satisfied There is as much difference between these two acts of the Spirit as there is between such a plea as diverts a judgment against a man at present and that wherein by an evident deed or writing it is certainly determined on his side And so we may distinguish Comfort and Assurance and Comfort and Peace For though Comfort alwayes follow Assurance so that there can be no assurance but it must comfort yet where ever there is comfort it followes not there must be Assurance For there may be comfort in a lesse evil compared with a greater and a poor soul may take comfort in this that although he be not sure he is included in the Promise yet he is not excluded but Assurance presupposeth an actual perswasion that a man hath a share in the Promise A man may be comforted with this that although it is bad with him now yet it may be better but Assurance supposeth a sense of his good condition at present Now to apply this distinction to the answer of the Question propounded I am not satisfied that any man can draw Assurance as it is thus distinguished from support and comfort from an Absolute Promise because an Absolute Promise is no legal plea for me in particular as to my present Title to God though it be for my future hopes of such a Title And my ground is this That which all are called upon to believe and which is offered to all alike cannot be a grounded plea to put a distinction between me and others but particular Assurance puts a special Mark of distinction between me and others and absolute Promises are offered to all alike and therefore Assurance cannot flow from an Absolute Promise Nay let me add it is the constant guise of Presumption to plead Absolute Promises in point of Evidence as the Promise of giving Christ to dye for sinners and therefore they are confident he is theirs as well as others All that Gods Saints draw from hence is a comfortable ground of applying themselves to Christ with constancy and perseverance because the Spirit testifies to them that they are capable of the mercy that is held forth in such Promises if they so adhere to them and leave not to urge God with them And the case is the same with general offers Gods general Offers and absolute Promises are of the same nature in this case Both may support comfort a man for the present but are no evidences for the future As a Prince proclaimeth an Act of Grace an Act of Pardon and Oblivion to Traitors and invites in general terms all persons to come and receive it upon such and such conditions among the rest one that apprehends himself more guilty then all others doubts whether it shall reach to him or no he comes into such a Market and hears the Proclamation to all Traitors c. whatsoever hereby is the man so far quieted and supported with this newes Now saith he I hear I am not excluded I am not unpardonable But now if this man go no farther but a while after come to tryal of Law for his Treasons and he thinks to plead the general Proclamation and the mercy of the Prince extending it selfe to all Malefactors will this serve for a Legal evidence to a Jury that he is a pardoned man Will it not be asked Sir What Evidence have you that you laid down your Arms and accepted this pardon Here now is required another kind of testimony So here God proclaims mercy in Christ to the greatest sinners and this he declares to proceed from his vast and unspeakable love and therupon invites all sinners to come and accept of it for he is a God merciful and gracious abounding in mercy and truth and Exod. 34. 6. will abundantly pardon returning sinners Now a poor soul doubts whether he be included in this offer Doubt it not saith the Spirit in a Sermon or other Ordinance be of good cheer man the pardon offered concerns all Now if a man rest here and believe hereupon that he is pardoned because in Gods absolute and unconditioned invitation he is not excluded when conscience is awake it will say But might not Judas and Cain c. plead as much as that How can you make it appear that you have accepted that pardon by Faith Here need Marks and conditional Promises I may plead absolute Promises and general offers to God in Prayer but I cannot plead them before God in Court God saith I will give you a new heart I will powre out the spirit of grace and supplication and so in Zech 12. 10 general offers Let whoever will come and drink of the water of life freely I may go to Apoc. 12. 17 God on these Promises and Offers and say Lord give me a new heart Lord give me Christ But if I stand before the Court of Conscience and plead these in way of Evidence That I have a new heart that I have Christ I must not prove it by Gods promising these blessings in general to me with all others but by the Evidences of my acceptance of these Offers and Gods fulfilling of these Promises I must be able to say here Lord thou hast made such offers and my heart hath accepted them Thou hast tendred Christ unto me and I have taken him upon thine own terms Thou hast promised a new heart and I blesse thy name I find my heart renewed Are not these the badges and proper cognizances of thy children and servants May I not conclude a saving interest in thee who have received such saving mercies and bounties from thee Thus have I showen you that although general offers and absolute Promises may support and in a sort comfort yet conditional promises alone properly assure CHAP. IX The maine Proposition applyed A Case concerning Election and that the misapprehension thereof hinders its Evidence NOW comes to hand the application of this point And in the first place this may reconcile the thoughts of many precious ones under bondage to a good opinion of their present condition in that it is not only the Spirits usual method where hee becomes a Spirit of Adoption to become first a spirit of of Bondage as in the former Thesis was declared but that when he hath been such a spirit of bondage hee usually becomes a Spirit of Adoption witnessing our Adoption It is a great encouragement to a sick man though hee be grievously pained at present that his disease is such out of which most recover that though sometimes it be yet seldome it is mortal Object Yea but you tell us the persons to whom it is not mortal and to whom it usually ends in ravishing comforts are the elect of God But I doubt I am none of them and therfore I may and shall die of this disease for any thing you have said and never see the face of God in comfort here or hereafter Answ 1. Observe the policy of Satan in dealing with thy soule Now
time of judgment and 't is part of their plague that God will laugh at their destruction Prov. 1. 26. 27. Be-fool thy selfe and be-beast thy selfe before God that thou shouldest be so improvident as to neglect the providing of any materials to build thee a shed against a storme or to think that thou shouldest never see a time in which thou shouldst have need of God Say Lord thou art just but I am wicked It is righteous with thee to stamp my punishment with the very image of my sin Thou art righteous though thou shouldst never open my lips or my heart though thou shouldest seal my condemnation to my soul by sealing up both my heart mouth and not suffering me so much as to open my mouth to petition for a pardon 3. Earnestly gâ—oan and sigh hefore the Lord as thou canst desiring him that he will not take against thee the advantage which thy provocations have given him that he will enlarge thy heart and bestow upon thee the Spirit of supplication And who knowes whether in praying that thou mayst pray God may not teach thee to pray 'T is not for nothing that God bids even carnal men to pray Act. 8. â—… Though they cannot pray acceptably without the Spirit sure 't is because in his ordinary way of dispensation the Spirit of prayer is given in praying as the spirit of faith is given in hearing though we cannot hear acceptably without faith Me thinks the words hold forth no less Luke 11. 13. He gives the Holy Spirit to them that aske him We cannot aske the Spirit as we ought without the Spirit yet we get the Spirit in asking 4. Think not thy present estate utterly irremediable For though there be a time when God will not be found of sinners though they seek the blessing with tears Heb. 12. 17. yet know that there is no time in which he excludes a penitent and sincere hearted petitioner And the reason why many a prophane Esau failes in finding is because he failes in seeking If thy heart be now so affected as is before described know God hath in part heard thee in giving thee an heart so seriously affected with its own barrennesse deadnesse and impenitency and know farther that barrennesse felt and complained of and groaned under is no more barren but occasionally fruitfull in many sweet affections though yet thou be straightened in expressions And there may be more prayers in one groane from an heart that is sensible of its own inability to pray then in many large discourses and â—rations to God from a formal and customary devotion 5. Shouldst thou dye in this condition with thy face towards heaven yet thou mayst dye with hope that thy present seed time of tears shall end in an harvest of joy that though thy mouth be shut on earth yet seeing God hath opened thy heart it shall also be opened in heaven The Thiefs prayer on the Cross was an effectual prayer though but a short one Let that keep thee from despair but let it not encourage thee to presume He that made but one prayer in his life and that at the hour of death yet that one prayer prevailed to open Paradise I fear his example hath occasionally shut it to thousands of presuming sinners that have presumed upon the same admittance yet as to thee whose heart God hath opened I dare present it as an encouragement Tell me not God opens not thy mouth if the heart be open 't is far more then if the mouth were never so enlarged One sigh in secret of a broken heart is more then many loud howlings of frighted Formalists and Hypocrites That key that opens the heart will open heaven too 6 And lastly Now resolve in the strength of Christ and the Covenant of Grace which hath layd help upon him for thee that if ever thou get out of the present trouble if ever thou be enabled to break these bars of indisposition streightnednesse of spirit thou wilt never be so neglectful of maintaining the acquaintance thou hast gotten with God as thou hast been in getting it And take heed for time to come that thou performe thy resolutions in that kind Take heed prove not so ungrateful or ill-natured as to look no more after God when once the present turn is served and thou thinkest thou canst go alone Let God see that thou seekest his acquaintance for his own worth and excellency not meerly for mercenary ends and thy own necessities Lest God deal with thee for time to come as men use to deal with those that haunt them only when they have need of them lest he resolve not to be at home when thou knockest for him henceforward and avoid all occasions of being spoken withal walk on the other side of the street that hee may not meet thee and be occasioned to take notice of thee and know thee afar off look high Psalm 138. 6. and keep distance and either in judgement shut up thy mouth and heart to prayer again which he may easily do 't is but with-holding the supply of the Spirit and thou art as dead as a doornaile as we use to say or else open it in a greater judgment to let thee tire and weary out thy selfe with such cryes and howlings as hee is resolved to turne the deafe ear unto And that is an heavy judgement to have the mouth opened in prayer and heaven shut against it Lam. 3. 8. 2 If thou be one of that holy generation of Seekers not above duty but under it Psalm 24. 6. Hast by a constant intercourse with God entered an holy acquaintance with him in former times and therefore takest it ill that thou canst neither send to him nor hear from him now that at so needful a time thou hast lost thy wonted correspondence and canst not because all thy wonted posts of holy and flaming affections and importunate expressions are stopped give him intelligence of thy condition 1 Do not judg over harshly of thy self because thereof For it is a thing under the greatnesse of trouble incident to the best of Gods Saints and is not so much to bee imputed to them as to the burthens that oppresse them Curae leves loquuntur ingentes stupent Little troubles are loud but great ones dumb 'T was Hezekiahs case Isaiah 38. 14. Lord I am oppressed The Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being a Verb of the third Person and Feminine Gender saith one of the Rabbins hath relation â—o 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ver 12. which we translate a pining sicknesse and 't is as much as if he had said My wasting Disease hath so spent my very spirits that I am grown a meer stock so dull and stupid that I cannot perform any duty of Religion as I would And 't is the usual complaint of most of Gods people that the weaknesse of their bodies in such a condition much deadneth the vigour and activity of their spirits 'T was Jobs case chap. 6.
thorow fear or temptation as at other times moving it to conceale the Devils counsell but out of distraction and oppression of spirit Now if this same soul find it selfe in the same condition before God when it sets to prayer it may lay the blame hereof on the greatnesse of its burthen and content it selfe in the assurance of as kind an acceptance of its sighs and groans as if they were drawn out in long prayers But if the straightnesse be not towards men or other imployments but only in duties to God-ward then enquire after farther causes whereof take these following 2. The admission of some late grievous sinne that yet is unrepented of Guilt is a tongue-tying thing When the man in the Gospel was taken without a wedding garment the Text sayes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he was speechlesse Mat. 22. 12. his mouth was stopped with a gagge Great sins are great gaggs And 't is not only so with the unregenerate but with the Saints also See it in Davids example Psalm 51. 14 15. Deliver me saith he from blouds O Lord then my tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousnesse Open my mouth c. Davids lips had a padlock upon them guilt had locked them up He dared not speak to God whom he had so grievously offended And no wonder if Saints dare not speak where they are sure not to speed if they be dumb when they know God is deaf David knew well enough that sinnes make Gods ear heavy as he informes us Psalm 66. 18. If I regard iniquity in my heart God will not hear my prayer and the Prophet Isaiah tells us no lesse Isai 59. 1 2. The Spirit of prayer also will be grieved and depart from us if we defile his lodging he is a pure an holy Spirit Eph. 4. 30. In this case the counsel of Zophar to Job 11. 13 14. is very good If thou prepare thine heart and stretch out thy hands towards God If iniquity be in thy hand put it far away c. So shalt thou lift up thy face confidently c. Search out the sinne and remove it by renewed repentance and the fresh application of the bloud of Christ by faith which is the fountain of Evangelical repentance and then try again the Spirit of Grace that enables thee to mourne will bee a Spirit of Supplication too Zech. 12. 10. 3. Sometimes Gods glory is the cause of thy restaints of spirit God intending to teach thee that all thy enlargements are from him alone We often pray in the strength of natural parts or gifts at the best and it may be we idolize these last in our selves and others Now God may in his wisedome leave us to straightenednesse of spirit in prayer to make us lesse depending upon those helps And this he will do to choose at such a time when afflictions are heavy upon us because that is a time if any be when it may be supposed necessity will enlarge parts and gifts to the utmost Afflictions are usually incitements and occasions of enlargement in prayer God makes account that at that time he shall hear from his people Hos 5. 15. and in our straits commonly we give God many faire words are rhetorical more then ordinary flatter with our lips Psalm 78. 36. A Scholar at the Vniversity that seldome writes and it may be if he do oftner then ordinary yet writes curtell'd letters to his friends at other times yet against Quarter-day when hee needs his pension will be sure not to fayle of a large letter and a bill of expences annexed Hence oftentimes the people of God are very fondly conceited of afflictions and under deadnesse of spirit are too apt to wish them out of a conceit that when they come they are able to make great use of them to quicken their hearts to prayer But the Lord chasteneth their foolish expectations divers times by stopping their mouths under those very troubles whence they hoped for great improvements and enlargements hereby teaching them that the Spirit of supplication as well as the Spirit of sanctification bloweth where and when he listeth John 3. 8. This case whenever it befalls any as we may ghesse when it doth so by our former valuation of gifts and conceits of improving afflictions c. calls upon such persons to give God the glory of his own peculiar attribute the preparer of the heart and the Spirit of its own office the Spirit of Supplication and call for and rely on divine assistance meerly in that work 4. Sometimes misapprehensions of God may be the cause of straightnesse in duty Thoughts that God is our enemy c. And then we deale with God as we do with our best friends many times in an humour we have a conceit that they have done us a discourtesie or are fallen out with us it may be upon slight reports or other as slender evidence and then our stomacks presently swell so bigge that we cannot so much as speak to them Pride and discontent will so swell a mans stomack like spleen winds up to a mans mouth that he cannot speak except to belch out the language of discontent and passion Sometimes we conceive God so offended at us that he casts away our prayer Lam. 3. 8. And where a man hath little hope to speed he will have very little heart to speak whereas hope to prevaile is the most fluent fountain of Rhetorick that can bee thus want of Faith makes the voyce of prayer stick in the teeth as we use to say The Spirit of Adoption only is the Spirit of Supplication and a man cannot pray so much to the purpose as when he can call God Father Then we cry 't is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom 8. 15. When David was in that grievous trouble Psalm 116. What lets his tongue loose in prayer I believed saith he therefore I spake v. 10. Friends prayer is the child of Faith not Fancy not the voyce of Invention but Affection begotten not in the brain of an Oratour but in the heart of a child A child is very copious and fluent in expression commonly when he complains to a Father but will lye still and cry it out in a sullen mood and say never a word if a stranger aske what ayles it The cure in this case is Look over all your evidences remember dayes past and the years of the right hand of the most high thy songs in the night and his mercy and lovingkindnesse in the day Call to mind promises of everlasting love in and notwithstanding the heaviest afflictions apply them and labor to urge them Challenge God upon old acquaintance as Christ My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Mat. 27. 46. O Lord how comes it to passe now that I have lost my acquaintance with thee Lord return and visit me with thy ancient loving kindnesses Psal 25. 6. 2 After discovery and removal of the impediments and obstructions aforesaid Study your own case distinctly and clearly
in himself before he presumed to testifie of 1 John 5. 1. 6 10. the most eminent Works of the Spirit in the heirs of Heaven He hath shewn Believers that their right by the Gospel is good in Law when it is sealed by the Oath of God by the Spirit of God and by the heart bloud of Christ who is the end of the Law for righteousness to them that believe Ephes 1. 13. Rom. 9. 1. 1 Joh. 2. 20 27. 1 John 5. 13. 19. 20. Rom. 8. 16 17. 2 Cor. 3. 3. Rom. 10. The single testimony of a deceived heart is no Authority but when the Spirit hath inlightned and renewed a soul he leaves an Impresse upon the heart and a Certificate in the conscience which cannot deceive Let the Reader beg the Spirit of Grace and Supplication that he may read this excellent Treatise with the same spirit wherewith it was written And let them that cry down Learning and Vniversities see and confess that the Spirit breathes upon learned souls and makes their Learning instrumental to discover the Mysteries of godliness even the deep things of the Spirit with more glory and advantage then when he works upon duller souls who have not Learning enough to prize Learning or grace enough to blesse God for sanctifying of that learning which discovers the danger of their ignorance The Lord blesse the Labours of this practical Preacher and teach us to grow in knowledg and grace that we may not be led away with the error of lawlesse or * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 boundlesse men nor fall from our own stedfastnesse so prayes Your Servant in the Gospel FR. CHEYNELL REader the Authors distance from the Presse must plead for him and it Thy indulgence it is hoped will pardon the rest which in this review are overseen and correct these Errata's before thou readest ERRATA Page 22. l. 10. r. this for the first p. 28. l. 22. r. him in p. 34. l 27 r. with a guard p. 59. l. 32. r. had your p. 61. l. 30 blot out may p. 78. l. 10. r. read and amend the Title of the Chapter according to the Contents after the Book p. 83. l. 26. r. Saint p. 96. l. 10 r. never leaves it p. 104. l. 12. r. nest p. 116. l. 6. r. the wound sleight p. 130. l. 8. r. that is p. 145. l. 21. r. hope p. 145. l. 5. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 l. 28. r. your patience p. 152. l. 8. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 more cutting beyond p. 189. l. 5. r. Scripture p. 203. l. 7. r. all lay p. 216. read the whole sentence following For although c. after 1. Immediatly in the next page p. 229. l. 19. r. to them p. 252. l. 8. r. seal p. 278. l. 25. r. measures p. 289. l. 23. r. wrought p. 298. l. 16. r. exercise p. 339. l. 2 3. r. particular to p. 343. l. 12. r. bought p. 367 l. 6. r. hasitancy p 397. l. 15. r. manner p 419 l. 15. for them r. it p. 438. l. 25 26. r. the real p. 497 l. 22. r. accompanied p. 579. mar r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 589. l. 18. r. wrings I might add p. 87. l. 8. r. expectation l. 31. r. peccatur p. 179 l. 6. r. occasions p. 234. l. 8 r. possible p. 237. l. 10. r. a crown p. 245. Title r. this evidence p. 301. l. 4. r. humiliation p. 321 l. 10. r. As in p. 324 l. 12. for them r. it p 352. l. 24. r. yet p. 450. l. 28. r. is p. 456. l. 24 dele the. p. 516. l. 15. r. to p. 526 l. 2. r. Spirit in CONCERNING THE SPIRIT OF BONDAGE CHAP. I. What it is in the Apostles sense BEing resolved by Gods assistance to handle Theologically and practically those two grand mysteries of godlinesse the souls spiritual trouble and peace in their nature manner of working proper differences from any other workes and the several cases arising from the practical view of those heads we will first begin with that work which in the Elect of God is usually first wrought viz. Spiritual trouble Now because the consideration of a work as it relates to the efficient and other causes and that of a condition or state as it relates to the subject in whom it is wrought are both in notion and practise distinct and seeing both of these considerations will frequently offer themselves to us in the course of this Treatise with relation to the subject in hand therefore I have taken the rise and spring of my Meditations from such a Scripture as affords us both conjoyned viz. that of the Apostle Paul Rom. 8. 15. Where the Apostle as it is a work or effect by a metonimy calls it the Spirit that works to fear as it is a condition or state he calls it Bondage And being to consider it as a work or impression of such a cause upon such a subject and reducing that subject to such a condition he very fitly joyns both notions and considerations into this one character or description The reception of the Spirit of Bondage to fear whence we will take our rise for a brief view of these heads 1. The efficient cause the Spirit 2. The effect of that Spirit which is the inward condition or state of the soul in which it is Bondage 3. The impression wrought by this effect in the subject reduced thereby to this condition fear 4. The way or manner of this work and communication of influence from the efficient whereby it is effected Receiving 5. The persons in whom this operation is wrought and who thereby are reduced to this condition and feel the impression thereof Ye 6. The time of this work of the Spirit and condition of the patients in whom it is wrought implied in the whole frame of the verse which is during the time of Transition from Nature to Grace from alienation and enmity to adoption and friendship 1. What this Spirit is who is the efficient cause of this work hath not a little perplexed Interpreters Chrysostome and out of him Oecumenius and Augustine and divers modern Writers both Popish and Reformed understand this whole clause concerning Jewish Pedagogy or discipline under which God held them under the Law of Moses The two Spirits here received saith Augustine are suted to the times of the two Testaments Evidentissimè duoruÌ„ Testamentorum distinct a sunt tempora illud enim ad timorem pertinet novum autem ad charitatem Aug. in locum the Old pertains to a season or work of fear the Now to that of love So says Calvin he calls the Old Tastament Vetus Testamentum Calv. Inst Gua. in loc a spirit of Bondage because it begets fear in mens minds And with him joyns Gualther So Chrysostome who goes â—arther then any 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Oecum in â—ocum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrys in locum Logem prâ—ponit nud aÌ„
