and for all that ever they can do you may be strengthning your selves in your love to God lowering your selves in humility bowing your souls to patience and perswading your hearts to love them that use you most unkindly and injuriously while men are acting their enmity against you you may be confirming your love to them which will be no small advantage to you Against these there is no law Gal. 5.22 2d Use The second Use shews the unsoundness of their Religion who rest in external Reformation Christians indeed begin there but they cannot rest there nor suffice themselves with it It 's that which our Saviour charges on the Scribes and Pharisees that they made clean the outside only You are temperate and abstain from Excesses just and honest in your dealings you worship God in publick and in Families as others But what do you within doors Thirdly 3d Use It shews how far they are from true Christianity that are not careful so much as to rectify the course of their Lives who make not clean the outside that are not ashamed to appear outwardly Ungodly Atheistical Voluptuous Intemperate Fourthly 4th Use The Fourth Use is to perswade Christians to the mortification of Sin 1. Resolvedly deny the motions of Sin when first you observe them As Asaph when he found his heart about to speak bad language against God Psal 73.15 presently recollects his thoughts and says If I speak so I shall offend against the generation of thy children 2dly When you are overtaken in any signal act of Sin take an early opportunity to humble your selves for it So what Sin gains by your Fall it will lose and somewhat more by your Humiliation 3dly In all your resistances to Sin look up to Heaven for help As the Apostle says 1 Pet. 5.3 Whom resist stedfast in the faith 4thly Interest all your Crosses and Afflictions into Rebukes for Sin that you may set your hearts against it 5thly Aim still at perfection of Holiness As in the Text Perfecting holiness in the fear of God Keep up an awful fear of God And thus much for the fourth Period of a Christian's motion towards Perfection A laborious endeavour to mortify indwelling Sin ROM VII 24. O wretched man that I am THE Fifth Step or Period of a Convert's motion toward Perfection that I shall treat of is the Sou's Conflict with Discouraging-troubles arising from the sense of indwelling Sin which as 't is the main Subject of the latter part of this Chapter so is most emphatically exprest in these words O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death or as 't is in the Margin from this body of death I confess I cannot well say how long Paul had been converted when he wrote this Epistle the time of his writing it being uncertain but 't is certainly evident first 1. That he speaks of himself as a converted Person and in the state of Grace renewed and sanctified in some good degree his Will being habitually determined against the evil which he did and to the good which he did not as verses 15 16. and verses 18 19. He speaks of himself of his inner man delighting in the law of God verse 22. which is the very practice of a godly man as David speaks in Psal 40.8 I delight to do thy will O my God yea thy law is within my heart The Law is always grievous to a wicked man though he may like well of some Duties required by it yet the Law it self is a burden to him which he is not willing to bear c. All this that he professes of himself to wit that he had such a will to good against evil and delighting in the Law was highly good and that for which he is thankful verse 25. I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. But he utterly denies any good to dwell in him as carnal verse 18. For I know that in me that is in my flesh dwelleth no good thing So that if he had now been altogether fleshly and carnal thus much good could not have been in him nor any at all 2dly That he speaks of himself as labouring to do the Will of God in a course of Obedience He did some good and intended and was desirous to do all the rest even that he did not and though he did many evil actions yet his intention and endeavour was against them all which is manifestly the case of a man applying himself to holiness of life 3dly That in his endeavouring thus to obey God in all his Actions he found a strong and vigorous Inclination in his heart to Sin and against Holiness As appears verse 21. I find then a law that when I would do good evil is present with me And ver 23. I see another law in my members warring against the law of my mind 4thly That upon this discovery of so much wickedness within him he turned his hearty endeavours against it As appears by these words verse 23. Rebelling Warring leading Captive In his mind he had as before entertained the Law of God and in obedience thereto he made resolute Decrees against his contrary Inclinations But they rebelled he fought against them and they against him for a War cannot be without fighting on both sides And when he sinned at any time he was carried Captive by his indwelling Sin which plainly argues he made resistance against it for they are Adversaries one to another that carry one another Captive 5thly That in this War against his evil Inclinations he found himself too weak of himself to obtain the Victory and therefore cries out as a distressed man in these words O wretched man that I am No man will so bewail his case that finds it in the power of his hand to keep himself O wretched man that I am it's the same word that 's translated Misery Rom. 3.16 Destruction and misery are in their ways And Jam. 5.1 Go to now ye rich men weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you O miserable man I It 's made of two Greek words which signify Suffering and Lamentation that is to say I am a lamentable Sufferer Hence we observe this Doctrine Doctr. That Christians heartily endeavouring and labouring against Indwelling Sin are subject to much discouraging and afflicting trouble about it O wretched man that I am The very Phrases of mortifying the members of the body of Sin Coloss 3.5 Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth fornication c. Crucifying the Flesh imply much pain and anguish killing and crucifying are painful things Object Yea you will say to them that are killed now that is Sin not the man that kills it I answer Answ Sin in a man is so near to him and has such an union with him that it is not unfitly called himself And so the man that mortifies Sin as he is spiritually renewed mortifies himself as he is sinful and unsanctified therefore the Apostle
concernment of every one that thinks he stands 1 Cor. 10 12. to take heed lest he fall That your grounds may be good and safe take a few Directions Direct 1. Be very careful to acquaint your selves with the Word of God 'T is the Glass in which you may see your own faces and what manner of persons ye are James 1.24 2dly Watch narrowly over your hearts and lives that you may know what is your general aim and intendment wherein you exercise your selves as Paul Acts 24.16 Herein do I exercise my self c. For a Christian is to try himself by his main purpose and design as the Apostle Paul 2 Cor. 1.12 Our rejoycing is this the testimony of our conscience 3dly Rest not upon other mens judgments of you Gal. 6.4 Let every man prove his own work the work that is wrought by him of what sort it is and so the work of Grace which is by himself or others thought to be wrought in him 4. Think not to confirm your Assurance by changing modes and ways of Christianity Neither in this mountain nor yet at Jerusalem shall ye worship the Father John 4.21 In this Mountain there was their Forefathers Example leading them to Mount Gerezim c. But ye that is the Jews plead Solomon's building and God's blessing the Temple at Jerusalem Some have tried this way of changing forms and been quieted a little while but their doubts have returned and must needs for any help that can be that way gotten Evidences of Salvation are internal and standing things abiding 5thly Slight not any hopeful Evidence because you yet find some doubts Paul blessed God that with his mind he served the law of Christ though with the flesh the law of sin Rom. 7. last Assurance is always imperfect and this first work is always needful as I shall shew if God will in the next Step. 6thly Wait always on God by Prayer for information concerning your own estate See Psalm 139.1 2 and 23d Verses Search me O God and know my heart try me and know my thoughts and see if there be any wicked way in me and lead me in the way everlasting MATTH XIII 44. The kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field The which when a man hath found he hideth and for joy thereof goeth and selleth that he hath and buyeth that field THE second Period or degree of a Believer's motion towards his Perfection may be described by rejoycing in Christ as that which is most signal and remarkable in Believers of some little standing after they have a-while conflicted with Fears and Doubts and taken some solicitous pains to assure themselves that they are in a state of grace By this time it is usual with God to give them peace and persuade them of his special love Some Sermon or other he imploys on purpose to disperse their darkness Some Promise or other he so interprets and applies to them as to make it look them in the face and speak comfort to them Sometimes it comes in return to some earnest prayer that they have lately made for it Sometimes when they are sadly pondering their doubts and almost overwhelmed with sorrows But usually when they have little expectation of it then they hear the voice of peace and receive intimation of the love of God and this highly rejoyces and chears up their hearts As our Saviour's words which I have read imply The kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field the which when a man hath found he hideth and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath By the Kingdom of Heaven I understand the Salvation of God in Jesus Christ the perfection whereof is that it crowns men with a Kingly Heavenly and Eternal Glory This Salvation our Saviour here compares to hidden Treasure because as it is of infinite value and excellency so it is unseen by men till their eyes are opened by the Gospel and they are brought by Faith to Jesus Christ and made to believe in him 2 Cor. 4.4 In whom the God of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not lest the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ who is the image of God should shine unto them Then when a man believes he finds the Treasure Jesus Christ is found by faith Isa 65.1 To whom is the arm of the Lord