with God the Father takes upon him the form of a Servant and becomes obedient to death even the Death of the Crosse and he is sufficient to make peace MEDITATION XVIII Christ as he was God could not die but he took mans nature upon him that he might be in a capacity to dye for sinful and lost Man He suffered in the same Nature that had sinned that he might make Atonement Sacrifices and Burnt-offerings could never take away the guilt of sin nor quiet the Conscience of the sinner nor cleanse and sanctifie a defiled soul therefore Christ had a Body prepared for him that by one Offering he might perfect his Church for ever Wonderful mystery of Godliness That God should be manifested in the Flesh and suffer upon the Cross to make peace Here is a wonderful contrivance Christ is the Sacrifice Christ is the Altar and Christ is the Priest Through the Eternal Spirit he offered up himself without spot to God to purge our Consciences from dead works that we might serve the Living God MEDITATION XXI Christ is God and has so effectually don the work of a Mediator that God is forward to be at Peace and entreats sinners to be reconciled Christ is Man and therefore Man may go with boldness to him O my Soul Thy Lord is near a kin to thee he bears good will to thy whole kind He is the Saviour of all men especially of them that Believe Being so nearly related to thee he has a right to Redeem thee nay he has actually paid the price of thy Redemption already so that nothing remains but that thou come to him and be made free indeed His Arms were not folded or hanging down but stretched out upon the Cross And oh How forward is this Saviour who died to embrace all that come to him When he says he will in No wise cast them out methinks it speaks the greatest readiness and gladness imaginable to entertain them Venture O venture to look to Jesus to come to Jesus and venture thy all with him Never any miscarried in this bottom and all must needs miscarry in any other He knows thy Sins thy Wants thy Foes thy Fears he knows how to Pity Protect and Succour thee He was in all things made like unto his Brethren that he might be a Merciful and Faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God to make Reconciliation for the sins of the People for in that he himself hath suffered being tempted he knows how to succour them that are tempted MEDITATION XX. How excellent is the Knowledge of Christ Crucified Look O my Soul upon thy Lord who loved thee at such a rate as to dye for thee Behold him Arrested Arraigned and Condemned Thou wast guilty of the crime and thy Lord did bear the punishment Behold him going to execution going unto Golgotha and if he had not gone thither whither Oh! Whither must thou needs have gone for ever The Law had condemned Thee not only the first but also the second Death was the just desert of thy Transgressions But here thy Surety stept in and Redeemed thee from the Curse of the Law being made a Curse for thee Look upon the Wrath of God revealed against thee because of thy ungodliness and unrighteousness look upon the glittering Sword of Justice drawn look upon devouring Fire and Everlasting Burnings prepared for thee and thy self just ready to be thrown into those unquenchable Flames And then behold and wonder at the kindness and love of Jesus who was willing to be made sin for thee and to bear the Wrath of God himself that he might appease it which was too heavy for thee to bear and which would have sunk thee into the lowest Hell and have kept thee there unto Eternity In what a deplorable and desperate case had the Sheep been if this good Shepherd had not stood in their room and layed down his Life for them MEDITATION XXI History tells us of Codrus the last Athenian King who was a great Lover of his People as appears by the manner of his Dying When the Grecians of Doris sought Counsel from the Oracle concerning the success of their Wars which they waged with the Athenians It was answered that undoubtedly they should prevail and become Lords of that State when they could obtain any victory against the Nation and yet preserve the Athenian King himself alive Codrus the King by some intelligence being informed of this answer withdrew himself from his own Forces and putting on the habit of a common Souldier he entred alone the Camp of the Dorians his Enemies and killing the first he met with was himself forthwith cut in pieces Thus he was willing to lose his own life rather then his Country should be ruined The Lord Jesus the Prince of Life and Glory did vail his Majesty appeared in the form of a Servant was contented to be counted a deceiver and to be numbred among Transgressours that his Life might be taken away and hereby Eternal Redemption be procured Codrus was deservedly honoured among the Athenians and certainly the Lord Jesus should be the higher in our esteem and love the lower he humbled and abased himself for our sakes The offence of the Crosse should cease since his Crucifixion was so necessary to our Eternal Salvation MEDITATION XXII Greater Love hath no man then this that a man lay down his Life for his Friends But Lord Thou didst dye for Rebels and for Enemies thou didst dye unsought to undesired therefore thy love is greater then the greatest love besides Thy love was stronger then Death no Water could quench it no Floods could drown it Hell it self could not discourage it 'T was a bitter Cup the Father put into thy hand but thou didst drink it and drink it off too the very dreggs of the Cup are gone Oh what a load did lye upon thee All the sins of all that ever were or shall be saved did meet on thee together How many stings had thy Death and yet thy Godhead and thy love did carry thee through all thy sufferings Oh! That I could comprehend with all Saints what is the heighth and length and depth and breadth and know the Love of Christ which passeth Knowledge that I may be filled with all the fulness of God! MEDITATION XXIII My Lord did know what was to come upon him Mans sin had been shamefull Christs Death was most Reproachful and Accursed Man had taken Pleasure in sin Christs Death was painful Man had been wilful in Transgression and Christs Death was voluntary though 't was violent Man had sinned against knowledge and with great contrivance and deliberation and Christ perfectly understood all that he was to endure He was well aware what he was to feel from Earth from Hell and from his heavenly Father and yet he makes no demur but endures the Cross and despises the shame and gives his Life a Ransom for many How was he straitned till his bloody Baptism was accomplished And