If thou object But Sir these remedies are in vain prescribed to me who if I could do these things should have no need to complain of the disease seeing the very cure consists in being able to apply such means to effect it If I could be sensible of this sin and be humbled deeply for it and wait upon means as I ought my heart would be no longer such as you speak of I complain of an hard heart and an impenitent heart and you seem to bid me get a penitent heart that I may get a penitent heart And this seems absurd Answ 1. It may be this very case seriously taken into consideration will affect the heart when no other thing will And we find it by the experience of Gods called ones that they find nothing more usual then to be most sensible of their own hardnesse and insensiblenesse And 't is so because hardnesse of heart is not only a sin but a judgment Now sense of judgment may bring sense of sin I advise thee therefore to be sensible of it as a judgment that thou maist be made sensible of it in time as a sin 2 To one in thy condition this is the great and master sin and by consequence the most dangerous wound of thy soul and therefore 't is most sutable and likely to be successeful to begin the work of sorrow and humiliation at that sin As in a complication of many Diseases in a Patient the Physician thinks it most proper to apply himself to the Master-Distemper primarily and principally and the rest will abate with it they being but Symptomatical 3. When I bid thee labour for a spirit deeply affected with this sinne and to endeavor to reduce thy selfe to thy former convictions thereby I purposely prescribe this course Because I know if thou canst attaine an heart sensible of its own resistance to the Spirit of grace c. thou art so farre recovered And this advantage is peculiar to this condition that to be affected with it is to be recovered out of it And this is a great encouragement to labour for this frame of spirit As one sin begets another so humiliation for one will beget humiliation for all for the same tendernesse which renders the heart capable of the impression of godly sorrow for one sin renders it as penetrable by others 4. When I bid thee labour to recover thy former tendernesse I mean not as if I would have thee reduce thy selfe thereunto by a power in thy selfe but by addressing thy selfe to God by importunate prayer to take away that resistance hardness and impenitency of thy heart which so frequently repulseth the Spirit of God and rejecteth its own salvation Go to God and say Lord I have an hard heart an heart that cannot repent according to promise give me an heart of flesh c. Obj. But I have a great deal of joy and peace and the course you advise to will put all out of order again Ans 1. I have told thee before that t is better to break an unsound peace of conscience here then to continue it all our lives till Death and Hell breake it whether wee will or no. Especially seeing 2. The breaking of this false peace is a way to recover a true and sound peace Then wee are towards a peace with God when we fall out with our selves and our sins When we combine against his enemies in that work he is engaged to assist us and if we be once absolutely broken from them and engaged to the destruction of them ipso facto we become his confederates Obj. But I have had a great name for Religion and have borne my selfe high upon my comfortable attainements and enjoyments and I cannot bring my selfe to be willing to take the shame of a confession that I have beene beguiled my selfe and deluded others Answ Therefore t is likely thy acknowledgements will do thee more good as on the other side thy example in going on in so delusive a way will do far more hurt Peters dissimulation drew many to dissemble also Gal. 2. When eminent professors professe glorious discoveryes in a way of defiance to Ministery and Ordinances no wonder if divers minorum Gentium ambition being natural to men will either affirm the same things that they may not seeme inferiour to them or else be apt to believe such things attainable Thus I remember in Erasmus there is a story of a Popish Apparition which when one had confidently affirmed that he saw divers others in the company would needs professe to see it too So do deluded souls strengthen one another til the juggle of Satan be discovered 2. Here is thy glory and Gods put in the balance and it is a great trial of thy sincerity to see which thou wilt take My sonne give glory to God saith Joshua to Achan and so I to thee Friend give glory to God Let the pride of thy heart be abased and thy high looks be brought low that the Lord alone may be exalted Isa 2. 17. 3. This is the way to thy own greater esteem Humble thy selfe and the Lord will exalt thee in due time Hereby wilt thou give to those that are truly godly a firme proofe of thy sincerity and such a return to them will speak more then thy stay among them possibly would have done 4. If God do not bring thee thus low now he will hereafter What is temporary shame and contempt to everlasting shame and contempt Obj. But God may save mee without this way and I may be converted without the return of the spirit of Bondage Answ 1. No question by his royal prerogative he may do that which no earthly Prince may act above and contrary to his owne prescribed rules when he pleaseth But 2. T is unlikely that he will and t is unusually that he doth renew any man that is an Apostate from former convictions without deeep humiliations And indeed if he should this would encourage convinced sinners to cast off their cords and break the bonds of the spirit at their pleasure These are grievous affronts to God himselfe and t is reason that he should have reparations from us at our return to him Now the only reparation in this kinde is deep sense and humble selfe-condemning acknowledgment of our sin CHAP. XXIV Objections of another nature answered Object YEa But if this be so possibly it may be as much for Gods honor to reject me if I do really submit my self to my old Master and reduce my soul under the Spirits Bondage again so that here is a greater discouragement I fear God wil not receive so desperate an Apostate as I have been though I could be humbled never so much Answ 1. True it may be much for Caution to others to take heed of affronting resisting quenching the Spirit of grace that hee should let thy Conscience loose upon thee in damning terrours here and send thee to hel with them upon thy spirit to be thy companions
the Doctrines of Faith c. which he had acquainted them withal from their first vocation but it includes even those Doctrines of comfort which precede in the number of those Truthes they being part of what Christ had told them 2 The Court of Conscience It will be needful having once verified the evidence by the test of the Word to lay it up against a day of tryal Divine Truths must be laid up in the heart for Direction and divine Experiences for Consolation in an evil day This Courts Recorder is Memory and its Records in such a day are of especial use and importance Records of Gods dealing with others formerly see Psalm 119. 52. I remembred thy judgments of old and have comforted my self i. e. Those judgements by which thou hast caused thy people to triumph over their enemies in former times So also of our own experiences see both together Psal 77. 5 6 The holy man had been utterly at a losse had it not been for this Recorder and yet it seemes he had been too to blame in the laying up his evidence so that it cost much search before he could find it I communed with my heart and my spirit made diligent search the Septuagint reads 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 my spirit digged as we do for hidden treasure that must have much rubbish removed ere we can come at it But their sense is grounded upon a different reading of the word in the Hebrew Others read Scopabam I swept it seems by his carelesse keeping he had suffered his evidences to be thrown inâ—… dusty corner among waste papers and he was fain to sweep for them ere he could find them but however when he found them he made excellent use of them for by them he recovers strength to check his present unbelief I have considered the dayes of old ver 5. and I call to remembrance my song ver 6. I will remember the years of the right hand of the Most High ver 10. and I will remember the works of the Lord c. v. 11. And these remembrances prove a great strengthning to his Faith in that hour of temptation David hath some Psalms to bring to remembrance Psalm 38 and 70. And Christ hath left Ordinances for this end The Word 2 Pet. 1. 12 13. and Sacraments Do this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Luke 22. 19. in remembrance of me And there is the same use of the communion of Saints which is the special means of keeping fresh one anothers experiences by conference and communication Therefore it will be a very good course to charge memory to record carefully all the visits and smiles and embraces of Gods Spirit together with all the passages which may confirm the truth of them afterwards As we do in Evidences concerning a temporal estate we record the Sealing dayes and the Witnesses and the considerations of the conveyance So in this case bid memory put down At such a time in such a place upon such a Prayer Sermon when I was in such an exigency and there was but an haires breadth between me and despair such a sad cloud was scattered the Spirit of God by such a Promise gave me as much comfort and joy as my heart could hold and I then set to my seal that God is true by believing Joh 2. 33 And I was confirmed in the reality of these experiences by a following assistance against such corruptions or strength against such temptations or power more then ordinary to walk in wayes of spiritual communion with God c. This course being carefully taken it cannot be imagined how great an awe it will cast upon a mans jealous and suspicious heart that it will scarce dare to entertain a doubt against an Evidence so clear and so carefully recorded Except Satan can imbezel the Records or corrupt them by the concurrence of our treacherous memories in some considerable passages 't is in vain he knows to commence a fresh sute against the soul The soul in such cases will as the Psalmist have recourse to those Records and clear his Title against such disturbances Psal 77. suprà CHAP. XXVII The Means to strengthen these Evidences IN the second place 2 Strengthen your Evidences daily 1 By strengthning Ordinances 1 The Word heard read meditated upon all these in their proper place and time are to be used with care David alwayes keeps up a fainting Assurance with a word My soul melteth for heavinesse strengthen thou me according to thy word Psal 119. 28. This is my comfort in my affliction for thy Word hath quickned me Psal 50. Vphold thou me according to thy Word c. Psal 116. Promises are the food of Faith Cordials of Hope the crutches of Patience the principal feathers in the wing of Prayer Threatnings caution us against those courses as will weaken Assurance Precepts direct us in such wayes as will continue and improve it Examples are so many ruled cases as they say in Law which may adde light to a man when there is need to search records as before said The whole Word is the fewel that maintains the fire of Assurance and Meditation blowes up the coals 2 Prayer And this applies the Word it is a souls perpetual plea against all litigious molestations If Satan or a mans own heart at any time call his Evidences into question away flyes Prayer to God and pleads Promises and Examples holy Presidents and stops the mouth of Temptation this way 'T is that way of continual intercourse with God that brings a man dayly returnes of holy familiarities which cannot but nourish a constant perswasion of his unchangeable Love as mutual Letters maintaine a good intelligence among friends 3 Sacraments As they are remembrancers of the death of Christ and Ordinances appointed for the Sealing of the benefits thereof to the soul by particular applicatory signes and tokens must needs be means not only to give as hath been shewne before but also to confirm and continue it And upon this account 't is no wonder if Christ in the Institution of the Lords Supper require a frequent attendance upon that Ordinance 1 Cor. 11. 25. As oft as ye drink it implies frequent drinking it All our faith is grounded upon the death and satisfaction of Christ and the frequent reduction of those grounds of faith to our consideration must needs strengthen it habits of the mind are strengthned by a frequent repetition of those actions by which they were first begotten and produced Now though gracious habits are not gotten in the strength of natural or moral powers as natural or moral habits are yet they are produced as I before have shewed by a supernatural power in a natural method and order And therefore though no grounds apprehended by the understanding can of themselves beget faith yet a divine power never produceth them but by the representation of some grounds And therefore the representation of the death of Christ as it is held forth by God in all its
it may not alwayes be the condition of a Saint to cal God Father with alike confidence whiles yet he may pray with abundance of holy importunity 3 Distinguish therefore between that livelinesse and boldnesse of the soul in prayer which flowes from the actual witnesse of the Spirit and that which ariseth meerly from the gracious influence of the same Spirit as he unites us to Christ 1 As for liveliness in prayer it may in a godly man proceed not only from the Spirits witness but sometimes from 1 Conscience of Duty When a man quickens up his desires and other affections upon this consideration that he is in the presence of a living God and therefore it becomes him not to offer dead services to such a God 2 Or from sense of want That is it which usually addes life and activity to our endeavours Beggars when ready to starve are importunate 3. Or thirdly from hope to speed Now this hope to speed is either positive and particular which I receive from a paricular assurance of Gods engagements to me or more general and negative taking away all discouragements which I may fancy to my self Now the former hope a man under the witnessing act of the Spirit prayes by the latter quickens every godly Christian whether he have actually or ever had the testimony of the Spirit or no. Now the hopes of a Saint are grounded either on certainties or probabilities probabilities remove discouragements certainties only give a positive and particular well grounded hope And yet probabilities may enliven though certainties do farre more A soul may come upon the general encouragements upon which God inviteth sinners to come to him and may thereby be much enlivened in prayer although not with so great life and vigour as a man that can plead a particular right and title to God 2. So concerning boldnesse of the soul in Duty A soul that walks in darkness may be bold in some sort 1. Upon sense of want which dispells all shamefastness A man in necessity though he dared not open his mouth before to aske relief of a great personage through shame keeping him back from it yet when there is no help he will put a good face upon it as we say and embolden himself to adventure to sollicite supplies So the soul says in such a case I must begge my life or perish aske or starve for want of supply I will adventure into the presence of God as Hester into the presence of the King and if I perish I perish 2. Upon the discoveries that the Scripture makes of the nature of God that he is a God of infinite mercies that wayts to be gracious expects opportunities to manifest it A man will when he is in want more boldly adventure to aske of a man who is reported to be propense to acts of bounty and ready upon all occasions to manifest it then of another whose disposition is not so known Thou art a God that hearest prayer unto thee shall all flesh come Psalm 65. 2. 3. Upon encouragements of invitations promises examples Such as Call upon me in the day of trouble and I will answer thee Psal 50. 15. And that Psal 32. 6. Although a man have no particular ground to conclude that he shall be heard yet upon these general grounds he can many times urge God very confidently But a soul under the actual Testimony of the Spirit of God may embolden himselfe from a particular interest as David doth Ps 119. 94. Lord I am thine save me And the Church Isa 63. 19. and Psal 86. 2. Preserve my soul for I am holy or one whom thou favourest And can urge his own experiences As the Church Lord thou hast been our habitation c. Ps 90. 1. c. Thou hast been favourable to thy Land Psalm 85. 1. The point therefore is to be understood thus where the Spirit of God is actuâ—lly a witnessing Spirit of Adoption there he mainly discovers himselfe by enlivening and emboldening the soul unto special importunity to a particular claim and especial confidence in prayer CHAP. XLVI Some Proofs thereof THat this is a principal work of the witnissing Spirit of Adoption to raise the fervencie and boldness of the soul in prayer may be evidenced to us by the parallell place of Scripture Gal. 4. 6. Because ye are sonnes God hath sent the Spirit of his sonne into your hearts It is to be understood of the witnessing acts of the Spirit because this gift followes upon sonship because ye are sons He saith not that you might be sons then indeed it must have been understood of the sanctifying and uniting grace of the Spirit which makes sons but because ye are sons which supposeth their present standing as children to be the ground of this gift and therefore it is understood of the witnessing act of the Spirit And what followes from it What get they by this Spirit of Christ administred in this way what doth the Spirit there He cryes not enables them to cry though that be true but he cryes in them Abba Father cryes with earnestnesse Father with confidence and Father Father with holy importunity And this appears farther 1. From the nature of the witnessing Acts of the Spirit of Grace The Spirit is a witness to all Gods promises and obligations to us and he puts Gods seal to all the Covenant of grace Now to the vigorous and confident putting a bond in suit an expresse witness to the sealing and delivery is a great encouragement By prayer the soul puts Gods bonds in suit The Spirit comes into Court at the same time whiles the bond is pleading and saith Lord I witness this bond to be true I did put thy seal to it by thy own appointment And to the soul he saith Soul do not be nonsuited do not let thy suit fall I will witness for thee plead thy bond â— the utmost I will justifie it what an encouragement is this 2. From the comparative straightness and flatness of spirit and that cowardliness and dauntedness of spirit which possesseth the Saints when the Spirit is withdrawn from them David when he had lost the joy of Gods Salvation his mouth was shut his heart was straightened and he is fain to go to God for enlargement by his free Spirit He complains of casting away from Gods presence c. Psal 51. 11 12. Vphold me saith he with thy free Spirit that is prop up my zeal and confidence which is even falling to the ground without such a support 3. From the removal of all discouragements to a fervent and confident address to God The great discouragement of the soul is either a distance conceived between God and the soul or the guilt of sinne that makes it The Spirit assures us that sinne is pardoned and that breach made up and that we may come when we will and be as bold with God as if there had never been any occasion of breach on our part or act of
like life and vigour of expressions and other Cases occasioned hereby stated Quest 3. DOth the Spirit of Adoption use to furnish the soul alike at all times with life and vigour in expressions Answ 1. Undoubtedly he doth not And of this we have a very remarkable proof in this very Chapter vers 26. The Spirit helps sometimes in words at large but sometimes he supplies us with groans only Nor is it need he should For 1 These are but the outward gayety pomp and hangings of Devotion Now garments themselves are no part of the man nor things absolutely necessary to the life of man much lesse are the state and magnificence of trimming and fashions necessary The outward garb of the body the outward garb of duty prevail alike with God that is just nothing at all Yet let me not hereby occasion in any one a lazy and supine neglect of expressions Though utterance be not a grace and God accepts and delights in nothing but grace yet it is a gift and God will not have gifts slighted or wilfully neglected and so suffered to decay for want of blowing up But however if by no neglect of mine own I am shut up that I cannot expresse my self I must not presently conclude that my prayers that I offer up with broken sighes and groans have not all things necessary to their acceptance 2 These are many times the fewel of our corruption the matter of our pride vain-glory and self-advancement in the presence of God and it is oftentimes a very great mercy that Gods Spirit with-drawes the actual exercise of that gift from us which we are apt to abuse so much to his dishonour and our own disadvantage How many persons are there especially in these dayes that make elegancy and fluency of expressions in prayer a matter of emulation 3 These are many times the excellencies of unsanctified men No real friend useth to be so liberal in words of Ceremony and formality as a complementing Courtier that intends not a word of what he sayes The Pharisees could make long prayers Mat. 13 14. but the Publican that was more in earnest is quickly at an end of his Devotion for want of expressions or boldnesse to speak more 'T was short and sweet as we say I am perswaded the Divel may be a false Spirit of prayer in the mouths of many Hereticks and Seducers in these dayes as well as a false Spirit of prophesie of old in the mouth of Ahabs Prophets 1 King 22. 22. Men shall never want tools that do the divels work Some men pray like Angels as Parots speak like men and yet both say least of what they say 4 These may be an occasion of greatest formality in prayer if continued We ordinarily account a form of words to be a form of prayer I tell you friends there may be as much formality in an unstinted fluency of expressions That is the form of any Grace or Duty which most resembles it and yet is not what it resembles Assuredly fluent and fervent expressions in prayer carry the most glorious appearance and form of a spiritual Duty that can be Many a man therefore sits down in them as other persons do in an external Leiturgy and places all Religion in a few spiritual Complements with God Yet would I not have these expressions of mine any way abused to the justification of the stinted formalists Devotions in which usually persons of that strain place their whole Religion Undoubtedly we may lawfully use a crutch when we are lame and a go-cart whiles we are children Young beginners may find help in the matter method and language of prayer from a good form and I know not but under extraordinary deliquies swoundings of spiriti n which the soul cannot put forth its operations as before a godly man may as Christ did in his Agony go and repeat to God thrice and more the same Mat. 26. 44. form of words But to keep the fashion or the size of garments when I am one and twenty which I used when I was a child or to use the crutches when I am whole which supported me when I was lame or crawle about by chaires and stools when I am a man is a piece of ridiculous absurdity A. 2 Add moreover that Elegancy and fluency of expressions though sometimes they are yet are not alwayes the work of the Spirit of God I dare not say the Spirit doth not many times suggest the very language of prayer as well as he suggested the very words of the strange tongues with which the Apostles spake Act. 2. 1 2 3. c. Yet I know also that much of the life and vigour of expression in prayer is from our own parts There is much Art in expression and so much of our own flourishes of studied or elaborate Oratory Rhetorical termes a natural heat of affection from the affectionatenesse of our owne expressions Some things of this nature may appear in prayer which would be the same if I were making a serious speech about a matter of concernment before a mortal man Now you may distinguish supplies received from the Spirit in this kind from others by these probable signes 1 Supplies of language from the Spirit are more natural and lesse strained for That that a man speakes from a principle within is ordinarily delivered in a kind of natural eloquence But what is meerly lip-labour is over-done expressions are more forced and there is more of invention in them And so it is in prayer the Spirit is the most inward principle of prayer to a gracious man He followes in nothing so freely as when he is led by the Spirit his own natural and moral actions are not freer and more unforced then gracious actions are The more study there is for terms to expresse a mans selfe the more of the head there is in prayer most commonly the lesse there is of the heart 2 The more humble acknowledgement of your own impotency to pray you enter upon the duty withal the more of the Spirit is in your after enlargements A soul that goes to duty in its own strength is not acquainted with such self-abasing thoughts but out of the experience of former abilities thinks as Samson I will go out now and shake my self as at other times Judg. 16 20. Such an one goes to prayer as a Scholar to study a speech out of the strength of his reading and invention 3. The enlargements of expression which proceed from the Spirit are not a constant supply When men pray always with the same fluency of expression 't is a sad token there is much of nature and art in such prayers The Spirit I confesse may give ordinary supplies but yet the soul shall observe now and then the stream runs more low and still especially upon some such occasion as I have before shewn may make the Spirit withdraw his influences that enable in duty 4. There is as great an height in affections