revealed Christ is the arm of the Lord and when he is revealed he is found and he that finds him findeth life Prov. 8.35 and when the Soul has thus found Salvation his great care is to secure it to himself that he may be sure of it and not fail to obtain it which I take to be here intimated by hiding of the Treasure when 't is found For in such a case a man's way to ascertain himself of the attainment of what he has found is to make it as sure as he can from other hands that he may not miss of it and having so done he rejoices in the hope of having it to himself which signifies that joy whereof I am now speaking viz. The joy of a Believer under persuasion that he is in a state of salvation The same joy is that reported of the Samaritans Acts 8.8 There was great joy in that city And Verse the 39th it 's said The Eunuch went on his way rejoycing And that in Acts 16.34 He rejoyced believing with all his heart And Rom. 5.1 2. We rejoyce in hope of the glory of God Some Instances of this Joy in Christians upon their first assurance of Salvation after their coming to Christ by faith I shall now shew you And the first Instance is Inst 1. A very thankful remembrance of the means by which they have been awakened and persuaded to return to God Though many Christians are unable to give a particular account of the first time and means of their Conversion yet ordinarily they remember by what means they have been more remarkably stirred up and moved to enquire after God and seek peace with him and are very thankful to God for it And so you shall hear them blessing God for such or such a Sermon or such a man's Ministry whereby it pleased God to set them a moving toward himself O that was a proper word for my case I thought the word was chosen and the Sermon studied on purpose for me it came home so closely to me discovering my sin shewing me what was my confidence and how I deluded my self in it what was my danger and how near I was to it I little thought to have been so fully met withal so clearly to have seen my own face in the glass of the Law to have returned so convinced so affrighted c. I used to hear for others and to observe how they were met with and concerned in what was said But now it pleased God to give me my Portion and send me home with my own Burthen and blessed be his Grace that so and so
not aware of So though their Brethren justify them they condemn themselves and have it usuall in a readiness to answer Oh if these men that seem to have such hopeful thoughts of me did but know the vile workings of my wicked heart they would never endure me They judge of me as they think but little think what I know by my self The heart as Solomon says knows its own grief The Soul that 's burthened with sinful Lusts and labouring against them cannot believe the Case of any others to be so bad as his As no man thinks his Neighbour's trouble though of the same kind so grievous as his own This high dislike and loathing of a man 's own Sin when it lies quite out of sight of other men is a great evidence that the work of Mortification is set on foot and proceeding in the Soul for God giveth grace to the humble 1 Pet. 5. and as Grace is coming in Sin is going out And thus have I endeavoured to shew you those Evidences that appear in Christians that are heartily intending and endeavouring the mortifying of inherent Sin But now a little to speak to the consequence which the endeavour of mortification has to the sincere practice of Holiness or the Reasons why Christians intending an holy Life are thereupon disposed to mortify indwelling Sin R. 1. A sincere intention of obedience gives a man notice of the sin within him By a sincere endeavour to reform his Life a Christian comes to discover Sin that is within himself As 't is said of Ephraim Hos 7.1 When I would have healed Israel then the iniquity of Ephraim was discovered and Rom. 7.23 I see another law in my members warring against the law of my mind Newly converted Christians till they have tried a-while what they can do in practice of Godliness little think what proud stubborn earthly and hypocritical hearts they have within them little think what work they have to do in their own Souls But by that time they have applied themselves a-while to it they find such a backwardness to duty as they could not have imagined and such an aptness to receive Temptations and Sin without temptation as they did not think themselves guilty of their often relapses and breaking of Resolutions sheweth them the falshood and treachery of their hearts which they were not formerly aware of and now they see that they have a great work of reformation to do as well within as without as if a man reform his Family he shall find not only ill Companions without but some of his own Children against it 2dly Internal Sin once discovered appears more evil and hateful to a Christian than his outward sinful Actions It is that which the Apostle calls exceeding sinful Sin as Rom. 7.13 Outward Acts of Sin derive all their Evil from the vicious Inclinations and evil Intentions of the Soul The more there is of Pride Wilfulness and Stubborness of the Heart in any Sin the worse and more hateful it is If we sin wilfully Hebr. 10.26 after we have received thâ— knowledge of the truth there remains no more sacrifice for sin And the soul that doth ought presumptuously shall be cut off Numb 15.30 So that now a Christian sees that he has cause and need to labour more to mortify his internal Corruption than to rectify his outward Actions that being the greatest part of his work 3dly Outward Reformation can never be throughly carried on without reforming the heart All the practice of Christianity that we can attain to in our outward Actions while Sin is unmortified in the heart is but forced and violent and such as will not hold Weeds you know that are cut off above the ground will grow again you must pluck them up by the roots if you would clear the ground of them therefore the Apostle blesses God for the Romans that they had obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered them Rom. 7.13 Cleansing the heart is of necessity to washing the hands in innocency Psal 73.13 till they come to this Christians do but intend and assay to rectify their Lives never do it to purpose But 4thly The motion of a Christian towards God is in prosecution of communion with him which is hindred by indwelling Sin Iniquities separate If a Christian would walk with God he must cleanse his heart or he can have no intimacy with him This Duty of Self-cleansing is propounded in the Text to this very end that we may attain the happiness of God's gracious presence that he may dwell and walk with us as in Chap. 6.16 17. I will dwell in them and walk in them Where God walks with a man he dwells within him and that cannot be without an ejection of Sin The Apostle James requiring men to draw nigh to God promises that he will draw nigh to them presently commands them to purify their hearts Jam. 4.8 Draw nigh to God and he will draw nigh to you Cleanse your hands ye sinners and purify your hearts 5thly Mortificatson of Sin is the proper effect of a sincere Obedience Every gracious action adds something to the habit or principle of grace in the Soul so much it doth to the weakning of the contrary corruption To perform the work of a godly man is the way to become more godly The way of the Lord is strength to the upright Prov. 10.29 And by holding on his way he grows stronger and stronger Job 17.9 Now the stronger a man is in grace the weaker sin is in him contrary qualities destroy one another as they increase Grace by doing its own work undoes its Adversary I now proceed to the Uses 1 Use The first Use is for comfort to sincere Christians against all the activity of men to hinder them in their spiritual work and business A main part of a Christian's work lies where men can give it no impediment nor so much as see what is done it lies within doors where no other person can force an entry It was the great endeavour of the Jews enemies to hinder their work of building the Temple and then of the wall at Jerusalem Neh. 4.11 And our adversaries said They shall not know neither see till we come in the midst among them and slay them and cause the work to cease So 't is the design of Satan and his Followers to hinder the work of Christianity but against this part of a Christian's work they can do nothing He may throw down and demolish the works of Satan and fortify himself inwardly against temptations and seducements and none can hinder him or observe him all external opposition serves to carry on this work to make Christians more holy within more heavenly-minded more zealous for God and indifferent to the world So they that would hinder you from the outward part of your Duty will further you in that which is your great and main work purging out malice and envy and wrath and bitterness against them
of the Religion they have profest and of the Ordinances on which they have attended and the People of God with whom they have conversed and this fear is a great Affliction to them though it be a good sign of sincerity 6thly Sometimes they tremble in the fear of some dreadful Judgment or sore Rebuke from God to fall upon them They think God will not long bear with such sinful Wretches Persons so proud so sensual so hypocritical but some way or other providentially manifest his displeasure against them if they be graceless they know God is angry with the wicked every day And if he intends good to them they look he should take some severe Course with them therefore David prays Lord rebuke me not in thy wrath c. Psalm 38.1 They find their hearts so lazy and themselves so formal and hypocritical they think sure God will deal severely with them in their Persons and Families c. 7thly They are often afflicted with the fear of perishing eternally That this fear was rising in the heart of the Apostle himself when he spoke these words may very probably be collected from what follows Chap. 8.1 where he seems to encourage himself against the danger of its Death and the means which he professes himself to use for prevention of that danger There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus who walk not after the flesh but after the spirit And in 1 Cor. 9.27 I keep under my body and bring it into subjection lest that by any means when I have preached to others I my self should be a cast-away Which shews that he was not altogether above the fear of it And indeed this must needs be a sore trouble to them that have tasted of the Wrath of God in their former Convictions and have had the sense of his Love