70 Several Cases propounded Some Cases relating to sin and a state of Nature 1 Case Is it not better for sinners to continue ignorant of themselves then by searching to fill themselves with horrour Answered p. 78 2 Case Is it not time enough hereafter to look into themselves Answered p. 81 3 Case How shall utter strangers to themselves begin this work of self-proving Answered p. 83 4 Case When sinners have found out the badness of their state is there any reason to despair Answered p. 85 5 Case What course must they take to have their state bettered p. 87 6 Case How far may sinners go and yet fall short of grace and Heaven answered p. 92 Several Cases relating to a state of Grace 1 Case How shall we know whether we are savingly enlightned Answered p. 103 2 Case When may Humiliation be said to be True Answered p. 108 3 Case How may we be sure our desires after God and grace are sincere answered p. 113 4 Case How may we be able to discern whether in Religion we are acted meerly by slavish fear Answered p. 117 5 Case How may we know that we have indeed accepted Christ Answered p. 125 6 Case When may conversion be said to be sincere and true Answered p. 130 7 Case What are the lower degrees of true grace Answered several particulars premised p. 133 Which are the lower degrees of grace that is true p. 138 8 Case How may Grace be discovered under spiritual desertion Answered p. 144 9 Case How grace may be discerned under the prevalency of MELANCHOLY Answered p. 148 10 Case How may repentance be known to be true when 't is a death-bed repentance or just before a Malefactors execution Answered p. 154 11 Case How may grace be discovered in Saints that are fallen Answered p. 158 12 Case How may we know whether we grow in grace Answered p. 164 13 Case How may we know when our joys are true and well grounded Answered p. 171 Application Several inferences drawn from the Doctrine p. 174 The errour of the Romish Church in reference to assurance p. 179 A lamentation that this duty of self-examination is so much neglected p. 181 The fatal consequence of this neglect p. 182 Directions how to prove our selves so as to attain assurance of the love of God p. 186 Nine arguments to perswade Saints to labour after assurance p. 187 Nine directions to attain it p. 194 The right course to keep assurance p. 202 Directions how to prove your selves before you engage in that Ordinance of the LORDS SUPPER p. 205 Ten Principles of Religion that the Communicant must be acquainted with p. 208 What besides he must examine himself about p. 214 Directions how to prove your selves every day so as to walk with greater circumspection p. 234 Let Wicked men prove themselves p. 253 Directed what to do p. 254 Let meerly moral men prove themselves p. 257 Meerly moral men discovered p. 258 Counsel given unto such p. 261 Let unsound professors prove themselves p. 263 Such discovered ibid. And being convicted advised p. 265 Sincere Saints counselled in four particulars p. 267 The Conclusion of the discourse p. 269 MEDITATIONS on the LORDS SVPPER p. 273 A DISCOURSE Concerning Self-Examination by which both Saints and Sinners may come to know themselves 2 Cor. 13. 5. Prove your own selves 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 THe sum of true Wisdom as One observes does consist in two things Dei cognitione nostri in the knowledge of God and of our selves now to make us wise in both these respects is one great design of the holy Scriptures He that is a stranger unto God must needs be a stranger unto Rest and Satisfaction and is ignorant of Him who is the Highest and Chiefest good of all He that is a stranger to Himself must needs remain both sinful and miserable and yet both sin and misery are unperceived and ignorance how Bad he is fixes him in a state that is not good and makes it the more unlikely that ever it should be better'd No wonder therefore that the Apostle does put all upon the Examination and proving of themselves Which Counsel is very proper both to Sinners and to Saints First 't is proper to Sinners for if they come to understand aright their own deplorable and wretched case this would be one large step from sin to Grace Secondly 't is proper also to Saints for proving of themselves will be the way to evidence the saving change that hath been wrought in them and will be a large step from Grace to Comfort In the words we have 1. A duty and that is to prove the Greek word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is used by Authors for the proving of Gold in the fire 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Isocrat Now Gold is proved in the fire in order to its discovery that 't is true Gold and that the dross may be separated from it So the proving in the Text must be in order unto a discovery and in order unto greater sanctification and purity 2. Whom is it our duty to prove Our own selves In reference to others we are to hope and believe all things as far as is consistent with the apparent fruits they bring forth and the faithfulness which we owe them But in reference to our selves the greater severity commonly the greater sincerity We must watch and be jealous over our selves lest we be mistaken and deceived in and by our selves And if you ask me What we are to prove our selves about The context informs us Whether we are in the Faith Whether Christ be in us yea or no Doct. The Doctrine I raise from the words is this It highly concerns all to examine and prove themselves this duty is very much urged in the verse where the Text lies Examine your selves says the Apostle Prove your own selves the Counsel is doubled which shews the great concernment of it together with the difficulty and backwardness in us all to follow it therefore he adds as if he did half chide What! Know you not your own selves q. d. To be ignorant of your selves your actions and your state for want of self-trial is your Sin and shame and argues prodigious carlesness to be in you and you to be in unexpressible danger In the handling of this Doctrine I shall First tell you what is implied in this proving of our selves Secondly what of our selves is to be proved Thirdly concerning what we are to prove our selves Fourthly the Manner how we are to do it Fifthly by what Rule and Touchstone this proof of our selves is to be made Sixthly the special times and seasons when this duty is to be done Seventhly lay down the reasons persuading to the practice of it Eighthly resolve several Cases of Conscience relating to this subject Lastly close with the Application In the first place I am to tell you What is implied in this proving of our selves and here several propositions are to be
