Selected quad for the lemma: heart_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
heart_n	conscience_n	faith_n	unfeigned_a	2,594	5	11.1136	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A91363	A little cabinet richly stored with all sorts of heavenly varieties, and soul-reviving influences. Wherein there is a remedy for every malady, viz. milk for babes, and meat for strong men, and the ready way for both to obtain and retain assurance of salvation: being an abridgement of the sum and substance of the true Christian religion; wherein the cause of our salvation, the way, the guide, the rule, the evidence, the seals, &c. and the connection of these points together, and dependancy of them one upon another: this I have endeavoured to do orderly, exactly, methodically, with much plainness and clearness. / By Robert Purnell.	Purnell, Robert, d. 1666.	1657 (1657)	Wing P4237; Thomason E1575_1; ESTC R209217	254,040	517

3. There is a spiritual or supernatural principle from which Christians do or should act now the right ground or principle from which all holy and righteous actions should flow is either from 1. A pure heart 2. A good conscience 3. Faith unfeigned 1. A pure heart not absolutely and compleatly purified from all sin but comparative and respectively purified by the blood of Christ by way of justification Psal 51. 7. Purified by the blood of Christ his gracious habits as principles purity being infused by way of sanctification 1 Cor. 6. 11. Purified by faith Act. 15. 9. 2. A good conscience I mean not naturally good so every mans conscience is in a sense good but spiritually and supernaturally good being purged by Christs blood from dead works to serve the living God Heb. 9. 14. And when we find conscience to give a comfortable testimony of the hearts simplicity and godly sincerety in what it doth 3. Faith unfeigned that is without hypocrisie according to that 1 Tim. 1. 5. Now the end of the Commandment is charity out of a pure heart and of a good conscience and of faith unfeigned now faith is then unfeigned when it hath the true nature of faith in it viz. 1. Assenting to the truth revealed 1 John 5. 10 11. and applying this truth assented to John 1. 11 12. Gal. 2. 20. 2. When it doth produce the effects of a living faith which is good works Jam. 2. 20 26. Now examine whether thou hast such a pure heart such a good conscience such a faith unfeigned from whence all thy righteous actions do spring otherwise thee and I may be said with Amaziah 2 Chron. 25. 7 8 9. He did that which was right in the sight of the Lord but not with a perfect heart And so much to the first of these the principle from which we should act 2. We must act by a right rule Some make their own wils their rule others make the example of men their rule others make the light within their rule but we are to make the word of God our rule and so to go forth by the footsteps of the flock Cant. 1. 8. And as many as walk according to this rule peace be upon them Galat. 6. 16. And again the Apostles tell us from Christ whose mouth they are we ought so to walk as we have them for an example And he that walks or speaks not according to this rule it is because he hath no light in him Isa 8. 20. This was Noahs rule Hebr. 11. 7. and Abrahams rule Heb. 11. 8 17. and Davids Psal 40. 8. and Pauls Rom. 7. 22. The Lord doth not bid us make the light within the rule but he hath placed a light within us to see the rule without us which will appear if we a little consider that there is a threefold illumination 1. General and natural which is a natural light or a light of reason and with this light the eternal word the Son of God hath enlightned every man that cometh into the world Joh. 1. 9. 2. There is a special and supernatural light which is planted in the souls of those whom he hath before time elected and in time called See Col. 3. 19. and have put on the new man which is renewed in knowledge after the Image of him that created him 3. There is a kind of a middle illumination between these two more then meerly natural but less then truly supernatural which is the common gift of the spirit even to hypocrites Judas was thus enlightned and those hypocrites we read of in Mat. 7. 22 23. and Simon Magus Acts 8. 13. and by means of this light they may attain to these five things and yet perish at last 1. They may attain to a great measure of literal knowledge of Christ of the truth and of the way of righteousness as doth clearly appear by these Scriptures Heb. 10. 26. If we sin wilfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth there remains no more sacrifice for sin See Heb. 6. 4. 2. They may by means of this knowledge attain to great degrees of reformation in their life and waies 2 Pet. 2. 20. For if after they have escaped the pollution of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ they are again intangled therein and overcome the latter end with them is worse then the beginning for they were only outwardly reformed in the sight of men but not inwardly renewed in the sight of God Sin may be chained up and restrained yet not cast out and mortified 3. They may go so far as to taste of the heavenly gift Heb. 6. 4. Note here the Holy Ghost doth not say of them as of true Saints they have eaten or drunken but only tasted that is they have had some kind of Relish or small sense by a temporary Faith of the excellencies of Christ 4. They may be said by the improvement of this light to be partakers of the Holy Ghost Heb. 6. 4. that is they are made partakers of the common gifts of the Holy Ghost as common illumination hystorical faith and faith of Miracles See Mat. 7. 22 23. compared with Act. 8. 13. 5. They may in a sense be said to have tasted the good word of God Heb. 6. 