leave every one to examine themselves in what maner dost thou not think that there be many in hell now damned and so shall be for ever that never committed so many fearefull sinnes of what sort soever as thou hast done And if thus happly upon inquiry thou canst finde thy former estate to have beene before God by his Word and Spirit pulled thee out of the fire how there was in thee at all no manner of sound goodnesse no love unto Gods Word nor reverence of his Name nor conscience of his Sabbaths nor care to keepe any of his righteous lawes Oh then urge I this to drive thee to despaire no deare Christian but to make thee rather to stand astonished with thankefull admiration at the rich gracious and free mercy of thy God who as hee told Moses shewing mercy and having compassion on whom he will Exod. 33.19 Mat. 11.16 hath of his owne good pleasure without farther reason that can be given reserved thee for grace marking thee as with his owne sheepe-brand for one of his little flocke who though small yet need not to feare since his pleasure is as Christ himselfe hath promised to give them the Kingdome Luk. 12.32 CHAP. X. Foure speciall notes for the triall of our right in that estate IN the soundnesse of this rejoycing joy that they may be the more confirmed if any shall desire to have those notes or markes assigned whereby they may come to know themselves to be undoubtedly of that lesser flocke behold for triall foure onely amongst many as I conceive most especiall ones which therfore I wil make choice of briefely to commend unto our use The First whereof is this to see whether wee can finde in us new that is renewed hearts not new tongues only to speake not new faces onely to looke nor new hands onely to worke otherwise then before for all these though good signes of the renewing of the heart yet may be found where the heart remaineth old 2 Cor. 5.17 1 Cor 6.11 in very Hypocrites but new hearts which are never found but in new converted Crhistians whose sinnes are washed away by the blood of Christ who shall be saved For so in the new covenant Ezek. 36. on whom God promiseth to powre cleane water that they may be cleansed from sin I will powre cleane water upon you and yee shall be cleane verse 25. to them doth he promise also a new heart and spirit that they may bee wholly renewed with grace verse 26. a new heart also will I give you and a new spirit will I put within you and what a new heart hee meaneth hee openeth farther in the words following I will take away the stony heart out of your body i. the stony hardnesse which was in your heart before Non carnale sed carneum cor and I will give you a heart of flesh he meaneth not a fleshly but a fleshy that is a soft and tender heart to tremble at Gods judgements and believe his promises and obey his Commandements so as before they did not Indeed so it shall be when one is truely converted unto God he shall finde in him for spirituall matters what in regard of managing civill affaires is said 1 Sam. 10. that God gave Saul Verse 9. when he was turned from Samuel even another heart Surely another mind another will otherwise disposed affections then before That what before hee liked and loved those exercises tha◠company those courses sinfull wicked and prophane those now contrarily hee findeth his soule to abhor and loath and on the other side what before hee cared not for he could not abide he esteemed not of that now those exercises that company those courses Gods Word and Sabbaths and Ministers and people and their holy practices be they wherein his soule and spirit chiefely delighteth And whosoeever can find thus in him a new or an other heart it is as Gods privy seale set upon his soule that his soule is one of these few that shall be saved Of which seale when David by his fall and folly had even defaced the stampe hee praied so to have it again renewed upon him in that Psal 51.10 Create in mee O God a cleane heart and renew within mee a right or setled spirit So is this the first and evermore a sure note of salvation a new heart But farther for a second let us observe whether wee keepe aright an old remembrance I meane remembrance of what hath passed of old our former waies and workes that were not good how but with a kind of shame detestation of them Rom. 6.21 and even judging of our own selves for them as worthy of wrath For so is this given for a note of a right in Christ to life to judge our selves in our selves deserving death as in Ezek. 36.31 Then when as before God hath powred cleane water on them and given them new hearts shal you remember your owne wicked waies and your deeds that were not good and shall iudge your selves worthy to have been destroied for your iniquities and abominations Till when that men come to see judge themselves worthy to bee destroied they can never come to assurance that in Christ Iesus they shall be saved For first as in Zach. 