nothing is good in Religion which does not catch and overmaster rational Affections reduce the will of Man into an Harmony with the Will of God and better the Life Oh be not in love with a notional Religion Let the Holy Spirit that illustrious Ray of Divine Love reflected upon and from the Son of Righteousness descend into thy bowels dwell and act in thy very inmost heart by his Light to create Life Be in love with no knowledge but that which is of a transforming power and tendency that by its vertue thou may'st be intirely renewed after the Imagine of God That Knowledge which will introduce Faith that Faith which will work by Love that Love which to the rest will add as 2 Pet. 1.5 6 7. Vertue Temperance Patience Godliness Brotherly-kindness and in summ all the Elements of a holy conversation that and that only will be introductive of solid Peace and Consolation But this hath all been spoke only upon supposition of a dfferent yet very proper Translation of the Words in V. 10. and. 12. Which are rendred chastize Now must we Procecd upon this authorized Version and 't is certain the Words will allow it as among other Places is demonstrable from 1 Kin. 12.11 14. My Father chastised you with whips c. Psal 118.18 Chastening the Lord hath chastened me but hath not given me over to death Here the word cannot signify to teach or instruct in a proper Sence Yet in the place I discourse upon there 's nothing to enforce this Sence but rather the other as the English Annotator observes Only the Syriack Version the Chaldee Paraphrast Piscator Vatablus Ainsworth c. render it here as we do chasten And if it receive the former Sence may it not seem restrain'd to such Instructions as in a peculiar manner qualifie Men patiently to bear and improve Afflictions This Sence will be favoured by that clause in the following Verse which is declarative of the end and use of these Teachings finding rest in the day of adversity Paraphrase the whole thus Oh the blessednesses of the mighty man Psal 33.16 whom thou so instructest inwardly by thy Spirit and teachest Outwardly by thy Law in the Ministry of the Word and other Ordinances * So Calvin as to engage and enable him with an even composed Spirit resting in the good pleasure of thy Goodness and with patience to indure Adversity Thus I make account 't is a parallel to Jam. 1.12 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 happy Blessed is the Man that not suffereth meerly but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 patiently endureth Temptation For the Substantive derived from it viz. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is rend red Patience V 34. and ch 5.11 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we count happy or bless the patiently indureing or biding under ye have heard of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Patience of Job or Trial 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for being 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 approved he shall receive the Crown of Life c. It seems to be an allusion to the Isthmick or Olympick Games in Greece where if any doubt did arise about the Victory the Agonists or Contenders did appeal to the Judges and he who by their Suffrage or Judgment was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 approv'd did receive the Garland or Crown Thus here Blessed is the man whom thou so disciplinest and learnest as to give rest or quiet sedateness or settlement of mind or appeasement Prov. 15.18 the same word of all turbulent motions in the working raging sea of his Passions and Affections which otherwise cannot be quiet composed and rest Isai 57.20 the same word again till or while the Pit be digged for the wicked For as Dr. Hammond well observes if it be understood of external rest or freedom from the days of Evil the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is not properly translated until For that supposes the rest in being before the removal and in the very time of disrest or oppression or adversity by the wicked and the rest to terminate or end when the Wicked are destroyed But 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is translated While Job 1.16 17 18. While he was yet speaking c. and yet more accommodately to this place When Jonah 4.2 Was not this my saying when I was yet in my own Country c. Thus here when the pit of corruption as the word signifies shall be digged for the Wicked the Lord 's blessed ones shall rest from the days of Adversity Then is the season for it This literal proper Sence seems more suitable than Calvin's figurative For Moral Rest answers not the Letter of the Text as well as civil 'T is rest from not in the days of evil as it should if the moral sence for quiet of mind obtain yet I think there may be a commodious Sence given of the Words retaining the until which is the only Basis of the moral sence and still interpret the words concerning Political Rest For until does not alway signifie the cessation of the preceding State upon the introduction of that which it relates to Hereof there are multitudes of Instances Rom. 