shed abroad in their hearts and have been comforted in the hope of Glory Neither Judas nor Cain ever felt such horror and astonishment under their despairs as a sincere Christian in this case of fears would fall into if he were not upheld by a secret power of Grace For alas they never knew so much of the Love and Goodness of God as the weakest of sincere Christians knows nor ever had such desires and hopes to enjoy him I come now to some Causes of these great Troubles in sincere Christians about Sin within 1. The first Cause is The awakened activity of Sin and Satan being effectually disturbed by the Spirit of Mortification When the strong Man keeps the House all things are at peace Luke 11.21 i. e. till the stronger the Lord Jesus enters and begins to take away his Goods and his Harness Then Satan bestirs himself and raises all the force of sordid Lusts and Corruptions which lay much more still before if Sin had been so active before the Sinner would have proceeded to the very acting of the Sin which now it doth but reach at being checked and held back by Grace which makes him say in himself how shall I do this great wickedness But now as things are ordered by the blessed Work of God there is a principle of Grace that forbids and hinders the acting of those Sins to which corrupted Nature is disposed And that conflict makes a great unquietness in the Soul and so gives a Christian much more notice of the wickedness of his heart than ever he had and hence arise those Troubles Distresses and Fears which I have spoken of there being so much ado to hold in the wickedness that would be breaking out and to repress the inward Motions of it As when Physick is admitted into the Stomach ill Humours are rouzed and that causes hard Gripes sick Qualms and sad Complaints These are ultimi conatus moribundi peccati the last Struglings of dying Sin First Cause 1. It 's the subtilty of Satan 1. To sollicite some Men less to outward Acts of Sin while unconverted because he sees and observes 't is usual with God to make their great and gross wickedness occasional to their Conviction and Conversion according to that in Matth. 21.31 Publicans and harlots go into the kingdom of God before you And therefore having hold on Men in a natural Estate he is not so zealous to excite them to Sin lest he should over-do and suffer loss Therefore I say he solicites some less for there are whom he drives on to much outragious Wickedness as the Publicans and Harlots 2dly To stir up Men converted as much as he can to Sin that he may make Apostates of them If they be not sincere which he knows not or make them shame their Profession by gross Acts of Wickedness or at least cause them to go on with the more trouble and discomfort 3dly It is the nature of contraries to be excited by the Opposition of their contraries as we see in Nature it self Water thrown upon the Smith's Coals makes them burn the more fiercely and so in Meteors Philosophers tell us That the cold Cloud gathering about an hot Vapour makes the Heat gather it self together and so it fires and thence comes the Lightning and the Thunder Thus Grace in the Soul pressing hard upon Corruption makes it more vehement in its strugling to preserve it self Thus 't is no wonder though Christians striving against Sin think it grows upon them because it is indeed more active and stirring than ever though not more in the Habit or Principle They have more evil desires and reachings and wishings toward Sin and thinkings and ruminations upon it than ever Sin that was always in them is more sinning in them Lust is more drawing aside and enticing and in conceiving as James 1.14 15. than ever it was Every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lust and enticed When Lust hath conceived it brings forth Sin and Sin when it is finished bringeth forth Death though the body of Sin it self was as much and more in the Soul And hence come all the forementioned Troubles the former Apprehensions which the Soul had of its peace with God being for a time eclipsed by these sad appearances Cause 2. They see Sin more clearly than they did before The Spirit of Grace is a Spirit of Light in the understanding by which they see the evil and sinfulness of all those within-door workings of Corruption which they scarce found any fault withal before and take notice of those stirrings of Sin which they did not mind before and so Sin being indeed more active than it was and they having better Eyes to see it no marvel that these think it much grown and be otherwise much troubled at it as Paul says I see another law rebelling and warring c. 3dly They have a greater dislike of Sin As understanding more of the evil nature of it and the worse apprehension they have of it the more they are troubled and disheartened at the sight of it If you see a company of Men coming
that many times the Sin that mostly takes up the thoughts of such a Soul at first is some sin that has less of malignity against God in it than many other which the Party has been guilty of as Lying Sabbath-breaking Disobedience to Parents or some external act of Sin in which he has been more carried by his sensual inclination than maliciously wicked 2. He considers the severe Judgment of God denounced against Sinners and his own concernment in it The Word says The soul that sins shall dye and makes Eternal death the wages of every sin Rom. 6. Yea the Word declares all men by Nature dead in trespasses and sins and children of wrath and hereupon the Sinner reasons thus with himself Is there not a reality in these Threatning words And do they not take effect upon Sinners according to the plain sense and import of them What may I think then of my self Am I liable to all this danger or have I any fence against it If I should now dye as I know not how soon I may what were like to come of me If I be under the force of these Threatnings wo unto me And what have I to plead against them If I was by Nature a Child of wrath how got I out of that condition or am I yet in the gall of bitterness and bands of iniquity Thus the Soul studies and examines his own estate And this is the First step towards Conversion Consideration The Second step or degree of this work is a strong Conviction of a miserable and perishing Estate But before we come directly to consider that work we must take notice of some hindrances or diversions by reason of which many men are taken off even at the first step and never come to a sound Conviction at all and others are long e're they come at it 1. Some grow weary of the unpleasant work of Self-Consideration and let it fall before ever they have brought it to any Convincing issue This is very ordinary with Persons a little shaken under a Sermon or griped by Conscience under an Affliction or scared with the thoughts of Death to ask the Question What estate they are in But the Subject being very ungrateful to Nature they never stay their Studies upon it to bring it to any determinate conclusion As Pilate asked What is truth But would not stay to hear the Answer They translate their thoughts to other matters as being loath to endure the pains of a thorough Examination of themselves 2. From the Consideration of themselves some turn aside to the survey of others whom they think to be as great or greater Sinners and so content themselves in hope to speed as well as they They observe many as bad as they or worse who yet are confident of a safe estate yea they are knowing Persons and likely to understand their own condition as well as any they are Learned men it may be Ministers that of all others should see if there be any danger in their way and besides they are well thought of generally by their Neighbours and few or none seem to question their estate Why then says the a-little-startled Sinner should I further disquiet my self with sad and doubtful apprehensions of my condition I see no probability but I may speed as well as thousands that are round about me I 'll even take up and run the common hazard of my Neighbours and of Mankind in general Thus Consideration is many times obstructed and falls short of a sound Conviction But where God goes on with the design of Saving a Soul he holds the Mind close and keeps it from the vain study of other things and Persons till he has made the Sinner plainly see himself Wretched Miserable and Perishing and that is the second degree of this work which comes now to be considered This Conviction is the proper effect of a well prosecuted Self-consideration and the conclusion naturally issuing from these two premises well attended 1. The demands of the Law from every man 2. The Judgment of God against every Offender of which before He that well considers these and duly applies to himself as his own concernment must needs understand himself to be in a perishing estate without the use of some proper and sufficient Remedy Thus the Prodigal was kept pondering his condition till he perceived himself perishing for hunger Luke 15.17 When he came to himself he had been ranging abroad from himself as well as from his Father's house and unmindful of his greatest concernments where he was which way he was going and what was like to come of him was none of his study all this while But now at length he returned home to himself and took his own estate into a sober consideration upon which he found plainly that he was like to dye for want of Bread I perish for hunger So the Jews Acts 2. were held under the sad thoughts of what they had done and deserved till they were pierced at the heart that is they found themselves dead men as a man that is stabb d to the heart for whom there is as we use to say but one way This account also the Apostle gives of himself Rom. 7.4 That when the commandment came sin revived and he died he perceived that vigor and Soul-destroying power of sin in himself which he was not aware of before and plainly saw himself a dying man Spiritually undone and perishing The like work we also see in the Jailor Acts 16. What must I do to be saved That word to be Saved plainly implies a sense and deep Conviction of a lost estate that he was at present an undone man Thus the poor Sinner hangs as it were over the mouth of Hell in his own apprehension and sees nothing more likely than that he should presently fall into it he plainly hears the Law threatning him with Death Eternal sees God frowning upon him and destruction ready to swallow him up he that a few days ago thought himself as safe and as much in favour with God as any in the world and it may be was secure of Soul-concernments never troubled himself with thoughts of Eternity and took it for a point of folly and a beginning of madness in other men to disturb their minds with fear of Hell and Condemnation is now become a miserable and perishing man in his own Judgment and of all men alive the most likely to be Damned Eternally The Third step or degree of this work is a Soul-Afflicting Humiliation a work made up of terror and sorrow under the apprehension of the wrath of God and the sense of a perishing estate A deep sorrow and anguish of Spirit seizing upon the Sinner under the Conviction before spoken of This work is commonly called Legal Repentance because it is a deep sorrow and trouble about sin depending upon that sense which a man has of his condemnation under the Law But though it be not that sorrow which is called Godly