5. for these men hearing the Gospel powerfully preached and the matchless love of God in Christ to sinners displayed the worth and excellency of Jesus Christ and his benefits unfolded they come to be sometimes moved pleased and for present affected with some pangs and moods of joy Herod heard John-Baptist gladly Mar. 6. 20. Mat. 13. 20. compared with Ezek 33. 31 32. but all this is but an imperfect taste and so they do nothing from right principles neither by a right rule 3. As we ought to act from a right principle by a right rule so in the last place to a right end low base ends spoyl the highest undertakings now he that doth a good action to a good end doth mind these two things in his action 1. He doth it to the glory of God according to that Command of God 1 Cor. 10. 31. and Mat. 5. 16. 2. He doth it for his own and others good Rom. 2. 7. Mat. 5. 16. Now bring these things home and lay them upon your hearts make a curious narrow impartial diligent search and see whether thou dost act from such a principle by such a rule to such an end If not thou dost the thing that is commanded but not as it is commanded thou dost with Amaziah 2 Chron. 25. 7 8 9. That which is right in the sight of the Lord but not with a perfect heart or else thou dost a good action to an ill end as in Phil. 1. 16. And yet say to others and think in thy self that thou hast done well as Jehu to Jonadab the son of Racab Hence it appears that the strength and confidence of a deluded man or woman may be so great

not eat lest I die the devil saith ye shall not die upon this the woman did eat and gave to her husband and he did eat and thus through Satans temptations our father and mother rebelled against our God Oh father Adam what hast thou done For through it wast thou that didst sin yet thou art not fallen alone but we all that came of thee as being then in thee we are infected by thee and so are become Satans conquest out of whose hands there is no redemption unless the Lord Jesus Christ come down from heaven and lead captivity captive and open the prison doors and let the prisoners go free all Adams posterity are pertakers of his sin and misery Of Providence IF we look upon Gods providence in some few particulars only we shall wonder seeing Joseph disgraced and imprisoned David persecuted Christ arraigned and condemned Paul accounted one of the worst of men Innocent Naboth stoned true Churches as in Hesters time ready to be swallowed up Many things may fall out by Gods providence contrary to our desires that are not contrary to our good 1. Consider that God takes notice and knoweth all things 2. He upholdeth and governeth and disposeth of the world so as it pleaseth him 3. This providence reacheth to every thing so that the smallest things are governed and upheld by him 4. That of all creatures God hath most care and respect to man 5. We are to consider that the good or evil that befals a bad or good man or woman is not without but by Gods providence 6. That God doth whatsoever pleaseth him in heaven and earth 7. God in his ordinary providence maketh use of means and yet he is free to work without above and against them as he pleaseth 8. As the providence of God doth reach to all creatures in all things so after a more speciall manner he taketh care of his Church and people and disposeth all things to the good thereof God can look sowrly and chide bitterly and strike heavily even when and where he loves dearly Abraham Job Jacob and David Moses Ieremiah Ionah Ioseph Paul and many others met with many things that were contrary to their desires and endeavours that were not contrary to their good God hath a continuall care over all his creatures once made sustaining and directing them with all that belongeth to them and effectually disposeth of them all to good ends Ephes 1. 11. Rom. 11. 36. Ier. 23. 23. Col. 3. 11. Psal 139. 2. 119. 91. Of Mans recovery GOD who at first made man in his own Image and made him Lord of the creation endued him with wisdom knowledge and understanding above all other creatures and made him for so noble an end as to serve him here and reign with him hereafter man soon fell from his blessed state yet was not the love of God obliterated but more abundantly manifested in sending his dear Son to take our nature and yield obedience to his righteous law make satisfaction for our transgression and to bring in an everlasting righteousness and to make proclamation to us that his Father so loved the world that he gave him his only begotten Son that whosoever believed in him should have everlasting life Iohn 3. 16. And whosoever did come to him should in no wise be cast off Iohn 6. 37. Adams righteousness from which he fell was but a righteousness of the creature but the righteousness of Christ is the righteousness of the Creator Adams righteousness was a mutable righteousness that might be lost a righteousness that might be sinned away but the righteousness of Christ is an everlasting righteousness that cannot be sinned away Prov. 8. 18. Dan. 9. 24. Psal 119. 142. Of Vocation or effectuall calling VOcation is Gods acquainting men with his gracious purpose of salvation by Christ and so inviteth them to come unto him Heb. 2. 14. and so revealeth unto them his Covenant of grace Mat. 11. 27. 16. 17. John 14. 21. Psal 25. 14. and so bringeth them out of darkness to light Acts 26. 18. So God becomes in Christ their Father he doth not only outwardly by his word invite but inwardly also and powerfully by his spirit allure and win their hearts to cleave to him inseparably unto salvation Psal 25. 14. 65. 4. Acts 2. 