18. Turn thou me and I shall be turned for thou art the Lord my God Ephraim had the seal of the Covenant administred to him in infancy which was Circumcision and therefore he calls the Lord his God and has the greater encouragement to cry to him to circumcise and turn his heart unto himself And surely under the New Testament the Covenant is not made more narrow nor our arguments and encouragements fewer to plead for converting grace Let Sinners therefore beg that as they have been baptized with Water in the Lords name so they may be justified by the blood of Christ sanctified by his Spirit and effectually turned unto God Till the Lord does turn you you must needs remain unconverted And when once you are made earnest that you may be sincere Converts you are earnest for that which is most agreeable to the will of God and 't is a sign that the work is already begun There could never be strong desires to be turned if the heart were not in some degree turned to desire it Case 6. The sixth Case is this How far may Sinners go and yet fall short of Grace and Heaven This is of great concernment to be fully resolved that we may not be mistaken in our selves therefore I shall be the larger upon it Many with Agrippa are almost persuaded to be Christians that are not Christians altogegether Many with him in the Gospel are not far from the Kingdom of Heaven who yet never come thither the case such is sad for they are miserable after they were near to happiness they are like a Merchant that is Shipwrackt and loses all and himself too within sight of shore they sail as it were by Heaven to Hell and their being once so near Heaven will make Hell the more doleful and intolerable Now how far Sinners may go and yet still remain but in a State of Nature I shall shew in these particulars 1. They that have no true grace may own and acknowledge the Christian Faith to be true 'T is affirmed of Simon Magus that he believed Act. 8. 13. The miracles that were wrought by Philip for the confirmation of the Gospel gained his assent that it was the Gospel of God and of undoubted truth In like manner Nicodemus while a Stranger to Regeneration was convinced and did confess that Christ was a Teacher sent from God Joh. 3. 1 2. Now as I go along I shall shew wherein such as have no grace do fail that the unsound may be convinced of their hypocrisie and the truely gracious may be the better able to discern their sincerity Though the forementioned persons believe the truth of the Gospel they do not apply it to themselves nor heartily embrace the goodness of the Gospel but prefer their lusts their pleasures and their profits before Gods Kingdom their assent is weak and does not influence their Consciences affections and conversations and so proves ineffectual to Salvation Jam. 2. 14. What doth it profit if a man say he hath Faith and have not Works Can Faith save him And v. 26. As the Body without the Spitit is dead so Faith without Works is dead also 2. They that have no grace may solemnly be admitted into the visible Church Simon the Sorcerer was baptized and yet Peter tells him afterwards that he was in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity Act. 8. 13 23. Multitudes of the Jews of old were circumcised in their flesh whose hearts were never circumcised Jer. 9. 25 26. Behold the days come saith the Lord that I will punish all them that are circumcised with the uncircumcised Egypt and Judah and Edom and the Children of Ammon and Moab for all these Nations are uncircumcised and all the House of Israel are uncircumcised in their hearts How many by Baptism are admitted into the Church of Christ and rest herein not caring to partake of the Blood of Christ and least of all to partake of the Spirit of Grace and Holiness which are signified by the Water in that institution What did it profit the Jews that they were circumcised in their flesh if after they did not answer their infant Cirumcision by a circumcised ear and heart and an holy and obedient Conversation And in like manner what will the being baptized with Water avail if the filthiness of Sin be not purged but loved and there be not an answer afterwards of a good Conscience towards God 1 Pet. 3. 21. 3. They that have no true grace may be forward in profession and by talking at an high rate attain unto some reputation for Godliness thus Sardis had a name and fame that she liv'd and yet was dead Rev. 3. 1. But these forward Professors when unsound drive on some carnal design as the ravenous Birds when they soar never so much aloâ—at have their eyes downward and are looking after something that they may prey upon Under all their profession their hearts they neglect and suffer them to be full of pride and passion and love of the World they have no desire after inward purity and besides they wilfully and wofully fail many times in their dealings with men and in regard of those duties which in their capacities and relations are incumbent upon them 4. They that have no true grace may engage in all the publick Ordinances that Christ has instituted they may pray and hear and be admitted unto Communion and Church-fellowship and yet not be the real Members of Christ and be shut out of the Kingdom Those persons had eat and drank in our Lords presence and had heard him teaching many a time unto whom he speaks after this terrible manner There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth when ye shall see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the Prophets in the Kingdom of Heaven and you your selves thrust out Luk. 13. 26 28. These hypocritical engagers in Ordinances seek not the Lord himself in his Ordinances His favour and the communications of his sanctifying Spirit they prize not they desire not and though Ordinances leave them as proud and wanton and unbelieving and earthly-minded as they found them they are unconcerned for to have better hearts than they had is not any piece of their design 5. They that have no true grace may attain to a great measure of notional knowledge That Servant who was beaten with many stripes did know the will of his Master Luk. 12. 47. We all have knowledge says the Apostle 1 Cor. 8. 1. unsound as well as sincere An Hypocrite may have great light in his understanding but that light makes him high-minded his knowledge is without affection to Spiritual things his head is very clear but his heart is very cold He is acquainted with the truth but he holds it in unrighteousness Is it not a sad sight to see Children that have the Rickets with great Heads but Arms weak and unable to do any thing and Legs small and feeble and unable to go Here is
