6. Prize the society of the people of God that are acquainted with the workings of Gods Spirit upon their heaâ—ts Be much in communion with the Saints When they have been unfolding their doubts they have been in some good measure resolved this hath quickned their hearts when they have been dull and blown up the sparks of love in their souls to God that they have felt their hearts to burn within them s Luke 24.32 Psal 66.16 Mal 3.16 with love towards God 7. Direction 7. Keep a Record of all the experiences thou hast had of Gods goodness to thee and what thou hast formerly found t Psa 77.10 11. make it a means for the supporting of thy soul for the present and the future Such a time thou canst remember thou wast upon thy knees bemoaning thy self loathing thy self full oâ— sorrow and complaints and God took thee up in the arms of his love and spake like a friend words of peace and comfort to thy soul and bid thee be of good chear hee was reconciled to thy soul Hee filled thee full of sorrow and afterward filled thee full of joy hee cast thee down and raised thee up hee broke thy heart and bound it up hee came to thee as to Mary expostulating with thee sinner why weepest thou what aileth thee thou weepedst for thy Saviour and hee was by thee and shewed himself unto thee So much for the means to obtain this certain knowledge of eternal life but if by the use of these and the like directions the soul cannot get this assurance and though hee search and pray and grieve because hee hath not the light of Gods countenance shining upon him followeth the means and longs to know his estate and all things hee enjoyeth are lessened in his esteem because hee cannot see his interest in Christ whom hee doth most esteem To thee I will give these Directions Counsel to those that by these directions cannot yet obtain this assurance First Though thou canst not say thy condition is good yet do not say that thy condition is bad Though thou canst not affirm thou hast the faith of Evidence yet do not peremptorily say thou hast not the faith of Adherence though thou hast not the witness of the spirit for thee yet do not bear false witness against thy self canst not thou say thou art sure of Heaven yet do not say there is no hope of Heaven though thou canst not own Heaven as thine do not disown it if thou canst not prove it do not disclaim it It is strange yet ordinary to see many doubting Christians dispute against themselves and reason against their own comfort tell them of their longing after Christ their weeping and mourning for him they doubt it is not in truth if you say to them if you do not truly love him then let him alone and follow no more after him why do you grieve for him because you cannot finde him if you do not truly love him they will reply conscience will put a man on to do something when yet it may not bee done out of love to God if you aske can you take up with any thing short of Christ though indeed they cannot yet they will reply the heart is deceitful and they know not what they should do Frame not arguments against thy self when thou canst not frame them for thy self live by faith when thou canst not live by sense and comfort Take heed here of judging thy condition to bee bad by trying thy self by rules not so suitable to finde out the being and truth of grace as the growth and increase of grace And here 1. Say not thou hast no grace because thou hast not so much as thou seest others to have to take notice of the eminent degrees of grace in others to provoke our selves to labour after the same proportion is good but to argue for a nullity of grace because thou hast not such a quantity of grace as thou discernest in others is not rational Is there no water in the brook because there is not so much as in the river is there not light in a candle because there is not so much as in the sun wilt thou say thou art a begger because thou art not so rich as thy neighbours that have a full estate or that thou knowest nothing because thou knowest not so much as the greatest scholar Observe Peter in this case John 21.17 hee did not say when Christ asked him lovest thou mee more than these I love thee more than John or any of thy Disciples love thee but I love thee thou must love Christ more than thou lovest any thing in the woâ—ld besides or else thou dost not sincerely love him but thou must not conclude that except thou lovest him as much or more than others loâ—e him that thou hast no love at all unto him Yet this is ordinary I never was humbled so much as others have been I cannot mourn as others do enquire now after the truth rather than after the degrees and know thy humiliation is true First when thou art broken for and from thy sin so much bitterness upon the breast as weaneth the Châ—lde from it is sufficient Secondly that makes thee see a necessity of Christ and willing to close sincerely with him 2. Say not thou hast no grace because thou hast not grace proportionable to thy desires but rather hope thou hast it because thou hast such enlarged desires after it is not hee a froward unthankful Childe that saith his Father hath given him nothing because not so much as hee desireth 3. Say not thou hast no grace because thou seest corruption in thee more than before they were in thy heart before though thou didst not discern them the house is full of filth but while the shuts are up it is not perceived but take them down and you see it plainly not because there is more filth but because there is more light 4. Nor because of the indisposedness of thy heart to and dulness of thy affections sometimes in the time of holy duties Secondly When thou canst not get assurance make as much improvement of the grounds upon which thou mayest build u Psal 33.18 Psal 148.11 hopes of salvation The probable grounds thou hast thou wouldest not part with for all the world if thy heart is not full of joy through sense of Gods love yet thine eyes are full of tears and thy soul of sorrow through the sense of thy sin wouldâ—st thou change thy condition with any hypocrite whatsoever with the richest man that hath no grace I would not have thee rest satisfied with a probability but yet bless God for a probability of salvation is it nothing that one that hath disserved hell most certainly should have a probability that hee should escape it would not this bee a little ease to the torments of the damned if they had but a strong probability that they may bee saved but no hope
draw near to him and perform all our worship to him As Abraham is held forth to us a Pattern of Faith so he may be to us a Pattern of worship in as much as all true worship to God is performed by Faith by Faith in Christ Such apprehensions thererefore Abraham had of God in his worship such apprehensions of God we are to have in our worship and as Abraham had those conceptions of God by Faith in Christ so can we have the like conceptions of God by Faith in Christ only 1. Those apprehensions Abraham had of God did beget as we have shewn high thoughts of God with such apprehensions of God we must perfoâ—m all our worship See what high thoughts of God his people have alwaies had in worshipping him Neh. 9.5 6. 1 Tim. 1.17 1 Tim. 6.16 Low thoughts of God will ever perform but low base contemptible Service and Woâ—ship they brought God the blind the lame the sick for Sâ—crifice Mal. 1. Go saith God present them to your Governour and see if he do not scorn your present as undervalued by it Ver. 8. And should I accept this at your hands which a petty Lord will reject with indignation Ver. 13. For I am a great King saith the Lord of Hosts Ver. 14. Now such high thoughts and conceptions of God with which all our Worship must be performed to him can spring only from the manifestations of God in Christ who is the highest Revelation of the glory of God Isa 40.5 The brightness the effulgency of his glory Heb. 1.3 When God had yielded to give Moses a sight of his glory he put him into the Clist of the Rock which was a * Dr. Rainolds Psa 110. p. 166 resemblance of Christ as a Learned Divine hath observed and so made his glory to pass before him Exod. 33.22 Certainly Moses had here a sight of Gods glory beyond all that ever he had seen before Compare with this that Text 2 Cor. 4.6 God who commanded light to shine out of darkness hath shined in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of his glory in the face of Jesus Christ All the other manifestations of Gods glory were but dark and dim in comparison of those which appear in the face of Jesus Christ Therefore we can attâ—in no where such high so great so glorious Conceptions of God as in Jesus Christ 2. Abraham had such Conceptions of God as humbled emptied and abased him in himself in comparison of God and with such apprehensions of God must we perform all our Worship to him Psal 95.6 We are exhorted to come and worship and bow down and kneel In all Worship we