39. Or effectuall calling is the work of Gods spirit in us whereby he doth first convince us of our sins and misery enlightning our minds in the knowledge of Christ and renewing our wills he doth perswade and invite us to embrace Jesus Christ freely tendred to us We read that many were called to the wedding but they made their excuses and most of those that came were compelled to come in Luke 12. 23. the Lord doth force none by violence but draw them by perswasions The Gospel cals many outwardly that after perish eternally Our vocation depends upon Gods election not upon our preparations how was Paul disposed and affected when Christ called him God is for us in predestinating us God is for us in calling us God is for us in justifying us God is for us in glorifying us if God be thus for us who can be against us he hath predestinated us before we were he hath called us when we were averse to him he hath justified us when we were sinners he will glorifie us and cloath us with his own righteousness That we may be neither drawn enticed or forced from our Religion let us build upon a right foundation IT is impossible that any soul should enjoy a firm and setled peace whose confidence towards God is grounded upon conditionall promises or his own best and choicest performances For the wanting in himself the condition of the one and not yeilding a perfect exact universall perpetuall obedience to the other the Law will be condemning Conscience accusing and the heart misgiving and all proclaiming that there is still in all thy duties imperfection something polluted and something defective so that thy most spirituall duties are not wound up to command they are all tainted with disproportion to rule and beleprosed with spots so that it is in vain to expect a bed of rest in the barren wilderness of our own performances for that bed is shorter then that a man can stretch himself on it and the covering is narrower then that a man can wrap himself in it Oh the spots the blots the blemishes that are to be seen upon the face of our fairest duties so that we may say with the Church Isa 64. 6. all our righteousness are as filthy rags which if rested upon will as certainly undo us and everlastingly destroy us as the greatest evill that can be committed by us the consideration of this was the cause of those words Hos 14. 3. Neither will we say any more to the works of our hands ye are our gods For in thee the fatherless find mercy Jer. 3. 23. Truly in vain is salvation hoped for from the Hills and from the

not this to know me saith the Lord 3. Take this also that it is not the wanting of some measures or degrees of knowledge that doth make a man ignorant in the sight of God but the wanting of true knowledge of the Father Son Spirit and Scriptures Object I am surely ignorant of God saith many weak Christians I do not know him he will come in flaming fire taking vengeance on me Answ 1. Suppose thou art ignorant of God yet if thou art not consentingly ignorant if thou art not a self-conceited man or woman that thinkest thou knowest much when thou knowest little thou art well enough if thou art not like those in Hos 8. 2. Israel shall say unto me my God we know thee and yet there is no fear nor knowledge of God in the Land 2. If thou dost not sit down contentedly in thy ignorance but dost labour and endeavour after more knowledge then thy condition is good enough but if thou sayest unto God in thy heart as in Job 21. 14. Depart from me for I desire not the knowledge of thy wayes then thy condition is extream bad 3. If thou art not obstinately ignorant like those spoken of in Psalm 82. 5. They know not neither will they understand but they walk on in darkness When men be ignorant and will be ignorant this is an evidence they have no saving work of God upon them 2 Pet. 3. 5. saith the Apostle these things they are willingly ignorant of Now if thy ignorance be accompanied with these three circumstances that you are conceitedly and contentedly and obstinately ignorant the Lord be merciful to thee thou art in a state of death and damnation but on the other hand although thou hast abundance of ignorance in thee yet if thou dost bewail it and labour and desire after more knowledge if you follow on to know the Lord and are not obstinately ignorant thy condition is good Of Obedience TRue obedience or keeping of Gods commandments flows Originally from the true knowledge of God to which we have been speaking so that here obedience fals in its centre and place there is a three-fold obedience viz. 1. There is an obedience both true and perfect this was performed by Christ on earth and by Saints and Angels in Heaven Phil. 2. 8. Mat. 6. 10. 2. There is another kind of obedience that is neither true nor perfect done by all natural men they fail in the ground from which the rule by which and the end to which Rom. 8. 8. 3. There is a true and sincere but an imperfect obedience which is performed by Saints on earth in all their obedience there is some imperfection something polluted and something defective yea the most spiritual obedience is not wound up to command they are all tainted with disproportion to rule and not only so but our choicest services are be Leoparded with many spots yet the bent and main disposition of their hearts are upright and unfeigned notwithstanding there be some gradual infirmities and imperfections in all their actions concerning obedience what it is the ground and springs of it I have before in this book at large laid down under the head of justification and also more larger under the head of sanctification and therefore I shall speak no further to it here but to proceed the next point that comes in order Of Experience IT is the duty and it should be the practice of all sober Christians to treasure up experiences of Gods goodness Psalm 77. 5. Thou hast been my helper Psalm 63. 7. I was brought low and he helped me 2 Tim. 4. 