the Emblem of one that knows the Word of God but neither loves nor obeys it A great head he has but his actions and steps bear no proportion to to the knowledge he has received 6. They that have no true grace may attain unto excellent gifts Judas and Demas were both Preachers of the Gospel and called upon others to turn to God and yet were not real Converts themselves Our Lord tells us that many will say to him in that day Lord Lord have we not prophesied in thy name And yet they shall be bid to depart from him Mat. 7. 22 23. Many Ministers miscarry Many fall into Hell from under the Pulpit and our of the Pulpit they are able to preach to others and yet themselves are castaways These unsound ones aim at their own applause in the exercise of their gifts they hunt after honour they prefer gifts before grace and many times use their gifts amiss to divide and destroy and not to edfie the Church of Christ 7. They that have no true grace may have their Consciences exceedingly awakened and may be filled with the terrors of the Lord because of Sin Pashur had the name of Magor-missabib because of those terrors where with he was surrounded Oh what an agony was Judas in when he saw that Christ was indeed condemned and under these terrors there may be a confession of Sin I have sinned says Judas in that I have betrayed innocent blood I have sinned against the Lord and against you says Pharaoh to Moses But 't is to be observed concerning them that are unsound that their troubles do either drive them to carnal means to remove them or to desperate courses or if they do seek unto God 't is but for a while and they are glad when their trouble is gone that they may sin with greater freedom When he slew them then they sought him they returned and enquired early after God but yet their heart was not right with him neither were they stedfast in his covenant Psal 78. 34-38 8. They that have no true grace may have some inclination towards and wishes after grace and holiness Agrippa his heart was somewhat inclin'd towards Christianity The young man in the Gospel had done something and was inclined to do more good that he might inherit Eternal Life Mat. 19. 16. But these wishes as they are weak and inconstant so they are inconsiderate When they hear that holiness is necessary to happiness they say Oh that we might be holy But when they understand that holiness is to hate every pleasing and gainful sin to keep unspotted from the World and to yield up their whole man unto God that he may dwell and rule in them and command all and make what use he pleases of them in his service to his glory then their ignorant and lazy wishes to be holy cool and vanish They are not for present and through Sanctification If they could have grace upon a Death-Bed just sufficient to keep them out of Hell they look upon that as the best time of having it which shews they are of Balaams mind and that they desire not to live the life but only to die the death of the Righteous 9. They that have no true grace may resolve upon a reformation nay actually reform in many things The Israelites of old when terrified by the voice of the Lord out of the midst of the Fire they speak thus to Moses Deut. 5. 27. Go thou near and hear all that the Lord our God shall say and speak unto us all that the Lord our God shall speak unto thee and we will hear it and do it Here was a good resolutin but when the Lord adds v. 29. Oh that there were an heart in them to fear me and keep all my Commandments always that it might be well with them forever It shews how unlikely 't was to be kept Such resolutions are made in distress and fear to stop the mouth of a clamorous Conscience and in their own strength and when the distress is over they break them as quickly and easily as Sampsons bands were snapt asunder And suppose there be an actual reformation as in Herod who heard John and observed him and did many things Mar. 6. 20. Yet the obedience is but partial there is not a following the Lord and his Word fully Herod forsook several of his iniquities but his incestuous love to Herodias his Brother Philips Wife he could not endure to be told of rather than pluck out this right eye he cuts off the Head of the Baptist who told him 't was unlawful for him to have her 10. They that have no true grace may not only lead an unblameable life but may suffer much upon the account of Religion The lives of the Pharisees were free from scandalous and notorious Crimes and yet their righteousness was insufficient according to our Lords sentence Nay as external active obedience may be yielded by them that are graceless in heart so some passive obedience also Judas was one of those twelve that forsook all and followed Christ but 't is likely 't was in hope of a greater gain for he kept the Bag and bare what was put therein and probably thought he should be a great man in the Kingdom of Messiah which he deemed a Temporal Kingdom Unsound ones are acted by vain glory in their sufferings not influenced by love to Christ and Truth And though they give their Bodies to be burned and have not this love what does it profit them 1 Cor. 13. 3. Some may undergo much but 't is to promote a Party not Christianity and though very stiff and stubborn in their sufferings yet much of the express Word of God they cast behind their backs 11. They that have no true grace may yet be very zealous in defending the Truths of the Gospel I grant Conversion to an Opinion is many times taken and mistaken for Conversion unto God though that Opinion is erroneous and such Zealots for erroneous Opinions care to talk of nothing else hardly the most warm and spiritual discourses are not savoury to them they are apt to judge all that are not of their way though never so holy but connive at Sin in those that side with them and while their heads are busie about their Opinions their spirits hearts and lives are not lookt after But I go farther and affirm that Graceless ones may espouse the quarrel of Truth and stand up for the defence of the Gospel The Apostle tells us of some that did preach Christ not sincerely not of good will but even of envy and strife yet he rejoyced that Christ was preached and the truth of the Gospel published and maintained Phil. 1. 15 16 18. Many may speak for that which is really truth and defend Tenents that are sound and Orthodox but these Opinions are entertained only as Opinions they float in their heads but sink not down into their hearts neither do they care practically to improve
