms of the Law of Works which required perfect obedience as the condition of life no sinner can do any work so good as in point of distributive governing Iustice shall merit at his hands 3. It is certain that Christ hath so fulfilled the Law of Works as to Merit for us 4. The Redeemed are not Masterless but have still a Lord who hath now a double Right to govern them And this Governour giveth them a Law And this Law requireth us to do good works as much as we are able though not so terribly yet as obligingly as the Law of Works And by this Law of Christ we must be Iudged And thus we must be judged according to our works and to be judged ☜ is nothing else but to be Iustified or Condemned Such works therefore are Rewardable according to the Distributive Iustice of the Law of Grace by which we must be Iudged And the antient Fathers who without any opposition spoke of Good works as Meritorious with God meant no more but that they were such as the Righteous Iudge of the world will Reward according to the Law of Grace by which he judgeth us And this doctrine being agreed on as certain truth there is no controversie left with them but whether the word Merit was properly or improperly used And that both Scripture and our common speech alloweth the Fathers use of the word I have shewed at large in my Confession 5. Christ is so far from Redeeming us from a necessity of good works that he dyed to restore us to a capacity and ability to perform them and hath new-made us for that end Tit. 2. 14. He gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purifie to himself a peculiar people zealous of good works Ephes. 2. 10. For we are his workmanship created in Christ Iesus to good works which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them 6. Good works opposed to Christ or his satisfaction merit righteousness mercy or free-grace in the matter of Justification or Salvation are not good works but proud self-confidence and sin But good works in their due subordination to Gods mercy and Christs merits and grace are necessary and Rewardable 7. Though God need none of our works yet that which is good materially pleaseth him as it tendeth to his glory and to our own and others benefit which he delighteth in 8. It is the communicating of his goodness and excellencies to the creature by which God doth glorifie himself in the world and in Heaven where is the fullest Communication he is most glorified Therefore the praise which is given to the creature who receiveth all from him is his own praise And it is no dishonour to God that his creature be honoured by being good and being esteemed good Otherwise God would never have created any thing lest it should derogate from himself Or he would have made them bad lest their goodness were his dishonour and he would be most pleased with the wicked and least pleased with the best as most dishonouring him But madness it self abhorreth these conceits 9. Therefore as an act of Mercy to us and for his own Glory as at first he made all things very good so he will make the new creature according to his Image which is Holy and Iust and Good and will use us in good works and it is our honour and gain and happiness to be so used by him As he will not communicate Light to the world without the Sun whose glory derogateth not from his honour So will he not do good works in the world immediately by himself only but by Vir bonus est qui prodest quibus potest nocet autem nemiâ—â— P. Scalig. Ne pigeat Evangelicum Ministrum aegâ—otum visitare xenio aliquo recreare famelicum cibario saltem pane pascere nuâ—um operire paupâ—râ—m cuâ— non est adjutor a divitum calumniis potentia eripere pro afflictis principem magistratumve convenire râ—m familiaâ—em câ—nsili augegere morientibus sedulo benigne astare lites dissidia
Unbelief is one of the Causes of them and the sinfullest Cause § 2. And that the Article of Remission of sin is to be Believed with application to our selves is certain The Article of Remission of sin to be believed applyingly But not with the application of Assurance Perswasion or Belief that we are already pardoned but with an applying Acceptance of an offered pardon and Consent to the Covenant which maketh it ours We believe that Christ hath purchased Remission of sin and made a Conditional Grant of it in his Gospel to all viz. if they will Repent and Believe in him or take him for their Saviour or become Penitent Christians And we consent to do so and to accept it on these terms And we believe that all are actually pardoned that thus consent § 3. By all this you may perceive that those troubled Christians which doubt not of the truth of the Word of God but only of their own sincerity and consequently of their Justification and Salvation do ignorantly complain that they have not faith or that they cannot believe For it is no act of unbelief at all for me to doubt whether my own heart be sincere This is my ignorance of my self but it is not any degree of unbelief For Gods Word doth no where say that I am sincere and therefore I may doubt of this without doubting of Gods Word at all And let all troubled Christians know that they have no more unbelief in them than they have doubting or unbelief of the truth of the Word of God Even that despair it self which hath none of this in it hath no unbelief in it iâ— there be any such I thought it needful thus far to tell you what unbelief is before I come to give you Directions against it And though the meer doubting of our own sincerity be no unbelief at all yet real unbelief of the very truth of the Holy Scriptures is so common and dangerous a sin and some degree of it is latent in the best that I think we can no way so much further the work of Grace as by destroying this The weakness of our faith in the truth of Scriptures and the remnant of our unbelief of it is the principal cause of all the languishings of our Love and Obedience and every Grace and to strengthen faith is to strengthen all What I have â—ullier written in my Saints Rest Part 2. and my Treatise against Infidelity I here suppose § 4. Direct 1. Consider well how much of Religion Nature it self teacheth and Reason without Direct 1. supernatural Revelation must needs confess as that there is another life which man was made for and that he is obliged to the fullest Love and Obedience to God and the rest before laid down 〈…〉 in the world are perpetual visible Evidences in my eyes of the truth of the Holy Scriptures 1 That there should be so Universal and implacable a hatred against the godly in the common sort â—f unrenewed men in all Agâ—â— and Nations of the Earâ—h when thâ—se men deserve so well of them and do them no wrong â—s a visible proof of Adams fall and he 〈◊〉 of a Saviour and a Sanctifier 2 That all those who are seriously Christians should be so far renewed and recovered from the common corruption as their heavenly â—inds and lives and their wonderful difference from other men sheweth this is a visible proof that Christianity is of God 3. That God doth â—o â—lainly shew a particular special Providence in the converting and confirming souls by differencing Grace and work on the soul as the sanctified feel doth shew that indeed the work is his 4. That God doth so plainly grant many of his Servants prayers by special Providences doth prove his owning them and his 〈◊〉 5. That God suffereth his Servants in all times and places ordinarily to suffer so much for his Love and Service from the world and flâ—sh dâ—â—h shew that there is a Judgement and Rewards and Punishments hereafter Or else our highest duty would be our greatest losâ— and thâ—n how should his Government of men be just 6. That the Renewed Nature which maketh men better and therefore is of God doth wholly look at the life to come and lead us to â—t and live upon it this sheweth that such a life there is or else this would be delusory and vain and Goodness it self would be a deceit 7. When it is undenyable that de facto esse the world is not Governed without the Hopes and Fears of another life almost all Nations among the Heathens believing iâ— and shewing by their very worshipping their dead Heroes as Gods that they believed that their soulâ— did live and even the wicked generally being restrained by those hopes and fears in themselves And also that de posse it is not pâ—â—â—â—ible the world should be governed agreeably to mans rational nature without the hopes and fears of another life But men would be wâ—â—se than Beasts and all Villanies would be the allowed practice of the world As every man may feel in himself what he were like to be and do if he had no such restraint And there being no Doctrine or Life comparable to Christianity in their tendency to the life to come All these are visible staâ—ding evidences assisted so much by common sense and reason and still apparent to all that they leave Infidelity without excuse and are ever at hand to help our faith and resist temptations to unbelief 8. And if the world had not had a Beginning according to the Scriptures 1. We should have found Monuments of Antiquity above sâ—x thousand years old 2. Arts and Sciences would have come to more perfection and Printing Guns c. not have been of so late invention 3. And so much of America and other parts of the world would not have been yet uninhabited unplanted or undiscovered Of Aâ—heâ—sm I have spoken before in the Introduction and Nature so clearly revealeth a God that I take it as almost needless to say much of it to sober men in the Introduction And then observe how congruously the doctrine of Christ comes in to help where Nature is at a loss and how exactly it suits with Natural Truths and how clearly it explaineth them and fully containeth so much of them as are necessary to salvation and how suitable and proper a means it is to attain their Ends and how great a testimony the Doctrines of Nature and Grace do give unto each other § 5. Direct 2. Consider that mans End being in the life to come and God being the righteous and Direct 2. merciful Governour of man in order to that End it must needs be that God will give him sufficient means to know his will in order to that end And that the clearest fullest means must needs demonstrate most of the Government and Mercy of God § 6. Direct 3. Consider what full and sad experience the world hath of its pravity and great
inspirations of their own So that the people were not left to the credulity of naked unproved assâ—rtions of any one that would say that he was sent of God 7. There were some signs given by some of the Prophets to confirm their word As Isaiahs predictions of Hezekiahs danger and remedy and recovery and of the going back of the shadow on Ahaz dyall ten degrees c. And more such there might be which we know not of 8. All Prophecies were not of equal obligation The first Prophecies of any Prophet who brought no attestation by Miracles nor had yet spoken any Prophecie that had been fullfilled might be a merciful revelation from God which might oblige the hearers to a reverent regard and an enquiry into the authority of the Prophet and a waiting in suspense till they saw whether it would come to pass And the fullfilling of it increased their obligation Some Prophecies that foretold but temporal things captivities or deliverances might at first before the Prophets produced a Divine attestation be rather a bare prediction than a Law and if men believed them not it might not make them guilty of any damning sin at all but only they refused that warning of a temporal judgement which might have been of use to them had they received it 9. But our obligation now to believe the same Scripture Prophecies is greater because we live in the ages when most of them are fullfilled and the rest are attested by Christ and his Apostles who proved their attestations by manifold Miracles 10. When the Prophets reproved the known sins of the people and called men to such duties as the Law required no man could speed ill by obeying such a Prophet because the Matter of his Prophecies was found in Gods own Law which must of necessity be obeyed And this is the chief part of the recorded Prophecies 11. And any man that spake against any part of Gods Law of natural or super-natural revelation was not to be believed Deut. 13. 18. Because God cannot speak contrary to himself 12. But the Prophets themselves had another kind of obligation to believe their own Visions and Inspirations than any of their hearers had For Gods great extraordinary Revelation was like the Light which immediately revealed it self and constrained the understanding to know that it was of God And such were the Revelations that came by Angelical apparitions and Visions Therefore Prophets themselves might be bound to more than their bare word could have bound their hearers to As to wound themselves to go bare to feed on dung c. And this was Abrahams case in offering Isaack Yet God did never command a Prophet or any by a Prophet a thing simply evil but only such things as were of a mutable nature and which his will could alter and make to be good And such was the case of Abraham himself if well considered PART II. Directions against Hardness of Heart § 1. IT is necessary that some Christians be better informed what Hardness of Heart is who most complain of it The Metaphor is taken from the Hardness of any matter which a workman would make an impression on And it signifieth the passive and active Resistance of the heart against the Word and Works of God When it receiveth not the impressions which the Word should make and obâ—yeth not Gods Commands but after great and powerful means remâ—ineth as it was before unmoved unaffected and disobedient So that Hardness of heart is not a distinct sin but the habitual power of every sin or the deadness unmoveableness and obstinacy of the heart in any sin So many duties and sins as there be so many wayes may the heart be hardned against the Wâ—rd which forbiddeth those sins and commandeth those duties It is therefore an exâ—or that hath had very ill consequents on many persons to think that Hardness of Heart is nothing but a want of passionate feeling in the matters which concern the soul especially a want of sorrow and tears This hath made them over-careful for such tears and grief and passions and dangerously to make light of the many greater instances of the Hardness of their Hearts Many beginners in Religion who are taken up in penitential duties do think that all Repentance is nothing but a change of opinion except they have those passionate griefs and tears which indeed would well become the penitent And hereupon they take more pains with themselves to affect their hearts with sorrow for sin and to wring out tears than they do for many greater duties But when God calleth them to Love him and to Praise him and to be Thankful for his Mercies or to love an enemy or forgive a wrong when he calleth them to mortifie their earthly mindedness their carnality their pride their passion or their disobedience they yield but little to his call and shew here much greater Hardness of Heart and yet little complain of this or take notice of it I intreat you therefore to observe that the greater the Duty is the worse it is to Hardeâ— the Heart against it And the greater the sin is the worse it is to Harden the heart by obstinacy in it And that the great duties are The Love of God and man with a mortified and heavenly mind and life and to resist Gods Word commanding these is the great and dangerous Hardning of the Heart The life of grace lyeth 1. In the preferring of God and Heaven and Holiness in the Estimation of our minds before all worldly things 2. In the Choosing them and Resolving for them with our Wills before all others 3. In the Seeking of them in the bent and drift of our Endeâ—vours These three make up a state of Holiness But for strength of parts or memory or expression and so for passionate affections of sorrow or joy or the tears that express them all these in their time and place and measure are desireable but not of necessity to salvation or to the life of grace They follow much the temperature of the body and some have much of them that have little or no grace and some want them that have much grace The work of Repentance consisteth most in lothing and falling out with our selves for our sins and in forsaking them with abhorrence and turning unto God And he that can do this without tears iâ— truly penitent and he that hath never so many tears without this is impenitent still Non tamen ideo beatus est quia patienter mâ—â—er est Aâ—â—â—â—â— â—e â—iâ—â—â—â—l 14 c. 25 And that is the hard hearted sinner that will not be wrought to a love of Holiness nor let go his sin when God commandeth him but after all exhortations and mercies and perhaps afflictions is still the same as if he had never been admonished or took no notice what God hath been saying oâ— doing to reclaim him Having thus told you what Hardness of heart is you may see that I have given you Directions