when the Spirit suggests matter of prayer as in expressions Without all question the Spirit when hee supplies will not supply the lesse materiall part of prayer and not the more principall and momentous A man of a nimble invention and a fluent tongue may be able to speak high strains of Rhetorick in prayer but is the heart warmed sutably to the expressions If the stream run only from the teeth outward as we say 't is not supplied from a divine spring 5. If the heart be warmed also yet I ask doth its warmth produce the language of prayer or rather the language it Some good natures as we call them will weep at a passionate discourse either of their own or another mans The heart is first hot where the expressions are from the Spirit It may be expressions may add to the quantity of heart-affection in duty as on the other side dull expressions will much take off from the edge of a good affection But whence was the rise of thy heate in the substance of it from without or from within A natural mans expressions in prayer are the spring of his affections a godly mans affections are the spring of his expressions 3. Adde also that the fayling of expression in prayer is much our own fault 1. Sometimes we over-prize it In desiring it too sollicitously when absent in rejoycing and pleasing our selves too fondly when present discomforting our selves when we want it as if we wanted the Spirit because we have not a wished supply of the gift and laying the foundation of our hopes of acceptance upon that when present which we may be accepted without 2 Studying more to pray then praying that we may pray Spiritual abilities for prayer of whatever kind they be are usually fetched in by prayer Luke 11. 13. as water in the well is fetched up by putting water into the pump Whiles we are asking God hears and that he may enables us to aske He giveth the Spirit to them that ask him 3. Want of meditation I mean not of expressions but things Well studyed matter yeilds plentifull expressions the Poet observes Verbaque praevisam rem non invita sequuntur Horat. art Poet. Well-conceived matter is never stifled in the birth for want of the midwifery of apt expressions 4 Want of acquaintance with the Word of God Many people complain they have a great dearth of expressions in prayer but the cause of it is in themselves They do not study the Word of God which as it is a compleat magazene of matter so it is the best and most genuine spring of expression in prayer The language of confession petition thanksgiving which the Saints of God use in the Scripture is in a sort a supply from the Spirit fetched in by industry For it is all of it indited by the Spirit to our hands Those are surely therefore the most acceptable meet expressions to send up to heaven which first descended from heaven There is a strange vein of expression in prayer that conceited persons affect in these dayes which a man if he compare with Scripture will easily conclude to be a gibberish of a wanton age unknown to the Saints of God in former times The Spirit of God loves to indite your prayers when hee doth supply your defects that way in his own familiar expressions which are those of the Scripture CHAP. XLIX Saints are informed what deadens them in prayer Where also a case what to be done when a Saint cannot call God Father and in case some sinne streighten him As also how to maintain boldnesse and fervency in prayer NOw to apply this usefull point 1. In the first place this lets many poor souls under darknesse know whence that deadnesse and flatnesse of spirit which they are ever complaing of in prayer doth proceed They do what they can to darken their evidences and take delight in finding matter of charge against themselves to the shaking of them and yet take it ill that they cannot have that freedome and liberty and livelynesse in prayer which they desire This is as if they should cut off their own legs and then complain that they cannot go They clip the very wings upon which prayer should raise it self heaven-ward and then they complain they cannot fly so high in duty as they would Qu. But what shall I do if by reason of this darknesse I cannot call God Father with confidence Answ 1. Acknowledge with sense and feeling that unworthinesse of thine which discourageth thee Say Lord I confesse I am unworthy to be called thy sonne as the Prodigal doth and endeavour as much as thou canst to fill thy face with shame and confusion in the sense hereof 2. Acquaint him with thy particular straightnesse of spirit and the cause of it tell him what tyes thy tongue that thou wouldst pray but thou darest not own any relation to him desire him for his own glory to discover that relation to thee that may embolden thee to his service 3. Maintain notwithstanding this thy claim to God as thy Father upon those promises upon which at first thou didst believe God warrants every soul to call him Father that is brought to a desire to become his child None ever call'd God Father out of a sincere desire to that relation and the duties of it from whom God refused to accept of the title We never find God quarrell with any upon this account for calling him Father except they were such as denyed him filial duty and reverence Supposing then that thou canst not call God Father upon evidence of particular faith yet do it upon grounds of relyance such as his offers invitations promises plead that promise of Relation 2 Corinth 6. 18. 4 Ask spiritual good things of him under the obligation of that relation And urge him with his Fatherly bowels in Jesus Christ to all poor souls that come unto God through him Call him Father at adventure upon Christs score and see whether he can disclaim the name The advantage of this will be the hearing and granting of thy petitions and the Answer of prayer will be an evidence of thine Interest No greater foundation of Assurance then the Answer of our Prayers Psal 66. 19. See what a kind of Argument the holy man drawes Assurance from in that place If I regard iniquity in my heart the Lord will not hear my prayer But verily God hath heard me That is the Minor Proposition the Conclusion is natural therefore I do not regard iniquity in my heart So in this Case the Argument will be undenyable God heareth none but sons But God heareth me Therefore I am a Son Quest But suppose some Sin of a deeper dye then ordinary straighten me and weaken my confidence in approaching to God Answ 1 Then sensibly confesse and bewaile that sin before God Acknowledge that thou dost not only deserve the darkning of thine own faith but also the darkning of his face and that not only here but
hereafter for ever That thou canst not tell with what face to call him Father having so mis-behaved thy self towards him 2 Apply thy self to his Throne of Grace for renewed pardon and that the sense of that pardon may open thy mouth again Psal 51 12 13 15. 3 Consider thy acceptance depends not on thine own worthinesse but on his meer mercy and goodnesse in Jesus Christ who is an Advocate for sinners and a Propitiation for sins 1 Joh 2. 1 2. 4 Put a bold face upon it as wee say and adventure as before upon the claim of that relation and use it in order to the obtaining of all necessary grace from God resolving in case thou ever see his face again in love yea though thou shouldst never see it again to watch against thy corruptions for time to come and walk more carefully under the Obligation of that relation then ever before Follow on this course though against the grain of thy own jealous heart and thou wilt find thy heart grow warm and thy pulse more quick by a sensible recovery of lost spirits and life to thy prayers II. This lets us know how we may maintain when we have and recover when we have lost the heat of our affections and confidence of our hearts in Prayer to wit by maintaining our Assurance of Gods love 1 John 5. 14 15. The Apostle writes to them whom he endeavours by several tokens to assure that they are the children of God and then drawes up the advantage of that Assurance And this is the confidence that we have in or concerning him that if we ask any thing according to his will he heareth us c. The way then to keep present and renew lost boldnesse is to keep and renew assurance of Gods love by the Spirit How you may do that I have shewne before at large and so shall spare repetition here CHAP. L. Three Duties pressed on all Assured Saints The first to be much improving the supply of the Spirit in approaching to God frequently-Urged with eight Motives III. THis stirs up all who have the witnesse of the Spirit to three Duties 1 To be much in Prayer 1 Those that have it not are not to neglect it nor are they excusable for slighting it over who walk in darknesse Now if they must drive on in this rode who because the wheels of their Chariots are taken off must needs drive heavily how are you bound who have wheels and those oyled too that you may go on the more cheerfully 2. If God should with-draw what you neglect the comfortable refreshments of his Spirit and make you howle after him under spiritual darknesse in a wide and howling wildernesse of desertions and temptations you will find a difference between sailing in a clear day and a calm sea and steering the same vessel in a dark night and stormy sea when neither Sun nor Moon nor Star appeares to direct the course And then you will wish you had used days of spiritual peace for maintaining Trade with God Troublesome times are bad times to trade in The uncertainty of Adventures and returnes must needs cool the Merchants endeavours 3 Others may but you must prevail with God I mean the arrowes of prayer which by souls in darknesse are shot at adventure are not altogether without hope of acceptance but yours are beyond possibility of miscarrying and that not only in themselves but to you also you being in the light of Gods countenance are particularly assured that whatever you ask according to his Word he heareth you 1 Joh. 5. 14 15. 4 Hopes to speed are the wings of prayer Assurance as I before have shewed will be maintained by prayer and weakned by the neglect of it Let a man be never so intimately acquainted with a friend and never so certainly assured of his love yet disuse of entercourse will occasion jealousie and distrust or at least shynesse and feare of being too bold with each other 5 You wrong many others You are the Favourites of heaven how many Petitions of poor dark Saints in corners are put into your hands for dispatch to the Throne of Grace How many occasions wherein you may serve the Church come athwart you as wee say daily And can you betray all these by your negligence of improving your interest at the Throne of God No man may do more good if he attend with diligence and watchfulnesse then an honest Favourite to an earthly Prince You must not pray for your selves only but for them that cannot pray too You that are Gods Favourites may do much good if you bestir your selves 6 Know this also that God delights in the Musick of your Prayers Other men alwayes find matter of complaint but you are more fitted for Sacrifices of praise And he that offereth praise glorifieth God and so 't is no wonder if God delight most in such a Petitioner I must not be understood as if God did not also delight in the saddest complaints of a troubled spirit as they are offered up to him in a way of Petition But yet surely I think I may say God loves that Prayer most that most carries man out of himself to him and praises of assured souls are such giving Duties if I may so speak as do not only receive from God but in a sort bestow upon him 7 Adde to this that the very present comfort of communion with God if there were no other advantage to a gracious soul were encouragement enough to Duty How are the Saints of God wont to rejoyce if God give them now and then a glance of his countenance How when they have not had communion with him for a while do they complain as if every day were a year every year an Age And is the refreshment of that communion so slight unto thee that thou canst now passe many dayes it may be weeks without any sensible affection of grief and trouble at the slendernesse of intercourse between thy soul and him especially when 't is not through his strangenesse but through thine own 8 Consider what this liberty of approaching to God cost Christ for thee He laid down his dearest bloud to bring thee so nigh Ephes 2. 13. and Heb. 10. 20. He hath consecrated a new and living way through the vail i e. his flesh CHAP. LI. A second Duty pressed upon them viz. stirring up all their graces to pray with life and fervency upon six Motives 2 STir up the grace of God that is in you pray with life and fervency When we are bid not to quench the Spirit that prohibition stands between two verses wherein the proper means of preserving the Spirit alive in the soul are prescribed Pray without ceasing and in every thing give thanks 1 Thess 5. 17 18 19 20 goes before and Despise not prophecying comes after Implying if our affections be indifferent to prayer and preaching we need use no other meanes to quench the Spirit Fire will be extinguished by neglect
3. My grief is heavier then the sand of the sea therefore my words are swallowed up Verba mea semesa sunt so some render the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fract a sunt corrupta sunt therefore my words are broken mangled words Broken expressions are the very gobbets of a broken heart Others read it as we Verba mea absorbentur my words are devoured or swallowed up My sorrow feeds so upon my spirits that it devours my very words and doth not leave me so much as the slender ease of a complaint A metaphor taken from the quicksands in the sea that swallow up a ship hulk and masts and sayles and passengers and all at a morsel as it were to which he alludes as appears in that he compares his grief to the sands in the former part This heart-oppression like a known melancholy disease in the night with which some persons are troubled so oppresseth the brest that a man cannot speak This was Hemans disease an holy man too Psal 77. 4. I am so troubled that I cannot speak Nay farther a Saint may be so low under hatches in affliction especially in soul-troubles under the Spirit of Bondage or spiritual desertion that his very eyes are shut as well as his mouth Mine iniquities saith David have taken hold on me so that I cannot look up Psal 40. 12. If this be thy case then be sure God pities thee the more by how much the less thou art able to speak for thy self As we use to pity little children and persons that are dumb and are sensible of the injuries done to them more then to others Alas poor souls we use to say they cannot speak for themselves Nay we pity an horse and such other unreasonable creatures when misused upon the same account Alas poor dumb thing who would use a dumb creature so Sure then God must needs be more tenderly pitiful to a soul in such a condition And our Mediator our Advocate in heaven must needs be the more eloquent in pleading for the Saints his Clyents when they are under such a tongue-tyed condition Alas saith Christ poor soul Father hear me for him he cannot speak for himself His condition speaks aloud for him because it hinders him from speaking 2 Know there be secret wayes of acquainting God with thy straights and pressures when the more visible and sensible outlets and avenues of the soul are all blocked up They that are skilled in the Military Art have sometimes shot intelligence in a bullet in the head of an Arrow when the City or Castle hath been besieged on all parts so closely that no ordinary way of correspondence with their friends hath been left open And this intelligence though it bee short and small in bulk yet may be as pithy and as much in substance and use as a whole sheet of paper written all over We starve or We want Ammunition or men to man our works so A few dayes and without relief we can hold out no longer is as good intelligence as can be in such a case It may be thou canst not tell God a large story how 't is with thee nor limne out thy sad case in lively colours canst not paint thy present death to the life or give light enough by thine expressions to discover the darkness of thy afflictions as David Hezekiah have done when they recovered their tongues again but yet thou canst say Lord I want Lord I am sick Lord I faint Lord I dye c. Thou canst with the Publican say Lord be merciful to me a sinner Luke 18. 13. With David in his troubled condition But thou Lord how long Psal 6. 3. With Hezekiah under his fainting fit thou canst chatter Lord I am oppressed undertake for me or ease me Isai 38. 14. And if thou canst not do so much yet thou canst set thy selfe as in the presence of God and even out of the mouth of hell look towards his holy Temple cast a begging look as children do towards some Sweet meats they dare not ask for towards the Throne of Grace so Jonah did Jonah 2. 4. Thou canst sigh and groan Now this is sufficient intelligence to God whose blessed Spirit speaks in these groans and he understands 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the general bent inclination and affection of the Spirit and from it can pick out his meaning because he searcheth the heart Rom 8. 27. As a Nurse can make english of the stammering broken speech of the child nay the mother sometimes knowes by the looks of the child what its mouth waters for and a skilful Antiquary can write an History out of the broken Inscriptions of old coynes and Monuments of Antiquity because he is acquainted and useth to commune with those kind of fragments And take this for a certain rule a man may have much of the spirit of prayer who hath very little of the Gift of prayer and so may be streightned very much in this when his heart runs over with the abundance of that 3 Yet is not this condition to be rested in it being that that keeps the soul in a famishing estate but the Saints of God ought by all means to endeavour the recovery of their freedom and liberty of spirit and expression in duty as knowing that much of the comfort support and strength of their spirits is abated whiles they are thus tongue-tyed And therefore for recovery out of this spiritual distemper I would prescribe these Helps 1 Examine carefully what it is that streightens the spirit and shuts the mouth which may be 1 The greatness of your burthen as before And that you shal know by these two Marks 1 If it indispose you to all other imployments as well as to prayer Thus 't was with the Author of Ps 102 the Title of the Psalm tells you his condition he was one whose spirit was over-whelmed and how doth that appear My heart saith he is smitten like grass and withered a metaphor taken from frosts that nip the grasse and intercept the juice that should come from the root to the blades and so it becomes withered so saith he the extremity of my trouble withers and shrivels up my very heart so that I am like a dead saplesse thing But it may be he was only so in the matters of God and then it might possibly be his sin No he was so in all humane affaires too I forget saith he to eat my bread verse 4. No wonder saith hee if I bee withered in the affaires of my mind when I grow even carelesse of my very body I forget to eat my bread 2. If it shut up the heart in complaining to man as well as in complaints to God A troubled soul goes to a godly Minister it may be and thinks to utter to him all that is in the heart and fain would unloade it selfe in his ears but finds it selfe so straightened it can scarce say a word that it came for and that not meerly