great favour to be received as a Servaat who deserve to be punished and excluded as an Enemy Humbled Sinners do very much consider their ill deserts and how are they filled with admiration at the free grace of God in his Son Jesus which is the ground of their hope and encouragement By the grace of God they are what they are they have what they have they hope what they hope for Case 3. The third Case follows How may we be sure that our desires after God and grace are sincere 'T is a Maxim in practical Divinity That the desires after Grace are Grace but they must be true desires Now these may thus be known 1. Sincere desires spring from knowledge and serious consideration The Lord is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an unknown God to them that indeed desire after him he has caused his goodness which is his glory to pass before them and the desirableness of that goodness has been perceived Jer. 24. 7. I will give them an heart to know me and then it follows they shall return to me with their whole heart The eyes must be anointed with eye-salve the judgment must be inlightned and informed concerning the Lords perfections and fulness and riches of grace and mercy and willingness to communicate of these riches then desires after him will be real and well-grounded 2. Sincere desires are prevailing my meaning is that God and Grace are desired more than any thing the World than all the World besides An Author tells us that Tepidit as est parvus amor boni Lukewarmness implies some little love to that which is good but there is a greater love to that which is evil and vain And what does the little love then signifie If God be not desired above all he is not truely at all desired That was a sincere desire Psal 73. 25. Whom have I in Heaven but thee and there is none on Earth that I desire besides thee That is All things comparatively to thee are undesirable in my esteem In the Roman State 't was said Nec ferre potest Caesarve priorem Pompeiusve parem Caesar could not endure a superior and Pompey could not brook an equal God will have neither superior nor equal in our hearts they that love him truely give him the highest room of all 3. Sincere desires bear up against opposition Though the Flesh does lust and Mammon and Satan joyn with it yet the Spirit does lust against it Gal. 5. 17. There is a longing to be deliver'd from the body of Sin to be rid of that evil which is present when good is about to be done Rom. 7. Where there are desires after Grace indeed the remainders of Sin are irkfom and we shall sigh and wish that the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus may make us free from the law of Sin and Death 4. Sincere desires are great enemies to delays Davids Soul made haste to God and to do his duty Psal 119. 60. I made haste and delayed not to keep thy commandments and he desires that God would make haste to him Psal 101. 2. I will behave my self wisely in a perfect way Oh when wilt thou come to me So Psal 70. 1. Make haste O God to deliver make haste to help me O Lord. And when God did withdraw from him he cryes out How long wilt thou forget me O Lord for ever How long wilt thou hide thy face from me Ps 13. 1. Every day does seem a year and every year does seem an age to longing Souls when the Lord with-holds his quickening and comforting presence from them 5. Sincere desires are extended to every thing which God propounds in his Word as desirable Not some onely but all the benefits of Christ are longed after all his Offices are prized Sincere ones see a necessity of Christ a Priest upon the Cross they love to hear him as a Prophet in the Pulpit and are very desirous to submit to him as a Prince upon the Throne Nay they yield their hearts to be his Throne The Laws of God are dear to them they desire to keep them all to be filled with all the fulness of God to stand perfect and compleat in all the will of God Nay they aspire so high as to beg that they may do his will on Earth as 't is done in Heaven Mat. 6. 10. 6. Sincere desires are industrious Solomon speaks of a desire of the slothful which kills him because his hands refuse to labour Prov. 21. 25. He perishes for want of the good desired because he will not take pains to obtain it True desires are accompanied with a fear of missing what is desired not so as to make unbelieving conclusions but to quicken unto diligence Psal 27. 4. One thing have I desired of the Lord that will I seek after Then we desire really when we seek diligently And where is diligence and pains better employed than when seeking the Lord who has told us as certainly as he is so certainly he will be a rewarder of them that diligently seek him Heb. 11. 6. 7. Sincere desires are never quite satisfied here in this World What is said concerning earthly riches Crescit amor nummi quantum ipsa pecunia crescit may be applied to the true riches Crescit amor quantum divitiae love to them and covetousness after more increases as they increase He that has most grace is most desirous to have more 'T is true indeed our Lord tells us Joh. 6. 35. He that cometh unto me shall never hunger and he that believeth on me shall never thirst But if this be referr'd to Spiritual things the meaning is he shall not so hunger and thirst as to despair and be tormented with despair of satisfaction or else the passage may be referr'd to the things of this World that impia fames that sinful and eager hunger and thirst after them shall cease Sincere Souls never can in this World and they think they never can prize their Lord Jesus love and fear and serve their God sufficiently and therefore desire still to do all this more and better they forget the things behind and are still reaching forward and if you ask when they will be satisfied David shall answer Psal 17. ult and what he speaks of himself is applicable to others As for me I shall behold thy face in righteousness and be satisfied when I awake with thy likeness Case 4. A fourth Case may be this How may we be able to discern whether in Religion we are acted meerly by slavish fear yea or no Though carnal security is that which ruines the most of men yet a slavish fear yea or no Though carnal security is that which ruines the most of men yet a slavish fear is to be found also in the ungodly Such a fear there was in those we read of Psal 78. 34. When the hand of the Lord was stretched out and slew many of them the rest feared and sought him and yet