5.13 Vntil the Law Sin was in the World but it did not cease to be when the Law came Rev. 2.25 Hold fast till I come Must they let go their hold then But to confine my self to the Hebr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Isai 22.14 This Iniquity shall not be purged from you till you die If not 'till then 't will never Not to wander out of this Book of Psalms Psal 112.8 He shall not be affraid until he see his desire upon his enemies and sure his fearlesness will not determin then Psal 110.1 Sit thou on my right hand until I make thine enemies thy footstool Must Christ forsake God's right hand when that is accomplished I 'll add no more It cannot then by necessary consequence be concluded from the until here that the Rest or Quiet of the Blessed shall expire when the Wicked perish it rather infers a more eminent degree of it So also it does in the cited places denote and import an answerable amplification in the succeeding state of what was in the foregoing if it be capable of gradation as sure David's fearlesness would be greater after his desire was accomplished upon his Enemies than before Let that interpret this He shall be fearless before even when his enemies hope to have their desire of him much more when he has his of them Thus God will give those whom he graciously instructs and teaches real quiet and rest both when the wicked Reigns and when he is Ruin'd So that I make it a privilege and part of Blessedness granted by special indulgence to these to be secured from trouble in troublous Times to have a good day when others not so taught of God meet with an evil day to be hid in the day of God's Anger to be preserved from the Malice and persecution of the Wicked This sometimes the Lord vouchsafes to
our Minds are the more enlarged are our Hearts to receive Comfort from our raised Speculations if we conscionably improve them but if not so much the more Anguish Vexation and Torment He that knows most of God knows most to torture and rack his Conscience for ever if like a Devil he notwithstanding it rebel against God If thy Illuminations do not warm thy Affections of Desire and Love they will awaken those bitter Passions of Fear Grief Horror and Despair as anticipations and earnests of Everlasting Woes Labour therefore to superadd to thy knowledge of God a true Notion of thy self and thine own estate absolute and relative of the latter by the former For by what thou feelest thy self to be in thy self must thou judge what thou art in relation to God and thus thy inward sense must bottom thy Faith i. e. thou mayst have good ground to believe that God has justified pardoned accepted adopted thee and will save thee if thou feelest by inward sense that he hath Regenerated and Sanctified thee Thus the Psalmist ere he claim Propriety in God ver 22. lays the Foundation of that Assurance in Conscience of Innocency and Righteousness ver 21. Admit this to be meant of particular limited doing harm to none good to all or only to the Concern'd viz. his Enemies that sought his Life Yet since 't was such as could approve it self to God 't will infer universal For particular Justice c. is not to be pleaded before God if it be but Hypocritical and such it is if its Principles Motives Ends be unsound But if these be sound they will certainly be Introductive of nay they are Vniversal Righteousness That is if Love to God and Goodness respect to his Will and Command and an Eye to his Glory lead and induce thee to Act and regulate thee in harmlessness and just dealing with Men they will not permit thee to rest there but with the same Efficacy and generous Violence urge and command thee into Sobriety and Godlyness Yea Love to God and Goodness is eminently both Particular Justice then without Universal is mere Hypocrisie and upon a bottom so base so weak so sandy no wise Man dare build the confidence to say My God no nor arrogate to himself a privilege of so noble and eminent a Nature no nor lastly would a serious Considerer so much as dare to mention Innocency and Righteousness toward Man in a solemn Address to God without a secret check from his own Conscience for and a serious deprecation anent his own Injustice and Nocency before the Divine Majesty had he not some inward Testimony of his Uprightness We will then adventure to suppose this carriage toward Man to be only an instance of that Cátholick Sincerity whereof the Psalmist was an excellent Pattern and mentioned as an aggravating Circumstance inhancing the guilt of these Persecutors that brake in Pieces God's People ver 3. Viz. That they did this without any manner of Provocation merely out of Malice against their Goodness and Relation to God and him in particular only upon false and ungrounded surmises However this be 't is certain that if a Man do not partake of the Divine Nature in Holiness in Faith Vertue Knowledge Temperance Patience Godliness Brotherly Kindness Love he can never make his Calling and Election sure 2 Pet. 1.4 5 6 7 10. i. e. except a Man know God experimentally in having his Image renew'd upon his Soul he can never know God comfortably in any true