of a worldly corporal felicity and not principally for God and his service and servants and our salvation And indeed as Sensualists love them they should be hated § 4. Worldliness is either predominant and so a certain sign of death or else mortified and in a subduâ—d Worldliness 〈…〉 â—â—â—â— 14. 26 33. degree consistent with some saving grace Worldliness predominant as in the Ungodly 〈…〉 s When men that have not â— lively belief of the everlaâ—sting happiness noâ— have not laid up their treasure and hopes in Heaven do take the pleasure and prosperity of this life for that felicity which is highest in their esteem and dearest to their hearts and therefore love the Riches of the world or full provisions as ☞ the matter and means of this their temporal felicity Worldliness in a mortified person is When â—e Matth. â— 19 20 21 33. Iohn 6 27. Luke 12 19 20. Luke 18 22 23 he that hath laid up his treasure in Heaven and practically esteemeth his everlasting hâ—pes above all the pleasure and prosperity of the flesh and seeketh first the Kingdom of God and his righteâ—usness and useth his estate principally for God and his salvation hâ—th yet sâ—me remnants of iâ—ordinate desire to the pâ—â—sperity and pleasure of the flesh and some inordinate desire of Riches for that end which yet he â—â—â—â—eth lameâ—teth reâ—uteth and so far subdâ—â—th that it is not predominant against the interest of God and his salvation Yet this is a great sin though it be forgiven § 5. III. The Malignity or Greatness of this sin consisteth in these points especially when it The Malignity of it is predominant 1. The love of the World or of Riches is a sin of Deliberation and not of meer temerity or sudden passion Worldlings contrive the attaining of their ends 2. It is a sin of Interest â—ove and Choice set up against our chiefest Interest It is the setting up of a false end and seeking that and not only a sin of error in the means or a seeking the right end in a mistaken way 3. It Ephes. 5. 5. Col. 3. 5. Jam. 4. 4. is Idolatry or a denying God and deposing him in our hearts and setting up his creatures in his sâ—â—ad in that measure as it prevaileth The worldling giveth that Love and that Trust unto the creature which is due to God alone He delighteth in it instead of God and seeketh and holdeth it as his felicity instead of God And therefore so far as any man loveth the world the love of the Father is not in him 1 Joâ—n 2. 15. And the friendship of the world is enmity to God 4. It is a contempt of Heaven when it must be neglected and a miserable world preferred 5. It sheweth that unbelief prevaileth at the heart so far as worldliness prevaileth For if men did practically believe the Heavenly Glory and the promise thereof they would be carried above these present things 6. It is a debasing of the soul of man and using it like the Brutes while it is principally set upon the serving of the flesh and on a temporal felicity and neglecteth its eternal happiness and concernments 7. It is a perverting of the very drift of a mans life as employed in seeking a wrong end and not only of some one faculty or act It is a habitual sin of the state and course of mind and life and not only a particular actual sin 8. It is a perverting of Gods creatures to an End and Use clean contrary to that which they were made and given for and an abusing God by his own gifts by which he should be served and honoured And a destroying our souls with those mercies which were given us for their help and benefit This is the true character of this heinous sin In a word it is the forsaking God and turning the heart from him and alienating the Life from his service to this present world and the service of the flesh Fornication drunkenness murder swearing perjury lying stealing c. are very heinous sins But a single act of one of these committed rashly in the violence of passion or temptation speaketh not such a malignant turning away of the heart habitually from God as to say a man is Covetous or a Worldling § 6. IV. The signs of Covetousness are these 1. Not preferring God and our everlasting Happiness Signs of Worldliness before the Prosperity and Pleasure of the flesh but valuing and loving fleshly prosperity above its worth 2. Esteeming and loving the creatures of God as provision for the flesh and not to further Rom. 13. 14. Matth. 6. 19. 1 Tim. 3. 8. Phil. 3. 18. Ezek. 3â— 31. Jer. 9. 23. us in the service of God 3. Desiring more than is needful or useful to further us in our duty 4. An inordinate eagerness in our desires after earthly things 5. Distrustfulness and carking cares and câ—ntrivances for time to come 6. Discontent and trouble and repining at a poor condition when we have no more than our daily bread 7. When the world taketh up our thoughts inordinately when our thoughts will easilier run out upon the world than upon better things And when our thoughts of worldly plenty are more pleasant and sweet to us than our thoughts of Christ and Grace and Heaven And our thoughts of want and poverty are more bitter and grievous to us than our thoughts of sin and Gods displeasure 8. When our speech is freer and sweeter about prosperity in the world than about the concernments of God and our souls 9. When the world beareth sway Mark 7. 22. in our families and converse and shutteth out all serious eadeâ—vours in the service of God and for our own and others souls Or at least doth out short Religious duties and is preferred before them and thrusteth them into a corner and maketh us slightly huddle them over 10. When we are dejected over much and impatient under losses and crosses and worldly injuries from mâ—n 11 When worldly matters seem sufficient to engage us in contentions and to make us break peace and we will by Law-suits seek our right when greater hurt is liker to follow to our brothers soul or greater wrong to the cause of Religion or the honour of God than our Right is worth 12. When in our trouble and distress we fetch our comfort more from the thoughts of our provisions in the world or our hopes of supply than from our trust in God and our hopes of Heaven 13. When we are more Job 1. 21. thankful to God or man for outward riches or any gift for the provision of the flesh than for hopes or helps in order to salvation for a powerful Ministry good Books or seasonable instructions for the sâ—â—l 14. When we are quiet and pleased if we do but prosper and have plenty in the world though the soul be miserable unsanctified and unpardoned 15. When we are more careful to provide a worldly
through a Needles eye than for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom of God And they that heard it said Who then can be saved And he said The things which are impossible with men are possible with God So Luke 6. 24 25. But wo unto you that are rich for you have received your consolation Wo unto you that are full for ye shall hunger Make but sense of these and many such like Texts and you can gather no less than this from them that Riches make the way to Heaven much harder and the salvation of the ☜ rich to be more difficult and rare proportionably than of other men And Paul saith 1 Cor. 1. 26. Not many wise men after the flesh not many mighty not many noble are called And the Lovers of riches though they are poor must remember that it is said 1 Tim. 6. 10. That the Love of money is the root of all evil And 1 John 2. 15. Love not the world nor the things that are in the world For if any man love the world the love of the Father is not in him Do you believe that here lyeth the danger of your souls and yet can you so love and choose and seek it Would you have your salvation more difficult and doubtful and impossible with men You had rather choose to live where few dye young than where most dye young and where sicknesses are rare than where they are common If you were sick you had rather have the Physicion and Medicines and Dyet which cure most than those which few are cured by If the Countrey were beset with Thieves you had rather go the way that most scape in than that few scape in And yet so it may but please your flesh you will choose that way to Heaven that fewest scape in and you will choose that state of life which will make your salvation to be most hard and doubtful Doth your Conscience say that this is wisely done I know that if God put Riches into your hand by your Birth or his blessing on your honest labours you must not cast away your Masters talents because he is austere but by a holy improvement of them you may further his service and your salvation But this is no reason why you should ovâ—r-love them or desire and seek so great a danger Believe Christ heartily and it will quench your Love of Riches § 28. Direct 7. Remember that the more you have the more you have to give account for And Direct 7. â—f the day of Judgement be dreadful to you you should not make it more dreadful by greatning your own accounts If you desired Riches but for the service of your Lord and have used them for him and can tâ—uly give in this account that you laid them not out for the needless pleasure or pride of the flâ—sh but â—o furnish your selves and families and others for his service and as near as you â—â—uld employ them according to his will and for his use then you may expect the reward of good and faithful servants But if you desired and used them for the pride and pleasure of your selves while you lived and your posterity or kindred when you are dead dropping some inconsiderable â—râ—ms for God you will then find that Mammon was an unprofitable Master and Godliness with content Pâ—â—v 3. 14 1 â—â—m 6 â— 6. would have been greater gain § 29. Direct 8. Remember how dear it costeth men thus to hinder their salvation and greaten their Direct 8. danger and accounts What a deal of precious Time is lost upon the world by the Lovers of it which might have been improved to the getting of Wisdom and Grace and making their calling and election 〈…〉 2 sure If you had believed that the gain of holy wisdom had been so much better than the gaining of Gold as Solomon saith Prâ—v 3. 14. you would have laid out much of that time in labouring to understand the Scriptures and preparing for your endless life How many unnecessary Thoughtâ— have you cast away upon the world which might better have been laid out on your greater concernments How many â—ares and vexations and passions doth it cost men to overload themselves with worldly provisions Like a foolish travellâ—r who having a dayes journey to go doth spend all the day in gathering together a load of mâ—at and clothes and money more than he can carry for fear of wanting by the way or like a foolish runner that hath a race to run for his life and spends Saith Plutarâ—h 〈…〉 â—â—â—â—n Alexanâ—er wept because he was not Lord of the world when Câ—atâ—s having but a Wall â—â— and a thred-bare Cloke spent his whole life in mâ—râ—h and joy as if it had been a continual festival holy-day Psal. 37. 16. Prov 16. 8. the time in which he should be running in gathering a burden of pretended necessaries You have all the while Gods work to do and your souls to mind and judgement to prepare for and you are tiring and vexing your selves for unnecessary things as if it were the top of your ambition to be able to say in Hell that you dyed rich 1 Tim. 6. 5 6 7 8 9 10. Godliness with contentment is great gain For we brought nothing into this world and it is certain that we can carry nothing out And having food and raiment let us be therewith content But they that will be Rich fall into temptation and a snare and into many foolish and hurtful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition For the love of money is the root of all evil which while some coveted after they have erred or been seduced from the â—aith and pierced themselves through with many sorrows Piercing sorrows here and damnation hereafter are a very dear price to give for money For saith Christ himself What shall it profit a man to gain all the world and lose his own soul Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul that is What money or price will recover it if for the love of gain he lose it Mark 8. 36 37. Prov. 15. 27. He that is greedy of gain troubleth his own house but he that hateth gifts shall live Do you not know that a godly man contented with his daily bread hath a far sweeter and quietter life and death than a self-troubling worldling You may easily perceive it Prov. 15. 16. Better is little with the fear of the Lord than great treasure and trouble therewith § 30. Direct 9. Look much on the life of Christ on earth and see how strangely he condemned worldliness Direct 9. by his example Did he choose to be a Prince or Lord or to have great possessions lands or money or sumptuous buildings or gallant attendance and plentiful provisions His housing you â—uke 9 58. may read of Matth. 8. 20. Fâ—xes have holes and the Birds of the air have nests but the Son of man hath not where to lay
power of his carnal motives profit and honour and some delight And if you will put your selves habitually and statedly also under the sense and power of your far greater motives as alwayes perceiving how much it doth concern you for your selves and others and the honour of God this would be a constant poise and spring which being duly wound up would keep the wheels in equal motion § 13. Direct 13. Thus you must make the service of your Master and the saving of your selves and Direct 13. others your business in the world which you follow daily as your ordinary calling and then it will carry on your thoughts Whereas he that serveth God but on the by with some occasional service will think on him or his work but on the by with some occasional thoughts A close and diligent course of holy living is the best help to a constant profitable course of holy thinking § 14. Direct 14. The chief point of skill and holy wisdom for this and other religious duties is to Direct 14. take that course which tends to make Religion pleasant and to draw your souls to delight in God and to take heed of that which would make all grievous to you It will be easie and sweet to think of that which you take pleasure in But if Satan can make all irksome and unpleasant to you your thoughts will avoid it as you do a Carrion when you stop your nose and haste away Psal. 104. 34. saith the Psalmist My meditation of him shall be sweet I will be glad in the Lord Directions about the work it self § 15. Direct 1. As you must never be unfurnished of holy store so you must prudently make choice Direct 1. of your particular subject As the choice of a fit Text is half a good Sermon so the choice of the â—ittest matter for you is much of a good meditation Which requireth some good acquaintance both with the Truth and with your selves § 16. Direct 2. To this end you must know in their several degrees what subjects are in themselves Direct 2. most excellent to be meditated on As the first and highest is the most blessed God himself and the glorious ☞ person of our Redeemer and the New Ierusalem or Heaven of Glory where he is revealed to The order of Subjects to be meditated on as to their excellency his Saints And then the blessed society which there enjoyeth him and the holy Vision Love and Ioy by which he is enjoyed And next is the wonderful work of mans Redemption and the Covenant of Grace and the sanctifying operations of the Holy Ghost and all the Graces that make up Gods image on the soul And then is the state and priviledges of the Church which is the Body of Christ for whom all this is done and prepared And next is the work of the Gospel by which this Church is gathered edified and saved And then the matter of our own salvation and our state of grace and way to life And then the salvation of others And then the common publick good in temporal respects And then our personal bodily welfare And next the Bodily welfare of our neighbours And lastly those things that do but remotely tend to these This is the order of desirableness and worth which will tell you what should have estimative precedency in your thoughts and prayers § 17. Direct 3. You must also know what subject is then most seasonable for your thoughts and Direct 3. refuse even an unseasonable good For good may be used by unseasonableness to do hurt It may be thrust in by the Tempter on purpose to divert you from some greater good or to mar some other duty in hand So he will oft put in some good meditation to turn you from a better or in the midst of Sermon or Prayer or if he see you out of temper to perform a duty of meditation or that you have no leisure without neglecting your more proper work he will then drive you on that by the issue he may discourage and hurt you and make the duty unprofitable and grievous to you and make you more averse to it afterwards Untimely duty may be no duty but a sin which is covered with the material good As the Pharisees Sabboth-rest was when Mercy called them to violate it § 18. Direct 4. Examine well and determine of the End and Use of your meditations before you Direct 4. set upon them and then labour to fit them to that special End The End is first in the intention and from the Love of it the means are chosen and used If it be knowledge that you are to encrease it is evidence of Truth with the Matter to be known in a convincing scientifical way that you must meditate on If it be Divine belief that is to be encreased or exercised it is Divine Revelations both matter and evidence of credibility which you have to meditate on If you would excite the Fear of God you have his Greatness and terribleness his Justice and threatnings to meditate on If you would excite the Love of God you have his Goodness Mercy Christ and promises to meditate on If you would prepare for death and judgement you have your hearts to try your lives to repent of your graces to discover and revive and exercise and your souls diseases to â—eel and the râ—medies to apply so when ever you mean to make any thing of a set meditation determine first of the end and by it of the means § 19. Direct 5. Clear up the Truth of things to your Minds as you can before you take much pains Direct 5. to work them on your affections lest you find after that you did but mis-inform your selves and bestow all your labour in vain to make deluding images on your minds and bring your affections to bow before them As many have done by espousing errors who have laid out their zeal upon them many years together and made them the reason of hatred and contention and bitter censurings of opposing brethren and have made parties and divisions and disturbances in the Church for them and after so many years zealous sinning have found them to be but like Michol's image a man of straw instead of David and that they made all this filthy pudder but in a dream § 20. Direct 6. Next labour to perceive the weight of every thing you think on be it Good or Direct 6. Evil And to that end be sure that God and Eternity be taken in in every Meditation and all things judged of as they stand related to God and to your Eternal state which only can give you the true estimate and sense of Good and Evil There will still the Life and Soul and power be wanting in your most excellent Meditations further than God is in them and they are Divine When you meditate on any Scripture-truth think of it as a beam from the Eternal Light indited by