for in his House Ordinances are administred that they may behold the beauty of the Lord and enquire in his Temple Ps 27. 4. Case 7. The seventh Case follows What are the lower degrees of true Grace Grace in Scripture being compared to a grain of Mustard seed which is indeed the least of all seeds that are sown in the field Mat. 13. 31 32. Hereby there is an intimation given us that Grace is but little in the first beginnings of it and because small 't is not so easie to be discerned Yet the least measure of true Grace being of far greater value and more precious than Gold that perishes 't is worth our while to bring it to the Touchstone that it may be proved and known Before I resolve the Case wherein I must be very wary lest the unsound presume and lest the sincere be discouraged I shall premise these particulars 1. True Grace has different degrees and the higher and lower degrees are vastly different from each other Such a difference as there is between a grain of Mustard-seed and the Plant grown up so that the Birds of the air may lodge in the branches of it Such a difference as there is between a new born infant and a man grown truely such a difference there is between weak and strong Grace and yet as the infant has all the parts which the man hath and is of the same kind with him so weak grace and strong grace are of the same kind and the weak is true and saving as well as the strong That there is a difference in the degrees of Grace is evident Some are babes and some are strong men Heb. 5. 13 14. Some are styled little children some young men and some are called Fathers 1 Joh. 2. 12 13. 2. True Grace is consistent with little knowledge in the things of God There may be a great measure of notional knowledge where there is no true Grace at all and there may be true Grace where there is a great weakness as to understanding The Disciples when first they were chosen out of the World and regenerated by the Spirit understood but little of the Gospel Peter himself would have disswaded Christ from dying not knowing that his blood was to be the price of the Churches Redemption Mat. 16. 21 22. The very Apostles themselves wondred what the Resurrection of Christ from the dead should mean Surely they had not then much light and yet they had true Grace And though these and such like great Articles of the Christian Faith are more fully revealed so that 't is necessary to salvation to know them yet in some heads the knowledge is but little where yet the heart is truly turned unto God and prizes Christ above all 3. Where there is true Grace there may be many doubts and fears Our Lord says unto Peter O thou of little faith wherefore didst thou doubt Mat. 14. 31. And unto all his Disciples he speaks thus Why are ye fearful O ye of little faith Mat. 8. 26. Faith they had and yet 't was little and this faith is own'd though accompanied with doubts and fears Doubting believers for ought I know are the far major part of them Sincere Souls are prone to be jealous of themselves and they apprehend how much it stands them upon to make sure work for Eternity Hereupon Satan and the remainders of unbelief take the advantage and they are still questioning their state and are full of fears that nothing is wrought in them but what is common unto Hypocrites 4. Where there is true Grace there may be much corruption I grant that Grace reigns wherever it is in truth and yet much Sin may remain though it be an underling thus the Oyl is at the top of the Vessel though the Water which is under it be a far greater quantity Grace is compared unto smoaking Flax now in the smoaking Flax there 's much of stench and cloudiness and but little heat and yet this heat is taken notice of and cherisht and the promise is Mat. 12. 20. A bruised Reed shall he not break and smoaking Flax shall he not quench till he send forth judgment unto victory 5. Those that have true Grace may fall into Sins that are foul and scandalous and by such falls they break their bones disturb their peace and wound their Consciences and weaken themselves exceedingly so that they are the apter to stumble and fall again upon the next temptation When notorious Sins are thus committed by Believers Grace is at a very low ebb and yet the living Water which springs up to everlasting life so Grace is called is not quite dried up It is strange yet not so strange as true that righteous Lot who vexed his soul from day to day because of the Sodomites unlawful deeds should give way to drunkenness first though 't is not so strange that he should commit incest afterwards for he that is drunken knows not what he does Though he was delivered out of Sodom yet he carried but too much of Sodom within him in his heart David a man after Gods own heart yet in his heart there did kindle an impure and hellish flame of lust whereby Bathsheba was scorched and hurt as well as himself and which was the occasion of the death of poor Vrijah Now though David's joy was quite gone yet the Sanctifying Spirit was not clean departed though his operation was for a while suspended therefore he prays for the restoring of joy but that the holy Spirit might not be taken away Psal 51. 11 12. 6. Those that have true Grace may send forth such sad complaints as speak a nearness to despair Job cryes out The arrows of the Almighty are within me the poyson whereof drinketh up my Spirit the terrors of God do set themselves in aray against me Job 6. 4. The Church complains Lam. 3. God hath set me in dark place as those that have been dead of old he hath hedged me about that I cannot get out and made my chain heavy he hath filled me with bitterness and made me drunken with Wormwood also when I cry and shout he shutteth out my prayer This was worst of all to be in a deplorable case and not to be regarded when crying for relief and pitty Eminent Saints have sometimes concluded themselves forsaken and forgotten no wonder if they that have weak Grace confidently affirm they have none at all and as peremptorily conclude they never shall have any These things being premised I am to tell you which are the lower degrees of true grace 1. A sense and weariness of hardness of heart argues some measure of true Grace it shews some life and softness when deadness and hardness is felt as a burthen Though hardness of heart was incomparably the worst of all the plagues of Egypt yet this Pharaoh and the Egyptians were never sensible of nor desirous to be delivered from it though other plagues they cry to have removed That 's true
