it or disliking of it contentment maketh the present condition to bee Gods condition and knoweth that Gods condition is the best condition Psal 16. 6. 3. Satisfyingnesse of minde In all contentment there is sufficiency there is a blessednesse even in misery and there shall be no want in all wants the reachings and cravings of the soule shall bee fully answered Now hereupon because by holy contentment the soule is enabled to take up the impression of the present condition as humid qualities doe receive the figure of their continent and because the mind and soule falls in with an afflicted condition as the dispensation and allotment of a Soveraigne and wise God hence it is J say that the spirit is so sustaining under trialls and troubles 5. A sound spirit is a beleeving spirit filled and qualified with faith which must needs bee a ground of strong supportance under all humane calamities all things are possible to him that beleeveth and a spirit of faith is couragious and conquering doe but consider a fourefold worke of faith enabling the sound spirit to beare Faith doth 4. things to the enabling of the spirit under the crosse its calamity 1. It apprehends divine assistances and sets up overmatching helps under all calamities it is the dejection of the spirit to be left to it selfe in times of trouble and for a man to finde to his sense a troubled condition to be his master as we may see in Elishaes servant who when he saw the great hoste of the King of Assyria sent to take his master crieth out Alas master how shall we doe his troubles were above all his arguments and the man seemeth to be at his wits end But behold the faith of Elisha and you shall see it to be above all his trouble for he quiets his owne heart and the heart of his man with the beleeving apprehension of a greater power with him then against him Saying feare not for they that bee with us are more then they that be with them 2 King 6. 15 16. it is the worke of faith to finde out and to bring home a Christians helps unto him in times of triall it makes God at such times both present in favour and assistant in councell and power in confidence of this David will lie him downe and sleep wake and not be afraid Psal 3. 5 6. of ten thousands of people that have set themselves against him round about yea he can walke thorow the valley of the shadow of death and feare none evill Psal 23. 4. 2. It sets up God for a mans owne in love and care in the midst of all afflictions God separated and divided from a Christian in any misery is the weakenesse of the Spirit and makes the heart to sinke and faint within Oh how downe dead how crackt and undone was David when God to his sense was gone from him at such times he was a man without a spirit and now the evill was great and sore and intollerable But when by the eye of faith God was discovered to be his God and hee could well perceive that it was not all his afflictions which could separate him from the love of God unto him in Christ Now he cheeres up himselfe and saith to his soule Why art thou so dejected O my soule trust still in God who is the health of my countenance and my God Psal 43. 5. 3. It keepeth of from the soule and spirit whatsoever might weaken or deject it in and under calamities in the day of a Christians calamitie it is with him as it is in the gathering of a bile or botch in the body all the ill humours will make their recourse unto the botch increasing disquietment unto the patient just so when we have miseries seazing upon us suspition of Gods love towards us Note feares of what men can doe against us and tumultuousnesse of passions will haunt and follow us in so much that wee finde we have our selves to bee greater troubles to our selves then all outward troubles that doe befall us wee sticke our selves in greater deepes then troubles doe cast us into Now faith relieveth the soule against these or the like things partly Foure vvaies hovv faith releeveth the soule in carrying a man from all the creatures unto God shewing unto him that men are but men whose breath is in their nostrills and whose power is confined and malice over-ruled by the power of an Almighty God who being with us and for us wee need in nothing to feare who can harme us partly in keeping a man from looking too much downeward and overwhelming our selves in and by the aggravation of our trouble Simile if men looke too much upon the water in tempestuous times their heads will soone swimme and their stomack qualme and whilst sense and reason is poaring into an afflicted condition and a man is willing and wittie in aggravating his miseries unto the highest making the most and the worst of them the spirit will soone bee sicke and sink and faint within now faith sets a man above all his miserable conditions shewing to a man that hee lieth not at the mercie of any his most miserable conditions that as it is not a good condition which can make him so it is not any bad condition that can marre him partly by setting a Christian upon the way of mitigation learning the Christian the art and skill of breaking the wave in the midst of his most violent tossings Now it starts up the hand of God in all this and the wisedome and goodnesse of God in ordering all unto good which was Davids stay in the great calamity and made him to say let him alone and let him curse the Lord hath bidden him and it may bee that the Lord will looke on mine affliction and that the Lord will requite good for his cursing this day 2 Sam. 16. 