saving conversion of the soul to God that they are perfectly delivered from it for ever after 'T is a business that is to bee gone through but oâ—câ— and when it is once over there is no fear of its returning upon a man again I mean not that the soul may not come under bondage and fear and terrour again if I should the experiences of most of the Saints of God would confute me in this particular But here lyes the comfort No after shakings to such a soul are the Spirit of Bondage as Ishal shew more hereafter in the third Thesis or Proposition of the second part concerning the Spirit of Adoption And so they come not upon a man with Authority from God but arrest a man barely upon a counterfeit warrant and a man is not bound to submit to them Those cavils which arise afterward in such a soul are not the definitive sentence of a Judg concerning a man but the importune and vexing and litigious allegations of an Adversary Satan is a common Barreter and he makes it his trade to find out flaws in the evidences of Gods Saints and when he hath found or pretends to have found any he makes a great cry of a little wool as we say and like a clamorous and malicious accuser heightens every molehil to a mountain and concludes heavily against a man But what is all this to a mans quiet and peaceable possession if the spirit of God have discharged him the Court And such a one after his Gaol delivery from the spirit of bondage is for ever so discharged CHAP. XX Advice in seven particulars to such persons as are under this Spirit HEnce also properly grows this Caution to convinced sinners Take heed if this be the Spirits way and method of conversion how you render these works ineffectual and fruitlesse to your souls and so obstruct the Spirits saving design upon your selves This may be done many wayes I have instanced in some of them upon the former point which I shall not repeat To those add 1. A man may obstruct his own conversion in this work by a carelesse and sloathful intermission of those meanes which may keep his convictions fresh and lively and his conscience tender Souls under this work should strike as we say whiles the iron is hot And if the edg be dull he must lay on the more strength Eccles 10. 10. must improve publick Ordinances by private meditation prayer conference Fire will as well be put out by neglecting to supply it with fewel as by casting on water The Spirit may be starved as well as quenched The sluggard that after ploughing doth not follow it with the mattock and harrow will have as bad an harvest as he that sowes and never plowes at all The sluggaâ—d when he is called will divers times answer faire and make promises to rise and sometimes offers fair to perform them but when you cease calling his endeavors cease he finds his bed sweet and for want of throwing off the cloaths or starting out of bed by and by sinks into his rest again and takes the other nap Prov. 6. 10. So is it oftentimes with a sinner the Spirit cals and conscience calls and he ever and anon cryes I rise and sometimes starts up as if he would get out indeed but through sloath he is loath to be at the paines to pursue his good resolutions doth not follow them by constant and fervent prayer holy conference strict search into his heart and wayes and so loseth his beginnings by degrees insensibly and becomes as secure a sinner as ever God when he gives grace will be sought to Ezek. 36. 37. Yet will I be inquired of for this and Prov. 2. 3 4. If thou list up thy voice for understanding 2. He may do it by keeping needlesse society with wicked erroneous or vain and unprofitable company The former sorts scoff out and the latter toy out the seriousnesse of spirit that attends a convinced conscience Thence is the Apostles caution to them who upon that prick in the heart advise with him for the cure of that dangerous wound Save your selves saith he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from this crooked generation Acts 2. 49. and this he did very earnestly the Spirit sets it out by two words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he did charge or adjure and intreat and that with many words as knowing it to be a businesse of very great importance in what company such young beginners lighted Think you hear that Question put to you which the Angels put to the women Luke 24. 5. Why seek ye the living among the dead Truly beloved the unhappy lot of many a coming soul falls among profane friends and they as I shewed before by all means possible endeavour to drowne those little sparks others longing after ease and comfort and not daring to turn the stream of soul troubles in such a way among those friends to whom they chuse to bemoan themselves oftentimes light upon some of unsound Principles and they draw them from publick Ordinances and private duties the only ordinary means of effectual conversion it may be prejudice them against those Truths that affected them and thereby they not being plyed with those softning meanes quickly return to their former hardnesse and impenitency onely they colour it under a new name and profession of Saintship Now for prevention of this â—vil there is no greater caution in any thing to be observed by persons in that condition then to avoyd the company of hereticks as the most pernicious generation that they can converse withall And as for vain and frothy and unprofitable company though they be not in the same way hurtfull with those before mentioned yet are they great hinderances to this worke and hinder the real conversion of many a convinced sinner whiles they dispose the soul to a vain sleight and frothy temper a temper which is so far from being disposed aright for a businesse of such spiritual importance that it is not fit to manage a serious temporal imployment And good reason for there is in all such laughter a kind of madnesse Eccles 2. 2. For as the conceptions of fools and madmen are fickle and fleeting one fancy putting out the other as one wave another in water whence comes the rambling and incoherent discourse which ordinarily discovers distractednesse of mind so doth joy and lightnesse of heart especially if it be occasioned by vain and impertinent objects dilate and spread the spirit so as makes it incapable of being confined to any one thing though never so serious but the soul in such a condition dissolves and evaporates into smoak and as is said of the Heathens in another sense Rom. 1. 21. becomes vain in its imaginations How often doth the Apostle caution us aginst vain janglings and vain bablings 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 discourses in which there is nothing but flash and vapour 1
conscience Now conscience in some persons is silenced by main force in others disheartened by a sleighting carriage in others bribed by a forme of godlinesse and so it is brought to give way to a delusive and undoing peace and either to flatter a man in the way to hel or not to give him a plain information of his condition Now it is a very dangerous thing to quiet conscience with any thing in the World but the bloud of Jesus When an unsprinkled Heb. 10. 22. conscience is at peace this is a dangerous and undoing peace Conscience is the soules faithful watchman and will if it bee not blind when it 's let alone in its duty give faithfull intelligence of its danger in time that it may be avoided Now when conscience is discouraged herein and prevailed withal to speak nothing but pleasing things how soon and how suddenly will such persons souls be surprized and ruined before they are aware of it A thousand times better to have a roaring conscience then a sleeping conscience and a sullen conscience that will never speak a good word to a man then a fawning conscience that wil never although there be never so great cause speak a bad one Hereby doth Satan secure a soul against saving conversion for the future See Acts 28. 27. and God sayes Amen to it Isai 6 9. John 12. 40. 4 Possibly hereby thou maist be brought farther then all this Thou hast not only laid all tongues within door but thou wilt begin to silence the cocks without door also that thou mayest sleep securely for the future Gods faithful Embassadors that speak too loud and home to thy spiritual condition must be enjoyned or flattered or scared into a deep silence as to all such points as may trouble thee lest conscience newly laid to rest should startle again This was in another case the frame of Ahab he was resolved upon his war and then all the Court-Chaplains are taught their Lesson that they must all prophesie good success to the Kings design and Micaiah because he will not say as they do hath much ado to get a hearing 1 Kiâ—gs 22 and when he is heard gets an imprisonment for delivering his Message So it is with men in this case when they are resolved to be at peace with their defiled consciences upon any termes they wilfully turne their backs upon such Ministers as say not what they will have them and if it were in their power would use them no better then Ahab used Micaiah and Herod John the Baptist And now I have mentioned Herod me thinks I see him just such a man as I am now discoursing of a man convinced and very likely to become a convert one that heard John gladly a great while and sure he was much wrought on that could please himself in so austere and sowre a Preacher as John was but when he had prevailed with conscience to wink at his sinful pleasure with Herodias then because John made so much noise of the businesse that both the King and his Minion were afraid he would make that tell-tale awake and look abroad againe and stare them in the face the Preacher must be laid in prison and his head must be cut off to keep his tongue quiet Now when a man hath brought himself to such a passe as to all ordinary and likely meanes of conversion he is desperate 5. Possibly thou maist grow into a grosse neglect of duties and Ordinances An un-grounded peace often carries men to this for as it was gotten without these meanes so it is maintained without them And the soul thus set at liberty is afraid of coming within the reach of those meanes that may reduce it back again to its old condition And therefore seeing these are the meanes to work conversion a soul prejudiced against these is in a most unlikely way of ever being savingly wrought upon The man that under this delusion being even upon this very account prejudiced against them because whiles he was under them he could never be quiet and since he hath left them all things are in peace whence it appears that he is resolved though it cost him his salvation not to break if possibly he can prevent it his corrupt and unwarrantable security and peace He is asleep and not willing to be disturbed though he be on the top of a Mâ—st Prov 23. 34. 6 After all this it is a thousand to one if thou do not become a more desperate enemy to and Persecuter of the wayes of God then any other and so by degrees fall into the unpardonable sin Convinced men come neer the Kingdom of God and then their hopes are high from God and all this while they flatter him with their lips and are much in prayer and hearing c. until by their desperate Apostacies from these beginnings they have the sentence of condemnâ—tion in their own hearts which they bear about with them still though not alwayes with the same raging and raving clamours and this consciousnesse of being cast off by God and utterly deserted by the spirit of grace turnes all their love into hatred and no men in the world prove more bloudy Persecuters then they Truly Beloved it is not for nothing that we find troubled consciences that are made graciously tender to complain so often of their own hearts that they are afraid they have sinned the sin against the Holy Ghost for though every Apostacy from a mans convictions be not that sin yet every Apostacy from strong and deep workings of the Spirit of Bondage is a great step towards it And although it be sure that no man hath committed that sin who can mourn upon supposition that he hath committed it yet it is no lesse sure that many who have been before great Mourners under the sense of other sins may fall into it and be rendred uncapable of ever mourning for sin any more but in Hell CHAP. XXIII Such are exhorted to endeavour to recover those lost impressions A Question discussed hereupon and Objections answered 2. A Second Duty incumbent upon such persons is to labour to reduce again those lost impressions of the Spirit of Bondage I confesse it is a very hard matter to recover a spirit of conviction and compunction again when it is once lost yet it may be had the soul being first made deeply sensible as was before required of the evil and danger of checking and losing it and following God in all his Ordinances conscienciously for its recovery But truly 't is a very rare thing without very extraordinary Grace for such impressions to be at least effectually renewed As in dangerous relapses nature having made many attempts to cast out her enemy and failing is ordinarily so wearyed out that it is an extreme difficult thing to apply any Physick strong enough to conquer the disease and yet not too strong for nature to manage and therefore it requires the more labor with our hearts to effect Object
sense of mercies Thou wantest at least in thy apprehension grace and Christ or it may be but the evidence and assurance of these now thou perpetually art on the complaining hand and when thou comest into Gods presence he hears nothing from thee but these complaints and all that thou conversest with can have nothing else from thee but querulous language and it may be murmuring discourses concerning the sadnesse of thy condition and present wants But here is not a word of acknowledgment of what thou hast Thou never goest to God and acknowledgest that it is a great mercy he hath made thee see the sinfulnesse and misery of thy present condition and affected thy heart with it Now certainly this were a more likely way to speed 8. Labour to keep your hearts warm by keeping those things most fresh upon your spirits by constant meditation which most affect you Thou goest home warm from a Sermon affected it may be deeply with thy own condition by nature or it may be convinced of the exceeding sinfulnesse of some Master sin or other when thou comest home that this may be effectual to thy conversion dwell upon those passages in thy thoughts and when they are ready to dye recover them again by fresh recollection desiring God to fix them upon thy spirit till they have done their work And this puts a special force into the Word which it would utterly lose if these thoughts by worldly diversions should be buryed as soon as thou art gone from the Publick Assembly And at other times whiles this work is upon thee thou maist do well to take up thoughts on these Heads which may be matter for meditation in such a condition 1 The sinfulnesse of sin under all its aggravations and the sad condition of a person under it Here thou maist think what a sad Apostacy from the perfection of mans nature and being sin hath brought into the world how black an image of Satan it hath drawn upon the soul what an holy and righteous Law it is against what a just condemnation it hath subjected thee unto And here thoughts of hel and the eternal wrath of God under all its affecting circumstances may bee considered in relation to thy case 2 Your own particular sins and their heightning circumstances How much more vile thou art then others and thy sins more great then those of others what by means and mercies and judgments and convictions and education and vowes and covenants of forsaking them by Apostacies and backslidings into them after a temporary desertion of them by being accessary or Author to the sinnes of others c. 3 The necessity of returnings to God That therefore in the way thou art in thou art running with all speed to the chambers of death if thou dye the next moment hell must receive thee and heaven be for ever shut against thee That thou hast no way to escape but by a speedy return to God and taking up a new course Matth. 5. 25. 4 The impotency hardnesse deceitfulnesse of your own heart That although thou see so much need of getting into another condition entring into another way yet it is not in thy power so to do and if it were thou hast such an heart as would dissemble with God and thee and put him and thee off with shewes and colours in stead of real fruits of grace or if it could bring forth such yet they cannot justifie and are frail and uncertain 5 The excellency of Christ in his grace and in his righteousnesse That therefore God hath appointed a way in which thy sins may be pardoned and thy nature renewed by the righteousnesse and grace of another That all that thou seest wanting in thy self Christ is abundantly able to supply That there is therefore that in Christ for which he deserves to be valued above all the world for grace and peace 6 The riches and freenesse of Gospel Promises in which Christ is communicated especially those that we call absolute Promises of the first grace That to persons so lost in themselves there is an abundant fountain of Grace opened in Christ That God invites all such persons to come to him and if they want wherewithal to procure Christ that he hath promised that too even the Spirit Zech. 12. 10. Luke 11. 13. Faith Phil. 1. 29. A new heart Ezek 36. 26 CHAP. XXVI Farther Directions of the same kind 9 TAke heed your particular callings prove not a snare to you That may be two wayes 1 By wholly neglecting of them For hereby a soul is exposed to a million of temptations whereunto a moderate prosecution of the affairs of a mans calling might prove a considerable diversion 'T is true I would have every soul upon the first smiting of his heart to set apart some time for a serious meditation upon it till he hath stated his condition and by Gods assistance begged in Prayer gained a clear sight of his estate brought his heart under such fixed impressions as will stick upon him through all his other imployments After which he may go about the works of his calling moderately and take set times out of it to begin where he left last so carrying on that work yet not neglecting the other As a Tradesman takes time to state his Accounts and when so falls to his Imployment again and having brought his Accounts into method he can again find where he left 2 By over eager following them Mat. 13. 22. The cares of the world choak the Word The Divel when a soul sets all its power on work to hunt him out runs like a hare among a flock of sheep and so puzles the pursuing soul and divers it A man in such a condition if his necessary imployments cannot be carryed on by other hands may and must follow them yet he must take heed that his whole heart never be let out in them stil must the impressions of the Spirit of God run as a black thread through the whole web of his businesse that when he hath gained time from his business to think on it more seriously he miss not his heart 10. Avoid all cooling company and choose those whose affections are warmest and their zeal hottest provided they be sound in the faith This I have touched upon before as also most of the rest in a sort and therefore shall be but brief in it When you are convinced possibly your company before conviction was meerly worldly possibly vicious drunken dissolute now fly the very occasions of conversing with them and seek cleave to and esteem only the company of the strictest These will be sure to help you out in the managing of your troubles will give advice pray with and for you c. See Act. 2. 40. 11. Keep no considerable passages of your present condition secret O that I could perswade people when the Word works any impressions upon their consciences presently to let the same or some other but most chiefly the same Minister
of Christ in his name shall declare that as far as the Word gives him ground to judge of thy case he fully perswades himselfe that thou art a child of God The Lord hath promised to confirme the Word of his Servants and perform the counsel of his Messengers Isai 44. 26. And it is not for nothing that he hath promised to loose in heaven what they loose on earth Mat. 16. 19. 'T is true they may err in the Application and God is not bound to justifie them in their mistakes But yet it is as true that seldom doth a godly knowing Minister and such an one only is fit to bee consulted in such cases so grosly mistake the case of his Soul-Patient as to mis-apply comforts but upon such grounds as wil hold water according to the Word and he cannot be so much an enemy to thy soul and his own as to go about wilfully to deceive thee So may it be said of the judgment of serious and experienced Christians that although they cannot absolve the troubled soul Authoritatively as Ministers can and charge you to rest in their word in the name of Christ yet they may passe a private sentence upon your condition from the Word and their own experience and you are bound not to reject it rashly and inconsâ—derately but to allow it some weight in your serious thoughts The least that you can allow to the testimony of such persons of both sorts concerning your estate is 1. A charitable Interpretation of it and the grounds upon which they give it so far as to think thus of it Why may not I in darkness and confusion of spirit be rather deceived in my judgment of my self then such persons who as they are free from my distempers and entirely love my soul so have more intimate acquaintance with God and the light of their own experience to keep them from mistaking 2 Hearty prayer to God that he will make good the words of his servants and open your heart to receive them 3 A suspension of any severer determination or sentence concerning your self seeing you find so many supposed abler then your self to be of another judgment 4 A striving and labouring with your own hearts by meditation upon the grounds upon which they pass their judgment of you to encline them to receive it 5. To follow their advice and counsel grounded thereupon as far as possibly you can and to blame your selves before God when you do not do so Isai 50. 10. Who is there among you that feareth the Lord and obeyeth the voice of his servant that walketh in darkness c. CHAP. XIV The first Direction to the attaining of a Spirit of Adoption in its witnessing Act. And first concerning exercising frequent Acts of Relyance As also a Case concerning the exercise of Reliance in want of Assurance How it can be Faith in four noble Acts described AFter the removal of Hindrances follow these Directions I. Exercise frequent Acts of Relyance upon the free grace of God in Christ and the Promises in which it is held forth unto thee together with the offers and invitations of the Gospel backing them Quest But how can I rely upon that grace which I am not assured belongs unto me If I rely upon a friend in a matter of moment concerning whom I have no certain evidence that he ever intended mee any good I may deceive my self and thereby undo my selfe while I leane to a broken reed Answ 1. The being assured that God is mine in particular is not the only ground of my relyance upon him 'T is true there be acts of relyance that follow Assurance when a man relies upon God as a knowne friend But yet there are acts of Reliance that precede Assurance as when I rely upon God as one that hath offered to be a friend to all that will duly make use of him Such a friend I am not assured is my friend in particular before I go to him but I go to him take hold of his offer claim his Promise and resolve to adventure my selfe thereupon and thus at last I get a good word from him that gives me a particular assurance that it shall be with me according to my faith Mat. 9. 29. That you may understand this the more clearly know there be these four acts in faith and they are like so many staires one above the other the one being the ground of the other I deny not but they may all be brought together in time But in nature I apprehend from the Word they are produced in this order Those are 1 Acceptance The Gospel reveals life and salvation to poor undone sinners through Christ who abandoning and renouncing their own sins and righteousness are contented to receive it from him in his own way The answer of the heart to this Truth is It is a saying worthy of all acceptation 1 Tim. 1. 15. And accordingly I accept of these termes and resolve in Gods strength I will not seek salvation in any other name Lord Christ accept of me I surrender my self into thy hands I beseech thee discharge all thy Offices on and for me This is called receiving John 1. 12. It is sometimes expressed by a term of motion coming to Christ John 6. 37. yea flying for refuge to him Heb. 6. 18. Both which imply renunciation of other security and accepting his alone 2 Claim The next thing apprehended in the Gospel is the general offer of these termes and salvation by them unto all that come unto Christ and Gods earnest invitation to accept of it The first is the discovery of the way of life and that the soul likes and accepts and comes This is the discovery of the persons to whom this way is passable and those are all that exclude not themselves Ho every one that thirsteth come Isai 55. 1. Apoc. 22. 17. Let whoever will come The Answer of the heart here is Lord I come Lord I put in for a share in this Offer This is called Laying hold upon the hope that is set before us Heb. 6. 18. 3 Relyance or dependance This is a gracious Offer indeed saith the soul and I have put in for a share in it but may I depend upon it Yes saith the Gospel and there comes in the Promise seconding the Offer and Invitation thou maist adventure thy soul on it for God hath said that who ever comes to Christ he will in no wise cast out John 6. 37. That he that thirsting comes shall eat that which is good c. Isai 55. 1 2 3 Matth. 11. 28. The answer of the heart here is Sink or swim I will adventure my soul upon this Promise I will carry it to hell with me in my dying gripe if I must perish Though he kill me yet will I trust in him as Job saith under affliction Job 10. 13. This act is usually expressed by trusting in God Ephes 1 12 13. Trusting and staying a mans self on God Isai 50.