Faith Here for his better Information I shall lay down Ten Principles which 'tis highly requisite he should be acquainted with 1. The Communicant must know That there is a God who is from Everlasting to Everlasting and every where present a Spirit of incomprehensible Wisdom Power Righteousness and Goodness the Maker and Governour of Heaven and Earth and all the creatures which are therein Heb. 11. Psal 90. 1. Jer. 13. 23. Joh. 4. 24. Rom. 16. ult Ps 147. 5. Psal 116. 5. Gen. 2. 1. Dan. 4. 34 35. 2. This God is but One and yet he is distinguished into the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost which have the same Godhead Power and Eternity 1 Joh. 5. 7. Matth. 28. 19. 1 Joh. 5. 20. Heb. 9. 14. Act. 5. 4. This Doctrine of the Trinity is revealed that we may have right conceptions of the True God when we Worship him Excellent is that passage of Nazianzen Orat. 40. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I am not able to understand One but I am presently struck with the brightness of Three I am not able to distinguish Three but I am presently brought back to One again We are also further to take notice how all these Three Persons in the glorious Godhead do concur in that great Salvation which is brought to light and offered in the Gospel The Father sends the Son to become Man and Mans Saviour the Son is made Flesh and puts away sin by the Sacrifice of himself The Spirit is sent to convince men of sin and of their need of this Saviour and to draw them to him that beleiving in him they may not perish but have Everlasting Life 3. The Communicant must know That Man was at first made upright The first Man Adam had his Makers Image when first he was made which Image did consist in Knowledge Righteousness and Holiness and in having Dominion over the Creatures A Covenant was made with Adam of Life and Immortality upon condition of perfect Obeaience which then he had Power if he would to yeild and he was threatned with Death if he did Eat of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil Eccles 7. ult Gen. 1. 26. Ephes 4. 24. Col. 3. 10. Rom. 10. 5. Gen. 2. 17. 4. The first man Adam being a publick person and representing his whole Posterity did sin against God in Eating the forbidden Fruit and all his posterity Immanuel excepted who being conceived by the Holy Ghost was Born of a Virgin sinned in him and are Fallen short of the Glory of God so that all are Born the Children of Wrath all have corrupted Natures so that they are Reprobate to every thing that is Good and strongly inclined unto Evil in Thought Word and Deed and every sin being a Transgression of the Holy Law of the great God the Desert and Wages of it is no less then Death and Hell Rom. 5. 14. Gen. 3. 6. Rom. 5. 12. Rom. 3. 23. Luke 1. 35. Ephes 2. 3. Gen. 6. 5. 1 Joh. 3. 4. Rom. 6. ult 5. Jesus Christ the Eternal Son of God did take mans Nature upon him but was perfectly free from Sin and suffered in that Nature becoming Obedient unto Death even the Death of the Cross and his Blood is sufficient being the Blood of him that is God and Man to cleanse from sin and to make peace and he is able to save unto the utter most all that come unto God by him neither is there Salvation in any other Heb. 2. 16. Phil. 2. 6 7 8. Act. 20. 28. 1 Joh. 1. 7. Col. 1. 20. Heb. 7. 25. Acts 4. 12. 6. The Communicant must know That Christ after his Death and Eurial did rise again the third day which shewed that the price he paid for his Churches Redemption was sufficient and having Forty days conversed upon Earth with his Disciples and been seen of several other Witnesses even Five Hundred Brethren at once at length he did Ascend into Heaven and is at the Right Hand of God to make Intercession for them that Beleive in him and from Heaven where he now is He shall be at last revealed with Power and great Glory to Judge the World in Righteousness Rom. 4. ult 1 Cor. 15. 3 4 5 6. Luk. 24. 51. Rom. 8. 34. 2 Thess 1. 7. Matth. 25. 31. Acts 17. 31. 7. Christ has three Offices Prophetical Preistly and Kingly As a Prophet he does Teach his Church and who teacheth like him As a Preist he has made satisfaction and does intercede for them And as a King he does Govern and Defend them And this Church of his are Called Justified Sanctified and shall be Saved And though Earth and Hell hate them yet there shall be somewhere or other a Church of Christ always unto the end of the World Acts 3. 22. Heb. 4. 14. Heb. 10. 14. Rev. 19. 16. Ps 3. ult Rom. 8. 30. 1 Cor. 6. 11. Matth. 28. ult 8. The Communicant must know That the Holy Ghost did move and inspire the Penman of the Holy Scripture so that 't is of Divine Authority and contanis all things needful to be known beleived and done in order to Salvation The Books of the Old and New Testament are to be received as the Word of God Those therefore that lived under the Old Testament had some Knowledge of Christ and the Gospel and were saved no other way but by him But under the New Testament Christ and the things of our peace are much more fully revealed 2 Pet. 1. ult 2 Tim. 3. 16. Ps 19. 7. 2 Tim. 3. 17. Eph. 2. 20. Acts 26. 22 23. Matth. 13. 17. 2 Cor. 3. 18. 9. There is a New Covenant which God has made with his people who Repent and Beleive into which Covenant he has also taken their Infant Seed and therein he has promised to be their God to pardon Sin to give Grace after Death to raise them up at the Last day and to bestow upon them Life Everlasting and this Covenant as it was under the Old Testament confirmed by Circumcision and the Passover so under the New 't is confirmed by Baptism and the Lords Supper which two Sacraments are the Seals of it Heb. 8. 8. 10. 12. Acts 3. 19. Acts 16. 31. Acts 2. 39. Joh. 6. 39. 40. Rom. 6. ult Rom. 4. 11. 1 Cor. 5. 7. Matth. 28. 19. 1 Cor. 11. 24 25. 1 Cor. 10. 16. 10. The Communicant must know That the Law of God is not Abolished but Established by Faith as a Rule of Righteousness for Christians to walk by And sincere Obedience to the Law and Gospel through Christ shall be Accepted and Rewarded but those who live and dye Vnbeleiving Impenitent and Disobedient shall suffer the Vengeance of Eternal Fire and their Condemnation will be sorest who have been often offered but have neglected great Salvation Rom. 3. ult 1 Joh. 2. 1. 1 Cor. 15. 58. 1 Pet. 2. 5. 2 Thess 1. 8. 9. Heb. 2. 3. These are the Ten Principles of the Christian Religion which the Communicant is