17 18. Notwithstanding the Lord stood with me and strengthened me Psalm 89. 49. Lord where are thy former loving kindnesses and so in another Psalm return to thy rest O my soul the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee 2 Cor. 1. 10. Who delivered us from so great a death and doth deliver us in whom we trust he will yet deliver us Psalm 116. 2. Because he hath enclined his ear unto me therefore will I call upon him as long as I live It is good to hear better to understand better to enjoy and best of all to have experience of what we hear understood and enjoyed Laban could say to Jacob I have learned by experience that the Lord hath blessed me for thy sake Gen. 30. 27. So a man that hath had experience can tell us that sin is the greatest evil in the world and that Christ is the only thing necessary the favour of God is better then life that the wounded spirit is such a burthen that none can bare that a broken heart is an acceptable sacrifice to God for he hath found it so that the promises are precious promises for he hath found it so That the smiles of God will make up the want of any outward mercy for he hath found it so Psalm 63. 3. Because thy loving kindness is better then life my lips shall praise thee Of Enjoyment IT is one thing to have a portion and another thing to enjoy it to possess a thing and to enjoy a thing is the portion of a true Christian 1 Timothy 6. 17. Who giveth us richly all things to enjoy and hence it is that many a poor man lives more comfortably then the rich the rich man hath much and doth possess the poor man hath little and that little he doth enjoy The rich man saith Solomon roasteth not that which he caught in hunting he hath hunted to and fro and gotten a great deal together and now hath the sight of it but not the taste of it this is one of the sore evils that Solomon saw Eccles 5. 13. There is saith he a sore evil which I have seen under the Sun riches kept for the owners thereof to their hurt Eccles 6. 2. there is an evil that I have seen a man to whom God hath given riches and honour so that he wanteth nothing of all that he desireth yet God giveth him not power to eat thereof this is vanity and a sore evil Prov. 12. 27. but the substance of a diligent man is precious he doth eat and drink and is satisfied and doth praise the name of the Lord. If it be but a dinner of herbs it is better to him then a stalled Oxe to the other What shall I say more to this head the enjoyment of Christ without honour will satisfie the soul the enjoyment of Christ without riches will satisfie the soul the enjoyment of Christ without relations the enjoyment of Christ without pleasure and smiles of the creature will satisfie the soul Nay though honour is not and health is not and friends are not It is enough that Christ is mine and I am his Of love the nature of it several sorts and kinds of it How it s wrought in the heart tryals of it and properties of it means of attaining it and impediments of it and inducements to it OF the nature of this love Although Christians do somewhat

promises will support a distressed soul and reduce a wandring soul hope in the promises will confirm staggering souls and some undone souls The promises are the Anchor of hope as hope is the Anchor of the soul See Rom. 8. 24. Gal. 5. 5. Tit. 1. 2. 3. Hope hath much in reversion though little in possession hope can see a glimpse of heaven through the thickest cloud hope can see light through darkness life through death smiles through frowns and glory through misery hope holds life and soul the together it holds the soul and the promises togeit holds the soul and heaven together 4. Hope never takes off but puts the soul upon doing and obeying 1 Pet. 1. 3. it gives life and strength to all our duties 1 Cor. 9. 10. 5. Hope will enter into that within the vail Heb. 6. 19. Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul both sure and stedfast which entreth into that within the vail 6. Another property of hope is this it will help a soul to wait patiently upon God for any thing it doth stand in need of Rom. 8. 25. For if we hope for that we see not then do we with patience wait for it Of the encouragements to encourage us to hope in God 1. FIrst this is the way for a Christian to enjoy himfelf and to have God take pleasure in him also Psal 147. 11. The Lord takes pleasure in them that fear him in those that hope in his mercy Psal 33. 18. Behold the eye of the Lordis upon them that fear him upon them that hope in his mercy to deliver their souls from death c. 2. A believers comfort hope joy and confidence should be the same at all times and that for these five unanswerable reasons 1. Because God is unchangeable John 13. 1. 2. Because God ever looks upon his as they are in Christ Gal. 5. 17. Psal 103. 14. 3. Because the hope and comfort of a believer depends not upon his own doings but upon Christs holiness and righteousness 1 Cor. 1. 30 2 Tim. 1. 9. Heb. 13. 8. 4. Because Christ and all true believers in a sense are one 1 Cor. 12. 12 13. Ephes 5. 30. Heb. 2. 11. 5. Because we are not beloved for our own sakes but for Christs sake Mat. 3. 17. compared with Isa 43. 25. Mich. 7. 18 19 20. 6 I might speak of many more encouragements viz. As God doth command us to hope in him and commends us for so doing and blames and threatens us for not hoping in his mercy But if I should speak of every thing distinctly I perceive my book would swell to a greater volumn then I intended Of the distinguishing Characters between a well grounded and a presumptuous hope 1. FIrst the hopes of a regenerate man it is gotten by and grounded upon the word of God and therefore it is called the hope of the Gospel Col. 1. 23. Rom. 15. 