are to testifie as our absolute subjection to God so our humblest submission to him Observe what self-abasing thoughts the apprehensions of Gods goodness wrought in David when he went to worship before the Lord 2 Sam. 7.18 19 20. Now such Conceptions of God which above all others humble and lessen and abase the Creâ—ture before God See Salkeld de Ang. c. 34 35. Aquin part 1 quest 62. Art 1. they spring principally from the manifesta ion of God in Christ It is the general opinion of the Schoolmen that the Angels in the first instant of their Creation did not enjoy that sight of God we call Beatifical Vision and that the Angels that fell never had sight of it at all for if they had they could not have fallen But what they talk of the good Angels meriting that Beatifical Vision of God in the second or third instant of their Creation is Popish foppery Divines unanimously attribute their station and stability in holiness to Jesus Christ We may upon good grounds also attribute to Jesus Christ their first admission into the presence sight enjoyment of God their state of supernatural blessedness Pardon this digression it is to make the way clear for the demonstration in hand viz. That the Angels before they had a sight of God or of themselves in Christ many of them waxed proud and fell the same pride that ruined some might have ruined all but after they had a sight of God in Christ how humble were they That Vision spoken of Isa 6.1 2. was manifestly an appearance of the glory of God in Jesus Christ I saw the Lord upon his Throne high and lifted up and his Train filled the Temple what the carriage of the Seraphims was towards God in this his appearance is exprest Each one had six wings with twain they did fly noting their ready execution of Gods Commands with twain they did cover their faces noting their natural impotency in themselves to behold the surpassing brightness of Divine Glory with twain they covered their feet as humbled in the sense and shame of their own Creature imperfection in comparison of the infinite purity and holiness of God Thus when Moses had had a sight of the glory of God in Christ He made haste he bowed his head toward the earth and worshipped Exod. 34.8 Quickly is the soul humbled at the manifestations of God in Christ In Christ we have seen God humbling emptying lessening dishonouring himself for us Phil. 2.5 6 7. Who can be proud that hath had a true sight of God humbled for him By the manifestatioâ—s of God in Christ are begotten the deepest soul humiliations for sin Zach. 12.10 They shall look on Me whom they have pierced and they shall mourn for him and they shall be in bitterness for him This great sorrow was not for the piercing of the Humanity of Christ barely considered but for piercing God in Christ though the Godhead was not in the least passive therefore that bloud which was shed is called The bloud of God Acts 20.28 and that person who was pierced called The Lord of glory 1 Cor. 2.8 Sins against the manifestations of the Love Mercy Grace Compassions Goodness and Glory of God in Christ beget the deepest humiliation of soul in all our Confessions 3. Abraham had such Conceptions of God as did represent him gracious propitious benevolous to the Creature a bountiful rewarder of him that serveth him notwithstanding the greatness of God or the unworthiness of the Creature Such apprehensions we must have of God in all our approaches to him in all our performances of duty and worship When Cain could not apprehend so much favour and grace in God as could pardon his sin and remove his punishment he then went out from the presence of the Lord Gen. 4.13.16 That is as Interpreters of good note render it he left the Church of God in his Fathers Family the Worship of God the Ordinances of God the service of God the profession of God and all Such as cannot have apprehensions of God as gracious propitious will not come into the presence of God Nor such as cannot apprehend him a bountiful rewarder of them that come to him They bid God depart from them who question whether God can do any thing for them or
perplexa omnis quod viri gravissimi jam olim conquesti sunt de animae intellectivae potentiis facultatibus disquisitioâ— quae capere se putant quidem suo modo capiunt illiteratâ—ssimi quique homunciones haec ipsa non capiunt acutissimi philosophi quâ in re nequeo satis admirari Dei Opt. Max. infinitam Sapientiam retundentis hoc pacto humanam superbiam repraesentantis mortalibus velut in speculo inanem illam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 qua sibi videntur aliquid esse cum nihil sint miserè decipiâ—ntes cor suum p. 35. 36. that doth not further the design I drive at viz. an universall and exact conscientiousness For Conscience the Hebrews ordinarily make use of two words viz. Heart and Spirit Heart in Prov. 4.23 Keep thy Heart i 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cor tuum i. e. keep thy Conscience with all diligence and so in the New Testament 1 John 3 20. If our Heart k 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e if our Conscience condemn us Spirit in Pro. 18.14 A wounded Spirit l 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. a wounded Conscience who can bear and so in the New Testament 1 Cor. 2.11 What knoweth the things of a man save the Spirit m 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of man i. e. the Conscience of Man that is in him But in English as also in the Greek n 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Latine o Con-scientia whence we borrow it 't is called Conscience knowledge with another which excellently sets forth the Scripturall nature of it as Job 16.19 My witnesse is in heaven and Rom. 9 1. I say the truth my Conscience also bearing me witnesse in the Holy Ghost In both places q.d. God witnesseth with my Conscience p Sanderson ibidem postea sâ—arsim Conscience is placed in the middle under God and above man q Perkins Vol 2 l. 1. p. 11. I will close this with Brochmand's description of Conscience r Brochmand T. 1. Art 1 c. 3. q 2. p. 7. to be a kind of silent reasoning of the Mind whose definitive sentence is received by some affection of the Heart whereby those things which are judged to be good and right are approved of with dâ—light but those things which are evill and naught are disapproved with grief and sorrow God hath placed this in all men partly to be a judgement and testimony of that integrity to which man was at first created and of that corruption that followed sin partly that God may have a Tribunal erected in the breasts of me to accuse delinquents and to excuse those that do what is good and right 2. The Object of conscience is very various conscience hath great employment Å¿ Mr. Bernard of cons p. 56. seqq and much businesse with the whole man and with all his actions 't is like those living creatures in the Revelation all over eyes it looks to the understanding t 2 Cor. 1.12 whether our wisdome be carnal or gracious to the will u Roman 7.18 whether it goe beyond or fall short in ability of good performances to the affections x Rom. 9.1.2 whether the entertainment or refusal of the Gospel be the matter of greatest joy or sorrow It pryes into all our actions both towards God and man Towards God whether in general our estate be good y Heb. 9.14 in speciall whether our service be inward z 2 Tim. 1.3 Spiritual or onely outward a Heb. 9 9. formal More particularly it surveighs all our duties whether we pray in faith b Heb. 10.22 whether we heare with profit c 1 Tim. 3.9 whether through our Baptisme we can goe unto God as unto an Oracle d 1 Pet. 3.21 Interp. 