would bring their base mettal to the Touchstone that they may perceive how vastly it differs from pure and tried Gold And that they would weigh themselves in the balance of the Sanctuary that their Consciences may perceive what reason there is that Tekel should be written upon them they are weighed in the balance and are found utterly wanting Now unsound Professors may come this way to a Conviction of their own unsoundness 1. They cannot endure plain dealing Our Lord tells us that this is the Worlds fault and Condemnation that they love darkness rather then light because their Deeds are Evil. Joh. 3. 19. And unsound Professors being not really come out of the World no wonder if the Word be disgusted that discovers and reproves them Sharp reproof makes us sound in the Faith Tit. 1. 13. But such rebukes the unsound cannot bear Deal gently said David with the Young Man Absalont And this is the Hypocrites Language Deal gently with my Pride and selfishness and darling lusts and sinful compliance for safety and profit and preferment sake It shews they are bruitish and void of true understanding because reproof is hated Prov. 12. 1. He that hateth reproof is bruitish 2. Unsound Professours regard iniquity in their Hearts Shame and Fear and hope of repute among men may curb and restrain them from running into the act of sin but the inward Love to it is not indeed mortified It may truly be said concerning the Hypocrite he abhorreth not evil Psal 36. 4. He may upon some accounts be afraid and ashamed to commit sin but he does not hate and abhor to Commit sin He secretly loves some sin or other though he hides both his sin and his love to it he does not long for the Death of all 3. Unsound Professours carry on Carnal designs in their profession of Religion Religion by such is made sometime a cloak to Covetousness or to Concupiscence or to Maliciousness they do not design the pleasing and glorifying of God this end sways not with the Heart till Grace is wrought there But they profess Godliness that they may sin the more plausibly and unsuspectedly and that they may bring about their selfish projects the more cleverly 4. Unsound Professours do relish only the things of the Flesh which shews that they are after the Flesh Rom. 8. 5. They that are after the Flesh do mind the things of the Flesh and they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit They savour not Spiritual things neither are they troubled at the Carnality of their minds and affections nor do they desire to be made spiritually minded Now you who are thus convicted to be Hypocritical and unsound Professours I beseech you remember 1. God looks into you He that hates sin most perfectly and will punish it most severely knows how sinful you are If all things are open and naked to his view surely he looks into the painted and whited sepulchre and beholds all the filthiness and rottenness that is within it 2. Hypocrisie is very hateful to God His Eye and Knowledge is disregarded by the Hypocrite his hand is not feared his Grace and Goodness horribly contemned and abused And all this the Hypocrite does to Gods very face in his very House while he is bowing the knee before him and giving a great many good words to him and seems very devout in his service 3. Hypocrisie will be at last detected When thou art distracted by a Disease or wounded in thy Conscience thou mayst be forced to confess thy Injustice Impurity and other Abominations But if this be not at the last day all will come out to thy Everlasting Contempt and Confusion For God will bring every work into Judgement with every secret thing whether it be good or whether it be evil Eccles 12. 14. Be wise therefore O unsound Professors Dissemble not with God deceive not your selves consent at last to be searched and sanctified and being humbled and ashamed because of your deceitful dealing with the Lord and Religion pray to be made Israelites indeed in whom there is no guile Fourthly Let sincere Saints prove themselves I have at large given you before the Characters of them who are Saints in sincerity They may know themselves by their coming out from the World by their preferring the living true and Everlasting God in their choice before all Lying and Dying Vanities by their thankful acceptance of the Lord Jesus as a Saviour and Redeemer from all iniquity as well as from the wrath that is to come Finally they may be known by their desires after the Grace of God in Truth and to be cleansed from all filthiness both of Flesh and Spirit and to perfect Holiness in the Fear of God Now you who are thus really sanctified I would counsel in three particulars 1. Acknowledge that the Grace of God has made you what you are that you are Called Justified Adopted changed into the Image of your heavenly Father is owing to the rich and glorious Grace of God This makes the difference between the Children of God and the Children of Disobedience What have you that you have not received 1 Cor. 4. 7. And what have you received but what you were in your selves utterly unworthy to receive 2. Be sensible that that Grace which has begun must perfect that which does concern you That picture which was begun by Apelles could not be perfected by the hand of any other Look therefore unto the Author to be the finisher of your Faith Heb. 12. 2. And truly you are encouraged to a more firm relyance by what the Apostle speaks Phil. 1. 6. Being confident of this very thing that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it unto the day of Jesus Christ 3. Do nothing unbecoming your present State and Relation and future hopes You are highly favoured the Lord is with you You are advanced to be the Children of the Lord Almighty to be the Heirs of Life and Glory and Joint-heirs with Christ himself to be Kings and Priests unto God Let there be an Holy Majesty in your Conversations rejoice and work Righteousness Count it below you to be proud and high-minded below you to mind Earthly things or to do any thing that looks like serving Sin and Satan 4. Having attained unto peace take heed of breaking it Assurance may much more easily be lost then gained There must be all diligence to get it but negligence may lose it After the Prince of Peace has spoken to thy Heart and said Peace be still Oh! do nothing to raise a new storm and tempest in thy Conscience But walk very humbly and closely with God That you may live in the truest sense pleasant lives And may come at last to Heaven which is indeed the fair Haven in a blessed Calm and that of the Psalmist may be verified in you Psal 37. 37. Mark the perfect man and behold the upright for the end of that man is peace