4. But now the hopes of wicked men as they are gotten they know not how so neither do they know upon what they are grounded c. 2. True hope is bottomed upon the mercies of God and the merits of Christ and hence it is that Christ is called our hope 1 Tim. 1. 1. Because he is the foundation upon which believers do build all their hopes But now the false and presumptuous hopes of the wicked are built upon their own duties what they have done for themselves Mich. 3. 11. 3. True hope doth as well act for heaven as hope for heaven Psal 37. 3. Trust in the Lord and do good here is trusting and doing put together true hope doth act for heaven as well as hope for heaven But a presumptuous hope that hopes for heaven as its end but never acts holiness as its way to heaven in a word false hope doth hope much and act little Wicked men will hope for salvation but not work out their salvation c. 4. He that hath true hope doth make conscience to keep his heart pure and free both from the love of sin and the dominion of sin 1 John 3. 3. He that hath this hope in him purifieth himself as he is pure that is he doth endeavour so to do at least But now a false hope will hope for heaven though he walk on after the imaginations of his own heart as in Isaiah 51. 10. Thou hast walked in the greatness of thy wicked waies yet sayest thou not there is no hope though they had great sins yet they had great hopes for heaven but this hope is only a presumptuous hope 5. True hope flows from a long and well grounded experience in the waies of God and from an experience of the grace and beauty and love of God to him and from experience of the goodness and mercy and promises of God and also from an experience from his own heart which in some measure is enabled by Christ to withstand temptations subdue corruptions Such experiences as these are inlets to a well grounded hope But now the hopes of wicked men and women are only the results of ignorance deluding and presumptuous hopes without any former experience of the ways of God surely such hopes are vain and empty hopes that will end in miserv Prov. 11. 7. The hope of the wicked shall be cut off and when he dies his expectation shall perish See Job 8. 14. Whose hope shall be cut off and whose trust shall be a spiders Web. See Job 11. 20. Their hope shall be as the giving up of the ghost therefore let us take heed that we do not fancie to our selves false hopes of heaven on the one hand and have as much care on the other hand that you do not cast off grounded hopes and say there is no hope and have as much care that you do not harbour in your hearts common and ordinary conceits of this grace of hope for there is the same certainty the same excellency and the same efficacy in this grace of hope as there is in Faith and love First there is the same certainty in it Heb. 6. 11. It is called the full assurance of hope Secondly there is the same excellency in it Tit. 2. 13. It is called a blessed hope and there is also the same efficacy in it for as faith is said to purifie the heart Act. 15. 9. So likewise doth hope 1 John 3. 3. Every man that hath this hope in him doth purifie himself as he is pure Again there is the same difficulty in getting hope as there is in getting Faith for as it is gotten by the word preached so is hope too Col. 1. 23. And if Faith be wrought in us by the power of God as Heb. 12. 2. So is hope likewise wrought in us by the power of the Holy Ghost Rom. 15. 13. That ye may abound in hope through the power of the Holy Ghost let our faith and hope then ●e in God 1 Pet. 1. 21. and let us not be moved away from the hope of

the knees feeble and the heart full of fears and trembling besides the time of doubting is a barren time there is no praying nor praising nor growing nor any vigorous acting Surely this state comes not from God he bids us make our calling and election sure neither doth it come from Christ he speaks and gives peace to his flock they come not from the holy Spirit of God for he is the great and most sweet comforter revealing and applying the love of God unto the soul consider these Scriptures Mat. 14. 31. O thou of little faith wherefore didst thou doubt Luk. 12. 29. Neither be ye of doubtful minds 1 Thes 2. 8. I will that men pray every where lifting up pure hands without wrath and doubting But whilst we live in the want of assurance we live in a state of doubting Many think they have assurance and have not LET us consider that there is a great deal of counterfeit knowledge and counterfeit faith and counterfeit love and counterfeit repentance so there is a great deal of counterfeit assurance in the world many there be that talk high and look big and bear it out bravely whereas when their assurance comes to be weighed in the ballance and brought to the test it will be found too light when it cometh to withstand temptation it is found too weak and when it should put the soul upon Divine action it is found to be but a lazy presumption so we are apt to think our sins to be no sins when indeed they be many and that they are but smal when indeed they are great and that we have grace when we have none and that our grace is true when it is counterfeit and that our condition is not so bad as others when it is worse so we are apt to lay claim to God to Christ and the promises and priviledges and all the glory of another world when we are in the sight of God poor and blind and miserable and naked being Christless and graceless and truthless and so think our selves to be something when we are nothing according to this Scripture Gal. 6. 