72. vocabulo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 utuntur quando in V.T. Israelitae dicuntur interrogare os domini baptismus est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 responsio bonae conscientiae etiaÌ„ interrogatio apud Deum quia audet cum fiducia DeuÌ„ accedere interrogare hoc est cum eo collâ—qui cumque rogare pro seâ—t aliis Geâ—hard l. c. T 4. de Sacram p. 180. § 88. whether in the Lords Supper we have singular Communion with Christ e Cor. 10.15.16 in short whether we doe and will stick close to Religion f 1 Pet. 3.15.16 as knowing that if Conscience doe not steer right Religion will be Shipwrakt g 1 Tim. 1.19 Thus duties towards God are the great object of Conscience but duties towards man are the Secundary and like unto it Towards man in our whole conversation h Acts 23.1 Particularly that we be obedient to rulers i Rom. 13.5 and that which is in one place charged upon us for Conscience sake is in another place commanded for the Lords sake k 1 Pet. 2.13 in short that we be just in all our dealings l Heb. 13 18. avoyding all justly offensive things m 1 Cor. 10.29 words n 1 Kings 2.44 thoughts o Psa 73.15.16 that we express singular charity p 1 Tim. 1 51 especialy to soules q Rom 9.1.2 and this in prayer r 2 Tim. 1.3.4 when we can doe nothing else and Conscience doth not onely do all this at present urging to duty or shooting or tingling under the commision of sin but it foresees things future provoking to good and cautioning against evill and also looks back upon things past with joy or torment so that it is easier to reckon what is not the object of conscience then what is in a word Every thing of duty and sin is the object of Conscience 3. The Offices of Conscience are likewise various In general the proper Office of Conscience is discursively to apply that light which is in the mind unto particular actions or cases The light which is in the mind is either the light of Nature or the light of Divine Revelation By the light of Nature I understand those common notions which are written in the hearts of men which as a brand pluckt out of the common burning are the reliques of the Image of God after the fall Not onely Scripture but experience evidenceth that those which are practical Atheists that say unto god depart from us Å¿ Job 21.14.15 we desire not the knowledge of thy wayes yet cannot get rid of his Deputy their Conscience they carry a Spy a Register a Monitor in their bosome that doth accuse and trouble them they cannot sin in quiet t Quod egi in corpore hoc post modum importuna cogitatione verso in mente muâ—toties gravius torqueor in recordatione quam prius captus fuerem operis perpetratione Bern. de inteâ— dom c. 30 p. 1074. Those that are without or Reject the Sun-shine of Scripture yet they canot blow out Gods Candle u Prov. 20 17. of Conscience By Divine revelation I meane
Consciences from being violated and you cannot be miserable O how calm and quiet as well as holy and heavenly would our lives be had we learnt but this single Lesson to be carefull for nothing but to know and do our duty and to leave all effects consequents and events to God The truth is 't is a daring boldness for silly dust to prescribe to infinite wisedom and to let go our work to meddle with Gods he hath managed the concernments of the world and of every individuall person in it without giving occasion to any one to complain for above this five thousand years and doth he now need your counsell Therefore let it be your onely businesse to mind duty Aye but how shall I know my duty take a second memoriall II. What advice you would give to another take your selves e 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Epictet c 33. Simp. p. 158. The worst of men are apt enough to lay such burthens on other mens f Mat. 3.4 shoulders which if they would take them upon their own they would be rare Christians e. g. The very outcry of those that revile Godliness who deal by the miscarriages of Professours as the Levite by his Concubine quarter them and divulge them even they expect that those which make a strict profession of Religion should be beyond exception blameless and they even they scorn those that make any defection from their professed strictnesse And on the other side those that are holy they expect that even graceless persons should bear reproof receive instruction and change the course of their lives In middle cases then between these extreams what exactnesse will serious Christians require where the byas of their own corruptions doth not misguide them David was twice g 2 SaÌ„ 12.5 6 7 2 Sam. 14.4 1â— surprised to pass sentence against himself by remote parables wherein he mistrusted not himself to be concerned wherein this rule 's too short add a third III. Do nothing on which you cannot pray for a blessing Where prayer doth not lead repentance must follow and 't is a desperate adventure to sin upon hopes of repentance Every action and cessation too of a Christian that 's good and not to be refused is sanctified by the word and h 1 Tim 4.5 6. prayer It becomes not a i Eph. 5.3 4. Christian to do any thing so triviâ—l k 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Athanas qu. ad Antioch p. 361. q. 77. that he can't pray over it and if he would but bestow a serious ejaculatory prayer upon every occurrent action he would find that such a prayer would cut off all things sinful demurr all things doubtfull and encourage all things lawful Therefore do nothing but what you can preface with prayer But these rules are all defective I 'le therefore close with an Example that 's infinitely above defects IV. Think and speak and do what you are perswaded Christ himselfe would do in your case were he upon the earth The heathen they proposed unto themselves the best examples they l 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Epictet c. 51. Simpl. p. 282. had and therefore let us follow the best of m Mica 4.5 ours There are many rare examples in n Heb. 13 7. Scripture but we may say of them as 't is said of most of Davids Worthies whose highest commendation was with this diminution o 2 Sam. 23 19 23. they attained not unto the first three I propose therefore neither great nor small but the King of Saints p Rev. 15 3. it becomes a Christian rather to be an Example q 1 Pet. 2 12.15 1 Thes 1.7 then to follow one But by imitating of Christ you will come as near as 't is possible to the first three for your fellowship shall be with the Father with his Son Jesus Christ r 1 John 1.3 through the spirit of holiness who alone can teach you what it is to abide in Å¿ 1 John 2.27 Christ who was and is and ever will be our absolute copy t Heb. 13.8 O Christians how did Christ pray redeem time for prayer u Mar. 1.35 6.16 Lu. 6.12 John 11.42 How did Christ preach out of whose mouth proceeded no other but gracious words w Luke 4.22 that his enemies could not but admire him x John 7.46 at what rate did Christ value the world who did taught to renounce it y Mar. 10 21-27 what time did Christ speÌ„d in impertinent discourse who made their hearts burn within them whom he occasionally fell in company with z Lu. 24.17 32. How did Christ go up and down doing a Acts 10.38 good to man and always those things that were pleasing to b John 8.29 God Beloved I commend to you these four memorials to be as so many scarlet c Josh 2.18 21 threads upon every finger of the right hand one that you may never put forth your hand to action but these memorials may be in your eye 1. Mind d Acts 9.6 duty 2. What 's anothers duty in your case is e Rom. 2.21 yours 3. What you can't say the Blessing of the Lord be upon it do not meddle f Psal 129.8 with it But above all as soon forget your Christian name the name of a Christian as forget to eye Christ g Psal 123.2 and what ever entertainment you meet with from the profane world h John 15.18 c. remember your Exemplar i 1 Pet. 2.21 22 23. and follow his steps who did no sin neither was guile found in his mouth who whâ—n he was reviled reviled not again when he suffered he threatned not but committed himself to him that judgeâ—h righteously What must and can Persons do Towards their own CONVERSION Ezek. 18.32 Wherefore turn your selves and live yee THe words are part of that serious Exhortation begun in the 30. ver Repent and turn your selves from all your transgressions continued in the 31. ver Cast away all your transgressions and make you a new heart and a new spirit and concluded in this verse Wherefore turn your selves c. In the former part of the verse the Lord saith I have no pleasure in the death of him that dyeth I had rather men should come to the knowledge of the truth and be saved then die in their sins and perish through their impenitency Wherefore or therefore turn your selves The Exhortation in these words is back'd with a reason of great yea the greatest strength viz. Life turn and live that is ye shall live comfortably here and happily for ever hereafter There be four Propositions deducible from these words 1. That man is turn'd from God 2. That it's mans duty to turn unto God again 3. That the Lords willingness that men should rather live then die should be a strong Argument to move them to turn 4. That those who do turn shall live I shall wave all those