said Cornelius do this or that as to say Send for Peter and he shall tell thee what to do Acts 10. 6. But God sends him to Peter and Peter must come and direct him in a set Sermon that God might keep up the credit of his Messengers and his standing Ordinances There are special promises to this purpose to be fulfilled to the people of God in publick Assemblies of the Church Isai 56. 7. I wil make them joyful saith God but where in my House of Prayer which was among the Jews the Temple and among the Gentiles any place of publick Worship Isai 60. 7. I will glorifie the House of my glory And 't is remarkable that in both places the Promises are made to the Gentiles when they should be converted as appears by the Context God would have an house of Prayer places of publick Assemblies in the Gentile Church and in them God hath promised to make his people joyful Come forth here all ye old Disciples experienced Christians and give in evidence from your experience Cannot you say that the banner of love which God hath spread over your souls was lifted up in these Banquetting Houses Hath he not here stayed your souls with flagons and comforted you with apples Cant. 2. 2 Prayer There is an holy Conference and Dialogue between God and the soul in holy Duties This of Prayer is the Duty in which we speak and the Word and Seals are the wayes in which God speaks Wee ask Counsel in Prayer God answers in them We ask strength and peace in this God returnes answers of peace in them and we reply in thanksgiving again God in the Word tells us what he is offended at in us we confesse it in Prayer he assures us we are pardoned in the Word c. We returne thanks in prayer again And indeed this is the way how to know Gods mind as we know mans mind by desiring a conference and proposing our doubts or dissatisfactions and receiving his answers when he gives them or pressing for them when he denyes or estrangeth himself Thus David used to enquire of the Lord. Psal 27. 4. And when he had enquired in prayer then he holds his peace and waits to hear what God will say Psalm 85 8. 1 Neglect not this way of conference with God Especially in the set seasons thereof They have a fancy among the Philosophers of two needles touched with the same Loadstone which being set in two Compasses written round with the letters of the Alphabet will conveigh intelligence from one friend to another at the greatest distance Thus each friend having recourse to his own Compass at fixed times shall find that as his friend at distance moves his needle to any letter his own without any touch of his will turne to the same so that by putting together those letters he may read his friends mind I have not faith enough to believe the conceit but I can make a good use of it in Spirituals wherein I am sure it is true Gods heart and thine are touched with the same Loadstone of love and if thou at seasons of conference shalt have recourse to the needle 1 John 4. 19 of thy heart and by the experience of holy affections in prayer shalt point out to God thy wants and burthens the heart of God by a sacred sympathy will work the same way and copy out thy case in his own bosome and then it cannot be long ere his fatherly compassions set the needle of his affections a turning towards thee again to produce a reciprocal assurance in thy heart by a like secret sympathy This the Scripture holdeth forth clearly See Jer 31 18 19 20. There Ephraims needle first turnes in confession Thou hast chastised me c. Then Gods needle falls to work presently to give him intelligence of Ephraims complaint Surely I have heard Ephraim bemoaning himself And when Ephraims story is done then God falls to turning his needle by way of answer to Ephraim My bowels are troubled for him Is Ephraim my dear son Yes that he is and he shall know it too For since I spake against him I do earnestly remember him still Then comes the answer to Ephraims heart I will surely have mercy upon him saith the Lord. Thence in the Text the Spirit that is the witnesse from God to us is the Sollicitour within us to God The same Messenger that carries our Letters brings our Answer ver 16. Oh Friends you know not what mischief Satan doth to you by cooling your hearts in prayer nay by prevailing with you onely to neglect a set time of prayer publick or private If you appoint a friend a set time of meeting and conference so often every day and you fail him twice or thrice together especially when he knowes you have none but trifling businesses to hinder you how can you expect but that he should serve you in the same kind True a man may lay bonds upon himself in appointment of times of duty which as he may order the matter that is if he lay them so upon himself as to pronounce it absolutely unlawful upon any occasion to over-slip that very time may prove but snares to entangle his conscience but yet on the other side to set apart appointed hours for this duty as a convenient means to keep our heart from framing petty occasions from hour to hour to put off the duty and that with resolution not to fail at the appointed time but upon very weighty occasions and upon such failing at any time to resolve to make up that defect doubly as soon as the occasion is over sure is a very profitable way for the getting and keeping acquaintance with God And no question if God find as he knowes that very slight occasions divert us from meeting him at fit or set times but he will be out of the way at other times when our leasure will serve us to seek him But this by the way concerning set times of prayer 2. 2. A soul that wants the witnesse of Gods Spirit though he neglect not those yet he will not content himself with them but he must now and then visit the Throne of Grace in extraordinary wayes of duty adding fasting to prayer and spending whole dayes in following hard after God Certainly this duty is much neglected among Christians in these dayes to what it hath been formerly both in private and publick Surely when Gods Saints were more acquainted with it there was far more acquaintance with God then I fear if I may ghess at others condition by mine owne there now is There be some Divels saith our Saviour that wil not be cast out without prayer and fasting Mar. 9. 29. so may I say in this case there be some doubts that will not be cast out of the soul till a man try this way Not that fasting adds any thing to prayer in it selfe or by any proper efficiency of its own but it disposeth a man to
humiliation and humiliatiâ—… disposeth a man to partake of the secrets of Gods counsell and especially in the matter of particular assurance Isai 57. 15. Caution Yet is not this help so absolutely necessary as that I should put it in practise under every condition of body if I am not able without prejudice to my health to bear fasting I shall thereby more distemper my body and consequently more weaken my spirits then is convenient or indeed lawfull and thereby give greater advantage to Satan to trouble my tired mind then hee had before In such a case commend thy condition to the publique prayers of the Church especially upon days of solemn seeking God If persons be sick and in danger of death then a Minister shall have a bill handed to him to pray for their bodily health and that is good that in these days wherein every Ordinance of God and Duty of ours growes into disreputation men shew they value the prayers of the Church but I wonder that among all our bills there are no complaints of soul-sicknesse Oh Beloved it would do a Ministers heart good as we say to receive a score or two of bills upon a Sabbath day to this purpose One that hath an hard heart that hath been often heated and is grown cold again one that hath been long under conviction and finds no gracious issue of it one that cryes aloud after God can have no Answer one that is assaulted with fearfull temptations that cannot get any evidence of Gods love and goes heavily all the day long c. desires their prayers It may be God expects you should thus make many friends to speak to him that thanks may be rendred by many on your behalf as the Apostle expresseth himselfe in a like case 2 Cor. 1. 11. And neglect not to bee present as often as possibly thou canst at the publick prayers of the Church especially such as are put up in relation to thy case There is a remarkable story of one out of whom by the prayers of Mr. Rothwell an eminent Minister of late years in the North See Clark in the life of Rothwell and some faithfull Brethren a Devil was cast the man yet continuing dumb for some years after till he being present in a Congregation where he was particularly prayed for at the close of the petition God opened his mouth and he said Amen publickly and spake to Gods glory ever after So in thy case who knows whether God reserves comfort for thee to be dispenced in such a way Lastly Every day the Saints of God especially under bondage and darknesse can finde occasional times to knock at the door of grace when they are at leasure from necessary imployments There be some haunts where most men bestow themselves in the intervals of businesse in the breathing times between one imployment and another One man fills up these breaches parentheses and odd ends of time with idle discourse another with such and such pastimes lose-times we may better call them as commonly they are used a third haunts the Ale-house or a worse place it may be but such a souls usual haunt as I am speaking of in those fragments of time is the throne of grace and prayer and holy conference with God in other private Duties that is his pastime Will you know where David haunts at midnight when he cannot sleep At midnight will I arise and Psalm 63. 6. praise thee 119. 62. Will you know where his haunt is after meals Not only evening and morning but at noon also will I cry unto thee Psal 55. 17. If you enquire what time he begins in the mornings see Psalm 119. 147. I prevented the dawning of the morning and cryed In a word to shut up this head some people I know charge this way of seeking assurance with trusting in Duties and the persons that so seek with pride in them But sure there is more pride in not condescending to begge then in begging 'T were an unheard thing that a begger should be proud of his trade He that prays feelingly hath the greatest security against pride CHAP. XVI Concerning seeking Assurance in Sacraments Where a practicall Question whether and how Baptisme administred in Infancy can be helpfull hereunto THis assurance is promoted by Sacraments These we call by the warrant of St. Paul the Apostle seals Rom. 4. 11. Now the Spirit that is the personal seal may make use of the Sacraments as the instrumental seals of this assurance 1. Baptisme I mean not the repetition of it which is a course some vain people are seduced unto in hope to get comfort by it but many have found it hath been an occasion of many sad and fearfull Apostacies from the standing Ordinances of Jesus Christ and so hath eaten out the heart of their love to and zeal in following God in them whiles their prejudices to their former baptisme have caused prejudices against the Ministers that dispensed it and the Churches wherein they received it and so they have proceeded by degrees as finding no persons or administrations free from exception to throw off all ways of worship and duty altogether which when they have been made to see the evil of their way as it may by Gods goodnesse come to passe though seldome it do they find all the peace they got in those ways was but meer imposture But I mean the renewed meditation of the spiritual signification and end of that seal of the Covenant which having been applied to thee in thy infancy becomes of force to thee as soon as thou comest to know and to accept of the Covenant in the serious choyce and intention of thy heart One main intent of Baptisme is to work an assurance of the pardon of sinne by the sprinkling of the bloud of Christ And herein it answers to Circumcision Col. 2. 11 12. compared with Rom. 4. 11. Which Circumcision was a seal of the Righteousness which is by faith i. e. of the righteousnesse of Christ made ours by faith for justification 'T is called the baptisme of repentance for remission of sinnes that is signifying and sealing forgivenesse of sinnes to the conscience of a penitent sinner Now if a man Mark 1. 3. have not only a great Landlords word but his seal to assure him of such an estate he is confident thereupon to abide a trial at law before a just Judge so if thou make a right use of this seal thou mayst plead it whenever Conscience shall sit upon thee and call into question thy Spiritual or eternal condition Think now and then upon thy baptisme and the end of it and labour from thence to rise to a belief of the performance of that to thee in truth which was sacramentally exhibited to thee in the signe And know this That laying hold of the graces promised and sealed in Baptisme upon the terms convenanted gives thee a just and legal claim to them Object But this Sacrament was administred
comprehends every grace in kind and it concerns him to come to the Sacrament to promote it Caution Yet let me add lastly that I speak not this to encourage a lazy credulousness by which we are apt to be easily perswaded without any sufficient enquiry to take it for granted that we have grace because we have now and then some good wishes when as our own hearts if they were well searched would witness to us the faintness coldness inconstancy laziness of our affections towards heavenly things especially in comparison with those large measures of earnestness importunity and diligence with which they are attended in the things that concerne this present life which might be a sufficient confutation of all our good conceits that wee have of our selves Friends take heed that you do not make such truths as these a protection for your supine negligence to examine your selves more throughly and exactly The truth is the persons to whom this cordial is intended are only those who after earnest enquiry after their own estate from other evidences are driven to this Sanctuary as their last refuge not to those who because they wil spare their pains to enquire more at large and particularly fly to this as the most compendious way and that wherein least pains is required to satisfie themselves concerning their condition Yet I fear such truths by Gods just judgment accidentally stumble many souls and no wonder the Doctrine of free grace I dare say accidentally damnes millions CHAP. XVIII Three other Directions And a Case of Conscience concerning the discerning the Motions of the Holy Spirit from tentations and the inclination of our owne hearts 3 TAke notice of the least approaches Direct III. of the Spirit of God to the soul in a witnessing way and follow them by Meditation and Prayer Sometimes the witnesse of the Spirit is not full and through to the satisfaction of all our doubts yet it speaks something tending that way it speaks many things severally and by parcels which laid together would amount to a ful Testimony Now in such cases a soul must be very watchful to take and improve the least hints of the Spirit As in an humane Testimony the witnesses that witnesse in a case before a Judge do not all speak point-blank to the case in question but sometimes very faintly brokenly and imperfectly Now a good Judg in such a case doth not slight such Testimonies as come not full up to a businesse but observes and retaines in memory every thing that is deposed though very defective as to a full proof and at last what one testimony did not sufficiently clear in terminis many testimonyes will make up a full proof of if laid together by a skilful and judicious Lawyer This Art we find the Church using in desertion Cant. 29. There she discovers Christ first at a distance leaping upon the Mountains removing the great impediments to the manifestation of himself suppose conquering mountainous corruptions and mountainous temptations suppose deadnesse and flatnesse of heart in duty c. which looks like a mountain of separation betweene Christ and the soul ver 8. she finds her self unexpectedly enlarged and opened in her addresses to him Thence she concludes he is a coming he prepares his way as 't is said in another case of John he makes every mountain and hill low Isai 40. 4. and every valley he exalts that he may make his way smoother then she espies him behind the wall looking in through the lattess neerer then he was but yet he stands much undiscovered the wall and the lattess here it may be are the obstacles of prejudice and doubting and distrust in our own hearts which keep us from seeing Christ clearly when he comes to us but yet something of Christ shines through them and the Church takes notice of these dark approaches puts a Behold upon them all Behold he cometh behold he standeth behind our wall And at last he calls her forth into a pleasant converse and walk with him v. 10. 11. and there fully manifesteth himselfe to her If God write thee a love-letter though the hand in which it is written be but uneven and it be not to be read but by spelling every word wilt thou not take that pains that thou mayst understand it The spirits testimony when it comes under Gods hand and seal to the heart is oftentimes so obscurely written that a man is fain to spell and put together many words experiences providences to make it up However the evidence may be sufficient that is pick'd out of them altogether Think then such a time I was refresht at a sermon enlarged extraordinarily in such a Prayer my heart was affected with an extraordinary measure of tendernesse in such a Sacrament I was even ready to despaire and God stayed me by a promise even ready at another time to make away with my selfe and God stayed me with an unexpected providence c. All these put together may perhaps make up as much as this Fear not I am thy Salvation c. Thy sins are forgiven thee God answers sometimes Psalm 85. 8 in a soft voyce in a whisper and it concerns us to observe narrowly as Benhadads servants 1 Kings 20 33 4. Labour aftâ—r more of the Spirit of sanctification and that is the way to get the Direct IV. witnesse of the Spirit of Adoption The spirit that seals us up to an holy assurance is an holy Spirit Ephes 1. 13. This is certain the more holinesse the more assurance The promise runs so Isai 32. 17. The work of righteousnesse shall be peace and the effect of righteousnesse quietness and assurance for ever I conceive the place intends inherent righteousnesse comparing it with the former verses where it is attributed to the Spirit as his work in barren hearts The like promise we have from our Saviour Jo. 14. 21. He that hath my Commandements and keepeth them he it is that loveth me and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father and I will love him and manifest my self unto him I am confident the reason why many persons do not recover an evidence of the Spirit assuring their consciences of their good condition is either that in their judgments they preferre peace before grace ease before holinesse and powre out many more prayers and tears for those then for these or else that they content themselves with finding in themselves some generalities of good desires and sincerity in the main and so sit down in a forme of godlinesse contented to stand at that stay Beloved it will concerne us to press hard after the Lord to follow after reach forward and press on they are the phrases of the Apostle Ph. 3 12 13 14. that we may apprehend that for which we are apprehended 1. If an evidence be never so faire yet if we be carelesse of it and let it gather dust or dirt or filth we may not be able to read it And certainly
thee sure enough for one while for recovering either thy evidence of that or thy ability in this For thou shalt never want lets to prayer if those will make thee doubt thy sonship and thou shalt never but doubt thy sonship if thou wilt take those lets for a sufficient confutation of thy relation and wilt thereby be kept from prayer again which is Satans aime to lead thee in a ring of mistakes everlastingly 3. Thou canst not pray But canst thou not groan neither If thou canst the Spirit of Adoption may be in a groan as well as in a prayer Rom. 8. 26. I shall have occasion to adde more concerning this on the last point CHAP. XLI The Case of decayes in spiritual affections deadnesse burthensomnesse of duty and several others occasionally thus far also stated Object BUt if it were well with me I should love and delight in holy things more then I do I find it a burthen to me to draw nigh to God in any Ordinance my affections that should be lively are dead and I know not how 't is with me but I find I am an unprofitable lump of clay and there is little difference between a meer block me Answ This case I confesse hath much discomfort in it But as discomfortable as it is yet it is not unsafe Indeeed were a Saints foundation of his own laying there could nothing more weighty and considerable be objected to shake it But our foundation is the foundation of God and that stands sure under our greatest deficiencies uncertainties But to answer that which occasions thy present trouble 1. Troubled spirits have not so much distinct and undisturbed reason in them as to find fanlt with the Devils Logick else I could tel them 't is a meer inconsequence that such or such a soul is now dead lumpish therefore it was never truly assured of the love of God For the allowance of this consâ—quence affirmes this falshood that it is impossible for one that hath had true assurance to bee afterwards in a spiritual swound as to the excercise of grace or gifts in duty which that it is a falshood as black as Satan himselfe that suggests it the Saints of God from their own experiences abundantly testifie and the Scriptures in the exhortations that they give to the Saints to blow up the gifts of God that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are in them suppose they may be like fiâ—e covered with ashes and may look as if their fire were quite out 2 Tim. 1. 6. And when they bid us quicken the things that are ready Apoc. 3. â— to dye they suppose some life even where graces are most languishing Apoc. 3. 2. Object Yea Sir could I be assured it were but a swound I should take comfort but I fear I am quite dead dead and buryed and a great stone upon the graves mouth that will never be removed and Gods seal upon it too that it may not be so Answ If thou werst quite dead thou wouldst be past fearing it But the present fear demonstrates that yet there is life Fear is a passion that ariseth from apprehension of an imminent danger If a tower be tumbling upon a dead corps he fears it not because he apprehends it not and apprehends it not because he is dead Nay thy fear discovers that it is not so much as a compleat swound that thou art in but a palsey rather seizing upon thy outmost parts whiles thy heart is still sound and sensible 'T is such an half-sleep as the Churches when her heart was awake all the while Cant. 5. 2. Methinks there are certain pretty contradictions in the apprehensions of a troubled spirit You shall hear him complain he is not humbled when the very visible brokennesse of heart in his complaints confutes him and he is dead when he gives evidence against his conceit by his passionate sense of his condition I shall as soon believe a child when he layes his head in his mothers lap and says I am asleep as thee when thou sayest I am dead and yet complainest Object But my complaints signifie nothing and my fears just as much as my complaints I complain out of forme because I know not what else to say when I am examined concerning my condition I must maintain discourse and I am a notorious hypocrite in all this therefore I pray you think not better of me then I am for any thing you hear from me A. 1. Yet more contradictions Thou art affraid men should think too well of thee and thou endeavourest to make thy self as vile as may be lest they should do so and is this a signe of an Hypocrite 2. Besides friend let me aske you and let your conscience deal faithfully with your self and me do you not come unwillingly to make these complaints to any body Is it not the meere sense of such burthens as if you should smother would oppresse you utterly that drives you to speak these things of your selfe and which also had not they been drawn from you by discourse you rather resolved to have kept to your selfe And call you this hypocrsie for a poor slave under an intolerable burthen to groan to save his heart from breaking by giving it some vent 3. Take heed of hypocrisie rather in this evasion and others of the like kind If it be hypocrisie to endeavour to seem what we are not then I fear complaints of hypocrisie many times are not altogether free from it It may be it is not intended by thee to deceive Gods Ministers and people into a worse conceit of thee but it is materially no lesse then I tell thee Beware of it 4. Tell me dost thou not tell God the same stories as well as thou canst which thou tellest thy Minister or fellow-Christian Object Yea But may I not play the hypocrite with God too Ans Take heed of hearing false witnesse against thy self and tel me again Dost thou not complain to God with an hearty and earnest desire of being relieved of the burthen of deadnesse that oppresseth thee Wouldst thou not purchase deliverance from it if God would put thee to it upon those terms at any rate Ob. Yea but 't is but forme still 't is but a discourse for want of another subject to speak of And so 't is in prayer to God I must say something and I know not what else to say Answer But why should such discourse be more frequent in thy mouth then any other both to God and man were it not that the matter of it is much in thy heart out â—f the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh Mat. 12. 34. 2. Discourses that are of meere forme are most commonly formed discourses But thy complaints both to God and man are rough-hewed confused distracted mis-shapen things it appears there is no Art in them by the discomposure of them no forme by their confusion 3. Either there is really in thee that evill which is