3. Assurance is not all kind of perswasion there are two kinds of assurance or perswasion of the mind touching a mans personal interest in Christ one is imaginary and deluding for as the heart of a man may deceive it self about the habit of Faith or any other grace so it may delude a man about the acts and degrees of the same doth the true believer believe in Christ so thinks the hypocrite that he doth too hath a true believer a perswasion of his interest in Christ so hath the hypocrite to a most exalted confidence an Iron faith that will never doubt nor bow it is just with him as with a poor man in a dream what the rich man hath by propriety that same thing may the poorest man have in a dream fancy or imagination Many reasons wherefore the Lord doth not give assurance speedily 1. BEcause assurance is meat for strong men babes are not able to bear it and digest it 2. He doth not give it speedily because we are apt to seek it more for our selves then we do for his honour as the Sun doth as it were put out the light of the Moon stars fire and candle So the glory of God must put out all other ends the servant that minds his wages more then his work must not wonder if his master be slack in paying him and sure it is that he that is most mindfull of Gods honour God will be most mindfull of his comfort 3. Another reason why he doth not speedily give in assurance is that when they have it they may the more highly prize it and the more carefully keep it and the more wisely improve it and the more affectionately and effectually bless God for it none sets such a prize upon light as he that hath lain a long time in darkness 4. That we might live purely upon Christ we are apt to rest upon every thing below Christ viz. to rest upon creatures to rest upon gifts or graces duties and Divine manifestations or celestial consolations and to rest upon gracious evidences now the Lord to cure his people of these distempers many times leaves his children of light to walk in darkness but let us consider that although the enjoyment of assurance doth make most for our comfort as we have said before yet the living purely upon Christ in the want of assurance doth make most for his glory no Christian to him that in the want of visibles can live upon an invisible God 5. The Lord most times will have his people make a constant progress in holiness before he gives them this happiness of assurance for assurance in a sense is the daughter of holiness Very hard to recover assurance if one lost LET us consider the wonderful difficulty of recovering assurance if once lost Oh the sighs the groans the complaints the tears the heartrentings the soul-bleeding the gaining of assurance at first cost very dear but the regaining of it will put us to more pains and charge Of the two it is casier to keep assurance when we have it then to recover it when we have lost it as it is easier to keep the house in reparations then to raise it up when it is fallen a man may easier make a seeing eye blind then a blind eye to see a man may easily put an Instrument out of tune but not so soon put it in again a man is easily born down the stream but cannot so easily swim up the stream It is better to be kept from the losing of assurance then to be cured as it is better to be kept from a disease then to be cured of a disease Oh what is the state of a poor Christian that hath lost his assurance it will cost him more grief sorrow heart-breaking and soul-bleeding before conscience will be quieted divine justice satisfied and comfort and joy restored evidences cleared and pardon in the court of conscience sealed David found this to be very hard which made him cry out O spare me a little that I may recover my strength create a clean heart renew a right spirit restore unto me the joy of thy salvation Psal 51. 7. to 12. We lose our assurance by backsliding unbelief luke-warmness formality c. and yet cannot be recovered until we remember from whence we are fallen and repent we cannot until we look upon him whom we have peirced and see Gods delightful affections and tender mercies before set us in sweet working and soul-ravishing and heart-melting expressions a relapse in diseases is more dangerous then the first sickness was Job 5. 14. 2 Pet. 2. 22. Mat. 12 43. Of the difference between the Law and the Gospel and of the several sorts of Laws AS the Law requireth obedience so the Gospel directeth us how to perform it 1 Tim. 1. 9 10 11. The Law commands us to worship God as our

Mat. 5. 22. 2. Hatred 1 Joh. 3. 15. 3. Inward desire of revenge Rom. 12. 19. 4. Reviling and back-biting Psal 15. 3. 5. Immoderate worldly sorrow 2 Cor. 7. 10. Things enjoyned or commanded 1. Friendship Prov 27. 9. 2. Mercy and good works Gal 6. 10. 3. Meekness Ephes 4. 32. 4. Overcoming evil with good Rom. 12. 21. The seventh Commandment is this Thou shalt not commit adultery Exod. 20. 14. This commandment presents us with the preservation of chastity temperance and marriage In this commandment there are eight things forbidden and seven things enjoyned The things forbidden are these and such like 1. Wanton gestures or behaviour Prov. 6. 13. and 7. 10. 2. Wanton looks Job 31. 1. 3. Wanton speeches Ephes 4. 29. and 5. 3 4. 1 Cor. 15. 33. 4. Uncleaness 1 Cor. 6. 9. 5. Fornication 1 Cor. 6. 9. 6. Adultery Heb. 13. 4. 7. Intemperance 1 Pet. 4. 3. 8. Bad company 1 Cor. 5. 9. Things enjoyned in this commandment 1. Marriage 1 Cor. 7. 2 9. 2. Care to keep a good conscience Eccles 7. 28. 3. Labour in our vocation 4. Watchfulness over our own hearts Mal. 2. 16. 5. A Covenant with our eyes Job 31. 1. 6. Prayer Psal 119. 37. 7. Holy meditation c. The eighth Commandment is this Thou shalt not steal Exod. 20. 15. This commandment enjoyns us to have a care and endeavour the preservation of our own and our neigbours good and therein of the maintaining of justice in our dealing one with another In this eighth commandment there are seven things prohibited and five things enjoyned The things forbidden follow 1. Theft Lev. 19. 