the man that hath his quiver full of such artillery whose conscience is rich in these Memoirs Store thy mind with this sacred treasure Mat. 13.52 that as a Scribe instructed for the Kingdome of heaven thou mayest upon all occasions bring forth out of thy treasure things new and old Hold such Scriptures as are point-blanck contrary to the Temptation before thy conscience if it would turn away compell it to look upon them and think I am Gods creature I must obey him Did ever any rebell against him and prosper Terence eine ego ut adverser Is it wisely done of me to resist my Maker to try which is strongest a poor worme or the Almighty God And if the love of Gods commands will not constrain thee let the terrors the thunders and lightnings of his threats perswade thee which are all levelled against wilfull sinners And it is not safe standing surely in the very Canons mouth Peruse those two Scriptures and tremble to venture on any known breach of the Law of thy God Deut. 28.58 Isa 45 9. Rule 3 If all this effect nothing then draw the Curtain take off the vaile from before thy heart and let it behold the God that searcheth it Jer. 17.10 Heb. 4.13 Shew it the Majesty of the Lord see how that is described Isa 6.1 2 3. Ask thy soul whether it sees the living God that seeth it Whether it is aware whose eye looks on Gen. 16.13 14. Whether it hath no respect for God himself who stands by and whose pure and glorious eyes Hab. 1.13 pierce through and through thee Tell thy heart again and again that God will not be mocked that he is a God of knowledge 1 Sam. 2.3 and by him actions are weighed that he is a jealous God too and will by no meanes clear the guilty Bid it consider well and look to it self for God will bring to light every hidden thing of dishonesty he that now sees will judge it Speak to thy unruly lusts as the Town-Clerk of Ephesus wisely did to the mutinous Citizens Acts 19 40. Sirs we are in danger to be called in question for this dayes uproar there being no cause whereby we may give an account of this tumult Rule 4 If these great reall arguments be slighted try whether an argument ad hominem drawn from sense will prevail Awe thy lusts then with the bitternesse of thine own experience Consider how often thou hast rued their disorders what dismall consequences have followed upon their transports and how dearly thou hast paid heretofore for thy connivance at them Bethink thy self on such a fashion as this T'other day I was angry and behaved my self uncomely put the whole company or family out of order disobliged such a dear and faithful friend by my rashness and folly in uttering hasty words before I weighed them O how did I repent me afterwards how shamed and abashed and confounded was I when I came to my self So at another time thus and thus I miscarried my self and these are the fruits and cursed effects of my yielding to the beginnings of sinne and shall I go now and repeat my madnesse Had I not smart enough for my folly before but must I needs play the fool and the beast again Ask thy self what thou ailest to forget all the sighes and groans and bitter tears that thy lust hath already cost thee and yet would the impudent sin be committed once more 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 where are thy wits man Theoret in Cyclop if thou goest about it Sic notus Vlysses Was it so sweet a thing to lye under the horror and agony of a wounded conscience and under Gods rebukes in secret the last time that thou must needs venture again Why wilt thou hurt thy soule and become a Devil to thy self Why wilt thou needs break thy peace by consenting to sin and not only so but torment thy self and kindle a hell in thine own bosome and all this in despight of all thy warnings Ictus Piscator sapit the burnt child dreads the fire But it seems thou art in love with misery and weary of thy joy and comfort Thou hast a mind to be cursed wretchedness and woe and death are it seemeth grown so amiable in thine eyes as to become thy deliberate choise Thus upbraid thy self and do it so long and loud till thou fetchest thy soul again to it self out of that swoon and lethargy which besotteth it Give not over chiding and reproaching thy self till thou makest thy heart sensible and considerate Labour to cure thy lustings and affections in the first beginning of Rule 5 their disorders by Revulsion by drawing the stream and tide another way As Physitians stop an an Haemorragic or bleeding at the Nose by breathing the basilique vein in the arm or opening the Saphaena in the foot so may we check our carnal affections by turning them into spiritual ones and those eâ—ther 1 Of the same nature Ex. gr Catch thy worldly sorrow at the rise and turn thy mourning into godly sorrow If thou must needs weep weep for some what that deserves it Be the occasion of thy grief what it will losse of estate relations c. I am sure thy sins are a juster occasion for they brought that occasion of mourning upon thee be it what it will that thou art now in tears for Art thou troubled at any danger full of fears heart-aking and confusion O forget not the Mother-evill sinne let that have but it's due share and there will not be much left to spare of these affections for other things Is thy desire thy love thy joy too busy about some earthly trifle some temporall good thing Pray them to look up a little and behold thy God who is altogether lovely in whose presence is fulnesse of joy and at whose right hand are pleasures for evermore Psal 16.11 and let everlasting shame stop thy mouth if thou darest affirme any thing in this wretched world worthy to be named once with the living God for Rivalship and competition in thy heart a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Max. Tyr. dissert 1. sure I am he is the fountain and measure of all goodnesse Let but the first and soveraign Good have its due of thy love and desire thy delight and joy and the remainder will be little enough for thy creature-comforts Oh how great a folly is it to dote on husks and overlook the bread in thy fathers house Jer. 2.12 13. 2 Turn thy carnall affections into spirituall ones of a contrary nature Ex. gr Allay thy worldly sorrow by spiritual joy Try whether there be not enough in Alsufficiency it self to compensate the loss of any outward enjoyment whether there wil be any great miss or want of a broken Cistern when thou art at the fountain head of living waters whether the light of the Sun cannot make amends for the expiring of a candle Chastise thy carnall fears by hope in God Set on work
Heaven and the standing rule by which thou must bee tryed thou must stand or fall bee eternally blessed or everlastingly miserable as thy condition is consonant to or various from the infallible characters of saving grace contained in the Scripture Thou that hast deserved eternal death mightest know before the day of the general assize whether thou shalt bee acquitted or condemned But if thou know not how to gather these thy self go to some godly faithful Minister and desire him to give thee some Characters of a sincere Christian from the word of God wherein hypocrisie and sincerity are differenced and bee sure the signes thou tryest thy self by bee not short of saving grace or that will not hold tryal or bear thee out at the day of judgement I cannot here insert any partly because I have not room to croud them in partly because by what I have already laid down under that head that a man might know that hee is sincere beleeveth and loveth God something to this purpose might bee picked up 2. Direction 2. When thou hast thus furnished thy self thy next work must bee to set thy conscience on work and reflect upon thy own heart and upon the mâ—tions of thy will and compare thy self with the word of God The former sent you to study the book of Gods word this calleth upon you to study the book of your own hearts The other is a direct act of the understanding this is a reflect act to make a judgement of thy state whether there bee a transcript of those things in thine own heart for every beleever hath the Gospel-laws written upon the table of his soul by the spirit of God Assurance cannot bee had ordinarily without the examination of our own hearts for assurance is the certain knowledge of the conclusion drawn from the premises one out of the scripture the other by the reflect act of the understanding or conscience thus Hee that beleeveth and is justified shall bee saved that is the word of God then by the search of his own heart hee must bee able to say But I beleeve and am jusâ—ified and from these two doth result this assurance that hee may conclude Therefore I shall bee saved Luke 15.8 The woman that had lost a peece of silver did light a candle and swept her house and thereby found what she had lost Conscience is this candle the scripture is the fire at which it must bee lighted and self-examination is the broom whereby the heart is swept and so the state of the soul which before was not discerned comes to bee discovered But here take heed thy heart bee not rash in affirming or denying suspend the determination till thou hast made a narrow strict inquiry into thy soul as thou lovest thy soul do not presume as thou valuest thy comfort do not deny any work of the spirit of God upon thy heart but with thankfulness acknowledge any thing that thou canst discern to bee a fruit of the spirit Search throughly and judge impartially Say therefore to thy soul Deus est ocâ—â—us infinitus to make thy self more serious in this weighty work thou art now oh my Soul in the presence of the great heart-searching God that knoweth certainly what thy state and condition is what thy will heart and affections are thou must oh my Soul shortly stand at the bar of God as now thou standest at the bar of conscience and must bee