sorrow yet no man attains the true Spirit of Godliness till first he has had a taste of this sorrow This is so natural and necessary a product of Conviction that no man can totally escape it that has once known what 't is to be convinced of Sin and Misery And yet there is one way that Persons strongly convinced of the evil and danger of their estate have to divert themselves from that pressing trouble and anguish which is usually the effect of a sound Conviction and that is an hope of being brought over into a better estate hereafter though they are now in such a condition as wherein to dye were certainly to go to Hell yet they hope they shall have the Grace at one time or other e're they dye to return to God and make their Peace with him The Example of Foelix is very apposite who being convinced of his bad estate so far as that he fell a trembling under Paul's Doctrine yet shifted off his trouble by adjourning his cares to another time and stopped the mouth of his Conscience by promising the Apostle a further Audience Acts 24.25 Some Persons are so much convinced that they are in an evil and perishing estate that they will not stick to say They think verily if they should dye as they are they should be damned and perish without remedy And yet they are very little troubled at the matter because they hope they shall turn to God and get Peace with him yet in time to come But where God undertakes the great work of Salvation Conviction is always attended with a deep Humiliation and Contrition of Spirit as the Jews in Acts 2. were pierced to the very heart wounded though not to death yet to extremity of pain a wounded spirit who can bear And the Terrors of God fell so vehemently upon the Jailor Acts 16. that he could not forbear trembling though a man of a Spirit sturdy and rugged enough till he had received some information about the way and means of obtaining Life eternal I perish for hunger said the poor Prodigal O sad and doleful speech the language of an aking heart you may be sure Yea Judas himself proceeded thus far towards Conversion when he was Convicted he repented with a Legal Repentance as 't is commonly distinguished a Repentance wherein the Soul is troubled and tormented about Sin under apprehension of the wrath of God This Humiliation and Anguish of Spirit doth proceed especially upon 1. The apparent danger of the Wrath to come The Poor Sinner looks upon himself as already Sentenced for Hell and it torments him before-hand to think how soon he may be thrust into it so that he is always crying Woe woe to himself in thoughts of dying in that estate 2. The Remembrance of the sins whereby he has brought himself into that estate It 's a torment to him to consider that for so vile and base a thing as Sin is he should make himself so miserable as the Jews in Lam. 5.16 Woe unto us that we have sinned And the more pleasing any sin has been to him the greater pain it is to him to reflect upon it he is out of all patience with himself to think how foolish how bruitish and how like a beast he has been before God even in those things he thought a little while ago he did gallantly and wondred at those that run not with him into the same excess 3. Conscience of his refusing Counsel and neglecting Opportunity to take a better course now he remembers what warnings he has had and how he has often been called upon and earnestly entreated by God and man to fly from the wrath to come and avoid the misery into which he sees himself now falling and still refused to be perswaded and was as the deaf Adder that stops her ears against the voice of the Charmer c. The calling over of these things makes the poor Sinner a burthen and a terror to himself See how Solomon represents it in Prov. 5.11 12 13 14. This then is the Third step of this great work a Soul-Afflicting Humiliation This is the state of men weary and heavy laden as Mat. 11. This is that Spirit of bondage of which the Apostle speaks Rom. 8. That Spiritual sickness which makes men feel their need of a Physician that wound at the heart which puts men upon enquiry What they shall do to be saved Which is next to be attended The Fourth Step or Degree of this work is a studious Consultation about a Recovery When a man is thorowly convinced of his misery and affected with sorrow for it it is proper for him to enquire what course he may take to get out of the evil estate which he is in and escape the misery which he expects But yet some Convicted Persons and Persons deeply affected with a Legal Humiliation fall short of this Step towards Conversion and never come to any serious Enquiry after the way and means of Salvation Such are they who seeing themselves undone and apprehending the wrath of God ready to come forth against them immediately fall into a despairing sorrow and conclude peremptorily against themselves that there is no help for them Thus Cain when he heard his judgment fell presently into a sad and sorrowful consideration of the evil that was now invading him till he had made it in his own opinion impossible for his wound to be healed his iniquity to be forgiven never enquiring in the least how he might get out of the unhappy estate into which he was fallen but sinking in his Sorrows without any further question But where God proceeds in a design of saving a poor Soul when once he has brought him to an humbling Conviction of his sin and misery he puts him upon a serious enquiry after the way and means of his recovery So the Jews Acts 2. Men and Brethren what shall we do and the Jailor Acts 16. Being deeply sensible of the evil of their present estate they search diligently for some way and means to get out of it as the Unjust Steward when he saw that he should be turned out of his Office fell presently a considering what course was to be taken that he might not perish as he was now like to do for want of house and harbour Luke 16.3 What shall I do This Consultation is managed with some variety Sometimes the affrighted Soul confines his terror to himself and takes counsel with his own heart as Psal 13.2 which is never like to come to any good conclusion sometimes he sets to reading Scripture and other good Books And though this be indeed the way to get information yet many there are who in this distress for want of skill to understand what they read perplex themselves more instead of finding out the proper cure for their disease But generally where the work goes on to good effect it pleases God to direct such Souls to some able Ministers or experienced Christians to whom
rather And if you tell the humble Soul that they that Sin against the Holy Ghost never heartily repent of it and no Man in this Life can certainly conclude himself reprobated because for ought any knows he may repent and turn to God He will yet object Object 6. It may be God will be so merciful as to save Sinners that are deeply and kindly humbled for their Sins and full of the Spirit of mourning and 't is Mercy indeed if he will save such But I have an hard heart and an uncontrite Spirit I cannot grieve for Sin to any purpose though I know my self to be one of the chief of Sinners All these and many more such Objections will be unanswerable if the Soul considers only the absolute Mercy of God For God may indeed be merciful and gloriously merciful in saving Sinners though he should only save some of the most restrained and least provoking the soonest yielding and most signally humbled and mourning Sinners and so the Soul that judges worse of himself can have no hope of his Salvation But the Mercy of God in Christ is such as that he freely offers his Salvation to all even the worst of Sinners to whom the Gospel is preached inviting and commanding them to accept it and rely upon him for it And this answers all Objections The worst the Soul can say against himself exempts him not from the number of Sinners and Salvation is freely offered to all Sinners in general He is one of them let him make as bad of himself as he can And though he thinks it never so unreasonable for him to hope for Mercy yet no reason in the World can have any force against the Command of the most High God which requires him to repose his hope and trust in Christ for his Salvation Thus 't is evident that the ground of a Christian's hope or that which he relies and rests upon in his hope of Salvation is the free Mercy of God in Christ And therefore is Faith commonly in Scripture called a trusting or believing in Jesus Christ because the Satisfaction which he has given to the Law and the free tender of Salvation which he makes in the Gospel to Sinners in general is the only sufficient ground that any Soul has to stay and rest upon in hope of his Salvation John 3.15 16 18 36. John 6.35 1 Pet. 2.6 Acts 11.17 Acts 16.31 and many other places Faith is a believing in God But 't is a believing on him looked upon and considered as he is in Jesus Christ The Soul cannot believe or trust in God for Salvation but as he trusts in Christ 1 Pet. 1.21 Who by him believe on God who raised him from the dead c. It is a trusting or hoping in the Mercy of God Psalm 15.5 Psalm 147.11 But 't is a trusting in Mercy only as 't is expressed displayed and offered to Sinners in Jesus Christ It is a trusting or hoping in the Word Psalm 119.42 74. in as much as it declares and propounds that Mercy of God in Christ on which alone the Soul may rest it self in hopes of Salvation Thus have we seen the Sinner brought by the several Steps of Consideration Conviction Humiliation c. to a fiducial Faith or believing on Jesus Christ And now is he in the state of Effectual Calling or Conversion 1 Thess 2.13 Then Men are called and converted when they believe in Jesus Christ as 't is fully proved in Rom. 1.16 with 1 Cor. 1.24 Now is the Soul set safe from Condemnation and therefore is this Faith called Justifying Faith Rom. 5.1 Now is the Soul adopted and