13. 2. Oppression Prov 14. 31. 3. Deceit 1 Thes 4. 6. 4. Sacriledge Prov. 20. 25. 5. Usury Deut. 23. 20. 6. Bribery Prov. 29. 4. 7. Prodigality Luk. 15. 13. Things enjoyned in this commandment 1. Just dealing Lev. 25. 14. 2. Diligence in our calling Ephes 4. 28. 3. Liberality Prov. 11. 25. 4. Hospitality 1 Pet. 4. 9. 5. Restitution Exod. 22. 5. Lev. 6. 4 5. The ninth Commandment is as followeth Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour Exod. 20 16. This commandment enjoyns us with the preservation of our own and our neighbours good name and the maintaining of truth in our testimony This ninth commandment doth prohibit seven things and enjoyn five things Things prohibited in this commandment 1. Slandering Prov. 15. 24. 2. Credulity Psal 15. 3. 3. Hearing tale-bearers Prov. 25. 23. 4. Censuring Mat. 7. 1. 5. Sinister suspitions 1 Cor. 13. 5. 6. Flattery Prov. 27. 14. 7. Silence in defending 2 Tim. 4. 16. Things enjoyned in this commandment 1. A care of our own names Phil. 4. 8. 2. A care of the names of others Mat. 1. 19. 3. A care of our speeches that they be to Gods glory Ephes 5. 4. 4. That they be profitable to the good of others Col. 4. 6. 5. And lastly that our speeches be both true and charitable for these two must inseparably go together for charity rejoyceth in truth 1 Cor. 13. 6. And the truth must be spoken in love Ephes 4. 15. For truth without love savoureth of malice and charity without truth is false vain and foolish because God is true and the Author of truth and the Devil a lyar and the father of lyes and as truth makes us like unto God so lyes make us like unt the Devil The tenth Commandment is as follow e●h Thou shalt not covet thy neighbours house thou shalt not covet thy neighbours wife Exod. 20. 17. This tenth and last commandment doth prohibit 1. Covetousness Heb. 13. 5. 2. Self-love 2 Tim. 3. 2. 1 Cor. 10. 24. 3. Evil thoughts Prov. 24. 9. 4. Envy Prov. 23. 4. This commandment doth enjoyn 1. A pure heart 1 Tim. 1. 5. 2. Watchfulness over our thoughts Prov. 4. 23. 3. Contentedness Phil. 4. 11. 4. Coveting after spiritual things 1 Cor. 12. 31. Now in the strictest sense it is impossible that any man should keep these commandments in thought word and deed from such a principle and to such an end as it ought to be kept but this may serve First to humble us in the sight and sense of our sins which have made us subject to the wrath of God and the curse of the Law that so we may be driven out of our selves and with hast flie unto the mercies of God in the satisfaction of Jesus Christ Of the Lords prayer and the several petitions therein contained THere are in the Lords prayer six petitions the three first do concern Gods glory and the three latter do concern our necessity divided as it were into two tables whereof three do concern God as doth the first table of the Law and three do concern our selves and our neighbours as doth the Second table so that by the very order of the petitions we may learn this that we ought to think upon Gods glory before any thing that belongs to us John 12. 27 28. The six petitions are as followeth 1. Hallowed be thy name Mat. 6. 9. Luke 11. 12. 2. Thy kingdom come Mat. 6. 0. Luke 11. 2. 3. Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven Mat. 6. 10. Luke 11. 2. 4. Give us this day our daily bread Mat. 6. 11. Luke 11. 3. 5. Forgive us our debts as we forgive them that are debtors to us Mat. 6. 12. Luke 11. 4. 6. And leads us not into temptation but deliver us from evil Mat. 6. 13. Luke 11. 4. 1. Of the first Hallowed be thy name 1. By the name of God we are to understand God himself 1 Kings 5. 5. Isa 26. 8. His titles as Jehovah Eloim the Lord of Host and such like and then his attributes and properties as wisdom power love goodness justice mercy truth Exod. 33. 18 19. 34. 5 6. We are said to hallow his name when we acknowledge it and honour it Psal 96. 7 8. Thereby as it were setting the crown of holiness and honour upon the head of God 2. In the next petition Thy kingdom come In this petition we pray that God may reign in our hearts that the kingdom of sin and Satan being more and more abolished Act. 26. 18. Col. 1. 3 Christ may now reign in our hearts by grace Col. 3. 15 16. and we with him for ever in glory 2 Tim. 2. 5. 12. 3. In the next petition Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven Hereby we exclude all wills opposed to the will of God as our own will and all wills of evil men or wicked Angels may be dissappointed and so we desire grace that we may obey his will and not the lust of the flesh and the will of man 4. In the next petition we pray Give us this day our daily bread In this petition we beg that God would provide for us competent maintenance or such a proportion of outward means as he shall see meet for us Prov. 30. 8. and that he would give us grace to