12. Verse 10. they must weepe over Christ whom they have pier-ced ere they may hope to finde what is after promised Zach. 13.1 the fountaine opened by whose waters they may be cleansed And therefore prayed holy David Psal 51. Have mercy O God on mee after thy loving kindnesse c. for in ver 3. I know mine iniquities and my sins that is the bitter remembrance thereof is ever before me So must we with humbled hearts remember our former sinnes if wee would have God to forget them since this remēbrance wil be a meanes to breake our hearts and to keepe us as it did S. Paul still humble 1 Cor. 15.10 Iam. 4.6 and so capable of saving grace This therefore is a second note But thirdly will we have as it were Gods broad seale set upon us that others also may see and perceive that wee are his servants who shall be saved Then see Psal 101.2 119.59.60 as vvhat present care wee have for reformation of our owne lives so what zeale withall to turne and draw others unto God who as our selves of old or perhaps with us have gone astray For so in Ezech. 18.30 returne viz. your selves but is that enough No but which will follow upon the former and cause others to turne away from all your transgressions wherein they joyned perhaps formerly with you you with thē each provoking th' other and so iniquity shall not be your destruction In which regard let us think it said to every one of us what was once to Ieremy Ier. 15.19 If thou returne then will I bring thee againe and thou shalt stand before me and if thou take away the precious from the
hath ever been so of old As in the old world one Noah and seven with him saved in the Arke and all besides even the world of the ungodly as Peter calleth them drowned in the flood 2 Pet. 2.5 Verse 7. So after in â—â—dome one righteous Lot with onely his two daughters escaping of so many thousands from the fire So in Iericho a well-peopled Citie Heb. 11.31 onely Rahab spared with her family And what shall I tell you of that which was but a type not holding in all particulars how of sixe hundred thousand men of warre of Israel Numb 14.30 comming out of Egypt two onely to wit Caleb and Ioshua entered Canaan These may serve to shew that in temporall judgements it hath beene mercie with God when many perished onely to rescue and reserve a few marked by grace for such deliverance And right so shall it be in the world to come a few onely saved through the riches of Gods mercy and th' other left most justly to perish I will spare to open the reason of this Doctrine farther till I come in the more particular handling of the Exhortation to speake of the strait and narrow gate whereat so many sticke and for want of striving cannot enter 3. Our Saviours parable Onely to make up the confirmation of this point that but few are saved let mee referre your thoughts somewhat seriously to consider that Parable by our Saviour proposed in the Gospell Mat. 13.3 c. touching the foure severall kindes of ground receiving seed of which one only brought forth fruit fit to bee gathered into the barne Whereto if we adde that which palpable experience teacheth us that in the compasse of the earth not the twentieth no nor yet the fortieth acre of ground is arable receiving seed but heere a wood and there an heath a bare common or at best a pasture or meddow that being neither plowed nor sowne can at the most but bring forth grasse and hay food fit for cattle not for reasonable creatures hence may our own hearts tell us what we are to thinke of the harvest of the Lord viz. that howsoever the crop once gathered will be great and goodly never such an haruest never such a joy yet is the Lords crop but small in Isai 9.3 compare with that which groweth in the large and spacious surface of the world Wherein to come to a suruay it will easily appeare that of the foure grand quarters of the earth scarce one and that the least of the foure belongeth in severall as glebe and arable to the Lord. For first how hath ever the far greater part lieu wast and not at all manured but there a wildernesse of Savages or Heathen Idolaters that never scarce heard of God and Christ and here an heath of cursed MahometaÌ„s preferring their false Prophet before Christ here there scattered a barren waste like Iericho Ai or Sechem razed downe and sowed with salt Iosh 6. 