not be sollicitous for pins or fool-gawds And the hopes of a Lordship or a Kingdom will cure the desire of little things A man that needeth a Physicion for the Dropsie or Consumption will scarce long for Childrens balls or tops And methinks a man that is going to Heaven or Hell should have somewhat greater than worldly things to long for O what a vain and doting thing is a carnal mind that hath pardon and grace and Christ and Heaven and God to think of and that with speed before it be too late and can forget them all or not regard them and eagerly long for some little inconsiderable trifle as if they said I must needs taste of such a dish before I dye I must needs have such a house or a Child or friend before I go to another world O study what need thy distressed soul hath of a Christ and of peace with God and preparation for Eternity and what need thy darkened mind hath of more knowledge and thy dead and carnal heart of more life and tenderness and Love to God and communion with him Feel these as thou hast cause and the eagerness of thy carnal Desires will be gone § 4. Direct 2. Remember how much your carnal Desires do aggravate the weakness of your spiritual Direct 2. Desires and make the sin more odious and unexcusable Are you so eager for a Husband a Wife a Child for wealth for preferment or such things while you are so cold and indifferent in your Desires after God and grace and glory Your desires after these are not so earnest They make you not so importunate and restless They take not up your thoughts both day and night They set you not so much on contrivances and endeavours You can live as quietly without more grace or assurance of salvation or communion with God as if you were indifferent in the business But you must needs have that which you desire in the world or there is no quiet with you Do you consider what a horrible contempt of God and grace and Heaven is manifested by this Either you are Regenerate or unregenerate If you are Regenerate all your instructions and all your experiences of the worth of spiritual things and the vanity of things temporal do make it a heynous sin in you to be now so eager for those things which you have so often called vanity while you are so cold towards God whose Goodness you have had so great experience of Do you know no better yet the difference between the creature and the Creator Do you yet no better understand your necessities and interest and what it is that you live upon and must trust to for your everlasting blessedness and content If you are unregenerate as all are that Love any thing better than God what a madness is it for one that is condemned in Law to endless torments and shall be quickly there if he be not regenerate and justified by Christ to be thirsting so eagerly for this or that thing or person upon earth when he should presently bestir him with all his might to save his soul from endless misery How incongruous are these Desires to the good and bad § 5. Direct 3. Let every sinful Desire humble you for the worldliness and fleshliness which it discocovereth Direct 3. to be yet unmortified in you and turn your Desires to the mortifying of that flesh and concupiscence which is the cause If you did not yet love the world and the things that are in the world you would not 1 Ioh. 2. 15. be so eager for them If you were not too carnal and did not mind too much the things of the flesh you would not be so earnest for them as you are It should be a grievous thing to your hearts to consider what worldliness and fleshliness this sheweth to be yet there That you should set so much by the creature as to be unable to bear the want of it Is this renouncing the world and flesh The thing you need is not that which you so much desire but a better heart to know the Vanity of the Creature to be dead to the world and to be able to bear the want or loss of any thing in it and a fuller mortification of the flesh mortifying and not satisfying it is your work § 6. Direct 4. Ask your hearts seriously whether God in Christ be enough for them or not If Direct 4. they say no they renounce him and all their hope of Heaven For no man takes God for his God that takes him not for his portion and as enough for him If they say yea then you have enough to stop the mouth of your fleshly desires while your hearts confess that they have enough in God Should that soul that hath a filial interest in God and an inheritance in eternal life be eager for any conveniences and contentments to the flesh If God be not enough for you you will never have enough Turn to him more and know him better if you would have a satisfied mind § 7. Direct 5. Remember that every sinful Desire is a rebelling of your wills against the will of Direct 5. God and that it is his will that must govern and dispose of all and your wills must be conform to his yea that you must take pleasure and rest in the will of God Reason the case with your hearts and say who is it that is the Governour of the World and who is to rule me and dispose of my affairs Is it I or God whose will is it that must lead and whose must follow whose will is better guided Gods or mine either it is his will that I shall have what I desire or not If it be I need not be so eager for I shall have it in his time and way If it be not his will is it fit for me to murmur and strive against him Remember that your discontents and carnal desires are so many accusations brought in against God As if you said Thou hast not dealt well or wisely or mercifully by me I must have it better I will not stand to thy will and government I must have it as I will and have the disposal of my self § 8. Direct 6. Observe how your eager Desires are condemned by your selves in your daily prayers Direct 6. or else they make your prayers themselves condemnable If you pray that the will of God may be done why do your wills rebell against it and your desires contradict your prayers And if you ask no more than your daily bread why thirst you after more But if you pray as you desire Lord let my will be done and my self ish carnal desire be fulfilled for I must needs have this or that then what an abominable Prayer is this Desire as you must Pray § 9. Direct 7. Remember what Covenant you have made with God that you renounced the world Direct 7. and the flesh and took him
of soul and Body have special need of help and counsel As 1. The Doubting troubled Christian. 2. The Declining or Backsliding Christian 3. The See Tom. 1. Ch. 7. Tit. 10. Of despair Poor 4. The Aged 5. The Sick 6. And those that are about the sick and dying Though these might seem to belong rather to the first Tome yet because I would have those Directions lye here together which the several sorts of persons in Families most need I have chosen to reserve them rather to this place The special duties of the Strong the Rich and the Youthful and Healthful I omi◠because I find the Book grow big and you may gather them from what is said before on several such subjects And the Directions which I shall first give to doubting Christians shall be but a few brief memorials because I have done that work already in my Directions or Method for Peace of Conscience and spiritual comfort And much is here said before in the Directions against Melancholy ☞ and Despair § 2. Direct 1. Find out the special cause of your doubts and troubles and bend most of your endeavours Direct 1. to remove that cause The same Cure will not serve for every doubting soul no nor for every one that hath the very same doubts For the Causes may be various though the doubts should be the same and the doubts will be continued while the cause remaineth § 3. 1. In some persons the chief cause is a timerous weak and passionate temper of body and mind which in some especially of the weaker Sex is so Natural a disease that there is no hope of a total cure Though yet we must direct and support such as well as we are able These persons have so weak a Head and such powerful passions that Passion is their life and according to Passion they judge of themselves and of all their duties They are ordinarily very high or very low full of joy or sinking in despair But usually Fear is their predominant Passion And what an enemy to quietness and peace strong fears are is easily observed in all that have them Assuring evidence will not quiet such fearful minds nor any Reason satisfie them The Directions for these persons must be the same which I have before given against Melancholy and Despair Especially that the Preaching and Books and means which they make use of be rather such as tend to inform the judgement and settle the will and guide the Life than such as by the greatest servency tend to awaken them to such passions or affections which they are unable to manage § 4. 2. With others the Cause of their Troubles is Melancholy which I have long observed to be the commonest cause with those godly people that remain in long and grievous doubts Where this is the cause till it be removed other remedies do but little But o◠this I have spoken at large before § 5. 3. In others the Cause is a habit of discontent and pievishness and impatiency because of some wants or crosses in the world Because they have not what they would have their Minds grow ulcerated like a Body that is sick or sore that carryeth about with them the pain and smart And they are still complaining of the pain which they feel but not of that which maketh the sore and causeth the pain The cure of these is either in Pleasing them that they may have their will in all things as you rock children and give them that which they cry for to quiet them 〈…〉 or rather to help to cure their impatiency and settle their minds against their childish sinful discontents of which before § 6. 4. In others the Cause is errour or great ignorance about the tenour of the Covenant of Grace and the Redemption wrought by Jesus Christ and the work of Sanctification and evidences thereof They know not on what terms Christ dealeth with sinners in the pardoning of sin nor what are the infallible signes of Sanctification It is sound Teaching and diligent learning that must be the cure of these § 7. 5. In others the cause is a careless life or frequent sinning and keeping the wounds of Conscience still bleeding They are still fretting the sore and will not suffer it to skin either they live in railing and contention or malice or some secret lust or fraud or some way stretch and wrong their Consciences And God will not give his peace and comfort to them till they reform It is a mercy that they are disquieted and not given over to a seared Conscience which is past feeling § 8. 6. In others the Cause of their doubts is Placing their Religion too much in humiliation and in a continual poreing on their hearts and overlooking or neglecting the high and chiefest parts of Religion even the daily studies of the Love of God and the riches of Grace in Iesus Christ and hereby stirring up the soul to Love and Delight in God When they make this more of their Religion and business it will bring their souls into a sweeter relish § 9. 7. In others the Cause is such weakness of parts and confusion of thoughts and darkness of mind that they are not able to examine themselves nor to know what is in them When they ask themselves any question about their Repentance or Love to God or any grace they are fain to answer like strangers and say they cannot tell whether they do it or not These persons must make more use than others of the judgement of some able faithful guide § 10. 8. But of all others the commonest cause of uncertainty is the weakness or littleness of Grace When it is so little as to be next to none at all no wonder if it be hardly and seldome discerned Therefore § 11. Direct 2. Be not neglecters of self-examination but labour for skill to manage aright so Direct 2. great a work But yet let your care and diligence be much greater to get grace and use it and increase it than to try whether you have it already or not For in examination when you have once taken a right course to be resolved and yet are in doubt as much as before your over-much poreing upon these trying questions will do you but little good and make you but little the better but the time and labour may be almost lost whereas all the labour which you bestow in Getting and Using and Increasing grace is bestowed profitably to good purpose and tendeth first to your safety and salvation and next that to your easier certainty and comfort There is no such way in the world to be certain that you have grace as to get so much as is easily discerned and will shew it self and to exercise it much that it may come forth into observation When you have a strong Belief you will easily be sure that you believe When you have a fervent Love to Christ and Holiness and to the word and wayes and servants
of God you will easily be assured that you love them When you strongly hate sin and live in universal constant obedience you will easily discern your Repentance and obedience But weak grace will have but weak assurance and little consolation § 12. Direct 3. Set your selves with all your skill and diligence to destroy every sin of heart Direct 3. and life and make it your principal eare and business to do your duty and please and honour God in your place and to do all the good you can in the world and trust God with your souls as long as you wait upon him in his way If you live in wilful sin and negligence be not unwilling to be reproved and delivered If you cherish your sensual fleshly lusts and set your hearts too eagerly on the world or defend your unpeaceableness and passion or neglect your known duty to God or man and make no Conscience of a true reformation it is not any enquiries after signes of grace that will help you to assurance You may complain long enough before you have case while such a thorn is in your foot Conscience must be better used before it will speak a word of sound well grounded peace to you But when you set your selves with all your care and skill to do your Duties and please your Lord he will not let your labour be in vain He will take care of your peace and comfort while you take care of your duty And in this way you may boldly trust him Only think not hardly and falsly of the Goodness of that God whom you study to serve and please § 13. Direct 4. Be sure whatever condition you are in that you understand and hold fast and Direct 4. improve the General grounds of Comfort which are common to mankind so far as they are made known to them and they are three which are the Foundation of all our comfort 1. The Goodness and Mercifulness of God in his very Nature 2. The sufficiency of the satisfaction or sacrifice of Christ. 3. The universality and freeness and sureness of the Covenant or promise of pardon and salvation to all that by final impenitence and unbelief do not continue obstinately to reject it or to all that unfeignedly Repent and Believe 1. Think not meanly and poorly of the infinite Goodness of God Psal. 103 8 11 17. 89. 2. 86. 5 15. 25. 10. 119. 64. 138. 8. 1â—6 5. Even to Moses he proclaimeth his name at the second delivery of the Law The Lord the Lord God merciful and gracious long suffering and abundant in goodness and truth keeping mercy for thousands forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin Exod. 34. 6 7. His mercy is over all his works It is great and reacheth to the Heavens It is firm and endureth for ever And he hath pleasure in those that hope in his mercy Psal. 147. 11. 100. 5. 33. 18. 57. 10. 108. 4. 2. Extenuate not the Merits and Sacrifice of Christ but know that never man was damned for want of a Christ to dye and be a sacrifice for his sin but only for want of Repentance and faith in him Ioh. 3. 16. 3. Deny not the universality of the conditional promise of pardon and salvation to all that it is offered to and will accept it on the offerers terms And if you do but feel these three foundations firm and stedfast under you it will encourage every willing soul. The Love of God was the cause of our Redemption by Christ Redemption was the foundation of the Promise or new Covenant And he that buildeth on this threefold foundation is safe § 14. Direct 5. When you come to try your particular Title to the blessings of the Covenant be Direct 5. sure that you well understand the condition of the Covenant and look for the performance of that condition in your selves as the infallible Evidence of your title And know that the condition is nothing but an unfeigned Consent unto the Covenant Or such a Belief of the Gospel as makeeth you truly willing of all the mercies offered in the Gospel and of the Duties required in order to those mercies And That nothing depriveth any man that heareth the Gospel of Christ and pardon and salvation but obstinate unwillingness or refusal of the mercy and the necessary annexed duties Understand this well and then peruse the Covenant of Grace which is but to take God for your God and Happiness your Father your Saviour and your Sanctifier and then ask your hearts whether here be any thing that you are unwilling of and unwilling of in a prevailing degree when it is greater than your willingness And if truly you are willing to be in Covenant with your God and Saviour and Sanctifier upon these terms know that your Consent or Willingness or Acceptance of the mercy offered you is your true performance of the Condition of your title and consequently the infallible evidence of your title even as Marriage Consent is a title-condition to the person and priviledges And therefore if you find this your doubts are answered You have found as good an evidence as Scripture doth acquaint us with And if this will not quiet and satisfie you you understand not the business nor is it Reason or Evidence that can satisfie you till you are better prepared to understand them But if really you are unwilling and will not consent to the terms of the Covenant then instead of doubting be past doubt that you are yet unsanctified And your work is presently to consider better of the terms and benefits and of those unreasonable reasons that make you unwilling till you see that your happiness lyeth upon the business and that you have all the reason in the world to make you willing and no true Reason for the withholding of your Consent And when the light of these considerations hath prevailed for your Consent the match is made and your Evidence is sure § 15. Direct 6. Iudge not of your hearts and Evidences upon every sudden glance or feeling Direct 6. but upon a sober deliberate examination when your minds are in a clear composed frame And as then you find your selves record the judgement or discovery and believe not every sudden inconsiderate appearance or passionate fear against that Record Otherwise you will never be quiet or resolved but carryed up and down by present sense The case is weighty and not to be decided by a sudden aspect nor by a scattered or a discomposed mind If you call your unprovided or your distempered understandings suddenly to so great a work no wonder if you are deceived You must not judge of colours when your eye is blood-shotten or when you look through a coloured Glass or when the object is far off It is like casting up a long and difficult account which must be done deliberately as a work of time and when it is so done and the summs