entitled to everlasting Life And therefore is Faith called saving Faith or believing to Salvation Heb. 10. Yea now the Soul is by the work of the Spirit possessed of all Graces necessary to qualify and prepare him for Heaven the heart being purified by Faith Acts 15.9 and taken up by the Lord Jesus for his Habitation Ephes 2.22 with Ephes 2.17 where-ever there is Faith in Christ there is also Love to God Obedience Patience Humility Self-denial and all other Graces in which the Law is written on renewed Hearts The Exercises and Encreases whereof come next to be considered The Sum of all is 1. The Sinner takes the estate of his Soul into serious Consideration Ezek. 18.28 He considereth and turneth away from his Transgression 2. He finds himself to be in a lost and perishing Condition Luke 15.17 I perish for hunger 3. The sight of himself in this estate affects his Soul with deep Sorrow and distressing Trouble Acts 2.37 When they heard this they were pierced at the heart 4. This distress puts him upon a studious consultation and enquiry for a Remedy of his Estate And they said Men and Brethren what shall we do 5. Upon this enquiry God directs him to a serious and heedful attention to the Gospel Acts 11.14 Send for Peter he shall tell thee words whereby thou and all thy House shall be saved And Acts 10.33 We are all c. 6. Thus attending the Gospel he comes to understand and believe the Doctrine therein contained and to receive it for certain truth upon God's Testimony Acts 2.41 They that gladly received his word were baptized John 6.45 They shall be all taught of God Every one therefore that hath heard and learned of the Father cometh to me 7. Upon the belief of the Doctrine of the Gospel he proceeds to an hearty reliance on the free Mercy of God in Christ in hope of his Salvation For Gal. 2.16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but by the Faith of Christ Even we have believed in Jesus Christ that we might be justified by the Faith of Christ 1. Believing the Gospel he is informed of the excellency of Christ's Salvation and so desires it earnestly for himself 2. Believing the Gospel he sees this Salvation is freely offered to Sinners in general and so conceives hope that he may have it 3. Believing the Gospel he sees that Salvation is procured and granted only through the Mercy of God in Christ and therefore he rests only upon that Mercy in hope of his Salvation PART II. Of the Progress of a Believer from his Conversion to his Perfection under the work of Sanctification 1 PETER II. 2. As new-born babes desire the sincere milk of the word that ye may grow thereby THE Text is an Exhortation to an earnest desire after the Word Where note first 1. The Persons exhorted they are lately converted Christians compared to new-born Babes so young and incompleat Christians are called 1 Cor. 3.1 And I brethren could not speak unto you as unto spiritual but as unto carnal even as unto babes in Christ Babes in Christ because the work of Sanctification had gone on but a little way in them they being hitherto very Carnal 2. The matter of the Exhortation a desire after the Word Where note First First The object of this desire
the Word compared to pure Milk the sincere Milk of the Word that is the Word which is for you as pure Breast-milk is for the new-born Babe sweet and pleasing nourishing and strengthening the means appointed to the perfecting of the Work of Sanctification John 17.17 Sanctify them by thy truth thy word is truth And Edification unto Glory Acts 20.32 The word of his grace which is able to build you up and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified Secondly Secondly The desire it self described by the appetite of new-born Infants to the Nurses Milk that is a vehement and importunate desire and such as will not otherwise be satisfied Thirdly The end of this desire growth in Grace that ye may grow thereby What that is in which they should intend a growth appears plainly by the Sequel of the Apostle's Discourse to be Faith and Holiness The Grace wherewith the Souls of Christians are qualified by the Spirit of God unto Salvation as 't is expressed in the last words of the next Epistle Grow in Grace Growth is the gradual process of living Creatures to their due Measures and Maturity And of all the growths the growth of Children which is here the Apostle's Similitude is a very slow and imperceptible Motion Such is the tendency of saving Grace in the Souls of Christians towards its proper and purposed Perfection Mark 4.27 the Seed springs and grows up we know not how And hence we way observe Direct 1. That saving Grace begun in converted Souls goes gradually on to its perfection under the sanctifying work of God Justification is perfected at once and with it Adoption But the work of Holiness is begun in low degrees and brought on by steps to it its intended height and fulness See this proved in Phil. 1.6 He that hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ So again in Prov. 4.18 The path of the just is as the shining light which shineth more and more unto the perfect day So likewise Hosea 6.3 His going forth is as the morning And Mark 4.26 The Kingdom of God is as if a man should cast seed into the ground c. The Kingdom of God is his work of Grace in the Souls of Men in which he begins that which in its perfection is the Kingdom of Glory So Grotius and some others understand those three Ages 1 John 2.12 13. I write unto you little Children because your sins are forgiven you I write unto you fathers because ye have known him that is from the beginning I write unto you young Men because you have overcome the wicked one But I shall prosecute this Doctrine in a distinct Consideration of the several advances of Grace in the Souls of Christians towards perfection from their first Conversion And that in ten successive periods of their Motion First The first Period or Point of a Christian's Motion towards Perfection that I shall speak of is 1. A vehement pursuit of some clear and comfortable assurance of Salvation When once Men are brought through the Terrors of the Law by the Invitations of the Gospel to believe in Christ for his Salvation they presently become very laborious to get some comfortable Assurance that they are in a saved Estate They do not indeed neglect the duties of Obedience the mortifying of Lusts well ordering of their Lives and the glory of God as the end of all But that which they especially and most ambitiously intend now at their first setting out is a Soul-quieting certainty that all is well between God and them Though they do believe in Christ and know that he that believeth shall be saved yet 't is usually a great while before they can clearly understand themselves to be Believers in Christ and by Faith saved Persons A man must be of necessity a Believer before he can know himself to be so and Faith is sometimes very long unevident to him that has it And though he do perceive the believing act in himself and dares not deny it yet he is very doubtful whether it be true saving Faith or no and very impatient of the doubt And this is commonly the main Intention of young Converts and their great affair to assure themselves that they are in Christ and not perishing with the World 'T is true the very act of Faith through the Grace of Christ brings in a sweet calmness of Spirit easing the Soul of those despairing and tormenting fears with which 't was overwhelmed before and therefore Faith it self is in Scripture called a resting on the Lord and a staying of the mind on God Isa 26.3 But a positive Assurance of ones being in the state of Salvation is a further benefit and must be sought after in the use of means appointed to the making of our Calling and Election sure And this is usually the great study of new Converts as Hosea 6.2 He will receive us that was it in prosecution whereof they stirred up themselves to follow on to know the Lord. And that they do mainly intend and follow this appears First In their eager desire after Ordinances and means appointed to this end to confirm Faith and work assurance As soon as the Eunuch was converted he was presently ambitious to be baptized upon the first opportunity Acts 8.36 37. And the Eunuch said See here is water what doth hinder me to be baptized And Philip said If thou believest with all thine heart thou mayst And he answered and said I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God And they went down both into the water both Philip and the Eunuch and he baptized him Baptism being a confirming Ordinance a seal of the Promise and Covenant of Grace he was very desirous to have that Doctrine sealed to him by washing which he had lately heard preached out of Isa 53. And Paul when converted assayed to join himself with the Church Communion with Saints being a good means to inform us of our own good estate Acts 9.26 And when Saul was come to Jerusalem he assayed to join himself to the Disciples 2dly Their earnest hearkening after Promises and such parts of the Word as declare the love of God to poor Sinners They are not at first so studious of that Word which sets forth that Reward which Saints shall have in Heaven as of that Word of Promise which serves to give humbled Souls notice of their Interest in Christ and the Love of God They go to every Sermon that they hear in hope of a word of peace And are mightily taken with that Word which sets forth the love of Christ descending and stooping down to poor unworthy Wretches Though they heartily like a Boanerges a Son of Thunder and bless God that ever they have heard the Terrors of the Lord in the Doctrine of the Law yet now they are sore and wounded and most earnestly desire after Barnabas the Son of Consolation to pour some Oil into their Wounds