searched judged by the Lord and have the sentence of life or death of absolution or condemnation according as thy state shall bee found to bee Consider oh my Soul thou art now about the greatest concernment in the world many have been mistaken many are now tormented in hell that once thought their condition was good it is not therefore for thee to flatter thy self and it is easie to bee mistaken and if thou shouldest bee mistaken it is as much as thy soul is worth if thy condition bee bad and thou conclude it to bee good thou wilt but go more merrily to hell It is as much as thy comfort is worth if thy condition bee good and thou conclude it to be bad thou wilt go more sadly to Heaven and wilt be unthankful to thy God and keep the glory from him and the comfort from thy self Thou art indited oh my soul arraigned and sound guilty that thou hast sinned against the Lord the question is Whether thou hast repented and are pardoned I charge thee therefore oh my soul that thou speak truly and answer rightly to these demands Art thou so far convinced of sin of the vileness of its own nature the evil in it the evil after it that thou art weary of it thou groanest under it thou loathest it and art unfeignedly willing to be broken from every sin without any reserve and what thou canst not extirpate that thou wilt bewail art thou so far convinced of thine own insufficiency to help thy self that all thy tears cannot wash thee and make thee clean all thy duties cannot save thee that though thou darest not neglect them as means yet thou darest not rely upon them as a Saviour so that thou seest the necessity of a Christ the suitableness of Christ the sufficiency and willingness of Christ offering himself unto thee in the Gospel calling to thee crying after thee saying ah thou poor miserable forlorn sinner thou hast undone thy self wilt thou now be cured thou hast wounded thy self wilt thou let mee apply a plaister of my blood my healing pacifying blood to thy bleeding soul to thy distressed disquieted conscience all that I expect from thee is to take mee for thy Lord and Husband to rule govern sanctifie and save thee thou hast withstood thine own mercy I have often asked thee and thou hast often denied mee but yet if now thou wilt receive mee behold I bring pardon along with mee and peace along with mee and eternal life and every good thing along with mee yet mercy is not gone it is not yet denied to thee When thou mayest gather such things from the Word of Christ put the question to thy self what sayest thou oâ— my soul thou hearest the gracious words of the Lord Jesus hee commands thee to come hee inviteth thee to come hee promiseth thee acceptance if thou come art thou willing or art thou not wilt thou persevere in thy former denial and be damned or wilt thou yeeld and be saved wilt thou consent to take him for thy Husband and subscribe unto his terms doth thy judgement value him above all and thy will chuse him above all and thy affections go out after him above all things in the world as a woman doth in all those three respects when shee taketh a man to be her Husband Art thou so far convinced of the excellency of the everlasting Glory of the Saints and the perfection of that Happiness that is above as it is a state or perfect Holiness as well as a state of real Happiness
Father am I thy Enemy God argues thus with the Jews Deut. 32.6 III. We are to believe that whatsoever we ask of God in Prayer is according to his will 1 John 5.14 The poor doubting Soul will say then I dare not pray for the recovery of my child since I know not whether it be the will of God it shall recover or no. I Answer Thine asking what God hath decreed not to give makes not thy Prayer sinful but thine asking what he hath forbid thee to desire for the will of Gods Decree is not the rule for us to walk by but the will of his Command Deut. 29.29 If what we pray for be such as is lawful and good for us to desire though God should tell us by a Prophet that he would not grant it yet we might lawfully pray for it and be blamelesse for so did David 2 Sam. 12. nay though God should send us word by a Prophet that we should dye and not live yet we might pray and not only be blamelesse but successful for so was Hezekiah nay though God should forbid us to pray yet since he commands us to pray in his Word we may pray and be heard for though God bid Jacob let him go yet he wrestled on and obtained the blessing and Moses though God bid him let him alone yet Moses did not let him alone and prevailed So then to ask things according to the will of God is to ask nothing that is unlawful to ask as for one to pray that God would prosper us in evil wayes this is to ask what is not according to his will I say you are to pray for noâ—hing that is any way unlawful to be desired Now it is not enough that the thing it self be lawful to be desired but the end for which we desire it must be lawful for if we desire lawful things for unlawful ends we ask amisse James 4.3 The end why we desire such a mercy must be such as God approves of by his Word as well as the thing it self To desire gifts of Edification for ostentation though according to the Will of God as to the thing desired yet as to the end it is abhominable As concerning the matter of our Prayers we are to believe as hath been said so as to God we are to believe several things Indeed scarce any of his Attributes but some way or other we are to act our Faith upon in Prayer but I shall choose some few on which the eye of Faith is especially fixed in Prayer The first is Gods Omniscience for else we shall be at a great losse I. If we believe not this how can we be assured that God hears our Prayers For 1. In respect of the number of Prayers there being Millions of Prayers put up at the same time to God if he be not Omniscient how is it possible he should hear all if any should not be heard how knowest thou that thine is not the Prayer that is not heard 2. In respect of the Secrecy of Prayer for except God know our hearts he cannot know our prayers for it is the heart that prayes the tongue only speaks Orat mens lingua loquitur 3. If God knew not the heart the poor soul who pray'd with sighs and groans that cannot be expressed should find no acceptance when the hypocrite that speaks much and means nothing shall be heard for his much babling 4. The Saints ask such things that require infinite Knowledge and Wisdom to do for us for when we desire God to make us to know him it requires more wisdom than for us to teach an Infant the Mathematicks So we desire God to cure us of our spiritual distempers alas they are so various so contrary so deeply rooted in our Natures we are such froward unruly Patients that it requires infinite Wisdom to heal us for when God goes to cure our Pride by afflicting us then our impatience is increased That which is the cure of one corruption increaseth another 5. If we believe not Gods Wisdom and Omniscience we cannot acquiesce in Gods answer of Prayers for we may suffer but not acquiesce in Gods answer of Prayers II. We are to believe Gods Providence that he rules and orders all things Whoso thinks that all things are ruled by second Causes by the Power and Policy of men or by the Stars or chance they will not Pray at all or go to God meerly as a refuge We shall pray to God but trust to our selves or to medecines when we are sick and to our food when we are well We may be confident we shall be delivered but we shall not at all trust that God will deliver us To strengthen our Faith in this we must know That those things that seem to be least within the compass of Providence are wholly guided by it 1. Things Natural God makes the Sun to arise and the Rain to fall Mat. 5. Gives to every seed his own body 1 Cor. 15. 2. The smallest things they escape not Providence God numbers the hairs of our head Mat. 10.30 3. Things casual Pro. 16.33 That which we call Chance medley is providential as to God The man 1 Kings drew a Bow at a venture and yet God directed it to an hairs breadth 4. The Counsels of men yea against God yet are ordered by the determinate Counsel of God Acts 2.23 5. Things most unruly The raging Sea goes so farre and no further by Gods decree the roaring Lion cannot destroy a Swine not afflict nor tempt a Saint without Gods leave Job 1. Luke 22.32 The wrath of man as well as the rage of the devil is ordered and restrained by the Wisdom and Power of God Psal 66. 6. The skill and inventions of men Isa 28.27 28. 7. Sin it self whether of Omission or Commission as silence and discord in Musick serves to make the Harmony sweeter III. Gods Omnipotence is to be believed else we will stagger through unbelief This was that in which the eminency of Abrahams faith did appear Rom. 4.21 and of the Centurion's Matth. 8. and Christ farre more blames them that question his Can than his Will for he doth not so much as reprove the Leper Matth. 8. but so sharply reproves him Mar. 9. hat he makes him weep because he said If thou canst he saith If thou canst believe to show that we cannot believe if we do not believe Gods Power We doubtless are generally faulty this way though we are ashamed to own it as you may see by this instance If we have two children sick the one whose death would be farre more afflictive to us hath some cold or some other small distemper the other of some mortal disease and given up by Physitians thou prayest for the recovery of both but for which of those two recovery art thou least confident is it not of his who is most sick and why so but because thou questionest Gods Power or Providence If thou shalt say my sins are