Come to him therefore as the Saviour of souls that be may Teach you the will of God and Reconcile you to his Father and pardon your sins and renew you by his spirit and acquaint you with his Fathers Love and save you from damnation and make you heirs of life eternal For all this may yet possibly be done as short as your time is like to be And it will yet be long of you if it be not done The Covenant of Grace doth promise pardon and salvation to every Penitent Believer when ever they truly turn to God without excepting any hour or any person in all the world Nothing but an unbelieving hardened heart resisting his grace and unwilling to be Holy can deprive you of pardon and salvation even at the last It was a most foolish wickedness of you to put it off till now but yet for all that if you are not yet saved it shall not be long of Christ but you Yet he doth freely offer you his mercy and he will be your Lord and Saviour if you will not refuse him yet the match shall not break on his part see that it break not on your part and you shall be saved Know therefore what he is as God and Man and what a blessed work he hath undertaken to Redeem a sinful miserable world and what he hath already done for us in his life and doctrine in his death and sufferings by his Resurrection and his Covenant of Grace and what he is now doing at his Fathers right hand in making intercession for penitent believers and Heb. Rom. 5. what an endless Glory he is preparing for them and how he will save to the uttermost all that come to God by him O yet let your heart even leap for Joy that you have an allsufficient willing gracious Saviour whose Grace aboundeth more than sin aboundeth If the Devils and poor damned souls in Hell were yet but in your case and had your offers and your hopes how glad do you imagine they would be Cast your selves therefore in Faith and Confidence upon this Saviour Trust your souls upon his Sacrifice and Merit for the pardon of your sins and peace with God Beg of him yet the renewing grace of his spirit Be willing to be made holy and a new Creature and to live a holy life if you should survive Resolve to be wholly ruled by him and give up your self absolutely to him as your Saviour to be justified and sanctified and saved by him and then trust in him for everlasting happiness O happy soul if yet you can do thus without deceit § 8. Direct 4. Believe now and consider what God is and will be to your soul and what Love he Direct 4. hath shewed to you by Christ and what endless Ioy and Glory you may have with him in Heaven for For a new heart and the Love of God and a Resolution for a holy obedient life ever notwithstanding all the sins that you have done And think what the world and the flesh hath done for you in comparison of God Think of this till you fall in Love with God and till your hearts and hopes are set on Heaven and turned from this world and flesh and till you feel your self in Love with Holiness and till you are firmly Resolved in the strength of Christ to live a holy life if God recover you and then you are truly sanctified and shall be saved if you die in this condition Take heed that you take not a Repentance and good purposes which come from nothing but Fear to be sufficient If you recover all this may die again when your fear is over You are not sanctified nor God hath not your hearts till your Love be to him that which you do through fear alone you had rather not do if you might be excused And therefore your Hearts are still against it When the feeling of Gods unspeakable Love in Christ doth melt and overcome your hearts when the infinite Goodness of God himself and his mercies to your souls and bodies do make you take him as more Lovely and desirable than all the world when you so believe the Heavenly Joyes above as to desire them more than earthly pleasures when you Love God better than worldly prosperity and when a life of such ☜ Love and Holiness seemeth better to you than all the merriments of sinners and you had rather be a Saint than the most prosperous of the ungodly and are firmly resolved for a holy life if God recover you then are you indeed in a state of grace and not till then This must be your case or you are undone for ever And therefore meditate on the Love of Christ and the Goodness of God and the Joyes of Heaven and the happiness of Saints and the misery of worldlings and ungodly men meditate on these till your eyes be opened and your hearts be touched with a holy love and Heaven and Holiness be the very things that you desire above all and then you may boldly go to God and believe that all your sins are pardoned And it is not bare terrour but these believing thoughts of God and Heaven and Christ and Love that must change your hearts and do the work § 9. These four Directions truly practised will yet set you on safe ground as sad and dangerous as your condition is But it is not the hearing of them or the bare approbation of them that will serve the turn To find out your sinful miserable state and to be truly humbled for it and to discern the Remedy which you have in Christ and penitently and believing to enter into his Covenant and to see that your Happiness is wholly in the Love and fruition of God and to believe the Glory prepared for the Saints and to prefer it before all the prosperity of the world and Love it and set your hearts upon it and to resolve on a holy life if you should recover forsaking this deceitful world and flesh all this is a work that is not so easily done as mentioned and requireth your most serious fixed thoughts and indeed had been fitter for your youthful vigor than for a painful weak distempered state But necessity is upon you It must needs be yet done and throughly and sincerely done or you are lost for ever And therefore do it as well as you can and see that your hearts do not trifle and deceive you In some respect you have greater helps than ever you had before You cannot now keep up your hard-heartedness and security by looking at death as a great way off You have now fuller experience than ever you had before what the flâ—sh and all its pleasures will come to and what good your sinful sports and recreations and merriments will do you and what all the riches and greatness and gallantry and honours of the world are worth and what they will do for you in the day of your necessity You stand so
Kingdom of God and his righteousness as esteeming it above all the Riches of the world Object Thou hast kept thy sins while thou wentest on in a profession of Religion Answ. I had no sin but what in the habitual ordinary temper of my soul I hated more than I loved it and had rather have been delivered from it than have kept it and none but what I unfeignedly repented of Object Thou didst not truly believe the promises of God and the life to come or else thou wouldst never have doubted as thou hast done nor sought such a Kingdom with such weak desires Answ. Though my faith was weak it overcame the world I so far believed the promise of another life as that I preferred it before this life and was resolved rather to forsake all the world than to part with my hopes of that promised blessedness And that faith is sincere how weak soever that can do this Object But thou hast done thy works to be seen of men and been troubled when men have not approved thee nor honoured thee and what was this but meer hypocrisie Answ. Though I had some hypocrisie yet was I not an hypocrite because it was not in a reigning and prevalent degree Though I too much regarded the esteem of men yet I did more regard the esteem of God Thus if a Christian discern his evidences the false reasonings of Satan are to be refuted § 21. 2. But ordinarily it is a readier way to take the second course which is At present to Believe and Repent and so confute Satan that saith you are not penitent believers But then you must truly John 1. 10 11 12. 3. 16. 19 20. Rom. 7. 21 22 23 24 25. Psal. 119 1 4 5. understand what Believing and Repenting is or else you may think that you do not Believe and Repent when you do Believing in Christ is a Believing that he is the Saviour of the world and a consent of will that he be your Saviour to justifie you by his blood and sanctifie you by his Spirit To Repent is to be so sorry that you have sinned that if it were to do again you would not do it as to gross sin and a state of sin and the smallest infirmities your will is so far set against that you desire to be delivered from them Believing to Justification is not the Believing that you are already justified and your sins forgiven you And Repenting consisteth not in such degrees of sorrow as some expect but in the change of the mind and will from a life of sensuality to a life of holiness When you know this then answer the Tempter thus If I should suffer thee to deprive me of the comfort of all my former uprightness yet shalt thou not so deprive me of the comfort of my present sincerity and of my hopes I am now too weak and distempered to try all that is past and gone Past actions are now known but by remembring them And they are seldome judged of as indeed they then were but according to the temper and apprehension of the mind when it revieweth them And I am now so changed and weakned my self that I cannot tell whether I truly remember the just temper and thoughts of my heart in all that 's past or not Nor doth it most concern me now to know what I have been but to know what I am Christ will not judge according to what I was but according to what he findeth me Never did he refuse a penitent believing soul because he repented and believed late I do now unfeignedly repent of all my sins and am heartily willing to be both pardoned and cleansed and sanctified by Christ and here I give up my self to him as my Saviour and to this Covenant I will stand And this is true Repenting and Believing Thus a poor Christian in the time of sickness may oft-times much easier clear it up to himself that he Repenteth now than that he Repented formerly And it is his surest way § 25. Tempt 2. And yet sometimes he cometh with the quite contrary Temptation and must be Tempt 2. resisted by the contrary way When he findeth a Christian so perplexed and weakned and distempered with sickness that his understanding is disabled from any composed thoughts then he asketh him Now where is thy Faith and Repentance If thou hast any or ever hadst any let it now appear In this case a Christian is to take up with the remembrance of his former sincerity and tell the Tempter I am sure that once I gave up my self unfeignedly to my Lord and those that come to him he will in no wise cast out And if now I be disabled from a composed exercise of grace he will not impute my sickness to me as my sin § 26. Tempt 3. Another ordinary Temptation is that Its now too late God will not now accept Tempt 3. repentance the day of grace is past and gone or at least a death-bed Repentance is not sincere To this the Tempted soul must reply 1. That if faith and repentance were not accepted at any time in this life then Gods promise were not true which saith that whosoever believeth in him shall not perish but have everlasting life John 3. 16. So Luke 24. 47. Acts 5. 31. 11. 18. 20 21. 2 Tim. 2. 25. 2 Pet. 3. 9. There is a time in this life in which some resisters of the truth are given up to their own lusts to the love of sin and hatred of holiness so that they will not Repent But there was never a time in this life in which God refused to justifie a true repenting sinner upon his belief in Christ. 2. That if a death-bed Repentance do truly turn the heart from the world to God and from sin to holiness so that the penitent person if he should recover would lead a new and holy life then that Repentance hath as sure a promise of pardon and salvation as if it had been sooner And yet delay must be confessed to be dangerous to all and casteth men under very great difficulties and their loss is exceeding great though at last they repent and are forgiven § 27. Tempt 4. Sometime the Tempter saith Thou art not elected to salvation and God saveth Tempt 4. none but his Elect and so puzzleth the ignorant by setting them on doubting of their Election To this we must answer that every soul that is chosen to faith and Repentance and perseverance is certainly chosen to salvation And I know that God hath chosen me to Faith and Repentance because he hath given them me And I have reason enough to trust on him for that upholding grace which will cause me to persevere § 28. Tempt 5. But saith the Tempter Christ did not dye for thee and no one can be saved that Tempt 5. Christ did not dye for To this it must be answered That Christ dyed for all men so far as to be a sufficient
and lastly of our Keeping it § 3. The Christian Covenant is a Contract between God and man through the Mediation of Iesus Christ The Covenant what for the return and reconciliation of sinners unto God and their Iustification Adoption Sanctification and Glorification by him to his Glory § 4. Here we must first consider who are the Parties in the Covenant 2. What is the matter of the Covenant on Gods Part 3. What is the matter on Mans Part 4. What are the terms of it propounded on Gods Part. 5. Where and how he doth express it 6. What are the necessary Qualifications on mans part 7. And what are the Ends and Benefits of it § 5. I. The Parties are GOD and MAN GOD the FATHER SON and HOLY GHOST on the one part and REPENTING BELIEVING SINNERS on the other part Man is the party that needeth it but God is the party that first offereth it Here note 1. That Gods part of the Covenant is made Universally and Conditionally with all mankind as to the tenor enacted and so is in Being before we were born 2. That it is not the Father Son and Holy Ghost considered simply as persons in the Godhead but as Related to Man for the ends of the Covenant 3. That it is only Sinners that this Covenant is made with because the Use of it is for the restoration of those that broke a former Covenant in Adam It is a Covenant of Reconciliation and therefore supposeth an Enmity antecedent 4. When I say that it is Repenting and Believing sinners that are the party I mean 1. That taking the Covenant in its first Act it is Repentance and faith themselves that are that Act and are our very Covenanting But taking the Covenant in its external expression so it is a Repenting Believing sinner that must make it it being but the expression of his Repentance and faith by an explicit contract with God 5. Note that though Gods Covenant be by one Universal Act of which more anon yet mans is to be made by the several acts of the individual persons each one for himself and not by the Acts of Societies only § 6. II. The matter of the Covenant on Gods Part is in General that He will be our God more particularly that God the Father will be our Reconciled God and Father in Jesus Christ that God the Son will be our Saviour and God the Holy Ghost will be our Sanctifier And the Relation of a God to us essentially containeth these three parts 1. That as on the title of Creation and Redemption he is our Owner so he doth take us as his own peculiar people 2. That as he hath title to be our Absolute King or Governour so he doth take us as his Subjects 3. That he will be our Grand Benefactor and Felicity or our most Loving Father which comprizeth all the rest And as he will be thus Related to us so he will do for us all that these Relations do import As 1. He will do all that belongeth to a Creator for his creature in our preservation and supplies 2. He will save us from our sins and from his wrath and Hell 3. And he will sanctifie us to a perfect conformity to our Head Also 1. He will use us and defend us as his own peculiar ones 2. He will govern us by a Law of Grace and righteousness 3. He will make us fully happy in his Love for ever § 7. III. The Matter on mans part of the Covenant is 1. In respect of the Terminus a quo that we will forsake the Flesh the World and the Devil as they are adverse to our Relations and Duties to God 2. In regard of the Terminus ad quem that we will take the Lord for our God and more particularly 1. That we do take God the Father for our Reconciled Father in Iesus Christ and do give up our selves to him as Creatures to their Maker 2. That we do take Iesus Christ for our Redeemer Saviour and Mediator as our High-Priest and Prophet and King and do give up our selves to him as his Redeemed ones to be reconciled to God and saved by him 3. That we do take the Holy Ghost for our Regenerâ—â—er and Sanctifier and do give up our selves to be perfectly renewed and sanctified by him and by his operations carryed on to God in his holy service Also 1. That we do take God for our Absolute Lord or Owner and do give up our selves to him as his Own 2. That we take him for our Universal Soveraign Governour and do give up our selves unto him as his subjects 3. That we do take him for our most bountiful Benefactor and loving Father and felicity and do give up our selves to him as his children to seek him and please him and perfectly to Love him Delight in him and Enjoy him for ever in Heaven as our Ultimate End And in consenting to these Relations we covenant to do the Duties of them in sincerity § 8. IV. The Terms or Conditions which God requireth of man in his Covenant are Consent and Fidelity or Performance He first Consenteth conditionally if we will consent And he consenteth to be actually our God when we consent to be his people so that as bare Consent without any performance doth found the Relation between Husband and Wife Master and Servant Prince and People but the sincere performance of the duties of the Relation which we consent to are needful afterward to continue the Relation and attain the benefits and ends so is it also between God and man We are his Children in Covenant as soon as we consent but we shall not be glorified but on Condition of sincere performance and obedience § 9. V. Gods Covenant with man is nothing else but the Universal Promise in the Gospel and to the solemnization the Declaration and Application and solemn Invâ—stiture or Delivery by his authorized Ministers 1. The Gospel as it relateth the matters of fact in and about the work of our Redemption is a Sacred History 2. As it containeth the Terms on which God will be served and commandeth us to obey them for our salvation it is called The Law of Christ or Grace 3. As it containeth the Promise of life and salvation conditionally offered it is called Gods Promise and Covenant viz. on his part as it is Proposed only 4. When by our Consent the Condition is so far performed or the Covenant Accepted then Gods Conditional Universal Promise or Covenant becometh actual and particular as to the effect and so the Covenant becometh Mutual between God and man As if a King make an Act or Law of Pardon and Oblivion to a Nation of Rebels saying Who ever cometh in by such a day and confesseth his fault and sueth out his pardon and promiseth fidelity for the future shall be pardoned This Act is a Law in one respect and it is an Universal Conditional pardon of all those Rebells or a Promise of pardon and an