assurance of his Love and Favour and pardoning Grace therefore never solace himself with the being much less abundance of Peace Thus then if thou know'st not God thou knowest not thy self if thou know'st not thy self thou knowest not God Here therefore Oh my Soul lay out thine endeavours and cares to get a true understanding of thy state whether truly Sanctified Thou hast no true peace if not born again to it Get a distinct notion concerning the New Birth in general and thine own in particular For thou hast nothing to do with any thing in God if thou be'st not again begotten of God Lastly Endeavour to attain a clear notion of the Covenant of Grace its Nature terms and Obligation For be there never so much Comfort in God and never so much need and disposedness in thee for it yet what can make God so far a Debtor to thee as to necessitate him to bestow it on thee if he do not oblige himself thereto To that Covenant then do'st thou owe all thy right unto and hopes of enjoying God and his Consolations If thou found not thy confidence there 't is lost and thy self also No wise Man will neglect the perusal of those Deeds by which he holds his Inheritance Thy Comforts are indeed but only Copy-bold look to it 4. I advised to endeavour a clear understanding of thine absolute state of Sanctification under the preceeding Particular upon Supposition of such a state in Being But what if it be not Non entis nulla est scientia We know not that which is not Least therefore an error be found in the very Foundation of all in that which above all things is most essential to and differential of true Comfort my next Rule is about that Make sure that thou be converted from Darkness to Light and from the Power of Satan to God Lay the Ground Work of thy Peace in true Penitence For as Seneca Fidelissimus ad honesta ex Poenitentia transitus I subjoyn ad solantia Nat. quaest 1.3 init Repentance most undeceivingly leads to honesty and peace Thou canst never pass by Land to Paradise but by Water the Sea of godly Sorrow The Laver must stand betwixt the Tent and the Altar wash thou must ere thou canst make Atonement with the Psalmist thou must be righteous and innocent ere God revive thee The Wisdom that descends from above is first pure then peaceable Jam. 3.17 None but the Eagle can face the Sun A Salamander cannot subsist in Water nor a Fish in Fire Nothing that is unholy can live in the Element of everlasting Light Joy and Rest None but a true and honest Heart must be blest with a Heaven of unperishable Consolation God will not justifie and encourage Wickedness by the entail of true Contentation nor appropriate the Portion of his Friends to his Enemies Give the Childrens Bread to Dogs neither deny Celestial Manna to his Israel though in the Wilderness Even Rocks shall yield Honey to his People that hearken to his voice and walk in his ways Psal 81.13 16. And he speaks peace only to his People and holy or merciful ones Psal 85.8 and none are ever made such except only by Regeneration The single Eye sees farthest none but pure Hearts can look into Heaven and there see Visions of Peace If old Simeon wait and hope to see the Consolations of Israel he must be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 just and devout Luk. 2.25 which no Man is by Nature
an Alms asked in the Name of Christ but above all the Eternal Father never will Joh. 14.13 14. and 15.16 and 16.23 24. But the Nature the Life the Power of Christianity is a Thing incomparable the highest communication of Divine Goodness issuing from the lowest condescension of infinite grace Christ the God of Wisdom dwelling in our Nature by the Holy Ghost the God of love and in our hearts by Faith to root and ground us in Love Oh the height depth length breadth of the love of Christ an Hyperbole to our knowledge infinitely surpassing shooting above it that we may be FILLED WITH ALL THE FULNESS OF GOD. Oh Mystery above all Mysteries Oh Grace above all Grace The Height of most incomprehensible Majesty in the deepest humility of boundless Mercy exalting poor degenerate man from the lowest Abyss of unspeakable misery to the utmost sublimity of celestial Glory in such an extensive amplitude and fullness of all the richest blessings spread abroad over the whole latitude of humane nature having their spring from that everliving fountain of Eternal Love and streaming in infinite varleties to the length of all eternity with such accommodation and suitableness to every of our particular necessities desires hopes as becomes a fruit of unparallel'd incomparable Wisdom and Grace Oh unfathomable Love thou hast even outdone thy self and undone me a man of an unclean heart and lips for how shall such a poor weak polluted worm be ever able to conceive aright of thy unconceivable plenitude be thankful for and speak well enough of thy unspeakable magnitude with a degree of Love and delight high enough entertain thy unmeasurable sufficiency sweetness and satisfactory Perfection or faithfully improve and walk worthy of thy unmatchably rich and glorious communications The unsuitableness the unanswerableness of