11 12. partly by countermanding the violent risings and habituall vexations of the soule faith is an enemy unto distempered passions it checks it and crieth it downe and will not admit that a man should be angry and froward and fretfull under the hand of God Dost thou well to be angry Jonah 4. 4 saith faith shall we receive good and not evill from the Lord Iob 2. 10. 4. It puts the pawnes and earnests of God into the hands of a Christian in evill times a man in any condition without the promise is as weake as miserable but the promises of God going along with a man they will proove his greatest strength and comfort in any condition we must know that the Covenant was made for the comforting of Christians in all conditions and there are speciall promises made to Christians in times of their distresse which onely faith can finde and supply the Christian withall by meanes where of the head is held above water and the man made stronger then all his trialls and crosses when faith reades that God wil know the soules
how shall we apply it shut fast the windowes and the light cannot come into the roome despaire of ever enjoying Gods love and you debarre your selves of all comfortable feeling of the same helpe not the divell against our selves our comforts but know that though God be not easily gained in his love once lost yet the sense of Gods love after the sense of much wrath is attaineable it being both tendred in the promise and that which many faithfull Christians seeking have obtained reade what is written for a small moment have I forsaken thee Esay â—â— 7 8. but with great mercies will I gather thee In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment but with everlasting kindnesse will I have mercy on thee saith the Lord thy Redeemer Thirdly set upon the recovering means of Gods favour unto your selves Gods countenance which is now suspended may be renewed the Sun is not alwaies clouded and God will Simile not alwaies bee offended though God bee not changeable in himselfe and love yet sense of his love is with much variation to the same Christians sometimes they have Sense of love is graduall much light and evidence and can and doe apply it with great strength and comfort enjoying as it were their heaven on earth anon their apprehensions are clouded and applications weakned so that great love doth run with little sense they are sonnes yet under sense of wrath and yet they may rise up againe and their God arise in the light of his countenance upon them assuredly Christians 4 Thing to bee done for the regaâ—â—ning oâ— Godâ— lovâ— in sense might walke with more sense of Gods love if that they did practise these foure things 1. The giving off the waies of sinne a man is no way more an enemy unto his owne assurance of divine love then in and by the continuing in the love and practise of any one knowne lust which is the great displeasure of God God I grant doth love where sinne is but he doth neither love sinne nor will he shew himselfe loving to that man that is a lover of sin if the heart gather iniquity to it selfe how can the love of God dwell there what is it that makes Gods children in the daies of distresse most doubtfull of Gods love and most to question the same towards them is it not the sins that they have committed and can we bee in the waies of assurance when wee live in the waies of wickednesse Danger by sinniâ— all adventuring upon sins doth beget divine hatred make faith to reele and breeds nothing but doubts and feares and jealousies all which keeps off the feeling of divine love O resolve to give of all sinne no way engage your hearts unto it and you shall finde upon your turning from sinne the turning of Gods face towards you 2 Chron. 7. 14. Esay 55. 7. 2. Be found in the waies of duty inlarge the uprightnesse of your soules the humility of your minds and strive to all conscionablenesse fervencie and stedfastnesse of spirit in all required services and you shall finde divine favour bowing and bending towards you a man is never more in the way of love then when hee goes right on in the course of godlinesse when a mans life is wrought unto Gods will and spent in Gods worke there cannot want particular discoveries of Gods love more or lesse if we live to God and with God acting and mooving on in a course of holinesse though for the present all seeme to be clouded and darkned love will breake out Note Three things about love and duty with me three things 1. That a Christian wanting assurance of divine love dares not to decline duty and the services of a spirituall life though hee cannot as yet feele God in love yet hee will waite upon God in duty 2. That the sense and assurance of Gods love in the heart doth much enlarge the heart in the chearefull and powerfull performance of holy duties no man is more spiritfull or painefull then he which day by day feeleth Gods goodnesse this is as the oyling to the wheeles and the light unto working 3. That while men goe on in a course of holy obedience and moove on in duties out of love to God God will not faile at length to give them some intimations of his love Thou meetest him that rejoyceth and worketh righteousnesse those that remember thee in thy waies Esay 64. 