in a state of salvation that are not inherently sanctified And whether any fall from this Infant state of salvation Answ. OF all these great difficulties I have said what I know in my Appendix to Infant Baptism to Mr. Bedford and Dr. Ward and of Bishop Davenants judgement And I confess that my judgement agreeth more in this with Davenants than any others saving that he doth not so much appropriate the benefits of baptism to the children of sincere believers as I do And though by a Letter in pleading Davenants cause I was the occasion of good Mr. Gatakers printing of his answer to him yet I am still most inclined to his judgement Not that all the baptized but that all the baptized seed of true Christians are pardoned justified adopted and have a title to the Spirit and salvation But the difficulties in this case are so great as driveth away most who do not equally perceive the greater inconveniencies which we must choose if this opinion be forsaken that is that all Infants must be taken to be out of the Covenant of God and to have no promise of salvation Whereas surely the Law of Grace as well as the Covenant of Works included all the seed in their capacity 1. To the first of these Questions I answer 1. As all true believers so all their Infants do receive initially by the promise and by way of obsignation and Sacramental Investiture in Baptism a Ius Relationis a right of peculiar Relation to all the three persons in the blessed Trinity As to God as Matth. 28. 19 20. their reconciled Adopting Father and to Jesus Christ as their Redeemer and actual Head and Justifier so also to the Holy Ghost as their Regenerater and Sanctifier This Right and Relation 1 Cor. 12. 12 13. adhereth to them and is given them in order to future actual operation and communion As a Marriage Covenant giveth the Relation and Right to one another in order to the subsequent Communion Eph. 4. 4 5. and duties of a married life And as he that sweareth allegiance to a King or is listed into an Army or is entred into a School receiveth the Right and Relation and is so correlated as obligeth to the mutual subsequent Offices of each and giveth right to many particular benefits By this Right and Relation God is his own God and Father Christ is his own Head and Saviour and the Holy Spirit is his own Sanctifier without asserting what operations are already wrought on his soul but only to what future ends and uses these Relations are Now as these Rights and Relations are given immediately so those Benefits which are Relative and the Infant immediately capable of them are presently given by way of communion He hath presently the pardon of Original sin by virtue of the Sacrifice Merit and Intercession of Christ. He hath a state of Adoption and Right to Divine Protection Provision and Church-communion according to his natural Capacity and Right to everlasting life 2. It must be carefully noted that the Relative Union between Christ the Mediator and the baptized persons is that which in Baptism is first given in order of nature and that the rest do flow from this The Covenant and Baptism deliver the Covenanter 1. From Divine Displicency by Reconciliation with the Father 2. From Legal Penalties by Justification by the Son 3. From sin it self by the operations of the Holy Ghost But it is Christ as our Mediator-Head that is first given us in Relative Union And then 1. The Father Loveth us with Complacency as in the Son and for the sake of his first beloved 2. And the Spirit which is given us in Relation is first the Spirit of Christ our The Spirit is not given radically or immediately to any Christian but to Christ our Head alone and from Him to us Head and not first inherent in us So that by Union with our Head that Spirit is next united to us both Relatively and as Radically Inherent in the Humane Nature of our Lord to whom we are united As the Nerves and Animal Spirits which are to operate in all the body are Radically only in the Head from whence they flow into and operate on the members as there is need though there may be obstructions So the Spirit dwelleth in the Humane Nature of our Head and there it can never be lost And it is not necessary that it dwell in us by way of Radication but by way of Influence and Operation These things are distinctly and clearly understood but by very few and we are all much in the dark about them But I think however doctrinally we may speak better that most Christians are habituated to this perilous misapprehension which is partly against Christianity it self that the Spirit floweth immediatly from the Divine Nature of the Father and the Son as to the Authoritative or Potestative conveyance unto our souls And we forget that it is first given to Christ in his Glorified Humanity as our Head and radicated in Him and that it is the Office of this Glorified Head to send or communicate to all his members from Himself that Spirit which must operate in them as they have need This is plain in many Texts of Scripture Rom. 8. 32. He that spared not his own Son but gave him up for us all how shall be not also with him freely give us all things when he giveth him particularly to us 1 John 5. 11 12. And this is the record that God hath given us eternal life and this life is in his Son He that hath the Son hath the life and he that hath not the Son hath not the life Rom. 8. 9. If any man have not the Spirit of Christ the same is none of his Eph. 1. 22 23. And gave him to be the Head over all things to the Church which is his body the fulness of him that filleth all in all John 15. 26. The Advocate or Comforter whom I will send unto you from the Father c. John 16. 7. If I depart I will send him unto you John 14. 26. The Comforter whom the Father will send in my Name Gal. 4. 6. And because ye are sons God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your Hearts crying Abba Father Gal. 2. 20. I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me I know that is true of his Living in us Objectively and Finally but that seemeth not to be all Col. 3. 3 4. For ye are dead and your life is bid with Christ in God when Christ who is our life shall appear then shall ye also appear with him in Glory I know that in verse 3. by Life is meant Felicity or Glory But not only as appeareth by verse 4. where Christ is called Our Life Matth. 28. 19. All power is given unto me in Heaven and Earth ver 20. I am with you allwayes Joh. 13. 3. The Father hath given all things into his hands Joh. 17. 2
hold their own mercies upon the condition of their own continued fidelity And let their Apostasie be on other reasons never so impossible or not future yet the promise of continuance and consummation of the personal felicity of the greatest Saint on earth is still conditional upon the condition of â—his persevering sidelity 6. Even before Children are capable of Instruction there are certain duties imposed by God on the Parents for their sanctification viz. 1. That the Parents pray earnestly and believingly for them Second Commandment Prov. 20. 7. 2. That they themselves so live towards God as may invite him still to bless their Children for their sakes as he did Abrahams and usually did to the faithful's seed 7. It is certain that the Church ever required Parents not only to enter their Children into the Covenant and so to leave them but to do their after duty for their good and to pray for them and educate them according to their Covenant 8. It is plain that if there were none to promise so to educate them the Church would not baptize them And God himself who allowed the Israelites and still alloweth us to bring our Children into his Covenant doth it on this supposition that we promise also to go on to do our duty for them and that we actually do it 9. All this set together maketh it plain 1. That God never promiseth the adult in Baptism though true believers that he will work in them all graces further by his sanctifying spirit let them never so much neglect or resist him or that he will absolutely see that they never shall resist him nor that the spirit shall still help them though they neglect all his means or that he will keep them from neglecting the means Election may secure this to the Elect as such but the Baptismal Covenant as such secureth it not to the baptized nor to believers as such 2. And consequently that Infants are in Covenant with the Holy Ghost still conditionally as their Parents are And that the meaning of it The Holy Ghost is promised in Baptism to give the Child grace in his Parents and his own faithful use of the appointed means is that the Holy Ghost as your sanctifier will afford you all necessary help in the use of those means which he hath appointed you to receive his help in Obj. Infants have no means to use Answ. While Infants stand on their Parents account or Wills the Parents have means to use for the continuance of their grace as well as for the beginning of it 10. Therefore I cannot see but that if a believer should apostatize whether any do so is not the question and his Infant not be made anothers Child he forfeiteth the benefits of the Covenant to his Infant But if the propriety in the Infant be transferred to another it may alter the case 11. And how dangerously Parents may make partial forfeitures of the spirits assistance to their Children and operations on them by their own sinful lives and neglect of prayer and of prudent and holy education even in particular acts I fear many believing Parents never well considered 12. Yet is not this forfeiture such as obligeth God to deny his spirit For he may do with his own as a free benefactor as he list And may have mercy freely beyond his promise though not against his word on whom he will have mercy But I say that he that considereth the woful unfaithfulness and neglect of most Parents even the Religious in the Great work of holy educating their Children may take the blame of their ungodliness on themselves and not lay it on Christ or the spirit who was in Covenant with them as their sanctifier seeing he promised but conditionally M. â—â—istoâ— pag. â—3 As Abraham as a single person in Covenant was to accept of and perform the conditions of the Covenant so as a Parent he had something of duty incumbent on him with reference to his immediate seed And as his faithful performance of that duty incumbent on him in his single capacity so his performing that duty incumbent on him as a Parent in reference to his seed was absolutely necessary in order to his enjoying the good promised with reference to himself and his seed Proved Gen. 17 1. 18. 19. He proveth that the promise is conditional and that as to the continuance of the Covenant state the conditions are 1. The Parents upright life 2. His duty to his Children well done 3. The Childrens own duty as they are capable to give them the sanctifying Heavenly influences of his Life Light and Love in their just use of his appointed means according to their abilities 13. Also as soon as Children come to a little use of Reason they stand conjunctly on their Parents Wills and on their own As their Parents are bound to teach and rule them so they are bound to learn of them and be ruled by them for their good And though every sin of a Parent or a Child be not a total forfeiture of grace yet both their notable actual sins may justly be punished with a denyal of some further help of the spirit which they grieve and quench 11. And now I may seasonably answer the former question whether Infants Baptismal saving grace may be lost of which I must for the most that is to be said referr the Reader to Davenant in Mr. Bedfords Book on this subject and to Dr. Sam. Ward joyned with it Though Mr. Gatakers answers are very Learned and considerable And to my small Book called My Iudgement of Perseverance Augustine who first rose up for the doctrine of perseverance against its Adversaries carried it no higher than to all the Elect as such and not at all to all the Sanctified but oft affirmeth that some that were justified sanctified and Love God and are in a state of salvation are not elect and fall away But since the Reformation great reasons have been brought to carry it further to all the truly sanctified of which cause Zanchius was one of the first Learned and zealous Patrons that with great diligence in long disputations maintained it All that I have now to say is that I had rather with Davenant believe that the fore-described Infant state of salvation which came by the Parents may be lost by the Parents and the Children though such a sanctified renewed nature in holy Habits of Love as the adult have be never lost than believe that no Infants are in the Covenant of Grace and to be baptized Obj. But the Child once in possession shall not be punished for the Parents sin Answ. 1. This point is not commonly well understood I have by me a large Disputation proving from the current of Scripture a secondary original sin besides that from Adam and a secondary punishment ordinarily inflicted on Children for their Parents sins besides the common punishment of the World for the first sin 2. But the thing in question is
to its capacity therefore a Believers child is supposed to be Virtually not actually dedicated to God in his own dedication or Covenant as soon as his child hath a being 3. Being thus Virtually and Implicitly first dedicated he is after Actually and regularly dedicated in Baptism and Sacramentally receiveth the badge of the Church And this maketh him a visible member or Christian to which the two first were but introductory as Conception is to humane Nativity Object 2. But the seed of Believers as such are in the Covenant and therefore Church-members Answ. The word Covenant here is ambiguous Either it signifieth Gods Law of Grace or prescribed terms for salvation with his immediate offer of the benefits to accepters called the single Covenant of God or it signifieth this with mans Consent called the Mutual Covenant where both parties Covenant In the former sense the Covenant only offereth Church-membership but maketh no man a Church-member till Consent It is but Gods conditional promise If thou believe thou shalt be saved c. If thou give up thy self and children to me I will be your God and you shall be my people But it is only the Mutual Covenant that maketh a Christian or Church-member Object The promise is to us and our children as ours Answ. That is that you and your children dedicated to God shall be received into Covenant â—â—t not otherwise Believing is not only bare Assenting but Consenting to the Covenant and delivering up your selves to Christ And if you do not consent that your child shall be in the Covenant and deliver him to God also you cannot expect acceptance of him against your wills nor indeed are you to be taken for true believers your selves if you dedicate not your selves to him and all that are in your power Object This offer or Conditional Covenant belongeth also to Infidels Answ. The offer is to them but they accept it not But every believer accepteth it for himself and his or devoteth to God himself and his children when he shall have them And by that virtual dedication or Consent his children are Virtually in the Mutual Covenant And Actually upon actual Consent and dedication Object But it is Profession and not Baptism that makes a visible member Answ. That 's answered before It is profession by Baptism For Baptism is that peculiar act of profession which God hath chosen to this use when a person is absolutely devoted resigned and engaged to God in a solemn Sacrament this is our regular initiating profession And it is but an irregular Embrio of a profession which goeth before baptism ordinarily Prop. 3. The time of Infant membership in which we stand in Covenant by our Parents Consent cannot be determined by duration but by the insufficiency of Reason through immaturity of age or continuing ideots to choose for ones self Prop. 4. It is not necessary that the doctrine of the Lords Supper be taught Catechumens before Baptism nor was it usual with the antients so to do though it may very well be done Prop. 5. It is needful that the nature of the Lords Supper be taught all the baptized before they receive it As was opened before else they must do they know not what Prop. 6. Though the Sacrament of the Lords Supper seal not another but the same Covenant that baptism sealeth yet are there some further truths therein expressed and some more particular exercises of faith in Christs Sacrifice and coming c. and of Hope and Love and Gratitude c. requisite Therefore the same qualifications which will serve for Baptism Justification and Adoption and Salvation are not enough for the right use of Church communion in the Lords Supper the one being the Sacrament of initiation and our new birth the other of our Confirmation Exercise and Growth in Grace 7. Whether persons be baptized in Infancy or at age if they do not before understand these higher mysteries they must stay from the exercise of them till they understand them And so with most there must be a space of time between their Baptism and fuller Communion 8. But the same that we say of the Lords Supper must be said of other parts of Worship Singing Psalms Praise Thanksgiving c. men must learn them before they can practise them And usually these as Eucharistical acts concur with the Lords Supper 9. Whether you will call men in this state Church-members of a middle rank and order between the Baptized and the Communicants is but a lis de nomine a verbal Controversie It is granted that such a middle sort of men there are in the Church 10. It is to be maintained that these are in a state of salvation even before they thus communicate And that they are not kept away for want of a stated Relation-title but of an immediate capacity as is aforesaid 11. There is no necessity but upon such unfitness that there should be one dayes time between baptism and the Sacrament of the Lords Supper nor is it desirable For if the baptized understand those mysteries the first day they may communicate in them 12. Therefore as men are prepared some may suddenly communicate and some stay longer 13. When persons are at age if Pastors Parents and themselves be not grosly negligent they may and ought to learn these things in a very little time so that they need not be setled in a lower Learning state for any considerable time unless their own negligence be the cause 14. And in order to their Learning they have right to be Spectators and Auditors at the Eucharist and not to be driven away with the Catechumens as if they had no right to be there For it is a thing best taught by the practice to beholders 15. But if any shall by scandal or gross neglect of piety and not only by Ignorance give cause of questioning their title and suspending their possession of those sacred priviledges these are to be reckoned in another rank even among those whose title to Church-membership it self becometh controverted and must undergo a tryal in the Church And this much I think may serve to resolve this considerable question Quest. 71. Whether a Form of Prayer be lawful Answ. I Have said so much of this and some following questions in many Books already that to avoid repetition I shall say very little here The question must be out of question with all Christians I. Because the Scripture it self hath many forms of prayer which therefore cannot be unlawful Object They were lawful then but not now Answ. He that saith so must prove where God hath since forbidden them Which can never be Object They may lawfully be read in Scripture for instruction but not used as prayers Answ. They were used as prayers then and are never since forbidden Yea Iohn and Christ did teach their Disciples to pray and Christ thus prefaceth his form When ye pray say II. All things must be done to Edification But to use a form of prayer is