of the world can easily pass over the beams of raging wickedness in themselves and their own but they maliciously and proudly aggravate the motes of infirmity in the godly If they carry themselves unbecomingly by any impatience under the hand of God now they are hypocrites presently now they sink notwithstanding they would seem to have special interest in and acquaintance with God to bear them up Thus was Job censured even by his friends for which God censures them and that with wrath Job 42.7 Thus Gods People serve themselves but especially they have this measure from the men of the World They see them droop and walk heavily under some outward burden which they think is but ordinary they see them faint having drunk of the cup of affliction which is common but alas they consider not what may be the weight of their burden within what bitter ingredients may be in their Cup as to their inward man Now the Spirit is the man the mind is the strength and they are not aware how tender the love of God hath made that and how grieved and broken that may be upon some spiritual account between God and them Joab reproves David for mourning so excessively for Absolom at first sight we may think it strange that so eminent a Saint as David should so take on for an outward loss more as it seems than for the loss of Gods favour grace but Joab did not know and consider what visitation there might be within David while God stood over him with that outward rod how God might set on that outward blow with some inward smart and rebuke upon his Spirit in such an intimation as this O! David thou that wert so obliged to me more than thousands I 'll make thee know 't is an evil and bitter thing to provoke me and dishonour my Name as thou hast done thy child is dead Absolom is gone with a curse and Adonijah shall follow and now what hâ—st thou gotten by hearkening to temptations and pleasing thy self in the enticements of thy naughty heart no question but there were some such workings of God's displeasure within him and therefore no wonder he took on so heavily as Psal 39.11 therefore do not passe sentence upon the Godly in their extremities till thou canst hear and see all the bitternesse of their Condition 2. The second word is to the Godly 1. They which are not but Use 2 may be beset with this double perplexity 2. They which are 1. Art thou in a state of freedom and exemption blesse God thy lot is very comfortable but be not secure indulge not thy self with a perswasion that it will alwaies last For 1. Thou hast married Christ with his Crosse or not at all thou art delivered from the Curse indeed but thou art appointed to the Crosse and canst not with integrity except any part thereof that without or that within 2. Outward afflictions and troubles may be many and heavy one upon the neck of another and by reason of them though they come single thou maist endure an hard brunt and have enough to exercise thy whole strength of Faith and patience 3. Inward Affliction my come and that 's far more heavy and grievous the Soul is infinitely more tender then the body and yet scalding water upon the eye can very hardly be endured O then a wounded spirit who can bear that 4. 'T is not improbable nor unusual that both these rods may come upon thee at once and then thy Affliction is as a load upon a broken back now thou wilt have thy hands full indeed and very hardly be saved now thou wilt need not only all the strength which thou hast but all which thou mightst have had 2. You 'l say Sirs what shall we do I Answer as in natural distempers 1. You must take some preparatives and prophulacticks to prevent the disease if it may be or at least to break the strength of it if it doth come that we may not sinck under it 2 Some Cordials Restoratives and Therapenticks for the Cure of the malady when it is come I shall endeavour by the Grace of God to help you in these two Cases and conclude 1. Then for Direction by way of Preparation 1. Labour to be well seen in points of saving knowledge especially Direct 1 Fundamentals Ignorance I told you was the cause of Soul-distress and it is so the impregnable impediment of comfort most-what in the Godly they are not throughly informed they do not understand themselves well in the matter of the Covenant of Grace the Doctrine way benefit terms of it and the mistakes about it if they were clear in these things they would have a fairer way to comfort and more easily go to the wells of Salvation to draw water of life at any even the darkest time our Saviour prescribes this receipt in John 16.33 These things have I told you c. viz. the greâ—t things of the Gospel such as those v. 28. That I came from the Father i. e. to purchase all and I go to the Father i. e. to procure and apply all these things say the Disciples thou hast spoken plainly thou hast given us clear evidence and full information of these c. points of knowledge And what advantage did Christ's teaching and their learning and understanding of these great matters tend to That in me ye might have peace when in the World ye shall have tribulation Christ had promised he would not leave them comfortlesse Joh. 14.18 and this is the course he takes and the way he puts the Disciples into to prevent or prepare for Tribulation that it might not spoil them of their inward peace viz. Instruction and knowledge O! the Lord give you with utmost diligence to follow on to know and to work in what you know into your hearts So shall you have that within you which in dependence on Christ in the many points well understood will be of singular use and advantage to quiet and compose your Spirits in all your Troubles and Lâ—nguishments grounds of knowledge are grounds of support and comfort 2. In order to the forenamed second cause of this distemper be sure Direct 2 you be close with and often taking hold on God by renewed acts of Faith My Brethren Faith is not to be acted only at first for our entrance into the State of Grace but 't is our duty and wisdom to carry on the exercise of Faith for our continuance and progresse in that state and passage through all those temptations difficulties oppositions discouragements we are to meet withall therein Faith and Prayer must be as the breathing of our Souls in and out to keep the heart in life the just shall live i. e. every part degree and act of life by his Faith this again is the order the great Physitian of our Souls prescribes John 14.1 Let not your hearts be troubled why how shall they prevent or help it believe they were believers
understand it or 2. For an expression of the prolonging of his sojourning for so the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies to draw forth or to prolong and thus the Septuagint renders this place 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whom the Arabick Syriack and vulgar Latine versions follow with some others and the next verse seems to favour this sense ver 6. My soul hath long dwelt c. but either way gives us the same ground of complaint only the first sense doubles the ground of the Psalmists trouble and the other suggests the circumstance of the long continuance of his sojourning By Kedar is understood part of Arabia the inhabitants whereof are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bochart ut sup or dwellers in tents because they had no fixed and setled habitation but were robbers and lived upon the prey Now we are not to suppose that David did really sojourn and dwell among these barbarous people but he speaks this of his wandring about from place to place without any setled habitation and to set forth the cruelty and inhumanity of those among whom he dwelt he doth expresse it thus Woe is me that I dwell c. as if one living among professed Christians who deal with him more like savages than Christians should say Woe is me that I sojourn among Turks and Saracens And thus you see Davids present condition which he bewails is his absence from Jerusalem and the Tabernacle or place of Gods solemn worship and his converse with wicked and ungodly men and then these two truths lye plain before us in the words It is oftentimes the lot and portion of good men to be deprived of the Doct. 1 society of the godly and of opportunities of publick serving God and to dwell among and converse with wicked and ungodly persons It is a real ground of trouble and sorrow to a good man to be thus deprived Doct. 2 c. 