5. 3. Preserve your selves under the Ordinances you are in the waies of love when you are in Gods presence hearing Gods voice and partaking of his Sacraments these reveale the Fathers face unto you here you shall have tenders of divine love unto you and by these God will convey the sense of his love unto you I have declared unto them thy Joh. 17. 26. name and will declare it that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them where wee plainely see that God by the meanes of salvation doth perswade and settle the heart in the assurance of his love let it then be your wisedomes to attend serting your selves under the manifestation of love and God in time will speake peace to your hearts and let you to know the love that hee hath towards you waite I say upon God in his Ordinances and surely the good houre will come that the heate and comfort of Gods love shall bee apprehended by you I will heare what the Lord will speake for hee will speake peace unto his people and to his Saints Psal 85. 8. 4. Cleare the warrants and grounds of faith this is most true that faith lives in love and in the promises of love and there can be no sound perswasion of Gods love in the soule without faith as the Gospell sheweth love and God bestoweth love so faith receiveth and applieth love a 1 Ioh 4 16. Wee have knowne and beleeved the love that God hath to us now faith doth never worke so clearely and apprehensively in divine love as when its warrants and grounds which are the promises of God are very cleare unto the soule there are two Two things keeping men of the apprehension of divine love 1. Misplacing of warrants things which keepe men off from the comfortable apprehension of divine favour 1. One is the misplacing of warrants when men are mistaken in the matter of Gods love and will judge themselves to be under divine love upon generall testimonies by forraigne pawnes even such as hypocrites or cast-awaies may have forgetting that saying of Salomon No man knoweth love or hatred by all that is before them Eccles 9. 2. Suppose a man to have concurrence of naturall parts common graces morrall moderation formality of religion and plenty of all outward things now if he hereupon fancie a love of God unto him as too many doe the man mistakes himselfe and cannot be setled in Gods love to him 2. Another is the darkening 2. Darkening of warrants
and mudding of warrants when faith is kept from the cleare apprehension of promises and cannot see all its priviledges when men will cast mists of misinterpretation and jealousie upon the promises questioning their goodnesse or truth either in themselves or to themselves now love cannot be so felt and apprehended as it might be let it be your work therfore to reade over the promises of God to faith and make them as plaine and cleare to faith as you can consider well how many grants of favour are made over to faith and enlarge faith in these promises and then shall you finde and feele much love in your soules 4. Wisely support your soules and uphold your selves by these ensuing considerations 8. Things for the setling the soule in the absence of divine love 1. That it is no new or strange thing for Gods dearest children in their sense to be forsaken of divine love and to have apprehensions of divine wrath towards them the light of Gods love was withdrawne for a time from Christ the Sonne of Gods onely love and from his Church Psal 44. Lam. 3. 2. That God doth never withdraw the sense of his love from any of his children but for some speciall causes and profitable ends such as are 1. The triall of their disposition and temper towards himselfe it is an excellent spirit that can love God frowning and depend upon God absenting and withdrawing himselfe I will wait upon the Lord that hides his face from the house of Iacob and I will looke for him Esay 8. 17. 2. The ransacking of their Causes of Gods suspending his love from his soules now they goe to seeke and finde out all the idols of indignation that are remaining within them a little of Gods anger felt and apprehended doth much afflict the heart with sorrow for sinne and eate out the love of sinne within a man doth never apprehend and feele his sinnes with more griefe and hatred then in the times of Gods absences as 1 Sam. 21. 1 2. 