3. Either Christianity is something and discernable or nothing and undiscernable If the latter then Christians are not to be distinguished from Heathens and Infidels If the former then Christianity hath its Constitutive parts by which it is what it is And then it hath essential parts distinguishable from the rest 4. The word Fundamentals being but a Metaphor hath given room to deceivers and Contenders to make a Controversie and raise a dust about it Therefore I purposely use the word Essentials which is not so lyable to mens Cavils 5. Those are the Essentials of Christianity which are necessary to the Baptism of the Adult Know but that and you answer all the pratings of the Papists that bawle out for a list of Fundamentals And sure it is not this day unknown in the Christian world either what a Christian is or who is to be baptized Do not the Priests know it who baptize all that are Christened in the world And why is Baptism called our Christening if it make us not Christians And why hath Christ promised that He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved Mark 16. 16. if that so much faith as is necessary to baptism will not also serve to a mans state of salvation 6. The Baptismal Covenant of Grace therefore is the Essential part of the Gospel and of the Christian Religion And all the rest are the Integrals and Accidents or Adjuncts 7. This Covenant containeth I. Objectively 1. Things True as such 2. Things Good as such 3. Things Practicable or to be done as such The Credenda Diligenda Eligenda Agenda as the objects of mans Intellect Will and Practical power The Credenda or things to be known and believed are 1. God as God and our God and Father 2. Christ as the Saviour and our Saviour 3. The Holy Ghost as such and as the Sanctifier and our Sanctifier as to the offer of these Relations in the Covenant The Diligenda are the same three persons in these three Relations as Good in themselves and unto us which includeth the grand benefits of Reconciliation and Adoption Justification and Sanctification and Salvation The Agenda in the time of baptism that make us Christians are 1. The actual Dedition resignation or dedication of our selves to God the Father Son and Holy Ghost in these Relations 2. A Promise or Vow to endeavour faithfully to live according to our undertaken relations though not in perfection that is as Creatures to their Creator and their Reconciled God and Father as Christians to their Redeemer their Teacher their Ruler and their Saviour And as willing Receivers of the Sanctifying and Comforting operations of the Holy Spirit II. The Objects tell you what the Acts must be on our part 1. With the Understanding to know and believe 2 With the Will to love choose desire and resolve and 3. Practically to deliver up our selves for the present and to promise for the time to come These are the Essentials of the Christian Religion 8. The Creed is a larger explication of the Credenda and the Lords Prayer of the Diligenda or things to be willed desired and hoped for and the Decalogue of the Natural part of the Agenda 9. Suffer not your own Ignorance or the Papists Cheats to confound the Question about Fundamentals as to the Matter and as to the expressing words It is one thing to ask What is the Matter ☞ Essential to Christianity And another What Words Symbols or Sentences are Essential to it To the first I have now answered you To the second I say 1. Taking the Christian Religion as it is an Extrinsick Doctrine in signis so the Essence of it is Words and Signs expressive or significant of the Material Essence That they be such in specie is all that is essential And if they say But which be those words I answer 2. That no particular Words in the world are essential to the Christian Religion For 1. No one Language is essential to it It is not necessary to salvation that you be baptized or learn the Creed or Scriptures in Hebrew or Greek or Latin or English so you learn it in any Language understood 2. It is not necessary to salvation that you use the same words in the same Language as long as it hath more words than one to express the same thing by 3. It is not necessary to salvation that we use the same or any one single form method or order of words as they are in the Creeds without alteration And therefore while the Antients did tenaciously cleave to the same Symbol or Creed yet they used various words to express it by As may be seen in Irenâ—â—s Tertullian Origen and Ruffin elsewhere cited by me so that its plain that by the same Symbol they See the Appendix to my Reformed Pastor meant the same Matter though exprest in some variety of words Though they avoided such variety as might introduce variety of sense and matter 10. Words being needful 1. To make a Learner understand 2. To tell another what he understandeth it followeth that the great variety of mens capacities maketh a great variation in the necessity of Words or Forms An Englishman must have them in English and a Frenchman in French An understanding man may receive all the Essentials in a few words But an Ignorant man must have many words to make him understand the matter To him that Understandeth them the words of the Baptismal ☞ Covenant express all the Essentials of Christianity But to him that understands them not the Creed is necessary for the explication And to him that understandeth not that a Catechism or larger Exposition is necessary This is the plain explication of this question which many Papists seem loth to understand Quest. 139. What is the Use and Authority of the Creed And is it of the Apostles framing or not And is it the Word of God or not Answ. 1. THe Use of the Creed is to be a plain explication of the Faith professed in the Baptismal Covenant 1. For the fuller instruction of the duller sort and those that had not preparatory knowledge and could not sufficiently understand the meaning of the three Articles of the Covenant what it is to believe in God the Father Son and Holy Ghost without more words 2. And for the satisfaction of the Church that indeed men understood what they did in baptism and professed to believe 2. The Creed is the Word of God as to all the Doctrine or Matter of it what ever it be as to the order and composition of words 3. That is oft by the Antients called the Apostles which containeth the matter derived by the Apostles though not in a form of words compiled by them 4. It is certain that all the words now in our Creed were not put in by the Apostles 1. Because Vid. 〈…〉 Vossiâ—m de Symbolis some of them were not in till long after their dayes 2. Because the
antient formulae agree not in words among themselves 5. It is not to be doubted of but the Apostles did appoint and use a Creed commonly in their ☞ dayes And that it is the same with that which is now called the Apostles and the Nicene in the main but not just the same composure of words nor had they any such precise composure as can be proved But this much is easily provable 1. That Christ Composed a Creed when he made his Covenant and instituted Baptism Matth. 28. 19. 2. That in the Jewish Church where men were educated in the knowledge of the Scriptures and expectation of the Mâ—ssiah it was supposed that the people had so much preparatory knowledge as made them the more capable of Baptism as soon as they did but seriously profess to Believe and Consent to the terms of the Covenant And therefore they were presently baptized Acts 2. 38 39 40. 3. That this could not be rationally supposed among the Gentiles and common Ignorant people of the world And Ignorantis non est Consensus He doth not Covenant who understandeth not the Covenant as to what is promised him and what he promiseth 4. That the Apostles baptized and caused others to baptize many thousands and settle many Churches before any part of the New Testament was written even many and many years 5. That the Apostles did their work as well and better than any that succeeded them 6. That their successors in the Common Ministery did as far as any Church History leadeth us up Instruct and Catechise men in the meaning of the Baptismal Covenant which is the Christian faith before they baptized them Yea they kept them long in the state of Catechumens usually before they would baptize them And after baptized but twice a year at Easter and Whitsontide as our Liturgy noteth And they received an account of their tolerable understanding of Religion before they would receive them into the Church 7. No doubt then but the Apostles did cause the baptizable to understand the three Articles of Christs own Creed and Covenant and to give some account of it before they baptized them ordinarily among the Gentiles 8. No doubt therefore but they used many more Explicatory words to cause them to understand those few 9. There is neither proof nor probability that they used a Composure of just the same words and no more or less Because they had to do with persons of several capacities some knowing who needed fewer words and some ignorant and dull who needed more Nor is any such Composure Heb. 5. 11 12. 6. 1 2 3. come down to our hands 10. But it is more than probable that the Matter opened by them to all the Catechumens was still the same when the words were not the same For Gods Promises and mans Conditions are still the same where the Gospel cometh Though since by the occasion of Heresies some few material clauses are inserted For all Christians had one Christianity and must go one way to Heaven 11. It is also more than probable that they did not needlesly vary the words lest it should teach men to vary the matter But that all Christians before baptism did make the same profession of faith as to the sense and very much the same as to the very words using necessary caution and yet avoiding unnecessary preciseness of formality But so as to obviate damnable Heresies that the Christian profession might attain its ends 12. Lastly No doubt but this practice of the Apostles was exemplary and imitated by the Churches and that thus the Essentials of Religion were by the tradition of the Creed and Baptism delivered 2 Tim. 1 13. 2 Cor. 3. 2 3 7. Heb. 8. 10. 10. 16. by themselves as far as Christianity went long before any Book of the New Testament was written And every Christian was an Impress or Transcript or Specimen of it And that the following Churches using the same Creed wholly in sense and mostly in words might so far well call it The Apostles Creed As they did both the Western and the Nicene Quest. 140. What is the use of Catechisms Answ. TO be a more familiar explication of the Essentials of Christianity and the principal Integrals in a larger manner than the Creed Lords Prayer and Decalogue do that the ignorant may the more easily understand it Every man cannot gather out of the Scripture the Greatest matters in the true method as distinct from all the rest And therefore it is part of the work of the Churches Teachers to do it to the hands and use of the ignorant Quest. 141. Could any of us have known by the Scriptures alone the Essentials of Religion from the Rest if Tradition had not given them to us in the Creed as from Apostolical Collection Answ. YEs For the Scripture it self telleth us what is necessary to salvation It describeth to us the Covenant of Grace both Promises and Conditions And it were strange if so large a Volume should not as plainly tell us what is necessary to salvation as fewer words The Scripture hath not Less than the Creed but more Quest. 142. What is the best Method of a true Catechism or Summ of Theology Answ. GOd willing I shall tell the Church my opinion of that at large in a peculiar Latin Treatise called Methodus Theologiae which here I cannot do Only I shall say that among all the great variety of Methods used in these times I think none cometh nearer the Order of the Matter which is the true Commendation of a Method than those which open Theology 1. In the breviate of the Baptismal Covenant 2. In the three explicatory summs the Creed Lords Prayer and Decalogue with the added Gospel Precepts 3. In the Largest form which is the whole Scripture And that our common English Catechism and Paraeus or Ursine and many such who use that common easie Method are more truly Methodical than most that pretend to greater accu 〈…〉 ness Though I much commend the great industry of such as Dudley Fenner Gomarrus and 〈…〉 cially George Sohenius Quest. 143. What is the use of various Church Confessions or Articles of Faith Answ. I Will pass by the very ill use that is made of them in too many Countreys where unnecessary opinions or uncertain are put in and they that can get into favour with the Secular Power take advantage under pretence of Orthodoxness and Uniformity Truth and Peace to set up their opinions and judgements to be the common rule for all to bow to though wiser than themselvâ—s And to silence all Ministers and scatter and divide the flocks that will not say or swear as they do that is that they are wise men and are in the right The true and commendable use of various Church Professions or Confessions of faith is 1. To be an Instruction to the more ignorant how to understand the Scriptures in most of the most weighty points 2. To be an enumeration of
to true penitent believers with a right to everlasting life and as to the obligation to sincere obedience for salvation though not as to the yet future coming of Christ in the flesh And this Law of Grace was never 2 Tim. 3. 15. Rom. 15. 4. 16. 26. yet repealed any further than Christs coming did fulfill it and perfect it Therefore to the rest of the world who never can have the Gospel or perfecter Testament as Christians have the former ☞ Law of Grace is yet in force And that is the Law conjoyned with the Law of Nature which now the world without the Church is under Under I say as to the force of the Law and a former Matth. 22. 29. Luke 24. 27 32 45. John 5. â—9 Acts 17. 2. 11. 18. 24 25. John 20. 9. John 7. 38 42. 10. 35. 13. 18. 19. 24 28. Luke 4. 18. 21. 2 Tim. 3. 16. 2 Pet. 1. 19 20. Acts 8. 32 33 35. Rom. 1. 2. promulgation made to Adam and Noah and some common intimations of it in merciful forbearances pardons and benefits though how many are under it as to the knowledge reception belief and obedience of it and consequently are saved by it is more than I or any man knoweth 6. There are many Prophecies of Christ and the Christian Church in the Old Testament yet to be fulfilled and therefore are still Gods Word for us 7. There are many Precepts of God to the Jews and to particular persons given them on Reasons common to them with us where parity of Reason will help thence to gather our own duty now 8. There are many holy expressions as in the Psalms which are fitted to persons in our condition and came from the Spirit of God and therefore as such are fit for us now 9. Even the fulfilled Promises Types and Prophecies are still Gods Word that is his Word given to their several proper uses And though much of their Use be changed or ceased so is not all They are yet useful to us to confirm our faith while we see their accomplishment and see how much God still led his Church to Happiness in one and the same way 10. On all these accounts therefore we may still Read the Old Testament and preach upon it in the publick Churches Quest. 156. Must we believe that Moses Law did ever bind other Nations or that any other parts of the Scripture bound them or belonged to them or that the Iews were all Gods Visible Church on Earth Answ. I Conjoyn these three Questions for dispatch I. 1. Some of the Matter of Moses Law did Rom. 2. Rom. 1. 20 21 Enod 12. 19 43 48 49. 20. 10. Lev. 17. 12 15. 18. 26. 24. 16 22. Numb 9. 14. 15. 14 15 16 29 30. 19. 10. Deut. 1. 16. bind all Nations that is The Law of nature as such 2. Those that had the knowledge of the Jewish Law were bound â—ollaterally to believe and obey all the expositions of the Law of nature in it and all the Laws which were given upon reasons common to all the world As about degrees of Marriage particular rules of Justice c. As if I heard God from Heaven tell another that standeth by me Thou shalt not marry thy fathers Widow for it is abominable I ought to apply that to me being his subject which is spoken to another on a common reason 3. All those Gentiles that would be proselytes and joyn with the Jews in their policy and dwell among them were bound to be observers of their Laws But 1. The Law of Nature as Mosaical did not formally and directly bind other Nations 2. Nâ—r were they bound to the Laws of their peculiar policy Civil or Ecclesiastical which were positives The reason is 1. Because they were all one body of Political Laws given peculiarly to one political body Even the Decalogue it self was to them a political Law 2. Because Moses was not authorized or sent to be the Mediator or deliverer of that Law to any Nation but the Jews And being never in the enacting or Promulgation sent or directed to the rest of the World it could not bind them II. As to the second Question Though the Scripture as a writing bound not all the World yet 1. The Law of Nature as such which is recorded in Scripture did bind all 2. The Covenant of Psal. 145. 9 103. 19. Psal. 100. 1. Rom. 14. 11. Act. 34 35. Jud. 14. 15. Grace was made with all mankind in Adam and Noe And they were bound to promulgate it by Tradition to all their off-spring And no doubt so they did whether by word as all did or by writing also as it 's like some did as Henochs Prophesies were it 's like delivered or else they had not in terms been preserved till Iudes time 3. And God himself as aforesaid by actual providences pardoning and benefits given to them that deserved hell did in part promulgate it himself 4. The neighbour Nations might learn much by Gods doctrine and dealing with the Jews III. To the third Question I answer 1. The Jews were a people chosen by God out of all the Deut. 14. 2 3. 7. 2. 6 7. Exod. 19. 5. 6. 7 8. Lev. 20. 24 26. Deut. 4. 20 33. 29. 13. 33. 29. Rom. 3. 1 2 3. Nations of the Earth to be a holy Nation and his peculiar treasure having a peculiar Divine Law and Covenant and many great priviledges to which the rest of the World were strangers so that they were advanced above all other Kingdoms of the world though not in wealth nor worldly power nor largeness of Dominion yet in a special dearness unto God 2. But they were not the only people to whom God made a Covenant of Grace in Adam and Noe as distinct from the Law or Covenant of Innocency 3. Nor were they the only people that professed to Worship the true God neither was holiness and salvation confined to them but were found in other Nations Therefore though we have but little notice of the state of other Kingdoms in their times and scarcely know what National Churches that is whole Nations professing saving faith there were yet we may well conclude that there were other visible Churches besides the Jews For 1. No Scripture denyeth it and charity then must hope the best 2. The Scriptures of the Old Testament give us small account of other Countreys but of the Jews alone with some of their Neighbours 3. Sem was alive in Abrahams dayes yea about 34 years after Abrahams death and within 12 years of Ismaels death viz. till about An. Mundi 2158. And so great and blessed a man as Sem cannot be thought to be less than a King and to have a Kingdom governed according to his holiness and so that there was with him not only a Church but a National Church or holy Kingdom 4. And Melchizedeck was a holy King and