8. Iud. 9 45. of unbelieving Iews to this day despising and despighting Chist Yea and farther of those that would be accounted plough-ground of Iesus Christ how much is there that hath darnell and cockle sowed in steade of wheate and barley superstitious inuentions of man which cannot bring forth good fruite in stead of the good seed of grace the word of truth as in the fields of Spaine of Italy and other Popish countries And yet farther euen here and where else through the riches of his love and grace Christ Iesus as the good sower commeth with his seed alas how many that refuse to be either plowed or sowne and that while no marvell if like the sluggards field Pro. 24.30 they lie wast and overgrowne with weedes and nettles of loathsome vices some with whoredome and filthy drunkennesse some with swearing and desperate prophanenesse with pride and malice others and others with the world and wicked covetousnesse Or if so any be as pasture or meddow ground of a better mould yet whiles they receive not seede whiles they heare not Gods blessed Word what fruit can it be hoped they should bring forth better then grasse and hay at the most of civill conversation and morall honesty That lo these severall portions put apart alas where is the fortieth acre to speak in compasse that may bee accounted as tillage to the Lord so much as ordinary coÌ„mers to heare Gods word and to have cast on them the seed of Grace And yet secondly even of those few that come to heare how many are there Maâ— 13. 1. whose hard and ignorant harts give the precious seed no entrance at all which are no better then the high way ground 2. Verse 19. of those that goe farther to entertain the seed how many spring vp at first that wither streight againe in time of triall being no better then the stony grouÌ„d Thirdly Verse 20. of those that seeme so to heare understand and practise for a while that they are thought to grow a pace and promise much increase how many that are blasted as in the bud quite choaked with the world ere they grow to ripenesse speeding no better then the thorny ground That there remaineth in fine Verse 22. but a fourth and scarcely that alwaies of a fortieth part that as the good ground receive and keepe the seed and with patience and perseverance bring forth fruit good wheat ripe and full for the haruest of the Lord. Verse 23. So hath the point by consideration of this parable also beene abundantly confirmed that howsoever in themselves they be a great multitude yet in comparison with those that perish and are as tares reserved for burning but a few a farre lesse number that shall be saved and as good corne be gathered into the barne So many waies are there to miscarry and goe wide whereas their is but one gate as is shewed after and that very strait to enter aright CHAP. VI. Contrary errours refuted and the Obiections answered THe Doctrine of our Saviour thus largely confirmed affordeth to us all most profitable vse For first it maketh flatly for correction and confutation of all Atheistical unbelieving ones of which sort the world to this day is full who to flatter themseves in their owne ungodlinesse do seeke to set wide open the gate of Heaven as if all might enter Num. 16.3 Bearing themselves and others what they may in hand most madly contrary unto Christ Iesus his resolution and the truth delivered that not a few but all rather or sure the greater part at least of those that professe faith in the name of Christ be they Papists Familists Anabaptists or of what other sect howsoever living or whatsoever doing shall bee saved in fine go to heaven For countenancing of which conceit you have partly heard before what reasonings are brought by such cavilling spirits from the Mercy Power Will and Iustice of God and the infinite rich Merit of the
depart also from iniquity should ever imagine Act. 2.36 thaâ— the bare name of Chriâ— were a gate to let in wickednesse into heaven 2 Tim. 2.19 intâ— which holy City Reu. 2â— though the gate stand â—pen day and night yet is not possible Verse 27 that any uâ—cleane thing or abhominatiâ—â— should ever enter No for 〈◊〉 have learned how undeâ— and in Christ as the one gate and way to life wâ— are to conceive besidâ— the name and bare profeâ—sion those foure severaâ— porches and pathes of Faith Repentance Obedience and Patience all which are both for finding and entring into them as also for proceeding persevering in them strait and narrow that men had need with the Baptists hearers to presse with violence Mat. 11 11. if there-thorough they will passe and enter into heaven How necessary is it therfore for us all to examine and try our selves that we may finde comfort whether or no we have entred in at those gates and are walking in those wayes of life As whether wee can find that we beleeve in the Lord Iesus looking for salvation onely and alone by him whether we have repented unfainedly of al our sinnes giving our selves no allowance farther in any of them Thirdly whether our endeavour bee without dissimulation to yeeld obedience not to some but to al Gods commandements Finally whether we be resolved by his grace that strengtheneth us to beare with constant cheerefull patience whatsoever crosses and troubles may in this way encounter us CHAP. XIX Triall of Faith by foure rules viz. two for entrance and two for continuance IN this triall that we may have found comfort Faith and not deceive our selves with seeming shewes let us be willing to receive more speciall rules of direction from each