3. The putting us into the most excellent life of faith our disposition is to live too much by sense and wee would alwaies enjoy God by sight but for as much as sight is reserved for another world and there we shall have the full and constant fruition of Gods love by vision God will and doth in this life exercise us in the life of faith making us in the non-feeling of love to beleeve love unto us 4. The searching out of their grounds and evidences to see if that there bee any thing of God left within them by which they may gaine any assurance that God doâ—h love them 5. The preparing of them for greater apprehension of his love and favour in time to come God many times after a little absence doth shew himselâ—e more glorious and comforâ—â—ble in his love to the soule then ever he did in times past in the little forsakings of God the soule is more set after God and more enlarged to receive from God the testimonies of his love then ever it was formerly Now then if God will doe his children good in and by the withdrawments of his countenance from them why should they bee so dejected as they are under them 3. That though the love of God be much unto his in every condition yet such as are Gods shall never bee able to know and feele all the love of God to them or so much of Gods love as their desires lead them unto in this life we have our tastes and wee shall never have our fill untill we come to heaven Ephes 3. 19. 4. That the condition of love is one thing and the feeling of love another thing alwaies love is not felt Gods love may bee towards us when his looke is not a tender Father doth many times fold up his love in angry words and harsh actions and a loving God to a sinfull Christian may exercise his love insensibly so as a man may bee in favour when he feeles no favour he may be that in faith which hee is not in sense 5. That such who have not present sense of love may yet have a present ground for Gods love unto them Now the The promise is the ground of love sure ground of Gods love unto us is the promise of love Thou Lord wilt blesse the righteous Psal 5. 1â— with favour wilt thou compasse him saith David and truth it is that our happinesse stands in this assurance that divine love is in the promise here is our stock and if wee had no more love then what we could hold in sense all love would soone be gone this therefore must be the wisedome of Christians not to judge of their interest unto Gods love by the present actuall feelings of it within their soules but by the gratious promise of love made over unto them on Gods part reason thus what though I cannot feele and find Gods favour to bee towards mee yet Note why should I bee dejected hath not God given out a word of truth for love and favour unto mee 6. That such Christians who have not the present sense of Gods love may have future sense of Gods love Gods love is never totally nor finally withdrawne from his children the suspensions of Gods favour are temporary and God doth many times reserve great assurance unto after times David in confidence of this saith The Lord will command his loving kindnesse in the day time and in the night his song shall bee with mee and my prayer unto the God of my life Psal 42. 8. Thus saith the Church He will bring mee forth to the light and I shall behold his righteousnesse Micah 7. 9. This is the reasoning of faith God hath loving kindnesse and hee can shew it and and will shew it I have found him a very loving God unto my soule in times past and why should I doubt of future expectations Simile after a night of darkenesse commeth a day of light and after a storme commeth a calme the cloud may be remooved and I may enjoy my God as fully and as freely as ever heretofore 7. That sense of Gods love is graduall it is neither in all Christians in the same measure and degree nor at all times the same in the same Christians truth it is that as it is one and Simile the same Sun that shineth over the whole world so it is one and the same love of God for kind that is manifested to all Christians yet some have a Love one for kinde different in degree a more large and greater measure and a larger and greater sense of that love then others according to the will and wisedome of God I say it passeth to the sense with much variation now the least assurance of divine love towards us should be a great upholdment of our spirits under the want of much sense and feeling of Gods love within us Ob. Yea could I find any pledges of Gods love to mee
lost them for ever if sense must bee his judge and give the sentence Christ therefore doth shew him his weakenesse and failing in saying to him Thomas Blessed are they that have not seene and yet have beleeved verse 29. you that will have all by sight and feeling or else you will never bee quiet I tell you 1. That sense is not a fit judge of a Christians spirituall condition it cannot at all times see into our estates much lesse report our estate unto us the spirituall Psal 73. 28. condition may be without all feeling eyes may faile and flesh faile and God frowne and faith onely expresse such acts as are pure and hidden grounding it selfe upon the naked promise and how can sense report and give sentence 2. That sense is yea and nay it maketh our condition to bee good and bad lost and found and that many times in one day nay in one hower and all because it looketh on the outside of things judging according to outward appearance I yeeld that it is uncomfortable for a man to walke without his feeling but it is as uncertaine to walke alltogether by feeling 3. That the spirituall course of Christians doth many times goe against all the sense of Christians sense and the promise are many times at a contradiction the promise goeth on when sense cannot perceive it but behold the contrary and how can sense meeting with contrarieties resolve 4. That sense goes mans way but faith goes Gods way sense mooves upon what appeares and takes Gods deed whereas faith relyeth upon Gods Word and pitcheth upon things invisible I will waite upon the Lord that hides his face from the house of Iacob and I will looke for him Esa 8. 