and give them some heart-reviving Cordials New-born Babes desire Milk words of comfort from the breasts of Consolation Isa 66.11 That ye may suck and be satisfied with the breasts of her consolations that ye may milk out and be delighted with the abundance of her glory 3dly Their great fear of deceiving themselves Though they love Promises and search Scripture for them and gladly go many miles to hear them explained and preached yet they fear to apply them to themselves Knowing their hearts are deceitful they are always afraid lest they should take up too good thoughts of themselves And though they vehemently long after spiritual Comfort yet they heartily fear lest they should receive it too soon before they have a right to it or are duly prepared for it 4thly Their continual enquiring after Marks and Signs of Persons being in a state of Grace No Sermon suits them if it be not in some parts of it made up of Notes distinguishing between Believers and Unbelievers And in discoursing with godly men they are always asking Questions of this kind How may one know that he is converted and believes in Christ to Salvation c. What are the properties of a sincere godly man What is the lowest Evidence of Grace which is not found in a graceless Person May not an Hypocrite go thus and thus far c. These and such Enquiries shew what their minds are set upon to wit to be assured that they are converted and in a state of Grace But they that make light of such Enquiries and the notes of a saving Conversion seem not to have known the Terror of the Lord as the Apostle speaks 2 Cor. 5.11 5thly Their usual trouble at the inconformity of their Experiences about the work of Grace to these of other godly men so desirous are they to get beyond doubt of their sincerity and safety that they are always comparing themselves with what others have or think they have found They are presently dejected with fear lest they should prove unconverted and unbelieving Hence come such reasonings as these I have never been so humbled and broken for sin as such and such have been I never felt in my self such vehement desires after Christ Never could take such delight in God never knew what 't is to have such communion with him and therefore I cannot yet see ground to judge my self in a state of Salvation And though such Christians cannot deny but they have had their hearts humbled for Sin and their desires carried out after Christ yet they say that all that they have known of this kind is nothing to what others use to have weak and faint and they fear to no purpose And if you tell them they must wait for those higher Experiences of delight in God and communion with him they think 't is all one as if you should tell them they must live at uncertainties and continue in their wearisome doubtings till they come up to such attainments which they fear they never shall do This also is the reason why they are so often enquiring whether ever any such as they obtained mercy seeking for Parallels of this sort if they may be found that they may be the more encouraged to hope that themselves are in a state of life when they find some like themselves among the Heirs of Salvation And thus their labour and study is still about Assurance As their Question was formerly What must I do to be saved so 't is now How may I know that I shall be saved I come now the Use Use This argues them to be in an unconverted estate who live contentedly without any Assurance of their Salvation Either First Not minding the Question Whether they are in the state of Grace or no let the morrow of Eternity take care for it self When poor humble Christians are seeking resolution of their Doubts these are at ease caring for none of those things that concern their future estate not remembring their latter end As 't is said of Jerusalem Lam. 1.9 Her filthiness is in her skirts she remembreth not her last end Or 2dly Conceited of their being in a safe estate but upon unstudied grounds as if a meer opinion of their being in a good condition were enough to make it so Saying I shall have peace with an although to what may be objected as Deut. 29.19 though I walk in the imagination of my own heart But oh secure Souls will you consider First That 't is a most dreadful thing to perish eternally The loss of Heaven offered in the Gospel is infinitely more than the loss of a thousand Worlds The Torments of Hell an Everlasting Fire It 's hard to endure the aking of a Tooth or the pain of the Stone for twenty four hours what is it to be fryed as Laurentius on a burning Gridiron to be flead alive as Valerian and to endure that pain for ever but alas these are nothing to the anguish of the never-dying Worm the Torments of the never-quenched Fire 2dly Will you consider how sad a thing it must needs be to live at uncertainty whether this shall not be our case The Servants of Pharaoh in Prison were sad Gen. 40.7 They thought their Dreams imported some great matters and they did so indeed but they knew not what it might be 3dly To live at a careless uncertainty of Salvation is the way to make our Damnation certain For how shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation Heb. 2.3 4thly It 's much more your concernment to secure your Salvation than theirs that call upon you to do it You must bear it Prov. 9.12 God the Father calls you the Son invites you the Spirit strives with you Ministers pray you to be reconciled and pray for you that you may be reconciled But what is it to God or man beside your own gain if you be saved and your misery if you perish 5thly You may be saved and be sure of it if you do not willingly neglect Thy destruction is of thy self Hosea 13.9 Why will ye die Ezek. 18.31 The second Use is for Comfort to those that are earnestly seeking and labouring after assurance of their Salvation Even this is an hopeful Evidence of your being in the State of Salvation Your earnest and hearty following of the Question gives an answer to it this is their proper study and endeavour who are turned savingly to God even from their first Conversion Some may object Obj. That all this is but self-minding whereas a true Christian should be all for God whatever comes of himself But Answ I answer Salvation is for our selves and coming to Christ is for our selves as the Apostle says Acts 2.40 Save your selves And again Matth. 11.29 Ye shall find rest to your souls The third Use is to exhort all Christians to use diligence to clear up their Assurance of Salvation 'T is the property of the youngest Believers to endeavour it those of lowest standing and 't is the
the flesh and spirit perfecting holiness in the fear of God THE fourth Period space or interval of a Christian's motion towards Perfection that I shall speak of is a laborious endeavour to mortify in-dwelling Sin which is intimated in these words as here laid in an Exhortation from Chapter the Sixth When a Christian under persuasions that he is in a state of Grace has for some time made it his business to reform and rectify his life though he meets with no small obstacles without yet he manifestly perceives at length that the greatest difficulty of his work arises from the evil that is within him that other law of which the Apostle speaks so fully Rom. 7.23 But I see another law in my members warring against the law of my mind and thereupon proceeds to the great Design of mortifying his inherent Lusts and Corruptions Let us cleanse our selves c. The Apostle Paul here represents himself and the Corinthians 1. First As in a state of Grace and Salvation Having the Promises in which God undertakes to be their Father and takes them for his Children 2dly As being comfortably persuaded that they were in that happy estate 3dly As intending to perfect holiness That is to perform the Will of God in a course of obedience Perfecting holiness in the fear of God And in order to this he stirs up himself and them to a strenuous and diligent endeavour to purge out their yet remaining and indwelling Sin Let us cleanse our selves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit And hence we have this Doctrinal Observation Doctr. That Christians heartily intending obedience to God in their Lives are thereupon effectually disposed to mortify Sin dwelling in their Souls Heb. 21.1 Let us lay aside every weight and the sin that doth so easily beset us and run with patience c. They that are heartily intended to run the race of duty are thenceforth put upon it to cast off the weight and fetters of inherent Sin Such is Paul's report of his own Example in the 1 Cor. 9.26 I so run not as uncertain that is that I may certainly obtain There is his intention of obedience And that he may so obey he mortifies the body of Sin I keep under my body and bring it under subjection Now that a man does indeed intend the mortifying of his Sin that is within him will appear if we consider these Evidences following First Evid 1. Such Christians they are full of sorrowful complaints of the evil and naughtiness of their hearts they would go forward in a way of holiness but being hindred by evil Inclinations and Indispositions to duty they sadly bewail the unhappy temper of their Souls which plainly argues a great desire and inclination to a better and more purified Estate Men that are always complaining of the evil posture of things Political State-matters Maleadministrations and Mis-governments are usually looked upon as studying Innovations So here The man that is generally querulous against the Corruptions of his own heart is certainly to be accounted a man aiming at the purging them out and endeavouring a thorough Reformation within his own Territories Thus Paul O wretched man that I am Rom. 7.24 Earnest complaints against Persons and Parties in a Nation are plain indications of a desire and intention to expel them if it may be and drive them out Christians What is your Errand to God when you make your secret Applications to him is it beside other things of like importance very much to give in Accusations against your proud Hearts your sensual Hearts your covetous worldly hypocritical Hearts This is a great sign you are endeavouring the mortification of your Pride Sensuality Covetousness and Hypocrisy Christians at first mostly confess their actual sins especially which lay upon their Consciences but after some progress made in Christianity and some essays to reform their Lives they come in with new complaints against themselves for the Sin that is within them that gives rise and egress to all their actual Sins 2dly Such persons are utterly unsatisfied with all their former humiliations for sin as finding themselves worse and more desperately wicked than ever they thought they were all the Sorrows that ever they have had for Sin seem nothing in proportion to that vileness and wickedness which they observe in their hearts and therefore their common complaint is of a hard heart a stony heart c. Now this is manifestly an assay to mortify their Sin to drown and choak it as I may say In godly sorrow an indeavour in the language of the Prophet to wash the heart from wickedness Jer. 4.14 as the words may be expounded by James 4.8 9. Cleanse your hands ye sinners and purify your hearts ye double-minded Though sorrow and mourning do nothing to the washing away the guilt of Sin yet it doth much to the removal of the filth of it Though it has no validity to satisfaction for sin yet it has much efficacy to purification of the Soul from it 3. They are always inquisitive after means