of those foure particulars to try our selves all which since we coÌ„sider them as both gates for entrance and wayes for continuance leading to Christ and life our triall shall bee to observe first hovv vve have entred and secondly how we walke in every of these gates and wayes Touching the first which is faith in Christ who ever thou be that sayest or thinkest that thou doest beleeve let mee say to thee as the Apostle to his beloved Corinthians 2. Cor. 13.5 Prove thy selfe whether thou bee in the faith Yea examine whether thy faith bee such indeed as can bring thee unto life For remember what Saint Iames hath taught that it is not enough for a man to say hee hath faith Iam. 2.14 except hee shew it by the fruits since otherwise it may well be feared he doth but say so and either hath no faith or but a false faith such as a Divel may have that trembleth with the horrour of assured damnation Verse 19. Wherefore whosoever thou be that perswadest thy selfe thou standest by faith Rom 11.20 call thine heart in Gods name to account first how thou hast entred in at that gate for certainely if thy faith be the gate of life thou hast entred in at a straite gate whereinto without striving thou couldest not have entred And therefore first consider with what stirre or strugling thou hast gotte in since our Saviour bidding thee enter in presupposeth what thou knowest well if thou knowest any thing that once thou stoodest without borne as all Adams generation in wretched unbeliefe And therefore remember if thou canst to thine owne hearts comfort Who first forewarned thee to flee from the wrath to come Mat 3.7 or when were thine eyes anoynted with eye-salve Rev. 3.18 to see the filthy nakednesse of thine unbeleeving nature and the necessity of this white robe of faith Happily the carnall man that knoweth no otherwise then that hee did beleeve ever since he was borne or certainely since he could well remember will marvaile much to heare such questions mooved but for those who are acquainted with the Anatomy that the Scripture maketh of our wretched nature Rom. 3.12 and how this heart of ours is an heart of stone Eze. 11.19 not capable of nor caring for faith till God therto prepare it brusing breaking yea grinding it to very powder such plainely discerne how necessary the hammer of Gods law is Ier. 23. â—â— for breaking of this stonie heart and preparing it for the grace of Faith whiles it humbleth men with the sight of sinne and sorrow for the same and so forceth them to flie out of themselves to escape from death To whom thus humbled when as the Gospell offereth Christ as the onely meanes of life God by the same Gospell stirreth up their appetite Iâ—hn 3.16 so to hunger after him and his righteousnesse that with fervent prayer they flie unto the throne of grace Mat. 5.6 desiring to attaine salvation alone by him still begging therefore with earnest importunity at the hands of God to be yet more and more perswaded of his love in Christ and of the forgivenesse thereby of all their sinnes Such adoe there is howsoever many who never knew what it meaneth conceive of this gate of faith as of an easy entry to bring men to true faith in Christ not without humbling first and then hungring not without seeing and sorrowing for their sinnes and then sighing and seeking after Iesus Christ Howbeit since this entrance into faith is not alwaies wrought with like maner or measure of humiliation in all or not so well observed or remembred by all especially in such who either have been sanctified from the wombe Luk. â— 15 as was Iohn Baptist or else though not regenerated before full age yet as Timothy 2 Tâ—m â—â— have beene trained up from their infancy under godly parents and by that meanes kept from wounding theÌ„selves with more grosse iniquities Therefore let this second triall of our faith be by considering it as the path wherin we presently walk For our direction wherein this let us know that howsoever the Rhemists by distinction seeme to object In marginall note upon the Text. that Christians in their lives must seeke the strait way but in Religion the ancient common way yet it is truely answered By D. Fulk that it is the strait way as well in religion as in life that leadeth to life Wherein though in al ages the fewer sort have walked yet it is the ancient way wherin all that are saved have entred surely that good old way in Ieremy and that high way Ier. 6.16 called the way of holinesse in Isaiah Isa 35.8 where through Abraham and Isaac and all those ancients Hebr. 11. have entred heaven After whom if we would be assured that we walke aright following God as Abraham at the foote Isa 41.2 then let vs try our faith whether it bee right first by our strait walking and secondly by our working by our looking first and then our loving For for the former if wee be in the right track of saving faith it onely leadeth and wee thereby onely looke unto