displeasure on Gods 4. From the manifestation of our relation to Christ. Christs name being the only ground of all gracious boldnesse and fervency in prayer Heb 4. 15 16. and 10. 20. The Spirit shews us Christ as our mediator at the right hand of God assures us we have a mighty powerfull advocate the Fathers favourite at his right hand one who hath his ear as we say at command and his heart too who pleads strongly on our behalfe and therefore under the wing of such a mediator we may come 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with assuming a liberty to speak any thing we will keeping within the bounds of reverence in the ear of God the Father As the Author to the Hebrews affirms in the place but now quoted Before the application of this point it is needfull to answer a question or two hinted at before but now particularly to bee handled CHAP. XLVII Two Cases stated whether Saints are at all times alike heightened in their spirits in prayer And if not whence the difference that is in them at several times proceeds Que. 1 ARe all that have received the witnesse of the Spirit at all times alike bold in prayer Que. 2 If not how comes it to passe that there is such an alteration in the spirits of Gods people That at one time they are more bold and fervent in prayer then at another Answ For answer to the first of these you are to know 1. That the boldnesse of Gods people in prayer depends not upon the reception of the witness in themselves but upon the actual improvement of that testimony If a man have never so good an evidence lying by him and he have it not ready to produce in Court when he is pleading his cause he cannot be so confident in his plea as at another time when he hath it in his hand And therefore 2 The best of Gods Saints as I have shewed you before may not at all times have his Evidences at hand to plead Many a Saint dares not sometimes to owne his relation to God and their Assurance admits of actual ebbings and flowings 3 Thereupon no doubt there must needs be lesse life and confidence in drawing nigh to God For at such a time 1 All the Promises are like a Book sealed to the soul In all the word of God it cannot find one Promise that it can urge with confidence For the Spirits Testimony is the only light in which we can challenge and lay claim to any Promise Now the Promises are the very spirits and life of prayer Because they are the only obligations upon which the Soul can claim any thing from God 2. In such a season the relations between God and the soul are clouded The soul thinks God an enemy oftentimes and alwayes in such a condition questions at least whether he be a friend or rather whether he be not a meer stranger Now surely a man will have little heart or face to prefer a petition to one whose love he suspects much less to one whom by all probabilities he judgeth to be an enemy 3 In such a season all graces that are the very lungs whence prayer is breathed are very low and flat in their actings The absence of the Sun in winter makes the plants cast their leaves and pluck in their blossoms and the absence of the Spirit must needs make graces look dead and withered and saplesse True there is life in the root but little appears graces are benumm'd in such a season and cannot act so freely as at other times As Samson when his spirit of strength from thr Lord had left him thought to have gone forth and shaken himself as at other times but he could not A man thinks under spiritual with-drawings of God Now I will rub up my graces and bestir my self in prayer as at other times but he is deceived the Spirit of God is with-drawn from him Quest 2. But shew more particularly from whence this variety of tempers in prayer proceeds Answ What ever clouds the testimony of the Spirit and I have spoken much to that Head before must needs cause this difference in the frame of Gods people in prayer But to answer more particularly 1 It may be neglect of our frequent applications to God in that way A friend that a man converseth with every day he can speak more boldly and familiarly to then one that he sees but now and then When a soul visits God but now and then there grow strangenesses and jealousies betweene God and him and a man is to seek whether he be the same to him as he was in times past and so speaks to him with more faintnesse and flatnesse of spirit 2 It may be a fresh guilt of sin admitted into the conscience This as it weakens Assurance so it faints prayer A child scarce dares come to ask a favour from a displeased Father And how unwilling we are under such consciousnesse of guilt to come to God in prayer see in two examples Of David Psal 40. 12. Innumerable evils have compassed me about mine iniquities have taken hold upon me so that I cannot look up In former times I could have looked up with life and confidence in prayer but now they force me to hang down my head yea they are more then the hairs of my head therefore my heart faileth me I have neither the face nor the heart to come to God which I have had The other example is that of the Prodigal when he had been sowing his wild oats and began to return towards his Father see how low he speaks Father I am not worthy to be called thy Son c. and yet he still had the comfort of his relation in some measure he could say Father still How much lower must a soul speak that hath sinned away the remembrance or at least present sense of that dear relation 3 Many times the stream of life and confidence in prayer runs low for want of an endeavour to quicken our graces and this even under the sense of Assurance For a man may live in the light of Gods countenance and that may prove a temptation to him to walk more sleightly and not make such preparations for communion with God in a Duty as formerly When a friend growes a daily guest we do not feast him as when hee comes but seldom we then entertaine him with houshold fare whereas if hee visited us but now and then we would as we say make a stranger of him and provide for him of the best So when God growes a daily guest to a soul he is apt to grow bold to addresse himseâ—f to him with an ordinary frame and temper of Spirit to make no extraordinary preparations by trimming up his graces and laying out his strength in Duty and when God sees this he frownes and we hang down our heads when we come to him afterwards CHAP. XLVIII A third Case Whether the Spirit furnishes the Saints at all times with
such distracting suggestions and you then watch against him when you set your heart against them and turne your prayers edge against them till you have cast them out and then returne to your duty again Watch against your usual carelesnesse and when you find it growing upon you do likewise Watch against vain wandring thoughts and throw them out by a speedy laying hold upon some more weighty Meditation if any such be at hand if not but thou findest thy self wholly possest with such fancies do as before I advised turn the edge of thy prayer for that while against them Watch the kindlings of the Spirit and where thou findest but one little spark of fervency and zeal glowing ply that Meditation that Subject hard that kindleth it Follow the Veyne and thou wilt be Master of the Mine at last 4 Be much in begging the Spirit of prayer and calling him in to constant assistance in the Duty Urge his Office upon him he is a Spirit of Grace and Supplication And to enliven and embolden the Saints is his principal work 5 Rest not in formes of Prayer I do no way doubt but that a godly person newly brought in to the exercises of Religion may be sometimes to seek in expressing himself before others and in such a case if a publick person or Master of a Family I am not so severe as to forbid him the use of a good form either of his own or others framing and in the closet it may be good to read now and then for example and pattern the formes of others but especially the prayers of the Saints recorded in Scripture and among them the Psalmes which are most of them made up of matter of prayer either in way of Confession Petition or Thanksgiving that they may suggest to us quickning matter of prayer Nay whiles I read anothers form wherein I meet with passages sutable to my condition I know not why I may not say Amen to such Petitions But yet I know not by what warrant any one in private or constantly before others binds himself to the very same series and frame of words Nay I think it is an Argument either of much lazinesse in not improving the utmost of a mans owne abilities and interests in the Spirit to enable him or at least it proceeds from a fond and erroneous conceit of God as if he minded more an exact composure of Petitions then the real although immethodical and lesse quaintly dressed desires of a mans heart The truth is no man useth a form of prayer much but finds it if hee know his owne heart a great deadning to his Spirit If a Preacher should twenty times in a year preach over the same Sermon would not the veryest Formalists of his Congregation and indeed all others sleep and grow weary under such preaching And do we not see the same effects generally under a form of Prayer or at least is there not the same reason why wee should expect them A perpetual use of the same form is a more tedious tautology then that which such persons often blame in conceived Prayer viz. the repeating againe and againe the same Petitions in the same prayer For this may proceed from fervency See Psalm 124. 4 5. and 116. 14 18. and 80. 3 7 19. The other imports or begets lazinesse at least it gives suspicion of it and that not altogether causeless to others which hath much of the appearance of evil in it Object But Sir will you have us alwayes adventure upon an extemporary way of prayer Shall I offer to God that that cost me nothing Ans No by no meanes But you must know that conceived Prayers upon the variation of a mans condition or other occasions are not the same with extempore prayers 1 A man may pray extempore in a forme if he come unprepared and rush upon it as too many do as the horse into the battel he offers up the Sacrifice of fools and is rash with his lips before the Lord which is forbidden Eccl. 5. 1 2. 2 And on the other side a man may alwayes very as occasions vary and yet not pray extempore having before meditated upon the matter of his Petitions and layd up store of furniture for prayer though he trust much to present gifts for expressions I cannot call this extemporary praying 3. Neither yet is it unlawful upon some occasions and in some cases to adventure upon this Duty extempore both for matter and form As in daily and hourly occasional Ejaculations in case of a sudden call unto the Duty by any unexpected providence c. in which cases Christian prudence being the Judg and judging rightly the petitions are neverthelesse welcome to God for their extemporarinesse 4 And lastly yet must we use this liberty very tenderly and suspiciously lest our hearts perswade us that there is a greater frequency of such occasions then there is and so it prove a snare to us when we find it may be more then ordinary abilityes without ordinary endeavors as somtimes when God calls to sudden service he gives in sudden supplies we may be tempted to expect the same abilities in the same way without the same call We must not tempt the Lord our God And that is done one way when we expect extraordinary supplies from him in the neglect of the ordinary way appointed by Mat. 4. 7. him for the attainment of them CHAP. LIII A third Duty to come boldly to the Throne of Grace pressed 3 COme boldly to the Throne of Grace as Children to a Father 1 Under the Assurance of Gods love this is easie This will make a man talk with God face to face as a man talketh with his friend as it is said of the familiarities that passed between God and Moses Exod. 33. 11. to commune with God and draw nigh to plead with him when others stand at a distance as Abraham Gen. 18. 22 33. 2 We may under that assurance claim it as our priviledg A Princes Son when others are kept out by Officers and Guards is admitted at all times if any Guard stop him he pleads the priviledg of his Relation So though there be never so much darknesse and fire and terror round about God that seems to guard his presence from a Creatures approach an assured Saint can say Make way there and let me come to my Father guards are appointed to exclude strangers not sons 3. God expects and requires we should come with boldnesse to his Throne Hebr. 4. 16. Let us come boldly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 taking liberty to speak any thing so the word signifies in the Original Not simply any thing quicquid in buccam for Solomon cautions us against that Eccles 5 1. as is abovesaid but any thing that becomes the reverential duty and honour that we owe to God as to a Father A child may say any thing to a father that is that becomes a child to speak or a Father to hear Besides he may speak
without fear of being made an Offender for a misplaced word for a fault of circumstance as other strangers are Nay when God doth not hear the Saints voice as many times when they are under some pressures that over-burthen them he may not How he calls for them and invites them to speak Cant. 2. 14. O my Dove let me hear thy voice for thy voice is sweet q. d. I wonder I heare not from such or such a child of mine It may bee my little child thinks I cannot away with broken language the language of a troubled spirit O yes the broken and stammering tongue of a child is sweet It is a mighty encouragement to boldnesse that a man cannot be more bold then he is welcome 4 This is the purchase of Christs blood We have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this bold liberty of speech through the blood of Jesus Heb. 10. 19. We may draw nigh which is an action importing confidence when we have to do with our betters but upon what account Upon the account of Christs bloud when strangers must stand off and keep distance Ephes 2. 13. And it is the fruit of his Intercession Therefore Heb. 10. 22. we are bid to draw neer in full Assurance of faith that God wil not bid us depart his presence or stand further off and the ground of this boldness is the purchase and intercession of Christ v. 20 21. Hee that hath made his way by an acceptable present or hath the protection of some honourable and acceptable Courtier will draw nigh and present a Petition to an earthly Prince with confidence God never received a present that he was more delighted with then the active and passive obedience of his Son nor can wee come to God under the wing of a more powerful Advocate On this last Head I could enlarge abundantly As by representing to you The dearnesse of this Son to God He is his beloved Son Mat. 3. ult in whom his heart is at rest The infinite value of his obedience which we plead in proportion whereunto the things we ask are lesse then nothing Hee offered that to God which by the merit of its worth might have sufficed to purchase infinitely beyond what 't is possible for us to enjoy The earnestnesse sensibleness importunity authority if I may so speak with reverence of his Intercession See the former Hebr. 4. 14 15. and 2. 17 18. The latter John 17. 24. There are in a sort Verba Imperatoria words of command shall I say Father I will that those whom thou hast given me be where I am 5 The Spirit of God is the Framer of our Petitions and we may then be bold to present them because he makes Intercession according to the will of God If a skilful Lawyer frame a Petition for a man and put every word in its place a man will be more emboldned to present it then if it were his own composure Rom. 8. 26 27 6 'T is for Gods dishonour when his children come sneakingly and pusillanimously to the Throne of Grace If a man should see a Father that his children did scarce dare to speak to but in a mumbling tremulous manner would he not have cause to look upon him as a cruel tyrannical father unreasonably severe to his children CHAP LIV. A Question answered How a man may procure this boldnesse both those that have never had it though under Assurance and those that have and have lost it are directed Quest BUt suppose I cannot come to God in this manner with an holy boldness how shall I procure it Answ I answer either 1 Thou hast never had this actual boldness and confidence in prayer though thou hast had a just right to it Or else 2 Thou hast had it and hast now lost it 1 If thou hast notwithstanding thy Assurance of Gods love or at least some comfortable whispers thereof in thy heart never had this boldnesse in Gods presence as it is possible it may bee the case of many a child of God Some children even of earthly parents though they be assured of their fathers love yet cannot for their hearts put on a bold face to speak to them as some others can and so 't is often according to the different tempers of Gods children to be seen in their addresses to God I say in this case 1. Thou must look upon it as a duty so grounded as before and such a duty as God is exceedingly delighted withall and so strive to break the bonds of sinfull modesty There is a sinfull modesty which the very Philosophers condemne as a vice in morality and call it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is nothing but a rustick and foolish weakness of countenance by which a man is hindred from just and honourable actions because hee cannot look discouragements and oppositions in the face as he ought to do This is an infirmity even in Gods people They come to God many times in Duty as if they were doing that that they are ashamed to bee seen in and are afraid of being taken in the fact This they must labour exceedingly against as an infirmity and often remember that they offend against an expresly commanded Duty if they come not boldly to the Throne of grace 2. Labour to fortifie thy selfe against all such things as may weaken thy confidence Such as 1 The consideration of Gods greatness and majesty with thine own vilenesse and unworthinesse In which case consider 1. True this should stirre up a fear of reverence and caution that thou do nothing unworthy so great a presence Eccles 5. 1. But thou must take heed of a fear of diffidence a fainting discouraging fear and to this end consider 2 That though God be a great God and a great King above all gods yet he is thy Father and Royal dignityes though they require a reverence sutable to the distance that ought to be between a Prince and a subject and that even from a sonne yet they stoop themselves exceedingly to relations Ahasuerus though none be dispensed with for intruding into his presence without a solemne call by the holding forth of the golden Scepter yet remitts of the rigour of that ceremonious distance to Hester his wife and Solomon Hest when his mother Bathsheba comes to him upon the throne he arises and commands a seat to be set for her on his right hand 1 Kings 2. 19. 3. That that great God hath promised to stoop and condescend to a way of communion and familiar converse with such vile creatures under the sense and apprehension of their own vilenesse Isa 66. 2 57. 15. Psalm 138. 6. Though the Lord be high yet hath he respect to the lowly So that no man hath more right to boldnesse in the presence of God then he that is most sensible of his own vileness God will not upbraid such a petitioner with his vileness Jam. 1. 5. 4. That the Saints of God have married these two together a serse of