and directions to the bettering of their hearts What may I do says one to get an humble heart an heavenly mind Inquiring how to suppress evil Thoughts and keep them out to subdue unruly affections and resist sinful Desires As before they were much in asking what is the will of God that they might do it so they are now in seeking how they may withstand and overcome their own Wills which they find rebelling against the known Command of God As Diseased Persons are always asking when they meet with those that are skilful what is good against a Consumption a Dropsie the Scurvy c. so Christians heartily intending holiness and mortification of their Sins are much disposed to Questions though not in the Jewish sense about purifying Questions about healing of Soul-diseases and purging out of evil Humours That Word that Sermon is most acceptable to such a Soul which gives most proper Directions and prescribes most hopeful Remedies against evil and sinful Inclinations and gives him most assistance against himself as he is corrupt and sinful He is not so much taken with a fine notion or an ingenious gloss upon a Text or a witty Interpretation as a solid direction against the evil of indwelling Sin 4thly They are always calling for the help of the spirit against their sins as finding themselves unable to destroy and mortify them Who shall deliver me that is to say wilt not thou O God as Psalm 60.9 10. At first newly converted Souls are all for the comforting operation of the Spirit but now for his Soul-sanctifying Work that they may through the spirit mortify the deeds of the body Rom. 8.13 and as David requests in Psalm 51.10 Create in me a clean heart O God 5thly They are altogether uncontented with the good apprehensions that others profess to have of them Yea rather discontented at them because they know so much evil by themselves which others are
with a strong hand shall he let them go and with a strong hand shall he drive them out of his land And thus ordinarily when Christians set themselves in an humble way to treat with God about their Troubles he casts such Thoughts into their Minds and brings such Words and Works of his to their remembrance as shall serve to content and quiet them as if he were as in a good sense we well say he is unwilling that there should be a misunderstanding between him and them As the Father answers his eldest Son Luke 15.25 when he was dissatisfied with his dealing and was angry and would not go in he saith unto him Son thou art ever with me 8thly They give him all that they have in the World as he has occasion to use it and he requites it to them in gracious Providences and Spiritual Comforts Mark 10.28 29 30. Peter began to say unto him Lo we have left all and have followed thee Jesus answered and said Verily I say unto you There is no man that hath left house or brethren or sister or father or mother or wife or children or lands for my sake and the gospels but he shall receive an hundred fold now in this time and in the world to come eternal life So Heb. 10.34 He made them to know in themselves that they had in heaven a better and an enduring substance And so gave them as much joy in losing as they had before in possessing and 't is likely much more 9thly They always press after more intimate knowledge of him and he reveals himself still more to them Psalm 63.8 My soul followeth hard after thee And Hosea 6.3 Then shall we know if we follow on to know the Lord So graciously does God uphold and support his People when they follow hard after him Christians they desire alway to behold his beauty and enquire in his temple Psalm 27.4 And he leads them from Room to Room and brings them to his Presence-Chamber John 14.21 23. He that loveth me shall be loved of my Father and I will love him and will manifest my self to him Jesus answered and said unto him If a man love me he will keep my words and my Father will love him and we will come unto him and make our abode with him I come now to the Use which is of Exhortation Use To exhort Christians to an earnest Prosecution of Communion with God Job 22.21 Acquaint now thy self with him and be at peace It 's that to which all Christians are appointed and by degrees growing up into it The happiness of heaven will be your Joy on Earth Earnestly seek peace with God by Faith in Jesus Christ that you may have the assurance of an agreement with him else you cannot walk with him Amos 3.3 Can two walk together except they be agreed 2. Walk in the light Verse 7. that is 1st Regularly in the Law Psalm 119.1 Blessed are the undefiled in the way who walk in the law of the Lord. 2dly Uprightly and sincerely not pretending Godliness and hiding Sin but in plainness and integrity John 3.21 He that doeth truth cometh to the light likeness fits for Conversation God is upright as in Psalm 92.15 To shew that the Lord is upright he is my rock and there is no unrighteousness in him So Psalm 15.1 2. Lord who shall abide in thy tabernacle who shall dwell in thy holy hill He that walketh uprightly and worketh righteousness and speaketh the truth in his heart And again Psalm 11.7 The righteous Lord loveth righteousness his countenance doth behold the upright Thus now by our earnest seeking peace with God and walking in the light we shall come to have sincerity and by sincerity we shall have communion with God and fellowship with the Father and his Son Jesus Christ PHILIP I. 23. For I am in a strait betwixt two having a desire to depart and be with Christ which is far better THE Ninth Degree or Period of a Christian's motion toward his appointed and intended Perfection which I shall speak of is An earnest desire to be removed out of this World unto the glorious presence of Christ in Heaven which is here intimated in these words Having a desire to depart and to be with Christ. A Christian has two great matters to consider and attend in this world His Work and his Wages Duty and Reward And as he loves to be employed in the former so he longs to enjoy the latter Between these two Paul was in a strait not knowing which to make a present choice of in case it should have been in his own power to take which he would I wot not which I shall chuse that is which I should rather chuse as the words do signify being an Hebrew form of Speech I know not I wot not which I shall chuse He thought it long ere he was at rest and yet he thought it hardly time to leave work He knew indeed to be with Christ was better for him but yet he thought it needful for the Philippians and other Christians that he should abide in the flesh and consequently that Christ had yet further need or use of his labour and this made him doubtful which he should chuse not absolutely but with respect to the present time Not whether he should chuse to be in Heaven with Christ or abide alway on earth for he must needs chuse Heaven rather It is not whether he should be with Christ or abide in the flesh but whether he should now presently go hence to Christ or for some time continue in his service among his People and in this respect he was in a strait betwixt two having a desire to depart Phil. 1.23 24. The Apostle Paul was now a Believer highly confirmed and established in Christ A man of great attainment in Grace and so what he here speaks of himself is especially applicable to well-grown and experienced Christians though there is some beginning of the same desire even in the lowest Christian a desire to be with Christ Having a desire The word desire is sufficiently understood by all but to have a desire is more in signification than to desire it notes a setled and habitual desire To desire is but an Act which may be sudden and transient but to have a desire of any thing is to be so affected to it as when a man is always reaching after it in the intention of his heart when he remembers it Having a desire to depart This word to depart is a plain word though Interpreters make many Glosses upon it and observe some one some another Metaphor in it It signifies sometimes to return as a man returns home from whence he has been abroad as Luke 12.36 Be ye like servants that wait for their Lord when he shall return from the wedding Sometimes it signifies to depart and go away and both ways it agrees to death which is a return of the Soul as Solomon says to God Eccles
to persuade Christians troubled about their inability for holy actions to yield themselves to the Counsel of God's conduct of Experience as it leads to a reliance and waiting on God for strength of his Grace That which the Word requires Isa 40. last To wait on the Lord that they may renew their strength You find your selves weak c. And do you not sometimes find God relieving you against your weakness and that when you are most pressed down under the sense of it especially when you look up most earnestly to him for help What can be more plainly spoken than this speaks the Language of the Prophet Isa 26.4 Trust in the Lord for ever For in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength 1 JOHN I. 3. That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you that ye also may have fellowship with us and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ THE Eighth degree of a Christian's Motion toward Perfection is a spiritual Communion or Conversation with God When God has brought a Believer to a setled dependance on his gracious Power for the practice of Godliness He gradually draws him into a converse and intimacy with himself which is at least comprehended in these words Our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ The word Fellowship signifies Communion or Communication when two or more Persons partake of the same thing as they that feed on the same Diet and Table together are called Commoners So they whose Cattle partake of the same Pasture are said to Common together and so they are called partakers of the Altar who eat together or alike of the Sacrifices as in 1 Cor. 10.18 This is an ordinary Signification of the word Fellowship Communion or Conversation But when 't is referred to God and Christ in Scripture it has a more free Signification 1st Sometimes it imports Assimilation and Conformity of Christians to God the Father and Christ the Mediator So in as much as Saints are like God in holiness They are called partakers of his divine nature 2 Pet. 1.4 Holiness in Christians is not the same that is in God for that 's Essential but somewhat Analogous So Christians conformed to Christ in Sufferings are said to partake of his Sufferings 1 Pet. 4.13 Rejoyce in as much as ye are partakers of Christs sufferings that is He suffered and they suffer likewise as Verse 1. 