'T was that which here made David proclaim himself in a state of woe and misery 'T was that which the Apostle tells us did vexe the righteous soul of Lot 2 Pet. 2.7 and which made the holy Prophet Elijah even weary of his life 1 King 19.4 You may easily imagine what a sad heart a poor lamb might well have if it be driven from the green pastures and still waters and forced to lodge among Wolves and Foxes where it must feed upon Carrion or starve and be continually in danger of being lodged in the bellies of its cruel and bloody companions unless lome secret over-ruling hand do restrain their rage and feed it with wholesome food and truly such is the condition of those that follow the Lamb of God in holy Lamb-like qualities when deprived of green pastures and still waters of Gospel Ordinances and forc'd to converse with wicked and ungodly men In handling of this Point I shall first lay before you the grounds of it and then adjoyn such practical application as may be usefull and profitable The grounds of this Truth do partly refer to God partly to wicked men and partly to the godly themselves if in such a condition a beleeving soul either look upwards or outwards or inwards he will see much cause of grief and trouble 1. With reference unto God and that upon a double account 1. It is a real ground of sorrow to a beleeving soul to be deprived of occasions of solemn blessing and praysing God the soul that is full of the sense of the goodness of God that knows how many thousand wayes the Lord is continually obliging it to love and bless him cannot but be afflicted in spirit to be kept from making its publick acknowledgements of divine goodness The Psalmist tell us Psal 65 1. that Praise waiteth for God in Sion that is in the publick Assemblies of the Church and truly 't is a grief to a believing soul not to wait there with his thank-offerings not to pay his vows unto the Lord in the presence of all his people Psal 116.17 Psal 66.18 in the Courts of the Lords house c. not to declare to all that fear God what he hath done for their souls 2. It is a real ground of sorrow to live among those that are continually reproaching and blaspeming the Name of God to see sinners despise the goodness of God and trample upon his grace and mercy and scorn his love and kindness and kick at his bowels and spit in his face and stab at his heart who is our God our Father our Friend our good and gracious Lord and King This must needs make the beleeving soul cry out Woe is me that I live among such Let us suppose a person that hath been hugely obliged by a Prince to love him and that indeed loves him as his life if this Prince should be driven from his Throne and an usurper get into his place would it not be great affliction and sadning to the spirit of such a person to live among those who every day revile reproach scorn and abuse his gracious Prince Why Sirs if you and I be true beleevers we know that the Lord is our Soveraign King Prince such a one who hath infinitely more obliged us to love him than 't is possible for any Prince to oblige a subject we do love the Lord as our lives nay better than our lives or else we love him not at all must it not then be matter of grief to hear ungodly sinners who have driven God away from their hearts souls where his Throne should be set up and who have let that grand usurper the Devil set up his throne within them and among them and who daily say unto God as those wicked ones Job 21.14 Depart from us for we desire not the knowledge of thy wayes to hear such curse and swear and blaspheme God and in their lives by wicked ungodly courses do him all the despight dishonor that they can bring his Name to the Tavern to the Stews upon the stage and there foot and defile the great and glorious Name of God with the worst of polutions Certainly Sirs he cannot account God his Friend his Father his good and gracious Prince whose eye doth not run down with Rivers of tears to see men so far from keeping Gods Law 2. It is a trouble to good men to sojourn c. with reference to those wicked ungodly persons among whom they live it grieves their souls to see sinners run into all excess of riot eagerly pursuing hell and damnation greedily guzling down full draughts of the venome of Asps and the poyson of Dragons it pities them to see sinners stab themselves to the heart and laughing at their own plague sores jeasting away God and heaven and eternal happiness If any of us should see a company of men so far besotted and distracted as that one should rend and burn the Evidences of a great Inheritance which others labour to deprive him of another should cast inestimable pearls
man yet wantest thou one thing sincerity wouldst thou have Heaven too why then didst thou all things for the praise of men thou hast thy reward and art over-paid Mat. 7.23 depart from me you that work iniquity 2. Frustrating of hopes great hopes hopes of glory and Heaven and escaping eternall misery oIb 8.13 all these hopes must perish to the hypocrite perish like a ship at the very mouth of the haven perish whiles they are crying Lord Lord perish into everlasting horrour and eternall dispair 3. Full detection and manifesting of them in the sight and face of all the world Luk. 12.2 for there is nothing covered that shall not be revealed nor hid that shall not be known the vizor will be then taken off which was feigned sanctity and the face will appear which was indeed double iniquity and for going about to cousin God and the world and his own soul the miserable hypocrite will be left to eternall intollerable confusion To be detested and derided by God Angels and Saints to be insulted on by the devils and damned to all eternity 4. And in Hell the hypocrite shall be beaten with many stripes for he knew his Masters will Luk. 12.47 and pretended he was doing of it and yet did it not Shall he that judged others to Hell lye lower in Hell and have more of Hell than those condemned by him shall it be worse with a proud Pharisee than with a Publicane nay a damned Publicane Mat. 24.51 is Hell the portion of Hypocrites are they the freeholders and all others but tennants and inmates with them or else if there be a worse place in Hell must it be theirs it must be so for the nearer Heaven the more of Hell and that will be the Hell of Hell to all aeternity Surely then hypocrisie is a dangerous thing there is exceeding danger of and danger by this leaven of the Phasees which is hypocrisie Vse I shall commend but one Use to be made of this Doctrine at this time and it is the beware in the Text. To stirre and provoke you to put forth your utmost care diligence and circumspection to beware of this leaven of the Pharisees which is hypocrisie Here I could shew you how much you are concerned to beware of the Pharisees leaven in doctrinals to beware of Doctrines advancing any thing in man or of man doctrines that are derived from any other fountain than the pure Word of God as traditions Enthusiasmes impulses besides or against the Word doctrines of will-worship superstition voluntary humility c. doctrines ascribing too much to and laying too much stresse on externals in worship not instituted by Christ doctrines of rigid imposition of things indifferent doctrines that have a tendency to blind obedience and implicite faith Whoever reads the New Testament may soon discern such were their doctrines and this is the leaven of the Pharisees in doctrinals and truly you had need to take care of this for doctrines and principles have no small influence on conversation and practice But I shall choose rather to prosecute this Use by endeavouring to give an Answer and resolution to two Questions which together constitute a great and weighty Case of Conscience Quest How may we discover and find out this subtill close evil of hypocrisie and convince our own and others souls that we are guilty of it and under the danger of it I must here first premise some general Cautions and then produce some particular evidences and discoveries of it I shall not meddle at all with grosse hypocrisie which is usually known both to the Hypocrite himself and frequently apparent to others too Some mens sins are open beforehand going before to judgement 1 Tim. 5.24 and some men they follow after But I shall labour to trace out and unkennel that latent close and deep Hypocrisie formally self-deceiving Hypocrisie whereby the Hypocrite may cousin others and himself too Here 1. I must premise these Cautions and Negations 1. That hic labor hoc opus my task is very hard my work difficult Caution 1 nice and curious that it is very difficult to find out the hypocrisie of ones own heart much more to convince others of the hypocrisie