their own vileness and a gracious boldness in the presence of the Lord. David never prayes more boldly then when he acknowledgeth his own unworthinesse 2 Chron. 29. And 't is remarkable how bold Abraham was and yet how much humility he manifested in one chapter Gen. 18. 27 30 32. 5. That the worthiness in which we are to expect acceptance from the Lord is not in our selves but in the Lord Jesus so that although in our selves we have cause to hang down our heads yet in him we may lift them up with confidence We cannot plead we are worthy but we may plead Father though we are not worthy yet he is worthy for whom thou shouldst do this Father thou canst not be just I confess to me if thou do not punish my sinnes but thou canst not be just to Christ if thou do not pardon them Thou art not just to me if thou do not reject my person and prayers but thou art not just to Christ if thou do not accept them 'T is no wonder the Priesthood of Christ is every 1 John 1. 9. Rom. 3. 25. 26. where made the ground upon which we are pressed to this boldnesse As in the places before quoted Heb. 4. 15 16. 10. 20 21 22. 2 Against the present unfitness and indisposedness of thy heart in prayer and the unsutablenesse upon that account of thy prayers to his greatnesse majesty and holinesse another hindrance fortifie thy self by considering 1. That although it be thy duty to strive against and grieve for and labour by all possible means to quicken thy selfe from that dead and dull frame of spirit yet thy Father knowes how to pity and pardon invincible distempers of spirit and defects in prayer especially when thou groanest under them Psal 103. 13. As the Father pitieth his children so the Lord pitieth them that fear him Now a Father will look upon the good will of a child that offers at the performance of a service to him beyond his strength and accept it with pity to and compassion upon his weaknesse God accepts in this case the will for the deed and according to what a man hath not according to what he hath not 2. That our boldnesse and confidence in prayer is injurious to Christ if we lay any of the weight or stresse of it upon our own performances Because our prayers were never intended for such means as procure acceptance by their own efficacy but mreely as means sanctified by God to conveigh to us what God gives upon the account of Christs purchase So that if I put any prevalency upon mine own prayers when never so excellent or make the imperfections of them a ground of distrust I wrong Christ 3. That Jesus Christ is an High-Priest consecrated by God for this very purpose to take away the iniquity of my holy things Exod. 28. 38. This was typified in Aarons plate of pure gold upon his forehead wherein was written Holinesse to the Lord which he alwayes wore before the Lord to signifie that he was to bear the iniquity of their holy things whose offerings he presented And thus Jesus Christ stands before the Lord with a plate of pure gold even the perfection of his owne righteousnesse and merits upon his forehead and in them is written Holinesse to the Lord upon the account whereof the Saints may bee assured of the acceptance of all their services as holy Compare this with Apoc. 8. 3 The Angel of the Covenant is there represented standing at the Altar with a golden censer and much incense a golden holy nature in which there was no sinne and much incense of merit which hee offers with the prayers of all Saints upon the golden Altar of his divinity before the Throne 3 Against the guilt of sin another hinderance consider 1 Forgiven sinnes are no sinnes in the account of God Therefore saith God I will blot out your iniquities as a thick cloud Isai 44. 22. The cloud when it is scattered by the wind and Sun hinders no influences from the heaven upon the earth Neither doe the sinnes of Gods people hinder any entercourse between God and the soule when God is once reconciled unto them againe The Lord is said also to put away the sins of his people as far as the East is from the West Psal 103. 12. to cast them into the depths of the Sea Micah 7. 19. to blot them out so as to remember them no more Isai 43. 25. So that though sinne should be sought for yet there shall be none Jer. 50. 20. 2. That we have an Advocate to plead with God that hath satisfied for them and therefore can answer all objections in that behalfe 1 Joh. 2. 1 2. 3. The neglect of prayer under the guilt of sinne will harden the heart and alienate thee the more from God The longer a child keeps out of the fathers sight after a fault the more he dreads it 3 Study promises Those are the great charter of a Christian what God hath promised I may boldly aske O never be beaten from that plea. All thy present discouragements are but Satans tricks and querkes by which he endeavours to baffle thee out of thy pleas and claims to make thee urge promises faintly and doubtingly and if he can do that be gets an imcomparable advantage upon thee When I have an honest mans promise if he seem to act contrary thereunto I will never leave urging his promise till I have obtained what I desire come to God and say Lord I confess hadst thou not promised I should not have dared considering mine own unworthiness to have opened my mouth before thee but seeing I have a promise I will never hold my peace I will not be daunted out of my suit by any possible discouragements If thou canst not shake off thine own promises and merciful engagements I am resolved thou shalt not shake off me 4. Be frequent in thy converses and familiarity with him Acquaint thy self with God A man that is shy of asking of a friend at first sight growes more acquainted by use and custome of acquaintance 'T is Eliphaz his good counsel Job 22. 21. Acquaint now thy self with God i. e. by familiar converse and it followes Thou shalt lift up thy face to God ver â—6 This will make thee bold to come to God in prayer 5 Study God in Christ more and take heed how at any time thou viewest God out of him I have given you some light touches before of the improvement of Christs name in prayer for the attainment of spiritual boldnesse I shall here enlarge in some few things more which do not so properly relate to the particulars which occasioned those touches and so require a distinct consideration 1 Study God in his Engagements to Christ in thy behalf That he shall have the full power of all the Treasures of God whence any particular souls wants may be supplyed Treasures of Grace Isai 11. 2. and these for his people The
as Mal. 1. 8. and that of David 2 Sam. 24. 24. So on the other side if childish bashfulnesse come in in stead of childlike reverence or servile fear in stead of filial awfulnesse he considers Gods mercy bounty truth Christs merits and mediation his own relations through him c. And so balanceth that scale when it weighs too low Such counter considerations as these the soul hath at hand to balast it selfe even in all the parts of Duty And this shall suffice for the clearing of these cases CHAP. LVI Some comfortable informations from this Thesis and for an upshot a Case how I shall know whether my actual fervency and boldnesse bee from Gods Spirit or Satan or any natural principle c. THis affords matter of abundant comfort to all who have this boldnesse and fervency from the operation of this witnessing Spirit in prayer 1. In the work it self Certainly it is a sweet thing to be able in all things to make a mans requests known to God with confidence How incomparable an ease is it to a man to have a bosome-friend and him such a one as is able not only to hear but hear and help to make of ones counsell in the weightiest and most important businesses in the greatest and most unsupportable burthens especially to a child to have such a father This is the happinesse ascribed to the Jews above all other nations meerly upon the account of an outward propriety a visible Church propriety and liberty of approach Deut. 4. 7. to have God so nigh to them in all that they called upon him for 2. In the rise of it This is a main work of the Spirit of Adoption You are arrived as high in point of communion with God as you can possibly in this state of distance The witnesse of the Spirit is our most comfortable enjoyment and the prayers and prayses that proceed from it our most comfortable employment that we are capable of here below And the comfort of it lies in this that it is an act of influence from the Spirit of the most noble and heavenly nature of any other 't is an evidence of a large and abundant measure of the Spirit 3. In the Issue of it what may not such an one do with God But that the cause of miraculous works is ceased and so 't is a tempting God to put him needlessely to extraordinary expences surely I may say such an one might as our Saviour saith say to this or that mountain be thou plucked up by the roots and cast into the depth of the Sea and that with assurance of successe Mat. 17. 20. 21. 22. Now if this be true of the least degree and measure of faith though but reliance as it is much more undoubtedly of acts of assurance and such an one is this spiritual boldnesse and confidence in prayer Qu. But how shall I know whether my fervency and boldnesse of spirit in prayer come from Gods Spirit of Adoption or mine own spirit or possibly Satans spirit of delusion Answ This question is weighty and I must answer distinctly to both parts 1. For fervency it is true 1. Sometime 't is but natural Great wants produce earnest intreaties Beggers ready to starve begge in earnest Terrours of God and frights of conscience many times make fervent 2. Sometimes it may also be the work of a deluding and prestigious spirit who I know not why he may not counterfeit the Spirit of prayer in this operation as well as the Spirit of grace in many others But 3. The discovery of the difference lies in these particulars 1. In the nature of this fervency and that consists in these things 1. In the lively actings of all our graces in prayer This I have shewed you before is the course of Gods Saints to stirre up all within them to the performance of the duty The bow that is serviceable must bee bent in all parts alike else it will faile the expectation of the Archer A counterfeit fervency or a meer natural fervency is partial Desire may seem to be fervent in prayer but humility and sorrow for sinne and thankfulnesse are cold Many a man askes what he wants with great earnestnesse but confesseth sinne and gives thanks for mercies received superficially This puts a great suspicion upon the Duty 2. In a zealous watchfulness over a mans heart against all those things that may coole deaden or distract it And thus a gracious soul is not only then fervent when it may be a landfloud of affections drownes for the present the actings of formality wandring thoughts c. but even when these are most stirring it shews its fervency by labouring and wrestling against them Another may be fervent now and then upon such or such a particular impression of spirit as suppose in the sense of some imminent danger some extraordinary conviction but hee doth not keep his watch or stand so upon his guard as to preserve himselfe in that temper but suffers himself to decline into formality and deadness again as soon as that impression is a little layd by the vent it finds in a Duty 2. In the matter wherein one is fervent A man may be fervent in such things as concern his own present necessity Isai 26. 16. They powred out a prayer when thy chastening 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was upon them effuderunt or liquefecerunt orationem they seemed to be meltingly fluent as mettal when it runs by the force of fire but that is a fervency that holds no longer then the fire lasts In those things that concerne the glory of God and are more remote from a mans private concernment there is more coldnesse and indifferency In petitions for pardon of sin much heat little in petitions for grace c. 3 In the concomitants of this fervency It doth beget a sutable frame of spirit 1. In all places Many an one is very appearingly fervent when hee prayes before others But is there the same heat in private or rather are our private closet prayers cold and formal Satans spirit a spirit of vain-glory c. may make a man fervent before others but the Spirit of God only supplies a private fervency to wrestle with God in private as Jacob did by night and alone is likely to be gracious fervency 2. In all duties A man that hath a kindly heat of affections in prayer will not bee without some impressions of it in other duties In the hearing of the word a mans heart will burne Luke 24. 32. In his place and calling there will be a zealous endeavour to do good a zealous anger against sinne a zealous grief for sin This is seen in David Ps 119. 32. 139. 102 Ps throughout a zealous and fervent love to all the Saints 1 Pet. 1. 22. 4. In the rise of it 1. It is gotten in the Saints by industry kindled by meditation and most commonly they know how they come by it how much ado it costs them
of God Isa 1. 5. If a man want support and security in a suffering time 't is true God is a refuge and strength and a very present help in time of trouble Psal 46. 1. But to whom is he so to them that call upon him Ps 105. 18. Lastly he delivereth the righteous out of all his afflictions Psal 34. 19. But upon what termes Call on me and I will deliver thee Psalm 50. 15. God hath delivered me and doth deliver and will deliver saith the Apostle but in what way 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 you Corinthians conferring mutual help by your prayers 2 Cor. 1. 11. 3. Look on God as 1. Prescribing this duty in affliction as Psalm 50. 15. and in my Text and many other places 2. Expecting it as one who often afflicts to that end that hee may make our proud hearts to stoop to duty Hosea 5. 15. 3. Making promises to this duty rightly performed in such a season See at large 2 Chron. 7. 13 14 Psalm 50. 15. 4. Sealing them with plentifull performances See a threefold cord of experiences in one Psalm 34. 4 5 6. Now God calls not for expects not encourageth not prospers not an unseasonable duty and therefore from all this it followes that to one that looks on God in affliction the seasonablenesse of prayer is strongly concluded by all these particulars 2 Look on our selves under affliction and prayer will seem exceeding seasonable at such a time from these following considerations arising from the condition it selfe which we are under which hath these advantages in its nature and usual attendants to further us in the duty 1. Sense of pain or present danger 'T is natural to cry under the rod qui nescit orare c. saith the proverb send a man to Sea if you 'l teach him to pray Jonah 1. 6. Even heathen Marriners can find some God or other to go to in a storme Jon. 1. 6. I know 't is not alwayes gracious prayer that comes from a sense of suffering A dogge will howle when you strike him and God can give some mens devotions in such a condition no better terme Hos 7. 14. But I know also that even a child will cry and begge heartily under the rod. And all prayers that are extorted from men by smart are not carnal and natural prayers though sometimes and in wicked men alwayes they be so The prayer may be spiritual though the motive be natural We fast and the Jews and others of old wore sackcloth upon their flesh to provoke by the hunger and pain of the body the spirits to devotion When the spirit is overwhelmed the natural man seeks vent sometimes this way but a godly man alwayes 2. Affliction usually begets lowly and humble thoughts in men For as it is natural to man to be proud and lofty under a prosperous condition Psal 73. 5 6. So is it also to begin to know himself when he is laid low by affliction Ps 9. 20. Put them in fear O Lord that the nations may know themselves to be but men Before they scarce thought they were men as others are Lam. 3. 27 28 29. Long afflictions such as the Prophet describes there make men sit alone and keep silence lay their very mouthes in the very dust and take patiently any thing from God or men I know that a man may be humbled that is not humble No afflictions though they plow long furrowes and deep ones too can of themselves teare up the root of pride out of the heart but they may tear and mangle it so that it may be checked for the present in its growth whiles better seeds are sown in the heart by grace that in time will wafte it quite out of the field Wicked men will never pray till affliction bring them upon their knees And the Saints of God sometimes are too proud to be beholden to God till bare need force them to it The prodigal whiles he had but husks though a sonne yet thinks not of his duty And 't is said of our Saviour Christ himselfe that as man he learned obedience by the things that he suffered Heb. 5. 8. and being a man of sorrowes in his state of humiliation he powred out strong cryes and groanes v. 7. Now that which grace cooperating with it humbles and layes the soul low before God puts a man into the fittest temper for prayer 3. Afflictions ordinarily are the chafingdish that warmes and recovers the remembrance of sinne unto men They recovered the remembrance of the Patriarchs sinne as Divines observe twenty years after Gen. 42. 21. Now verily say they now we are in bonds are we guilty concerning our Brother i. e. now our consciences tell us we are guilty So Hos 5. 15. I will returne to my place till they be guilty i. e. till the sense of guilt forgotten afresh seize their consciences therefore Job calls plagues Gods witnesses and renewed plagues renewed witnesses Job 10 17. because they testify sinne and oftentimes when they are repeated plagues wilfulnesse and obstinacy in sinne And this property of affliction makes it very much conduce to prayer A burden ed spirit under sense of sinne vents its sorrowes and oppressions that way Prayer to such a soul is like lightening the ship in a storm like letting out the impostumed matter out of a sore As shall be shewn more hereafter 4. A man in an afflicted condition hath many promises to urge God withal which are peculiar to such a condition Concerning sanctification of affliction Ezek. 20. 37. 38. Isa 27. 9. moderation in afflicting v. 8 9 that and support under suffering together 1 Cor. 10. 13. Psalm 23. 2 3 4. bettering and improving us by it Heb. 12. 11. deliverance in it Job 5. 19. Isai 43. 2. Psalm 34. 20 112 4. from it Psa 125 3 91. 14 15. 37. 40 and many places more Now that season is a proper season for prayer of all others which the Lord chuseth as a proper season of granting As the time to ask and receive a dole is then when it is to be distributed If a beggar be out of the way then he missâ—th his Almes See Ps 32. 6. Godly men pray in a time when God wil be found 5 A man in an afflicted condition hath more especial need of supply in many graces then at another time As in 1 Faith Luke 21. 31 Hab. 21 23. 2 Humility 1 Pet. 5. 6. 3 Patience Heb. 10. 36. Jam. 1. 4. 4 Repentance Lam. 3. 40. 1 Chr. 7. 13 14. Now all supplies of the Spirit must be fetched in by prayer Phil. 1. 19 20. If a man were never so sure of supplies from a friend at all turnes yet it is requisite that he send him intelligence of his wants Indeed God needs not any intelligence of our condition who knowes our estate better then wee do knowes what part of the wall needs most strengthning though we never tell him but God will take no notice of
our wants except we make them known in prayer Phil. 4. 6. All my springs are in thee saith the Psalmist Psal 87 ult i. e. in God conveyed in the way of Ordinances and Duties for he speaks there of the glory of the Church in its Ordinances So Jam. 1. 5. which I have quoted above If any lack wisdom i. e. special wisdom for an afflicted condition let him ask it of God If we be too proud to aske God is too wise to give 6. A man under affliction is lyable to many sinnes more then he is subject to in another condition As 1. Vnbelief Psalm 116. 11. Isai 38. 11. Unbelieving forecasts 2. Impatience as may be seen in Job himselfe the patterne of patience as he is recorded Jam. 5. 11. yet in the third Chapter of his book what a fit of passionate fervency is he in so great that he talks idlely 3. Putting forth our hands to iniquity and indirect means Thus in affliction oftentimes an Abraham shuffles and equivocates Gen. 20 2. A David dissembles 1 Sam. 21. 13. A Peter denies his Master Mat. 26. 69. Now against all these temptations next the word the readiest help is prayer whence the Apostle Ephes 6. after the enumeration of all the pieces of the Armour of God to be put on in a day of tryal that a man may be able to stand v. 13. to 17. will have them buckle on all those armes and handle them by prayer v. 18. Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit c. All prayer ejaculations and set duties publick and private alone and in company c. 7 An afflicted Saint hath then special arguments which he may urge in prayer which no other condition yeilds As 1. Gods bowels of fatherly pity and compassion Gods eyes and Gods hand and Gods heart are parts attributed to him in relation to all the ordinary affaires that concerne his people but the bowels of God are peculiar to the suffering and afflicted condition of his people only and mercy and pity affections which are most proper to an afflicted condition are set forth by bowels in the Scripture therefore when the Prophet expresseth great compassion and a grief sutable to it he cryes out O my bowels my bowels Jer. 4. 19. And towards Ephraim in affliction see what part of God is most affected Jer. 31. 20. My bowels are troubled for him Therefore the Church in affliction is expert in this Argument Where is thy zeale and thy strength the sounding of thy bowels and of thy mercies towards me Isai 63. 15. And God delights exceedingly to shew his pity and his tender mercies to his people in such a time he is a God that delighteth in mercy Micah 7. 18. and therefore delights to be urged with it and to have it pleaded in a time of misery And for this very reason he maketh our greatest misery and most forlorne condition a time of love and mercy Ezek. 16. 4 5 6. Ps 136. 23. Luk. 1. 48. And no wonder he takes such a time seeing hee hath most glory from his people for remembring them in a low estate 2. Adde to this another which indeed is the occasional motive to it our own misery the proper object of mercy and the correlative of it This is a good argument to plead with God Lord now I am a fit object of mercy thou art a God of tender mercies and thy compassions faile not If ever any soul needed tender mercies I am that soul Behold Lord my affliction see Lord and consider behold Lord and consider remember O Lord what is come upon us c. saith the Church often in the Lamentations Lam. 1. 9 20. 2. 20. 3. 1. Thence the people of God in Scripture use to make such large descriptions of their sad condition as Psalm 38. throughout Psalm 41. 5 6 7. 69 throughout Isai 37. 14 15. A beggar that hath a maim a souldier that hath the scarres of his dangerous wounds to shew hath a great advantage in begging above those ordinary beggars that can shew no such arguments and inducements to pity Misery speaks aloud when he that suffers it it may be hath not a tongue to utter it 3. The seasonablenesse of relief in such a time may bee a prevailing motive Gods season of mercy and pity is our depth of want and misery relief in such a condition divers times is double relief When God helps an Abraham upon the mount when he steps in between a man and the very brink of danger this endears a mercy Now when a man can plead with God thus Lord thou hast made me hear much of thy mercy pity and bounty Lord if ever thou wilt give me an experiment of it now is a fit time to do it now I am at a losse every way else now I am at the very brink of despaire O what a season mayest thou now take to engage my heart unto thee As it is prevalent with a friend to urge Sir You have often bid me make use of you you have promised me many times what you would do for me now Sir if you will ever relieve me now is the time when you may do me a most engaging kindnesse Thus David prayes Psalm 69. 13. My prayer is unto thee O Lord in an acceptable time save me now deliverance will be welcome So Psalm 143. 7. 4. The present hindrance that a man finds in the service of God by an affliction is of much importance by way of Argument in such a season For Gods main inducement in all that he doth is his own glory And 't is a great discovery of a gracious spirit when a man desires not his own ease so much as Gods glory nor his own ease but for and in subservience unto Gods glory in such petitions there is much self-denyal and therefore such petitions please God most These kinds of pleas are very usuall in the Saints and servants of God through all the Scripture In death saith David there is no remembrance of thee in the grave who shall give thee thanks Psalm 6. 5 And what profit is there in my bloud when I go down to the pit shall the dust praise thee Psalm 30. 9. And Heman Psalm 88. 10 11 12. Wilt thou shew wonders to the dead c. shall thy wonders bee known in the darke and thy righteousnesse in the land of forgetfulnesse In the same tune is Hezekiah Isai 38. 18 19 The living the living they shall praise thee the grave cannot praise thee Lord say they this sicknesse this danger of life hazards the the losse of many opportunities to do thee service in the World therefore grant life and health When a man can go to God and say in sicknesse Lord thou knowest I would live to glorifie thâ—e I have done thee little service I would fain do thee more ere I go hence and be no more seen cut me not off in the midst of my days c.