2dly It is used to signify the virtual Interest that Christians had and have in the Death and Mediatory Performances of Christ The benefit whereof is derived to them as if themselves had died and done as he did for them Phil. 3.10 That I may know him and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings being made conformable unto his death Fellowship of his Sufferings that is what it is to partake with the Saints of the benefit of his Sufferings as if I had suffered with him in which respect Christians are said to have died risen ascended with Christ and to sit in Heaven with him as Col. 3.1 and Eph. 2.6 He has raised us up together and made us to sit together in heavenly places in Christ And Col. 3.1 If ye then be risen with Christ seek those things which are above 3dly It notes Converse and Society between God and Man 2 Cor. 6.14 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness and what communion hath light with darkness that is They cannot joyn or abide together God who is Light can have no Conversation with Unbelievers who are Darkness Christ with Belial Ver. 15. therefore you should have none Hence the word Companions Heb. 10.33 Ye became companions of them which were so used that is suffer like them And this I understand to be especially intended in this place Our fellowship is with the Father Christians are at first Conversion conformed to God in some degree of Holiness and made partakers of the benefits of the Death and Resurrection of Christ in their Justification and Adoption But acquaintance and converse with God they attain to by degrees when they have had experience of him and his ways Now 't is evident the Apostle is here directing Christians to something higher than they had yet attained to They were now the Children of God Chap. 3.2 And had the Unction of the Spirit Chap. 2.20 But he directs to something in which they might be Copartners with himself and others whose Fellowship he could truly say was with the Father and his Son Jesus Christ Truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ To have fellowship with the Son is to have fellowship with the Father as to see the Son is to see the Father John 14.19 Yet a little while and the world seeth me no more but ye see me God transacts all things with his Church in the Person of his Son the Mediator He is doer of all since his Ascension and is always with his to the end of the World Matth. 28.20 Lo I am with you alway even unto the end of the world So Communion with the Father is Communion with the Son Again Christ being now ascended manages all in a Divine way and invisibly therefore they that have fellowship with him are said to have fellowship with the Father So the Apostle having attained this fellowship with God the Father and Son and directing others to it We may gather this Observation Doct. That Christians as they proceed in Godliness they grow into an intimate acquaintance and fellowship with God That your fellowship may be with us And truly our fellowship is with the Father and his Son Jesus Christ There is much proof I might easily give of this Phil. 3.20 For our conversation is in heaven from whence also we look for the Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ Our Conversation is in Heaven that is with God So Asaph in Psalm 73.23 says I am continually with thee So Enoch and Noah walked with God So in John 14.23 our Saviour says If any man love me he will keep my word and my father will love him and we will come unto him and make our abode with him So in Psalm 139.18 saies David I am continually with thee And so in several other places we find the Intimacy and Communion with them that walk with God And this comes to the point in hand That Christians as they proceed in Godliness they grow into an intimate Acquaintance and Fellowship with God Take some instances of the Converse and Fellowship which Christians have with God 1. They confer much with God in Holy Meditation Meditation is a secret Conference and close Discourse between God and the Soul Good thoughts as they come into the mind are the very whisperings of God and as they are the act of the Mind upon God they are the proper Language of the Soul speaking to him as Psalm 27.8 Thou saidst Seek ye
my face my heart answered and said thy face Lord will I seek It 's observable in the Hebrew Tongue that the Scripture uses two words for Meditation and both signify to speak there being in Divine Meditation such a close Discourse between God and the Soul And though all Christians are more or less exercised in Divine Meditation yet to hold a close and constant Intercouse with God in it is very peculiar to Christians of good experience and maturity 2dly They bemoan themselves familiarly to God in all their Grievances And he answers them in the Consolation of his Spirit We have an Expression of this of David in Psalm 142.2 I poured out my complaint before him I shewed before him my trouble If any thing be amiss with them they run presently to him with their Complaint and so he eases them and relieves them Psalm 34.18 When I said my foot slippeth thy mercy O Lord held me up Christians are full of complaints to him every thing that troubles and grieves them is a matter of complaint and so they give him frequent occasion to express his kindness to them It 's true Christians are used to this way of opening their Griefs to God from their youth up But are much more free and familiar in it after they have gained experience of the Goodness of God and are established in their confidence in him and so they grow more inward with him 3dly They go confidently to him for the supply of all their wants And he satisfies them with gracious answers of their Prayers The Spirit of Prayer is in all Christians but they are well-grown Christians that can come boldly in all cases to the Throne of Grace and perceive when they are answered according to that in 1 John 5 14. This is the confidence we have in him that if we ask any thing according to his will he heareth us A Christian that prays the Prayer of a well-established Faith as he comes to God in good assurance of acceptance so he finds his Prayer one way or other answered to his satisfaction David found an answer to his Prayer for the Life of his Child in an acquiescence in the now discovered Will of God 2 Sam. 12.23 I shall go to him but he shall not return to me David takes comfort in this I shall go to him He arose and went to the House of God and worshipped what else would he have done if the Child's Life had been granted Why he could have done no better for he had satisfaction and was assured that he should go to his Child Thus the Apostle Paul found a good answer to his Prayer for the departing of Satan's Messenger 2 Cor. 12.9 My grace is sufficient for thee Now this answer was matter of gladness to the Apostle Most gladly therefore will I rejoyce in my infirmities And Christ himself had his Prayer answered even in that which he feared And this is parallel to that of David Psalm 65.5 By terrible things in righteousness wilt thou answer us O God of our salvation Terrible things things to be wondered at 4thly They express their Joys to him in the acknowledgment of his Mercy and he inspires them with the hopes of more It is a special part of friendly intimacy to impart our joys to our Friends and tell them the things that please us to shew them such Goods or Rarities as we have about us wherewith we our selves are taken So Christians and especially those that are grown up to good maturity are much addicted to acknowledge the mercy that God has shewed them and not only pour out their Sorrows but express their Joys before him as David in Psalm 63.4 5. Thus will I bless thee while I live My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow It is inded a special property of a well-grown Christian to be much disposed to thanksgiving and telling not only others but God himself what he has done for his Soul And herein Christians have a comfortable converse with God in as much as he not only accepts their Praises but usually warms and chears their hearts in suggesting to them hopes of more and greater Mercy See Psalm 23.2 3. David there acknowledges to God what he has done for him Thou sayest he maketh me to lye down in green pastures he leadeth me besides the still waters he restoreth my soul He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name sake And then he concludes Ver. 6. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever I shall add but one place more and that is in Psalm 73.23 24. whereas David was considering what the Lord had done for him and how gracious he was to him this comes in Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel and afterwards receive me to glory As he sent Nathan to David when he was considering and acknowledging the favour he had received 2 Samuel 7.11 Also the Lord telleth thee that he will make thee an house 5thly They retire fiducially to him in cases of danger and he encourages them in hopes of safety See Psalm 57.2 3. I will cry to God most high He shall send from heaven and save me And so Psalm 91.1 2. and throughout It is a Soliloquie all along He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty I will say of the Lord He is my rock and my fortress my God in him will I trust c. 6thly They consult him in all doubtful cases and he graciously resolves them I will says David cry unto God most high and he shall save me And the same David Psalm 119.24 says Thy testimonies are my delight and my counsellors And Isaiah 30.21 This is the way walk ye in it As Peter in Matth. 18.21 22. said Lord how oft shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him till seven times Jesus saith unto him I say not unto thee until seven times but until seventy times seven So Asaph Thou wilt guide me by thy counsel 7thly They reason out their Troubles with him when any Providence of his is less satisfying to them and he contents and pacifies them This is a point of great freedom and familiarity that godly Men have with God and a very gracious condescention of his to them See Jer. 12.1 2. Righteous art thou O Lord when I plead with thee yet let me talk with thee of thy judgments Wherefore doth the way of the wicked prosper Wherefore are all they happy that deal very treacherously And Psal 73.16 17. When I thought to know this it was too painful for me until I went into the sanctuary of God So Moses in Exod. 5.23 Why is it that thou hast sent me So was Moses seemingly dissatisfied with God's dealing with him But look into Chap. 6. Verse 1. The Lord said unto Moses Now shalt thou see what I will do to Pharaoh for