act of sin And when an unmortified lust or love of the world doth hurry you to the halter by sinful discontent And what hope of pardon without Repentance How exceeding likely therefore is it that when ever you put your selves out of your present pain and trouble you send your souls to endless torments And will it ease you to pass from poverty or crosses into Hell Or will you damn your souls because another wrongeth you O the madness of a sinner Who will you think hath wronged you most when you feel Hell fire Are you aweary of your lives and will you go to Hell for ease Alas how quickly would you be glad to be here again in a painfuller condition than that which you were so weary of yea and to endure it a thousand years Suppose you saw Hell before your eyes Would you leap into it Is not time of Repentance a mercy to be valued Yea a little reprieve from endless misery is better than nothing What need you make haste to come to Hell Will it not be soon enough if you stay thence as long as you can And why will you throw away your hopes and put your selves past all possibility of recovery before God put you so himself § 6. Direct 6. Understand the wonders of mercy revealed and bestowed on mankind in Iesus Christ Direct 6. and understand the tenour of the Covenant of Grace The ignorance of this is it that keepeth a bitter taste upon your Spirits and maketh you cry out Forsaken and Undone when such Miracles of mercy are wrought for your salvation And the ignorance of this is it that maketh you foolishly cry out There is no hope The day of grace is past It is too late God will never shew me mercy When his Word assureth all that will believe it that who ever confesseth and forsaketh his sins shall have mercy Prov. 28 13. And if we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive 1 John 1. 9. And that whoever will may freely drink of the waters of life Rev. 22. 17. And that whoever believeth in him shall not perish but have everlasting life John 3. 17. I have no other hope of my salvation but that Gospel which promiseth pardon and salvation unto all that at any time repent and turn to God by faith in Christ And I dare lay my salvation on the truth of this that Christ never rejected any sinner how great soever that at any time in this life was truly willing to come to him and to God by him John 6. 37. He that cometh unto me I will in no wise cast out But the malitious Devil would â—ain make God seem odious to the soul and representeth Love it self as our enemy that we might not Love him Despair is such a part of Hell that if he could bring us to it he would think he had us half in Hell already and then he would urge us to dispatch our selves that we might be there indeed and our despair might be uncurable How blind is he that seeth not the Devil in all this CHAP. IX Directions for the forgiving of Enemies and those that injure us Against Wrath See Tom. 1. Ch. against Anger and Malice and Revenge and Persecution § 1. IT is not only actual Murder which is forbidden in the sixth Commâ—ndment but also all inordinate Wrath and Malice and desires of Revenge and injuring the person of our neighbour or our enemy For so the Prophet and Judge of the Church hath himself expounded it Mat. 5. 21 22. Anger hath a hurting inclination and Malice is a fixed Anger and Revenge is the fruit of both or either of them He that will be free from injurious actions must subdue that wrath and malice which is their cause Heart-murders and injuries must be carefully rooted up For out of the Heart proceed evil thoughts and murders c. Matth. 15. 19. This is the fire of Hell on which an evil tongue is set Iames 3. 6. and this must be quenched if you would be innocent § 2. Direct 1. See God in your neighbour and Love him for that of God which is upon him If he Direct 1. be Holy he hath the Moral Image of God If he be unholy he hath his Natural Image as he is a man He is not only Gods Creature but his Reasonable Creature and the Lord of his inferiour works And art thou a child of God and yet canst not see him and love him in his works Without God he is nothing whom thou art so much offended with And though there be somewhat in him which is not of God which may deserve thy hatred yet that is not his substance or person Hate not or wrong not that which is of God It would raise in you such a reverence as would asswage your wrath if you could but see God in him that you are displeased with § 3. Direct 2. To this end observe more the Good which is in your neighbour than the evil Malice Direct 2. overlooketh all that is good and amiable and can see nothing but that which is bad and detestable It hearkeneth more to them that dispraise and open the faults of others than to those that praise them and declare their virtues Not that Good and Evil must be confounded But the Good as well as the Evil must be acknowledged We have more use our selves for the observation of their virtues than of their faults and it is more our duty And were it never so little good that is in them the right observing of it at least would much diminish your dislike § 4. Direct 3. Learn but to Love your neighbour as your self and this will make it easie to you both Direct 3. to forbear him and forgive him With your self you are not apt to be so angry Against your self you bear no malice nor desire no revenge that shall do you hurt As you are angry with your self penitently for the faults you have committed but not so as to desire your own destruction or final hurt but with such a displeasure as tendeth to your recovery so also must you do by others Direct 4. To this end be sure to mortifie your self ishness For it is the inordinate respect Direct 4. that men have to themselves which maketh them aggravate the faults of all that are against them or offend them Be humble and self-denying and you will think your selves so mean and inconsiderable that no fault can be very great nor deserve much displeasure meerly as it is against you A proud self-esteeming man is easily provoked and hardly reconciled without great submission because he thinketh so highly of himself that he thinketh heinously of all that is said or done against him and he is so over-dear to himself that he is impatient with his adversary § 5. Direct 5. Be not your own Iudge in cases of setled malice or revenge but let some impartial Direct 5. sober by
Motive 7. are our fellow Souldiers and Travellers with whom only we can have sweet and holy converse and a Heavenly conversation when the carnal favour not the things of God Mot. 8. Consider how serviceable their graces render them for the pleasing of God and the good of Motive 8. men They are the work of God created to good works Ephes. 2. 10. They are fitted by grace to Love and praise their Maker and Redeemer and to obey his Laws and to honour him in their works as shining lights in a dark generation They are the blessings of the place where God hath planted them They pray for sinners and exhort them and give them good examples and call them from their sins and lovingly draw them on to conversion and salvation For their sakes God useth others the better where they live Ten righteous persons might have saved Sodom They are lovely therefore for the service which they do Mot. 9. All their graces will be shortly perfected and all their infirmities done away They are Motive 9. already pardoned and justified by Christ and every remaining spot and wrinkle will be shortly taken away Ephes. 5 26 27. and they shall be presented perfect unto God And they that shall be so perfect then are amiable now Mot. 10. They shall see the Glory of God and live for ever in his presence They shall be employed Motive 10. in his perfect Love and praise and we shall be their companions therein And those that must sing Halleluja's to God in perfect amity and concord in such an harmonious blessed chore should live in great endearedness in the way Tit. 4. The Hinderances and Enemies of Christian love Enemy 1. THE first Enemy of Christian Love is the inward unregeneracy and carnality of the mind Enemy 1. For the carnal mind is enmity to God and neither is nor can be subject to his law Rom. 8. 6 7. And therefore it is at enmity with Holiness and with those that are seriously holy The excellency of a Christian is seen only by faith believing what God speaketh of them and by spiritual discerning of their spiritual worth But the natural man discerneth not the things of the spirit but they are as foolishness to him because they must be spiritually discerned 1 Cor. 2. 14. There must be a suitableness of nature before there can be true love And he that will love them as holy must first love holiness himself Enemy 2. Another Enemy to Christian Love is selfishness or inordinate self-love For this will Enemy 2. make men love no one heartily but as they serve or love or honour them and according to the measures of their self ish interest If a Godly man will not flatter such persons and serve their proud or covetous humours they cannot love him A selfish person maketh so great a matter of every infirmity which crosseth his interest or every mistake which crosseth his opinon or every little injury that his done him that he cryeth out presently O what wicked and unconscionable people are these What hypocrites are they Is this their Religion Is this justice or charity All virtues and vices are estimated by them according to their own ends and interests chiefly They can think better of a common Whoremonger or Swearer or Atheist or Infidel that loveth and honoureth and serveth them than of the most holy and upright servant of God who thinketh meanly or hardly of them and standeth in their way and seemeth to be against their interest It is no commendations to him in this mans account that he loveth God and all that are godly if he seem to injure or cross a selfish man A carnal self-lover can love none but himself and for himself and maketh all faults which are against himself to be the characters of an odious person rather than those which are committed against God Enemy 3. Christian love is often diminished and marred by Degenerating into a Carnal sort of Enemy 3. Love through the prevalency of some Carnal Vice Thus they that loved a man for Godliness turn it into a selfish love for some honour or favour or benefits to themselves And young persons of different Sexes begin to love each other for piety and by undiscreet and unwary and sinful familiars are drawn before they are aware to carnal fond and sinful love And these persons think that their holy love is stronger than before when as it is stifled consuming and languishing as natural heat by a burning Feavor and is overcome and turned into another thing Enemy 4. Passion and Impatiency is a great enemy to Christian Love It is stirring up displeasing Enemy 4. words and carriage and then cannot bear them It meeteth every where with matter of displeasure and offence and is still casting water on this sacred fire and feigning or finding faults in all Enemy 5. Self-ignorance and partiality is a great enemy to love when it maketh men overlook Enemy 5. their own corruptions and extenuate all those faults in themselves which in others they take for heinous crimes And so they want that compassion to others which would bear with infirmities because they know not how bad they are themselves and what need they have of the forbearance of others Enemy 6. Censoriousness is an enemy to brotherly love as is aforesaid A censorious person will Enemy 6. tell you how dearly he loveth all the godly But he can allow so few the acknowledgement of their godliness that few are beholden to him for his love His sinful humour blindeth his mind that he cannot see anothers godliness He will love them for their sincerity when he can see it but that will not be till he hath better eyes Timon was a great lover of wisdom but a hater of all men because he took no man to be wise Enemy 7. Faction and Parties or siding in Religion is one of the greatest enemies of Christian Enemy 7. love For this causeth Censoriousness and maketh men so overvalue the Opinions which they have chosen and the interest of their party that they hardly see goodness in any that are not of their mind and quickly find faults or devise them in those that are against them Enemy 8. Conversing with malicious wicked or censorious persons is a great hinderance of the love Enemy 8. of godly men For he that heareth them daily slandered and represented as brainsick seditious self-conceited humorous hypocritical people will easily take them as odious but hardly as amiable unless he come nearer them and know them better than by a lyars words Enemy 9. Too high expectations is a great enemy to love When men either look that Saints on Enemy 9. earth should be like Saints in Heaven who have no infirmity or look for greater parts of nature or art ingenuity or excellency of speech than is in other persons or when selfishness and covetousness or pride doth make men look for great respect and
will of that which they are most afraid of thinking As the spirits and blood will have recourse to the part that is hurt The very pain of their fears doth draw their thoughts to what they fear As he that is over-desirous to sleep and afraid lest he shall not sleep is sure to wake because his fears and desires keep him waking so do the fears and desires of the Melancholy cross themselves And withall the malice of the Devil plainly here interposeth and taketh advantage by this disease to tempt and trouble them and to shew his hatred to God and Christ and Scripture and to them For as he can much easier tempt a cholerick person to anger than another and a flegmatick fleshy person to sloth and a sanguine or hot tempered person to lust and wantonness so also a melancholy person to thoughts of blasphemy infidelity and despair And ost-times they feel a vehement urgency as if something within them urged them to speak such or such a blasphemous or foolish word and they can have no rest unless they yield in this and other such cases to what they are urged to And some are ready to yield in a temptation to be quiet and when they have done they are tempted utterly to despair because they have committed so great a sin and when the Devii hath got this advantage of them he is still setting it before them 27. Hereupon they are further tempted to think they have committed the sin against the Holy Ghost not understanding what that sin is but fearing it is theirs because it is a fearful sin At least they think they shall not be forgiven not considering that a temptation is one thing and a sin another and that no man hath less cause to fear being condemned for his sin than he that is least willing of it and most hateth it And no man can be less willing of any ☞ sin than these poor souls are of the hideous blasphemous thoughts which they complain of 28. Hereupon some of them grow to think that they are possessed of Devils and if it do but enter into their fantasie how possessed persons use to act the very strength of imagination will make them do so too so that I have known those that will swear and curse and blaspheam and imitate an inward aliene voice thinking themselves that it is the Devil in them that doth all this But these that go so far are but few 29. Some of them that are near distraction verily think that they hear voices and see lights and apparitions that the Curtains are opened on them that something meets them and saith this or that to them when all is but the errour of a crazed brain and sick imagination 30. Many of them are aweary of their lives through the constant tiring perplexities of their minds and yet afraid of dying some of them resolutely famish themselves some are strongly tempted to murder themselves and they are haunted with the temptation so restlesly that they can go no whither but they feel as if somewhat within them put them on and said Do it do it so that many poor creatures yield and make away themselves 31. Many of them are restlesly vexed with fears of want and poverty and misery to their families and of imprisonment or banishment and lest some-body will kill them and every one that they see whisper they think is plotting to take away their lives 32. Some of them lay a law upon themselves that they will not speak and so live long in resolute silence 33. All of them are intractable and stiffe in their own conceits and hardly perswaded out of them be they never so irrational 34. Few of them are the better for any Reason conviction or Counsel that is given them If it seem to satisfie and quiet and rejoyce them at the present to morrow they are as bad again it being the nature of their disease to think as they do think and their thoughts are not cured while the disease is uncured 35. Yet in all this distemper few of them will believe that they are melancholy but abhor to hear men tell them so and say it is but the rational sense of their unhappiness and the forsakings and heavy wrath of God And therefore they are hardly perswaded to take any Physick or use any means for the cure of their bodies saying that they are well and being confident that it is only their souls that are distressed This is the miserable case of these poor people greatly to be pittyed and not to be despised by any I have spoken nothing but what I have often seen and known And let none despise such for men of all sorts do fall into this misery learned and unlearned high and low good and bad yea some that have lived in greatest jollity and sensuality when God hath made them feel their folly § 3. The causes of it are 1. Most commonly some worldly loss or cross or grief or care which made too deep an impression on them 2. Sometime excess of fear upon any common occasion of danger 3. Sometime over-hard and unintermitted studies or thoughts which screw up and rack the fantasie too much 4. Sometime too deep fears or too constant and serious and passionate thoughts and cares about the danger of the soul. 4. The great preparatives to it which are indeed the principal cause are a weak Head and Reason joyned with strong Passion which are oftest found in Women and those to whom it is natural 5. And in some it is brought in by some heynous sin the sight of which they cannot bear when Conscience is but once awakened § 4. When this disease is gone very far Directions to the persons themselves are vain because they have not Reason and free-will to practise them but it is their friends about them that must have the Directions But because with the most of them and at first there is some Power of Reason left I give Directions for the use of such § 5. Direct 1. See that no errour in Religion be the cause of your distress especially understand well Direct 1 the Covenant of Grace and the Riches of mercy manifested in Christ. Among others it will be useful to you to understand these following truths 1. That our thoughts of the Infinite Goodness of God should bear proportion with our thoughts Special Truths to be known for preventing causeless troubles concerning his Infinite Power and Wisdom 2. That the Mercy of God hath provided for all mankind so sufficient a Saviour that no sinner shall perish for want of a sufficient satisfaction made for his sins by Christ nor is it made the condition of any mans salvation or pardon that he satisfie for his own sins 3. That Christ hath in his Gospel-Covenant which is an Act of oblivion made over himself with pardon and salvation to all that will penitently and believingly accept the offer And that none perish that hear the Gospel but