my Spirit and practice will ruine me if by another astonishing Miracle of demission thou do not spread abroad thy quickening confirming thy sanctifying and actuating influences throughout all the powers of my Soul that in thine own strength I may rightly glorify thee That is Christianity in its causes the Wisdom Love and Grace of God in Jesus Christ and its general Notion an elevation of Fallen Man to God More particularly Christianity in the Theory is the Doctrine of Faith in Jesus Christ in the Practice 't is covenanting and keeping Covenant with God This is brief inlarge your Thoughts thus Christianity is an undissembled acknowledgement or owning and receiving Jesus Christ as the only Mediator betwixt God and man in a hearty Submission to the terms of the Covenant of Grace Repentance Faith and upright Obedience It supposes Natural Religion in an universal subjection to the Deity as Creator Governour and Owner of all For if God had nothing to do with us nor we with him there would be no need of a Mediator so neither if there were no Sin Hence it also supposes the Obligation of the Law of Nature which is the Rule of Natural Religion and the guide of man in his natural subjection to God It supposes also the Covenant of Nature commonly called Works with the violation of it which none could expiate but God-man And it includes as most essential the Covenant of Grace and in special the New Edition thereof for the old is Judaism i. e. the Gospel exhibiting Jesus Christ as already come God in our Flesh Teaching for our instruction Commanding for our direction Doing for our example and advantage and Suffering in our room and stead and for our Sin All things necessary for our Salvation hereby satisfying Divine Justice and meriting for us the Holy Ghost with his gifts grace pardon peace and eternal glory to be given us upon conditions and terms suitable to his own goodness and our present state viz. Repentance toward God for and from dead works that we might serve him the Living God and Faith in Jesus Christ accepting of submitting and committing our Souls to him in well doing with all the fruits hereof in Love Meekness Humility Self-denial Patience Heavenly-mindedness Watchfulness in Summ Godliness Righteousness and Sobriety to be wrought in us and exercised by us through the Grace and Might of Christ which only makes them sincere and sound and so acceptacle to God through Christ who alone intercedes with God on the behalf of Man for this end as a Saviour 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to all perfection Heb. 7.25 This is the summ of Christianity owned by some Professionally only by others Really also But because the reality of the Heart is only known to God whereof he never made us the Judges We must proceed solely upon the external Profession as far as it renders the other real inward owning credible Now 't is in respect of this credible owning of Christianity manifested by Profession that a Man becomes a member of the Catholick Church Visible has a right to all Ordinances Baptism Fellowship with a particular Church the Lords Supper and consequently Ministry Ministerial and Fraternal Inspection c. 1. There 's no Vital Union betwixt Jesus Christ and any particular Person merely as a Member of a Particular Church and under that Formality but only as a Member of the Church Universal invisible For There 's no union of Life but by unfeigned Faith uncorrupt Love which are invisible things These make no Man a Member of a Particular Church actually and ipso facto though they give the first and truest right thereto but of the Catholick they actually do Nay the Visible profession of them though it give the right yet does not actually invest in a particular Church but does in the Universal Visible and after it has been own'd by the Church in Baptism we are not only Visible potentially but seen and actually acknowledged Members of the Catholick Church Visible yet not presently of a particular Church Though Baptism be in a particular Church yet 't is not into it but the Universal Consent without actual associating does not constitute any a Member actually but only potentially and virtually That which makes a Man a Member of a particular Church is only Actual Association with its consent explicit or implicit Every one that is truly a Member of the Catholick Church Visible and gives any credible evidence thereof either explicit or implicit as Mr. Tho. Hooker truly observes and essays to joyn himself to a particular Church upon that evidence ought to be receiv'd to a participation of all Ordinances and that particular Church cannot de jure deny its consent but it betrays its trust and sins greatly both against the man and Christ also But then no man is saved under that Formality as a member of a particular Church merely but only as he partakes of that common Christian Nature which constitutes the Members of the Catholick Church Though he sin Grievously and without Repentance general or particular may justly be damn'd for neglect of joining in the Ordinances with some particular Church or other if he have opportunity 2.