special mercy of God and excellency in prayer that we become thereby so far Masters of our selves And so much the greater because it is the greatest misery in the world to be torn to pieces as Actoeon in the Poet by a mans own kennel of unmortified passions to bee condemned to eat up and devour a mans self because he cannot better his own condition or hurt others to gnaw a flint whence a man can get nothing but broken teeth and in a word to adde affliction to a mans affliction by acting 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in vexing himselfe and tire a mans selfe like a skittish Jade more with flinging then with his burthen 3 It is a comfortable evidence of and help unto the 1 Present Sanctification 2 Future good issue of our afflictions 1 Present sanctification of afflictions is both discovered and promoted by the kindly temper of the soul towards and in the duty of prayer 1 Discovered because it actually fulfils one of those gracious ends which God aims at in affliction the bringing us upon our knees Physick then doth most good when it opens proper passages to vent noxious humours Then the rod doth a child good when it brings down his stubborn heart to his knees Therefore we leave not whipping till a child begs forgiveness And on the other side take this for a certain Rule A prayerlesse affliction is alwaies an unsanctified affliction It was then grievousest charge that Jobs friends gave in against him that in his affliction he restrained prayer Job 15 4. 2 Promoted because it fetcheth a power from heaven to improve the rod. As every other creature of God so the rod is sanctified by the word and prayer But much of this hath been touched upon before Wherefore I passe it here 2. The future good issue of an affliction may be concluded and is promoted by the prayer fulnesse of the Spirit in trouble And this issue is 1. Partly the glory and honour of our graces arising from such a tryal 't is in prayer that a suffering Saint most acts faith patience humility sorrow for sinne c. The honour of our graces as the honour of Knighthood in England is usually received upon the knee And no wonder for Prayer is the paloestra the arena the theatre the artillery-yard of all our graces in which they shew their activity 2. Partly the removal of trouble it selfe God like a good Physician till wee sweat kindly lays on more cloaths and applies more heat but when we do so he withdraws them as fast in such a method and proportion as our necessity will permit I will not saith he contend for ever nor will I be alwayes wroth lest the spirit should faile before me and the soul which I have made Let God march never so much like an enemy towards a poor creature yet he is so generous an enemy that he never puts to the sword a submitting supplicating foe As 't is said of the Lion Satis est prostrasse c. Ira suum finem cum jacet hostis habet That prostration abates his rage and he never preyes upon a man that he finds fallen flat upon the ground Sure the Lord will not be so cruel as to give no quarter to a poor creature begging it at his hands You know how Benhadad escaped by casting himselfe upon the mercy of the King of Israel Coe tâ—ou and do likewise For the Lord delights not to grieve or vex the children of men Lam. 3. 33. He looketh on men and if any say I have finned and perverted that which is right and it profited me not He will deliver his soul from going down into the pit and his life shall see the light Job 33. 27 28. I might adde divers other motives but the reasons may all be revived here as inducements and I hasten Object But here lies the sadnesse of my condition I am under grievous afflictions and when I set my selfe to complain of them to God I cannot pray my tongue is strangely tyed that I have scarce a word to say what shall I thinke of my felf What shall I do in such a case Answ Thou that thus complainest art either 1. An utter stranger to the duty of prayer at other times or 2. One that at other times hast been well acquainted with God and that duty but now art in an unwonted deliquy or swound of spirit that thy wonted spirits faile thee to performe it And according to this difference of persons must my Answer to this Case be different 1 Thou that art a stranger to all acquaintance with God in this way 1. Look on this as a just band of God upon thee and that which is intended by him and should be received by thee as an heavy aggravation of his present judgment upon thy soule that thou who when thou wast free wouldst not pray and didst neglect to get acquaintance with God should'st now be so shut up as not to be able to speak a word for thy selfe in so needfull a time God deals with thee as justly as may be You would not pray saith God and now you shall not pray And 't is a sad symptome that at least for the present God intends little good to such a soul that he leaves at this passe For if when God intends no good to a people he forbids his servants to pray for them and stops the mouths of his Prophets as Jer. 7. 16. 11. 14. 14. 11. Much more when he restrains a man in misery from speaking in his own condition For when God intends to hear he prepareth the heart to pray Psalm 10. 17. 2. Be humbled and afflicted greatly before the Lord for the former neglect of acquaintance with him and know that God intends this straightening of thy spirit in so needfull a time of trouble as thy greatest affliction Take it then as such and account it thy greatest burthen that God should be so farre displeased with thee as that he will not only not hear thee when thou speakest but also shut up thy mouth that thou canst not so much as speak to him As when a Prince bids stop the mouth of a Petitioner As hardening the heart judicially is the greatest judgment that can befall a man on this side Hell because it shuts a double doore on a man to exclude him from mercy both a doore of mercy and admittance on Gods part during that condition and a door of repentance and penitent addresses on his own So doth this judicial shutting up the heart against prayer put a carnal man in the inner prison of judgment and wrath and puts his feet in the stocks so that the soul which ordinarily goes to God on the feet of prayer cannot now stirre so much as one step towards reliefe Now therefore acknowledge and bewayle thy former neglect of calling upon God whiles he was near God is farther off from unconverted sinners in adversity then in prosperity because then it is a
A man that hath but confused notions of a thing is not able to make a clear and distinct relation of it Sometimes we cannot pray because we know not what to ask Rom. 8. 26. We know not what to ask because we know not distinctly what ails us troubled we are but we cannot tell why As a man divers times in distemper of body let a Physician come to him ask him how he doth he will tell him Sick Sir very sick But ask him where the seat of his distemper most lyes he cannot tel he is very ill and that is all that he can say Thus many a man is troubled in mind indistinctly and confusedly Now such a man cannot but be shut up in prayer The head is clouded and that cloudeth the heart And as in a mist a man sees Objects at a distance that fright him but because he sees them in a mist he can give no distinct intelligence of them So here And oftentimes melancholy of body concurs to hinder by darkning the judgment and distracting the fancy 3 Study Gods Promises and let them dwell in you plentifully And especially such Promises as most concerne your condition so discovered When David hath a Promise he never wants a Prayer How often Psalm 119. doth he urge God upon his Word ver 25 28 58 116 169. The Word is the quiver of all those holy Arrowes by which a straitned soul shoots intelligence to Heaven Prayer is nothing but the Eccho of a Promise I will ease thee saith Christ Matth. 11. 28. O ease me saith the soul Wait and God shall strengthen thy heart saith the Word Psal 27. ult Strengthen my heart saith the soul My grace is sufficient for thee saith the Lord 2 Cor. 12. 9 Let thy grace be sufficient for me saith the soul of a praying Christian Get a Promise and thou hâ—st a great deal of cloath for prayer it lacks but cutting out 4. Stir up the grace of God that is in thee 1 By Meditation Meditation is the bellowes that sets grace a flaming Meditate upon the forementioned Subjects thy owne present condition Gods love and Promises add to them thy frequent past experiences the nature use necessity of maintaining intelligence with God in thy condition the nature use ends of an afflicted estate the Duties that God expects from thee in it and many more subjects of this or a like nature And thou wilt find it with thee as with David Psalm 39. 3. My heart was hot I mused the fire kindled then I spake with my tongue He was dumb before but the heart growes so full now it must needs out or 't will break for want of vent Set before thee as matters of Meditation the chapters and places of Scripture that have been penn'd by the Saints in thy condition 2 By frequent essayes Thou canst not pray How often hast thou tryed It may be once or twice and then grown weary Try again man and again and again till thou canst Some never work well till they are warm Obj. But I can say nothing Answ Then go and complain Lord I would pray but I can say nothing Then look out a Promise and turn it into a Prayer and if thou canst do no more rise again and anon fall to it again Thus children learn to spell read and write What if thou go three four twenty times together and be able to say but a few words those stil the same Christ did so in his Agony In such a case if thou hast a good form by thee of another mans I know not why at least the viewing if not use of it may not quicken the Spirit of Prayer in thee Câ—uâ—ches may help us when we are lame that hinder us when we are sound 3 If thou caust get a godly experienced friend to pray with thee discover thy case to him as well as thou canst and let him spread it before the Lord and labor thou to joyne with him Iron sharpneth iron so doth the face of a man his friend In such holy communion one prayer begets another Two lying together grow both warm Or get such friends to pray for thee 1 Cor. 1. 11. Paul acknowledgeth a great deal of help from the Corinthians prayers A diligent use of these means and frequent application of thy self to the use of them wil by degrees recover thy lost acquaintance with God again FINIS The Contents THe first Treatise concerning the Spirit of Bondage layes down these two Theses 1. That the convictions concussions and terrours which bring a sinner before conversion under a spiritual bondage to the sad apprehensions of the curse and wrath of God due to him by the Law because of the guilt of sinne are ordinarily the works of Gods blessed Spirit 2. That In order to the conversion of sinners it is the ordinary and usual way of the Holy Spirit of God to become thus a Spirit of Bondage before he becomes a Spirit of Adoption To the first of these way is made by a preface containing a brief explication and vindication of the meaning of the Apostle Paul Rom. 8. 15. where he makes mention of this Spirit of Bondage wherein I state this Question Quest What the Spirit of Bondage is in the Apostles sense and the fear that proceeds from it Chap. 1. The Thesis cleared 1. By shewing how this work as it is managed by the Spirit of God differs from a like work of Satan And in the close thereof 2. By enquiring whether this work always ends in conversion Chap. 2. A few words are added to prove it Chap. 3. Practical Corollaries from the Premises 1. By way of support Chap. 4. 2. By way of Caution in several branches 0 1. Not to harden the heart against the Spirits soft voyce 2. Not to mis-apprehend our own case under bondage 3. Not to judge others in that case 4. Not to break the Spirits bonds but by his leave whether it be 1. By profane or vain diversions and avocations of our hearts from being serious and through therein Chap. 5. 2. Or by over-greedy grasping after peace and comfort ere we are prepared for it Whence ariseth A Practical Question concerning the measures of humiliation necessarily required to conversion and comfort and concerning fitnesse of the soul for comfort Chap. 6. The 3. 4 5 6. Corolaries Viz. By way of exhortation By way of conviction of the true use of the ministry of the Law By way of plea for the frequent seeming peevishness of poor souls refusing comfort By way of humiliation to such as herein have formerly it may be frequently stifled convictions and fears c. 7. The second Thesis explained 1. By enquiring into the nature of the work of the Spirit of Bondage where conviction is described ch 8. 2. By assigning the means of this work ch 9. Evidence given of the Spirits usual working this way c. 10. Qu. Vpon what designes the Spirit most commonly workes in this method Discovered in twelve
of blowing up the coals as well as by throwing water upon them To move you hereunto consider 1 There is little difference as to the comfort of grace between grace lying dead and no grace at all A man that hath riches and God gives him not an heart to enjoy them wherein is he better as to the comfort of his life then a man that hath not a penny in the world This is an evil thing under the Sun saith Solomon Eccles 6. 1 2. A man that hath no grace enjoyes no communion with God sits dull and unprofitable under all Ordinances makes no spiritual advantage of any enjoyment and so doth the man that hath grace un-improved 2 The lesse you stir up your graces the less you will be able to use them when you have need If a mans faith humility sorrow for sin be away in one Duty or two he will not find them readily at hand when he would make use of them again A tool a man useth at every turn will not be so often out of the way as one he useth but now and then Besides suppose them constantly at hand yet if not imployed they will be rusty and unfit for use except they be rubbed up by constant imployment 3 Corruptions will be stirring daily and Satan will be perpetually blowing them up especially in the Duty of Prayer There is no Duty in which the people of God complain Ut jugulent homines surgunt de nocte latrones Vt teipsum serves non expergisceris Horat. more of distempers and distractions then that Duty The thief is abroad active and vigilant and shall the Traveller ride on carelesly and not look about him to keep his weapon in a readinesse for every assault There is no rode more infested with Thieves then the rode betweene earth and heaven the Traffick is precious and therefore a man had need stir up and quicken himself to all the cautiousnesse that may be and muster up all his strength for a convoy to secure the passage Now there is no convoy that more secures all our duties in that traffick and all our returns then a convoy of active graces 4. The Saints of God have used to do so to call upon themselves and to quicken themselves unto a spiritual and lively performance of duties to God David is frequent herein Psal 103. 1. All that is within me praise his holy name Arise faith humility self-denial joy hope and be stirring I am about a duty of importance and that to a God to whom I stand deeply obliged do your best therefore to help me to praise his holy name So Psal 57 7 8. My heart is fixed or prepared or ready Awake my glory Tongue See you do your duty lively and vigorously awake my Psaltery and I my self wil awake early i. e. I wil stir up all my graces to bear you company And the whole Church complains of the want hereof Isai 64. 7. 5 God in all his grants takes special notice of the activity of our graces in approaching to him Jer. 30. 21. Who is this that engaged his heart to approach to me saith the Lord q. d. There are many that approach to me but who is that among all the rest that engaged his heart to approach to me Of all the rest I take notice of him he quickned all his graces and stirred up all his soul on purpose that he might approach to me As if a great man come to a Town and publick entertainment be made him if any one among the rest be more active then ordinary he takes especial notice of him Who is this that makes so much ado above all the rest I must take special notice of him and gratifie him with some extraordinary favour God le ts passe an hundred lazy Petitioners and seeks out a fervent one in a throng of Christians 6 If you do not stir up your graces to seek God God will stir them up for you If an horse that hath mettal enough grow dull the rider puts to the spur to quicken him If you grow dull and careless in Duty God will spur up your graces and quicken you to your pain and cost too Indeed saith God is it so Can such a man afford me no better services then so is every slight slovenly performance good enough for me Well I will be served with that that costs him something before I have done with him With-draw thy comforts from him Spirit smite him sickness vex him Satan persecute him enemies I will warrant it I shall hear from him shortly in another guise manner Hos 5. 15. In their affliction they will seek me early Take this for an usual rule Ordinarily after a continued deadness and formality of Spirit upon a Saint in Duty comes some sharp affliction or other CHAP LII A Question how Saints may recover out of deadnesse in prayer answered something about formes Quest BUt how shall I stirre up my selfe to seek the Lord How shall I recover out of this strange deadnesse and formality of spirit which I am fallen into Answ 1 Vse not to set upon the duties in which you approach to God without meditation David says of himselfe whiles I was musing the fire kindled Psal 39. 3. Meditate principally upon the most proper moving objects of every grace Faith acts upon Gods faithfulnesse in his promises to stirre up faith therefore meditate upon God in his faithfulnesse and that as declared in some special promise that concerns thy case and condition Love and thankfulnesse are exercised upon the goodnesse of God Meditate upon the goodnesse of God to thee in particular to stirre up those graces humility is most affected with a mans own vilenesse and Gods glory compared together here then set out God in his majesty as gloriously as thou canst in thy meditations then view thy selfe and thy own vilenesse especially reflecting upon those sinnes of thine which have had most vilenesse and loathsomnesse of circumstances and are attended with the most abhominable aggravations And so in other graces 2. Choose the most free and lively seasons for duty The morning before worldly busines hath deadned flatted the spirit is of special use for prayer 'T was not for nothing that David so often made choyce of that time Psalm 5. 3. 59. 16. 88. 13. 119. 147. 63. 1. 108. 2. c. If a man will attend any businesse without distraction or disturbance that is the time to be beforehand with the disturbances of dayly businesses and occasions When we slip out of every worldly imployment into prayer or at night when we are half asleep mix nods with petitions no wonder if we complain of deadnesse and dulness and distraction 3. Watch to prayer Col. 4. 2. Continue in prayer and watch thereunto c. 1 Pet. 4. 7. Be sober and watch unto prayer Watch against Satan who will then be busie to disturbe you it may be with Atheistical and blasphemous thoughts and other