great in respect of the greatness of their rewards and recompences there will be the loss of Gods presence to the one and the freedom of all misery to the other and the stamp of eternity put upon both it shall be a righteous sentence every cause shall be judged rightly Christ is called a righteous Judge 1 Tim. 4. 8. in righteousness doth he judge Rev. 19. 11. The Scepter of his Kingdom is a rig●teous Scepter he loves righteousness Psal 45. 6 7. The day of judgement is a day of the revelation of the righteous judgement of God righteousness shall be the girdle of his loyns this Judge cannot be byassed by favour there is no respect of persons with God he regardeth not the persons of men To draw towards a close let the reader consider that in this great day of judgement God will bring in every secret thing whether it be good or bad Eccles 12. 14. For we must all appear before the judgement seat of Christ that every one may receive the things done in his body whether it be good or bad 2 Cor. 5. 10. For he hath appointed a day in which he will judge the world in righteousness Act. 17. 31. Oh did we meditate sometimes on this day and think of the preparations to it and the acting of it and the execution of the sentence we should tremble at his word surely at this day our consciences shall be so enlightned that all shall perfectly remember what ever good or evil they did in the time of their life the secrets of all hearts being then revealed and some shall be judged according to the Law of God which hath been revealed unto men whether it be the Law of nature only which is written in the hearts of all to leave them without excuse or that written word of God First the Old Testament and after also of the New as the ground of faith and the rule of life Romans 2. 12. and so by the evidence of every mans conscience bringing all his works to remembrance bearing witness with him or against him together by the testimony of such who by Doctrine or example have approved or condemned him What shall I say more this will be a great day in this respect also viz. as Christ doth come to judge things that are not judged so also he doth come to judge over again things that are judged amiss Eccles 3. 16 17. Moreover I saw under the Sun the place of judgement that wickedness was there and the place of righteousness that iniquity was there Then I said in my heart God shall judge the world in righteousness yea he shall judge both the righteous and the wicked Mark 13. 32. But of that day and that hour knoweth no man no not the Angels which are in heaven neither the Son but the Father See Mat. 24. 36 c. God is a knowing Judge a righteous Judge a powerful Judge I shall now proceed in order to speak of the state of both the damned and saved after the judgement is over and the sentence given and so close up all with a few words of advice and so of the end of the world Of the sad condition of a man out of Christ after his death judgement and sentence passed viz. Go ye cursed VVE find it written Mat. 25. 41. Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his angels consider five things in these words 1. Depart from me there is a separation from all joy and happiness 2. Ye cursed there is a dreadful excommunication 3. Into fire there is unexpressible pain 4. Everlasting there is the duration of punishment 5. Prepared for the Devil and all his angels ●ere are the tormented and tormenting compan●ons the 〈…〉 isery of this d●leful state may be reduced to these three heads 1. The unexpressible pains that they shall endure 2. The companions wicked men evil angels or devils 3. The duration of this miserable estate 1. The unexpressible pains that they shall endure the devil and his angels who being tormented themselves shall have no other ease but to wrack their fury in tormenting thee where shall be punishment without pitty misery without mercy sorrow without succour crying without comfort mischief without measure torment without ease where the worm dyeth not and the fire is never quenched in which flame thou shalt ever be burning and never consumed ever dying and never dead c. 2. Thy companions shall be wicked men evil angels or devils from the judgement seat thou must be thrust by Angels together with all the damned devils and reprobates into the bottomless lake of utter darkness that perpetually burns with fire and brimstone where thou shalt ever lament and none shall pitty thee thou shalt alwayes cry for the pain of fire and yet gnash thy teeth for the extremity of cold thou shalt weep to think that thy miseries are past remedy 3. The duration of this miserable estate doth multiply and aggravate thy misery this eternal condition admits of no change or alteration decay or consumption mans eternal condition admits of no future hopes or expectation waste or diminution mans eternal condition admits of no mixture or moderation mans eternal condition admits of no events or issues of providence mans eternal condition admits of no comparison or revocation there is no sounding a retreat after we are lanched into the Ocean mans eternal condition admits of no conclusion mans eternal condition admits of no conception Millions of ages pass away and yet not one minute wasted so that after thou hast endu ed them so many thousand years as there are grass on the earth or sands on the sea shore thou art no nearer to have an end of thy torments then thou wast the first day that thou wast cast into them yea so far are they from ending that they are ever beginning but if after a thousand times so many thousand years thy damned soul could but conceive a hope that these her torments might have an end this would be some comfort to think that at length an end will come but as oft as the mind thinketh of this word never it is as another hell in the midst of hell This is the second death the general perfect fulness of all cursedness the damned shall remain for ever in unspeakable torment of body and anguish of mind being cast out from the favourable presence of God and Christ and his Saints into utter darkness blackness of darkness weeping and gnashing ofteeth the worm that never dyeth the fire that never goeth out c. Of the happy and blessed estate of the Elect in Heaven THey shall be unspeakably and everlastingly blessed and glorious in bo●y and soul being freed from all imperfections and infirmities and endowd with perfect wisdom and holiness possessed with all the pleasures that are at the right hand of God seated as Princes in thrones of Majesly crowned with crowns of Glory possessing the third Heaven wherein