17. to this purpose reade Esa 50. 10. Hab. 3. 17 18. Ninthly maintaine and set up faith beleeving is the ground of setling after yee beleeved you were sealed saith Paul Ephes 1. 13. a man cannot have the fruit before hee hath the tree nor safety before hee hath laid himselfe on the rock nor assurance before hee beleeveth looke as the soule Simile breeds seeing in the eyes and hearing in the eares so true faith doth breed in the soule true setlednesse and assurance if Christians could rise up to the granting way of faith their doubts would more and more vanish faith is 1. The first ground of all a Christians assurances and experiences if any man hath either in his soule he obtained them by faith 2. The prime instrument bringing home the comfort of all divine good unto the soule the joy of Heaven merit of Christ and favour of God cannot actually comfort and quiet mans heart untill that faith hath done its part Faith at liberty and in authority doth compose a Christians doubtings keeping him from sinking under them two waies 1. By yeelding a ground for setlednesse all the while the soule can finde and feele no bottome it cannot but doubt and stagger can the ship but rowle up and downe when the Marriner cannot finde a place to Simile fixe his anchor but when a man can finde in and by beleeving the truth and goodnesse of a promise to rest upon and can say as David Remember the Psal 119. 49. word unto thy servant upon which thou hast caused mee to hope now is hee resolved and become quiet I beleeved and therefore I spake and what reason is there that a man should doubt his safety when hee is once fully set upon the rocke 2. By overmatching all the causes and grounds of doubtings imagined by Christians Christians doubt many times when as they have little reason to doubt and sometimes they thinke their reasons for their doubtings are unanswerable but faith prevailing will put the lie and folly upon al that can bee said for doubting it will shame and silence the foolish reasonings of the hearts of Gods children you may see this in David when his thoughts ranne wild upon the prosperities of wicked men and the adversities of Gods children how did his doubts come in upon him even to his sinking he saith Verily I have cleansed my heart in vaine and washed my hands in innocency for all the day long I have beene plagued but how doth he recover himselfe Surely it was by the exercise and liberty of his faith he went into the house of God and there his faith found matter and ground to worke upon and hee became better setled in his soule Psal 73. 13 14 15 16 17. and truth it is that every thing appeares in all causes of feare when faith is not the master and cannot have full power to bee agent and factor for a Christian Beleeve in the Lord your God and you shall bee established 2 Chron. 20. 20. Tenthly subdue and keepe downe sinne in the love and power thereof If iniquity bee in thine hand put it farre away and let not wickednesse dwell in thy tabernacles for then shalt thou lift up thy face without spot yea thou shalt bee stedfast and shalt not feare Iob â—â— 14 15. where wee plainely see that the more sinne doth die in its love and power within the soule the more will doubtings die too kill sinne and faith lives and doubts vanish The Apostle would that men should draw neere with a true heart in assurance Heb. 10. 22. of faith i. e. to cast away doubtings in their approaches to God and not to come indifferently may bee I shall bee accepted may bee I shall not but as verily perswaded of Gods acceptation happily some Christian might say to him how might a man doe this hee answereth having the heart sprinkled from an evill conscience q. d. faith cannot well perswade nor the heart settle till you get quit of sinne if your consciences doe charge and condemne you of evill you will bee doubtfull truth it is that doubtings are cured by Mortification the heart must bee circumcised of its unbeleeving and hardnesse and ungodlinesse ere ever wee shall get quit of doubtings if wee resolve to bee evill wee must resolve to bee doubtfull were it not for sinnefullnesse faith would bee quicker and stronger and wee more setled and staied in our mindes a heavie rhume falling into the eyes doth hinder a man from looking up and sinne entertained in the soule reares up contrary reasonings and denials to faith making the incouragements of it to bee so difficult that a Christian spirit doth faile him and hee shall not bee able to looke up Psal 40.12 CASE III. Of personall unworthinesse IT hath not a little troubled the minds of many of Gods deare children to consider what unworthy creatures they are in themselves and that they are so ill deserving at Gods hands having no more goodnesse in them to commend them to Gods acceptation and love wee finde them many times complaining and that with much griefe of heart that they have nothing in them but sinne and wickednesse and how should God ever accept such as they are to love and life under the presence