in theirs for the heart of man is deceitfull above all things Ier. 17 9. And hence the most serious inquisitive jealous and heart-searching Christians have used to call God in to their help in this work Search me O God and know my heart try me and know my reins Psal 139.23 24. c. Search my heart and try my reins examine whether there be any way of wickednesse in me 2. That as difficult as it is yet it is possible and feasible for we Caution 2 are not commanded impossibilities when we are required to search and try our wayes and turn unto the Lord Lam. 3.40 2 Cor. 13.5 1 Ioh. 3.19 to examine our hearts and to prove our selves whether we be in the faith whether our own hearts condemn us not David Hezekiah Job and Paul 2 Cor. 1.12 these all examined their own hearts and attained thereby to a knowledge and sense of their own sincerity And we are not directed to absurdities when we are cautioned to beware of men to take heed of those that come in sheeps cloathing but inwardly are ravening Wolves And we are not herein bid to make Brick without straw for the spirit of a man which is in him knoweth the things of a man 1 Cor. 2.11 and as face answereth to face in a glasse Prov. 27.19 so doth the heart of man to man Nay we have a far greater help viz. the Spirit of God which searcheth all things yea the deep things of God One of the extraordinary gifts of the Spirit in the primitive Church 1 Cor. 2.10 11. and very necessary for those times in which Satan was very busie and the Canon of Scripture not compleated was the gift of discerning of spirits 1 Cor. 12.10 some think that by vertue of this gift Peter discerned Ananias and Saphira their hypocrisie Acts 5. and afterwards Simon Magus his too which Philip could not do as not having that gift or such a measure of it but indeed there was no need of any extraordinary gift to discern Simon Magus by Acts 8. to any man that had reason and but common illumination Simon Magus his hypocrisie might easily and clearly appear in that motion of his Sell me this gift Who but an hypocrite could have thought it had been to be sold and who but an hypocrite would have offered money for it It was easie to conclude him in the gall of bitternesse and the bond of iniquity And the Ministers of the Gospel have authority calling and commission and therefore gifts to detect and bewray the guiles and wiles the depths and deceits and snares of Satan much more the workings and turnings of mens deceitfull hearts and the Word of God which is the
affections both in the desires in the affections in the use in the injoyments and moderate our cares and griefs in the losse and want of worldly things to have them as if we had them not to rejoyce in and for them as if we rejoyced not to grieve for the want of them as if we grieved not seeing they are to us as if they were not they are a scheame a representation that passeth away Gal. 6.15 Nay if the world be not crucified to us and we to the world we are still in danger of this gall of bitternesse this leaven of hypocrisie This is exemplified in the Jews in Babylon they would come to the Prophet and sit before him as Gods people with much seeming reverence and appearance of devotion and affection they hear thy words but they will not doe them for with their mouth they shew much love Ezech. 33.31 but their heart goeth after their covetousnesse Therefore as you love your souls beware of the love of the world and set not your affections on things below but on things above else you will not be able to avoid the guilt and danger of hypocrisie A not loving the Word of God a not receiving it as the Word of Sign 2 God when it comes as the Word of God in power It is the property of the Word of God to be quick and powerfull 1 Thess 1.5 sharper than any two-edged sword piercing to the dividing of soul and spirit and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart Heb. 4.12 2 Cor. 10.5 to cast down imaginations and every high thing that exalteth it self against the knowledge of God and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ This is the Word of God and this it doth as the Word of God these are the properties of it Such a Word of God an hypocrite can not love because he loves this carnal sinfull self he loves his lusts which this Word opposeth He flattereth himself in his own eyes until his iniquities be found to be hatefull The Word in power will shew him that all is ill Psal 36.2 when he flattereth himself that all is very well Hast thou found me O mine enemy saith Ahab An hypocrite thinks he hath no greater enemy than a faithfull Minister because hypocrisie hath no greater enemy than the Word of Truth which will detect and make it odious 1 King 21.20 1 King 22.8 So Ahab hated Micaiah and his Ministry because he prophesied evil to him in his evil wayes he spake the Word of God the truth to him which Ahabs corrupt life Mark 6 17 18 20. and hypocritical heart could not bear Herod heard John Baptist gladly in other things but when he preached against his having his brothers wife when he came home to his conscience to his very darling fin then Herod stopt his mouth shut him up inprison Felix trembles and dismisseth Paul when he came so close Act. 24.25 an hypocrite may love to hear the same Minister on another subject The very notion of Religion is amiable and acceptable to ingenuous persons nay he may love the Word may come to others but to himself during the predominancy of hypocrisie that the powerfull Word neither read nor preached can be welcome because it applies it self to the cutting off of his right hand Mat. 5. and plucking out his right eye Sign 3 3. A long and continual unprofitableness under the powerfull Word of God is a fearfull sign of hypocrisie What warnings and instructions had Judas What convictions and reprehensions had Ahab and Herod and yet as to those things which the word opposed they were still the same men If men that hear much minde nothing if there be no change no alteration but they are still where and what they were where they are still as carnal as earthly as they were ten twenty years ago though they hear much and are as earth that drinketh in the rain nay though they have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the world to come if yet they bring not forth meet fruit for him that dresseth it that ground is rejected that heart is near to cursing and burning Heb. 6.7 8. there is some guile and hypocrisie there there would be some growing else When the word is precept upon precept line upon line i. e. 1 Pet. 2.2 very plentifull and yet no amendment there is hypocrisie they will fall backward Hos 6.4 5. be broken and snared and taken Oh 't is no small matter to be dead unprofitable unaltered hearers It is a fearfull sign of hypocrisie and that there are many hypocrites in the bosome of the Church 4. The principles and ends of mens actions and performances are a Sign 4 great discovery of the sincerity or insincerity of mens hearts If mens principles be no higher than good education Act. 26.5 Phil. 3.5 6. and being conversant with good or strict men which seems to be Pauls case or no higher than good nature and moral qualifications Mark 10. this seems to be the young mans case they are no farther than those were at that time in an ignorant and insincere condition He that is really and sincerely a good Christian doth all as from God and Christ he is all and in all Christ is wisdome and sanctification to him Col. 2.11 1 Cor. 1.30 He acts and performs duties not onely from strength of parts and acquired qualifications but from strength of grace and infused habits from God and for God from a new heart Ezek. 36.25 Rom. 11.24 â—er 21.33 Rom. 3.5 2 Cor. 5.19 2 Pet. 1.4 Eph. 3.17 2 Cor. 13.5 Ier. 32.40 from the Law written in the heart from the love of God shed abroad in the heart and constraining to love from the Divine nature communicated to the heart from Christ by his Spirit dwelling in the heart from the fear of God possessing and establishing the heart These be the springs and principles of a sincere Christians spiritual life and actions and where they act and bear rule it is no wonder if such motions and performances be produced as the world may admire hut not imitate Sauls life after his Conversion was a kinde of constant miracle so much he did and so much he suffered and so much denied himself that if he lived in these dayes his life would be a miracle but yet if we consider the principles that he was acted by the great wonder will be not that he did so much but that he did no more for saith he Christ liveth in me and the life that I live I live by the faith of the Son of God c. Gal. 2.20 And so the ends of a mans actions are a great discovery of sincerity or hypocrisie If a mans ends be lower than God himself and obeying glorifying walking with and injoying God if either praise gain reputation nay acceptation with good people nay if a