the final obstinate refusers of Christ and life 4. That he that so far believeth the truth of the Gospel as to Consent to the Covenant of Grace even that God the Father be his Lord and Reconciled Father and Christ his savior and the Holy Ghost his sanctifier hath true saving faith and right to the blessing of the Covenant 5. That the day of Grace is so far commensurate or equal to our Life time that whosoever truly Repenteth and Consenteth to the Covenant of Grace before his death is certainly pardoned and in a state of life and that it is every mans duty so to do that pardon may be theirs 6. That Satans temptations are none of our sins but only our yielding to them 7. That the effects of natural sickness or diseasedness is not in it self a sin 8. That those are the smallest sins formally and least like to condemn us which we are most unwilling of and are least in Love or liking of 9. That no sin shall condemn us which we hate more than love and which we had rather leave and be delivered from than keep For this is true Repentance 10. That he is truly sanctified who had rather be perfect in Holiness of heart and life in Loving God and Living by Faith than to have the greatest pleasures riches or honours of the world taking in the Means also by which both are attained 11. That he who hath this Grace and desire may know that he is elect and the making of our Calling sure by our Consenting to the holy Covenant is the making of our Election sure 12. That the same thing which is a great duty to others may be no duty to one who by bodily distemper as Feavors Phrensies Melancholy is unable to perform it § 6. Direct 2. Take heed of worldly cares and sorrows and discontents Set not so much by earthly things as to enable them to disquiet you But learn to cast your cares on God You can have less peace in an affliction which cometh by such a carnal sinful means It s much more safe to be distracted with cares for Heaven than for Earth § 7. Direct 3. Meditation is no duty at all for a melancholy person except some few that are able to Direct 3. bear a diverting meditation which must be of something farthest from the matter which troubled them Or except it be short meditations like ejaculatory prayers A set and serious meditation will but confound you and disturb you and disable you to other duties If a man have a broken leg he must not go on it till it s knit lest all the body fare the worse It is your Thinking faculty or your Imagination which is the broken pained part and therefore you must not use it about the things that trouble you Perhaps you 'll say That this is to be prophane and forget God and your soul and let the tempter have his will But I answer No It is but to forbear that which you cannot do at present that by doing other things which you can do you may come again to do this which you now cannot do It is but to forbear attempting that which will but make you less able to do all other duties And at the present you may conduct the affairs of your soul by holy Reason I perswade you not from Repenting or Believing but from set and long and deep Meditations which will but hurt you § 8. Direct 4. Be not too long in any secret duty which you find you are not able to bear Prayer Direct 4. it self when you are unable must be performed but as you can Short confessions and requests to God must serve instead of longer secret prayers when you are unable to do more If sickness may excuse a man for being short where nature will not hold out the case is the same here in the sickness of the brain and spirits God hath appointed no means to do you hurt § 9. Direct 5. Where you find your selves unable for a secret duty struggle not too hard with your Direct 5. selves but go that pace that you are able to go quietly For as every striving doth not enable you but vex you and make duty wearisom to you and disable you more by increasing your disease Like an Ox that draweth unquietly and a Horse that chaseth himself that quickly tireth Preserve your willingness to duty and avoid that which makes it grievous to you As to a sick stomach it is not eating much but digesting well that tends to health and little must be eaten when much cannot be digested So it is here in case of your meditations and secret prayers § 10. Direct 6. Be most in those dutys which you are best able to bear which with most is Prayer Direct 6. with others hearing and good discourse As a sick man whose stomach is against other meats must eat of that which he can eat of And God hath provided variety of means that one may do the work when the other are wanting Do not misunderstand me In cases of absolute necessity I say again you must strive to do it whatever come of it If you are backward to believe to Repent to Love God and your neighbour to live soberly righteously and godly to pray at all here you must strive and not excuse it by any backwardness for it is that which must needs be done or you are lost But a man that cannot read may be saved without his reading and a man in prison or sickness may be saved without hearing the word and without the Church-communion of Saints And so a man disabled by melancholy may be saved by shorter thoughts and ejaculations without set and long meditations and secret prayers And other duties which he is able for will supply the want of these Even as nature hath provided two eyes and two ears and two nostrils and two reins and lungs that when one is stopt or faulty the other may supply its wants for a time So is it here § 11. Direct 7. Avoid all unnecessary solitariness and be as much as possible in honest chearful company Direct 7. You have need of others and are not sufficient for your selves And God will use and honour others as his hands to deliver us his blessings Solitariness is to those that are fit for it an excellent season for meditation and converse with God and with our hearts But to you it is the season of temptation and danger if Satan tempted Christ himself when he had him fasting and solitary in a wilderness much more will he take this as his opportunity against you Solitude is the season of musings and thoughtfulness which are the things which you must fly from if you will not be deprived of all § 12. Direct 8. When blasphemâ—us or disturbing thoughts look in or fruitless musings presently meet Direct 8. them and use that authority of Reason which is left you to cast them and command them out If you
soon as Isaac had given it to Iacob Answ. When he had sold his birth-right it was too late to recall it for the right was made over to his Brother It seemeth to be Isaac's Repentance which â—â—aw found no place â—â—â—â— But â—â— it be spoken oâ— the unacceptableness of his own Repentance when it was too late it signifieth not that any mans is too late in this life as to 〈…〉 and it was not Repentance and cryes and tears that could recal the right he had sold nor recal the words that Isaac had spoken But this doth not prove that our day of grace doth not continue till death or that any man Repenting before his death shall be rejected as Esau's repentance was The Apostle neither saith nor meaneth any such thing The sense of his words are only this much Take heed lest there be any so prophane among you as to set so light by the blessings of the Gospel even Christ and life eternall as to part with them for a base lust or transitory thing as Esau that set more by a morsel of meat than by his birth-right For let them be sure that the time will come even the time mentioned by Christ Matth. 25. 10 11. when the door is shut and the Lord is come when they will dearly repent it and then as it was with Esau when the blessing was gone so it will be with them when their blessing is gone Repentance and cries and tears will be too late For the Gospel hath its justice and terrors as well as the Law This is all in the Text but there is no intimation that our day of Grace is as short as Esau's hope of the blessing was § 15. Obj. 4. Saul had but his time which when he lost he was forsaken of God Obj. 4. Answ. Saul's sin provoked God to reject him from being King of Israel and to appoint another in Answ. his stead But if Saul had Repented he had been saved after that though not restored to the Crown And its true that as God withdrew from him the spirit of Government so many before death by the greatness of their sins cause God to forsake them so far as to withhold those motions and convictions and fears and disquietments in sin which sometime they had and to give them over to a reprobate mind Rom. 1. 28. to commit all uncleanness with greediness and glory in it as being past feeling Eph. 4. 18 19. If it be thus with you you would be no better you would not be recovered you think sin is best for you and hate all that would reform you § 16. Obj. 5. It is said 2 Cor. 6. 2. Behold now is the accepted time behold now is the day of salvavation Obj. 5. And Heb. 3. 7 12 13. To day if ye will hear his voice harden not your hearts lest any of you be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin Answ. This saith no more than that the present time is the hest yea the only certain time and we Answ. are not sure that the day of salvation will continue any longer because death may cut us off But if it do not yet sin is a hardening thing and the longer we sin the more it hardeneth yea God may withhold the motions of his spirit and leave us to our selves to the hardness of our hearts and thus he doth by thousands of wicked persons who are left in impenitency and hatred of the truth But most certainly if those men Repented they might be saved and the very reason why they have not Christ and life is still because they will not consent § 17. Direct 6. Understand by what help and strength it is that the Obedience to the Gospel must be Direct 6. performed not meerly by your own strength but by the help of grace and strength of Christ If he have but made you willing he will help you to perform the rest You are not by this Covenant to be a Saviour and sanctifier to your selves but to Consent that Christ be your Saviour and the Holy Spirit your Sanctifier You might else despair indeed if you were left to that which you are utterly unable to do Though you must work out your own salvation with fear and trembling it is he that worketh in you to will and to do of his good pleasure Phil. 2. 13. § 18. Direct 7. Understand well the difference between mortal sins and Infirmities that you may not Direct 7. think that every sin is a sign of death or gracelesness but may know the difference between those sins which should make you think your selves unjustified and those sins which only call for particular humiliation being such as the justified themselves commit Though in the Popish sense we take no sin to be venial that is which in it self is properly no sin nor deserveth death according to the Law of works yet the distinction between Mortal and Venial sin is of very great necessity that is between sins which prove a man De quâ vide Tract Râ—b Baâ—oâ—â—â—â— Of Mortal and Venial sin in a state of death or unjustified and sins which consist with a state of Grace and justification between sins which the Gospel pardoneth not and those which it pardoneth that is all that stand with true Repentance There are some sins which every one that Repenteth of them doth so forsake as to cease committing them And there are some lesser sins which they that Repent of them do hate indeed but yet frequently renew as our defective degrees in the exercise of Repentance it self faith love trust fear obedience our vain thoughts and words some sinful passions omissions of many duties of thought affection word or deed towards God or man some minutes of time over-slip us prayer and other duties have a sinful coldness or remissness in them and such like Many such sins are fitly called Infirmities and Venial because they consist with Life and are forgiven It is of great use to the peace of our Consciences to discern the difference between these two for one sort require a Conversion to another state and the other require but a particular repentance and where they are unknown are forgiven without particular repentance because our general repentance is virtually though not actually particular as to them One sort are cause of judging our selves ungodly and the other sort are only cause of filial humiliation Any one may see the great need of discerning the difference but yet it is a matter of very great judgement doctrinally to distinguish them much more actually to discern them in every instance in your selves The way is to know first what is the condition of the New-Covenant and of absolute necessity to salvation or justification and then every sin that is inconsistent with that condition is mortal and the rest that are consistent and do consist with it are venial or but infirmities As Venial signifieth only that sort of sin which is
pardonable and may consist with true grace so a Venial sin may be in an unsanctified person materially where it is not pardoned that is e. g. his wandering thought or passion is a sin of that sort that in the Godly is consistent with true grace But as Venial signifieth a sin that is pardoned or pardonable without a regeneration or conversion into astate of life from astate of death so Venial sin is in no unregenerate unjustified person but is only the Infirmities of the Saints and thus I here speak of it In a word that sin which actually consisteth with habitual repentance and with the hatred of it so far that you had rather he free from it than commit or keep it and which consisteth with an unfeigned consent to the Covenant that God be your Father Saviour and Sanctifier and with the Love of God above all is but an infirmity or venial sin But to know from the nature of the sin which those are requireth a Volume by it self to direct you only § 19. Direct 8. Understand how necessary a faithful Minister of Christ is in such cases of danger and Direct 8. difficulty to be a guide to your Consciences and open your case truly to them and place so much confidence in their judgement of your state as their office and abilities and faithfulness do require and set not up your timerous darkened perplexed judgements above theirs in cases where they are fitter to judge Such a Guide is necessary both as appointed by Christ who is the Author of his office and in regard of the greatness and danger and difficulty of your case Do you not feel that you are insufficient for your selves and that you have need of help sure a soul that 's tempted to Despair may easily feel it You are very proud or blindly self conceited if you do not And you may easily know that Christ that appointed them their office requireth that they be both used and trusted in their office as far as Reason will allow And where there is no office yet Ability and faithfulness deserve and require credit of themselves Why else do you trust Physicions and Lawyers and all artificers in their several professions and arts as far as they are reputed able and faithful I know no man is to be believed as infallible as God is but man is to be believed as man And if you will use and trust your spiritual guide but so far as you use and trust your Physicion or Lawyer you will find the great benefit if you choose aright § 20. Direct 9. Remember when you have sinned how sure and sufficient and ready a remedy you have Direct 9. before you in Iesus Christ and the Covenant of grace and that it is Gods design in the way of Redemption not to save any man as innocent that none may glory but to save men that were first in sin and misery and fetch them as from the gates of hell that Love and mercy may be magnified on every one that is saved and grace may abound more by the occasion of sins abounding Rom. 5. 15 20. Not that any should continue in sin because Grace hath abounded God forbid Rom. 6. 1. But that we may magnifie that grace and mercy which hath abounded above our sins and turn the remembrance of our greatest sins to the admiration of that great and wonderful mercy To magnifie mercy when we see the greatness of our sin and to Love much because much is forgiven this is to please God and answer the very design and end of our Redemption But to magnific sin and extenuate mercy and to say My sin is greater than can Luk. 7. 47. be forgiven this is to please the Dâ—vil and to cross Gods design in the work of our Redemption Is your disease so great that no other can cure it It is the fitter for Christ to honour his office upon and God to honour his Love and mercy on Do but come to him that you may have life and you shall find that no greatness of sin past will cause him to refuse you nor no infirmities which you are Joh. 5. 40. Luk. 15. 20 22 23. willing to be rid of shall cause him to disown you or cast you out The Prodigal is not so much as upbraided with his sins but finds himself before he is aware in his Fathers arms cloathed with the best Robes the Ring and Shooes and joyfully entertained with a Feast Remember that there is enough in Christ and the promise to pardon and heal all sins which thou art willing to forsake § 21. Direct 10. Take heed of being so blind or proud in thy humility as to think that thou Direct 10. canst be more willing to be a servant of Christ than he is to be thy Saviour or more willing to have grace than God is to give it thee or more willing to come home to Christ than he is to receive and wellcome thee Either thou art willing or unwilling to have Christ and grace to be sanctified and freed from sin If thou be willing Christ and his grace shall certainly be thine Indeed if thou wouldst have pardon without Holiness this cannot be nor is there any promise of it But if thou wouldst have Christ to be thy Saviour and King and his spirit to be thy sanctifier and hadst rather be perfect in Love and Holiness than to have all the Riches of the World then art thou in sincerity that which thou wouldst be in perfection Understand that God accounteth thee to be what thou truly desirest to be The great work of Grace lyeth in the renewing of the will If the will be sound the Man is sound I mean not the conquered uneffectual Velleity of the wicked that wish they could be free from Pride sensuality gluttony drunkenness lust and covetousness without losing any of their beloved honour wealth or pleasure that is when they think on it as the way to Hell they like not their sin but wish they were rid of it but when they think of it as pleasing their fleshly minds they love it more and will not leave it because this is the prevailing thought and will So Iudas was unwilling to sell his Lord as it was the betraying of the innocent and the way to Hell but he was more willing as it was the way to get his hire So Herod was unwilling to kill Iohn Baptist as it was the murder of a Prophet but his willingness was the greater as it was the pleasing of his Damosel and the freeing himself from a troublesome reprover But if thy willingness to have Christ and perfect Holiness be more than thy unwillingness and more than thy willingness to keep thy sin and enjoy the honour wealth and pleasures of the world than thou hast an undoubted sign of uprightness and that Love to Grace and desire after it which nothing but Grace it self doth give And if thou art thus willing it is